Scent Of A Mother: 10 Luxury Insiders On Fragrances That Remind Them Of Their Mother
The link between fragrance and memory is a rather strong one—it’s personal and tells a tale, unique to the individual. While the narrative of every story may differ, we can unanimously agree that the association between a particular scent and our mothers is a shared one across the board. After all, it’s the fragrance we grew up loving all through our formative years. This is ‘the one’ that triggers core memories of happiness and warmth, moments we tend to cherish for years to come. Ahead of Mother’s Day, we reached out to industry insiders to find out the fragrances and notes that immediately trace back to their fondest memories spent with their mothers.
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Geeta Rao, Creative and Editorial Director, Geeta’s List
“Nina Ricci’s L’Air Du Temps was my mom’s perfume. It was her signature so to speak and as a kid I found the bottle with its beautiful glass stopper fascinating. I wasn’t allowed to touch it, but I loved seeing my mom spray it on after she was all dressed to go out. Every time I smell those notes it reminds me of my mom and her laughter.”
Rituporna Som, Freelance Beauty Journalist
“Christian Dior’s Poison—this particular one has been discontinued, but the smell will always remind me of my mother. It reminds of nights my sister and I were allowed to stay up slightly late beyond our normal bedtime because my parents were going out, of hearing the rustle of a silk sari late, late into the night when she returned and peeked into the room to check on us.
The scent was what I thought adulthood would smell like. My mother loved it and it coloured some of her favourite memories. It’s an odd smell—white flowers, but not natural. Tuberose and orange blossom mixed with pepper and some berry undertones. Of course, all deciphered decades later in hindsight while looking for something similar to replace it. Impossible of course. The amethyst coloured bottle with the baroque green box— irreplaceable in more ways than one. It doesn’t just represent memories of my mother and a carefree life, but it stands as a promise that the future can be sophisticated, surprising, conquerable and incredibly exciting. Perhaps it’s best that it exists as a memory then— perfect and slightly unreal.”
Image Courtesy: Dior
Troy de Costa, Fashion Designer
“Yardley is the fragrance that takes me back to my childhood. The time when we lived on the breadline, and this fragrance was one of the very few luxuries we could afford. My mum sparingly used this fragrance to its last drop. It had sweet floral top notes that resonated with her persona and a fresh aura that lasted forever.”
Image Courtesy: Yardley
Debasree Banerjee, Blogger
“Something about Chanel Chance truly reminds me of my childhood and my journey back home from my boarding school. That sweet jasmine scent with a little bit of musk and warm vanilla, screams the scent of my mom and reminds me of that gentle hug after coming back home to my parents.”
Image Courtesy: Chanel
Neeti Mehra, Sustainability Consultant & Founder, BeejLiving
“Chloé Rose Naturelle Intense—my memories of the scent of home and my mother are associated with my childhood growing up in Delhi. After we came back from school in the sweltering heat of summer, she would switch on the air cooler, and the earthy, woody scent of khus or vetiver would fill our home, in a gust of fresh, cool air. We share a love for flowers too. Every winter our home would be full of nasturtiums, gladiola, marigold, chrysanthemum and baby’s breath, and of course, roses. Of course, this love has seen us share many bottles of perfumes, with rose being our favourite.”
Image Courtesy: Chloé
Nupur Sarvaiya, Features Editor, KHUSH Wedding Magazine
“Like songs, fragrances have always elicited deep emotions and meaning for me. Certain smells can instantly transport me to a person or a place. One perfume that triggers a sense of nostalgia for me is Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine. I seem to have an innate affinity towards jasmine since my formative years. I vividly recall my mummy bringing gajras for me and adorning my braids with them. And trust me, this was not limited to a special occasion—it was more like a weekend ritual. Another core memory attached towards jasmine and my mother is her perfume. While I don’t remember its name, any jasmine perfume, especially Gucci Flora Gorgeous Jasmine, has the power to make me viscerally relive the past. It’s like I am listening to an aromatic soundtrack of my childhood. It’s why perfumes are my go-to gifting options for loved ones.”
Sakshi Rawte, Beauty Writer, ELLE India
“Fragrance for me is one of the first things I picked up from my mother. Growing up, I’d always see her spray on scents that weren’t traditionally “feminine”—basically perfumes with spices, oud, bergamot. The first ever scent I kinda stole from her was Chanel’s Allure Home, and I use it till date! So I feel like this scent is something that is so close to me and continues to influence my decisions.”
Image Courtesy: Chanel
Nidhi Kavle, Beauty Editor, POPxo & MyGlamm
The fragrance is Chanel No 5. I stumbled across it in my mom’s wardrobe when I was really young. It wasa very familiar fragrance because that’s what all her clothes smelled like. It has always reminded me of a warm, cosy time in my childhood and it will always be a fragrance I cherish to the last drop!
Elixir Nahar, Marketing, Bumble
It’s Jo Malone’s Jasmine Sambac and Marigold perfume, because she loves flowers, in the house, growing orchids, and on occasion wearing jasmine in her hair. Ever since I’ve been living away from home, whenever I do go home to visit (even without an occasion) the house is always decked out with flowers
Ritcha Verma, Blogger and Marketing Consultant
Beautiful by Estée Lauder, is a fragrance that holds a special place in my heart. It evokes cherished memories and is an ode to my mother’s elegance. The mere whiff of its delicate floral notes transports me back to moments of warmth and love, as I watched her gracefully prepare for a night out. It stands for the legacy of her beauty and strength that I always wanted to embody myself when I grew up. Every spritz reminds me of the bond we nurtured and still do.
