On Getting A Signature

IG: @dasparfumklima

How do I choose a signature scent? What makes a perfume my signature? How does this fragrance smell? Questions like these comes to mind when faced with the decision on what fragrance to buy and wear, most especially if the decision is to be made between two or more choices and also, sometimes the brands involved.

Nevertheless, can this quest for a signature scent be achieved (at least)? Yes it can!
Here’s a complication of things that could help in making this though choice fair.
                            Let’s go:

1. Trust Your Instincts. You’ve always got to trust your instinct when it comes to making any decision and perfume as we know should not be left out. This method  works out most of the time though.

2. Try Out Different Samples Before Choosing. This simply says ‘date perfumes before marrying them’ as the scentbird perfume slogan says. This is true because trying out samples gives an idea of what to expect from the main perfume bottle to avoid buying a flacon and dumping it later in regret of the content.
We ought to give fragrances time to settle in because our first impression about a fragrance might not be exactly the same when it is tried over and over (I realized this with Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford).
You could get over 10 samples of different perfumes of your choice from Scent Bird and more conveniently for those in Nigeria, 100 Percent Fragrance, which it comes in the oil version.

IG: @ scentbird_perfume

IG: @scentbird_perfume

3. Blind-Smell Fragrances. Often times, we get carried away by the popularity of a brand, not minding the fact that the particular product might not totally be suiting. I had this experience when I tried Chanel No.5 and it wasn’t quite appealing to me, but when my Grandma got a spritz on the back of her palm, she fell in love again 😂.
So when choosing a scent most especially from a store, it’s better to wrap up the tester vials and smell different accords of choice and pick out the one that’s really appealing to you so as not to be influenced by other brands.

IG: @perfumescom

4. Try Being Seasonal. Yes. If you are a ‘perfumista’ (someone who loves to explore different perfumes) like me, you could try being seasonal. How? By using different perfumes for different seasons, like summer, winter and spring, and also could have perfumes for daytime and night hours.
Remember, wear mild perfumes in summer (so as not to choke own your own scent or give others around you a hard time breathing), wear a more intense fragrance in winter and then floral in spring.
So then, you’d have a fragrance library that perfectly blends in with any season as it comes.

5. Read Fragrance Reviews/Testimonials. It’s necessary to go through fragrance reviews for an authentic opinion about any fragrance and also to build attraction to it, bearing in mind that opinions may differ.
If it’s an online forum/community you can decide based on the number of persons that appraised a fragrance positively, compared to those who stood in the negative.

6. Get Complementing Scent(s). Depending on individuals, apart from the main perfume you have chosen to wear as your signature, you could try getting one or two that would complement it perfectly, like Insolence by Guerlain and Born in Paradise  by Roberto Cavalli; Green Irish Tweed by Creed and Terre D’Hermes by Hermes.

IG: @scentbird_perfume

I’d end with this quote by Marilyn Monroe, ‘There are no women who do not like perfume, there are women who have not found their scent’. This quote rightly applies to men too. Find your scent today!

So that’s it! I hope this post was very helpful to you.

Disclaimer
Image 1: IG – @dasparfumklima
Image 2, 3, 5: IG – @scentbird_perfume
Image 4: IG – @ perfumescom

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With Scentful Love,

The Perfumier 🌸

Floral Mind 04: Daisy

Tell him, tell him not; tell him, tell him not; tell him! Shrek! This brings to mind a scene from the popular animated movie Shrek, where Princess Fiona simultaneously recited so, as she plucked petals of a flower, for each petal pulled off, to decide whether her knight who fought the mighty dragon to her rescue should know about the sun-setting curse. Like you’d guess, the flower being plucked here is Daisy.

MEANING & SIGNIFICANCE
In English history, the Daisy was referred to as Day’s Eye, and this name was a reference to the way the flower opened and closed with the sun. In French, Daisy means Marguerite and it interestingly comes from the Greek Margarite word meaning Pearl because millions of Daisies that covers the green fields looks like the Pearls.
A white Daisy represents shared feeling of affection, while a red one tells of beauty unknown to the possessor.

