Ode to Parfum
An essay of sorts over my love of perfumes. Be advised, it's a long love letter of sorts with a ton of anecdotal tales and cheesy, elaborate writing.
I think one of my favorite things to indulge in, other than lacy lingerie is perfume. I think I've been in love with perfume ever since I've been in diapers and your mom puts that baby oil on you to keep you smelling pretty.
There are few things that I am willing to shell out the big bucks on, especially if it's something I love. Clothes it can be a hit or miss, since I find it impossible to spend $20 on a shirt but then when it comes to those staple items, like a winter coat (I'm currently enamored with the black cashmere pea coat my mom bought herself last winter) then obviously, it's not right to be stingy on something that will keep you warm; other than that, I can make do with sales. Don't get me started on purses--yes, I can appreciate a well crafted Michael Kors or Coach, but it doesn't mean I want to spend $300 on it, yes it's beautiful, but it's not in me to spend $150 on a cross body purse when my Nine West is hanging on just fine--and I don't have to worry about spilling something on it, or throwing it on the floor after a long day.
Perfumes however, are my weakness. When I walk through the department store counters I see all the perfumes and just wish I had the luxury to buy a bottle when I could. I can dream can I?
Anyways, perfume is one of those things, that for me is a must a small way to indulge in something expense (with a 3.4oz at the cost of $100, damn right it's an indulgance) since I can't be bothered to dress up unless I have to and the only makeup the regularly touches my face is lipstick, but I won't feel comfortable unless I'm wearing perfume--I can rock a pair of jeans and t-shirt down the street in my favorite fragrance. I know that just sounded so corny, but just like some girls can't step out of the house without their hair perfectly ironed, I can't do the same without perfume.
Now In my twenty years of life i've come across many perfumes--thanks in part to my mom, whom I like to consider a fragrance snob--so at this point I know what my likes and dislikes are. Strong florals are not for me, and neither are those sugary scents, an example of that is Fantasy by Britney Spears. Cute bottle, but just too sweet.
Citrus scents for me are a sort of hit-or-miss, I'd prefer it more as middle tone than a first tone, since, for me, a faint scent of orange is preferable than smelling like you've just bathed in Pine Sol. Anecdote time: when I was 14 I begged my mom to buy me Dior Addict 2 because I had smelt it on a try tester board. Not the wisest decision. Days later I ended up giving it to my mom because the citrus was just too overwhelming to me--so when my mom and I go out, I have to tell her not to wear that perfume around me.
The Perfumes
Baby Rose Jeans by Versace
One of the first fragrances I remember owning was Baby Rose Jeans I don't remember exactly at what age I got my first bottle, but i remember seeing the bottle on one of my childhood friend's cousin vanity whenever we would sneak into her room.
When I think about it now, I think Baby Rose cemented my love for powdery scents. It has the perfect balance of roses and musk. It's the kind of perfume that isn't going to overpower the nose, and to the child that I was when I got a bottle of it for my birthday, it was wonderful, to me and my parents.
It's been years since I've worn Baby Rose, mainly because I haven't seen the 'Jeans family of perfumes in the department stores. It's found online and probably small perfume stores, and hopefully in the near future I'm able to buy another bottle, since at $20 for Versace, it's a bargain.
Cashmere Mist by Donna Karan.
The second perfume I remember owning, a gift set of Eau de Toillete for my 15th birthday, it's been the first perfume I've actually finished and repurchased, splurging on the eau de parfum. CM, to me feels like the big sister of Baby Jeans, muskier without relying on florals to make it stand out. It has a nice, rich spicy scent when you first spray it on, and as it dries, a nice, powdery scent lingers. CM is definitely not for those that love fragrance that you can smell a mile away, Cashmere is intimate, the kind that can truly be appreciated if someone is close enough to smell it on you, it's discreet, but still has the sensuality of musky perfume.
Chance eau Tendre by Chanel.
