“A woman’s perfume tells more about her than her handwriting. ”
― Christian Dior
For years now I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect perfume. I wore Coco Mademoiselle for close to a decade and then, quite suddenly, went off it. But I remain dedicated to the somewhat dated idea of signature scents rather than a massive smorgasbord of perfumes to choose from. I simply like smelling familiar to myself and others and find scents to be easy ways to play with identification (I might keep a scent forever, alas for Coco, but I’ll definitely keep it around a long time). Currently I wear a Hermes perfume, Jardin sur la Nil. I picked up over a year ago when I clearly had adventure on the brain and the idea of an olfactory trip up the Nile appealed, and while I’m very fond of it, I admit it’s not The One.
I’m a snob, and I don’t like smelling like wearing very common scents–maybe that’s why I eventually got tired of Coco, come to think of it–but finding unusual perfumes takes time. Luckily I found a shop in Spitalfields that makes the hunt easier. Welcome to Bloom!
Bloom focuses on promoting lesser known noses and masters and stocks scents that you won’t be able to find elsewhere. Chatting with a shop worker, it seems that they’ve been the first to carry a number of brands and perfumes in the UK, a fact she seemed pretty darn proud of. As well she should be!
Often I find that perfume counters at malls or department stores all smell the same, a mix of the popular and expensive name brands they carry. Bloom to me never smells the same way twice; and trust me, I make regular pilgrimage. The stock changes regularly enough to create a purely unique bouquet that’s a delight to hang out in.
When I finally finish of Jardin sur la Nil, I’ve already picked out the runner up for my next perfume from Bloom. It will be months if not another year or two yet, but the shop assistants introduced me to L’Humaniste, a scent inspired by the French Renaissance writer Rabelais (so clearly I need to have it). I’m flirty with deeper, spicy, more cologne-y scents these days and it fits the bill nicely. It may not be the One either, but I’m having a lot of fun looking.
What do you think about signature scents? A lovely concept? Too old school? Not for you? An article of faith? Tell me all you wear and why!
Small Dog Syndrome 
I’ve worn the same scent since high school. I love reconnecting with old friends that tell me “you still smell like you.” I guess scent is so strongly tied to memory that it renews an old connection or bond quickly. Plus I luckily still love the scent and have never found anything that works with my body chemistry better.
Lovely, what scent is it? Or is it a secret? 😉
It’s a secret of Victoria’s
Naturally!
I really like Coco Mademoiselle and it’s my go-to scent, but I like to wear different perfumes and not just stick to the same one all the time. L’Occitane perfumes are lovely — I have a Te Vert and Bigarade (Green Tea and Bitter Orange) perfume from them which is very light and summery. I like the fact that they use mostly natural ingredients in their products and don’t test them on animals.
Those all sound fresh and lovely! I need to research more about which companies test on animals or not, it’s something I try to be aware of, but could do much better about.
Ooooh, can we go when I get to London? I love unusual scents. Must take you to Penhaligon’s — I wear their Blenheim Bouquet, a citrusy men’s scent from 1903. Also wear Prada Iris, Cristalle and O de Lancome. L’Eau de L’Artisan is amazing, but has been (!!) discontinued.
YES we can!
There is nothing more first-world-problem-y but obnoxious as when a beauty item you know, trust, and love is discontinued. They’re such personal items and take such effort to find that it’s not fun to find a replacement.
I bet it’s all available somewhere on Ebay though….