About the author: Dr. Lumei Tuomala, M.D. is an anesthesiology resident at Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital. She graduated from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and from Bryn Mawr College with a BA in English Literature. In addition to medicine, she is passionate about distance running, veganism, and healthy living. She lives in New York City.
How do you sell a perfume without actually smelling it? That’s one of the most asked questions posed to Stefani Greenfield, creator and host of “CURATIONS with Stefani Greenfield” on HSN, at the June 8th pre-launch event of her perfume by the same name, CURATIONS. Greenfield, whose background is in fashion and marketing, answers the question by pointing out that a woman’s perfume, in and of itself, conveys a signature style as much as a scarf or a particular dress. That is, she approaches scent from a fashion perspective. Greenfield says, “Applied directly to the skin as part of your morning ritual before getting dressed for the day, CURATIONS Eau de Parfum provides the perfect foundation to layer on your signature look for the day, from the body up… you start your new day feeling beautiful and empowered. It’s about living in the moment.”
Inspiration
Greenfield, who has spent her summers in Myconos, Greece for the last twenty years, says that her perfume reflects her carefree sense of style, her Mediterranean influences of living life in the moment, soaking in the sun, and not worrying about others’ criticisms. “It is about being good to yourself.” She describes herself as not being a “girly girl” and wants a scent that is “clean… exudes glow, freshness, femininity… [and special enough that] people always know you’re there.”
Packaging: The perfume comes in an opaque deep purple package. Purple is Greenfield’s favorite color and it is one of the least used colors in perfume packaging. Greenfield says she wants the package to look pretty enough to be used as decoration for a dresser. While I love the choice of purple and the delicate contour of the bottle, I don’t love the gold top or the clear cap. The latter elements seem to cheapen the royal purple of the bottle. However, I do like that the container is small enough for travel and the contour of the bottle fits nicely in your hand for easy application.
The notes:
Top notes: apricot blossom, mandarin, carnation
Middle notes: freesia, neroli, iris
Bottom notes: patchouli, sandalwood, amber
1.7 oz Eau de Parfum retails for $54.00 on HSN, with special launch price of $48
Although the scent has a couple of citrus components, my nose detects mostly floral notes. The freesia and patchouli components stand out in particular. The scent is warm, lush, feminine, and sophisticated. The mandarin citrus note is too subtle to be picked up. The middle floral notes of freesia and iris nicely round out the sandalwood bottom notes. The result is a very feminine perfume that is eerily familiar, as if I have smelled perfumes very similar to this before. If I were to compare this scent to an existing one, I’d compare this to a lighter version of Estee Lauder’s Pleasures.
I like this scent, but I don’t love it. The scent stays true from first application to several hours afterwards. I see this as a great scent for a sophisticated woman in her forties but I cannot see a young twenty something or thirty something woman wearing this. The scent is a little too refined, too sophisticated – and in its sophistication leaves little room for imperfection and for personal expression. It is a feminine, familiar, but not clean or energetic scent. I would have liked a more citrusy scent akin to Clinique’s Happy or Philosophy’s Amazing Grace.
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