I have always loved fragrance. My first memory of falling in love with a scent was when my Mom used to wear Charlie. Yes, I’m totally a product of the ‘70s!

Once I entered my teens, I became a huge fan of Love’s Baby Soft. Then, when I was feeling a bit more sophisticated, I indulged in Lauren by Ralph Lauren. As I’m writing this, I honestly can’t believe so many of my old faves are actually still available! 

In college, I would wear Chanel N°5 and Chanel N°5 only. I loved the fact that Marilyn Monroe would actually apply it before going to bed. Talk about decadence.

As I began my career as a fashion publicist, I’d bounce between Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey and Angel by Thierry Mugler. The beautiful bottles of both of these fragrances are as glorious as they smell.

According to the National Cancer Institute, “Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils from plants to improve the mind, body and spirit. It is used by patients with cancer to improve quality of life and reduce stress, anxiety, pain, nausea and vomiting caused by cancer and its treatment.”

Now, whether or not some of our favorite department store fragrances actually contain essential oils is up for discussion. What I’d like to focus on is how scent—whether it’s a perfume from Macy’s or an essential oil from your local apothecary—can make us feel. In fact, it’s a pretty powerful tool that can affect your mood in a positive way.

During the height of the pandemic, I found myself spraying perfume on my pulse points right after I got dressed (even though I wasn’t even going anywhere) because it was part of my routine. Soon, I realized that I was wearing perfume for myself. It made me feel pretty. Fresh. Ready for the day. 

I recently reached out to my amazing community and invited everyone to share their favorite scents. Each holiday season, I give myself the gift of a brand new perfume to enjoy throughout the year. This compilation has certainly inspired me for my next shopping spree, and I hope it does the same for you!

To start off, Black Opium ($130) is another one of my all-time personal favorites. It’s a very warm and sexy fragrance. 

My dear friend Emme is a body image advocate and TV host. She was one of the first to introduce me to the magic of essential oils. One of her faves is Revive Cedarwood ($80). “I wear it alone, it allows me to catch a whiff of the forest which calms me immediately!” she says.

I also did some of my own legwork within the more natural scent category, and discovered The Seven Virtues ($37). It has tons of great reviews on Sephora, so I’d suggest giving this one a try! Fresh pear and gourmand caramel infused with warm amber paired with the sustainably sourced Madagascar vanilla alleviates stress with aromatherapy benefits.

Here are some other fan favorites:

“CK One used to have me weak-kneed back in the day.” –  @trish_newyorkcity

“I love Chanel Chance because it’s sensual and elegant without being overpowering. It makes me feel special when I put it on.” – @mutant_strong

Continuing with the Chanel theme, @christinasnyc has always loved Allure from Chanel and still continues to wear it.

@boobs2boardroom is obsessed with Thierry Mugler Angel and says, “Angel is so heavenly and makes me feel instantly happy and ethereal—the magic combo of sweet and sensual. I’ve worn it on all of my special days, including my wedding anniversary and cancerversary.”

Well, that’s a wrap! Thank you to all who participated in my quest for the best scents out there—old, new, traditional and natural. I hope this inspires you to treat yourself to a brand new scent, and before you know it someone will stop and say, “You smell soooo good!”