Sometimes it’s good to get your psychic chain yanked. This weekend was full of insane perceptions and humbling realities. I spent a lot of time prepping my house for a visit from a long-lost relative, sure she would be judging me on the state of my floors, only to realize that hey! guess what? Neither of us gave a damn! We were SO happy to reconnect, I doubt either of us could tell you if my sweet velociraptors were waxing those floors while we were yakking. Hoist on my own House Petard but you know what? It’s one of those psychic yanks that reminded me of what is really important. Gratitude for what I DO have is what I’m feeling today. Here’s a short list (and yes, there is perfume involved. Hang in there)
I love my (relative) health. I know people who are struggling with some massive issues and..again…guess what? They are doing so with grace and fortitude. I am worried about my toenails looking ‘old’ while another friend is trying to keep her guts from leaking out. She’s way more gracious about it than my whiny self with the toenails. So I think I’ll shut up and appreciate my blessings.
I love my business. But you already know that.
I also love my job.
Yes. This ‘job’. I love connecting with you guys (I adore your comments!) – but sometimes, reviewing perfume can be a chore. But then I stop and think about it….I get to review PERFUME! And BEAUTY PRODUCTS! Scented body creme. Really? Let’s just catch our breath and think about that for a hot minute. And then…SQUEEEEE!!! I have met so many incredible people. Surrender to Chance is my Holy Grail! I have Barneys and Beautyhabit on speed dial. Are you kidding me?
And my good fortune is never more apparent than when I get a new scent to LOVE – and review. Surrender to Chance just went to Yurrup and brought back some stuff I wouldn’t otherwise be able to sniff, since the closest I’m getting to Paris these days is (almost) Minneapolis, aka the Paris of the Midwest. So I grabbed a vial of one of the newest Guerlains: Guerlain Cour des Senteurs Versailles was created to celebrate the opening of its boutique in the “Cour des Senteurs” in Versailles. This is the only place in the world that you can purchase this fragrance!! Guerlain interprets the sumptuous world of the legendary kings and queens who marked the history of France. As a tribute to the majesty of the balls thrown at the Château de Versailles, Guerlain created the exclusive Cour des Senteurs – Versailles edition. It is an elegant and sensual fragrance with a royal aura, in which jasmine, Marie-Antoinette’s favorite flower, leads the dance. It features top notes of bergamot and galbanum; middle notes of cyclamen and jasmine; and base notes of freesia, lily-of-the-valley, white musk and amber. It is an eau de toilette, edt.
Pretty, pretty stuff. I would’ve said Malmaison instead of Versailles but they did not ask my opinion. And it’s also unlike any Guerlain I’ve ever smelled. You know how Carons smell ‘Caron’ and Guerlains all smell ‘Guerlain’, no matter how light or sharp or sweet or funky? Well….this is one of those red-headed stepchildren – gorgeous as can be but if you were blindfolded and someone spritzed you with this…well, I defy anyone to identify it as Guerlain. I get a bit of a vintage Coty feel…or maybe a tad of Modern Caron – the galbanum is reminiscent of Caron’s Montaigne, which I quite like….the jasmine is clean and bright, not the dirty, indolic hothotHOT! I would expect from Guerlain. But you know what? Enough about how I feel about it. Let’s see how YOU feel about it. Or one of you, at least. I’m channeling my Inner Wayne Brady here. Who wants to Make a Deal? LOL! Okay no. You don’t have to dress up as a potato. All you have to do is ….I dunno….just put Jasmine in a coherent comment to be eligible. Or Royal. There ya go. Two options!
Speaking of draws, the winner of last week’s Soihvole Amun Re, Tears of Ra draw is…Vannie! go over to gmail (evilauntieanita) and give me your details. I’ll get it out to you. I know I still owe the previous 3 winners stuff – be patient with my poor ol’ self – it’s been a Very Weird Week and we just had a storm blow through town and it looks like velociraptors have been mating in my garden.
But you know what….? I am so grateful to be able to share so many of these perfume beauties with you! I’m off to Motion Industries to match up some ginormous gears! And I’m grateful as H.E. double hockey sticks for my wonderful suppliers!!!
I’m just a happy gal! Love you all!
We Indonesians love jasmine. We have jasmines in our tea, spread jasmines on graveyards and lavishly exploit them in wedding celebration … jasmine bandeau ornate the bride’s crown, chains of jasmine buds an extension of the bride’s hair, jasmine necklace for the groom, a keris (traditional dagger) with jasmine tassel on it’s hilt, and even a jasmine vest/bolero for pre-wedding ceremony, not to mention jasmines blossoms and buds on the wedding bed.
