Sniffing in Paris: Part #1

 

(Image: courtesy of my awestruck, wannabe Parisian self. :)



For a burgeoning (or well-experienced) 'perfumista', there's nothing quite as exciting as the prospect of sniffing in Paris. To heal my broken heart, as well as be daring and impetuous, this winter I decided to plan a spur-of-the-moment sojourn to France with my pal Anna. We had talked about making the trip for years, and upon reviewing all of the reasons why we should, we couldn't think of one solitary reason why we shouldn't. So during the first week of March, I had the privilege to consider myself a part of history, ambling the cobblestone streets of Paris.


I did a little bit of research before my trip and decided that I had to hit three fragrance destinations above all. The fourth was a pleasant surprise (stay tuned for 'Sniffing in Paris, part #2 :)

The first destination was the Guerlain flagship store along the Champs Elysees.




(image: courtesy of my little canon)



I would consider myself a bit of a 'purist' when it comes to travel in general. I don't like to bog myself down with tons of literature and adhere to a clad-iron itinerary. I just like to revel in discovery. Despite that, I admit that I had many expectations upon entering this institute of beauty.

As with any other 'Parfumerie', the Guerlain flagship location hits you with a melange of olfactory delight as you enter. The 'classics' mingle with the newer releases. The soft, velvety embellishments seem to add to the vintage, old world feel of the boutique.

Being of European descent myself, and having travelled to Europe many times, I don't consider myself naive when it comes to European 'customer service'. I don't expect anyone to fall over themselves to help me out. There are no wide, inviting smiles, offering assistance. If anything, my typical European shopping experience has been borderline abusive. In the past, I've found myself truly tested. 

The Guerlain boutique didn't offer any of the above. The sales associates were well-versed in the art of ignoring. So I did what any other fragrance-lover would do, I helped myself. Tested 'Le Petit Robe Noir' on an actual ribbon blotter (oh, the luxury! :) There were many rumblings about how inferior the recent re-formulation was, so I had to try it. Eau de Lingerie was also on my list, so I tested that one as well. (This time, on a paper strip). To my nose, LPRN was an anise bomb. Sweet and fun, but not me.


(image taken from fragrantica.com)





EdL was very pretty indeed. A vanilla-infused musk that seemed fleeting at the time and quite ordinary. (Side note: Upon arriving home, I had unknowingly given my mom her gift of a French scarf in one of my shopping bags that contained the EdL scent strip....later on, she demanded to know what it was. It left that much of an impression on her, which made me re-think my initial 'ordinary' reaction...)


(image taken from fragrantica.com)


I took a cursory glance around. Spotted the coveted 'spiral staircase' that led upstairs to what I remembered from a BBC perfume documentary as a lovely sampling area but no...the area was roped off. Alas, this perfume-loving girl left the Guerlain flagship store empty-handed, save for a couple of scent strips and an overall air of indifference.

A few doors down, I encountered the largest Sephora location that one could possibly imagine. I was completely awe-struck at its enormity. Adding to the whole experience was the fact that it was absolutely packed with customers. It was difficult to distinguish between customer and sales associate.

Because if the sheer volume of people within this enormous space, I was left alone to sample to my heart's delight. First on my list: Serge Luten's Fille de Berlin. The usual rectangular, spray bottle. I didn't detect much more than a pleasant, airy rose. Nothing spectacular.

(image taken from feelunique.com)

I took a mental inventory of the other Serge offerings (noting the price: the average bottle could be had for much less via amazon. That's me, being practical :) and noticed with some surprise that Datura Noir was sold out. (Were the majority of these Datura Noir-loving customers French, desperate for a tropical infusion to jolt them out of their rainy springtime weather? Judging by the look of most people around me, I suspected that this particular location catered to the tourist set.) Nonetheless, if someone had asked me which Serge I would deem the most likely to sell out along the Champs Elysees, Datura Noir would have been last on my list.

