I have a problematic relationship with perfume. I love the magical perfume adverts on telly, I love the delicate glass bottles and the tantalizing descriptions of the scents, they sound delicious! …. But the majority of the time the perfume itself just smells like perfume to me. A bit chemically, vaguely floral or fruity, and just a bit naff.
And it’s the same for cheap perfume or the pricey stuff. I wander around Debenhams and airport shops spraying, testing the scents and not find one that smells nice to me. I don’t know if I have a defective nose that isn’t identifying the much talked about top and base notes…or if the whole perfume industry is an emperor’s new clothes level of scam? Is there anyone else who feels that way? Either way, I tend not to enjoy perfume in a way that I think everyone else does.
I have often complained to Rob that perfume should be fragranced in the same way as Yankee candles – with fragrances like baked apple or warm vanilla. A perfume that you can identify easily and that doesn’t have that distinctive perfume chemical smell.
Well, over Christmas my perfume prayers were answered. On Christmas eve we had a day out to Powerscourt in Wicklow and whilst we were browsing the art shop I discovered Jo Browne’s solid perfumes.
Made out of beeswax and packaged in bamboo cases these are perfumes in chapstick form. You apply them by rubbing the wax on the inside of your wrists or other pressure points; like behind the ears or in the crook of your elbows.
The range is limited, were only three scents: Floral Note – Lemongrass and Wild Jasmine, Sweet Note – Citrus and Crushed Vanilla, and Spicy Note – Spice tea and Honey. But they actually all smelled gorgeous and the scents matched their descriptions. I think I spent a solid ten minutes wavering over which one to buy. In the end I chose the sweet one; Cirtus & Crushed Vanilla.
That was twenty days ago and honestly, I have worn this perfume every single day since then. I still love the scent, it feels like a great finishing touch each morning to put on my perfume before leaving the house, it makes me feel fresh and ready for the day. Also the scent lasts forever, hours and hours before I need to top it up. Yet, the packaging is so cute and portable – no danger of leaking perfume over your handbag – that I like to pop it into my bag and have it with me. Oh, and the perfume and casing is made of renewable natural materials so you get extra ethical points too!
There are also a selection of scents for men that are just as yummy, in fact I think I will pick one out for Rob’s birthday in a couple of months. (Luckily for me, he rarely reads the blog so it will still be a surprise!) The Sandalwood one is particularly tempting.
So, if anyone else out there just doesn’t get or like perfume may I recommend that you try out solid perfume and see if that is what makes the difference. It did for me!
Ciao!
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