Last week I was wearing a little dab of Sonoma Scent Studio's Fireside Intense, and I offered my hand to a friend to smell. "It smells like that little piece of meat that's fallen through the grill and is burning to a crisp on the coals" was the apologetic response, and I suppose that should join Kevin's master list of perfume insults, but you know, I wasn't insulted at all. That little piece of sizzling meat smells awfully good, after all, doesn't it? When pressed, my friend agreed it smelled good, just not like perfume.
Fireside Intense is, as you can guess from the above (assuming you didn't already pick it up from the name), intense. It is especially so in the opening (and my friend smelled it a few minutes in), where a smoky leather accord, along with deep woods, does smell both animalic and, well, on fire, and there are light undertones of sizzling pine needles and smoldering rubber (the notes: guaiacwood, nagarmotha (Cyperus), Texas cedar, Himalayan cedar, Indian sandalwood, agarwood, birch tar, cade, leather, oakmoss absolute, castoreum, ambergris). Once it dries down, it's softer, not quite so meaty or unforgiving, and the smoke calms enough that you won't be looking around to see what is burning — it just smells like smooth woods with a whisper of leather, all slightly charred. It is beautifully dry throughout. I wouldn't call it a comfort scent (for a comfort scent from Sonoma Scent Studio, see Bois Epices) but it's perfect for a winter warm-me-up.
If Fireside Intense sounds like more than you'd like to take on, Fireside is a milder, smoother and sweeter take on the subject (notes: Indian sandalwood, Himalayan cedar, Texas cedar, guaiacwood, nagarmotha (Cyperus), birch tar, and myrrh). There is very little smoke, and no leather at all, and the woods aren't quite so dark. When I insisted that my friend smell that one too, she agreed that it smelled like more like perfume, albeit probably one for men. I like both versions, but I like Fireside Intense much more. Best of all is the two fragrances layered: the result has a touch of sweetness but no more; the woodsmoke is toned down a notch and the leather is a bit quieter.
The conversation with my friend reminded me of something that seems obvious but that I too frequently forget: that many people wear perfume as something of a fashion accessory. They might prefer to wear something that they think smells good, but even more importantly, they want it to smell good to others, hence the many polls you see on fragrance forums about "what fragrances you get complimented on". It is a perfectly valid reason to wear perfume, it just isn't why I wear perfume.
I wear perfume because I like smells. It would never occur to me to ask why I'd want to smell like burning leaves, or dirt, or bark, or anything else — why shouldn't I smell like burning leaves? And while I don't parade around town in Yves Saint Laurent M7, I don't much care if a fragrance is meant to be worn by men, women, or unicorns. I don't get compliments on my fragrance often, and when I do, I'm disconcerted — if someone else can smell my perfume, it means I applied more than I meant to.
Why do you wear perfume? Here is the poll (and feel free to elaborate in the comments):
Note: top image is C [cropped] by LadyDragonflyCC at flickr; some rights reserved.
I have done so little exploration of this line. And wow, this sounds like something I would absolutely love. I particularly like your layering idea. And I am curious: did it *occur* to you to layer them, or did it happen “accidentally?” My own survey … my best layering is often accidental, because I have so many things on at once! 🙂
Hope the boy's better and back at school? You're probably out of Elmer's at this point.
I wear perfume for myself; but I have 2 'self' reasons. One is I adore the scent and want to carry it with me through the day and the most convenient way of doing so is to wear it on my body. If I'm home, I'll also spray the room I'm working in, or burn something that approximates/enhances a particular scent. The other is I want my skin to have a specific scent to it (a la White Tea by Bvlgari or Kenzo Amour) and there are particular scents I sue for that. The difference is subtle, but I'm hoping you'll understand my awkward explanation. (I'm a little short on time, so I may come back later and edit this).
btw, I hope your young one is feeling better today!
Will readily admit that most of my layering is by accident, but did this one on purpose — the notes are almost the same, and thought it might be a “happy medium”, which it is.
Boy is back at school! Here huffing the glue all by my lonesome, LOL…
My thoughts exactly: my body is just the most convenient carrying agent for the smell . And thanks — he is better!
I think it is all of the above. And indeed, why should you not smell like burning leaves, if it pleases you to do so?!? I enjoyed that line immensely.