Hey Musette –
This is very timely since I’ve lately been in a bit of a blue funk (luckily more light than dark) and I am reminding myself to count my blessings, which are many.
But then life can sometimes be a royal pain, even for the residents of Versailles, which this commoner got to see for the first time last year. Would love to try Cour des Senteurs Versailles.
Until I fell down the perfume rabbit hole, my only experience of jasmine was the jasmine tea served in Chinese restaurants. That’s still the only kind of tea I like (I’m a die-hard coffee drinker). My reaction to the first jasmine-centric perfume I ever sniffed was “oh, it’s not just for tea!”
Would love to try the Cour des Senteurs Versailles.
And thanks for a (much-needed) tap upside the head with the perspective clue-bat.
My first experice with Jasmine was my mother’s bottle of Joy perfume. Such lovely memories. A little taste of Versailles or Malmaison would be delightful!
The only jasmine I have ever had was Jasmine & Vanilla from Bath & Body works, and there is something about it I do not like. So it sits, collecting dust…I really have to give that away. I guess there is jasmine in some of the Chanel fragrances I have had…not sure which. I, too, love all your stories, you make me lol at work every time I read one.
Congrats Vanie! And good post, Musette — It reminds us not to worry about the little things!
Yeeeeah! I won last week’s draw! Can’t believe it! I’m so happy to discover this brand. It’ll be my first time trying something that isn’t yet in the Fragrantica database…
There’s always someone worse off, and remembering that keeps everything in perspective for me during really difficult times. I’m really glad life is going better for you now – you deserve it! I love jasmine and would love the opportunity to try this. Thanks for the chance!
Your happy/grateful post brought a smile to my face. I needed some inspiration! Thanks!
Thank you Musette, your stories always make me look more closely at myself! That is good, as sometimes I need a slap.
I do not wear perfume to work but now that it’s spring I can tuck a sprig of jasmine in my ponytail and get delicious whiffs every time I move.
I can still remember how enthralled I was with my first experience with night blooming jasmine on a trip to Florida. My grandparents built a retirement home at the head of an intercoastal waterway a long time ago and it was the first home in the area. I would sit on the boat pier smelling the seductive combo of the jasmine and the ocean water, listening to the slap slap of the small waves against the pier and watching the dark blue velvet sky with stars strewn through it like carelessly spilt diamonds. I was at the introspective time of changing between child and young woman, moody and brooding a lot of the time, but those spring nights were a time of pure joy. When they talk about going to your ‘happy place’, this is mine, awash in a tropical night with ample fodder for each of my 5 senses.
Glad to hear that all is well at your house. And yes, I agree that it’s good to think about things to be happy about. It can make some of the not-so-good stuff seem small by comparison because we all have to deal with those things once in a while.
Love jasmine as a note! Cour des Senteurs Versailles sounds wonderful, and it looks like it’s in one of those gorgeous bee bottles.
Oh, I love jasmine… it reminds me of when I lived in California. Now I’m in the cold, cruel East Coast, but I can dream.
Hi Musette. I am new to the Perfume Posse and I really enjoy your stories. I love your irreverent writing style, You make me smile. I have lovely indoor jasmine plant which is blooming now, I have no need for room freshers or candles. I just open the window and a light breeze wafts the scent of jasmine throughout my house. Poodle, if you really want to grow a jasmine plant indoors, I’ve had good luck using a violet pot and a south-facing window.
I heart you, Ms. A. Smooches.
Also, I am a teeninesy bit annoyed, because now I have another thingy to add to my StC wishlist… “vintage Coty” feel, you say? Floral with galbanum? GAH, I just placed an order with them last month, I don’t need another one… and on top of that, I am shifting my focus from summery florals to heftier ones because I Cannot Wait for fall. I hate August.
Growing up in Corona del Mar I had night blooming jasmine outside my bedroom window. Smelling it now reminds me of living in paradise back then
Lovely to read such a cheery post, Musette! I just returned from a (“1st annual”) family reunion of folks from my mother’s side. I have 18 cousins, and 14 of them were there, along with their spouses, kids, grandkids, and my siblings, too. I don’t have much in common with most of them but enjoyed being with them all. Lots of blessings…XOX
What a gorgeous bottle from Guerlain! I love galbanum, jasmine and, actually that whole list of notes sounds great! Another one to add to my “must sample” list. I wish jasmine grew in my neck of the woods so I could smell it growing wild. I also fall victim to that urge for perfection in my house when I know someone is coming over. And you’re right: folks rarely care as much as I think they will. Glad to hear that things are happy and weird in your world!
