There are hundreds of fragrance wheels and illustrations which detail the olfactory components of perfumes, but it leaves out one important piece of the puzzle. How perfume makes you feel.

 

Perfume Personality

Perfume names lead you in one direction. Of course, you want to be F*cking Fabulous or be a Good Girl Gone Bad. But if you delve past the names and go right for the fragrance notes you get a better idea of what you have in store. And it tells you a story.

 

Déchaîné

It starts with sweet Brazilian rosewood which slowly knocks. As you open the door just a crack, a cedar forest clamoring to get out of the rain comes rushing in. You’d like to ask them to leave but you are intrigued. You pour them a whisky in a bid to warm up. It’s time to turn it up as you put Rage Against the Machine on your vintage turntable. The animal comes out with every headbang, “Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me.” The night doesn’t end there.

 

Bois d'Agar 01

You feel as if you’ve been here before. It’s more than just a passing feeling. Deep down you are rooted in this place. As altar wood incense burns around you, the smoke gently lifts you up. You start to float on a wave of oud and vanilla deep over the crowds. They feel your presence, waving lightly as you pass over them. They are in your world now.

 

Étreinte dans le Bois

You are heading for an evening walk when you can hear the music approaching. As it gets closer, you recognize the music but can’t quite put your finger on it. Is it Christian Scott or Wynton Marsalis? You don’t care. The music passes but lingers. You find yourself walking towards a field of deep red. Roses and geraniums fill your eye line as a lightning storm lights up the night sky. It’s no time to turn back, so you head deeper and deeper into the forest. It’s dark but you know your way.

 

Gaïac Épuré

You sit tall in a room as a spectre of objects float around you. Some are your possessions while others you long to possess. As the objects wrap around you, there is no feeling of longing. You sit taller, ignoring all the noise around you. The gentle breeze turns into a whirlwind, but you sit tall. Your eyes are not closed. You see it all and you sit tall.