Years ago, I climbed into a giant, egg-shaped happiness detector. Technically, it was a biofeedback machine that was monitoring my brainwaves in real time, and rewarding the “goal” waves with a gentle bell sound.
Before I headed in, the tech told me to think of things that make me happy, because it’s a kind of shortcut to achieving the patterns we were shooting for. I settled in and started thinking of things I filed under that category.
Silence.
I wondered if the machine was broken or the electrodes needed to be adjusted, but before knocking on the door to talk to the tech a brief memory of my son laughing flashed through my mind.
DING.
For the next fifteen minutes or so, I had a weirdly frank conversation with my own brain. Most of the things that made my brain “ring” weren’t achievements or things I’d checked off a list. They were sensory-rich moments connected to the people and places I love most.
You’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with perfume, and that’s a fair question.
One of the fascinating things about scent is that it has a direct line to the parts of the brain involved with memory and emotion – the ones that were generating the most resonant response in the biofeedback machine that day. A song, a photograph, or a familiar place can transport us back to another moment in time, but scents seem to do it with unusual speed and intensity.
Our sense of smell is wired a little differently than our other senses. Before sights, sounds, and touch are fully processed, they first pass through a kind of relay station in the brain. Smell, however, takes a more direct route into regions associated with memory, emotion, and even our stress response.
That’s why certain aromas instantly bring us home again. Fresh bread. Salt air. Pine trees. The smell of sunscreen and coconut on a family vacation.
Pleasant scents don’t just “smell nice.” They can evoke memories, feelings of familiarity, and a sense of comfort that’s hard to put into words.
Which brings me to Good Medicine Beauty Lab.
What Makes Good Medicine Unique
I started making my own perfumes years ago after discovering the health risks of conventional fragrance, but I’m not especially good at it, and I don’t have enough hours in the day to make everything from scratch.
For that reason, I’ve always kept an eye out for truly natural alternatives, and last year I discovered Good Medicine Beauty Lab. After I featured them in my holiday gift guide, they reached out and offered to gift me a large bottle of Love Letter and a mini set of all their perfumes to test.
When I said yes, I was not prepared for how much I would love these perfumes.
They’re not like the simple essential oil blends I’ve been mixing up in a roller bottle. They’re multilayered, living scents that evolve on your skin throughout the day.
Here’s what makes them stand out:
- Handcrafted in small batches
- Made with botanical aromatics and resins
- Free of synthetic fragrance compounds
- Designed to smell beautiful on skin, not just in the bottle
- More layered and complex than basic essential oil blends
- Available in mini sizes so you can explore the collection before choosing a full-size bottle
After testing all five perfumes with my daughter, I understand why the reviews are so enthusiastic. There aren’t any duds in the collection. Every scent is someone’s absolute favorite, and each one has a completely different personality.
My daughter and I had so much fun trying them together, comparing notes, and finding our favorites. It made perfume feel fun again and reminded me how much the little sensory details of life contribute to our experience of it.
Tips For Making Your Botanical Scent Last Longer
Most conventional perfumes are formulated to project strongly and linger for hours with the help of synthetic fragrance compounds and chemical fixatives like diethyl phthalate (DEP) and synthetic musks.
DEP is a phthalate, which is a liquid plastic that has been linked to endocrine disruption, reproductive toxicity, neurological issues and liver and kidney strain. (1) (2) Many synthetic musks have similar concerns, and bioaccumulate in the body and the environment. (3)
Good Medicine takes a different approach.
Instead of creating a six-foot cloud of scent, these botanical perfumes wear closer to the body. The experience is more intimate and personal – noticeable to you and the people close to you, but not everyone in the room.
How long they last depends partly on the fragrance itself and partly on your individual chemistry. With that said, there are a few tricks for getting your scent to linger longer.
- Moisturize first. Fragrance tends to cling better to hydrated skin.
- Apply to pulse points. Wrists, neck, and even behind the knees help the scent gently radiate.
- Skip the wrist rub. Rubbing your wrists together can diminish some of the delicate top notes.
- Keep a travel size nearby. A quick refresh later in the day is easy with one of the mini bottles. Personally, I’d much rather reapply a beautiful botanical perfume once during the day than wear a fragrance that relies on synthetic ingredients.
Now for the fun part: let’s talk about each scent, including the notes, overall feel, and who I think will love it most.
Love Letter
Best For: Coconut lovers, beach girls, romantics, and anyone who wants a scent that feels sunny and uplifting.
Top Notes: Magnolia
Heart Notes: Coconut
Base Notes: Vanilla
If you could bottle warm sunshine, salty air, and the feeling of a favorite summer memory, Love Letter would be pretty close.
This was the first Good Medicine perfume I tried, and it’s still my personal favorite. My husband loves this one on me, and I understand why so many reviewers describe it as nostalgic and mood-boosting.
The coconut and vanilla remind me of warm skin after a day at the beach, and the magnolia adds a light citrus floral note.
To me, Love Letter somehow manages to feel sweet without being sugary, and noticeable without being overpowering. It’s clean and balanced, but also luxurious.
One reviewer described it as “subtle while at the same time intoxicating,” and I think that’s the perfect way to describe it. Another said it smelled “like an instant mood boost,” which also rings true. There’s something undeniably happy about this perfume.
