We were in a rambling antiques mall in Billings, Montana, and all around us were the remains of other people's lives — the Spode soup bowls, ratty mink stoles, worn cowboy boots, and stacks of old issues of Look magazine that people thought were worth keeping until they died or were too lazy to throw out. Once I was able to rip my attention away from a 1940s plaster lamp of a Southern belle with a light bulb under her skirt, I saw a battered box with the unmistakable Chanel logo on a nearby shelf. Inside was a two-thirds-full bottle of Chanel No. 5 Eau de Cologne that looked like it was at least fifty years old.
I forgot about the No. 5 cologne until last night when I was looking for something to wear while I watched The Earrings of Madame De..., a decidedly 1950s movie about pawned jewelry and forbidden love in the 19th century. The No. 5 seemed perfect. It is modern and retro at the same time, and something about its old vermouth and jasmine scent seemed to match the spirit of Danielle Darrieux as the movie's lovelorn comtesse.
I got to wondering about who had first owned the bottle of No. 5. Whoever it was had cared enough about it to wear it since at least an ounce had been used, and she stored it in its original box. Plus, she'd kept the bottle for a long, long time. Maybe it was a cherished gift, possibly from someone who didn't have a lot of money since it's an Eau de Cologne. Someone — an old beau or an uncle who went to New York, maybe — asked her what he could bring her and she thought right away of Chanel No. 5, even though she didn't use much scent except rose water. Maybe she didn't even like No. 5 if she thought about it, but No. 5 wasn't about liking it, it was about something luxurious to be doled out in drops for special occasions. When she died decades later her estate scattered to relatives and strangers. The No. 5 found its way to an antiques mall, and eight dollars later it was mine.
To me, that's a sad story. Yes, it's wonderful to go to the closet and gaze at a special bottle of perfume. That's one kind of pleasure. But a greater pleasure comes not from having the cake but from eating it and trusting that eventually another cake will be on its way — or, if not, what the hell it was a tasty cake.
What if the first owner of my No. 5 cologne had worn it every night when she took off her housedress to sit down for dinner? What if she had sprinkled a few drops on her slips when she put them away after washing? Every time she caught a whiff of the scent she would have been reminded that she was worth it, that we only live once, and that beauty is for drinking down. In the end, part of the bottle was wasted to her anyway.
So here's my new manifesto: Let's not keep perfume or other beautiful things as amulets, let's transform ourselves by enjoying them to the fullest. Let's wear the fancy underwear even when no one else will see it. Let's use up that truffle oil before it goes bad — I bet it would be terrific on tater tots. Let's not wait for company to light candles at dinner and drink from the delicate Murano wine glasses. What the heck, let's let the dog get up on the new couch. You only live once. The Osmothèque can be responsible for keeping stashes of vintage No. 5 Eau de Cologne. Me, I'm wearing it.
Note: image via Parfum de Pub.
You're absolutely right! Life is short, and we should live it up while we can.
Funnily enough, btw, I had a similar encounter at an antiques mall, except that I bought a 1950's Chanel purse size splash bottle for 5 bucks, which I am going to fill with No. 5 samples I intend to scavenger from Holt Renfrew, the Bay and similar.
Amen!
When I got my first real job, I moved into an apartment with another girl who was from the Auntie Mame School of Philosophy: “Life's a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” So every Wednesday night was Champagne Night. We'd pool our measly salaries, go buy the best bottle we could afford, and drink it down. I remember the first time we did this, asking very tentatively, “does Champagne go with meatloaf?” That's how I learned it goes with everything. 🙂 Just like good perfume goes with jeans or ballgowns.
No. 5 must suffer the same fate all over the place! It was such a trophy perfume that I think people were afraid to use it.
Fabulous! I love Auntie Mame (one of my top five movies) and her tremendous philosophy of life. What a way to make Wednesdays something to look forward to!
What a great article!
I love the sentiment of enjoying what you have while you can. I love the idea of someone sprinkling a favorite perfume on freshly laundered lingerie. I must remember that.
