This has been my signature evening scent for nearly two decades. Why? Because it’s an uncommon scent that’s mostly worn in Europe—and, in my humble opinion, it is one of the chicest fragrances to ever be crafted. It also reminds me of my mom, who wore this perfume in the late ’70s in Tehran, where we lived. While getting ready to go out with my dad, I remember her gazing in the mirror one last time, adjusting her lipstick and her black patent leather boots before heading out. She would kiss me before she left, and the scent would linger on me. As much as I love this fragrance, I think my devotion to it has less to do with olfactory pleasures and more because it was my way of connecting with that moment in time, when I felt totally and utterly protected in the world because of her.

— Beauty Editor Maryam Lieberman on Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche. Read more in W Editors Share Their All-Time Favorite Fragrances.