Back in my very early days (as in, first job out of college), I worked in the marketing department at Jo Malone London. Not to brag, but I know how a fragrance gets built, named, and sold. That is exactly why I judge it differently.
Fragrance is all about first impressions, but longevity is key. And with the category booming, it can feel like anything goes. It doesn’t. Creativity does not always equal talent.
This is where I review all of it: niche houses, designer favorites, colognes, and home scents.
Looking for a warm-weather signature? Start with the summer fragrances I actually wear.
Curious about a big house’s lineup? Read 10 Balenciaga fragrances and the one I walked out with.
There, I said it. Update: Thankfully, these have been discontinued… Here are three thoughts that I promise will come together. Now, watch me connect the dots: I recently purchased the newly launched diptyque scented patches. They’re the absolute worst. Le…
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As someone who wears non-complicated fragrances, I’m surprised at how often I’m asked what it is that I’m wearing. My everyday scent is always light and uplifting. Neroli is my low-key signature. This past week, I’ve gone a bit darker…
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Happy December! Time to welcome back seasonal scents from NEST and our Stepford, CT household already smells of Birchwood Pine and Holiday! The festive candles create an ambiance superbly complimentary of Justin Bieber’s ‘Under the Mistletoe’ album, which will be…
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The moment the days get shorter and the clocks turn back, all the Diptyque and Votivo candles come out in this casa de los homos. Home fragrance isn’t just part of gaytertaining — it’s a mood. Unfortunately, I’m prone to…
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Just last week, a gorgeous mailer of the just-released MUGLER Colognes landed on my desk. Within moments of opening the box and spritzing all five scents, a line from my favorite scene in ‘Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion’ immediately…
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A month or so ago, I finished my bottle of Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi. And panicked. Slightly. When it comes to selecting a fragrance, I’m a creature of habit. Especially in the summer. A half-full flask of JO LOVES…
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Were you to tell me a fragrance hair mist would genuinely excite me, I would have suggested you reconsider. Yet here I am. Completely converted by the diptyque Eau des Sens parfum hair mist, which has become one of my…
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Current situation: greetings from a cramped exit row seat en route to Phoenix, AZ. The second the plane levels at 35,000 feet, I’m ordering a double vodka on ice, and then planning to lose myself in a playlist full of…
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