Everything Is Easier If You Smell Good
Thoughts on the incredible power of personal fragrance and some suggestions too.
There are a myriad of ways in which people claim you can "feel better instantly". I've always found the best methods, that is the ones that actually work, are free. They all entail going outside and usually moving your body once you're out there. Very rarely does paying to feel better have a sustained effect. There is however one product that I'll put up right up there with the positive power of nature to boost our mood and that's because it's inspired by, and occasionally entirely from, nature. I'm talking about fragrance, specifically personal fragrance.
Room sprays, diffusers, and candles have a similar power, but body fragrances, whether sprayed or rolled on, reign supreme in the ability to instantly enact a positive shift in one's mindset. I attribute this almost entirely to a scent's ability to mentally transport us. It may be a specific moment in the past, a general feeling or a place we've never been, but somehow feel like we know. There is of course an element of "feeling fancy" when wearing a body fragrance, especially if it's from a coveted luxury brand, but I hardly think that should be a key part of the mood boosting equation. Ideally what you spent on something never should be. Besides, when it comes to fragrance, it’s all about our incredible sense of smell and tapping into it with a blend of notes that sets the theater of the mind whirring into action.
I've owned a lot of personal fragrances in my life, certainly more than is necessary by any stretch of the imagination. Even applied liberally a typical 50ml bottle can last a solid amount of time, around 125 days on average from what I could find online. I imagine it's longer than that too given that if it's a quality fragrance a little will go a long way. I can't think of another non-essential product that dollar-for-dollar has more positive mental benefit. My first fragrance was a classic, Burberry Brit, For Men. I place emphasis on “For Men” because when it was gifted to me by a girlfriend, for my 18th birthday no less, I absolutely took the wearing of cologne as a sign of being a worldly, respectable, grown-ass-man.
Sitting here on the precipice of being a father for the first time I get a real kick out of that completely naive and unwarranted adolescent self-confidence. But hey, that's the power of fragrance right there. Spray on some Burberry Brit, hop in the car, cue up "Golden Brown" by The Stranglers and all the sudden you're a bad-ass character in a Guy Ritchie film.
It's worth noting that apparently they changed the formula somewhere along the way and it's now "For Him" not "For Men", do with that information what you will. If you wish to give it a shot, there's deadstock product out there on eBay and elsewhere. The old plaid bottle and packaging are for sure superior to the new(er) look in my elder millennial opinion, a reminder that Burberry, like most British brands, is best when being classically fucking British and ignoring trends.
As fragrance is deeply personal I can't promise you'll love Burberry Brit, even if you do track down the O.G. formula. I can't promise you'll love any of the following recommendations either, but I'm keen to share them nonetheless. Should you not like a particular scent I'd still encourage you to browse the offerings from each brand because they are the ones I've come to trust and always have something from in my rotation. Yes, I'm a fragrance rotation guy. I don't have a signature scent, even within a particular season. It's all mood based and I'd encourage you to give this method a shot. Like clothes, wear what you want to, when you want to. Dour grey winter day? Spray something bright and citrusy and take a mental vacation to a beach far away. You'll be pleasantly surprised what applying different fragrances at different times of day will do for your energy and focus.
Once you figure out what works day to day you can then start playing around with layering fragrances, but I'll remind you again that a little goes a long way. You don't want to be the person getting sideways looks while people wonder what you bathed in. For those of you in a relationship, it's also wise to always consult your significant other before experimenting with new fragrance. Better yet, make it something you do together. What notes of a fragrance someone prefers and dislikes is among the most intimate things you can know about a person. It'll make future gift giving a whole lot easier too. Always a bonus.
Current Rotation:
Aqua di Parma “Cedro di Taormina” (discontinued, but out there)
Ranger Station “1992” (currently sold out)
Ranger Station “Leather & Pine”
Jo Malone “Wood Sage & Sea Salt”