The Right Way to Choose Your Signature Scent 

Definitely would be more interested in all kinds of principles, theory etc. guiding towards deeper understanding of frgrances, instead of just top-10 lists. Everyone else is already doing that, and they teach us nothing about how fragrances work, how we can make the best of them for different purposes and how to find scents that fit ourselves specifically. It's always really interesting to listen to someone who has their professional background in perfumery. Thanks for your videos!

These convos are exactly what is missing from the fragrance community! Please make more of these guidelines conversations

I like how you didn’t edit out that pause at 4:50. Comes across more natural and relatable

Okay, so a simple hack for anyone with more than 2 fragrances. As background, I have around 150-200 now, collected over many years and most go months without use however, all get smelt. 1) Put on the clothes for the day or look at a photo of yourself previously looking/styled the way you will on the day. 2) Take out a few or as many bottles of fragrances that you want to test. 3) Smell the top of the bottle/atomiser and inside the bottle top simultaneously whilst looking at yourself in the mirror and imagining yourself in the location you will be. 4) spray on what YOU think works best with your attire and enjoy. This will change the game. These general rule videos are amazing and will help you not make serious mistakes. Nobody wants to smell Eros at a funeral right? However, if you know how you want to present yourself, this method will make it easy. Example: I am off to Mykonos for a family holiday right now. I have chosen Creed Vetiver for the day and Guerlain L'Homme Ideal for the night based on how I am likely to dress and the place I am going at the time of year. Now who's going to be able to recommend those for me, my age, dress style, location and the people around me. Only me. Do what suits YOU and make this your art. Scent creation is a science however this part is not.

Hi Ashley, I just discovered your channel. You're highlighting a very important topic, (I hope you record more videos about this) and this is why I'm writing this comment, although I never comment on frag videos. The frag community is filled with "Top-10" and "perfect collection" type of videos, which encourage mindless consumption of more and more fragrances, but if everyone buys Sauvage then it's no longer your unique scent; and if you have a collection of 20-30 perfumes, then you no longer have a scent that is unique to "you" that people will remember you by. Up until my mid-30s I was a staunch believer in a "One-scent" approach: 1) it has to be unmistakably unique (like you can't mistake Fahrenheit or Egoiste for anything else), 2) it has to be versatile (working on any occasion), 3) it has to be very "me" (very masculine, loud, naughty, bold & unapologetically forward), 4) it has to be wearable for many years, 5) it has to be long lasting and projecting throughout the day (e.g. Jimmy Choo can never be a signature scent), 6) it has to be very memorable (otherwise it's no longer a signature). So, as a teenager in 1990s I had Fahrenheit (yeah, a very mature scent, especially 90s formula), in university I was rocking Acqua Di Gio when it just came out (and it was a big hit with the birds) and Channel Egoiste, then I switched to Bulgari Aqua (bad idea), Allure Homme Sport, then Sauvage (when it first came out it was very unique, nobody knew about it, and it ticked all my boxes). I also had a Bleu de Channel, but never liked the way they use the musk, and as soon as it became so popular, I had to step away from it. My "one-scent" approach changed when I encountered La Nuit De l'Homme and Creed Aventus (both, so gorgeous), and thus after adding those I started building my little collection of "unique signatureS" based on occasions: Roja Elysium, Zadig&Voltaire "This is him", John Varvatos Dark Rebel, PDM Layton, Encre Noir, Terre d'Hermes, Acqua di Parma Colonia Intensa, and I have finally arrived at what I think is MY ultimate signatures: Xerjoff Alexandria 2 (I might add Fahrenheit Parfum, which started the whole journey 30 years ago, as a secondary signature, just to complete the journey). My conclusion in all this journey is: 1) Don't go chasing "top-10" - you'll end up building a collection of 40+ fragrances that you never use. Just because a fragrance is gorgeous, or interesting, or beautifully done, doesn't necessarily mean that it suits YOU! Instead, focus on which scent profile speaks to you as a person (!) that you can actually wear comfortably. 2) Have ONE ultimate signature and couple of more secondary signatures (all of them unique and memorable). Also have 1 gorgeous unique blue and 1 cheap freshie for the gym (like Versace Pour Homme or D&G Light Blue). You can also add 1 lady-pleaser/date-night fragrance if none of your signatures does it. 3) That's it! 5-7 fragrances and no more - that's how you stay unique. Set yourself a rule: if your shelf gets to 10 fragrances, you need to get rid of 1 in order to validate the purchase of a new fragrance.

