When I first started perusing the fragrance reviews on MakeupAlley a few years ago, it wasn’t long before I stumbled on the acronym “HG”, for “holy grail” (this while still deciphering NIB and FBW). I was reading the reviews in the hopes of finding my own HG, in fact. I’d dreamed of having a scent that would reflect me perfectly, that I would be known for. And, as Coco Chanel said, I would always be able to pick out my coat by the smell.
Signature scents run in my family. My mother, along with many of her coworkers in the County Clerk’s office, wore Jontue for years, until a supervisor finally complained of the viscous cloud of perfume lodged near the bank of filing cabinets. She then switched to Toujours Moi. One of my grandmothers lived in a double-wide with a walk-in closet that my grandpa tricked out with shelves to hold her Barbara Cartland novels. She had a green compact of Moonstone solid perfume on the dresser next to her Virgin Mary jewelry box. My other grandmother, who I associate more with the smell of cigarette smoke and bleach, still wears Youth Dew.
My holy grail, though, would be more sophisticated, but not pretentious. It would have history, but not be dowdy. It would be complicated and sexy and peel away in layers over time, but still be down-to-earth enough for a picnic. Sound impossible? Not at all. I soon found my HG: L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain. I reveled in its French moodiness and soon shelled out for the extrait and a large bottle of the eau de parfum. I was completely satisfied — for about a week. Then I decided it was too, well, moody. And French.
After a while, I started to feel like the Elizabeth Taylor of perfume buyers, loving and leaving them by the gallon. Now I know that my holy grail is a shapeshifter. The scent I want to wear changes, depending on the weather, what vintage coat I’ve pulled out of the closet (unlike Chanel’s coat, mine all smell different), and even what movies I’ve been watching lately. Common threads may run through my string of faux-HGs — a hint of leather or incense in the dry down, an overall warmth, a medicinal bite at first spritz — but until I’m consistently one person with one mood and one bent to my imagination, I’ll need a shelf of fragrance bottles from which to choose. But I guess that’s the nature of the holy grail. The quest never ends.
Note: NIB stands for "new in box"; FBW stands for "full bottle worthy". Image by Arthur Rackham via wikipedia's entry on the Holy Grail.
Oh yeah! I so totally “get” this it's not funny…it really isn't, R!
I have come to the conclusion that there are many “HG” fragrances to be discovered throughout a woman's life. Some last during an era, say college; others may only last for a season, even a month (or less knowing my habits!).
But they are all beautiful, many of them FBW.
Hugs!
So sorry, but you are not R, you are A! LOL!
Hugs to you, too, and welcome to NST. :):)
Thanks for the welcome! My most recent HG is Patou's Vacances. I was lucky enough to find it at a good price, and now I want to spray it on everything–myself, my sheets, the dog. I'll probably move along to another HG when the weather warms up more.
Hey, Ang. My Holy Grails scents are:
1. The Heart is deceitful above all things- YOSH
2.Costume National- Scent intense
3.Divine by Divine
4. Carnation by Comme des Garsons Series 2:Red
5. Mat; Chocolet and Yellow
the range is all over the place depending of mood and I wear them all year long which are all samples. Rats!!!!!!!!
Welcome to NST!
My perfume journey mirrors yours. MUA sucked me into this addiction, and it's been downhill for my bank account ever since – LoL! I gave up on the delusion of having a “signature” scent because I'm too fickle. If I were forced to choose a HG from among my collection, it would be Mazzolari Alessandro. This is a soft almond and honey fragrance that melds with my natural scent. I can see myself wearing this forever. However, variety is the spice of life!
T, I know what you mean about liking a range of different scents. I'm really curious about how Comme des Garcons would do carnation–I'll have to try that one. So many scents, so little time (and $$), alas.
Welcome Angela, and thank you for your lovely writings on a subject I have been grappling with for years. I've come to terms that my perfume HG changes daily, unfortunately. I think there is not just that one HG for me, there are many, many, many. My credit card HATES me.
The M Alessandro sounds divine! I love a scent that lives in your skin rather than just sitting on it like a lump of frosting. I adore Habanita, for example, but it never seems to become a part of me.
