Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Scents that were beautiful in 2008

Here is something I recognize:  what smells good to my sniffer is subject to change.  There is recurring change, such as weather, season, time of day, mood, headache factor.  And there is evolutionary change, as in I liked the smell of bubble gum and Jolly Ranchers when I was young, but not any more.  Or, as in, that Amarige that smelled SO good right after I started this journey?  Not so much.

Since I think it might be valuable to track my evolutionary change, I'm going to add today's angle of reflection on this past year:  Things that smelled good in 2008.  I thought it might be interesting to look back, not just right now, but on this record in the future, and see how the current crop fares with my future nose.

After all...despite my general distaste, I had one good dance with Kingdom...and there was at least one skank that hit a GOOD nerve, albeit very late in the year (Theo Fenell).  Here goes...

1st trimester--remember, I am being honest, which means I am not editing for cool factor:

WORKED:  Magie Noir.  Frank Los Angeles (#1).  Bois Blond.  Amarige.  Fleur de Narcisse.  Poeme.  Shalimar.  Hermes Hiris.  Poeme.  SIP Black Rosette.*  Bois des Isles.  Bulgari Au The Vert.  Songes.  Lolita Lempicka.  L'eau d'Issey.  BBW Sandalwood Rose.

DIDN'T WORK, BUT TRIED:  Arpege.  Fracas.  Diorissimo.  Rose Poivree.  Soir de Lune. SIP Black Rosette.*  

*How, you ask, does Black Rosette get both?  Because I thought I was smelling something toxic when it opened.  Because I thought for sure I was about to have my first scrubber, but I couldn't help continuing to sniff.  Because I kept on checking, and then OH, MY it started to morph, and I went for a ride.  Because it ended up as something I'd call beautiful.  Because I had no idea what to do with it--wear it, throw it away, hide it.  Because I tried it again the next day to see what would happen.  Because I wanted it, and had a minor coronary when I got my first gander at real perfume prices.  Because it was amazing.  Because of Black Rosette, and went back and ordered three sample sets of various types.  

2nd trimester-- Nearly all of the above happy scents continued to be happy, and I added in: Jose Eisenberg Jose.  Manuel Canovas Ballade Verte.  En Passant.  28 La Pausa.  Yves Rocher Voile de Amber.  Poivre Piquant.  Cuir Mauresque.  Organza Indecence.  Gucci by Gucci.  Jean Paul Gaultier Fragile.  Nemat Narcissus.  Cinema.  Bandit.  Madame Rochas.  24 Fauborg.  Cashmere Mist.  Reverie au Jardin.  Bel Respiro.  Diorissimo.  Vent Vert.  Niki de St. Phalle.  Van Cleef & Arpels First.  TDC Bois d'Iris.

Not:  Rose Ikebana (I smelled...nothing).  Fracas.  Mandragore.  Lolita Lempicka.  Parfum Sacre.  Soir de Lune.  L'Eau de Issey.

3rd trimester-- Writing Lyrical Poetry.  Bond No. 9 Little Italy.  Bulgari Black.  Ormonde Jayne Woman.  Parfum de Therese, Une Rose.  Angelique Noir.  Jean Paul Gaultier Classique.  Jolie Madame.  Mandragore.  L'Ombre Fauve.  Chergui.  Aqua di Parma Iris Nobile (edt and edp).  Prada Iris.  Parfum Sacre.  Narcisse Noir.  TDC des Sens et Bois, Osmanthus.  Black Cashmere.  L'eau de Issey.  Odalisque.  L'Heure Bleu.

Not: Fracas.  Cashmere Mist.  La Chasse Aux Papillons.  Soir de Lune.  

Coming out/recent-- Theo Fennell.  Amouage Jubilation 25, Lyric Woman.  Carons for men (3rd Man, Pour Homme, L'Anarchiste.)  Diorella.  Gucci Envy.  Arpege.  Feminite du Bois.  Rose Ikebana.  Soir de Lune.  Nu.  Coty Chypre.  JLS #2 (Chypre).  CB Cradle of Light.  Liz Zorn Journeyman.

Not: Fracas.**  L'Eau de Issey.
**I think I need to try it again...in the beginning, I spritzed, but in subsequent trimesters, I've been relying on a solid version...but still...as much as I might like a good big white floral, this is just...not.quite.right.  All in all, I think I'd still rather wear Amarige, if I were to go in this direction.  Unless Cradle of Light showed up on my doorstep.  Or Drama Nuui.  But still, those have green, and we're talking tuberose slam-down here.  Any hoo how...

I'm forgetting something, I know; perhaps many things.  While I do keep a spreadsheet, it is incomplete right now (of course), and I'd rather finish writing than rifle through all my samples/decants.  This list is not exhaustive, and does not limit itself to transportive scents.  I did really enjoy all the ones up there, at least during the period mentioned as such.  I have no idea what to do with that Issey Miyake bumping around...especially since ultimately I could live without it.  But it certainly demonstrates the point about a changing sniffer.  

And I still like that Sandalwood Rose.  

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peanut,

Fracas isn't for everyone and that's really okay. It's a big-un. I wear it but I'm a Really Big Gal and even then sometimes it's just WAY TOO MUCH, like when you're talking loud in a high-decibel situation and suddenly the decibels drop.......but your voice doesn't and it's all awkward and everything?

That's Fracas, often! And La Chasse is a close second.

Don't sweat those two - many more interesting frags on your lists. Diorissimo is an incredible fragrance - so glad it made your 2nd trimester - that knife-edge of green keeps it interesting for decades!

I'm going to wear vintage Femme today - I think it will be wonderful!

Happy NEW YEAR! May it bring you everything your lovely heart and soul desires.

xoxoxoA

ps. what happened with Parfum Scare:-)? You LOVED it.....then?

that stuff scares the petunias out of me...

ScentScelf said...

What a thing to be "Chasse"-ing down on a cold winter's day -- and night -- now I'm on a white floral, especially tuberose, exploratory bender. Exercised with PG tuberose on the left, SL on the right. I think I'll be writing more on that soon...

I KNOW that Femme will be wonderful on you. Can you believe the shower that is called an atomizer on the old bottle? Holy cow; now THAT's dousing. :)

I'm in and out with the Sacre...still trying to get a bead on what the alignment is that makes it a good/happy day for Sacre. (But I will figure it out...it's just too nice a thing when I can work it.)

Happy New Year to you, too!!!! May it bring peace and joy to all elements of your life.

The Daily Connoisseur said...

I am so with you on this... my nose is so fickle and so are my whims. One day I'll love a fragrance- a few months later... not so much! There are actually only about 5 scents that I constantly love...

ScentScelf said...

I wonder if my nose will ever settle down, or if--and this is what I think is likely to be true--there will be certain fragrances that are (generally) constants...while some drop off radar into a pleasant "that was then" period of history, some enter as brief (but happy) dalliances, and occasionally something new enters the "constant" pool.

No complaints; I am certainly enjoying the journey. :)

indieperfumes said...

So true, I find my mood and health and energy level and the state of the news and every other little thing affects my receptiveness to any particular fragrance as time goes on so much. That must be why I must have so many different ones (good excuse, no?)

ScentScelf said...

Yes, but of course, those are MOST EXCELLENT reasons for having a spectrum of fragrance choices at hand...

;)