Traveling Decants

Good Saturday Morning perfume mavens! Greetings from San Francisco. It has been quite a busy and stressful week of learning, testing and training. Nothing makes me happier than to know my husband is holding house, home and blog in my absence. (Hehe.) Following my singlehood for much of my adult life, I fully appreciate having such a dynamic partner. Thank you for your warm reception of his elegant writing. Who knew he had such beautiful melodies to write regarding the scents he wears? I intend to ask for his contributions more often! I also have one more week until I return, so stay tuned to hear more from Mr. TMH256.

Today I would like to briefly discuss the decants I brought with me this week. Perhaps more important than the clothing I will wear, the scents I pack are nervously and carefully chosen, like a child chooses a piece of candy with only 50 cents to spend. I certainly cannot pack my entire collection in my suitcase, and being away from it for long periods of time often inspires anxiety and dread. Therefore, I attempted to pack scents that would satisfy nearly every scent craving I may have. For this 11-day trip, I packed the following:

• Jo Malone Vintage Gardenia - Beautiful, feminine gardenia with a cardamom twist. Girly and elegant, it elicits compliments nearly every time I wear it.


• Alfred Dunhill Desire for Women - A standby in my collection for years. With a beautiful blend of tiare, rose, freesia, vanilla and caramel, it satisfies my sweet tooth.


• Gendarme Sky - A gorgeous soft, fresh simultaneously exhilarating and comforting scent. I have been wearing this one upon my return from work to wind down the day.


• Chanel Bois des Iles - An extremely popular, yet exclusive Chanel scent, reserved for the fancy dinner I will attend next week with my colleagues and trainer. A dry, woodsy floral -exuberant and posh.


• Bond No. 9 So New York - An espresso mocha in a bottle, for those nights when I need to cram and I cannot summon the energy. With notes of mirabelle, "espresso accord," and cocoa powder, it energizes and intrigues.


• Marc Jacobs Blush - A sleeper with outstanding longevity and beautiful blending. By sleeper, I mean one that has been picked over and ignored too many times to count. However, it has received lots of attention in my little corner of the world this week. I absolutely adore this one and could purchase a full bottle. "A gorgeous blend of jasmine nectar, sweet orange flower, enticing cashmere wood and luxurious pink musk," it reminds me of sunny days lounging on the patio while the orange tree blooms. A cheerful, frilly scent.


• Ginestet Bortrytis - The best dupe I have found of Escada Collection, although it was not created as a duplicate. It satisfies my need for decadence without potentially damaging my gorgeous bottle of Collection.


• Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey - Sweet happiness.


• Amouage Reflection - A new one I have yet to try to satisfy my need for novelty.


• Ormonde Jayne Frangipani - Heady, floral concoction that dries down to an understated, still floral scent. The only one of the lot I feel uncomfortable wearing to work.


• Annick Goutal Heure Exquise - Sadly, one of the few Annick Goutal scents I cannot wear. I brought a tester with me, dabbed it at 7:30am and found it was not likeable at all by 10am. It simply is too sharp and perfume-smelling to me. I abhor pronouncing to the world I am wearing perfume for the sake of wearing it and not particularly to smell nice. Heure Exquise falls in that category on my skin.

I have the chemistry that tones down sweetness; therefore, the scents I have selected are certainly uplifting and sweet. Uplifting is a quality I often look for when I am working ten hours a day, surrounded by walls and artificial lighting. Otherwise, I simply feel as if I am dying on the vine.

With that, I am headed to explore the city today and get some much needed exercise and sunlight! I hope your weekend is fragrant and fun. Please feel free to share what you're wearing today.

Image source: bergoiata.org