Damiana Chiavolini, Writer
A trained researcher, educator, writer, and editor in the life and medical sciences, I have been forever hooked on fragrances. My name is Damiana and my love for scent started as a young child, sniffing perfumes and soaps, and also scented erasers, pens, and dolls. The love continued to grow as I started to collect perfume at age 11 after my mom brought me a set of five miniatures from Paris – Gres Cabochard was my favorite. From then on, my parents continued to feed my passion: my mom with the perfume bottles she would happily share (I remember YSL Paris, Lancôme Magie Noire, Trussardi for Women), and my dad with mini-size bottles he’d bring me from his trips. I spent years discovering, wearing, and collecting fragrances, and the passion became even stronger after I discovered artistic perfumery in 2013.
I was born in Italy but raised in both Italy and the UK before moving to the USA sixteen years ago.
I love how the fascination for fragrance not only continuously develops my sense of smell and expands my olfactory culture but also enriches the spirit of sharing through the use of samples, decants, bottles, impressions, and stories.
Other than perfumes I love literature, poetry, art, theater, movies, traveling, good food, and, of course, reading and writing.
I have been writing in the science and medicine fields for almost twenty years and blogging on this space for 4 years. I also write for the online fragrance magazine I Fragrance.
I earned a certificate in natural perfumery in March 2024 through Providence Perfume Co. (with perfumer Charna Ethier), and I have taken classes in fragrance evaluation (with perfumer Marie Urban) and accord making (with Charna Ethier or Darren Alan White).
I am currently writing a book about fragrances, which is set to be released in the fall of 2025. Stay tuned for more!
Sarah McGuire, Photographer
As a passionate lover of the power of the image, I have used photography to capture events, places, and objects to stop time, visit the past, or convey the power of emotion. Over the years, I’ve honed my craft through hands on experience exploring the importance of light, color, and drama.
My formal training is in the sciences which has influenced me by demonstrating how an image can illustrate complex concepts intuitively. I’ve had my images published on the covers of scientific journals and self-published a book of The University of Iowa mascot on Parade. I also created calendars chronicling trips to remember. More recently, I’ve combined my love of photography with my love of perfume. I enjoy staging scenes that capture the mood of a fragrance. A particular favorite was bringing a bottle to White Sands National Park to capture not only a wonderful experience, but how a fragrance can conjure it.
My appreciation for images of all types is further enhanced by my love of film, art, and nature. All of this coalesces into a way for me to communicate my appreciation for the world around us through imagery.
This blog is an adventure that brings together more than thirty years of sniffing, collecting, discovering, reading, and communicating fragrances and scents. We hope you’ll enjoy it.
Disclaimer
I Sniff Before I Sleep is a personal blog, and the opinions are our own. We primarily review fragrances from our own bottles and samples I either purchased or received for free. If bottles or samples were gifted or won as part of a draw, we will indicate that in the review or article. We review new releases as well as vintage or discontinued fragrances, depending on what inspires me. Receiving samples does not guarantee a review. Unless otherwise indicated, all pictures are taken by Sarah or Damiana. We are dedicated to fact-checking and any mistakes will be corrected promptly.
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