My Favorite Things: Perfume

Oprah does it so why cant I?!  I will be posting a few of my favorite things (perfume, products, clothing, recipes, ect.), that I recommend to you!

Here is my flowery, musky, and sweet perfumed journey to finding perfume love.

My perfume beginnings...

My love of perfume started very early. When my Mom and Dad would go out for an evening, my mom would put on perfume, and my Dad would put on cologne. Both smelt wonderful and exciting to me! In my mind this final touch transformed my Mom and Dad into two characters from old time movies. I half expected a grand old model A to pick them up out front, and take them to a hopping dance hall or restaurant equipped with a big band.





 

Oscar Dela Renta. Oscar Dela Renta. Oscar Dela Renta. 
To be specific, Oscar by Oscar Dela Renta. My grandmother always smells wonderful. And I always tell her so. So one day I asked her, "what perfume do you wear?" to which she replied these rolling words "Oscar by Oscar Dela Renta".  I said the words over and over in my mind, How could someone come up with such a glorious luscious name! To this day, whenever I go into the exquisitely designed and decorated powder room at my grandparents home, I sneak a smell of the beautiful Oscar Dela Renta perfume bottle that is respectfully and elegantly displayed on a glass and silvery tray.



My first perfume...


Sunflower by Elizabeth Arden
 My sister who was a lover of cosmetics in high-school, gave me a container full of  tiny, small and large perfume bottles. How exciting for a 11 year old! I uncorked, sprayed, rolled, and sniffed every single one, until I found one that suited my 11 year old self best. Sunflower by Elizabeth Arden. It was sweet, musky, and strong. And to me it was glorious! I just googled it, and funny enough they still make it! Sadly, like a sunflower, my love of this perfume died and dried up with the passing seasons.


Pleasure by Este Lauder
My next significant scent came to me when I was 14. Pleasure by Este Lauder. The beautiful long glass bottle first belonged to my Mother, but she said that it was too florally for her."Its a summer perfume" she told me, "Its important not to wear to much, just enough on your wrists and neck". This is a rule that I forgot later in life, and re-learnt quickly at 19, when a mean boy said my perfume was strong! What an ass hole. I mean he was right, I was wearing a ridiculous amount, but still, he's an ass hole. Anyways! Back to Pleasure by Este Lauder... In grade 9 I was tiny and very shy. One day I entered Foods class and sat at my designated table, it just so happens that the cutest guy in my grade sat at this table to. I never talked to him. Too shy. Well on this day I happen to have sprayed on a little Pleasure by Este Lauder. I sat at the table and turned my chair outwards, in order to listen to the teacher. The boy was sitting behind me and leaned forward. He said in a soft voice "you smell really good today". Well! Isn't that just enough to melt the heart of ANY 14 year old girl! I have now had lots of nice things said to me by boys, but that was the first, and I think i'll always remember it. As for the perfume? It wasn't long lasting love.

Hot by Ralph Lauren
At 16 I had my self a boyfriend! It was our first Christmas together! It so exciting, it would be the first time a boyfriend gave me a present! It was in a square box, and when I opened it I was instantly intrigued by its dark purple bottle and turquoise lid! When I smelt it, I was in heaven. A soft, sweet, tropical, fruity heaven. It was the first bottle of perfume that I emptied. It was love. True love. Every time I wore it, my friends would lean in and go 'mmmm you smell good!". But who cares about them. I thought it smelt good. Up until very recently I was under the impression that Ralph Lauren no longer made Hot, for when I went looking for it as a teen, I couldn't find it anywhere! But now that I am one with Internet shopping, I have found out that you can buy it online!  Because I am now a little more aware of the connections between seasons and scents, I have decided to reunite with Hot, and make it into my Summer Time perfume! It truly a soft and sweet blend that I would recommend to anyone wanting a laid back yummy, tropical scent. It was love. Real love.

Fantasy by Britney Spears
A fragrance fling that I sometimes look back on with fond memories...
Ill keep this brief. Britney Spears Fantasy. My boyfriend bought it for me. I thought it was perfume love. I basically bathed in it I wore so much. I ended up losing the bottle. I think I would buy it again.. but its almost sickeningly sweet... like melted candy... but still, if I found a bottle cheap enough, I think I would return to my fling with Miss B-Spears. But only on occasion... It is NOT a day to day scent... the timing would have to be perfect when executing this scent. As you can see.. mixed feelings. I will say this... Boys do not like it. But who cares what they think. Wear a perfume because you like it. Seriously! And don't give a rats flying ass when any boy or girl says they don't like your perfume! Tell them to fuck rigghhhhttttt off.

This leads us to my current 22 year old self. What perfume/s does this university student love and use daily?

Wakely by Abercrombie and Fitch

Abercrombie describes it as  "both confident and flirty, and always leaves something to the imagination. Intriguing jasmine combines with warm honey suckle for a mysterious, sensual scent. Notes of whipped vanilla are soft and sweet while clean citrus refreshes the senses."





and....



8 by Abercrombie and Fitch

Abercrombie describes it as "Provocative and sexy, Perfume 8's spicy, invigorating floral scent is always exciting. Ginger and rich peach nectar combine with subtle hints of jasmine petal for a naturally pretty fragrance that is warm, inviting and perfect for day or night."





 My boyfriend bought me Abercrombie's Wakely perfume last Christmas. I had asked for Abercormbie 8 perfume but he said the sales lady talked him into this one. Now, it must be said that I loved it! And loved him for being gutsy enough to go a different rout then the one I set out, but there was a little part of me that longed and wondered about Abercrombie 8. Was 8 a nicer smell? would I have liked 8 better? Oh the Drama!!! Well, My boyfriend's mother overheard me whining and ever so kindly allowed me to smell her bottle of 8 to see if I liked it better. It was glorious! dark and fierce, yet sharp  and classic! I had to exclaim with sadness that I adored them both! I hate making decisions. Being the saint that she is, she handed me her 1/4 full bottle of 8 and said that I could keep it! I couldn't believe my luck! I now had both Wakely and 8!

This Christmas my boyfriend gave me a new bottle of 8. I love these two perfumes. They suit my style, personality, and general mood.
Choose Wakely if you want something fun and flirty but mature.
Choose 8 if you are looking for something timeless and subtlety sexy.