Monday, August 8, 2011

A Rose by Any Other Name...Stinks!

Haute Couturier Coco Chanel was once asked, "Where should one wear perfume?"

Chanel's answer? "Where ever you would like to be kissed...."


Mmm, now doesn't THAT conjure up some romantic images? Scent is the strongest inducement to memory. Pheremones drive us to passion, to hate, to attraction..... Humans have used it for centuries to entice, allure, and decorate the body, both for our own pleasure and to attract the opposite sex.

Yeah. I like perfume. Grins.

So it will surprise you that I did something this last week that I haven't done in about five years.

(No, not THAT...jeeez, this is a family blog!)

I bought perfume. Or Eau de Cologne or whatever the heck you call it when it comes in a spritzer rather than a five-hundred-dollar-an-ounce bottle. Grins.

Why, you may ask, did it take me five years to do it when it's so yummy, sexy and wonderful? Ahhhhh, now that's a personal question. Hahaha! But I'm going to tell you anyway.

Let me first make the disclaimer that I really, REALLY adore perfume only when it's correctly applied (that means dabbed not drenched, ladies, and same for you with the cologne, gents!)

Think SUBTLE, people!

I love when you have a scent you can layer with lotion, powder and or perfume. I love when people have a "signature scent" - something associated just with them.

My mother always wore a Coty perfume. I can bring it to mind and memory instantly when I smell it, and it means "Mama" to me. Same with a friend of mine who wears Issey-Miyaki. GORGEOUS scent and smells divine on her. Love that.

Now, to the point.

Perfume hates me. Or maybe it's perfumiers. They add stuff to perfume that makes me itch. I have fair skin, but I'm not allergic to much, nor do things usually irritate me or break me out. I've never considered myself "delicate" in any way when it comes to product or potions or any thing like that.

But perfume is different. There are some of them....ugh. Itchy. Haven't defined the ingredient, and really don't care, but I know which perfumes to avoid.

Then there's the problem of the actual smell. I cannot STAND to smell like a sweet little old lady wearing a strong-enough-to-fell-an-ox floral perfume. (And mind you, there are plenty of young women who are already 70 before they're 30, if you know what I mean. Matronly is a choice, people, not a life-sentence.)

Ahem.

Some perfumes also tend to be very musky and almost dank. Kind of like a crypt. SNORK! (You know me, I have to work a crypt in here SOMEWHERE!!! Besides, in my next book the hero and heroine get locked in a tomb at an abandoned archealogical dig....)

Seriously, there's one perfume I smelled - very popular, evidently - that smells like a musty basement to me.

I have a very sensitive nose and can differentiate a lot of scents. I can do that whole wine thing "..it has a note of saffron, and yet it's fruity, with notes of pear and pineapple..." if I choose to (I don't) because I CAN smell and taste it.

Then there's that personal problem. Yes, now we get to it.

For whatever reason, there are a TON of perfumes that smell fabulous in the bottle, but when I put them on?

Ugh. They smell like battery acid. Bleeeeech.

A very knowledgeable aromatherapist once told me the reason. She said my system was more alkaline rather than the more common, acidic system. There are some reasons for that - I eat my veggies! - but mostly, it's just the way I'm made. Grins. However, perfumes are formulated to appeal to the majority, and the majority have a more acidic system.

When someone with a more alkaline system puts on an acidic perfume? Eeek! You guessed it, it smells like Mr. Yuck Died ...or worse. Bleeech.

I used to wear a wonderful perfume called Victoria, by Victoria's Secret. Gold bottle, cobalt blue cap - wonderful perfume, pretty packaging. It was great. I bought the full line - powder, lotion, perfume. LOVED that stuff.

It was discontinued.

Then I wore a perfume from Tiffany. Wonderful stuff, but then they reformulated it and yes, you guessed it, battery acid. Bleeech!

There are several others I CAN wear, but WON'T:
- the perfume my ex-husband bought for his mistress (Opium);
- the perfume a coworker used to pour on (Obsession);
- and the perfume someone dropped onto my luggage or which burst in someone else's bag and contaminated mine, necessitating it's demise (Burberry). I really liked that luggage. Sigh.

But The Good News!? I nearly forgot! I found a new perfume, Coach Poppy, which actually smells GOOD on me! WOOHOOO!!! Alert the media! Buy Stock! Hide the children...wait, that's something else. Grins.

I tried it on in the store, letting it "wear" all day. It didn't turn musky, or smell bad. Excellent. I went back and tried it again on another day. Allllll good.

FINALLY! New perfume! WOOT! So, if you happen to meet me at a conference and I'm wearing a lovely scent, you can pretty much be sure it's Coach's Poppy. We'll see how it goes....

What about you? Do you like perfume?

Do you have a signature scent?

Do you have several that you like to change around? I have a friend who has 6 or 8 different perfumes and can wear them all with equal ease and delicious smells. (Obviously, I'm jealous of this!)

Do you wear it everyday? Just for special occasions? Or never?

And then there's the perfume ads....grins. Seen the new Bulgari one?

And what about the new trend to having celebrities "create" a fragrance? I don't buy it - if I'm wearing Vera Wang, by golly, it better be a DRESS! And I ain't touchin' Jennifer Lopez....