And I have to say that, as a vegetarian, I will pass on this particular line. The smell of roasting meat!
The regular Fireside has no roasting meat at all, and would not upset a vegetarian 🙂
I was thinking in particular of some comments about the CB I Hate Perfume line about his Burning Leaves scent — someone basically asked why on earth you'd want to wear such a thing, and that it didn't qualify as “perfume” at all. I seriously do think it is perfectly valid to decide you don't want to smell like burning leaves, it is just foreign to my way of thinking.
I voted that I wear it for myself only — though of course it's GREAT to get complimented or have someone intrigued if they catch a whiff of what you're wearing (as long as it doesn't make me worry that I overapplied, as you mentioned!). On the flip side, it's an advantage if you don't absolutely offend anyone with barnyard accords. Motivation might also might be different when one is going on a hot (or even lukewarm) date.
All that said, there are just certain scents that appeal to me much more as room spray or incense or a candle, or even on a test strip. I like the way some scents are very evocative, but I don't necessarily want them on my skin. Fireside or Burning Leaves are probably in that category, but then again so is anything heavily redolent of coffee, or chocolate, or butter cookies, or certain other gourmand aromas. I figure if I want a whiff of that kind of thing I'll just sniff my jar of coffee beans. Then again, I love smelling my arm after I've put on Gap Grass or CBIHP's tomato-leaf concoction Memory of Kindness, which I can understand might strike many as odd.
Hmmm!! so many different woods in one scent….I have to get some samples!!
I wear scents for myself only. If someone else happens to notice and comment on it, that's fine, but I keep the dosage low so as not to offend anyone. That's why I always wear it on the backs of my hands; it's easy to grab a furtive sniff when I want to, and I also get accidental (and very pleasant, if I've forgotten I'm wearing something) doses when I pick up the phone or adjust my glasses or whatnot.
I have two reasons that I wear fragrance, I think. The first is simply pleasure; I always feel better when I smell good, and even if no-one else notices, I do. The second is to reflect or amplify how I feel, or even to make myself feel a certain way: if I need a boost of confidence, or if I want a dose of cheer, I've always got something in the wardrobe that will do the trick.
Joe, wonder how much of my attitude towards fragrance is due to the fact that my “hot date” days are over? I literally can't remember if I ever wore scent as a “man magnet”, but maybe I did.
Memory of Kindness is such a great scent, I'm always thrilled to see it mentioned, and always mad to see Gap Grass mentioned since I can't get any, LOL…
I do not know if Sonoma Scent Studio ships overseas or not, but worth checking it out…
I do “back of the hands” too, and I assume people think I rub my nose with the back of my hand so often because I'm weird, or have a runny nose? And yes, agree with the “mood modifier” aspect of fragrance too — the Fireside Intense literally makes me feel warmer & happier on a bleak winter day.
I voted that I wear perfume partly for myself and partly for others and by others I would say mostly my husband. He is usually pretty honest about what he likes and doesn't like and he knows I pretty much switch everyday so he will come really close and smell then says “ooooo I really like that one, what is it?” or “that one doesn't work on you” either way I like getting feedback whether it is good or bad.
You are kind — my poor long suffering husband just has to live with whatever weird miasma of smells I'm testing that day 🙂
I'm a long time lurker, de-lurking just for this little poll because it's so interesting, and, I'm sure, diverse.
I wear fragrance because it is so incredibly pleasurable – in a way I had not even imagined before I started on my Perfumista Odyssey. I've always been very aware of smells in general (sounds too – I swear I'm the only one who listens to the music in stores and restaurants) but my exploration of perfumes over the last year has been just amazing.
I experience a lot of physical pain as part of a chronic illness and looking forward to choosing a scent and then experiencing it throughout the day makes living in this body a wonderful thing – it's very healing for me.
You know, for the past couple months at least, Gap Grass has been all over eBay for $20-$25, so you might want to finally pick some up for a cheap thrill…
Gosh, there really is tons of it over there. Sigh, this is gonna cost me…
I wear perfume because, to quote Luca Turin, it is “portable intelligence and beauty.”
That is all. 🙂
Hi and welcome! I have not always been very aware of smells, although am much more so now than I used to be — and don't always find that pleasurable, frankly — often, it's annoying! But how lovely that perfume helps you deal with chronic pain.
