I’ve been house sitting in Guanajuato, Mexico, for almost two and a half weeks now, and it’s been wonderful. I feel relaxed and stimulated at the same time. I’ve gotten a lot of writing done, and my brain is stuffed with beauty, from the soundscape of church bells, barking dogs and crowing roosters to the old tile floors and street shrines I see during my daily walks. I'm the luckiest person ever.
There’s just one thing: I really miss my perfume.1
Sure, I miss my friends, but we talk, and they can follow my doings on Instagram (you can, too, if you want, at @angela.m.sanders). I miss having my cats on the bed. I also miss good butter and being able to explain myself well — my Spanish is awful. But I really miss opening my perfume cabinet each morning and deciding what I wanted to smell that day. Feeling optimistic and sunny? A shot of L’Artisan Parfumeur Mandarine Tout Simplement might do. Maybe mysterious and a bit impenetrable? How about Millot Crêpe de Chine? And I have a lot more options than that.
For this trip, I packed a 30 ml bottle of Patricia de Nicolaï Eau Exotique. It seemed to have everything I’d need for January in Mexico: top notes of mango skin for sunny afternoons, just enough body, and a patchouli- and musk-tinged dry down to stand up to cool mountain air after dark. Plus, the bottle was small enough to carry on an airplane. Normally, I’d pack a few sample vials of favorites with me, but I was in a rush. Eau Exotique would be all I needed, I was sure.
I was wrong. It surprises me how much fragrance has become a part of my daily life. For the past 20 years, I’ve worn perfume nearly every day, often switching scents when one fades away. I didn’t realize how often I raise a wrist to my nose to ponder as I chew through a difficult paragraph on my laptop. I didn’t know how much confidence a few drops of Ciro Danger gave me. I couldn’t suspect how I’d come to rely on a comforting a spritz of Arquiste Anima Dulcis when it’s cold and I’m cranky.
Having one extra sense to tantalize has become as much a part of my daily routine as coffee in the morning and a bath before bed. In some ways, limiting myself to one perfume is like limiting my music to one song. As much as I adore listening to Shirley Bassey belt out “Get the Party Started” before I leave the house, I need Mozart and Joni Mitchell, too.
I’ll be home later this week. Now comes a big question: what perfume do I wear first?
As a fragrance aficionado, have you ever been limited to wearing just one fragrance for a long stretch? How did you feel about it?
1. I feel silly writing this, and I'd trade never wearing perfume again as long as I could have the experience I'm having now. So, please take this post as more of an observation than a complaint.
Note: top image courtesy of the author.
Yes. By choice I spent seven weeks one summer in Assam of India. I think it was you who challenged me to finish a bottle of something and that was the one I picked. I earned about 12 enabler pins because other NSTers became curious and bought samples, decants and eventually full bottles. I loved getting to know its nuances and it became second skin.
I am currently on week two of Winter Woods and may continue until I thunk the bottle. I want simplicity and I don’t need to make a choice every morning. Just spray and go and I know I smell fantastic. The hubs loves it too on me and I get compliments at work.
And, by the way, I still have one row of elephants left ?
Are the elephants from the Assam of India?
Yes. The bottles has rows of elephants and I kept track and reported on how many rows were left.
I love it!
And the reason why I don’t think the bottle is that my daughter asked me NOT to because she likes to use it on rare occasion.
It’s in her DNA!
I wonder if *knowing* that you have other bottles at hand, even though you’re sticking with one fragrance, makes a difference? Maybe part of my longing for another scent is knowing that it will be a few days before I get my hands on one.
For me, that is key. I’ve sometimes spent a few weeks in the same scent for reasons similar to cm8–I needed simplicity and continuity–but when I’ve been stuck with just one or two scents and no collection, I’ve ended up going scentless rather than wearing the same perfume every day. Knowing I am making a conscious choice to wear the same thing is different from having to wear the same thing.
I sort of suspected that!
For me I would have to say no.
I have been wearing perfume for over half a century but I have never been a collector. I am more of a thunker. I like something and I use it up and either replace it or move on to something else. I think if I only had one or two bottles of something I really loved I would be okay with that.
Lucky you. You can save your money for something else–like rent.
Or kids college bills ???
One vacation I accidentally left out all my perfume except a decant of Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle. Now, this is one nice summer perfume to have – but I felt so deprived! Two weeks of Just One Perfume felt very sad, even with the occasional, consolatory spritz from a store’s tester.
That’s exactly where I am now!
