Flora is the ultimate fruity floral perfume. It's got a zing of crunchy apple. And this has to be one of the best perfume bottles. It's classy and cute. See MyPerfumeLife's 10 Best Perfume Bottles.
The lovely Jessica, from 1000 FLOWERS, is sending me a sample of her debut perfume Reglisse Noire. I'm excited to try it. Top notes include white pepper, ozone, mint. The heart is star anise, licorice and cocoa and the base is cedarwood, vetiver, vanilla and musk. You can read a description over at 1000 FLOWERS. I can't wait to review it on MyPerfumeLife.
At the opposite end of the spectrum from this brand new fragrance, one of the oldest perfumes that I've come across is Quelques Fleurs L'Original by Houbigant Paris. It was initially released in 1912 and is a sexy tuberose jasmine mix that's still relevant today.
My nose is feeling itchier and itchier each day. Apparently if you eat pollen, it could de-sensitise your nose to it, so that hayfever disappears. Hmm, nice theory. Bit alarming that the label says, "may cause severe allergic reactions in allergy sufferers". But what the heck - I'm going to give it a try.
I'm on an on-going quest to educate my nose. Sometimes I read about scent notes and just don't know what I'm meant to be smelling. So this morning I bought three essential oils, so that I can learn the aroma of three of the notes that I can never properly identify: patchouli, sandalwood and benzoin.
To celebrate the launch of the Jean Paul Gaultier Ma Dame EDP fragrance next week, Jean Paul Gaultier parfums are on an international search for a girl with the ultimate Glam'Rock style.
All fashionistas need to do is upload a photo of themselves in all their finery onto the Ma Dame website (closing date is the15th July 2010)
Fascinating to see which perfumes stand the test of time. Here are the Independent's Top 50 Perfumes from October 2006.
1 Chanel - No. 19
2 Prada
3 Christian Dior - Eau Savage
4 Caron - Pour un Homme
5 Jean Paul Gaultier - Fragile
6 Yves Saint Laurent - Opium
7 Clive Christian - X for Men
8 Comme des Garcons - Comme 2
9 Hermes - Bel Ami
10 Chanel - Allure Sensuelle
11 Guerlain - Vol de Nuit
12 Dominique Ropion - Vetiver Extraordinaire
13 Hermes - Eau d'Hermes
14 Armani - Armani Pour Homme
15 Agent Provocateur - Maitresse
16 Balenciaga - Le Dix
17 Lanvin - Arpege pour Homme
18 The Different Company - Sel de Vetiver
19 Yves Saint Laurent - Kouros 20 Lanvin - Rumeur
21 Gres Cabochard
22 Hermes - Terre d'Hermes
23 Christian Dior - Diorella
24 Chanel - Antaeus
25 Annick Goutal - Les Nuits de Hadrien
26 Christian Dior - Miss Dior
27 Jean-Charles Brousseau - The Brun
28 Escentric Molecule - Escentric Molecule
29 Chanel - Egoiste
30 Sisley - Soir de Lune
31 Lanvin - Arpege
32 Ralph Lauren - Polo Black
33 Hermes - Paprika Brasil
34 Aramis - Aramis
35 Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue
36 Estee Lauder - Youth Dew
37 Lalique - Encre Noir
38 Sisley - Eau de Campagne
39 Yves Saint Laurent - Pour Homme
40 Stella McCartney - Stella in 2
41 Chanel - Cuir de Russie
42 Christian Dior - Homme
Interesting to see how slowly the fragrance industry changes. Although not all these perfumes are now top sellers, they still represent some of the core fragrances on sale.
Along with a large proportion of the perfume-buying population, I wore L'Eau d'Issey in the mid-nineties. Issey Miyake is a brand I think of fondly, but since I last bought a bottle of L'Eau d'Issey in about 1995, I haven't properly fallen for an Issey Miyake fragrance.
However, with the launch of their newest fragrance, all that has changed. Today I'm wearing A Scent Eau de Parfum Florale by Issey Miyake and it's gorgeous. As the name suggests, it's a floral flanker to A Scent, which was released in August 2009.
