Hey there Posse, Today I wanted to chat about my 5 Partner Memory Scents. As you may know I have a super great partner Jin. He grew up very poor in a tiny fishing village of South Korea near Busan. Through various trials and tribulations he found his way to me and we have been (mainly) happily cohabitating for 5 years. I know many of you have decades with your partners but I had not had it in my mind to ever have a partner again after various debacles through my 20s & 30s that led me to believe I was a better person solo.
Anyway, as all the best laid plans of mice and men that idea got scotched when Jin and his happy, handsome, carefree self rocked into my life one night and then never left. Seriously, he basically moved in and stayed immediately. It was uncanny how easily and simply it all happened. So here are 5 Partner Memory Scents that always make me smile when Jin wears them but also if I happen to smell them on someone else they bring a happy smile of recognition.
5 Partner Memory Scents
Eternity Aqua by Calvin Klein:
When we first met it was nearly summer in Sydney and the temperatures were already high. Jin’s favourite fragrance at the time was this one and he still wears it in the heat. Every time I catch a whiff of it the heady days of our initial courtship come flooding back so one of the best Partner Memory Scents. Ozonic, aquatic and full of cucumber Eternity Aqua rekindled my love for the genre which seems to be making a comeback.
Antaeus by CHANEL (vintage):
So early on Jin spritzed some Antaeus in a shopping mall and it smelled very nice on him. Having worn it myself in its early years though I knew that it could smell even better so I started looking for the vintage and when I found some it became one of Jin’s regular go-tos. It’s getting expensive keeping him supplied but that smoky/leather/woods over oakmoss is absolutely fabulous on him.
Oud by Mona di Orio:
Jin rarely wants for anything. It makes him IMPOSSIBLE to buy for. He’s so easy going and really has everything on earth he needs. For our Anniversary one year the ONLY thing in the whole 4 or 5 months since his birthday that had elicited any kind of real excitement from him was Oud. As you can see it’s about 1/3 air now and it’s unmistakable when he wears it. Killer!
Bombay Bling by Neela Vermeire Creations:
Funny thing: When I got the first 3 Neela Vermeire fragrances my favourites went Mohur, Trayee, Bombay Bling. Jin gave Bombay Bling one spritz and his eyes rolled back in his head and he was lost. It was impressive to see a man usually so laconic all of a sudden have a fragrant epiphany. Whenever I smell it on people it reenforces Bombay Bling as one of my Partner Memory Scents. I think he is about to open his 3rd bottle and it’s fabulous fruity opening to deep woodsy dry down seems to capture a part of Jin we rarely see.
Bottega Venetta EdP:
Of all the Partner Memory Scents this one has a bit of back story. I fell madly in love with this scent when it was released. Jin is a canny fellow and decided that if I loved it so much he should probably smell like it. Clever, eh? So this is bottle number two or three. I sometimes smell Bottega Venetta EdP in the street and instantly smile. It’s Jin to me now. That soft, fruity leather glossy sheen that it smells like is the smell of Jin more than anything else..
So what are your Partner Memory Scents?
Portia xx
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I’m 59 and recently was married. My Husband had never wore cologne or had anyone think to buy him some. I bought him a bottle of Chanel and gave it to him on our Wedding Day to wear. His hands shook when he opened it and he got teary eyed! It was so sweet and I told him it was to wear everyday, not special occasions. I have always been in love with fragrance, since I was a child. Now my Husband is too!! His collection has expanded quite a bit since we married last October!!! Scent memory is the best. xoxoxo
Beautiful story Beth.
Portia xx
What a sweet and lovely post! My Dear Husband has no interest in fragrance at all and wears none. For a time he used L’Occitane shower gel in Thé Vert but it’s been discontinued, so there isn’t even the lingering scent of shower gel anymore. The closest thing to a partner scent would be lightly starched cotton and linen as he usually wears a button down shirt most days.
Hey Tatiana,
Isn’t it a bugger falling in love with L’Occitane products? They rarely stay long.
Clean shirt smells GOOD!
Portia xx
this is such a charming post, Portia! Neither first DH or the current has any interest in perfume (or any scent) AT ALL. El O’s only comment: ‘at least you’re not wearing a LOT of it’. My one really fab scent memory for him, though, is when Neil Morris and I talked about tuberose for men – he thought, correctly, that women respond well to men in ‘female’ scents. I sprayed Fracas all over El O and we went to a business dinner – the womenses were all over him like ducks on a junebug! That was fun! And Fracas smells divine on him!
xoxoxoA
ps. love to Jin. Glad he’s home safe!
Hey Musette,
So he STILL didn’t get the bug, even with all that attention? He be CERAYZEE.
Yes, having him home safe and sound is good. Poor bugger has been asleep most of the day burt we have slipped in some TV watching cuddles on the couch. NICE!
Portia xx
I’ve been married 11 years but perfumemania only set in a couple of years ago. I’ve been buying for my husband as well as for me – my favourites on him are Knize Ten Golden Edition, Guerlain L’Instant pour Homme, Bel Ami Vetiver, Equipage Geranium and YR Cuir Vetiver. It had never occurred to him to wear scent before but he does like and wear them. I love that Jin wears Bottega Veneta! I have the body lotion and will probably get the EDP.
Hey MrsDalloway,
YAY! I love Equipage Geranium and talked a girlfriend into trying it while we were away. I think she went back and bought it next day.
