what's your signature scent?

I'm sad to think about the money I've spent on perfumes in my entire lifetime because it's probably as much as a two-week long Mediterranean cruise. Why the insanity? Because I'd smell something on a friend, fall in love with the scent, and go buy my very own bottle. Now, most of them are gathering dust on my shelves, because they never quite meshed well with my skin.

However, there are a select few (The Chosen Ones) that I keep going back to again and again. Year after year, season after season. They seem to never make me headache-y or nauseous, and I've come to associate them with smelling pretty, not perfumey. First on the list: Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey. I first fell in love with this when I was 16 and on a duty-free shop in JFK airport. I begged my mom to buy it for me because it smelled grown up but not old ladyish. I still wear it to this day. Another one that's always in my rotation is Ralph Lauren Romance. An oldie, yes, but a GOODIE. I got this for Christmas when I was around 15 and I'm on my fourth bottle (not bad, considering I rarely repurchase perfume, let alone finish an entire bottle!). Something about it makes me feel calm, at ease, and yes, a little romantic. I also love how it's appropriate for day or night, whether I'm at work or out to a fancy dinner.

If there's one thing I've learned about perfumes, it's that what works for one might not work for all. For example, a friend wears Burberry Brit SO well, but for me? I always manage to smell cheap and cloying when I spray it on. Such a shame, since it's a classic...