Today my county eases into phase one of opening up. That’s three months of lockdown; a quarter of a year; a whole season, from snowfall to sunburn.
Here is an olfactory summary of how I spent this time:
A day into a conference for mystery writers in San Diego, the pandemic shut it down, and we all scrambled to find flights home. That night, I stood on my hotel room’s tiny balcony and watched sheets of rain before going downstairs to the restaurant, noisy with chatting authors, to catch up on industry gossip. I wore Ciro Danger in Extrait.
A few days later, I was out of a job. I spent my free time finishing Secret of the Blue Lily, a mystery centering around a Paris boutique specializing in vintage and discontinued perfume. I wore lots of old Lanvin Arpège, but my brain was focused on Lys Bleu, a perfume I invented for the novel.
Then my pickup truck was stolen, right out of my driveway in the middle of the afternoon. Who would steal a 35-year-old manual pickup? Why, devil-worshipping vegan meth addicts, of course. The police found my truck, totaled, a week later. Besides a sawed-out battery and smashed-in front, the truck had been spray-painted black and decorated with satanic symbols in turquoise paint and camouflage duct tape. Stickers for heavy metal bands covered the back bumper and window, along with “Food Not Bombs” and “Oatmeal Savage” stickers. The orange caps from syringes littered the inside, along with a strange black-and-white photo of a bunch of hippies sitting in the woods. The fragrance part of this story? The thieves hung a leather-scented air freshener from the rearview mirror.
Heartbroken and now truly stuck at home, I noticed my hair was getting dry at the ends. I hacked off bits here and there, and I ordered a bottle of Aftelier Ancient Resins body oil to bring it back to life. Mandy Aftel tucked in a rose-ginger chocolate bar, too. They both helped.
I’d planned to lounge through lockdown in a glamorous 1930s silk kimono I’d carefully restored and rinsed with Chanel Misia, but I’ve ended up wearing an old red Scottish cashmere cardigan to rags. Now it has holes in both arms, desperately needs a wash, and smells of twenty different perfumes. My two cats fight over napping on it.
Things started looking up. A friend of a friend sold me her 1999 Toyota Corolla. The car is a total granny-mobile and needed some soul. I gave it a signature scent: Arquiste Aleksandr. The glove leather and violet perfectly complement the car’s opalescent silver body. The patchouli really comes out on the upholstery.
To celebrate the new car, plus the release of Secret of the Blue Lily and the first draft of Seven-Year Witch (not scheduled for release until September 2021), I stopped by Fumerie, which had just opened for limited hours, to investigate a bottle of Oriza L. Legrand Relique d’Amour. Maybe its cool incense, lily, and beeswax could counteract the devil worshippers who had defiled my driveway. The fragrance was out of stock, but I’ll have a bottle yet.
At heart, I’m an optimist. For those of us lucky enough to be in good health, we’ll come out of this stronger and wiser and ready to change the world and our lives for the better. As spring turns to summer and spirits improve, Amouage Ubar has been a wonderfully sunny companion.
How about you? Any perfumes that sum up your pandemic?
Oh, Angela – so glad you’re able to remain optimistic after all that. What a series of events! At least our weather here seems to be warming a little this week (so break out the kimono!), and I can tell you that Secret of the Blue Lily was a delightful read.
I have been lucky enough to be able to do most of my job from home, lo these three past months, and have enjoyed wearing a bit more fragrance (both in quantity and in variety) since there’s nobody around here who would dare wrinkle their nose at me (just Mr. G, and he knows better). The natives are getting restless at work, though, and my blissful time working alone may be coming to an end soon. Sigh.
One thing I’ve learned is to never, never ask, “what else could possibly go wrong?” That said, things are good these days for me. It is kind of wonderful working from home, isn’t it? Maybe they’ll let you hang on to a few days of working from home a week….
I’m so glad you liked Secret of the Blue Lily!
A dear friend of mine always used to say “I’d get depressed and think, cheer up things could get worse. So I’d cheer up and without fail, things would get worse….”
Angela, I’m so sorry to hear about all of the shanenagans! I’m glad to see you have a car and a positive attitude.
