“Odors have a power of persuasion stronger than that of words, appearances, emotions, or will. The persuasive power of an odor cannot be fended off, it enters into us like breath into our lungs, it fills us up, imbues us totally. There is no remedy for it.”
The quote above is just one of the many fabulous lines taken from the book Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, written by Patrick Suskind - a somewhat dark exploration into our sense of smell and it's close connection with the emotional meaning that some aromas may carry. And it is true - research has shown time and time again that memory and smell are intertwined and consequently, highly complex emotions and memories can be evoked by this one simple sensory cue.
Now I have many favourite 'smells' - coffee in the morning, mixed with the crisp scent of slightly burnt toast; old book smell - flashes me back instantly to my childhood where my sister and I spent many hours and days scouring the back room of our local library - boxes upon boxes of dusty, unsorted secondhand books. And there is a particular smell which I only catch literally, a few days of a year - in that time between summer and autumn/winter - when the mornings are just becoming crisply cool, but the days still carry a degree of warmth - it's a mix of an almost wood smokey smell, with a dewy, fresh morning air - I don't know what it is, but I love it!
And whilst the aforementioned novel focuses on a perfume apprentice in 18th century France, who begins to stalk and murder virgins in his quest to find the 'perfect scent' - to a much lesser degree - that is...without the murder of virgins - I too, am on a continual quest to find the ultimate perfume for moi! Read on for my own perfume journey and a bit of an insight into the memories that return when I catch a whiff of these alluring scents...
Monsoon
This was the very first perfume that I owned as a teenager and holds a very special place in my perfume memoirs, because it was a christmas present from my dad. I must have been 14 or 15 when I received it and I remember feeling ever so 'grown up' to be the recipient of such a sophisticated present. The fragrance itself was released in 1994 and was the result of a collaboration between Coty and a gentleman by the name of Maurice Roucel - a perfumer responsible for many notable scents including the DKNY Be Delicious range, a number of Guerlain fragrances and Roberto Cavelli to name but a few. The scent had hints of gardenia, ylang ylang, jasmine and patchouli, but I also remember a vivid muskiness to it. To compare to something more modern I am reminded of it when I smell Ghost by Ghost. I loved the perfume so much and wished I had the sentimentality at the time to have kept the bottle.
Live by J. Lo
I remember buying this one to use as my daily work scent, it was relatively cheap and quite an easy to wear scent (orange blossomy/florally/sandalwood) but I always had so many compliments! I was wearing this the night my now husband asked me out on our first date. It was the age old story of nurse-meets-doctor-doctor-takes-nurses-very-special-work-scissors-and-announces-they-will-be-returned-if-she-accompanies-him-for-a-meal! I had no choice - they were my 'very special work scissors' after all...
J'adore by Christian Dior
J'adore was one of the first expensive perfumes that I purchased for myself - I was working and earning my own decent (compared to my pauperish student income - a nurses wage ain't nothing to write home about...) salary. I wore this on and off for many years. Another fruity-florally fragrance this scent has a distinct rose aroma, jasmine and blended with bergamot - such a sensual and sexy perfume I think.
Code by Giorgio Armani
I love this floral scent by Armani - a blend of jasmine and orange blossom it has that great combination of bitter and sweet aromas. Is a modern and sexy fragrance... and memorable. It came out in 2006 and that was the year that I met and started dating my husband. Whenever I smell this now, I immediately have a vivid memory of attending our hospital ball together. He was looking very dapper and debonair in his tux, I was looking gorgeous, I had had my hair and makeup done, and I had bought this perfume new that day for the occasion - I remember the noise and excitement and dancing and definitely the emotions. That night was the first night my husband told me loved me. (aawwww)
Allure by Chanel
Fruity and floral again (hmm - I am sensing a theme here) this delicious scent also offers up an oriental element - and whilst is quite 'spicy' on first application, given time definitely evolves to a very alluring muskiness. I first wore this scent to another hospital ball, but I love it so much I had to include it in my list.
Happiness by Clinique
This one brings back memories of waiting for the number 5 Bus to take me to my new Real Estate job in Brighton - after I had relocated to the UK there was a delay for my nursing registration to be approved so I sought alternate employment - I worked for this particular agency for about 8 months and loved it - my duties were secretarial, so typing up dictations, filing etc - but it was so great to be doing something new - and it turns out I loved be a secretary! One of my colleagues used to wear this scent and I fell in love with it and purchased some for myself - I remember wearing this when we had our first viewing of the flat which we would end up buying - good ole Tisbury Road!
Celebration of Happiness by Hugo Boss
This I purchased for our wedding day - A limited edition perfume released in the Spring of 2010 (we got married in the May) it was a deliciously subtle composition of apple, peach, orange blossom, sandalwood with some overtones of vanilla and white flowers.
Euphoria by Calvin Klein
This has some fabulous notes of rose hip, japanese apple, green leaves, lotus, black orchid, red woods, black violet and amber. I was wearing this a lot around the time I found out I was pregnant and throughout my pregnancy, which also happened to coincide with us selling our Tisbury Road Flat and buying our first house - which...as fate often dictates to couples expecting a child - needed completely refurbishing. When I smell this particular perfume many memories come flooding back...sitting on the bottom step in our hallway eating a bowl of cereals, from some sort of tupperware dish, because there was literally no where else to sit at that time in our house - there was dust and rubble everywhere, no flooring; I also am reminded of wall papering and painting in my 8th month of pregnancy - in fact I had just finished painting our living room walls the weekend before baby arrived (on her bloody due date no less which oddly took us quite by surprise, babies aren't supposed to arrive on their due date!- we thought we would have another weekend at least to prepare).
For Her by Narcisso Rodrigeuz
This has a very particular very subtle scent which I fell in love with the instant the aromas hit my olfactory groove! Floral blended with a woodiness creates a very pleasing musky smell. Memories of Brighton when I smell this...
Elie Saab
This is a recent one that I have fallen in love with but it's orange blossom and jasmine undertones are addictive and is on my new top favourite scent to wear list - and a special mention has to go to Giorgio Armani's Si which I purchased last week.
I have received a compliment every time I have worn it so far so this one is definitely fast becoming a favourite.
There are so many more favourites that if I listed them all would have made this post far too long and boring for even the most genial readers to endure, so I did restrain myself.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post and found some inspiration.
Until next time...
Crystelle xx
