Happy Fourth of July to those of you who celebrate it! And for those who don’t, a happy first Monday in July! For many of us, the day will be filled with parades, cookouts and other celebrations, and of course, fireworks. So that got me thinking of what scents have set off fireworks in my nose.
The most obvious one for me: Clinique Wrappings. It bowled me over (almost literally) when I first sniffed it way back when (1990, according to Basenotes). “Fizzy,” “boozy,” “effervescent,” and “nose tickling” were a few of the impressions that exploded in my brain after sniffing it. I remember thinking, “Mmmm, now this is what champagne ought to smell like.”
Anyhoo, fast-forward a few years. The fashion editor at my newspaper brings over a magazine brief about a new fragrance from a French perfume house with which I’m only vaguely familiar. Intrigued, I call the store carrying it to get a sample for us to try.
When it arrived, I kept sniffing its top notes and getting flashbacks to another scent, wracking my brain for what it was, until it finally hit me. It was a near-scent twin to Wrappings. Granted, it was more sedate and tea-like in its middle and drydown stages, but the two shared a similar sparkly opening. That scent was Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier’s Camelia Chinois. I’m guessing they still make it, but haven’t looked for it or seen it in ages.
Another scent that seems to have built-in sparklers is also a Clinique offering: (the formerly Prescriptives) Calyx. Although it doesn’t have the champagne-like fizz of Wrappings, its burst of green, grapefuit and a market’s worth of other fruit, fairly explodes on your nose at first spray. As an added bonus, I love the shower gel in this, but oddly enough, it wasn’t listed for sale on the Clinique site. Sure hope it hasn’t been discontinued.
Others that give me an uplifting buzz include Chanel’s Cristalle and the Different Company’s De Bachmakov.
So please share: What sets off fireworks in your brain when you sniff it?
Howdy, Heidi! Mandragore sounds cool — but can’t believe I’ve never tried it. But if it’s fizzy, I’m there. I think STC has samples. And you are spot-on about Vent Vert!
Fun thread theme! The first that pops into mind is Annick Goutal’s Mandragore — it’s such a skin scent on me that I don’t wear it much, but for the first few minutes, it’s very fizzy! I don’t know what gives it that effect, but it’s like Pop Rocks in my nose! Also Vent Vert, but that’s more taser than fizz.
I used to like those same fragrances. I used to wear Calyx in the late 80’s to the early 90’s when it was still good and not the reformulated version it is now. I also used to love Cristalle, but it is different now too in a bad way. I remember in high school I asked a school librarian what perfume she was wearing because I thought it was really good and she said it was Wrappings. Wrappings comes out each year before Christmas and I like to give it a spray on at the counter each year if I can, but I don’t want to buy it for some reason.
Oh, no, N! So sorry to hear this about the newer versions. I’ve got some older decants in my fridge and that’s what I’ve been wearing. I can’t seem to commit to buying Wrappings either, but will have to make a decision when my bottle is gone.
Amouage Dia does that for me. So does no 19 when it comes to setting the fireworks off in my head.
I haven’t tried Dia in so long that I can’t recall what it smells like, so I will dig through my Amouage samples and re-try it. But I bet No. 19 would be great!
Happy 4th of July! I have no special plans for today, but will probably indulge in a little YSL Champagne.
Oh, yes! That is a great choice — I had forgotten about that. Thanks! Now to find my little scrab of it …
Hi Ann, If you cannot find your YSL Champagne, or even if you can (but you may be running low!), send me your address and I will send you a decant. Thanks for all you do for the Posse! XO
Oh, thank you — that is so sweet of you!!
Hi there Anne,
Happy Independence Day to you and all the USA crew.
Fireworks? Liberty by Cacharel, the first time I wore it I thought it was burning out my olfactory bulbs. Fizzed up my nose like nobodies business. I still love it and have a little hoard so I’ll never run dry.
Portia xx
Howdy, dear Portia! I love your line “burning out my olfactory bulbs”! I don’t think I’ve ever sniffed that one but if I ever come across it, I’ll sniff it very gingerly 😉