I've been toying with a few rose fragrances, including Nude by Stella McCartney. Nude includes notes of Moroccan rose, grapefruit, peony, pink pepper, vanilla and amber and has a shiny quality which is covetable. A Scent Florale captures this same 'shiny' rose quality. Perhaps it's the mixture of peony and rose that really bring each other to life. The official notes included in A Scent Florale are Jasmine, Rose, Hyacinth, Peony and Ylang, intensified by Galbanum. But for me, it's really the rose that stands out.
A Scent Eau de Parfum Florale is teetering on being MyPerfumeLife's perfect modern rose fragrance (I hate to commit). If you enjoy Parisienne by YSL but find it too sweet, then Issey Miyake's Florale could be just the fragrance you're looking for. Annick Goutal's perfume Rose Splendide is a rose fragrance on a lush green background - also a great one to try.
I couldn't let the weekend pass without mentioning the announcement of a new celebrity fragrance from none other than Bruce Willis.
In the UK, the Daily Mail has been speculating on the name of the fragrance:
"Suggestions include Eau de Die Hard and Armageddon Cologne."
Bruce Willis is working with LR Health & Beauty Systems, a German company, which has also produced fragrances for Michael Schumacher, Heidi Klum and Leona Lewis and Boris Becker.
Daisy is such a popular fragrance, that it's no surprise that there are great hopes for Lola. This isn't a favourite for me, but a cute young fragrance
RUNNERS-UP
Dior Miss Dior Cherie L'Eau
Very Hollywood Michael Kors
'Michael Kors', the original fragrance is a fantastic tuberose. Very Hollywood still has elements of the original, but the sweet, fruity opening is a bit too much for me.
Best New Women’s Celebrity Fragrance Prestige Market
The name and the appearance of Oriens by Van Cleef & Arpels make it seem like an oriental fragrance and I'm keen to try it out. However, according to NST, Oriens is not only not Oriental, but "seems like an older, more sophisticated cousin to Juicy Couture's Viva La Juicy". Now I'm really intrigued. Will report back as soon as I've tried it.
There's something about the advertising for the new Chloe Eau de Fleurs fragrances that's really captivating.
It's reminiscent of L'Eau Ambree adverts that were running at the end of last year. Something about seeing several of (more or less) the same thing makes it somehow more desirable.
There's an ongoing discussion about fragrance advertising at Feminine Things, which is fascinating.
According to Stylist magazine, solid perfumes are on trend for this summer.
For solid 'fume lovers, these are Estee Lauder's Bronze Godess; Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie and Juicy Couture.This is a lovely idea and the solid perfume holders are really cute. But I'm just too much of a clean-freak to dip my finger in a pot of gunk. Spritzing is definitely the way for me. Or, at a push, I would consider fragranced lotion, as long as it's in a tube, not a pot. My old-school favourite is the body smoother in Clinique's Aromatics Elixir range.
For a few days I've had a bit of a fragrance drought. No new perfume has really given me the buzz of discovering something terrific. However, Ormonde Jayne's Tiare has ended that. It's a truly grown up fragrance. It's lush and green and perfectly finished.
For some reason I've struggled with the Ormonde Jayne brand. Fragrance brands tend to foster an air of exclusivity. Sometimes you feel like you're on the inside of that exclusivity, and sometimes you feel like an outsider. For instance, I feel on the inside of Bond No. 9 and CB I Hate Perfume (both coincidentally US brands). But I feel on the outside of Le Labo and Ormonde Jayne. I can't quite put my finger on why. But now, having tested three of the Ormonde Jayne range, this is definitely a line that is worth getting to know.
The overall effect of Tiare reminds me of Chanel No. 19. It shares some of the green lushness, and also has a huge amount of depth and sophistication. According to the Ormonde Jayne website, the notes include mandarin, orange flower, lime and tiare. The description of the base is slightly woodsy: cedar, sandalwood and musk. I'm not a big fan of woody bases, and can only really get the musk from these three.
