01 February 2024

My Fragrance Wardrobe: Cher Webb

In this series, we ask women in the know about the fragrances they love. Next up is make-up artist and beauty creator Cher Webb who is – by her own admission – scent obsessed. From the first one she ever owned to the rose fragrances she thinks everyone should try, here’s what she gave us…

Image: @CHERWEBBMAKEUP

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I’ve always found fragrance powerful. More than any other product, it has the ability to transport you to a place and time, while unlocking memories too. There’s nothing like that feeling of catching a scent that reminds you so much of someone or something. It’s magical to me.

I picked up the habit from my mum who also collects vintage fragrances. I was influenced by her and her friends growing up, and I remember all those dominant, heady scents that were so iconic in the mid 80s. That’s what got me hooked. I think the first ones I ever tried were Elizabeth Arden’s Fifth Avenue, YSL Paris and Calvin Klein’s Obsession – iconic. Whenever my mum would go out with her friends, I’d look for any fragrance empties or perfumes they no longer used and stashed them away – I had a pretty strong collection from around eight years old.

Fragrance has the ability to TRANSPORT YOU TO A PLACE & TIME. There’s nothing like that feeling of CATCHING A SCENT that reminds you so much of someone or something.

The Body Shop scents were among my favourites. In my teens, I spent all of my Saturday job money there and I adored White Musk, Dewberry and Fuzzy Peach. They were my first fragrance loves before I moved onto Sunflowers by Elizabeth Arden and D&G Light Blue, which I still wear today as I receive so many compliments.

I love a good browse at Duty Free. I’m the person that arrives early to the airport to have a peruse of the fragrances and to smell all the classics as I walk through – you can’t beat that nostalgia if you’re into scents like I am.

Rose scents with a twist are my go-to. I never wear clean scents that are reminiscent of cotton or linen – they smell lovely on others, but they just don’t suit me. If you’re a rose fan, like me, I recommend Diptyque’s Eau Rose, Guerlain’s Bloom of Rose and Byredo’s Rose of No Man’s Land – they are all heady and warming without being powdery or cloying.

Marc-Antoine’s Barrois Ganymede is my most worn scent. It’s unisex and is unlike anything else I’ve worn or experienced before. I have never been complimented so much – and stopped in the street for questioning over what it is – as when I’ve worn this fragrance. It’s become a signature for this time in my life and I am so happy to have discovered it when it’s not so well known – yet.

Glossier’s You is MY GO-TO for affordability. It’s SOFT & very INOFFENSIVE – I challenge you not to like it.

My latest fragrance empty was from Penhaligon’s. I raced through its Babylon scent. Both my partner and I wear this and, while it’s quite wintery, I would wear it in the spring too. There’s something very comforting about it. I’ve also finished Ormonde Jayne’s Isfarkand recently – it’s unique but with a similar feel to Escentric Molecules 01.

My ‘sexy’ evening scent is Paloma Picasso. It reminds me of my mum who stills wears it now. She often describes it as the ‘most powerful, sexy fragrance you can own’ and she’s right. It doesn’t need topping up as it lasts for hours, and it blends nicely with a party atmosphere and cigarettes.

I switch up my scent depending on my mood. Just like make-up, I adjust what I wear to help me feel a certain way. For confidence and to show up, I turn to YSL’s Tuxedo and, more recently, Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Portofino ’97. Back in the 90s it would have been Thierry Mugler’s Angel. So many angel-related memories for me.

Fragrance is very personal. I often think you shouldn’t wear someone else’s signature scent that you know well. In my opinion, that’s like borrowing someone’s shoes, only more invasive. My friend had Santal 33 from Le Labo at his wedding in every form – candles, room scents, diffusers and so forth. While it will always remind me of that special day, I could never wear it myself as I’d feel as if I was stealing a moment.

There are three fragrances everyone should try once. Marc-Antoine Barrois’ Ganymede, Frédéric Malle’s Portrait of A Lady and Dirty Velvet by Vilhelm Parfumerie. I’m not saying everyone will like them, but they are three classic, unique scents that are worth testing out.

My next purchase will be from Chanel. I’ve had my eye on Le Leon for some time and it’s the one I’d like to add to my collection the most. I’ve heard great things, so intend on snapping that up soon.

Glossier’s You is my go-to for affordability. Under £50, it’s one of the best on the market. It’s also available in a rollerball format and as a solid perfume for £32. It’s soft and very inoffensive – I challenge you not to like it. I also rate Beauty Pie’s Brazilian Lime, Fig Leaves and Tea. & Other Stories also has an amazing selection of affordable fragrances. My favourite is the Perle de Coco range which blends coconut and warm vanilla and reminds me of sunny holidays. It's available in a roller ball size for £13. I always wish The Body Shop would reintroduce its iconic fragrances – I know so many of us would all be wild for the nostalgia.

I have two holiday scents I wear on repeat. Whenever I go somewhere hot and sunny, I take Officine Universelle Buly’s Eau Triple Mexican Tuberose. Dressed in one of the most beautiful bottles I’ve ever come across, it's a blend of tuberose, musk and vanilla that works with hot beachy skin in sunny climate. I also love Estée Lauder’s classic Bronze Goddess which is all of your best summer holiday memories in a bottle.

Come winter, I look to rose and spice. I crave what are deemed ‘winter’ scents year round, it’s definitely my fragrance preference. My favourites for cooler months include Maison Margiela Replica’s By The Fireplace and Penhaligon’s Constance. I also love Trish McEvoy’s 100 – it’s so cosy and rich.

If I could, I’d bottle the scent of my dog. When Beppe – my dog – was a puppy, he had the most beautiful, comforting scent. IT REMINDS ME OF SUCH AN EXCITING TIME.

One of my best scent discoveries is Winter by Dasein. I discovered this in Palm Springs in 2015 in a cute ceramics store on Palm Canyon Drive. It’s unisex and instantly reminds me of the friend I was travelling with for that particular trip. It makes you feel so free and fresh. I had never heard of the scent or the brand before, but I have recently discovered there is a new Winter Nights addition and it's available at popular retailers in the US and has become quite cult. I still have the original bottle which has a tiny amount left and the label has faded. My friend and I bought one bottle between us, and we still take it in turns to have it for a few months or so. I often go upstairs for a spritz of this and it takes me back in an instant.

If I could, I’d bottle the scent of my dog. There are so many scents I’d love to bottle and cherish forever, but when Beppe – my dog – was a puppy, he had the most beautiful, comforting scent. Before we met him, lots of people said, ‘Just wait until you smell him,’ but I couldn’t picture it. I now long for that scent. It reminds me of such an exciting time. I also love the scent that runs through Sam McKnight’s Cool Girl haircare range. It’s divine and would make the most incredible fragrance.

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