Jewellery designer Danielle Singer smells like metal—and Prada

We chat with Toronto-based jewellery designer Danielle Singer about her go-to perfume and what she smells like.

What is your favourite scent memory of childhood?

When I was growing up my Grandmother lived on a farm and it smelled musty but amazing. It smelled like earth, hay, and lots of dust but those things hid amazing old treasures from my mother’s childhood. I would sit for hours in rooms so musty you could see the dust floating in the air, sorting through old magazines and chests of clothing. I have lots of happy memories of that place so I’m sure I’ve romanticized the smell over the years.

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

I’m pretty sure it was Dream by The Gap. That scent was huge when I was in Jr. High and now that I think of it a pretty good scent for a pre-teen, it was light and fresh smelling. I loved it then, but would never wear it now.

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

That would absolutely be my mother. She wears Jean Nate everyday but she’s also always moisturizing so the result is a combination of scents that is really lovely and unique. When I was young she would only wear perfume when she went out for something special, the fragrance would be deep and spicy and paired with a dark smoky eye, it always seemed very adult to me.

What does your favourite fragrance say about your personality? 

My favourite fragrance is Prada Amber. I’m not sure what it says about my personality but I love that its light and delicate without being overly feminine or flowery. I feel like it works just as well day or night and I’m always in the mood for it though I rarely think to put it on. My sister actually wears the same scent and it smells completely different on her which always amazes me. I feel like that’s the sign of a great fragrance, one that adapts to your natural scent instead of just overwhelming and masking it.

What makes you notice a fragrance?

The fragrances that stand out to me are the unexpected ones. I always prefer spicy or citrusy scents, ones that make you stop and wonder what it is.

How many fragrances you own?

The current count is 4, 5 if you include Coconut Oil. Its my new go to moisturizer and certainly leaves me smelling a bit sweet.

How many fragrances do you regularly wear? 

Other than my favourite Prada perfume the other fragrance I wear most often is Marc Jacobs Oh Lola. I don’t generally like their line of scents since they’re quite sweet and flowery but I fell in love with this one and the bottle makes it even better. Its a giant plastic flower and I love it so much that I leave it on my bathroom counter.

What do you smell like?

I probably smell like metal all the time. Metal and Coconut Oil. Its sounds unpleasant but I actually really love the smell of metal. Its hard to describe using any word other than metallic and I’m sure lots of people have no clue what I’m talking about. In high volumes the smell is very strong and it gets on your hands, its an odd smell but I love it because for me its the sign of a really productive day in the studio.

How do you scent your home?

For my home I like neutral, earthy scents. I have a humidifier that I sometime put essential oils in, mostly ones that smell like pine. I also have a couple of Diptyque candles that I light when I need some aromatherapy.

Who is the best smelling person you’ve ever met, and what did they smell like?

My husband. He smells manly and fresh and I loved his smell right away. I guess that’s what they call natural chemistry!

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

That’s so tough, I wouldn’t even know where to begin! I feel like if I had to pick one it wouldn’t even be exotic, it would be that smell in the air when theres a lightening storm in late summer and you can smell the electricity in the air along with the freshness of the rain, I’ve always loved that.

What scents/smells are overrated?

I really dislike sweet perfumes. There’s one extremely popular perfume that I can’t stand the scent of, I don’t want to name names, but two of the top fragrance notes are vanilla and cocoa… much too girlie for my taste.

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

I could never commit to one scent exclusively. That being said I think it is very fitting for some people to have one go-to fragrance, its just not for me.

What piece of fragrance advice or wisdom do you want to pass on to your kids/friends/the next generation?

Don’t over do it! Too much perfume is the worst. That and don’t feel restricted to traditional scents, have fun and be individual.

How important is fragrance to your life, to your sense of style?

Perfume isn’t extremely important to me, I’m a fairly low maintenance person and rarely think to put any on, but I love it for times when I want to feel a bit extra done up.

Shop Dolorous Jewelry!