Omg you smell so good: An amateur’s guide to fragrance obsession
An olfactory delight in newsletter form for your weekend
This is a very exciting newsletter for me to write. You see, my perfume mania has been resurrected over the last year —I hope you’re into the scent of recommendations!
In 2004, Britney Spears’ debut fragrance Curious controlled my entire personality. My grandparents — famously known for obliging my consumerist whims — scored me a bottle, and I spent many mornings dousing myself in its splendour. The blue diamond emoji bottle glittered in my bathroom, begging for one more spritz. No one in my family appreciated my spray-happy fixation but I was on fire.
A year later, Britney’s Fantasy fragrance radicalized me.
I was 14, and every girl my age was a walking scent cloud of cupcake, kiwi, and jasmine. I don’t believe in glorifying the good old days, but if I could pinpoint one era as a simpler time, it was this one. All we had was a hot pink genie bottle and a dream — and anyone with a scent sensitivity was fucked.
The Body Shop’s White Musk line hated to see me coming — I went through bottles and bottles of their fragrances and body care line. If you couldn’t smell me down the road, I hadn’t put enough of it on. Later, I worshipped at the altar of Vera Wang Princess — girlfriends of mine at the time were loyal to Nina by Nina Ricci, and of course with Marc Jacobs’ Daisy. All of these fragrances live in my own personal scent museum. One whiff of them sends me to another timeline of long lost youth. Sometimes, I sample them while browsing at the drugstore just to feel something.
I’ve matured, and my fragrance horizons have since expanded. After a dormant few years of wearing solely Glossier You (not knocking it, it’s a wonderful daily fragrance!) my passion has re-emerged.
These days, I favour leathery, woody, musky scents. Somedays, it’s more Santal 33, other days, I wish to smell like a creepy old church. But I don’t discriminate: my bedroom and medicine cabinets currently look like an apothecary, as I collect samples and bottles of your-skin-but-better fragrances, gourmand goodies, and herbaceous, citrusy scents with robust, lasting power (hello, Le Labo THÉ MATCHA 26!).
Without further adieu, my current fragrance recommendations. I’m not much of a product copywriter, but I’ll try my hand!
💡 Hot Tip: If you are Canadian and don’t have access to a Scent Bar, Lucky Scent sells teeny samples of most fragrances, and the shipping fees aren’t too bad. I am addicted to buying $4 vials of perfume to sniff and sample, mix, match, and bond with before committing to a bottle.
Moonmilk Eau de Parfum by Stora Skuggan
I want you to take me seriously so I’m starting off with a heavy hitter. In Anna Dorn’s Perfume and Pain, her protagonist, Astrid Dahl, is transfixed by fragrance, eventually settling on Stora Skuggan’s esoteric Moonmilk as her signature scent.
Astrid and I might be worlds apart on a Venn diagram, but when it comes to scent, we’re in perfect overlap.
On the nose and fresh out of the bottle, Moonmilk smells like an armpit lathered in men’s deodorant. It’s sharp, spicy, and curiously pungent. As it softens, it doesn’t lose its headiness but out comes luscious sandalwood, punchy lime leaf, and an earthy, leathery, creamy citrus. Is it masculine, is it feminine? Who cares, it’s 2025 baby!
In my mind, girls who sport Moonmilk every day, wear a uniform of vintage Levi’s and immaculate white tees. They do pilates, seven days a week, and live in New York’s Lower East Side. They are totally nuts, but you would never know it because their personal brand is immaculate — their outer persona as intriguing and fluid as a whiff of Moonmilk on the wrist.
In This World Eau de Parfum by Liis
Lucky Scent calls it ethereal, I call it spiritual. Sensual. Classic, but not tired.
At first sniff, it’s a whole whack of lavender. As it settles, I pick up the notes of eucalyptus, and blood orange, and maybe a bit of violet. To me, it smells like freshly washed hair, clean sheets, and an aired-out apartment at the awakening of spring. It has a similar energy to Another 13, giving your skin-but-better trend a run for its money.
Try In This World if you want to smell like a put-together little sprite. It’s giving a girl who has a healthy morning routine and boundaries with her phone. When someone asks what she’s wearing, she can’t remember the name — In This World is ubiquitous with her whole vibe.
White Rice Eau de Parfum by d’Annam
A muskier but softer scent than the aforementioned In This World, White Rice is scrumptious, decadent, sophisticated but incredibly understated and delightfully comforting.
As the name suggests, the top notes are rice and pandan and then in comes the milky white musk—deeply satisfying the cockles of my teenage Body Shop-loving heart.
I found this scent on a TikTok that listed off “fragrances for writers.” Embarrassing! And unfortunately very accurate!
Croissant Cafe Parfum Extrait by Versatile
If you wish to smell like a delicious Parisian cafe, may I suggest the yummiest fragrance on the market with incredible lasting power?
Croissant Cafe has all the fixings for decadence: vanilla, Tonka, coffee, gentle woodsy-ness and hot, brown butter. It’s not your everyday scent, but it’s a gorgeous gourmand and the treat you deserve! This is a perfume that will have you sniffing your own wrist all day.
If you wear this to the office, don’t be surprised if people think you walked in with a fresh box of pastries. Hot girls smell like a pain au chocolate!
Bibliotheque Eau de Parfum by BYREDO
For the girls with deep pockets, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the ultimate chic girl scent. Similar to In This World, or White Rice, Bibliotheque is soft and musky but this fragrance has a juicier edge —opening with peach, plum, and peony —that settles into a warm, vanilla leather.
Bibliotheque is the perfect, daily, staple scent. It’s rich, classy, and palatable but still intriguing enough to invite compliments.
As I mentioned earlier, I am obsessed these days with smelling like a heathen. BYREDO’s De Los Santos satisfied my hunger for clingy, potent, palo santo, musks and clary sage.
Tobacco Toscano Eau de Cologne by Santa Maria Novella
I’ll use their copy for this one because it’s just that good: Immerse yourself in the timeless allure of the Tabacco Toscano fragrance: an olfactory voyage where the Tuscan tobacco and its warm, velvety notes meet a smoky vanilla base.
I ducked into Santa Maria Novella in Florence this summer—partly to escape the blistering heat, but mostly to check off my wishlist and bring home some beautiful Italian perfume. This scent makes me feel sexy and a little bit mysterious. It’s compelling and powerful but not offensive. It reminds me of the grand, creaky churches I’ve wandered through in Europe—rich, warm, and with a lot goin’ on.
Accessible Favourites
Dossier has some excellent dupes. A staple in my rotation is their Citrus Tea scent inspired by Le Labo's Thé Noir 29. It earns me the most compliments, everywhere I go!
I am weak in the knees for Rōzu Eau de Parfum by Aesop but they don’t do fragrance samples (lots of skincare samples though!), and it always feels out of budget. I suggest dipping your toes into Aesop’s gorgeous perfume line with a discovery set. I cherished my vials for months.
Maison Margiela’s REPLICA By the Fireplace Eau de Toilette with Chestnut, Vanilla, and Clove Oil
Maison Margiela REPLICA Bubble Bath Eau de Toilette with Soap Bubble, Rose, White Musk, and Coconut Milk
Maison Margiela REPLICA From the Garden Eau de Toilette. For those who want to live the tomato leaf life!
Glossier You Rêve Eau de Parfum for the classic You girls that want to take a walk on the gourmand side.
Let me know if you pick up any of these bottles, or better yet, explore the world of samples on Lucky Scent. I’m always and forever ready to talk fragrance.