{Smell} Being more feminine blog series

A Christmas present to myself... the third bar is already in use.

I love to feel feminine, and am always creating my own inspiration.  I find that introducing little pockets of femininity into my day helps everything run smoother.  I feel more ladylike and life is enjoyable – even when I’m doing mundane tasks.

The third post in this series is on using the sense of smell to be more feminine.

Wine ‘tasting’

You may already know that I don’t drink, and haven’t for a number of years now (you can read my blog posts about that here and here).  But, I still love to smell the bouquet of wine and pick out different notes.  I  know this sounds strange, but wine is like perfume to me now in that I am happy to smell it but have no desire to drink it.

My husband is a wine enthusiast and likes to try different wines, so whenever he has something a bit different he always offers it to me to have a sniff of.  It’s quite fascinating how many notes there are in wine, and a helpful thing to do is either read the description on the bottle to see if you can pick out the notes, or google that particular varietal to see what common characteristics are.

But just how is this feminine?  When I sniff for wine notes, it feels a little bit artistic, a little bit slow-living.  It’s taking the time to notice the details, and that in itself feels quite feminine.  Living life deliberately, moving graciously, taking your time, and not rushing.

Fragrance

I couldn’t do a post on being feminine with the sense of smell without mentioning perfume.  Every day, no matter what I am doing, I wear perfume.  Sometimes it is ‘perfumey’, sometimes it is a fresh and light 'skin scent'.  I even put perfume on to go for a walk.

I’ve been experimenting with perfume oils lately, both essential oil type ones and inexpensive fragrant oils such as White Musk from The Body Shop.  I usually prefer a little more ‘volume’ than an oil can provide, however they are fantastic to wear at work or when you are getting into a car with someone.

Remember how your mother or grandmother used to just about gas you with their heady 1980s perfume just before you went out as a family?  Sorry mum, but actually it was more nana who loved those spicy perfumes that would have us all winding down the window (may you rest in peace dear nana, rocking that pongy perfume in heaven).

Another nice way to subtley fragrance yourself is with a perfumed body lotion.  Some are so long-lasting that you don’t need to add perfume.

Scented candles are quite commonplace these days, and beautiful of course, but for a change I like to burn incense sometimes.  There are pretty, not too hippy smelling incenses you can get – I love rose, vanilla, ‘fresh linen’ and sandalwood.  Lighting incense always gives me a relaxing yoga/spa retreat type feeling.

Quite a few years ago L’Occitane sold incense in sticks and cones, and as with everything from this company, they were gorgeous.  Sadly, their incense range seems to have been discontinued.  A freshly cleaned house with soft music playing and an incense stick just list = divine.

Soap too: I love nice soap.  While I’m on L’Occitane, I opened this week a bar of their Lemon Verbena soap.  So delicious!  It’s weird, I’m quite thrifty with some things, but I’ll happily buy a bar of French soap for myself.

Are you a soap girl or shower gel?  Incense, candle or nothing?  And I’d love to know, could you handle sniffing wine and not drinking it, or is that just oddball me?

fiona

PS. If you live in the northern hemisphere, take a look at my newest book 'How to be Chic in the Winter: Living slim, happy and stylish during the cold season'.  Here's what lovely reader Karen had to say about it:

'Great encouragement for anyone.  I've really enjoyed reading "How to be Chic in the Winter." I've been surprised by how thoroughly Fiona Ferris considered the subject and all of its facets. She managed to make many very useful and thoughtful points while writing with a casual, accessible style.

Fiona had my attention early, when she wrote "Please do not wish away the cold season, because that means you are wishing your life away; why not enjoy yourself instead?" This book isn't just about winter, folks! It's about our attitudes and our choices at every challenging turn of life. Fiona's suggestions can apply even if you enjoy the cooler months -- her themes hold true if you hate hot weather instead, or if you're struggling in a less than optimal workplace, or dealing with a chronic illness. Her ideas and encouragement to THRIVE in all circumstances can apply to anyone. I will definitely be re-reading Fiona's book and sharing it with my friends.'