Ashley… I appreciate how you encourage your audience to embark on their own unique journey. Your guidance doesn’t tell one what fragrance to wear, but suggests how one might discover their signature scent based on personal preferences. When I want to leave an imprint, I reach for Ganymede or Eau Capitale. Thanks for the tips!

It's poignant when you have a signature scent for a period of your life and then it gets a major overhaul and smells different, or stops being made entirely. On one hand, it's so great to have worn something that was so "of that time" that it no longer even exists today! On the other hand, it's sad to not be able to go back and smell the scent we most strongly associate with a particular era of our lives. I would love more of these types of videos and yes, maybe also a "top 25" list video of perfumes you find Signature Scent Worthy. Signature scents of my past included Joy, Amouage XXV and Cristalle.

This was a great video. Would love to see more like this. I mean I’m a content creator myself but it is great to hear other people’s opinions about how they go about deciding .Really enjoyed this. Great job Ashley

Ashley, I love the topic that you discussed in your video. You delivered magnificently on answering the question "How to Choose Your Signature Scent". This type of content & the way you always explain things separates you from the crowd. BTW, I noticed that you are nearing 10K subscribers. You offer such a unique & professional perspective on fragrances, I know that you will far exceed 10K subscribers.

This was very helpful and insightful, thank you Ashley! I do really like this style of video, but would also love to see your recommendations for a signature scent. Maybe you could do videos like this where you spend the first half giving tips and general guidelines, and then give specific recommendations at the end? I tend to agree with most of your recommendations. You have a very good nose and you’re great at describing scents. Videos like this just show that you are very genuine and unbiased, which I truly appreciate 🙏🏼

Such a helpful guide, Ashley! Thank you! I would love to hear some of your top suggestions for signature fragrances 🥰

Hello Ashley! I stumbled upon your channel when researching how to become a perfumer! I find your insight valuable and I look forward to watching more of your videos/ newly produced content. I have 2 signature scents (roll on oils that have been in my arsenal for 15 years now), Auric Blends Egyptian Goddess and Nehmat White Musk although I do like having a scent wardrobe like you! So glad I found your channel:)

I love your videos because it’s more than just a review!! My signature scent is “Dior Homme Eau for Men”, I had to buy back up bottle due to it was discontinued. Also I love Boss the Scent EDT, it doesn’t last but it got me so many compliments and I still love wearing it.

I’ve legit been looking for videos like this!! Need more of this type of content!!! Thank You!

I recently discovered your channel and I'm impressed by your video's and your approuch to fragrances. I wish I could had this information many years ago. I've been a collector for over 25 years now and from the start I now know, always gravitaded towards the same scentprofile but kept on going buying different scents. Ending up selling them or giving them away. At my peak I had about 50 scents, but brought it back to 12 now. My scentprofile is fougère, woody-fougère and woody scents. My signature scent is Chanel Platinum Égoïste. Actualy I got a few more scents people know me by and I could also considder as signature scents. Mainly not to get noseblind for the Platinum Égoïste I once a while switch between Chanel Pour Monsieur, Montale Greyland and AdG Profumo. The other scents in my now small collection are either for special occassions, cheapies or just because the scent is unique and smells wonderful to me.

This is exactly what I was looking for ! Thank you so much for your help finding it!!

Love your content Ashley!!

Loved this video, Ashley! I would love more guiding principles type videos. It's so fascinating to hear about fragrance from your perspective.

