Intimidated by Neatness

Is it just me, or are you scared of Jo Malone too? Not that I've actually met her, the woman herself, and it's not her I'm afraid of. I'm afraid of walking into the shops (Now owned by Estee Lauder). They are clean, bright and arranged with mathematical precision. I feel that unless I'm wearing black and white, and carrying a beautifully arranged bouquet of flowers, that I'll be stopped at the door and sent away.
The moment I approach, I feel as if my shoes are insufficiently shiny, my hair is unbrushed, my lipstick is probably spilling over the edges and my bag is just a bit too scuffed to be acceptable. I've met some lovely sales people in Jo Malone's shops, and some others who've decided I don't deserve to be there.
It's not as if the scents are intimidatingly challenging. They're very approachable, designed to be blended - if you can be bothered - so you can't get away with buying merely one bottle. No, you have to decide which two or three suit you best. In an ideal world, your husband will drop in just before Christmas and, completely baffled by the concept, get you the whole set
Yes, I own some, and in the past I liked to play with them, don't we all? But I can't help thinking that I'd prefer to wear real, deeper complicated things which have a lasting, changing life on the skin.

A Scent for Working

During our brief heatwave last month, I was taking a stroll through the back streets of Chelsea and dropped in on L'Artisan Parfumeur. Their shelves were almost bare - raided perhaps for their new Covent Garden opening - but we got into conversation about the scents which were still on the table. In general, I like their fragrances because they smell of something, not just "perfume". I also like the way they display their goods; each fragrance sprayed on to muslin and placed inside a small glass. You can smell the dry scent, then test it on your own skin if you decide you like it.

Working my way around the display I chose Premier Figuier for a project I'm working on; I needed something that reminded me of stepping into a greenhouse and their fig leaf, sandalwood scent does just nicely. Reaching spicy Havana Vanille, I lamented the loss of Vanilia, which is rather more like cakes topped with ice cream. (I've been to Havana and it didn't smell like this.) The shop lady then revealed her secret cupboard of things that had been discontinued but were still loitering in small numbers beind closed doors. I bought a bottle of Ananas Fizz, their refreshingly fruity scent which I first enjoyed when it was launched, can't remember when, with a little pineapple leaf shaped hat on the bottle.

This has become my current favourite "get on with it" scent. If I need to sit down and finish something I've been putting off, then a quick spray of Ananas Fizz will get me there. Like this, for example.

It does seem to have disappeared from their website:
www.artisanparfumeur.com/uk/index2.html

But if you absolutely must, it's on the US Amazon site for a slightly overwhelming number of dollars.


On the other hand; if it just takes one spray to inspire you to get on with it, whatever it is, I've no doubt it's worth every penny. And that is exactly how I justified buying a bottle of it.

Go forth and smell lovely, admirers of fine fragrance...