If you could have only one perfume...

I kicked off a thread about longevity a little while ago, and out of that I got tons of great recommendations, many of which I'm working my way through, and some of which I've gone on to buy. On my journey to the ultimate 'long-lasting' perfume, I discovered one, quite by accident, that has become my favourite of ALL the perfumes I've ever had in my life (and that's truly a statement not to be sniffed at, pardon the pun).

If I could choose just one perfume out of my collection, that I could have an unlimited supply of for the rest of my life, that perfume would be Shocking by Schiaparelli. It's a very new purchase for me, but one that I just can't get enough of. To me, it's everything a perfume should be. It suits me, it has class, and style and mystique, and just the right amount of sexiness, and everyone asks about it. It's not a 'known' perfume, which adds that extra touch for me. I don't want people sniffing me and saying "oh you're wearing such-and-such, I have that". I have many new purchases in my wardrobe, and they are going ignored, because the only one I want to wear, all day every day, all night, every night, is Shocking.

And it wins the prize for longevity too. I sprayed it on last night to go out to my daughter's debut gig, and it's now 1037, and I haven't showered yet, and I can still smell that gorgeous honeyed splendidness all over me. It's just divine.

So. I know this is a toughie, but if you could choose just one perfume from your wardrobe, that you could wear for the rest of your life, which one would it be?

That's a heck of a brave thing to do, and I'm so glad you like it. I'm also glad I didn't buy Angel blind, as it really didn't suit me. It's definitely a 'love it or hate it' fragrance, that one! :-)

My friend developed a passion for this, then discovered it smells almost exactly like Quorum (very old men's frag), which is a fraction of the price. I was amazed by the similarity myself, but Daim Blond is sweeter, and Quorum more peppery. It suits her, and certainly her pocket. I like Daim Blond. I've only tried it in sample form, and I'm not going to buy it, because there are other Serge Lutens fragrances I have to get full bottles of first (Chergui, Sa Majeste La Rose - currently I'm using a 5ml bottle very sparingly - and possibly Miel de Bois).

I shouldn't be saying that on the 'one fragrance for life' thread, should I? <g>

Me neither. I'm not keen on gourmands, I've decided. I can't see the point in smelling like something you'd want to eat. Except if it's a fruit. I don't mind fruity smells.

Yes, lots to learn here. I feel like I've a long and very fragrant journey ahead of me! :-)

Interesting responses to the question (sorry it hurts so much!). It's not something I would ever have wanted to contemplate until I found the 'love of my life' in perfume terms. Now that I have that, I know I could cope easily without all the other wonderful smells I've collected. And I think that's the key. When you find one that you fall totally, utterly in love with, all the others become insignificant. They're a nice distraction, but they pale beside 'the one'. I'm really happy that I have that. I wonder if it will still be 'the one' this time next year...

I had 'affairs' with two perfumes like that in the past. Amarige, and Beautiful. I'm wearing Amarige today and can't figure out what the big deal was. It's nice, it's OK, it doesn't smell horrible, it still suits me, but yeah, I'm bored. I put it on, and immediately wished I'd worn something else. Sometimes, the 'new' is the thing that matters most - which is why I'm probably not going to be so in love with Shocking about a year from now (especially if I wear it every day - and I'm fighting the impulse very hard!).

I've made mistakes from buying after sampling a fragrance. Not terrible mistakes, but for some reason, they're either not as long-lasting when I buy them, or the result of wearing the fragrance on all the pulse points, rather than one specific 'squirted spot' is somewhat different, and I find I can't take the perfume as an 'overall' smell.

I agree with you about the Lutens. I know I'll never tire of Sa Majeste La Rose. I was actually intoxicated by the merest whiff of it today while I was sitting in a meeting. I keep my pen in the same pocket in my handbag as my little 5ml bottle of Sa Majeste, and I'd dug the pen out to go to the meeting, and the smell of it was on the pen. I kept getting a waft of the fragrance and found myself drifting off to it. At first, I didn't realise what it was, and was about to ask the guy sitting next to me (total stranger, it's my 2nd day in the job!) what fabulous fragrance he was wearing, then I realised I was smelling roses, and that no matter how much I protest, roses really grab me, when done properly. This is why I've had this long-lasting love affair with the sadly discontinued Un Amour de Patou. It's the roses. I related that smell to the smell of cannabis when I wrote about it here, but it isn't the actual 'smell', it's the effect. The intoxicating, relaxing, happiness that it brings about. Not that I know very much about cannabis, directly. Only second-hand. <g>

Anyway, I'm rambling. I think what I was trying to say was that there's a complexity to the Lutens fragrances that will prevent them from becoming boring in years to come. I don't get the Mitsouko thing. I've tried it, bought it, don't hate it, but it's just too 'old lady' for me. I wish I could love it as much as some people do, but I don't find it complex in a good way, I find it too much. It's like an explosion in a perfume factory to me. It's impossible to pick out any single notes, so it's just a mess (to my uneducated nose!). I think I enjoy fragrances most when I can pick out one or two distinct notes, that linger for hours. I can't speak highly enough of Sa Majeste La Rose for that wonderful purity, even though it also has a complexity that astounds me. I think the Lutens fragrances I've tried so far, are simply works of art. I have many more to try, so lots to look forward to! I've also discovered, much to my amazement, that I love rose notes and honey notes above all else. I'd never have thought that if I'd been asked about 6 months ago. Always thought I was chypre all the way!

OK, so I have to ask stupid question number 137: How does one obtain vintage Mitsouko? Either as a sample or full bottle? Because I'm seriously curious now. Which is dangerous (and possibly expensive).