Through many threads most of us have rejected the notion of a signature scent but do we have more of a signature than we think? There are lots of ways to slice and dice the concept. Do any of these apply to you?

• Signature perfume. This is one scent that you are known by (most--but not all--say no, no! )

• Signature brand. Are you an acolyte of Guerlain, Lutens, Malle, Goutal, etc.? For some time Lanvin was my signature brand (Arpège, My Sin, Spanish Geranium). For about ten years I had a Goutal signature, wearing almost all her perfumes almost exclusively. Is there a brand with a characteristic style toward which you tend to gravitate? Are you seduced by that Guerlinade...or other ade?

• Signature nose. Do you have a favourite perfumer and find yourself choosing his or her creations from brand to brand? Jean-Claude Ellena? Bernard Chant? Jacques Guerlain? Ernest Beaux, Ernest Daltroff? Jean-Paul Guerlain? Germaine Cellier? Sonia Grojsman? And so on...

• Signature note. Do you gravitate toward scents with a particular note: galbanum, rose, tuberose, iris, vetiver, cedar, musk, amber, incense, vanilla, aldehydes, etc., etc.? Are any of these or other notes your signature, from one perfume to another? Right now I'm exploring ambrette and have discovered three perfumes I really like and could go to if I wanted to adopt this signature note (Fantasia de Fleurs, CAH Paris, Chanel No 18).

Those are some of the possibiities for a scent signature that came to mind. Do you identify with any of these ways of having a scent signature? Can you think of any other possibilities for determining a signature perfume style that others could recognize?

There could be more to a scent signature than just one perfume!

If asked what my favorite fragrances is I'd say Chanel #19. If asked if I could only own one fragrance, I'd say Chanel #19. Yet, I don't wear it all that often. I do think perfume enthusiasts have signature themes, more than signature scents. My signature theme is classic French. I am such a nut for them, I can honestly smell the difference between the boxes of French perfumes and all others. Yep, there is a definite French smell. I don't know if it's has anything to do with the fragrance, it is probably the paper or ink. Whatever, it's just a part of the whole wonderful moment of opening a new perfume.

I'd say "notes" tend to repeat with me: musk, leather, patchouly, amber. My four biggies. Even the "light" fragrances I choose (like SIENNE L'HIVER, for instance) tend to have one of these going on...

Yep, this morning as I asked my husband his opinion of some samples, he said, "You tend to go for sweet and florals."

I think he's right.

Interesting way to break down the concept of signature!
principle contenders in each category:
scent - main contender Boudoir; possibly known more to others by Ambre Russe and Escentric 01
brand - shifts most over time; explored Lutens and Guerlain, then L'Artisan and the Hermessences, probably on the verge of a SMN phase
nose - currently Ellena with Giacobetti and Sheldrake flanking
note - amber, incense, rose

I tend to gravitate more towards amber with a small hint of vanilla. Any perfumes with amber in it, I am sold.

I used to be the grapefruit queen. I love that note and used to wear it constantly. I'm still very attracted to it, but it's just one of many now.

A lot of my winter scents contain amber.

And lately, I seem to be completely addicted to aldehydes.

Yes, I'm definitely an oriental girl - I love woody, spicy, resiny scents. I think that's about the only "signature" I have, since I wear a different scent every day.

My nose ie definitely note-oriented. I seem to be attracted to
bergamot/orange/vanilla and most of my favourite scents fall into that category:
Anne Pliska, Armani Code, Allure Sensuelle, Roma, Cristobal, Arpege, Reve Indienne
(I could go on!!) I also love iris and mimosa type scents like Iris Poudre and Lullaby.

I would like to add since my last post, I also like lavender, violet and iris along with amber and musk.

perfumes that are floral,powdery,soapy,sweet,or floral fruity...

Some of my signature perfumes...

Kenzo Flower
BBW Cherry Blossom
BBW Sweet Pea
Angel
Falling in Love
Amazing Grace
Pleasures
Pleasures Intense
VS Dream Angels Heavenly
Princess
VS Blossoming Romance

Fun topic, FiveO!

I hate to pigeonhole myself, but if I had to choose:

Signature perfume: Avignon, only because I can't live without it. But really...it's not...because I don't wear it often enough for it to be a signature.

Signature brand: I love Hermes, but I'm open to any brand.

Signature nose: I understand where Jean-Claude Ellena is coming from. I like most of what he's done.

