Today we're helping Linda, who wants to find two new perfumes. One should be a daily "signature" scent, and she'd like the other to be a romantic fragrance for special occasions. She can pay up to $100 each. She'd prefer perfumes that aren't too popular or mainstream, although that's not a deal-breaker, and she'd like them to be pretty but interesting — they don't have to be complicated scents. She has good access to perfume stores. Here is what we know about Linda:

She's in her mid-20s and lives in San Francisco, where she works as a pharmacist.

She says she is slow to catch on to new trends — she prefers simple and classic, with feminine touches. Her favorite piece of clothing is a grey draped cashmere sweater from J. Crew.

Linda is shy when meeting new people, but can be bright and goofy once she gets to know them better.

Linda likes notes of osmanthus, champaca, white musk, sandalwood, orange blossom and cedar...

Today we're helping Kate, a regular commenter (as KateReed) here at Now Smell This. Kate wants to find a nice bedtime /downtime scent — not too loud, not too quiet. It would be great if it was a natural fragrance, or at least, not "heavily chemical". She says she has less than $90 of wiggle room in her budget every month, so it has to be reasonably priced. She usually shops online. Here is what we know about Kate:

She's in her mid-30s, single, and works in insurance sales. She says she can sometimes be perverse simply to be perverse.

For fun, she reads and writes. She loves sci-fi and sci-fantasy books, and for movies, westerns.

She says she has little if any sense of style.

She hates being cooped up, and likes the windows open.

Kate likes dry and powdery fragrances, but she also likes many other kinds of fragrances...

Today we're helping Fani, who loves perfume and wants to find her signature scent. It should be something she can wear year round, and she'd prefer something niche so she'd be less likely to smell it on others. She can spend up to $150, but needs suggestions she can find in (or have shipped to) Greece, where she lives. Here is what we know about Fani:

She's in her late 30s, and says her style is casual and classic: neither sporty nor suits & pumps, but somewhere in between.

Fani says she is introspective and imaginative, and loves to curl up in an armchair by the fire with a really nice book and a cup of tea. But she says she also has some fire in her personality, and she wants that reflected in her perfume.

She loves books and romantic movies, especially those set during the Regency / Victorian period (à la Pride & Prejudice). But she also loves vampire and assassin movies, and hard rock is her favorite music.

Fani likes oriental, spicy, incensey fragrances with amber and/or vanilla...

Today we're helping Rena, who is postmenopausal and finds that with the hormonal shifts, everything smells different: top notes are becoming sharper, tenacity and sillage are increasing. She'd like us to help her find some (more) perfumes she can still wear. She has good access to perfume stores, and is happy to buy samples or decants. She's also happy to chase after vintage so long as the perfume is still reasonably easy to find. Her price limit is around $250. Here is what we know about Rena:

She's a massage therapist in her early 40s. Next year, she'll be starting acupuncture school.

She says she is generally cheerful, optimistic, easy going and down to earth.

Rena has wide-ranging tastes. Her chemistry seems to work best with scents that are lush, full, round and big. She'd be especially interested in suggestions for magnolia and honeysuckle. She can't wear anything fresh, sharp, green or aquatic, and she doesn't like baby or baby powder fragrances...

Here are links to the articles for each participant...

The Monday Mail returns from its holiday vacation today (and look for a Monday Mail feedback post next week). We're starting off the new year with Kristen, who discovered Boucheron Jaïpur Saphir in Paris back in 1999 and has worn it ever since. Now that it's discontinued, she'd like to find a new fragrance for special occasions. If she can find the perfect scent, she's happy to pay whatever it costs, and she has excellent access to perfume stores. Here is what we know about Kristen:

She's in her mid-40s and teaches mathematics.

She says she is fun-loving, romantic, and leads an active lifestyle...

After today, the Monday Mail will be taking its annual holiday vacation — look for it to return in early January. Right now there are only 2 people remaining on the waiting list, so if you've been thinking of participating it's not a bad time to get on the list.

Today's subject is Tarra, who wants to find an everyday signature scent, something she can wear for years to come. She'd prefer something that isn't too popular or widely worn, but it would help if she could find it at Neiman Marcus or Nordstrom. She's willing to go elsewhere or online though, and she can spend $100-200.

Here is what we know about Tarra:

She's in her mid-20s, and she lives in Washington, DC.

She's a graduate student (Critical Theory) and writer; she also has a full-time job in quantitative analysis — she jokes that she's equally right- and left-brained.

She is ethnically Indian, and has been described by dates as "exotic, mysterious and sensual." She also says she's not the "relationship type" — she's flirtatious and capricious...

Today subject is Isabelle, who owns three perfumes and wants to find a fourth to join her collection. She says she wears perfume for her own pleasure, but discusses her sampling experiences with her husband, who has a great nose. She has a hard time finding perfumes that please her because she doesn't like the mainstream French-European style.

Isabelle wants to find an iris, rose or tea scent, but is willing to entertain other ideas as well, and will happily try men's fragrances as well as women's. Her new perfume should be discreet, with good lasting power, and it should cost no more than $150 for 50 ml. Here is what we know about Isabelle:

She is in her mid 50's and works as a librarian.

She enjoys jazz music, modern painting, photography and nature paths.

Isabelle dresses 'comfortably classic' with an emphasis on beautiful colors and soft textures.

Isabelle owns Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan...

Today we're helping OJ. She's a perfume neophyte looking for a signature scent that matches her retro tastes — but one that will fit into the modern world (she loves vintage perfumes, but has to tone it down for her conservative office). Her perfect perfume won't give her swing dancing partner a headache, but will smell nice at about two feet, and have long staying power closer to the body. It should be young but not bratty, and she'd like to keep it under $150. Ideally, it should be something that won't be reformulated or discontinued in the near future. Here is what we know about OJ:

She's a classically trained dancer and musician in her late 20s.

She's "working a fiercely boring day job that could use some glamour".

OJ loves the fashion and music of the forties; her husband describes her as "the good girl in a film noir movie."

OJ likes natural, non-dessert vanilla, neroli, jasmine, carnation, nutmeg, bergamot, tonka bean. Her favorite olfactory memory is a perfect orange infused creme brûlée...

Today we're helping Dan, who says the "powerful poetry" of fragrance has taken hold of him. Right now, he wants to find a replacement for Dior Homme, which he likes but sometimes finds too sweet. Ideally, what he wants is Dior Homme's "muscle-bound, black-shirt-wearing, older brother". He doesn't care if his new fragrance is hip, or geared towards men or women, or how much it costs.

Here is what we know about Dan:

He's in his late 20s and in his last year of university, studying philosophy.

He says his friends would describe him as idealistic and dandy, strange and pensive; a less favorable description would be 'volatile and unstable'.

Other fragrances Dan has worn in the past include CK One, Burberry Touch (now he finds it dull), Issey Miyake L'Eau D'Issey Pour Homme, Christian Lacroix Bazar, Hugo Boss Hugo, Joop! Jump, Hugo Boss Deep Red, and a few others.

Dan recently bought Prada Infusion d'Iris...