Ralph Lauren "Romance"

This is the one that started it all for me. Olive bought it, it smelled nice on her, and my sister and I are enough alike that I essentially though "Eh, that'll be fine on me, then". And it is. But now that I'm branching out, I thought I'd revisit it and really focus on it for a day.

What starts out as windy and brisk mellows into a very nice crisp scent on me. It made me think of Iceland, with wide-open spaces and scrubgrass and a slate-blue sky (no sulfur from the geysers, though). To place it in a more day-to-day setting, it smelled like Oxford shirts and confidence.

This is a scent that is quite contained; it makes me feel organized and very together, both personally and professionally. It's something I would gladly wear to steady a slight case of nerves -- what came to mind was meeting up with an old friend from high school whom I've not seen since, and wanting to come across well. A touch of adult complexity bound together with a coherent, confident wholesomeness. On me, this just isn't a flirty or passionate scent; it is assured and clean and lovely, but too contained to attract interest. Very suitable for officewear, but not an evening scent for me.

Canadianne, on the other hand, smells much sexier in "Romance" than I do. On her the spice is much more promising and the crispness is subdued, which would make it an excellent date-scent.

Verdict: Everyday at the office