I’m no hoarder of perfumes — but that isn’t to say that I’ve no interest in selecting fragrances that are tailor-made for different occasions. I believe that fragrances lean into a mood, and enhance your aesthetic. Nothing can wrap around your body like a scent-dipped elixir, and pack into each nook, corner, and crevice of your skin seductively. And there’s something so artistic about handpicking one according to the occasion — a warm, woody scent for a movie date; a floral, sensual one for a candle-light dinner; or a colourful, vibrant one for a night-out.
Whenever a fragrance ricochets off your body, it must nod to the overall mood of the event. And that’s why I’m rounding up every scent I’ve ever worn to a date. No TMI but this pretty much captures everything — from the mood of the date to why I approve each scent, here are five different perfume bios you must swipe right on.
I’m Spilling The Tea On My Dates, Don’t Miss Out
A Stay-In Kind Of Date
- Description: This mist is floral, and leans into notes of Sage, Velvet Musk, and White Peony. It’s warm, soulful, and memorable. If you’re looking for something travel-size, Victoria’s Secret manufactures a mini-sized version as well.
- Mood: This one was a stay-in date — we decided to watch Shutter Island on Netflix, and call for steamy-hot food from my go-to place. It was warm and cosy and married well with the stormy, rain-bound month of June.
- Why I Approve: It’s long-lasting, bold, and hugs your body like a second layer of skin.
- Save/Splurge: Since this is Victoria’s Secret, it’s a splurge — but quite a long-lasting one. I’d suggest saving up for this one because it is pretty worthy of a spot in your closet.
A Catch-Up-With-Bestie Date
- Description: This scent starts off with notes of raspberry — and as it diffuses into the air, it progresses into sense-tingling scents of Sakura (cherry blossoms) and leather before plunging into notes of musk, patchouli, and amber olfactive. It’s not too loud a scent — but enough for someone to sense that it’s there.
- Mood: My Bangalore-hailing best friend had come to Bombay after over two years of the pandemic, and insisted on dining at a well-known Japanese restaurant in the city – what better than hints of Sakura!
- Why I Approve: This perfume is gender-fluid, skin-safe, and sustainable.
- Save/Splurge: This one’s budget-friendly and the brand runs discounts on its website too.
A Night-Out Kinda Date
- Description: A medley of floral-fruity scents, this perfume’s top notes are composed of Raspberry, Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Orange; middle notes are Jasmine, White Flowers and Peach; base notes are Vanilla, Cashmeran, Musk, Cedar and Patchouli.
- Mood: If you’re taking me dancing, you’re taking her dancing too. This is what I’ve worn to every club date ever because it stays on for hours — I don’t even have to carry it around for re-spritzing. While this one is an assortment of a lot of scents, I’ve been told vanilla stands out the most.
- Why I Approve: I’ve been using this perfume since 2019, and I haven’t run out of it yet — just a few spritzes and the scent stays on for hours.
- Save/Splurge: This one’s somewhere in the middle.
A ‘By The Sea’ Date
- Description: This one is composed of citrus, green, sandal, and musky notes, and is irresistibly feminine.
- Mood: We stopped by at an open-roof eatery in Bandra that overlooks the sea — the wind is salty, and you can hear the waves crashing onto the shore. This citrusy-floral scent adds a punch to the air and blends in seamlessly with the surroundings.
- Why I Approve: The bottle it is delivered to you in is sleek and thin, and it can slip into your purse easily.
- Save/Splurge: This option’s an absolute save.
A Movie Date
- Description: This heart-shaped bottle holds an elixir that teases you with the scent of Flowers and Berries — before, slowly, nestling into your skin, and dissipating into subtler scents of Bergamot, Amber, and Rose.
- Mood: We’d gone to the theater to watch a movie. The night was all about popcorn and pullover-borrowing — and nothing captured the mood better than this flower-scented bottle.
- Why I Approve: It’s the packaging that had my heart initially…but it’s the cruelty-free aspect that finalised it for me.
- Save/Splurge: This one’s a definite save.
And all things said and done, I’m still hunting for a women’s perfume that stays on for as long as a men’s one does — with no success whatsoever. But the hunt shall go on!
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