I sampled a few others (including Hermes' Jour d'Hermes) and was struck by how unimpressed I was. (Sharp floral-citrus? Sorry Jean-Claude, we've seen this from you before. Pretty bottle though). In retrospect, I realize now that my perception might have been skewed by how awestruck I was by my environment in general. Without wanting to sound completely trite: Paris is truly magical. Every step, every view elicits open-mouthed wonder. I expected the same from my perfume sampling experience as well.

I came close to it at my next (albeit accidental) sniffing destination: Etat Libre d'Orange...

Stay tuned!

(Oh, and P.S....couldn't leave Sephora empty-handed. Everyone needs red lipstick in France, right? :)

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 

The Unmentionable Subject: Dupes

Forgive me for my naivete, dear readers. I'm not sure if this is a forbidden subject, but it's one that I feel compelled to write about today. Whether we're trying to duplicate a long-discontinued scent, stumble upon a fragrance that bears more than a passing resemblance to another, or are actually seeking out a cheaper alternative, there is that unseemly, underground world of perfume 'dupes' that seems to be avoided as a topic altogether.

(Sesame Street's: One of These Things is Not Like The Other, courtesy of youtube :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueZ6tvqhk8U

In my early perfumista days, I sought out cheaper alternatives to fragrances I was not able to get my hands on. My fragrance obsession ironically reached it's height as soon as I moved from the big city back to my hometown. Unfortunately for me, 'niche' is unheard of here, the most one can hope to sniff is the vast array of new celebrity scent releases. Dig a bit further, and there are perhaps one or two Chanel or Guerlain sources (that would be the bare minimum, no 'Exclusifs' to be found).

When I returned to my hometown, I opted to take advantage of etailers who offered wares that were 'inspired' by other scents. Admittedly, some of these purchases were very misguided. In my attempt to find a 'deal', I had spent way too much on alot of scents, rather than just invest in a bottle of the actual fragrance.

One positive that came out of this experiment was the fact that I was introduced to many scents that gave me a very cohesive idea of what the original is meant to smell like. In some instances, the 'dupe' would be virtually indistinguishable from the original.

image taken from www.fragrantica.com

Unintentional duplications are scents that due to coincidence, (or something else entirely) resemble one another. I'm sure there are many, but the one pair that instantly comes to mind is the (long-discontinued and rare) Gloria by Cacharel and Guerlain's Spirituese Double Vanille. Another is Dior's Miss Dior Cherie, and Soap and Glory's Girligo Body Mist.

Ironically, the scents we're desperate to duplicate the most, the long-discontinued are often un-dupable. One of the many cruelties of life and fragrance appreciation.

What say you, fellow perfume addicts? Is the 'dupe' subject untouchable, or dare you contribute your two cents?

The Scents of Melancholia

(image taken from my bedroom window at dusk, sometime earlier this year :)


Taking in the essence of a fragrance can enhance one's mood, evoke emotion, or provide some kind of fragrant association. In my mind, there are several scents in the fragrant world that evoke that true sense of melancholia. Whether it's a rainy day, you're down in the dumps, or your heart is quite simply broken, it's at times therapeutic to just wallow in it and immerse yourself in a scent that embodies your depressed state. For myself, I like to partake in one of the following:



#1. Guerlain Apres l'Ondee

image taken from www.polyvore.com

According to www.fragrantica.com, notes in this fragrance include orange blossom, violet, and aniseed. The scent is meant to evoke those initial moments after a rainfall, where foliage is sweet and wet with fragrance. The traditional Guerlainade is ever-present in this one, artfully enveloped by a very retro violet.

I'm not sure if it's the vintage quality of this fragrance, but wearing this one makes me feel as if I've hopped aboard a time machine and transported myself to the turn of the 20th century. I see myself in an older, damp English home, looking wistfully out its carefully paned window onto a dew-infused garden. In my hand a lover's letter of regret. It's the scent of heartbreak, and when it's time to wallow, this is the perfect fragrance for it.