A friend of mine and I had a ritual when we were living in France. We didn't have a lot of money and cheese was expensive even then. But every week we'd buy a cheese we had never tried before and some good bread and eat every bit. What else was our money going to go toward if not wonderful memories of being in France and really living there.
Life is not about money or posessing but about experiencing!
This article is a lift to my week. Thanks!
I guess Opium isn't the same as Chanel no 5 (but I prefer YSL over Chanel anyway…..), but I wore that everyday.
The only perfume that I save is Alexander McQueen Kingdom, because it's discontinued. If it wasn't then I'd wear it regularly.
What a beautiful article, Angela! You are absolutely right – we live only once. Perfume has a very special meaning to me, I do have my every day scents, and the ones that I reserve for special occasions. I don't keep them for special occasions only because I am afraid of using them – no. I leave them for those special times because that makes me enjoy them even more. I can honestly say, that after trying hundreds maybe thousands of perfumes I think I have found my no. 1, gorgeous scent. I know that the most beautiful fragrance (at least to me) is Mandarine Mandarin by Serge Lutens, and even a drop of it is cheerished by me. I save for special days ONLY to maintain it's special status to me. I wear it with my favorite dresses that I have splurged on. I wear it when I just feel special and beautiful, on days when I am happy. But I also have tons of other scents that I would rather hide in my jewelry box, under my bed, and I would treasure them for the rest of my life… no I'd rather use them whether it's for an every day use, or days when I feel beautiful and special, I will use them happily.
Angela, just don't sprinkle Sarrasins on your antique ivory lace knickers!
What a great ritual! What a great way, too, to stretch your senses and broaden your experience. Now I want to buy a new cheese every week, too.
Why not wear the Kingdom anyway? When it's gone, there will be other fabulous perfumes ready to step in. (Of course, Kingdom is one of those scents that is hard to wear all the time, anyway.)
You are lucky to have found your perfect fragrance! Sometimes I think I have, too, but the mood passes…Enjoy them!
R, if I had any Sarrasins around, I might be tempted…
I have always had the philosopy that perfume is a “living thing”. I use it daily. I have my shelves with the “live ones” and my shelves with the empty beautiful bottles that have become a museum of sorts. (I keep the uninteresting bottles in a box in the basement.) The problem is who to leave them all to. If my estate sells them off, then the money could go to the SPCA. Or perhaps they could be sold back to the issuing company who would like to display them as part of their history. Anyway, even boxed and sealed perfume dissipates over time, so why not just use it up yourself? Of course, we all have our special occasion perfumes that do feel so much more special if we use them just once in awhile. Then there's the perfumes for each season and time of day!
This article reminds me of the book, “Use The Good China”. I do. What am I saving it for? If any breaks, it a good excuse to buy a more modern pattern. There's also “Why French Women Don't Get Fat”. Because they make each meal an occasion and use the good china and crystal. We never know what day will be our last so enjoy perfume and other special things today!
Great philosophy! The book “Use the Good China” sounds intriguing, too.
I'm totally guilty of “saving” things I think are precious, only to have to pitch them when they go rotten. Especially foodstuffs, for some reason. What, am I never going to eat something interesting again if I eat this? Stupid. I'm better than I was about perfume – my last purge of rotten fragrances taught me a lesson.
But thanks for reminding me! Can't channel Auntie Mame too often in your life!
I've always used the Good China (much to my parents' horror; they wanted me to Pack It Away because it belonged to my grandmother). I wear my favorite perfumes and my pearls to work, to clean my house, to Walmart. Why have it, if you don't enjoy it?
Angela, I agree with everything you say! Yes! Life is short. Enjoy it to the fullest. My husband and I eat by candlelight every night. Why not? 🙂 We use the nice wine glasses whenever we feel like it. In fact, I don't think I have anything that I keep only for special occasions, because EVERY DAY is a special occasion. Ha ha. I suppose there's a bit of a fine line there. Things that are considered “special” may be deemed quite ordinary if we do not respect and honor them. Know what I mean? Celebrating those things we love, and respecting them for the joy they bring us keeps us from diminishing their value. It's about being thankful – appreciating and enjoying the things that bring us pleasure – all the time.