ORIGIN
It is believed that daisies were among the flowers that grew in ancient Egyptian temple gardens 2,200 B.C. ago. Though in recent times, Colombia and Netherlands are said to be the largest producers of Daisies

MYTH &STORIES
During the Middle Ages, the daisy was often used to treat battle wounds. It was said that the plant could stop bleeding and relieve bruising and shock. Limbs and wounds were dressed with bandages containing crushed daisies to give relief and effect a cure.
King Henry VIII of England was said to have relied on eating daisies to stem serious stomach-ulcer pains, among many other ailments.
It was also believed to able to remove warts and turn grey hair back to black when mixed with oil

PERFUME

The Library of Fragrance- Daisy

This floral fragrance has been described as a sheer, transparent and slightlty sweet scent tinged with green. It can be worn as a perfect, uplifting accompaniment to any morning.

Marc Jacobs- Daisy Dre

am

Though the name of this fragrance is not contained in any of Marc Jacobs Daisy range, I decided to choose one, because of the month’s birth flower.

With a bottle decorated with Daisy motives and containing accords of jasmine and blackberries, this fruity aroma fragrance  is very easy to fall in love with, most especially during spring.

Availability
The can be gotten from Sephora and The Library of Fragrance

So now you know about Daisy, the birthflower of the month of April and though the month is almost gone, its not too late to gift any of these.

For more information on the history and origin of Daisy, you could check
garden guides.

With Scented Love,
The Perfumier 🌸

The Blessings

It was the second Friday in December, 2014, I had just arrived home from the National Youth Service Corps program (NYSC) in Benue for the Christmas break. The sun shone brightly that afternoon and the people in the old city of Onitsha bubbled and hustled through the busy tarred roads as the Spirit of Christmas slowly crept in. At that moment, I wasn’t bothered at all by the environment, I was really excited to be home after being away for almost three months and I anticipated the warm welcome I’d get from my family and also the ‘Sunday rice’ 😁.

When I was done settling in, the gist began. Ears itched to know how my living experience in Aidogodo-Okpoga had been and all. Diversions came up in the conversation as we switched from one topic to another, then my mum asked, ‘ have you heard about the Nigerian lady that makes perfumes; and they even said her brand is high end as it sits with other luxury perfumes in top notch perfume galleries?’ ‘Huh!’ I retorted quickly . ‘Where is she, who is she’, I quizzed frantically. ‘She was recently featured in The Sun Newspaper Sunday’s edition’, she answered. With the speed of lightening, I ran upstairs immediately to the stack of newspapers packed at a corner. One after the other, I began to flip page to page each newspaper till I got to the exact page and ta-da, there she was, wearing subtle makeup, with a purple shirt and then a killer smile.

Belinda Brown is her name. She grew up in Nigeria, and her attraction to fragrance world started with a pot of Stella pomade, a body cream scented with jasmine and vanilla, which conceived an urge to have an ultimate fragrance, one specially created for her. She was eventually introduced to world renowned perfumer- Roja Dove, (professeur de parfum) and together with unequivocal efforts, a fragrance was created and the result turned out awesomely that she requested for bottles to be given to her friends, who loved it too. Thinking about how other women outside her circle of friends would benefit from this wonderful experience, the perfume line, Blessings was birthed.

Blessings, which is feminine in nature comes in different packages-

Blessings Purple

It projects femininity as it gives anyone a nostalgic aura of royalty and class. It carefully blends in jasmine absolute along with precious rose de mai, mandarin, vanilla and warm cedar.
A bottle of 100ml goes for £695 (yes convert it 😂).

