To ask what was your first perfume and what memories it evokes?

[SmashingBIouse]

I've recently gone down a bit of a nostalgia rabbit hole, possibly because I'm turning 50 this year and I'm feeling a bit reflective. In a fit of said nostalgia I ordered a bottle of Body Shop White Musk which arrived yesterday. It was the first perfume I ever bought with money from my Saturday job in 1986 and oh my god the sucker punch of memories I was hit with when I opened the bottle! I'm 14 again and have huge hair and I tell everyone that the Smiths are my favourite band but really I prefer A-ha. I still live in my home town and I have ugly glasses and I'm starting my GSCE coursework. I'm in love with Jesse in the sixth form because he reads poetry and has a quiff but he would never notice me and anyway he's going out with one of the cool drama club girls who has a bob and smokes. She probably wears some dead exotic French perfume though, not White Musk.

I wore WM for several years and it brings back so many memories, including my first gig (obscure rock band nobody remembers)/kiss (not Jesse sadly)/drink (Taboo mixed with lemonade).

Who wants to join me on an olfactory trip down memory lane?!

(By the way White Musk is still lovely and I plan to wear it regularly!)

@FrenchyQ

Cacherels Gloria, it made me feel grown up. It had a nice floral/fruity scent. I was sad when I couldn't get it anymore.

That reminded me of the Victoria Wood sketch, , @FrenchyQ!

@SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius, oh my I forgot about Ambre Solaire. I love this smell and due to Covid and missing so many holidays, I actually found myself smelling it the other day. It takes me straight to the beach.
Loved Victoria Wood and that sketch is hilarious. A genius gone far too soon. ( In fact, I've found myself watching a lot of Victoria during Covid to cheer myself up !)

Mine was also white musk OP. I cried when smelling it recently as I just felt so incredibly sad at how much I miss my youth - I need to get a bottle. And I will wear that scent with pride!!

Chanel No 5 reminds me of falling in love for the first time (quite posh for a teenager looking back! I can't recall how I got it and think it may have belonged to a relative and I just helped myself to it) I can't wear it now as still takes me back to that time and makes me think of that relationship even though it was so long ago.

I cant remember what my first perfume was exactly but I was very fond of The Body Shop's Woody Sandalwood. Was gutted when they stopped doing it.

Later on, Gap did a perfume called Om. It was absolutely fabulous. Reminds me of my mid twenties when I was footloose and fancy free. Bastards discontinued that as well.

La Belles de Ricci? Discontinued

Benetton Colours? Discontinued

I was very keen on Jovan Musk for a while as well. That's like hens teeth these days too.

Basically I'm the Grim Reaper of perfume.

Armani she (the one in the gold tube).
Remember dousing myself in that on the school bus with my friend thinking we were so grown up!

Mine was Chance by Chanel. It's so sweet and reminds me of being 15 years old and wearing a lot of black and white.

These days I've promoted to Coco Mademoiselle

Lacoste Touch of Pink 😂👌

To be fair- I still love it though!😂

My first proper perfume that wasn't patchouli oil was Rive Gauche. It was a time of parties, nightclubs and wild stuff.
My favourites, though, were Byzance by Rocha in a beautiful deep blue bottle and Ananya from Body Shop. Happier times.

Hugo Boss - Deep Red, I’m pretty sure we all had that one.

I love the memories smelling perfume can evoke. I was thinking about this this morning 😊
My first ever perfume was D&G red (I think it was literally just called d&g red, a dark coloured perfume with red lid) my 6th form tie , to this day, over 20 years on still smells of it!
Another was Gucci rush 2

Jo Malone peony & freesia takes me right back to my wedding day
Chanel coco mademoiselle takes me back to a weekend in Paris where I bought it
Alien just reminds me of my OH
I have perfumes from Zara that I wore when pregnant and it takes my mind back to carrying them and where I was

There was a Gucci perfume I bought when I was pregnant with my first dc in the first trimester and had terrible sickness. I loved the smell in the shop but when I began spraying it , it set my sickness off and to this day I can’t open the bottle without feeling sick (kept it for prosperity 🤣)

Blasé was the scent of me being 18 and having my first serious boyfriend - he smelt of Brut!

My mum is another Rive Gauche and I think this evokes more memories for me. My first perfume was CK Be, because everyone have CK One and I wanted to be a bit different. This was often a theme for me, I didn’t want what everyone else had but wasn’t a remotely alternative type of person so shopping was generally a pain!

I liked ck Be better as well.
Paco Rabanne Ultraviolet takes me back too.

When I read the title of your post I immediately thought of White Musk. It probably wasn't my actual first perfume - well not if you count Impulse body spray that is. WM was my first 'proper' perfume, from those days when the Body Shop was considered a bit alternative and 'out there'

I'm turning 50 very shortly too, and I also have a recently-purchased, nostalgia-inducing bottle of the stuff. I can smell it now, just thinking about it. Think I'm going to my room to listen to Marillion and light a joss stick, the latter purchased almost solely to annoy my Mum.

Lou lou. Still wear it!!! 🤣🤣

Mine was Cacharel Gloria!
The smell was beautiful and it lasted hours

Versace blue jeans

My first expensive one was Chanel 19 ~ I bought it with my first wages when I joined the WRNS in '87. I wore it for several years and loved it. Then I got a bottle for my 50th a couple of years ago and it smells completely different now.

Other ones I had while I was still at school were Jovan Musk Oil and some Avon ones (First Flowers and Eau Givree).

The first perfume I really liked and bought was Tresor. I remember 1992, first time living in a houseshare away from home, nights out and the scent of Tresor.

It is still really special, reminds me of when I was young and carefree. I bought it last year and felt that it changed. It didn't smell as sweet as in 1992. It dried down as a peppery smell. I was a bit disappointed. I know my skin has changed and it won't smell the same.

Charlie and stevie B circa 1973

Think mine was Charlie red, reminds me of starting secondary school. I'm sure it has changed though, I recently bought a bottle and it smells vile! Will definitely be looking for the Anaya dupe. Not perfume but I really wish they still made impulse 02!

Samsara reminds me of my divorce in 1990 - went out and bought a big bottle on day I got my decree

Does anyone remember the Nina Ricci ad, was it L'Aire du Temps? and how romantic it was? c1979? I remember trying the perfume and being very underwhelmed.

Great post. I loved white musk too. Dewberry and Anais Anais and Lou lou. I still love white musk