Signature Scents...

I'm a fragrance amateur. Olfactorily challenged, if you will. I can't tell you the difference between eau de toilette and eau de parfum. Sandalwood, bergamot, patchouli...I have no idea what these are supposed to smell like. I was not blessed with "the nose," or un nez, as the French say.

But I do know what I like (and what I don't like). On a recent trip to ULTA, I was reminded of a scent I had long forgotten. A scent I discovered on a trip to the French Riviera nearly ten years ago, at a perfume factory called Fragonard. Located in small village called Eze, near the city of Nice, the factory offers tourists a look inside the world of perfumery. The best part, by far, was the fabulous boutique of products at factory prices. We're talking French-milled soaps in glorious scents like freesia, lavender, verbena and honeysuckle, for as little as 3.50 Euro. (FYI, Fragonard also has a factory in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, as well as a boutique in Paris).

As I was stocking up on soaps, I came across a fragrance that, at the time, was the best smelling fragrance I had ever experienced. It was called Bouquet Marin, and came in a lovely little bottle with a corked top. It wasn't meant to be spritzed on, but rather splashed. The scent (to my novice nose) was fresh and beachy. It was the smell of the ocean captured in a bottle. I was in love.

This fragrance, in the eyes of the great perfumers, was nothing to brag about. I mean, it came in a bottle with a cork - not exactly swanky. But to me, it was perfect. I hate heavy scents, so the lightness of this eau de toilette was perfect. I proudly brought it home with me and wore it every day for a year. It was my signature scent.

As time went by, however, the bottle got pushed to the back of my perfumes and was eventually forgotten - at least until I picked up a perfume at ULTA and was immediately reminded of my former signature scent.
L'eau d'Issey, by Issey Miyake, is described as a "floral-aquatic" fragrance with notes of lotus, freesia, peony and carnation (among others). This perfume is the closest I've ever come to smelling something reminiscent of my once-favorite perfume, except more sophisticated and refined. And although I may have outgrown my former signature scent, I think L'eau d'Issey might be an appropriate replacement. If nothing else, the perfume will remind me of my wonderful trip to France. To be reminded of that every day, particularly in the dreary winter months, is well worth the price.