November 4, 2016

Matthew Biehl, fashion editor at Sharp Magazine, chats fragrance

Food and nature inspire the fragrance shopping habits of fashion editor Matthew Sharp.

What is your favourite scent memory of childhood?

My mum is a great baker, and was always making something in the kitchen when I was growing up, but she only baked gingerbread around Christmas. Cloves have such a distinct smell, and it would fill the house when she started making the cookies—it signalled that Christmas was coming, which is still exciting to this day.

What was the first fragrance you bought yourself and why did you buy it?

Unfortunately, I can’t remember the specific first fragrance that I bought myself, but I do know that it was something by Calvin Klein, while I was in high school. There wasn’t any deep decision making behind it—I think I was influenced by the racy campaigns, and the fact that it was a pretty prevalent brand that actively courted younger consumers.

What maternal (or paternal) figure influenced your attitude towards perfume?

Both of my parents work in professions where they can’t wear fragrance on the job, so inadvertently I think this did influence me. I don’t have this drive to wear a scent every day, even though I work in a setting where I could. If anything, I remember my mum putting on Lancôme Trésor if they were going out, so I tend to lean towards only wearing fragrance for special occasions—it’s a habit I’m trying to break.

What does your favourite fragrance say about your personality?

My current favourite fragrance is Kiehl’s Original Musk. I like that it’s a headier, warm scent; it isn’t overpowering despite it being a musk. It doesn’t smack you in the face, but the more you smell it, the more gets revealed. I think I like to think that reflects my personality: I can be a bit shy and reserved when I’m meeting new people or in a new situation, but once I feel more comfortable, I become more relaxed and outgoing.

What makes you notice a fragrance?

I mainly notice fragrance if it’s something I haven’t smelled before. A lot of mass fragrances can smell the same, so when you notice something unique, whether it’s a boutique scent, or maybe even an essential oil or something like that, it really stands out and can be striking.

How many fragrances do you own?

I usually own between five and six fragrances at a time, but only use a couple of them regularly. A lot of fragrances pass my desk at work, so I can’t help keeping the ones I like, but I don’t always get around to wearing them enough.

How many fragrances do you regularly wear?

I currently alternate between two—the aforementioned Kiehl’s Original Musk and Carven L’Eau Intense. The Carven is a bit lighter, with hints of lemon and grapefruit and lavender. It was perfect for summer, but now that it’s getting colder, it may go out of rotation in favour of something a but more substantial.

What do you smell like?

If I’m not wearing a fragrance, I like to think I smell clean! I tend to avoid soaps that are too floral or generically “manly,” but I do like citrus scents, so maybe soapy with a hint of citrus?

How do you scent your home?

I’ll light a candle or two when the mood strikes, to give a hint of scent to my home. Candles seem to be a popular press gift, so I just use whatever I have on hand, instead of being devoted to a particular brand.

If you could bottle the scent of a favourite place/city/memory/moment what would it be and please describe the smell.

My grandparents used to have a waterfront home, just outside of Vancouver, where all of our family would get together, so there are a lot of good memories from there and to have that scent bottled as a way to keep those memories alive would be amazing. The air there was so fresh, but with a mix of the brininess of the ocean and the earthiness and woodiness of the mountains and the forest—all you had to do was breathe in to feel the nature around you.

What scents/smells are overrated?

Probably vanilla, in fragrance at least. I love the smell of vanilla when baking, but when it’s used as a crutch to create an overly sweet, kind of basic, fragrance, then I’m not a fan.

How do you feel about signature scents? Is it freeing or limiting?

I think, like anything, it really depends on the person. Some people have a uniform for dressing, so it would make sense that they would also have a signature scent, while others like to be able to mix things up and not feel beholden to one thing. I think the nature of fragrance a lot of the time is that it is tied to different times in your life, so most people will change what they wear over time, but if you find that one fragrance that you don’t want to let go of, then more power to you.