Through the Years- "Love" Me Some Fragrance

Love's didn't just have the classic Baby Soft, which I loved (and got for my 10 year old for one of her stocking stuffers this year) but they also produced a few other scents in a variety gift set I got one year for Christmas from my parents.

My favorite of the bunch was the Gentle Musk, which I'm pretty sure they no longer sell, but you can still purchase the others. The Fresh Lemon was crisp and tangy, the Soft Jasmin, soft and sensual. It seems the Rain Scent was my least favorite, but mostly because it just wasn't "me."

All the scents in the Love's collection were soft and fun, youthful and I hope my daughter is going to enjoy the Baby Soft enough to enjoy the others in the years to come, the way I fondly remember opening them on Christmas morning.

The was something really special, almost magical, about tearing back the wrapping paper and discovering those sweet little bottles, sparkling behind the cellophane where they nestled snugly in their plastic insert bedding. Their soft pastel caps and colorful liquid, inspiring the warmth of excitement in having so many choices of fragrances to choose from. There is something romantic about it. I remember how I would slide the insert out and gingerly pop the bottles from it, taking a moment to savor each scent, still uncertain which one I would wear first.

A bottle of perfume that means something, that inspires a memory or makes you feel good about yourself, that makes you feel sensual or romantic is definitely worth cherishing, enjoying and reminiscing over.

This close to the holidays, I'll have posts going up on some days, but I may not be around much to check in, so I will leave you with this-

To your and yours from me and mine-

I hope you have a SCENTsational Saturday

and a WONDERFUL Christmas with your family and friends.

#SCENTsational Saturdays Favorite Jovan's Vanilla Musk

Another soft scent by Coty. I just discovered this one in the four pack gift set I got last year with Christmas money. I was surprised that I enjoyed it, as usually I prefer a more realistic vanilla scent. If I'm wearing it, I usually prefer to smell like a sugar cookie, but instead this one has subtle tones of cedarwood, sandalwood and musk, giving it a much more exotic fragrance than simply smelling of fresh baked goodies.

We're getting started on these holidays and this inspires me into a different direction musically...

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays Through the Years~These Moments

I discovered this perfume when I was probably in my late teens at the good ol' Rite Aid and instantly loved it. It was definitely a more mature scent than the other fragrances I wore at the time- Exclamation, Electric Youth, Tribe. They were bold, funky young scents, but this one made me feel like I was growing up and coming into my own as a woman. It had sensual tones and floral notes that made me think of mature love.

I remember using every last drop in the bottle and then when I went back to buy more, it was gone, as though it never existed. I'm sure I could find some sort of knock off or old bottle of it nowadays, but I prefer to remember it simply as a fragrance I "grew up" on.

The perfume came out in 1991, so I'm going to share a couple of songs I really loved back then. ;)

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Favorite Number 9- Cool Water Woman by Davidoff

I'd have to say that this is probably one of the most sensual fragrances on my favorites list. I discovered it from one of those magazine inserts and my husband got it for me for Christmas several years ago. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm an Aquarius, the "water bearer" or because I'm drawn to the blue bottle that shimmers like a tropical ocean that I'd love to dip my toes in, but this one makes me feel warm and soft and sexy in a different way than the others.

It could also have to do with the fact that it was a new fragrance I added to my list and I only associate it with my husband. It makes it special. Some of my other favorites that I've had for the majority of my life bring to mind other times in my life before I met my husband, when I was in other relationships, but this one I associate solely with him and that makes it all the more special.

It reminds me of a warm house on a cold winter night and Christmas decorations and time snuggling on the couch. Marriage isn't always an easy dynamic for two people and there have been plenty of times I didn't see my husband as my "hero" but he truly is. He loves me with a sometimes unconditional love that I always hoped to have but never believed possible. He takes care of my needs and the kids needs before his own more often than he should and his favorite place to be is here with us. I couldn't ask for better.