I’ve recently(and for months!!) been in a funk…because of life and general.Perfume was not high on my agenda,but I still wanted to smell good every day.So I also went through weeks where I would only wear one perfume day after day.It was actually cool,and even helped me work through a couple of full bottles again!(Armani Ambre Eccentrico,Guerlain Terracotta Le Parfum,Joop What About Adam,amongst others!)
Well,back to normal operations and I am wearing a different perfume every day!I have come to the conclusion that I need that excitement of “The Choice” in the morning!Part of making and keeping my perfume obsession fun and interesting!?
I’m so sorry you were in a funk, but I’m glad perfume has helped just a little bit, at least! (And I understand how hard it can be to get through a bottle!)
Not that I want to be in a funk, but I would love to get through some full bottles! Glad you got your mojo back.
I think the last full bottle I went through was Mythique, and my back-up bottle was at the ready. I do make my way through decants, though.
Very relatable Angela! Missing the cat and your perfume collection is the other side of vacations. ? I usually bring travelsprays and samples but sometimes the “wrong” ones. What I really like is discovering new perfumes and ordering a bottle that will be delivered at home on the day I return.
I like discovering perfume when I’m on vacation, too–a cinch when I’m lucky enough to be in Paris!
I love your idea of having something delivered the day you return!
The best kind of souvenir!
I’m pondering this dilemma for my trip to Africa. Almost a full month with very limited baggage weight. I’m planning on one perfume but which one?! I want something dry, not flowery and pretty subtle. I’m open to suggestions, even for a new idea then what I have. My best option I currently have is Daum Blonde. Or Zoologist Bat?
Dame Blonde
Maybe Lauren Safari, if you can get a bottle? (Or is that too on the nose?) A nice dry vetiver might be good, like Lubin Vetyver. Now I really want to get at my perfume cabinet!
I think I brought the travel size of Tigers Nest to Africa last summer.
And didn’t wear it. I mostly had on sunscreen and powerful bug spray as the tsetse flies loved me.
Sunscreen usually has a scent of its own, too–even the zinc ones. I bet bug spray does, too.
It does!
I did get to Chanel on my way home, though.
Oh, what did you wear?
That’s what I’m afraid of! I’m pretty pale, sunscreen is a life necessity and bug spray too. Maybe I’ll skip perfume and use the excuse to hit duty free on the flight home! Yes! Or look for something very local like body butter, I’d be happy with that.
The brave path is to keep trying…surely you’ll find the right fragrance!
That was my plan and it worked perfectly!
Not sure where you are headed. We left through Zanzibar where soaps, spices, incense and tiny vials of vanilla were purchased and packed.
Then duty free in Amsterdam.
I can smell it already!
Where in Africa(where I live!!) are you heading?If it’s South Africa,don’t pack anything!I’ll point you tonthe right shops!??
A few days in Johannesburg. Then safari camps in Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania, finishing off with 4 days on the beach in Zanzibar.
You can email me at Schallau at aol dot com if you want. I’d love suggestions! Especially for really local items. Thank you.
Thanks!I have the perfect local perfume for you then!!
Shall email you over the weekend,lots of wonderful shops in Johannesburg to explore!
I have worn Songes, Shalimar, 31RC, Alahiiine & Encens Mythique in long stretches.
My problem was when I wore Shalimar for a long stretch recently. Everything smelled sweet and synthetic after that..I didn’t know what was going on with my nose or me. Shalimar has a huge dose of vanilla but its not a sweet one, maybe that was the problem.
Those are all such gorgeously diva fragrances! I feel like I know you after reading that list.
why, thank you
You’re welcome!
I love Eau Exotique but would not wish to be limited to just that scent. I tend to travel with samples or decants, no longer travel with full bottles.
But for years I only wore Paris, and I was perfectly happy while I was surrounded by that huge neon pink scent cloud.
On another note; I recently tried L’Ame Perdue again and I’m now seriously smitten. I will “need” a bottle of that at some point.
The place you are staying looks incredibly gorgeous, good to hear that your stay there is so productive!
I’m in love with L’Ame Perdue, too! It’s so good in cool, rainy weather.
It really is beautiful here–crazy rundown beauty, lots of music, and friendly people–and the weather is wonderful, too.
Usually when I face overwhelming stress for days or weeks, I choose one bottle of perfume that I just like (not love), that is half full or less and finish it completely by spraying lavishly. That way I smell good and any bad association will go with it, since it is a scent that I never planned to repurchase. That also give me the chance to eliminate one bottle from my endless collection. On regular days I find very difficult to wear a single perfume for many days in a row. I wear perfumes based on my mood, cravings, weather, etc and those change every day. When I have to travel, I always carry samples that I know I will enjoy. That helps me reduce my huge sample stash. I cannot be monogamous on daily basis. That would create anxiety on me. I need variety!
