I mentioned last year in a review of Eris Parfums’ Scorpio Rising that I’ve always been curious about the zodiac, so I’m ready to explore an astrology-fragrance connection now and then. Also last year, the Brooklyn-based indie perfume brand MCMC Fragrances (a longtime favorite of mine) released a collection of “all-natural home and body mists” designed to complement the characters of the zodiac. Okay, I thought, sign (ha!) me up.
As you may not be surprised to learn if we’ve been online buddies for a while, I’m a June baby (rose is “my” flower) and a Cancer (“the crab”), which translates into being emotionally sensitive and most comfortable in home-like spaces. Some Cancer-themed scents lean into Cancer’s “water” category by foregrounding aquatic notes and delicate white florals. MCMC takes a different approach, choosing its notes for their weights and “personalities” in a more cross-sensory way: “Petitgrain creates a sturdy home from which whimsical eucalyptus and sweet grapefruit gently emerge.”
Lately I’ve been spritzing my Cancer mist around my home “office” for a mid-day boost, and spraying my arms lightly when I’m in the mood for something refreshing. I’d describe it as a contemporary take on the classic Eau de Cologne theme — and its citrus-herbal blend would feel perfect on humid summer days, although it’s also ideal (speaking from experience) for a winter evening when you happen to be feeling stuffy and cranky with a bad head-cold. Its grapefruit note is rounded and juicy and not excessively tart, and the petitgrain (an oil derived from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree) is green and a touch woody. Eucalyptus, coincidentally, is a smell that has always signified “home” to me, since my mother has always kept containers of eucalyptus branches in the house where I grew up. That connection is serendipitous for me, but even so, eucalyptus’s gently bracing, aromatic quality deepens Cancer’s citrus and wood notes perfectly. Overall, this mist does feel “safe and comforting, with depth beyond,” just as advertised.
Skimming through the list of Zodiac Mists, I’m seeing other signs/blends that appeal to me — Sagittarius (blood orange, rose and ho wood bark) and Capricorn (benzoin, sandalwood and amyris) sound specially good. I happen to have very close relationships with a real-life Cap and Sag — coincidence? Perhaps!
If you knew more about your own astrological chart than I do about mine, you could purchase mists for all three of your signs (sun, moon and ascendant) and create a celestial bouquet for your nose. One (or a pair?) of these Zodiac mists would also make a worthy Valentine’s Day gift. The packaging is simple yet chic; I really like the labels’ abstract designs and subtly unusual palettes.
If you’re interested in astrology, what’s your sign? And have you ever found a fragrance that seems to accentuate it for you?
MCMC Zodiac Mists are $38 each for 100 ml at the MCMC Fragrances’ website.
