Social media is an infinite pool of aesthetic knowledge. Social Intelligence is a space for established scrollers to share the very best beauty tip, follow, or factoid they’ve found on social media and how it’s affected their IRL routine.
Allison Bornstein’s goal in life is to help others look, and thus feel, their best. The sought-after stylist and author of Wear It Well is the mind behind the viral “wrong-shoe theory.” Bornstein uses the “three word method” to help clients get clear on their personal style and better to cultivate a wardrobe that is reflective of who they are at their core (and yes, she is available for one-on-one styling sessions). So it’s only natural that, when it comes to something as individual as fragrance, Bornstein favors a hyper-personal approach as well.
“As someone who believes very much in signature style and repetition, I really like the idea of having a fragrance that is associated with me,” Bornstein says. “Fragrance can be an incredible through-line and an excellent starting point for discovering your style and your style aspirations.” Much of Bornstein’s recent perfume knowledge comes from a single social source.
“I have learned so much about fragrance from Scout Dixon West,” says Bornstein. “I have always been a really big scent person—I love a signature scent and often mix and curate the scents I am wearing.” Bornstein recently took one of West’s recommendations and rode with it, investing in a fragrance from Maison D’etto’s Macanudo, the scent inspired by equestrian life. “[It] smells like fresh grass, hay, vetiver and apparently…horse hooves? I often say that I am a horse girl in personality but have never rode a horse, so this fragrance is a great way for me to express my equestrian aspirations.”
Though intimate in interpretation, Bornstein’s choice was entirely aided by West’s expertise. “I was interested in it after smelling it, but Scout’s description of it really sold it to me,” says Bornstein. “It’s similar to wine—once someone explains the notes, you can totally begin to sense them and it makes the fragrance so much for dynamic and interesting.”
