Wilko to Zurich...? Lovely, Friendly Perfume Thread 6

[MrsMacNally]

We'll go anywhere in search of things that smell great, and then we discuss them here. Feel free to join us.

[[https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/style_and_beauty/2973003-Pink-mohicans-and-cats-Lovely-Friendly-Perfume-Thread-5 Last thread]

It reminds me of Perris Monte Carlo Ambre Gris. More subtle though!

Enjoying people's scent biographies, although sorry to hear about that boyfriend Judy.

Your matured creation sounds great and very accomplished Pest. Especially like the sound of the contrasting sparkly bits . What ingredients are responsible for that effect do you think? .

I haven't have had a very interesting journey - increasing disenchantment with samey high street offerings led me first to Annick Goutal and Serge Lutens, and then in accelerating steps to ruination were,

• being given a copy of the Turin/Sanchez A-Z Guide;
• discovering Basenotes and Fragrantica;
• doing a 4160s workshop with the inspirational Sarah, and then happy hours experimenting with their DIY making kit,
• dipping in and out of the forerunners of this thread, using recommendations to pick up an array of stuff very cheaply on ebay.

I do sometime reflect on why it's taken such a hold on me? (A really insidious form of consumerism or a self-soothing sensory meditation or the thrill of subversive post-modern aesthetic exploration?!?).

Whatever, it's nice to have a hobby and to chat with lovely, funny women with shared interests.

All three I think Mrs! Although at the moment it's the 'self-soothing' aspect that's at the forefront - I love my little ritual every morning of thinking about what I'm going to wear, and why. It feels like self-care of the best kind.

Also, I've been mulling this over recently (apologies if it's a bit rambly and incoherent still)...there is a difference, for me at least, in the pleasure I get out of perfume than that I get out of other 'cosmetic' aspects of my life (clothes, make-up etc). I think I may have said this on another thread but it doesn't matter if I'm a few pounds overweight, or I my skin has gone to pot, or my hair looks shit. Perfume doesn't care about any of this. It is the one thing I do - in terms of 'presenting myself' that I know will make me feel good rather than buying a new lipstick or face cream or shoes and still ending up feeling as if I'm not living up to some arbitrary notion of 'beauty' or style or whatever.

That probably makes no sense at all, sorry! I suppose I'm just musing on the idea that - whilst of course it's still all advertising-driven etc and its still ultimately a consumerist pursuit - somehow it feels more about expressing my actual, individual personality rather than attempting to achieve an arbitrary, one-size-fits-all, ultimately unobtainable idea of what I 'should' be. It feels more...ummm...dare I say 'feminist'?

Or maybe I'm just the ultimate capitalist shill and have blindly bought into it all!

It's too early, I'm on a train and inarticulate - forgive my ramblings! Anyway SOTD is Rose Rebelle Respawn by A Lab on Fire. The rose in this is gorgeous, but it keeps being knocked out by the cocoa which is a shame. Supposedly has base notes of incense but longevity seems pretty poor so don't know if I'll actually get them... SOTevening will be Avignon, for choir practice

Yes EK - there is something about using perfume to align the internal with the external that does feel a bit different to other 'beauty' things?

Struck by the whole Perfume (the novel) as a critique of Enlightenment rationality, and olfaction as the most radical corporeal sense, least mediated by reason/language. (But also that the enjoyment of perfume seems to be most fully realised in social discussion, and especially writing?). About to miss my bus and haven't really thought any of this through - need to think some more! Anyone read anything good on this?

I've never read Perfume. Should I? Martine McCutcheon saying it was her favourite book put me off it at the time. (irrational hatred) I'd definitely agree that olfaction is the most radical sense because we can't control the effect it has on us, can we? It's something to do with it being the oldest most primeval sense isn't it? Like we look at a magnificent painting, but rarely are transported anywhere spiritually by it. Yet a sniff of Caleche and I'm back welcoming my Mum back from one of her business trips and burying my face in her fur collar. I'm 5 again.

I suppose perfume is intrinsically linked to memory as well. That is certainly (as the nostalgia fiend I am) the most important facet of it to me. Which is probably where my vintage fascination came in. (not restricted to perfume- over on the Christmas threads the other day I had such a visceral reaction to a photograph of some old 70s wrapping paper that I was there, in my gran's "front room" with her tiny tinsel tree with the Woolworths cinderella coach lights)

I often get accused of not living in the moment, but that's not true...I just have an elephantine memory and it sort of comes natural to me when someone says "10th of June 1989" for me to go "ah yes, a Saturday, I was wearing Rive Gauche". That makes them think a) I'm mental and b) I'm obsessed with the past. But it's just natural conversation to me!

Anyway, musings aside I am in Hippie Rose today. Chosen because the first 4 samples out of the box all made me go "nah, don't fancy trying that" I do like this. (and remembered to go for only one squirt so I didn't head into Hairy Biker territory) Such a soft juicy rose which stops being a generic "pretty" rose because of the patchouli. Not FB like, but "another sample when this runs out" like.

