Close your eyes and sniff and what do you smell? Anything? I have a very keen sense of smell and am always smelling substances and different scents that my other half can’t. How often do I say, ‘do you smell that?’ Very often! And the reply is usually, no.
Yes, our theme this month is Scent and I’ll tell you about the perfumes I like and the type of perfume I dislike. But because of my quite acute sense of smell there are other scents and smells that I find so evocative, which I also look at.
Of course, you all know about that key passage from Proust’s, A la recherche du temp perdu when the taste of a madeleine gave him a rush of memory that took a whole book to get through (no I haven’t read it and I know I should, but I just haven’t). That was not really about the taste of the cake but all about his sense of smell. We have these neurons in our nose that extend to the olfactory bulb of the brain and to the place that directly involves memory. Consequently smells and scents are absolutely key to our memories and our emotions connected to those memories.
And indeed, the first evocative smell I give you is the smell of burnt toast!
My school was in a different town and like many people in those days we didn’t have a car – when I was young cars were not the universal must-haves. I left our house, which was in a small village called Horsell, at 7.30am to catch a bus to Woking station, there I caught a train to Guildford, crossed the platform and caught another train to get to Guildford, London Road, and then walked over a mile to get to school before assembly at 9.0am. I did this from the age of 10 to the age of 18. And every day before we left, my mother cooked us a hearty breakfast, but she always burnt the toast. Mind you, my poor mother didn’t have a toaster, instead the sliced (white) bread was put under the gas grill, and she always burnt it. So, what I remember also is the sound of her scraping the toast to get rid of the burnt bits. Yes, as soon as I smell burnt toast I remember my childhood days and the breakfasts we had before we left for our long journey to school.
My mother was also a dab hand at making old-fashioned sandwiches, and I particularly remember the smell of boiled egg and tomato sandwiches. These particular sandwiches just remind me of my mother making sandwiches for birthday parties and tea-time visits from relatives, with their crusts cut off, of course!
Another evocative smell has to be the smell of washing that’s been dried outside. There’s nothing like that fresh smell, and I do so dislike the winter months when we can’t hang the washing outside on a line. A tumbler dryer is just not my favourite way to dry clothes and I am also very aware that it is, of course, incredibly important not to use fossil fuels to dry our clothes when they can easily dry in the sun. Oh, and what about the smell of cut grass, that’s lovely. But best of all, is the smell of a newborn baby. Lydia Rose was born exactly 10 days ago. She is so beautiful and there is that special smell you get when you hold a newborn – it is so lovely and I hope to show you a photograph of her one day. Meanwhile, grandma can’t pass a rack of girl’s dresses without thinking, now would Lydia look good in this!!!
And now for perfume. I’ve just been reading a biography of Coco Chanel who apparently created the world’s best selling perfume, Chanel No 5. Do you like it? I don’t. It just doesn’t do anything for me, and I crinkle my nose up whenever I smell it. For many years floral, light flowery perfumes have been a no-no for me. I prefer deep, woody, spicy smells and scents and for a long time I used the Sandalwood soap and lotions by Roger & Gallet. It seems this particular Roger & Gallet scent (and soap) is either discontinued or very hard to get in the UK. If you know of any source for it do let me know as sandalwood is my most favourite scent.
One perfume I used to adore was Opium by Yves St. Laurent. but now I think this has too strong a smell and I am not replacing the bottle I have. Another perfume that I won’t replace is Miss Dior. It’s Ok but not sure why I bought it. My two favourite perfumes are Si by Giorgio Armani, which I use in the winter, and Green Tea Scent Spray by Elizabeth Arden which I use in the summer as the scent of it is so fresh. And having said I like the spicy deep woody scents, both of these perfumes are lighter than Opium. Maybe over the years, my taste in perfume and my sense of smell has changed.
I’ll tell you also what has changed – the popularity of certain perfumes. Who remembers Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew, and what about Charlie, by Revlon?
And here’s a really old one, 4711 Original Eau de Cologne, my mother always had a bottle of this on her dressing table.
I imagine that when my mother was in India that fresh smell was wafted under people’s noses and put onto wrists a lot. And what about Coty’s L’aimant?
