Sunday, July 10, 2011

Great Perfumes I Don't Have The Guts To Actually Wear In Public



Many perfumes I wear boldly, giving no thought to what people might think, because I love them.

Others?  Not so much.  Even if I love those, too.

Sure, I'll wear them around the house, out on the deck and sometimes on the back of one hand to add interest to my evening workouts.  

But venture out into the world?

Noooo.

What are these hidden monsters treasures?

Rumba by Balenciaga - Spicy and sweaty and sexual and...trashy.  Like a woman wearing a form fitted, off the shoulder top with a full, boldly flowered skirt and 5-inch stilettos.  She and Tino made out in the backseat of his car and now, she's ready to dance. 

L'Heure Bleue by Guerlain - I love this perfume, but it's so melancholic that I have a hard time focusing when it's on my body.  I'm afraid of making everyone cry.  So far, my life has not included events for which this is the perfect perfume.  L'Heure Bleue is always alluring, but slightly out of step with the rest of the world.

Habanita by Molinard - My first encounter with Habanita was during a trip to Seattle.  B-man and I were walking together and he was not enamored with the smell.  Let's face it: Habanita smells old and musty and smoky and weird.  Which is why I could not get it out of my mind until I purchased it last year.  The question is, where the hell am I going to wear it?

Mitsouko by Guerlain - Classic, but so loud and bold and rotten fruity that I always have to fight scrubbing until it settles down.  I love it like I love caviar; only in theory and for what it represents.

Safari by Ralph Lauren - A beautiful perfume, but so Not Me that I'm afraid people would simply point and laugh as I walked by.  Plus, it burns my nose a little.  Ultimately, I don't have the wardrobe to pull it off.  And if I did, the pointing and laughing would get worse.

Niki de Saint Phalle - Not exactly a chypre or a floral or an oriental, NdSP is hard to categorize.  I admire its uniqueness and its power, but have yet to determine how to apply it so that it doesn't cause brain damage (mine) before it dries down.  Better than pepper spray.

Femme by Rochas - Heavy on the vajayjay.  Not that there's anything wrong with that - in private.  I'll play with this one at home... 

What perfumes are too scary for you to wear in public?

image from demotivated.mediarift.com

20 comments:

  1. LOL Femme! I love it too!

    A perfume I love but have never worn out of the house is Liz Zorn's Love Speaks Primeval. It's gorgeous and so so sexy. It's got a dash of Femmes' secret ingredient too ;)

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  2. I don't wear Safari out of the house either. It's so loud! At some point I'll plan ahead and apply it two hours before I leave the house. I never wore my L'Heure Bleue at all so I finally swapped it away.

    Angel is one I never wear in public because it's so recognizable and polarizing; Joy I never wear I public because it smells like panties on me.

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  3. Eau de Sud. I love it, and wear the body cream at home, but it makes me feel too self conscious in public.
    And L'heure Bleue is my latest purchase. I found it difficult to love : a work of art, to be admired, but worn? In public? But right now I do feel out of synch with everything around me, so maybe that is why I have been wearing it non stop. :)
    Sincerely,
    Carole MacLeod

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  4. I'll wear anything but Secretions Magnifique because it makes me vomit, and there is nothing less lady-like than vomiting outside.

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  5. Femme! I have a sample of the cuminy modern stuff and thought it was rather restrained, but then... (shhh) I wear Rumba.

    Okay, I don't wear it often. And what I love about it is the part that comes up after it's been on for about three hours, the part that smells like candle wax and hot dust. Mmmm. I live for the first chilly day when we turn on the heat and I smell that hot dust smell.

    Like Elisa, I get Ho Panties out of Joy, so my sample went away... far FAR away. As did the vintage parfum mini.

    Stuff I love but don't wear out (or, for that matter, when The CEO is going to be around): vintage Magie Noire and DSH Chypre. They're so... difficult. And scary. Witchy. Almost Eeeeevil.

    Or vintage aldehydies - nobody likes them but me, so I keep them for myself.

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  6. The one I'm scared to wear in public is Miel de Bois. I adore it, don't get any of the cat pee note, but I'm afraid that someone else will think I smell like the litter box.

