I think that fragrance is such an important addition for everyone. I feel bad for anyone with allergies because I think fragrance communicates something to those around you. Of course, one has to be careful that  your fragrance does not enter a room before you do!!

I started to wear fragrance in junior high. For anyone growing up in the 60’s  I bet you can guess that it was Ambush!! After that, in high school, I graduated to Shalimar by Guerlain and that became my signature through college. After graduation I started to experiment with a variety of fragrances. I kicked it up a notch with  Opium (Yves St Laurent), Dune (Dior), Pheromone (Marilyn Miglin) and Sublime (Jean Patou) This was when I started to pay attention to top notes, mid notes and base notes. I found my preference ran to scents containing Bergamot, Vanilla, Lavender, Mandarin Orange, Sandalwood and Amber. Knowing this made it easier to make decisions on fragrance and not buy something that would wind up giving me  headache! If you ever have an opportunity to go to a perfumerie the one on Capri in Italy and one in Paris are both worth checking out.

In the early 90’s while traveling in London I discovered the Jo Malone fragrance line.That company was not yet in the United States (since 1999 they are an Estee Lauder company). My friend Jane and I spent a lot of time at Harrods checking out all of the very different scents offered…Cassis and Wild fig, Lime and basil, Nectarine and Honey!!. This is when I discovered the fig scent and it was added to my list of favorites.  I was really happy when the line finally got to the US.

For the past few years my scent has been Donna Karan’s Cashmere. I was wearing it when I met my husband and it is his favorite. The best way to get the most mileage out of a fragrance is to layer it…shower gel, lotion and then a spritz!! This sure can get expensive, but it is worth it!!

A great discovery for daytime, in particular, is the Philosophy line. My favorite place to purchase it is at QVC because they offer sensational pricing for duos and sets that include additional products. You can purchase super sizes on your favorites when they run promos or specials. Right now I am crazy for Sweet Vanilla Fig. Fresh Cream is another nice scent as is Pure Grace. All Philosophy products are  so clean smelling. People standing behind me on line have asked what the scent  is!!

Experimenting with fragrance can be a lot of fun. It brings out your individuality, makes you feel great and keeps you feeling young!!