It’s Mother’s Day Sunday here in the States, so wishing all you moms (of two-legged, four-legged and other kids), nurturers and care-givers a very happy day. Know that you are loved and appreciated more than you know.
So how about we take a trip in the wayback machine to share what your mother (or grandmother, aunt, etc.) wore that you remember from your childhood?
My grandmother didn’t wear fragrance that I know of, or perhaps she did in her younger days. But my mother had several scents on her dresser, changing as the years went by.
First off, I recall that deep blue bottle of Evening in Paris. I’d sneak a dab now and then when I was little, but I can’t remember what it smelled like. Do they still even make it?
Later on, Lanvin’s Arpege popped up on the mirrored tray, and through the last years of her life, Carven’s Ma Griffe, in its green striped box, was the order of the day, joined by the sleek black, blue and silver metal canister of YSL’s Rive Gauche.
I tried Ma Griffe a while back but it was just a little too sharp for me. But Rive Gauche still smells classy and sophisticated to me (not sure what age my sample is). It’s unlikely that I’d ever wear it regularly, but I can enjoy it occasionally.
So what did the significant women in your life wear? And can you wear it now or is it just too fraught with memories? I have several friends who have eventually “grown into” what their mothers wore and can now appreciate those scents, although they may not wear those fragrances often.
Are you giving your mother a special scent to celebrate her? And what fragrance would your children, family members or friends remember you by?
Happy Mother’s Day to you, sweetie!!! My mother wore Norell (which is what brought me to the Posse, all those eons ago) and Shalimar, neither of which I can easily wear. Shalimar just smells weird on me and Norell always makes me smell like I’ve just drunk a fifth of gin and it’s coming out via my pores!
I cannot imagine what my people would remember me by, scentwise. No5? Prolly. Also Amouage Gold, which smells much like the original Rive Gauche.
xoxoxoA
The only perfume I remember my grandmother having was the Avon Unforgettable cologne that came in the bell bottle — I was fascinated with it. My mom wore Jean Naté splash most of the time in the ’70s, then later on Bermudiana by Lili and Chanel No 5. She’s become very sensitive to perfume in the past several years, but dad had bought her bottles of duty-free No 5 whenever he traveled, so she gave me like 4 bottles of it last year!
I’ve seen Evening in Paris in the Vermont Country Store catalog so presumably someone is still making it.
Mom always had a bottle of Chanel #5 on her glass perfume tray, but I suspect Dad brought it back from duty free and she didn’t actually wear it. I think there was also L’Air du Temp which she did wear and a few things I don’t specifically remember. She has a small collection of things now from her perfume loving daughter which she seems to like and wear but no signature scent.
I remember my mom having small bottles of No. 5, Tigress, Avon Occur, Charisma, and later, Anais Anais. But I don’t actually remember smelling it on her very often — just special occasions. My mom’s mom wore Jean Nate, and my dad’s mom wore Avon products, but I think only stuff like powder and hand crème. I don’t remember smelling any scents on my aunts. I think I may be the first perfumista in the family.
The scent I remember my mother wearing is Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose. I actually have her old bottle – maybe 50%, worn label, still smells the same. I don’t wear it, though – it was most definitely “hers”. But I like to sniff the bottle from time to time.
My mother never had a signature scent and she had a fairly large perfume wardrobe which she shared with me. At a very young age I was wearing Channels, Estee Lauders,Guerlains and Diors….she gave me her bottle of Rive Gauche and I adored it…. some of her favorites we’re Aliage, Calandre, no 5, Fidgi, Private Collection and many more. As she got older she gravitated away from chypres and orientals and preferred lighter more citrus based scents like H’Adrien and for a while wore lots of Annick Goutal. I would certainly feel comfortable wearing anything she might have worn as I was wearing it myself back in the day.
When I was very little, I remember my Mom having Evening in Paris and I can still recall the smell of it is still in my memory. When I was in my early teens she started wearing Revlon intimate and when I was in my late teens she started wearing Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue. About 6 years ago, I started wearing L’Heure Bleue, which I love.