A little poetical love song for my hubby today- One of "our" songs-

Hope you have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Through the Years- Love's Baby Soft

I'd swear this was one of the very first perfumes my parents gave me for Christmas as I was approaching adulthood. Caught somewhere in the middle of being a child and a grown woman, I supposed loves is a very good "transitional" perfume. I haven't smelled it in a while, but I'm tempted to get a bottle of it, just as I did for the can of Skin Musk, which I've really been enjoying. Funny how taking a trip down memory lane is a wonderful reminder of who we were before we became who we are.

This does have a soft powdery scent, but not something so loud that you'd feel suffocated by it's sweet floral and woodsy tones. This perfume was introduced the year before I was born (don't ask)...and is still a very popular fragrance, even now, so it definitely has staying power.

Heck, I might have to get it simply to share the experience with my own daughter. My mother shared it with me and now it's my turn.

I looked up commercials for Love's Baby Soft, but honestly the ones from the 70's were downright embarrassing and silly and there weren't any I could find from when I was growing up in the 80's, so instead I offer you The Supremes...so lovely!

Have a SCENTSATIONAL Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Through the Years- Heaven Sent

The original Heaven Sent, this is a fragrance full of rain-washed breezes, of poems waiting to be written; Born of music, tender as love, Fresh as laughter, Free as flight, A scent so full of gentleness and dreams. It says what you have no words for. 

 

Fragrance Family: Powdery
Fragrance Notes: Apple Blossom, Mandarin Orange, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Patchouli, Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Musk

This fragrance reminds me of my childhood. It was one of my mother's favorites and she's the one who introduced it to me, this soft powdery scent that is not only classic, but can be worn anytime.

I found this commercial from around 1968 or 1969, probably the radio commercial my mom heard in her youth, and I had to share it!

Have a SCENTsational Saturday! 

#SCENTsational (Sexy) Saturdays- Favorite No. 6- Frederick's of Hollywood Signature Fragrance

The Signature Fragrance by Frederick’s of Hollywood is our most popular scent ever--and for some very alluring reasons. Both intoxicating and soothing, flirty and seductive, it's a fragrance like no other. Notes include:

• Lush Egyptian Jasmine and Mandarin
• Warm Patchouli and hints of Oriental Spice
• Sandalwood, Sensual Suede and Cashmere Musk

As you can tell, I've used this bottle nearly up and I'm going to need a new one at some point. The tones of this perfume are very subtle and warm. Again I have to have my musk and sandalwood and oriental notes.

This IS one of my all-time favorites. It's sexy and intriguing, but also reminds me of romantic times with my husband, the holidays with family and friends, and it's not so loud and overpowering that you couldn't wear it on a daily basis, though I love so many, I have to mix it up depending on my mood.

And a little bit of sexy for your Saturday- 3 of my Favorite Sexy Men...

Hope you have a SCENTsational and Sexy Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Through the Years- Skin Musk by Bonne Bell

Skin Musk is clean, fresh and sexy! Let the soft aroma of floral, sandalwood and musk embrace you. A touch is all it takes to turn on the romance.

Ah...another perfume that, surprise surprise, has sandalwood in it! LOL Even without picking it intentionally, it's another fragrance I veer toward when picking perfumes. This perfume is actually still sold in stores and can commonly be found at Wal-Mart. I don't have any at the moment, but I've been tempted to buy a new bottle of it, just to see if I still like the smell as much as I did in my youth. Life has changed and I wonder if this one would be much like Exclamation, which might throw me into a fit of migraine attacks.

But having said that, I do remember fondly wearing this until I emptied the bottle and had to buy a new one and I seem to recall doing that a lot, so this must have had quite a few qualities I liked, one of which I do remember specifically. It has staying power. You don't have to apply a lot and the fragrance would stay with you from morning till night.

What I remember about it was that it was a "louder" scent than most perfumes that young girls wore, it was more sensual and to me represented being older, perhaps more sophisticated and feminine, which as some point, all young girls want to be.

When I think if this perfume, a few oldies but goodies from my youth come to mind musically, so I'll share a few videos today-

Have a SCENTsational SATURDAY!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- #Fave #5- #Jovan #WhiteMusk

Unpredictable in spirit, pure in its essence. Exquisite in its delicacy. Alluring Jasmine, ylang-ylang, and honeysuckle blend with sensual musk, soft woods, and amber. The result is a warm and purely feminine fragrance.

