# Moving to Türkiye, motherhood and… my new secret ritual

> Between a new country and a baby to look after, Kristina Çelik refused to leave herself for “later” — and fell under the spell of perfume. She shares the warm notes she loves for autumn: spiced vanilla and amber, sandalwood and cardamom, coffee and chocolate.

- Source: https://mesgalem.com.tr/en/inspiration/my-new-secret-ritual
- Language: en-GB
- Author: Kristina Çelik
- Published: 2026-09-28
- Category: Mother & Baby
- Tags: Motherhood, Time for yourself, Autumn, Guest writer

This piece is by my friend Kristina. She met her husband Özgür in Russia, and they later moved to
  Türkiye; while building a new life here with their daughter Aylin, she found a small ritual of her
  own. We publish it as she wrote it, in her own voice, with this English rendering alongside the
  Turkish original. — Merve

When we first moved to Türkiye, I thought all my time would go on settling in, housework and looking after the baby. But I knew very well that I mustn’t leave myself for “later”. I needed a small hobby full of inspiration, something that would nourish me. Something that would lift my mood in seconds, wouldn’t need hours of silence and would fit easily around motherhood…

And I found what I was looking for: I fell under the spell of the world of perfume! While my little one sleeps or plays beside me, I study notes, hunt down rare bottles and, you could say, collect feelings.

Now, as that soft, velvety autumn arrives in Türkiye, this ritual rescues me from every kind of low mood. So shall we choose our autumn scent wardrobe together? When the evenings turn cool, what warms us, what wraps around us like a cosy blanket?

Here are my favourite notes, wonderful for busy mothers:

- **Spiced vanilla and amber.** Look for scents with tonka bean or warm milk notes. Even on a walk with the pram along the seafront, they give an incredible feeling of calm and comfort.
- **Warming oriental hints.** Soft sandalwood and a light touch of cardamom. These notes open up differently in Türkiye’s air; they turn truly noble and deep.
- **Gourmand scents (coffee and chocolate).** The most innocent way to lift our dopamine levels, with no fear of calories! A couple of spritzes, and the mother scraping purée off the rug is gone — a queen walks in instead.

Ladies, perfume is the quickest way to come back to yourself, to remember the woman you are and to stay in the “now”.

So which is your autumn scent? Do you like something sweeter, or do you prefer woody notes?