...is that you MUST talk about Perfume Club!
This past year I got an idea for how I could share my love of perfumes with even more people. You see, it is no longer enough for me to wax poetic on this blog or write sporadic reviews on Fragrantica. I wanted my friends near and far to know the joy of perfume in a visceral way. I put out the feelers on social media and received a huge response. My friends wanted to be just as excited about fragrance as me!
I carefully selected each sample for each person, taking in mind their personality and uniqueness. The first batch I bought was very feminine, lots of roses and white summer flowers. A few weeks later I had half a dozen samples bubble wrapped and tucked into envelopes. The post office clerk eyed me warily as I confessed to shipping liquids but I brought him around with some quick-witted banter and a waft of Mon Jasmin Noir emanating from my person. I was amazed to hear the very next day that people's treats were already arriving. A couple months passed and I shipped another batch, full of woods and spices. For some people I selected fresh green herbal concoctions, mailing out those ones in the heat of summer. It was always fun to meet up with a friend and see their eyes light up when they told me their sample had arrived. And I always worried when I never heard from someone... had they even received it? I felt like a mom watching her children go off into the world.
Here is what people are saying about their Perfume Club goodies:
Amy: "I love my Perfume Club sample! I only hope it is not a million dollars a bottle because I am totally buying it. Perfume companies should pay you for hooking people up with the perfect smell. It is the scent I have been trying to find my whole life...warm, comforting and churchy. Feeling blessed." (Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan)
Molly: "My perfume sample arrived today. It truly smells like roses. I think you have a talent, seriously. It is perfect for me!" (Penhaligon's Elisabethan Rose)
Cecilia: "I got the perfume in the mail. Your description was absolutely spot on! Cozy, narcotic...like a sleeping potion. I want to smoke it." (Keiko Mecheri Datura Blanche)
Anna Lee: "How do you do it? First of all, this is French. I have an unhealthy obsession with all things French. Double points for that. Secondly, it's a true floral. Quadruple points for that. It's not sugary sweet, the way a lot of floral perfumes tend to be and make me want to barf. No, this is delicately sweet. Warm sweet. Like a golden sunset in the middle of summer. Please tell me where I can buy this because this is now my scent. Please say it's not $200. Ah, who cares....I will pay $200 to be a golden sunset in the middle of summer all year long. Thank you, this smell makes my heart happy." (Annick Goutal Le Chevefeuille)
Mickie: "Yes yes I love it! Makes me feel grown up sexy. Like Mrs. Robinson sorta? But a tiny bit fun when I catch the scent. Such rich tones but not overpowering." (Must de Cartier)
Angela: "Everything you said is right. Callas, daffodils, whiteness, angel hugs. But when it gets mixed with Angela it smells like 60 year old woman. A classy, sassy one... but still. I love the smell of the vial and can't stop thinking about it. My skin just does weird things to it. Also, I love Perfume Club!" (Marilyn Miglin Destiny)
Aeron: "When I opened the package from you, Phish's "Sample In A Jar" was playing and I was all set to fully experience whatever fragrance was contained in that tiny bottle. Your description was right on but the name didn't seem to fit. It does now that I have spent a long time thinking about this bridge. (***She sent me a picture of Monet's painting The Lily Pond to help illustrate her metaphor***) Lately I've been thinking about the words girl and woman, ladies, gals, etc. and not really being comfortable with any of them. 'Woman' sounds so severe...maybe I'm still more comfortable with 'girl'? There isn't anything in between like the word 'guys' for men. This fragrance took me from a childhood like in your description to this bridge. Rose is a strong feminine scent and for me, although I don't like the smell, it is very meaningful. Maybe it's too powerful because as I wore it, I envisioned arriving on the other side of the bridge, crossing the gap from girl to woman. I felt pretty good so I got up and grabbed myself a beer! Then I crocheted with my cats because truth is, I'm a grandma, smellin all rosy up in here. Too far over the hill, I mean bridge. So the perfume wasn't one I'd wear but what a great experience! I tried it a few times to be sure. Thanks so much! Now to make myself comfortable somewhere on that bridge." (Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau)
