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Saturday Question: What Is Your Most Calming Perfume?

In our lives, we all go through periods of anxiety, uncertainty and disturbance – be that of an internal nature or imposed by circumstances. Can perfume help? Or is it better to stay away from favorites (not to associate them with those times) and avoid the rest (not to contribute to the general annoyance)?

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #104:

What Is Your Most Calming Perfume?

Do you have a perfume that in your mind would have a positive calming and relaxing effect on you?

My Answer

I started thinking about this because the last couple of weeks weren’t the easiest for me, and at some point, I felt like perfume (or maybe just trying to choose what to wear) was contributing to my general unease. In such minutes I didn’t want to wear anything “loud,” edgy or too original. I wanted something pleasant and uncomplicated…

The answer I came up with surprised me: Tauer‘s limited edition When We Cuddle And I Can Smell My Perfume On Your Clothes. With one of the most bizarre names and absolutely non-perfume bottle, I would have never tried it in the first place if it weren’t for my friend and perfume twin hajusuuri who shared with me a decant. I liked it right away, it didn’t take me years. But it wasn’t fast enough: it was sold out and disappeared. But I really enjoy this almost simplistic blend of vanilla, benzoin, musk, patchouli and amber. I’m not sure if it calms me down, but it definitely doesn’t irritate me or make me think about the scent I’m wearing.

Rusty and I

How about you?

What Is Your Most Calming Perfume?

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62 thoughts on “Saturday Question: What Is Your Most Calming Perfume?”

  1. Parfum de Couer’s Fresh White Musk. It’s cheap as chips but really does the trick and while I do wear it during the day I especially like it in the evening. It is supposed to be a body spray but it wears like an EDT. And because it’s inexpensive I can do my 32 Brigitte style sprays and go to bed in a cloud of fluffy sweet musk.

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  2. I should also mention that Diane St Clair of St Clair Scents came out with a fragrance called Inner Balance which is very calming. I gifted a travel spray to one friend and a full bottle to another and they both love it for it’s calming properties. Y’all already know that I am a HUGE fan of this under the radar indie house.

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  3. There are a few – Bottega Veneta, I reach for this after showering in the evening and it’s great, present but unobtrusive and settles me nicely into bed. The same with Aromatics Elixir parfum, not one that people might imagine but that’s the way it works on me – my skin seems to tame it a lot. Chanel No.19 has a bit of a cool and calm vibe. I’m ready to go out the door right now to yoga class wearing 4160 Tuesdays Clouds.

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  5. May your life become calmer & stay that way!
    When I’m stressed or the dreaded brain fog rolls in I tend to go scent free. Fragrance becomes a stimulus my brain doesn’t need.

    When I’m coming out the other side of an episode & feel I want to be scented I wear a simple cologne or Caldey Island Lavender. Nothing complex or overly radiant

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  6. I feel for you, and hope things improve for you very soon :)

    It depends-if it’s work stress, I’d grab eau D’hadrian. I’ve been wearing it for 25 years or so, so it’s like a friend. I can smell it, and I love it, but it can almost disappear on me at times, and I like that aspect, too. I’ll often put one spritz of Myrre Ardent or Vanilla Charnel on the back of one hand – I love the way they mix with the Hadrien. So I guess I look to the comfort and beauty of the house of Goutal to help me through life.

    If it’s someone I love who is ill-no scent. I will not want to be reminded of the circumstances of the illness.

    I can’t wait until we don’t have to wear masks and do things like that. I know they’ve kept us safe until now but I really miss seeing faces.

    Hope everyone has a good weekend, with coffee and tea and chocolates and pets-and good conversations about perfumes. Thank you for continuing to be so welcoming :)

    Carole

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    • Thank you, carole: your comment sounds very supportive and… calming :)

      I should try my AG perfumes as a calming potion: I suspect that my favorite Petite Cherie might be very helpful.

