- Mar 3
- 5 min read
"Wait, What Perfume Is That?"
The ultimate scent guide by Lisa DeSantis
for Forza Digital
There’s no denying that fragrance taste is super personal. But, there’s something about a really good fragrance that gets all heads turning and asking, “What perfume are you wearing?” From Uber drivers to TSA agents and lots of other random strangers in between, these five favorite perfumes of mine never fail when it comes to garnering compliments.
Each of the fragrances below has such memorable moments of people complimenting me on them that I simply could not gatekeep any longer. And what better time to spring for a new fragrance than for Valentine’s Day? Even if you have a signature scent or tend to be pretty picky, I can say with certainty that you’re bound to fall for at least one– if not all five– of these alluring scents.
Literally inspired by the color “white,” this scent is aquatic, clean, but equally sexy thanks to notes of amber, musk, and ozonic accord (meant to capture the scent of air after a thunderstorm). Unlike some musky fragrances that are meant to smell like skin, this one is much lighter and fresher, but still has the undeniable sultriness to it, making it feel at home in any setting or season. What started as a single fragrance has now grown into a whole range with different takes on the original 11 11, such as Vanilla and Lychee, along with different formats, including diffusers and candles (both of which I have, duh!). In addition to the eau de parfum, 11 11 comes in an oil rollerball, which is actually my preference over the EDP because of the way it sinks in and leaves a lingering scent trail on the skin all day. It’s also perfect for keeping in my purse for touch-ups, even though I never really need them since the scent lasts so long. And my woo woo self simply must acknowledge that it’s named 11 11. I mean, before I even smelled it, it felt like I was destined to love it for the good vibes that numerology tells us the number ‘11 11’ embodies.
My coworker started wearing this before I did, and after a few days of getting whiffs around the office, I knew I had to have it. And then it was my chance to turn people onto it. One such instance involved an Uber driver in NYC, who asked for the fragrance’s name, so he could buy it for his wife. Then, when 11 11 Vanilla came out– and I didn’t know about it yet–, I smelled it on my Solidcore instructor (LOL), and asked her if she was wearing 11 11 layered with something else, but it was just the new iteration. So, not only does 11 11 get me compliments, it has me giving them, too!
There’s something so special about the Forza Pilates studio(s) in Nashville that draws people in– from the design and welcoming space to the community and kickass workouts (yeah, I may be a little biased)– but once they’re there, there’s another overwhelming consensus: “It smells so good in here.” And that’s all thanks to Forza’s signature scent: Expensive. Available in both a candle and rollerball perfume– lovingly referred to as The ‘Petite’ Perfume–, out of town visitors will snag one or both to bring the feeling home with them, while locals– myself included– rock the scent like a second skin. You know when someone comes to your house and remarks that it smells “like you”? That’s how it feels for us Forza regulars, who don the scent, sometimes without even realizing we’re wearing it, because the clean, warm scent really is just part of us now.
It’s always funny when we’re wearing the fragrance at the studio, and we’ll all ask each other like a scene straight out of Devil Wears Prada: “Are you wearing the…?” “The Expensive Perfume? Yeah, I am.” I’ve had clients buy several bottles at once, too, because family members and friends have stolen theirs– it’s that good.
The stories I can tell about this yummy gourmand, but not sickeningly sweet fragrance, are wild– it’s a literal compliment magnet. I received a travel spray at an Alo event and didn’t think much of it because, as a bit of a fragrance snob, it takes a lot to win me over. But I was traveling, so I threw it in my bag, and when the time came to spritz it as I was running out of a hotel room on the way to a meeting, I was completely transfixed. I couldn’t believe how delicious, yet sophisticated, the bergamot, white musk, and amber juice was. It quickly became my go-to, and that travel-sized bottle didn’t last long before I went all in with a full-sized Eau de Parfum, the room spray, and even the laundry detergent, dryer sheets, and body wash– your girl hooked.
I reach for this fragrance most often because there’s something about it that just makes me feel cozy and safe after spraying it. Aside from the normal compliments I’ll get in an elevator or when I’m teaching class, I’ve had two really standout encounters because of this fragrance. One time, I was on a first date, strolling in Centennial park and a woman ran after us to find out what I was wearing. I’m sure that guy won’t soon forget that experience! Another time, I was out with friends at Skinny Dennis– there was live music and two-stepping going on, but amidst all of that, a woman tapped me on the shoulder and handed me her phone to type the name of the fragrance in her notes app because she couldn’t hear me over the live music. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried!
When Glossier’s first fragrance, You, came out, all the cool girls flocked to get their hands on it. Somehow, it captured what no other fragrance had up until then– all wrapped in millennial pink and smelling warm and familiar while also spicy and mysterious, You was the scent on every girl’s skin. And while it will always be a reliable fragrance, it’s one of You’s flanker fragrances that really captured my heart. You Doux, in a chic, milky white bottle, is described as a soft and serene woody fragrance with notes of palo santo, frankincense, and myrrh, but also musk, which I clearly love– and everyone who compliments me does, too!
I was on a self-connection retreat when this iteration came out, and one of the women there was wearing it, so as soon as I got my phone back (it was a phoneless weekend, and it was amazing– shoutout Your Inner Babe!), I was ordering my very own bottle. This was about the time I did my Forza teacher training, too, so it brings back memories every time I spray it. Last week, a guy at the gym came over to me to ask what I was wearing, and we had a whole conversation about it (again, LOL).
By now, it should be pretty apparent that I’m a fan of musky fragrances, but it’s really so impressive that they can still smell so wildly different. This one taps musk and cedarwood, but pairs it with jasmine petals and tiger orchid for a very “I can’t put my finger on what this smells like” scent. Which actually makes so much sense because the brand describes it as “Born from the idea of a game of telephone—how stories can change and morph as they are told and retold—MYTH is inspired by the idea of the urban myth.” For some reason, it feels like apple picking to me– maybe because it’s deep and cozy, giving the feeling of fall.
This fragrance earned me a compliment from a TSA agent. It was some ungodly hour that I decided to fly from Nashville to NYC, but my morning and day were made when, as I strolled through the metal detector, the guy asked what fragrance I was wearing, so that he could tell his girlfriend about it.
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