Signature note: I love incense, violet, and any deep, dark woods. I'm on the goth side when it comes to notes.

along with Hypnose...

some perfume notes I like...

vanilla
almond
lilac
peony
strawberry
raspberry
peach
pear
violet
sweet pea
carnation
passion flower
rose
wisteria
lavender
honeysuckle
cherry blossom
tonka bean
soapy
powdery
wild rose
apricot

along with some others...

I always considered myself a Chanel and Caron girl, but I have quite a few by Balenciaga as well.

-Noelle

Who can guess what my signature is? It's been common knowledge here for years......

(Yes, I do have a signature, to answer your question!)

Must have a split personality , one part of me cannot resist white florals and the other likes orientals .... I have yet to suss out my signature nose but I think forced to choose house it would be Guerlain , pity.

Powdery aldehydehydes!

I'm in the same camp as mrs veneering. I love both white florals and orientals and my favorite house is Guerlain. And if I were to choose a signature perfume, I would choose Patou Joy parfum since it is so @#*! gorgeous.

I would say that I have a definite "signature style" when it comes to scents, but not a particular note or fragrance. However....I'm in flux these days - wearing things that never appealed before and moving away from notes that used to be mainstays. It's interesting. I'm pretty sure it's the microcosm of bigger changes in my life.

I'm opposite of you...

I gravitate towards vanilla dominate scents with a small hint of amber.

~~Dawn

Favourites of mine are scents created by Germaine Cellier - Fracas and Vent Vert are two staples. Since discovering Perfume of Life, my tastes and collection have really broadened. But forever in my husband's and my friends' minds (and noses), my signature scent remains sweet. When I wear Fracas, Boudoir, Exclamation even - that, in my husband's mind, is my signature scent - sweet candy, white-cake like. Truth be told, I feel most like "me" when I'm wearing Fracas. But I like to explore other personas as well.

Just an aside - there is a woman who sits, every day, in a parking booth in a parking lot downtown. She is the person who collects money and gives out parking passes. Anywhoo - her sillage is marvelous. I asked her a few months ago what she wore and she said Organza body creme. She shared a dollop or two with me, in fact. I asked her if she wears anything else. She said, "No". I said, "Well, then this is YOUR SIGNATURE". She was mighty pleased with herself. I think it's quite delightful to have a signature. I just find, for us true blue perfumistas, it's very hard to be faithful to one scent.

This is a GREAT post!

1. I used to actually have a signature scent before I became a full-blown perfume addict and have so many to choose from that I hardly wear the same thing twice in one week!
My signature scent used to be (1992-1997) Amarige by Givenchy.
2. I really like Hermes, Caron, Diptyque, Serge Lutens, Frederic Malle and Annick Goutal
3. Jean Claude Ellena, Lutens/Sheldrake, Dominique Ropion
4. I mostly like Orientals. For single notes I like neroli, mimosa, incense and spices

If I had to choose one note that is consistently in my favorite perfumes, it would be a citrus top note. Bergamot, galbanum, aldehydes, and musk also are present in many many favorites.

Just out of curiosity, where multiple categories are noted, can any of those be distilled down into certain perfumes? For example, if a person liked Guerlain, Jacques Guerlain and florals, which specific perfume(s) could meet all three categories? I can't really do that because so far I've been exploring one category at a time.

No to the first 3, the last, I could say vanilla is my most constant note; however, I do like me some fruity fragrances during summer.

The top notes of Chanel 19 include aldehydes, galbanum, bergamot.
Top notes for Nocturnes include aldehydes and bergamot.
Top notes for Cristalle include galbanum and bergamot.
Top notes for Pucci Vivara include galbanum and bergamot.

Henri Robert was the nose for Chanel 19 and Cristalle EDT.

So my signature could be: Chanel>Henri Robert>Chanel 19.

Rebecca, I like the way you did that! It sounds like something out of my logic class in university, where I might have been much more motivated had the examples used been about perfume!

5-O,
When I read this topic I did an internet search using the notes that I like.
I did not use musk in the search because I thought it would be less likely to come up with the others in the same perfume.
When I said "citrus" about top notes I like I know that can cover a lot that are in perfumes that I like that are from different families, such as citron in Light Blue, lime in Burberry Brit, etc.

For me, it's Tauerade, Guerlinade and a touch of Sheldrake (Lutenade?). But I switch too much to have anything too specific associated with me. But I just asked the husband and he says that to him I'm mostly vanilla and honey (I guess it's all that Miel de Bois...).