That is enough!
krizani: Well said! I too, have always been aware of smells (and sounds in restaurants and stores). When I go for walks along the lake near my apartment or walking down the street, I love how I can discern different smells. Sometimes a smell will inspire a poem.
BTW: I have on Agent Provocateur right now. Is it too much to spray twice on each arm, a little spray behind each knee and a tiny spray on the nape of the neck? Oh well, don't really care too much! And I do wear AP this way to work, as well as on a special evening. 😛
pyramus has summed up the way I feel about perfume, completely. My job is physical and I get dirty; I also wash my hands dozens of times in a day, so the back of the hands thing would be impractical for me. One deep pleasure in my daily routine is deciding what scent I shall wear, after I'm home and showered. Then I apply as much or as little as I like and enjoy it thoroughly! I do give some thought to my husband's preferences as to what perfume I wear to bed, though – it's his bed too, after all. 🙂
I wear fragrance as a fashion accessory. The one I choose from my arsenal depends on my mood, the time of day, what I'm wearing, where I'm going, and the season of the year. I love that the neighbours' cat goes home smelling like me after I've picked him up! I want others to smell it too. The neighbourhood knows that I'm the Perfume Lady so they all expect something different every day. I don't believe in blending eyeshadow. Why put it on just to rub it away? I want it to be seen if I'm forking out the dough for it. Same with perfume. I want others to smell it too. When we put our fragrance on, we often get immune to the scent so we run the risk of applying way too much to make it last through the day. But others CAN smell it. Moderation….
The reason I run out of stores as soon as possible is because the music is excruciating. It's like wearing scent and offending others. People around us don't have a choice but to smell us whether they like our choice of scent or not. I have to bear the choice of music in stores AND the loudness. Well, smoking's been outlawed in restaurants and in the '80's some perfumes were too. I wish music was next. It's always such a relief when they turn it off. I can't hear myself think to figure out what I want to buy. Having worked in an environment that had 3 types of music playing simultaneously, I live in absolute quiet. The only music is on the TV and I have a mute button if I choose not to hear it!!!
Obviously that person was not a perfumista. I think what characterizes much of the readership here is a sense that even if I personally have no real desire to smell like burning leaves myself (at least not this week), I can entertain the idea that I might want to some day in the future, and I think it's great that someone does want to. And that's the difference between us perfume nerds and your average man-on-the-street. (Hopefully that made some kind of sense.)
And I think you must have something better in the house to sniff on than your glue gun….
All in the interests of science….
Great topic, Robin!
When I'm out and about and going to be bumping into people, I like to wear people-pleasing scents. I wear enough fragrance so that others can smell it — such a generous girl, and I love to spread the joy!! — so I'm hyper-aware of appropriateness: fresh and light for my office job, more glam for cocktail parties and clubs, overtly sexy for my guy when it's just the two of us. (My last man loved animalic scents but needed 8 sprays to be able to detect any fragrance on me, so you BET we were all alone when that happened!)
When it's just me in my bedroom with a new stack of great, untried samples from kind swappers or Nancy at Fishbone Fragrances, I let 'er rip: anything insanely indolic, fecal or feral or skanky — only my nose knows what goes on behind closed doors — is fair game!!!
I am still waiting for samples (Montale, Etat Libre d'orange, Frederic Malle) but I have a heavy feeling that they might not arrive… it has been a while.
Who knows that I have more luck with Sonoma.
I wear perfume mainly for myself, and if others happen to like it, that's great. For me, perfume adds an additional aesthetic dimension to my day–I'm not sure how to express this, but it is sort of like I am wearing art and can sniff and enjoy that art whenever I feel the whim.
Great poll!
I think I mostly wear perfume for the pleasure of it – because I like the way it smells on my skin. The fact that others may happen to like it is sort of a pleasant bonus, but never the ultimate goal.
I don't know — I hate to say that is the dividing line between perfumistas & non-perfumistas — I do think there are lots of people who are seriously into fragrance but prefer to wear something that is essentially pretty as opposed to “interesting”. Maybe it *is* the dividing line between “perfume nerds” and the rest of perfumanity though!
LOL — will put down the glue gun 🙂
Oh, hope your samples will get there, I do hate a long wait for mail!
The washing of the hands is the one drawback, although the flip side is that when you're testing, that way you can hope you won't be stuck for so long if it turns out really awful!