Every time I wear this, I'm transported back to my early-20s. I was living on my own, working at a factory where I printed keys for laptops, ironically. When I wasn't working, I hung out in my apartment with friends, went to the movies or out to eat. Sometimes I went to the local American Legion to listen to live music and maybe get up and dance a slow song if the right guy asked me. That wasn't often and usually it was a handsome stranger who shared one slow dance rather than the current guy in my life.

My biggest concerns were paying the bills, buying groceries and finding a way to get to the laundromat when I didn't have work so I would have clean clothes in my closet and dresser. Honestly though, life seemed more carefree back then...even with bills to pay and work everyday.

Of course, I wanted to get married and worried about whether my current relationship would amount to a hill of beans. I knew I was wanted, needed, desired, but needless to say, it didn't work out and neither did a few others after that, but I was having fun and living life. Even with all the heartache I also associate with that time, I also have a lot of great memories, too. I guess that's what those early years were for though- growing and learning. I sometimes think I took the freedom of my early 20s for granted, but I wouldn't trade that time in my life for the world.

I think that's what Jovan's White Musk represents for me- a more youthful side of me- the side that doesn't feel like a "mom" or a "wife" even, but that young woman who was spontaneous and carefree and enjoying life in the moment. I guess that's why I still wear it- because it reminds me that I am a woman, I am beautiful and desirable and wanted. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Ladies, find that thing today that reminds you that YOU are a woman, your own heroine!

Men, don't let your women forget that you know this fact!

Hope you have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Through the Years- #Emeraude

Emeraude by Coty

 

Emeraude by Coty is a Oriental fragrance for women. Emeraude was launched in 1921. The nose behind this fragrance is Francois Coty. Top notes are orange, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose and brazilian rosewood; base notes are amber, sandalwood, patchouli, opoponax, benzoin and vanilla.

Recommended Use: evening

I remember wearing this perfume for a very long time through my teens. The fact that all my favorite fragrances came from Coty, this one should come as no surprise as a favorite either. My mom wore Charlie, which always gave me a busting headache, but she had the same complaint about me wearing Emeraude. Ironically, I gave this fragrance up years ago- I probably haven't worn it in more than a decade, but my mom now keeps a bottle on her bathroom shelf and occasionally wears it.

There was something elegant about the box, the green and gold that drew me to it and the fragrance made me feel grown up during those very early formative years of adolescence and it was probably the first perfume I wore most often.

The strangest thing about the memories I associate with this specific fragrance are memories of V.C. Andrews' family saga, Flowers in the Attic and the diamond and emerald earrings and green velvet and chiffon dress that Cathy admired her mother wearing the night she allowed Cathy and Chris to sneak out of the room to view the Christmas party, when they saw their mother with Bartholomew Winslow.

This just reminds me how vivid her writing was, how greatly I admire her ability to weave clear description that still sparkles and lives on from page to memory. It leaves me feeling inspired and hopeful that the words I put to the page, each time I tell a story, each time I mold and shape my characters and build their worlds leaves that kind of impression on readers of my works.

And now that I've teared up a little, I think that's enough rambling...

Whether it's a fragrance or a book that wraps you in fond memory- 

I hope you have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- #Fave 4- #DreamAngels #Heavenly

There is irony in the fact that this SCENTsational Saturday's favorite is

Victoria Secret's Dream Angels Heavenly.

 Capture the radiance. Live the dream. Love the romance of Dream Angels® fragrance. Luminous and sensual, Dream Angels Heavenly® glows in luxurious warmth. White musk, sandalwood, vanilla and white peony.

Several years ago, when my marriage was much younger, I'd told my husband I'd like a bottle of Frederick's of Hollywood perfume for Christmas. It was pricy, but I loved the fragrance on the little sampler sheet that was in my catalogs. I knew there wasn't a store anywhere close to where we lived, so I kept dropping hints for him to order online or from the catalog. We didn't really know each other all that well at the time, had only been married maybe a year, together two, so he didn't know how to take the hint, at all.

