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! :)

Drugstore Gems, Part #1

So yes. I fully admit the fact that despite my occasional 'fume snobbery, I have major love for some unlikely drugstore candidates. Many (if not all) of these Drugstore Gems have been reformulated at one point or another (what hasn't?) but for those of you who find yourselves out running errands at your local CVS (or SDM, for us Canadians :) hankering for a cheap thrill, look no further:


Drugstore Gem #1: Dana's Tabu




All Tabu images courtesy of www.danaclassics.com



Up until about a year ago, I wouldn't have touched this stuff with a ten foot pole. Everything about this scent was the absolute antithesis of what I considered wearable and confident. It was unbearably outdated to me. 
One sniff transported me to an older woman's dusty, cigarette smoke-infused, oriental rug-filled, depressingly empty estate home. When my high school boyfriend begged me to wear it for him, I recoiled. I may have wretched too.
(My preferred scent: Perry Ellis' 360. How times have changed...)

I managed to score a gift set of Tabu before this past holiday season. In it were the following: two violin dab bottles of EDC (one 30 ml, one 90 ml....the 30 ml alone would last 3 lifetimes) and the very coveted dusting powder. (I will fully admit that I bought this set primarily for the dusting powder. Dusting powders seem to be a rare find these days). I was also very intrigued by the option of having a sheer, veil-like Tabu option.

The current EDC opens up with heavy myrrh and old-school amber to my nose. After warming for a few minutes, jasmine, rose and musk emerge. This scent harkens back to a time when ladies dressed up to do their grocery shopping. There is a certain refinement to this fragrance that simply doesn't exist in present-day mainstream perfumery. The tiniest dab will do ya. I personally can't imagine wearing this one to my ('fragrance free') workplace, but would readily bust it out for a quiet dinner or night in.





The dusting powder is truly a fantastic find. If you snag some via gift set, and can get past the extremely bargain-basement packaging (cardboard and some off-centre lettering, different from the individually-sold option above) what is inside is worth discovering. A finely-milled, silky powder that imparts all of the best elements of Tabu without overwhelming oneself, or those around you.

I find this powder to infuse some much-needed decadence and comfort during these grey wintry days. I also think this one will get alot of wear during summer months, where the nature of the product itself (a cooling powder as opposed to a heavy amber-based perfume) and whispery scent will be welcomed.



Drugstore Gem #2: Alyssa Ashley Musk




Image courtesy of www.alyssaashley.com



A polar opposite to Tabu, Alyssa Ashley Musk was a staple in my mom's collection when I was a child. When we'd venture overseas to visit relatives, she would bring bottles of this stuff to give out as gifts. For those who are looking for a straight up, clean musk, look no further. The oil version is especially warm and skin-like and layers well under florals and orientals alike. Widely considered a feminine scent, I'd venture to say that it veers towards unisex. For those days when I'm at a loss as to what to wear, or am feeling headachy and somewhat perfume-intolerant, this is the one I reach for.

Looking at the graphic above, I admit that I'm a bit astonished as to how many layering options there are. I've seen the oil, EDT and lotion, but have been completely unaware of the 'super' moisturizing cream and EDP. More lemmings created in my world. (Because I clearly need more of those ;-)

What are your favourite guilty drugstore pleasures fellow perfumistas? Don't be ashamed to reveal them, your secret is safe with me. ;-)

A Tale of Two Ouds

Confession: I'm waiting for the ranks to come out of the woodwork and revoke my perfumista card. Why? For the simple fact that up until recently, I had not had the privilege of sampling an oud-based fragrance. I knew that it was one of the new 'hot' fragrance notes, heard a bit about it via messageboards and the like....

Until about 5 minutes ago, I had no idea what oud was. Let me enlighten you via Wikipedia:

Agarwood or oodh (or just agar) is a dark resinous heartwood that forms in Aquilaria and Gyrinops^[1] trees (large evergreens native to southeast Asia) when they become infected with a type of mold. Prior to infection, the heartwood is relatively light and pale coloured; however, as the infection progresses, the tree produces a dark aromatic resin in response to the attack, which results in a very dense, dark, resin embedded heartwood. The resin embedded wood is commonly called gaharu, jinko, aloeswood, agarwood, or oud (not to be confused with 'Bakhoor') and is valued in many cultures for its distinctive fragrance, and thus is used for incense and perfumes.

Perhaps I had sent some kind of subliminal messaging into the universe, imploring the perfume gods to permit me to sample something with oud in it, because within the span of a couple of weeks, two distinct fragrances fell into my lap. More fortunate I couldn't be.

