Do not fear! This is not going to be a TMI post. 🙂
I love to select a perfume at night to wear to bed (to sleep!), just as I select one in the morning before I start my day.
I got into this habit around the time I started the blog, because I had so many perfumes to try for reviewing, and such an enthusiasm for the topic, that I figured it was a waste of time and skin space to spend half the time of each day unscented.
When I went to sleep wearing perfume, I soon discovered how much I loved it.
Falling asleep on a soft cloud of fragrance surrounding me is wonderful. The darkness enhances my sense of smell and with every movement, my perfume circumvents my consciousness and delivers a little puff of wellbeing directly to my brain, or soul, however you want to call it.
Every night I go to my little (okay, large-ish) box of samples, or the bottles currently in rotation and choose a sleep scent.
Usually I know exactly what I need. Incense is high on the list of favored notes for the night and so is Iris, both are calming and clearing my head. But there are also nights when I crave Shalimar or Tolu or some other oriental, that warms me up and satisfies a craving for something sweet.
Before I go to sleep, I go to my older sons room and sit him on the potty, to avoid nightly accidents. He mostly stays asleep during the whole thing, but in his half asleep and dazed condition he always snuggles into my throat and sniffs, then grunts peacefully. I love the thought that this is creating some powerful olfactory memories of his mother that stay with him for life.
When I move in my sleep, I get a whiff now and again.
When I have to get up because the baby is crying, I smell it.
It always makes me smile. It makes me feel comforted.
Getting into the habit of wearing a Scent of the Night, was a good thing. I wouldn’t want to miss it anymore.
Do you wear perfume to bed?
Which one(s)?
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Perfume to bed! But of course I do! I love either soapy-green scents – such as Balmain’s ‘Ivoire’ – ‘Encens et Lavande’ or orange blossom scents to wear to sleep, and they’re always appreciated the next morning by my six-year-old sleepy teddy bear. Certain perfumes, however, are not for wearing without appreciative company! (Cue in…Narcissse Noir!) 😉
On a similar note, lavender essential oil – a few drops on a pillow or bedding – works wonders with fractious babies, rambunctious toddlers and restless little boys. My own now equates lavender with sleep.
I’m evil, I know! 😉
Will try the lavender, thank you, in fact I would try just about anything at this point, this was not a good night 😉
I’ve been there, too, poor thing! 😦 The good news is, it does get better! Try the lavender – and let me know how it goes!
Thank you! That is good news, indeed 🙂 I´ll keep you posted.
I love the idea of pampering your (little) boys with xour night fragences, I still recall my grandmothers perfume, when I was a little boy, I think it was megara from le gallion!!! does this exist any longer???
What a nice memory. I will have to look up Megara. 🙂
I only occasionally wear scent to bed but when I do it’s always Shalimar. It rarely seems appropriate during the day but perfect for night-time.
I’m glad that wearing scent during broken nights with your little one is comforting – for both of you I’m sure. I think perfume can be very supportive psychologically.
Shalimar is a great choice, it can be comforting as well as seductive 😉
You are right, perfume is a perfect support “structure”.
I spray my sheets with orange blossom water (I just mix plain water with orange blossom hydrosol I buy from a Lebanese store). It is very calming. A friend brought me some dried orange blossoms from Iran, and I stuffed those under the mattress. The smell was so beautiful and strong at first, and it made me sleep better.
Hmm, that sounds good, especially the flowers under the mattress.
In the summer time I was wearing Penhaligon Orange Blossom to bed every night, and it was lovely. Since it got cold I have been wearing mostly Parfum de Nicolai Maharanih , with it’s pretty happy roses, oranges, creamy-spicy carnation and cinnamon and sexy sandalwood civet. It makes me smile and my husband finds it tres sexy, so good for bed, non?
Absolument!;)
Orange Blossom seems to be a favorite of many for nightly relaxation.
“I got into this habit around the time I started the blog, because I had so many perfumes to try for reviewing, and such an enthusiasm for the topic, that I figured it was a waste of time and skin space to spend half the time of each day unscented.” Describes be to a t, a certain amount of years ago. I recently started doing this again, which make me quite happy really, it means the enthusiasm is sort of back.
We both make it through our sleep-deprived nights smelling great at least 😉
Usually I don’t wear anything for the night, because often I still carry the traces of the scent I had on during the day. But I’m so with Tarleisio (again) : lavender is a nice thing for the bedtime. In fact, Vetiver Sacre (L’Artisan) would be a nice one (on me its earthy warm black tea). Or “Like this”, a sweet comforting blanket. ..
Like This is indeed nice at night, so comfy and warm.
The image of your sleepy little boy nuzzling into your neck is so beautiful; when I read it last night before heading off to bed myself, I was so moved I almost cried.
Hmmm. Must be coming that time of month. 😉
The sleep scent is just as important to me as the SOTD; I usually apply in the after dinner hours, and it sets the tone for the evening—then, as you say, the puffs of scent that waft up as you move under the sheets… it’s a time of undistracted appreciation!
To tell you the truth I almost cried myself, when writing about it. 🙂
Undistracted appreciation – that is a perfect phrase.
Thank you for your lovely comment!
I wear scent to sleep. I spend time thinking and planning them. I tend to go for rich, comfort scent this time of year. And citrus blossoms or jasmine in the summer. My night perfume choices are “simple” scents. I usually crave soliflores. I’m not going to be awake to catch the progression of notes 😉
I love to plan my perfume schedule too 😉 We are a little weird, aren’t we? 😉 That is true, linear scents make more sense at night.
Before I go to sleep I put samples that are in my test box.
That is perfect time to review them… I take a shower before going to bed so my hands are ready to absorb new scents… mmmm 🙂
A good time to test new perfumes – less distractions 🙂 Thanks for reading, Bellatrix!
I always wear perfume to sleep well, usually “Féminité du Bois” which I feel relaxing. In fact I now only wear it at night, it is my sleep fragrance 😉
Hi Celine, I bet Feminite du Bois is a great fragrance to sleep in, I should do that tonight, thank you for the inspiriation and for commenting! 🙂