Saturday Question: What Is Your Fragrant Suit Of Armour?

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.

 

Over 100 responses I will draw a Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)
This week:
Sample Pack

  1. Vintage Fendi
  2. Le Male by JPG
  3. Blonde by Versace
  4. Vintage Miss Dior EdT
  5. Vintage Mitsouko EdT

Last Weeks Winner: Brigitte

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with your address please

Saturday Question: What Is Your Fragrant Suit Of Armour?

I think we all have at least one of these. A fragrant suit of armour that can help you face the world, gives us some backbone, helps us navigate the various life treacheries and buoys us. It’s fascinating to me how a little spritz of invisible can suddenly give me courage and a sense of purpose you could bounce rocks off. Maybe it’s mind over matter but whatever it is, I’ll take it and run. So today we would like to know what you use. Is it bold fragrance, steely, metallic or warm? Maybe a particular brand gives you the impetus or a perfumer? Are you inspired by the fragrance only? Today let’s discover what others use in a bid to find some extra armour for lifes tough times.

My Answer:

OK, different times in my fragrant journey have produced a variety of Suits Of Armour. Early on it was Fendi, the original. I remember when I first discovered Versace Blonde and it’s lavish white floral extravaganza would be a total power scent, extra points at the time for it being so outrageously feminine and I would wear noodles of it in boy mode. Le Male by JPG had a few good years, Gucci Envy Man and the eternal Shalimar all had years as my Go-To for presence.

Nowadays it seems to be vintage Miss Dior and Guerlain Mitsouko that have dropped into the role. It must be my era of the power chypres. Something about both of their original top note rush gets my blood pumping and a bit of adrenalin flowing. Suddenly my back is straighter, head a little higher and my self consciousness falls away. While not quite turning me into a tiger there is an added element of steel. Also these two scents are moderately diffusive and give my own aura an added dimension of scent, not a wall of it but a cloud.

My Saturday Question to you is:

Saturday Question: What Is Your Fragrant Suit Of Armour?

181 thoughts on “Saturday Question: What Is Your Fragrant Suit Of Armour?”

  2. For years it was Clinique Aromatics Elixir, but has been replaced by TRNP Batavia. They both make me feel like myself just a little better. They fit me perfectly, and make me stand just a little taller which is a lot to ask for in a fragrance.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. I always thought No 19 was my power scent but recently I have worn it as my ‘I am so together’ scent. What I wear when I actually don’t care if you find it acceptable or not, is Swiss Arabian Kashkaa. This may change as summer arrives…

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  7. Awww! Love the image of you claiming your intentions wearing Versace Blonde in boy mood. Glad you’re where it fits now.
    I wore two of my armours this week. No. 19 and Hiris. No. 19 because there is no doubt who’s wearing the pants when this baby is on. Confident, clinical. The consummate professional. And my old bottle of Hermés. Twenty years old? (Huh! Guess it’s vintage, by some standards 🙄) The most unfriendly perfume ever. Perfect for public transit. And department stores. It’s a snotty, haughty beeatch. Cold as ice. Nobody will try to spray-bomb you in the perfume department. You will not be implored to try the newest hand cream with honest to gawd diamond dust in it. People will part in waves as you navigate the crowded metro platform. The bus driver will wipe down your seat before you settle down. Hiris. The one you wear when you’re not amongst PLU’s. (People Like Us) 😏

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  8. Today I’ll say Magie Noire (only in its very best vintage condition) but tomorrow could be another story. It’s the one that makes me feel all grown-up and respectable, and with an instant feeling of don’t mess with me 💪🏻 💥

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  9. My fragrant suit of armor has been No.22 in the past, and now is Molinard Habanita, both vintage and current formations. It gives me comfort and strength, and makes my aura smell like “me.”

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Years and years ago, I bought a bottle of VC&A First deliberately as Serious Grown Up camouflage/armour and that shit takes NO prisoners.

    These days, I’m with you on the vintage Miss Dior–she’s stood by me in some tough times, and provides that an extra “back straight, chin up, stare the fuckers down” whisper in the ear. I may or may not peer over my glasses at people a little more often when wearing that. Ahem.

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  13. Portia, I just knew that Miss Dior would make up your suit of armour. I thought Shalimar too, so at least I got the right house.

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  14. Mine’s not a frag strictly speaking, but simply an Indian sandalwood oil. An opening of harsh petrol fumes and sour milk that simmers down into the softest woody skin scent. For all their artistry, my perfumes have never given me an emotional response as strong as a pure oil. I don’t know if it’s placebo, conditioning or if there’s actually more to it, but I find it immediately grounding and anxiolytic. Something to keep me calm when nerves might otherwise get the best of me.