Give me your thoughts! BTW, I'll be giving away an ARC of the RT TOP PICK for September - my new book, DEADLY LITTLE LIES today, to one lucky perfumier...winner. Just because! It's not due out till Sept. 1, so you'll get it early!

Sniff!! Sniff, sniff, sniff? What perfume are YOU wearing??

101 comments:

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

I believe I'm wearing Eau d'Rooster!

Loucinda McGary aka Aunty Cindy said...

Cute post, Jeanne!

My mom was an Avon lady for 25 years, most of that time when I was growing up. I could have bathed in cologne and never run out. ;-) My favorites were Charisma and Hawaiian White Ginger. Least favorites were Roses, Roses (which always gave me a headache) and Persian Wood (which smelled like Persian Mold on me, my sister AND my mom).

After my mom retired, I pretty much stopped wearing cologne. I prefer scented lotions now, the lighter the better.

AC

Hellie Sinclair said...

I'm wearing Pleasures. There's very few perfumes I like and that smell good on me. Whereas my friend, she can wear whatever and she smells great. It's annoying.

Mostly I smell April Fresh with a layer of soap. I've been told that smells good. *LOL*

I can't wear scented lotions because my skin is dry and prone to eczema--and it LOVES to break out when my lotion has scent in it. *sighs*

I did do a search once on men's colognes I liked to see what it was they had in common that I enjoyed so much. They had three things in common: lavender, lemon, and oak moss. I thought that was interesting. And I do love those three scents off hand. *LOL*

A while back, I used to love the scents by Bath & Body Works (before the lotions broke out my skin)--and Lime Coconut Verbena was my favorite. Yum. It was like rolling on the beach with Johnny Depp! :)

jorobertson said...

Hehehehehe, good one, Aunty Cindy!

Darling post, Jeanne. I've got a post by the same name coming up soon in one of my tour blogs, but it's not about perfumes! It's about NAMES, ha!

jorobertson said...

I have been wearing the same cologne for probably fourty years. Wow, that's a long time! I'm sure they're going to discontinue it. My children associate it so much with me (and the way it interacts with my body chemistry) that when they hug me, they always say, "Hmmm, it smells like mommy."

Now my grandchildren do the same. In fact, my Ezra (who's leaving tomorrow to make his new home in Jersey City -- don't get me started -- walked through his house one day, caught a scent, and said, "That smells like Grammy Jo." Turns out it was Jergens, but you get the idea LOL.

jorobertson said...

My bottom line criterion for wearing perfume has always been, "I do not want to be able to smell it myself"! Any scent gives me terrific headaches, so it must be light enough that others can get a whiff of it, but I can't tell at all.

I often get stopped in the grocery store or in public somewhere and have girls ask me what I'm wearing. Apparently, the scent works well with my skin. So I don't dare change.

Hence, the 40 years LOL.

jorobertson said...

AC, my mom was an Avon lady too!!! Seriously, I think all our moms were!

Amazing that company is still going pretty strong after all these years!

jorobertson said...

Yummmmm, MsHellion. I bought my husband something from Macy's once, called LeMale (I think) and it smells delicious on him. I can't keep my hands off him, which is probably why he doesn't wear it so often any more. VBG!

Gannon Carr said...

I lurrve perfume. I wear it even when I'm not leaving my house.

For the last three years I've been wearing Tom Ford Black Orchid---I get so many compliments on it. This summer I've been occasionally wearing Chanel Chance.

Landra said...

Aunty Cindy has the perfume everyone wants. Lol!

Great post Jeanne! I'm pretty specific about my perfumes too. My absolute favorite is the original Celene Dion. It always smells wonderful on me, thankfully. A few of the more popular scents break me out so I stay far away.

My mother was always a Coty/Georgio woman. Coty everyday and Georgio on special occasions. So, those two scents immediately place me in my childhood.

Ms. Hellion, I am also a fan of Bath and Body Works or was of their lotions until they changed the formula. The perfumes I can still wear but haven't had a chance to buy any in years. My absolute fav was a Brown sugar something.

Donna MacMeans said...

LOL AC - does it smell like eggs?

AC & Jo - I used to be the Avon lady. Yes, it was one of my many parttime jobs. My fav Avon fragrance was Timeless - but I was really more into the bottles than the perfume.

I love my husband's fragrance - Lagerfeld. I won't let him wear anything else. I love it so much - I checked to see if there was a feminine equavilent - and there was! It was called K D and I loved it - wore it all the time. Which means - it was discontinued. Naturally.

I don't wear much perfume these days. When I do - it's a crabtree and evelyn fragrance - very light. Seems like most conventions these days ask you not to wear a fragrance - that's a bummer. In honor of you, Jeanne, I going to go give myself a spritz.

Jane said...

Congrats on the GR, Aunty Cindy.

Hi Jeanne,
I love perfume, but don't wear it everyday because it's too heavy. My first perfume was Chanel No. 5. It was gift from my cousin. I don't like anything too floral, I prefer earthier scents. Tresor is another perfume I really like. The TV ads are great, too. Loved the ones with Kate Winslet.

Dtchycat said...

Another one whose mom was the Avon lady...much to her disgust, I am one of those that most perfumes usually end up smelling horrendous on after a few minutes which meant I was not a walking billboard for her to shuffle around as a giant sample. I have had some luck with some of the fruity scents through Victoria's Secrets, but then I usually only succeed in making myself hungry by smelling like a giant strawberry...

