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Despite the fact that we have been isolating and not going out in public in months – I still wear perfume every. single. day. despite being isolated and on maternity leave.
I have always been a perfume girl and I think it literally “is in the genes”. My grandmother grew up in Europe until she was in her late teens and came over to the USA after WWII ended. I remember she would *always* wear perfume, usually what I call “with a heavy European hand” – AKA doused in it! Her dressing table had a huge collections of perfume and she always loved getting perfume for Christmas.
I love getting perfume for Christmas too. My husband always says “what do you want for Christmas?” And literally every year I say “perfume”. He says, “but I just got you that last year!” Me… blank stare. “So?” The irony of it is I’m not allowed to wear perfume to work! That’s okay, like I said, I wear it for me!
When I was a teenager (think middle school), my foray into the perfume world started with Victoria’s Secret “Pear Glace” body spray, if you can remember that! I always loved the popular Tommy Girl with lemon, honeysuckle and sandalwood base. I also loved Gap’s Dream, which had tangerine, freesia, orange blossom and musk as a base.
In my later teenage years, we took a trip to Paris and I bought my first “real” perfumes. I bought Escada’s “Ibiza Hippie” which smells of “Spicy nutmeg adds warmth to fruity top notes of luscious pear, juicy peach, apricot and litchi. Intense floral heart notes of hyacinth, freesia and cranberry reveal sandalwood, musk and amber on the dry down”. I still have this bottle although frankly the perfume has aged and doesn’t smell as good as it used to.
I also got Dior’s “J’adore” – Fragrance Notes: Top – ylang-ylang. Middle – damascus rose. Base – grasse jasmine. I wore this at the end of high school and into college. I no longer wear it – gave it to my mom- but wow that bottle is pretty, isn’t it? This perfume made me feel like a real grown up! I believe I got it when I was 17.
I used to wear the same perfume everyday – a signature scent. But now I change them up depending on the season and my mood!
Why am I babbling on about perfume? Well, fragrances transport us to a different time, or place, or memory. Since being stuck at home, I feel just— stuck!! Perfumes create an olfactory scrapbook in your head and it is fun going through it! I STILL wish I could find the name of the diffuser scent of a hotel we walked through in Varenna, Italy.
The perfume I have been wearing for the longest time is Burberry Brit. It is a green-oriental blend of lush fruits, sweet nutty essences, soothing amber, vanilla, and Tonka bean. I tend to wear this in the Winter. This perfume I started wearing in college.
The scent I love the most is that of orange blossom. For my wedding and a long time after, I wore Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom eau de cologne. I actually stopped wearing it though because I became disappointed with how quickly the scent disappears despite paying a hefty price tag for it. I also am disappointed with how the bottle has aged – I have had it now for 6 years and frankly it just does not smell as good! I also had Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom and Honey… same problem, the fragrance just didn’t last.
I will always be fond of the orange blossom scent – one, it reminds me of my wedding, and two, it reminds me of California. There’s nothing like driving around in Southern California with the windows down getting wafts of the intoxicating orange blossom scent from the orange groves when they are blooming! I planted many citrus trees in my yard so when I opened the windows I could smell them!
My current FAVORITE perfume which I wear quite frequently is Diptyque’s Eau de Sens. It has orange blossom, angelica root, patchouli with juniper berry. I wear this one year round.
My next favorite perfume is also by Diptyque, called DoSon. It has tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine and marine accord. I tend to wear this one more in the Spring and Summer.
I also love Chloe’s Eau de Parfum. It smells of peony, rose, and sandalwood. I tend to wear this in the Fall or Winter as it is a little bit heavier with the powder. It “begins with a combination of floral powdery notes: hints of peony, lychee, and springtime freesia. The airy, flirtatious head notes drift away to reveal the richer and more sensual side of the rose. The distinctive character of this unique rose is accompanied by magnolia and lily of the valley, as well as subtle intimations of warm amber and elegant cedarwood.”
My most recent perfume purchase was Tom Ford’s Eau de Soleil Blanc. It is *perfect* for the Summer! It is a fresh scent of Vert de Bergamot, Orange Bitter, Petitgrain Bigarde, Ylang-Ylang, Pistachio Accord, Coco de Mer Accord.
I have a scent for every occasion! My evening scents are Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb which smells of Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Patchouli, rose and vanilla. Most recently I’ve been wearing YSL Black Opium which smells of Black Coffee, White Flowers, Vanilla.
My travel perfume is Tory Burch by Tory Burch rollerball – Neroli, Grapefruit, Cassis, Bergamot, Peony, Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac, Vetiver, Sandalwood. My travel perfume to Hawaii or tropical locations is Hibiscus Palm Eau de Parfum by Aerin Lauder. This parfum is formulated with accords of lotus flower and hibiscus palm that mingle with ylang-ylang and exotic ginger. Frangipani also blends with a heart of fragrant white blossoms wrapped in the velvety warmth of coconut milk, vanilla, and musk. Hibiscus palm captures the island scent of brilliant sunshine on a lush beach.
Needless tom ay, there are other perfumes I wear too. I have a whole box full of samples that I will occasionally rifle through and choose a different scent for the day.
Wearing perfume makes me feel happy. It brings back scent memories, makes me feel like a special individual, but also provides an escape – to where, that is your decision!
What is your favorite perfume?
Well, I guess I’m a kind of a boring perfume person. There have only been a few that I really love. I like just a hint of scent. I’ve been wearing Anais Anais for over 30 years, since it first came out I think! I have always loved it. I don’t get tired of it. I went through phases of Chanel #19, Oscar de la Renta, and Lauren, too. I love how you put perfume on every day, even when you stay home! I think I’ll start doing that! I hope you’re new precious bundle of joy is healthy and not keeping you awake too many hours during the night!