Fragrance is an Economical Way to Lift Your Spirits

For A Little Daily Indulgence, Find a Scent That Lifts Your Spirits…

At a time when we are all being a bit more careful, it is still important to have small indulgences. If jewelry is not in your budget and chocolate’s not on your diet, consider fragrance.

Not a perfume person? Does the smell of someone’s overpowering perfume make you gag from across the room? According to Janet Dashiell, the proprietor of the Black Swan Boutique in Los Gatos California, “Perfume should be an intimate experience. Someone should detect your scent when they give you a hug.”

The reason that most department and mass market merchandised perfume is so strong is the way that it is manufactured. Boutique fragrances made in small batches are produced from organically grown sources and avoid the chemical preservatives that cause the fragrance to project out in an offensive manner instead of becoming part of the chemistry of the wearer. Most people are not actually allergic to fragrances but to the chemical additives.

True botanicals, which are primarily organic perfumes, are suspended in oil and last longer. There are also different levels of fragrance, according to their purity. Eau de Cologne is what you generally find at Tar-jay. From there, you find Eau de Toilette, then Eau de Parfum, and finally perfume oil, the purest form of fragrance on the market.

There are lots of new scents as well. Not a flower person? How about vanilla? Citrus? Or even Chili peppers and chocolate?

What determines the best scent for each individual? There are factors such as hair coloring, skin tone, memories and preferences that determine what fragrance goes best with the person. For me, with my light skin and natural preferences, I am drawn to fragrances that are either citrus or florals that are clean and soft.

The best way to experiment with cologne is to first spray testers on the perfume cards. Smell them as soon as you spray. That is the top note. Just a few minutes later is the heart note of the fragrance. And what you will smell hours later is the base note. Vanilla and musk are popular base notes. Between sniffs, clear your palette with a whiff of coffee beans. Otherwise, your nose becomes over sensitized and you won’t smell a thing!

Once you have limited your choices down, it is good to bring home a few testers. Try them and notice throughout the day how they make you feel and whether you like the smell. Different days are suitable for different fragrances as well.

After my personal fragrance consultation at Black Swan Boutique, I brought home a few samples from the L’Artisan Parfumer collection. Mure et Musc, the first perfume created by the company, is a blending of citrus and berries with base note of musk. I liked it because it seemed fresh and clean to me without the cloying sense of many fragrances.

From the bouquets and single flowers, I loved Mimosa pour Moi with its blackcurrent bud, violet leaf, mimosa absolute and base notes for vanilla and cedarwood. I found it to be very nostalgic. Also nostalgic was Drole de Rose, which reminded me of hugging my mother when she was dressed up for a special occasion or night out.

I loved the spices. Safran troublant had a very exotic smell with saffron, rose, vanilla and sandalwood. Piment brulant was very eye opening with red pepper, cloves, cocoa and vanilla.

Ironically, my favorite of the day was the very scent worn by Napoleon. Imagine that annoying little man had such a great nose! There are so many fragrances that cover every taste.

Laura Beth DeHority is a glamourist in San Jose, CA. Visit her daily blog at www.glamourbylbd.com.