For this episode of Inside the Perfume Cabinet, we get a peek into Now Smell This contributor Erin’s perfume collection and hear about how her interest in fragrance began. Usually, I interview people by phone and summarize it in a post. This time, I give you Erin’s words directly:
As far as early scent memories go, I'm afraid I'll have my perfumista card revoked, but I think my interest in fragrance started in Grade 2 or 3 when I used to walk over from school during the lunch hours with my friend Shoba — who now lives in California and is still my best buddy, three decades later — to a gift store called "Fruit & Stuff", which was focused on "stuff", as we remember it, and specifically, Yankee Candles. I remember sniffing through all the votive scents, such as Bayberry and French Vanilla and Honeydew Melon. I recall my favorites were Pine and a grey one called something like Fireside. Shoba gave me a gift of sandalwood soaps from British chain Marks & Spencer for my birthday around that time, and they were treasures. The first scent I ever purchased by myself was a squat, deep blue glass bottle of Yardley's English Blazer, a fougère, possibly in aftershave concentration, and that turned out to be prophetic. (I still wear a lot of men's colognes today.) My paternal Grandmother was an Avon fanatic, but I was considered the tomboy of the family and so I got a lot of shampoo and sporty body-washes as gifts, while my cousins got the perfumes. My Mom wore big, dramatic orientals, mostly Must de Cartier in the parfum strength, from a dark, tiny bottle in a slim leather slipcase, and later Boucheron, once it was released in the late 80s. I loved smelling those on her, but they seemed impossibly grown-up and somber to me at the time.
I don't think I wore any regular fragrance as a teen. When I was at university, a corporate metal supplier gave my Dad a gift bottle of Jean Paul Gaultier Classique "for his wife" — my father managed canning plants and Classique was packaged in a can, instead of a box — and, being a bit baffled by it, he gave it to me, after which I wore it sporadically over the next few years, not paying much attention to it. I think that petered out around 2004 or so, after I married my husband and moved out west, which is when I fell down the rabbit hole. My family has always been both amused and desperate to know what happened, how the perfume obsession started, joking I should probably undergo hypnosis to regress back to the exact moment I started maniacally smelling everything. All I remember is reading a magazine article about the perfume industry, and then I took a few fragrance and aromatherapy books out of the library where I worked at the time... and then suddenly, three weeks later, I owned six bottles, including Guerlain Jicky, Thierry Mugler Angel and Gucci Rush. Now, thirteen years later, my collection is at 150 bottles and three plastic tubs full of decants.
When I first started collecting, I bought fragrances from all the scent families. But over the years, I've sold or swapped many bottles and my mom has adopted a few of my richer, sweeter monsters, like Angel and Tocade. I still really like fougères and citrus colognes, but probably get the most mileage out of my fresh or green florals, chypres and woody orientals. Once, my friend did a "color reading" on my collection and said he picked up lots of white, green and brown, with accents of butter yellow, which I found wacky but accurate. There are few notes I don't like in at least some contexts, but I don't wear very smoky scents like Le Labo Patchouli 24 or Lush The Voice of Reason, because they remind me of bratwurst. From the start, with that plastic red cube of Rush, I've had a strange affinity for scents with a bit of synthetic "noise" over top: S-Perfumes S-ex is another good example.
My unicorn scent would probably be J.A.R Golconda. Three is a really brutal number, but if I had to name favorites, I'd say Guerlain Après L'Ondée, Chanel 31 Rue Cambon, Jean Patou Moment Suprême and Parfums de Nicolaï Odalisque. (See, four, I can do.)
Later….
I was looking at the (terrible, sorry) photos of my perfume cabinet, which are attached, and realizing I didn't say much about vintage scents. I do have some older stuff, mostly Dior, Hermes and Guerlain, but I've consciously tried to avoid falling in love with too many rare vintages, after a decant of 1960s Coty Emeraude extrait broke my heart. (I've never been able to find a bottle match.) The IKEA cabinet is ugly and utilitarian but it keeps out the light well. And I should modify my trophy bottle answer by saying I'd get some Golconda if I won the lottery, but my unicorn would probably be Le Fruit Défendu by Les Parfums de Rosine, from 1916, which I smelled on a blotter in its Osmothèque re-creation. It was done by Henri Alméras, who, of course, moved on to Jean Patou when Rosine failed, and eventually made my beloved Moment Suprême.
This is so interesting! I love reading about your scented history, Erin.
