I have always used fragrance the same way other people use music, routines, exercise, comfort shows, or aesthetics: as a way to shift my mood and make everyday life feel a little softer, calmer, or more interesting. Perfume has never felt frivolous to me. I’ve always approached it as a form of emotional regulation, escapism, self-expression, and small-scale daily pleasure all wrapped into one.

This year I am trying, very consciously, to practice what I preach.

That has meant making some decisions that looked strange from the outside and felt uncomfortable from the inside. The biggest one was leaving a job that I genuinely loved. It was a good job. It taught me a lot. It gave me confidence and room to grow. It also stopped fitting the person I was becoming, and staying would have meant ignoring that truth for the sake of comfort.  Leaving became imperative, but the sense of loss was real.