Saturday, September 8, 2007

Mercy, how long has it been...

...since I blogged about perfume? Weeks, at least. Not that I haven't been engaged in sniffing and spritzing--I've just had other things to blog about. I'm really not up to speed on my perfume blather, being out of practice and all, so I'll get warmed up with some random recent observations from my olfactory world:



Ivoire is an old friend, and it's been in pretty frequent rotation this summer when I haven't been up for anything too adventurous. It seems like such an unobtrusive scent, the ultimate understated green floral chypre--so why does it attract so much attention? I get a compliment nearly every time I wear it. On one of our recent sweltering days, I was walking to my car when a runner passed me and then did a U-turn to ask, "What's your perfume?" I told her, she gave me a thumbs-up and ran on. Anything that can make me smell that good to people in the 100+ degree heat is worth hoarding. I've got at least 4 bottles. May it never be tweaked or discontinued.



My new love affair with the scents of Ava Luxe has reached a peak with my discovery of AL Lotus. Why did no one on POL ever mention it when I was whining about my search for a truly great lotus-based perfume? (Well, maybe someone did, and I just didn't listen. Stranger things have happened.) Anyway, Lotus does that perfect balancing act I've always craved. It has a full-bodied musky character--none of that candy-sweet sheer floral crap--yet the dewy lotus note is persistent right into the drydown. There's a touch of the swamp in there, just the right hint of nasty to relieve the purity of the flower. I want to bathe in this stuff.


















The gallant Leopoldo--henceforth to be known as Glenda the Good Witch--has sent me the most incredible treasure trove of samps: niche beauties--Lutens, Mona di Orio, Parfumerie Generale--along with Les Exclusifs de Chanel and the Private Blend collection from Satan, also known as Tom Ford. I'm not sure what inspired this spasm of generosity other than fundamental Good Witchiness, which Leo has in abundance, rationalist though he may be. In any case, I am just wallowing in greedy delight here. I'll blog at length about some of these over the next few days, but I can already say I am in love with Nuit Noir, and Arabie has me wondering if the dogs would mind me getting a camel for the back yard.

4 comments:

helg said...

L is a very kind person :-)
Glad you enjoy Ivoire so much (and anything that withstands heat has me perking up my ears, even if I have dismissed it in the past as not for me).
And Arabie...isn't it the most unique fruity fragrance you have smelled? This is how fruity should be done!

leopoldo said...

Share the Arabie love!

Anonymous said...

Ivoire is one of the few that gets compliments for me, too; its dewy freshness makes it more accessible. Not fashionable at all but somehow (!) that doesn't bother me ...

BitterGrace said...

You're so right about Arabie, Helg--it is a fruity scent for people who hate them. That would include me, mostly. It's only a melange of fruit and spice like this that can make fruitiness something exalted.

Leo, I would like to make a rude joke about sharing the Arabie love being against the law here--but I'll spare you.

Anon--you know what's weird with the Ivoire? I'm not even sure I like it. I mean, as a scent, I don't want to wallow in it, spray it around the house, etc. But it is without a doubt the most reliable people pleaser in my collection.