Although many people associate coconut with summer, I plan to wear it year-round. Then again, I live near the ocean, so my sense of what’s “seasonal” may be a little different. 🙂
Love Letter is available as a full-size 1.7 oz perfume spray, a mini spray that’s perfect for sampling or keeping in your bag, a 10 ml almond oil rollerball, or as part of a discovery set.
Free Bird
Best For: Women who love warm amber and vanilla with a smoky finish.
Top Notes: Rosewood
Heart Notes: Buddahwood, Cinnamon, and Jasmine
Base Notes: Amber, Vanilla, Vetivert, and Blonde Tobacco
If you could bottle a quiet evening on the porch, a favorite sweater, and the feeling of having nowhere you need to be, it would smell like Free Bird.
This wasn’t one of the scents I expected to love based on the description, but it surprised me. While Love Letter feels bright and beachy, Free Bird feels warm, grounding and intriguing. It’s complex in a way that’s hard to pin down, and I actually thought I didn’t like it at first. But once I warmed up to it, I really warmed up to it, and it’s now one of my top three favorites.
The amber and vanilla give it a soft sweetness, while the blonde tobacco and vetiver add an earthy, smoky depth that keeps it from feeling too sweet or traditionally feminine.
Free Bird has a slight edge – not overly masculine, but not overly feminine either To me, that quality makes it feel more balanced and interesting. If you’ve ever found yourself wishing women’s perfumes were less sweet and more complex, this one may be a good match for you.
One reviewer said her husband thinks it makes her smell like a “warm vanilla cupcake,” which made me laugh, while another called it “lovely, complex, and just perfect.”
Like all of Good Medicine’s perfumes, Free Bird is noticeable without being overpowering. It’s cozy, subtly sweet, and has a richness that unfolds throughout the day.
Free Bird is available as a full-size 1.7 oz perfume spray, a mini spray that’s perfect for sampling or keeping in your bag, a 10 ml almond oil rollerball, or as part of a discovery set.
Star-Crossed
Best For: Women who love warm, spicy fragrances and anyone looking for something distinctive and a little unexpected.
Top Notes: Sweet Orange, Tangerine, Jasmine, Gardenia
Heart Notes: Frankincense, Amber, Myrrh, Clove, Juniper Berry, Cinnamon, Rose
Base Notes: Balsam Tolu, Vetiver
Star-Crossed reminds me of a wool blanket by the fire, desert rain, and the feeling of getting lost in a good novel.
Along with Love Letter and Free Bird, this is one of my top three favorites. Ask me which one I love most and you’ll probably get a different answer depending on the day.
It feels warm and rich in a way that’s hard to describe. One minute I notice the citrus notes of sweet orange and tangerine, and the next I’m picking up the deep, resinous notes of frankincense, amber, and myrrh.
One reviewer compared it to “a wool blanket around your shoulders near a fire,” and I get that completely. Another called it “spicy, exotic, and completely unique,” which also captures it well.
If Love Letter is sunshine and summer memories, Star-Crossed is cozy evenings and rain on the windows. It’s comforting, grounding, and just a little mysterious, and I can see why so many people say they receive compliments whenever they wear it.
It’s available as a full-size 1.7 oz perfume spray, a mini spray that’s perfect for sampling or keeping in your bag, a 10 ml almond oil rollerball, or as part of a discovery set.
Dream Catcher
Best For: Dreamers, deep thinkers, and anyone who craves a little more breathing room.
Top Notes: Amber
Heart Notes: Myrrh
Base Notes: Frankincense
Dream Catcher is calming without feeling sleepy – more like a deep breath and a clear mind.
Unlike Love Letter’s sunny sweetness or Star-Crossed’s cozy depth, Dream Catcher feels more meditative. Amber, myrrh, and frankincense have an ancient, almost serene quality, which gives this perfume a very different personality from the rest of the collection.
One reviewer said people tell her she smells “like a spa,” and I can see why. Another described it as “very calming,” which also fits. To me, Dream Catcher is the scent I’d reach for when I want something subtle, timeless, and grounding.
It’s available as a full-size 1.7 oz perfume spray, a mini spray that’s perfect for sampling or keeping in your bag, a 10 ml almond oil rollerball, or as part of a discovery set.
Moon Shadow
Best For: Women who like floral-woodsy scents that feel light and fresh.
Top Notes: Persian Rose
Heart Notes: Sandalwood
Base Notes: Cinnamon & Clove Bud
Moon Shadow feels like crisp night air, rose petals, and quiet woods.
I told you there weren’t any duds in this collection, and I meant it, but this was the one scent that didn’t work with my particular body chemistry. Once it settled on my skin, it just wasn’t “me.” It smells great on my daughter, though, so I gifted it to her.
It’s floral and woodsy, but also somehow light and fresh rather instead of heavy. It’s also clearly beloved by the people whose chemistry it works well with – even if, in my house, that chemistry belongs to my daughter.
Moon Shadow is available as a full-size 1.7 oz perfume spray, a mini spray that’s perfect for sampling or keeping in your bag, a 10 ml almond oil rollerball, or as part of a discovery set..
Final Thoughts
I really do think the mini discovery set is the best place to start because these perfumes interact differently with each person’s chemistry.
Love Letter, Free Bird and Star-Crossed are my personal favorites. In their own way, they each make ordinary moments feel a little more special . . . and I didn’t even have to crawl into an egg shaped happiness detector to discover them.
Any thoughts on safe colognes for men?
That’s a great question. I’ve been researching brands and hope to start testing soon. My husband and teen boys have all offered to help. 🙂