The last time I had a signature scent was back in highschool! DKNY Be Delicious Fresh Blossom was my pick for a grab and go, and while I haven't revisited it since every time I do get a whiff of it it brings me back haha 😂 I'm much more of a fragrance wardrobe person now but I'd still love to get more videos on how to pick a signature scent.

I have a sneaking feeling Ashley one of your main signature scents from time gone past would have been Encre Noire A L'Extreme by Lalique!! And maybe still to this day to. I love this scent. Very sophisticated elegant and classy smelling. Nice performance to. Keep up the great work Ashley and good luck.

My fragrance response is too strong and my will is too weak to stick with one fragrance. A simple whiff of an aroma can evoke vivid, wonderful memories of events from high school or college. The closest thing to my signature scent is classic Aramis but the fragrances I wear next-most frequently are also from the Aramis line: Devin, Aramis 900, and Havana. All the other fragrances in my wardrobe are worn as occasional scents, usually on weekends or other more casual times.

Thanks for the insight ! If I had a couple of signature scents, they would be Amousge - Lyric Man and Houbigant - Fougere Royale. I'm seriouly considering Pikovaya Dama also . . . Thanks for sharing :)

Good video Ashley. I do respect your opinion. You really have gravitas, and I'm not talking about Dan's fragrance, which is very good by the way.

I didn’t intend to have a signature scent, but it ended up being Raghba. It’s the association people have of me. I wear other perfumes, but it’s a bit different than the usual for most people I’m around, and it might be a bit stronger. It’s a grab and go, for all day. That helps it be more recognizable as well. Funny, it’s the cheapest perfume I’ve ever bought, but also my most complimented. I sometimes wear it with Intense Cafe or another spicy rose scent. I think its not as nice as it once was, but it’s still a go to after 3 bottles of the stuff.

I’ve been wearing a lot of iris fragrances lately. Probably closest thing I have to one signature scent lol but good ideas. I’d like more of your tips. The top n best list are ok but honestly it doesn’t take long watching reviewers that unless they have some kind of Shtick so to speak I rarely watch those videos all the way though. Your top list are great because only 5 usually so it doesn’t get boring and you usually offer different ideas than most reviewers.

Hi Ashley! I would love to know your spray routine, I hope you will make a video about it 🤗

Hey Ashley, Another great topic and presentation to kick off a discussion. For years I wore Chanel Egoiste Platinum and still love it. Now Im wearing Acqua di Parma. Yes I'm old. I am also am obsessed with the notes of hawthorne, orris, musk, and Amalfi lemon......any suggestions?

I am just starting to learn about perfumes. My signature scent, my fallback, is kinda controversial but it works so well for me. It is molecule no. 1. I know it is simple and that if I knew where to get the materials I could make it for way cheaper so I will look into that.

Great guidance, great video!

I would love to see a video on how to choose a seasonal scent.

You're strong. I wish you happiness. Thanks for your videos.

I have a larger frag collection now but back in my HS & college days my signature scent was CK1

Great info video and I enjoyed it and have a blessed day

Love your way of explaining these things.. thank you. 🥰 but I'm also curious which fragrances you would suggest.

A long time ago my signature scent was Chanel Antaeus. I didn't have a lot of money but knew i loved that cologne. I also wanted to be different than all the other guys wearing Polo. Bummed that they reformulated Antaeus. It just doesn't smell like it used to. As of late i have plunged down the rabbit hole into all the other scents out there.

Your skin looks amazing - which products do you use or recommend? Thank you!

Please would you let us know of some niche or indie, soft, smooth, minimalist masterpieces for men? Love this more professional approach to this channel. Subbed

Great topic Ashley, and well put! It shows that you are passionate about fragrance.

Great clip, When i first strated with fragrances I used Prada L'homme daily to the office. These days I try and use a different fragrance each day, however having watched this clip I might start going for a single office fragrance for 3 months or so (seasonal) I wore PdM Leyton today and liked it. Keep up the good work. PS, if you can do a piece on Marc-Antoine Barrois Ganymede, B683 and B683 Extrait, that would be wonderful.

