He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not: Can Marc Jacobs Daisy End My Serial Perfume Monogamy?

For me, the only thing more maddening than searching for a mascara is searching for a perfume. You can really only try on four scents - max - before succumbing to a headache and watering eyes.

As documented in a recent blog post, for some time now, I have been at loose ends for a signature fragrance. I've spent some time pondering my serial fragrance choices, and I've realized that I tend to buy one scent and stick with it for an extended period of time. In fact, it's only been in the past year that I haven't had a fragrance that I wore daily. I'm sure that's meaningful on an unconscious level, but that's not the point of this blog. During that year, there is a perfume that I have tried on repeatedly: Marc Jacobs Daisy. It debuted last year to much buzz, as do all things Marc Jacobs. Having jumped on the new "it" fragrance bandwagon before, I intended to eschew Daisy, but was intrigued by plain old Marc Jacobs perfume's simple packaging: a solid rectangular bottle graced only by a narrow black bow. So Audrey. I initially liked the way it smelled, but the second time I tried it, the perfumed devolved into a powdery talcum like fragrance and I remembered that I don't really care for the way gardenias smell. No go. But Daisy beckoned on the same shelf, so I spritzed some on the other wrist. It was sweet but faded into something softer as the day progressed. (According to the company, it contains notes of strawberry, violet, gardenia, grapefruit, and jasmine). Every time I visited Sephora I sprayed some on, and every time I liked it a little more. But something held me back from buying it. (Maybe grad school bills?). Still, I kept trying it.

I recently had a birthday, and my friend S. thoughtfully included a small bottle of Marc Jacobs Daisy in my gift. She knows me well enough to realize that I need to be able to wear something daily in order to determine if it's a contender for a signature fragrance. Then I opened a package from my parents, and found a HUGE bottle of Daisy. Are the fragrance gods sending me a message that I've discovered my signature scent? Only time will tell. I'll keep you posted.