Signature Scents, Part I
by Devon Ellington

Scent is one of our most powerful senses. It not only affects mood, but memory. If you want people to notice you when you enter a room and remember you long after you leave it, scent is an important factor.

If you use something that conflicts with your body or overpowers, that will be a negative factor. The fashionably-aware person wants it to be positive.

Since each of our bodies resonates individually with a scent, it’s important to experiment. A fragrance can smell heavenly in the bottle and awful on you. Don’t wait until an important event to try a new scent.

Department stores are not the best places to experiment with scent. I’m not talking about the over-eager sales reps who mist you into a cloud of perfume so you can’t even see straight, much less smell anything. There is simply too much stimulation and distraction in a department store setting to make a coherent decision. See if you can get a tiny sample to take with you, and try it at home, at your leisure. Many fragrance counters have single-application vials or scent-suffused paper you can take with you. Keep them separate in your purse or tote bag, or they will begin to influence each other.

If you do test several scents in a store, either on your person or simply by smell, you’ll need to clear your nose between each trial. The best way to do this is to sniff coffee — that’s what many stores that use essential oils do — they have a jar of coffee you sniff in between smelling oils, to clean your palate. I’ve yet to see this in a department store, but if you walk in there carrying your coffee — it’ll help. If you try more than one scent on your body, make sure each scent is as far away as possible from the others on your skin, and leave ten to fifteen minutes in between the applications. You’ll have time to let the scent react with your body’s chemistry and you’ll have enough time in between scents to actually smell a new one.

Of course, the best thing to do is create a signature blend, not just from your favorite scents, but from the scents that SMELL BEST ON YOU. These are not always one and the same. Take your time and experiment. Quite a few perfumeries and aromatherapy boutiques will now blend you a signature scent. It’s costly — and make sure they notate the recipe, so they can recreate something close to it again. But it’s worth it. Check your local listings for a perfumery that specializes in custom scents.

Or, you can blend your own. I’m allergic to the chemical components in traditional perfumes. I can only wear essential oils. You can buy them at most health food stores and stores were they sell loose bulk herbs, such as Aphordisia Herb Shoppe in New York City, Earth Spirits Herbal Apothocary in Sturbridge, MA, or The Sandwich Village Herb Shop in Sandwich, MA, three of my favorite stores on the Eastern Seaboard. The latter two shops carry some of their own mixed blends, but you can buy ingredients separately and mix your own, using either jojoba oil or almond oil as a base. We’ll discuss mixing signature blends in next month’s post.

I like to put on the scent as I walk out the door, but it’s actually better to put it on before you get dressed. You won’t hit the fabric when you spritz or dash, and many scents, whether they are purchased perfumes or individual oils, can stain fabric. I have ruined a couple of gorgeous silk blouses with a careless drip, and dry cleaning usually doesn’t get it out. You’re better of putting it on before you dress, although you need to wait to layer on the clothes until the scent soaks into your skin and your skin is dry.

The right scent, and, more importantly, an INDIVIDUAL scent, can give you that extra boost of confidence on top of correctly fitting clothes, cute shoes, and a great purse.

Next month, I’ll get into some specifics of mixing your own oils to create a signature scent.

–Devon Ellington publishes under a half a dozen names in both fiction and non-fiction. She worked backstage on Broadway, and in film and television for more than twenty years, mostly in the wardrobe department. Visit her blog, Ink in My Coffee, and her main website: www.devonellingtonwork.com

In keeping with my new Sole Struck role — last month I extolled the many virtues of second-hand and vintage clothes — I have a new shopping tip today.

Check out a Police Auction!

No, it’s not just for stolen bicycles anymore.

Have you ever wondered, say, what became of Imelda Marcos’ 1,220 pairs of shoes? (Well, actually they made a museum of them — no, really. Though maybe it’s gone now, because the link they give for the museum itself doesn’t work. However, you can salve your shoe-museum craving here and here.) But what about all those other ill-gotten gains? Naturally there’s a website to auction them off, once they’ve served their time as evidence.

So, okay, these are cops, so the descriptions tend to say stuff like “Womens Shoes, 2 shoes.” It’s always a great find, when you can get two shoes at once. But they have pics, which you can enlarge to play detective like the little “Steal It Back!” guy — which you have to admit adds a bit to the thrill — and see that, yes! these are Ann Marinos.

The inventory changes rapidly, of course, with auctions finishing all the time.

But that Dolce & Gabbana leopard print jacket you just had to have and couldn’t afford? Yes, still available! Only just under eight hours left on this baby, at the time of posting. High bid is $82. A small price to pay to channel Marisa Tomei in Cousin Vinny.