Aww love you back, Ms A! Those moments of gratitude that elevate one’s being can be few and far between; I find that it takes deliberate meditation to bring that rarefied space into the chaos of everyday life. So worth it. And I just realized while reading this that Jasmine would be an adorable cat name 🙂
I’m glad that you’re in a happy place this week. It’s so hard to get that perspective sometimes, at least for me it is. I worry about floors and dust too. I can also turn a minor health issue into a major stressor in the blink of an eye. I’m getting better at regaining perspective and not sweating the small stuff but it’s challenging some days.
I can’t grow jasmine here. I’ve tried growing it as a houseplant but I don’t have a window that’s warm and sunny enough I guess. Right now the sweet autumn clematis is in full bloom and I like to think of it as my northeast version of jasmine. It has small white blossoms and a beautiful scent that gets caught on the breeze like I imagine jasmine does.
Hi Poodle,
I’m not sure if you are interested but I’ve had good luck growing jasmine indoors using a violet pot. I’m in the Northeast so I can’t grow jasmine outdoors either. So far I’ve had pretty good luck and the plant has bloomed throughout the summer.
I do have something to say about jasmine! There are two bushes in my yard, one of sambac, which is always flowering (love it) and the Grasse one, which is usually just a green mass. But this year, as spring is approching, the Grasse jasmine (grandiflorum, actually) is giving some flowers. Man, do they smell good! Smelling them clears the mind like swimming on a river!
Versailles ? Jasmin ? Yes! Please!
Dear Musette, nice story and so true…humble is THE word. When you don’t give such importance to yourself life becomes easier, playful and much funnier 🙂
About jasmine – I just love sticking my nose into the lovely little flowers in bloom when I walk down my street in Spring! For me it’s the best smelling flower along with the rose and freesia.
I was so happy at your relative coming to see you and not caring about the floors. What a wonderful story. I miss my relatives too. I love jasmine and have bought and killed so many lovely plants. It grates on a gardeners nerves to be so close to growing the wonderfully scented southern plants, but just not close enough.
Occasionally some well-meaning person will give this gardener a jasmine plant (usually from White Flower Farm) and I thank them profusely…and then I chuckle. Because I know I will have that plant for approximately 12 minutes! Luckily I’m so far away from jasmine-growing zones that it doesn’t even phase me. You let me get a house with a conservatory, though….;-) xoxoxoxoA
I do so love your stories about real life. It’s always reassuring to hear that I’m not the only one stumbling over “insane perceptions and humbling realities.” (Lovely phrasing.)
I have numerous fond memories of jasmine wafting through my life – somehow always catching me unexpected. What a joy to stumble upon that instead of my own two (not always metaphorical) feet.
let’s see where this comment to Cynthia Mc lands….
I used to be even worse, Cynthia – then I was ‘schooled’ by a casual comment some friends made – I’d stopped over to their house, which was in ‘lived-in’ mode…and they were fine. We had tea, were yakking it up – and then the phone rang. P came back in, in a tizzy, and put me and his husband to work, tidying up the place. “X & Y are coming !!!” he shrieked! Confused, I asked why he was cleaning up for X & Y and not for me. “huh? we LOVE you! you’re family. we DO NOT LIKE X & Y so the house has to be perfect”. That it made perfect sense to me was as funny as the statement itself. So now I do a mental/emotional checklist: am I doing this because I basically want the house not to look like a dump or is this an act of aggression? Pleased to say that my crazed behavior this past time was just…basic crazed. No aggression.
xoxoxoA
I love jasmine.
I like to pick a sprig of pink jasmine, put it in the car, and smell it all day long…..
Congratulations on both your clean floors and your conversations with long-lost relations.
Thanks! Those clean floors lasted all of a day – but the memories of me with my cousin will last my lifetime! xoxoA
And we love, love, love you, too, darling Musette! So glad you had a happy reunion with your relative, that your work is going well,that you’re feeling OK and yay! — sharing a lovely scent with us. Big hugs to you — life is good!!!
Life IS good, sweetie! Particularly because you’re in it! xoxoxoxoA