When I went away to college, all my relatives got together and gave me different perfumes for my birthday to show that they now considered me an adult. Ohkayyyy, that was a nice thought. I just wasn’t sure I liked their definition of what an adult smelled like. I had no desire to smell like my grandmother, or my great-aunt. Well, maybe Aunt Alice, who had some really exotic perfume from the Orient.
But were any of those scents really moi? When I got dressed in the morning or went out on a date, did I grab any of those bottles? Uh, no. So there they sat on my dresser and finally I gave them away to friends, who thought they were cool.
I learned later that scents aren’t processed by the logical parts of our brain. They’re absorbed by the brain stem, the instinctual part, which goes back to a time before mammals. So we can’t argue with what perfumes we like or dislike; we’ve got to just go with the flow.
But all those relatives had made me realize an adult woman has a signature scent. She’s Special, with a capital S. When she walks into a room, men react to her scent. Whoohoo! (Hey, the relatives might not have wanted that thought process but I was young and horny.)
I started checking out perfume counters.
That’s when I happened upon a short story written by Ian Fleming. In it, James Bond finds himself with a few days’ vacation in Paris and imagines his dream date. Aha! said I and settled down to take notes. Imagine my surprise when he specifically stated that she wore either Balmain’s Vent Vert or Chanel No. 19, when she strolled down the street toward him.
Really? Man, I was at Saks 5th Avenue the next day!
Both perfumes are “woodsy” perfumes with floral notes. I loved, loved, loved them both!
Balmain’s Vent Vert was always very hard to find and has since been reformulated into a more floral version. I wore it with love and said goodbye with regret.
Chanel No. 19 was created for Coco Chanel and is named for her birthday. It’s an all-natural perfume and was created by Chanel’s in-house perfumer. I still love it and wear it.
Now if James Bond would just give me a phone call, I’m ready!
What perfume do you wear and why? Did someone you love give it to you or did you find it yourself?
Diane
My first adult perfume was Chanel No.5. It was a gift from my cousin when I was in high school. I now mostly wear body sprays from Victoria’s Secret.
I used to wear Fred Hayman’s “Touch”, and there’s one by MaryKay called “Amari” that I sometimes wear now, but mostly I wear scented lotions. I love Bath & Body Works’ Night-blooming Jasmine, but I think they’ve discontinued it
Hey Jane, a girlfriend of mine also loves body sprays from Victoria’s Secret! She’s been working in Iraq for the past couple of years, providing computing support to the troops. All of us gals back home try to keep her well-supplied with girlie stuff, especially her Victoria Secret body sprays.
Y’know, Jane, if you mentioned the word “Amari” around my foster brother, you’d have him following you around like a puppy dog! He’s fascinated by the artwork from that period – very colorful, intricate, and absolutely luscious.
Scented lotions are supposed to be the best at long lasting scent. They’re also not usually allergy causing (since allergies are supposedly a reaction to how they grow the alcohol which makes the spray). Do they work that way for you?
Me, I use scented lotions when I’m traveling. I love spritzing myself with scent too much to give it up.
I wear HEAVENLY by Victoria’s Secret. It’s very light and subtle – that’s me, subtle!
Around the holidays I love Bath & Body Works TWISTED PEPPERMINT line of products. I start with the shower gel, follow up with the body lotion, then use the shimmer body spray (new this year). It’s got peppermint, white sugar and vanilla in it. I absolutely love it and just stocked up so I’m all set for the coming few months.
Both scents are something that I discovered on my own, but my hubby will buy for special occasions. He really loves the HEAVENLY on me.
I used to wear White Shoulders exclusively. Loved it! Still love the way it smells, but I just don’t wear perfume anymore.
I am now a Bath and Body Works junkie!!
Warm Vanilla Sugar, Moonlight Path, Midnight Pomegranite, Honeysuckle and Gardenia are my favorites.
My first “adult” perfume as Opium. I still keep a bottle on my dresser.
Now I usually rotate between: Bvlgari, Vera Wang, Vera Wang Princess, or Coco Chanel. Oh…and I LOVE Allure (time to re-stock). My favorite is a toss up between Bvlgari and Vera Wang Princess and I usually spritz those on for day to day use. If we’re going out I’ll spray my duaghters with some Princess and they feel so special!
I used to wear the expensive perfumes, Oscar, Burberry, etc. But, about 10 years ago I discovered Savannah Gardens by Crabtree & Evelyn. I loved that, then they discontinued it. *sigh* So, I started wearing Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar and they’ve changed the perfume formula (but not the body spray, thank goodness). But, I’m sticking with the body spray for now! I love the basic, clean, simple smell of vanilla.
I haven’t worn perfume in yers.
When I was young(20′s-30′s) I wore a perfume called Babe. I can’t remember who produced it.
Wow, Carolyn, your DH prefers you in Heavenly to Twisted Peppermint? That’s so adorable, almost like a signal for cuddling up with each other.
I’ll have to check those scents out, Angie-la! I love to wander through Bath and Body Works at Christmas time, just sniffing and checking out the scents.
Don’t you just love the names for perfume, brownone? Who could resist anything called Princess or Allure? And Bulgari… Yum!
Sometimes I, too, want to kick perfumiers for discontinuing all my favorite scents, Brandy. But vanilla’s an awesome scent. No wonder it can be used alone or as part of some of the great perfumes.
Hey, Estella, didn’t Babe have a great TV ad??? No, no, don’t answer that – or we’ll both date ourselves!
My husband bought me “Intimate” for years before he found out that I really didn’t like it! Now I wear one of the oldest perfumes around, Shalimar, exclusively, but like so many of you … Bath and Body Works fragrances are the best in the world for after bath. Could just about eat most of their fragrances!
Ooh, Shalimar… But it’s one of the oldest because it’s one of the best. Right, Phyliss?
My favorite all time perfume is White Linen by Estee Lauder. I used to love Poisen but for some reason as I got older it didn’t smell good to me anymore. Also, my favorite daytime scent is Sweet Pea by Bath & Body Works. I absolutely love scents! At night I spray my bed with Lavendar by some French brand, (don’t remember) that is just wonderful!
As for men’s cologne’s I love the clean smelling ones. My all-time favorite is Drakar. Love it! I wonder if they still make it? I used to wear it myself it smelled so good but then stopped when new scents came along.
Basically I only wear Tova Signature Fragance – bought it myself from QVC – it is a clean fragrance and I just adore it – the other fragrance is L’Air Du Temps – have been wearing that one for years – light – many, many years ago the woman sitting next to me at work wore it and it just caught my nose so to speak.
Bath and Body Works keeps discontinuing fragrances I like – there was a wonderful men’s fragrance – gone! and for me Honeysuckle and Cotton Blossom. For some reason the last 2 Januaries only, they offered Honeysuckle. Cotton Blossom was just discontinued. But now I can’t use bath gel as my skin is now sensitive.
The Body Shop’s Chymara. I find myself spraying this in the air even if I’m not wearing it because the scent is just luscious. The Base note is a lovely woody amber.
I’m not much for perfumes and prefer scented bodywashes instead – usualy blackberry ones. But when I do wear [perfume – its usualy Noa. curiously enough my mom and i both wear it, but it smells very differently on her
we both love it though. ohand originaly my best friend gave it to me for a birthday – not the first time i got perfume as a gift, but first and only time I actualy liked it.
My husband generaly likes my perfume chocies (becasue I wear them very lightly), but he prefers my own perconal scent
Honestly – I have the same preference with him 
what is the name of the perfume whot cqan get the girls horney ?