In the Shower

I'm a shower person-- not sure if I ever loved baths, probably because I'm sort of tall and most bathtubs are uncomfortable (no place to stretch out my legs, I can't really be under the water, etc., etc.). I alternate between using very lavish shower gels and ones from the drugstore-- it seems like I should economize, but sometimes I just can't resist.

One of my favorite lines for gels is Fresh. I recently enjoyed purchasing a heavily marked down Cannabis Rose perfume set-- it included a mini of a nice thick body cream and a mini shower gel. Fresh gels are clear (no sticking to the tub) and smell like the fragrances. I've also liked many of the bright scents of Fresh for the shower (it seems to me like a shower should wake you up, not help you sleep).



Fresh gels aren't inexpensive, but I also think that they're very good quality-- I want the gel to rinse very clean and I want the fragrance to linger briefly. My only "quarrel" with the line is that they seem to change their fragrances really rapidly-- there's a Sandalwood Vert fragrance I've seen reviewed that I have yet to find in real life.

In this economic climate, enjoying a $28 gel for the month is probably still better than a $100 shirt I may only sometimes wear.

Fragrance Finder: Historical Perfumes

Vanity Box, by Malevich

I recently checked out Perfumes: The Guide, by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. As you may have guessed from previous posts, I've been lamented the "passing" of my beloved Lou Lou, a Cacharel fragrance that I wore when my husband and I married almost 19 years ago. Yes, Lou Lou's still available, but the "juice" doesn't smell quite the same (either due to my chemistry or the age of the scent) to either me or my husband.

In the interim, I've been experimenting with a number of fragrances to varying degrees of success. I have the type of chemistry that "eats" perfume, so I really need something fairly strong or with a strong base. Fresh's Cannabis Rose turned out to be a winner for me, especially with its bright opening and patchouli-esque drydown. Mr. Caroline likes Angel, but Angel is so strong I'm leery of becoming "that woman who wears Angel", particularly at work.

The Guide is filled with some terrific copy-- enjoyable prose with some factual information added for the reader. I don't think perfume reviews should be anything more than personal-- scent is just too different on each individual. Having learned a bit about the history of fragrance, I ordered some samples from The Perfumed Court and a few have come up winners.

The first, surprisingly, is Chanel No. 5! I'm surprised because I don't remember ever really loving this fragrance, but the sillage is great and once the brightness of the aldehydes have passed, I'm left with a creamy jasmine/rose mix on my skin. I was always a Coco girl when I was younger, but I think I like this better now!

The Guerlains were also winners for me, especially the Mitsouko (it's a vintage sample, with the oakmoss). The drydown the next morning was great-- very peachy/woodsy. L'Apres Ondee is lovely, as is Jicky, although I think Jicky is the superior of the two with my skin chemistry (I'm fond of lavender anyway). You can really tell from the "complete" feel of these fragrances why the house of Guerlain has lasted so long.