Welcome to our series, My Life in Perfume. We’re asking our favourite fragrance fans to reveal all – from their first perfume purchase to their signature aroma; here are their scent stories…
Communications and Campaigns team member Hannah’s love of scent is ever-evolving. From body mist to Eau de Parfum, Britney Spears to The Merchant of Venice, Hannah has an eclectic perfume collection that any fragrance fan would love to explore. Luckily for you, that’s what this series is all about! Scroll through the scents that scent Hannah’s life in perfume…
My First Perfume
After various body mists and scented deodorants, I was gifted my first-ever fragrance: Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Eau de Parfum. Fruity and ultra-sweet, I remember drenching myself in Midnight Fantasy – I even took it to put on after P.E and carried the heavy glass bottle everywhere with me! I don’t own this anymore, but I’m having a wave of nostalgia thinking about it and am craving the synthetic sweet spritz that used to finish every outfit.
Soon after Britney, I begged my mum, whilst in Duty-Free, to buy Versace Red Jeans for me, purely for the bottle. I’ll be honest, the bottle in the picture is the same one from 10 years ago with about 10 sprays missing – whilst Britney paved the way for my love of sweet scents, Versace Red was too mature for me at the time with a synthetic powderiness that I’m only just now appreciating.
My All-Time Favourite
I’m completely obsessed with the House of Oud fragrances: they look like works of art and inside the sculptures are the most mind-blowing scents. My favourite two are Grape Pearls for the ultimate sweet coffee and rose scent and Golden Powder for a sexy hit of oud and cinnamon. If you ever see one of the beautiful egg-shaped sculptural bottles in my collection, you know I’ve made it to where I want to be in life as, sadly, I do not own one yet…
My First Perfume Purchase
I feel like my perfume habits took a radical luxury when I got my first job at 15. I decided to treat myself to Giorgio Armani Si Eau de Parfum after 3 months of pay. I adore the Si range in general and remember seeing Si all over TV and becoming obsessed with it. Some older girls in my school would always display Si on their desks, and I wanted that, too, so I bought a bottle for myself. I don’t have any Si bottles as I have used them all up (Si Passione I love even more than the original now and have finished a bottle).
My Everyday Scent
This is tricky as I always choose my fragrance based on my mood and outfit. However, the one I wear most often has got to be Lancome La Vie Est Belle – I am now on my third bottle! A classic for a reason; the iconic scent is so sweet and instantly lifts my mood. I go for La Vie daily if I don’t know which scent to wear.
However, when it is really hot, or I don’t want to have a loud perfume (La Vie enters the room before I do, which I usually love), then I choose Burberry Her Eau de Parfum as an everyday scent throughout the summer. Her still has my signature sweetness but in a more subtle yet still beautiful way.
First Mind-Blowing Fragrance
I’ve had two ‘wow’ moments with perfume that have seriously changed my attitude towards fragrance. Working for Escentual has exposed me to the world of niche fragrances, and in my first month, I reviewed The Merchant of Venice Imperial Emerald Eau de Parfum. The box is like curtains opening at the start of a show or opera, with the stunning peacock bottle sitting on centre stage. The scent within matches the opulent design with warm vanilla, florals and patchouli singing to you. I would love to own this in my collection one day, as it blew me away and exposed me to unique scents and designs.
The second perfume to complete my full-rounded love of fragrance was Givenchy Gentleman Reserve Privee – it blew me away instantly. Typically I am a sweet feminine fragrance-only kind of gal, but the chocolatey whisky scent of Reserve Privee is just so stunning. I love wearing it, and when my partner does too, it made me realise how all fragrances can be unisex and that anyone can enjoy any fragrance regardless of who it is marketed towards.
My Most Sentimental Perfume
Working at Escentual has confirmed my love of rose fragrances. The #EscentualScents trial introduced me to Issey Miyake Rose & Rose Eau de Parfum, which became my first fragrance purchase at Escentual, and working here has been a goal of mine for years, so buying Rose & Rose was a bit of a pinch-me moment. I have worn Rose & Rose for some milestones (anniversaries, fancy dinners, concerts) and already know it will be my long-awaited graduation scent.
My Favourite Brands
As a lover of all things sweet and floral, Viktor & Rolf are a special brand to me: Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid, and the original Flowerbomb will always be in my collection. Jean Paul Gaultier and KENZO are my go-to for light and beautiful scents that last all day. Other stand-out brands include GIVENCHY; I especially love the Irresistible range; Mugler screams summer for me with my favourite Alien Goddess, and Miller Harris creates some unique and beautiful scents that feel completely natural – Found at Dusk smells just like a garden to me. I love YSL scents and am planning on building my collection – they are the perfect evening scents from Black Opium to Libre. For timeless scents, the Aqua Allegoria collection by GUERLAIN is stunning – I own Nettare di Sole, which is sunshine bottled! I feel Coach is underrated, and my current obsession is Wild Rose. I also love the Ariana Grande fragrances – Cloud is my go-to when I want to make a statement, as the projection and lasting power of the creamy-coconut scent is insane!
My Perfume Collection
When I love something, I tend to impulsively buy and build a full collection – this has happened with fragrance over the years. Working at Escentual has increased my rate of fragrance purchases as I get to smell and then fall in love with scents daily! My collection is large and quite disorganised (though they make sense to me) with a huge variety of brands, and I’m also beginning to branch out into different scent families, not just my go-to sweet and floral. I only own a few scents from each brand for now…
