A Smell To Remember...

Our first kiss was awkward yet sweet; Tommy Boy cologne (obviously a gift from an ex-girlfriend) in the air mingled with the smell of fabric softener (his freshly washed t-shirt). At the time I didn't know what cologne he was wearing, I didn't find out until months later. Now, some 10 years later, and countless bottles of cologne given to him for birthdays and Christmas- he still only wears Tommy Boy. I can't believe they still make it. Why can't I get my husband to change colognes? What is with men and change?

My late teen years were drowned in a mist of Lancome's Poeme. I had picked it out after taking one of those quizzes you find in magazines like:

"What's Your Signature Scent"

or

"What Scent Fits Your Personality"

something along those lines. This quiz decided that Poeme seemed to "fit" my personality. How answering 5 stupid questions in a magazine could tell you anything about a person is beyond me. But at 16 I was sold. I loved that perfume, I wore it everyday. I received compliments on my perfume which only made me spray more on day after day.

My mother wore Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche for a majority of my childhood. Whenever I see that cobalt blue bottle I think of my childhood and my mother. Watching her put on her makeup and getting ready for a night out with my father, I couldn't wait to grow up and have such a fascinating life.

I have a best friend whom I have known since middle school. She was girlie and I was a little bit tom-boyish. In high school we both bloomed. I became girlie and started rocking my beloved Poeme while she wore her favorite Estee Lauder Pleasures like a badge of honor. I asked her while writing this post if she remembered

"That perfume you wore in high school?"

She laughs, "Of course, you mean Pleasures? I use to love that perfume"

Our taste in scents have changed, we've grown up and found new things. My dresser is covered with half empty perfume bottles, and yet it's the old perfumes with the memories that bring me my most pleasure. Some of my memories are hazy, but the smells attached to them are strange meaningful reminders of my youth and a time that has long past.

My best friend changes her perfume as often as she changes her clothes, everyday it's something different. She says it depends on her mood and believe it or not it depends on what she's wearing. It might sound crazy but the girl makes men weak in the knees, so what can I say- it's working for her.

These days I change my perfume according to my mood or who I might be seeing. If I'm visiting my Grandparents I want to seem young, fresh, and sweet, so I wear Miss Dior Cherie. They bought a bottle for me a few years ago (2002?) on a trip we took together to Paris. They love the smell and it reminds them of that time so I always keep a bottle handy. If I'm feeling sultry and confident I wear Agent Provocateur (their signature fragrance), the husband loves it or Miller Harris L'Air de Rien. If I'm feeling quirky I wear Lulu Guinness 'Life Is A Bed Of Roses' perfume, bought in London at Harrods. A day with my Mother usually means Bond No.9 The Scent of Peace, she loves the smell. My office calls for something a little more subtle yet assertive so Bvlgari Jasmine Noir makes an appearance regularly.

I recently bought another bottle of Tommy Boy for my husband- sorry Chanel and Giorgio Armani, I tried but he simply said no. I think I will be 90 years old and still think of our first kiss every time he wears that cologne. I feel safe and young again when I bury my face into his collar and breathe in that spicy citrus smell. Nothing feels more like home.

My mother was showing me the hats she wore at the Kentucky Derby, I glanced at her dresser and among her impressive perfume collection I spotted that cobalt blue bottle. Her life is still fascinating.

What are your scent memories, what smells do you remember?