I confess that I detest Fall. I mean come on…the trees are turning beautiful hues of red (my favorite color) only because they are starving themselves in preparation for frigid Winter. Lovely. The chill in the air that so many of my neighbors praise is only a taste of what is really to come…bone-chilling temperatures and brown slush. Bitter, bitter cold and a desperate longing to be somewhere warm.
OK, I’m done bitc…complaining. I don’t even allow myself to moan about the ridiculously high temperatures Kansas City reaches in the Summer, simply because I do so much ranting and whining from about January through March.
That brings me (finally, I know) to my subject….scents that have a knack for pulling me out of my Autumn depression. I confess to a love of the Florientals. Fall and Winter are perfect seasons to get away with overspraying the heavy hitters….something I am completely guilty of (yes I’m ending with a preposition here).
Has everyone tried Belle en Rykiel? I’m infatuated with this beauty. I got my first fix last Spring while in Paris and opted not to bring home a bottle because I was sure there would be plenty here…well we finally got it stateside. Yes lavender and incense has been done (to perfection) by Serge. This is a different take though. A true floriental with a comfort factor. I think the bottle is cute too, and I’m so not a bottle person….usually….which brings me to Guerlain’s beauty Quand vient la pluie. I bought the eau de parfum unsniffed because I just can’t say no to a new Guerlain….I don’t know why, I just can’t. I love it, but now I have to have the parfum (going in on a split with that sucker). I get Apres L’ondee meets L’heure bleue (I think March was here too) and some more heliotrope. I am a sucker for powdery too and it is all over this one baby. This I’ll be keeping by my bed this winter in case I just can’t get out of it.
Nothing but nothing brings a smile to my face (scent-wise of course) like tuberose. I just had to mention my beloved because I find it missing in the new releases. By Kilian, which should be hitting Bergdorf’s soon, has one called Beyond Love which mentions tuberose and I will try desperately not to buy it unsniffed. I promise nothing.
Winters are always difficult. My depression seems to kick into overdrive around January…not a seasonal affect thing, just plain depression and a hatred for cold months. A wicked combination. For this reason (in addition to like ten thousand others) I adore perfume so much. A majestic hit of tuberose and I’m smiling through the mysterious pain. God bless the perfumer.
A few others on my recent rotation include Caron Acasiosa (a lovely skanky jasmine that smells simply dark); Caron Poivre which Patty has written plenty on, go girl and thanks for the heads up on this one; Nina Ricci Fille d’Eve (again, which Patty hooked me up with) which is the most beautiful fruity chypre EVER. If you haven’t sprayed this deceptively “fruity” scent it will knock your fig leaf off; Sarassins (gorgeous jasmine, ’nuff said).
Thanks for letting me chatter on. I’m off to to spritz a little of the N. 5 premiere on my sheets before bed…try it, it’s fantastic. On a side note, Dusan asked where my picture is…I promise I’ll post one next time…I have none…none..on this computer….my gifts do not live anywhere near the technical neighborhood.
I recently got back from London, and at least one fashion type is encouraging men to wear No. 5. Guy named Thom Murphy says that this fall, men will be wearing, and I quote (http://1000scents.blogspot.com/2007/09/england-swings.html):
“Chanel No. 5. I kid you not! This big nan’s blouse perfume is only for the truly hard boys. It’s such a familiar smell but, on a man, the fragrance changes and leaves people confused–which is always good.”
And speaking of Caron Poivre, I just got myself a bottle of the EDT version, Coup de Fouet (at Harrods!), and I can see it will be an autumn mainstay. It’s miraculous.
totally agree with you — one of the great things about fall is i can run around spraying mitsouko or SL’s Fleurs D’Oranger & not be killed by fellow commuters on the subway (always a good thing). Great to see your post, i have to admit, i have a soft spot for them since it was one of your’s that I read the very first time i discovered this site. =)Great site! okay..back to lurkin’ for me.
The Fall is a welcome break from the heat of late Summer – but I dread the cold Winter months. I’d like to hybernate during February and March and wake up in April… A NEW BEAR!!! What would be the perfect fragrance to take into hybernation for this bear who doesn’t like cedar or lavendar – some of my favorites are Lolitta Lempicka, fresh index patchouli.
