No one asked, but here's a fun fact about me: I'm low-key fragrance-obsessed. Spritzing scents has been a steadfast component of my beauty routine since then-iconic body sprays from Bath & Body Works (Sweet Pea, anyone?) and Victoria's Secret (two words: Love Spell) entered my world in the early 2000s. My goal back then? To smell as cool as Britney, Christina, and the members of Destiny's Child. My taste has changed a lot over the last couple of decades, but to this day, I'm still dedicated ...

You've probably heard that there's a New York City uniform. We New Yorkers are known for sleek silhouettes, utilitarian shoes that you can walk in, and of course, all-black everything. A critical part of a New Yorker's wardrobe that you may not think about, though, is fragrance. In NYC, fragrance follows trends just like clothing. The best example of this in recent years may be the ubiquity of Le Labo's Santal 33, which can be found in every possible corner of the city, from the subway to the ...

When I was in high school, I bought some “love” oil to use in a spell. (I considered myself a baby witch at the time.) With its pungent aroma of jasmine, rose, petals, and herbs swimming around in the bottle, this tiny vial of oil was one of my very first magickal tools. That was over 20 years ago, and I still have the bottle on my altar. There’s only a little bit of the oil left, so I’ll open it once in a while just to take a whiff. While it’s not of any practical use to me now, t...

What's the most romantic note in a perfume? If I were to answer that question, your mind might immediately go to the classics, like rose, jasmine, or vanilla. There's a perfume note steeped in romance that you might not immediately think of, though, and that's violet. In perfume, violets lend a soft femininity to practically any scent. These flowers are sweet, floral, and have a slightly powdery quality. Violet leaf is also often used in fragrance to add a burst of green brightness. This floral...