I’m almost certain that when I was a teenager the shape of the bottle was different – more rounded, perhaps? I thought then that L’aimant was the height of sophistication! And don’t forget, Blue Grass by Elizabeth Arden, that was so popular.
What were your favourites – do tell me!
Now it’s time to introduce you to the other collaborators around the world who also wrote about Scent (and posted earlier this month)
First is Jill from Grownup Glamour who suggested the subject of Scent
Then Gail from Is This Mutton Gail asked a few friends for their scent memories
Michelle from Following My Muse: who says we rely so much on our sense of sight, that the information scents provide fall under our radar.
And then Debbie from Deb’s World: Australian Debbie from Deb’s World is sharing her favourite scents, one a naturally occurring smell and the other a more manufactured scent.
That’s all for now 😊 With love, Penny, the Frugalfashionshopper
Well you’ve touched a nerve with me on smells, Oh yes my mum always burned the toast, no doubt juggling all the other things she had to do getting us off to school plus stirring the porridge on a basic 1950s stove. I too have a good sense of smell and my go to perfumes have really changed. I love Chanel Cristalle but it’s hard to get (and expensive). I have Black Opium that’s now too strong and an old but beautiful bottle of Guerlain Mitsouko that doesn’t appeal these days! I definitely like lighter fragrances especially more citrusy. I loved Charlie and Ralph Lauren Safari was my signature scent for years! To me smells conjure up more nostalgia than photos.
Smells are so evocative – burnt toast brings back sooo many memories. Thanks Linda 🙂
Super.So evocative.L’aimant,still love it.
R😀
L’aimant was very much my favourite as a teenager and beyond. Thanks Rosemary 🙂
I must have the same nose as you Penny as I too cannot deal with sweet, floral scents. They get me in the back of the throat and make my tummy roll and I too loved Sandalwood by R&G. The lovely boxes that the soaps came in were kept for jewellery and nick nacks.
A favourite from my younger days was Dior Dior. I LOVED this in the 80s as I thought it smelled like sweet gin. A bit like surgical spirit but less medical. I can find no record of it anywhere now, it’s as if it never existed. Aqua Manda and Charlie are the scents of my schooldays. And I adore the smell of diesel and petrol as it reminds me of when my dad used to take me out in his lorry as a child (and no seatbelts in those days) and I would have to sit in the cab at the depot waiting for what seemed like hours.
Someone has emailed me that an old-fashioned chemist in a town nearby has some R&G Sandalwood but the packaging has apparently changed. Will try and get there soon! And I’d forgotten about Aqua Manda – I also used to buy that perfume!
Thanks Leslie 🙂
My wedding perfume 55 years ago was Memoire Cherie by Elizabeth Arden(I think). I have not smelled this in the past 50 years but I remember it as light and flowery. My favourite perfume now is Bottega Veneta. With the tiny band of leather just below the top. It is too expensive for everyday. My daughter sometimes buys it as a special treat for me for Christmas or birthdays and last Christmas she also bought me a big pot of Clarins body creme. The blue one. for everyday. That is so fresh and even my 15 year old granddaughter wears it.
I wear BV too, the original. Wear it virtually every day and someone always says how lovely I smell. It’s unusual too which is a big plus
Will have to have a sniff of that Bottega Veneta when I next go to a big Boots!! Thanks Maureen 🙂
It is interesting how the sensation of smell changes over the years – I do like a fresh smell now. Thanks Kate 🙂
I loved your observations on scents. I am often discussing perfume memories with my daughter and friends. My earliest memory of perfume is the blue bottle of ‘Evening in Paris’ on my mother’s dressing table. Sadly I can’t recall the fragrance but as a six year old little girl, I was intrigued by the blue bottle. My daughter wore Loulou in another opaque bottle as a teenager. When she left to go to university I could go and sniff her clothes in her bedroom. Later I can remember her wearing Coty L’Aimant. In later years Mum always wore Lancome Le Tresor and occasionally I wear the perfume to evoke memories. Another fascinating aspect of perfumes is that they seem to smell different on other people. A friend/ colleague used to wear Femme in the 80s. She always smelt divine so I treated myself to a bottle. I really hated the fragrance on me. I love floral perfumes. Perhaps my favourite is Penhaligon Bluebell but I love Jo Loves No 42 Flower shop which transports you to a delicious florists. I love many of the Jo Malone floral perfumes but my favourite was a limited edition Nasturtium and Clover which was divine. Sadly Jo Malone hadn’t revived it. Thank you for stimulating thoughts and memories.
