Notes I LOVE

* Gardenia

* Tuberose

* Violet

* Lily of the valley

* Rose

* Lilac

* Honeysuckle

* Osmanthus

* Neroli

* Apple

* Lemon

* Lychee

* Honey

* Almond

* Coconut

* Coffee

* Chocolate

* Patchouli

* Vetiver

* Sandalwood

* Cocobolo wood

* Ambergris

It Wasn't Meant to Be

There are perfectly marvelous fragrances that don't work for me. Every person's body chemistry is so different, as well as our olfactory sensibilities. Sometimes I have purchased a scent hoping so badly that it would be perfect for me. The bottle was pleasing to the eye, the name was intriguing, or the first few sniffs made me fall instantly in love.  I would rush home elated about my new acquisition, only to find my infatuation dissolving in the following weeks and months. 

So it is with lovers. The guy you fall madly in lust for one night turns out to be married. The friend of a friend who everyone said would be "so perfect for you" isn't.  The beautiful disaster of a man who seemed so full of love one moment is gone the next.  Like men, perfumes have distinct personalities and will react accordingly with ours.  

One autumn I had bought a bottle of Armani mania, the original incarnation with the black cap. I thought it smelled contemporary and elegant, which is what I was striving so hard to pass for at the time ( I was 21).  The bergamot and clove notes pulled me in and wrapped me up like a cashmere sweater.  While I was donning this I met a rakish young "toy revolutionary" who charmed me for some reason (like I said, I was 21).  After a couple months of pseudo relationship, the heavy incense and bourbon notes of mania began to wear on me. I felt dizzy and sick from the drunk feeling that enveloped me wearing it.  I don't blame the perfume, it just wasn't meant to be. 

A few years later a gentleman swept me off my feet with a whirlwind courtship and spontaneous marriage proposal.  Around this time I got a sample of Kenzo's L'Eau par Kenzo. It smelled of mint, melon, cucumber and clover. Maybe just a touch of lily. Breathtaking crisp and clean. It smelled like summer dreams and hope in a bottle. It would not last on my skin. I would apply it and half an hour later it would vanish.  Much like the romantic gentlemen...after six months of living with him I had changed my mind. The love would not last on my heart. 

The last great affair perfume that comes to mind is the new version of Nina by Nina Ricci. A few years after the engagement was called off, I was shopping with my crush, a tall blond with catalog model good looks. My eye fell upon this gorgeous red glass bottle shaped like an apple with silver leaves. It smelled divinely of caramel apples, peonies and vanilla bean. The clincher was that when I put a little on, my crush couldn't stop himself from becoming my boyfriend.  I really enjoyed wearing Nina for a few months, but after awhile the caramel began to seem sickly sweet. I started getting headaches from it. More importantly, it was all I could smell anymore. Any complexity of the scent was long gone and it had become dull.  Boring juice in a pretty bottle, just like Catalog Model Dude. 

Happiness at the Drugstore

My love affair with perfume began at a young age. My earliest recollections of the stuff are of being a preschooler playing with my mother's miniature bottles of L'Air du Temps and 4711. I accidentally spilled some on the wood dressing table. Neroli, jasmine, rose and sandalwood oils, among others, soaked down into that antique wood. Every day after that the entire room had a hint of those classic colognes.

Alas, I was only a poor little girl. No one was gifting me with exquisite concoctions from the famous French parfumeries. It would be years before I would even make my first designer department store purchase. For the time being, it was the dime store find. Oh, and the finds I made! Of course there were the misses- perfumes that were too alcoholic, too fruity, too old lady. That was a risk I took in order to find the gems. Here are a few goodies I found along the way:

* Jovan Island Gardenia

* Chloe Narcisse

* Bonne Bell Skin Musk

* Burt's Bees Apricot Oil

* Body Fantasies spritzers (raspberry and white musk)

* The Healing Garden (gingerlily and green tea)

* Revlon Charlie (Red, White and Oriental if you can find it)

* Revlon Electric Youth

* Coty exclamation and exclamation blush

* Coty Sand & Sable

* Coty Muguet de Bois

* Coty L'Effleur

* Coty Tribe

* Coty Love's Baby Soft

* Coty Love's Fresh Lemon

* Cover Girl Navy

The Jovan Island Gardenia is hands down the BEST gardenia perfume I have found in many years of searching. It is a fresh gardenia with just a whisper of a warm nuttiness in the background. A perfect summer scent, I will wear this every year.

Chloe Narcisse is what I wore to my junior prom and to me it says: Young girl trying to step into the shoes of a sophisticated woman in the 90s. This is probably just me projecting, but I think it is a very feminine smell but with an edge of glam danger.

Charlie Oriental was introduced to me by my sister, who sprayed herself quite liberally with this every day when she was in 8th grade. It was a great scent though, and you can still find it online.

Navy, the only perfume that Cover Girl ever made reminds me of the early 90s. It smells classy, I loved the ad campaign featuring happy models in crisp white shirts, and I adore that coriander note that gives Navy it's signature spiciness.

Welcome

Welcome to Essences & Reveries, a new perfume blog.

I do not claim to be any sort of fragrance expert or conaisseur of perfume houses. Nor do I pretend that I can sniff a vial and identify the top, heart, and base notes of any scent.  I am not here to tell you about the latest and greatest edition on the market.  I am a person of modest income with an appreciation for perfume. I love how an aroma is closely tied in with our memory. A whiff of something wonderful in the air can instantly transport you to another era of your life. You can see the clothes you wore, hear the music and remember the laughter and tears.  I also love how the right perfume can make a woman into the person she most wants to be at that time.  There are fragrances to make you feel classy or sexy or innocent or fun or even dark.  Some women love finding one perfect scent and making it theirs. Others love to have a fragrance library to suit their every mood.

I would like for this page to be a fun place for perfume fans to share their stories and review their favorites.  I will be posting regular musings and reviews as well, please comment.