Friday, May 6, 2011

Wanting What I Have

I am a lucky, lucky woman, both in life and my perfume hunt! I have been thinking this week: I can't even believe I've had the good fortune to own two different bottles of Lanvin Scandal, in two different states of preservation. I haven't been wearing them nearly enough. I'm taking advantage of the cool, spring weather here in Austin to wear the better-preserved of the two. Whereas one is tarry leather cat-o-nine-tails studded with clove buds that I wear in winter, the one I've been wearing recently is the soft floral leather everyone talks about when they talk about Scandal. It's a supple, bring-the-Bentley-around-I'm-going-to-town floral leather.

I have plenty of many wonderful perfumes. A collection many would be envious of, even. Why do I keep wanting more and different smells? Sometimes it seems like pure greed. For instance, I realized the other day that that bottle of Rosine's Secrets de Rose I'm so coveting? It has nothing on the gloriously weird rose in Magie Noire parfum I already have sitting in my cabinet. That almost-certainly awesome leather I've never smelled yet? Can it really hold a candle to the Cuir de Russie parfum and vintage Lanvin Scandal? I already know the answer to that: hell, no, it can't. I bought Etro Gomma as a blind buy before I realized that. Thank goodness for return policies! And take that lovely white floral on my wish list: Van Cleef and Arpels Gardénia Pétale. Is there really any reason why I would choose to wear it over Balenciaga's La Fuite des Heures, or the reissued Le De Givenchy, Ormonde Jayne's Champaca, or Goutal's Un Matin d'Orage? (Hmm, I might still have room for another white floral in my collection...) Finally, why do I find myself lusting for Agent Provocateur at all, when I have so many lovely chypres and musky sexbomb orientals that I barely wear them? I won't bore you with starting a list--just take Miss Dior alone. Sometimes I don't know why I bother with any other perfume at all, and I've stockpiled enough to keep myself marinating in vintage Miss Dior for years to come.

You can say it's all about the new experiences, the journey, and that's why we keep craving new things. And I know enough about myself now I can say finding the holy grail perfume is not the point. But sometimes even a devout perfumaholic needs to say: enough's enough--I have to give my attention to appreciating what I have already!

5 comments:

Elisa said...

Aimee, how funny and nice to find you here in the perfume blogosphere. Hello again! Do you still live in that absolutely fabulous house? Please drop me a line sometime and we can catch up (but really, I'd rather just talk about perfume). My email address is on my Blogger profile. Thanks for recognizing me and speaking up!

Perfumeshrine said...

Not wearing that much what we already have is rather a sin. I realised that after years and years of collecting and I kick myself inwardly when I see a bottle that hasn't been sprayed/splashed on for a while. Life is so very short.

Aimée L'Ondée said...

Elisa, looking forward to talking with you more soon!

Elena, you're so right! I feel the same. Perfume acts as my memento mori that way.

jam said...

Hi-
I do appreciate what I have and don't by any means have a large collection. Basicly, I put myself/perfume in a rigorous pre-screening before I purchase (sample, decant, live w/ it for many months).

Which brings me to your wiki listing for Tauer's Carillon Pour An Ange. If it is still available, please contact me.

This was the only way I knew how to contact you.
Best,
J

Aimée L'Ondée said...

Hi Jam! Thanks for asking, but sorry, that was long ago swapped via the perfume posse swapmania. I wish you luck finding it!