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A decade later, while writing about beauty at Vogue, I was inspired to reimagine my relationship with scent. I began studying perfume and cologne as if it were a college course: smelling each bottle, new and old, that went into my beauty cabinet and noting what I liked and didn’t like. When you apply this methodical approach to scent , you quickly learn what kind of fragrances you like. If my fragrance profile were a Myers-Briggs test, it would be FSVO, which stands for fresh, spicy, vanilla, oud—though the fragrances I get the most compliments on don’t fit this mold. From Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu to Chanel Chance Eau Vive, it seems like fruity florals suit me—or at least those are the ones that get the most compliments.
I like to think that learning about your scent preferences is a way to learn about yourself—or, in this case, how others perceive you. Below, check out my six most-complimented fragrances, according to everyone who has ever told me I smell great. Why I Love It: Lancôme La Vie Est Belle Iris Absolu has to be my most-complimented scent on this list. Shoutout to my Vogue colleagues, who cheered me on when I stepped out of my beauty closet and wore it. I often thought I wore it so much during our busy workdays that they would get used to it, but no, they continue to enjoy its sweet, fruity signature. It’s got the signature fig and blackcurrant notes, but it’s really the iris that balances that fruity note with an earthy floral. I love that it’s warm and delicious without being too overpowering.
Is it vanity to think I wear good perfume? That my natural skin scent blends so perfectly with my perfume that when I spray the perfume du jour, it’s sure to impress passersby? People turn around, stop me on the street to ask exactly what I’m wearing. A great scent has undeniable star power, energizing, self-assured, and self-assured. Narcissist or not, I know I smell good. I started toying with the idea of writing about my most-praised perfumes a little over a year ago. To be fair, I’ve never had a signature scent. Growing up, my idea of a great perfume was what my mom and I bought on our monthly trips to Bath & Body Works. My favorite scents changed with each purchase—and often mirrored what my friends were buying. We would look at the same scents (looking at you, Japanese Cherry Blossom) distilled into body mists or whipped into lotions. We all smelled pretty much the same; looking back, individuality is important, but scent, to a large extent, is really about integration.