If you're a fan of other florals like tuberose, then Tiare is a good fragrance to try. Or for an older, established tuberose floral fragrance, MyPerfumeLife recommends Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs L'Original. Quelques Fleurs has been around since 1912, although some say it's been reformulated at least once.
Clean smells are extremely popular. If you're looking for that day-long 'just stepped out of the shower' smell, then Aire Loco might be the one for you. The notes include bergamot, magnolia, rose absolute and jasmine. Although I couldn't distinguish the notes individually, the resulting fragrance is clean and fresh.
Aire Loco has been available in the US for some time. It's just been released in the UK and is exclusively available at Harrods.
Entrepreneur Magazine is running a fascinating article about Le Labo and how it was founded by Fabrice Penot. Apparently potential investors laughed when Penot proposed a fragrance house based on the fragrances and not high-profile advertising.
The idea for Le Labo was that perfume would be sold only from Le Labo's own stores and a few exclusive perfume counters. Penot claims that no money is spent on marketing. I think this strategy has given Le Labo an air of extreme exclusivity. When I first discovered the brand, I felt like I was lagging behind an uber-cool trend. Apparently Rose 31 is Le Labo's best seller. It's a breakthrough fragrance as it's a rose that's suitable for men and women.
It goes without saying that Penot was already an industry insider when he founded Le Labo. Nonetheless, the company's success is an incredible achievement and an inspiring story.
I'm delighted to have a guest post from Hot Cross Mum about the fragrances she has worn and loved. Many thanks for sharing your perfume past with us!
.........
The sweet smell of motherhood
Smells are extremely powerful. They can immediately transport you to a specific place and time in your life. Writing this guest post has made me realise just how much specific scents and smells are attached to periods of my life.
I’ve been through many favourite scents over the years but I think my first ‘real’ perfume was Anais Anais. It smelt of endless amounts of flowers and as a teenager it made me feel like a proper, grown up. A big step away from my Impulse spray. For my 18th birthday, I was given a bottle of Estee Lauder’s ‘Beautiful’ and then I felt really mature!
In my 20’s, I experimented with scents such as Amarige, Paris and Obsession. My favourite perfume changing as often as my hairstyle.
For my 30th birthday, when I was a young, free and single girl, living the high life in London, I received a bottle of Ghost, a smell which will always remind me of that period of my life. I then met my boyfriend (now husband), moved to Dublin and was married to the smell of Coco Mademoiselle.
But, above all these, I have another favourite smell. It doesn’t come in a nice bottle. Or in fancy packaging. You can’t buy it, but if it could be bottled, I think it would become a best seller. What is it? It’s the smell of a baby. No, not those smells, the other smells. The smell of their hair, their plump little legs and arms, the smell of baby lotion, all wrapped up in a tiny little gurgling bundle. These smells are virtually impossible to describe, but which any new mum will breathe in again, and again and again.
As a mum, I don’t really wear as much perfume as I used to. Maybe I sub-consciously save it for special occasions so I can distinguish between my days at home and a rare night out! My fragrance du jour is Dolce & Gabbana ‘The One’. A bit of a departure from my usual style of fragrance, and perhaps the sign of a more mature me as I head towards my 40th next year. And it remains to be seen what the fragrance of that particular milestone will be (hint hint husband if you’re reading!).
Apparently there are five scents that smell good to everybody. And they are:
1. lime (fruit)
2. grapefruit (fruit)
3. bergamot (similar to an orange in scent)
4. orange (fruit)
5. peppermint
And these are the runners up:
6. freesia (flower)
7. amyl acetate (a molecule that smells like apples and bananas)
8. cassia (similar to cinnamon)
9. mimosa (flowering tree) 10. fir (tree)
I've always found it strange that lots of perfumes include fruit notes. But now it makes perfect sense. You can read more here.
Jennifer Aniston's new fragrance, Lolavie, has generated a remarkable amount of column inches. Will Beyonce's huge commercial success with Heat be rivalled by this new celebrity fragrance?
Lolavie is going to be available exclusively at Harrods from June, and I for one am looking forward to whether this new fragrance can stand up to all the hype.