Interesting to read everyone's perfume journey.

Mine isn't that exciting. My mum has always smelt nice. I remember my mum wearing Cabotine de Gres in the day and Chanel No 5 for nights out. When I was very little I'd get upset when I smelt No5 because I knew that meant my mum was going out and leaving me! I don't much like No5 now - I wonder if that's why. I could never get on with her love affair with agent provocateur- I wanted to be miles away from her when she wore that and I'm still repulsed by the smell. Wonder why that is?

I first got into perfume with CK1 at school and those excellent sample boxes from Boots at Christmas. Why don't they sell these anymore? I moved onto JPG Classique (strong memories of teen years) Clinique Happy (yuck) followed by TM Angel. In my adult years I moved between Marc Jacobs for Women EDP, Prada D'Iris, Diptyque Tam Dao, Acqua di Palma, struggling to find my signature scent. I'm sure there were lots in between. Then I realised a few years ago that I want to be a perfume Ho-er. I'm finally happy to flit around with sample and travel sizes and rarely buy a FB these days.

SOTD is Merchant of Venice Saffron Byzantium. I've fallen in love, the Saffron is gorgeous. Interest that Agent Provacteur also features Saffron.

Another fun fact about scent - our brains apparently did not evolve fast enough to take account of all the sensory stimuli they were being asked to deal with so the ability to intellectually process odours was sacrificed. Smell is the only sense that hits the brain without being filtered in any way - and that's why it's so evocative

That's so interesting about our olfactory sense - it's is so incredibly evocative to smell something which takes you right back to a moment in the past.

When I was a student I used a particular body lotion from Lush which they discontinued shortly after. A few years ago, they made it available again as part of their 'retro' offering. I bought some and as soon as I put it on, I was that 18 year old again. The momentary sense of being displaced in time was so strong.

SOTD is LADDM again. Just wanted some more of that incensy vibe. Jasmin et Cigarette stayed a strong jasmine on me and I didn't get the cigarette at all.

That's interesting Puppy-nice to know there is a reason why I want to run after strangers and shake them going "what is it what is it"

Judy -I had the opposite boy to you the one who insisted I wore Poison. And only Poison. Bottles of it.

SoTD is Ambre Pamplemousse Rose, boozy citrus that melts into creamy woods and rose. This was a blind buy at TKMaxx last year, for about a tenner. It is glorious, they call it a cologne de luxe, very appropriate.

PIAM the novel Perfume is well written and captivating in a macabre way. Worth a read IMHO.

MrsM its the cucumber aldehydes. They have melded with the other smells. Now it is not as if you trod on a cucumber and then found a bonfire. The cucumber picks up the plum lactic, bergamot and some of the smokey woods and they finally blend. No longer a parade of smells but a multi layered evolution of them. I am most chuffed. 'A bit of a pickle' may go on to become 'A bit of a sod' again with time. This way perfumes change as they mature is fascinating.

Smell is so evocative, I spent may years working in a place where it was forbidden in the dress code, it was deemed to be dangerous.

Before becoming a ho-er, I was serially monogamous. I had Je Reviens as a new tween, then the 1970s Amazone as a youthful feminist (and still like it, with undying gratitude to the kind person not a million miles away from this thread who sent me a lovely sample). After that, there was a Guerlain phase, mainly Chamade as my mum wore, first, Jicky and then Mitsy. (Her scent in my childhood was usually Givenchy III or l'Interdet.

In the US, I flirted with drug store specials (Quartz by Molyneux stands out in the memory as a cheap dupe for Christalle) before discovering the delights of original Y via a TK Maxx $5 special (so much loved and complimented, I returned to get two more!)

Next up, back in London, I was given a huge bottle of Opium, then all the rage scrubber, then came Dune which lasted quite some time until some bloke leaned over and said he'd enjoyed it all through the train journey; whoops, too strong for office use. Then Bvlgari Eau de Thé Vert, followed by Hermes Jardins series and Eau des Merveilles. From then, it has been an enjoyable tumble into easy promiscuity.

I'm Sock, and I'm a perfume junkie, addicted to samples and travel sizes. SoTD is Cuir Pleine Fleur, which seems to work on a sunny autumn day.

I quite enjoyed Perfume, but read it many years ago. Maybe time to re-read...?

Sock - you have reminded me of my favourite perfume from my 20s Bulgari eau de the vert. I had completely forgotten about it and was confused between this and Prada D'Iris (green bottle). Thank you!!! I still love tea based colognes today and this was my first perfume love

Just what I was thinking OC, might be time for a re-read... Great book, imo.

Rose Rebelle Respawn has disappeared, sadly. I liked it once the chocolate note had calmed down, but lack of longevity is an irritation. Still, at least it means that I can anoint myself with Avignon when I get home.

