Perfumes

Searching for your signature Fall scent? Why not let your personality do the picking, then? Below are four of the latest fragrance releases for Fall — and they're all unique in their own way (just like you). With tones ranging from citrusy sweet to creamy musk and everything in between, you're sure to find your fragrance soul mate. Time to start spritzing.

• The Boho Babe: You go for earthy fragrances that are as natural as they are magnetic. Pick up Balenciaga's Floralbotanica ($95), a floral fragrance with an edgy twist. Mint, amber, and rose blend together to create a scent similar to lying in a field of wildflowers.
• The Urban Night Owl: If you're the girl constantly on top of what's happening and who's on a first-name basis with every doorman in town, you need a fragrance that can keep up. Bond No. 9 has formulated Manhattan ($190), a spicy-sweet scent as seductive as the borough it's named after. And with its notes varying from coriander to jasmine to suede, it's just as rare and unpredictable as you are. Available starting this Thursday, just in time for Fashion's Night Out.
• The CEO Coquette: A strong, powerful woman like you needs a scent that's going to make people take note. Michael Kors has answered your call with its Gold Rose Edition eau de parfum ($78). Notes of creamy sandalwood and a burst of pink pepper will keep you on top of your game; they'll also ensure sure everyone in the room knows when you've arrived.
• The Sweetie Pie: Bright and bubbly is how people usually describe you, isn't it? You're charming and feminine and want your fragrance to be the same way. Diane von Furstenberg Sunny Diane ($52) is for you, then. It's a fruity, dainty scent that combines notes of mandarin, violet, and musk: the perfect match for your sunny disposition.

Choosing and applying a fragrance is kind of like walking a tightrope: it takes perfect balance. Spray too little and your scent is completely missed. Spray too much and you'll give everyone within 10 feet of you a migraine. What complicates things more is how important scents are in our everyday life. "Fragrance can be extremely powerful," says Nicky Kinnaird, the founder of Space NK. "It can instantly evoke memories and is representative of who you are." And the last thing you want to represent is a girl who can't hold her perfume. So how do you keep your fragrance behavior in check? We sniff out the answers when you keep reading.

I used to enjoy walking through the perfume area in department stores. I’d let the dolled-up women spritz me and hand me the little cards with their beautiful blends of citrus, floral, and musky scents and I had a tray on my dresser filled with exquisitely designed bottles.

Then my first child arrived, and I was more likely to smell like spit-up than any of the magical potions that decorated my dresser. When I returned to work, I would give myself a little spray before walking out the door, only to have my son sneeze when I bent down to give him a kiss goodbye.

I now find my charming bottles gathering dust, only to be used on the rare date night when I quickly give my wrists a little pump after giving my tots a peck good night and before running out the door. I often stare longingly at the carefully designed bottles filled with mood-changing scents and hope that the future holds a chance for me to start wearing them again. Did you give up perfume once your lil one arrived?