Imagine my surprise when he made a trip to the mall without me and came home with "a little something you asked for." He was so proud that he "found the perfume I asked for," and it even came with a small clutch (that's a purse) but I was beyond crushed. He actually thought he'd went to the right store and got me the right perfume. I thought the smell was just too loud and it gave me a headache and I burst into tears.

Now, I can't remember exactly what was said, but at the time, I was still coming down from the hormones of having a baby and I was so completely taken aback by the fact that he'd gotten the wrong thing, I took the immature route and fussed at him about it. How could he have gotten it wrong? I'd hinted and blatantly told him which one I wanted, had in fact told him he'd have to order it, but instead, he did things his own way.

It turned into a fight, and not a pretty one- if a fight can ever be pretty, because at the time, our marriage was so new and we were learning about each other all the time, finding out things we hadn't been aware of when we first got together....it was like balancing on shifting plates, similar to the tectonic plates that shift and cause earthquakes. It was shaky and scary and uncertain what might set us off.

Of course, he felt awful that it wasn't, in fact, what I'd asked for and after I had my big baby cry, I tried to accept the gift anyway as something unique that he picked out just for me. His intentions were in the right place, but I was left feeling that he didn't know me at all.

The irony in that, is that after nearly 9 years or so, I actually LOVE this perfume because I think of him when I wear it- not the messy argument about it, but the sensual aroma of it and the fact that it was a signature fragrance that I've only ever worn since he and I have been together. It's a scent that I associate with my husband, so I guess that good intentions gone awry do sometimes have a lasting effect- in a good way!

Has a significant other ever given you a fragrance or cologne you just could not stand? Or perhaps, given you a new scent that now, years later, inspires lovely memories and happy thoughts?

 Share with me...

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Through The Years- #Exclamation

Introduced in 1988, Exclamation has hints of peach, apricot, amber and sandalwood and it definitely leaves an impression.

When I smell this fragrance nowadays, I find it hard to believe I ever wore it when I was a quiet, shy chubby teenage girl. This was not, is not, a scent for the timid. This perfume shouted from the rooftops that you had arrived, you were there! EXCLAMATION! No ifs, ands or buts about it. Others would know you were coming before you entered the room.

The funniest thing, it gave me a busting headache and yet, I wore it. My mom HATED it- thought it the most loud odor she'd ever had the misfortune to gift to me at the holidays and dreaded every spritz of my bottle. I'm sure there were times she hoped that I'd finally hit the bottom of that little white bottle, but then, if I had allowance money, I'd head straight to the store to buy more.

Now I can do without the overpowering scent, but the thing I cherish most about it- the imagery and memories it conjures up- music and time, divided by decades, but one whiff of Exclamation and I'm there all over again- Take a musical journey with me-

Do you remember any of these songs?
What were some of your favorites late 80's/early 90's?

Man, I wish LL had the official video for this. LOVED that video SO much. He was such a cutie! Still is!

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- #Fave 3- #CherryVanilla

Cherry Vanilla Perfume

Surprise yourself with the unexpected allure of Cherry Vanilla, the deceptively simple fragrance that blends the innocence of pure vanilla essence with the tart temptation of cherries to create an almost magical effect on your emotions. Wear Cherry Vanilla and feel totally delicious, amazingly self-assured and refreshingly romantic.

****

Yes, that's an empty bottle. Rarely do I make it through a bottle of my favorite fragrances before the age and just don't smell as good as they ought to, but this was a very small bottle and it just smelled SO good. Always does.

Cherry Vanilla is a simple fragrance,- soft, feminine and reminds me of the holidays, my momma, and home. It's such a warm comforting scent it makes me want to curl up on the couch under a fuzzy blanket and watch Christmas movies and sip eggnog while the tree lights twinkle, even in the middle of July.

Of course, I don't have my tree up in July, but I still enjoy wearing this perfume year-round.

Hope you have a SCENTsational Saturday!

