I never thought of myself as too much of a perfume person, yet somehow I've amassed a small collection. Truth be told, I love the ritual of fragrance. How, no matter how much I may feel like a total mess on a daily basis, adding a scent never fails to make me feel at least somewhat put together. While I love the idea of a 'signature scent', my mood shifts so dramatically from day to day that I love having a small arsenal at my disposal to suit how I'm feeling. While I used to gravitate towards more traditional designer fragrances (you might spy Marc Jacobs' 'Daisy' back there, purely for looks at this point), more recently I've changed course, collecting mostly small-batch scents that you might not find every day. Today I'm sharing my favorites...
Mystic Pearl from Raw Spirit... This might just be my scent for the summer.
Mystic Pearl smells bright and ocean-y, a hint of the sea with jasmine and white flowers that manages to smell earthy and fresh at the same time without crossing into musky territory.
Moonshine from Sisters of the Black Moon... I picked up
Moonshine a couple of years ago while in Texas for SXSW, so I always associate this scent with one of my favorite US cities and one of my favorite events that was involved in with Free People. It was incredibly rainy, and this was one of my first experiences running events with Free People, and as much as I was having fun, I was also stressed out and feeling a little lonely. I had popped over to Feathers to work on a feature before a photo session with Nikki Lane, and I picked up this sexy, moody scent along with a pair of earrings. I like to wear them both to remember that crazy, whirlwind time of life.
Dark Wave & Violet/Leather from OLO Fragrance... Dark wave was my first introduction to the world of small batch fragrance and it's still one of my favorites. It's dark, as expected, and smokey, reminiscent of rainy days in a green place. Violet/Leather smells exactly how it sounds, sophisticated with a masculine twist. I also love Lightning Paw, which reminds me of the ocean.
Gilded Fox & Moonlight Gypsy from Pinrose Fragrance... I have a feeling
Gilded Fox will be my go-to come December. It's slightly sweet, with vanilla and rum, but not overly so. It's sexy, something i'd wear with dark velvet.
Moonlight Gypsy is a bit brighter, with notes of cardamom and orange blossom. Summery and perfect for a hot day. (I also really want to try
Campfire Rebel, which sounds amazing).
Oud Sahara from Gourmand... OK, so definitely neither 'small batch' in any sense of the word, but
Oud Sahara smells so damn good. After missing it during the holidays, I finally found it in the King of Prussia UO a couple of months back. All the scents in this line smell great though, next on my list is
Lait de Coco.
Tiger's Eye... Tiger's Eye was a gift from Chris over the holidays, so it always conjures good memories. The scent is is the masculine side, something I actually prefer, and I wear it on days I'm feeling particularly put together or in need of a little encouragement.