Happy New Year

The beginning of a new year spawns all kinds of resolutions for many. I'm not one of them.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of the select fortunate individuals who has a life that is so put together it doesn't warrant the implementation of resolutions. It's just that the word 'resolution' itself seems so stringent to me. It's as if I'm setting myself up to fail if I dare make myself part of the resolution movement.

So for my first post of the new year. I'm eschewing everything resolution-related. This won't even be a 'best-of' post. My personally most-enjoyed fragrances this past year were so memory-associated, that I can't even mention them without feeling super emotional.
(Yes, it's been a year of highs and lows. My life is a cliche, can't help it. :)
The remainder were previously-undiscovered gems that were launched years prior.

What I'd really like to talk about at this time is one of my favourite topics: fragrance shopping.
It's fun to get out there and sniff, isn't it? And for those of us who are relegated to (relatively) small-town living, going to a big city and having a whiff of the most pricey and notorious wares is a real treat.

On a recent business trip to Toronto, I had the pleasure of browsing at Holt Renfrew.




Image courtesy of www.beintoronto.com


My lovely pal Anna (who isn't a perfumista herself) had to endure some sniffing. And I have to say that she did me proud.

First counter: Kilian. Having already sampled the new Garden of Good and Evil collection, I decided to test some of the lesser-knowns from his lineup. The winner: Pure Oud. A somewhat skanky but very-wearable oud, unisex to my nose and incredibly heady. (Could smell remnants of it on my coat days later, rather enthusiastically sprayed by Eric, the incredibly helpful SA). Since Eric didn't have any samples of Pure Oud left, he overturned boxes of others (he really searched hard!) and gave me a sample of Amber Oud instead.
I walked away happy.

Image courtesy of www.nathanbranch.com

Next up was the Malle counter. L'eau D'Hiver has been on my wish list for ages, so I huffed it lovingly. Carnal Flower Hair Mist was a must-test, and it didn't disappoint. Having my hair smell like this on a daily basis would be a dream. Alas, my budget doesn't quite allow for such an indulgence, so on the shelf it stayed.



Image courtesy of www.hellocotton.com

I fully admit, I could have spent hours at Holt's. However, I had to spare Anna the agony of waiting on the sidelines. It's an awkward thing, shopping with a non-perfumista isn't it? Luckily for Anna, she found something she liked at well. I've been curious about Byredo's offerings for a long while. Being part gypsy myself, I had to get my hands on their ubiquitous Gypsy Water. Clean, sweet and expensive-smelling, it didn't quite live up to the image I had conjured up for it (in my mind, I envisioned a slightly sweaty, dirty musk. Couldn't tell you why). Anna loved it too. Must spring for some soon.

I happened upon the following little gem, which was quizzically placed on a back shelf, seemingly away from all of the other fragrances on it's own. I recognized the flacon, thought it was another of the same series, but no.

It was Hermes' new offering: Ambre des Merveilles.

Image courtesy of usa.hermes.com

You know that feeling you get when you place the sprayer close to your nose and know instantly that you have to have it? That was my immediate impression of Ambre des Merveilles. The one word that came to mind was: warmth. A bit more floral than anticipated (I suppose with the word 'Ambre' in the title, I had different expectations, but I digress). Hauntingly beautiful.

So much to sniff, so little time. I had to offer Anna a little bit of mercy and leave Holt's much earlier than desired. It did however, leave a lasting impression and lemmings to boot.

What say you, fellow readers? Where are your favourite sniffing spots? Spill!

Happy New Year everyone. xo