Posse! I don’t know what’s going on. Is it my body chemistry? Is it the moon phase? Has Jupiter aligned with Mars? Dunno. But it’s been a weird couple of weeks in my Perfume World. Things that ‘should’ be a slam-dunk o’ LOOOVE? Yikes! Whommmp-womp. OMG!
Walk with me.
So. Normally I am firmly in the BWF and (to an extent) fruity-floral camp (fruity has to be a bit more mature and, dare I say it, a bit dry to work for me – until it doesn’t). Take my beloved Ines de la Fressange – while I like the Calice Becker version it’s the joyous, overblown Alberto Morillas (oh, how I love his work) that sends me into transports. Clinique Happy makes me happy. Juicy Couture is a delight (sprayed sparingly). J’Adore, while not quiiite a fruity floral, skirts the edge just enough to make me giddy.
But recently, all that has changed. I can wear Ines. But I’m not loving it like I used to and on at least one recent occasion the application, post-shower, forced me to get right back in the shower!
You’re probably wondering ‘Musette! Why are you telling us this sad-assed tale?’ Welp! It has to do with two recent recommendations J’Adore l’Or and A Drop d’Issey. Now… normally.. a Portia recommendation (especially seconded by March) work beautifully on me – I know which notes they love that mesh with my tastes and which ones, while probably interesting, are Just Not Me. Both the Dior and the Issey sounded like they were made for me. Until I put them on! Both of them blew UP! on my skin. BLEW UP! The l’Or … it crawled off my wrist, into my sinuses and stayed there, playing a kazoo at a fever pitch. The Issey…? I still can’t figure out what’s going on there – it just went on shrill. And stayed shrill. And stayed. And STAYED!
I would blame …. I dunno.. Fate? Except Happy? Now making me VERY UNHappy. And Ines has brought me close to tears. I wouldn’t spray Juicy Couture right now if you paid me…. and that was one of my favorites, as it is associated with my late sister. I’m on the razor’s edge of nearly everything BWF and FF, excepting Fracas and Carnal Flower – but I’m thinking that’s because both of them are nuclear-level and will chew your face off on a whim (which is why I love them so).
Okay: Update! It’s been 10 days or so since I started this post and it’s official: I am a morong. It’s just… (wait for it) ALLERJEEZ! I totally forgot to include them in the list of possibilities because it’s still pretty early in the season for us – usually I start itching and sneezing just as they’re laying anhydrous on the fields. But we’ve had unseasonably warm weather so (insert shrug) and my ear canals are starting to itch (among other parts, dagNABBIT) and my soft palate has slammed shut. It’s not bad enough that I’m anosmic to stuff but close enough…I made a pitcher of lemonade yesterday and as I was peeling the lemon rind I realized that I could barely smell it!
That sucks… but not nearly as much as it would if Something Drastic had happened.
So. Here’s a wackadoo list of what I seem to be able to taste/smell:
Vanilla
Honey (though I am only getting those bitter middle notes that makes honey so beguiling)
Carnal Flower
Fracas (the buttery notes are busting through with more aggression than normal, which is interesting)
Mitsy (you’d think I wouldn’t be able to smell the citrus but it’s front and center)
No 5 – but it’s on the verge of falling away :: that’s gonna be some drama, if that happens::
Cheese. Huh? I don’t even eat cheese! But I can smell it right now. I was surprised to be able to smell Velveeta (that isn’t even cheese, is it?)
Are any of you going through this? Has it changed ‘how’ you smell things (assuming you can smell anything at all)?
LMK. Misery really does love company!