Looking back, I can see it began with the samples, the small glass vials of perfume that I had begun to collect—do I really need to use the word hoard to be clear here?—in a wooden cigar box hidden under the bed. [...] I liked to paw through them in their little boxes, separating them into shifting categories of my own devising.
— Our own Alyssa Harad, in The Perfume Diet in the June issue of O Magazine.
Loved this article!
Hey, I did not know it was online! Fixed the link.
oh man. that is how it started out for me as well. I now have a multi-drawer plastic container chock full of little vials separated out into houses (except the animalics, in a drawer of their own labeled “beasties” :). my wallet rues the day I first smelled Borneo 1834 which got this whole perfume ball rolling for me. and now? my wallet is dreading the fact that my fancy has turned lightly to thoughts of full-bottle purchases on a barney’s trip planned this sunday. my wallet and my perfume fancy argue a lot, needless to say. but man, what an obsession it’s become for me. I find I think about perfume off and on all throughout the day, to the point where I’m begining to wonder if I’m a bit abnormal. to think it took me till age 40 to discover this whole perfume world I never knew existed! perhaps it’s a good thing, I may not have appreciated it back then the way I do now anyway. but now, it’s on & crackin’! and I’m excited about my impending barney’s trip.
am I too abnormal?
Yes, but we all are
Dear abysynth, I can relate exactly to what you are saying, did not really become interested in perfume until my second honeymoon (aged 39!),spent in Crete, France & Italy. After discovering TPfC 2 years later, I have spent hundreds of dollars every year on samples, but the pay off in terms of buying perfumes that actually suit me is well worth it. My first perfumista purchase was Cedre by Serge Lutens in Sephora, Paris and at last count I have 13 FB of his (inc. Borneo 1834 of course), with imminent purchases of Vetiver Oriental, Un Bois Sepia and Nuit de Cellophane! Oh I wish we had a Barney’s or Nordstrom in Australia ( have a wonderful time with your retail perfume therapy!), but the prices would probably be hideous here so just as well, for an Aussie dedicated perfumista everything has to be bought from the U.S or Europe. except for the locally made perfumes. Samples have opened the world of perfumery to many, and hang the expense I say!
What a fabulous article! I too star in my own woman between two worlds saga and feel myself moving in a similar direction to Alyssa. If pounds drop that will be fabulous but surely a lighter soul counts, right?
Pounds dropping never hurts, eh?
Voting for the soul, here, lol.
Fabulous article – five stars and two enthusiastic thumbs up! And she even gave NST a plug! In O Magazine!! We are so lucky here at NST to have such a great group of talented writers, knowledgeable perfumistas and all around wonderful people.
Yes, very lucky! Go Alyssa!
I meant you too, Robin.
Yes, I agree, Rappleyea.
Seconding this comment!
What a beautifully written article! As a writer myself, I can see all the work and love that was poured into it. Gorgeous and impressive.
Thank you, Alyssa, for putting into words – beautifully! – your experience. Mine is very similar. And, gosh, congrats on getting it published in “O.” Rock on!
Loved the article Alyssa, and – boy can I relate!
Offering my congratulations as well.
Alyssa – what a wonderful article and congrats on being published in a national magazine! My fragrance passion didn’t emerge as such a subsitution for food, as I’d always been into the smell of things. However, in the beginning when I first became away of the vast world of niche and indie through the internet and was buying tons of samples, that I was looking for extra cash to support my hobby. I seriously cut down expenditures for chocolate, wines/booze and quick drinks from the mini-mart, etc, to help support all those samples and bottles. I figured I had at least $2,000 per year of food and beverage expenses I really didn’t need, and that’s a lot of moola for precious samples and bottles. At the time I went perfume crazy with explorations, I’d just had my baby, just discovered so many online resources with blogs and vendors, and I was in a really stressful time at work. Fragrance became a great mood lifter and an opportunity to have deeper intellectual/sensual experiences since I was stuck at home so much. It was a great way to explore the world and art in a pleasant way. I love how you said greedy for information and experiences, etc. That’s exactly how it was for me.