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  7. Tauer L'Air du Desert Marocain -- I feel like I have to be super confident in my outfit and having my best hair day before I can even try to think about putting this one on. It's too pretty and attention drawing for me.

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  8. L'Heure Bleue - I love, love, love. But you're right, it does evoke melancholy in me too. Why is that?

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  9. Hi JoanElaine - glad you appreciate the secret ingredient of Femme! Sometimes, it smells less...female to me and other times, it's downright embarrassing. I remember wearing it one night - again, at home - and thinking it was just perfect. Never have I captured that feeling again. But I like knowing I could.

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  10. Elisa, I want to love Safari, I really do. But on my skin, it's kind of a scrubber. I still love the idea of it.

    Angel is simply hideous on me, although beautiful on my sister. But you're right; it's too recognizable and love/hate-ish.

    I have never worn Joy, but must admit to being intrigued by your description.

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  11. Hi Carole and welcome! L'Heure Bleue is the perfect perfume when one is feeling a bit out of step. It is truly a work of art - wear it proudly!

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  12. Hi Frida - LOL, I have not had the 'pleasure?' of wearing SM and don't believe I'll be rushing to try it anytime soon! Just the name itself is slightly revolting. To vomit in public is always a faux pas, right?

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  13. Muse, I think my favorite thing about you is that you continue to surprise me. Just when I begin to think you are Quite Proper, you come out with 'Ho Panties!' Nicely done.

    You're right - there is a point when Rumba is quite nice, but it takes a long, long time. By then, my annoyance prevents me from enjoying the good part.

    But I will continue to keep it as an homage to Jean Claude Ellena, being the good little groupie I am. Love that dude.

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  14. acornalley, hello! I have not smelled Miel de Bois, but can understand your cat box fear. Still, if you love it, wear it somewhere safe first...like the park. Thanks for stopping by!

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  15. Diana, your comment surprised me a little. As a strong, smart woman, I thought you might enjoy the attention that a beautiful perfume brings. Of course, I assume everyone is an attention whore just because I am. Especially when it comes to perfume. (I wore Black Aoud to work last week just to shake things up.)

    To date, I cannot do Tauer perfumes. The perfume base - the Tauerade that runs through them all - is pissy on me. If you've found one that works for you, I say enjoy it and let people notice!

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  16. Hi Michael - I'm not sure why L'Heure Bleue makes me melancholy, but there's just something about it that taps into strong emotions. If I'm not feeling reflective, however, it falls flat, settling into its powdery finish. But if the mood is right, I absolutely love it.

    Hope you enjoyed your holiday!

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  17. All of the ones your mention! And Aromatics Elixir and Amaranthine (lately...). I am not even sure about Carnal Flower, Chinatown and Bvlgari Black (if overapplied!).

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  18. Friggin' playing with it at home. Priceless!

    I love Mitsouko and will wear it wherever and whenever I damn well please. I sported it at the beach a few times, and enjoyed every second of it.

    Niki, on the other hand, I do love - but haven't worn out. It just never seems to be the right time. I wonder why?

    What I won't wear for fear of... finger pointing? Gagging? Inducing migraines? Angel, of course, for all of the reasons we already know. Also, MKK and Musc Ravageur, both of which have those skanky reputations but purr like cozy kittens on me - at least to my nose!I have done dry-runs with both, asking if they smell like rutting goats, but by the time I am done explaining what rutting means we're always so far off topic I am no longer sure what the reaction is. Sigh...

    Once I got the full-on pantie raid effect from Amaranthigh, but usually not. I still wear it.

    As for L'Air, my god! Wear it! If it works on your chemistry, don't hold back! What a lovely, different, incredibly scent...

    /longwinded reply

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  19. I do not have in my collection (samples not included) a single perfume I cannot wear "outside". Even Angel. I like it and I can care less if it's recognizable or not. Of course, I choose appropriate perfumes (at least I hope they are) for different places and circumstances but, in principle, I feel comfortable with all my favorites.

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  20. Bandit. I really have to have my game on to wear this.

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