Hey Posse! Let’s go all the way back to 2005! Yep, can you believe it? Lovely is 17 years old in 2022. WOW! Why am I writing about it? Well, do you remember a couple of weeks ago I was talking about the bag of perfumes I bought off a FaceBook Sale Doc? Well, deep in the bag I also found a 30ml Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker and my own bottles have been hidden in the designer grab box under more recent and popular stuff for ages. It’s been a real treat to give myself a soaking and waft around the house. What a terrific fragrance.
I know it wasn’t exactly what SJP had in mind. Have you read the Chandler Burr book, The Perfect Scent? It tells the story of Jean Claude Ellena creating Hermès’ Un Jardin sur le Nil with Clement Gavarry and Laurent Le Guernec’s creation of Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker for Coty? Such a good read if you get the chance.
Also, it’s Valentine’s Day next Monday. This would be a fabulously romantic perfume choice. I’m going to buy myself some really expensive chocolates and maybe even a bottle of perfume (yeah, I’m worried I might run out). I’ll wrap them up nice and give them to Jin to give to me. For him I’m not sure, a card and dinner with a bottle of his fave wine.
Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Nectarine, bergamot, rosewood, lavender, apple martini
Heart: White daffodil, pepper, patchouli, orchid
Base: White amber, cedar, woody notes, white musk, salt
When I spritz Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker suddenly the world takes on a pink tint and everything seems to slow down. You all know what it smells like by now, and everyone will have different memories, reminiscences, friends, years or flashbacks when you smell it. For me it smells like this candy we loved as kids, Musk Sticks. Very Australian, never saw them anywhere else. Sometimes I buy them even now for happy childhood memories.
A couple of years Mum would use Musk Sticks as the outside rim of a cake and then would shower Smarties or Hundreds & Thousands on the top icing. Simple, effective and bloody delicious. I love smelling like Aussie Musk Sticks and roses (yeah, I know, there’s NO ROSES in Lovely, tell my bloody nose and brain then would you!). Jin says it smells like the soap from his South Korean youth. See, everyone has a Lovely by SJP story, well, practically everyone.
Amusingly, one of my besties Anna Maria has a very manly husband, Johhny. He’s a plumber, stocky, super tanned, Italian/Australian man. He LOVES to wear Lovely. You’d think it would be incongruous but it’s not. He smells terrific in it. His innate manliness makes it smell like the most nuanced, niche quality, unexpectedly fab masculine fragrance. It’s intoxicating on him.
Do you have a Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker story you’d like to share?
Portia xx
I found lifesaver musk flavor on Amazon!?
WOO HOO! You’ll get to taste it Chantilly Lace!
So cool.
I hope you love it.
Portia xx
I love Lovely – I get magnolia rather than roses, but its a delightful clean, musky floral that smells great on me. Fifteen or so years ago, I wore it a lot and my then -boyfriend loved it. Our breakup was painful, and one day I thought to console myself with a Starbucks latte. This guy In Starbucks kept trying to talk to me, even after I told him I was going through a bad breakup and was in a bad mood. He said something that made me laugh, we talked for two hours, and eventually went out to dinner.
We’re married now. And while I don’t wear Lovely as often (couldn’t wear it at all for a while due its associations), I still enjoy it
Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
That’s a BEAUTIFUL Valentine’s Day type story. Like a 90 minute romance movie Maggiecat! I’m bingeing them like crazy lately.
Portia xx
Now I have to walk to IGA to get some musk sticks Portia!!
Gosh we had some good lollies in primary school canteens didn’t we …
Stash SJP is one of my favorites and have three bottles ????
I’m going to Coles to get Musk Sticks later, just to remember.
Glad you’ve stocked up on Stash, it smells beautiful on you.
Portia xx
Haha yes it’s lovely! 2005…how much I have learned since then about perfumes…it’s so true Johnny loves it and does suit him…the magic of perfume . Who knew lol?
Happy cute valentine’s too Portia and Jin…you know I do the same thing with John , buy my own gift ??
HA! Buying our own gifts means we definitely get something we want Anna Maria.
I think we ALL have learned a lot about perfume since 2005. What a fun journey.
Portia xx
Okay wait, I need to know a LOT MORE about musk sticks — what are they?!? All I can think of is incense sticks and that’s clearly not what you mean! SJP Lovely hit right around the time I was in my “the weirder the better” phase and I think I was somewhat anosmic to it, and it was a celeb scent, so I probably didn’t give it the chance it deserved. Then later I did a complete 180 on NR for Her (which I’d also been anosmic to, then fell in love with, that whole experience was odd) and felt like it filled that spot in my collection? But I could be wrong!