According to an article in yesterday's Independent Lolavie will be "sexy and clean and floral, but not too flowery - a discreet nonperfume perfume". Hmm I'm confused already. You can read more here.
Today I'm wearing Bond No. 9's Chelsea Flowers, which is a soft floral fragrance. It's very reminiscent of Diptyque's Jardin Clos. Both Chelsea Flowers and Jardin Clos include the hyacinth note - a favourite of mine as it's a beautiful smelling flower.
The new Bond No. 9 fragrance, Andy Warhol Montauk, sounds like it will be a summer delight. It's named after Andy Warhol's favourite holiday destination in the Hamptons. The fragrance is inspired by driftwood and the freshness of the sea. Any fragrance that's ecovative of the sea is a must-try for me. Sadly there are very few in existence. So far CB I Hate Perfume's Eternal Return is the clear winner, I hope that Montauk will be able to rival it.
Andy Warhol Montauk will be launched in the US at the end of May.
Coeur de Fleur by Miller Harris is (as the name suggests) a floral fragrance. It's sweet, but not too sweet. It doesn't set my heart on fire. It's a lightl floral boquet, but nothing sets it apart from the crowd.
This is how the Miller Harris website describes Coeur de fleur:
" A heart of vividly fresh sweet pea, mimosa and jasmine is enhanced with a delicate hint of raspberry and peach and rests on a bed of iris, amber and vanilla. A beautifully balanced, warm and unusual floral."
If you're looking for a floral fragrance that's ideal for Spring, then try Jardin Clos by Diptyque or Bond No. 9's Chelsea Flowers.
Chandler Burr is something of a guru in the fragrance world. In this clip, where he's eerily channelling James Stewart, Burr discusses how he initially met Luca Turin and became involved in the fragrance industry.
Thanks so much to Bloody Frida for a fantastic package of fragrances. What a delight to receive them in the post this morning.
Miller Harris Coeur de Fleur
Miller Harris L'Air de Rien L'Occitane Eau D'Iparie Tauer Une Rose Chypree L'Aromarine Mousse de Chene L'Aromarine Orange Santal Bath and Bodyworks Sandalwood Rose Bond No. 9 Chelsea Flowers
What a perfect treat for the weekend. I've already tried Chelsea Flowers, which is great for spring - a floral delight. Yesterday the sales assistant at the Chanel counter decided to give me daughter a sample size of Chance Eau Tendre. I've never had to beg a six year old to try their perfume before. Suffice to say that she was pretty reluctant.
She told me today that she feels very grown up to have her own perfume. Too cute.
Today I'm going for another classic - Fifi Chachnil. I've got this in my collection because it was on the Make Up Alley 2007 Top 25 list that I bought from The Perfumed Court a while back.
The full top 25 are listed below. I've tested most of the perfumes now. Although there are some I don't particularly like (in general the ones that I haven't reviewed), this list has introduced me to a great selection of fragrances.
Without this list I might never have found Bond No. 9, which is currently one of my favourite brands. However, it's a shame that there are some ranges which don't feature at all on the list. In particular, Annick Goutal and CB I Hate Perfume.
Today's fragrance, Fifi Chachnil reminds me of Bois des Iles. Its woodsy and sweet. Never a winning combination for me. But it's been a great list to work my way through. My next list to conquer is going to be the Luca Turin/Tania Sanchez five star list, which you can see here.
The Beatles apparently stopped themselves from writing songs in a certain musical key because they always got to Number One. The group felt it was too easy and didn't want to rely on established successes. Not sure if this is a true story, but I can understand the sentiment. Chanel and Dior fragrances give me the exact same feeling.
Coco Chanel and Christian Dior created some of the most popular fragrances ever. Their perfumes are hugely successful because they are (largely) fabulous. But they are very far from being uncharted waters. Chanel and Dior are the go-to counters for every auntie's/nanny's/sister's/neighbour's birthday.