Oh interesting that your daughter wore Coty’s L’aimant. I’ve never tried any of Jo Malone’s perfumes – I must give her a go as long as it’s not too floral. Thanks Heather 🙂
Scent is so very evocative. Like you, as a child we had cooked breakfast and my mother made toast on a rack over the electric cooker hot plate. Crispy bacon sandwiches were my favourite then and now, though these days they’re a rare treat. My first foray into perfume as a teenager was with Mary Quant’s AM and PM. I’ve never really enjoyed floral scents and hate Chanel No 5, bought as a 21st birthday gift for me by a then boyfriend! My go to scents now are by Dyptique, such as their Philosykos Eau de Toilette and their woody resinous candles. My husband wears a lovely mossy scent, Vetiver. I find being in the same room as someone wearing a strong sweet cloying scent triggers migraine! I’ll be spending the rest of the day with memories of scent I love and hate…
Ah bacon sarnies – yum!
I now dislike the heavier scents that I used to love – interesting how our sense of smell changes over the years and also how individual our responses are to perfumes. Thanks Jane 🙂
I hope you are feeling a lot better now Penny. Flu does seem to take it out of you and it can take a long time to feel back to normal. Nurturing body and mind is key. Very best wishes.
Jane
Hello Penny
Oh, burnt toast! With Marmite to cover both the taste and the marks of scraping! Not that Mum ever got away with it as the evidence was there in the kitchen sink it stuck so well!
Blue Grass is still my signature perfume! You wouldn’t believe how often someone asks “Ooh, what is that gorgeous scent you’ve got on?” Lily of the Valley reminds me of my darling grandmother and violets of my equally loved Auntie V. My dad’s family would give me talcum powder of either lilac or linden blossom for Christmas, such grown-up joy for a little girl and not seen these days. And how I wish I could get my hands on some of the original Irish perfume Innisfree (think that’s the right spelling but away from home so can’t check), pronounced InnisHfree.) It was bootiful.
But best of all, is the memory of giving one of my tops to my daughter who lives far far away, because she liked it so much. She immediately hugged it to her, inhaled and said, “I don’t think I’ll ever wash this, Mum, because it it smells of you!” Aaah!
Take care
Zepherine x
PS Trust you are feeling your old self now, and back on form.
I’m kind of getting there. Still get very tired, but managed a 1-2-1 int eh morning and a short walk in the afternoon and that’s a great improvement from last week.
What was it about our mothers and burnt toast and the scraping! Actually it has to be the lack of a toaster and would have done any better!
Oh yes, I had friends who loved Blue Grass – didn’t ever buy it for myself though. Thanks Zepherine 🙂
Oh I’ve just bought a bottle of L’aimant online as I never see it in the shops.
Turns out I like the chypre scents (Shalimar,Mitsouko,Chanel 19,Miss Dior and L’aimant!)
My mother too occasionally burned the toast but the smell I most recall from her was the smell of homemade lemon curd! It was absolutely delicious on brown bread with sliced banana! Oh it was Devine!
Mum used Coty L’amaint. I used it for a while but someone sat on my bag and broke the little bottle. The scent leaked into my bag and that bag turned my stomach! Couldn’t face that smell ever again. I used Youth Dew for a while but again it got too heavy for me. For a few years now I have liked Agent Provocateur and often get compliments on how nice I smell. My little granddaughter likes the way I smell too.
I too love the smell of newborns, the smell of new mown grass but also Jackaranda trees. The smell is as lovely as the sight of them on a tree lined street. Loved them in Australia.
Oh nice one, re: lemon curd. Despite wearing Youth Dew on my wedding day, I never replaced the bottle as I thought it had quite a strong scent even then. Thanks Sandra 🙂
You can get L’aimant in Boots
It’s tempting to buy another bottle of L’aimant as I remember loving it when I was younger but I’ll have to give it a sniff before I do as although I still have Opium in my collection of perfumes I’ve moved on from anything heavy.