HA! March, they are these weird sticks of confectionary that taste like nothing on earth. There were also musk flavoured Life Savers. It seems ONLY Australia ever got this particular flavour. Moreish if you love them, soap if you don’t.
Yes NR will fill almost the same spot.
Portia xx
you are going to pull my Perfumista card but I have NO memory of Lovely. None.
However, I have lots of memories of manly men in femme-y perfumes. Neil Morris talked me into putting El O (a manlier man you are unlikely to find, for all his nonsense) in Fracas, to see what the response would be. Well! Lemmetellya. Women were all up on him!!! Ditto Rex (another manly) in Une Rose. I haz a little crush on a Manly right now – am NOT going to put anything femme-y on his skin, lest I lose my mind and eat him alive!!! That is a potent combo.
xoxoxo
HA HA HA HA HA! Musette, you crack me up.
Portia xx
I was given a 10ml roll-on of Lovely. I thought it was pretty but it gave me a headache. I tried it several times with the same result, so I eventually passed it on to a friend. She loved it but also got headaches from it. I’m glad you and others can wear it though. I think it was well named.
BUMMER Maya.
Portia xx
My story is that everyone warned me it smelled “exactly” like NR for Her edt, so there was no need to get it if I already had that one (which I do), so I reluctantly passed it by. So, is it?
DinaC,
They are fairly close. I have and love both but only ever reach for Lovely. It’s in a grab box behind my desk, the NR is in a box, in a box, in a cupboard.
Portia xx
I have a bottle that I bought unsniffed after a different blog post about how lovely Lovely is. I can’t recall it’s scent at all and had decided to put it on my swap list; now I’m going to have to give it a chance and a good wear.
oh, honey – please do report back. I can’t recall its scent, either!!!
xoxoxo
Yes, PLEASE report back for all the others who never tried or can’t remember trying Rosarita.
Portia xx
Lovely post ?? Yes, I get roses and musk. I’d love to try musk sticks but I live in Pennsylvania I don’t think they’re going to cross my path. I’ll ask my Australian neighbor about them. I have a body spray of lovely and I have some narciso Rodriguez decants, so I really don’t need a bottle of lovely but I always see it at the drugstore and even sometimes at the grocery store. Happy early Valentine’s Day ?
Also I have been dying to re-watch LA stories for years! I love watching 90s movies, they are like my comfort scent
Hey Ann!
Always so nice to see you back at the Posse.
Yeah, nah, you don’t need more. Your body spray and the NR should carry you through beautifully.
Portia xx
I have a bottle – don’t wear it much and it has been in my purgatory box… I did love the book. I don’t tend to love the musky clean perfumes – I much prefer Stash.
Oh yes, I love Stash too MMKinPa. Also, I think perhaps I’m one of the few that love Stash Unspoken, it hits my sweet spot perfectly.
Portia xx
I love Stash Unspoken!
Lovely article.
I adore Lovely, NR for Her EDP. Guerlain Idylle. The musk and Rose combo is apparently my jam.
Roses and Musk are a beautiful jam.
Like Tom, I don’t think I’ve tried this (unless years ago and it went past me). I do like the story of its making though — really good read.
Hey Cinnamon,
That’s so strange that two of the Posse writers haven’t tried Lovely.
Portia xx
Portia, I read roses too! It’s a classic rose/patch to me. Smells just like Idylle Duet but wears more easily.
I’ve never been without Lovely
Tom it’s another cheap as chips for your cheap spritzathon
YEAH! I’m so glad others get the rose Alityke.
Can be had for the cost of a McDonald’s burger!
Portia xx
I think I am one of about five people who have never smelled it. I’ll have to fix that one of these days. I happen to like SJP as a performer (L. A. Story anyone?) and from what I know as a person. Sooooo…
LA Story was hilarious Tom. I also loved her as the barracuda in First Wives Club.
PLEASE go sniff it, just to know.
Portia xx
P-
SJP was wonderful in that, wasn’t she!!!
xxoxo
Yeah, so good. I know they couldn’t keep it very close to the book because it would warrant an R rating but I think the role they made her fit perfectly.
Tom –
I’m nearly there with you – I think I’ve smelled it…twice?
And I love L.A. Story!!!
xoxo