I loved learning about it, too! (Plus, since Erin is such a great writer and since we emailed each other, this was the easiest post I’ve ever written.)
You both are sweet — glad you weren’t both just turned off by the Yankee Candles.
It takes a lot more than that to make me turn up my nose!
I loved reading your story, and I was very pleased to discover those all too familiar Nicolaï bottles in one of the photo’s.
I haven’t heard much about Parfum de Nicolai lately, but I still love my Sacrebleu and Odalisque.
Persolaise reviewed her expensive incense oud very favourably. My latest love of hers is Ambre Cashmere Intense, which isn’t a masterpiece but just lovely cuddly and comforting.
I have a sample of the Ambre Cashmere, and I agree–it’s perfect for a cold, rainy day.
I gave my sister a decant of Incense Oud for her birthday, and she really likes it. She likes oud much more than I do (perhaps she doesn’t find it swamps other notes the way I do). I think the really expensive one is Oud Sublime – I’m afraid I don’t love anyone enough to buy them that.
Yes you are absolutely right. Mind you it’s a big bottle. I’m planning a brief trip to Paris in the very near future, so I will sniff it, or so I tell myself.
Thank you for sharing your story Erin and thanks to Angela for the post. How long do decants last? I’d like to invest in some but I’m worried about evaporation.
If the decant is sealed tight and is in glass, and if you keep it away from heat and light, it should last years. Decants are a terrific way to get to know perfume.
I’ve had a few very old decants evaporate, but it’s usually if there’s a problem with the bottle. Strangely, my evaporators have mostly been +10 ml decants with fancier looking lids. Like Angela said, decants are a great way to explore perfume and I’ve slowly shifted over the years to buying more decants and fewer full-sized bottles.
I’m curious to read Angela and Erin’s answers, as I am forever tossing out dried-up decants. I usually buy them in 1.5-3 ml sizes, though. I also unscrew and smell them before wearing, and probably don’t get them back on super tight. My experience has made me very wary of buying or splitting larger decants – although the larger ones I’ve bought haven’t suffered the same fate, but now that I think about it, I never open my larger (8ml +) decant bottles.
I’m trying to take better care of the decants I want to last, and have started taping them up before putting them into seasonal storage. We’ll see how they survive.
Stoppered dab samples do seem to last more or less forever, though. If I were a dabber I’d do all my sampling that way.
I almost think that larger decants–5 ml or 10 ml–do better! You might try one and see if it lasts longer.
it’s so interesting hearing people’s stories of how they got into perfume. when you’ve finished the Kenzo Amour orange bottle, Erin, and if you don’t want it I would gladly give it a home! (I’m a bottle freak) I can’t find any big bottles of it anywhere, and it smells lovely.
also quick question: what does unicorn scent mean?
If I ever manage to finish it, it’s yours. It’s a great bottle, with heft to it, and in my favorite color.
By unicorn, I guess I meant a scent shimmering in my day dreams, like a mythical creature, one I’ll never get.
aw thanks
I sometimes imagine perfume that I’d like to see in real bottles to actually buy
I’m glad you enjoyed it! I agree–the Kenzo bottle is great.
I so love this series and it’s even more fun when you get to peek into the perfume cabinets of one of your perfume “heros”!
Thank you Angela and Erin!
Yes, this is just too cool.
I’m glad you liked it!
Agreed!
I love the “Inside the Perfume Cabinet” posts. These are among my absolute favorite posts on NST.
I’m so glad! I let them lapse for a few months, but I’m back at it now.
I’m sorry it’s been so long since I’ve posted one! I’ll have to try to schedule another Perfume Cabinet post sooner.
Thank you for the peek into Erin’s perfume cabinet. On Friday’s post Jiji mentioned she keeps her perfumes in a closet. That got me wondering when we’d have another great post like this.
The pictures are fun. Can anyone name all the scents? That triangular bottle is the one I want to know about.
Hurray for Apres l’Ondee! and I completely agree about the smoky bratwurst.
I like to play the “which one is that?” game, too, with the bottles. And the remark about bratwurst was hilarious!
The triangular one you’re referring to must be the eponymous Mauboussin? And beside it, Mauboussin’s Histoire d’Eau? I’ve been curious about those two for a long time as well! Have been so tempted to blind-buy the first, but have so far restrained myself. The second is not as easy to find, I think.
