Saturday, May 19, 2007

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

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Welcome to the San Francisco Bay Area! Hope you're enjoying all the shopping around Union Square and other pockets in the City. You're just in time for the Bay to Breakers run, where you'll catch a glimpse of San Francisco, what it's known for and a little bit more. Enjoy!

ForTheLoveOfPerfume said...

Thank you SVChick! I spent 7 hours at Union Square yesterday and one of the SA's told us about the Bay to Breakers run! What fabulous fragrance shopping you have here. I made a new discovery yesterday: Jo Malone Blue Agave & Cacao lotion layered with Grapefruit spray. At home, the lotion is too heavy. The Grapefruit lightens it up considerably, making it tolerable for warm weather. I also stopped at the Guerlain counter at Saks and enjoyed speaking with the French ladies there. If I had more time, I would go back today! Enjoy your day SVchick!

xo,
T.

Anonymous said...

I'm so happy that someone else really likes Marc Jacobs Blush! Frilly, indeed. Maybe I'll pull this one out tomorrow... Cheers!

ForTheLoveOfPerfume said...

Hi Toasty,

It's terrific. You'll smell great today. Have a fantastic day!

Cheer to you!

T.

Noteworthy Fragrances said...

Hi! Your hubby is just so entertaining with his reviews. You make a good duo!

I read that you took Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey decant with you. I wanted to love this in the worst way as I was looking for Honey and anything together. I've tried it 3 times and within 5 minutes, I'm reaching for my Exceedrin to avert a speeding migraine! Would you like the rest of my decant? It's all yours, just let me know.
Stay well and smell great!
Joyce
Noteworthy Fragrances

ForTheLoveOfPerfume said...

Joyce, how sweet of you to offer! Thank you for your compliments on hubby's writing. I'm so sorry to hear that Nectarine Blossom & Honey doesn't work for you. It's quite a sweet scent, but like I said, my chemistry tones it down. I do have a full bottle of it at home, but so very kind of you to offer a decant. Thank you!

Fragrant hugs to you,
T.

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you're enjoying Union Square! There is a special Guerlain counter at Neiman Marcus and it's also staffed by French ladies. When I told one of them about wanting to Un Jardin Sur le Nil by Hermes, she asked me, "Why would you want to buy a fragrance sold by a bag maker??" I had to reflect on that a bit...

ForTheLoveOfPerfume said...

Hi Svchick,

I wish I could have spent more time there and visited Neiman Marcus. Interesting comment the Guerlain SA made, although I must give kudos to Hermes. They have made some fabulous scents, including Un Jardin and Hiris. I don't believe you have to bash another product to sell your own. ;-) That SA would have scored more points with me by finding a scent with similar notes that Guerlain makes, reserving condascending comments to herself. (I experienced a Guerlain SA here making VERY derogatory remarks about the skincare line I use. As a result, I didn't spend a penny at her counter.) Enjoy that beautiful weather you've been having lately!! And give Un Jardin Sur Le Nil a try! You might like.