Bryan, I detest fall too! I hate winter even more. I have got to move to the climate where it is always summer *sigh*
Greeting from a true perfume junkie, everyone! Even named myself after one of my all-time favs.
Bryan,I agree with you about Autumn. In spite of the beauty of the changing leaves, I cannot stand the drop in temp. I’m a summer person through and through, although I do like to have the 4 seasons well defined.
Anyway, I was in France last month, and of course, I visited Marionnaud. I did not know about Belle en Rykiel, more’s the pity, so I didn’t look for it. Any chance it’ll make it to the States? As for Fille d’Eve, my mother was a devote of it a long, long, long time ago. It was a deep green juice that smelled like nothing else on earth. I close my eyes and I can almost smell it. I see that it has been brought back (and costs a bloomin’ fortune). Can you tell me if it smells anything like the original? “Remakes” are seldom successful, unfortunately, so I hope the did the right thing with this wonderful classic.
This is such a fun site! Keep up the good work. \:d/
Fall is my favorite season.Cool breeezes and beautiful trees!I love a variety of seasons, so sad that I now live in Florida and we wear shorts most of the year.I miss blazers,turtlenecks and corduroy pants.Wish I could trade with you I’m so sick of heat.I love tuberose scents too and they blossom in cooler temps.Variety is the spice of life!!Try to enjoy your seasons.
Come on down to Texas, Bryan, we’ve got the cure for your January February blues! (We’ll have to drive to Dallas if you want to do any serious sniffage, though). Every February I give thanks that I no longer live on the East Coast. Just about the time we used to be having our final blizzards, Central TX bursts into wildflowers and crystalline blue days.
On the other hand, many of us feel melancholy in the spring, knowing the SUMMER with a vengeance is right around the corner…but I don’t mind. It keeps out all but the bravest Californians (*waves invitingly at Tom*).
I can’t wait for the mild fall weather–already putting on my winter scents in the safety of my air conditioned house.
I have to echo sweetlife’s sentiments, altho I’ll extend an invite to Bryan for Arizona rather than Texas. February and March are two of our loveliest months here; the only dread around has to do with the upcoming summer, but in Feb it’s too far away to send us really quaking. I understand your feelings too well, Bryan–I “did my time” with snow during a childhood in Buffalo, and I remember those never-ending winters. You can come on out here for a bit for some AZ sunshine when the weather gets to you too much!
I still love Fall, tho it doesn’t really appear in AZ. No tree leaves turning, no super crisp days. But it’s finally less HOT come October, and I can pull out my heavier fall scents. I’m currently chomping at the bit for Fumerie Turque, Organza Indecence, Black Cashmere….it’s time!
I luuuv autumn, and I luuuv autumn type perfumes, so I’m a happy person now. I’m not so keen on winter though, it’s nice up until Christmas to get the right feeling, but then in February-March it’s just too much! I’m keen to see what the mild English winter is like though – perhaps it’ll be like one big long autumn? <):) Or perhaps there'll be no "proper" autumn at all... The gardens are still in bloom here - I've even seen ripe wild strawberries in some of them, which is crazy! - and the first leaves are just about turning red and yellow. It's cold enough for autumn, but it doesn't really really feel like autumn the way I like it yet. I'm used to a greater contrast in temperature between night and day, and earlier frost nights so the leaves turn and fall quickly. Here it's more like the other way around - cold during the day but so mild at night it's still green. But I'll see what happens...
Bryan, I feel oddly energized this time of year…:-” that Belle en Rykiel is delicious, I get a lot of coffee in it. It reminds me of something, but for the life of me I can’t figure out what it is.
Fall has come here in Paris after practically no summer and a series of lovely days in September, just when work was piling up like crazy (Paris closes down in August, as you may know)… Everybody comes back to town, ew projects get launched, friends are there again giving dinners. And new perfumes are on the shelves, with plenty of samples!
