Smell Sexy & Beautiful

Just dabbing a bit of perfume on before bed...what? Of course I wear my fur to bed, silly!

This is a tough category, as we all have our own ways to feel sexy and beautiful, and the scent we choose is no exception to that individuality. I do think there are seasonal sexy scents, some work better in warmer weather, some in cooler weather, and there are different kinds of sexy. Fall is coming though, with soft cozy sweaters and wind whispering through the leaves as they fall to the ground. This puts me in mind of warmer skin scents, the kind you like to wear to cuddle up. These are a few I really enjoy wearing. They make me feel beautiful and cooler weather is perfect snuggling weather.

Etro Heliotrope Heliotrope is a neat perfume note,  simple and soft, from the flower of the same name. It is said that the flower smells like cherry pie, and there is also an almond note. So you can imagine it drifts off into gentle marzipan territory, and even a bit of Play-Doh. My daughters love this one, and my younger one Brigit perks up her ears if I say “oh this perfume has that Play Doh note” as she loves.  Etro Heliotrope is full of many notes like  orange blossom, almond, jasmine, heliotrope, rose, tonka bean, musk, and vanilla, but the heliotrope is the star here. This perfume is soft & wears very close to the skin. Longevity is so-so but that is to be expected from a soft perfume. This perfume is comforting, cozy, and pretty but also unusual and unexpected- always a compliment getter. I wrote about Etro Heliotrope here.

Chanel Bois des Iles What can I say about Bois des Iles that I didn’t say here? This is a gorgeous stunning perfume that is always right. The sandalwood & jasmine combined with the sparkling aldehydes make Bois des Iles perfect, especially in cooler weather. Wear this perfume and watch them melt in your wake. Perfection. Since it’s re-release as part of the Chanel Exclusif collection it was only available as an edt in 200ml bottles aka jugs. I am happy to report it can be had in 75ml bottles now. They show up on Chanel’s website, but you will have to check your local Chanel boutiques for further shopping info.

Guerlain Mistouko Mitsouko was created in 1919 so lets get right to the reformulated versions that are available to the average human today. Yes, you could scour the interwebs for vintage Mitsouko, it is divine etc etc. However, I own the current version in eau de parfum concentration and find it absolutely beautiful. It is a fruity chypre, with peach being the dominant fruit with a drydown to a divinely rich & complex base grounded by oakmoss. It is the Guerlain magic that happens in the middle that is so hypnotic & gorgeous. It also features bergamot, jasmine, may rose, cinnamon, vetiver, and woods and they are woven together so seamlessly it is a challenge to pick them out. The warm vanillic Guerlinade makes this perfume perfect for cool days. It is so different from what you smell on the market these days, and never fails to elicit an “Oh my gosh, what is that gorgeous perfume?” when I give someone a hug.

Ungaro Diva Ok so this perfume is a diva for sure, but it really is the way you wear it. Spray Ungaro Diva from head to toe? God, no. A few subtle spritzes on pulse points or a gentle mist before getting dressed? Drop dead sexy. This is an 80s chypre that makes no apologies for being all woman, and for roaring it from the rooftops. Yet I find in the eau de toilette formula (the lightest) and worn lightly, Diva becomes as soft as suede and melts into the skin beautifully. It is a veritable kitchen sink list of notes so I won’t even get into them all, but you can read them here. The ones that stand out to me as sexy, cozy and gorgeous though, and I just love them.  The multiple citrus notes on the top soften the multiple floral notes before softening to a gorgeous base of oakmoss, honeyed sandalwood and vanilla. It even tends to a slightly soapy feel, but not detergent soapy, more like expensive French soap soapy. Diva is not for the timid, but you can keep her voice to a whisper if you like.

Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir I've written about Pomegranate Noir here. I love it, and it is a classic beauty for cooler weather. There are fruity top notes of pomegranate and raspberry, but it is the woody, spicy and resin-y base that makes this one sing. It smells rich, and I have even had people tell me it smells “expensive”. There is something oddly compelling about this one, and in case you think fruity means for kids, it’s not. As far as Jo Malone goes, this is one of the “stronger” perfumes. The patchouli note grounds this and makes it a Grown Up Perfume. A great evening perfume.

Houbigant Quelques Fleurs Quelques Fleurs is a floral perfume, as the name suggests, and I like to think of it as velvety. It is rich and creamy, and another one with an endless list of notes. This one was also launched at the beginning of the 20th century so it is a given that the notes have changed from then. I wear and love the currently available version. The flowers come off as so soft and feminine yet manage to be rich thanks to being propped up by a base full of woods, tonka, amber and musks. It is the amber and musk that really define this one for me. Amber to me is soft, warm and powdery, and always perfect for cooler weather. The musk they use is sweet sexy and quiet, so while neither of these notes jump out, their sweetness blend perfectly with the flowers. If you love gentle sweet florals with a grown up twist, Quelques Fleurs is a must try. It is another one that smells expensive- this perfume always makes me feel polished and womanly. The sweet and sexy in this are a dichotomy but somehow work. Pop culture connection- Quelques Fleurs is one of Nicole Ritchie's signature scents. I love her boho style and find it kind of neat that she wears such a womanly grown up scent.

Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie Another floral scent, Fleurs de Bulgarie is another one that I prefer in cooler weather. It is really all about rose, but not a powdery simple rose. Nor is it the dark rose scent that is ubiquitous these days, with the Stellas & Juliette Has A Gun types. Nor is the sexy rose chypre like Diva or L’Arte di Gucci.  It is chock full of one of Creed’s beloved ingredients, ambergris, along with amber and musks, and these ingredients really set it apart. It is an odd one, and perhaps a love it or hate it perfume. I was discussing with some perfumistas yesterday how I actually hated Fleurs de Bulgarie on first sniff and couldn’t stash that sample fast enough. But the ambergris stayed with me, and when I finally tried it again, it nearly set my mouth watering. Soapy, yet not clean, and quite sexy in my opinion.

What are YOUR favourite sexy perfumes, or sexy perfume notes?