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  7. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz makes a spray called Smudge Nebula that is very calming, I love it. I also find Jicky EDT very uplifting and soothing, but also cheerful. Lately, I’ve found that Patricia de Nicolai’s Musc Intense is comforting. Aveda’s Shampure oil is also soothing. I often find vanilla notes very comforting.

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  8. My calming scent is Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple. I spray it often at bedtime to try to quiet my mind. The incense, I suppose – most of the other incense forward perfumes I have are more challenging, which keeps my mind too engaged.

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  9. I actually wrote a post on this last year. I had two surgeries within two months, and during my initial recovery I wanted a scent that was quiet and soothing, and basically didn’t make me think! It could have been any scent that was nature-like and soft, but what I pulled from my collection was Eau de Italie Eau Lac, and Margot Elena Library of Flowers Willow and Water. What was interesting is that normally I find these almost too light to enjoy, but during this period they were extremely soothing to me. Here’s the link: https://thefragrantjourney.blogspot.com/2021/04/library-of-flowers-willow-water-and-eau.html

    I hope your life calms down soon!

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  10. My favorite note and calming note if rose. I usually reach for them to soothe me. One time when I was really upset I put on every single rose product that I own. I reeked. It was amazing.

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  11. I hope things calm down for you soon. I’m not sure I’ve developed a habit of reaching for calming scents when I’m feeling anxious—I’m probably more likely to reach for a sample to use up (of something I don’t intend to buy). Then, the ritual of washing off the scent in the shower connects to washing off the day and its associated burdens. Otherwise, if I want to minimize external distractions, I might go for a favorite that feels harmonious all around, such as Annick Goutal Ninfeo Mio or Parfum d’Empire Osmanthus Interdite. The ultimate is the discontinued Nez 1+1 Hongkong Oolong, a milky tea perfume, but I use it only as a pillow spray because it works its magic better when on my pillow than on me.

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  12. Oh no, I’m sorry to hear that the last few weeks have been rough for you!
    For me, it really depends on why I need something calming:
    Sick? No scent at all or a citrus scent at most (my favourite is Note de Yuzu by Heeley).
    In need for some alone time? Then Bois des Iles has a very calming effect on me.
    Stressed and yearning for a motivating “you got this” scent? Eau de Protection by ELdO is resilient like a protection shield. Aternatively, Mona di Orio’s Vanille makes me strong and keeps me calm in the storm.

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  13. I hope things get better for you, Undina. My most calming scents are my irises. Scents that are rooty, cool, powdery with soft musks or florals seem to make me feel calmest. I love Boucheron’s Iris Syracuse, Prada Purple Rain, Lutens Iris Silver Mist and Bvlgari The Bleu when I”m in need of calm. I also scent my pillow with lavender scents if I’m feeling too keyed up at night. I like Lutens Encens et Lavande or Guerlain Mon Guerlain for these pillow scents.

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    • You know, as much as I like iris perfumes, I don’t find them calming. For me they, depending on the scent, are either cold (No 19, for example) or flirty (Iris Poudre). It’s interesting that same perfumes have different effect on different people (even though both are positive).

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  14. Hope your tough weeks ease up soon Undina.
    I think I tend to reach for a chypre if soothing is the order of the day, they also work as excellent suits of armour. So Niki de Saint Phalle, vintage Miss Dior, Silences and No 19 all make regular appearances when my mood is shot, or I need to feel safe.
    Portia xx

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  15. The perfume that seems to give me most comfort is Serge Lutens Cuir mauresque. I guess it’s a difficult perfume for a “difficult” or complex person. Not many like Cuir mauresque or perhaps understand it. I can, and appreicate it nonetheless. Thanks for this great Saturday question, Undina.

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  18. oh Undina, I’m so sorry the last few weeks have been rough. I hope things are better now.
    I think my favourite calming perfumes are Feminite du Bois and ELDO You or Someone Like You. I have on the odd occasion sprtized Paestum Rose to help settle my crazy, runaway brain.

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    • Not yet, but I’m working on it :)

      I remember trying Paestum Rose. It was very nice, but since this brand isn’t widely represented in the US, I’ve never gone beyond a sample.

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