Christina Brooke said...

Jeanne, so glad you found a new perfume! One of life's little luxuries, isn't it? I love that my mother gave me Chanel's Mademoiselle for my birthday last year. That was so sweet that she still thinks of me as a Mademoiselle! I like Allure as well but (and I know this is sacrilege) I have never liked Chanel No. 5 or Opium.

The fragrance I had most comments on was one a ratfink boyfriend gave me called Red by Georgio. It seemed to smell great on me but it ended up being the perfume that lasted longer than he did. I couldn't wear it again after that!

Sheree said...

I remember buying L'air du Temps for my mother when I was a kid. I don't know if she still wears it but I doubt it. We're not a perfume wearing family.

When I was young, I wore Emeraude because its citrus-y noted reminded me of my father's aftershave (he wasn't big on cologne either).

Now, if I wear anything at all, it'd be essential oils, preferably with ylang ylang. I still can't stand sandalwood (it gives me a headache). With my allergies, I can;t wear perfumes at all but some essential oils are okay.

Tawny said...

I love perfume :-) When, as you say, it's subtle and evocative of the person wearing it. Not so much when it takes on a life of it's own and needs it's own seat on the bus :-) I'm super-sensitive to smells and some scents are so overpowering.

Yay you for finding a new scent, Jeanne. I'll be sniffing you when we next meet!!!

I've been wearing the same scent since I was 17. Anais Anais (so hard to find now, darn it). I honestly don't even smell it any longer, its just 'me'. I wish the scented lotion smelled as good as the perfume. In this case, they seem very different and the lotion smells icky on me. Definitely don't like it.

pjpuppymom said...

I'm very sensitive to many scents. One sniff leaves me with watery eyes, runny nose and stuffed sinuses. I've found a couple clean, fresh scents at Bath and Body Works that work well for me though.

I love to smell Obsession for Men because it reminds me of the late dh and I've recently discovered Armani's Acqua di Gio. Love it! I find myself stopping by the men's fragrance counter at work to spray a test card then closing my eyes to imagine my favorite romance hero wearing it. Hey, what can I say? It gets me through the slow, boring work days! lol!

Jeanne, congrats on the Top Pick for Deadly Little Lies! I can not wait to read this book!

Helen said...

Well done AC have fun with him I do hope he smells nice LOL

Jeanne

I love perfume but in small amounts I can't stand an over powering smell and I get that all the time at work yuk.

I wear perfume whenever I go out and to work, normally for work I wear beautiful and if I am going out somewhere special I have Dolca Vita and Angel and Champagne and I also have a gift box of White Diamonds which I will start soon as the Beautiful is just about empty.I must try perfume first because I have had some that smell yuk on me as well and won't use them.

Have Fun
Helen

Mary Preston said...

Anais Anais: a divine scent that makes me feel special. It's light & fresh.

Maureen said...

I am allergic to perfume and if I ever get stuck in a small area with an overly perfumed person then my nose will hurt and my eyes will water for hours. That is why I wear hypo-allergenic make-up.

Gannon Carr said...

I find myself stopping by the men's fragrance counter at work to spray a test card then closing my eyes to imagine my favorite romance hero wearing it. Hey, what can I say? It gets me through the slow, boring work days! lol!

I love that, PJ! *g* Actually, I love smelling men's cologne. My hubby always likes to try out new scents and have me give them the thumbs up or thumbs down. My favorite scent he wears---hard to find now---is Halston 1-12. Rrrowr! Love it!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Heeeey! Aunty Cindy you got the rooster! WOOT!!! I'm so glad someone with a riding crop has that bird today. Do you know what he got up to over the weekend?

Neither do I, but I'm sure it was hinky.

SNORK!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

AC, I was snorking about the "Persian Mold" comment. I always love the Hawaiian White Ginger, but it smelled terrible on me. Lovely in the bottle though.

And a light scented lotion is so lovely, isn't it? There are so many times, especially in one of our hot, hot, HOT summers, where I want to take another woman aside and say, "Hey, friend, LAY OFF THE HARD STUFF!!!" Snork!

These would be the store clerks or patrons who've overdone it on the perfume and you can't stand to be next to them and pray they don't come in the dressing room lest you suffocate. :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hellion said: I'm wearing Pleasures. There's very few perfumes I like and that smell good on me. Whereas my friend, she can wear whatever and she smells great. It's annoying.

It's SO annoying, isn't it? Sigh.

And sorry to hear things break you out. As I said, I'm not one to frequently break out with thing, but that itch a "bad for me" perfume can cause....evil. Just evil.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hellion also said: Lime Coconut Verbena was my favorite. Yum. It was like rolling on the beach with Johnny Depp! :)

Oooh, watch out now! Don't let Tawny know you've been makin' time with Johnny...even if it was a while back. Grins.

I've smelled that Lime Coconut Verbena and it IS nice. But it alas reminds me of burning and peeling on the beach. Snork!

Also, what made you do a "study" of men's cologne?? Grins. Inquiring minds want to know...

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Jo said: Darling post, Jeanne. I've got a post by the same name coming up soon in one of my tour blogs, but it's not about perfumes! It's about NAMES, ha!

Heehee. Great minds think alike, n'est ce pas?

Where ya' bloggin', Jo? We all want to crash the party. Grins.