Thanks Hilary 🙂
What a fabulous post! I remember Charlie, I wore that when I was a youngster (mainly because it was cheap lol). I love Si by Giorgio Armani too, it’s very classy. I’ve never been a big fan of Chanel Nº5 either. I’m not into scents that are too floral. My current favourite is a bit pricey but hubby bought it for me on our recent holiday to Switzerland. Soleil Blanc by Tom Ford. It’s absolutely gorgeous! I also recently discovered I’m a Dior girl too and I was gifted Miss Dior which is lovely.
Last year my MIL died and I inherited all of her things and she was an obsessive shopper so I gained loads of perfumes…some I’ve given away because they were just too strong for me, but you wouldn’t believe how many I still have! Unfortunately, over the past year the peri-menopause has been com[petely messing with my sense of smell. There are perfumes / aftershaves which I used to love but they turn my stomach now. There are some shops that I can’t even go into any more because the smell, to me, is so gross! I hope it passes soon though!
Hugs
Suzy xx
It’s so nice to meet another person who likes Si by Giorgio Armani! And like you my sense of smell must have changed over the years as I dislike so many of the perfumes I used to love. I know what you mean about stomach turning – can’t stand the smell of Lush shops – too too smelly!!!
Thanks Suzy 🙂
xx
I bought my first bottle of L’Heure Bleue when I was a teenager and still love it today, although it’s harder to find. My winter perfume in the ‘60s was an oil by Weil called Secret of Venus which is now impossible to find. For a light everyday scent I like Pear by Marc Jacob’s but it’s not released every year so I’m trying to make what I’ve got last.
Ah yes, L’Heure Bleue! Another perfume I’d forgotten about. I don’t think I bought any but was aware of it. I’ll have to try the Marc Jacob perfume when I next go to a big Boots! Thanks Katji 🙂
Hello Penny, what an interesting read – thank you! In the 70’s I used to love Aromatics Elixir by Clinique. This was quite a powerful smell, not sure if it’s still around. On the subject of drying clothes, I live in the West of Scotland where we get more than our share of rainfall so drying clothes outdoors is often impossible. A number of years ago we invested in a dehumidifier which has been one of the best investments ever, we’re now onto our third but have bought the same model each time. I did a lot of ‘research’ before buying this and it’s been wonderful, much cheaper to run compared to a tumble drier and the advantage here is that all you have to do is use a clothes airer in a room where you can keep the doors and windows closed and you can dry anything – clothes, bedding, outdoor coats, dog coats…. happy to share information on the model that we bought, it’s not too large – recommended by people who use this on their boat.
Would love to have more details of your dehumidifier please!
Hello Hilary here’s the link for our dehumidifier, I see that it’s out of stock at manufacturer but Curry’s have it in stock. https://www.meaco.com/products/meaco-dd8l-junior-dehumidifier
We’d be lost without this – currently drying two dog coats and harnesses, two raincoats plus today’s laundry!
I hope this is helpful. Warm wishes. Cathy
Thanks for this Cathy – I’ve taken note of the humidifier you use as we have quite condensation problem in our bedroom.
Thanks Penny for a really good post.
My mum always wore Coty L’Aimant or Lentheric Tweed. I bought her some Aqua Manda once and bees and wasps used to follow her so she had to throw it away!
I can remember wearing Je Revien when young.
My favourite perfumes now are quite floral like Paul Smith Rose and I absolutely love Stella McCartney Stella but I think they’ve stopped producing it. You can’t seem to get it anywhere and nobody knows why. Perhaps someone here knows where I can get it. 😘
Ah yes, I remember Tweed, and think I bought and used it too. You’re all reminding me of perfumes I’d forgotten about!!! It’s also interesting to hear about new scents. Thanks Ellie 🙂
I burn my toast all the time when I make a baked cheese sandwich. And the smell of the scraped black crust is horrible, lol. My favourite perfume since about 25 years is poison by Dior. That smell does something to me. I only wear it when we go out. It feels luxurious to me. I never get bored with that perfume.
