Get a whiff of this: the Pfister’s best-smelling guests

When I was in college, I had a roommate who wore Eternity perfume, and to this day, when I smell it, I am flooded with college memories of cramming for Psychology tests and going out for Mexican food at 2 a.m.

Personally, I’m not much of a fragrance wearer myself. Not for any particular reason – I just never really got into them. During my brief phase following the Grateful Dead in the early ‘90s I wore patchouli, but I’m pretty sure that doesn’t count.

Hence, my recent conversation with Pfister guests Rachael and Christine was pretty fascinating.

Christine works in the fragrance industry and she used to work with Rachael at Kohl’s where her company sells its fragrances. Rachael moved on into a new position, but she and Christine are still friends and were out to celebrate Rachael’s birthday with a drink at the Lobby Bar and a meal at Mason Street Grill.

When I first approached them, I immediately noticed how good they smelled. Not overpowering, but really fresh. In fact, I believe they are my Best Smelling Interviewees to date.

Christine told me that her company has a licensing agreement with many designers and celebrities with their own line of fragrances including Vera Wang, Jennifer Lopez and Calvin Klein.

According to Christine, Jennifer Lopez’s “JLove” is currently one of the hottest perfumes on the market and exclusively available at Kohl’s. Marc Jacob’s “Eau So Fresh” is popular these days, too. Turns out, both Rachael and the Lobby Bar bartender were wearing it that night.

Christine says that although there are a lot of great fragrances on the market, sometimes the best get discontinued.

“The American consumer is so driven by what’s new and what’s hot but if a company does not continue to advertise and get it out there with scented (cards in magazines) and on TV, the consumer doesn’t usually come back,” she says.

Some people stay loyal to the same fragrances for most of their life – classics like Obsession and White Diamonds are in this category – whereas other ladies like to switch it up and go with what’s trendy as they do with fashion.

Sometimes you can tell a person’s personality through their perfume of choice.

“Certain kinds of personalities gravitate to certain fragrances,” says Christine. “From soft to sporty to spicy.”

So how long does a fragrance last?

“Two years if it’s open, but if it’s not open it can stay in air-tight bottles for a long time,” says Christine.

How do you know you’re not putting on too much? Rachael suggests a quick spray on each wrist and then a spray or two into the air and doing the “walk through.”

“You really can’t go wrong with the ‘walk through,’” she says. “Just remember, your fragrance shouldn’t enter a room before you do.”