Hello Angela – I have been a regular reader of your blog – and today I could just not resist commenting. I know exactly what you mean about the HG. Every passing day though, I feel more and more sure that it is going to Jicky. It is the one scent that I keep going back again and again to…and it never lets me down. There is a beauty about that kind of simplicity – and yes, exactly the same attributes that you mention –
a hint of leather(check)
or incense(check)
in the dry down(check)
, an overall warmth, a medicinal bite at first spritz(check)
sophisticated, but not pretentious(check)
have history, but not be dowdy (check)
It would be complicated and sexy(check)
peel away in layers over time (check)
but still be down-to-earth enough for a picnic (boy – is this a check ever)
Darnit – just writing this entry makes me fall in love with it all over again. One of these days I am going to just plonk down the money for 500ml of the perfume (over and above the 2oz I have already).
That's the best lilac fragrance…ever! I had a decant, but was klutzy, dropped it on the floor and it broke.
Hugs!
Yup, certified Perfume Slut here, sometimes changing my mind about three times in a day. It's ridiculous!
Welcome, lovely post!
G, I know exactly what you mean! I tell myself that I don't have expensive hobbies, like downhill skiing or collecting premier cru bordeaux, so surely I can buy a bottle of perfume from time to time.
B, yes! Jicky is a good one. For a more floral take, have you tried Sacrebleu by Parfums de Nicolai?
P, I like the “certified” bit. Maybe we should print up certificates or wallet cards or something. We could flash the cards at perfume stores for special service.
I thought I'd have a HG. But it seems I don't. Is it a personal failing? Ah well, perhaps, I have failed so time times… These days I'm on a quest for deeper meaning if not HG of scent, in the meantime, I enjoy this blog very very much and stumbled not only onto lovely fragrances, but lovely people too. Write on.
A, I have Sacrebleu on order right now (unsniffed! gasp!) so I'd love to see a review on this one. Pressuring you already, I know! “Classic” status, but MUAers seem to be all over the board on it.
I love Sacrebleu. On me it stays close to the skin but has lots of presence and dries down to a fabulous incense (that's my theory of why it's “sacre” bleu, because it's a sort of L'Heure Bleue with a sacred–incense–base). It would be great on a nippy spring evening when you're sitting outside, near the water, pulling your husband's coat over your shoulders to stay warm as it starts to get dark.
V, I sure hope it isn't a personal failing (if so, I'd better get in line)! This is a pretty great blog. A staple of my morning routine.
V, if it's a personal failing not have found an HG, then the line to perdition is long, indeed. I adore NST, too–it's a regular part of my morning routine.
Angela, welcome to NST! Lovely post, LOL at faux-HGs! My current HG is Guerlain's L'Instant pour homme, but I have a feeling it'll soon be toppled from the pedestal. Nice-looking chalice, though
Btw, I like your cigarette-smoke-bleach-Youth-Dew grandmom
Great description! sounds like I'll enjoy it. Interesting theory on the name – which I think is terrible, actually.
Thanks for the welcome! Yes, my grandma is something else. With a little time and a martini I could tell you stories…
Anna Pliska is My HG, but I definitely wear many others. But, for special ocassions, it's always Anne Pliska. And has been for 18 years.
I've blown more money in the past 4 years looking for that HG, thinking I found it (or them) for all of about a week or so before selling the lot in frustration. Now I think it's a very settled person who has had one or 2 HGs in their life! I don't even entertain the thought anymore….but I will say that Quelques Fleurs is a scent that I am happy wearing no matter when I reach for it. I'm absolutely not saying HG though
Hii Angela,
What a fabulous post, it really made me smile.
The longest term HG for me was Diorissimo (Esprit de Parfum & Parfum), but my MIL loved it on me so much that she started to wear it….and then it became her HG and I can't wear it now !!
I know I will always be searching for perfection in a fragrance, but I am fickle too, and love to have several on hand to suit the mood, outfit and weather.
The thought of finding a perfect perfume is compelling indeed. But if you found a book you really loved would you stop reading?
The joy of fragrance to me is the joy of smelling them all. Picking favorites is fun too, I have many favorite books that I have read more than once, and they come from many different genres, classic and not so classic (but fun).
Just like my perfumes :).
Great article. I look forward to reading more of them. Welcome, and thank you.
I can't seem to settle down to one HG. Instead, I have lots of fragrances I love & some I like. Sometimes, a fragrance I really love gets associated with something unpleasant & I have to abandon it. (Poor baby)
As a result, my SO calls me the “Queen of Little Bottles”.