What a nice article. I once met a lovely man, a hospital chaplain, who told me the most frequent emotion he encountered as he consoled the dying was…regret. Regret that they hadn't bought the Winnebago and taken that special vacation, regret that they hadn't looked up their long lost brother and made up with him, regret that they'd never seen Europe… So – don't put things off. Buy the Winnebago. Forgive the brother. See Europe. Use the special perfume.
LOL! Actually, you know, Angela, I know that you're a romantic and a writer, and I was just thinking how very cool that WOULD be; to have an extravagant purple drizzle mark on some lovely ivory lace. Or imagine a perfumista coming across that in a vintage clothing store, and knowing exactly what that represented. Talk about a gorgous tell-tale symbol of self-indulgence!
Now, all I need is a bell jar of Sarrasins and some fancy knickers. . .
I often need to remind myself of Dorothy Parker's saying (something along the lines of) “We all think we'll live forever and then we die”. Auntie Mame totally had it right.
Hurray! I'm having soup for lunch in a Spode primrose soup bowl.
damselfly 1213, what a lovely thing to share. I hope we all remember it.
That's terrific! After all, why have things if you aren't enjoying them–either use them or give them to someone who will. Beauty hidden or ignored is beauty wasted.
This is marvelous! And so true. And so easy to forget.
I agree.
Maybe the best would be to soak the whole item in Sarrasins for a uniform, dreamily scented pale lilac!
You bring the Sarrasins and I'll bring the undies!
Let's!
Thank you, great post!
What a great post, Angela. I come from a long line of *someday* hoarders, and on me it had the opposite effect – I wear my vintage jewelry and perfume no matter what. I am always urging my 82 yr old mother to get out Grandma's hand-tatted (now that's a skill, tatting) pillowcases and yes, use the good china. It's hard to break the habits of a lifetime. My aunt died recently, and I was given her silk scarves, bcs. I collect vintage scarves. She had only two, and they were carefully stored in their original boxes from Marshall Fields in Chicago. Life on the farm didn't offer many dress up occasions, but she could have worn them to church, I would think. But she didn't. And I'm sure she never wore perfume. 🙁
Beautiful article.
I think the fear that at some point we will run out of everything we have is what drive us humans to be hoarders.
I was lucky to give my late aunt a bottle of Ma Griffe some months before she passed away. She wore it in her youth and it was hard to find for her lately.
After I gave it to her, she wore it often, even though she slowly got worse (it was a terminal disease).
On ocassion, while spraying it on, she would say to me: Thank you! you have brought back beautiful memories with this gift.
My aunt wore the beautiful things without waiting for the “perfect time” or “perfect someone” to wear them with. I think that notion is the best gift she gave me 😉
A deal!
You're welcome!
I just realized that one of the pillowcases my great-grandmother embroidered over forty years ago has a tear in it! I've been adhering to the “love it now” philosophy and using it, and, alas, it is wearing out. But I still don't regret it, and I bet you'll love sleeping on the tatted pillowcases if you get the chance.
And that's a marvelous inheritance!
As a quiltmaker, I am subjected often to the “preserve it forever” philosophy but I would rather use a quilt and love it until it is a rag than store it away just because it took someone a long time to make it 100 years ago. Yes, some are landmark, benchmark, incredible pieces that are museum-worthy, but that only applies to a few. Which reminds me, I think I'll put that 100-year old Lone Star quilt on my bed today!
When the pillowcase gets too tattered, cut the embroidery off and applique it to something else.
I think the fine line is in how we take care of what we love. We don't have to hoard to be good caretakers. People who have nice silver can use for a long time if they polish it and keep it in a safe place. And as one of my favorite quotes goes “When you love something you treat it differently.”
Good use combines using it and taking care of it properly: Handwashing the good knickers, polishing the silver, keeping the perfume out of direct sunlight. But use can be combined with specialness if we take care of things. Then their use becomes a celebration.
What a great post, Angela, and I couldn't agree with you more! I have a 1/2 oz bottle of the original Coty Chypre that I purchased on Ebay about a year ago (I must have been suffering from temporary insanity considering the price I paid for it, especially considering it was only about one-third full) For about six months, it sat untouched on my dresser as the crown jewel in my collection. Then one day I realized how silly I was being; as much as I enjoy looking at a beautiful bottle sitting there, perfume is meant to be worn and enjoyed, period. Now I wear it and love it (still on special occasions only, though!) and have finally gotten over the guilt I used to experience whenever I dab a little on my wrist.
I think you are right. My grandmother grew up during the Depression and she kept everything. And thanks to that my sister and I can enjoy vintage shoes and real silk stockings. At the same time those physical things were not the best of the things she left us.
What a wonderful essay, Angela! A valuable reminder for all of us. I'll add a comment that my husband makes frequently: “Never suppress a generous impulse.” This could apply in a couple of ways: Be generous to yourself and enjoy what brings you pleasure. And if you don't use or enjoy nice things that you have, give them to someone who will!
I have always intended that my epitaph be “Je regrete rien” – I regret nothing. I wear my perfumes and my beautiful things,Iuse the good dishes and crystal often enough, I light the pretty candles. Life is, indeed a banquet – it you're willing to grab a plate and go for it!
Live live LIVE! Love that Auntie Mame…
I count myself lucky to have grown up with parents who were definitely of the “use the good china” school; they had beautiful stuff all around, even with 5 kids, and we were raised to appreciate the finer things but not to treat them as holy relics. No childproofing there! These days I try to instill that same attitude in my son, and I am a firm believer in putting on lipstick and perfume to pick him up from preschool.
I've been a “use the good china” gal for a long time now – after realizing after some trials in my 20s that not using the good china is akin to hiding your life away and waiting for the right moment. The right moment is when you decide to be who you imagine you are in your head/dreams. There are always many days of drudgery and chores when I'll spritz myself with Chamade or Vol de Nuit or whatever just to do the housework or shovel snow… And there are those wonderful “power” days that fragrance is the greatest cherry on top. Wearing the frags I love regularly, regardless of what I'm doing, reminds me that I am not just a hardworking mom, but also the kind of woman who likes to wear big hats with raven feathers to the opera…Perfume is the most wonderful version of fashion, culture & arts for the very reason that you can hang No 5 around your neck (so to speak) just to walk the dog!
The other thing I think is great about “using the good china” is that it is really wonderful to share these beautiful things with others. The same is true with fragrance – sharing and learning about beautiful fragrances and how they fit into life. It is a joy to have a fragrance friend(s), just as it is to have tea on the Spode! (Mine is Blue Colonel.)
Great time for a great article.
That is a great idea for the pillowcase, T. Plus, it has some lovely handmade lace on it. I could start a coverlet for the bed.
That's definitely true. It's nice to use things when you have the time to appreciate them and take care of them, too. I wouldn't give a three-year old a Waterford goblet, for instance. But I have a set of horn-handled Laguiole steak knives that I love to use and enjoy washing up, drying lovingly, and putting away..
It's true–things don't mean as much as other things, like a great attitude toward life, that you might inherit.
What a wonderful bittersweet article. Don't just sample life take a huge bite out of it “After Many a Summer Dies The Swan”.
I bet it smells wonderful. It seems like since you are really appreciating it, using it is the right thing to do. I have a few mls of Lanvin Scandal that I feel the same way about.
Yes! I agree completely.
So true! Something wonderful that is never seen or used or tasted falls so short of its full potential. When someone uses and enjoys it, it makes good energy in the world (how's that for some New Age blather?),
I'm so glad you feel the same way! Yes, occasionally a plate breaks or the perfume bottle runs dry or the cherished rug is stained. That's o.k.–it's making life. Like you said, if not now, when?
I have a serious hankering to see Auntie Mame again, and I saw it twice last year (the annual birthday viewing and one other time).
I love it that you lipstick up for the ride to pre school. Perfect!
Yes!
It works. 😉
Excellent article, and excellent taste in movies. I was desperate to watch “The Earrings of Madame de…” ever since I first heard of it, and rejoiced when it finally became available on Netflix! It's now one of my favorites.
I too believe in using lovely things, and fighting my instinct to hoard. I use my good china every sunday, even if it is just to have coffee in bed. And one of my goals of 2009 is to use my stash of perfume liberally (though not to the annoyance of others, I hope). Huzzah!
It is so easy for us to convince ourselves that we aren't worth the potential price of using the “good” things we acquire. Thanks for a lovely and poignant article.
Coffee from beautiful cups, drunk in bed, with the scent of a little Joy, could be heaven itself.
Angela,
Thank you for the beautiful and poignant article. I could not agree with you more. Perfume, fine wines, china, silver, candlelight, etc. should all to be enjoyed at any given moment. I use one of my perfumes every day. I wear it to work, to the gym and I even spritz a fragrance on before going to bed. However, I made a mistake with a few bottles of very fine wine that I kept saving for the right occasion or the right person to share with. As I live alone, I thought that I shouldn't open something so good just for me. When I finally opened one of the bottles, it had gone past its prime. It was still drinkable but not of the same quality that it was at its peak. Since then I vowed never to save anything for the “right occasion” as any day is the right one. I've been collecting perfumes since I was 20 years old, and it has always been my passion. This site has been such a joy for me and I look forward to opening it every day. Although I have been reading it for quite a while, this is the first time I have posted a comment. Your article is so beautifully written, I could not help but reply. Life is too short not to enjoy what we have each and every day.l
That's very insightful.
Angela –
I'm singing in your choir! I nearly died in a split-second motorcycle crash about 8 years ago and since then I wear/use/taste/enjoy everything! Vintage linens, Hermes bags, vintage perfumes….Mallomars…it all gets enjoyed! Life really is completely and utterly unpredictable. And as wonderful as using things is, I have also found great pleasure in sharing! Got 10 ml of a vintage fragrance? Why not dole out a few ml to friends who swoon over it! Dab some on somebody who needs to have their soul opened up a bit!!! Here's the odd thing about that: every single thing I've doled out, be it fragrance, jewelry, chocolate….if I've done it with joy in my heart, it has always come back to me!
So glad you wore it last night.
I'm so glad you commented and that you enjoy Now Smell This! That's tragic about your bottle of wine, but what a good lesson it is. I, too, wear perfume for just about every occasion, including bedtime.
I'm glad you made it through the crash–that's terrifying. (And I love it that you include mallomars with all the “special” items.) You're right, too, that sharing the things you love is wonderful. Well, maybe not the mallomars, at least not if there's only one box in the house….
I know! I wrote that, re-read it and said to myself…..LIAR! I never share Mallomars if there's only one box in the house. That's a sad truth, but true it is.
I'll share anything else – and gladly! – my vintage champagne, my vintage Joy, even my jewels….
…but not the Mallomars!!!
I am really hungry now, no kidding. Now I know what my inauguration treat will be!
What a great sentiment Angela- and I do agree heartily. If I did not have a cold I would pop open some wine and pour some in a crystal goblet! And Mamabear- I am in your camp- I love to share perfume and bubbly and chocolate (and anything else I have really, if someone expresses a need and I can fill it)
I love this post and reading all the comments. Life is short and not enjoying it is a crime. I use perfume everyday and wear expensive shoes. Two things I learned from my paternal Grandmother. This was also the woman who told me when I was in my mid-20's to pick out a china and silver pattern (I was nowhere near getting married and she said “What's the point of waiting for a man before you have nice things?”) Every year after for my birthday and Christmas I got a place setting and I used them all the time. I light the nice fancy candles and burn them down, I use the vintage linens I've found, I use up the truffle oil and go buy another bottle. LIVE and never regret it. God bless Grandma, it was a lesson she taught me young and it's been a great one.
So right, Karin! Life has enough hard times without our adding to them so let's enjoy each and every moment, and share them! When there's a problem, get it solved, and if you need help, get it, then go out for a great coffee afterwards! Great scents, I am convinced, help us get through the tough stuff, and make the fun times that much more fun! Aromatherapy is huge, and no wonder!
I completely understand. My mom just made me a beautiful quilt as a Christmas/ graduation gift and it's now on my bed in my dorm in college. My grandma and great aunt were horrified that I would take it to college with me and *gasp* actually use it, putting it in the way of my roommates. 🙂 I think the same thing should apply to perfume. My most expensive perfume is my Chanel Chance, but I use it whenever the mood strikes because….why not?
I love this article! It obviously strikes a chord. I think this concept applies to whatever you have. My family never had any china, crystal or silver. I can't afford to buy champagne or even a good bottle of wine. But we live life to the fullest by enjoying those special things we do have. And there are days when my little Pacifica solid makes me feel just as extravagant and beautiful as my Hermes. One of the best French proverbs translates, “If you only have 2 francs left in the world, spend one on bread, and the other on fresh flowers.”
I hope your cold gets better soon! Have a hot bath and take it easy.
What a fabulous grandma! She sounds like the grandma everyone should have.
Amen!
I'm sure you're careful around the quilt, and think of all the pleasure you get from actually using it. Much, much better than keeping it locked away somewhere. Same with the perfume!
Hello- Carpe Diem – Seize The Day ~~~ This article brought me back to life. yes, readin it made me feel good.
I share the sentments brought forth in this beautifully written essay -Every day is special – it can N E V E R be replaced.
I come from a family of hoarders.. yet they seem to be saving things for company.. It is annoying. Don't we matter ? Son't you matter/
I am generous wih myself and with friends. i adore fine, perfumes, candles, coffees, teas, liquors etc. I try to make my environment aesthetic. I remember Chanel No. 5 Eau De Cologne. I am in my early 50's – I wore it alot in my twenties. it was beautiful. better than the EDT.
Some friends and family find fault with my little luxuries,,why i need o buy routinely gourmet coffee, teas , use the finest beauty products etc.. I too. lipstick up for every outing ..
It brings a comfort and a quality to daily living. Beautiful things ..perfumes, scarves . bring everlasting memories.
Thank you for this pognant post.
I love that proverb, thank you!
While it's nice to have money to buy nice things, one tuberose is extravagantly beautiful, and a fresh farm egg is divine. A long, hot bath is so wonderful, and a perfectly ripe bowl of berries is luxury itself. The Pacifica solids are pretty great, too!
Kelly Red, what a nice memory to have! She sounds wonderful.
Sounds like heaven!
Angela,
I always enjoy reading your articles on NST – thank you for another life-affirming and thought-provoking piece.
I come from a line of hoarders too, and it seems that so much of that impulse is born of fear. There is a contrast here too between consumerist profligacy and value – spending too much and using too much is not good – but items of real value, like hand-made quilts and so on, gain in value through careful use. What gives Chanel No. 5 its value is not just how it smells, it's the history of its origin, and all the women who have used it and loved it, and what it has come to represent. All valued things have 'aura' like this, and I think we're re-entering a world where no-holds-barred cosumerism will have to be curbed anyway, making these special items all the more special.
I oscillate between using and hoarding, depending on my neurosis levels, but I wear beautiful scent every day. It has become an important ritual for me and I love perfume because it is an affordable luxury – it's very democratic in that way.
Oh, Angela. How I adore thee. I love that film so much. Thank you for this beautiful article! Wearing a specific fragrance to go with a particular film? Of course! I do the same thing. I like to imagine my choice echoes what the main character might smell like.
M, it sounds like you know how to live life to its fullest. It's interesting that so many of the commenters today came from families that hoarded things, yet they rebelled and decided to experience things rather than save them.
I agree. It's not about having a lot of things–beautiful things or not–it's about fully appreciating what you do have and making the most of it. I should add that it applies to more than just “things”, too. For instance, just about anyone can wake up before dawn and sit in front of a window with a cup of coffee while the sun comes up. Sure, it means you have to get up early and mess up your schedule, but why not take advantage of a sunrise every once in a while?
I know! You know you're pretty far gone in your dedication to perfume when you select a fragrance based on the movie you're watching. I do it all the time, though.
Does anyone know what fragrance Auntie Mame wore? I'm thinking Fracas!
Very well put! I feel exactly the same way! I got as a Holiday present last year, a beautiful cobalt blue ceramic “canning jar” with pewter accents. I thought to myself, “How pretty, now where am I going to put this?” As I opened it, there was a note from the artist who said don't save this, use this piece of art; it's meant to be functional art. And use it I did. It's sitting on my kitchen counter, storing the coffee that I grind to last a few days.
I was only able to read about half the comments so far, Angela, but this was a nice piece. Antique malls make me a bit melancholy (along with, I just realized, abandoned, falling down houses). However, they also allow interesting flights of imagination.
Regarding small daily luxuries, one of my friends used to say that “you can trim all that out of your budget but then you remove almost everything that makes life worth living!” I think there's a difficult balance to strike between living for today and thinking about the future — I have to learn to “splurge sensibly.”
These comments above make me think of one of my favorite “Absolutely Fabulous” episodes where Eddie says “I don't want more choice, I just want nicer things.” That line summarizes just about everything for me – don't have it all, just have the best of what you care about.
Nuit de Noel! For at least part of the time…
I just watched the movie a couple of weeks ago and noted that her Depression-era present to her housekeeper was one of those huge Guerlain dot-bottles of cologne, but I couldn't see which one.
You are so right; that was beautifully said. I think perfume is helping me let go of my fetish for keeping nice things perfect forever. I am so old-maidish with my belongings, and I feel like I have to keep everything nice; it sometimes prevents me from just letting go and *enjoying * it. With my (few but lovely) perfumes I am still struggling with this (says the woman who stockpiled three bottles of Donna Karan Gold because it is disappearing). But in my heart I know you're right, and I keep myself from buying MORE because I know that when it's gone, it's gone, and I will have that much more room in my life for a different kind of beauty.
I enjoyed this post so much! A couple of nights ago, a friend and I attempted to counter the 4 degree weather by watching Rear Window, conjuring NYC in the midst of a heat wave, and I rooted around in my dresser for a little bottle of Fleurissimo to wear in Grace Kelly's honor…
I moved recently, and can't find all of my books so can't check the quote, but — echoing the comment above — I believe that Pascal advises that you live your life as you would have wanted to from the perspective of your death bed. I don't think I'll have any regrets about perfume, which I've been joyously wearing with abandon since the age of fifteen. The perfume I wear each day is usually a more important act of self-expression for me than my clothes. I even wear perfume when I go riding, which the horses may find odd, although they've been polite and said nothing…
Sounds good to me!
What a great idea! Making coffee must be that much more pleasurable.
If you could see the way I live, you'd know that I don't have a lot of money to throw around on extras, but in some ways I think it makes it easier for me to choose things that really do bring me pleasure. For instance, say I decide to go out to dinner to a nice place. Well, I don't do it that often, so I'm sure to choose somewhere I really want to go to, and I'm sure to luxuriate in every last bite. Someone who goes out all the time probably doesn't enjoy it nearly as much as I do.
As long as you do have things–food, a place to sleep, a pair of pants to put on in the morning–they should be meaningful to you, I think. Sometimes having to limit choices means better choices.
That's so funny! I wouldn't normally think of the Ab Fab team having much valuable to say about consumption (except, maybe, drink more Champagne).
I noticed that, too! I decided it was Shalimar, because I loved the idea of the housekeeper wearing it.
I understand how you feel. I think about all those wonderful vintage perfumes that have disappeared or been reformulated beyond recognition. So maybe Miss Dior isn't the same, but now we have Serge and so much more.
Another perfume-with-movie wearer! I'm watching some Dynasty reruns tonight, so I'll have to dig out some Paloma or Diva.
I bet Bal a Versailles or PdN Vie de Chateau would be marvelous while riding.
Angela, thank you for such a beautiful article! “The Earrings of Madame de …” is one of my favorite movies – I think I've seen it three times already. And Chanel No 5 is perfect for it, or perhaps Le Dix. 🙂
Now l'll open my vintage bottle of Antilope parfum in your honor, and in gratitude for reminding me of the importance of living life joyfully!
My mother loved perfume, flowers, and food, and these loves I've inherited. A previous commenter reminded me of one of her favorite poems:
If of thy mortal goods thou art bereft,
And from thy slender store
Two loaves alone to thee are left,
Sell one, and with the dole
Buy hyacinths to feed thy Soul
Lovely poem, thank you! And the vintage Antilope sounds even better!
I don't think I could bring myself to wear those last few mLs of vintage cabochard on anything less eventful than the apocalypse 😀
Like a commenter said earlier, when I save certain fragrances for special occasions, I enjoy them more. Everytime I smell the scent out of the bottle, I am taken back to that memory of happiness.
Dzongkha works in the opposite way. It makes every time I wear it feel special.
It sounds like you know what makes you feel best, and I have a little vintage Cabochard, too, that I like knowing is there. Just make sure you do use it sometimes! (And I wish I were around to smell you when you do.)
Let's hope the original owner had gone through many bottles of Chanel #5 and it just happened that she didn't finish up the last bottle she had! Equally possible scenario but much happier connotations! 😉
Yes! That's perfect, and it's a much happier ending to the story. Thank you.
Hello Angela, I hope you don’t mind my coming nearly a year late to this. I’ve just stumbled across your post.
In similar circumstances to yours I bought an antique bottle of No 5 EdeC a while back, before I owned any No. 5. It cost $4.00. The box is battered and stained and the juice much darker than current formulations. (I think I’ve read that perfume does darken with age.) Amazingly, it was unused – I had to break the cork seal.
Again, as old perfume apparently does, it opens with a slightly harsh, icky edge. And unfortunately it gave me a headache so I assumed it was off and put it away in the cupboard.
I’ve since bought No 5 in EDT and EDP and some body and bath products know No. 5 pretty well. Intrigued by your post, I’ve just retrieved the old EDC for another sniff. No headache this time. I must have been having a bad day last time. The fragrance rings true – almost. I think it is actually slightly off. It has a strangeness to it even in the dry down. Perhaps it’s been left in the sun. A pity – what a waste!
Do you know where the EDC sits within No 5 history? When introduced and when taken off the market? Is it the same as the EDP or lighter? I find it lighter, more powdery and not very long lasting at all. I prefer the stronger forms, but the this old EDC is certainly wonderful to have.
I’ll keep it out now, and use it maybe as an after shower splash. Lord knows, there’s plenty of it! Probably 100 mls. And oh! I love the old, square screw top Chanel bottles. I went through two No 19 EDTs in the 80s.
So – a completely unused bottle of No. 5 found in an antique shop. How sad. Whoever received it seemed utterly indifferent to it. Perhaps she hated No. 5. Perhaps she hated the giver! Or maybe she did wear No. 5 and had plenty already. Anyway, she didn’t throw it out. Who could bring herself to do that?
I don’t know the history of the No. 5 products, but once I saw a chart online showing how the bottle had evolved over the years, and it probably would be possible to pin down an age by that. Unfortunately, I don’t remember where I saw it! Maybe some clever googling would turn it up.
Thanks, and now you mention it, those perfume advertisement sites – which often have heaps of No 5 ads – might help too.