I didn’t set out to start a fragrance blog. I mean, who’s a middle-aged working mum trying to influence, and on a platform that peaked around 2012 no less? But it happened slowly, and then all at once. One bottle, one sample, one scribbled note at a time. Eventually, the thoughts needed somewhere to live, and Fragrantica reviews just weren’t cutting it.

In the Notes grew out of that: a place to write about perfume in a way that feels personal, reflective, and creatively free. I’m here because I love fragrance and I love writing about it. By day, I’m a corporate communications professional, so storytelling and strategy are second nature. I’ve spent years helping brands shape their voice and message. That perspective informs how I approach perfumery not just as an art form, but as an industry.

My academic background adds another layer. I spent years as a PhD researcher immersed in the study of subculture and counterculture, which taught me how to trace meaning through aesthetics, community and language. So yes, I know my way around a deep dive.

In the Notes is part scent diary, part review journal, part love letter to the perfumes and houses that have surprised me, stayed with me, or challenged my tastes. It’s also a space where I explore the wider fragrance world, how it’s marketed, how trends shift, how the business of scent works behind the scenes.

What you’ll find here: honest thoughts, lyrical detours, the occasional nerd-out over a specific note or brand, and a healthy dose of curiosity.

If something you read here makes you want to revisit a bottle, test something new, or simply feel more seen in your own scent journey; then I’ve done what I came to do.