Retro Monday: Elegant Ella

It isn’t often that a new fragrance makes me say “Ahhh.”
And I’m not the only one either, I suspect. As diehard perfume lovers, we just have so many
choices, and so many of those we DO get around to sniffing are more
apt to leave us with “Meh.” But something I’ve tried lately (although it’s been
around since 2016) perked my nose right up. And that something was
Ella by Arquiste.

Its chypre-ish vibe was soft and a bit sultry, and it had a lovely
throwback appeal, as in this beauty wouldn’t have been out of place in
the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s or ’80s.

Something about it reminded me of the old Paloma Picasso scent (remember that one in the tall black bottle with the golden juice showcased inside?), but the
Ella was softer, more rounded, and somewhat less fierce than the PP, at least to my nose.

Just wearing Arquiste’s Ella made me feel grown-up, sexy and downright classy, even
in my jeans, tunic top and running shoes. I had tried a dab sample of it and loved it,
then a small spray decant, and loving that as well. And that’s pretty sweet, seeing as how
fragrance can smell slightly different depending on the application; too often I’ve loved something in a dab sample and then got a spray decant resulting in not quite as much love.

Notes (per Fragrantica): angelica, carrot seeds, turkish rose, jasmine, cardamom, honey, ambergris, patchouli, civet, vetiver and smoke. I didn’t get the smoke, but I’m sure somehow it contributed nicely to the whole.

So what perfumes have you sniffed recently that gave you a double-take, or
that really struck a chord with you?

P.S. Thank you all for your kind words, thoughts and prayers last week. Each of you is such a blessing to me!