Drakkar noir was my signature scent in the early 90s when I was in middle school . I would put it on in the morning come home from school and was still projecting

Thank you. This was great. I think I have been more consistent with cosmetic products than I have with fragrances. Have you done a video on how the French or Europeans approach perfumes and signature scents versus Americans? Are there actually parfufmeur boutiques in Paris where people get consultations on what perfume to buy? What kind of perfume do you think a ballet dancer would wear for performance, practice/rehearsals and just chilling.

Signature scents should in some ways be influenced by your job. For instance I am a nurse I like wearing fragrances but I’m not going to go to work wearing clubby brash fragrance. I like my scents clean and somewhat austere to reflect professionalism. I tend to pull for Amouage Beloved which is a citrus that dries to a smooth suede leather. Zero sweetness zero cologne bro factor. In turn I wouldn’t expect someone who works in a bar or nightclub to wear beloved it just wouldn’t go. For me and my career I go with beloved MFK masculin pluriel grey vetiver.

I haven't really decided on a signature scent yet. And at times, it seems like the more fragrances I try, the harder it gets to determine a favorite. Especially since sometimes I'll get free samples of fragrances I'd never consider buying myself (due to being it marketed as a "female" fragrance or a strong note I wouldn't assume to be my favorite). If I had to choose a profile today, it would probably be a fragrance that has vanilla, woody, and spicy/incense - I guess sorta oriental. I really like a handful by Penhaligon's - Halfeti and Bewitching Yasmine at the top. Mr Penhaligon is a vetiver that I didnt expect to like which is very good. I also like Grand Soir, but the MFK fragrances I've tired have a powdery floral that I don't think are for me but they are very nice.

Currently my signature scent is Eau Duelle Diptyque EDT version💛💫 and YOU made me buy it😂🧡 thank you! Adore your work so much and so happy to watch each of your videos❤️ omg would be so awesome to see your perfume collection😍 how you store your perfumes and generally to show us your most favourite ones🙏🏽🤤❤️

Tom Ford tobacco vanille was my signature for over 10 years, on the lookout for another one now

Hi Ashley, because of your opinion I've bought the Guerlain ideal l'homme and Guerlain ideal l'homme cologne which I really love! I have always tried to find a signature scent, especially for my work as hairdresser, it should not be dominant but pleasant. I also use Escentric Molecules Molecule 01. Or do you think Prada l'homme, Dior Sauvage or Bleu de Chanel will be a better choice for my purpose? Thanks in advance and have a good day!

I would like to see a review on Acqua di Gio Parfum please. I tested it on paper a couple of times and I find it has nuances of one of your favorites Eau Sauvage! I’m am on the fence with it though cause it’s so sour to my nose. I feel it could be a fragrance that smells great in the air (to others)but not on paper or up close.

I have poor sense of smell and dry skin, so I rotate from my collection but this year for the first time in my life, I am almost in gourmand rotación with vanillas, cherry and chocolate 🍫

E Zegna- Persian Saffron is my signature scent. It's my go to when I want to feel confident and most myself. It's a powerful bomb with a beautiful bergamot opening followed up by lots of spice and leather, great for the office and great for the evening. Such a shame, it's discontinued...

Just found your channel (and subscribed!) Thank you for pointing out the longevity factor for signature fragrances. Growing up in the 90s it seemed every EDP was beast mode, but that’s not the case anymore! Is it due to change it taste I.e. leaving behind those notes that made the fragrances last? Does it have to do with reformulations due to changing regulations from IFRA? Cost savings? Would love to hear your point of view.

My signature scent in high school was Azzaro's Chrome. That scent permeated my leather jacket and my gf (later wife) loved wearing my jacket because of the scent. Aqcua Di Gio reminds me of college but now I have no signature scent. . .I have to change that!

Encre Noir, anytime, anywhere. I just love it so much. Strong enough, but not too strong.

My first perfume love and signature scent was Halloween by Jesus del Pozo ❤. I few years latter, I discovered Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana and that became my signature scenr for sooo many years 🍋🍏 Now I don't use LB since it is not cruelty free and currently I don't have a signature scent.

