Many people around me think my greatest fault is that I’m stubborn. But if I were to say what my greatest fault is, I’d say impatience, closely followed by pride (which can easily be misconstrued as stubbornness).
If you are wondering why am I talking about my faults instead of perfume (or books) it is precisely my impatience what I believe is not letting me enjoy perfumes as I should.
It all came to me when I decided to put on Santal Majuscule the other day (after having reviewed it when it came out), only to realize in my mind, it’s not really a winter perfume (it’s how I thought of it)
Impatient for this little gem
but more of a cold spring perfume – perfect for the time we are having now (it would probably work in autumn too).
I cannot describe how perfectly it felt these few days I’ve been wearing it. Which is something my impatience didn’t make me realize at the time I decided to review it.
And the fact that I look at my VAST collection of samples with what now seems dread is not helping my impatience.
So many times now I said I would start writing short reviews of samples, one each day, and that was my impatience to go through those samples at its best. I hate the fact that I am not familiar with them and they just lie there pretty much forgotten.
The truth is, perfumes don’t approve of impatience. You can try and force your way through the growing perfumes you have/want to try, but then it stops being pleasure. And if it’s a chore, you slowly stop doing it when you feel you can get away from doing it.
That is what wearing Santal Majuscule showed me. I liked it a lot when I reviewed it but it wasn’t a perfect fit at that time. Now it is.
There are several perfumes at the moment I am impatient to write about, but they won’t let me. They know I like them and now they are waiting for us to get to know each other without hurry, just for pleasure. Otherwise they won’t let me write (the words aren’t coming).
And they are right. Because if I don’t let go, I won’t enjoy myself.
Words will come later.
Tagged: I've been thinking, impatience, perfume thoughts, Serge Lutens
All I am - a redhead 
You put into words on blog what sometimes happens in my head.
Thanks for helping me feel un-alone in my frag madness.
Portia xx
LikeLike
It makes me feel un-alone too when people admit to sharing my thoughts.
xoxo
LikeLike
You’re so insightful, Ines. This is exactly what happens to me when I try to “work” through my samples. It just doesn’t work. (Pun intended) Great post.
LikeLike
Thanks Natalie. 🙂
(btw, I love puns)
I’m hoping that with the spring now here, my enthusiasm for everything will return.
LikeLike
Ines, at some point I’ve got the same feeling – and I wasn’t even doing that for a review, just tried to go through asmany samples as posible. Now I’m trying toslow down the sampling. Once I made a decision not to test new perfumes during my days in the office (I wear my favorite perfumes to work), it’s got easier: by the evening I can decide if I want to test any thing or just stay with the drydown of my SOTD. And I do not feel guilty anymore if I’m “waisting” time and skin on not testing anything at the moment or testing just one sample ata time.
LikeLike
Undina, I no longer test perfumes at work, I just don’t have enough concentration left to do it. And unfortunately, the same goes for my evenings lately so I’m not testing anything much.
But sun and spring usually help so I’m hoping it will be the case this year too.
LikeLike
Ines, I love the title of your post — so true! Usually I’m a very patient person, but recently have gotten frustrated from the writing end of things. I’m still finding perfumes to love, but am in a period where my ideas of how to present them seems a bit thin – and when that frustration hits, it seems to snowball until I think I’m all washed up and will never be able to write about perfume again. Then I have to remind myself, yeah, so what if I never do? The world will go on spinning and maybe I’ll develop other fascinations. Speaking of which: your half-marathon is this weekend, yes? I’ll be thinking of you, hoping that you drink in every sight of that beautiful city. (The running is completely secondary in this case, don’t you think?) 🙂
LikeLike
Suzanne, I believe we all need a good vacation (even if it’s only 4 days in Rome for me). 😉
I know that not having enough mental rest is what is my problem and I need a proper vacation to do it.
I’m hoping that the weekend in Vienna might help (I know meeting Birgit will certainly help). 😉 And yes, it’s this weekend – the weather is supposed to be lovely and I only learned yesterday that there’s music playing along the course.
I do have my own though – I have a motivational playlist that actually works for me. 🙂
LikeLike
“Today is the dumbest day of the rest of your life”, is a quote one of my co-workers used to say. I often run into the same dilemma at work, when committing too early you might commit on the wrong thing. But if you never commit, nothing will ever get done. Think of it a linear development, you write your reviews when you do, based on the fact you’ll have at the time. There will always be more facts later, that’s just how life is 🙂
And I’m also on a sandalwood bender at the moment. It’s wonderful in early, icy spring. I alternate it with chilly violet leaves. Another note that’s perfect at the moment 🙂
LikeLike
Sigrun, I tell myself that there is no hurry and that I should take things as quickly or as slow as my time and energy allow it. That doesn’t stop me from wishing I had both more time and energy though. 🙂
Chilly violet leaves? Do tell what perfume that is. 🙂
LikeLike
Dear Ines, I agree. So much so, that I forgot to tell you. In my mind I had already had this conversation with you…
Anyway, I think we all have felt like this, and you’re write you can’t force it. On the other hand, sometimes it helps deciding: I AM writing about this X perfume, because then I am forced to be patient with it, and let it speak. Most times I do find it has something to tell me.
LikeLike
Well, I’ll try and decide and then go for it. I mean, the notes on what I smelled exist, they just refuse to be turned into a post. 😉
Btw, I have conversations with people (in my head) all the time. I’m just not sure if they are aware of it. 😉
LikeLike
The scent with chilly violet leaves is Vespers from cosmetics company Rouge Bunny Rouge. They’ve sent me 3 samples to try out and they are all lovely. I hope to be doing a review of them soon 🙂
LikeLike
Looking forward to that review. And I’m totally interested in trying the chilly violets one.
LikeLike
Yep, I know how that is. Sometimes it takes me forever to even choose a perfume to review from my daunting sample collection. Then it’s hard to convey certain perfumes, like Felanilla. I want to give them the respect they deserve, but then I end up not even writing the review at all.
LikeLike
Exactly!
I keep waiting for the right time and then it seems the time completely passed and I’m on to new fields.
LikeLike
I can only echo what the others have said – a perfect title to sum up a phenomenon we all appear to have experienced in our various ways. I have a number of pending sample and FB reviews, but the time has to be write (oops – Freudian spelling slip!!) or the feelings and words just won’t flow.
Hope the run and weekend went well!
LikeLike
😀 Love the Freudian slip.
The run was ok (regarding my time) but the weekend was wonderful! 🙂
LikeLike
Time makes the wine, and the words. You are spot on and there is no rush (except to open the jar – there is a genie in that bottle for sure)
LikeLike
Nicely put. 🙂
LikeLike