I’m so pleased to introduce five new noses to you–these talented folks will be covering all that is fragrance, from tips and tricks to favorite scents and everything in-between.  I hope you’ll take a moment to get to know them, and you’ll start seeing their contributions in November!

Aleta, 26, Virginia | Aleta is the associate editor of a national history magazine (World War II), and an unapologetic fragrance nerd. Growing up on a farm west of Portland, Oregon, she spent many summer nights attempting to make perfume by soaking flowers in cups of water (if only her mother had let her use the vodka). Her most prized possessions include a bottle of French cologne brought home by an American GI after World War II (L’Ardent Nuit by Cotay), a signed copy of Perfume: The Guide, and a handwritten “enjoy your purchase” note from perfumer Mandy Aftel. Other obsessions include lipstick, Pellegrino, Adirondack chairs, and yoga. Her website: worldwarII.com.

Caitlin Miller, 25, Pennsylvania | Caitlin recently completed her master’s degree in British Literature at St. Andrews in Scotland. She’s just moved back to the U.S., currently residing in Pennsylvania, and now works for a local non-profit. She studed French during her undergraduate years and even lived in Paris for a years. She loves traveling, but now that she has to hold down a “real job” now, she travels by way of new perfumes. She says fragrance has a way of transporting you to a new place, which is one of the reasons she loves perfume! You can follow her on Twitter!

Chelsea Nusbaum, 28, California | Chelsea grew up in Los Osos, California, which is a small coastal town. She completed her undergraduate degree in Literature/Writing at University of California, San Diego, and while studying fell in love with the city, and she met her boyfriend, a mechanical engineering major, while there. She recently completed her master’s degree in Rhetoric and Professional and Technical Writing. Chelsea currently works as a proposal editor for a local defense company. She loves to freelance and edit, but between her full-time job, boyfriend, and six awesome pets, what little time she has left she devotes to fragrance!

Jamila, 22, California | Jamila is a graduate of Spelman College, native Atlanta peach–but with a California Girl personality. She loves to smile, laugh, and enjoy her life to the very fullest. She’s been a beauty fanatic since her teenage years. Jamila feels every day is a blessing and believes in living beautifully–carpe diem!

Sam, 18, New York | Sam is am 18-year-old freshman at New York University, who is double majoring in Russian Literature/Language and Psychology with a minor in Vocal Performance. Were you to seek him out outside of class, you might find him brushing up on his fencing techniques (épée) at the local academy preparing to try out for NYU’s Division I after a two-year hiatus from a national team. He may be on set at a photoshoot, pursuing his career as high fashion model (you just might spot him walking the runways of NYFW soon!). Or he could be restaurant hopping, hitting up Balthazar for their terrine de lapin, Momofuku for a quick pork bun, and Café Boloud’s lounge side for a cocktail and hideously overpriced dessert. And maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll catch him belting out “Later” (from “A Little Night Music”) or “Purpose” (courtesy of “Avenue Q”) in the streets or dorm halls. But you can always catch him breaking his diet and sorting though a bag of almond M&M’s, snagging only the blue and green ones. Yellow if he’s desperate! You can follow him on Twitter!

Get up close and personal with our fabulous five fragrance contributors! 

Q&A with Aleta

1. Where did your passion for fragrance come from? I have always cherished childhood scent memories, like snapping piles of green beans from the garden with my mom, or making orange pomanders with my dad during the holidays. I first started to love fragrance in middle school, when I got a bottle of Soda Pop Fizz by Smell This; things kicked into gear after I read an interview with Stella McCartney about her vision for Stella—I felt like I would die if I didn’t have a bottle.
2. What are five scents that you can’t live without? Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere, Aftelier Cepes and Tuberose, Estee Lauder Private Collection, Les Nez The Unicorn Spell, and Bvlgari Black.
3. What notes do you tend to gravitate toward? Unabashedly happy notes like jammy citrus, fizzy aldehydes, and blackberry. But also quirky things like rubber, bonfire smoke, and cut grass. Though nothing beats a really good violet.
4. What do you love to do in your free time? What are your hobbies? Yoga and long baths to de-stress, then knitting fisherman sweaters, playing piano, and cooking when I’m feeling creative.
5. Who makes up your family? Any pets? Soon-to-be husband (October 29). Two rabbits, Fawn and Domino.
6. What’s your favorite quote? “Don’t be afraid to do ugly” —Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model, encouraging the contestants to take risks that go beyond conventionally beauty.
7. What’s your favorite color? Today: dandelion yellow.
8. What’s in your makeup bag? Argan oil, Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, Alima Pure Brown Sugar eyeshadow and Seychelles bronzer, and Kate Spade Fuchsia Fête Supercalifragilipstick.

