No. 36- Makes Scents to Me

NO. 36- Makes Scents to Me

No. 36: Find a "signature" fragrance or two.

Finding a signature scent sounds like fun.

But not for me.

I have fabulous allergies AND a horrible sense of smell.   Perfume that smells great in a bottle will smell like the cat box needs cleaning once it is on. Perfume is chemistry, chemistry, chemistry.  Chemistry was not my best subject.  Actually, I don’t even think I took chemistry.

BUT… I love it when someone smells good. I love that intimacy of getting close to someone and noting they have on perfume or cologne.

I love the memories scents can evoke.

Grey Flannel cologne on anyone totally takes me back to a cabin in Hartford, Ct. in the late 70s.  The guy that wore the cologne is long gone but that scent was such a part of him that I will never be able to connect it to any other time or place.

Aramis reminds me of my brother, Paul. I think he bathed in it when we were in high school. It’s odd that I don’t know whether he continued to wear that cologne as an adult.  The 70s again.

My brother, Paul. 1973

Diesel fuel and wood smoke on a crisp morning will immediately transport me to San Miguel. If I close my eyes I will be walking to class. I can see/feel/smell in my mind the buses belching their exhaust as they pass and the street vendors hawking breakfast tacos or corn con chile y limón being cooked over small wood burning stoves. 1975

San Miguel de Allende, Gto. Mexico

And nothing beats the smell of two teenaged girls that have dashed off to school, leaving a path of Juicy Couture and Hollister in their wake. 2012

In the land of teenage girls

(This is not to be compared with the fog of Axe trailed by teenage boys, a stage this house has thankfully passed. 2005/2006/2007)

So I want that power. For people to recognize a scent that belongs to me.

But it’s hard to find the perfect scent among all the choices. 

Where to start?

I’ve found some websites that offer samples. News to me that you could order decants of certain perfumes in trial sizes.

Some of the options, including decants from The Perfumed Court

But still, you need to have an idea of what to order.

So- what makes a scent perfect?

I’m taking suggestions. What are your favorites? 

And where do scents take you?

For samples of different perfumes- more perfumes than you could ever imagine- click here or here or here

For a really perverse but terribly entertaining read on perfume, read this .

For a little (entertaining) insight into how the brain and smell work together, click here.