I wore a neuroscience perfume for a month, and everyone around told me I smelled "confident"

It's not exactly a secret that fragrances have a unique ability to affect our emotions, and as a beauty editor, I've experienced this time and time again. Whether it’s a spritz of an aquatic, citrusy blend that instantly lifts my mood and transports me to the French Riviera or a cosy, musky scent that cocoons me — one way or another, each perfume I own has the power to influence my mood for the entire day.

Yet, as far as emotion-igniting scents go, there's one particular perfume I recently discovered that stands out from the crowd (even out of my vast collection of over a hundred different perfumes). Enter Initio Power Self extrait de parfum, the fourth addition to the brand’s Hedonist lineup.

I first sniffed it at a press event celebrating its launch, where I — alongside my fellow beauty journalists — were invited to participate in a breathwork class. Admittedly, I didn't see the relevance at first. After all, how exactly would such a therapeutic activity tie in with a launch of a musky perfume? But as the class kicked off, it all started to make sense.

Throughout the breathing exercises, we were told to use manifestation techniques while experiencing the perfume. In other words, we spritzed it on while visualising the best versions of ourselves, locking in the feeling through scent. And sure enough, as the scent surrounded me, I started to feel a sense of absolute comfort, serenity and confidence.

At first sniff, you’re met with a punchy hit of pink pepper, which immediately reminded me of Glossier You. As it sits on the skin, it reveals an ethereal blend of white florals, before settling into a warm, musky base, complemented with notes of ambrox and cedarwood. Personally, I loved just how perfectly the spicy notes balanced the white florals, as well as the scent's comforting, musky dry down. It’s truly a multi-dimensional, genderless fragrance that I could see myself wearing to any occasion, be it for a day in the office, a date or a wedding.

Featuring innovative neuroscent technology, this perfume was specifically formulated to further enhance the connection between the scent and the brain's sensory receptors. More specifically, Initio wanted to achieve a perfume to boost your inner strength and confidence, and during the process, they measured the emotional responses through patented testing methods to ensure that the scent triggers these exact feelings.

As a chronic over-thinker and an extremely anxious person, I can assure you that boosting my confidence is no mean feat – it certainly takes more than a swipe of red lipstick or a freshly blow-dried head of hair. In fact, as far as fragrances go, very few have actually managed to live up to their confidence-boosting claims. That said, as I walked out of that breathwork class, drenched in Power Self, I felt it. I was exuding that confidence with conviction, and other people started to notice it too.

Later that day, I attended my friend’s birthday dinner, and each person I hugged and greeted told me I ‘seemed different’, though they couldn’t exactly pinpoint as to how or why. And shortly after I shared that I’m wearing a new perfume, it clicked. Everyone commented on how unique it smelled and how it becomes more addicting with each sniff. More importantly, the common feedback was that it made everyone perceive me as though I’m ‘put together and have it all figured out’ – which is hardly how I’d describe myself IRL.

But to me, it was less about what others smelled, but rather about my own feelings that were triggered as a result of wearing it. These days, I reach for this perfume whenever I’m feeling a bit down or on days when I know I could use a boost of confidence and it never fails to deliver.

In fact, I’ve come to associate it with that feeling of comfort, strength and calmness, which I cherish all the more, since my anxiety means I rarely get to experience it. Needless to say, it’s earned a well-deserved spot on my shelf of all-time favourite scents, and I don’t see this changing any time soon.