Touted as a rite of passage, the idea of a signature scent has always felt a little suffocating. As a pre-teen, I opted for Miss Dior with its powdery rose, iris, and musk, but it was like signing a lifetime lease on a scent that never felt quite right. Today, that one-bottle mindset feels outdated, and Chriselle Lim, founder and creative director of Phlur, appears to agree: “We’re now picking different scents for different moods, moments, or sides of ourselves, and layering them in ways that feel personal,” she tells me.

