Category Archives: Fragrances

A New Signature (Repost from my 2020 blog)

Tonight I drank a lemon martini with quality gin and the fresh squeezed juice of half a lemon while searching through my perfume closet for the ultimate signature. I knew it was in there lurking in the shadows waiting.

And by signature I mean my ultimate. No. 22 and a Orangers En Fleurs are me. Bottled. …To a point… I’ve said this before.

Orangers En Fleurs is my exterior that I show the world and No. 22 is my heart as the lady (meaning female not titled) I am in this life. But, I wanted to find the unbridled smell of my soul (ie all of me).

I found it!!

…I had a feeling my floral note is rose.

It is.

And I knew tonka, benzoin and lily-of-the-valley would be included in my signature along with the rose. They were.

Are you ready? It’s Fleur de Feu and Red Roses.

I tried many…many…many fragrances (they’re not all pictured).

(I love my 1930’s set of glassware this glass belongs to.)

But…as irreverent as it might seem to mix them this was it. My soul! (That’s the authentically and expertly recreated Fleur de Feu by Thierry Wasser.)

Gosh is it expensive (*Said with a saucy smile and throaty timbre as the luxury-laden villainess of The Northwoods that I am to my haters*). It’ll be thousands to replicate this fragrance on a regular basis. I mean thousands! …Thousands and thousands…

But…

It’s worth it. It’s honest.

Oh! Oh! I’m planning to buy orchids now. Maybe I’ll buy 20 to 30 more bottles of perfume (almost all vintage except for Red Roses) and then that’ll be it. I’ll be done with my collection (except for the rare occasion) and then I’m on to orchids. People used to collect them in the 1800’s . Did you know that? And, I might too! They clean the air, look stunning, are comforting and relaxing to tend to and are pretty too.

Here’s my list as it stands right now:

1 through 5 will be me buying bottles of Fleur de Feu and Red Roses for my signature.

6. Very vintage Chanel No. 22 parfum sealed

7. Usable vintage Mitsouko parfum

8. Usable vintage L’Heure Bleue parfum

9. Usable vintage Vol de Nuit parfum

10. Usable vintage Liu parfum

11. Collectible vintage Liu parfum

12. Usable very vintage Chanel No. 22

13. Vintage Chanel Bois Des Îles

13. Vintage Chanel Cuir de Russie

14 through 20 are for rare Chanels and Guerlains

21 through 25 are for new fragrances

26 through 30 are for rare or classic Carons, Lanvins, Yves Saint Laurents, etc.

En Fin. On to orchids… Although I will test countless others to perfect this list and out of curiosity.

Chanel Jersey Parfum (repost from my blog in 2020)

As I wrote yesterday, I’ve decided to go through my perfume collection and review them all again one by one. I’ll start with my Chanels. Chanel is my favorite fragrance house (I love their cosmetics as well) and I’m shocked to discover I’m starting to find their clothes and accessories more agreeable with my personal style now. I bought a Lagerfeld era 90’s tweed Chanel jacket this winter and it’s changed my perception of their haute couture. I think growing-up I associated their garments with the sort of women who…were terrified of spiders and found fishing “icky”. Very “Sex and the City” to reference popular 2000’s/90’s culture. I’m straight and female but I like fishing. I can even fillet my own fish… But…beauty is beauty and Chanel haute couture is beautiful and often my style too. It begs to be included if it can be. I shouldn’t fight it.

Anyway, Chanel jersey is iconic of course. Mlle. Coco Chanel used jersey in ways that were magic. Innovative. Genius. And Chanel Jersey parfum with its soft, sweet and yet refined lavender note does evoke a certain relaxed elegance found in Chanel jersey.

*shrug*

I bought this bottle of parfum from Chanel a year or so ago and I’ve used it a few times. But regardless, it’s one I’ll keep. I have a lot of memories and feelings attached to Chanel Jersey (the fragrance) and it’s worth having. It’s a quiet fragrance that barely projects but…it’s still worth it. It’s a joy.

This is one will stay.