When I sought responses on the perfume that holds a special memory for our readers, I didn’t expect to have my inbox turn into a discussion forum.
Part girls’ catch-up, part therapy session, the sheer volume of recollections shared with me was remarkable. Perfumes are often a special gift or purchase that can mark a significant moment in our lives.
It also isn’t just the perfumes we’ve worn ourselves that leave a lasting impression, but those worn by other people in our lives, which is part of why the depth of feeling remains for such a long time. This is because scent activates the limbic system, part of our brain associated
with memory and emotional processes. Experts have also said human responses to odours can be partially based on associative learning, which means our mind can tie a scent to the circumstances under which it was first experienced.
I’ve smelt countless bottles in my role as beauty editor over the years, but the ones that stand out are those tied to people or experiences.
My mother’s heady Dior Poison is one fragrance that stands out for me, and Gucci Rush is another. I bought the latter on my first trip to New York in the year 2000. It reminds me of the frenetic pace of that city and its endless possibilities, something that invigorated and inspired me.
Favoured fragrance memories
Here are some of the other responses about memorable perfume moments:
À La Rose
I loved À La Rose by Maison Francis Kurkdjian, it was my wedding perfume and every time I smell it, it brings me wedding memories. I haven’t bought it for a few years, because I didn’t want to get too used to it. But every now and then I pop into the store to spray it. I might buy it for our next wedding anniversary though, I love the smell, it’s young and whimsical. – Olya C
4711
My aunt always wore 4711 Eau De Cologne. She was unmarried but spoiled me wholeheartedly. We spent hours under trees reading books, lying beside streams discussing my dreams and wishes from a very young age. I still have her last bottle sitting on my dressing table and when
I smell that classic smell, my heart does that little pulse that reminds you that you are loved. – Chris S
Curionoir
I’m a scent lover, my sense of smell is so strong. Anything and everything takes me back. The Elizabeth Arden sunblock my mum made us use on a family holiday to Fiji when little. Ralph Lauren Safari comforting my mum when my parents split up. Even a hand wash used in hospital takes me right back to when I gave birth the first time. Now I love Curionoir’s perfumes: Pablo and Ngutu Pa, but Diaphanous in particular reminds me of when my eldest child was little. Perfumes that a certain person wears can be so comforting to you as well. Even if it’s not a scent you would wear. – Morgan B
Le Labo Santal
I bought my partner a new fragrance for the birth of each of our girls and gave it to him on the day. For our older daughter, it was Le Labo Santal 33, and for our younger daughter it was D.S. & DURGA Radio Bombay. Interestingly both fragrances are unisex and we didn’t know the sex
before they were born. The descriptions reflect the girls too: My older daughter has this vastness to her like she’s been here before, she leaves a lasting impression on people. And my youngest has the electric energy of Radio Bombay, she is such a vibe and a force to be reckoned with. I love that he gets to wear scents that encapsulate them both, depending on his mood. – Skye R
Dior Homme Intense
I bought my husband Dior Homme Intense for our wedding. He passed away six years ago and I still have it, sometimes I even wear it. It’s comforting. I’m so passionate about fragrance and its ability to capture magic and memory. I even once had an ex-boyfriend tell me he got on the train in New York at another station because a woman walked past him on the street wearing my old fragrance, Dior Hypnotic Poison, so he walked along behind her for an extra stop just to enjoy it! – Janelle R
Flowerbomb
Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb was the fragrance I wore for my wedding in 2010 and for a few years afterwards. It reminds me of our honeymoon and those early days of our marriage. It is also a fragrance that evokes a sense of fun, excitement and luxury. I still love to wear it for a romantic dinner or a special occasion from time to time. – Cathryn R
Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise
I wore Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise when I had first arrived in the UK, met my now husband and then moved again to Amsterdam. We did short distance hopping between London and Amsterdam on the weekends for the two years I was there. I would have time to meander in the airport and pick up a fresh supply of the fragrance. – Tee R
Chloé
I wore Chloé at the time when I met my husband, he was obviously intoxicated by it! Eventually we got engaged and I moved on perfume wise, but I surprised him on my wedding day by wearing it again. I still love it too! I moved on to Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez and I’m currently wearing Abel’s Nurture. – Natalie S
Secret scent
I have a box of all my late mum’s stuff and one of the most precious things in there is the last bottle of her perfume. I take it out and smell it every Christmas but try not to do it a lot because I worry maybe the smell will disappear. I wonder if they still sell it but I’m too scared to Google it, in case they don’t and I can never get it again. – Sinead C
Opium YSL
The original Yves Saint Laurent Opium. My mum used to wear it, and it brings me right back to watching her get ready for a night out. She passed away more than 20 years ago but that smell always transports me back to her and is my favourite memory. – Siobhan D
CK One
CK One was iconic. I was obsessed with the advertising, the coolest 90s crew, Kate Moss, Jenny Shimizu and the late Stella Tennant. I would buy The Face magazine and they would have sample inserts of fragrances, I would rub my wrists across the page until I’d completely absorbed all the scent. – Sarah D
Colors by Benetton
My first perfume obsession was Colors by Benetton. I would do anything to find it again. The closest I have found is YSL Libre. I loved the fragrance, it felt so grown up. And the bright coloured hexagonal bottle, so 80s! – Amy B
Womanity
Thierry Mugler’s Womanity takes me back to a holiday in Tanzania and Zanzibar. I bought it Duty Free on my way there. I’ve never found it since, but every time I smelt it afterward, I was back in Zanzibar swimming with dolphins, experiencing rural Africa, visiting Stone Town, standing on beaches at 22 that had never seemed possible. Even now, though I can’t physically smell it, I remember the scent so well, and it takes me back. – Rebecca D
L’Interdit
For me it’s Givenchy L’interdit. I am a calligrapher and engraver and engraving this was my first paid gig as an artist, just a few months after we uprooted our lives to move from the Philippines to New Zealand six years ago. Because of this, I was introduced to so many brands and opportunities. The gig even bought me my first ever car here. I wore this fragrance for two years and it reminded me of the hard work I put into it. – Kim D
Oscar de la Renta
My Mum used to wear Oscar de la Renta. Every second weekend when I’d stay with my dad I’d sneak into her bathroom and spray all my clothes with it. I missed her so terribly on those two days that I had to smell like her. A rather mature scent for a nine-year-old! Now, I always buy her a bottle for Mother’s Day. – Tatum D
Monocle Scent One: Hinoki
Comme des Garçons Monocle Scent One: Hinoki EDT will forever remind me of my child’s father who we sadly lost five years ago. It takes me back to the day we found out we were pregnant, I can still smell it on the wool jersey he was wearing, the happier, healthier days. Every single time I see it, I stop and smell it. Honestly I feel like I must look insane lingering in a store sniffing it. It will forever be one of my favourites. – Zoe
Black by Bulgari
My ex husband bought Black by Bulgari home from a trip as a gift for me. After an acrimonious split I kept wearing it as I love it. I was wearing it the night I met my now husband who also loved it and has kept buying it for me ever since. Yes, he knows how I was introduced to it. His association is that is what I was wearing the night he met me, he doesn’t care about before that. – Jackie O
Lovely
I loved Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely and wore it for my wedding. I thought it was such a romantic and pretty fragrance for the big day. I kept the bottle for 18 years, nostalgically giving it a whiff every few years, only to find it for $10 at the local chemist last year! – Sarah H
Black XS
I’ll never forget being on a family cruise when I was 16, my mum won bingo on the last night and the prize was a load of credits to spend on board so I got Paco Rabanne Black XS. I never would have been able to afford it ordinarily. I used to fill it up with water when it ran out just so I could keep using the bottle. – Ella J
