Kyra could hardly believe it: the big moment had finally arrived. She’d been practicing for months, determined to nail every single dance move, every line of music, every step she took. She was going to be perfect, an absolute showstopper. Sure, she’d sacrificed so much to get to this point, but it was all going to be worth it. All the late nights and early mornings, declining to see friends so she could practice in every free moment, being forced to sit down and eat her meals instead of hurriedly shoveling food into her mouth over the sink, or while practicing, were going to finally pay off.

She stood at the edge of the stage, hidden from the crowd, which had filled every seat available. The turnout was absolutely incredible, beyond her wildest dreams (and she was known to have absolutely wild dreams). She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and said a tiny prayer as the music started. Kyra ran onto the stage to thunderous applause, nearly drowning out the music. She almost missed her first few steps because she was so taken aback, but she powered through and carried on with the show. 

It was perfect; she didn’t miss a note. She twirled, she dipped, she shimmied, she surprised everyone by singing the second half of the song herself. The look of shock on their faces! Nobody knew what an incredible singer she was, and when she began to sing, the applause picked back up to a deafening volume. She leapt, she soared, she shimmied, she glided. It was amazing. As the song was coming to an end, she picked up the pace, twirling as fast as she could while she hit the final high notes. At the last second, she dropped into a split, her hands throwing glitter into the air and onto the audience. The crowd leapt to their feet, crying, screaming, clapping their hands together as hard as they could. Kyra stood back up, walked to the edge of the stage, and took bow after bow as the applause refused to stop. It was official: she was a Showstopper.

Suddenly, the bedroom door opened. “Kyra! What have you done?!” Her mom looked around Kyra’s room, stunned. Kyra was standing on the edge of her bed, still bowing at all of her stuffed animals, everything around her room covered in a layer of glitter. Kyra was only six, and had been holding a show, in her room, for all her stuffed animal friends. Kyra stood up and looked at her mom excitedly. “Mom! My routine was great! I’m a Showstopper!” The glitter on Kyra’s face and hands sparkled as she waved them towards her mom. “Come see!” Her mom’s heart melted; clearly, this was important to her daughter. “Okay, let me come sit in the front row between Mr. and Mrs. Bear. But Kyra,” her mom said, her voice turning sharp at the end. “No glitter this time.”

Scent Notes: Blooming pink peonies, black and red musks, rich rosewood, warm amber.