recommendations for a beginner?

hi!! I know next to nothing about perfume, but I have gotten kind of obsessed with finding a "signature scent" after getting recommended some posts from fragarance subs. the way that scents are described as capturing specific memories and feelings seems really fascinating to me, and I would love to find something that "feels like me." I have been trying to explore what fragrances I like by popping into cosmetics stores daily and trying out samples. however, I have been disappointed by nearly all of them. the way they are described by people who "get" fragarance sounds fascinating, yet when I spray them on myself, they are underwhelming at best and nauseating at worst. I am wondering if I share what scents I've tried, if anyone can give me recommendations. I think I like fresh, natural, and sometimes musky scents. I want to smell noticeably good and ideally unique, but I don't want to smell like perfume.

more positive:

-Chanel Coco Mademoiselle: I think this scent is so beautiful, I love the mix of citruis and pachouli. unfortunately it triggers headaches for me

-Clinique Happy- really simple scent, but I wore it throughout university. it smelled nice, and I could spray as much as I wanted to without worrying about it being heavy

-D&G Light Blue- smells lovely and fresh to me, would consider getting a bottle but it feels slightly generic

-Hermés Un Gardin Sur le Toit- I liked this scent, but it didn't feel subtle enough to wear regularly

more negative:

-Replica When the Rain Stops- not offensive but kind of unremarkable

-Lush Pansy- I found the initial spray honestly offensive, but I liked the dry down

-This is Her!- kind of smelled like nothing, yet was slighly irritating

-Burberry goddess- found the initial spray to be really nice, but the dry down smells too sweet and cloying

-YSL Libre- I found this to be the most generically "perfume" scent I tried; I hated it. It immediately triggered me a headache. I was immediately excited to go home and wash it off.

Posted May 13, 2026, 6:30 PM UTC

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