Well it’s been a few weeks. We have had a few things at work go wrong in ways that have had me seriously getting my inner Miranda Priestly on and one that made me almost get my Lucy Harbin on. The former was for things like the front door to the building that has been malfunctioning for two months now and keeps getting “fixed”. The latter was a neighbors care giver, who decided that he did not want to disturb his charge who was sleeping by using either of the two bathrooms in his apartment or the one in the gym to relive himself but decided to evacuate his bladder on the wall of the garage behind his charge’s car. On camera. Charming.
I suppose I should be glad he just needed to pee.
Lucy Harbin is not in a good mood..
So this Monday the bottle of Arpège I scored at one of the online discounters (at shockingly low prices) arrived, and while it may not unsharpen my tongue much, axe-murders are at least off the plate. Which is good because there would be a lot of messy clean up and I don’t want calluses from swinging that axe.
You can read my previous post about Arpège from about 4 years ago here, where I give out fascinating stories about Arpège including that I guess the information that I had already bought a bottle. Oh well, extra homicide prevention, I guess. Or I can spray it on my pillows.
From that review: “Aldehydes and Bergamot and flowers and a little hint of peach. Which sounds like it would be some combo of Chanel No. 5 and Mitsouko, but it lacks some of the sparkle and plushness of the Chanel and the lethal edge of the Guerlain. I definitely doesn’t skew young, which is I suppose something that everyone who isn’t actually young would shrink from like vampires faced with garlic-scented sunlight. It doesn’t say old either. This version to me comes across as the scent that a well-dressed woman would wear to the board meeting (where she is President, naturally.) It says ‘I am supremely confident in both my achievements and my abilities- enough that I can wear a supremely confident and feminine scent. Question any of the former at your peril.’”
The Eldorado Brougham cost more than a Rolls and came with a bottle of Arpege pour la madame.
Arpège seems like a cousin of sort to Mitsouko: it’s all aldehydes and bergamot, orange blossom and iris on me with a hint of peach. It doesn’t have the spices that I find in Mitsy, which is kind of what I like about it. For me, Mitsouko is a warning: “I am not to be trifled with.” Arpège says “I am not to be trifled with but this smells really pretty so I won’t have to ki77 you right this second.”
These days don’t we all need some pretty?
What are you’re go-to stress reliever scents? Share in the comments.
Arpège is available online at various e-tailers at fairly reasonable prices. You can also get samples of the EDP from Surrender to Chance. I purchased mine from one of them. Apparently more than once..
Images: My iPhone, Pexels and Wikimedia Commons
Sometimes I like a little zen scenting Tom. SJP Lovely, James Heeley Esprit du Tigre and Guerlain La Cologne Du Parfumeur all do pretty good job, but there are many others.
Arpege! YUM
Portia xx
“Zen scenting” is a great way of putting it.
Wait, is that “promise her anything but give her Arpege?” Or am I making that up? Sorry, it’s been an absolutely insane couple of days here so I can’t even remember if this is what I tried recently, I think it is. And it was very pretty.
Yep! That was the tagline!
::and I may be making THIS up… but I keep thinking Eartha Kitt was the face of that ad campaign ::
No. But close ( not really). In her absolutely fabulous song ‘Champagne Taste’ she berates her would-be paramour for not even giving her Arpege ( you beast)
Well he is a beast..
I’d love to see that ad campaign..
That was the tagline..
I don’t have actual stress-,relief perfumes, just perfumes that keep me from killing people.
No5 parfum and edt top that list
Mitsouko is a close second
I thought the K-word might trigger something..
Tom,
I’ve probably said this before, so forgive me, but my mom gave me Arpege for my 21st bday and it was my signature scent for the next ten years. I went through many bottles. In addition to the round boule bottle, I had a tall metal refillable canister, and the refill atomizers were very affordable. I still love it. I even wore it on my wedding. According to Luca Turin’s review in The Guide, it has become more woodsy masculine over the years. I don’t think I ever sniffed a vintage older than the 80s, so I couldn’t tell you. Sorry to hear about the crazy troubles at your building! Lay down the law and wield the hatchet if necessary!
Luckily the building has calmed down. For now.
I still think Arpege is delightfully feminine. But what do I know?
Distresses fall into one of two camps for me. When I have no control over the stressor, herbal & fleeting. For example, Clarins Eau Extraordinaire got me through DH’s first 2 surgeries & the chemo in between.
Conversely, when I can have a measure of control over the stressor, witchy, bitch Queen scents rule the day. Aromatics Elixir, Azuree & Aramis are all perfect for Fireworks Alison. No5, Cristalle EDT & No19 are worn for the days I’m a smiling time bomb.
I don’t save any of these witchy, bitchy scents just for these occasions, they would rarely get worn & they are some of my favourites.
The Clarins now induces fear & sadness & got sold on
Love your smiling time bomb scents! And I totally understand about the Clarins.
The Clarins is one that has scariness in proportion to the number of sprays you give it. One is fine, more than two is “watch out”
I didn’t even this about AE and I have a bottle on the desk in my room.. I didn’t know Cristalle was still around? I remember it as such a sweet, somewhat self effacing scent.
Cristalle EdT is no more, unless you find some of the final few, as I did in Tenerife South Airport last year.
Generally it is just Cristalle in its latest iteration. It leans towards Cristalle EdP which was a sweetish pretty fruity as you describe.
Cristalle EdT was sour lemons, green & herbal. Not pretty but an early 70’s astringent chypre. She maybe seemed a nice girl as much as a 20th century Chanel could be, but as with her elder Chanel sisters, she would stomp on you with her stiletto should you look at her the wrong way. Cristalle EDT was Emma Peel in the Avengers
Christalle always makes me cry
The fact I can’t have it makes me cry..
Ah, Arpege. I have a mini in the pretty black bottle. I tend to wear it either when I am staring at the bottles and can’t make up my mind (Arpege is always ‘right’) or when I want to feel put together but don’t feel like Shalimar or Mitsouko.
Anti-stress stuff … I tend to put things on that I’m not hugely attached to so any negative associations are sort of vague. So, for example, Strange Invisible Perfumes Magazine Street, which I’m glad I have but don’t feel hugely attached to. If that makes any sense.
I try to keep the stress-reducer scents separate from the cause of the stress so I don’t taint my enjoyment of the scent.
Oof! Sounds like work has been lots of fun!
I should like Arpège but no. I tried the vintage and just remember that I neither liked it nor disliked it. I felt basically neutral about it.
I never thought much about stress reliever scents. They would have to be gentler fragrances like sandalwood. I think MKK would work well too.
MKK is a great stress reliever for me. For the people around me when I’m wearing enough to de-stress me? Maybe not to much.
What do they know….. 😉
From what I have seen? Not much.
lololololololololol