Good morning, Monday. It's hot in the city and the work week has begun. Was a lovely weekend with new and old friends enjoying each other's company and such. Lovely.
So many of you know i'm scent obsessed. With my sense of smell being superhero-like, I've always been drawn to scent in a fanatical way. If I don't like the way something or someone smells, I'm not going near it, or them. Scent is such a powerful emotion.
When I discovered a friend wearing Le Labo's Santal 33, I had the opposite reaction. It's a scent that is woody, watery, and musky all at once with an overall clean finish. It's not like many other scents, but there's an almost leather-like familiarity that hits you in the face with an almost embarrassing assault of love. It's delicious. I'm sure many of you are familiar with it, but for those who aren't- woah. It's powerful. They even mix it right there for you at the store or beauty counter where you buy it, and each bottle comes complete with your name on it so although it's more mass than custom, it's very much all yours.
So when my friend sauntered in to lunch wearing it one day this past winter, I had to ask her what it was. After a bit of research, I quickly found that this scent has a cult following, and I can see why. Because once I bought it, the oddest things began to happen.
The first time I wore it an Uber driver said, "don't leave", because, and these were his words, "that perfume is breaking my heart".
Another time I wore it and a woman who was complete stranger literally grabbed my arm on the street and asked me what I had on. She basically scared the crap out of me but I know what a good smell can do to some. Including me...
Last week I wore it and was sitting at a long conference table when everyone in the meeting with me started sniffing the air and inhaling deeply, in love with the scent. I was worried I was overperfumed, but apparently they couldn't get enough.
Then this morning in Starbucks in my neighborhood, a man in gym clothes blocked my way and asked me what scent I was wearing, because it was "unbelievably amazing", which led to a 15 minute pontification on his favorite flavor of candles (bergamot). Ok, then. Can I just get my skinny vanilla latte now?
So what's my point with all of this? The fact that scent is a provocative, beautiful endeavor. And that some scents smell better than others. And that Le Labo Santal 33 inspires perfect strangers to give you a compliment. So if you want to break hearts, be grabbed by strangers, admired my coworkers, and receive a compliment before you've even had coffee, buy it. I'm aware it smells kind of different on everyone, but that's part of the fun. I didn't love it on myself at first, but I've come around, and apparently, so has everybody else. It makes you seriously attractive to members of both sexes and inspires them to tell you as much. If you're single, I'd say skip the gym, the gluten free diet, and the expensive lipstick. Just get this scent and you will pretty much become a modern day Helen of Troy. Oh, and boys can wear it too. It's sexy for both X and Y chromosomes.
Cause that's what's up this aromatic Monday in the 212. Yours, in good scents. XO
Link to buy here. Consider yourself warned. It's quite the conversation starter, and who knows what else.