Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Perfume's Good Old Days



Over the past week or two, bloggers much more knowledgeable than I have posted about the dismal offering of mainstream perfume in today's market.

Yeah, I get that.

At the same time, I don't want to end up an old lady, sittin' on the porch, reeking of vintage Femme and bemoaning the Good Old Days in perfume.

Let's get real:  The industry just is what it is.

After giving myself a little talking to, I've decided to grow up, open my mind and go on a Mainstream Marathon this weekend for the following reasons:

1.  No new release could smell worse than Lyric Woman.

2.  I can be a snobby little princess, but not necessarily about perfume.  More so about undercooked potatoes or watered down martinis.

3.  Masterpieces in perfume are often recognized in hindsight rather than at the time of their release. 

4.  Nordstrom, Sephora, Macy's and Dillards are all within a five mile radius of my home. 

5.  B-man has agreed to come with me to prevent my 'cheaping out.'

Timing is good here because I'm looking for a few new perfumes that are outside of my usual 'dark, darker and darkest' range.

Instead, I want cheerful and bright...girly, even.

So let the sniffing begin - the good old days are here. 

image from corbisimages.com

18 comments:

  1. I am seriously concerned now. Nothing can smell worse than Lyric!? Shame on you. ;)
    You really don't like it? How incredible. Ok, I know there are people out there who don't like it but I just never thought I knew one (even virtually). :)
    But I agree with you, as with life, so with perfume, one cannot live in the past, a bright future awaits. Even though it might only contain 2 wonderful new perfumes per year (amid the hundreds)...

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  2. heee! love that photo - that's gonna be me in 10 years as I already have those shoes

    I cannot wait to read what you find - so excited!!!

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  3. I hope you discover some mainstream miracles! I just stopped into Sephora today for some MS sniffing. The new Jennifer Aniston surprised me in that it really doesn't smell like every other launch, i.e., no pink berry notes. However, it's still boring -- pretty much a straight jasmine soliflore, though I got a banana angle (some ylang-ylang maybe?).

    I asked for samples of Love, Chloe and 24, Faubourg, both of which I've tried from testers but haven't spent serious time with at home. The 24F I am strongly feeling.

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  4. oooh.... try "boyfriend" and let us know how it is. :) (please)

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  5. I tried Boyfriend today! Just on a blotter though. I thought it was a pretty heavy vanilla -- in the Dior Addict mold.

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  6. Hi Ines - yes, I truly dislike Lyric Woman, or rather it dislikes me! I have tried multiple times to befriend it, but LW remains cloying and awful on my skin. Sad, but true!

    At least now, you can actually say you know someone who doesn't like it.

    And yes, life is short - let's move into the future and smell all that we can!

    Thanks for your comment!

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  7. Hi Frida - you make me laugh! I'll bet those shoes look stylin' and sexy on you! Will keep you posted about my weekend results.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  8. Hi Elisa! I'm really looking forward to my weekend perfume plunder. Don't think I could wear a perfume named 'Jennifer Aniston' even if I loved it. I'm kind of JA'd out, if ya know what I mean.

    Faubourg is a beauty, no wonder your feeling it. And thanks for the heads up on 'Boyfriend.' Still, I'd like to try it - will report back.

    Good to hear from you!

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  9. Hi *jen - I will definitely try 'Boyfriend' - it's on my list! Thanks for your comment!

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  10. Hear, hear! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

    Though I'm about to give the slaughter to Boyfriend I think it richly deserves over on Feminine Things later this week....

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  11. As someone who leans to the light side more than most bloggers in the "fumiverse", to borrow a technical term of Katie Puckrik's, I applaud your foray into mainstream. I am the self-styled Queen of Bland. I don't care for Lyric, or most Amouages for that matter.

    Happy Sniffing!

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  12. Hi Diana - good to see you! I will look forward to your Boyfriend slaughter later in the week. Hope to experience that and other this weekend. Thanks for your comment!

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  13. Vanessa, I'm looking forward to my Mainstream Marathon. I'm bored, suddenly, with searching for the latest niche offerings when they are often overpriced and overwrought, in my humble opinion.

    I agree you are the Queen, but you are anything but Bland.

    As always, thanks for commenting!

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  14. Josephine, when it comes to my full bottle collection, I've got more mainstream beauties than nichies. I go out of my way to search out the rare mainstream gems, because the fact that they can often be had for under $40 a bottle is a pleasure all its own! I wore one of my favorite mainstream standby's yesterday, Flower by Kenzo.

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  15. Elisa, you are so right! Flower by Kenzo is lovely - I have the Le Parfum version. Tea Rose is beautiful in the spring and I paid about ten bucks for it at TJ Maxx. Looking forward to a bargain or two of great stuff.

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  16. Josephine,
    May I suggest trying new Jo Malone's tea collection and Annick Goutal's Le Mimosa at Nordstrom? I can hardly imagine anything further from your usual range.

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  17. Undina, thank you for the suggestions! I have only dabbled in Jo Malone perfumes but will spend some serious time this weekend going a bit deeper. Le Mimosa hasn't gotten great reviews, but seems just weird enough that I might like it!

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  18. I hated Le Mimosa! But it's not a reason good enough not to suggest it for a test. Especially taking into the account that it's a limited edition.

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