Reliability does not equal perfume excitement. I'm faddy, love trying new things, learning about niche lines and making new discoveries. However, any port in a storm! I'm struggling to keep up with my usual fragrance testing schedule and keep four children happy during the holidays. This morning I was in a panic, and remembered some good advice; try a classic when you don't know what fragrance to wear. Coco jumped out at me. And actually I can't remember ever smelling it before.
Needless to say, Coco is absolutely beautiful. When I tried it today it had a very buttery quality. It also has a sweet edge, which something like Chinatown by Bond No. 9 tries to conjure up, but does so in a much more clunky way. There's also a very mild (and beautiful) burnt quality. Not exactly burnt sugar, as that's too sweet, but something reminiscent.
In many ways I would love to treat myself to a bottle of Coco. It's reliable. But I won't let myself be lulled into a safe perfume haven. Have to keep moving on to something Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.
This morning I was delighted to find out that Andy Tauer is going to be talking about his new fragrance...
but gutted to find out it's (as usual) in New York Los Angeles. (Thanks for the correction)
Happily, Andy Tauer tweeted today to say that he's going to be in London at the end of next month. Can't wait! Will update with additional details soon.
Another day - another perfume swap. Five more fragrances arrived this morning including two Bond No 9s, a Chanel, a Jo Malone and Patou 1000. Thanks so much to Anna for the lovely samples.
I've been wearing Andy Warhol Success Is A Job In New York by Bond No. 9 and first impressions are that it's extremely appealing.
Still can't get over how beautiful the blossoms are this year.
Where do the sparkling, creative ideas for new perfumes come from? How are they translated into scent without compromising the creative purity of the idea? This lecture – the third in the series – covers one of the most abstract perfumery subjects: the creative origin of new perfumes. Find out what is going on inside the perfumer’s mind, how it is nurtured to deliver those scented moments of true brilliance, and how the ideas are developed into tomorrow’s perfume classics.
The speaker is Will Andrews from P&G. You can also listen to him speaking here.
On my way out last night I quickly popped into Liberty and tested Noix de Tubereuse by Miller Harris. I tried NdeT on paper once before and loved it. But trying it on skin, I'm not quite sure about it. The floral smell is almost a bit too life-like. The fragrance manages to capture the raw fleshiness of the flower. When flowers are still curled up as buds, something about the texture of them is a bit animalic. Somehow, Noix de Tubereuse captures this. I'm going to try this fragrance again as something about it intrigues me even though I'm not quite yet won over by it.
A much more sanitised floral fragrance is Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. It's soapy, light and extremely easy to wear. I bought a bottle of L.A.M.B. on a whim a while back and it's just been languishing in the box unused for a while.
One of the most notable elements of L.A.M.B. is the bottle, which is extremely satisfying. There's something covetable about the oversized cap and inverted proportions of the cap and bottle. Hmm, difficult to convey what's so good about it, but unusual and stylish packaging.
According to Basenotes, L.A.M.B. includes the following notes: water hyacinth, fresh pear, violet leaves, white freesia, sparkling green freshness, jasmine, rose, muguet, sweet pea, orange blossom, peach skin, frangipani, heliotrope and sensual musk! I don't think that I could pick out any of those notes specifically. But it is a clean floral fragrance. It's almost a 'starter' perfume. I would highly recommend L.A.M.B. as something to wear when you don't want to be challenged by your perfume.
Speaking of starter perfumes, I let my six year old daughter try some Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb this week. It was delightful on her. I'm pretty sure Flowerbomb wasn't designed with six year olds in mind, but it's the ultimate little girl fragrance.
Today's also been a breakthrough day for the babies who rode in a shopping trolley for the first time. I think their faces say it all.
Okay - I've been resisting posting this video link, but what the heck. It's sunny. It's Saturday and I'm throwing caution to the wind.
Luca Turin, of The Perfume Guide fame, talks about the science of scent. I don't know if it helps my (non-existent) understanding of chemistry. However, it's interesting to hear Luca Turin speaking nonetheless.