The first is R'Oud Elements from the House of Kerosene.


Image courtesy of http://www.etsy.com/

Youtube fragrance reviewer Kerosene has decided to translate his love of scents into a series of his own creations. R'oud Elements, the first Kerosene launch, is described by its creator as 'An edp with notes of Oud, Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla, Lavender, Iris and Orange Bitters. R'oud Elements has a smoldering oud opening that will tingle your nose hairs, then after about twenty minutes, settles down to a velvety oud and lightly spicy woody scent. Masculine and warm'.


From the manner of fragrance blending, to meticulous packaging, (the bottle is painted by Kerosene with automotive grade paint and clearcoat,) execution of the first Kerosene scent is clearly a labour of love.
Not one to shout his accomplishments from the rooftops, Kerosene has decided to quietly spread the word (and generous samples), to let his first creation speak for itself.


First spritz yields a blast of sandalwood to my untrained nose. The orange bitters emerge rather quickly with none of the sharpness of a typical citrus. After approximately 30 minutes, I can detect a distinct church incense note that stirs my senses. Must be the oud. I'd like to say that it's hidden, but it simply rides on the coattails of the vanilla, iris and lavender. The olfactory equivalent of a plush cashmere scarf, this 'masculine' scent is indeed warm, but I daresay, not exclusively for enjoyment by members of the male persuasion.





A very sharp contrast was the second fragrance that I received, via RAOK from the best swapper ever through Makeupalley: Montale's Black Aoud.
According to http://www.luckyscent.com/ Black Aoud's notes incorporate the following : Red rose, aoud, labdanum, and sandalwood.




Image courtesy of http://www.luckyscent.com/


I don't think I've ever had the opportunity to sample a scent that packs this much of a punch. This perfume had saturated the box and packaging that it was shipped in and had made its presence known even before I had opened it.


Upon testing this fragrance, the one resounding impression in my mind was that of darkness. I envisioned a resinous, stalagmite-dripped cave, laden with wet clay and earth. Oud and wilted flowers. The opaqueness of the bottle it is housed in tells its story well. More than a hint of raw sensuality. Wallflowers need not apply. I'd envision this one worn by someone on a mission of seduction. I doubt the intended would have the ability to say no.


I had wondered about this much talked-about, notorious fragrance note and the universe delivered. Two distinctly different scents with the incorporation of oud. Both unlike anything else, but so very different from one another.

If I were to offer some advice to a fellow perfumista who would love to sample an oud fragrance for the first time, (or one who had tried other ouds and found them too brash) my recommendation would lie with R'oud Elements. R'oud would also get a shout out to ladies who love to keep them guessing with a scent that veers towards the masculine.

For those who have no need to tone things down for the sake of their fragrance-adverse office mates, who are on a clear path to astonishment, the Montale would be an alternate choice. It's safe to say that I have never sampled anything that reminds me of either oud selection. Both stand on their own as olfactory masterpieces.

Chanel No. 5 Parfum: An Icon of Perfection

(Pic taken from http://www.chanel.com/)


I have a confession to make: I absolutely love Chanel No. 5. I realize that there's a huge divide out there, a camp among fragrance appreciators that roll their eyes at the mere mention of No. 5 and regard it as passe, and perhaps a little old fashioned too. I am not one of those people. To me, it has always been the Holy Grail of all scents, a must-have for any burgeoning perfumista's collection. Several years ago, I cringed when my sister returned an admirer's gift  (No. 5 EDT) in exchange for a bottle of Alfred Sung Jewel.

But I digress....

When I picked up my 7.5 mls of  No. 5 parfum last week, I truly felt as if I had become a part of history. When I uncorked the glass topper from the mouth of the teensy bottle opening, I felt like I had opened up a minute haven of olfactory memories. Mine, and every other perfumista's. When I dabbed the fragrant stopper onto my skin, the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe flitted into my consciousness.

Does it get any better than this?



(Image taken from thewire.sheknows.com)

Wearing the purest form of Chanel No. 5 makes one feel just as sensual and evocative as the image above. The jasmine, aldehydes and sheer beauty of what Coco herself intended for all of us to enjoy is embodied in that tiny little bottle.

I had nudged myself in the direction of purchasing this one because I love all things No. 5. I'm realizing now that this is just a continuation of my fascination with Marilyn herself, and Chanel too. It also bears mentioning that this is my first 'parfum' purchase.