I am wearing terre de hermes as my signature

Wow wow wow wow wow awesome video as usual really nice 👍

I gave up on finding a signature a long time ago. Maybe Narciso Rodriguez for Him Edp, but it's sadly been discontinued. Or one of the Encre Noire fragrances.

Before getting deep into collecting fragrances, F Black from Ferragamo was my signature scent. Many would classify it as a winter fragrance, but it worked for me from summer to winter, from day to night... At the moment, I don't even have it in my collection, even though I still like it (because I can smell it on other people from time to time). I was wearing this in 2011-2013 (before all the hype). Now, I CAN'T have a signature scent as there are so many fragrances I love.

Lovely

My current signature is YSL L'homme, and while it is sort of weak, I've found some ways of solving that issue (without respraying). In general I think I'm more of a fragrance wardrobe kind of guy, but I also like wearing a single fragrance over an extended period of time. I'll add that I myself don't like "blue" fragrances simply because of the (un)uniqueness and the scent in general. :)

Please give us some recomendation for men

Try Caudalie Fragrances See if you like them ?

My mother's signature scent is J'adore. Any signature scents you recommend for a military work scent? I'm thinking of Terre D'Hermes but not necessarily beast mode.

Le male except for summer: fleur de male till recently when Fleur got discontinued. Now embarked on new frag journey

My signature was Chanel Allure EDT for years...now,I have more then 50 fragrances, and I don't know what to wear 😵‍💫 I think that Chanel fragrances are good for signature...

Great video

Love Your videos Thank You for sharing 💗Do you have any patchouli heavy fragrances you recommend

Help! I wore CK Obsession for years and always got compliments on it but they changed it and took out the oak moss and it doesn’t have that warm come hither scent anymore. I’ve tried so many perfumes since and nothing suits me. Nothing smells good on me, except for straight frankincense essential oil. Could you recommend something that would suit me?

My signature scent is Spicebomb Extreme

Can you recommend a European equivalent to something like perfumersapprentice for supplies? Thanks!

My signature scent was Gaultier2 but Is discontinued 😭😭😭 I still have an half bottle and I al also using Altamir

Paloma Picasso will always remind me of my mom.

❤

Hello, Ashley - new to the channel and have subbed and dinged that bell. On my fragrance journey my hunt is for that uplifting, fresh, but not powdery fragrance that is clean and refreshing at the same time. I sincerely want a signature fragrance, but have yet to discover it. I find one of my stumbling blocks is that of price, and I'm aware that to truly elevate to the lofty designs I have in mind I am looking at bigger pricing. Now for some, what I deem to be pricey is merely pocket money, unfortunately I'm not in a position to blow a chunk of cash on something that I find unsavoury, or doesn't work with my chemistry, but yet I am getting tired of the same old, rehashed clones and chemical-laden fragrances that tend to smell so close to several others that it's uninspiring. A hard one to answer, but do you have any advice on this kind of situation? Many thanks, and greetings from South Wales.

I’ll be interested in any thing you’ll have to say!❤️

What I like for a signature scent (e.g. Clive Christian C), people around me don’t. What they I like on me (Chanel Blue) I don’t. It’s a dilemma for me.

What do you think about layering fragrances to find one's signature scent?

I have used Delina and Atomic Rose (different parts of body) as my return trip fragrance on a plane (Cancun to the U.S.) twice now. It is my return trip signature scent. I cannot recall if that is what I wear when I go to Cancun (family lives there; go often). Probablemente no es el que uso para llegar :)

My signature scent is aventus. My pockets are mad at me, however I smell great.

my friend always smells like cupcakes. that's why i am really taking my time to get a signature scent because if my perfume doesn't express and enhance myself, I don't want it

I don't like "beast mode", because that usually bothers people, and creates the "allergic" and "sensitive" ones. I like fragrances that I can (faintly) smell, and those coming into my bubble. There actually is fragrances that are subtle, but lasts all day. I'd pick something like that as a signature.