Celestia, I have to say that is a lot of Agent Provocateur, LOL! But I do like AP so wouldn't complain.
What annoys me about music in public is often that it's music I like, and somehow, Van Morrison's Caravan is trivialized when you hear it in the grocery store (as I did last week). Frankly, I'd rather hear the old-style Muzak.
Just a clever-sounding witticism. Wearing perfume doesn't make a stupid person cleverer or a plain one more beautiful.
Oops…I messed up, am answering Celestia & Dana Cerise in the same comment.
I am very sentitive too smells and I wear perfumes for my own pleasure in the first place but also a little bit for my dear husband. I mean I would not wear a perfume that he could not stand for we share a life together. He is not difficult at all but he does not wear anything himself.
A good scent can elevate my mood and that is why I also love to spray some on my hands and wrists so I can inhale(oh well smell) it myself as much as I feel like.
I cannot imagine that using perfume offends people. Ok in an elevator for a very short time but that is neglectable. I like it when people on the streets leave a bit of a trail of their perfumes.
Celestia, how cool to be known as “the Perfume Lady”!
Ah, but the perfume itself can be intelligent & beautiful, at least, that is how I took the statement.
LOL at “only my nose knows what goes on behind closed doors” — ain't it the truth!
You expressed it perfectly — wearable art.
Hi Air Ocean, it is interesting how many people here say they're wearing it mostly for themselves. Maybe a “self selecting” kind of poll, since I'd bet most people wear it for others.
I would say the growing number of businesses & schools w/ “no fragrance” policies suggests that in the US at least, using perfume offends at least some people.
Yes–I think most people do wear perfume for others, or as a fashion statement. Way back when, when I first started wearing perfume, it was just part of being well dressed, it was obviously for others, and the thought of putting it on when I was just home alone would have been unthinkable…
Hmmm…I know my sister is not offended by perfume per se, but certain perfumes can trigger migraines for her–it can be a major problem for her on planes, etc.
I wear it for both but the other people is my partner. I rarely wear scents in public that aren't “close to the skin” or I apply very lightly so that I don't offend or worse antagonize an allergy or sensitivity.
There are plenty of times when I will put on a scent to smell while I read or listen to music. Often these are less “wearable” scents like CB Burning Leaves, Odeur 53, or a “feminine” or big scent that might be a bit much (for my own comfort) in public. I wear these to enhance my personal space, like I would grab a comforter, arrange my chair, or raise or shut the shades.
Other times I wear the things that my partner enjoys on me: clean musks or anything with plenty citrus.
Sorry, completely disagree on your interpretation. Seems to me that what he is saying is that an intelligent person will pick a beautiful, intelligent scent in the first place. It doesn't make you more intelligent, it's evidence of your intelligence (or lack of ignorance – in scent matters, at least). And I agree. Whether we admit it or not, I think we all judge people by the books they read, the music they listen to, etc. No different here….
Meant the above for Bela (J?), not Robin.
True, although I've become pretty good at washing just the bottom of my hands! Sampling new scents or just wearing your SotD on the back of your hand(s) is a delight indeed.
I disagree… if I see a chaff who smells of Helmut Lang EdC I think his style is sooo cool and he must be a super-hip intellectual artist type of person. Even though he's just a craving chaff on his way to the off-licence who coincidently might have a sophisticated cousin giving him a very good fragrance for his birthday. (Although I admit I doubt he will be able to appreciate the abstract beauty of a Lang Cologne…) Fragrance does make beautiful and intelligent. Even if only for a while, before a person starts to speak. This post is just a spontaneous thought…
Lucky for me, I work in a Fragrance department and I wear what I like, as loudly as I like. And there are days I'm screaming perfume because it makes me happy. No complaints yet.
I'd be quite sad if I couldn't wear perfume at work, with the exception of working in a hospital. Too many scents going round there to want to mix it up more.
I voted 'wear it for myself' because I wouldn't dream of wearing something I didn't love just because it pleased someone else – well, maybe on a rare occasion, for a treat! If something I wear for pleasure is really offensive to someone who has to be around me a lot, then I'd wear it only when on my own, but in practice the only negative reaction I've ever had was to Amoureuse. On the other hand, I've discovered that my 'scentedness' has been a source of joy to my kids – my 22 year-old daughter often borrows my scarfs 'because they smell lovely; they smell of you', and both of them talk about how certain perfumes remind them happily of childhood and Mummy. I'm not sure I could ask a perfume to do more!
