Friday, May 09, 2008

Birthday Gifts: Scents

Who doesn't love getting a bouquet of fragrant, fresh pink roses?

I was also spoilt by my abuela (grandma); a perfume addict who thinks nothing of pouring gallons of Yves Saint Laurent down her neck, she's always happy when I choose a scent as a birthday gift.
I've been devoted for years to Annick Goutal's pear-based Petite Chérie (Little Darling), which smells as sweet as its name suggests. However this year I adopted a new signature scent, Penhaligon's citrusy and peppery Blenheim Bouquet. It comes in a lovely bottle, complete with a pearl-gray bow and a tiny card that reads Keep Me. I sure will.

What's your signature fragrance?

27 comments:

Arlene said...

How beautiful is that stopper and bow! I'm having a perfume dilemma as we speak. I loved Kate Spade but they've discontinued it, so must find another to love. But I hate paying a ton for perfume. Although, I suppose it is worth it...

Mary-Laure said...

ARLENE - ah yes, don't you HATE it when they discontinue a fragrance?
May I share with you some tricks not to pay too much for fragrance?
If you fall for a super expensive one, you can get the cheaper body lotion or soap - you'll end up smelling just as wonderful!
Another good option is perfume oils sold at places like The Body Shop. Their Vanilla is wonderful. I recently stopped a woman on the street whose perfume was just too exquisite - she told me it was just rose essence!
Have you tried solid perfumes? They have some at stores like Anthropologie and L'Occtane - believe they last for EVER!!

Unknown said...

Que lindo frasquito!!!

MISS GLITZY said...

L'eau de Cologne que j'achète à Cologne ou l'Eau du Coq de Guerlain, j'aime les fragrances légères. Bon week-end.

Anonymous said...

For over 20 years I wore Shalimar (Guerlin) in winter, Tresor (Lancome) in summer. But lately I have been in a rosy mood so I changed to Paris (Yves St Laurent).

Anonymous said...

Habit Rouge

/// said...

Eek! I go back and forth between Nanette LePore, Charming from Anthropologie and Amazing Grace from Philosophy. They're each very clean, perfect for day or night! :)

Vain and Vapid said...

I am not much of a perfume person but I love singular scents. Lately though I am sooooo in love with Tom Ford's Black Orchid, it smells divine.

Anonymous said...

WOW, signature fragance, never thought of it, but will give it some thought. Anys uggestions as to where i can find advice?

Anonymous said...

You realise you're wearing Winston Churchill's perfume, right?

Esti said...

Chanel's Cristalle or a Vanilla fragance, or some fresh cologne, or cologne for children.

Mary-Laure said...

ANONYMOUS - yes, I knew that it was Churchill's perfume. But as far as world leaders go, I'd rather go for Churchill than for George W. Bush or Sarkozy

ETSI - Cristalle is great, it smells wonderful. And I also love children's colognes... They're so fresh!

Cecilia Levy said...

thank you mary-laure for your nice comment on my blog! you take divine photos!

marie said...

ooh that bottle is beautiful! (paris is too :)
im looking for a new scent..i didnt bring one with me..i might try rose esssence it sounds lovely :)
et if your free one day this week..or just for a walk..let me know..otherwise we can meet up when your back from your trip! (where are you off to?)

Anonymous said...

Coco Channel or Vanilla or Ylang Ylang oil or Paris baby doll
I'd love to have a signature perfume, and only wear that, but I find it too tempting to use different perfumes - different days/moods/weather/time of the year. I have worn coco though for over 15 years now, so it's quite close to a signature scent.

Anonymous said...

Chanel's Egoiste is my signature fragrance (but not Egoiste Platinium, which is to spicy), sometimes with a touch of Dior's Eau Sauvage.

Chloé Van Paris said...

remenber a gift is waiting for you!
I am wearing now different perfums (santa maria de novella pot pourri cologne, artisan parfumeur figuier).
I used to buy the very sweet vanille from comptoir du pacifique since i was 15 - but suddently the smell changed.Since then i am perfumless...

Mary-Laure said...

MARIE - I can't wait to see you!

EVERYBODY SAYS DONT - I think you really have a point. I used to have a winter perfume (Petite Cherie) and a summer perfume (Eau du Ciel, also by Annick Goutal).

EGOISTE ET SAUVAGE - j'adore renifler ces parfums sur toi; quand je voyage sans toi, j'asperge mon chale d'Egoiste pour me sentir pres de toi.

CHLOE - I love Santa Maria Novella too (the bottles are so beautiful too!), and Premier Figuier. You always have impeccable taste, my dear.

yasu said...

petite cherie is a favorite perfume of my mum,too! I feel annick g is a bit too luxurious and exquisite for me. I'm using the lavender one from l'occitane now although most of the days I forget putting it:)

Mary-Laure said...

ANONYMOUS who needs tips on how to find a signature scent

That's such a great question!
I think what NOT to do is go to a department store and sniff thousands of scents. Our noses can only take in that many fragrances before going "numb" so it's better to make a pre-selection.

One way to go about that is to ask yourself:
do I want a floral/fruity/spicy scent?
do I want a light/heavy scent?
do I want a complex fragrance or rather something straightforward?
what do I like about perfumes on other people?

Once you have the answers to these questions, go to a place like Sephora, where the salespeople are not attached to one specific brand rather than a department store where the salespeople work on commission for a brand and will try to push "their" perfume on you.
Explain what you're looking for and let them guide you.
The Sephora people are usually very nice and competent.
Don't smell too many scents. Narrow it down to a few perfumes, and go back another time.

Make sure to spray the perfume on your skin as scents can react differently on different skins.
And stay open to different types of scents, like children's colognes, solid perfumes (L'Occitane, Anthropologie), lesser known brands etc.

I hope this will help. Keep me posted!

Iñaki said...

I've always dreamt of designing my own fragrance. Something that will become my signature smell and that will make me feel more myself.

xx

Solange said...

Those pictures look very fancy and femine :-)
I like perfume and I have got some bottles in my cupboard, but I have noticed I like more and more subtile scents and not so much heavy scents, maybe only for when I go out.

have a good week!

Solange

Anonymous said...

Comme 2, I could bath in it!

The Fancier said...

Blenheim Bouquet sounds lovely! I like so many scents but one of my long, long, long, time favorites is Bulgari au Vert. I like it because it is light and not overwhelming.

Unknown said...

last year me enamore de Timbuktu de Lartisan parfumeur,and now my bottle is almost empty, but I just do not find anithing that I like so much!!!

tangobaby said...

I love Penghallion scents so much that I leave the bottles unopened. I can't bear to use mine, they are so pretty.

For most of my life, my signature scent has been Chanel No. 5. I have many other fragrances, but that is the one I am most comfortable in.

However, I just discovered a tiny store on Haight Street where I blended my own two oil mixes, and now I am in love with both of them, partially because they smell delicious (people ask me what I am wearing) and partially because I made them up myself! The little vials are small enough so that I keep them in my pocket to refresh during the day.

Scent 1: Sweet almond, Nag Champa and tuberose.

Scent 2: Wood amber and Fig.

You can call me Betty, or Bethany, or Beth ...Just don't call me late for dinner. said...

YSL Paris Baby Doll or Ruby Guava body lotion.

fruity is as fruity does...

xxoo, b