There are people who are veritable perfume
connoisseurs; they can make insightful comments about the history of fragrance
and about notes and combinations and they know of obscure perfumeries and scoff
at concoctions made by celebrities. I am not one of those people. I wear perfume sparingly despite the fact
that I can’t remember a day when my mother left the house without perfume on,
or didn’t have at least 4-5 different perfume bottles on the bathroom mirror.
Nevertheless, I do enjoy a nice perfume and since I wear different ones for
different occasions, I have developed strong mental associations with certain perfumes;
after all it’s a well-known fact that the olfactory and memory centres are
related in the brain. So without further ado, here are the perfumes I’ve liked
and worn over the years (the quoted descriptions are courtesy of fragantica.com and jomalone.com):
24 Faubourg by Hermes
“24 Faubourg is an invitation on a journey
where the sun is the destination. Top notes of brilliant white flowers, matched
by a floral heart, are enveloped in iris,wood and mystery. Vanilla and
ambergris lend the tone to its afternote.”
This was a gift from my parents and I
initially disliked the smell, but I was fond of the case it came in so it
always had a prominent place on my dresser. I think the reason I didn’t like it
at first is because this is a perfume designed for older women and I couldn’t
appreciate its allure in my early twenties.
It has a very distinct aroma, I never found a perfume quite like it, and
even though it’s on the heavier side, it’s not overpowering if you don’t go
crazy with the spritzing. It has amazing longevity; you can still smell a ghost
of its presence days after washing the clothes. I’m grateful for being given
this perfume because it’s not something I’d seek myself and it’s a testament of
how sometimes we don’t really know our own very tastes in things!
Le
Premier Parfum by Lolita Lempicka
“It opens with notes of ivy leaf,
pineapple, lemon, rosewood, sour cherry and anise. The heart features lily of
the valley, rose, jasmine, licorice, violet and iris based on sweet almond,
vanilla, heliotrope, tonka bean, musk, praline and vetiver.”
I love this perfume and its sibling the
‘Lolita Lempicka’ fragrance, and I have gone through several bottles through the
years. It’s a very sweet and heavy-ish perfume that can get a bit overbearing
if one accidentally sprays on too much, but in smaller doses it’s very
flattering and memorable. The bottle is beautiful although the design is not
particularly unique since many perfumes bottles nowadays have a similar shape (for
instance, the Nina Ricci ones).
Sun by Jill sander
“Citrussy top notes are just like the
bright sunshine rays, sunny and fresh, composed of sweet orange
blossom. The floral heart is an unusual bouquet of iris, ylang-ylang, heliotrope
and carnation. The base is warm and sweet due to vanilla, while tonka, cedar
and benzoin also lend their warm character to the composition.”
This perfume is very aptly named because
the smell does indeed induce thoughts of sunshine and sun-filled days. It’s a
very happy perfume for a lack of a better description; it’s uplifting and fresh
and perfect for going out and about in sunny mornings.
Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel
“Top notes are orange, mandarin orange,
orange blossom and bergamot; middle notes are mimosa, jasmine, Turkish rose,
and ylang-ylang; base notes are tonka beans, patchouli, opponax, vanilla,
vetiver and white musk.”
I mostly like sweet perfumes but Coco
Mademoiselle is the exception to that rule as it’s sourer than I normally go
for. But it’s a beautiful fragrance, not too heavy or too light, a perfect
combination of sweet and sour and a truly refined scent that is appropriate for
all times of the day.
Hypnotic Poison by Dior
“Top notes are apricot, plum and coconut;
middle notes are tuberose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, brazilian
rosewood and caraway; base notes are sandalwood, almond, vanilla and musk.”
This is a very popular perfume, I
frequently happen upon women wearing it and it’s not hard to see why; it has a
very strong, distinctive and quite sexy smell. I would characterize it as
bitter-sweet. I think it’s more suited to evening wear and it’s one of those
perfumes that are bound to procure compliments.
English Pear and Freesia by Jo Malone
“English Pear & Freesia, a scent that
is inspired by a walk in an orchard and captures the luscious scent of
just-ripe pears, cooled by the autumn air, ready to twist free from the tree.
Experience the surprising, sensuous freshness of sweet pears, wrapped in a
bouquet of white freesias, on a subtle background of scrambling wild roses and
skin-warming amber, patchouli and woods.”
I wear this perfume frequently because it’s
subtle and refreshing but the smell is not generic or boring. It’s funny but
I’ve always thought that if it were an outfit, it’d be a perfectly elegant,
understated yet charming outfit and I’d wear it without a moment’s hesitation.
The notes are floral and fruity but nothing like the perfumes geared towards
teenage girls. It’s more appropriate for spring and summer time and it lasts
reasonably well.
Other perfumes I liked over the years but
haven’t worn as much:
- Mimosa pour moi by L’artisan parfumeur
- D&G by Dolce & Gabbana
-
Candy by Prada
- Blv by Bvlgari
-
Cheap and chic by Moschino
What are your favourite perfumes? Do you have a signature scent? Please share in the comments, I love to hear other people's favourites!
