How do I love Guerlain's La Petite Robe Noire lineup? I'd count the ways, but we'd be counting forever by that point.
The OG fragrance ($95; sephora.com), which mixes gourmand notes like black cherry and almond with rose and black tea, has been a staple in my ever-growing collection since its launch, and frankly, I was into it before I even caught my first whiff. It was inspired by the idea of a classic black dress—or LBD if you're on that level with it. Considering that black dresses make up about 75% of my wardrobe, I like to think that I am. The scent launched back when I was freelancing at InStyle, the point in my life where I was trying so hard to appear cool, sophisticated, and together (still haven't achieved any of that btw) to hire, and I vividly remember spraying on a veil of the stuff every morning before I'd head out. In retrospect, it was probably a bit much, and although it is a gorgeous scent, it was probably slightly annoying for everyone sitting around my cubicle to have the trail follow me in the way the cloud of Thierry Mugler's Angel followed the woman who lived in my apartment building. I never actually saw her, but I could always tell when she had been in the elevator right before me.
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A half-used bottle of La Petite Robe Noire still sits in the tiny Ikea cabinet where I store all of my fragrances. It gets regular use whenever I'm feeling it, but you know, when you've bathed in a scent for so long, you can only continue to do it sparingly and when the time is right. Kind of like re-watching every season of Charmed, or ordering in pizza. Realistically, I could do it every day, but at that point, it isn't special anymore.
I was on my clean, light floral kick when last year, the brand launched a La Petite Robe Noire nail color range, which was infused with the fragrance I knew and loved. Scented nail polishes aren't anything new, but are completely and totally my jam. Even with top coat, the scent lingers for about a day or two, resulting in me being the weird girl in the office who can't stop sniffing her nails. When the La Petite Robe Noire lipsticks arrived in the beauty closet, which also was lightly-scented with the perfume, I used the nude shade all the way down to the plastic ring. Same goes for the sheer bubblegum lip and cheek tint. My favorite days were when my entire face would smell like the fragrance.
Although, by far, the Black Lashdress Mascara is probably my favorite, and I think I almost like it more than the actual fragrance. I'm the type to layer on 2 to 3 mascaras, but I can easily go solo with this formula. It's easy to build, and the unique shape of the brush allows me to evenly coat each lash, then go back in and target individual areas to make them more dramatic. Then, of course, comes the scent. I'll catch whiffs of it throughout the day, which I think is just the most pleasant thing ever. 5 years after my obsession started, the scent trail still follows me in a different way—but luckily, I'm not giving my coworkers a migraine this time around.
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