Fragrance Wardrobe: Natalie Lim Suarez on the Citrus Perfume That Smells Like a Hug

Your perfume isn’t just how you smell—it’s how you feel when you get dressed in the morning, for a night out, for a boardroom meeting. It's just as much of an accessory to how you present yourself to the world as your clothing (and let's not forget its close ties to memory and emotion). With that in mind, we’re launching Fragrance Wardrobe, a new scent series in collaboration with The Fragrance Foundation that highlights the rotating perfume “wardrobes” of our favorite tastemakers through key points in their life. Get to know them better via the scents they choose to wear.

Natalie Lim Suarez is one of the originals. Back when some of Instagram's biggest fashion influencers were just picking up their DSLRs for the first time, Suarez was already making a name for her elegant-yet-understated style via her blog, Natalie Off Duty. These days, Suarez can add fragrance designer to her growing list of style accolades, launching her first namesake perfume with her sister Dylana (aptly named NATALIE DYLANA). The scent is simultaneously fresh and warm, representing the duality of sisterhood and also elements of Suarez's personal style, which favors streamlined silhouettes, power suits, and eclectic accessories. Ahead, get to know Natalie Lim Suarez through the scents she remembers from childhood, falling in love with New York, and a warm hug.

What are three words you would use to describe your fragrance wardrobe? "Delicate, sultry, elegant."

The fragrance you remember most as a child: "Tiger Balm. That minty and menthol balm my mom would always have by our bedsides! My mother is Chinese and she loved the benefits of Tiger Balm. We would even put it under our noses to just breathe it in, and on our temples and behind our ears. I remember it as a relaxing scent that reminds me of Southeast Asia. Then, of course, we would need it when we visited family back in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia because my sister and I were always getting bit by mosquitos. We even used it for that!"

The first fragrance you bought for your fragrance wardrobe: "DKNY's Be Delicious. I guess I was always dreaming of NYC in my youth. It's funny because once I started working in NYC, one of my first long-term partnerships was being an ambassador for DKNY's Be Delicious. It will always remind me of the magic of NYC—that rush and excitement. It's a feeling I will never forget. I did a lot of story-telling with that scent that made me dig deep into my connection with the city."

The fragrance you wore when you fell in love: "Mon Guerlain. It's like wrapping yourself in a luxurious blanket. It's a very mature and sexy scent. It's also a real self-love scent for me. I feel a strong sense of femininity when I'm in it."

The fragrance in your carry-on: "NATALIE DYLANA Eau de Parfum—the fragrance I created with my sister Dylana Lim Suarez in partnership with Scent Beauty. It's a total dream to have our own fragrance! We created a very special scent that is both fresh and warm, representing the duality of sisterhood. The fig and cedarwood bring the warmth, while the mandarin and orange blossom give it that awakening feel. It can be layered throughout the day because it really lives on you, and becomes you. It's never overpowering, yet always complimenting."

Your "goes with everything" fragrance: "It has to be NATALIE DYLANA Eau de Parfum again. Women love it. Men love it. It's such a happy, citrus scent for the day, yet I also wear it right before bed because it gives you that cozy campfire feeling too. It's a sophisticated, uplifting scent that makes you want to give yourself a good hug."

Your power-suit fragrance: "Tonic Blanc by Thomas Kosmali. I feel like a lot of the Thomas Kosmali scents are tough-girl scents. They're powerful, and you only need a tiny splash."

Your slinky slip dress fragrance: "I have two sides to a sexy slip dress kind of night. It can be sweet and soft like Linen Rose by Aerin, which I adore, or it can be a bit darker and sultrier, like Velvet Gardenia by Tom Ford."

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