My mother's signature scent was Youth Dew from Estee Lauder. I react strongly to the fragrance - it takes me to so many memories of my mom, in some ways the essence of who she was. I still have a bottle that sat on her dresser. It is one of the few fragrances I can detect on someone.
My dad was all Lectric Shave and Old Spice, though he had some colognes I bought him later in life and he loved to wear them. I gave him some Joop Homme and it smelled so good on him. I have bought some for my husband and he rarely wears it, only when I ask him to. Daddy also had Colors de Benetton (from me) and it smelled pretty good.
I love perfume and the memories it brings. I started with Charlie and haven't had a bottle of that in years. I'm amazed they still make it. I suppose I had some Love's Baby Soft, didn't all girls of a certain age? I also tried Colors de Benetton when I was a senior in high school. I seem to remember Primo - a knock-off of Giorgio. Then, a brief flirtation with Anais Anais because a friend wore it and it smelled good on her. Not so good on me. Funny story - I was shopping one Christmas and these two girls were trying perfumes and one said, "Gurrrl, smell dis anus anus - it smells so good!!!" And they oohed and ahhed while I tried to keep from collapsing in uncontrollable giggles. I think there was a bottle of Ciara in there somewhere, and some Cool Water Woman. Also, a little bottle of tropical bliss that I bought on my honeymoon in Maui, called White Ginger. I wear it usually on my anniversary. While looking on perfume sites, I saw a bottle I recognized - Exclamation! Wore it in high school. Let's see, what else? We tried giving Mother different perfumes, but she only wore Youth Dew. So, we would try them - White Shoulders, usually something Estee Lauder.
College, I wore some Lauren, by Ralph Lauren because a certain guy liked it on me. It lasted less than one bottle, the perfume, not the guy. He didn't make it that long. I think I still have that bottle somewhere, or maybe I gave it away. Then, I had a bottle of Joop and really enjoyed it. I'd like to have another bottle of that. It was supposed to have pheromones, and in the early/mid '90's I thought that would be advantageous. Yet, it did smell very good.
Then I discovered my signature scent, I guess. I've worn it off and on for about 20 years. I kind of keep it a secret. I like it, but it seems to suit more for winter. I've tried and loved Kenzo Amour - it is also a winter fragrance - a warm scent on me. It is pretty recent. I've had a brief flirtation with Bvlgari. I also tried SJP's Lovely, but it turned sour and harsh on my skin, like so many perfumes tend to do. Maybe that is why I gravitate to a warm scent - they seem to do better with my chemistry. I gave Lovely to a dear friend, because she is lovely, and I thought the perfume would do better on her.
I need a new scent for spring. Or, maybe I need to revisit an old scent for spring. I think I need to get my box of cosmetic goodies and see if there are any bottles in there.
What would be cool, would be to have a bottle of each perfume and smell them one at a time, seeing what images, memories and emotions they would bring back to me. That would be fun.
Now Smell This a nice little perfume blog
Basenotes another perfume site
Post Script: I dropped by CVS on the way to the school and actually got to smell some Charlie (wow they had it!!) and some Ciara. They both reeked of alcohol. Yikes. But I did notice that every actress and pop singer (as well as some bimbos who are famous for being reality show bimbos) has their own perfume line. Who would have thought it?
