What Lingers: Perfume as Style and Memory
Perfume is more than just a scent. It holds our memories and elevates our style.
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“I need to spray down” is probably the most common phrase between my roommate and me, and honestly, we rarely give it much thought. But every spritz does more than add an invisible layer to an outfit, it creates a new memory for the future. The perfume we reach for does more than just complete a look, it lingers, attaching itself to the memories we are creating without even realizing it.
Over time, certain scents start to feel tied to specific people, places, or phases of life. What begins as part of getting ready can slowly become something more personal – a reminder of where we’ve been and who we were at the time.
A Thousand Wishes takes me back to the seventh grade, when I received my first product from Bath & Body Works in a Secret Santa gift exchange. Twilight Woods from Bath & Body Works reminds me of the eighth grade. Good Girl by Carolina Herrera reminds me of nearly every important moment throughout high school. Hareem Al Sultan Gold takes me back to my first days stepping on my college campus.
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At the time, these perfumes were just things I liked wearing. I didn’t think about how strongly they would become connected to those moments. But now, even a small hint of those scents can instantly bring me back to those specific memories. It’s strange how something as simple as perfume can hold onto pieces of our past without us realizing it.
With every spray and every application of perfume, we build new ways of holding our memories. These scents become markers of different points in our lives.
But perfume doesn't just live in our memories, it also lives in our routines.
For many people, putting on perfume is the last thing they do before they leave the house. It becomes a bit of a ritual for them. It’s something done every morning or while getting ready to go out at night. Even though its something that takes only a few seconds to do, it can change the way we feel throughout the day. A smell that we associate with something or someone may give us a boot of self-confidence or comfort. It's part of who we are as a person, how we express ourselves and present ourselves to the world.
Just like clothing or jewelry, fragrance can become part of someone’s personal signature. The scent you reach for before heading out the door can shape how you feel and how others remember you.
Some people even become known for their scent – a fragrance that friends instantly recognize the moment they walk into a room.
When buying perfume for my best friend, I know she favors florals - specifically rose. When you meet her, it matches her personality perfectly: girly, outspoken, and full of love. My roommate's favorite is vanilla, and she's warm, softer and comforting just by being there.
In small ways like this, fragrance starts to mirror the people who wear it, becoming another invisible way to express your style.
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Because fragrance is invisible, it’s normally overlooked when people think about personal style. But in reality, it can say just as much about someone as the clothes they wear. Whether or not we prefer light florals, warm vanillas, or rich and spicy fragrances, these can all speak to different parts of our personality.
Even though perfume fades throughout the day, the memories attached to it last much longer. A single scent can bring us back to memories that we didn’t even know we were holding onto. In that way, perfume becomes more than just a finishing touch to an outfit – it becomes something that lingers in both our memories and our everyday routines.
Strike Out,
Natasha Chinea
Saint Augustine
Editor: Kaya O’Rourke
Natasha Chinea is a writer and photographer for Strike Magazine, St. Augustine. She’s drawn to culture, identity, and the aesthetics that define us, with a love for visual media and storytelling. When she’s not working on a new piece or adventuring with her roommate, she’s planning what comes next — all within her signature “organized chaos.” You can see more on Instagram @nat.chinea.