I’ve decided 2020 sucks, 100%. I’d say let’s look forward to 2021, but….
And I’d add, I’m truly sorry for all of the recent downturns, I’m hoping things get better very soon!
It’s already much better, and thank you!
2021 will be terrific! Definitely! I simply know it.
Love the car mystery…vegans leaving a leather-scented air freshener!??
Good luck with the rest of summer and congratulations on your new book. Brilliant!
Oh, I hadn’t even thought of that irony! Thank you for the good wishes, and I hope your summer is good, too!
Good heavens, what a story! Glad to see things are looking up. I’ve worn sooo many things during the pandemic, spritzing away boredom and anxiety. It’s been fun exploring my collection.
It really has been a good time to dig deep into the collection for old favorites. I used to wear Ormonde Woman all the time, for instance, and I recently rediscovered it.
A lot to deal with for you this spring, on top of the lockdown. You’re very gracious about life’s ups and downs. I’ve discovered wfh, that I could wear 3 perfumes per day if I want to.
Three perfumes–maybe even four, if they segue well!
Well at least you were not bored, like some of us have been 🙂
I had been missing your posts and wondered whether you were ok.
Very sorry about your car and the loss of your job. Will you be hired again for the same job in the near future or is it really finished?
I love Oriza L.Legrand. I own a bottle of Foin Fraîchement Coupé and would love some Marions-Nous.
Other than that I did get some new perfume esp. early on in the lock down. The stand out is definitely À ce soir by Pont des Arts. It was swoon at first sniff and every next sniff. It was because of you and Denyse that I even bothered to order the PdA samples. Other than that, I seem to be wearing quite a few Nicolaïs, they are very reassuring somehow.
I’m not sure why I haven’t been very regular with posts. Robin has been super patient with me! I think I’m going through some sort of “wringing out” phase, maybe, and my life will even out soon.
A ce soir is my favorite of that line! Nice choice.
Sounds like you’ve been through a serious rollercoaster ride.
Here in Poland my working was pretty “normal” when I worked 2 days at home + 3 days in the lab (or other way around with 3 at home and 2 in lab)
There’s something comforting about a nice routine! I’ve been giving myself a routine with a daily list, and it does help.
Angela, I am sorry you have had to deal with a loss of job and car, but glad to see your sense of humor is intact. Hopefully, things will turn around for you.
Thank you! Things have already turned around, and I’m optimistic they’ll only get better.
Angela, your post proves that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. And it sounds like you have dealt with it rather gracefully. I have that exact Oriza L. Legrand perfume on my full bottle wish list, although lately I have been very much impressed with a dabber sample of Olivier Durbano’s Rock Crystal. I seem to be back on an incense kick.
Oh, I haven’t tried Rock Crystal! I’ll have to sample it. In the meantime, may we both have bottles of Relique d’Amour soon.
Oh my, what a story….just let me fan girl on you for a minute–I have read all of your books, including the latest Blue Lily (loved the Paris setting), and have really enjoyed them. As a fellow vintage shop/antiques/perfume lover you seem to hit all the buttons with your characters and settings. Your latest personal saga with this stolen truck needs to be worked into one of your upcoming books….it is just too crazy out there!!
Oddly enough, I have been wearing lots of heavy hitters lately (I’m looking at you POAL!). But, the weather has warmed up so something lighter and more citrus will come out to play.
POAL! I almost forgot about that perfume completely, but it was such a big deal back in the day.
Thank you for your super kind words about my mystery novels! It truly makes my day. As for my truck–I always say that life is a glorious freak show, and that fact has really been driven home over the past few months. Here’s to saner times ahead!
Hubby and I are both mystery fans and have been keeping busy during the pandemic listening to audio books. We will definitely have to check your novels out. We miss going to Noir at the Bar in Seattle and meeting some of our favorite authors 🙂
Noir at the Bar! I’ve been to two of them–one in San Francisco and one here in Portland–and they were a lot of fun. If you do end up checking out my books, I hope you enjoy them.
Those miserable little heathens!! Literally and figuratively.
I’m sorry your car was stolen and treated so badly. When you have a vehicle for that amount of time, I’m sure you were pretty attached to it. I’m glad you were able to get a new set of wheels though. Let’s hope for a few boring weeks at least!