What an interesting approach! I understand it completely, plus I like the idea of being lavish with a scent (as long as you’re in company that can take it). There’s one fragrance I love that I don’t have great associations with now, and I’m trying to decide what to do with it. I think I’ll wait it out.
I hate wearing the same scent day after day. One time I took a decant of Bottega Veneta The Knot on vacation and wore it every day. I never want to smell it again.
Usually I bring a baggie of decants and samples, never a full bottle.
And that is why you have a breathtaking collection ♥️♥️♥️. You collect while I thunk lol ?
She does have a fabulous collection! I did an Inside the Perfume Cabinet post on her, and her collection sounds magnificent.
I know ♥️♥️♥️
I have a decant of The Knot that I almost brought instead! Bringing samples is the way to go, I think.
Whoa. I always knew you had a fabulous collection, but I just dug up the Inside the Perfume Cabinet article on you and holy crap! It’s even more fantastic than I imagined. So beautiful!
Thank you Koyel. It has gotten bigger since that time. :-0 Yes I am completely nuts.
Like perfumelover67, I too spray lavishly when I’m near finishing a bottle that will not re-enter my collection. I choose a different spritz daily, largely dependent on the season. I once took a 5 ml spray bottle of Diorissimo to Maui and it was so wrong! Britney Spears’ Maui Fantasy was perfect for the next trip. I’ve decided that I will take a very small spray bottle (of something) on the next 3 week trip because security doesn’t like liquids. I will take solid soap and makeup base to cut down on fluids. Last time I had to give up some of my shampoo and a couple other small tubes. All containers I had packed were small which I erroneously thought was okay. Luckily I was able to divide my stuff and put some in my husband’s luggage legally. It takes a lot of beauty emollients to keep me looking reasonably half-decent at my age!
Ha! I bet you’re gorgeous! (And smell great, too.)
I tend to switch perfumes daily but could go with the same one for a few days. For vacation, I have staples that I leave in the luggage in case I forget to think about and pack other perfumes. The staples are Chanel No. 19 EDP and Chanel No. 5 EDT which will probably be swapped out for No.5 L’Eau.
Coincidentally, I was in Mexico at the end of December through January 2nd! It’s a beautiful country.
Three excellent selections!!
Those are some good ones. If I were sticking to Chanel, I’d be tempted to add a sample of Coromandel and/or Sycomore for variety, and it’s so hard to leave Cuir Russie at home, too. Or, 1957, if I had it! (Stop me!)
Hi Angela. Interesting post. Diverse comments. I understand your realization about perfume’s importance in your daily life. I too enjoy deciding each morning what I’d like to wear. I also keep sample vials in my bag in case something fades too ea. There’s such a thing as “decision fatigue”. I suffer from it but not in regards to selecting perfume. Thats a joy. Update us on which perfumes you wear your first week home! Also, your house sitting gig sounds divine!
I really am beyond lucky. Every day I go to bed murmuring how I’m blessed–at least, in some ways! If I had to choose right this very minute, I’d be tempted to grab Luci ed Ombre or, for some reason, Amouage Gold. Maybe I’m simply wanting something grand. So many others sound good, though, too.
The only thing “I’d trade never wearing perfume again” is, probably, health – my or my loved ones. Other than that, I can’t imagine anything that would be worth it for me… OK, maybe a World piece or at least saving lives of a LOT of people – but that would be a conscious choice that I’d make hating to be in that position. But you got the idea
Before my late 20s, I was in monogamous relationship with one perfume, but I couldn’t afford to wear it daily, it was saved for special occasions. After that I don’t remember wearing the same perfume more than a day or two in a row, though initially it was a rotation of 5-7 bottles and samples.
Several years ago I did a project for the blog when I wore one perfume for a week… I still like it but I remember being tired of it by the end of the week.
For any vacation I take about 3 different scents per a day of the trip: not because I’ll wear them all but I need to have a choice.
Three choices seems about right to me. I could imagine bring something fresh, something rich, and a chypre.
I really liked the analogy you made: wearing just one perfume would be like listening to the same song over and over! Yes! But why is that many people would never have a “signature sound” – or taste or touch — but wouldn’t think it odd at all to have a signature scent?
Exactly! Strangely, I’m less bothered by basically having only four outfits to cycle through.