One of the perils of having a large perfume collections is neglecting parts of it. At times I get fixated on a bunch of things, going through a leather phase, a seasonal obsession, or simply testing so many new (and new to me) things that I don't even get to my own cabinets often enough. But I do rotate my fragrances, and purposely look for ones I haven't worn in ages, very often having those "I should wear it ALL THE TIME!" moments. Which I try to follow up, thus creating a whole new set of perfumes that I haven't worn in a while. And repeat.
These are the perfumes I've gone back to wearing most recently, rediscovering them and adoring more than ever:
1. Tauer Perfumes- Orange Star. It's actually a summer staple, but also a cold weather pick-me-up. I wore it today and Orange Star almost brought back the sun.
2. Tableau de Parfums- Miriam. Another one by Andy Tauer, this one is an aldehydic marvel. I've been wearing a lot of vintage Rive Gauche lately, so Miriam fits in well with this classic theme.
3. Caron- Narcisse Noir. Because I've been thinking about Paris.
4. Annick Goutal- Eau d'Hadrien. Yes, I know that Hadrien says "Mediterranean summer" and this is early winter in the Northeast, but that's not the reason I've been avoiding it for the better part of a year. This Goutal classic has been reformulated and my emptying bottle has started to make me sad. But I recently found a vintage bottle at an estate sale, that's probably even older than my current juice. I'm indulging again, winter be damned.
5. and 6. are by Histoires de Parfums: Noir Patchouli and 1740. I don't know why I've neglected these two terrific rich fragrances, but I'm certainly making up for it now.
7. Hermes 24 Faubourg. Whenever I get to the Hermes shelf in my cabinet I usually end up spraying Hiris. Because iris. But when I finally reached for Faubourg again I instantly felt the magic returns. It made me put on a vintage scarf and red lipstick.
8. Tommi Sooni- Tarantella. No excuses here. Tarantella is one of my all-time favorites, so I guess I got distracted by shiny objects.
9. Madini Oils- Olive Flowers. I love this one, but I spend so much time in Shalimar on its many vintages, concentrations, and flankers that I almost forgot about this Middle-Eastern tribute to my favorite classic.
10. Serge Lutens- Chene. So many Serges, so little skin space. I've been wearing L'Orpheline, Miel de Bois, and Louve so much lately that several of their siblings have been looked over. But the other day I dabbed on some Chene and it felt so very right. Sublime.
Which perfumes have you been neglecting only to rediscover again? What do you think you should be wearing more?
Photo of Ginger Rogers via dsata.blogspot.com
Jean Patou Sublime must the queen of my most neglected scents: every time I wear it I feel like I could happily wear it forever and ever, but when I wear it for the next time (usually not only after months, but YEARS) I wonder how on earth I could forget its existence AGAIN. It's simply perfect.
ReplyDeleteI rediscovered Helmut Lang (both EdC and EdP) this autumn: when I read it had been relaunched, I dug up mine and loved it just as much I did when I got it in the first place.
But the reunion of the year price goes to Voleur de Roses. It had stayed forgotten in the back of my cupboard for several years, but this September was unusually warm and late-summerish, and VdR was just what the doctor ordered in those circumstances.
One of the things on the rather extensive list of things that I don't madly adore about winter is the fact that I have more skin covered, thus having fewer areas which I can use for applying perfumes. On days when I'm not going out I'll frequently wear two primary perfumes (complementary) and then apply other perfumes in very small amounts on my arms and/or legs (also complementary) - but winter layering seriously interferes with this option for giving attention to neglected scents (OK, it's not ideal since they don't get to be star players, but at least they're in the chorus and on another day they'll get star billing). Your blog often reminds me of scents I need to go retrieve and your list today is definitely going with me into the perfume storage zones of our home. Vero's Kiki, Paloma Picasso's perfume, Tiffany, Scherrer (the original), YSL Nu, DSH Vert Pour Madame, Mahjoun and Cimabue, quite a few SLs, including Le Myrrhe and Rahat, MPG Santal Noble, Racine, Eau des Iles and Or des Indes, Coty L'Aimant, Miss Balmain, CB's Cradle of Light and Violet Empire, Scent by Alexis Minx, Blue Angel and Mandala (I miss La Creme Beauty - she always had such an extensive selection of the Alexis scents), Lubin Nuit de Longchamp, Chanel Bois des Iles (!) and the list goes on and on and on. Really, I *need* to move to the tropics.
ReplyDeleteAnna
I was just thinking about this this morning in the car. Coincidentally, I pulled Voleur de Roses out of the back of the closet this morning as it had been neglected, and I love it so much. I was thinking about just randomly pulling unworn stuff out of the back of the closet and setting it on my dresser, a new selection every week, to remind me to wear my beloved old favorites (of which Orange Star is one as well as Rahat Loukhoum). Great minds think alike.
ReplyDeleteI'm terribly guilty of neglecting perfumes. Thanks for reminding me about Chene. I love it so yet wear it rarely. Must rectify that!
ReplyDeleteMy two most neglected are Moss Breches (I'm nearing the end of my bottle), Le Labo Iris 39 and Voleur de Roses. They get limited skin time due to my scent-phone work mate. Too much perfume garners complaints and 'the look'.
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