I’m typically a person who switches up my fragrance daily. I have a vast collection of scents—so many favourites—which makes it challenging to stay true to just one. I’ve always loved the idea of having a signature scent, one that encompasses your entire aura, and people come to associate as an essential part of you, but I never landed on such an elusive potion. Until recently.
I met my dream match just over a year ago. That’s when I finally caught a sniff of the viral vanilla fragrance sensation Bianco Latte by Giardini de Toscana. I have never been a gourmand girlie, so I was completely caught off guard when this one hooked me. It hit different.
Yes, it’s sweet. But it’s also sensual and packs a very alluring, warm-woodsy punch. That’s what makes this scent so gorgeous and mysterious. It blends the creamiest base notes of vanilla and white musks, with mid notes of sweet honey and coumarin. The top note is actually the sweetest surprise of this scent: caramel. It gives it a delectable, candy-esque kick. The true beauty of this scent is it never smells synthetic or cloyingly saccharine.
I began my journey with this fragrance starting with Bianco Latte Body Cream ($67 for 250ml, etiket.ca) because when I was shopping in-store, the actual juice was sold out…as it frequently is. I have since picked up the Eau De Parfum ($195 for 100ml, etiket.ca) and though I often layer the two, most times I still wear just the body cream. Not only does it feel like butter on the skin, but it comes with a hefty dose of heavenly scent which lasts all day (often promised, but never delivered in most fragranced body creams).
How did Bianco Latte and I become inseparable? The more I wore it, the more I loved it. I don’t think it’s my imagination, but I swear it smells better and better on me every time I wear it. We just jive. This has never ever been the case with any other fragrance. I thought Bianco Latte would be my summer scent and I would retire it for fall, but it stayed in the top spot through autumn, winter, spring and continues to be my number one a whole summer later.
There was also something special that happened along the way of this scent journey: people noticed my fragrance in a way I have never experienced before. I was stopped at the mall, the salon, the spa, the grocery store, the local café, during walks with friends, even at the pharmacy and the post office. An overwhelming number of people wanted to know what I was wearing. Over dinner just the other night after taking our order, the waitress did an abrupt about face, coming back to ask what smelled so delicious at our table. “I think it’s you,” she smiled at me.
Fragrance is all about making you feel good, and in my books, that puts a little extra joy out there in the world. I can’t tell you the secret to finding a signature scent; it’s all about the right chemistry. I have worn countless fragrances over the decades, and nothing ever struck the right note (pun intended), but when this one did, it was magic. My best advice is to experiment and don’t be afraid to try a scent that’s not classically you. Take a chance, step outside your ordinary, and be open to surprise and delight.
