Well, my no-buy didn't last as long as I'd hoped. Found a bottle of pre-reformulated KNOWING on ebay. That DID IT! At least I didn't dive right in. I fought the urge for over five hours..... I REALLY TRIED! I gathered up all the will power I could find and held it up in front of me like a shield. Yet all my efforts proved futile.
~ The oakmoss and roses kept calling to me. Softly at first..... whispers of Spirits from an era long passed. It was almost a lamentation. Then they grew stronger and soon became a siren's song. I could actually smell the fragrance. It gently wrapped itself around me like a gossamer cloak... then slowly transformed into rich, heavy velvet. I had such a sense of longing. ~
Yes, this perfume creates a strong emotional response in me. How could I resist? So I just stopped. Laid down that shield and let go of the feelings that had driven its creation. The worries, the self judgement, the guilt and the fear. This fragrance helps me to defy fear. It aids in introspection. It provides a strength that I can use to grow emotionally and spiritually. Its always been one of my strongest ritual scents. Why should I deny myself this assistance? So I let go.... and accepted the promptings of the Spirits. Together we'll perfume the breezes with Knowing and let it dance into the heavens. Just as its truly meant to be.
I'm very happy to introduce Coco Kitteh! She is my latest rescue... and I decided to name her after one of my favorite fragrances! As you can see from the photo she was quite taken with it herself. Immediately started rubbing her face on the bottle. hahaha This kitten has good taste! She certainly likes her purrfume! And of course, I'm going to make her a collar with purrls on it.
Instead of having an iconic LBD (little black dress), she IS a LBC (little black cat). Which is better than a dress any day! chuckle
As you can tell she is a cutie! Considering her interest in my perfumes and incenses I feel like I chose her name well. So I'm sure she'll be popping up on this blog every now and again. And in case anyone out there is a black cat enthusiast.... Yes! I gave Coco her own Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/CocoKitteh
She will be addressing basic feline issues and the rampant discrimination of black cats in particular. And of course, just being cute! Please feel free to stop by and check her out. (I can hardly wait to take Halloween photos!)
(Apologies for the off center photo! I've pretty much given up on figuring out how to crop my photos.)
I don't know WHY this perfume works so well for me in the hottest, muggiest part of our Florida summer. But I'm so thankful that it does! AV is actually a very simple fragrance. Sweet and clear with a gentle musk to soften any edges. Sometimes the jasmine is the predominant floral note, other times the freesia takes front and center. Either way they blend beautifully with the lemon note.
If AV were a woman... she'd be wearing a lovely little handkerchief linen sundress (vintage '50s) with a wide brimmed woven straw hat on. Riding her bicycle back from the open air market with it's basket filled with bread, wine and cheese. She probably purchased some fresh figs too! Arriving at the little courtyard of her cottage, she pauses to deeply inhale the jasmine blossoms that cascade over the walls. Then after seeing how heavily laden with fruit the lemon trees are, she decides to make a pitcher of sparkling lemonade to serve. So the wine gets tucked away. A bouquet of fresh sweet flowers on the table.... and there! She awaits her companion. Its all so effortless... and graceful. That's AV.
AV by Adrienne Vittadini Floral 1994
Notes (gathered from various internet fragrance sites)
Musk, Freesia, Jasmine, Oakmoss, Bergamot, Lemon
Stumbled across this bottle up for bid on Ebay. Had no idea what it was. The seller didn't either. Basically they weren't quite sure if it was perfume or not! They figured it was Russian and they were hoping for the best. Well, let me tell you, the moment I saw the photo I was compelled to acquire it! Luckily, the only other bidder didn't want to go very high.... so I didn't have to pay much.
I was thrilled when it arrived in the mail! I could feel this warm, soft vibrant energy coming off the box. And when I started to unwrap it I was greeted by this luscious spicy floral fragrance! For a moment I was afraid it had leaked out, but no. There it was.... still sealed with the original onionskin paper and string. No seepage found. It was just THAT POWERFUL!! It took me forever to remove the paper because I kept stopping and smelling my fingers and the bottle!!! I swear I should have filmed myself, that would be so hilarious to watch!! The excitement! The ecstasy! hahaha This juice is magnificent!
Now, finding out about it was the hard part. First of all, I don't read Russian. That put a little roadblock in my way. Luckily I thought to post it as a question onto one of the perfume forums (Fragrantica). And yes, someone knew Russian and they had smelled the perfume. Well from that point I could start researching....... and still found some confusing information on when it was created. Heck, I'm still not sure what era my bottle is from. I know its vintage and folks have told me that I'll probably be disappointed in the modern version. (As I am with a lot of the newer versions!) But of course, I want to get a bottle so I can compare. Plus try some of the others from the same company. I know it sounds very small minded to say it, but I never thought of Russia when the subject of perfumes came up. Now I know differently!!
I haven't had very many occasions to wear this with the intent of spiritual work, but I can tell you that I sense a very old, very strong female presence as I put it on. Until I get the time to approach her with the proper respect I'm not going to speculate. I'll just sniff my lovely bottle of perfume and wait for cooler weather to arrive. When I update I will include more information on this gorgeous fragrance!
Krasnaya Moskva by Novaya Zarya
Notes (gathered from various internet Fragrance sites)
Top: Bergamot, Coriander, Orange blossom
Heart: Jasmine, Rose, Carnation, Ylang Ylang
Base: Iris, Tonka bean, Vanilla
I decided to seriously apply myself to a no-buy this time! At least during the Summer months. I'm surprised at how well I'm doing..... sort of. One of my tactics was to divert my attention to other things. Seems logical, right? Well, I have two vintage hats coming in the mail this week!!! Just two. But that isn't counting the one that came last week and the three that I'm watching closely on Ebay. Guess I should have made that a no-buy on EVERYTHING!!!
