My First Perfume

I was gifted my first bottle of perfume at 14. I had my deodorant before that and a body spray but no perfume and they certainly did not convey the ladylike sophistication that a teenage girl longs for. I wanted a scent that matched my desire to forge an identity that says 'I am no longer a little girl'. I've loved that perfume ever since and each time I get a whiff of Chanel No. 5, I am once again a 14 year old ready to conquer the world.

Fragrance Spritzers

Walk into the woman's section of any big name department store in the US, and chances are you will be greeted by fragrance demonstrators.  NY Times had an article on how their role in frangrance retail is changing from 'spray you' to listen to you and spray blotter paper, and maybe give you a sample to try in private (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/fashion/17Fragrance.html?pagewanted=all).

Frankincense

The word Frankincense evokes thoughts of the Magi especially around Christmas time. I lived in Oman for five years and this sweet smelling resin is very popular here. It grows Oman and is part of the culture of the country. A key ingredient in Arabic perfumes, it is also smoked in homes around evening time to repell insects, used as medicine and deodrant. This Christmas I came across two articles on the shortage of this wonderful sap
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/25/144193371/trees-in-trouble-grim-future-for-frankincense
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204552304577116741588910380.html

Youth Dew by Estee Lauder

I love sweet scents that take the senses to a far away world. I recently bought a 2.25 Fl.oz bottle of Estee Lauder's Youth Dew from Ulta. It is everything the reviews promise. It smells deliciously sweet like a bouquet of flowers. It is almost like being transported in a time machine to the Art Nouvea Period with Alphonse Mucha's posters of Sarah Bernhardt. Some reviews say it is an all day fragrance but for me it is evening wear, but not party wear. It is what I would wear on a date because of the subtle sensuousness it suggests. It has an aura of a woman whose femininity speaks a volume with silence.

The bottle is beautiful without being overly ornate, and at 32$ the price tag is reasonable as well.