Would love it if you could describe it for us, Erin…
Maybe she’ll write reviews of them!
Angela, I enjoyed your review of the original Mauboussin! I don’t think anyone at NST has reviewed the Topaz, though…
Or the Histoire d’Eau (although I could be wrong about that).
Good eye, FM, it is the original Mauboussin and Angela does have a great review of it here. Another awesome bottle, that one. I did do a brief blurb on the Histoire d’Eau Topaz in one of my Top 10 of Summer posts a few years ago, I think, but maybe a full review is in order.
I loved the cheer for Apres l’Ondee.
So I am not the only one blown away by “le fruit defendu”!
I was amazed at how “modern”, interesting and stunning it smelled on the blotter… and it also seemed totally wearable (in a sweet and cozy and slightly opaque fruity-fuzzy way) – just like the best always are.
They don’t smell alike, but I feel LFD shares that same milky and opaque fruity oriental vibe with attrape coeur. Less related, but with the same gilded fruity creamy deliciousness (though much fresher and airier): neroli Outrenoir.
This kind of perfumes just ticks all my boxes…
I’m jealous of both of you for having smelled it!
Thanks Angela and Erin for a peak behind the scented curtain! Love seeing (and reading about) everyone’s perfume collection.
I like writing these, too. It’s fun to see how other people manage their perfume.
I feel my impose to prune my collection fading away…
Very nice!
Haha! I was thinking the same thing.
Great minds and all!
We’re a bad influence on each other!
Yes, I felt like saying “My work here is done” and then laughing like a mad scientist.
Love the story, love the peek, love the series! Thanks, Angela and Erin!
I’m so glad you liked it!
What a fun read. Please do more of this!
I plan on it! Have you seen the rest of the series? You should be able to click on the Inside the Perfume Cabinet tag and read more of them.
Yes, do more!
I will!
Love this!
What a fun read Erin and Angela, thank you! It’s especially nice to hear someone else was interested in smells early on.. My earliest memories are flowers and herbs as a first grader in the PI and then scented candles, pikake and incenses in Hawaii.
I’m swooning thinking of those scents–and of Hawaii.
The PI?
It’s what I grew up calling the Philippine Islands Laurels. Lovely country.
Thank you! It was going to drive me nuts.
So funny, I was just chatting with other perfume friends just before you posted about Hawaii and how my daughter is on me all the time to get us there. She’s been trying to use pikake and puamalia as a lure. And Batangas! What a beautiful place to grow up.
In elementary school a friend had a collection of solid perfumes from Hawaii. I loved playing with them and we agreed that Plumeria smelled the best.
Thanks for sharing your scent story, Erin, and for hosting these posts, Angela! I’m also curious as to why us folks are so olfactorily inclined. I worked with a woman who would cook food and bring it in and share it with me(it was Jamaican fare) and I would always smell it first, which should took as an insult, but I just can’t help myself! Looks like you came around to more classically femme scents from what I can spot.
I’m always smelling things too. I don’t know why. I seem to be very conscious of smells around me, sometimes i think it’s because I wear glasses and my hearing isn’t the best. Idk.
It’s a blessing to be tuned in to the olfactory, in my opinion.
I completely understand! How can you not hoover up all the wonderful smells of good food? Toasting Indian spices, for instance, and grinding them is one of the best things in the world.
I’ve always wondered if my obsession, er, enthusiasm for perfume and smells in general has its roots in having been brought up in the kitchen, learning about food by taking great whiffs of garlic and onions and olive oil and celery, and cocoa and butter and vanilla, and bananas foster, and and and…. But it could be the other way around — maybe I love food and cooking because I’m so scent-oriented!
I’ve wondered a lot about this too. I always remember things associated with their smells and find huge joy in scent! It was a surprise to find not everyone shares my enthusiasm.
It regularly surprises me how seldom people think about scent. They think they’re fragrance-savvy, and maybe they are as much as most of the world is, but they really spend very little time paying attention to scent.
Maybe you were simply born to love fragrance! (And now I’m hungry.)
I really enjoyed this post Angela! You have a lovely perfume collection, Erin, and I enjoyed reading your story. I love seeing other’s collections but viewing the collection of a card-carrying perfumista is even more special. Thanks to you both!
You’re welcome! I love it, too. It satisfies my natural nosiness.
I enjoyed this peek into Erin’s collection! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome!
And I meant to ask how old is that bottle of 31RC? I bought my EDT in 2016 and the juice is very light compared to Erin’s.