#2. Christian Dior Dune



image taken from www.dior.com





Puzzlingly described as an 'oceanic' scent, this fragrance embodies the dryness of the desert and imparts such a cold aura that I practically shiver when I wear it. With notes of mandarin, peony and vanilla, (and something else that somehow manages to smell how grains of sand feel), Dune is Cruella Deville-like in its disposition. Despite it's assertion as a desert fragrance, it's positively icy to me. When one isn't ready to face the world in their heartache and is desperate to feign a courageous facade, Dune is positively the way to go.




#3. 'That' scent.








(image taken from www.dezeen.com)




When one is ready to torture oneself in grief, it's time to take in whatever scent reminds you of him or her most. That mystery scent will transport you back in time, to the beginning of love, when everything seemed possible and you never envisioned yourself without them. That mystery scent will be the constant reminder of what once was. You might never reclaim it as anything else.



The Stash Purge

A glimpse of my stash....

When one is as fragrance-obsessed as myself, it's inevitable that a collection will accumulate. Those lemmings duplicate and before we know it...we have more bottles than we know what to do with.


For myself, I had a brief period about 6 years ago where I had purged pretty much everything from my collection...resulting in a grand total of about 5 bottles. Fast forward till now and I can safely say that between samples, decants and full bottles....I'm well past the double-digits.


I was looking at my collection recently and was seized by a fit of anxiety. There was just WAY too much in there. Incredibly overwhelming, attempting to look into my stash and figure out what to wear on any particular day. So I made myself do the unthinkable: take every single bottle out of its box and organize. (Those boxes take up a ton of room!) And yes, my mother's voice popped up into my head, telling me how important it is to keep that precious juice out of sunlight and heat....The problem was that since I had everything boxed, I had literally forgotten about half the stuff in my collection. So I had to weigh my options: have everything hidden and nicely preserved, or unearth all of those dusty bottles (at the risk of having them turn more quickly) and enjoy. Needless to say, I chose the latter.


Realizing how much I had that I literally hadn't worn in years, I had to come to a decision: to keep or not to keep? It's kind of embarrassing, admitting that I have some bottles in my collection purely for nostalgia's sake (Britney Spears Fantasy anyone?) The stuff that I had worn years ago and associate with particular times of my life but rarely revisit. Do they warrant that precious real estate? Is it time to let go? I think so.


I have my moments where I get into a major swap frenzy, trading as much as I can. At certain times though, I have such an insane hankering to get rid of stuff that I just pack it up and send it away to my cousins overseas. Who absolutely love their fumes. (Is it genetic? Maybe so... ;-) I also like to pawn stuff off on other unsuspecting family members (who will often gladly take any castaways :)


What do you fellow perfumistas do when you're hankering for a stash purge? Giveaways to friends and family members? Online auctions, swaps, or do you just put them away somewhere to retrieve later for future enjoyment?

The One that Got Away....

As rabid perfumistas, it seems that we're always looking for the next best thing. As soon as I make a purchase or complete a swap, I'm always reading up on something new, negotiating my next swap, or scanning ebay for a deal. I can admit the fact that it's an obsession; an addiction, borderlining on illness.

Occasionally, I think back to the scents that captured my imagination years ago when I was just beginning my fragrant journey. The ones I had a chance to purchase before they were long-discontinued, or ones that I've always wanted to have in my collection but for whatever reason...I just haven't taken the plunge.

Maybe it's because I'm saving my pennies for the next best new thing, am afraid of not loving the particular perfume as much as I did back then...or just simply because I'm somehow thinking it won't get as much wear as anticipated.

The first perfume that comes to mind in terms of woeful regret, wishing that I had bought a bottle when it was readily available is Joop's All About Eve.



(Image taken from douglas.de)

When I travelled through Europe in the mid-nineties, this one was absolutely everywhere. I first sniffed it in Munich and fell in love. It stands out in my memory for several reasons. The first being that it is in my mind that link to the summer of '96, when I had high hopes about my future and was living out my dream of travelling through a continent that somehow felt more like home than North America ever did. (The fact that this was seemingly never launched in North America reinforced that).

