Comforting Scents for Uncomfortable Times: Joint Project

Many thanks to perfumer Ayala Sender for imagining and organizing this joint blog project for us today.

We all have need of comforting these last few years. We have together floated along in a sea of down economies, war, conflict, job losses, financial woes and the like. Hopefully, like me, you also have a short list of fragrances you find comforting; like curling up with a soft blanket for an afternoon nap.

This winter I’ve worn a lot of comfort scents. But none as much as I’ve worn and loved Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche. Ambre Fetiche is my go-to safe house of incense, resins, woods, smoke and just a touch of sweet amber. I’ve gone as far as adding the shower gel and body lotion to my repertoire and I can’t underscore how wonderful Annick Goutal’s matching body products are (to die for).

Hermes Eau d’Hermes
Eau d’Hermes is a fairly recent find for me, but it scores points for being a softly spicy (cinnamon) scent with cumin and musks that immediately blends into a ‘you but better’ fragrance. Yes, there is cumin here, but I have no troubles with cumin myself. If this cumin is what your body odor smells like than you shouldn’t wear deodorant because it’s a beautiful, sexy scent. Eau d’Hermes is completely unobtrusive, it seems like it’s not there, like it’s vanished, but at points during the day you’ll catch a whiff and realize it’s still there, always at your side. Altruistic and dependable.

Jacques Fath, Fath de Fath, edt
Fath de Fath is one of those rare perfect orientals. I find Fath de Fath to be a softly fruity (these are jammy dried fruits, orange spice, nothing tart or fresh) over a very warm vanillic woody base.

Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum Eau Poudree
Loukhoum Eau Poudree is a fluffy heliotrope-gourmand with no competitors in sight. Even though it’s been described by many (and maybe I’ve written this, too) as a femme fatale retro fragrance I’ve lately found it to remind me of the idea of motherhood. It’s a scent that’s cuddly, gentle and ultra-feminine. The heliotrope is airy and whipped and I imagine clouds of pink rose petals and vanilla almond puffs.

Miller Harris Fleur Oriental
Smedley on Perfume of Life pointed out that Fleur Oriental reminds her of Shalimar and that’s when my love of Fleur Oriental clicked for me. It does remind me of a modern Shalimar. In fact, I find Fleur Oriental to be even better than the current reformulation of Shalimar. I think this is precisely what makes Fleur Oriental a comfort scent for me, it seems so familiar, it doesn’t make me need to think, it’s as if I’ve known it and worn it for many years. Fleur Oriental has the quality of an old friend. A kind, engaging and fun old friend.

Sonoma Scent Studio Fireside
Fireside has the ability to put me in a contemplative mood. When I wear it I smell like a crackling warm fire and can’t help but want to pull out a book and wrap myself in my softest blanket and lose myself on the sofa for a few hours.

Here's the full of participating blogs with links ~

Roxana's Illuminated Journal
BitterGrace Notes
Perfume Shrine
Notes from the Ledge
Scent Hive
The Non Blonde
Perfume in Progress
Katie Puckrik Smells
A Rose Beyond the Thames
Olfactarama
All I Am A Redhead
Savvy Thinker
SmellyBlog

This article's title is an homage to Michelyn Camen's original article of this same name on Sniffapalooza Magazine in 2008, in which Ayala Sender was interviewed by several perfumers to comment on what botanical elements make their perfumes comforting.

Michelyn Camen is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of www.cafleurebon.com and the Editor-at- Large for www.Fashiontribes.com. She is a formerly an Editor for Fragrantica, the Fragrance Editor for Uptown Social, a Senior Contributor for Sniffapalooza Magazine, the New in Niche Columnist forBasenotes, the Managing Director for BeautynewsNYC and the former publicist for www.luckyscent.com and Scent Bar, Los Angeles. She has been awarded Brandweek Magazine Marketer of the Year, Ad Age Magazine 100 and is a two time recipient of License Magazine’s 40 under 40 and recipient. She slipped off her corporate power suit to pursue her passion for fragrance.