What's that you say? Simmer down! You...and you...and you... have a stash you brought with you to the blog studio today? That purposely or accidentally travels with you beyond your temperature and light controlled shoe box once upon a time sweater drawer special place for keeping perfume?
Ah. Very good. I'll show everybody door #1. But first, let's take a look at the silly little organza pouch which caused my perfume knowledgeable friend to say "That's the oddest collection...that's just weird. Hmmm..." as she looked through my bag o' treasures.
This bag is one I tossed together for a weekend trip out of town. I had to satisfy multiple goals: Have something I could wear if I decided I needed perfume (and one of my own at that), have something I could try if I decided I wanted to test drive a perfume (very different from comfortable tossing on a scent and knowing what the result will be), have something to share with a friend. And then there were the oddballs--one that I might put on if I decide not only do I want perfume, I'm up for a challenge.
And then there's the simple "I dunno, it ended up there somehow."
But it adds up to a nice, if odd, little wardrobe. That travels well tucked into a side pocket.
Here's the line-up:
- Cuir de Lancome
- Daybreak Violin
- L'Ombre Fauve
- Pierre de Lune
- unmarked 1ml...hmm...sharp green citrusy
- micromini of Chamade
- unmarked 2ml atomizer...bitter...old...leather? (just sniffing the orifice without spraying)
- manufacturer's samp of Parfum de Therese
In light of the subject matter of the previous post, I am having a juvenile chuckle at the expense of that parenthetical clarification of the 2ml atomizer. (Namely, my dog. He of the hot spot and the metal chewing habit.)
Any hoo-how, whatcha got up there is one Emperor's Clothes scent (Pierre de Lune...are you sure you applied that?), one easy leather (the Lancome), one fascinating but challenging (Parfum de Therese), one proven winner (Chamade), one something to give a drive before making any judgement (Daybreak Violin), one proven winner that has for some reason been on hiatus (L'Ombre Fauve), and a couple of things that I think I knew what they were once but whose mystery could provide a little recreational investigation if I were so inclined.
Come to think of it, this is NOT the collection I packed for my weekend. That one was a little more purposeful. What the heck is this?
???
To channel Ronald Reagan (perhaps in more ways than simply parroting), "I do not recall." Hmm. All I can say is, the Patou Cocktail and vintage Miss Balmain samples I've collected since will make a nice addition to the mystery bag. The Cocktail adds something with sparkle, and the Miss Balmain adds another something to test drive.
Of course, I'm preoccupied with trying to remember what I purposely gathered for that weekend. Am going to go drag THAT pouch out shortly.
And making a mental note to self: Be sure to pack labels with those empty vials you always have at the ready.
Any hoo-how, whatcha got up there is one Emperor's Clothes scent (Pierre de Lune...are you sure you applied that?), one easy leather (the Lancome), one fascinating but challenging (Parfum de Therese), one proven winner (Chamade), one something to give a drive before making any judgement (Daybreak Violin), one proven winner that has for some reason been on hiatus (L'Ombre Fauve), and a couple of things that I think I knew what they were once but whose mystery could provide a little recreational investigation if I were so inclined.
Come to think of it, this is NOT the collection I packed for my weekend. That one was a little more purposeful. What the heck is this?
???
To channel Ronald Reagan (perhaps in more ways than simply parroting), "I do not recall." Hmm. All I can say is, the Patou Cocktail and vintage Miss Balmain samples I've collected since will make a nice addition to the mystery bag. The Cocktail adds something with sparkle, and the Miss Balmain adds another something to test drive.
Of course, I'm preoccupied with trying to remember what I purposely gathered for that weekend. Am going to go drag THAT pouch out shortly.
And making a mental note to self: Be sure to pack labels with those empty vials you always have at the ready.
10 comments:
I keep sets of vials specifically for traveling. I have my winter baggie (mostly incense), my beach baggie (fig, citrus), and a seasonless NYC bag (whatever makes me feel fierce at the moment). But, for some unknown reason I have mystery bags as well. I'm wondering how the following came to occupy the same baggie:
An unlabeled roll on decant of what smells like Estee Lauder/Tom Ford boy oil.
