Tag Archives: sexy

Searching for a Signature Scent

Where I work, there is no place for perfume.  No scent allowed, due to sensitivity, and no acceptance of aroma of any kind.

Please understand.  I totally respect the need to be mindful of my fragrance adverse friends and colleagues.  However, despite certain geographic and atmospheric limitations, I still want to locate and emanate a signature smell. 

When roaming the corridors of cubicles, I do – of course -  refrain, but when an appropriate occasion calls for a sniff of something sublime, I want to be prepared.

So, for the last little while, I’ve been searching high and low for the right scent to represent my essence.  I am in no rush, because sampling can sometimes be stinky, but I have been determined to discover “the one”.

As a child, I used to hang around and watch with admiration as my mother got ready to go out for the evening – dinner with my dad, a trip to the theatre, or the annual Christmas office party.  No matter what the outfit or occasion, her ritual always ended in a gentle spritz of Nina Ricci’s classic “L’ air du Temps“.  Never overbearing, this light and feminine fragrance signaled her intent to make the event a special one. 

These were the nights when she was all woman, and when she treated herself as she deserved to be treated.  By doing so, my mother was conveying that she had a life beyond my world, and that strong women who take care of themselves are better able to love those around them.  While perhaps not consciously, this simple act of indulgence taught me more about womanhood than any “when you grow up” pep talk ever could have.  To this day, whenever I catch a whiff of L’air du Temps, the memories come rushing back and I am grateful for what I learned from my mother in the presence of her perfume.

 

                               Nina-Ricci-Lair-du-Temps - mimifroufrou

“The legendary accord of spicy carnation and gardenia is subtly tinged with rose and jasmine from Grasse and caressed with sandalwood and iris for even more sensuality.”

                                                             -  Description from Nina Ricci.com

Now, I find myself with a daughter.  When I think about what she might take away from our short time together as mother and little girl, I am conscious that more than my words, it is my actions that she will learn from most.  And, because she deserves it, I try to show myself respect.  Rather than a rationalization for self-centeredness, this is my modus operandi.  Someday, I hope my little girlaboutOtown will love herself as much as she does those lucky enough to be around her. 

So, it seems I am in need of a signature scent…

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The Tinted Edge – Hair History in the Making

Haircuts.  Hair colour.  Hair stylists.  

A hairstyle – or lack of one – speaks volumes about the person wearing it. 

More than any other physical feature, hair is an ever present visible manifestation of a woman’s sense of personal style. 

A hairstyle can say we’re serious.  Or sporty.  Or sexy.  Or sloppy.  It can say we’re young – or young at heart.  It can be beautiful.  Or bold.  Or it can just scream boring.

Recently, I felt the need for a change.  Not only was I ready to “break up” with my stylist after a few years too many, I wanted to convey something new.  Something different.   Something somehow more accurate, and  I wanted to shout out “I’m me, and I like it!”.  I wanted my hair to better reflect how I feel about myself at this point in my life, and I wanted to appear as authentic as I am finally beginning to feel.

I am young, but not that young, and I am both smart and sexy.  I guess I would describe my style as 80% /20% classic/boho, with a penchant for vintage clothing, a weakness for high heeled boots and an addiction to big bags.  I am medium maintenance woman who wishes to live  gracefully, and who is serious about expressing personality without being short on substance. The more self-aware I become, the the easier it is to communicate who I am through my aesthetic choices.

Unfortunately, my hair no longer fit this picture.  It was way overdue, and as is the case with hair – it was out of my hands.  I needed to find someone who would understand, and who I could trust to help me make the kind of change I was looking for.

womanbutterflies

So after doing some homework, and reading about their hair philosophy, I ventured over to the Tinted Edge Artistic Hair Studio on Cumberland Street.  This tiny little salon had been recommended to me by a like minded friend who raved about Christina, the owner and chief stylist.  I was reassured that Christina would know exactly what to do , so I had high hopes and huge expectations.

                        christina01

Well – let me tell you – I have never had a better hair experience!   I don’t think it would be overstating to say that Christina is a genius. 

Walking into the Tinted Edge I felt immediately at ease.  This was a place where everybody was happy.  Really happy.  Customers were happy, the team (stylists Zac and Allison ) was happy and Christina was downright pumped.  It was almost 6pm, and they had been there all day having fun!  What a relief it was for me to find myself among experts who were genuinely in love with their work, and who were so clearly serving their clients well. 

From our very first exchange, Christina wanted to know all about me.  Not just about my hair, but about who I am and how I live.  She asked me what kind of style I wanted, which I couldn’t really say, and seemed to understand intuitively when I instead began to try and described how I see myself.  She had definite ideas, but was careful to listen first to mine.  Then she spun my chair around to face her with my back to the mirror, looked me square in the eye, and said “what colour are they?”.  I was instantly and irreversibly impressed. 

Not only was she going to apply her knowledge of shape and texture,  Christina would also demonstrate her sophisticated understanding of colour.  Here was an artist who  was actually taking the colour of my eyes and the tone of my skin into account!  So far in my life, I had only ever seen this happen on TV.

Over the course of the next while, we  chatted comfortably about everything from our Moms and men to food and fashion, and I watched while she busily tinted and snipped.  In the end, the change was subtle but significant.  Having not really understood what I wanted, this new “do” was exactly what I needed. 

Interestingly, we talked about our passions.  While I confessed to my difficulty  passing abandoned furniture on the side of the road, Christina “sees heads” everywhere she goes!  Kudos to her for living her passion, and for bravely stepping up to share her talents through her business.  She sets a fine example for women who wonder whether they can make a go doing what they love…

So, I left the Tinted Edge with a new friend, a fabulous hairdo and a renewed sense of myself.  Upon returning home, I was met with a WOW.  What more could a girlaboutotown  ask for?!

Images from The Tinted Edge Hair Studio.

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