Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.
Today is Friday, July 30, and tomorrow is Harry Potter’s birthday! I still remember getting the first book in 1997 and reading it with delight, as a young mother. The books continued to arrive during the same era when my own children arrived. When they were older, we read the earlier books aloud to them and played the audiobooks on long car trips (the American audiobooks, narrated by British actor Jim Dale, are wonderful!). A couple of years ago, I posted about my thoughts on what fragrances various characters from the books might wear. I stand by my choices!
Did you know that Ulta released a “Harry Potter” collection of fragrances last year?? I’m not sure who thought “soothing raindrops” was appropriate for Slytherin. The fragrances chosen by Scentsy for their Hogwarts wax melts seems more apropos:
Gryffindor™: Bravery and Determination
Race through daring smoky woods, while amber and a touch of dapper cinnamon leaf bring warmth to your journey.
Slytherin™: Cunning and Ambition
Forest woods hide dark secrets in fresh oak moss and a sweetly sinister layer of deep blackberry.
Hufflepuff™: Just and Loyal
The Great Hall beckons with sweet and steadfast notes of golden apple, whipped vanilla almond and cinnamon sugar.
Ravenclaw™: Wit and Wisdom
A clever concoction of suede and sandalwood is mellowed handsomely by a ribbon of smooth vanilla.
Do you have any favorite book characters? What fragrance(s) might they wear?
Featured image from Warner Bros.
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 
My “escape” reading this last year has been mostly spy novels. Currently working through Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon novels (I’m on #17 – thankful for library Kindle books!) In the books he talks a lot about how his wife’s hair smells (vanilla!) I read several of the Harry Potter books, but my husband and son read them together and I got off track and never finished. Loved Chronicles of Narnia – as a kid I wanted nothing more than to try Turkish Delight – wanted to try Traversee at Bosphore for that note. For favorite Friday today I think I’ll wear L’Homme Ideal Cologne – my list of summer favorites is getting shorter but saving the #1 for next weekend – wedding in Boston.
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I loved Narnia too! Still do. L’Homme Ideal Cologne is great — I snagged a bottle for a great price at TJ Maxx some time ago. A wedding in Boston sounds like fun, I hope the weather is nice! We’re going to one on Block Island in October, I’m very excited to be on the ocean in New England again.
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It’s amazing what marketing teams dream up! You inspired me to think of a perfume Jane Eyre might wear. It would have to be natural but complex: a floral perfume, with backbone from oakmoss and hints of spice and then myrrh to add mystery. Goodness knows how that would work out!
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What a great suggestion, to scent Jane Eyre! I like the notes you’ve suggested. The fragrance would have to give the initial impression of primness, with undercurrents of passion!
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It’s been a while since I read the Potter books, but they were very entertaining. I always thought I fit in Ravenclaw.
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My children have sorted me into Ravenclaw too!
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Hey OH,
I’m wearing Battaniye by Pekji tonight. If it was to be a character in a novel I’m thinking its smoky patchouli and amber woodsiness would do very well to fit the early book burning Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451.
I bloody loved the Harry potter books and rewatch the movies regularly. Such good fun.
Portia xx
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Great scent/character match! Yes, we’re such HP fans in our house that my husband and I went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden a couple of years ago. Without the kids. It was SO MUCH FUN! They still haven’t forgiven us.
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Fairly jealous over here too TBH
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I love the Harry Potter series and reread it at least three times. But I would never be in Gryffindor, I am a Ravenclaw! Scent today is Aromatics Elixir, this would be a good scent for my house too. But at the moment I am rereading LeGuin The left hand of darkness. A great read in times of gender discussions
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lol, my children sorted me into Ravenclaw, as I commented below! Yes, AE would suit Ravenclaw well. My students think I’m like a younger (I hope!) Minerva McGonagall. I loved Ursula LeGuin’s books, it has been too long since I read them.
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Hilarioius – not sure about those Ulta frags!! I could never get into Harry Potter as I was so enamored of LOTR–I know, totally different but they overlap in pop culture because the Peter Jackson movies were released around the same time as Harry Potter books (I think).
I just finally read ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens. I am thinking of a very humid, green, salty and loamy kind of scent. I just got a sample of DS & Durga’s Jazmin Yucatan–maybe something along those lines?
On another note, l’m currently fascinated by neroli and it’s smooth, almost animalic aspects. I don’t want cologne really or bitter, just that lovely very particular scent. Any suggestions?
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Oops…hilarious. Hilariouisous.
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You might like Neroli Intense, by Parfums de Nicolai, or Seville A L’Aube, by L’Artisan Parfumeur.
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I loved the Harry Potter books and movies, although I never became a superfan. Based on the descriptions, I’ll have to try the Slytherin fragrance!
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Yes, that one does sound appealing, doesn’t it?
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