Fragrance can act as a power suit when stakes feel high. Like the perfectly tailored ensemble, the right scent can shift your posture, steady your breathing, and help you summon the poise you need to face any situation. If you think this comparison sounds flimsy, consider this: A study cited a survey that found 65% of its participants felt confident when wearing fragrance. Additional research into the mind-smell connection found that scent-wearers fidgeted less.
Your individual power scent is deeply personal. For some, it’s a razor-sharp citrus that helps hone their skills during a presentation, while others take an understated approach with a woody musk that feels like a comforting embrace. No single note can define this kind of emotional armor, but we asked 10 masters of their craft which fragrances they reach for when they want to feel (and smell) unstoppable.
Simone Biles, Olympic gymnast
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Simone Biles is best known for medaling 30 times at the Olympics (23 of those medals are gold, by the way). Despite her stoic appearance on the mat, the Ohio native still feels the pressure of competing. Spritzing on perfume is one way she grounds herself. “It helps me feel calm, present, and confident,” she says.
Biles adds that she’s gone through “an insane number of bottles” of Burberry Goddess Eau de Parfum, a warm and spicy gourmand featuring three kinds of vanilla. “It makes me feel powerful, unique, and beautiful,” she says, noting that whenever she wears it, “good things happen.”
Shirley Chen, actor
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Ty Chen