I've been indifferent to fragrance lately. Sure, I've found a few new gems the past few months, but overall I think I'm having the summer doldrums. Around this time of year, and more often sooner than this, I get bored stiff with my fresh, zesty, green, summer choices. I don't mean to put myself in a fragrant rut, but I can't bear to wear anything heavy or oriental when it's hot outside. Just for the fun of it, I thought I'd list some of my ultimate favorite fragrances today. To remind myself why I love perfume so much, and try to shrug off this scented malaise I'm in:
(alphabetical order)
Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile
Angel and Alien Liqueur de Parfum
Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche
Annick Goutal Grand Amour
Annick Goutal Heure Exquise
Annick Goutal Le Chevrefeuille
Bond No. 9 Chinatown
Cabotine by Gres
Cacharel Loulou
Chanel Coromandel
Chanel No. 22
Creed Angelique Encens
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz American Beauty
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Tubereuse
Diptyque L’eau Trois
Diptyque Philosykos
Donna Karan Black Cashmere
Frederic Malle Carnal Flower
Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese
Givenchy Amarige (pre-reformulation, also the Harvest Editions)
Givenchy Organza Indencence
Gucci (original edp)
Il Profumo Blanche Jacinthe
Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum eau poudree
Keiko Mecheri Oliban
Lanvin Arpege
Le Labo Aldehyde 44
M. Micallef Gaiac
Parfums d’Orsay Tilleul
Parfums de Nicolaï Mimosaique
Parfums DelRae Debut
Parfums MDCI Un Coeur en Mai
Profumi del Forte Roma Imperiale
Roja Dove Scandal
Serge Lutens Fleurs d’Oranger (pre-reformulation)
Soivohle’ Underworld
Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne de Bois
Sonoma Scent Studio Tabac Aurea
Sonoma Scent Studio Vintage Rose
Sonoma Scent Studio Voile de Violette
Strange Invisible Perfumes Epic Gardenia
Strange Invisible Perfumes Fair Verona
Yves Saint Laurent Nu edp
Yves Saint Laurent Opium in pure parfum
And last but not least, my #1 HG of all time:
Teo Cabanel Alahine
I could go on, but I think I’ll stop here.
Do you have a list of top favorites that bring you back to perfume time and again even when you’ve lost a little of the passion?
EDITED on 8/9/10 to say: how could I possibly forget 1000 by Jean Patou?! I must have been half asleep. 1000 is my #2 HG after Alahine. I feel better now that I've fixed this outrage :)
Lovely post! I would say almost anything by Jean Claude Ellena (the minimalist, fresh vibe just gets me every time). Tea Rose never fails to cheer me up and DKNY gets my attention, especially on a rainy day!
ReplyDeleteOh, dear...not very industry friendly, but I must admit, if I'm feeling tired of perfume...I take a nap. As in, give it a rest.
ReplyDeleteI could liken it to resting an injured muscle, but perhaps someone in the sports medicine community will take offense. Though I find it a perfectly good defense. (See, I can play sports lingo!)
You do know that my first reaction to this post is to simply check out your list for overlap in our consistently happy zones, right? And that I am going to find a certain kind of relief that "non-fancy" somethings like Iris Nobile are in that crossover zone?
Of course, Chinatown and No.22 have sent me running for cover, but I am more than willing to allow for different strokes. ;)
My quick sort results in:
•"Thinking" perfumes that I can usually use to recharge: SIP Black Rosette, Miller Harris Feuilles de Tabac
•"Difficult" perfumes that aren't difficult for me, but maybe their difficulty for others is why they pique my interest: YSL Nu, Chanel No. 19 (which never leaves the rotation, even if it gets no play for periods of time), Diorella
•"Grounding" perfumes that soothe me: DK Black Cashmere, L'Heure Bleu, Tabac Aurea, 06130 Lentisque, LZ Journeyman
•"Impossibly Rich" that make me fall in love with smelling perfume: Attrape Coeur, Amouage Homage (or Gold, or Jub 25)
And then, L'Artisan Fleur de Narcisse and PG Bois Blond, which I still love, and which bring me back to when I first found the love.
I don't want to overthink this, so I know I'm forgetting something essential, or perhaps in need of revising the whole list, but here you go. :)
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ReplyDeleteGot me thinking that our winter here does have some payoffs.