Perfumes are indeed consoling. I’ve pulled out my beloved Cuir de Russie,leaving the wrists naked so as to try all the new stuff coming in (and positively scare the SAs with my geeky questions and comments): Guerlain’s Vanille yesterday (yum), Parfums d’Empire’s Fougère Bengale today (fascinating and original), Lancôme Cuir. It’s the “starting anew” feeling Nicola refers to… So fall’s not too bad, really. Except the days of non-stop rain ruining trouser hems.
“Days of non-stop rain ruining your trouser hems” is a great visual. So accurate! Now, I wouldn’t mind experiencing fall in Paris. Some day, who knows…
Can you believe I’ve never tried Acacosia?! I really must!
Now, I love the fall, even though I know what’s ahead. When I triangulate that with life, I feel differently, being in the fall of my life where my body isn’t starving itself, but some of the branches are creaking really badly, and the sap only gets about halfway up, and just rustling in the wind can be a skosh painful on too many days. Well, you know… still love the fall.
Patty-
We’ve seen your photo. You are mid-summer at most.
I’m not claiming Autumn yet, so neither can you! :d
Bryan-
I am right there with you on the hating winter thing- before I moved here I lived in the midwest (for three years) and I loved it- the people are great and I had loads of fun there, but the winters? Someone shoot me. I remember standing on Lake Drive one day after work wearing practically every piece of clothing I owned and still thinking that if the freaking bus didn’t come soon I would actually, seriously die.
Off-topic – I’m missing commenters Elle and Ellen (PBF). Ladies, I hope you’re both well, contented and busy doing wonderful things. Kisses to you.
Bryan, sympathies on the season blues. I’m with you from January onwards but I admit to loving autumn with a passion. It still feels like new beginnings (and its a long time since I was near anywhere vaguely academic!) and I love autumn and winter (heavy hitter) scents most and lovely cuddly woollens etc. Even early winter has its compensations with toasted crumpets de riguer on Sunday afternoons in front of some nice costume drama on the telly. However by 27 December I’ve HAD ENOUGH! I think your idea of cheering yourself up with some glorious florals is something I will pursue when the lack of light finally gets to me.Thanks for the tip (though nothing with heliotrope for me).
Bryan,I’m with you on the season thing. Kind of hard to enjoy autumnal beauty when I know that all it means is shoveling the driveway. And NYC in the bitter cold is not a fun place to be.
I can’t wear all of the scents you’ve mentioned (my skin chemistry seems eerily like Lee’s), but I’m counting on that Pluie split to cheer me up.
Oh, sweetness-
ALL my men have that seasonal dragassalitis.
Not pretty chez moi….
I couldn’t do Belle- I wanted to, but it went ‘meh’ on me.
Try the Rykiel Woman, though- that’ll give you comfort aplenty !
[BTW- Ava-Luxe has amazing ambers for the season- and her new Honey will soften anything you want smelling like beeswax- wonderful !]
PM me, if you need a fix !]
((((((smooch)))))
Shoot! I just put in an order for Cafe Noir parfum and didn’t order a sample of Honey, though I did order one of Madeline, her Christmas scent. And I do love beeswax smell. BTW, Ava-Luxe Amber Essence is a lovely general amber that is a great background for Avignon and Crazylib Encens Mystic; I ordered a body lotion.
Bry, how wonderful that you have found scents that can positively lift your mood and make you forget a little bit about the winter blues. Personally I can find the beauty in every season…it is just the endless rain of Holland that tends to drag all through spring sometimes that really gets me down. We hardly had any summer this year too. Now THAT’S what I call depressing. When winter and autumn keep to their scedulle I’m fine.. It’s when they hijack spring and summer that I really start going mad!
I couldn’t agree more! We had a late freeze this last spring and all the lilacs were murdered by the winds of an angry winter. I was ticked to say the least. I was spraying En Passant like crazy.:”>
Bryan, although I love autumn, I also love Acaciosa. And you’re allowed to end a sentence with a preposition. As Winston Churchill said, approximately, “That is a rule up with which I will not put.”