Q&A with Caitlin

1. Where did your passion for fragrance come from? I’m sure this is the cliché answer, but I’ll say it anyway: my passion for perfume began during my year abroad in Paris. Paris is a whirlwind of different smells—not all of them pleasant! It’s a place where the stale close air of the metro mixes tantalizingly with Shalimar and No. 5. I have to say, I usually prefer to smell like Chanel & Guerlain rather than like the Paris metro!
2. What are five scents that you can’t live without? Jo Malone Nutmeg Ginger, Diptyque Eau Duelle, Kilian A Taste of Heaven, Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil, and Guerlain Jicky.
3. What notes do you tend to gravitate toward? I tend towards the spicy/woodsy end of the spectrum. If any spices are listed in the ingredients, I’m in!
4. What do you love to do in your free time? What are your hobbies? When I’m not sniffing around for new perfumes I enjoy reading, traveling, going out to eat (especially for dessert!) and drinking wine. I’m also a television addict, and am currently hooked on The Vampire Diaries and missing Mad Men like crazy.
5. Who makes up your family? Any pets? I’m the oldest in my family and my younger sister & brother love to mock me for my love of ‘smelly things’ as they call my perfume-obsession.
6. What’s your favorite quote? “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” — Jane Austen
7. What’s your favorite color? I favor purple, green, silver and black.
8. What’s in your makeup bag? Guerlain meteorites travel compact in teint rosé, Soleil Tan de Chanel in bronze rosé, a mini l’Occitane hand lotion, Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Fetiche and a sample of Jo Malone’s Wild Bluebell.

Q&A with Chelsea

1. Where did your passion for fragrance come from? When my beauty obsession was gaining momentum, I gravitated toward products that smelled beautiful, ordering soaps, lotions, and even foundations online just to see what they smelled like. But once I was knowledgeable about ingredients in skincare, bath, and body products and cosmetics, I had to let most of those products go. Scented products and sensitive skin do not go well together. I still wanted to fill the fragrance void, though, and perfume was the obvious next step! I read Chandler Burr’s Scent Notes column, which led me to “Perfumes: The A – Z Guide” by Luca Turin and Tanya Sanchez. I couldn’t read about a fragrance without wanting to try it. I went on local sniffing expeditions to Sephora, Nordstrom, and Neiman Marcus. I bought decants online so I could sniff even more perfumes, ones not available in San Diego or even in the U.S. I sniffed everything I could and wanted to learn more about what I was smelling, which is how I found perfume blogs such as Now Smell This and Perfume Posse. Now I love perfume not only for its smell, but for the endless opportunity it to learn something new.
2. What are five scents that you can’t live without? There are many fragrances I love, and some that are favorites, but only five I can’t live without. L’Artisan Parfumeur Thé Pour un Été: Soft, rounded, and quietly ravishing, I reach for this blend of tea, jasmine, and citrus more than any other fragrance in my collection when the thermostat tips into summer temps. Bvlgari Black: A truly unisex fragrance. The rubber top note is weird and exciting while the vanilla base keeps it wearable. Guerlain Apres l’Ondee: A classic perfume you can wear to the office and a lesson that perfume doesn’t have to be heavy or challenging to be top-notch. Chanel No. 19 (eau de toilette): My favorite note is iris, and my favorite iris perfume is No. 19. Robert Piguet Fracas: The grand dame of white florals and a glamour girl (Marilyn Monroe was a reported fan). My staple for weddings.
3. What notes do you tend to gravitate toward? I always gravitate toward floral notes, particularly rose, carnation, and tuberose, but anything with ivy, tomato leaf, iris, tea, honey, vetiver, or bergamot is bound to catch my attention.
4. What do you love to do in your free time? What are your hobbies? I’m a voracious reader, and usually have two or three books going at once. I also devote a lot of time to beauty and fashion. When I need to get out of the house, I like to go thrifting or to a restaurant I’ve never tired. If I’m in the mood for canine company, I’ll take my dog to the beach or the park.
5. Who makes up your family? Any pets? I have a sister and a brother–I’m the oldest! My parents still live where I grew up, in tiny town that no one’s ever heard of called Los Osos, near Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo. No husband, but my boyfriend and I have been together nearly six years. We met during our last year of college. I have a zoo. There’s my pit bull mix, Violet; two house rabbits, Messi (my boyfriend is a soccer fan) and Maeby (and an Arrested Development fan); and three birds, a Jardine’s parrot whose given name is Cricket but we just call her Baby, a red belly parrot named Belle, and a Pacific parrotlet named Eli. During the summer, we have a revolving door of foster kittens.
6. What’s your favorite quote? “Never complain, never explain.” — Kate Moss. It’s simple, but it says a lot about putting your head down and doing what needs to be done, and doing it with class. Coming from a literature background, I have a treasure trove of good quotes, but this is the one I try every day to live by.
7. What’s your favorite color? Red! It’s the color I’m most attracted to. But for makeup I’d have to go with coral.
8. What’s in your makeup bag? Paul & Joe Lip Lacquer in Bouquet, NARS blush in Orgasm, and a sample vial of Parfums de Nicolai L’eau Chic in addition to my makeup bag staples: Chanel Correcteur Perfection concealer in Clair, Chanel Poudre Universelle pressed powder in Clair, Too Faced Retractable Kabuki Brush, MAC Pro Lash mascara in Coal Black, and Burt’s Bees Pomegranate Lip Balm.

