"A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future…" Coco Chanel and Goddess Granny who also believes that a woman simply must stand for AND smell like "something" at all times! There are a lot of things I will go without and/or sacrifice but even when I'm at my very worst, usually in the middle of a bout with the flu or totally ticked off but even then,a spritz of an amazing scent revives, restores, and re-creates the "me" who I need to believe is always at her best even when I'm not!

There is something about scent that creates amazing sensory imagery and that has SUCH powers to invoke and excite: I can't think of anyone who doesn't have a certain scent they associate with a person, place, times in their lives, or memory: it's what defines those we love most and that we avoid when heartache hits!

I adore perfume: My first “real” perfume was presented to me by my Mom on the occasion of my first “grown up dance” in a cellophane wrapped pink and gold cameo- embossed box that held a small spray vial of the heady floral, “White Shoulders”by Evyan which was and remains HER favorite scent! Money was tight but I knew she intended this unexpected gift to signal the arrival of things to come and hoped that they might all be “sweet.” I don’t remember if I actually loved the scent myself but I do remember my first spritz and how it made me feel.This scent remains very associative for me and I still sniff shabby bottles of it which can be found on discount store shelves, cast aside for newer, more modern scents by the next generation...

I could not remain faithful to a scent for most of my “formative years” and preferred to dab and dose with whatever seemed appropriate for the day or event! I went though most of the “classics” in record time and when I worked in fine department stores, I was allowed to sample whatever was taking the fragrance world by storm at the time! Estee Lauder’s “Youth Dew” (1953 as a bath oil/fragrance) remains one of my most memorable scents ever because it literally lasted for hours on me AND on my dates, my first "naughty girl" non-squeeky clean scent…

In 1992, while visiting Hong Kong, I stumbled upon the fragrance launch in progress near my hotel that would define me for years to come: “Angel” by Thierry Mugler. It literally smelled like heaven on me with notes of chocolate, vanilla and fruits and I wore this scent, which at the time had not yet even launched in the US for almost 15 years at a rather staggering price-point for the time. It was MINE and all who knew me knew my scent, men swooned, women begged for the name! Then as with most things that begin as original and amazing, it became mainstream and a bit diluted by overexposure so day that I caught a whiff as one of the few women in the world I truly dislike walked by, I knew my crystal blue-star bottle needed to be buried deep, never to be worn by me again  I do still admire it on others however for their impeccable taste alone!

I mourned the loss of this reliable friend and today, I continue my scent journey with perhaps less abandon but with a renewed sense of wonder! There are SO many incredible scents to choose from but my taste still drifts towards the also-rans, the divas in fancy bottles, and the ones that few either dare to wear or cannot readily find...I scour, I read reviews, I beg far-traveling friends to “bring me back a bottle” of this or that but recently and for now, I have again settled on a scent that once worn, knocked me to my knees, the incredible “Tubereuse Criminelle” by Serge Lutens. Until VERY recently, this deadly female, show stopping creation of one of the most sensational perfumer’s in the world was ONLY available in Paris! It was not to be exported to us mere mortals outside of the hallowed Palais Royal until one of my very favorite vendors, “Luckyscent” brought it to the US. It immediately sold out while I was fumbling to get my credit card out of my wallet! I snagged it on the first re-stock and everything whispered about and even hated by some was true: this is a floral like NO other and I have been complimented, cursed, or accused of seduction every day I’ve worn it since it arrived at my gate!

Defined as a “slap then a kiss” it pretty much suits how I feel most days! While I have no intention of ceasing my hunt for my next “it” perfume, this bold rare and intoxicating floral- beauty with a intriguing start, slow burn middle, and an almost illegal sensual bite while it lasts belongs to ME for now at least!

Buy it while you can here and if you've never visited the INCREDIBLE site that is "Luckyscent", plan to be there for quite a while!

I adore “Luckyscent” and you will too if you crave those unusual, unique, precious, or perhaps even controversial scents: I intend to try the entire “Etat Libre d’Orange” collection for the rather shocking (in a good way) descriptions alone! Explore scent and whatever you do, insure your “future” by never being without perfume!

What scent is your "signature" or like me, are you faithful to few while always looking to love another?