There's a glowing review of Byredo's Blanche, which I read a week or two ago. You can read it here as a counterpoint to my comments. It made Blanche sound really intriguing; a scent which isn't a scent, but emphasises your natural skin smell. Hmm, now I don't know how other people's skin smells, but for me Blanche smells like a top coat for nail varnish, or something equally synthetic. It's a big thumbs down from me.
Where I struggle to find any fragrance from Byredo that I like, so far there are none from Annick Goutal that I don't like. Today I'm wearing Songes, which I've tried briefly before. According to NST, the notes are:
Songes is a sumptuous floral fragrance and one that I would definitely recommend. The only slightly off-putting element is the colour, which is more or less bright red. Not something that usually inflluences my choice of fragrance.
Last night I also tried Beige by Chanel as I was wizzing through Selfridge's perfume hall. I only tried it on a paper, as opposed to on skin, but it was, as you would expect, pretty good. Chandler Burr mentioned this one a while ago, and I've been meaning to try it since then. Chanel's official descripion of Beige is as follows:
a blend of new white petals and yellow gold flowers are highlighted by hints of honey that reveal its discreet sensuality
I will definitely try Beige again, properly, rather than on a paper sampler and give it a full write up.
I'm always on the look out for great skin care products that also smell good. With four children I don't get much time to do make-up, hair styles or actually think about what I'm wearing. But I reckon that if I can keep my skin semi-respectable for now, then when I have time to apply some mascara (in about five years) I'm not going to look too much of a disaster.
My dear friend Huthrie, who has great skin, told me about a face pack, called triple creme by Estee Lauder. I've started using it two or three times a week. I have no idea if, long term, it will make a difference to my skin, but after I use it, my skin and neck feel much much smoother than usual.
As a bonus, triple creme is also great smelling. I find it difficult to use any creams unless they smell really good.
Dear readers, I would love to hear about any face creams and treatments that you can recommend too.
Much as I love warm weather, my eyes become really irritated by pollen at certain times of the spring and summer. I've been reminded by an article in this week's Vogue's magazine to stock up on hayfever supplies early.
Apparently nettle tea is a great natural remedy for hayfever. I'll be stocking up.
Hay Max is one of the balms that you dot just under your nose, and apparently the pollen literally gets glued to it! Strange, but I've heard it's effective.
Vogue points out that if you eat honey then you will have a natural immunity to the pollen. But you need to go one step further than this and make sure it's local honey, to be sure you've got the right pollen covered.
I'll be looking out for fragrant hay fever remedies. If you've got any hayfever remedies of tips of any kind, then I'd love to hear from you.
Keep thinking that I must write down a list of my current favourite fragrances (before I forget them!). So here it is.
Ninfeo Mio - Fabulous recent find from Annick Goutal, it's a lush combination of stinging nettles and green leafiness. Lovely for summer. Fresh and fragrant.
Ormonde Woman - The first fragrance that I've tried from Ormonde Jayne. Big surprise in its deep amber richness. Great for snuggling up under a thick duvet and feeling cosy.
Jardin Clos - Although I'm the first to admit that hyacinth may not be the fragrance that you'd want to wear every day, Jardin Clos makes it pretty tempting. It's a lovely spring scent. Difficult to beat.
Noix de Tubereuse - I've only smelt this Miller Harris fragrance once so far, but I'm going to be going back for more - it was, and is, lovely.
L'Eau de Neroli - Okay - there are only so many days in the week for lovely, lovely fragrances. This heavenly Diptyque fragrance could be a good one to give to the man in your life, to share around the fragrant love.
And several scents that I'm keen to try right now
Blanche by Byredo. I've heard that it's a 'skin' scent. Don't know what this really means - but I'm going to make sure that I find out soon.
Beautiful Mind Series - I don't really know why. Great marketing, unusual bottles and a semi-intriguing back story. Eau de Fleurs by Chloe - the advertising has been everywhere, but they're like the meek friends that you always forget about. Will make sure I hunt them out.
And a few false dawns
Sometimes I get so excited by a new fragrance that I think I love it, but it turns out to be a passing infatuation that dies away very quickly. Latest victims in this category include:
Bvlgari's Jasmin Noir - In the heat of the moment it smelt like jasmine with a great new depth. The morning after, it just felt like a tawdry amber frag that wouldn't die.