I was surprised at how attached I was to that broken-down, beat-up old truck! We went through a lot together. Well, as my mechanic said upon seeing it, “One thing I’ll say for this. When you go out, you go out big.” Which horrified me and kind of made me proud at the same time.
And, yes, let’s hear it for a boring spell!
Holy Moly Angela, you’ve been through the wringer. I’m going to see if there are any yard sales in my area to score you a vintage something or other when I can.
I’m pretty mad. I got some ELdO samples, and damned if they’re not common and plain. Putain of the hotel or whatever was supposed to smell like vaginas, balls, or more intriguingly, a sweaty head after removing a wig. It just smells like an older shrill, powder bomb. Fat Electrician? Just hung out with it’s crack showing for hours of dull nothingness. At least one really smelled like a dirty ash tray, which I sort of liked. Even SM isn’t that gross. What a bunch of hype. And that Putin junk just won’t wear off! About as edgy as the Bvlgari Omia collection. Oh, and the Tilda one? Like being mugged by the Gingerbread man.
Sorry for ranting. My whole weekend was in anticipation of testing and reviewing these stuffs. Should have went to the Everglades instead.
Etat Libre d’Orange can be hit or miss, true! Maybe sometimes the names lead us to expect something wildly edgy, then the perfume is a regular perfume (sort of how I feel about Fat Electrician which, to me, is a perfectly nice vetiver but that’s it.) You’re allowed to be cranky, goodness knows.
It’s a bunch of mall perfumes with a depressing sludge note. And their stereotypes are stupid. It’s plumbers who show crack, not electricians. I don’t know a hooker who would wear Putin, unless she wants her tricks to bring her carnations, cheap chocolates, and some compression socks. Smells like your mean grandmother’s house. They should fire their hype ad staff and get someone to actually make unusual perfumes. And I hate the logo and bottles. Just ugly and cheap.
You should start your own YouTube channel of cranky perfume reviews! I’d watch it.
So would I! Baby Dumpling’s post gave me a much needed laugh!
I’d watch it too. Baby D you should team up with Kevin for some killer cranky reviews.
I actually have a YouTube channel. It’s on like Donkey Kong this weekend. I’m grubby, cranky, and chubby. I’ll keep you posted.
Wow, you’re the epitome of calm despite all these events which I won’t call set-backs because you’ve bounced even higher, further, etc. I hope whatever the future holds for you as far as a job is concerned is what you want to do in your own time.
The only constant for me perfume-wise is wearing 8 sprays of any perfume I decide to wear for the day…pretty much 6 out of 7 days if not 7 out of 7 some weeks. My goals for baking has so far yielded zero, but I managed to make 2 pans of no bake chocolately bread pudding; my next attempt will be banana pudding which I was supposed to make 2-3 weeks ago but I had a banana fail. I’ve also decided to cut way back on Instagram (no posts since June 2 and won’t start back up again until after I file my tax returns) and on commenting on perfume blogs except NST and Undina’s blog (I came out of hiding for one comment).
I have been WFH since March 16 and our company is beginning to “welcome” people back to the New York offices under very strict rules, including having to wear a mask while in common spaces. My boss told me I’ll be part of the last group (woo hoo) which means possibly September or so but that would be only after we see what issues may emerge with the first groups; it’s also probably going to be splitting time at work and at home but it’s not clear what pattern yet since I am the only one in my team in NY.
Oh my gosh, all that uncertainty is so crazy! It sounds like you’re handling it with a lot of equanimity. I feel like anxiety and fear are almost most catching than the coronavirus, and trying to balance it all is not easy. I wish you successful banana pudding (you can totally do this) and a drama-free reentry to the office.
Angela, that is an *intense* corona coaster! You have handled it with such wonderful perspective and humor. All my sympathies, and congratulations on the new book!
What else can I do? Laugh or cry (or both, really). Thank you for the good wishes for my book!
Wow. This pandemic has caused so much pain. So sorry. I agree many of us – and I hope our society – will emerge stronger from this. But so many people have lost their lives or their jobs and financial security. I work in healthcare so no working from home here. But both my brothers have lost their jobs and my 2 young adult children are both unemployed, living with me. At least we have been COVID-free, though our surge is just starting so still time for getting sick.