I am enjoying reading this thread but find it difficult to answser it from my own point of view. Even though I have been a perfume masniac for a long time indeed it has been only since I have found POL that I have really begun to get educated in what it is in the perfumes I love so much.
Your questions asks just that and I am unable to say yet.....even though more than two years into my life as a POLer.
I adore Orientals (I say that because I love Shalimar so much)
I adore greens and chypre types and love woods and leather and some flowers.
I cannot say I do not love sweet as I have fallen for LLempicka.
I can only say that I am a classic lover and lean towards green/chypre/wood/oriental.
I hate Fracas so far but I love Mitsouko !...
Shalimar and Jolie Madame are my favourite scents !!!!
so what am I ????????????
If you read this, please tell me ?!

Non-blonde, while I can't say I'm a big fan of the Lutenade smellwise, there's something about the appelation "Lutenade" that has a great ring to it!


Merrymusk, I think you answered your own question by the green-chypre-wood-oriental description which indicates to me that you lean toward a group of signature notes. That description evokes to my mind Magie Noire, by the way. Have you tried it?

P.S. a few minutes later. Merrymusk, I just noticed over on the Magie Noire thread that you do like it.

Thanks Fiveoaks !
I DO love Magie Noire !

Great tips, Fiveoaks. My only comments is, you can't get enough of it - and that's me with White Linen, I never tire of it. Pivoine by Yves Rocher is another I could wear everyday, live in.

Signature perfume: Hmm... this is a hard one. I do not wear my Holy Grail scent all the time, Ambre Sultan Serge Lutens. So I can't really say I have a signature scent.

Signature brand: Hmm... Another hard one to answer. But I have gone through phases, Serges Lutens, Diptyque, Aramis line of men's scents to name a few.

Signature nose: Bernard Chant (he created Aromatics Elixir, Aramis, Aramis 900 to name a few) and Maurice Roucel (any man that can grow a Super Mario Bros' moustache isn't all that bad! LOL!! Nah, I love his Musc Ravageur, Iris Silver Mist Serge Lutens, Insolence Guerlain, Nautica Voyager to name a few)

Signature note: Amber, Patchouli, Musk, Oakmoss, so many, it is hard to chose just one!

Oh, fun! I missed this one.

I don't know if I've got a signature perfume, to be honest. I say things about Mitsouko, but I hoard Mitsouko, so... probably people associate a tuberose with me. But I do wear lots and lots of Guerlain, almost everything but Shalimar, I love and own and wear frequently. Nose-wise, I like Edmund Roudnitska's creations, as well as Mr. Ropion's. I like scents that are very dry (I can't seem to tolerate anything too sweet any more), but not particularly fresh: therefore, chypres.

I don't know what my signature is, but whatever it is will have to be better than Light Blue which is a gorgeous scent that I can't wear because it's my fiance's ex's signature. Sigh...

Now I can't buy it because of the association. And I can't top it because everyone I know seems to think it's the sexiest perfume there is!

I'm new to perfumes. So far I have been using Angel, Ralph, & Bulgari Green Tea.

Signature perfume.This is one scent that you are known by.
Many who know me, no matter how many scents I wear, know me by Chanel 22. Also, Femme.

Signature brand. Are you an acolyte of Guerlain, Lutens, Malle, Goutal, etc.?
Chanel, Diptyque, Rochas

Signature nose. Do you have a favourite perfumer and find yourself choosing his or her creations from brand to brand?
Ernest Beaux, and Edmond Roudnitska. Roudnitska studied under Beaux.

Signature note. Do you gravitate toward scents with a particular note: galbanum, rose, tuberose, iris, vetiver, cedar, musk, amber, incense, vanilla, aldehydes, etc., etc.?
Galbanum, patchouli, sandalwood, incense, rosewood, peach, small amounts of rose, jasmine.

I love white flowers, but I rarely wear them out of the house since so many people react SO DRAMATICALLY to them. Tuberose, gardenia, jasmine, lily, swoony tropical gorgeousness. 's ok, because I have that vomitous reaction to bottom-heavy, syrupy orientals.

I'm known more for dry, woody greens, like Mitsouko, original Maja, Vetivert, even Heno de Pravia.

And of course Chanel #19, 'cause as everyone knows, it smells like sun, grass and flowers, and that makes it teh bitchiest.

[quote name='Fulltiltredhead' date='Sep 15 2008, 01:10 PM' post='404068'
And of course Chanel #19, 'cause as everyone knows, it smells like sun, grass and flowers, and that makes it teh bitchiest.
[/quote]

Sing it, my Chanel sistah!

Wonderful posts, self-defining style. There's something very dramatic about having a perfume style and, by extension, about reading about having a perfume style!