#SCENTsational Saturdays- Through the Years-#ElectricYouth & Happy #StPaddys Day! #Green

Electric Youth was a fruity scented fragrance marketed by Revlon to go along with Debbie Gibson's album and song of the same title. It was aimed at Debbie's teenaged fans with a blend of citrus and other fruit essential oils.

Yes, as a teenager, I totally wanted to be like Debbie Gibson. I sang along with my cassettes and knew all the lyrics and I danced crazy in my bedroom when no one was looking. I wanted cool clothes like hers, but I settled for wearing her loud fruity fragrance. Again, this is one of those perfumes that I wore until it was discontinued, and I miss it dreadfully.

A fun funky fragrance, it really did make you feel youthful and spunky.

As Debbie said, youth is energy. Youth has nothing to do with age.
It's Electric.

Debbie saw me through the joys and pitfalls of being a teenage girl and helped me deal with my first heartache with Lost in Your Eyes. I'm a dork, I know, but that teen angst still comes bubbling to the surface when I hear her music and this song can still move me to tears, but not quite for the same reasons. ;) Ah, youth is wasted on the wrong people!

Hope you have a SCENTsational Saint Patrick's Day Saturday! Hope you're wearing green!
I am!

SCENTsational Saturdays- Midlife War on #Acne

Part of feeling like the heroine in your own life comes with its own set of pitfalls.

Sure, makeup can enhance your outer beauty and give you confidence a favorite fragrance can make you feel feminine

and that lacy bra or frilly pair of panties can make you feel sexy "underneath it all."

Truth is, just as there are lots of lovely things to make us feel all girly and feminine, there are also plenty of things we can do without. You know, those personal beauty, or NOT so beautiful, tricks Mother Nature and our hormones and bodies pull on us.

One thing I could surely do without, that is the bane of my womanly existence in this "middle-place" in life is

hormonal acne.

No one told me that I'd have to revisit my teen years tenfold in the

Pizza-Face arena.

Unfortunately, Oxy-10 and Clearasil do not help my cause these days. I can't win this fight. Sometimes it seems nothing helps but time, especially since this isn't run-of-the-mill acne, but with age comes this super zit with staying power- usually not so much the typical whitehead or blackhead, but almost a tough grizzled old monster that itches, flares up, and takes on a life of its own. And it seems to only occur when I least need the embarrassment at certain times of the month, like some flag or rite-of-passage that stubbornly sticks around long after it has served its purpose in shaming me.

I've tried the Wal-Mart equivalent of Pro-Active, but it only made matters worse, in fact, drying out all the wrong places as though the angry little node drew strength from the rest of my face and neck's weakness. I've used astringents, and acne cleansing pads to clean my face. Witch hazel, plain water.

The one thing that helps- at least a little?

Toothpaste!

Yes, I used it as a teenager from time to time. (I once tried using salad dressing on my face and that Pink Bismuth, because I'd heard they worked, but all they did was set my face on fire with inflammation.)

Apply toothpaste like a pimple cream, either for a few minutes and then wash off or leave it on as a treatment blended in can help "dry" the acne, right where you need it to, but even it does only so much.

There are days even concealer can't hide those monster zits that make me want to craw back under the covers and just wait out the storm. I sure don't feel like the heroine of my story when I feel like an unattractive adolescent with the oily, itchy skin and an ugly-duckling complex.

I'm 99% certain it's hormones and I'm not even close to understanding what else I can do about it other than

Grin and bear it with my shiny Colgate smile, and my minty Colgate FACE.

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

SCENTsational Saturdays- Favorite #2- Ultra Pink

M Ultra Pink is a new, pink successor of perfume M, and it reveals feminine, flirtatious and fun side of Mariah Carey. The accent lies on gentle cherry blossom and wild berries combined with dewy Tiare flowers and sunny woody notes. M Ultra Pink was launched in 2009.

M Ultra Pink is another favorite fragrance and unfortunately- to my knowledge discontinued. I discovered it a couple years ago and my husband got it for me for Christmas. When I accidentally dropped the bottle and broke the nozzle but I still continued to "dab" it on until I ran out.