Hey, welcome, Angela! What a great post. (I moseyed over from Peppermint Patty.) The HG… well, you're my kinda gal, because L'Heure Bleue is not a bad place to start. I think I was more a HG gal in my 20s, I wanted something that defined me, in that romantic way. Now I just can't imagine wearing only one (3? 5?) thing(s) regularly. But if I HAD an HG it would be a Guerlain…
V, I haven't tried Anna Pliska yet. It's definitely going on my (growing) list of must tries.
Z, I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds that HG really, really elusive. BTW, once I was in a tiny plane between Minneapolis and Fargo on a stormy night, and the flight attendant's Quelques Fleurs was really comforting.
S, there should be some kind of law against close friends or family using your HG of the moment. It just isn't right–kind of like they're flirting with your boyfriend.
S, I love your analogy–so true! After all, all those stories about searching for the HG are about the SEARCH and not about finding the darn thing.
C, great title! (Do you have a crown with little bottles on it to go with the title?) Seriously though, the same thing happens for me with music, too. Never buy a CD on a bad day or wear a perfume you love (or think you might love) when you quit a job, break up, etc.
M, I love the Guerlains, too–at least those I've been able to try. I wore Vol de Nuit most of one winter (the HG of the winter of 2002) and nearly cried when my sample of Apres L'Ondee ran out.
M, one more thing–you were a lot more sophisticated than I was in my 20s. When I was 25, I was heavy on the Dolce Gabanna and Coco.
The CdG Carnation is *stunning*; bucketloads of carnation, the floral part amped up with rose and jasmine, the spicy notes made even more so with cloves. It's thrilling; it's my absolute favourite CdG, bar none.
The combination of carnation and clove is knockout, I agree. I can tell I'd better try this one.
Ah–the glorious “HG”! If only I had that ideal scent in my hand. The past couple of years have been a tortuous struggle in search of it. I must be more testy in my mid twenties, as I was far less indecisive as a young'un. At 18, “Aqua Di Gio” was complete satisfaction. Sweet but dry, it seemed the perfect calming scent. By 20, I clung to an ad that radiated “Champs-Elysees”—the creamy sweet, aldehydic-esque scent melted seamlessly onto my skin. The mimosa actually smelled gentle on me…
Then something happened: “Champs” started to smell strong to me, almost putrid. At the request of a guy, I danced with Dolce & Gabbana's “Woman, by D&G”. After weathering that assaulting juice of spice, I realized that I should never let another pick my scent again. What follows, I believe, is pure meltdown: Beauty by Elizabeth Arden, Lelia by Geir Neiss, A mass of Caswell-Massey scents including an old recipe “potion” and a strong 1920's scent, Haute Couture by Givenchy, roll-bottles upon roll-bottles of essential oil mixtures, Cool water (not my usual bag, but sent over from a pal) the occasional spritz of cheesy Victoria's Secret's scents, A quick dance with a couple of “Creeds”–only to be met with “not so sheer” dissapointment, a soft “Lacoste” seemed perfect…only to seem too simple and sweet upon revisitation, Sicily by D&G (too soapy), Chance by Chanel (one of the stronger contenders) and scores of unmemorable others. A recent “Missoni” seemed like the sure thing—only to eventually melt into a sickly-sweet soup upon my skin. That one hurt the most!
At least I've become wiser about testing, sometimes trying a scent numerous times before deciding, or resorting to samples. I feel no shame in taking loads of strips home, just to weed out the absolute “nevers” before trying the others on for smell. The past year has been a little discouraging–but I'm hopeful!!!! I HAVE been toting around a sample of Chanel's original “Coco” lately, just to see how long it takes for me to be sick of it. A month and counting—I may have found my true love, yet…
(I apologize for the lengthy post—“HG” is a matter dear to my heart!)
Marchlion-
I think the drive to find that ideal scent–in the most romantic sense (as you've put it so well)–becomes increasingly more difficult as one experiences life over time. Experience and memory leads us to many places. Simply put, life becomes too rich and complex to be squashed into neat little boxes of interests and passions. Hardly something that can be entirely resolved in three notes! It's more difficult to find that special something that screams “you” when your ears are cocked in so many different directions.
No apologies necessary, I completely understand your quest! Sometimes I think it's the search that's the big prize–smelling so many different scents, developing a keen nose, defining what you really want–rather than the actual fragrance that you settle on. (If “settling on” is even possible!)