And ya'll if you've not yet downloaded Jo's The Watcher? Go. Right now. Download. Gripping suspense, fabulous hero and heroine, deep characters, great heat....The Watcher has it all. LOVED the book. (Can't wait for the movie...grins.)

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Jo said: My children associate it so much with me (and the way it interacts with my body chemistry) that when they hug me, they always say, "Hmmm, it smells like mommy."


Awww, I love this!! I want to have this happen at my house too. :> Hence my search for a "signature scent" amongst the battery acid. :>

My Mama had that, as I mentioned and it can bring her right back to my room in an instant. Wonderful!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Jo said: Amazing that company is still going pretty strong after all these years!

Oh, how fun! Both you and AC's moms were Avon ladies! As you said, I'll bet a LOT of ladies were. It was one of the first accessible home businesses for Moms and still is. Love me some Avon Ladies.

Gotta say, they make a great product, and consistently deliver value. What more can you ask? (but none of their perfumes work on me. Sigh.)

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Jo said: LeMale (I think) and it smells delicious on him. I can't keep my hands off him, which is probably why he doesn't wear it so often any more. VBG!

Heehee. Well, now, Jo, I'll bet if you reminded him that you couldn't keep your hands off him whilst he was wearing it, he'd get it out and put some one. Hahahah!

Men just forget that stuff unless reminded. :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Gannon said: For the last three years I've been wearing Tom Ford Black Orchid---I get so many compliments on it. This summer I've been occasionally wearing Chanel Chance.

Gannon, that to me is why to have and wear perfume - because YOU love it and it makes you feel good to wear it. :>

I've not smelled Black Orchid (I'll see if I can get a whiff at Macy's or Nordy's today when I go shopping!) but I love pretty much any of the Chanel perfumes. In the bottle, of course. :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Landra!

You said: My mother was always a Coty/Georgio woman. Coty everyday and Georgio on special occasions. So, those two scents immediately place me in my childhood.

See? Isn't that a great thing? I love that. So nice to hear that there's another Coty-wearing Mama out there. Grins.

The Brown Sugar Spice from B&BWorks is quite nice. Or maybe it's Vanilla Brown Sugar, can't remember. It don't like me either. Hahaha!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Donna said: My fav Avon fragrance was Timeless - but I was really more into the bottles than the perfume.

Hahah! I love the bottles too! There's one for Tresor that intrigues me. And the old fashioned bottles, with the glass stoppers? LOVE those!!

Had to LOL about the discontinued. Story of my life. I like the Lagerfeld as well, and that's what hubs uses when he remembers to put on cologne. :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Jane!! I love the earthier tones as well, which all of you will immediately know if you smell the Coach Poppy next time you go shoppy. Snork.

You said: The TV ads are great, too. Loved the ones with Kate Winslet.

I loved these ads too. They were elegant and really beautifully shot.

Anonymous said...

I am very senzitive to smells, which means I'm very picky about the perfumes I use. Someone gave me a perfume called "Hypnotic Poison" by Christian Dior and it smelled like my grandmother. Eww

I really like Calvin Klein's fragrance called "Beauty." My mom has it and I "borrow" it at times hehe. It's the type of fragrance one would wear to a more formal affair. Hugo Boss has some nice sporty perfumes that smell good. Currently, I have a nice fragrance by Yves Rocher called Naturelle. It's very fresh and I love it. And it's not very expensive.

As far as celebrity perfumes go, I am not crazy over most. I'm willing to try some, but only when I know that the celebrity is heavily involved in its production. Lazy celebs who only lend their name will not get my money. Celine Dion's fragrances are absolutely lovely and I actually own one.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Dtchycat, you crack me up about the walking billboard. Snork!

You also said: I have had some luck with some of the fruity scents through Victoria's Secrets, but then I usually only succeed in making myself hungry by smelling like a giant strawberry...

Mmmm. Strawrberries...yummy.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Christina! Yes, perfume IS one of those delicious little luxuries in life. One I really do love... :>

You said: Red by Georgio. It seemed to smell great on me but it ended up being the perfume that lasted longer than he did. I couldn't wear it again after that!


That's a really nice scent, but yeah, you can't wear it when it reminds you of "him" - esp. when you kicked him to the curb.

Wouldn't that be a great perfume name? "Kicked Him to the Curb" the perfume for independent women only! Grins.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Sheree! I know what you mean about sandalwood. Small doses only on that one.

You said: I still can't stand sandalwood (it gives me a headache). With my allergies, I can't wear perfumes at all but some essential oils are okay.

It gives me a headache too, in larger doses - like incense! - but some of the essential oils are too strong too.

What of those do you like to use?

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Tawny said: Not so much when it takes on a life of it's own and needs it's own seat on the bus :-) I'm super-sensitive to smells and some scents are so overpowering.


SNORK! Exactly!! So funny, and yet, so true. :>

I know what you mean about the lotions. My friend who likes Issey says this about the lotion as well. It's not compatible with the body chemistry the same way the perfume is, I guess. Hmmmm....

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Tawny, I remember Anais, Anais, but I can't for the life of me remember how it smells. :> I'll have to see if I can find IT and smell it. :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

PJ said: imagine my favorite romance hero wearing it. Hey, what can I say? It gets me through the slow, boring work days! lol!

