When I think of my mother I think of 4711 Eau de Cologne. In 1693 Italian barber Giovanni Paolo Feminis created a perfume water called Aqua Admirabilis, today best known as eau de cologne. 4711 has natural essential oils of lemon, orange and bergamot (revitalising) with oils of lavender and rosemary (both calming and relaxing) and neroli (creates a positive mood). There wasn't much money to spare for anything other than basics, but she did love 4711 so buying her a gift was easy.
Interestingly when I came to research all the perfumes I have worn through my life, I realise I have always preferred green, citrus notes. I'm now wondering whether that is because of the strong sensory memory of my mother. The sense of smell (or olfaction) is our most primitive sense and yet is one of the most powerful senses that cannot be turned off. Of all the senses, the sense of smell is the most important trigger of memory.
I like vintage perfumes. Over the years I have worn;-
- Sortilege - Le Galion
- Femme - Rochas
- Je Reviens - Worth
- Arpege - Lanvin
- Ma Griffe - Carven
- O - Lancome
- Chloe - Chloe
- L'Occitaine - L'Occitaine
- L'Aimant - Coty
- Aqua di Parma - Aqua di Parma
- Beautiful - Estee Lauder
- Georgio - Beverley Hills
I'm really surprised there have been so many. But then I have been wearing perfume for 60 years!
Perfume dates back to when ancient cultures burned incense. The word perfume comes from "per fumus" meaning through smoke. The earliest recorded use of ‘perfume’ is when the Mesopotamians first discovered incense 4000 years ago. Perfume first arrived in Egypt around 3000 B.C. Queen Hatshepsut popularised it. Persia dominated the international perfume trade for centuries. The Chinese were also influential in perfumery.
The online database, updated weekly, archives profiles of over 17,000 perfumes, listing brand name, corporate group, creative director, gender, perfumer, date, country of origin, bottle designer, fragrance family, an image, an olfactory pyramid and a pronunciation guide. No wonder I can never make my mind up in airport duty free. Chanel No 5 is the world's favourite perfume. The global perfume market size was valued at USD 45.85 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow from USD 48.05 billion in 2023 to USD 69.25 billion by 2030. Utterly staggering statistics.
Clive Christian's No1 Passant Guardant is officially recognised as the
world's most expensive perfume - a statement of unbridled opulence and
luxury. The website doesn't give the price. But the bottle is made of gold & diamonds. I can't help feeling that the money could be better spent in the world today.
Like most women I do love perfume. Everyone wants to be pleasant to be near. Today stores are selling Dupes, cheap yet often indistinguishable copies of the real deal - Zara, M&S & Aldi just to name 3. Dupes is short for duplicates. But maybe it also points to how women are ripped off by expensive perfumiers. Are we just paying for a name & fancy packaging?
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