A Trusted Friend in a Complicated World

Here’s What Your Favorite Perfume Is Really Saying About Your Personality

Forget the eyes. The true window to your soul may just be your signature fragrance.

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Perfume-Personality-opener
via sephora.com, via bathandbodyworks, via via fragrancenet.com

Your perfume, yourself

There’s interesting data linking your perfume choice to your personality. In his years of research, Alan R. Hirsch, MD, founder of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, has administered personality tests to 18,631 people and compared the results to the participants’ aroma and flavor preferences. “It’s basically like a Rorschach test using odor preferences,” Dr. Hirsch says. There are a lot of great implications for the findings, according to Dr. Hirsch, because you can understand someone much better if you know what they like. When you’re on a date, for example, you can smell the person’s perfume or cologne and instantly know much more about their personality. “Often on a first date, people put up a false front, acting their best and not wanting to show their weaknesses. But this way, you can get an instantly better understanding of who they truly are.”Based on Dr. Hirsch’s findings, these are the perfume-personality pairings you’re most likely to find.

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citrus
via ulta.com

Citrus lovers lead the pack

Do you always take charge in group situations? Would your friends and family describe you as an alpha man or woman? If so, we bet you gravitate toward citrus-based fragrances like Kate Spade Live Colorfully and Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy. “These are strong-minded, ambitious, natural leaders. They may be viewed as dominant and aggressive,” says Dr. Hirsch. But don’t worry, there’s no shame in being a shark at work and in your love life. Just make sure you don’t come across as too sour when you don’t get your way.

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rose
via theperfumespot.com

Rose wearers are cautious

“These people are introspective and sensitive to the needs of others. They tend to weigh all options before making a choice,” Dr. Hirsch says. Impulse control has never been an issue for you, as you’re naturally cautious and considerate. You take the time to reflect on your decisions instead of simply diving right into the action. While most people may have a number of memories they’d rather forget and wipe from their past, you have very few (if any) heinously embarrassing regrets. Your rosy record (thanks to scents like Yardley English Rose Perfume and Chloe Roses de Chloe) is clean in all walks of life because you think before you act.

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lavender
via sephora.com

Lavender fans make great friends

If you love wearing lavender-scented products (Philosophy Unconditional Love, perhaps?), we predict that you have a huge, close-knit network of friends. People consider you easy to be around right off the bat, which is why you get along so well with just about everyone. “People who prefer lavender tend to be sexually reserved, but curious individuals. They value friendship and they tend to work well in groups. They’re thought of as contemplative and thoughtful,” says Dr. Hirsch. When it comes to your closest pals, you’re the one person who never fails to surprise them on their birthdays, and you can be counted on to always go out of your way to cheer someone up during a tough time. Here’s what your favorite flower says about your personality.

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vanilla
via sephora.com

Vanilla types aren’t vanilla at all

“You’re probably thinking that people who like vanilla are bland, ‘blah,’ and have a vanilla personality, but we found just the opposite! People who like vanilla are lively, energetic, the life of the party—they’re anything but vanilla,” reveals Dr. Hirsch. “It’s the opposite of what you would have thought, because they’re very fun-loving.” (Here are more hidden strengths of extroverts you might not realize.) If you smell of warm vanilla (we’re looking at you Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black owners), you’re the person who knows how to get a party started. You love dancing, drinking, meeting new people, and socializing in buzzing atmospheres. Staying at home on the weekend isn’t your cup of tea, as you’d much rather spend the night on the town.

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sandalwood
via fragrancenet.com

Sandalwood wearers are high-acheiving

If you gravitate toward sandalwood (Samsara Eau de Parfum Guerlain perhaps?), we know that you’re a total perfectionist. You’ve been your biggest critic your entire life. But while being so hard on yourself is totally draining, this trait has gotten you to where you are today. Your type-A personality has helped you excel in academia, athletics, and your career. “Sandalwood lovers tend to have high expectations for themselves and others. They’re very self-critical, easily offended by physical remarks, and can misinterpret what others say about them,” Dr. Hirsch found. Take our advice and relax a little! No one is judging you as harshly as you imagine, and your standards of success are too unattainable, so just take a minute to pat yourself on the back for all of your achievements.