It doesn't hurt that Mariah is a huge fan of butterflies, like me, so the bottles suit my personality to a T and the scent makes me feel warm and sensual and very much like the heroine in my own love story.

Imagine my disappointment when I ran out and I checked Mariah's fragrance section of her website, only to discover that it's no longer listed as an available scent in the line.

Now she has a new perfume line called LolliPop, but this one is still my favorite, so when I found out this past November that my Wal-Mart did supposedly have a gift box of it for the holidays, only 1 in stock, I had my husband get it for me for Christmas. I dug through the shelves of perfumes and found it and he looked at me and said, "You know you can't have it until Christmas."

I nodded and said, "Yeah, but I might never find it again and look at it this way- I can wear it ON Christmas after I open it!"

It included the items pictured above- the large and small bottles and a tube of lotion. I'm going to use it sparingly, but often and keep my fingers crossed that I can still find it later when I run out.

What SCENTsational fragrance are you wearing today?

SCENTsational Saturdays- Time Runs Wild...

Tribe....A Fragrance Uprising...

(Top notes are green notes, mandarin orange, raspberry, peach, apple, bergamot and lemon; middle notes are cyclamen, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and rose; base notes are sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss and cedar.)

Today is my 37th birthday and today for SCENTsational Saturdays I'll wax poetic about one of my favorite scents of my youth, and a favorite movie from back in the day.

It's becoming more and more clear to me that most of my favorite perfumes were put out by Coty and I always lean toward those with Oriental tones. I was 16 the year Tribe was launched in 1991 and I used to run through bottles of this stuff like a marathon runner goes through water. I couldn't get enough. You see, I go nuts over fragrances the way some women do over shoes. Or purses. Or jewelry. (I'm the same about nail polish.)

This fragrance always made me feel youthful, free spirited and more extroverted than I normally was. I was a wallflower most the time, but I balanced it with my wild child nail polish colors and different boisterous perfumes. Oh, and my kooky earrings. (If you remember Calliope from Days of Our Lives, you know how kooky her earrings were and I had a whole jewelry box full.)

Tribe though, was right up there with Exclamation! and Electric Youth on the list of scents that made me feel totally different from my shy-violet self. Needless to say, Tribe is no longer on the market, but if it was- I'd rush out and buy a bottle (or two) right now.

And for a little musical entertainment- another little something from my youth. From the Dream a Little Dream soundtrack, starring Corey Feldman, Meredith Salenger, ♥Corey Haim♥, Piper Laurie, Jason Robards, and Harry Dean Stanton-

Time Runs Wild by Danny Wilde


This song, along with the Tribe scent, lift me back in time and reminds me that it does run wild and it gets away from us. I'm older, but not necessarily wiser (thought I sure hope I am! LOL)

What's the plan for the big old 3-7 today? Not much of anything. Maybe dinner out with hubby. Not even sure I want anything fancy, just a quiet day and maybe a few good hours of writing.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Man, I Feel Like a Woman!

This will be the first of many SCENTsational Saturdays.

And what are SCENTsational Saturdays?

What makes you feel like a woman? That makes you feel sexy and confident? What are the must-have personal beauty and body essentials that make you feel like the heroine in your own novel? That's what I'll be covering here every Saturday, from my own personal beauty needs- the things that make me feel good and therefore put me in the ranks with the heroines I write.

Once a month I will share my own personal favorite fragrances and the rest of the time I'll share tidbits about little items and habits I have that make me feel great like I ought to. Feel free to join in and share your favorite things as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This Saturday, since it's the LAST day of January and intending to include at least 1 of my all-time signature fragrances each month this year, I'll start with my #1 favorite perfume-


With subtle tones of flowers like freesia, water lily, Bulgarian rose, blended with vanilla and musk, it's a wonderfully casual, yet romantic scent that lends itself toward the Oriental/Spicy classification of perfumes and colognes.

It has been a mainstay in my fragrance collection since I was in my mid-teens, as it is soft and subtle enough to wear anytime of day and I still love it after all these years.