It’s a thing I asked myself today.
Today I applied Cuir de Russie and forgot about it, as it seemed to have blended with my skin, unlike yesterday, when Back to Black first choked me with tobbacco leaves and then presented the bad kind of honey note. I guess my skin killed it.
Anyway, it got me thinking, does there come a time when you apply a perfume and it fits like a glove and practically seems perfect, even though you applied it before and were underwhelmed? Or just ok with it.
Or, a better way to explain it – you know you have a mediocre (at best) perfume but you put it on and it seems perfect? And you wonder how that happened.
The next time you apply it, the magic is gone.
So, that’s what got me thinking – does every perfume have its day of being perfect?
The only problem being finding what day it’s going to happen.
What do you think? Am I being optimistic (idealistic)? Did it happen to you?
It happened to me. Keeps on happening actually. But I can never guess when or why…
Tagged: I've been thinking, perfume
All I am - a redhead 
Dear Ines:
Happy New Year! I had to smile when I read your post because this is something I struggled with and solved several years ago. Just as you think the perfume is “off” on your skin on one day, but divine on another, why not compare it to a favorite piece of clothing or jewelry? You’re getting dressed, and that purple blouse you loved to wear to the luncheon last week just looks blah on your now. That pretty turquoise ring made you smile and feel empowered when you wore it many times in the past, but there are some days it just doesn’t “do it” for you.
I think our sense of smell can be as capricious as our sense of sight or touch. They all get registered in our brain, and who knows what factor is affecting us the day when the beloved perfume, clothing or jewelry is not right?
That’s a very subjective opinion, but it works for me!
xoxo,
Anya
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PS: I forgot to add this can go for food, too!
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Anya, happy New Year to you as well! 🙂
It is a highly subjective topic, I agree. I wouldn’t want anyone thinking that I believe each perfume is a perfect creation (far from it).
But sometimes everything comes together splendidly and it just works. 🙂 And I agree, clothes and food are good examples as well.
I’d say though, perfume has that additional magic touch of transforming on your skin without you being able to influence it at all. 🙂
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I have had the opposite happen – a much-loved perfume falling absolutely flat, or worse it become cloying or screetching! and then wondering why I thought it was so wonderful. Darned those fickle perfumes and my fickle nose and skin!
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BF, I believe that’s another facet of this phenomenon. Every perfume has its own day of being awful, no matter how good it is. 🙂
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Lovely post Ines.
I’m not sure all perfumes can be perfect for me on the right day. BUT, I’d say that very often perfumes which might not work for me at first sniff, will turn out quite lovely and maybe even perfect on second or third wearing. Especially those that you mention which needs to settle to the skin, not just stand out on their own account.
You reminded me that I should try and find that CdR sample, I completely have forgotten it… Oh but most Chanel Exclusives are quite literally lost on me, as they disappear within a very short time.
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Asali, I’m sorry to hear Chanel Exclusives are doing a disappearing job on you. Especially if CdR does it too. I was surprised how much I liked it and how easily we got along. 🙂 It not being sweet and I being in the period for warm orientals.
I don’t think this would be valid for each person and every perfume, but more in the line of, every perfume has someone who thinks it’s perfect and many of us (perfumistas) will probably find ourselves wearing a mediocre perfume that in some setting will turn out to be perfect.
At least, that’s my optimistic view of the future. 😉
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Oh of course, yes I completely agree. Every perfume has a person that it’s perfect for 🙂
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Like Bloody Frida, I have had major problems with perfumes failing to wow me after a time – I fear I may be going off Elie Saab – in the EDP at least.
Then yesterday I tried Private Collection (that I am selling), and it worked on my skin much better than I remember. I have had off days with Bvlgari Black and Agent Provocateur L’Agent too – so yes, I can confirm the phenomenon both ways round!
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It only occurs to me afterwards that I might have not been as clear in my writings as I imagined. 🙂
I have/had in my collection perfumes that I bought after initially loving them, to end up having to let them go as it no longer worked, and then those I gave away or no longer have that I tried someplace else after only to realize what a stupid thing I did as they were great.
Now I take better care of the stuff I decide I want to let go.
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I think it smells perfect if it matches your personality. I’m not so sure that your “body chemistry” has anything to do with this. But I think a bashful person wearing, say, Fracas, would always feel misplaced in it.
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Joan, choosing perfumes according to your personality certainly helps in making youu feel great in them. But sometimes even a bashful person wants to feel like a diva (at least, that’s what I’m thinking). So who know, maybe at that one point, Fracas would smell perfectly for them?
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This is a REALLY good question. And I have no idea of the answer. 🙂 I have had this happen, and I have had the opposite happen, as BF mentioned. Mystery?
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Thanks Natalie. 🙂
Yes, BF was quite right to mention that (I always think in positive directions so forgot it could work the other way too).
LIke I said, perfumes have that magical touch and at some point, the magic just works perfectly in your favour. I wonder what process is happening when it doesn’t though? Does it mean we angered the perfume gods? 😉
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Now that (angering the perfume gods) is a scary thought! 🙂
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I do not have any mediocre perfumes in my collection so I probably have never experienced what you described.But with almost every of my most beautiful, most cherished perfumes I had a day when they felt completely off.
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Well, it turns out that the opposite of my idea happens more often. 🙂
I know it can happen to me with SL perfumes (off the top of my head). But I’m still more inclined to think about those perfect moments and will them to come more often.
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