This is my very first Chanel fragrance, and, at least for me, feels like a sort of 'stepping stone' perfume, a sort of thing that an adult woman, in one time or another in her life will most likely own. We all know about Chanel, it's sophisticated and classic. We all know someone that adores Chanel. In my case its my mother, whom has always loved Chanel no. 5. So it's only natural that she would want me to follow in her footsteps. Unfortunately, for those of you that have smelled No. 5, while it's a gorgeous fragrance, it's overwhelmingly strong, and it's geared for mature women--something I sadly am not.
The compromise was met in my first Chanel, when for my 19th birthday I got the Chance Eau Tendre as my gift. The Chance line of fragrances is geared for those in their 20's, it has the underlying influence of the Classic Chanel, but it's wearable for the youth. Anyways, Eau Tendre won me over when I was flipping through a magazine and spotted the ad for it. At first I thought it wouldn't be for me, since the first thing you smell is grapefruit and lilac. Oddly enough that combination worked for me, and with any fragrance, a little goes a long way. It's a statement fragrance that is very commanding, but still soft and youthful and doesn't overwhelm the senses.
NR for Her by Narciso Rodriguez.
NR was an unexpected love for me. Technically not my own fragrance since I 'borrow' from my mom's bottle when I feel like wearing it. A mix of musk and amber and something fruity has made it one of my favorites and one of my Must Purchase list. It's one of those everyday fragrances and simple wears.
Angel Thierry Mugler.
I remember Angel back when I was 15 and a pushy sales girl was trying to spray my arm with it. At that time when I smelled a scented card with Angel it made me gag. It was too strong and it smelled as if cotton candy was
having an illicit affair with half of the candy bars in a candy shop. Angel did not leave a good impression on me and it was out of my mind until last year, when my dad bought my mom an Angel gift set for her birthday last year.
The moment I saw that star shaped bottle I avoided it like the plague, and stuck to my trusty Narciso. It wasn't until my mom convinced me to try it that I ended up falling in love with Angel. It felt nothing like sweet horror I remembered back when I was 15. It was a scent of honey and chocolate that really warms to the skin. Angel has been described as a 'Drama Queen in a star-shaped bottle' and compared to my subtle, classic muskier fragances in my collection, I think they maybe right when it comes to Angel.
Trésor in Love Lancôme.
The baby sister of Trésor. A pink, slender bottle it's nothing like the pyramid shaped bottle of the classic Trésor, who has a strong note of amber, peppercorn and musk. It's not a bad fragrance, but just not something that's for me. I equate this to the Chanel No. 5 territory, since it's geared for older women than those in their 20s.
It wasn't until last Christmas that I got a bottle of Trésor in Love as a gift that I was won over into the Trésor line. It's like a toned down version of its mother Trésor, with subtler tones of amber and peppercorn, but with a more of a fruity-floral take--light and pleasant.
Chanel no.5 Eau Premiére Chanel
My version of the classic no. 5, Eau Premiére is a lite version of No. 5, a fragrance geared towards those in their 20's, for those that wish to wear the classic no. 5, but don't want to feel like are stealing granny's signature scent.
I've always been a fan of Chanel No. 5, since it has all the fragrance elements I love in a gorgeous bottle. The problem with No. 5 is that it gives me a headache if even a drop lands on my skin. Sadly I love how No. 5 smelled on other people, but my body chemistry could not take it.
I thought I would have to live in obscuirty without the grace of No. 5 until I came across Eau Premiére, it has all the elements of No. 5, but stripped off the harsh edges of aldehydes that give No. 5 it's signature scent and my headaches. Fortunately for me, Eau Premiére was my answer to my longing of owning a Chanel No. 5. Of course I had my doubts, and treaded lightly into the idea of buying Eau Premiére, since I didn't want to feel guilty in spending $100 for a perfume that I couldn't wear. So the courting of Eau Premiére began, with me getting small tester samples every time I went to a department store and seeing if I could tolerate the scent without trouble.
Lucky for me, this version of No. 5 was for me, and as of April a bottle of Eau Premiére sits with my other collection of perfumes.