Katherine: "I would like to note that 'Penhaligon's Bluebell' sounds like either the name of some kind of spell or a show cat. So you have basically summoned the spirit of [our late grandmother] and sent her to visit me. This smell is so nostalgia inducing. I'm not sure whether it smells like Grandma herself or something she kept in the house (bathroom soap?) but it smelled like her from the moment I opened the bottle, all through a long evening walk around town, and still going strong an hour later. I need Grandma's fresh baked blueberry muffins right now." (Penhaligon's Bluebell)
Shari: "I will have to do this again but...I wore my perfume! I put on the smallest bit ever but when I hugged my friend she said I smelled nice. It's super summery and warm but I noticed later on it seemed muskier. I don't know if I wore too little and it was fading or if it's just body chemistry but yay Perfume Club!" (Ginestet Botrytis)
Stevie: "I love how earthy and non artificial the peach is. I was nervous when applying to my pressure points that the smell wasn't strong enough but as the day went on, I kept catching whiffs and it was delightful. This scent is not overly sweet fruit, which is lovely. I generally prefer woods and spices but would love to add a bottle of this one to my collection." (Keiko Mecheri Peau de Peche)
Catrina: "In the vial: No haughty red rose here, these are pink and white roses swirled with exotic spices and sandalwood. I'm intrigued and accept the invitation, dabbing a bit on my wrist. Oh how I wish for the promised bergamot or cinnamon! Sandalwood wrapped in roses is intoxicating to be sure--my head is spinning--but the spicy notes have all but vanished, giving way to the florals. Of course, you had no way of knowing that my skin amps up rose to the extreme or that I cannot wear jasmine without getting a headache. Which takes me to the drydown...so much jasmine that my eyes water. The rose is now a nostalgic afterthought, a whisper. Verdict: I'm glad to have tried it but not for me. A beautiful, complex scent. It needs someone else's skin to do it justice." (Amouage Lyric)
Kate: "My first reaction was 'Wow, that's flowery! This could be bad.' My second reaction was a headache, so not off to a great start if I'm honest. I decided to try anyway. I put some behind my ears and on my wrist and sniffed. Actually not bad! No chemical smell, just pleasantly floral. It definitely had warm undertones but I'm afraid my sniffer isn't as good as yours...I never detected the cocoa specifically. My husband agreed that it was a big change from my usual musk scents but it was not a bad change... he liked it too! Our toddler noticed too...he sniffed me more than usual, particularly where I had placed perfume. I continued to test this out in the world. I was disappointed, as no one said anything about how good (or bad) I smelled. Next time I will ask people what they think. All in all, I consider this a success, as I have found a floral perfume that doesn't go to hell on my skin and the males in my life don't object to." (Keiko Mecheri Johana)
Emily: "I've delayed writing my thoughts until I had worn this several times to figure out how she and I play together. Of course when I read your description and reason for selecting it for me, I thought "Yes, she knows me well!" I was intrigued by your comparison of her as 'Chanel no 5 on steroids'. This opens as a lovely classic powdery floral accord, very rose and jasmine forward. Very classy and polished. I can absolutely see your description of 'silk stockings and ladies in towncars who live in high rises with doormen'. I never get much civet (sadly...I was hoping for a similarity to Schiaparelli's Shocking) The heart is very Chanel no 5 but lacks it's fizzy aldehydes. I find no 5 to be a louder perfume on my skin. But this one is a little more sneaky...the tiniest bit of seduction in her trail. I would wear this on a fancy dinner date with a long time lover. He can only smell it when he is very close to me, and while it is classy enough to stand up to the occasion, is intimate enough for the unspoken promise of... dessert." (Amouage Gold pour Femme)
Definitely looking forward to sending out more perfume love in the future and hearing your feedback! Who else wants to be in Perfume Club?
