I'm a Fragrance-Obsessed Beauty Editor—This is How I Found My Signature Scent

I'll be the first to admit that there's nothing quite like the excitement of hunting down your next signature scent in a beauty hall. Being able to smell multiple fragrances in one go and call upon the help of beauty experts as you do so really is one of the best ways to shop for perfume

With that said, it does have its downsides... Firstly, shopping for fragrance can be an overwhelming experience—for both you and your olfactory system. It can be easy to confuse multiple scents together when you're clutching a handful of testing papers, and the pressure to purchase might push you into a decision you're not wholly set on.

What's more, it's incredibly important to actually wear a scent before you commit to buying it. Fragrances often change throughout the day, sometimes fading, sometimes intensifying, and sometimes even melding into a scent completely different to the one you first experienced.

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(Image credit: @DINAHANSEN)

For this reason, I'm a huge believer in using discovery sets to sample and explore fragrances instead. In fact, I've found some of my own personal favourite and signature scents that way. Most recently, thanks to a few weeks testing Le Labo's perfume discovery set, I've fallen in love with Another 13—and haven't stopped wearing it since. 

Founded in New York in 2006, Le Labo has fast become a favourite amongst fragrance obsessives and beauty industry insiders. The brand's approach to perfumery is to create scents that both surprise and comfort the wearer. This is undoubtedly the key to the brand's quick success—even the scents that draw upon classic fragrance notes like rose and lavender manage to do so in a fresh, modern, and unconventional way. 

If, like me, you've heard great things about Le Labo perfumes but are not quite sure which one will be your favourite, the Le Labo perfume discovery set is a great place to start...

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(Image credit: @DINAHANSEN)

I enjoyed mix and matching between the lighter fresher perfumes like Thé Matcha 26 and Lavande 31, and the warmer, cosier ones like Santal 33 and Thé Noir 29. However, Another 13 was the biggest hit for me.

It's a skin scent, which means it melds with and enhances your natural fragrance. Skin scents aren't particularly loud (many wearers can't even smell them on themselves), but they're really sensual and compelling, so they always attract compliments. I love skin scents anyway, but what really impressed me about this one was that it's a little more complex and interesting, thanks to the addition of complementary notes of ambrette and moss, and the sweet addition of pear and apple.

The Le Labo Discovery Set:

1. Another 13

Notes of: pear, citrus, apple, ambrette, moss, jasmine, Iso E Super.

2. Lavande

Notes of: neroli, bergamot, lavender, musk, amber, tonka.

3. Rose 31

Notes of: rose, cumin, vetiver, cedar, musk, guaiac wood, oud, olibanum, labdanum.

4. Santal 33

Notes of: violet, cardamom, iris, papyrus, ambrox, cedarwood, leather, sandalwood.

5. Thé Matcha 26

Notes of: fig, vetiver, cedarwood, orange, matcha.

6. Thé Noir 29

Notes of: fig, bay leaf, bergamot, cedar, vetiver, musk, tobacco, hay.

Next Up: 10 Trending Fragrances That Are Just as Good as Le Labo's Santal 33

Freelance Beauty Editor

Grace Day is a beauty editor and content creator. She has over 10 years of beauty-industry experience, spanning editorial, retail, and e-commerce, which gives her a unique understanding into how people shop for their beauty routines. While studying for a history degree (specialising in the history of beauty) and working as a beauty adviser in department stores, Grace started writing her own beauty blog in order to share the products she discovered while dealing with acne. After graduating, she moved to Beauty Bay as beauty editor and content manager. Grace is currently a beauty contributor to Who What Wear. She has also written for Hypebae and PopSugar and works as a brand consultant and copywriter.