What is your signature? And if you don’t have one, which one would you choose if you had too?☺️

it would be impossible nowadays to have a sig fragrance at the rate they reformulate them, maybe if you buy like 20 bottles and store them.

Maybe it's my AuDHD, my sensory seeking (and maybe even my gender fluidity); but to me choosing _one_ scent sounds really boring. Also if it lasts too long (or I keep reapplying the same when it fades) it starts to get annoying. My nose needs a break once one smell has worn off. I've always enjoyed smells in general; but perfume (in cologne strength and higher) has always been too strong for me; it overpowers my nose and makes every perfume smell just like painful, stinging ants in my nose. But I've always liked very mildly perfumed products; and last year at the age of 41 I got really into traditional wet shaving, and I bought some aftershave balm samples; and I realised I actually really liked those perfumed balms. And I figured I could just take a perfume that is too strong and dilute it with something so that it doesn't just smell like pain. And I started buying perfume samples and lot's of small travel jars meant for cosmetics and diluted the perfume by adding a few drops/sprays into about a teaspoon of unscented body lotion. So now I have a whole drawer full of tiny jars of different perfumed lotions. But I really like to change which one I use every day; I even change to another smell during the day once the first one has worn off. I usually select two somewhat complementary smells to bring with me in the morning. And some days I want to smell like flowers and fruit, and some days I'd like to smell like tea and spices, and other times I like to smell of campfire, pine needles and sandalwood and other woody notes. And since I'm autistic I don't habituate to smells (or any sensory input) like others; I notice a smell on myself for hours until it fades. If I'm in a room with an annoying fan; I'm aware of that fan all the time and it makes me more and more annoyed; I do not get used to it. So I'm not at all worried I will annoy everyone else by wearing multiple perfumes, since I'm sure they have in fact worn off when I can no longer smell it... In fact I'm sure most people cant even smell that I'm wearing perfume at the level of dilution I wear; especially considering that lot's of enthusiasts I've seen in online forums claim that they need at least 3 sprays of any perfume or it would be "pointless" somehow. I was researching if there was some way to spray less than one whole pump (which for me is 10x what I need) and found a forum thread where someone else like me wanted to know if there was a technique to spray less than a half pump without having the bottle drible so much; and they were treated like a lunatic for even suggesting you'd use _less_ than one pump; some even insisted that using less than one pump would make the perfume smell wrong (somehow!?). And other forum posts about diluting perfume were also full of claims that by diluting perfume it would somehow completely destroy the perfume smell. But I don't care; even if the balance of the smell is (somehow) affected by dilution, since I don't know what the undiluted perfume smells like anyway; since to me it just smells like sensory overload and pain. Though I don't quite see how that could be the case; except maybe that for those enthusiasts who think they need to bathe in perfume; diluting it might move several of the scent notes below their threshold; but for me it actually just reduces the smell from above my pain threshold to a level where I can enjoy it. I also saw reviews of perfumes I've bought samples of where people complained that it wore off too fast, that it had "completely disappeared" after just 30 minutes; and that was people spraying themselves with undiluted Eau de Parfum, which to me diluted to 1-3 drops in a teaspoon of lotion that I dipped my finger in to apply to myself could still smell 8 hours later! If I still smell a small amount of perfume at approximately 1:100 dilution 8 hours later (at which point it starts to slightly annoy me) and they cannot smell about 300 times more of the same perfume after just 30 minutes; no wonder other peoples perfume makes me have trouble breathing and itchy nose!

7:48 ? What's the word between "very" and "fragrances?"

What collector wants a signature fragrance 😂

She talked and talked and said nothing.

ALSO it should be affordable so you can always afford to replenish your supply of your "signature scent"...❤❤❤ Also what is so "difficult" about reaching for an atomizer and spritzing yourself after few hours? A portable atomizer is part of my everyday carry stuff in my pockets

Contact me on IG! Your doing great Ashley🔥🏆 Amazing video, talk to you soon!