The relationship you have with your favorite or signature scent is a very intimate and personal one. It’s one of the things that you don’t need to explain to other people. Your scent is exclusive to you and is a secret you are allowed to keep.
Just like the adventure you take when looking for “The One” in terms of life-partners, you have to date around to learn more of what suits you.
It’s a combination of your personal preference: fruity, floral, or musky, along with your body’s natural smells. One perfume that could work wonders for your friend smells completely different on you. There could be scents that only work for you during certain moods, and also some perfumes are best only during specific occasions or the time of day.
There is no one explanation or formula for how one can find their scent. But it’s something that when you find the perfect match, you know it. Your friends will notice it too immediately as you cannot help compliment it.
The intimate part of scents also comes from how different perfumes and colognes take us to various memories. They could be trips we’ve taken, moments we’ve cherished, or even childhood recollections. And still, that scent might not be best for your person. Perhaps you could opt for it in its candle form or scent diffuser variant, should you wish to transport yourself back to that time.
With all these options, I’ve found a place like the Art of Scent is a novel and needed concept. They curate luxury fragrances from all over the world. It then helps you find something unique to you. They carry scents from brands that master the art of perfumery and are somewhat hard to find, except in the world’s most fashionable destinations.
Of Art of Scent’s selections, my favorite includes Memo Paris and Van Cleef & Arpels.
Memo Paris was established in 2007 by Clara Molloy and her husband, John. The former is a Parisian-Catalan poet, while the latter is a sporty Irish globetrotter. Together, they tell stories of travels and far-off places through their scents. Memo Paris has met much love as it carried internationally via Cult Beauty and is found at Paris’ luxury spot, Le Bon Marché.
One of my picks from Memo Paris is Irish Leather. It blends leather accord with the windy freshness of juniper berries and green mate absolute. Of the memory it concocts, it says, “One of those icy, biting mornings. Pink pepper. The sun peeks through the heavy grey clouds. Oil of clary sage. The wind slips beneath your clothes. Juniper berry. Morning dew soaks the grass. At last, the stable, the wooden tack room doors, the burning scent of leather, wood, amber, and honey. An age-old odor. Green maté absolute. The soft whinny of the horse. Oil of flouve. The smell of freedom. The leather gathers in the wind, the grass warms with the wood. Tonka bean absolute. Irish Leather gallops off into the horizon.”
For me, this could even be a unisex scent.
Another scent I like from Memo is Inlé. I prefer it as a day scent. This tells a story based in Asia: “On Inlé Lake, in the heart of Myanmar, life is lived on the water. The view is unobstructed, sounds ricochet between the water and the sky, and come nightfall, the taste of silence is a rare, almost unknown delicacy. This is an eau de parfum that prolongs the dream of drifting on fragrant waters made of notes of Jasmine, Mate, and Osmanthus.”
There is always sophistication to Memo Paris’ blends, and I believe they help you tell your own stories.
Another perfume I like from Art of Scent is Van Cleef & Arpels Collection Extraordinaire Santal Blanc Eau de Parfum Spray. It’s a scent that’s almost explosively good. It’s the type of perfume that people will love at first spritz. The santal in it is sexy and sensual. It is one of the scents that I’m always afraid to run out of.
Of the particular notes, the blend is that of “subtle sweet facets of creamy fig nectar and mandarin, met by powdery violet and soft, cotton-white sandalwood.” You get sweetness and warmth with almondy tonka bean and a warm-woody dry down that gives it a touch of creamy fig milk and musk.
My last pick would be Juliette Has A Gun. This perfume has a unique approach to scents, looking at it as an art form. Its name takes from the Shakespearean character and plays with the idea of femininity. The line is by Romano Ricci, great-grandson of Nina Ricci.
One of their newest addition is Vanilla Vibes. It connects top notes of Fleur de sel (Sea Salt), heart notes of Orchid Absolute, Natural Vanilla Absolute, and bottom notes: Brown Musk, Tonka Bean, Benzoin Absolute, Sandalwood Absolute. It’s described as an ambery fresh scent that’s sensual, powerful, and about free femininity.
Art of Scent is located at Resort’s World, One Shangri-La Mall, and City of Dreams. You can also log on to https://artofscent.com/.