Heehee. Whatever gets you through, PJ! Hahah!

Hey, email me off loop here, or on FB and give me your addy so I can send you an ARC of Deadly Little Lies for the Romance Dish.

BTW, if any of ya'll haven't discovered the wonderful ladies of The Romance Dish, hie thee hence! www.TheRomanceDish.com Great blog, wonderful reviews, great site. :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Helen, it sounds like you can wear several well. Good for you! And it sounds, too, like you enjoy it. :> I'm glad. As Christina said, it's one of those little feminine luxuries....yum!

You said: I must try perfume first because I have had some that smell yuk on me as well and won't use them.

Yep, gotta try 'em on and wear them for a while to see if they work, right? Hope the White Diamonds does, it's a lovely scent.

pjpuppymom said...

Where ya' bloggin', Jo? We all want to crash the party. Grins.


Hi Jeanne! I'll answer for Jo. She's blogging with the Dishes tomorrow! Come on over and join the fun! :)

http://theromancedish.com

pjpuppymom said...

Just emailed you the addy, Jeanne. And thanks for the shout-out for the Romance Dish!

hrdwrkdmom aka Dianna said...

I don't have it right now because the only way I can find it is online, but my altime fav scent on me is Mandarin Vanilla by Shiara.

I like Beautiful but I think it comes out way too strong on me.

For everyday I can wear just about any vanilla based scent. I also like some of the musky scents but not all work for me. Vanilla Musk is a standby, it comes out very soft with my chemistry.

Joan said...

What a great blog topic for a "stinky" Monday morning!

I so hear you on your perfume trials and tribulations Jeanne.

I favor light scents, citrus based or along the lavender lines. In high school I actually tried to MAKE my own perfume as a project. It involved permeating lard with orange peel....ended up with fat that smelled like OJ...

I also tried one of those "phernome" specific perfumes to attract the fellas. Pretty heavy on the vanilla (and probably pumpkins...(waves hands) that guys like?)

Anyway I couldn't STAND the scent on me and the only fella it attracted??? The 60 year old orderly at the hospital Sigh.

And the whole celebrities "inventing" their scents Puhleeze..

Joan said...

Oh, also forgot to say my fav scents right now are the ones from Victoria's Secret Angel, Dream etc.

And a bottle from Ireland that I will now spray copiously on my WIP

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Marybelle said: Anais Anais: a divine scent that makes me feel special. It's light & fresh.

Obviously you and Tawny have good taste! :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Maureen said: I am allergic to perfume and if I ever get stuck in a small area with an overly perfumed person then my nose will hurt and my eyes will water for hours. That is why I wear hypo-allergenic make-up.

Oh, Maureen, isn't this the WORST feeling? Because I'm so sensitive to scents, I can hardly bear it when someone overdoes it on the cologne or perfume. Eeek! It's dreadful even when you aren't allergic. I so feel for you that you are.

It's also a shame too, I know because perfume can be so lovely and to be allergic...well, my sympathies.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Gannon said: My favorite scent he wears---hard to find now---is Halston 1-12. Rrrowr! Love it!


Heehee. This cracks me up. I do love cologne on a man though (sparingly!) so I can empathise.

Rrrowr! indeed! Snork!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Antonia said: Someone gave me a perfume called "Hypnotic Poison" by Christian Dior and it smelled like my grandmother. Eww

Heehee. Too matronly is just wrong, you know? Grins.

I liked that you were differntiating perfumes by occasion. I wish I had enough of a wearable selection to change it up for different times - like dates! Rrowr! - but methinks I'm stuck with Coach for a while. Ha!

I was also interested in what you said about the celeb fragrances. I think you're right. So many just "lend their name" and don't use it, don't care about it, etc. I'd be okay with Celine Dion's because I googled and read that she was very instrumental in how it came out, and the packaging, etc. That, I'm okay with. :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

PJ said, of Jo and her new book The Watcher: Hi Jeanne! I'll answer for Jo. She's blogging with the Dishes tomorrow! Come on over and join the fun! :)

OH! Goody! I'll be sure to pop by!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Dianna! You said: I also like some of the musky scents but not all work for me. Vanilla Musk is a standby, it comes out very soft with my chemistry.

Oh, that's a lovely description. :> The vanilla ones are so nice, aren't they? They don't do as well on me, but they aren't horrid. Grins. Glad they work so well for you!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Joan said: In high school I actually tried to MAKE my own perfume as a project. It involved permeating lard with orange peel....ended up with fat that smelled like OJ...

SNORK!!! OMGosh, I nearly choked on my coffee!

HAHAHAHAH!!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Joanie T said: Anyway I couldn't STAND the scent on me and the only fella it attracted??? The 60 year old orderly at the hospital Sigh.

And the whole celebrities "inventing" their scents Puhleeze...


SNORK! Again with the funnies.

I had wondered about the "custome pheromone scent" thing, but hadn't heard any raves about it, just "meh" from the few I knew who tried it. And if you hated the smell? Uh, no.

And I'm with you on the "puhhhleeeze" about the celeb perfume!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Joan said:
And a bottle from Ireland that I will now spray copiously on my WIP


Yes, but what's IN the Bottle from Ireland? Holy Water? Fairy Dust? Eye of Newt?

Grins.

Or just great perfume?

Minna said...

