Obsessed By Perfume ~

I am not one of those women with a signature perfume. My appreciation for scents changes from day to day, week to week, year to year, and decade to decade.  The only perfumes of my young adulthood that still appeal to me are Chanel No. 5 and Shalimar – despite the sad truth that the compositions of both have changed. 

Nearly every time I wander through the perfume counters at Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Saks, Nordstrom or a charming boutique with niche fragrances I have to test a new scent.  It is critical for me to wear a new perfume for several hours to determine if I will like it on my skin after the top notes have faded.  At this point in my life I will only wear perfume. Lesser concentrations disappear too quickly. And I tend to buy smaller bottles or atomizers so I can indulge in expensive fragrances.

Fragrance is personal. What smells divine on one person may cause another to squirm. What prompted my article this evening – an insert in the latest Nordstrom catalog with the new delectable Narciso Rodriguez perfume. I feel a longing to try it.

The current lovely fragrances on my dresser include Bottega Veneta, Hermes Caleche, Dolce & Gabbana “The One” (although I still prefer the original Dolce & Gabbana fragrance), Lancôme “La Vie et Belle”, Rodin, Hermes “24 Faubourg”, Lalique, Hana Mori “Butterfly”, Chanel No. 5, Shalimar, Patou “Joy”. And Aqua di Parma “Gelsomino Nobile”.

My greatest fragrance regret is that I did not stock up on the incomparable “Venezia” by Laura Biagiotti when it was readily available 20 years ago. This was such a sublime fragrance that it never occurred to me that it would be discontinued. And the new launch is just a shadow of the original, which to me is indescribably delicious.

But I’ve no doubt there will be other delightful scents that call to me. My taste us ever evolving. I mean really – in the 80’s I wore Giorgio!