My favorite perfumes are PERFUMES, if that makes any sense. Complex, shape-shifting, leaving a ghost in your wake. Fragrances are marketed as a fashion accessory, a beauty product meant to create an aura. Being a dramatic sort of person, my preference is for the more unique accessories. But there are times when the world becomes scary and unfeeling and I lose my desire to be noticed. Fears of alienation take over and suddenly I only long to fit in. The tall poppy gets mowed down and I don't want that to be me. Sometimes it's better to not rock the boat. Today I want to talk about the scents out there that bring to mind words like: mainstream, middle of the road, average, unoffensive, generic, conservative, safe, quiet. These are not necessarily negative qualities, because on a "who am I?" day they are exactly what I crave.
Ralph Lauren Romance (rose, ginger, musk, chamomile)
The inspiration for this post. I used to think Romance was boring and generic. This was back in the late 90s and it really did smell quite similar to other fragrances that were being mass marketed at the time. Now that some years have passed since it's launch, I have a newfound appreciation for Romance. Crisp semi-sweet florals that initially threaten to bring on a sneezing fit soon gain composure and find their assigned seats as the soothing chamomile note supervises the action. Romance is one of those "freshly shampooed hair" scents to me and really... who can find fault with smelling clean?
Marc Jacobs Daisy (violet, leaves, grapefruit, strawberry)
This is a casual carefree summer day in a bottle. Once again, I thought it was boring when I sniffed the bottle, but then I kept going back to smell it. Something about it did intrigue me, so I bought a tiny bit and wore it around Chicago one summer weekend. It was perfect for sultry humid weather. It's sweet and girly no doubt. Pink is the color I see. But there is a bitterness from the grapefruit and violet leaves that I really enjoy. It gives it a slightly metallic green edge that is refreshing.
Estee Lauder Pleasures (lily of the valley, lilac, peony, rose)
I used to really hate this. But one day I was mad at the world so I went full out and doused myself in it. Yes, I have perfume "punishment" days like that... hmm, another post, another time. Anyway, not saying that I loved this at the end of the day but I finally appreciated it. It's an opaque lily of the valley with added interest of other spring florals. VERY green. I think it just feels too sexless for me. It's a church scent, it's for really good girls and I don't know if I can even pretend to be this pure.
Versace Bright Crystal (yuzu, pomegranate, peony, lotus)
It must be the yuzu. It has to be the yuzu. I can't say that I've ever smelled real yuzu but it must smell like a cross between grapefruit and quince. Tart with the tiniest edge of bitterness. Added to creamy soft lotus and peppery fresh bright peony, Bright Crystal is well balanced fruity floral and it's interesting. When I wore this I felt energized. I could imagine myself as a college cheerleader or a young entrepreneur. Someone with perfect skin. Someone who accessorizes. Someone who crams way too many activities into a 24 hour period. Then it wears off and I'm just back to being lazy old me again.
Tommy Hilfiger Tommy Girl (lemon, honeysuckle, apple blossom, mint)
Simple, airy and natural. Like a freshly cut lawn in the summer, the grass clippings mixed with a few stray flower petals. I think about apple orchards and bales of hay. I find Tommy Girl to be best on the hottest days of summer. It has unbelievable longevity for a fruity floral and even mixes well with traces of chlorinated pool water on my skin.
Prada Infusion d'Iris (iris, incense, cedar, benzoin)
What would you wear to a funeral? You wouldn't actually wear a "gothic" type scent because those are often seductive, possibly disrespectful. You would wear something pretty and subtle and conservative. You would wear something to hug a bereaved person and make them feel comforted. You would wear Prada Infusion d'Iris maybe. Honestly, most Prada scents would be right for a funeral, memorial service, last rites.... any solemn occasion that calls for dignity. They are all classy and subtle and won't rock the boat.
Bulgari Blu II (violet, anise, cotton flower, musk)
I found this so safe and conservative when I first smelled it, I thought "Oh I should just use this bottle for my office job and finish it up". So I did and now I find myself missing it. It shares some notes with Lolita Lempicka, which is a perennial favorite of mine. But although they are both powdery violet and licorice, Blu II is more transparent, simpler. Where Lolita Lempicka curls around you and wraps you in her magical forest spell, Blu II does no obvious witchcraft. Instead it greets you in a friendly pleasant way and then sits quietly on the skin. Blu II is like a romantic watercolor portrait of a snowy forest scene. If Lolita Lempicka is a fairytale dream you had, then Blu II is the faded memory of your dream as you go through the next morning. And I need it again, because it did bewitch me in some way.