A vial of L'Artisan Al Oudh
SSS Cameo 10/09 mod
By Kilian Back to Black
SSS Femme Jolie 10/09 mod
A vial of MoslBuddJewRastaman
A vial of SSS Viole de Violette
What a funny typo: Tom Ford "Boy" oil. I'm sure he would enjoy that.
LOL! Yup, TF would undoubtedly love that, both collectively and as separate concepts.
I smiled out loud at your description of your NYC baggie. Thank you for 'fessing up to mystery baggies, too.
And you've reminding me, I really need to try that Sonoma Scent Studio Femme Jolie.
Zoiks, my own typo. (YES, it was a typo. I insist.) "Reminded me." I think I was thanking your for reminding me, letting you know you reminded me...
(YES, that's a typo. Not a mind blart.)
Oh, I like your categories - in my travelling bags I may very probably have similar categories, but they have remained hitherto inchoate.
(That word just fancied a bit of an outing too.)
I think that if subjected to careful thematic scrutiny, my collection might yield a broadly similar mix of safe, somewhat less safe, button down weekend and button up business-y, as well as some for sharing with random perfumista strangers I may happen to meet along the way (it just happened!), and a few provocatively unsuitable ones either to wear ironically in meetings (Party in Manhattan), or to re-appraise.
May I add the subtle refinement of a "bag to take specifically to German-speaking countries". Bought in Berlin, it is regularly repatriated, and its contents regularly rotated (when I remember).
FS, I shall add your category. And pack a bag. And head to Vienna to see how it works. (Hey, somebody needs to fly the friendly skies after all this Holmenkollen stuff. Or Ejectafayetifall. The reverse snarf mountain thingie.)
Inchoate. Nicely outed. I do believe, based on evidence in our nascent correspondence, we are going to give this abundant language a run for its vocabulary.
Ah, yes...those random meetings...unplanned, and yet one is prepared!
Nascent is good. Incipient I also like. My father was a raving academic, and regularly used words to us children like "matutinal", "ablutions", "frippery", "fornication", "beverage" and "condiments". "Fornication" obviously mentioned in a minatory tone.
Ah, see, there you go...my father was a newsman...editor...and gifted me with an OED on my 18th birthday.
The word "putative" took me by suprise as I was sitting in on a conversation once. It wasn't so much the latin derivative as the latinate cognate from my Spanish classes...why did I think of that? Oh, yes...I was haunted by the echoes of the minatory tones you mentioned...
(Oh, I'm enjoying this little exchange between you and FS! My own HS grad gift was a Merriam-Webster, not quite so pedantic as the OED...)
Sadly, I do not travel frequently enough to have pre-packed travel scent bags. However, when The CEO got out the small suitcase for a weekend trip, I did find the bag of samples I'd taken with me for a three-day agricultural conference in Richmond in late November. The contents? Samples of 31 Rue Cambon, Tabac Aurea, Alahine, and Citizen Queen. One Elegant, one Earthy, one True Love, and one Come 'n Get Me - but all warm and statuesque scents.
Mals, sometimes I find some of the best parts of someone's post in the comments! Glad you are enjoying the fun here. Have you been to FS's blog? She's like Mrs. Jones...she's got quite a thing going on...
Oh! What a fun bag o' samps. 31RC was one of those scents that was a Big Challenge for me; took a while for me to even "get it." But then I did, and I LOVED it. Tabac Aurea...funny, I was just thinking about how much I love that one. And had felt a little bad I couldn't bring it up on my springtime favorites list (tobacco + spring = Fleur de Narcisse or Bois Blond for me), but it will be an important reference for fall. Skipping Alahine...I haven't sniffed, but I get the category! :) Citizen Queen...speaking of fun on blogs, I remember enjoying your entry on that one very much.
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