If I had to make one small criticism, I expected this one to have a bit more sillage and staying power. I have a partial of  No. 5 EDC from the 1960s that has a more enduring presence than the contemporary parfum. A victim of re-formulation perhaps? Who knows. All I know is that it won't prevent me from loving every last drop, and seeking out parfum formulations of my other favourite scents.

What was your first pure parfum purchase? Did it live up to your expectations? Is Chanel No. 5 a must-have for you? Why or why not?

Discontinued Gems: Part # 2

When a beloved perfume is discontinued, for those of us who are fragrance obsessed, there is a process much akin to a grieving period. First, there is the denial stage: 'It can't be discontinued, I can still find it at' (insert retailer here. For those of us fragrance-lovers who suffer the unfortunate fate of being in a small town, we grudgingly insert 'Sears'...)

When months pass and our favourites are cleared off the shelves (and we go searching for hugely marked-up specimens online,) we have officially reached the 'anger' stage.
'How dare they discontinue this olfactory masterpiece? Don't they know how fantastic it is? Don't they know how much joy it has brought me? Don't they know how damn good it makes me smell?'

The third stage is 'bargaining', and for those of us who routinely scour online shops/antique markets/wiki pages for our beloved, it's a stage that we're quite familiar with. Sometimes we luck out and vendors have no idea what they're giving up. Other times, we're forced to pay the 500% markup, just to have that coveted backup.

'Depression' inevitably kicks in when we realize that the scent that we've loved for years has been replaced by something completely unremarkable. (One example that comes to mind is Cacharel's Gloria (Beautiful SDV dupe)...discontinued and replaced by the tooth-achingly fruity concoction that is Scarlett. (Its only redeeming feature: Gorgeous bottle. I have seen this one on discount shelves recently, assuming now that its fate has also been relegated to the discontinued. I can't say that I'm not a little smug in this realization!)

And finally, after months of scouring various retailers, swap lists and the like, those of us who have lost a beloved fragrance can finally accept the fact that it's gone. If we've received some notice and have been fortunate enough to prepare, we can gradually stockpile....then move onto a new favourite.

Unless, of course, your love transcends space, time and anything else that might get in your way. Unless your favourite is something that isn't even close to resembling anything else. Unless of course, you are my mother.

Back in the 70s, the Love's franchise came out with 'Love's Deep Earthy Musk'.







It was about $3.00 a bottle and shared the shelves with the ubiquitous 'Love's Baby Soft' and various others (including Love's Fresh Lemon and Love's Soft Jasmine). My mom fell head over heels for this beauty and it remained a part of her rather extensive perfume collection until it was discontinued in the early 80s. I remember how upset she was about it. Since English isn't her first language, she enlisted my older sisters to help her write a letter to the Dana fragrance company, imploring them to sell her any leftover bottles.

Their response? They sent her a catalogue of their current scents (I remember how glossy this publication was, very high budget for back then. Unfortunately it didn't contain the information that mom wanted most!) She was in mourning, and has been for almost 30 years.

Most of my shopping for the last several years (fragrance and otherwise) has been done online. It has been my personal mission to find a bottle of this. I'd do weekly searches, google the name of this fragrance over and over again. Nothing. Until a couple of months ago.

I found an untouched bottle of Love's Deep Earthy Musk via online auction. After much hoop-jumping, email correspondence between myself and the vendor to make sure my purchase wasn't going to end up part of the Canadian Customs graveyard, I was triumphant. Mom was going to have her biggest perfume wish come true! It was well worth the fact that I spent 10 times the 1974 retail price (Let's face it, I would have spent much more). I could barely wait to see the look on her face when she opened this long-awaited package.

And dear readers, she didn't disappoint! My mom was rendered speechless after being reunited with her long-lost fragrant love. (Of course, after grilling me about how much I spent on this gem).

It's hard to describe how it made me feel to make that wish of hers come true. That feeling of satisfaction in finding something so rare was multiplied by the fact that I knew this was the one she wanted most.

How have you dealt with recent fragrance discontinuations? What lengths have you gone to, to find a much-loved, no-longer-produced fragrance? 
I know that mom and I aren't the only ones who would go to any length...

The Exclusive World of Niche: My First Full-Bottle Purchase

Despite the fact that my fragrance journey began many years ago, and despite my obsession with the hard-to-find, I was up until fairly recently quite uninterested in 'niche' scents.  I understood that niche meant for the most part, superior ingredients, expert blending, and scents that were markedly different from mainstream offerings. However, I managed to dismiss this whole category simply because of the perceived snobbery that was associated with it. I had read online musings from other perfume connoisseurs, proclaiming their exclusive love of the genre. Being of the philosophy that 'If it smells good, I'll wear it' (regardless of cost, distribution, or association), I decided to rebel.