I skipped perfume during my vacation – was just in the yard getting sweaty anyway – but otherwise wearing something every day, just not very adventurous in my choices.
I hope everyone stays healthy in mind and body.
Thank you for your healthcare work! I hope you and your family continue to stay healthy. Right now, a blend of comfort and adventure–a little of this for a few hours then a little of that–sounds perfect.
After Zephyr2’s comment it seems trite to talk about perfume, especially as my family and I have had a relatively trouble free lockdown compared to so many other people. But anyway, I’m like others – I’ve used this time to explore some heavy orientals that normally aren’t my style, and that’s been fun. I have half a small bottle of vintage-ish Tabu on the way. (Not the violin bottle, just a little flask-shaped thing.) I’ve done some quality time-wasting by browsing vintage ads for Tabu, which are fascinating. I’m thinking of the ones with a woman in the foreground and a copy of the famous image of the musicians ravishing each other in the background. I think Barbara Herman noted that these ads allow women to have a relationship with their own desires and fantasies, which is a great insight.
Healthy-wise, my lockdown has been easy, too, and really that’s the most important thing.
Interesting observation about the Tabu ad! It’s not some abs-of-steel macho guy ravishing her, either, which I appreciate. I hope you love your old Tabu. I have a vintage bottle of extrait, and I adore it.
During the pandemic I wore a lot of Shalimar..in all its concentrations and flankers..
I really laid on the Shalimar early on–as you say, in all forms and concentrations (how I love the extrait bottle!). I’ve been going lighter more lately, but that’s probably because it has warmed up.
Geesz, what a story.
I am so sorry for what happened, but you write it all down so well, so i loved reading it.
I hope better things will come your way soon, Angela!
When lockdown started I wore lots of samples and new perfumes. I usually dont do that when i go to the office. So working from home was ‘yay i can wear anything i want!”
But last month I am wearing less perfume (i even skipped it more than a few times) and when i wear it i mostly grab relaxing and familiar scents.
Lots of woods and greens (sycomore, hinoki, bandit).
I think we all need calm and relaxation right now! That might be part of my attraction to mild incense right now, kind of like your pull toward green and woods.
I don’t see how this experience won’t change us–and hopefully for the better.
I spent the pandemic mostly at work because my job was considered essential by my company. However, as I have no partner, I would spend my weekends with friends at a place in town that had live music Of course that all came to a halt and weekends just blended in with every other day of the week. Besides cleaning my condo, I spent weekends watching TV, drinking wine, reading and lavishly spraying myself with lots of perfume. I also craved gelato for some reason and it gave me some comfort. I am meeting up with good friends tonight for dinner for the first time since March. Today I’m wearing FM’s Lipstick Rose which I will refresh myself with before leaving work to meet up with them. Before all this, I had a very social life but the pandemic has made me a loner.
I completely understand! I live alone, too, and have spent countless hours on zoom, it seems. Have a wonderful dinner! Your talk of rose and gelato makes me crave rose gelato….
A new era awaits in the pearly patchouli Carolla.
I need to get it out on a few adventures!
Wow, Angela, I am so sorry for your misfortunes! But trust a writer to put those misfortunes together in so charming a story. I hope you and the Corolla have lots of great adventures together.
I’ve been scenting myself more conservatively than ever before during quarantine, because I have been working from home with my fiance, who doesn’t care for louder scents.
Thank you for your sympathy. The worst is over, I figure, and the Corolla is a lot more dependable than my pickup, so there’s that.
Maybe you’re inoculating your fiance slowly, and you’ll be able to wear the more assertive scents soon!
So sorry to hear of your trials and tribulations. I admire your can-do spirit, but it’s never easy to deal with setbacks. What a story about your truck! I agree with your mechanic — going out BIG. Are you able to share a link where we can find your book(s)? Keep calm and carry on!
Lots of people have had it worse than me! I figure by Christmas it will be a hilarious dinner party story.
You can find info about my books at my website, http://www.angelamsanders.com I hope you’re weathering this storm well!