Maria,
Sweet. Love the quote. I read somewhere that the “new” rules allow for the whole preposition ending thing, but only in rare cases. Oh well, sometimes I just want to write like I speak…uh oh, what does that say?
I love the darkness of Acasiosa…deep and brooding jasmine. My kind of jasmine.
Bryan-so unfortunate that autumn brings you down. I’m in the camp of loving the season, in fact with a passion. However, in D.C. we often wait a long time for the first chill-it’s been in the upper 80s for weeks. The reward is usually several months of cool mornings, mild afternoons. I’m not being very sympathetic, am I? So sorry…I do get a bit of the SAD in February, and need a vacation then.
The Rykiel is very nice-I bought it after a quick sniff at Marionaud in France this summer. It’s very nice, a bit more complex than I expected, with a touch of patch that I like. Glad you like Poivre, too-it was my intro to Carons, and it smells like a lovely snug sweater to me (er, maybe that’s what I wear with it!). I just sampled another mostly carnation scent-Love Comes from Within, and am liking the floral with amber blend a lot. Very cozy.
I must try the Nina Ricci Fille d’Eve-sounds lovely, too. A few years back I found Belles de Minuit by Ricci in France, and still like its gourmand goodness.
I hope you get some Indian Summer to cheer ya!
Louise,
Will try to find the Belles. That was a limited edition, right? Not sure. I love me some Indian Summer…I feel like every warm day now is a little theft from winters’ coffers. Like winter is alotted a certain amount of days and warm days diminish winters’ stores. Crazy, huh?8-}
Bry,
I’m so with you on the fall depression. In my case it’s definitely seasonal but none the less complicated. You just wanna cuddle up somewhere warm and cosy… I never fail to get sick come Sept/Oct – must be psychosomatic. I’d like to think that perfume helps in my hour (season) of need but nay, it’s the sun I crave! And 100+. I’ve noticed that I reach for warm, sweet, spicy, woods/incense more these days. It’s like your blood sugar is low and you just desperately need a quick fix, you know? A spritz of Fumerie and I’m set. Arpège I ran away from in the summer, now it’s bliss. Chergui, yum. Heritage, too. I put Nuit de Noel on the other night and had a moment. *That* is what should be prescribed instead of a/ds. Ok, getting of my soapbox. Well, not until I say that I love burgundy (color), I agree Sarassins is breathtaking *and* I’ll never, ever, forgive you for not posting your pic. 🙂
D,
Thanks for the words. I promise to get the picture up asap. I love the ones you mentioned…esp. heritage and chergui. They will definitely be keeping me company this fall/winter. And of course the Nuit. When I’m not wearing Carnal of course.:d
B, it warms my heart that you love Héritage. It rarely gets a mention for being so lovely.
Um, please don’t make a cross at me, but I’ve never actually tried Carnal *slinks off*
Hey hunk
You wear the stuff that I can’t – I’m so thoroughly impressed. Unlike you, I love autumn, even though it makes me a little prone to the blues too – but that’s to do with lack of light, living so far north. We don’t get the chills you folks suffer living in the middle of a vast continent; and there’s something about those low shafts of light hitting on dew soaked fallen leaves that makes me tingle with pleasure. Change – I love it. Even if Jan and Feb have me kvetching about the interminable winter…
Chin up, young person. You smell wondrous.
Lee,
You know I’m trying to keep the chin up. I am quite certain that you could pull off a bit of the floral. Given your love of all things spice, Fall is your (pardon the English metaphor)…cup of tea. har har. Love you Lee. Try a little Sarassins with some spice and let me know how that gets you going.
Hello, Bryan, and I apologize, this is how tired I am right now-I thought Lee posted this. Anyway, I will from now on blame my skankiness on Lee!
…and I am right there with you singing the blues.
I will have to try the Acasiosa, I have a new found love for jasmine thanks to Serge. And my love for the skank all began with that Nuit Noire you were kind enough to send me. You have turned me into a dirty girl :”>! A dark, skanky jasmine sounds like pure heaven. Thanks for posting this!
Hon – you’re welcome! Enjoy skanking it up – Nuit Noire is the best!