The Black Feather
When I find a fragrance I love, I usually get very attached but only for a short while. This isn't so much because I'm unbearably flighty when it comes to scent (although, um, I am), it's because I have a thing about artificially manufacturing "perfume memories." Essentially—and I know how bougie this makes me sound—I like to select a new fragrance every season, in the hopes that wearing it every day will tie that specific scent to a specific time in my life. I've also done this ahead of every vacay for the past decade, as well as for any special occasion. It works because, according to Fragrances Of The World, smell is able to trigger the "associative memory of clusters of events and feelings."
For instance, on my wedding day I wore Byredo's dark and spicy Rose Of No Man's Land. Now, every time I smell it, I'm transported back to the special spot where I said "I do." (Perfect for date nights.) The same goes for the heady floral notes of Costume National's So Nude (Tokyo '08—what a trip), and Tom Ford's impossibly sunny Orchid Soleil (Bali '16). As we get closer to winter, I've been tossing up which fragrance I will wear as I transition into the cooler months. Only I can't make a decision, because I'm seriously stuck on one scent in particular. Honestly, I can't see myself letting go anytime soon. The fact is, my friends, Le Labo's Thé Noir gets me so many compliments it should be illegal. Unlike cult spritz Santal 33, a dime a dozen among cool girls, this woody, fig-spiked masterpiece is (IMO) the brand's true MVP.
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Looks good right? But back to my first world problem—an inability to move beyond my new favorite 'fume. There are a ton of delicious new launches hitting shelves soon (Christmas and all that), but I remain unconvinced anything will turn my head. Have I found my one, true fragrance love? Should I put a proverbial ring on it? Only time will tell. 'Til then, shop it yourself, or check out other Byrdie-approved scents guaranteed to get you compliments.
