Signature Scent - What It Means To Me

Scent, to me, means a lot.

I have a thing about it.

I work with it.

I love it.

I think about it all the time.

It can completely alter my mood - and not just in the scientific neurotransmitter kind of way, the way in which aromatherapy works - but in the deeply personal way of association and the purpose of the scent. What it means and when. The memory it holds. The ritual it is matched with.

The Unseen Identity:

Scent in general has a profound effect. It has a profound effect on everyone because of the biological need for scent as a primal sense for looking after ourselves. But really truly it changes for each person. You can go through life not really consciously noticing smells or you could experience the opposite - feeling noticeably stimulated by it.

I was walking with a friend the other day and chatting about how our laundry can absorb the smell of cooking when drying and how annoying it can be. I shared that it bothers me to the point where I won’t want to wear the clothes and it has always bothered me since I was a kid. I can be dramatic enough to say - it’s downright unacceptable and will ruin my mood and confidence if my clothes smell remotely of food (or damp). For example, one of my concrete policies I’ve adapted to is: “If I smell good, the one place you wouldn’t catch me walking into is a Pret-a-Manger. The way that place attaches to your clothes, your hair, the lot. It’s a no.” I’m pretty passionate about it.

I saw a meme the other day which said ‘does anyone else think a lot about what a person smells when they enter your house?’ and I thought YES! Me.

I’m also the kind of person that if someone leaves an item of clothing behind at my flat, I will immediately smell it because our friends are identifiable by their scent. I can track them out. I'm not a bloodhound - I’m just really keen.

I’m fascinated by the idea that we each have our own unique, distinct scent—our skin, our natural fragrance. This extends beyond the individual; it’s the scent of our family home, the way our family members collectively smell—it’s almost tribal. Then there’s your partner, who has their own unique scent. So I often wonder... what happens when those scents merge as you live together? And even more fascinating—what new scent does their combined biology create if they have children?

The thought spirals even further when I realise we’ll never truly know what we smell like to others. We can’t fully perceive our own scent the way others do. It’s our mysterious, identifiable, natural signature—one that, apparently, can be tracked just by sniffing a jumper! If I’ve lost you, stay with me.

The power of a signature scent:

I love the concept of a signature scent. A smell that represents or reminds you of someone, somewhere, something.

In researching more about what people consider to be a signature scent, these themes came up: Signature scent is recognisable, a fragrance that truly defines you, immediate association, your match, representation of your personality.

I think a signature scent can also apply to a place, a memory, a feeling, a mood, the association can attach itself to truly anything - giving it a personality of its own. Ultimately, a signature scent is transformative - for the experience. For a space. For yourself. For your mood. For your wellbeing.

We can also choose our signature scent. Paired with our very own natural signature, we can choose our fragrance with perfume. A fragrance you’ve chosen, selected, partnered with, whether it’s to reflect your personality, or match with how you represent yourself, it becomes a part of your calling card in some way. It’s also usually the first way that someone receives you. Smell ya before I see ya kind of mentality.

I love being able to recognise someone’s scent. I get told often that friends think I’m in the supermarket with them, or that I’m nearby, just because they can smell my fragrance. My scent is paired with me and recognisable without even seeing me. I love that!!!!! Even the hand cream my sister uses means that the combination of vanilla and mandarin orange instantly reminds me of her. It’s a beautiful scent and it also brings that feeling of my sister’s energy & personality with it.

Signature scents as ritual & association:

Your routine or rituals can have a signature scent.

I subconsciously and intentionally create a signature scent for everything.

When I’m working, I choose a specific oil in my diffuser—not just for the oil’s ability to help with focus and concentration, but because my brain now associates that scent with engaging in work.

In my treatment studio, I use the same incense for every session. That way, when a client steps through the door, they are reminded - this is a place to relax. It’s okay. It’s safe.

At home, I use a different incense so that there is a degree of separation.

I have a signature scent for my showers. A shower gel I use to feel energised, switched on and in the game. I then have one for unwinding, washing away the day, resetting back to me.

I have the same for my nightly ritual. I developed an aromatherapy spray - slumber - which is used as part of a nightly ritual to get to sleep. A somewhat bed time fragrance. A signature scent for your sleep. The association with the cosiness and relaxation I get from spraying the blend is like none other. A scent that has such power but the real magic is that it’s portable. So whether I am at home, travelling or in a different space, I can always have the comfort of the scent of home to help me relax into restful sleep.

The power of scent is tremendous.

I love working with essential oils and aromatherapy, but I also apply this ideology to my choice in perfumes.

• I have my signature fragrance – my most recognisable as me—a combination of two perfumes I’ve worn for the last seven years.

• I have a perfume for the gym – motivational. Clean. Together.

• I wear a softer scent when spending time with my young nephew – gentle enough not to overwhelm his senses but still feels like me.

• I have a perfume that reminds me of my mum. She also wears the same and it’s the truest scent that smells closest to her natural skin. I wear it on wobbly days so that I can feel her presence with me for comfort.

• I have the perfume I wore as a teenager for whenever I want to channel some kickback sass and nostalgia.

It’s my scent structure. I give it this much thought because it has a profound effect on my psyche. It makes a difference.

When I started writing about signature scent, it really led me to believing that a lot of this is truly about routine, ritual and memory association. Our sense of smell affects our emotions, mood, and memory profoundly because of the close connection between the olfactory system and limbic system in the brain. The olfactory system detects and processes scent, while the limbic system—our emotional center—governs memory, mood, and behaviour. This is why a familiar scent can instantly trigger a memory or shift your emotions and mood. This is why it is so important to consider the scents we surround ourselves with.

Perhaps these words have sparked your senses to muse about the scents around you.

I would love to know if you have a signature scent for something in your life, whether it was for a particular event, or maybe training for a marathon, maybe it was a scent to get you through a difficult time, or if is there a perfume that is engrained in your memory, perhaps you use the same candle when you switch off in the evening to relax - share it with me if you feel a calling to. I’d really love to know.

Here I go now to light my incense, my scent of choice to drift away to my safe space…