I Thought Smelling Like Vanilla Would Make Me Softer

I started wearing vanilla because I wanted to be the kind of person people felt safe around. Warm, sweet, familiar. Like I could cover up the parts of me that felt sharp or tired or just too much. Every morning, I layer it on—body wash, lotion, a spritz behind each ear. I keep a travel-size bottle in my bag, reapplying in bathroom stalls before meetings, before dates, before seeing friends who never seem to need as much fixing. Sometimes I catch a whiff of myself and wonder if anyone can smell the desperation under the sugar. If they know I’m just trying to be easier to love. I don’t even know what I smell like without it anymore. #BeautyBurnout #BareFaceAnxiety #SkinStory #Beauty