What Perfumes Smell Like (Besides Money Burning)
What does money smell like? The Times notes the rapid rise of "sweet" in perfumes, which makes sense, given that pop culture is garbage and syrup, though Prada Candy, God bless. There are also a few holdouts, like Hermes perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena: "Instead, his new Hermès Santal Massoïa, introduced in November, is made of the 'milky' woods sandalwood and massoia. It smells sort of like a tree that’s been through a brutal storm." LOL! (Also, weirdly true. Though also sort of like a ripe melon got trapped in a sauna after being beaten with a cedar bat.) Elsewhere a (terrible-sounding) perfume is described by saying it "conjures an image of Janis Joplin holding a lollipop." I wish they'd said "conducting a jam band with a lollipop." Anyway. People like to smell things, sometimes.
The types of fragrances people prefer are similar to the types of music people prefer in that it's all too strong when you're sitting next to it on the subway. Loud music doesn't usually remind me of bathroom air fresheners, though.
I'm wearing a Beyonce perfume that I swear has notes of cumin.
@Maura Johnston What other notes does it have, and do you like it? I need something new, and while I tend to avoid celebrity perfumes, that sounds… nifty!
I'll quote my favorite Manhunt inquiry: "Any pig?"
The teen boy in this house bought Axe because "On the commercials, the guys got x-ray vision and could see right through the girls' clothes and look at their bras."
Not because it was "sweet".
(also, does anyone remember Grandma's "White Shoulders"? That perfume had the whole sweet thing cornered long before "Angel" came into existence.)
@hockeymom I bet if you asked one of his friends what it would be like if he had x-ray vision and could see right through girls' clothes, he would describe it thusly: "sweet."
Ok, I need help.
1. A perfume with notes of gin and black pepper. It can be a men's cologne, as long as it isn't too manly for a lady.
2. A perfume with notes of violette that doesn't smell like old lady.
@lovelettersinhell Oh hey, I can help you with that! Penhaligon's, that veddy old-fashioned English perfume company has a scent called Juniper Sling with a lovely dose of gin and pepper. It doesn't last forever, maybe 3 or 4 hours on the skin, but it's nice. Very likeable. Have a look here for more notes and general bumf: http://bit.ly/rprAcC
The other one I'd recommend you try is from the tiny London-based perfumer Ormonde Jayne. It's called Isfarkan, and is one of my all-time favourites. It's scent with a fabulously dry sense of humour: cleanly peppery and alcoholic in a way I never knew I needed until I tried it. My tastes definitely lean towards the predictably lady-like, but Isfarkand is one of the very, very few men's colognes that would genuinely work on anyone. God, I love it. I'm going to put some on and then go have sex with myself. Website here: http://bit.ly/t0K69Y
Violet, I can't help with. Violet and I don't play nicely together. But if you want to dive into the degenerate world of scent sampling, I can point you in the direction of the excellent Perfumed Court, a terrific little company that'll send you little phials of whatever you're interested in: http://bit.ly/rSIKQy
Welcome to the scented dark side, my friend.
@lovelettersinhell Outremer's Violette EDT smells like those violet mints. I don't know if that's old-lady or not, but I really like it. http://www.smallflower.com/outremer,-formerly-laromarine/violette-edt-100ml-spray-20601
@lovelettersinhell 1) for the pepper/juniper/botanical, check out Hermes "Poivre Samarcand." Jean-Claude Ellena, the perfume designer described his inspiration for this one: "A massive, beautiful oak tree once grew in front of my house, blocking our view of the Mediterranean. Eventually, it grew ill and was felled.The peppery, musky, slightly smoky scent of the cut wood etched itself in my memory.The soul of the old oak, mixed with pepper, lives on in this fragrance." 2) Caron (again) makes a now modern "Violette Preceiuse," which when worn in any interview of meeting may result in your getting what you want.
God I hate perfume. I don't know you– don't make me smell you.
That said, my mom wore a really unique scent, the name escapes me now but I was able to buy some on Ebay. She is gone. I would love to smell her again.
L'Occitane's verbena spray is perfect – fresh, citrus-y and unlikely to offend your subway seatmate.
"A ripe melon got trapped in a sauna after being beaten with a cedar bat" is an olefactory nightmare. Maybe not as terrible as molasses or coyote shit.