Living in Montréal, we often need a calendar to tell us which season it is because we can’t always rely on the weather. For instance, it’s spring here now… today is April 15th and they are announcing snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and rain for tonight and tomorrow! Winter is certainly dragging its heels.
To make things worse, I tested a perfume this week that made me think of my childhood beach holidays in North Eastern US… Wells Beach, Cape Cod, Wildwood and beautiful Cape May, New Jersey. My cousin, also a perfume enthusiast, told me that she wears Replica Beach Walk by Martin Margiela and so I ran out and tried it and it automatically brought me back to suntan lotions of the 70s and 80s but with a beautiful ylang ylang note which reminded me of Fidji by Guy Laroche, or at least, what Fidji used to be.
Now… I don’t think that the name itself would have attracted me much before I met FiveOaksBouquet and Tara. I was very lucky to have met these two soon-to-be friends who taught me many things about perfume but one piece of advice informs my approach to perfume every day. NEVER judge a perfume by its name, its price or its notes. That single piece of advice is responsible for me wearing some of the most beautiful perfumes I own today… Stetson, White Diamonds by Elizabeth Taylor and, yes, even Old Spice. AND, wear the perfume for a few days before you decide whether it’s for you or not. Scent strips are a good start but the only true test is on your skin over several days.
And so, I put my preconceived notions of a beachy perfume behind me (I’m not a Calone fan) and I tested it on my skin and I thought it was just lovely… definitely worth going back for a sample so I can try it again. What caught me off guard was the opening floral note… so, so pretty. I’ll come back with a full review after I’ve tested it more.
And so, the next morning I reached for my traditional spring fragrance, Premier Figuier by L’Artisan Parfumeur… as I look forward to warm spring days.
I just heard that Nina Simone was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This reminded me of a song that makes such complete sense for this Montrealer… Trouble in Mind (and, it’s a sing-along).
Trouble in mind, I’m blue
But I won’t be blue always,
‘Cause that sun is gonna shine in my back door someday.
Trouble in mind, I’m slow
My poor heart is beating so slow
I never had so much trouble in my life before.
I’m going down to the river
Gonna get me a rockin’ chair
If the Lord don’t help me, I’m gonna rock away from here.
The Perfume Chronicles 
Andrea
/ April 16, 2018Like everyone, I’m so eager for sunshine and warm weather if any scent can help me get there….. then that’s for me.
Love the song…. which led me to Ella Fitzgeralds rendition…. And on and on….
Normand Cardella
/ April 16, 2018Yes. Ella’s version of Spring Is Here is just perfection.
FiveoaksBouquet
/ April 19, 2018Snowing on April 18th and I’m joining in with a sunny perfume, Annick Goutal Songes, with floral notes of frangipani, tiare, jasmine, and ylang-ylang and sometimes a hint of gardenia pops out. Perfumewise anyway, spring is here!
FiveoaksBouquet
/ April 19, 2018Oops! It’s April 19th!
Tara C
/ April 20, 2018I’m still in winter, but hopeful I will be able to wear my new spring scent, Jo Malone Jasmine Sambac & Marigold soon!
Normand Cardella
/ April 21, 2018Marigold? Bring that when we meet!
Brigitte
/ April 24, 2018I appreciate what you said “never judge a perfume by its price”. Some of my most beloved perfumes of the past were inexpensive drugstore finds that could easily compete with some very expensive niche in today’s market. In fact, some of today’s niche offerings smell similar to those drugstore fragrances from the past. Stetson, White Diamonds and Old Spice were beloved by me as well.
Looking forward to what you have to say about the new Jo Malone if and when you get to test it.
Normand Cardella
/ April 24, 2018I’ll look out for it.
Thanks for the comment.
Nathalie Boivin
/ May 11, 2018Normand, Tu as tellement raison lorsque tu dis qu’il ne faut pas s’attarder au nom, au prix et aux notes d’un parfum. Justement cette semaine ne n’ai pas tenu compte de la note marine/melon et de la classification de floral océanique (selon le guide de Veuillet-Gailot) concernant Parfum d’elle de Montana. Habituellement je déteste la calone. Avoir tenu compte de cela, je me serais privé d’un parfum qui est mon coup de coeur de la semaine. D’autant plus qu’il ne m’a coûté que $25…
Normand Cardella
/ May 12, 2018Voilà. Et, des fois c’est le contraire. On ne parle pas de Calone et on s’aperçoit après l’achat qu’il y a plein de Calone. Beurk! Merci pour le commentaire!
Nathalie Boivin
/ May 12, 2018Effectivement. Surtout que la calone peut être tellement envahissante. J’ai été traumatisée par Escape.
Nathalie Boivin
/ May 12, 2018Ton article me donne envie d’aller sentir White Diamonds au plus vite!
Normand Cardella
/ May 12, 2018Surtout à ce prix. On le trouve souvent chez Winner’s.