One perfume for the rest of your life...

[ThenLaterWhenItGotDark]

And I want to know the story behind it

I would have said Chanel 19 as it takes me back to beginning university (my room-mate wore it) or the best year of my life studying abroad (_my flatmate wore it) Just that sort of backbite of zing that it used to have. Goddamn those reformulations
Now, after not even smelling, let alone wearing Ysatis for about 30 yrs, I blagged a cheapo vintage bottle and it's bloody lovely. If I had to choose today, one to keep forever, it would be that. Only the old vintage though. And only till I get me an old formulation of 19.

I always get complimented on Coco Noir , but I think my personal favourite is First, by Van Cleef and Arpels.

The first perfume I was ever bought was Fashion by Leonard, when I was 12 - it made me feel very grown up and sophisticated.

I used to love Bal à Versailles by Jean Despres, but I haven't seen it for about 20 years

Guerlain, Jardins de Bagatelle.

I was 21, and my 28 year old boyfriend, who was quite the man of the world in my eyes, took me into a parfumerie and had the lady match me up with a perfume. This was the one. I’m 41 now, and have been wearing it on and off since. It’s not fashionable, but it’s very floral which suits me. It’s pretty hard to come by (at least down here), and when my lovely brother was in Paris over Easter, he bought me some and posted it to me (other side of the world). Bloody Customs confiscated it and wrote to him to tell him what they’d done.

I have a bottle that I am eeking out until I can get my hands on more.

Here you go MNemonica.

Gruach, that store is amazing! If anyone travels to London via Victoria station, it's walking distance from there. They have some very up and coming niche things and happy to give you samples so you can wear it yourself for a few days and really fall for a fragrance.

I know! But it's a very long time since I was a City slave so they get more of my money online nowadays.

Knowing by Estée Lauder. Bought it in my very early 20s when on holiday in Canada. Every single time I wear it someone usually a random stranger comments on it. People tell me it smells lovely on me but I cannot smell it once in but always I get lovely comments.
However I'm tied to also choosing Gardenia by Chanel - my fab DH bought this for me untested following a throwaway comment by me lusting after trying it - it was very expensive but lovely and has romantic memories.

Ooh Bal à Versailles is a big favourite on Fragrantica, must try it sometime.

Can't do many florals (I need the spicier/animalic florals, otherwise they go weird and aggressively powdery on me) but as a huge older Guerlain fragrance fan (the older fragrances I mean, not me being older) I sympathise Dowager. Can't be doing with the modern ones. La Petite Robe Noir smells like black forest gateau to me, which is nice enough but not what I want from Guerlain!

New job provides a decent discount at John Lewis, and was planning on buying some Shalimar bath stuff - but it's not on the website

Ooh Dowager - House of Fraser do Jardins de Bagatelle online.

Creed - but not one of the perfumes.
I steal DH's Green Irish Tweed. Sexy as hell!
He bought me 'Love in Black', but it's not quite there.

Still looking.

La Dolce Vita by Dior
Wore it for years, it's special as my DS says he associates the smell with being held by me.

Loving all of these stories and of course am now going to have to go and sniff each one!
Greengarden, I thought they had stopped making Miss Dior originale? I hope I'm wrong though!

Anything by Jean-Claude Ellena! I love most of his scents for Hermes, and when I try something different, the ones I like best turn out to be JCE moonlighting!

SJP Lovely because I love it and am not allergic to it.

But, the best smell is Dove products as I was given a gift bag of them during the long month I was in there after my DC were born and it makes me just feel aah :)

For 'smell' read 'fragrance' obviously as we're on S&B :D

If you like smell, sorry fragrance, Yves Rocher Clea EDP smells like Dive

Gruach

Chanel Allure for me. I first wore it when I was 21, and fell in love with it immediately. 20 years later, I still wear it most days and love it even more now. It's strong yet subtle, feminine without being sweet or sickly. Having worn it for so long, it just smells of... well, me, really. I can't imagine not wearing it and I certainly don't feel complete without it.

I loved Givenchy III and have a tiny amount of the original left :( I keep going back to Roger et Gallet Cedrat but have also just bought a bottle of Eau Fraiche by Elizabeth Arden which I loved in the 80s and keep getting great comments about.

My all time favourite was Ma Griffe by Carven but its been fucked about with so much now

Diorissimo - it reminds me of springtime and sunny days. I've worn it for 25 years and it still gives me a lift when I smell it. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to get hold of, may have to stockpile .

Clinique Elixir - It's not that I love it bit I don't tire of it.

No 5.

My Dad bought me a bottle to wear on my wedding day (precisely because it won't ever be discontinued) and I'm never without a bottle. Instant glamour, instant good memories of both my wedding and my lovely (now departed) father.

Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. I started wearing it age 15 thinking I was all grown up

I've worn it ever since. I recently bought their Bon-Bon perfume as i really liked the bottle but keep reverting back to Flowerbomb.

Les Belles de Ricci, Delices D'epices to be precise. Long since discontinued but I have never found anything that comes close. Nowadays I wear Sensuous by Estee Lauder which is similar and pleasant but just not the same.

Ooh, thanks Hopeful!

Apologies for my earlier garbled post. What I intended to say was that if you like the smell of Dove then Yves Rocher Clea perfume smells very similar.