Oh yes, the smell of the scraped bits!!! Dior does some good perfumes but they’re too expensive for me now! Thanks Nancy 🙂
I love your memory of burnt toast. In my younger years my father always smelled of rum & coke and cigarettes. Most people would consider that a bad smell, but I didn’t. It was comforting then. I have found the posts that include perfumes so interesting. I have tended to stay away from perfumes, because I have had such significant pollen allergies that a lot of perfumes make me sneeze. Probably due to association with certain smells rather than an actual allergy. So the majority of them are not pleasurable for me.
Washing on the line, and freshly mowed grass are both good ones. I love the smell of cut grass, although it also makes me sneeze.
Such an enjoyable post, Penny!
Michelle
https://funkyfashionstyle.com
I find the burnt toast smell so evocative of the past! Actually yes, my dad always smelt of pipe tobacco – that was definitely his smell. When I look back so many people smoked and they smoked everywhere especially on trains and even (gasp) the underground!
Yes, I also realise after writing this and having thought about it, that I don’t like the strong smelling perfumes. Thanks Michelle 🙂
One of my favourite scents is that of a beach, especially in summer – hot sand, salty air, sun tan lotion, are all feel-good scents for me and bring back memories of growing up on the Isle of Wight. Another natural smell is that of summer rain on hot tarmac and pavements. At the moment my garden has lots of bluebells about to appear, they will add a lovely smell when they finally come into flower. My favourite perfumes at the moment are Rive Gauche by Yves St Laurent and Roger et Gallett’s Jean Marie Farina eau de cologne – lovely fresh scent, especially in summer. I used to wear Carven’s Ma Griffe, but haven’t seen it for years. I remember my mother wearing Youth Dew when I was a teenager and used to “borrow” a splash occasionally.
Oh my goodness, you are all reminding me of perfumes I had forgotten about. I remember Ma Griffe and Rive Gauche and think I must the bought a bottle or two.
Youth Dew – oh wow, that was a wedding present from someone and I wore it on the day – but even then I though it was quite a strong smell.
A beach – gosh we could sure do with a bit of sun and lying on a beach!
What a lovely post Penny. My grandmother wore L’Aimant all the time and I still like it. Anyone remember Coty’s Emeraude? I have the body lotion in L’Heure Bleu which is gorgeous, not too strong. And my number one favourite is Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino which is like the best ever eau de cologne.
Thank you for mentioning Coty’s Emeraude – I was trying to remember that one. I used to love it!
I’m so interested in many of the comments that talk about perfumes I haven’t come across before. Must have a sniff of Tom Ford perfumes when I next go to a bit store. Thanks Claire 🙂
Scents are so evocative,countries, cities , houses all have their own unique smell. I haven’t been back there for years but Paris for me will always be the smell of coffee, Croque Monseur, and pastry shops. The salty sea air at Weston Super Mare,The warm , pine scented air in Greece.
My favourite perfumes these days are mostly floral, but a mix, like Orange Blossom/Rose and Geranium /Patchouli. I can’t stand Bluebell or Lily of the Valley, they give me a headache!
I love old-fashioned scent, my absolute favourite is Jicky by Geurlain, but it’s not that easy to find so I have to ration it. It makes me happy when I wear it, in fact I think scent has the ability to lift my mood in an instant.
Good to see you back and with this very interesting post, Penny !
I remember that France had a very strong smell of their particular brands of cigarettes and I honestly think there was a faint whiff of their sewage system. It really was the strongest of smells – not as strong now, but there’s still a hint of it. Thanks Maisie 🙂
Ah,scent is one of my favourite subjects and I have many! L’aimant was called the”poor man’s Chanel no 5′ and I wore it at my wedding. My mother once cried when she spilled the real, very precious one! I recommend Fragrantica website if you like finding out about perfumes. Youth Dew is an old favourite as is Ysatis but it depends on the season & occasion. My Dad bought me Roma so I always have some of that. My daughter bought me Shay & Blue Cherry Blossom & a man told me it was a beautiful scent. Could write an essay here….,…but I think we often have emotional attachments to certain aromas, as you demonstrate with the toast! Love washing and new baby smells too.
