[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/finding-a-scent-that-suits-you\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/finding-a-scent-that-suits-you\/","headline":"Finding a Scent that Suits You","name":"Finding a Scent that Suits You","description":"Finding a Scent that Suits YouWe chatted with renowned fragrance expert Robert Gerstner about finding your signature scent, just in time for your wedding day....","datePublished":"2012-06-13","dateModified":"2021-07-08","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/#Person","name":"Equally Wed","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/author\/admin\/","identifier":787,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/ca62cf123aaaf135c80b055249bacbda79de9226e11cdfcde6529bedf89683de?s=96&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Equally Wed","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","url":"http:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/equally-wed-lgbtq-weddings-logo.jpg","width":218,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/signature-scent-aedes-de-venustras-3.jpg","url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/signature-scent-aedes-de-venustras-3.jpg","height":359,"width":478},"url":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/finding-a-scent-that-suits-you\/","about":["Beauty & Grooming"],"wordCount":1217,"articleBody":"Finding a Scent that Suits YouWe chatted with renowned fragrance expert Robert Gerstner about finding your signature scent, just in time for your wedding day. By Brittny DryeSenses are immediately hit with a delicious potpourri of sandalwood, jasmine and patchouli notes upon walking into Aedes de Venustas, a charming parfumerie-slash-jewel box nestled on Christopher Street just a few doors down from the iconic Stonewall Inn in New York City. Tiny vials of artisanal fragrances line the walls, gift-wrapped in velvet and vintage glass. Cult favorites such as Comme des Gar\u00e7ons, Diptyque and Alexa Rodulfo are tucked away in curiosity cabinets, while dim lighting from an oversize chandelier glints off of the glass.Robert Gerstner and his partner Carl Bradl have owned the boutique for 17 years and their reputation has led them to become the States\u2019 darlings of the perfume industry. Any outside brand that has the desire to launch in the U.S. seeks their stamp of approval, which has an extremely high value on where a fragrance opens in the market. \u201cWe\u2019re very critical of what we decide to bring on,\u201d says Gerstner, who has curated artful alchemy from master perfume houses spanning centuries. (A citrus-based perfume-turned-cologne made for Catherine de Medici when she married Henry II is still hand-formulated in Florence and rests on their shelves.)And every scent has a story. Notable parfumeur Arquiste\u2019s Fleur de Louis was inspired by the historical 17th-century peace meeting between the French and Spanish royal courts, converging at a pavilion on the countries\u2019 border built from freshly cut pine and cedar wood. From the French side, the aroma of rose and jasmine wafted in the breeze. \u201cThis would be a great white floral wedding scent!\u201d exclaims Gerstner. As I breathe deep, I recognize the floral with a barely there woody note. According to Gerstner, classic brides repeatedly reach for Carnal Flower by Dominique Ropion, which ended up being my favorite fragrance. \u201cIt\u2019s one of his purest and richest concentrations,\u201d he explains. \u201cNearly 200,000 flowers, hand-picked at a particular time of the day, makes just one liter.\u201d The seductive scent is nothing short of heavenly, and the image of a beautiful bride walking down a gardenia-flanked aisle toward her soon-to-be-wife instantly flashes into my mind.His clear passion for perfume is as strong as the pepper note in Odin\u2019s Tanoke Eau de Parfum. \u201cIt takes 20 seconds when we first see someone to decide whether we like this person or not. But it takes us only 15 seconds for our nose and our brain to instantly make a decision,\u201d he says exuberantly. \u201cThere\u2019s a saying in both German and French if you don\u2019t like someone you literally say, \u2018I can\u2019t smell them.\u2019\u201d5 Steps to Finding Your Signature Scent: Know the location and the season you will be getting married. \u201cWeather does make a difference. If it\u2019s cold and dry in the winter your body chemistry is different, as opposed to the hot, humid summer,\u201d says Gerstner.Have an idea of what you gravitate toward. Typical families to choose from are floral, citrusy, green, spicy (traditionally called \u201cmasculine\u201d) or clean\/fresh. Smell up to eight fragrances on cardboard or paper sticks. \u201cAfter that our noses are overloaded and we can\u2019t really distinguish anymore,\u201d explains Gerstner.If you are drawn to any of the eight, spritz it on your skin, which, according to Gerstner, is crucial. \u201cYou have to smell it with your body chemistry. It can be completely different than what you smell on the paper.\u201d Skin types make a difference, as well. \u201cTake jasmine for example.  Someone with very fair skin and someone with very dark skin\u2014two completely different outcomes because of the thickness of the skin,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I wouldn\u2019t necessarily show someone with very fair skin a spicy scent.\u201dBecause fragrances are built in a pyramid shape, the smell you spritz on isn\u2019t the one that is going to last. \u201cFirst you have your top notes, those are the first things you smell and, after about 15 minutes, they tone down. Then the heart notes come up. They are usually around for an hour or so. And then the bottom notes come up and, depending on the concentration, that is the smell that should be around for the remainder of the day,\u201d Gerstner explains. Before purchasing a fragrance, spend the day running errands after spritzing a sample and take a whiff every so often to see how it has resonated with your body. \u201cPeople can really find out what works for them and they come back and say they either need another round or, \u2018This is the one.\u2019\u201dThe art of perfume is a dying breed, with every designer and celebrity having a namesake scent filled with synthetic materials. \u201cThere are only a few mass market brands out there that have legitimacy. One is Chanel, clearly, the other is Herm\u00e8s \u2026 yeah, that\u2019s basically it,\u201d he scoffs.\u201cEverything else is just licensing products and making money. Sure, Obsession by Calvin Klein was a huge success, but it has nothing to do with this,\u201d he notes, pointing to one of the many rare European brands concocted through Old World ways.Smell is deeply linked with memory, and so it makes sense to wear a fragrance that speaks to you on a personal level and finding that signature scent is a journey, whether it\u2019s for something as fleeting as the summer season or as important as your wedding day. \u201cIt\u2019s extremely personal and intimate. We want to take the time. For some people this could be the scent they wear for the next ten years.\u201dWanting to bring that personal interaction with those outside of the city limits, they invented a sample service twelve years ago during which they help a customer narrow down to seven or eight fragrances and then send samples of each at no charge (the customer only has to pay $15 for shipping and handling). \u201cIt\u2019s crucial that they try it out on their skin, so this way, they can basically do the same process at-home that we do in the store.\u201d\u201cEvery fragrance is so unique in character, in signature. It\u2019s all about your taste, what you like and your personality.\u201d\u00a0As the queen of fragrance Coco Chanel once eloquently stated, \u201cA woman should wear perfume wherever she wants to be kissed.\u201d Considering a bottle of her iconic scent, Chanel No. 5, sells every 90 seconds, even after nearly a hundred years on the market, we\u2019re going to take her word for it.\u201cFragrance rises from the bottom to the top,\u201d says Gerstner. \u201cStart where the pulse points are: your ankle, knee, pubic area, wrists, inner elbow and behind your ears.\u201dHair is also a favorite spot for fragrance. \u201cSome people like it, some think it dries their hair out but hair does hold scent very well.\u201dUse only a single spritz or dab in each spot.Ideally apply a half hour before you leave the house to allow it to linger so it doesn\u2019t overpower. \u201cThe last accessory you put on is fragrance. People spend a lot of time in the morning, whether it\u2019s on their hair, makeup, outfit\u2014the last piece should really complete the picture.\u201d "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Finding a Scent that Suits You","item":"https:\/\/equallywed.com\/finding-a-scent-that-suits-you\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]