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  18. Portia, no wonder that you prefer nowadays these two beauties. Vintage perfume is powerful in itself. Most of the vintage perfumes make a statement, have personality. My favorite is the first Giorgio Armani and Jil Sander III. Whenever I wear them I feel like the Queen of the World 😀

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  19. Portia, before I forget, please don’t enter me this time around, you know I’m a devoted admirer of Mitsouko and Miss Dior (and I’ve tried Blonde and Le Male).
    Speaking of Miss, its “I know my value” vibe is one of the reasons I love it so much. The other power armour suits of mine include vintage Shalimar, any big leather such as Cuir de Lancome, So French, Cuir de Russie or Aramis Aramis, and, oddly enough, Bois d’Encens.

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  20. Tough one. Either First edt or Paloma Picasso edp fill that ‘don’t mess with me’ role, but I suffer more from lack of confidence around men; specifically trades men. As in, making my voice heard, demanding my place amongst them and so on. So, I find L’Instant Magic is my superwoman cape.

    Liked by 3 people

  22. Anything with enough galbanum or bitter green notes in general will do if I need that don’t mess with me effect. Sadly I still don’t own Chanel no.19, and the pure perfume would be for other occations anyway. I have been known to spray MMM Untitled in quantity before difficult meetings, so that is my scednt of armour. If I just need to focus, 5 o’clock au gingembre will do the trick, it is calming.

    If Le Dix was still in production, I’m sure that would fit the bill for me, too.

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  23. Scentstory 24 Gold.
    Comforting, predictable, lasting. No seasonal or time of day fluctuations. When I’m having a scary or uncertain day, I reach for 24 Gold.

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  24. I think of all perfume as a suit of armour when I have to venture out amongst people, and especially public transport! My go to fragrances would be Rive Gauche, Coromandel, Habit Rouge Dress Code and possibly Parfum de Peau and #22. I am weird I know 🙂

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    • Parfum de Peau! I loved it and never hear it mentioned anymore. And the bottle was ever so cool, too. Wonder if it’s still available 🤓🧐🤔

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    • Oh yes to Rive Gauche! I wore that one when I was a tween and it did give me strength and fortitude….and 22 and Coromandel are just plain gorgeous.

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      • and thinking about Rive Gauche also made me think about Paco Rabanne Calandre…does anyone remember that one? gorgeous stuff and also would fit the this Saturday theme.

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            • Sure I do. It was just perfect. Now you made me go and look it up on ebay. Perhaps there’s a mini bottle waiting for me…
              What else did you wear back then? I remember wearing Byblos in the blue bottle, Vu by Ted Lapidus, Montana’s Parfum de Peau, Trussardi Donna, K de Krizia and Moods Krizia and then there was a perfume called Maxim’s de Paris. I bought it in Italy when we had a dancing gig just across the border in 1984…ahhh, those were the days 🙂

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          • Oh my lordie!!!! Byblos!!! Yes!!! I had that bottle! maxim’s too!!! I am going to have to look up perfumes from the 1980s to resurrect my memory of what I wore back then…oh wait! I am remembering a few….I wore Aromatics Elixir, Oscar de La Renta, the original Chloe, Joop for Women and Joop for Men, Grey Flannel, Halston, Lauren (in that gorgeous dark red bottle), and Calyx ( I wore that every summer until 1995), Nikki de Sainte Phalle, Nocturnes de Caron and of course all the Chanels (no 5, 19, 22, Cristalle, Coco) and Sinan….does anyone remember THAT one? The SAs in the department stores were handing out samples of that one so freely that I acquired enough to never have to purchase a full bottle. If I can think of more I will let you know. Were you a dancer as well, Neva?

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          • You’ve mentioned some true gems here Brigitte 🙂 …speaking of gems, do you remember Gem by VC&A? That was a good one too. I don’t know Lauren, but all the others I have loved and I have a 15 ml bottle of Calyx with a few drops left in it. I think EL still sells it. Don’t know if it’s similar to the old version. Thumbs up for Grey Flannel, Halston, Joop.
            I remember the name Sinan and the bottle from the pictures but I’ve never seen it actually.
            I’ve been dancing in my younger days, contemporary ballet (the current name is “modern dance” I think) but that belongs to my glorious past 😀 I miss it ever since I’ve given it up. What about you???

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  26. Oddly enough, not a Lutens!
    Vintage Chanel No. 19 for spine, vintage Shalimar for glamour, but armour, it’s vintage Arpege all the way. (My mum’s)

    Chergui is my comfort scent, my second skin even.

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