Recent Essays
Scents & Side Streets
The soul of the blog—herb-garden and scent parallels, film-photo Chicago vignettes, thrift-store finds, smell-memory essays, and the recurring Boyfriend Test with Nate’s untrained nose.
01
Acrylic Display Risers: A Practical Vanity Organizer for Everyday Perfume CollectionsFirst-person review of a clear acrylic four-tier stepped vanity organizer, solving clutter...
Scents & Side Streets
Aug 19, 2026
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02
Chinese Perfumes: What to Try Before You Buy a Full BottleChinese perfumes are having a thoughtful moment. Learn which styles, notes, brands, and bu...
Scents & Side Streets
Sep 28, 2026
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03
feminite du bois Review: A Warm, Woody Fragrance With a Sharp Edgefeminite du bois review for real-life wear: explore its cedar, plum, cinnamon, and ginger ...
Scents & Side Streets
Sep 27, 2026
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04
Perfumes of the 70s: What They Really Smelled LikeExplore perfumes of the 70s through honest notes, vintage bottle tips, modern alternatives...
Scents & Side Streets
Sep 18, 2026
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05
Blind Buy Fragrance: How to Spend Less and Choose BetterBlind buy fragrance with confidence: learn when to sample, test, and spend on a full bottl...
Scents & Side Streets
Sep 10, 2026
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06
Why This Blog Exists — A Letter to Anyone Who's Ever Bought a Perfume They Ended Up HatingA founding letter from Claire Sullivan — 8 years of fragrance testing, ~40 bottles, 200+ s...
Scents & Side Streets
Aug 24, 2026
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07
Growing Rosemary on My Windowsill, and Why It Changed How I Read a Perfume NoteGrowing rosemary on a windowsill changed how Claire reads perfume notes. This personal ess...
Scents & Side Streets
Aug 20, 2026
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08
A Roll of Film Through a Chicago Fragrance WeekendA visual, personal weekend in Chicago where Claire's film photography and fragrance testin...
Scents & Side Streets
Aug 18, 2026
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09
The Smell of My Grandmother's Kitchen: What Thrift-Store Bottles Taught Me About MemoryA thrift-store bottle brought back Claire's grandmother's kitchen in a flash and set her t...
Scents & Side Streets
Aug 16, 2026
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10
The Boyfriend Test: What My Partner Actually Says When I Make Him Smell ThingsClaire's partner Nate is her "real-person control group" — the honest, untrained nose who ...
Scents & Side Streets
Aug 15, 2026
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