ReplyDeleteI am wearing felanilla now and off to a drumming party around a fire, mulled wine etc etc.
Summer in Australia is a bummer for perfumes really. This year I will give Philosophykos a run in the heat. Maybe Baghari when I want to be grown up.
Got me thinking that our winter here does have some payoffs.
ReplyDeleteI am wearing felanilla now and off to a drumming party around a fire, mulled wine etc etc.
Summer in Australia is a bummer for perfumes really. This year I will give Philosophykos a run in the heat. Maybe Baghari when I want to be grown up.
I think you do need to take a break from perfume once in awhile, otherwise it will become too much for you. Look what happened to Louis XV, after being all perfume all the time for years (all naturals of course) could not deal with ANY even from flowers at the end of his life. A break of a week now and then is a good thing. Your list is long enough to seem like you are not in danger of permanently running out of enthusiasm.
ReplyDeleteI think you would like MPG Fraiche Passiflore - so tart it makes your mouth water
ReplyDeleteMy go to faves when it is hot...
Miller Harris Terre d'Iris - unusual , fresh take on isis cologne
D'Orsay Ettiquette Bleu
Piguet Baghari
DSH Parfum du Grasse
it is almost hot for anything....
Be well Abigail, it happens to the best of us but it can be rather confusing and sad to not care.Think what perfumists must feel if they get tired of fragrance, that must suck! We only get sick of smelling and discussing scents, they create them and it's their job so to find yourself disinterested in that respect would not be good.
ReplyDeleteYou'll come back around,
take it easy,
I love your posts and would miss them if you ever chose to quit writing about them.
Take care,
Tamara Jackson
My list:
ReplyDelete- Lancôme Miracle (pre-reformulation :( )
- Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige
- L'Erbolario Iris
- Diptyque Tam Dao
- Diptyque Philosykos
- Diptyque L'Eau Trois
- Frederic Malle Carnal Flower
- Eau d'Italie Baume du Doge
- Guerlain Mandarine Basilic
- Comme des Garçons Hinoki
- By Kilian Straight to Heaven
- Gucci Pour Homme
- État libre d'Orange Nombril Immense
- YSL Opium Poésie de Chine
- Dior Eau Sauvage
ScentScelf,
ReplyDeleteI need to revisit SIP Black Rosette. I remember thinking it didn't have enough rose is in, but now that I've come 'round to liking several from SIP, maybe this one deserves another go.
I've worn L'Artisan Fleur de Narcisse a few times this summer. I think I am beginning to like this one. It's funny how sometimes you need a year or more to come to understand and/or like a fragrance. I'm not forcing myself to like it, but I'm just starting to understand the appeal.
WaftbyCarol,
I will try
MPG Fraiche Passiflore and you're reminding me that I've had D'Orsay
Ettiquette Bleu on my must-try list for ages. Is this only good in vintage or is the current juice worth trying?
Tamara,
I have needed a break. And still do, truthfully. Summer isn't the best time for me and my perfume habit. Which is fine. It's just that I feel naked without perfume, but then it's an effort to select something I *want* to wear (because nothing is piquing my interest these days). I sound like a brat, there are so many other things to be concerned about, right?!
Isa,
We have several overlaps! Thanks for your list. I've never heard of L'Erbolario Iris...
Abigail,
ReplyDeleteL'Erbolario Iris is very similar to Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige. Even for me, who own two bottles of Iris and have worn several samples of Teint de Neige, it's not easy to recognize one or the other.
The line is quite popular in Italy, but here in Spain nobody knows the perfume, so good :)
I got through the list and started wondering where your "secret" holy grail, Patou 1000, was...
ReplyDelete... and then I saw your edit.
Here's a very short list of the scents that make me glad I'm alive:
PdN Le Temps d'une Fete
Vintage Coty Emeraude pdt
Alahine (this is your fault, you know!)
SSS Tabac Aurea
PdR Rose d'Ete
Vintage no. 5 parfum
SL La Myrrhe
Jacomo Silences
Crown Perfumery Crown Bouquet
L'Arte di Gucci
Vintage No. 19 edt
Carnal Flower
Vamp a NY
Shalimar Light
DSH Oeillets Rouges
You'll probably notice that not many of these are summer-worthy, and it won't surprise you that I too am longing for fall.