Orange by Hugo Boss - I initially described it as 'wearable'. Oh dear, oh dear.
Arriving home yesterday after a long weekend away, there were two packages waiting for me on my doorstep - both containing perfume samples. A massive thank you to both London Make Up Girl and FlavourFanatic for making my home-coming so fragrant. As a result I've got different perfumes on each arm, and have been having a great time with some lovely new sniffs.
The biggest success for me has been Ormonde Jayne's Ormonde Woman. It's an absolute delight. It's one of those fragrances that makes you feel like you've tasted chocolate for the first time, when all you've ever eaten is salad. Ormonde Woman is rich and multi-layered, deeply intense and gorgeous.
Ormonde Woman is ultimately an amber fragrance, but done in an extremely subtle way. For me, just a smidge too much amber and any fragrance becomes a scrubber. OW is one of those fragrances that you want to bury your nose in. It's very similar to West Side by Bond No. 9. But I haven't yet done a direct comparison to see just how similar the two are.
It's great when a perfume totally defies expectations. I was expecting Ormonde Jayne fragrances to be similar to Dityque or Annick Goutal - focusing on green, galbanum and blossom. But the two Ormonde Jayne fragrances that I've smelt so far have been warm and rich and sensuous.
Defying expectations the other way is (untitled) by Maison Martin Margiela. I was fully expecting to love this. But sadly it's not one for me, it's all woodsy and cedar. If you like Serge Luten's Feminite Du Bois, then (untitled) might be a good one for you to try.
Today's special Easter guest blogger is the beautiful Leeann from Fabulously French. Thanks so much Leeann for a great post!
Perfumed thoughts....
My earliest memories of perfume go back to when I was a small child growing up in New Zealand. When I was little I loved going to my grandmothers house as she used to let us sit in front of her fabulous and very grown up dressing table (it was one of those where you could see yourself from 3 angles) and put on rouge, lipstick and most importantly perfume. All things that our mother would not let us do, which made my sister and I love Nana even more.
As I sit writing this, I can see my sister and I, fighting for position, in front of the dressing table with my grandmother saying that we are only allowed a small amount of rouge.
My darling grandmother is turning 88 next week and still loves dressing up and I can never recall seeing her without lipstick.
My next vivid memory of perfume is when I started working in a office. One of the bosses had the most fabulous and oh so glamorous secretary. She wore the most fabulous rouge lipstick, smoked cigarettes in those long holders and as she passed by, you caught a waft of her gorgeous perfume.
The first bottle of perfume that I ever bought was "Paris". I adored it and wore it daily, it made me feel so grown up. My sister once borrowed a jumper of mine and rang to ask what the name of the perfume was as every time she wore the jumper people would tell her now nice she smelt and wanted to know what she was wearing.
Needless to say she bought a bottle of "Paris".
Over the years I have had many perfumes, each of which reflected a particular time in my life.
Up until the time that I started living in France, I had never nor wanted to wear the perfume that I now wear daily and could not imagine life without.
It was by accident that I started wearing it, Mr FF and I were in a local perfume shop, here in France, shopping for Christmas presents for one another.
He asked if I would like perfume and the first thing that popped into my head was a vision of Nicole Kidman in the most fabulous dress with the oh so famous CC necklace, I still think that this is one of the most fabulous commercials ever made.
I subsequently read that Chanel No. 5 is the only thing that Marilyn Monroe wore to bed, so if it was good enough for Marilyn, it is most definitely good enough for me.
Ironically the latest Chanel No. 5 commercial was filmed in Istanbul. A city that I spent a year living in many years ago and as a result adore the latest commercial as it brings memories flooding back of the time that I spent in this fabulous and oh so mysterious city.
My girlfriend owns a fabulous perfume shop in a village not far from the one in which we live and I will sign off, the same way that she does whenever she emails me...
Perfumed thoughts and merci beaucoup to Jess for asking me to be a guest blogger on this wonderful blog,