The second reason was that it went completely against the grain of what I usually desired in a fragrance back then. My usual preference was the uber-clean, ozonic aquatic that was ubiquitious. All About Eve was the polar opposite of everything that I had coveted. With it's notes of caramel and apple, it was heady, sweet, and completely different. It had taken Europe by storm that summer, and when I came back to Canada and it was nowhere to be found, I was kicking myself for not christening my student Visa card and plunking down the 90 Deutchmarks for it. (Incidentally, I ended up using that Visa on the flight back. First purchase? The newly-launched Acqua di Gio, duty-free.)


My second regret, wishing that I had purchased vats of it when it was possible to do so (given how much this currently goes for via online auction, I might have been able to retire by now...) is The Body Shop's much-lauded Original Vanilla:



(Image taken from essential-oils-store.com)

At the time, I didn't understand what the huge deal was, why everyone was bemoaning the fact that this one was being re-formulated. After all, a vanilla is a vanilla is a vanilla, right? Turns out that I was wrong. This one has been virtually impossible to duplicate. A bit of sugar cookie, a blast of pure vanilla, and a touch of magic. It's the stuff that dreams are made of. Most recently, a pal of mine parted with a couple of mls of this to add to my collection. As soon as I sampled it, I was instantly transported back in time. High school Biology class, someone seated behind me doused herself with this on a regular basis. Still completely hype-worthy.

What say you, fellow perfumistas? What are the ones that got away in your fragrant world? Are they still readily available, or is the eternal quest on?

What are Your Ultimate Pleasure Scents?

As perfumistas, there are scents that appeal to our creative side, the ones that are complex enough to generate an appreciation. These scents could be worn for the sake of making a statement, going against the mainstream grain. Especially for those of us who live far away from any larger urban centres, wearing certain niche scents that may be considered artistically advanced and particularly complex might garner a particular sense of satisfaction.

There are times though, where it's just necessary to wear whatever gives us pleasure. The hedonist in me occasionally eschews the complex in favour of juice that makes me shudder with pleasure. Most recently, there have been a few 'fumes that have literally made my eyes roll to the back of my head whenever sniffed. (How's that for a ringing endorsement?)

#1: Guerlain Gourmand Coquin



(Image taken from http://www.fragrantica.com/)


On a recent trip to the U.S., my fragrant dream of browsing the scent selection at Saks came true. I stopped by the Guerlain counter, wanting desperately to get my hands on some of the exclusive scents that would otherwise not be available to me at the tiny Guerlain section at my local Sears counter. The SA inquired as to what Guerlain scents I had sampled before, and thus determined that I should try this one. The usual SA recommendations leave me cold, however this lady knew exactly what she was doing. One whiff of this stuff sent me over the moon. Perhaps it's that pleasure centre that so closely forms the association between scent and taste. The cocoa accord in this one simply made my mouth water. I can't recall what other notes I detected. It simply didn't matter. Within days, I was in negotiations for a decant.

#2: Ormonde Jayne Ta'if



(image taken from http://www.ormondejayne.com/)


This particular floral is anything but typical. A spice-infused rose, it challenges convention. It's not possible to come up with a more atypical floral. One sniff sends me into sensory overdrive. When I wear this one, I find that my nose is perpetually glued to my wrist. Hours later, when I think its final notes have departed, I'm surprised to find it has retained its integrity full-force, especially on fabric. I can honestly say that I wear this one solely for myself.


#3 Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb




Image taken from http://www.fragrantica.com/



It truly doesn't get much more delectable than this. Not particularly complex or original in concept, Flowerbomb gets my senses going. This sugary, patch-infused scent is my ultimate guilty pleasure. I'll where it absolutely anywhere (except for my 'fragrance free' work environment. ;-) Any compliments garnered are a mere bonus in my world. No matter who else wears it, I still consider it to be solely my own.

What say you, fellow readers? What are your guilty pleasure staples? I'd love to add more to my list! :)