Your perfume, they say, speaks volumes not just about your olfactory tastes but also other hidden facets of your personality.
We speak to some of India’s top celebrities to find out what their perfumes say about them.
    Fashionista and socialite, Kalyani Chawla exclaims, “For me, it is J'adore!” She elaborates, “What I love about it is that it smells completely different during the day and at night.” J’adore, from Christian Dior, was launched in 2000. It has an ineffably delicate symphony of jasmine, with hints of rose and sandalwood.
    Another super achiever and beauty baroness, Vandana Luthra shares, “I always wear a combination of perfumes to create something that no one else wears.” She lists her favourites – “Thierry Mugler Angel Hair Mist and Body Lotion, the latest version being Womanity perfume, which smells equally good. From the French line of Aoud, it is Ambre Sultan that I like, which has a blast of dried spices mixed with fresh fruits. Then it is Fille en Aiguilles, which has a distinct woody, pine and sandalwood smell that takes about two hours to reveal itself and then settles just right on the skin for the whole day.”
    Luthra feels a perfume should be appropriate for the time of day, the occasion, the venue and other such factors. “For me, it’s very important that my perfume should match my mood, the place I’m

wearing it to and also suit my entire ensemble and even my makeup,” she ventures a step further.
   A frequent traveller, Videocon scion, Aniruddh Dhoot, enjoys perfumes from the House of Gucci but is otherwise more or less addicted to Davidoff's marine-inspired bestseller. “I have been wearing Cool Water for years now – it’s a great pick-me-up, sort of a rejuvenating
spirit for when I’m attending meetings or even generally during the day. I feel that it matches my personality. I also
like Pasha de Cartier very much – it’s not very new and it isn’t something you can use everyday but the rich sandalwood effect makes it perfect to use on special
occasions,” opines Aniruddh about the legendary aristocratic composition from the famed Jewellery House.
   Of course, if your choice of perfume is a mirror to your inner self, then perhaps a person who changes his/her fragrance often is the hallmark of reflection of a dynamic, ever-changing personality! In the case of the gracious Ramola Bachchan, at least, our theory proves true, for, says this lady who has dabbled in a multitude of spheres, from promoting art, to organising charity events, to being a restaurateur, and now charting a completely new course, “I don’t know why, but I just can’t stick

with one perfume for a long period. Perhaps I grow out of them but I need to keep changing my perfumes often. One of my few constants is Chanel’s Allure, which I prefer for daywear and then there is also Bvlgari’s Rose Essentielle, which also I am rather fond of. These aside, I have used Hermes, Carolina Herrera, Michael Kors and many others over time. However, while my fragrance may keep changing, it’s an absolute must for me to use something everyday. I put it on twice a day; morning and evening – it is part of my daily toilette, as essential as using a basic deodorant. Luckily, no matter what scent I wear, it always smells great on me – perhaps it is my body chemistry at work!” she adds with a laugh.
    The last word belongs to jet setting Dr. Kaushal Pandey, a man whose penchant for unique perfumes is only preceded by his passion for the finest of pens and the most fabulous of cars. “I get bored using the same cologne toolong. What I am presently using is something that not many have heard of – Baldessarini’s Delmar, which I discovered at Singapore’s Changi Airport nearly two years back and have been hooked onto ever since. It’s a very masculine scent, and with my early morning work schedule, it is vital that my perfume should evoke a sense of freshness in me and equally provoke a sense of energy in everyone who passes by me during the course of the day.