Stressful situations are an unavoidable part of life – whether they come from work, travel, health issues or everyday logistics. While perfume obviously can’t fix any of those problems, many of us still reach for certain scents when we want a bit of comfort, distraction or a small boost of confidence.
Saturday Question #293:
What Perfumes Do You Reach for When Dealing With a Stressful Situation?
Do you have some particular perfumes? Or is it a type of scents that you choose? Or does it not affect your choice?
My Answer
It’s not a theoretical question for me: because of a recent mishap with the fire sprinklers in a neighboring condo, we ended up with water damage in ours. Since that happened, I’ve been dealing with insurance adjusters, contractors and estimates, and preparing for the upcoming demolition (they constantly use that word!) of some of the walls and flooring.
None of this is dramatic in the grand scheme of things (at least yet), but it does involve a lot of phone calls, paperwork, waiting and generally feeling that things are a little out of your control. Plus, extremely loud fans running for 14+ hours per day.
So when my morning starts, I ask myself: “What do you feel like wearing?” And, surprisingly, after a couple of days, I realized that I was craving lavender. My “go-to” perfumes recently have been Serge Lutens Gris Clair, Guerlain Jicky (both EdP and extrait) and Parfums de Marly Darley – but I suspect I’ll go through more lavender-heavy perfumes before this ordeal is behind us.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
Oh no, that is horrendous. We know that lavender is traditionally used for calming and I think your senses craved this note for good reason. In stressful situations nowadays find I can’t wear perfume at all, but when I did, it would be soft and creamy, like a comfort blanket; Balenciaga’s Le Dix springs to mind. as an old favourite. I think the smell of violets is a particularly calming note for me.
I hope it won’t be too long before this nightmare is over. Sending lots of good luck wishes.
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Thank you, jilliecat.
I’ll try violets next time :)
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Jicky eau de toilette!
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I didn’t realize there was that concentration as well. I don’t think any of the stores around carry any version of that perfume, unfortunately.
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I’m pretty sure it was discontinued in the edt format. So sad, because I find it the most appealing to my nose.
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What a horrible stressful situation. In your home where we come to destress…Wishing you lots of ‘this too will pass’.
Usually I don’t wear perfume when I am stressed, but being in a stressful period right now I do. Saffran Troublant is a destresser, and Eau de Neroli Nore or other orange blossom. Also iris and roses, at the moment April Aromatics Irristible.
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Hamamelis, thank you. I know that we’ll get through that. It’s definitely not the worst that could have happened – just tiring and annoying. And since perfumes help, it’s a proof that it’s not that serious.
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I’m sorry for your situation. Water is so destructive. We have had varying problems in both of our houses and it’s expensive and a hassle to fix. Keep those calming lavender scents going! One of my favorite calming perfumes is Pacifica Tibetan Mountain Temple. Maybe it’s the gingerbread thing, reminds me of childhood.
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Thank you, MMKinPA. Even though insurance covers a lot, it’ll still be more money that I’d like to spend on that. Just to think how many bottles that I don’t need I could have bought instead! :)
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Good luck with the repairs Undina.
So I have different answers for different stress.
When I want a shot of comfort it’s quite often Shalimar or Mohur.
For stressful armor a vintage chypre.
Internal, emotional roller coaster I like something new and interesting to redirect my spiral.
One scent that works in almost all situations is CHANEL Boy.
Portia xx
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Thank you, Portia!
Boy!!! How could I forget?! One more lavender to wear (I should still have a sample or a decant somewhere).
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It’s such an easy beauty. Hope you find some. X
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Water where there shouldn’t be any is any homeowners nightmare-hope it’s over soon and that you can enjoy your home again.
I’d choose eau d’hadrian EDT, because I’ve been wearing it for decades. It’s always beautiful and comforting and I just love it.
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I share your hope. For now, I would take the drying part be over because those fans are exhausting.
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I’m so sorry your neighbours incident impacted your home. Our homes are precious places of safety. I hope the repairs aren’t too intrusive.
The type of stress dictates my choices. Acute stress? I go unfragrance. Long haul, mid level stress? Something light & non invasive. Currently CK Contradiction. Thanks to Portia.
Low level stress? Probably my normal setting so anything I fancy. From naked skin to heavy weight Lutens.
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For serious situations, I also skip scents. The fact that I crave them now means that it’s not that bad. It’s interesting to see how quickly it can be liquidated.
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What a nightmare. I wish you all the luck in getting the right people on the phone and getting through everything that needs to be done in the most efficient way possible. In a relatively prolonged situation like that, I probably would still wear whatever comes to mind each day. For a boost to face something, I’d probably go for a heavier floral or leather, or something with a bit of edge.
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All days mush together and feel both long and short. I’m ready for it to be over, but I know it will be a while, so I’ll get a chance to experiment with my approach to choosing suitable perfumes.
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Roses roses and more roses for comfort or Boadicea Complex when I need to kick some @ss and take names later.
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Homeownership, whether detached or attached, can be stressful. I’m sorry for your recent intrusions. Positive thoughts coming your way, Undina
I’m not quite sure I reach for any one particular perfume in times of stress. Perhaps I select older perfumes, ones that bring memories of simple, more carefree times.
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Thank you, Flaconneur. Accepting any positivity and support!
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I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this situation. Something similar happened to us in our first apartment. Neighbors above us had a massive water leak and it caused our bathroom ceiling to cave in with a big splash. Ugh!😩
Black Opium comforts me in stressful situations.
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Thank you, rickyrebarco.
Fortunately, in our case it’s only walls and the floor, no ceilings involved in our condo (but the neighbors did lose theirs).
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