Pyramus, I could sign your post. I feel the same. And thinking of others when applying with care is like keeping the volume of the stereo down not to disturb others. It has to do with respect, especially when working in a closed room with other people.
I must add though that I do chose perfume in relation to what I have to do a day. Also for the reason to make a specific impression. When I have to talk to someone in a professional context where I want to be convincing I choose a scent that 1. makes me feel self confident and 2. is kind of mainstream pleasing. Example: Ferragamo PH or Bulgari PH. Mind you, I never wear anything I don't like though!
For a job interview I'd choose something hardly noticeable which I imagine creates a positive aura for me without others consciously noticing. Like a magic trick. For a night out I choose sth that suits my style/mood. Mostly I then like it powerful and provocative, like Costume National Scent Intense for example, which I would NEVER wear at work.
Alors, I do not only wear for myself, but – in the sense described above – also “for” others. In my own interest.
I'm in the wearable art camp. But that doesn't necessarily mean I'm wearing it just for me. Clothes can be wearable art, and even the ordinary ones tell a story and set a tone. Perfume does the same thing. I'm wearing it for myself, but its still a link between me and the outside world–a way I can present/protect/project myself. I don't let others dictate what I wear, but I do think about how I want to be perceived. A fine line, perhaps. 🙂
And of course, I'm also a very enthusiastic perfume evangelist. If I think I smell fabulous and you can't smell me, I'm quite likely to offer up my arm even if I don't know you very well, LOL.
I was just planning a trip (fell through) to Santa Fe and discovered that one of the most recommended, upscale restaurants has a strict “No Fragrances” policy. I understand if people have serious problems with migraines or whatever, but can you imagine showing up to a restaurant and being told that they will not seat you because they detect scent on you? To me, that just seems beyond the pale. I wonder how strict other places really are with their policies; that's the first time I'd ever read a warning on message boards letting people know that the management is deadly serious about it.
HA — I've been known to soap & rinse only the top half of my fingers when I'm desperate!
I'd guess I'm in the minority here, but I just don't have a problem with it so long as they they make it clear in advance — because yes, it would be ridiculous to show up and not be seated. But you know, I don't think the reason behind such policies is a hatred of fragrance per se, but simply the fact that many people fail to consider others when they apply (both in terms of what they pick and how much they put on).
Same here! I'm sure I never would have though to wear fragrance at home, “for no reason”.
LOL — picturing you in the grocery store accosting strangers to smell your arm 😉
Oh, poor Amoureuse, it's so lovely!
That's so nice about your kids.
Can you wear whatever you like, or do you have to wear something the store sells?
Monkeytoe, yes, “perfumes for reading” is a whole genre unto itself 🙂
It is true — sometimes the beauty & intelligence of the scent is greater than the wearer — that is how I feel when I wear Fracas 😉
LOL! Haven't done it in the grocery store yet. But I did offer an arm across the counter at restaurant once — I was wearing Safran Troublant and ordering Saffron Risotto and I just couldn't resist letting them in on the moment!
Actually, I have worked in hospitals for years as well as other settings, and have found that hospital workers are some of the devoted fragrance users. I could always tell when the end of the shift was arriving; suddenly I would start to smell the fresh, delicious clouds of fragrance of the next shift. No doubt it is the ambient smells of a hospital that is the chief motivation, but it has always amazed me how many times a patient will tell me how much they enjoy my fragrance, and in fact makes them feel better! I literally had only one occasion when a patient told me my perfume was too much. I was wearing one of the very early Victoria Secret scents, can't remember which one. One of the original issues, either the first or second. You would think some of the cleaner, simpler aromas would be most therapeutic. Sometimes I've worn lavender oil or something considered a healing aroma. Suppose that was OK, but it seems patients love-if not actually crave- the jolt of a good fragrance. Wore 212 to good reviews for a long time, but hands down, patients and co workers alike would go bonkers (in a good way) for plain old Angel. Go figure.