I don't wear pefume often, but my favorites are Nature, Cap Nature: Fruit Rouge and Cap Nature: Vanille, all from Yves Rocher. My mom likes Cap Nature: Vanille, too. She borrowed a bottle from me and I haven't seen it since.

jorobertson said...

Donna said, "AC & Jo - I used to be the Avon lady. Yes, it was one of my many parttime jobs."

See! It's proliferating!

jorobertson said...

On Tuesday I'm with PJ and the Dishers, Jeanne!

www.theromancedish.com

They're a fun group over there!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Minna said: My mom likes Cap Nature: Vanille, too. She borrowed a bottle from me and I haven't seen it since.

Heehee. Usually it's the other way 'round, right? Daughter's borrowing Mum's stuff and never giving it back. Your mom turned the tables! Ha!

I've smelled some of the Yves Rocher perfumes and liked them in the bottle. Rich-smelling. Very lush, for the most part, from what I remember. :>

Unknown said...

Sorry I don't wear perfume much it messes with my nose. Causes me to have sinus problems. I will have to say I used to wear it alot but not much anymore.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Virginia said: I will have to say I used to wear it alot but not much anymore.

Did you have a favorite back then, when you wore it a lot? :>

I know what you mean though about it messing with your nose. I wonder if the prevalence of "new" scents, and all the weird ingredients has given more of us a problem with it?

Trish Milburn said...

I haven't bought perfume in forever. They tend to make my nose twitch, so I tend to practically race through the makeup/perfume counter section of department stores. And so many people are allergic to strong scents that I just stick to subtle lotions that I think smell pretty. I love all those testers at Bath & Body Works. :)

But every once in awhile, I'll smell someone's perfume and it will have this light, flowery scent that's not overwhelming. I wish I could remember the one I encountered a few years ago that I liked so much.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hi Trish! Had to LOL b/c you said: They tend to make my nose twitch, so I tend to practically race through the makeup/perfume counter section of department stores.

I do this too. It's just overwhelming, isn't it? There's a store in our mall that sells organic soaps. I can hardly go near it because the scents are so strong they waft out into the mall. I try to remember to stay well away from that place as it too makes my nose twitch!

jo robertson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Nancy said...

AC, congrats on the dastardly bird!

Jeanne, I don't wear perfume. It changes scents on me, which makes finding a good one a pain.

I used to use scented powder, but then I moved into apartments (and now a house) with very little bathroom counter space, so I gave it up.

I'm with you in being unable to tolerate heavy perfume. When I'm sitting next to someone at a play and my nose is running from the perfume, that's too much perfume.

I love the Lois Lane splash page!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Nancy! You said: I don't wear perfume. It changes scents on me, which makes finding a good one a pain.

Yep, this is what happens to me. So yes, it's a serious pain to find one, hence the 5 year gap since I've had a good one! Hahah!

And I hear ya' on the counter space. For some reason, even tho' there are THREE - count them THREE - full bathrooms in this house, my family all ends up in MINE. Counterspace. Ugh.

Thankfully, since they're all boys, there's not a lot of product involved, but....

Cathy P said...

I have always been allergic to almost all perfumes due to asthma. The only one I have been able to wear is White Linen by Estee Lauder.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Cathy P! You said: The only one I have been able to wear is White Linen by Estee Lauder.


That's a lovely crisp scent, isn't it? I have a friend who likes to wear that. Very summery.

Sorry about the asthma though. My DH has it and it's a pain.

Minna said...

When Cathy mentioned allergy, I remembered this invention:
http://kaipaus.com/Kaipaus_Finland_Oy_Ltd/Kaipaus_Home/Kaipaus_Home.html

Nancy said...

Jeanne said, of bathroom counter space: Thankfully, since they're all boys, there's not a lot of product involved, but....

Just wait . . .

Fedora said...

LOL, AC!

And Jeanne, I used to like scents when I was a teen, but as I've gotten older, I realized that most scents give me a headache. I prefer clean :)

Joan said...

Jeanne said: Yes, but what's IN the Bottle from Ireland? Holy Water? Fairy Dust? Eye of Newt?M

Ah now Duchesse, me darlin' can't be giving away the secret suffice to say tis an essence like no other on this fair earth. If ye were to know, me boyos would have to hold ye hostage....

catslady said...

Oh, I can't wear it anymore because of allergies - most give me headaches. I use to wear Le Air du Temps (sigh).

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Nancy said: Just wait . . .

Yeah, but then I'll MAKE them use their own bathroom and clean it too!

Bwahahahahah!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Joanie said: If ye were to know, me boyos would have to hold ye hostage....

Ohhhh, hostage! Me likey...

Grins.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Catslady said: I use to wear Le Air du Temps (sigh).

Oh, I"m so sorry it gives you a headache. I love L'Air du Temps. It's a lovely floral, very light and pretty. :>

Deb said...

My husband buys me perfume every Christmas and does a darned good job of choosing one that has a wonderful scent. (He never remembers what he buys each year, so I get a new one each Christmas.) Last year he bought Cashmere and I loved it!

I usually buy Rare Gold from Avon. I used to wear Far Away, but Jerry said it smelled like a "grandma" perfume and he didn't like it. I also used to buy Estee Lauder's Knowing cologne, but, alas, it's too expensive to buy on a regular basis.