A couple of years ago, I realized how wrong it was to avoid this beautiful world of scent. Someone included a Hermes decant in one of my swap packages and the rest, as they say, was history. It was another one of these swap samples that made me want my own full bottle, purchased on my own, not hustled via swap. This year on my birthday, puzzled at the prospect of what to give me, my sisters were gently nudged in the direction of a gift card for an online retailer that had a great selection of niche offerings.

What was this first feverish, pulse-racing purchase, you may ask?

None other than Jardins de Kerylos by Parfumerie Generale:




(Pic taken from the official Parfumerie Generale website
http://www.parfumerie-generale.com).

One sniff of this, and I'm instantly transported to Crete. Figs, salt air, and a hint of honeyed greenery. It simply makes me swoon. My first full bottle niche purchase, it made me feel more absolute in terms of my perfume love. I felt like I had officially arrived. This scent, wearing extremely close to the skin and evoking a quiet strength, makes me feel as if I can take on whatever might be thrown my way.

What was your first niche purchase? Do you feel it was worth it? Is your collection mainly niche now, or happily included within a mainstream collection?

Fellow perfumistas, I'd love to hear your first niche stories!

Discontinued Gems, Part #1

I'm not sure if it's human nature, or my personality in particular, but once I hear that a product (namely fragrance) is 'discontinued', I immediately become curious about it (especially if I haven't had the opportunity to sniff it before) and the hunt is on. As soon as I'm told that I can't have it, I want it.

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.... ;-)

The ideal campfire accompaniment....

(Pic taken from gardentherapy.ca:)

Thanks to the best pal a solitary gal like me could possibly have, this admittedly non-outdoorsy perfumista has been quite obsessed with spending as much solo time at the cabin as possible. What does this mean fragrance-wise? Finding the perfect campfire accompaniment. Something that doesn't clash with that woodfire scent, but something that will hold its own and provide a distinct backdrop.

Since I've been enamoured with this perfume as of late, and have the hugely ironic and unfortunate fate of being recently employed in a scent-free environment (yes, the horror!) I decided to pack Kate Walsh's Boyfriend in my weekend tote. (I call myself a perfume snob, but the reality is that if it smells nice, I'll wear it. It can be drugstore, niche, celebrity...if I like it, it's mine....)

The whole concept of Boyfriend is the mingling of masculine and feminine. According to www.yourboyfriend.com (the official site for the fragrance) Boyfriend is inspired by the scent that one's guy leaves behind...the faint aura of his cologne mingled with your perfume. Official copy:

Ever miss the scent of your boyfriend on your skin? That warm, woody scent that makes your eyes roll and wanna put on a red dress? Well, I did so I created Boyfriend, a fragrance inspired by him but made for us. It's a delicious blend of muguet, dark plum, myrrh, night blooming jasmine and just enough amber musk to make you purr like a jungle cat.

Not exactly how I'd put it, but a highly intoxicating scent nonetheless. First spritz of the EDP yields a characteristically masculine vibe. To my nose, a blast of sharp vetiver, a little bit of that aforementioned myrrh. After a few minutes, the plum takes centre stage. The amber is the most irresistible aspect of the fragrance in my humble opinion. And despite the fact that they aren't listed in the fragrance notes, the EDP version dries down on my skin yielding patchouli and vanilla. Hours later, the musk emerges. Heavenly.

I have sampled the pulse oil as well and much prefer the EDP. It strikes me as much more masculine, more rich, and multi-faceted. I haven't tried the other body products, but word on the street is that each version of the scent has that common thread...but manages to be distinctly different.

I've been browsing the official site and have placed every possible incarnation of this scent on my wishlist....awesome concept, amazing scent!

My First Love....

I have many fragrant memories, stemmed from my mom's perfume obsession. I owe my own addiction to her predilection for savouring everything fragrant, from fresh basil to springtime hyacinths.

My very first perfume was Avon's Sweet Honesty when I was about 6 or 7 years old, housed in a glass deer, much like this one:



The scent itself evaporated quickly, imparting a sticky residue on the neck of the glass bottle (coincidentally, also the neck of the doe...:):):)

I don't even remember wearing this particular perfume, it was just displayed proudly on my dresser. When I'd come in and out of my room, I'd take a sniff. To this day, I have this tendency to 'save' my scents rather than spray lavishly. These days, I'm trying to break out of that habit! I have an emerging collection, and it's there for me to enjoy!

Any other perfumistas remember their first love? Please share! :)