Blessings Red

The coolness and freshness if this perfume causes one word to come to mind- elegance! The main notes comprises of rose de mai, jasmine and ylang ylang.
A bottle of 100ml also goes for £695

Blessings Eau De Parfum

Just like Purple, the fruity citrus note makes this one stand out. It screams exotic, vibrancy,  youthfulness. A bottle of 100ml goes for £175

Blessings Pour Elle Et Lui

This one screams confidence. It seems ideal for older women, as it gracefully combines notes of cedarwood, vetiver, oakmoss, bergamot, lavender and pepper amongst others.
A bottle of 100ml goes for £275

Availability

All products can be gotten online from http://www.blessings-perfumes.com

With Scented Love,
The Perfumier 🌸

Floral Mind 03: Daffodil

I’m really exicted, not just because this is the third post on Floral Mind, but because it’s also my birth month, and it’s my birthday today (Happy Birthday to me!).  Daffodils, the yellowy fleshy flower which signifies the beginning of Spring and ‘cooler weather’ here in Nigeria (as the first rainfall for the year occurred last week) is the birth flower for the month of March.

MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE
Daffodils, sometimes called Jonquil and Narcissus belong to the genus Narcissus. The flowers have a trumpet-shaped structure set against a star-shaped background. Often the trumpet is in a contrasting color from the background.

Daffodils, symbolizes friendship, are some of the most popular flowers exclusively due to their unmatched beauty. It also means unequaled love; the sun is always shining whenever your significant other is around. Most importantly, it signifies rebirth.

ORIGIN
Daffodils are native mainly to the Mediterranean region, in particular to the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Northern Africa and the Middle East.

They are grown commercially in Mid Wales to produce galantamine for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

MYTH
According to a Greek mythology, the goddess Persephone, clad in white daffodils, was abducted by Hades, god of the Underworld, whose touch turned all the flowers bright yellow.
It was said that they grew on the banks of one of the rivers flowing through the Underworld, lifting the spirits of the dead.
They called the flowers ‘asphodel’, which later became daffodil, and ever since they have been planted on graves.

PERFUME

Chloe- Chloe Narcisse

This fragrance was created in 1992. It is a floral fragrance dominated by daffodil. In fact, I wore this today ☺and it was lovely.

Dolce & Gabbana- Dolce Floral Drops

This is a soft scent. It is fresh – floral in nature and was launched in 2014

Lancôme – Poême

This is a floral oriental fragrance for women, launched in 1995.

John Richmond- John Richmond

This is a floral-fruity fragrance for women, and it was created in 2009.

Guerlain – Vol de Nuit

This classic fragrance, Vol de Nuit which is ‘Night – Flying’ in English was launched in 1933, though newer versions are also available. It was created by Jacques Guerlain.

Versace – Versense

It is created for irresistible experience for all senses. It was launched in 2009

Library of Fragrance- Daffodil Cologne

Created by Library of Fragrance, this cologne can be worn by both male and female.
According to their website; Daffodils come in many varieties. We chose the poeticus daffodil for the heart of our Daffodil fragrance, which perfectly captures the living flower’s light, playful floral scent, touched with subtle hints of greenery.

AVAILABILITY
They call all be gotten from malls around. They can be gotten from the brands’ website too, ebay and amazon.

So now you know about Daffodil, the birthflower of the month of March and it makes it easy to have gift ideas for our loved ones whose birthdays fall in this month, either a bouquet of Daffodil or a bottle.

For more information on the history and origin of Daffodils, you could check here

With Scented Love,
The Perfumier 🌸

EDP, EDT, EDC… WHICH ONE?

In the previous post on Floral Mind, I said I was going to talk about this topic later. So here we are. We would be exploring the nature of Eau de Parfum, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne and Perfume extract, also known as perfume. Perfume oil is the major component that distinguishes them.

Perfume oil is which is like a perfume in the raw form which is usually diluted with a solvent, commonly alcohol (sometimes alcohol and water) because undiluted oils are likely to contain high concentrations of components will likely result in allergic reactions and possibly injury when its applied directly to skin or clothing.

