A Dangerous Signature Scent

You never really know what direction life is going to take you in. Through all of the twists and turns, unexpected joys and heartbreaks, and any other surprise life can shock you with, most people find it helpful to have some things remain stable throughout each day.

For me, that comforting standstill is perfume.

The day I decided I wanted my own signature scent was the same day I watched “Legally Blonde” for the first time. After seeing Elle Woods’ give her resume for the Harvard Admissions team an extra kick by spritzing it with her with perfume, I knew that I wanted my own fragrance- not just to wear, but to add to my identity. Leaving the house to go to class? I need at least three sprays. The sweatshirt I’ve been wearing all week is dirty? Who needs a washing machine when I have my perfume? Having a movie night at home with the girls? It doesn’t matter that we’re not going anywhere. I’m still putting on my perfume.

All day, every day, I will still be wearing my usual and favorite aroma.

The stages of my perfume web and flow with the seasons, each one helping to determine what phase I seem to be going through in that time. This past summer while living at the beach, I opted for the light, flowery fragrance of Trish Mcevoy to further develop my ever-growing coastal grandma aesthetic. Today (and for the past two months) being a freshly single college student surrounded by my girlfriends at all times, I’ve changed my tune to a different song and my scent to a darker essence.

Femme Fatale.

This archetype is not a recent development into today’s world. Throughout literary and media history, a femme fatale is the beautiful, mysterious, seductive, and dangerous female embodiment. Characters commonly use their siren-like personality to lure men in before the men are stripped of their power, oftentimes being destroyed in the process. Gaining power is always the center of any femme fatale’s vision and taking it from the men who have historically held it for centuries only makes gaining control feel that much better.

Oakcha’s Femme Fatale blend mixes scents of orange blossom, bergamot, tonka bean and cashmere wood, creating a sultry mystic to whoever puts it on. Wearing that perfume, a trail is left, not just of an oaky residue, but of dominance, persuasion, and drama. My femme fatale perfume allows me to feel control and power, especially in comparison to men, which is a fleeting notion that not all women have been allowed to experience.

There is no way to tell what my next perfume phase will be. It all revolves around what stage I am settled with in my life or what aesthetic I am trying to match. For now, the confidence I feel exuding from myself is indescribable, and the femme fatale state of mind allowed me to reach that. Rather than focusing on the capability of overpowering men, I’ve chosen to channel that energy into myself. As long as my perfume is able to accompany me wherever I go, it’s easy to feel unstoppable.

Photo / "shawty shawty" single by Gno on Spotify

Written by Ann Harper Covington

Copyedited by Mariana Mejia

Graphic by Sophie Difusco