Ah yes, Youth Dew which I wore on my wedding day, but I never replaced it as I thought it had such a strong scent that wasn’t quite me. Will look at that website – thanks Lynda 🙂
Thinking back about 60 years my favourite perfume then was Shocking by Schiaparelli. Then I moved on to Madame Rochas. In later years I was gifted many perfumes e.g. Chanel, Van Arpel’s, and never really liked any of them, I always found them too strong. Nowadays I don’t use any. But, I have some hand cream which is perfumed with lavender, chamomile and patchouli which I love!!
Oh wow, Pauline I remember Madame Rochas and definitely used it when I was younger – had forgotten about that one.
So true about not wearing perfumes. I hardly use my perfumes now although Green Tea I use a bit more as it has such a fresh summery smell. Thanks Pauline 🙂
Je Reviens and Tweed and L’Aimant my cousin wore Charlie and Tramp (what were they thinking?). I balk at buying perfume now I’d rather spend the money on something else. I read Lidl (maybe Aldi) had a perfume that smells like Chloe for a few pounds. I love lemon and citrusy smells and the sandalwood soap you mention but no longer use soaps. At home we had Imperial Leather soap so masculine. Chanel number 5 or anything Chanel is politically incorrect. This topic will run and run a real trip down memory lane.
I’d be genuinely interested to know why Chanel is ‘politically incorrect’? Most big brands waste resources and spend silly amounts on advertising but is Chanel worse? I buy perfumes from e-bay and Allbeauty.com where the prices are good & have gone back to soap, including solid shampoo, to cut back on plastic waste. Not sure how much difference it all makes though!
Collaborator Coco
Je Reviens and Tweed, I remember those and must have bought a bottle or two. Will look in Aldi at some point for a perfume! Thanks Flora 🙂
I love the smell of washing that has been blowing outside in the wind.
The smell of Toast is comforting as is the smell of good coffee.
Perfume and aftershave make me cough and I find as I get older it’s so much more noticeable.
A Yoga class in Bristol has a sign which says:
Please do not wear perfume as it invades others space.
All the best Penny x
Actually I remember taking a course in Aromatherapy and at one point we were told to close our eyes and sniff everyone’s neck – there were about 15 of us. It was so interesting that the ones who wore perfume smelt ‘off’. I gave up wearing perfume for a year or so after that! Thanks Vivien 🙂
Such an interesting post! I am very sensitive to smells. In fact for Christmas of 2021 I was given a paperwhite narcissis plant. On Christmas morning I had such a bad migraine I almost cancelled the dinner with family. After a while I suspected the plant and isolated it . Bingo! right away I felt much better, the smell was making me ill. I have worn the same perfume for many years as I have yet to find one that won’t send me running to the shower after a while. Most I cannot tolerate. I have worn Estee Lauder White Linen for years and years as I seem to tolerate it and like the smell. Of course after all this time I have gone a bit nose blind. Last time I went to replenish my bottle I was told the store no longer carried it. I tried a couple of others at the suggestion of the saleswoman but after a while the headaches began. I was able to order a bottle on line, but would love to find a replacement. In the past I liked Shalimar, Emerude and also wore Opium. And a perfume called Bal A Versailles I would not wear these now, too overpowering even if they did not cause a reaction. For a while I did like a green tea scent but a man I was dating at the time could not stand it.
There is a bakery near me and sometimes when I drive by I can smell the baking bread. There have been times I went home and made toast as it smells so good. And I love the smell of stables, the combination of the horses, hay and leather. That is it for now Penny, love from New York, Darby
Ah yes, your last but one sentence. I have a story about the smell of stables. When I was a child living in suburban London (Edgware) I kid you not, our milk was delivered by horse and cart and my earliest memories are of rushing out to feed the horse a custard cream biscuit (cookie). Oh how sad it was when the horses were phased out and the milkman came with an electric cart. The stables were converted and housed the electric carts but for years after the smell of horses and stables remained and was so strong – it lingered and lingered and I’ve never forgotten!
I’ve heard that scent is much more powerful than even sight. Although I don’t like the smell of fresh cut lawn, because I used to mow lawns to make money, haha.
