Do You Have a Signature Scent?

This fall, I experienced a temporary loss of my sense of smell due to Covid. During this time, I felt a sense of sensory dullness and couldn’t detect familiar scents like lime or fish sauce in my food. The loss of smell also made me feel disoriented and disconnected from my own identity. This experience made me reflect on the powerful impact of scents in our lives and the unique stories they tell. As I search for a new signature scent, I am reminded of the complex and intimate nature of fragrance and its ability to evoke memories and emotions. Maybe the idea of a signature scent is less about the mists we put on our body, but what our bodies themselves exude on a given day. Considering the power of fragrance emerges not from singularity, but from the way it weaves among the other beloved scents of our lives, creating an endless chord in which we are all minor yet necessary notes.