Scented book club, anyone?

I N EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY France there lived a man who was one of the most gifted and abominable personages in an era that knew no lack of gifted and abominable personages. His story will be told here. His name was Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, and if his name-in contrast to the names of other gifted abominations, de Sade’s, for instance, or Saint-Just’s, Fbuche’s, Bonaparte’s, etc.-has been forgotten today, it is certainly not because Grenouille fell short of those more famous blackguards when it came to arrogance, misanthropy, immorality, or, more succinctly, to wickedness, but because his gifts and his sole ambition were restricted to a domain that leaves no traces in history: to the fleeting realm of scent.

Also found an e-book on youtube.

Or in other words: "AIBU to want to create a beautiful fragrance?"

I must admit that while Perfume is well-written, I could not help thinking how much more I would have enjoyed a novel which revolved around the 18th century French perfume industry instead of a monster with a fantastic 'nose' . But it is mean to cavil at an author for not doing something he never intended.

Today I've been rootling in the vintage Boots miniature boxes - you are right Bluebell, Boots really ought to revive them - they were a Christmas tradition for goodness sake! So SOTD is Paloma Picasso. What a lovely, loud, aldehydic and mossy thing it is. I feel I ought to be wearing shoulder pads, killer heels and big hair (fat chance of the big hair these days).

Green Damn you for posting that link (but thank you!). I'm now £30 poorer and very excited about finally being able to smell a few perfumes that on paper sound amazing.

Floofy, yes I am, you have a great memory! I didn't know that about being a bride all year, will have to use that, perhaps to get DH to fetch cups of tea. He's getting much fun out of referring to me as 'Wife' in the manner of a 17th century publican.

My parcel arrived so SOTD is LADDM, of course. First time I've been able to put it on in more than a teeny dab and loving it. I like Incense Rose but accidentally spilt half the sample on my fingers so enjoyed the scent up until I needed to wash my hands! It smells of cola sweets too, whoever was smelling Shazam, and one of the fragrantica reviews explained that this is the smell of real myrrh in shops in the east.

I haven't got a distinguished perfume history at all, I was intrigued by these threads and, like a sheep, started ordering samples. The thing is, after that the ones in shops are so bland. I wore ck1 in the 90s at school, then got Ghost Deep Night based on the adverts being pretty but I'm not a particular fan and never was. I fell fathoms deep in love with Alexander McQueen Kingdom but as a poor student couldn't afford it so used to test it every time I went past the only department store that stocked it, much to my flatmates' disgust as they thought it smelt like curry. I eventually got a limited edition summer version as that was half the price but regretted it as it was nothing like it. Then I had D&G La Lune for a while and had pretty much given up wearing any at all until I found these threads and now I probably have over 100 samples!

SOTD is Chanel 19. I am so boring, sorry.

mrsmacnally I bought quite a few friends Perfumes: The A-Z and a sample set as birthday presents. Spreading the love...

Infusions d'Iris is a favourite of mine too,Bluebell. I like the flanker Iris Cedre even more but have just a scratch left. JC Ellana is perhaps my preferred nose.

Judy great idea for a present. Do I love anyone enough?

I may have just been seduced by Roullier White No more perfume until Christmas. By which time I will be sick of smokey woods, rose, frankincense, saffron, black tea and tuberose and will be longing for something clean

Five books all linked to perfume, we have mentioned some already, but the article is also a good read.

Mary if you ever spill a sample again, grab a scarf and transfer as much as possible. Smelly scarves are good and have been thread names.

Ooh Paper what are you getting? I'm always up for a vicarious thrill.

What marvellous presents Judy. Your friends are very lucky. I am also glad you got rid of the horrible boyfriend.

Pest that's a great tip to use a scarf to blot spilled scent. And thank you for the article and booklist.

I am really enjoying everyone's scent memories. Perfume may be unnecessary, but the more I learn and try the more pleasure I get from it. These threads have been educational, fascinating and impoverishing. And of course they are posted on by lovely, friendly people who smell gorgeous.

More books on perfume:

The Scent of Possibility

Four Fragrant Mysteries

Scent and Subversion - required and thoroughly enjoyable reading. I do wish Barbara Herman would give us her tuppence worth on the past two decades too.

Thanks Pest! I rashly opened it in the car on my way home from the post office, no wonder I spilled it (I wasn't driving at the time!).

I realised recently I've never read any Agatha Christie - I'll have to start with the perfume one mentioned in that article! In Polo by Jilly Cooper (not living up to the literary standards of this thread!) a character's affair is uncovered because 'he always buys Chanel No 5 for all his mistresses'. In fact, JC is brilliant at perfume, she always mentions which scent someone is wearing (and she makes it clear that calling it scent is upper class and calling it perfume is lower-middle!) - I need to track down samples of Fracas, Diorissimo, Caleche etc to see what they were all like!

I can quote Polo from memory but although I have read Perfume, I remember very little about it.