The concentration by percent of perfume oil is as follows:

Perfume extract or pure perfume or parfum contains 20%-40% of perfume oil. It is known as the strongest and one thing that makes it stand out is its level of tenacity, it lasts for over 8 hours with just a few spritz. This quality makes it really expensive.
Example
Guerlain – Shalimar

Eau de Parfum is next in line. With concentration level of 10-30%, and being slightly below in its tenacious capacity, EDP stands out too. It lasts between 6- 8hours.
Example
Tom Ford – Neroli Portofino

Eau de Toilette which has about 5-20% aromatic concentration of perfume oil it tends to be lighter in longevity and intensity than EDP and Perfume. It lasts between 4 – 6 hours.
Example
Oscar- Oscar Violet

Eau de Cologne is a very light fragrance, with concentration of 2 – 5% generally simple and for both women and men, that we wear in summer or to make sport. It last generally for 2hours.
Example
Chanel – Eau de Cologne

Most importantly, the basic truth about perfumes and its longevity varies from skin to skin, the quantity sprayed and even its components, that is, what it’s made of. Also, the price of each is determined by the percentage of aromatic concentration and not necessarily the size, and of course the brand, niche or designer. This helps to know which to use per time and season, like you mostly won’t be comfortable wearing Parfum in summer or dry season as it would create a really strong and choking effect.

I hope this was helpful to you, now the differnce is crystal clear. Which do you use? Which have you used?

With Scented Love,
The Perfumier 🌸

Floral Mind 02: Violet

Welcome to the second edition of Floral Mind. The month of February is indeed a unique one as Love is not the only thing being celebrated here, but also Violet, the birth flower of the month known for its sweet floral scent is celebrated too.

MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE
The word ‘Violet’ comes from the Latin name ‘Viola’. Popular varieties of violet include: Ordinary violets, Common blue violets, Sweet violets and Garden violets. It signifies watchfulness, loyalty, and faithfulness. Give a violet to someone to let them know you’ll always be there for them.

ORIGIN
Violets are found in moist and slightly shaded conditions such as hedgerows.
Violet (Viola odorata), also called Sweet Violet, grows in Mediterranean regions and Asia Minor. Its delicate purple, white, or variegated flowers appear early in the spring, even before the trees grow leaves.   

MYTH AND STORIES
It was one of Napoleon Bonaparte’s favorite flowers and they reminded him of Empress Josephine who wore it on their wedding day, and he sent her a violet bouquet on every wedding anniversary.

In the Greek mythology, this flower represents two things. On one hand, symbolizes the grief and the sorrow as a remembrance of the kidnapped daughter of Zeus, on the other hand, it symbolizes the nature, annually reviving in spring.

The Romans were also interested in Violets. They have used these flowers as a medicinal herb, by adding them into the wine, which later became known as the spring drink. The Violets were used in all of the religious rituals and sacred ceremonies. In the ancient Roman cities even were found the coins with the images of the Violet.

In Germany, the ancients celebrated that day, when the first Violet was found, because the day symbolized the beginning of spring. According to the legends, a lad who first found this flower had a good chance to marry the most beautiful girl.

Violets should not be taken internally in large doses. The flowers are edible, used in medicines (as a laxative, helps fight cold, asthma, rheumatic pains and a range of infections including syphilis) and the flowers are candied for decoration in jellies, etc.

PERFUME

Guerlain – Insolence

This fragrance was created for Guerlain in 2006 by Maurice Roucel and Sylvaine Delacourte. It is a bold fragrance for young women which comprises of raspberry, violet, rose and orange blossom tends to also be very long lasting. This fragrance also has an Eau de Parfum (EDP) version which was launched in 2008.

Tom Ford – Violet Blonde

This is a bold scent for women, and as appraised on their site, “it’s an opulent, dressed-up fragrance that reveals a stunning new facet of violet with a ravishing, intriguing elegance.”

Serge Lutens – Bois de Violette

This is a woody floral musk fragrance for men and women which was created in 1992 by Christopher Sheldrake.

Tommy Bahama – Set Sail South Seas

This perfume is an aromatic spicy fragrance uniquely designed for men. It was launched in 2008.