LOL I hear you there (being a vegetarian as well…)
I wear perfume for myself. If someone else likes it too–bonus. Of course I wouldn'twear anything deliberately to turn someone off. 😛
I just like to have beautiful scents within reach at all times–on my wrist, for easy-access sniffage! Spices, frangipanni, tuberose, cedar, pine, burning leaves, you name it. If I like it, I have to find a way to get it on my wrist!
I too wear perfume because I like smells. I just do, and I've never really been able to fully explain that to someone who isn't like-minded.
Fireside Intense sounds RIGHT up my alley! Thank you!
have to admit that i do wear partly for others. y now you might remember that I like Sur le Nil very much. when I ran out of that last year, it happened to be the time Kelly Caleche was released, and despite I like Sur le Nil more, I bought Kelly cos I thought that was more feminine.
talking about perfume insults, luckily I have not been on the receiving end, but i couldn't help recalling one time I went shopping with my mum, and this saleslady handed us a paper strip with sprayed perfume. We thought it was quite refreshing and went on to let her sprayed on our wrists. But when we brought our wrists close, our smiling faces disappeared and both of us walked away (politely) immediately. We actually rushed to the toilet to wash it off cos we came up with the same comment for the perfume: it smelt like poo.
am having a day off and am going to Ormonde Jayne !!!!
Hello here,
I use Parfume, because a smell has perhaps saved my life.
I was in a total despair, but I buy on Orchid … a Brassia, my first Orchid.
The next morning, i see through the small window of my Parisian flat the sunshine … but the area was completely under the flagrance of the flower … a very very strong flagrance (Brassia are known for this).
the next Day, for the first time of my life .. I really do shoping and take care of myself. I buy new shoes, a shirt and yes a perfume.
I was unable at this moment to keep the Orchid, but I keep the flowers in a small box .. and 10 years after .. the smell is still here (hard to beleive …).
And yes I wear Perfume at light dose for myself … like now with Mandragore.
Robin, I'm as happy as a child for I just received my very first samples by mail..:-D
A lady chose some for me and they are: Creed Spring Flower,
Montale Roses Musk, Penhaligon's Artemisia, Etat Libre d'Orange Rossy de Palma and Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese and En Passant.
This is so much better than buying whole bottles or running to the stores all the time!
These fragrances are all new to me, never had the chance to try them.
Sounds reasonable to me 🙂
Hope you'll like it then 🙂
Hey, I wish I was going to Ormonde Jayne! But what was the scent that made your smiles disappear??
What a lovely story, thanks for sharing! And always nice to hear of a Mandragore fan 🙂
Interesting, I always assumed most hospitals had no fragrance policies!
How nice, hope you will love at least some of them!
I know I will Robin. Today I try the first one: Rossy de Palma by Etat Libre d'Orange, and for sure this is not like any rose perfume. Sofar this seems to be more about the stem of the rose and it's thorns than the flower itself and the description is so true, for after the topnotes it is more a defensive fragrance than a welcoming one, and now after some hours, it is becoming a nice intriguing welcoming one.
For sure a fragrance worth to try!
I wear perfume for myself mostly. I usually spray scent on my wrists and on the nape of my neck. That way I can smell it when I toss my hair, or adjust my glasses. It also comes in handy when a stinky person gets on the subway.
When I go on a hot date I'll pick something more straightforward and “good” smelling to spray on the back of my neck. That way the other person won't smell it unless they get really close.
I don't wear scents for strangers passing by because if I wear too much perfume my nose tends to burn like the dickens.
Oh, nice story… You know, I know many people around me, who are bored, they don't know what to do with their free time, they think there are no interesting things outside… I always wonder, because there are so many interesting and beautiful things around us, for example the world of scents…
I am glad that you found the new nice things that opened new ways, new doors for you.
I voted that I wear perfume for myself only. I think this has changed as I've gotten older. However, i must admit to being conservative in my tastes. I wouldn't wear something that I don't consider 'right' in perfume. E.g. I don't like tea scents (although I love tea) and I don't like mint notes in perfume (makes me think of toothpaste). Also, I love the scent of jasmine but in perfume it just doensn't work for me. Or maybe I'm placing too much emphasis on my reaction to A La Nuit lol. 'Death by Jasmine' is a good way of putting it.
I am uneasy about a scent with massive sillage, very comfortable with ones that are more intimate and stay close to the skin. I want to be able to smell it, I don't necessesarily want to inflict my tastes on anyone else. As I work in a small office with someone who regularly douses herself in Angel, I know how that can feel.