We laugh that I have a superpower to be able to smell kitty pooh anytime our senior kitties are having issues and it sticks to their fur. I wonder how I could make money on that superpower, haha.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
It really is a very important sense and my word hasn’t it stuck a chord and brought out so many memories! Thanks Jodie 🙂
xxx
Burnt toast reminds me of my mom, too. But, it’s because we used to go out for breakfast every Saturday, and the restaurant always smelled of burnt toast…probably more the toast crumbs left behind in those huge toasters. I do think all of your scents are wonderful. I miss being able to hang my clothes out. We couldn’t in our last neighborhood and not in the new one, either. Did you have Emeraude (sp?) My husband bought me a large gift package of it for our first Christmas as a married couple. I really didn’t like it, but he loved it so I wore it for years. My favorite scents are more along the lines of fresh, citrus, and floral but not sweet florals. I do hope you’re feeling better and better every day!
https://marshainthemiddle.com/
We couldn’t hang our clothes out in our last two places – but oh joy, I can hang the washing out here. Can’t wait for the better weather and when we are able to do this.
I don’t remember Coty’s Emeraude it was always L’aimant that I adored! Thanks Marsha 🙂
Scent evokes so many different memories , be it the perfumes we have worn over the years or those childhood scent memories. I did enjoy reading about those burnt toast school mornings. I agree there is something about the freshness of washing dried outside.
Glad you enjoyed this topic Penny .
This was a great subject and look how it struck a chord and brought back so many memories. Washing dried outside is just the best smell ever – actually cut grass is good too. Thanks so much for giving us this topic – it’s been great to think it through 🙂
I just adore the fresh fragrance of sundried washing. Summer and sunshine. Burnt toast brings on a state of anxiety for me- running late for school and hurrying to catch the school bus. Only one chance to get to school in those days-we lived in the country and high school was 14km away.
As for fragrances I loved Charlie and Maroussia in my late teens graduating to Kama love oil (it was the 70s😍)and wear it to this very day. Reminds me of happy times as a young woman developing my own fashion sense. Still love natural fabrics and a dab of Kama with it’s peppery patchouli musky fragrance. Kama is a New Zealand made product.
Ah yes, the school bus – we don’t have that in the UK and people nowadays mostly drive their kids to school even quite short distances, but not when I was young! We didn’t have a car so there was no alternative than to take all that public transport!
Not heard of Marouissia – sounds interesting. Thanks Gaye 🙂
Morning Penny,
Firstly, warm congratulations on the birth of Lydia … I shall look forward to the photos. Oh, Yes, that wonderful smell of babies!
Burnt toast! I can’t say I like the smell of it but I’m rather partial to a lightly burnt slice well buttered – non salted, please.
Yes, to the smell of cut grass and many flowers and many delicious smells from the kitchen. And I’m with you on the smell of washing dried on the line. I also love lavender and so I have a bottle of lavender water and always put a few drops in water and spray my bedlinen before ironing it.
In my younger days, I was a huge fan of scent and cringe remembering the amount I used – you could smell me 10 yards away! Nowadays, I see it as an infringement on people’s space; I only want to smell people’s perfume when I am up close (for a hug) and use it sparingly myself. Now, more often and certainly during the day, I don’t wear any.
All the very best, Mary xx
Me too, with the amount of perfume I used to wear and the strong scents I used to go for. I think I’ve had the bottle of Opium for some years now and won’t replace it – I hardly ever use it. I use Si very sparingly but the Tea Tree spray is quite appropriate for the summer so I use more of that during those months.
All the very best and thanks to you Mary 🙂
xx
My mother also grew up in India and also always had 4711 on her dressing table. I also have a keen sense of smell and sometimes catch a whiff of something that takes me back to a precise memory. I look forward to the smell of our house when we come home from holiday (old furniture, rugs and polish with a hint of aged dust!) but I’m so used to that smell that it is gone in an instant. My taste in perfume has changed as I have got older. I used to love Poison in the 90’s and thought it highly sophisticated but that, along with Coco would now give me a headache. I also cannot tolerate Aromatics by Clinique although you do still get wafts of it when out and about. I always liked Shalimar and would still wear that. One perfume that has stuck with me is Moschino but it is not widely available now and is a little bit too powerful so my new favourite is Black Orchid by Tom Ford which is much more subtle. It is expensive so it isn’t an everyday sniff. Love the topic Penny.