I keep telling myself that vintage perfumes need some vintage fashion to accompany them. Obviously I can be very persuasive. Or I just don't have enough will power to resist my more impulsive side. hahaha Think I'll go with persuasive, it sounds a lot better!!
But seriously, have you ever considered how energetically protective a hat can be? First of all, it covers your crown chakra. Under certain circumstances, that's a very good thing. So why not ramp it up a bit? Using a permanent marker or fabric paint to apply whatever religious, spiritual or magickal symbology you wish on the inside. Those come in some gorgeous metallics and jewel tones nowadays. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination. And, of course, you can apply objects to the outside. A feather or charm representing one of your totem animals for example. Raven feathers are always "in fashion". chuckle
Its nice to know that I can take a regular hat and turn it into a magickal headdress! Remember, its all in your intent.
Before, I never gave much thought to what folks referred to as "seasonal fragrances". But my understanding increases with the arrival of Summer. And its now that time of year again. The temperatures are climbing higher and so are the humidity levels. As a result, a great many of my perfumes just aren't wearable. I have to choose from a few light, bright florals and citruses. I haven't really explored the fragrances that are classified as aquatics. Perhaps that would be a wise move on my part. chuckle I was never really fond of the citrus ones either. But the older I get, the more appealing they become. And they do hold up in the heat fairly well.
Anyway, in July I have to start shifting over. Last year I found that Jennifer Lopez's Deseo for women held up really well ..... until August arrived! THEN the going gets tough!!! This is Florida after all, and the humidity can be a frightening thing. Combine that with the fact that I'm not one of those ladies that "perspires" ..... I'm a gal who just flat out "SWEATS". (An inherited trait from my father.) Then I found AV, which I want to review on my next post.
But what to do when I don't want to wear even that? Whats a woman supposed to do under these circumstances? Well there is always the tried and true use of Floral waters. They've been around for ages! The first to come to mind is Rose water. Wonderful stuff! And theres also an Orange blossom water out there. Really pretty to use. Just spritz some on throughout the day. Leaves a nice, delicate fragrance. And if you keep it in the refrigerator so that its nice and cool when it makes contact .... then all the better!! You can stay cool and smell good. Oh, and I've seen Jasmine water too! Wonder how I could make my own? It ought to be simple enough. And I have lots of honeysuckle blooming right now. Hmmm!
Ooooh, maybe with a few mint leaves! Guess what I'm going to try? hahaha
Rain showers have been hit and miss all day. With each one I keep hoping it will linger a while. That way the temperatures stay down at least a little bit! But no, the rain passes through and the sun comes out. Then the steam starts to rise off everything! Its hot and ridiculously muggy. But then again, its Summer in central Florida.... and this is what happens! hahaha
This time of year presents me with challenges when it comes to picking a fragrance to wear for the day. The humidity can make certain perfumes mutate into hideous monsters on my skin! (And of course, those NEVER wash off easily) August is the worst month. I usually wind up using AV by Adrienne Vittadini for the whole month. For whatever reason, it stays "clean" smelling on my skin.
But today, the last day of June, I've chosen to splash on some vintage Chantilly eau de cologne by Houbigant. Now I'm asking myself why I forget about this one so often. Perhaps because the newer version by Dana seems so coarse. Its a bit difficult to like and impossible for me to love. The older version however, is a whole different story! And the edc is turning out to be a great choice for this weather.
Chantilly! Now theres a perfume that brings back memories for a lot of people! Created in the early 40's, it has graced dressing tables and school lockers for years. I meet women who still use it as their signature scent. A lot of people refer to it as "old fashioned". Well if that's the case, then we need more old fashion perfumes on the market! I wish someone would resurrect this in it's original formulation and with quality ingredients. I'd love it if everyone had a chance to experience this nowadays!
On my skin it starts out with citrus notes. I hear a lot about the lovely fruity notes in the top, but I barely recognize them. Perhaps they're the sweetness that I detect immediately upon applying. Maybe they are more pronounced in the stronger concentrations. The beginning is very crisp! That soon mellows as the floral notes rise. Spicy flowers. A hint of carnations.... love that note! Powdery flowers, lots of them. Roses especially. Blended beautifully with the rest of the blooms. Soft musk and even softer leather mellow out the composition. Even the benzoin is soft. Not quiet..... soft ....and gentle. The spices give this a delicate "sparkle". The sandalwood and oakmoss give it a luscious depth! And yes, the vanilla will remind you a bit of vintage Shalimar. Its a joy to wear.
Chantilly is intricate and yet gracefully simplistic in its overall effect. Its fragrant metamorphosis is a joy to experience! A testament to the beautiful perfumes of the era it was created in. A classic!
Edit on July 2nd: Seems I got so carried away I forgot to mention how comforting Chantilly is. This is one for soothing the nerves and calming yourself down when the world has been treating you harshly. Enjoy!
Chantilly by Houbigant Oriental 1941
Notes (gathered from various internet Fragrance sites)
Top: Fruity notes, Neroli, Bergamot, Lemon
Heart: Spices, Carnation, Jasmine, Ylang ylang, Rose, Orange blossom
Base: Leather, Tonka bean, Musk, Benzoin, Oakmoss, Vanilla, Sandalwood