Ah, sounds interesting. Wish it was easier to get the ELdO scents in the US, I'd love to try it.
It was Kenzo Summer, which is weird cos it smells alright on the strip but guess my mum and my body just didn't click with it…
oh I am sure you'll love Ormonde Jayne. Went there today and the saleslady gave me 3 samples and insisted that I test them for a few days before I make a purchase! At first I like Champaca but it smelt like tomato on me (what a shame, i swear it was tomato and seaweed), Frangipani is quite strong on me, but it stays very close to skin and is very true to Frangipani; will try out Osmanthus and Ormonde women later, haven't gone over the excitement yet! 🙂
LOL at “when a stinky person gets on the subway” — another good reason to wear perfume 🙂
Ouch on the Angel. Why does everyone who loves Angel wear so much of it?
That's funny, I think of Kenzo Summer as so clean!
Frangipani is my favorite, Champaca probably my 2nd favorite (LOL at tomato & seaweed!), but also love Osmanthus, Ta'if & Isfarkand. Most people think Ormonde is her best though.
Oh I love Amoureuse! I'm wearing it now, I wear it while reading, in bed, etc. It's heaven in a bottle!
And yes, that is really nice about your kids. That's how I feel about my mom–I love how she smells, how her clothes smell, how the house smells when she walks through it right after she's applied her perfume. It's comforting, reassuring, and simply lovely.
🙂
I'm curious, is there any particular fragrance you wear that your kids especially love?
Molly
I asked Kevin the same thing re Polo and Pierre Cardin (from back in the day when men's scents really packed a whallop). I wondered if there is something in the composition of certain fragrances or….do certain fragrances attract heavy-handed users?
I love Ormonde Jayne–pretty much her whole line. Talk about outstanding quality…!
My faves are Ormonde, Frangipani, and Ormonde Man. But really, I love them all.
Oddly, on me Champaca has a wisp of burnt rubber! I can't figure out why that would be. But I still like it. Actually I like it because of that!
Molly
Speaking of A la Nuit, Robin–do you, or anyone else here, know whether Serge Lutens uses the “enfleurage” method for the jasmine in making the perfume?
Thanks,
Molly 🙂
i know! I won't blame the perfume, I blame the chemistry that comes out of the fragrance and my skin (weird that it was the same on mum too, may be it's in the genes haha)
Champaca and Frangipani are the two that caught my attention on my first testing round. I want to like Champaca but it was just very tomato-y on me. It was quite different on the saleslady but still a bit salty, which is strange cos it was very nice on the strip.
am definitely getting one (or more!), the problem is which…
Oh, but a *wonderful* death by jasmine it would be! For me, at least. 🙂
Angel is impossible to wear discreetly, the sillage is so massive that most people leave that Angel trail behind them even with only one spray. It just isn't a fragrance for daytime wear, and too few people realize that. I don't much like encountering it in strong doses at work, on a crammed bus or at the movies either, and
I've loved and worn Angel for over ten years. Only as a going-out kind of perfume, though, and my skin chemistry takes care of the worst sillage (tried M7 the other day, expecting strong, woody goodness, and found it surprisingly wimpy after the review here.)
You know, I've actually never smelled Angel! I hear about it so much on the perfume blogs, and I'm so curious to see what it smells like. I might have to steal a spritz at Sephora next time I'm there. Considering the descriptions I've read, I don't think I'd like it–I think it would be too sweet for me. But who knows? Maybe I will. 🙂
Oh, but I imagine that Fracas is improved by your wearing it,
Robin, as much as vice versa.
I think that we have all seen articles of clothing that were just the most absolutely chic thing in the world on the right person, while the same garment worn by the wrong person seems cheap and tacky. So I conceive of fragrance in the same way. The difference is how we process scents. They interact with the brain differently, more directly, than thing perceived by our other senses. So we find that scents trigger emotions and memory more so than, say, the ugly sweater that your coworker had on this morning. Then again, that was a pretty awful sweater.
I have to go with the “boring” middle alternative since I am very sensitive to smell (on me or on others or from anything). I think you make an excellent point of wearing just enough perfume so YOU can smell it, rather than having everyone else sensing it/judging it/getting a migraine from it. If everyone knew how much to apply (dear lord, I know that day will never come) and where to be careful with perfume (say a tedious flight crossing some ocean or other) then there could really be a better “perfume wearing climate”.