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fruity
via macys.com

Fruity fragrance fans are moody

We imagined that people who wear fruity perfumes would be as sweet as the strawberry scent on their necks—but apparently we were mistaken. “They tend to be more irritable, cranky, and pessimistic,” says Dr. Hirsch. If you love anything that smells of berries, apples, or tropical fruits (hello Vera Wang, Lovestruck Floral Rush), it’s time to adjust your attitude. You tend to view the glass half-empty, plus you’re sarcastic and easily annoyed. And while this cynical sense of humor might seem hilarious to you, it’s actually exhausting to those around you. If you don’t make an effort to cheer up and kick the moodiness, you’ll soon find yourself fully isolated. These everyday habits could up your risk for depression.

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coconut
via koparibeauty.com

Sartorialists can’t get enough of coconut

We know a coconut fan when we see one, because coconut lovers are the most stylish and fashion-forward bunch of them all. “They’re immaculate dressers that can be thought of as wearing expensive jewelry. They’re authoritative leaders who take charge in situations. They’re also sensitive to criticism,” Dr. Hirsch says. Coconut wearers enjoy the finer things in life (like coconut Kopari products), which means they’ve got a closet full of designer labels and an appetite for precious gems. You command attention in a room, and enjoy making decisions on behalf of others. People around you trust your intuition and taste, so you regularly have admirers watching your every move.

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linen
via ulta.com

Linen lovers are drawn to challenges

If you smell of linen (also known as fresh laundry or cotton—find it in scents like Estee Lauder White Linen or Clean Fresh Laundry), you’re someone who runs marathons for fun. People are amazed that you’re always training for something extraordinary, but you can’t get enough of these physical and mental tests. You enjoy pushing your endurance to the limits, and you have an “anything is achievable with hard work” attitude. Linen fans are “action-oriented. They enjoy physical and mental challenges,” says Dr. Hirsch. “They tend to be self-confident, intuitive, goal-oriented, and always in control.” You know your mile time down to the second, you’re extremely competitive in debates and games, and you routinely set tough personal goals for yourself.

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gardenia
via kaifragrance.com

Gardenia wearers are stable

Has anyone ever described you as their “rock?” Are you never one to flake, but rather, always follow through on set plans? If this sounds familiar, we have a feeling you love the smell of gardenia (like Kai’s eau de parfum). “Gardenia lovers are steady and dependable,” says Dr. Hirsch. “They enjoy safe, secure relationships. They’re followers more than leaders. They’re team players and people pleasers.” You’d much rather be in a comfortable, long-term relationship than endure the unpredictability and disappointment of serial-dating. You’re someone that doesn’t just pop into someone’s life fleetingly—you maintain friendships for decades and never lose touch, no matter the physical distance in your relationships.

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Jasmine
via ulta.com

Jasmine fans are wild

Jasmine aficionados—fans of Michael Kors Glam Jasmine, perhaps—are similar to vanilla-wearing people, but they take their fun a step further. “They crave novelty, and enjoy new and exciting adventures. They’re provocative and can be thought of as partiers who enjoy a good time,” says Dr. Hirsch. You love staying out until the sun comes up, ending up in unexpected places, and you never met a margarita you didn’t like. You absolutely love dancing, and you couldn’t care less about what people think about you or the way you dress. You’re true to your belief that life is worth living, so you aren’t going to waste a single minute being bored stiff. It’s safe to say spontaneous is your middle name.

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honeysuckle
via bathandbodyworks.com

Honeysuckle means happy

You know those people who are just a pure delight to have around? Those are the honeysuckle lovers, possibly wearing Wild Honeysuckle, by Bath and Body Works. Honeysuckle fans are happy-go-lucky, laid back, and never going to cause drama. They’re the cheerful person in your friend group who simply wants to be happy and avoid any darkness. They’ll lift you up and leave you feeling positive every time you hang out. Honeysuckle fans are “empathetic, easygoing, and well-adjusted,” confirms Dr. Hirsch. To learn more about odor preferences and the corresponding personality traits, checking out Dr. Hirsch’s book What Flavor Is Your Personality?

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