Mine is from 2008. It may have darkened a bit from light exposure over the years, I can’t really remember. Still smells amazing, though!
Erin, I see that you have a lot of Chanels there, and I spot a cap from a 1990s bottle I believe. Which one is that? Do you have the Exclusif or more modern version, too?
Very impressed with the usage– there are lots of bottles with real dents made in them. Is that from swaps and splitting, or have you used the juice in most of those?
And what’s that to the left of Phi?
I’ll let Erin answer this, if she checks back, but I, too, am impressed by the use! It’s a nicely thought-out collection.
The older Chanel is Bois des Iles, thank heaven. They seem to have done a lot of tinkering with that one over the last decade, since the Exclusifs, no doubt due to the sandalwood issues.
Depending on the scent, the usage could be from either swaps or wearing. The Nicolaïs are likely mostly wearing, and a few not very visible bottles are older and almost finished from wears: Bvlgari Omnia and Ormonde Jayne Frangipani come to mind. I’ve done a fair bit of decanting from the Chanels, Guerlains, Muglers and Serge Lutens, though.
Funny that you should mention that bottle to the left of PHI — it’s the original bottle design of Tauer L’air du desert Marocain and Angela herself gave it to me. (Not sure what I swapped her for, can’t remember – Angela, do you remember?)
I’ve gotten a lot of great perfume from you, Erin, but I can’t remember specifically what came from the L’Air. Some of my favorite decants came from you, though, and you were the one who hooked me on Odalisque.
Scented candles (and incense) were my gateway drug into perfume too. Thanks, Erin, for giving us a peek at your impressive collection!
I think I’ve started appreciating scented candles and, especially, incense AFTER starting to love perfume! Either way, it’s great.
This was such a fun post to read! I’m extremely curious about that color reading your friend did for you, Erin. Did he only read your perfume collection?
I can’t look down my nose at you for the Yankee Candle stuff. I remember being in second or third grade and having an obsession with aerosol air freshener sprays and the candles they sold at my local supermarket, which is probably worse!
I’m curious about the perfume color reading, too. I’d love to see a post on it!
Interestingly, he did it from a list of my collected bottles. (My collection has changed a bit since then, but this was only a few years ago.) He does know me fairly well, temperament-wise, but I don’t think he was going on my aura, or on anything particular I’d said. He’s very interested in people’s collections and is very informed and knowledgeable about perfume.
Thank you, Erin, for giving us a peek at your collection. They’re always so interesting, and it’s always fun to try to identify the bottles.
Sometimes I think a fun post would simply be to take a picture of a shelf of bottles and have fun identifying them!
And thank you Angela, or Robin, or whoever adds the links to previous posts in this series. Now that I’ve gotten less OCD about keeping up with perfume blogs, I always seem to miss about a third of them.
Robin adds those. They’re helpful for me, too! Life gets in the way of keeping up with everything I’d like too.
These chances to peek into other folks’ perfume cabinets are so great, and so fun, and I loved hearing about how Erin started off down the perfume path! Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad you enjoy it! I have a lot of fun, too, learning about people’s perfume collections.
I love these posts. It’s cool to hear about how the perfume bug struck you Erin and to get a look at your collection is fun too.
These stories always make me think about my own perfumista-hood. They’re fun to put together.
Great series! Love the pictures and the stories.
The series is fun to put together!
I really enjoyed this post and loved the photos. I fell down the rabbit hole when I was about 16 years old. Now at this late stage in my life I own well over 500 bottle, most of which are strewn all over the tops of two dressers in my bedroom. I need to pare down my collection and buy a cabinet.
It does sound like a cabinet might be good, but I’ll never try to convince you to pare down your collection!
Nice collection Erin!Always happy whenever I see a bottle of Chinatown in a collection.
They used to make little purse sprays, too, and I have a purse spray of Chinatown. It’s so nice to get something in 10 ml.
I can totally relate re: The Voice of Reason. I didn’t get bratwurst, per se, but when I tried it, I thought it smelled like I’d been bathing in barbecue sauce. I do love me some Patchouli 24, though.
Also I enjoyed the bit about smelling candles as an entry point into perfumista-hood. Before falling down the rabbit hole, I always liked sniffing candles whenever I came across them in a store (still do, to be honest).
Argh! Barbecue sauce! I haven’t smelled Voice of Reason, but I’m staying far away.