Catherine's Favourite Fragrances

It's my birthday today, so I thought I'd share some of my favourite perfumes with you. and because it's my birthday, allow me a little bit of a rant, with the disclaimer that I get it, and I respect you, those with allergies and sensitivities. 

Does anyone else notice how wearing perfume is becoming a bit like being a smoker? More and more, public spaces like public transit and offices are becoming scent-free, or at the very least, a space where I don't feel comfortable wearing perfume or even scented-products in my hair or on my skin because someone might be offended or be physically uncomfortable standing near me. I feel that eventually, smokers and perfume wearers will be standing outside together or holed up in their homes, spritzing and misting and inhaling. It seems weird to me that perfume is still a multi-million dollar business. Is it just me?

But as I mentioned, I also feel for those who have allergies or are sensitive to fragrances. I do not wear perfume to the office anymore, and I am hyper-aware of my perfume when I do wear it out in public. 

I like to wear perfume. I don't think that I overdo it when I do, but who knows, since we stop smelling our own fragrance shortly after we apply it. I feel like it's a luxury, an element of grooming, an extension of who I am. It can make me feel differently, depending on the fragrance, just like styling my hair can or wearing a certain makeup look can. 

OK, so with that being said, here are my favourite fragrances.

Stella. As in Stella McCartney. Her first fragrance, released in 2003 is called Stella (on the left in the photo below). Stella is a feminine fragrance with notes of rose, peony, mandarin, rose absolute, and amber. This was a scent that made me rethink my distaste of the smell of rose. It's a sexy, feminine, sensual fragrance that smells modern and not like your grandma's rose soap.

L to R: Stella and Stella In Two Peony

Stella in Two Peony was released in 2006 paired with Stella in Two Amber. They were designed to be purchased individually and worn together or separately. Stella in Two Peony is hands down my favourite fragrance. Of course, it (and Stella in Two Amber) was a limited release and is no longer available. I wear it infrequently because I only have two bottles of it. I want it to last as long as possible.

Stella in Two Peony's top notes are peony and rose, with pepper, cedar, patchouli and amber. Like Stella, it's sexy and sensual, but not quite as overly feminine. God, I love this perfume. Years ago I found a bottle at Winners and snapped it up. You can still find bottles online but it's pretty pricey since it hasn't been made for almost ten years.

Agent Provocateur Eau Emotionnelle

Agent Provocateur is a luxury line of lingerie. Very sexy, edgy lingerie. I wish I could A) afford it and B) fit into it (they don't make a wide range of sizes). But I can wear their perfume!

Eau Emotionnelle is the eau de toilette version of the signature Agent Provocateur fragrance. It is a tamer version of the original fragrance, containing the same rose and spice (saffron, coriander) with jasmine, magnolia, ylang ylang, gardenia, vetiver, amber and musk but blended with wild rosemary, lie de vin, pink pepper, white tea and osmanthus.

It's an overtly sexy, feminine fragrance that definitely makes a statement, just like the lingerie. I love the torn fishnet print on the egg-shaped bottle. I love it and wear it when I want to feel very sexy.

L to R: Vanille Bourbon and Fresh Strawberry Flowers

This Vanille Bourbon fragrance I bought at Sephora years and years ago when it first opened in Toronto. It doesn't have any brand name on it, and I don't remember what the brand was. Sephora stopped carrying it shortly after I bought it. Doing some Internet research, I suspect that it's Laurence Dumont. This is a very sweet, very warm fragrance as you might imagine from the name. It's vanilla-based and has that caramelly bourbon kick to it as well. It feels like a warm bourbon-caramel-vanilla dessert with whipped cream in front of a fireplace. It smells delicious.

Fresh's Strawberry Flowers eau de parfum is another limited edition fragrance. Unlike the other four fragrances in this post, it's not an overtly sexy. Strawberry Flowers smells pretty much like it sounds - fresh, green and sweet. It's a daytime, springtime, sparkling scent. But what I like about it is that it still has depth. It's got notes of mandarin, yuzu, white peach, mountain strawberries, freesia, orange blossom, osmanthus, orris, mush and white woods. I've repurchased this fragrance twice. I wear it during the day and it makes me feel flirty.

I guess the plus side of not being able to wear my fragrances much these days means they'll last a long, long time?

Are any of these your favourites? Share yours in the comments below!

C.