Q&A with Jamila

1. Where did your passion for fragrance come from? My passion from fragrance came from my mom. As a child, she always lotioned me up with some of the most amazing and fragrant soaps and lotions. I was always known as the girl who smelled good by family, friends, and even strangers.
2. What are five scents that you can’t live without? 5 scents I can’t live without – Shea, Chamomile, Lavender, Rose, Vanilla Bean.
3. What notes do you tend to gravitate toward? Florals, light musks, fresh & feminine, orientals with a touch of sweetness and warmth.
4. What do you love to do in your free time? What are your hobbies? In my free time I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I love traveling, cooking and exploring city eateries. I am also a music lover, writer, animal lover and of course a beauty fanatic. Which secretly describes my shopping passion/hobby/sport, yes it does exist.
5. Who makes up your family? Any pets? I am an only child with 3 immediate cousins. My mom is 1 of 5 and my dad has a brother. My family is absolutely amazing!
6. What’s your favorite quote? “A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a man perfected without trials.” — Chinese Proverbs
7. What’s your favorite color? Gray, lime green, and pink.
8. What’s in your makeup bag? All black everything! I am a MAC fanatic. Blush, Bronzer (powder/loose), eye liner, fluid liner, makeup remover, eye shadow, palettes, pigments, mascaras, and of course, perfume. I would die without my babyboobag!

Q&A with Sam

1. Where did your passion for fragrance come from? In eighth grade, I popped in to a local Sephora in search of a skincare product, and walked out with two fragrance samples: Juicy Couture’s Dirty English and Aquolina Blue Sugar. The first I threw away immediately after testing; it smelled, well, rather dirty, and in a “I haven’t washed in days” sort of way rather than the “come hither” experience I was expecting. The second, however, delighted me, and when my small decanter was empty, I promptly bought the largest full-size bottle I could find. It wasn’t long before I realized that this spicy, syrupy scent wasn’t appropriate for all, or even most occasions, however, and having become enamoured of the aura a cologne could produce, I set out to find more to suit every level of formality, change of season, and motive of action.
2. What are five scents that you can’t live without? Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Mâle, Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche, Dior Eau Sauvage, Marc Jacobs BANG, BVLGARI Black
3. What notes do you tend to gravitate toward? Orange blossom, amber (non-gourmand), white and pink peppercorn, hay, tar, violet, fig, lime, cedar.
4. What do you love to do in your free time? What are your hobbies? Fencing (épée), modeling (currently signed with Cosmopolitan Management in NYC), eating out (favorites in the city include Balthazar, Momofuku Ko and Noodle Bar, Pastis, Vanessa’s Dumplings, and Café Boloud), playing/reviewing video games (PS3), reading (favorite genres: high fantasy, philosophy, and plays), and studying Krav Maga.
5. Who makes up your family? Any pets? I’m an only child, though there is a young woman I treat as a sister. Before I was born, my mother managed a catering company in San Francisco that this young woman’s aunt worked for. My mother’s boss (who was in turn the mother of my father’s best friend), would ask her to watch after her granddaughter on occasion, and, as this other young girl was about the same age, my mother began to take her along with them. The girl spoke very little English, but using the small amount of Spanish she knew, my mother found out that the girl had been sent by her parents to America from El Salvador after an accident in the factory where she worked to live with her aunt and uncle and receive medical care. However, her relatives both worked full time, and didn’t have the means to send her to school (which is why she showed up at the catering company with her aunt every day). Right after I was born, my mother and father decided to take her in (essentially, they adopted her without any official papers), and she came to live with us until we moved to the East Coast. My parents helped send her to school, and then to college, and I grew up with her as an informal baby-sitter, but more importantly, as a sister. I have a Rhodesian Ridgeback (African hunting dog) named Tess, and two Devon Rex (hypoallergenic mutations of an English barncat) names Char and Gracie.
6. What’s your favorite quote? Serious: “How people see you first is what they hold hardest in their minds. It is the way of the world. You can step down from a throne, and even if you behave like a farmer in a pigsty, some part in each of them will remember that you did descend from a throne. But if they see only a young man first, a country man, they will resent him stepping up to his throne later, whatever his right, whatever his power” – Robert Jordan. Silly: “A six-pac and a silver speedo are all you need to get by at NYU.” –Grace McLaughlin
7. What’s your favorite color? Deep, rich purple.
8. What’s in your makeup bag? Make Up For Ever Duo Mat Powder Foundation, Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer, Make Up For Ever Mist & Fix, Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm, Dermadoctor Tease Zone.