With me it has been now some years that scent is a permanent problem. Before I was a faithful follower over several years of one scent or the other - I will give you my scent biography in a minute - but for some time now I simply do not find a new home for me. And believe me, I have tried quite a few. Seems like the quest for the holy grail - but instead fo riding with my nonexistent horse all over the british isles, I wander from one perfumerie to the next, read books, try out a lot and must smell like a complete chaos by now. Perhaps I should go cold turkey - just soap and nothing else?
But then our friend Coco Chanel always said, that a woman without scent does not have any future, and this is something I cannot envisage coolheadedly. I need a future and I want a future - best, with my signatur scent. I am, as I said, a faithful friend and would love to find a resting place, i.e. scent, where I could let me be me.
Let me tell you a story, which is always present, when I look for MY next scent. I have an aunt in Bavaria ( no, no farm in Africa, sorry). My parents and we siblings went often there for tea, and everytime when I entered the house it was infused with Aromatics Elixier ( Clinique) - the aunt smelled heavenly of it, her car did, the house, everything; and this impregnated my scent memory so strongly, that I today, whenever I smell it on somebody else, see my aunt before me and am happy. I look for something like this for me. Only to give you an idea of the difficulty of the search....
Coming back to that scent biography. As I said, I have tried a few and loved some. The first scent, I really liked was at the time something far too grown up for me: Jil Sander III - I recently fell over it again and felt somehow nostalgic, wondered over the person and her expectations at 18, memories coming up that I treasure and will not share. Then, when I was around 21, I started a serious relationship with Chanel 19, which I used for years and years - wonderful, the scented powder!! pure luxury! - I still love it, but cannot come back to it, not even to the perfume, not only to the Eau de Toilette ( which was, what I could afford at the time). It is quirky and mad and fine and lovely at the same time. Perhaps later I could try to revive it? When I am seriously old, not now? I think a lady of 84 in a cloud of Chanel 19 must be simply divine. I should keep that in mind....
In between came a short affair with three bottles of Jicky by Guerlain, which at the time was to grown up for me too - perhaps I should take here another chance? And it was given to me by a dear and very chic friend. I will try it again - perhaps now the time is right...
Then, in my late 20ies, after marriage and having moved country, I settled for another couple of years with Eau du Soir de Sisley. First I fell for it, because it is near to Aromatics Elixier, which I love on others but cannot wear myself - it does not feel right on me. There were shortlived loveaffairs with Miss Dior, which I still like a lot - Hello Ankara and Susanne!! But, again, it is not exactly what I am looking for.
Actually, I do not know, what I am looking for.
Recently I thought I could settle for L´Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal, and it comes already very near my expectations, but then has a too tame feeling about it, very comfortable and cosy, but too pleasing. I like it and it is a close close runner up.
Today I found in my closet again a half full bottle if Diorella and walk now around in a wonderful cloud of this old scent, which is still superchic - and I see Lilli and me 1988 in Munich going to the Theatiner Parfümerie and buying exactly that scent, feeling grown up and so chic at the time. Perhaps I shall finish this bottle now and will see, whether for the summer, this will be it.
Or better re-try Eau de Lancome? Memories of my mother in Italy at the beach coming up. Or then better Hermès, Eau d´Oranger?
As you might have noticed, I like old scents. I very very rarely have some sort if slight interest in the new scents, they smell all the same, too sweet and far to loud. Boring - for me. I admit, that I limit my range quite a lot. But believe me, all the niche stuff, I have tried and sniffed my way through A LOT stuff. To despair...
Anyhow, summer and winter scents are different. I will now concentrate on a summerscent. But then one of my sisters in law uses Opium de YSL during the whole year and it is here again, a true signature scent. It is her, in summer and in winter.
Having a signature scent is being grown up, no? SO, I am not grown up, apparently. Interesting insight. Hm.
I will search on. Perhaps some day it will be there and the quest will be done and I feel at home. I shall let you know.
The eternal story about our relationship with scent – reading your thoughts on the quest for our very own signature-fragrance: I know it all too well. I have a not too unsimilar journey behind (and most likely) ahead of me:
ReplyDeleteWhile already acquiring and thinking of fragrances as a teenager („Fidji“ „ L’Air du Temps“ „Chloé“ „Eau de Rochas“….which I still love, esp. as body-milk) my olfactory recollection was given a certain distinctive mark. While experiencing those above mentioned relatively light fragrances, at the same time was I (and many others…) subjected to my mother’s (by then found) signature scent: „Youth Dew“ by Estée Lauder – she meant well but canny she was not: she went for the full monty. Perfume, Body Lotion AND Body Powder (the one in this terribly nice jar with the terribly soft puff…..) – trust me, you could win a war with that load of smell.To be fair, I did like that smell on her, it was unmistakingly her. A waft of scent would mark her presence long after she left a room.
Estée Lauder seems to make a lasting impression in many ways, on many people . A dear friend of mine gave – as a last token of remembrance – a flask of Estée Lauder „Advanced Night Repair Serum“ into the coffin(!) of his late mother. (She was a huge fan) That is what I call devotion!
Back to my own personal quest for THE scent: I knew quite early in life that I also needed this one smell that should accompany me. Interestingly enough I always met, through all different stages in life, people who were fond of smell and scents! Funny, isn’t it?
When, in my 20s, things started to get more serious in terms of perfumes, I have to admit I did follow the crowd in the eighties. „Poison“ „Obsession“ „Paris“„Eternity“ „Angel“ (goodness, those names do sound like the stairway to heaven) were not only filling the streets of Vienna back then. My own self went down that road. Too much, too intrusive and way too impersonal. Not to mention the likes of Montana, Jil Sander, Givenchy, Paloma Picasso (…beats me, she was so en vogue too…)…and many more. The gravity of the „Youth Dew –Situation“ was considerably attenuated when my mother introduced me to „Amazone“ by Hermès.
Eventually I did find my first loyal fragrance. It was „Coco“ by Chanel – I know, also quite prominent , but I had this one for some years, esp. during the cold seasons.
Then distinction set in and I found „Rare“ by Jacomo (still look for it, if anyone knows where to get it, pls. drop a note on this blog!). Very fond I was of the white bottle with the leather seal by Trussardi (which is great on guys too) and in my early thirties my second serious fragrance-friend was „Miss Dior“. „She“ came with me to Ankara where , to my great delight, I met my dear friend, Jola. Author of this blog and faithful friend in this matter. „Diorissimo“ was on duty when temperatures were getting warmer and the feel of spring and lilly of the valley would cheer me up.
Inès states she is changing her scent every 10 years which, to me, seems like a remarkable period of time to stay true to one fragrance. Thinking about it, I guess that’s what may be the case for me too. Though it did happen most of the time more coincidently than consciously.
These are the ones that I would call my few favorites at the end. Creed’s „Royal Water“ Annick Goutal’s „Eau du Sud“ Rosine’s „Rosissimo“ Sisley’s „Eau de Sisley Nr.3“ for Summer.
Keiko Mecheri’s „Patchoulissme“ Kilian’s „Straight to Heaven“ Robert Piguet’s „Fracas“ and „24 Faubourg“ by Hermès for Winter.
And there is one for all seasons and the one that always goes: „Iris Nobile“ (Eau de Parfum)by Acqua di Parma.
I have to say it is comforting to being able to choose from this little selection in case of doubt or desperation. But nothing better than the fun of searching for THE ONE which outclasses all that has been there before and just is the perfect match . It comes with the nices adventures in life.