I have adored perfume ever since I was a little girl and had my first sly sneaky spray of my grandmother’s Chanel No 5. She clearly had a taste for the big, brash scents of the 80s as her collection also included Ysatis, Elizabeth Arden’s Blue Grass, L’Air du Temps, Giorgio Beverly Hills (just a whiff of this takes me back to a trip to Paris in July 1989) and, her favourite, Yves St Laurent Paris.
My own favourite when I was growing up was not, mercifully, Christian Dior’s Poison (unlike most of the girls at my school) but, perhaps more awfully, Guerlain’s Samsara of which I got through dozens of bottles. Yves St Laurent’s Champagne (now called Yvresse thanks to a law suit) was also a brief favourite as was Chanel’s Cristalle. I had expensive tastes and the nose of a middle aged, power suited female lawyer.
Through the years I have jumped from one favourite to the next, generally following the prevalent trend but with a bad taste edge that was all my own. At university I still favoured Cristalle but then veered like so many others towards the world of wrong that is Thierry Mugler’s Angel (I still have my refillable bottle but am hesitating over actually getting some more – can I still carry it off?) before plumping for Viv Westwood’s Boudoir, which is crassly over the top, luscious and ridiculous all at once. I wore it on a trip to Paris with my ex fiancé and now the smell of it brings him to mind, which is more than enough reason to avoid it forever more.
Nowadays my taste is more sedate but unfortunately due to my husband recoiling in disgust from any smell more pungent than the lightest dash of vanilla essence behind my ears (according to my grandmother, all the housewives in the post war years would do this in lieu of proper, meaning French, perfumes) and also my much loved Chanel Coco Mademoiselle suddenly bringing on migraines, I stopped wearing most perfumes a couple of years ago except for occasional dashes of my much loved and now sadly dwindling BPAL Eden.
Well, no more! I still buy perfume guides then devour them from cover to cover (is that weird?), lurk around the perfume department in Harvey Nichols like a long lost relative who has come uninvited to the family reunion and then, miserably, apply the testers in a state of fear and shame before scuttling away in a panic lest I actually give in and buy something scary like Vera Wang Princess, which I am always drawn to despite myself. I spent rather too much time hanging around Sephora on my last trip to Paris, spraying myself with Princess and sniffing myself rapturously.
This has to stop. My once amazing perfume collection has dwindled to some Lush solid perfumes, a couple of BPAL bottles, Guerlain Insolence, Guerlain My Insolence and a few precious drops of Diptyque Philosykos, which is my all time favourite perfume OF ALL TIME.
Ah Philosykos. Just one sweet, coconutty, figgy whiff, redolent of summer breezes and happy days is enough to make me feel content. Dave, finding it inoffensive, has agreed to buy me a bottle for Christmas, which as it is rather pricey leaves me free to work on acquiring the rest of my Perfume Wish List over the coming year.
Marc Jacobs Daisy.
Donna Karan Be Delicious.
Giorgio Armani Code.
L’Artisan Perfumeur Premier Figuier.
Clarins Par Amour.
Agent Provocateur.
Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb.
Gucci Flora.
Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One.
And now I am wondering what other lovely perfumes would work for me. Rock and Rose perhaps or Black XS or maybe Paul Smith Rose? Any suggestions?
I love perfume. I currently have Coco by Chanel, Chanel No 5, Prada’s Infusion D’Iris (lovely, really subtle), Angel (a gift, but I love it) and CK Euphoria (I won this, but actually quite like it). If I had all the money in the world I would have hundreds of bottles as it’s so dependent on my mood!
Ooh, that sounds like a lovely collection. I have just been wondering how many perfumes the average woman should have to cover any eventuality or mood and I think I would be happy with maybe a range of six or seven. If I had unlimited money, I would buy dozens though as I love it so much!
Am currently reading reviews of Gucci Flora and wondering whether it is worth a sniff. :)
When you said you loved perfume even as a child, that takes me back too. My father loved to smell perfume on women and he always told us we had to wear it when going out somewhere with him. (dances, weddings, anywhere that you’d dress up to go). He always wore aftershave, too. He’d give us a bear hug and sniff our necks to make sure we had it on. He even bought us some at Christmas now and then. All his nieces knew that Uncle Ken likes perfume, too. When his first and only granddaughter was born, he brought a tiny bottle of child’s perfume to the hospital for my sister to keep for the baby. He didn’t expect her to put it on the baby, it was more a gesture.
As a result, i’ve always had perfume, from the drugstore cheap stuff to really good stuff. I had Samsara too, I think and another favourite was Obsession. I changed from that when everyone else had it too! I wore an Avon fragrance, Imari, for awhile and still like it and i also have Addict by Dior at the moment. Problem is i can’t wear it to work every day anymore, as it’s “scent free” now due to people having allergies. A lot of public places have that policy so i don’t wear perfume very much at all these days, sadly.
My favourite perfumes have usually had some oriental layer to them, i don’t like the really floral ones much nor the “green” smelling ones. My mother used to spray Giorgio in the bedroom and it filled the house *gag* Very strong and sweet. Chanel No. 5 didn’t suit me either because i’m not that fond of roses. Avon had Sweet Honesty that we wore when we were young and it suits young girls but is too sweet for me now. They actually have some nice perfumes, Bond Girl and Chic in Black are two i like.
They are really pretty perfume bottles i am drawing them now i love perfume bottles lush!!!!
My favorite during colder weather – Guerlain’s Mitsouko. Created in 1919, it contains bergamot, jasmine, rose, peach, oak moss, pepper, cinnamon, and vetiver. It’s very sophisticated and dressy, but I like to wear it everyday.
Another favorite which was given to me as a gift, and grew on me, Byzance by Rochas. It’s a floral, but tones down to a woody, chypre-esque – very complex with depth. I’ve been wearing this scent on and off since the 80′s – timeless warm scent that works in summer or winter.
I like Avon’s Imari and Sweet Honesty as well – casual and fun…and non-stinky. ;)
I’m reading through your blog this evening, and really enjoying it. :) Versailles has been my favorite places since I was seven. My mother used to take me to France quite often when we lived in Europe.
I love Mitsouko! I read somewhere that it is particularly lovely on redheads so gave it a try and they were right! Guerlain scents are just so lovely – they always have real depth and character to them. :)
Thank you so much for your kind comments! :)
Angel! It is my absolute favourite! I get reproched by strangers in the shop telling me how lovely I smell.
I have tried others, but now I realise there is noone else for me. Angel is the love of my life.
Luckily, my husband loves it too. Our daughter (19) does not, so each to their own I guess.
Nice post, finding a good perfume is not a difficult job, but finding a perfume in antique bottle is quite difficult.
hi girls, just found this by accident , was browsing for some maria antoinette picture /paintings. i love past times and i am really fascinated about every year since 1500 onwards.
just wanted to say i had all of these perfumes, got few bottles still.
my favourite is elixir des merveilles by hermes and recently a week ago yep i barely have time to eat..i got a sample alien by thiery mugler and i fell inlove with..i will buy it soon as i have the chance to go shopping:)) bless you all ! x miha-london
Bonjour! :)
Oh, lucky you having so many perfumes! I would love that! I don’t think I have ever tried Elixir des Merveilles, but will have to now if we have similar tastes in scent! :)
I also did not immediately picked up his scent.
My favorite flavor Chanel Chance
Chanel’s certainly different flavors for the last time I buy perfume Chanel Bruna