Laurence Dumont – Vanille Violette

This is an example of a creamy rich violet bathed in vanilla. It is a sophisticated and feminine blend of fruits, vanilla and violet. It is available as 100ml EDP (I’d explain this in another post)

L’Erbolario – Accordo Viola

Created for women and launched by the Italian house, L’Erbolario which is known for beautiful collection, Accordo Viola is everything it was created to be. It provides a rich blend of violet leaf absolute combined with jasmine absolute and heliotrope flowers. The composition is full of feelings and romance.

Tom Ford – Black Violet

Black Violet by Tom Ford is a Chypre Floral fragrance for women and men. Black Violet was launched in 2007. It blends in bergamot, citrus,  fruity notes, violet, oak moss and woodsy notes.

WHERE TO BUY
These fragrance are sold in various malls. They can be gotten online from ebay.

So now you know about Violet, the birthflower of the month of February and it makes it easy to have gift ideas for our loved ones whose birthdays fall in this month, either a bouquet of Violet (which is kinda hard to get) or a bottle.

For more information on the history and origin of Violet, you could check Flower Angels

With Scented Love,
The Perfumier 🌸

St. Valentine’s

Happy New Month. This is February and we know what a peculiar day in this month signifies- Love, you got it. So based on the concept of this blog, and the colour of love also, I’d be listing some gift ideas in terms of perfumes (including celebuscents, niche and top designers) on what to get for our loved ones.

FOR HIM

Givenchy Pour Homme

This fragrance is fresh and woody in nature and it is best worn during the day. It was introduced in 2002 and the noses behind it are Alberto Morillas and Ilias Ermenidis.
Where to buy: It can be gotten from ebay.

Dunhill Desire

This fragrance was introduced in 2000. It was specifically made the suit men between the ages of 25 to 45. This musky fragrance is woody oriental by composition and it blends in with notes of orange blossoms and rose among others. The nose behind this fragrance is Michel Almairac.
Where to buy: It can be gotten from ebay.

Lalique White

Lalique White by Lalique is a Citrus Aromatic fragrance for men. It is fruity and musky, and it was introduced in 2008. The nose behind this fragrance is Christine Nagel.
Where to buy: an be gotten from jumia.com

Christian Dior Fahrenheit

Fahrenheit by Christian Dior is a woody leather musk fragrance for men. It was launched in 1988. The noses behind it are Jean-Louis Sieuzac and Maurice Roger. It is noted for it’s ability to last long and it is recommended for day time wear.
Where to buy: It can be gotten from amazon

Joop! Joop! Homme

Joop! Homme is a very sensual, oriental fragrance. The fragrance was created by Michel Almairac in 1989
Where to buy: It’s available on Jumia

Myrurgia Yatch Man Red

It was as introduced in 2004 by Myrurgia. This aromatic fragrance is mild and fresh and was designed for men. It combines notes of mildly spicy cardamom and refreshing grapefruit atop an earthy base of pepper, sandalwood, and musk.
This is ideal for those who love a  mild yet masculine scent.
Where to buy: It is available on eBay and amazon

Ralph Lauren Polo Supreme Leather

Polo Supreme Leather by Ralph Lauren is a Leather fragrance. The smell of leather is mixed with a blend of spices, resulting in a warm, rich scent that’s an ideal accompaniment to the cool air and bright colors of fall.
This is a new fragrance, it was introduced in 2015.
Where to buy: www1.bloomingdales.com

Perry Ellis Spirited

Spirited was launched in 2013. It is a fresh, energetic and aromatic fruity fragrance that opens with Red Apple‚ Red Ginger and Mandarin Oil. It is best worn during the day.
Where to buy: Its available on Jumia

FOR HER

Revlon Love is On

Hey guys, this literally looks like giving your heart to her, lol. I’m certain every lady would want to keep this bottle even after the content has been exhausted 😂
This sensual perfume is loved by women and irresistible to men.
Where to buy: Love is on can be gotten from revlon.com or amazon

Dior Hypnotic Poison

Launched in 1998, this oriental vanilla fragrance with Annick Menardo as the nose behind it, opens up to notes of plum and coconut, gradually phasing into tuberose and jasmine with musk among others.
Where to buy:  It’s available on ebay.