What a fantastic article! I am enjoying it right now and will certainly enjoy thinking about it later… Thanks, Alyssa!
Oh, WOW. Thank you for posting this Robin! And thanks so much to everyone for the congrats and the stories. Means so much to me that people in my “perfume world” are reading this article.
Brava! This was a wonderful read. I so identified with Alyssa, and she wrote so well. Perfume has retreated a bit in my life – I couldn’t get any more obsessed than I was at one point, I think! – but it still is very important to me. Perfume has enriched my life, and every morning when I choose what to wear and breathe it in is one of the best moments of the day.
This is one of the best articles I’ve ever read aboutloving perfume – beautifully written and so evocative of my own experience I’d like to print it off and hand it to people who question my obsession…er, hobby…no, no, I was right the first time.
Maggie, that is EXACTLY how I was hoping people would feel. Thank you so much. It’s very hard to explain, isn’t it?
What a great idea, Maggiecat! I’m going to save it for friends. And Alyssa – congratulations! What a lovely article!
Fantastic article: I especially loved the details, the nuances and possibilities of leather, of lavender, and so on! The descriptions were so evocative I immediately wanted to retry Daim Blonde, Bandit, etc…
I can especially relate because I am trying to be more or less vegan and now when I go out to eat the choices are usually: pasta napoletana, and minestrone soup – period. For a girl who likes variety that is a serious problem!
Excellent article; well done, Alyssa. So often we talk about the technical aspects of perfume, but it’s lovely to read about its sheer sensual pleasure.
Alyssa (and NST), huge congratulations!! O is my favorite magazine, and the June issue is a special edition highlighting Oprah’s 25 years with especially well-selected articles. It’s WONDERFUL to see a great perfume article among them! HUZZAH! Very cool that you were featured in the Contributor section, as well.
I especially loved the first paragraph, BTW. And maybe it’s a coincidence, but I HAVE lost over 40 pounds over the last three years of intense sampling, perfume collection and following NST. (I would also credit another O feature on the Judith Beck cognitive behavioral therapy approach to dieting.)
I’ve learned a lot from O magazine over the years, and I’m delighted they and you are now opening up perfume appreciation to O’s audience, as well.
What a great article, I admit I got a bit misty-eyed at the end
Congrats on being published in such a big magazine, too.
Wonderful article, Alyssa, congratulations! I can really relate to the secret Halloween candy feeling–and lying down on the floor! I hope we will all get to read more of your writing very soon.
Bravo Alyssa, Thanks for sharing your story. It is so nice to see an article about perfume written by one of us. Please continue writing.
May I give you a virtual hug, Alyssa?
I don’t know why your article moved me so much.
Of course it was witty, and touched a couple of deep chords, and was related to a subject I cherish (perfume)… or maybe I know the answer after all, but won’t test my english skills to try and formulate it.
Anyway, first things first: which was the fragrance (incense, myrrh and roses) that sent you lying on the floor?
Must try that: I love lying on the floor.
Second, I gained weight rather than lose it, since my perfume addiction started, how come?
Must have been smelling/wearing too much Guerlinade and huge white florals: that stuff is high on the calories. (but sooooo wonderful!).
Thank you.
Giving you a virtual hug right back, Zazie! And your English is fantastic. The perfume was Paestum Rose–a slightly (but only slightly) glorified version of it. And I don’t know the answer to your last question–perhaps all your senses woke up together? I find that’s true of the way I’m living now. The perfume diet was, like most diets, only temporary.
A really wonderful article. I posted a link to it on my Facebook wall and hope that’s okay.
It is WONDERFUL.
Wonderful that you shared it, I mean. Not praising my own article, lol!
LOL I knew what you meant! Can’t wait to hear about your next article.
Thank you so much everyone. Working on another, much longer piece of perfume-related writing right now. Look forward to telling you about it soon.
Thank you Robin for posting this link. I just read the article and forwarded it to some friends. It’s about perfume, yes, but also about taking delight in being alive and expanding your world. And thanks for writing the article, Alyssa. It’s so thoughtful and well-written.
Suzy, you just made my day. That’s what it (and perfume!) is about for me, too.