I want to be intoxicated by
your scent. With each inhalation,
I want to be further entranced. I want to breath you in deeply and for each
breath to feel new. I want to be
taken back to relive memories of experiences and times I am not yet ready to
give up. I want to smell you on my pillow. To wrap my body in sheets in which you linger. I want to live in a cloud of you…
This is how I choose a
scent. Not by a name or a famous
figurehead but by the feelings and memories a fragrance evokes. By the way it makes me feel wearing
it.
For me, the length of each scent
affair varies based on my mood.
Some last for a short period of time, perhaps not completing a
bottle. Others will last longer,
two refills or more. Then I change. The power the scent held over me is
gone. I like to leave a small bit
in the bottle to sniff and remember fondly the way my life, the way I, was when
I wore it.
My current obsession is Versace Bright Crystal. Its scent first captured me from the pages of a magazine. With each subsequent sampling, each time I reach to toss my hair pulling my wrist near my nose, it locks me in tighter. It is described as being,
A mixture
of Donatella Versace’s favorite floral fragrances…a fresh, sensual
blend of
refreshing chilled yuzu and pomegranate mingled with soothing
blossoms of peony,
magnolia, and lotus flower, warmed with notes
of musk and amber.
Notes:
Iced Accord, Yazu, Pomegranate, Peony, Magnolia, Lotus Flower,
Acajou,
Vegetal Amber, Musk.
Style:
Sheer. Sensual. Luminous.
All of those things sound
lovely and while I don’t know what yuzu or acajou are exactly, I could believe it
is a mixture of all of these favorites.
For me it is fresh and new, clean and exciting, and yet there are warm undertones
that wrap me in memories of travel.
I recall flower markets, museums, and late nights arm-in-arm on
cobblestone streets. Travel
companions bringing both adventure and protection. This involvement with Bright Crystal is new and exciting,
familiar, and captivating.
Yves Saint Laurent
Parisienne, for several bottles, has been my go to fragrance.
The essence of a woman who
is incredibly free—she is not from Paris, but Paris
adopts her. She knows how to love, how to live. Parisienne is the fragrance
of ultra
femininity and sensuality, built with notes of blackberry, damask
rose, and
sandalwood. The grand floral with a woody structure is luminous
even in its mystery.
I like to think Paris would
adopt me but this description is an afterthought. It was the sweetness, addictive like a blackberry cobbler,
which attracted me. The gentle
rose notes that remind me of my grandmother’s dressing table and how proper
ladies should smell. The light
sweetness in a spritz of Parisienne has always been invigorating. Applying it late in the day made me
feel refreshed and awake. It still
pleases me but seems to lack the depth, perhaps the musk, to match my current
sultry tone. Who knows, I
may return to Parisienne in the future.
There was a brief tryst with
Ralph Lauren’s Notorious.
This glamorous and provocative fragrance was created for a woman
who commands
attention. The intrigue and mystery of a heroine from a’ film noir’
are captured in this
blend of deep black currant, decadent chocolate, and
sensual patchouli musk.
Filled with so many delights. It was beguiling but such power was
overwhelming for a daily dose. It
was attractive in its decadence, but lacking the needed lightness to match my
current mood. There is not much
playfulness in a rendevous with Notorious.
A short enrapture with Lanvin’s Eclat
de Arpege filled a spring and summer.
Lanvin
Arpège, a feminine masterpiece created in 1927, named for its similarity
to an
arpeggio—a cascade of successive notes. Éclat d’Arpège, drawing
inspiration from the
original, reflects the spontaneity of a modern woman.
Notes:
lemon leaves, lilac, osmanthus, peach blossom, peony, wisteria, tea,
cedarwood, amber, musks.
A season and smell that is notable in its bright adventure. Light and pleasant, a good time, yet I
have few words. With so many
accents, perhaps I have few words because I cannot seem to pronounce them. Perhaps comments about this time are
better kept silent. Eclat de
Arpege’s classic lightness, with few words, continues to stand the test of
time.
While cleaning I recently encountered
an old lotion scented with Davidoff’s cool water in the back of my closet.
Embrace
the aromatic blend of refreshing, yet powerful, aquatic notes. A swell
of
lavender gives way to a sweeping wave of menthe. Wade into the scent
of
sandalwood as the aroma of an iris bubbles to the surface, breaking
into a flow of
musk. Flood the senses with the intense force of the
iconic composition—a mystical
alchemy arising from the sea.
Oh to be taken back in time with such a memorable
scent. For some to the sea, I was
transported to the teenage angst I felt during the years it was my
signature. During that time I
maintained a sportier aesthetic, followed more than led, and felt slightly
unsure. The lotion made me feel a
little unsettled as I put it to use, eager to return to my more sultry and complex
current scent selections.
A more comfortable flashback ensued in using the
remnants of a lotion scented with Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker.
Sarah
Jessica Parker blends a scent of pure innocence with the exotic nature
of a
precious oil and the sophistication of a fine perfume. Lavender, orchid
and amber
mingle with apple martini, paper whites and musk. The result,
Sarah Jessica Parker's
casual glamour fashioned into a fragrance.
I felt confident and unsatisfied remembering my
first years in the workforce. This
time in my life was full of potential.
I was self-assured and hungry.
I remember slinky lingerie tops and colorful broaches popular at the
time. Sparkling late night dancing and unrequited love seasoned the
moment. Lovely, like Notorious, does
well on cool evenings to cloak and warm the body. Lovely provided a lovely foray down memory lane.
In search of a simpler time I once spent an hour
trying to find a new scent that wafted past and reminded me of my mother
dressing for an evening out. She
wore Liz Claibourn, something no longer made. It came in a red triangle. I never found the current scent that caused this
recollection. Perhaps it was a
combination of a few, or a memory of the time so vivid it smelled real. The closest I came to finding this
elusive smell was its description,
Signature
Liz Claiborne perfume was released in 1986 in a floral rhythm. It
captures
with carnation, lily, freesia, mandarin, marigold, green notes, bergamot
and peach at
the top, followed by a floral wave of jasmine, narcissus,
rose, ylang-ylang, lilac,
tuberose, lily-of-the-valley and violet at the
heart. Base notes include warm
sandalwood, amber, oakmoss and musk.
The bottle is Pierre Dinand’s creation.”
Many words but still incapable of completing the
memory. Some times can only be
remembered.
The power of scent is strong
and different for each person.
Pheromones of the wearer transform each scent into a signature that can be
used to identify and bond. While
scents can be common and familiar to all, when attached to emotions and
experiences, the same scent can have a completely different effect for each
person. This strength is primal
and important.
I want to live times going
forward in a swirling cloud of deliciousness that lingers and expresses my
power. I want to catch a whiff in
the future and remember how I feel today. Scent transcends time and place, enraptures and
inspires, helps to escape and recover.
The possibilities are endless.