You have helped him to a VERY sophisticated fragrance wardrobe. Go you.
Portia xx
What a sweet post 🙂 I hope these scents keep Jin close to you until he gets back home. My partner doesn’t wear perfume, and indeed dislikes it when I wear anything heavier than a Hermessence, but he uses Baux deodorant and smells magnificent in it. Somehow, he also smells amazing when he uses plain old Degree deodorant. I also just love his unadorned skin scent.
Hi Koyel,
Yeah, most people smell pretty good up close as long as their pits are deodorised, some even smell too good to scent.
Portia xx
My husband really, really dislikes scent. His goal is to be scent-less. So I’m afraid I don’t have any memory scents. 🙁 I now and then smell something I’d LOVE to smell on him but it’s not his thing. He supports my craziness so that’ll have to do. 😉
hey Tanzania,
Support in the crazy frag madness! You have a keeper there darling. Don’t ever let him go.
Portia xx
This post made me smile, it is so sweet 🙂 Jin has quite eclectic and good taste! My partner does not wear any perfume (yet!), but he still has his own (good) smell. I am keeping my fingers crossed that one day he’ll decide to spritz himself with my Chergui, since it is one of the few perfumes I own that he also likes.
Hey Nemo,
That’s right. Start him on the good stuff straight away. He He he.
Portia xx
My husband wears Fumerie Turque, Muscs Koublai Khan, L’Instant de Guerlain pour homme and Joop. All of them bring a smile to my face.
What a stellar collection TaraC,
I bloody love JOOP! Interestingly both Jin & I had it when we met. It was his winter fragrance. I don’t remember him ever wearing it though.
Portia xx
I loved this post and smiled all the while I was reading it. I suddenly realized that no husband, lover, or good male friend ever used scent. It surprised me. Only my father always splashed on cologne after he shaved, but I don’t connect him to any specific one.
Right Maya,
You mission, should you choose to accept it…….
Portia xx
What a sweet post! It was lovely reading it — all the memories and smells wrapped up in Jin. My ex never wore scent, which is probably good, since it ruins no fragrances for me! My husband wore, and still often wears, Alfred Sung Paradise. It smells great on him, though I’ve also convinced him to try a few others — I LOVE FM Vetiver Extraordinaire on him, and wish he’d wear that more often. I also like Guerlain’s Vetiver and Jo Malone’s Myrrh & Tonka on him. Secretly, I have more fun scent shopping with my friend and her husband — they’re both perfume junkies, and he’s pretty adventurous. I got him to buy Arquiste Nanban when we went to Arielle Shoshana’s in DC (btw, Arielle came in while we were there, and was just thrilled you had sent us there!)
Hey there HeidiC,
You are like a Guerrilla scented with your husband. I love it.
How bloody wonderful is Arielle? I love her so much.
Portia xx
Bvlgari pour Homme, it was originally mine (I’m a girl), but I thought it would be great on my ex (it was). He’s long gone, but I bought another bottle for me, it’s still strangely comforting.
I like so much about your comment Leenie2,
First that you have a guys scent in your wardrobe, then that you shared it with your love and lastly that his wearing it and the relationship ending didn’t sour the scent for you.
Cool comment with a wealth of story inside.
Portia xx
I always tried to send some of my perfume enthusiasm to my boyfriends/partners/husband but it never really worked. They did not care really what they wore and I bought them what I liked. I hope the next one will be my perfume soul mate and we’ll be able to enjoy sniffing together 😉
Hey Neva,
One of the great things about having and I Don’t Care boyfriend is that you DO get to scent them up.
It is special though when Jin is in the mood to go scent hunting. We have a laugh.
Portia xx
My college dance partner, who was not yet out, wore Antaeus.
Hey AnnieA,
Ha! Maybe it was a sign?
Portia xx
Ohh, I needed a love story this morning… thx
Hey Paddy,
Excellent. I’m glad it hit the spot.
Portia xx
What a great post! I loved reading it. I still remember this cologne called Avatar that a boy in my high school wore- I think it’s been discontinued but it was something you could buy at the drugstore. The reverse of this is scents worn by people you don’t like that then get an averse reaction for life – I had a super sleazy car dealer who wore TF Grey Vetiver and now even if I see the name in print I shudder.
Hey JenBat,
HILARIOUS!! What an asshole that he ruined quite a nice frag for you.
Portia xx
Portia! What a gorgeous, romantic post. I really want to smell Bombay Bling! on Jin now.
Hey Tara,
You have smelled it on him. he was wearing it in London. I think you commented.
Jin says “Love You Tara” as he trundles off to bed. Yes, he’s home safe but absolutely worn out.
Portia xx
Thank everything he’s home xx
It’s great when you have a partner who appreciates fragrance and has the same level of interest whatever that happens to be. So the scents that immediately evoke my partner- Knize Ten, Andy Tauer’s Lonestar Memories, Chanel Pour Monsieur, Lalique Encre Noire and Frederic Malle Vetiver Extraordinaire. However the closest he would have to a signature scent would definitely be the sublime Knize!
Hey MaureenC,
I LOVE Knife Ten and grabbed myself a shower gel while OS last month. TOTALLY different memory for me. Bought it while being taken around the Paris hot frag spots by Denise Beaulieu, of The Perfume Lover novel, in 2013.
Seems it’s an excellent memory scent.
Portia xx