BACKGROUND
“For the past 10 years I have lived in Louisville Kentucky, but before Kentucky, I lived in New York. I was born in India. My parents moved to the U.S. when I was a baby, but India was still a big part of my upbringing. My parents are both doctors in the U.S. We moved to New York City when I was 9 months old. I have family in India we visit frequently. I think my identities blend really well when I go back to visit.
I had this engrained idea from my parents that things are supposed to be a very certain way. When they grew up they didn’t have many choices and they didn’t come from affluent backgrounds. I grew up with that outlook too, and thought things were supposed to always be a specific way. But from my friends I realized people really value independence. My family really values community and putting others before themselves. I been very independent since I was a young kid. I alway felt like I had to do things for myself and by myself. I do love spending time with people, but I’ve learned a balance of community (from my family) and independence (from my friends). I believe if you want to do something, you are the person that has to do it.
POWER
Being independent makes me feel powerful. I used to think it was maybe selfish to be independent. I’ve realized it’s good to be fiercely independent and put myself first. I can be very caring for other people and value others, but also realize it’s important to do things on my own and do things for myself.
PERFUME
My favorite product that makes me feel great every day is a perfume called “Not a perfume.” It is by a brand called “Juliet Has a Gun.” It’s an interesting story how I found it. I studied abroad in London. I did a spontaneous trip to Paris one weekend. I was recommended to go to this shop called Nose in Paris. At Nose, you can try basically every kind of perfume imaginable. They have all these different scents (floral, musky, etc). I found this perfume there. It has a clean, musky, woodsy smell. The guy that sold it to my said it was meant for women and men, which is cool. It only has one ingredient – cetalox. Cetalox often a base note in perfumes, so it’s very light. It smells like I’m wearing something but it doesn’t totally smell like I’m wearing a perfume. It’s a very natural scent which I love.
The shop was one of the coolest shopping experiences I’ve had. It’s a small welcoming chic store. They gave me a test where they see what perfumes I may like and don’t like. They do different scenting rounds. And then they recommend different scents you might like. I sampled this one and brought the sample back to London. I didn’t originally buy it. Then I went back to Paris a few weeks later and bought it. It can be ordered online. I think other stores sell it too, but this store was an awesome experience.
Wearing It makes me feel really ready for the day. One time I didn’t put it on, and it made me feel incomplete. Being abroad was great experience, and I felt very happy, so it reminds me of that. It’s something classic that I can wear every day. I just like the smell so much!”
Buy the Juliette Has a Gun, Not a perfume here:
https://www.juliettehasagun.com/en/classic/16-not-a-perfume.html
Learn about Nose Paris here:
