If you are sick of being sick this winter, you are not alone. Flu season started early in the more populous parts of the United States, Canada and the U.K., with several urban centers reporting up to six times the normal number of confirmed influenza cases by late December 2010. Doctors and heath practitioners in North America are also seeing more viral gastroenteritis and strep throat cases this year. Vaccine numbers are down, hospital admissions for children and the elderly in many areas are up, and with all the storms and frigid temperatures some of us have experienced, we're trapped inside our homes, schools and workplaces with miserable, germy companions. My extended family spent the holidays passing around a virulent Norovirus. The infection casualties totaled 21 people. Since then my household has seen one bout of hacking cough, two solid weeks of influenza (four consecutive cases, with the result that I also came down with cabin fever), an infant ear infection, two cases of eczema and one four-year-old who apparently needs more liquids and fiber in her diet. The heat rash and insect bites of summer can't come soon enough.
Being a perfumista doubles the despondency of a stuffed nose. Two or three days last month, I was unable to smell anything properly and I was bereft. During a voluntary fragrance break, you still have access to other scented comforts: food, fresh air, scotch whisky. The last few bad colds I've had have served to remind me how much I've come to rely on my sense of smell to give color and focus to each day. Every time the congestion has passed, even if I'm still suffering from other symptoms, I've returned to my life and my perfume cabinet with glee and relief. The world is in HD again.
There are a number of different approaches to perfuming your convalescence. Some simply wear their favorite soft scents. Others take their cue from the nourishment preferred by invalids, and if you are of this school, you can't go wrong with Robin's fragrance family, Wood Puddings. The cozier tea fragrances are similarly helpful: in 2007, I nursed a terrible cold with a week's worth of Creative Universe Té, a wonderfully soothing piece of tea realism with a flat, floury angle that recalls the craft paste you were not supposed to eat in primary school. The reformulated version of Etro's smoky, green Palais Jamais or elizabethW's Sweet Tea would work similarly. A related approach that nevertheless gives completely different results is to wear scents that mimic energizing dietary remedies: Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine (orange juice), Fragonard Cologne Grand Luxe (hot lemon), L'Artisan Piment Brûlant (bell peppers), A*Men Pure Coffee (self-explanatory) or A*Men Pure Malt (the aforementioned scotch) and Demeter Gingerale. Sadly, I have never found a perfume evoking sauerkraut, which is what I favor in this vein.
For most afflictions, though, I am a proponent of the medicinal, bracing, head-clearing fragrance. (Mercifully, I do not suffer from migraines and so can't suggest anything there, except going without perfume.) Even with tummy issues, I find a good blast of spice to be helpful: a liniment smell seems to have a psychosomatic action on the body aches that often accompany stomach flu, and heat sometimes produces an odd, belly-filling effect. Please find below my recommendations in this genre and comment with your own bug-fighting favorites.
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Wasabi-Shiso: I am a great fan of Japanese horseradish — or indeed, any radish, as well as Japanese cuisine in general — and so I am grateful to Robin for finding this one. When we were first dating, my then-boyfriend and I were provoked into a wasabi-eating contest by my younger brother. Yes, I won... and at great cost to my sinuses, tear ducts and dignity. Yes, my brother went on to become a devotee of the Jackass movies. And yes, the boyfriend was impressed and later married me. The wasabi accord here is not quite as blackout-inducing as its model, but then, very few people would want it to be. (I am a freak.) The shiso (or perilla mint) is both fruity and bitter and nicely balances the pungency. This is a bargain-priced entry from the DSH line and so it can be sprayed with abandon.
JAR Golconda: One of the problems of writing about great scents is that you end up harping on about the same perfumes several times. This is the third time I've listed Golconda in a 5 Perfumes post, so I must really believe you should spring for a very, very expensive sample of it. And if you can't wear a $440 per ounce perfume when you are sick, when can you wear it? The mesmerizing kaleidoscope of note effects — cloves/carnation, wintergreen, nutmeg, lily, ambergris, shiitake mushrooms — will distract you from your malady and the rich, umami background will feed your weakened spirits, just as beef tea or miso soup would.
Santa Maria Novella Potpourri: This is the second time I've listed this one. Smoky, spicy, woody, sweet, bitter and hot, this fits the stereotype of many natural cures: in large doses, it induces the symptoms it seeks to cure. My daughter sprayed a full atomizer of this in our front hall once and nearly felled her asthmatic father. Great, powerful stuff and a bottle will last a lifetime. Those who prefer something less eye-searing should try Heeley Espirit du Tigre/Spirit of the Tiger, which balances the heat haze with cooling menthol. If you can tolerate lavender, you should also check out Parfums de Nicolaï Maharadjah.
Diptyque L'Eau Trois: Diptyque has many options for the sick and sick-of-heart, and both their original L'Eau and Eau Lente would make lovely substitutes if you are unable to find Trois, which is sadly no longer in wide distribution. The opening blends the gas fume bloom of fragrances like YSL M7 with herb-y, oil-of-oregano vapor. After that, it's all incense. 'Nuf said.
Christian Dior La Collection Granville: It seems that Dior has created some ill-will for this boutique collection by copying so closely the model of Chanel's Les Exclusifs: the French-y, definitive-sounding name (a bit late, aren't we?), the classic categories of scents, the magnetized caps, etc. Perfumanity seems put off by the blatancy of the imitation, and it will be a shame if Dior has therefore doomed their better fragrances from this bunch. Granville, with notes of pine, thyme, rosemary, lemon, black pepper and sandalwood, is an obvious nod to the house's Eau Sauvage. It opens with a very brisk breeze of pine and pepper, but surprisingly (for a scent on this list, anyway) resolves to something a little quieter than its predecessor, classically aromatic and slightly salty in the way of lemon-zest-and-pepper sodium substitutes. Very elegant and relaxed.
Note: top image is Banned Mercury-in-Glass Thermometer by Andres Rueda at flickr; some rights reserved.
Oh, how I love this post. Gezhundheit, here’s some chicken soup…and the scent consultant recommends… 🙂 🙂 🙂
I’m a migraineur, so as far as that goes, I second the scentless…though if you are early in the curve, at the “feeling one coming” stage, I have found Eau Imperiale and Eau de Patou to be like garlic for vampires. Won’t necessarily make it go away, but holds it at bay until you can get to other alternatives. (Or escape the triggers.)
And now, I sigh. Really? I have to pay attention to the JAR scents? After two years of wondering, I finally put Bolt of Lightning out of my still-to-experience it brain. And now JAR is back on the radar, this time with TWO, thanks to doctor’s orders??? I think you owe me a scotch. 😉
I have a smidge of Trois. Was wondering why I was holding onto this stuff that always strikes me as crushing an incense cone in my nose. Now I know why. It’s good for (some of) what ails me. Heh.
I am *so* with you on the Dior channeling the Chanel thing. I have to say, though, Granville struck me more as Bel Respiro. Which I was going to make a big point about, saying how I got greenness from it, and rolled it on to talk about how it was missing the sharp somewhat acrid bits that I love in Eau Sauvage, and I’ll be hanged, there they are. So I’m leaving it there, to show what an ongoing case in fickle nosedness I am, and while I bask in my goof, I’ll point out that their Cologne Royale could be migraine garlic, too.
Really, was it just too darn cold when I first smelled the Granville? So sharp in the air I missed the sharp bits?? Ay yi yi…
Migraine garlic! I love it! I suffer from migraines, and Eau Imperiale has been the only thing that I can stand when I feel one coming on. I need to try the others now – thanks for the recommendations. I will try anything to ease away the migraine before resorting to Imitrex because it knocks me out, and I can’t always afford to be knocked out, you know?
Indeed I do know, sorry to say. Good luck!
Sorry to hear about the migraines. As I say, I’m lucky I don’t get them, but it sounds like I need some Eau Imperiale myself…
Okay, so I can’t believe this happened today!! M has apparently just sprained or torn something in the little guy’s arm! They were playing just as this posted half-an-hour ago and she rolled him and got his arm stuck underneath his body and now he can move his arm and fingers, but he’s guarding it close to his body, crying and wimpering, and he screams if you try to move it away from his body. Does a six-month-old have a rotator cuff?! I may be slow in answering comments, as he’s in my lap, drowsing and I have to find out what to do – will reply eventually, my friend.
oh poooooor thing, so sorry to hear! I hope for soonest recovery
Thanks, ami!
Our daughter got “nursemaid’s elbow” at about that age — not sure if it would be the same thing, since it sounds like it’s his shoulder, but back then I learned that little kid’s joints are loose and easy to dislocate. It happened so frequently for our girl that we eventually learned how to set it back in place ourselves, but the first time took a trip to urgent care, x-rays, and a professional to put it back. Once it was fixed, she was fine each time — no lingering pain (that we could tell). Hope this is more helpful than scary and hope he gets better quick!
Definitely reassuring and helpful, thanks! My daughter had a pulled elbow when she was young and so I thought of that, too. The diagnosis this time was cloudy (please see my comment below) but he seems fine now. I’m impressed you learned to correct your daughter’s problem. I should bring my problems to NST for expertise and bedside manner all the time!
Hope the little guy’s OK — as mentioned above, it is all too easy for their tiny, rubbery appendages to get dislocated. Hopefully Eau de Mama will set things right!
I just re-read my comment, and “tiny, rubbery appendages” sounds kind of gross — sorry for that! Glad to know he’s doing better, however…
No, no, I knew exactly what you meant. Rubbery is right – ah, for the suppleness of youth! I’m feeling pretty brittle in comparison 😉
My youngest would frequently pop his left elbow out of joint – I think it happened three times from age 18 months to 3 years. His pediatrician kept an eye on it – we were always able to pop it back in. Scary, though, and painful for him.
I think, though it is always difficult to make a good diagnosis when not seeing the actual patient, it might possibly be ” a pulled elbow”. Which is easily resolved by a doctor or a nurse.
I hope he has recovered from whatever it was that hurt his arm.
Yes, a pulled elbow is the most impressive correction ever! My daughter had a confirmed one and I remember thinking it was like lightning kung fu magic the way she could suddenly use her arm with no pain. Are you in health care, austenfan?
Got it in one.
Although my days in A & E are long gone, it was the first thing that entered my head. Is he better today?
Totally normal today, so I guess it must have been a pulled elbow, even if it didn’t really present like one (lingering pain, the odd way he held his arm and shoulder after “correction”, etc.) But glad there was no fracture. Yes, Emergency medicine is not really a career with a long lifespan, is it? I think I heard an average of 10 years before people move on to family practice or other specialties/areas.
Criminey! Hope it resolves with a clear diagnosis and a speedy, easy recovery.
Thanks to all of you for today – the NST community is the best! We’re home and my tough little guy is much better. There’s confusion still: MD initially thought pulled (or nursemaid’s) elbow but the pain continued and he used his arm oddly after attempts to correct the dislocation, so it might have been a sublaxation or dislocation of the shoulder that popped back in on its own and we may have to return tomorrow for x-rays. I think we’re all feeling a little sheepish, but at least he’s okay!
Sorry to hear, hope that he is well soon and that there are no complications. Best wishes.
Thanks. He seems fine this morning, so no x-rays: hurrah!
S, thanks very much for the soup. I could use a scotch today, too, though – I guess I’ll have to owe you two 😉
And really, you can’t just spring for a full sample set of JARs? Com’on now. They’re all worth trying, and I loved the really stinky Fermes Tes Yeux when I went through the whole enigmatic, silly chamois ritual at the boutique in Paris, but I would say Golconda and Bolt of Lightning are the ones to try first.
Granville *is* quieter and less bitter or sharp than Eau Sauvage, I think. It’s definitely the Bel Respiro of the Dior collection, too: it’s chillier than BR, but it pulls a similar elegant fade-out. I think we’re on the same page about it, really: not anything new under the sun, especially, but well-crafted. I really like the thyme and pepper notes, how they gave a little sea air with turning it into an aquatic.
Ack – meant “without turning it into an aquatic”.
Sending out some healthy mojo- to you and yours and my fellows here at NST. I can relate- lemme tell ya. We had a round robin of sickiness starting with me on New Year’s….my poor son tragically afflicted with both a tummy virus followed 2 weeks later by the flu. We have a had a few days of wellness and I am holding my breath! As for perfume and illness- good luck!
Hope you can let that breath out soon! I definitely know that feeling of a cycle of sleepless nights and seemingly hundreds of loads of laundry. Thanks for the mojo and I’m sending it on/back to your son, Angela and all the sickly commenters here…
I can appreciate the content of your post, however, I simply have given up being sick because I can not tolerate days of not being able to smell whatever it is I want to smell.
Seems to be working out for me pretty good so far 😉
Lisa
Great solution! I’m going to try this next year. 🙂
Agreed.
Yep, it’s been working for me October 2009 — March 2010 and then May 2010 till now! I am still going!
That darn April, it really is the cruelest month, isn’t it? Nice 10 month streak, though.
A gentle Autumn where I live – but one of my favourite poems!
So is October the cruelest month in the southern hemisphere? Certainly it’s hurricaine season in many equatorial parts of the world.
March (more accurately, end of Feb to mid April), almost two months straight of being sick!! I hated that.
Blech! Clearly, the exact dates are burned in your memory…
L, great strategy. I can definitely find another excuse to wear Golconda…
I think it might depend on exactly what ailment you’ve got, as to what scented palliative you’d seek.
Respiratory tract disorders call for highly aromatic stuff – in my case, perhaps La Myrrhe, which in certain parts of its development reminds me mightily of my childhood heal-all, Porter’s Liniment Salve. Esprit de Tigre has intrigued me, as it seems in the same line.
Digestive tract disorders (or the six-month, all-day “morning” sickness that afflicted me in my last pregnancy) would call for no scent at all.
General malaise calls for comfort fragrances – in my case, Petite Cherie or Mariella Burani, or perhaps one of the Paris printemps flankers.
Here’s to a healthy spring at your house, Erin…
Oh, Mariella Burani – smells like summer to me. Maybe if I wear it tomorrow we’ll skip through frozen ice hell spring and go right to blissful May….
Mariella is one of the few that I find appropriate all year round!
Interesting what you say about La Myrrhe. I have always detected something decidedly odd up-close in that one, medicinal or antiseptic. March thought it was Bactine, which might smell similar to your salve. The sillage is lovely, though. I shall have to try it next time I have a cold (if I can’t ward it off by refusing to have one.) For general malaise, I sometimes wallow around in melancholy scents, sort of attempting a homeopathic cure. But I’m sure “conventional medicine” (comfort scents) makes more sense.
I am not only fortunate in terms of headaches, I was very lucky in pregnancy, too: no morning sickness. Healthy spring to you, as well!
Yeah, it’s medicinal… Bactine doesn’t go far enough, I’d say.
Ingredients for the Porter’s: cresylic acid, zinc oxide, camphor, ammonia and oils of cajeput, clove, sassafras and myrrh in a base of petrolatum, beeswax and lanolin. Truly a distinctive smell!
Well…. I thought urinal pucks, which also have a distinctive smell. But I’m not tremendously familiar with them and that comparison makes it sound like I hate La Myrrhe, which I don’t.
Great article. As I have migraine, I stay “scentless” during an attack, sometimes I can take a little of Kenzo Amour or Guerlain Herba Fresca.
I imagine both of those are very nice choices for a headache in small doses. I love the rice pudding feel to the Kenzo, but it is surprisingly strong and tenacious, so you’re right that application would be key.
What a lovely article, Erin! I’m completely charmed by your wonderful choices. However, I’m crossing my fingers, throwing salt over my shoulders, turning around three times and rubbing my cat’s tummy in the wild hope that I won’t get sick this winter and have to use your suggestions! Those tricks all work, right?
On the subject of perfume and sickness: I was in hospital last summer during a fortnight of hellishly hot weather here in London. I won’t burden you with the gory details, but suffice it to say that being poked and prodded and punctured by strangers is never going to be a laugh-a-minute chucklefest. It was horribly humid, I smelled like old sweat and stress, and I felt gnawingly frightened at being ill and in unfamiliar surroundings. I’d been rushed to hospital unexpectedly, so I had nothing with me but my purse, and while desperately digging around for a chapstick, I found a tiny vial of Chanel’s Beige lurking in the bottom of my bag. I furtively dabbed it on my wrist and instantly felt cheerier. Beige may not be a perfume that in-the-know scent mavens go bonkers for, but it has a kind of gentle softness that makes it immensely comforting when life is really the pits. It doesn’t ask you to be sexy or witty. It doesn’t need you to wear stiletto boots and red lipstick. Beige just says, “Hi. You look like you could use a hug.”
Illness takes away your dignity. It can be a terrifying and lonely business, and no matter how awesome you are, it’s hard to hold on to your sense of humour during a time of trauma. But sometimes a tiny, shimmering drop of perfume helps you remember who you are, and who you’re going to be when all the awfulness is over. You sniff it and think, “I think I’m going to be okay.”
Of course, now I can’t wear Beige at all. What, are you crazy? It smells like a goddamn hospital. 😉
What a story. I think given the circumstances, Beige would do! I wouldn’t be able to wear a fragrance from a situation like that again either. Thankfully the scent you had was one you didn’t care too much about.
Chanterais: *Of course*, those tricks work, and besides, the cat appreciates it. 😉
What an interesting, moving comment on your illness. So glad you have recovered and have processed your experience in such a thoughtful, good-humoured way. “You look like you need a hug”: very true. There are certainly times for a soft, sentimental no-brainer fragrance. Anyway, something only seems sentimental/clichéd/corny/easy until you live through it yourself, right? Nadine Gordimer has an excellent short story, “The Life of the Imagination”, that has that at its heart: that despite what we always seem to feel, being imaginative, moral/well-intentioned, intelligent, funny, awesome etc. does not save you from the indignities of life. That’s simplifying it, of course, but your wise words reminded me of hers…
Chanterais,
It’s a very nice story and I read it nodding for each word you used to describe Beige – it felt so right and precise. I’m sorry that now it’s associated for you with such unpleasant circumstances. But then – it helped, so it has fulfilled its calling.
Perhaps that’s all we can ask of scents that aren’t destined to become lifelong favorites: that they do their duty when we need them… 😉
I can’t wear perfume when I have a cold or flu because I will associate the sickness to the scent forevermore.
I made the mistake of wearing the deceased’s favourite scent on me to a funeral a few years ago and still focus on that instead of the happy times I’ve worn it. Will wear it again happily -eventually, like a beautiful piece of fabric with a few incongruous threads woven inbetween. 🙂
Hope the day you can wear it again is soon. Interesting question: what to wear to a funeral? Doesn’t come up as often as weddings!
Love this article! Any recommendations for post surgery? Yeah, just had surgery yesterday morning.
Get well, Carlos! Hope you are recovering – and impressed you are typing. I say bust out any JAR or By Kilian you’ve got…
Well, some pain relievers can be absorbed through the skin, so any scent will do after you’ve dissolved some nice drugs in it.
🙂
Or you could just try one of those Nassmattos!
get better soon dear Carlos
thank you Ami
Get well soon Carlos!!! You can spend recovery dreaming of all the new fragrances you want to smell. Take care!
Great article! I need to try that Golconda stuff. Can you get it somewhere in Europe?
I have now been ill with the flu for two weeks. Luckily most of my sense of smell is starting to return. I like tea and vetiver fragrances when I am sick, they just seem to sooth me. Right now I am enjoying a hot chinese chicken soup and the smoky smell of Sycomore., all cuddled up in the sofa with my favorite cashmere.
I hope you and your family feel better soon.
Vetiver is always nice to cheer me up. Sycamore is so light too.
Light is the right word. 🙂 I also love vetiver extraordinaire but it packs a bit of a strong punch to use when youre sick. Well atleast for me 🙂
True, it’s very diffusive and sharp-edged for vetiver, I think. Robin had the soap of VE and said it was wonderful – maybe that would work better when sickness struck.
Saran, get well! Thanks for your well wishes. Sycomore would be perfect; why didn’t I think of that? I think the JAR perfumes are still not available online and the only place in Europe is the flagship Paris boutique at 14, rue de Castiglione. It’s quite an experience to go, one I highly recommend: their whole perfume “ritual” is a bit over-egged, but the SAs are wonderful.
Thank you Erin. Well it seems like I have to start planning a trip to Paris 🙂
Erin you outdid yourself with this post!!!
What awesome writing! Thanks for that! 🙂
Not being able to smell is hell on earth!
I can’t stand not being able to enjoy perfume.
Thank goodness I haven’t gotten a horrible cold or flu yet this season as the meds I take lower my immune system considerably and I am always afraid I’ll catch something and be sick for weeks.
I like your suggestions and I hope your family has better luck come spring. Cheers to good health to you and yours!
I was totally disappointed this winter that I couldn’t enjoy the rich orientals I normally love – they were all just too intense for me. I didn’t wear Coromandel once the entire winter! Poor thing. No Coco. No Bagley Mischka. No Lyric. No Donna Karan Signature… I could go on and on. Boo-hoo. They are just gathering dust now that I am itching for spring!
No Donna Karan Signature?! I weep for you!
Thanks so much, Tamara, you really cheered me up. Crossing my fingers for you – the effect of those meds sounds nasty!
Interesting article! I caught a horrible cold that lasted for weeks – about a week without any sense of smell, and the remaining weeks with ‘limited’ smell. During that time, I finally *finally* understood why Chanel No. 5 is so well loved. I had purchased a tiny bottle of EDP that I found in an antique store a while back and bought it because… well because it’s Chanel. Didn’t like it, didn’t wear it, but I kept trying.
When my sense of smell began to return, I tried it again and it was like fireworks – I *got* it. Now that I’ve returned to normal, I’m smitten and have been lurking on eBay for a bigger bottle.
Yay! I have also just started looking at No. 5 seriously. Is the edp widely available in stores, or have I probably been sniffing the edt (I forgot to pay attention when I spritzed)?
I’ve seen EDP and Parfum in stores – ULTA has them for sure.
Meg, I think many places carry all three concentrations: EdT, EdP and parfum. Even drug and some discount stores often carry the Eau Premiere formulation/”moderization” as well now, too.
CM – congrats on finally finding No 5!!! Yeah! That is just wonderful. So something good came from your cold. Good luck on ebay – it is relatively easy to get vintage No 5 of all formulations for a good price. Try your hand at used bottles – they are normally cheaper and they usually still smell good (especially if the vendor still has the box). Sometimes the top notes are a little fried, but hmmm, give it 5 minutes and you’ll be in No 5 heaven! I’ve got about 7 used vintage No 5 parfums, and only one of them – that is likely from the late 20’s or early 30’s – was too far gone to wear. I have others from the 30’s and 40’s that still smell great. Congrats & good luck!!!
Ebay No. 5 seekers: PARFUMPARFUMPARFUM!
Ahem. You can see which concentration *I* prefer, anyway. I have four vintage bottles of the parfum, and it’s all lovely although each bottle is different. The most I paid for any of them was $36, too.
Ebay is iffy, I won’t lie – but I’ve had good luck, especially since I’m not above buying a used bottle.
Thanks for the words of advice. I’m not opposed to buying a used bottle 🙂 I definately need to try the parfum!
The parfum is really, really lovely.
It *is* iffy: I’ve had some bad experiences on “EvilBay” and generally avoid it now, but it definitely is the place for great deals and vintage ‘fumes. I wish I had the nerve…
Yes, I agree. I am an Ebay virgin and I have heard a lot of bad stories, so I am hesitant to try it. The edp might have to suffice for now!
Well, that’s the nicest side effect of a sucky cold I’ve ever heard. Love the fireworks metaphor. Certainly, these lengthy periods of snuffiness make me appreciate what my husband goes through: he can’t smell very well most of the time due to sinus issues and chronic congestion. Good luck on eBay!
I would also recommend Lush’s “The Breath of God,” for this category, perhaps as a cheaper alternative to Heeley’s Spirit of the Tiger. I just tried it on yesterday and my thoughts were, “kind of interesting, but when would I ever really want to smell so intensely of menthol/vapo-rub?” Of course, there is a post on NST answering that question the next day.
Here’s wishing everyone who is ill a swift recovery! It really was terrible this winter, I got sick like I haven’t in years.
Meg, is Breath Of God at all like coco? As i mention lower down Coco is the only thing I can wear if I’m feeling sneezy. But I’m sneezy quite often and would love an alternative!
Hi Merlin,
You know, I am not sure as I haven’t smelled Coco in a long time. I may have to drop by the mall later and do a wrist-by-wrist comparison of the two now. Breath of God is bracing, and seems to smell overwhelming “turquoise” to me (my companion said it smell like spring), with a bit of something acqua going on, followed by a long dry down that is a dead ringer for vick’s vapo rub.
I have heard Coco compared to vapo-rub but it its pretty different – if it were a colour I’d say maybe mandarin! It smells sort of orange and resiny…
oh, and it seems lush does not ship internationally so I can forget that lemming for now, whew!
Unless you can convince someone who lives by a store to get one for you……….heh heh heh
Don’t even go in that direction!
I would not say Breath of God was like Coco AT ALL. Breath of God is a very odd, smoky fragrance, with a lot of fun, strange notes floating gradually to the forefront: salt, grapey fruit, rose, diesel, fur, etc. I think of Coco, meanwhile, as a very glowy, blended, blurred fragrance, and it is a more conventional floral-oriental. Beautiful pinky-peachy-mandarin feel, as you say.
Yes, Meg, it doesn’t just seem like increased cases this year: a lot of people have been saying how severely sick they were this winter. Here’s a healthy spring for you!
I considered Breath of God for this post, actually. Such a fun, weird scent! I though og it because it has a cough syrup angle to me, and also those vapors you mention – they smelled kind of like diesel to me. (“Skunk!” my dad said…)
“Here’s to a healthy spring”, of course. Sorry.
Lovely article Erin. If I’m sick, it’s usually just a cold and I can’t smell, so perfume is wasted and I end up going unscented. I’m still looking for my Hot Toddy fragrance – lemon + bourbon +honey. Then I would wear that! And I do have Demeter’s Hot Toddy and it isn’t quite right. Something that has been unsniffed, but on my wishlist for ages and would seem to be very soothing is Ava Luxe’s Moroccan Mint Tea. Perhaps I’ll finally buy some today!
My husband and I both celebrated New Years this year with hot toddies, lol!!!
Thanks for the info about the Demeter! My hubby and I were sitting here two nights ago, trying to think of a hot toddy fragrance: I think the closest we came was Botrytis by Ginestet, which isn’t quite right either, and is closer to a hot toddy made with scotch or brandy anyway.
When I have a cold, all smells make me feel horrible. I can’t go near perfume. It hurts my nose and throat. 🙁
Colds certainly suck. Sorry to hear you have to go scent-less.
I got some This Works samples at a hotel – Lavender pillow spray and some other aromatherapy scent with eucalyptus, under their Sleep theme. I think they’d work when sick.
I really tried to find an interesting perfume or fragrance with eucalyptus: I only came up with Penhaglion Elxir, which isn’t right for congestion, as it’s kind of soft, well-groomed and dandyish. Will have to track down some This Works.
Erin: My family and all the people I work with have suffered very badly this year with bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, colds and even one of my staff got shingles! Yikes. I am glad you are better, and I hope your little smiley guy’s arm is better soon. My gal loves to rough-house, even when she was just about 1.5. We joke that her name should be Bruiser. I was always worried she’d get injured, but she never did yet. Her head is like a coconut. I, on the other hand, got bashed by her a few times and even saw stars once when she head-butt me by accident….
Anyway… scents for the sick. This past December and January I couldn’t even come close to the rich orientals I love during winter, which are now “closeted” until next year. My fav frag for getting me through 6 weeks of bronchitis was AG Mandragore Pourpre – it has such aromatherapy type qualities and is very calming. After that I’d say a small bit Dyptique’s Eau Lente or just a light dab vintage Emeraude to get that feeling of a perpetual hug.
yeah vntg Emarauded would be my ‘oh I’m ill, please take good care of me’ scent too : d
It’s especially true for me as my mom used to wear it when I was little. Nothing like Mom to take care of you. It’s just lovely.
Huh! Interesting about Mom. I’d be stuck wearing Boucheron, though, or Aromatics Elixir when I’m sick, and head-clearing fragrances aside, they might kill me!
I thought about mentioning vtg Emmie, too, but I mention it so often… and yet, haven’t worn it as frequently this winter.
Bad news, Ann! There is certainly a nasty bunch of bugs out there this year. Hope you are all recovering. And, ah, the coconut head, I know it well! The little guy throws vicious (accidental) head butts all the time. My daughter favors the knee drop or the shoulder ram on the unsuspecting.
Oh, vintage Emeraude! If only I weren’t afraid of EBay….
Oh Ann I agree, Emeraude is such comfort….
and you made me laugh with your head-butt- then seein’ stars comment!
Oh – yeah – it *felt* great too! She loves/loved to just kind of fling herself around on our queen bed when we play with her – like a pinball between my husband and myself. One time she just flung her head back at me and wham! Back of her coconut head right on my forehead. That was the day she learned how to say: “Are you ok?” as she was imitating my husband. Stars indeed!
I thought the seeing stars was a cartoon thing, completely made up, until I bent over to pick up something to throw for my in-law’s black lab and she jumped up right into my nose and forehead. Nearly knocked me out and you really do see stars!
Angel Violet or Eau de Star penetrates the worst stuffed-up nose and smells medicinal but pleasant.
Eau de Star! Perfect! If I hadn’t just included it in my mint post last month, I would have added it to this list.
If I’m hay-fevery or sinusy or actually have a cold Coco is the only thing I can wear. Everything else exacerbates it. But, I haven’t had a chance to try many of the ones already mentioned.
Palamo Picasso, on the other hand actually MAKES me hay-fevery and sinusy. I wore it yesterday and was sure I was going to be really sick today! No, I’m fine – just need to re-home this particular scent…
I can see the PP thing – it has narcisuss or hyancinth, doesn’t it? It’s sort of pollen-ish, in any case.
I have just recovered from a 3 week summer cold-it happens in summer too- and the perfume I was drawn to wear was the last of my TPC decant, CdeG Red Carnation. Going to Melbourne again soon and hope that they stock bottles of it somewhere there-so i have some for winter.
Red Carnation, eh? I can see how that would work: the peppery angle. Those CdGs are strong (even when cuddly), too.
I do occasionally get migraines, although thankfully it has been a long time since I had one. I find that once one has set in, any sensory stimulus–light, sound, smell, taste, or any quick movement–is agony. One thing that does sometimes help if it is used before the migraine is full-blown is lavender essential oil. I put a few drops of it on the temples and the nape of the neck. It doesn’t always work, but when it does it can stop the migraine from getting worse and help it to end sooner.
I find that although a cold certainly kills my sense of smell, influenza usually does not. Thankfully, I have not had a bout of flu since December 2009. I got sick with that one two days after attending the company Christmas party–along with 500 other people. I have decided that from now on I have to avoid large gatherings in the winter. It is just not worth it. I believe that fresh citrus really does help the immune system, but it has to be consumed regularly. I have a Meyer lemon tree in my backyard which has been producing well for several years now. I began to notice that whenever I got sick in the winter, it was when I had not consumed any of the lemons for a while (say, within the preceding week). This winter, I made a point of keeping a pitcher of fresh lemonade in the fridge and making sure to have a least a small glass of it each day, and my husband has been doing the same. Neither of us has had a respiratory infection now for over a year. Sometimes, I have felt as if something might be coming on, and I made a point to drink some lemonade right away. Within a couple of hours, I will feel better. DH has experienced the same thing. Now I realize that not everyone has a lemon tree in the backyard, and that most people live in climates that are not even suitable for citrus, but it would be worth trying it with supermarket citrus. I would just make sure to get fresh whole fruit, not pasteurized juice or juice products. I can’t guarantee anything, but I really do believe this has worked well for us. I am normally very susceptible to respiratory viruses, and this is the first time in at least 20 years that I have gone this long without an infection.
I have had a similar experience, 50_Roses. I began squeezing lemon juice into my daily lunchtime smoothie about a year ago now and have not been ill once during this time. This is rather remarkable to me, because I do have a compromised immune system. Definitely worth the squeeze to me!
I love this tip! Thanks, 50_Roses!
Some drops of lemon in tea when I have a cold are great – I’m now going to try this as a preventative strategy!
50 Roses – add some e.o. of Marjoram with your lavender, and it should be even more effective.
I love the lemon trick – glad it’s helped you! I love the smell of lemon and lemon flavour, even fake lemon flavour, and sometimes get worried that I’ll get addicted to Neo Citran during a cold and end up in some sort of therapy group. Wish I had Meyer lemon tree…
I couldn’t be more empathetic on this. Just had a cold since monday and from tuesday onwards, i couldn’t smell a thing. Was forced to stay at home and take a, as you said, a voluntary perfume break! Yet to fully recover so I think I’m gonna try your remedy!
Hope it worked (and sorry I took so long to reply – more bugs here! *sigh*)
Wonderful article and comments! When ailing, I like comfort scents, like comfort food. Vanilla – AG’s Vanille Exquise, Diptyque Eau Duelle. Philosphy’s GRace scents. SJP’s Lovely body lotion (which I prefer to the perfume and leaves your skin in good shape besides). Maybe some scented oils, lotion, or soap. But hopefully I won’t have to try any of y’all’s suggestions any time soon!
Hope so, too, for your sake. Eau Duelle. Hmmm. Will have to re-try that one with illness in mind. It strikes me as something that might work very well for such a purpose.
What a timely post for me! I’ve been sick for a week and can’t smell a thing and I have a stack of long-awaited samples that came in the mail. Torture, I tell you.
I know! And with a smaller sample, you’re afraid to try it until you’re 100%, in case a trial is wasted. I feel your pain.
Loved your article, Erin. I really need to try Spirit of the Tiger. Sounds great!
From my wardrobe, I think I’d choose TDC Bergamote for a sick-with-a-cold day.
H, hope you get a chance to try it.
And the TDC Bergamot?!? It would be both so soothing and uplifting, with its Earl Greyish goodness, but… I can barely smell it on the best of days! You must get a great deal more projection off it than I do if it works for colds…
Thanks for the reassurance about Mariella Burani being an all year scent. I LOVE it, and I never, ever read about it. It’s a secret, it seems, and I was just wondering if it could be worn all year. Now, I know. Thanks!
Mariella is SO wonderful. It’s such a friendly aldehydic scent.
A bit of a secret to me, I must admit. I recall having heard of it before, but not much about what it was like.