Oh wow, re: your mother. Mine just went out in 1946 to join my father who was out there from 1933-1947. And there I was born in June of 1946. She didn’t really like it there but my father – I don’t think he ever really got over those RAJ days and being in the Indian Army. Yes, he adjusted but when, after his death, I read his memoir I realised that India was his first love. Enough about those memories but like your mother, there was always a bottle of 4711 on her dressing table.
I haven’t used any of the perfumes you mention and I feel I really must have a sniff of a Tom Ford perfume when I next go into a big Boots. Thanks Pamela 🙂
Loved your post. I remember L’Aimant, our cat Holly would come home stinking of it, and we’d know she’d been at Miss Maunder’s. I started off with Charlie and went through a dizzy array of perfumes, including Chanel No 5 (didn’t much like), Joy, Cinnabar, Knowing, Jicky, Boudoir by Vivienne Westwood. Eventually I found my all time favourite, Diorella. I have a precious bottle of the old EDP formula and hardly ever wear it. I’m very conscious of not invading people’s olfactory space!
Oh- and what a horrendous trip to school you had! Kids now are driven just to the end of the road.
Gail xx
I haven’t used any of the perfumes you mention – but I do remember someone using Diorella – lovely!
Re: that journey. When we got to Woking station I linked up with about 5-6 other girls (yes, it was a gels school!) who also lived in Woking and made that same journey. Astonishingly we (now 7) joined the train and met up with others who had got on further down the line. There were three sisters who came from Surbiton which is absolutely miles and miles away from Guildford. There were in all about 15 of us who did the train trip to school. We all thought it absolutely normal and rather enjoyed the camaraderie of the journey.
Thanks Gail 🙂
xx
What a journey but yet you thought little of it being a chore. I thought my 3 miles a day walk to my girls’grammar, home for lunch of course , was normal too. I often read or knitted with the wool in my pocket. Lots of thinking & wind down time too. My grandmother lived on the route, actually at the other end of a the same long street, so I’d call in on baking day. If Mrs Dale’s Diary was still on I had to wait to speak to her!
This post is about one of my favourite topics, Penny! I joined in with the Tell Us About link-up as I love the subject. I’ve recycled one of my previous blog posts on ‘Scent’. My first signature perfume was the original Biba. I next opted for Opium and Poison. I now use La Vie est Belle. I find a spritz of perfume lifts the spirits. During the lockdowns, I wore perfume every day!
It’s frustrating that you have been unable to comment on my posts. I will contact the WordPress Happiness Engineers (!) to see if they can resolve the problem.
Re your news: a new granddaughter – brilliant.
I’ve just identified my password – WordPress always asks me for my password before it lets me post and usually up to now it allowed me to post a comment, but not always and I think that’s when the comment ended up in junk or wherever! Now it won’t even acknowledge the password, and the screen goes blank. But I will try with this password which is different to the one I’ve been using – geeeez the iniquities of IT!
Glad you like this subject – it’s been a great one evoking so many memories. Thanks June 🙂
Oh yes, fragrances are so evocative aren’t they. I loved discovering perfume in my teens and twenties – Blue Grass, Aqua Manda, Charlie among others. My mum wore Tweed, Rive Gauche, Anais Anais, Loulou among others. A work colleague whom I thought was fantastic and so sophisticated when I was mid twenties and she was late 30s (though sadly she died of breast cancer when she was 39, such a sad loss) wore Opium. A Giorgio Armani fragrance that I can’t remember the exact name of from a bad relationship in my twenties. My wedding perfume in my mid 30s was Christian Dior Dune. I’m still very happily married and I only have to sniff Dune to be transported straight back to that happy day almost 30 years later. Another work colleague in my late 30s wore Christian Dior Poison – we worked in an open plan office, I sat next to her and she would spray herself liberally with the bottle she kept in her desk drawer at regular intervals throughout the day – yuk. When I was perimenopausal, Iwent off most perfumes as they gave me headaches so I stopped wearing anything other than perfumed body lotion. I think I need to revisit some of them and maybe some new ones now that I’m post menopausal.