Women are as devoted to their fragrance as they are to a doctor or stylist. It’s a personal choice with enough psycho analaytic insight to jolt a therapist. Until the Internet has scratch and sniff capabilities (hello Silicon Valley?) take our account on three fragrances that have earned our loyalty.
kai began as a one pound customized fragrance for Gaye Straza until whiffers were so besotted she started a company.
It begins with a shared attachment to a few standout floral scents, notably gardenia, lily and rose. To emphasize gardenia’s impact, a bit of personal history. When I first moved to California the air held such a sweet fragrance it seemed like plane’s airdropped liquid incense. The source came from flower beds loaded with deep ivy green bushes with waxy leaves, which popped up colonels of white, hearty flowers. It was my first one on one introduction to gardenia and the aroma cast from these flowers bewitched. Gardenias are in my top five reasons to move back to California, just after weather and before year round farm fresh produce. It’s no surprise that two of the fragrances that have such a devoted following is gardenia based.
Gaye Straza, creator of kai fragrance, was literally stopped on the street by a beauty editor with questions as to the origin of her scent, a fragrance she made independently and then developed into her company kai. “After all these years, I still get the most beautiful emails from our delightful devotees just to convey their love and loyalty for the brand,” says Straza.
When I take a whiff of kai I get the same feeling I do when I take a bite of pumpkin cheesecake, my entire body shuts down and goes into ecstasy. Straza notes that Kai is unlike the heavy, suffocating scent of fragrances past when one squirt from mom’s perfume was enough to fumigate the house. “Men tell me kai conjures memories of being in a tropical paradise. This comment initially made me laugh, but after hearing the same words over and over, I realized that’s exactly what I had in mind when I developed the line,” says Straza.
Men’s interest in how we smell is happily noted but most women will say they are a bit selfish in this area. We wear the scent for us more than to seduce. Sharing is why candles are created in the same scent.
Tocca Firenze has that arresting fragrance that you’d wish scented your everyday all day.
Tocca is another company noted for their modern fragrances based on identifiably alluring essences. Tocca’s Firenze, with notes of gardenia along with bergamot and jasmine, has the power to overtake all other senses. Whether worn or to scent the home, Firenze’s smell guarantees a giddy moment.
Nest’s White Camellia gives your skin and home a light floral boost.
You’ve been to that home or elegant little shop that has that I-will-not-leave scent. The origin usually is emitted from a Nest candle. Their White Camellia scent is a natural choice for a women’s fragrance with its light, floral appeal. It is no surprise that notes include jasmine, which is similar to gardenia.