I wear perfume every day. I agree with PJ that Bath and Bodyworks has some nice after bath sprays that are light and airy. I love their Orange Sapphire lotion, too.

Man, it's expensive to smell good, isn't it??!! ;)

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Deb said: .) Last year he bought Cashmere and I loved it!

I usually buy Rare Gold from Avon. I used to wear Far Away, but Jerry said it smelled like a "grandma" perfume and he didn't like it.


What a gem of a Jerry you have there, Deb! How lovely that he buys you perfume. I thing that's delightful.

I've not familiar with either of the Avon perfumes, but I guess he's right - we don't want to SMELL like granny. Grins.

I like Cashmere, although it doesn't like me. Heehee!

Na said...

I'm not wearing any pefume. I've never found a smell I liked. However, I love the smell of shampoo & conditioner and body soap. I guess that is my perfume. I like how refreshing the smell is :-)

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Na! You said: However, I love the smell of shampoo & conditioner and body soap. I guess that is my perfume. I like how refreshing the smell is :-)

I do too, and that's sufficed me for the last five years. Have to confess though that it was also fun to find a nice rich perfume too.

Jacinta said...

I wear a mens cologne, i know odd right my bf has sworn me not to tell his mates because he thinks i smell yummy. Its Intimatley Beckham. A girl friend used to wear it and i just latched onto her every time she did because it smells so devine, not at all floral or musky like ladies perfume but really spicy and dark mmmmmmmm but to this day she still smells better in it than me! But my mother used to wear Poison, to this day it reminds me of her if i catch a whiff of it in a mall even though she doesnt wear it anymore :)

Pat Cochran said...

So sorry, Duchesse, no perfumes for me!
I did wear a light Avon scent years ago
until I realized what all the sneezing
was about. One other reason for not
wearing perfume is that I am a music
minister. Close quarters when you are
in a choir negates the use of scents.
The only scent I can tolerate is that
of my shower gel (Enchanted Garden)
but the company is no more. I only have
one & a half bottles left before I have to find a new product.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Amaris said: Its Intimatley Beckham. A girl friend used to wear it and i just latched onto her every time she did because it smells so devine, not at all floral or musky like ladies perfume but really spicy and dark mmmmmmmm but to this day she still smells better in it than me!

Oh, what a great idea! Hey, who cares what the marketing is if it smells good on you! :>

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Pat said: One other reason for not wearing perfume is that I am a music minister. Close quarters when you are in a choir negates the use of scents.

Oh, so true! I used to sing in a huge church chior and after several years of tolerating one darling little old lady's acrid perfume, we finally imposed on our director to ban ALL perfume on Sunday and Weds rehearsal. What a blessing it was when she no longer wore it! Heehee. That way too, no one was singled out. She was a dear soul, and never realized the difficulties her perfume was causing. And don't even get me started on close quarters for Christmas concerts...

Kate Carlisle said...

Hmm ... *sniff*sniff* ... I smell a rooster.

Oh, it's you, Aunty! Congrats on snagging that smelly--er, I mean, *aromatic* bird!

Jeanne, love the post! I'm so glad you found a scent that likes you. I wore perfume forever, until the last ten years or so. Now it just makes me cry and sneeze. I do like some of the lightweight stuff from Bed and Body Works.

I used to wear Emeraude when I was in high school. Do you remember that one? I could buy it at the drug store. :-) But once I discovered Oscar de la Renta, I was hooked and wore it forever, until I quit wearing perfume all together.

Sheree said...

Years ago, a store in the mall that specialized in essential oils (mostly for aromatherapy) closed and I bought a lot of their stock that I liked. I don't mean the artificial essential oils but the natural ones. Nowadays, I'd go to the essential oils counter at Whole Foods or a health food store to check out their scents. I still like tuberose and clary sage.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Kate! You're like the 10th person to say they had to give it up due to sneezing. :>

You also said: But once I discovered Oscar de la Renta, I was hooked and wore it forever, until I quit wearing perfume all together.

Oscar, baby! Grins. That was always too heavy a scent for me, but it wore well on a colleague of mine and I envied that. Grins.

How goes the next Brooklyn book?

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Sheree said: Nowadays, I'd go to the essential oils counter at Whole Foods or a health food store to check out their scents.

Hadn't thought about Whole Foods. Ours just relocated to a bigger location - worse parking though. I despise the parking where they moved. Double decker deck and you HAVE to use the elevator. urg. However, it might be worth a trip...

Cassondra said...

Great blog Jeanne!

Yes, I like perfume. Sort of. I'm like you in that many stink on me. I don't know if it's an acid/alkaline thing for me or not. I just know that like most lipstick turns orange on me. (I frustrate a lot of makeup counter ladies because they don't believe it when I say, "that's got a yellow base. That's gonna turn orange on me. " And they say, "NO It's MARKETED AS COOL! IT'S coool TONED." I'm like, "I printed color photos for years for a living. Not only is that NOT cool, but it's got X percentage of red, X percentage of blue, and X percentage of yellow in it. Yeah. It's gonna turn orange. And it does.)

So there's definitely something about my body chemistry that is different from most. maybe it's the sleeping in the coffin thing...Oh..uh..ahem.