I panic everytime someone is wearing splashes and splashes of something they think smells good/cool/trendy and some of my own scents are making me wonder if maybe -out of consideration- I should stop wearing them.
The other day I was wearing the coca cola of perfumes; DKNY be delicious and found that a lot of my co-workers seemed to have some sort of “allergic” reaction to it. I never even thought about this before but it may very well be that scent with the “stick your head in a laundry room”- tinge that caused it. I gave this bottle away to my 14 year old sister…. Maybe she can torture a few friends with it and I get to move on to something else, something that I like and others can stand.
Seriously, one answer is that if you wear the same scent every day, you end up w/ olfactory fatigue — you can hardly smell it anymore. I do think that accounts for many cases of overapplication.
Burnt rubber — wanted to test that, but I'm fresh out! Wish they'd get their US site launched already.
No clue.
M7 wimpy! I am impressed 🙂
LOL — you are very kind, but trust me, I don't add much to Fracas.
LOL at “the coca cola of perfumes”!
I think this is one of the reasons that I like to decant from spray bottles into little travel sized splash bottles — you can control the amount you apply so much better. For many scents, even 1 spray is too much.
Oh wow, Ormonde Jayne's launching a U.S. website?
That makes me very happy 🙂
A word of advice: approach with caution!!
I normally love gourmandy-type fragrances – I like vanilla (Lolita Lempicka, yum) and chocolate (JM Blue Agava and Cacao) notes. But I vividly remember the extreme negative reaction I got when I spritzed Angel on my wrist. It turned into a disgusting synthetic-y, vomit-inducing mess, an utter scrubber. I couldn't understand what all the fuss was about this scent. And actually, I dislike Theirry Mugler scents in general, perhaps they're all tainted by association.
On my colleague, it is actually not too bad, although the knockout sillage is giving *me* olfactory fatigue!
Something with sillage like that is the olfactory equivalent of loud noise. I agree it's not at all a scent for daywear. Something like Kelly Caleche or Chanel No. 5 are the perfect work scents, I think.
I sniffed A La Nuit in the bottle and went no further, which is probably very cowardly of me! I ought to try a small amount on my skin at least. Had a bad experience buying a full bottle of Douce Amere because I loved it on the card and for about 3 minutes on my skin, but have come to the sad conclusion that it's a no go. I think you need to give Serge Lutens a bit of time and consideration before shelling out!
Robin, my father loves smells, he thinks that he probably was a dog in his previous life. :-))
By the way, why did you mention exactly M7? I still remember that thing with the model's “glory” 🙂 and when I see a bottle of M7 in a shop I often happen to smile…(thanks to you:-)))
It was supposed to launch last Nov, but is still “in the works”. And yes, it will make me happy too!
I guess because I think of M7 as uber-masculine? I wear lots of mens scents, but that is one I'd probably mostly wear at home 🙂
Speaking of a perfume smelling like meat …I've tried FM's L'Eau D'Hiver and it smells like a woman who just put on a generic weak floral drug store scent eating a plate of ham.
Hi–I had never smelled Angel either. I was in Macy's today and they gave me a sample. Wow! One tiny spritz and I feel like I reek of the stuff. I like it fine–I don't find it sickening or unpleasant. I'm not instantly obsessed with it, but for certain moods it could be just the thing. But, I just can't believe how potent it is!
LOL — I adore Hiver, but that is a great description!
llol, I can relate to that! I'm always sticking my arm out for hubby to smell….
I wear fragrance for both myself and others. It's part of who I am, and it's also an accessory. And the activity matters too, such as if I'm at work, or if we're going out.
My earliest childhood memories are of fragrances, in particular my grandmothers and aunts, who always smelled nice. It's no wonder I'm a fragrance addict!
Maybe you could write an article about mens scents suitable for women and give us some tips. 🙂
FYI, there's a piece on Chandler Burr in Sunday's SF Chronicle. He mentions his latest book, a great little boutique perfumery local to San Francisco, Salon des Parfums.
How nice that you have early memories of scent; I don't at all.
Oh thanks, I'll look for it!
Will add that to my “to do” list, but seriously, I'll wear almost anything. A scent has to be really strongly masculine to scare me off!