Much can be said about the discontinuation of many perfumes out there (not to mention reformulations, but that will be another long, convoluted post!) and I'm certainly not an expert, but some of my favourites fall into this elusive category.
One recent example that comes to mind is Sarah Jessica Parker's Covet.
Riding on the coattails of her wildly-successful 'Lovely', SJP decided to launch a scent that was largely unconventional (for the mass-market audience, at least!). Everything about this fragrance seems to thumb it's nose to what the general public considers appealing. (From the oddly-shaped bottle (with it's own detachable floral pendant), to the strange-coloured juice, to the unlikely geranium/lavender/musk olfactory combination).
I admittedly hated this scent when I first sniffed it. My Makeupalley review (dated 01/04/2009) summarizes my experience with this fragrance nicely:
The stubborn Taurean that I am, it usually takes alot for me to admit that I'm wrong (especially when it comes to my obsession with all things beauty-related.) However, I'll gladly swallow my infinite pride when it comes to this scent and fully admit my initial error in judgement (thus necessitating that I delete my previous (very negative: I believe I might have employed the term 'vomit-inducing') review for this product and insert this one instead.)
When SJP first launched her fragrances, I wasn't a fan. (I adored her Lovely Liquid Satin, and still do...however her other perfumes just didn't work for me). As with Lovely, I was encouraged to revisit her scents since I had recently read (and enjoyed, 'enjoyed' being an understatement, I ate it up) Chandler Burr's book 'A Perfect Scent', chronicling SJP's foray into scent creation. There is alot of thought put into every fragrance undertaking she completes, and this is no exception.
Covet is deceptive; out of the bottle there seems to be a mingling of notes that quite frankly seem to counteract one another, the fact that she chose for wet greens, geranium, chocolate and musk to exist together in this juice seems to defy logic (and test one's recoiling instincts). Up until I actually decided to spray this on my person, I never would have reached for it solely based on how it smells out of the sprayer.
As an admitted musk fan, I delight in SJP's incorporation of it in Lovely, and this one as well. The chocolate, wet greens and geranium intermix with my chemistry to produce something incredibly comforting and sensual. As the hours wear on, it becomes more and more interesting, morphing into something I've never smelled before. As I did with my revised review of Lovely, I will again implore all haters (especially those who couldn't dare spray this one on) to give it a try. As others have written, via reviews and other perfume blogs, it's a real shame that this fragrance didn't find its audience of appreciators and has as a result been pulled from the shelves. A real gem that will be missed.
Covet can still be found via online discounters (and the occasional retail outlet) for insanely reasonable prices (recently spotted: gift set containing 1.7 oz spray and 250 ml lotion for under $20).
As for the many, many other discontinued gems out there, they can require alot more sleuthing (and patience!) to track down (as proven by my recent experience in searching out my mom's HG: Love's Deep Earthy Musk....an experience which will surely be entitled 'Discontinued Gems, Part #2.... ;-)
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