Signature Scent Series, Part 2

Have you ever had this conversation: "Oh my goodness, you smell so good! What are you wearing?" Upon receiving the name of the delicious fragrance, you immediately go to the store, purchase a bottle, then wonder why in the world it does not smell the same on your skin. The first time this happened, I was in my teens and was so jealous that a certain scent smelled so good on my friend, but smelled old lady-ish on myself.


Most of us probably already know that something happens to make perfume smell different on different people. I decided to do a little research on why, and found a lot of information at TheLondonPerfumeCompany.com. Basically, everyone has a unique body chemistry, and (just like our fingerprint or DNA), no two are the same. When the perfume molecules react with warm pulse points through our heart beat, it causes a reaction with our skin and hormones, which causes the perfume to give off a particular scent. Our skin is made up of a unique combination of salts, proteins, acids, hairs, fibers, fats, and water. Factors that can influence your skin type include diet, stress level, hormone level, humidity, and Herbs & Spices.

So what's our best bet to ensure that we love our friend's scent on us as much as we do on them? Ask them for a squirt. Get a sample from a department store or online. Allow it to settle into your skin for 30 minutes and see if it's still the scent you love.

This week, I've tried our four of the Jo Malone scents. They were Nectarine Blossom and Honey, Pomegranate Noir, English Pear & Freesia, and Blackberry and Bay. All of these colognes fell into the "Fruity" category on the Jo Malone website, and all four of them could not be more different from one another. Below is the website's description of each, along with a few words on my experience with each.

Nectarine Blossom & Honey: "London's Covent Garden early morning market. Succulent nectarine, peach, and cassis and delicate spring flowers melt into each note of acacia honey. Sweet and delightfully playful."

The first word that came to mind for this scent was, "Wholesome." It had such a light and sweet scent and reminded me of summer trips to Stone Mountain when I was little. Those don't even go together, but that's the memory that came flooding in when inhaling it! I felt this scent smelled exactly on my skin as it did in the bottle. Which is not bad, but I enjoy my body's chemistry interacting with scents a bit more. It seemed as though this one just "sat" on my skin.

Pomegranate Noir: "The sensuality of a daring red dress. Ruby-rich juices of pomegranate, raspberry, and plum are spiked with pink pepper and laced with Casablanca lily and spicy woods. Dark and enigmatic."

At first scent, this cologne made me think of the spicy incense one would smell at a Renaissance Festival without the added headache of it being over-powering. It is a very sensual scent and I loved the warmth of it on my skin. It did interact with my chemistry, but lacked the floral notes I tend to enjoy.

English Pear & Freesia: "The essence of Autumn, the sensuous freshness of just-ripe pears is wrapped in a bouquet of white freesias and mellowed by amber, patchouli, and woods. Luscious and Golden."

I was a bit surprised when I read the description of "The essence of Autumn," as Autumn was something that never came to mind while wearing this scent. Fiona actually tried this scent the evening before I wore it, and it smelled absolutely delightful on her. I was excited to wear it the next day and was disappointed when, again, it seemed to just sit rather than mingle with my skin. It was a beautiful scent, and reminded me of strolling through an English Garden... or, at least, what I would imagine an English Garden to smell like.

Blackberry & Bay: "Childhood memories of blackberry picking... A burst of deep, tart, blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. Vibrant and verdant."

I have to admit, this was the one Jo Malone scent I was most excited to try. I mentioned Jennifer L. Scott's search for a Signature Scent in my previous post, and this was the scent she had chosen! When I first applied it, the first thought that rushed to my mind was, "This smells like my Daddy!!" While it may seem quite odd that a connoisseur such as Jennifer and my father would choose the same scent, it actually made sense to me. I was the one who had purchased my father's cologne for him, and I absolutely adore the way it smells on him. Of course, I had to discover what the similar notes were to make them smell so much alike. His cologne, L'eau D'Issey Pour Homme by Issey Miyake has a very complex scent list, including Cypress, Coriander, Mandarin, Fresh Verbena, Nutmeg, Saffron, Cinnamon, Tobacco Amber, Musk, and Hatian Vetiver, just to name a few. The only one I could possibly consider carrying a like-smelling scent was the cypress. Am I the only one who finds this incredibly interesting??? Be sure to read my next post, where I dive a little deeper into why scents evoke memories.

The search continues! I would love to know- Have you had a similar experience with a perfume not mixing well with your body chemistry? Please share your stories in the comments below!