“Wear perfume anywhere you want to be kissed!”
Coco Chanel.
Hello, young Padawan
Today, we will play like Pépé the Pew cause it’s almost February 14th. For those who didn’t grow up with Looney Tunes, Pépé is a cute but strong-smelling cartoon character, a bit clingy with girls, who don’t have a lot of success, and falls in love with a new soul every five minutes. If only Pépé could have read this article on sensual perfumes, he might have had a little more success!
The perfume. Much more than a camouflage of skunk odors, it is a signature. It identifies us with others and reveals a character, a mood, and a philosophy. Marcel Proust would also tell you that it is an unforgettable memory because we all have memories of smells associated with feelings or events that happened at a given moment.
Olfactory memory is magical, and when it comes to seduction, it immerses us in the moment. We are as if hypnotized, captured by the subtle alchemy of the perfume on the skin and the pheromones of its host. Because each skin is unique, perfume develops differently, and this message, true olfactory DNA, remains engraved in our memory.
A little reminder: Just because we don’t have a Valentine doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate Valentine’s Day. For example, in the USA, you give Valentine’s Day cards to everyone you love, not just your partner. To your child’s teacher, your postman, your family, your colleagues, your neighbors, or your friends. It’s really charming; everyone gets their dose of Pépé le Pew, to the delight of greeting card sellers, lol.
Here we go for the special Pépé le… sorry, special Valentine’s Day perfumes post!
Sweetheart let see if the Rose
I am sure Mr. Pierre de Ronsard would have liked this selection since we are here on the rose, even the woody rose, which brings eternity to youth.
– My first is a woman’s perfume with a woman’s scent, the very essence of femininity. If Pépé is not seduced, I don’t know what to do! May rose and jasmine brightened at the top with citrus notes, aldehydes bring power and hold, vanilla, sensuality, vetiver and sandalwood, strength, and warmth. Everything is there. You may have recognized Chanel N°5 in its eau de parfum version.
Two anecdotes: It was called N°5 because it was the fifth version of this juice Ms. Chanel chose.
Besides, it was the favorite perfume of a man virile enough to be able to wear anything, including a juice like this. An artist I recently talked about in our music section, his name is Prince. That said, N°5 has its share of masculinity through vetiver and sandalwood, especially in the version he wore, the eau de toilette, where they are much more present. The Eau de parfum version (mine, ed) is much more floral and citrusy.
If you ever want to look into N°5, I strongly encourage you to feel not one but all the versions because they each have their subtlety, their identity.
– Izia, la nuit. I’ve already told you about the daytime version here, a pure marvel, but the nighttime version is absolutely no exception. As with the daytime version, the Ornano rose, the precious flower from the gardens of the Polish castle of Isabelle d’Ornano, the nose designer of this perfume, is at the center of this olfactory experience.
The differences between the two versions are made by the top notes, which are no longer citrus like in the first, since we are on blackcurrant, mandarin and cardamom, and the base notes, ambrox, patchouli and vanilla, bring a captivating dimension to this evening juice. We are, therefore, on a fruity note but spiced with cardamom at the start, then flowery, to finish on a woody, even leathery note, which remains round thanks to the subtle touch of vanilla, but without ever being sweet. It is a sensual, elegant perfume, a real hit.
– The third juice around the rose is the small yellow sample in the photo. It is San Ysidro Drive by Victoria Beckham. This time, the rose is subtly woody at the top, thanks to the sandalwood, but the saffron flower surprises me the most. What a great idea, what happiness! A fragrance that brings confidence and seduction, strength and subtlety, a touch of vanilla barely perceptible at the end of the day bringing roundness to the amber-woody, our base notes. This perfume gives us wings to accomplish what seemed impossible, even approaching this cute guy with a mullet cut who seems very friendly to us.
I am so pleasantly surprised by Mrs. Beckham’s juices that we will discuss it again in the next paragraph. These are not perfumes she released just because it felt good to have perfumes in her range, as she owns a beauty brand. There is some great research on these juices, and I am quite impressed. It’s accomplished, it’s mature, it’s subtle, we are in goldsmithing, in art, and even in poetry.
Citrus forever, sensual and seductive
Blog regulars know. I am a Hesperide lady, above all…
– Let’s start with my Eau des Sens, my absolute favorite (my article here). All the dimensions of the bitter orange tree in a sensual, almost sexual scent for those who like to bathe in citrus fruits, of course. With these notes of orange blossom, angelica root, and juniper berry, it is fresh but mischievous, delicate but sensual, the slight touch of patchouli barely perceptible, giving it a disturbing and captivating background while allowing the citrus fruits to hold all the day on, the skin. I have two favorite perfumes I describe as “love philters”; this is the first.
– Eau Nabati. Nabati means “botany” in Arabic. We are still on a citrus tree but transported to a lush oasis, a garden of paradise. Its notes of bergamot, petitgrain, amber-flowery scent of immortelles and balsam of Peru take bergamot out of traditional cologne, to surround it with enveloping and amber accords, and thus obtain a much richer perfume, in every sense of the term.
The only downside, if I may say, of colognes is that they tend not to stay on the skin. The only way to remedy this is to add a woody note, a patchouli, or an amber note to fix the scent. Here, we are on a perfume that lasts all day on the skin thanks to the immortelle, amber, which subtly invites you to travel without ever going to your head.
It’s an invitation, not a robbery. Perhaps this is also the message we want to convey to our coveted one…
– Portofino’97. I want to tell you about this second juice from Mrs. Beckham, which is a huge favorite. Here, we are also on an invitation to travel, but this time with bergamot, amber, and vetiver — so it is fresher. This perfume can absolutely be unisex (like all perfumes, in fact, but this one in particular, ed) in the sense that wood, musk, and vetiver are often notes found in men’s perfumes.
Worn femininely, it is sensual, almost sexual, divinely formulated since the bergamot stays for a very long time (I smell it until the evening, which is rare for citrus fruit, as explained above, editor’s note), and the peppery note brings the little touch of playfulness necessary for the balance of the juice, or for the person wearing it.
A “goodbye” – Santal Blanc
– Because some of you have succumbed to my ode to this divine perfume and have this juice at home, I couldn’t not talk about it here. Indeed, I have the sad regret to announce to you that it is discontinued. Very fortunately, I was able to catch one of the last bottles because I had finished the previous one just before the announcement, and it was on sale ( !!) — to begin my mourning of this formula, which is so delicate and so successful.
If you also have Santal Blanc (White Sandalwood, ed), you know the power it has. As said in this previous article, this is the perfume I wear when I’m in seductive mode. It activates the pheromones, invites without vulgarity, and is present without kidnapping the entire perimeter; in short, appreciate it for its true value, and don’t forget to share it with your Valentine, lol.
And that’s it for my little selection of love philters, but love in the universal sense since it is also a question of self-love. A perfume is, above all, personal and intimate, and just because you don’t leave the house that day doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the sweet scent of your favorite perfume.
Whether you are particularly olfactory or not, we all have memories relating to perfumes. It is a sense that is educated, developed, and maintained, like hearing or taste.
Last anecdote: do you know that the first sense people with dementia lose is smell? And that by making patients work on this sense, they can improve and reduce some of the symptoms. In specialized rest homes, therapists come with vials filled with flower and food scents like honey, saffron, rose, or thyme to help them regain the connection. So, exercising your sense of smell is important. It is essential for our emotional, intellectual, and physical health.
All that remains is for me to wish you a wonderful Valentine’s Day, whether as a couple, with the kids, alone, or with friends; the main thing is to take advantage of this day to do what you love since it is not the celebration of lovers but of universal love.
XO 💐
