Her Q’s: non-fussy Perfumes

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Dear StyleBlueprint:

I have always stayed far away from perfumes, but lately I’ve found myself on a quest to find the perfect one.  For me this means one that is not too flowery and, simply stated, not too “perfume-y”.  I hate that overwhelming perfume smell that follows some women around, but I have noticed that a nice pure scent is actually very appealing.  Could you help me find a starting point as my trip to a department store left me empty handed.

Thanks!

Joy, Nashville

Joy,

Perfumes are hard.  They are harder to write about as perfumes are all about smell and that scent changes with each person who wears it! Usually, the display that the company uses to attract customers predicts what the scent is meant to invoke when worn.  Fussy bottles = fussy scents.

Two perfume lines I recently came across attracted me by the clean display used.  These two lines of perfume are available at Nest Interiors: CB I Hate Perfumes and Histoires de Parfums.  Nest sells the lines in partnership with Anne Herron of Note De Tete.  Anne is highly trained in the world of perfumes and Nashville is lucky to have her.  She teach classes on perfumes and even is hired by people who are intrigued by the idea of perfume, but need help finding that one signature scent.  If this is you, and it sounds like it is, it may be worth the investment of hiring Anne to help.

CB I Hate Perfume Bottles

Stephanie, the owner of Nest, is also a former perfume hater.  She convinced me that these two lines would change my mind, as I am not a fan of perfume.  I guess I should say, I WAS not a fan of perfume.  In fact, everyone in this post comes from a place of once not liking the perfume experience, but now is embracing it.

The CB collection, at $80 per bottle, was created from the founder’s early desire to be an artist or a chemist.  He also had a brief stint as a taxi driver and this is when the tagline “I Hate Perfume” popped into his head.  Unable to get away in his cab, he was forced to breath in some terrible perfumes.  This makes me love the concept of the collection since my general dislike of perfumes comes directly from my 3rd grade teacher’s choice of scent and being stuck in the trailer classroom with insufferable heat mixed with the smell of this baking perfume.

The entire CB line is made with the intention of nostalgia.  Each scent is made with smells that you have experienced at one point in your life.  Since smell is the sense that most conjures up memories, simply smelling all the different fragrances in this line is like a trip down memory lane.

My favorite scent from CB is Kitchen as with it you really do smell like you’ve been cooking….with fresh herbs and a bit of smoke.  It just makes me feel happy.  With this is a line, I can see owning several scents (I mean you don’t always want to smell like a fresh kitchen, right?  But a day at the beach with Beach 1966 may be perfect for summer, but not quite right for winter.) Check out the description for Kitchen:

CB in the Summer Kitchen

The next line is straight from France: Histories de Parfums.

Beautiful display for the Histoires de Parfums collection

The display looks like a sleek bar…think Patterson House…..but all the varied hues of liquid are perfumes (at a 15% concentrate) not liquor.

Histoires de Parfums.

Check out the labels that run down the other side of the bottle, so not to confuse you in your mad dash out the door:

Color Coded Perfume Bottles

At $185 each, these are obviously a bit more than many perfumes.  However, the attention to detail in the aesthetics and the scent makes you understand why.  Plus, the bottle will last you a very long time: 2-3 years with daily use! With a 15% concentrate, touch-ups throughout the days are eliminated and one spray is all you need.

The most popular scent in this line, and Stephanie’s personal favorite as well (and her former perfume hating husband loves it too!) is 1969.  Stop by to smell this scent and see why.

Nest Interiors, located in the Edgehill Village Shoppes, is one of my very favorite stores in Nashville.  It’s small and intimate and captures a sense of joy, humor and sophistication.   Be sure to check out the McGowan and McClain jewelry line, the lighting, artwork and furniture when you are there.

Good Luck with the quest and let us know if you find your perfect scent!

-Liza

Each Thursday we answer one question from a reader for both StyleBlueprint and the Her Q’s blog found at HerNashville.com. We also answer two questions each Tuesday just on the Her Q’s blog.  Please send us your questions at: [email protected]