For the entrepeneurs: no visit to the Property Room is complete without a thorough perusal of the bulk lots. These are the “fell off the back of the truck” stories. Current bid on 20 pairs of Aeropostale jeans valued at $960? $99! 50+ pieces of womens underwear going right now for $180! More Aeropostale jeans! And Aeropostale shirts! Actually a LOT of Aeropostale stuff. One begins to imagine the late-night highjacking of the Aeropostale tractor-trailer. A driving rain, a dark night… Is that a car broken down in the middle of the road? Oh no, it’s a trap! Take everything, just don’t kill us! But wait… the cops are here! Bright lights flashing. Except they take everything, too. Evidence, doncha know.

Actually, this is the site disclaimer, provided by the Office of Inappropriate Capitalizations:

Our company receives hundreds of packages from many sources every day. These Packages arrive From: Store Closures, Insurance Claims, Misguided & Unclaimed Freight, Post Office Undeliverable Packages, and Unclaimed Merchandise. In Many Cases we do not know the Origin of these goods. Where we do Know the Origin of the product we will Describe it in the Auction. All products are Vintage, Pre-owned or Antique.

Okay, “antique” may be stretching it, but the savvy shopper can find many great deals here. And make up the stories to go along with them.

Look, you can even get the pants to match!

Fast Fashion tip for June: Don’t let fashionomics keep you from enjoying stylish accessories. Visit DSW.com today and sign up for DSW Rewards. It’s fast, free, and includes reward certificates, two double-points shopping days each year, advance notice of sales, special offers, promotions and a birthday certificate. The DSW Style Guide – a monthly email newsletter e-zine packed with trends, shoe tips, store openings and insider information is also free.

Put your best foot forward in summer’s fabulous smorgasbord of sandals, flip flops and gladiators this month. Just don’t forget the pedicure! And when you’re picking nail color for your piggies, remember these tips on mixing and matching:

BRIGHT sandal/METALLIC sandal: MATTE polish

Cindy Victoria Thong

OPI Passion

EMBELLISHED sandal: NEUTRAL polish

XOXO Premier Platform Slingback Sandal

OPI Glamour Game

CONSERVATIVE sandal: BOLD polish

Two Lips Fortune Raffia Wedge Slide

OPI Keys to My Karma

CORAL  goes with EVERYTHING!

OPI Designer Treasure

Remember when MTV played music videos? A few of our younger readers may be shocked to find out that the “M” in MTV means music. Not moron, monotonous, or meaningless. Which is what the vast majority of their programming now consists of. That and awards. I don’t know how much pride one can truly take for getting an MTV Movie Award. I suppose winning something does give you that feeling of euphoria. I won $2 on a $2 scratch off once and actually had the “I WON!” feeling.

Of course, all awards shows like this really offer is a chance to see what these MTV types show up in for the red carpet.  I have a couple of thoughts for these ladies that I’d like to share here:

Elizabeth Reaser, did you strip the hemp off a pair of your mom’s sandals from 1964?  Is that a jacket with no shirt under it and a skirt or some strange black dress that you decided looked better with a jacket?  Very confusing.

Kristen Stewart the point behind a mini-dress is to show off your legs.  Effing high tops are not for showing off your legs. They are for playing basketball.  Next time either wear heels or sweats. I don’t care which way you go but your hair and dress look like you are going clubbing and your legs and feet look like they are about to hit the court to play horse.

Hey, Meagan Fox.  While I have to say that there’s something girl-crush hot about you why did you give up on your hair? Certainly you didn’t really just get out of the pool.  And um.  Those shoes only have two words to say.  Pole. Dancer.  Ick.

Monique Coleman….. seriously?

Rumor Willis I’m worried about you. Genetically you should be so much hotter and I’m concerned that there are outside reasons why you aren’t.  In your defense, I really rather like this dress. The color blocking is interesting, the shiny clutch that looks like an oversided wireless mouse from this angle is cool and the shoes are hot.  Now let’s get your hair done and put on some lipstick, shall we?

Vanessa Hudgens are you trying to fall out of your top? This looks like a real attempt to have a boob pop out during the red carpet walk thus catapulting you into the “OOPSIE MY BOOB!” crowd.  Otherwise….you look like you are wearing a sheet.  C’mon, honey.

Leann Rimes…while I honestly think you look gorgeous (and you can yodel which is fascinating) isn’t this a little much for the MTV Movie Awards? Compare and contrast your wardrobe to the type of event you are attending next time, sweetie.

Sacha Baron Cohen…..there are not words.