Our Favorite Scents

This is going to be my favorite perfume post, because I just love all of the fragrances we have. They were all gifts, actually, whether from others, from family, or to each other. I'll start with the favorites!
First, I have a confession to make. I probably only like perfume very much because of Liv Tyler. Yes, Arwen, the most beautiful actress with the most beautiful eyebrows. (I love eyebrows. And my friend Arielle's are perfect.) Liv Tyler is the face of Givenchy, and when I saw her in the ads for a new perfume several years ago, I immediately went and smelled it. When my mom and I were in the mall, I would go to Paris Gallery and spray something to inhale the rest of the day.
Joel and I think this is funny because he grew up obsessed with Steven Tyler and I was his daughter's biggest fan. Anyway, I smelled Very Irresistible by Givenchy, and thought it was lovely. Awhile later my grandmother gave it to me for Christmas. I'm only just now, three or four years later, using up the last few drops of that first bottle.

Very Irrisistible is by far my favorite scent. Over time I've grown in appreciation for it and it has a depth and longevity that just isn't in any of the other perfumes I've owned or sprayed. It's Joel's favorite of mine too (and I wore it for our wedding). Such a beautiful, deep fragrance! It has touches of rose, and is difficult to describe but amazing and complex.


Elizabethan Rose from Penhaligon's is another favorite. It is a pure, fresh rose, and I love any rose scent. This one is unique to the other rose scents I'm familiar with, because it has the velvety depth of roses but also the freshness of the real flower - it smells like you just picked one with dew still on it. This one Joel bought for me :) We were at the mall with our friend Gideon and all of a sudden Joel said, "I have a surprise, and when we get there you can pick out anything in the store." I had no idea what he could mean, but we walked into Penhaligon's, a small British scent company and a favorite of ours. I was amazed, and after smelling sixty scents and boring poor Gideon, I went back to the Elizabethan Rose, probably the simplest. Joel's surprise was overwhelming but it was hardly refuse-able!

Sartorial was my first experience with Penhaligon, and we stumbled upon the shop when buying Christmas gifts. We smelled half the store and Sartorial was my favorite. It is technically unisex, and has a complex scent that is difficult to describe with my limited knowledge and smelling capabilities! It's really woody and lovely though, and one of the most interesting perfumes I know. Joel went back to the store, and gave it to me for Christmas :) How pretty are their bottles? I'll definitely talk more about Penhaligon in the future, as I took pictures of their beautiful shop last time we were there.

[Men's] John Varvatos Vintage was given to Joel shortly before our wedding, I think. He wore it every day on our honeymoon in St. Petersburg so it is full of memories and I love it! It's a delicious cologne that doesn't smell too 'cologne-ish,' if you know what I mean. They can often smell so alike. That said, the classic Old Spice is one of my very favorites, because both my grandfather and my dad have used it. I love love love Old Spice! Memories, people, and familiarity can really make a smell for you, however classy or typical or plain or fancy it is.

Bulgari MAN was my birthday present to Joel this December. The name cracks us up, but the smell is wonderful. Manly (of course) but not too heavy, with a wonderful peppery scent. I 'sniffed' a lot of colognes looking for this and it was certainly our favorite around. It isn't overpowering but I can still smell it on him a day later, and it stays in clothes until they are washed.

Givenchy Xeryus Rouge is another I'd recommend, though we don't have it :)

Scarlett by Cacharel is a simple, lovely perfume. I absolutely love the bottle, too! It's a light, flowery, feminine scent, without being sickeningly sweet. This was a wedding shower gift and it came with two matching tubes of hand creme, and I keep one in my purse. Looking it up just now, the scent was named after Scarlett Johansson and Scarlett of Gone With the Wind :)

Eclat d'Arpege by Lanvin was another gift from Joel, which really surprised me since it came late and he had already given me the Penhaligon scent. He knew I loved it but I wasn't really expecting it after all that! This is in the round lavender bottle in the top picture. It is the most fresh and stunning scent, and once I smelled it for the first time, I would look for a new perfume shop every time I was at the mall, in order to spray another tester without looking silly. Then I would walk around the rest of the day, wrist glued to nose and in heaven at the fragrance! The funny thing is now, when I wear it I have a hard time smelling it a few hours later (though sometimes Joel can, so maybe I've just gotten used to it), which is a little disappointing. The first few whiffs of this make me so happy.

Well, I hope you've enjoyed this tour of our collection - which may appear to be big but they were mostly gifts and I've learned that 'real' perfume addicts have closetfuls! - and are inspired to go smell some things at your local mall or Paris Gallery (or wherever you buy perfume in America ;)! Noses and tastes are different, but you may enjoy the experience of some of these. I'd love to hear of your favorites!

Even if we don't buy any more for awhile, I can always stick the test papers in my purse :)

With love,
Cait