Now perfume. I like Lauren--the old kind in the burgundy bottle. But it's hard to find now, and as I've grown older, I think it doesn't smell as good on me. I also like Safari. (Yes, Ralph Lauren is my man.) and I have that in several bottles and all it's forms--lotion, that powder spray that was popular for a while, but as I've grown older, I'm not so sure it works. Sometimes it still smells good, and other times it reminds me of bug spray...can you say, "not yummy?" Yeah.

I don't know if it's that the perfume has gotten old, or if it's that I've changed and can't wear it as well. I can't wear any cheaper perfume any more because I get a sick stomach if I do.

It kind of sucks, but I've gotten more sensitive to scents. Steve used to come in the bedroom to kiss me goodbye while I was still dozing in the mornings, and he'd put on entirely too much Obsession, and I about threw up. I finally tossed the bottles (even though his mom gave them to him) because I was sick of starting every morning feeling like I'd throw up. I like Polo, and a now discontinued fragrance called Bowling Green--both are woodsy and smell of pine and cedar and spruce.

God save me from sicky sweet smells. I've been known to wear men's cologne because I liked it and there was no "non sweet" perfume available that season. I don't like big flowers on my sofa, nor do I like them in my perfume, thank you.

Wow, that was a rant, wasn't it? Hmmm. I may have issues with scents.

Kate Carlisle said...

Hey Jeanne, I just turned in Brooklyn's Feb 2012 book and now I'm writing an e-novella with Brooklyn that comes out in January 2012. Very excited about this one!

And thanks for asking, cutie. :-)

Louisa Cornell said...

Eau d'Rooster smells like Tim Tams and champagne! You wear it well, Aunty!


Wonderful post, Duchesse !!

I don't wear perfume on a daily basis as I am assaulted by so many strong scents at work. I think the entire population of my county got Axe gift sets for Christmas! And they BATHE in it! YUCK !!

My grandmother always wore Sand and Sable and the scent of it still makes me think of her.

I wore White Shoulders from the age of 18 until I was 35. After that I didn't wear any perfume at all.

A few years ago my brother gave me a bottle of L'Air du Temps because he said it reminded him of me. He is a man of few words, but those he says are always sincere and well thought out. So now my signature scent is L'Air du Temps.

Leni said...

I love picking out different fragrances, but don't wear them everyday. If I like something I will purchase it again and continue to try new brands.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Cassondra said: So there's definitely something about my body chemistry that is different from most. maybe it's the sleeping in the coffin thing...Oh..uh..ahem.


Heehee, it's an Evil Twin thing. :>

You also said: I don't like big flowers on my sofa, nor do I like them in my perfume, thank you.

Wow, that was a rant, wasn't it? Hmmm. I may have issues with scents.


Snork. Rant away!! I feel the same.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Kate said: Hey Jeanne, I just turned in Brooklyn's Feb 2012 book and now I'm writing an e-novella with Brooklyn that comes out in January 2012. Very excited about this one!

And thanks for asking, cutie. :-)


Love me some Brooklyn. I'm markin' Jan. 2012 on my calendar!!!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Louisa! You said: I think the entire population of my county got Axe gift sets for Christmas! And they BATHE in it! YUCK !!

OMGosh that stuff reeks! The ads for it are so clever though, I think it sells on that alone. They're nearly as funny as the Old Spice Guy. Grins.

I do like Old Spice. Lovely, manly scent - in small doses.

AXE? UGH. Eau de Dead Skunk.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Oh, and Louisa, your brother is a lovely man to say and do something like that.

Lucky you.

(And lucky him to have such a wonderful sis!)

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Hey Leni! Glad you popped on.

You said: I love picking out different fragrances, but don't wear them everyday. If I like something I will purchase it again and continue to try new brands.


Isn't it fun to go and sniff through the pretty bottles? I get sensory overload pretty quickly, but I like to do it now and again.

Cassondra said...

Jeanne said, in response to Kate Carlisle:

Love me some Brooklyn. I'm markin' Jan. 2012 on my calendar!!!

Oh, Amen to that! She's my favorite sleuth! I hate that I have to wait so long between books, but how COOL that we're getting a novella in spring!

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Cassondra said: Oh, Amen to that! She's my favorite sleuth! I hate that I have to wait so long between books, but how COOL that we're getting a novella in spring!


Yes indeedy! I feel the same way. :>

Cassondra said...

Sheree said:

Years ago, a store in the mall that specialized in essential oils (mostly for aromatherapy) closed and I bought a lot of their stock that I liked. I don't mean the artificial essential oils but the natural ones. Nowadays, I'd go to the essential oils counter at Whole Foods or a health food store to check out their scents. I still like tuberose and clary sage.

I do this too!

Honestly? I think that's what's ruined me on fragrance. I've gotten used to the really high-quality essential oils and now I can't tolerate the stuff that's cut with cheap fillers and such. They make me get a little sick. In a way, I mourn that loss of ability to spritz on some perfume from the big-box stores and go. :0(

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Cassondra said: I've gotten used to the really high-quality essential oils and now I can't tolerate the stuff that's cut with cheap fillers and such. They make me get a little sick. In a way, I mourn that loss of ability to spritz on some perfume from the big-box stores and go. :0(

Ahh...can't go back to the farm, once they've seen the lights of Paree.

Grins. This is the way I feel about both perfume and handbags. Once I bought a really, really good handbag, I couldn't go back to the Target special.

Le Sigh.