Britney Spears Hidden Fantasy

Hidden Fantasy by Britney Spears is a citrus floral gourmand fragrance for women. It was launched in 2008. The nose behind this fragrance is Rodrigo Flores-Roux.
Where to buy: It’s available on ebay

Guerlain Samsara

This classic, created in 1989 by Jean-Paul Guerlain evokes passion and confidence. It it suitable for date nights as wells as daytime. Starting with a blend of citrus notes and blending in with a burst of floral ambience, this fragrance is a much have for every woman.
Where to buy: It’s available on ebay.

Mariah Carey Lollipop Bling Mine Again

The sweet cherry red bottle makes this floral fruity fragrance irresistible. It carefully combines notes of chocolate, cotton candy raspberry and all things yummy. It was launched in 2010.
Where to buy: Its available on ebay.

Beyonce Heat Kissed

This fragrance was launched in July 2015. It captures sensual intensity in a body as it perfectly blends in exotic woody notes to create a warm and inviting scent.                                  Where to buy: It’s available on ebay.

Vera Wang Lovestruck

It represents an irresistible romance. This passionate and elegant scent is a sparkling addictive floral every lady is sure to fall in love with.
It is beautifully complimented by the extravagant floral bouquet on top of the clean, glass bottle.
Where to buy: Its available on fragrancedirect.co.uk

Viktor and Rolf Bonbon

Now this is a really cute bottle. It is floral fruity in nature and it was designed in form of a wrapped candy. It blends in with notes of caramel, citrus and amber among others which quintessentially creates a yummy bubble and aura. It was launched in 2014.           Where to buy: It’s  available on eBay.

Katy Perry Killer Queen

Killer Queen was launched in 2013. The sophistication of this fragrance reveals the pop star’s personality. The bottle is shaped like a red ruby and just like the name implies, it suggests power.
Where to buy: Its available on ebay.

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Enchanted

This fragrance is oriental – gourmand in nature, created by IFF perfumers Loc Dong and Jean-Marc Chaillan. It was launched in 2012.
Charms around the neck of the bottle include a bird, a flower, a leaf and a sparkling crystal.

Where to buy: Its available on ebay.

Boucheron Trouble

This fragrance was introduced in 2004 and easy to say that it has really caused trouble since then 😂 The gold design, precious emerald on the lid and dark ruby glass of the bottle (it sure looks like one of those Egyptian statue) speaks much about the character of the perfume before the very scent. The fragrance is fresh oriental and the nose behind it is Jacques Cavallier.
Where to buy: Its available on ebay.

Nina Ricci Ricci

This symbolic fragrance signifies glamour and elegance and it is designed for the modern day heroine.           Where to buy: Its available on fragrancedirect.co.UK

Elizabeth Arden Red Door

This sophisticated classic floral scent combines the richness of a floral bouquet along with honey and sandalwood to create a glamorous and elegant fragrance. It was introduced in 1989.                                                 Where to buy: It can be gotten from Kaymu

 

I hope this post was really helpful to you to spice up this year’s valentine experience.

N.B: Apart from online stores, some of these perfumes can be gotten from supermarkets around.

With Scented Love,
The Perfumier 🌸

Floral Mind 01: Carnation

Hello dear readers, so I’ve been away for a while (apologies), and I’ve postponed this for too long. I’m starting this series- Floral Mind where I’d be posting about birth flowers and other related things. For the month of January, …

Welcome!

Hello world! Welcome to The Perfumier, a growing fragrance blog which seeks to acquaint as well as write about all that is there to know about the art of perfumery.

Perfumery as we know, goes way deeper and even broader than we can even imagine, in fact, it’s an untold and overlooked adventure that is gradually bursting it’s way into the limelight; therefore, I enjoin you to stay tuned, follow, subscribe and share this good news among your friends as it gets interesting by the day so as not to be left out on this amazing journey.

With Scented Love,
The Perfumier 🌸