Sharing Perfumes With …

/ Sandra

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Sandra

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Hi dear APJ! How are you?

I am feeling blessed at the moment. My mom and dad flew in from the US a month ago and have been exploring Switzerland with us. My mom left this past weekend and my dad will stay on for another three weeks while she tours around Europe. Towards the end of September they will fly back home together.

They are both fit for their age and have quite a bit of energy to run around. It never ceases to amaze me of how much they can actually do. If memory serves me right they are walking over 10,000 steps on an almost daily basis.

Sharing Perfumes with Family

Normally I am quite shy about my love of perfume and I tend to keep this aspect close to my chest. Perfume is such a personal experience, and I get uncomfortable when someone asks me what I am wearing. Will they love it or loathe it? Also, I enjoy being uniquely fragrant! Shallow? Yes, perhaps.

But when my mom comes into town, it is another story all together. She arrives practically empty handed and looks forward to rummaging through my perfumes to find out what she is going to wear on any given day. I enjoy watching her face light up with happiness and joy when she finds something to wear.

Many times, mom will choose a perfume that I never would have pegged her for. For instance, on this trip, she chose Kilian Rose Oud and Kilian Incense Oud on a regular basis. If I am completely honest with you, they both smell fantastic on her (much better than on me) and gifted her my bottles. Incense Oud tends to be quite masculine on my skin and surprisingly the rose really shines on mom’s skin chemistry and leans more feminine. Same thing with Rose Oud.

Now, over the years, I have always thought of my mom as person who cannot stand sweetness in perfumes. Imagine my surprise when I brought out a box of perfumes for her to sniff and she kept going back to the Guerlains and Diors. I only had a couple of empty bottles and was able to decant Cuir Beluga, Myrrhe & Délires, Ambra Aurea, New Look 1947, Bois des Iles and Tokyo for her. Now she can continue on her European vacation smelling like a million bucks!

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be able to share my love of perfume with my mom.

Do you open up about your perfumed life? Does your family know about it? Do you like to share your perfumes with loved ones?

Until next time.

Oodles of fragrant kisses.

Sandra xo

42 thoughts on “Sharing Perfumes With …”

  1. What a gift to share your love of perfume with your mom! My mom wore Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose and a couple of other perfumes, but I didn’t fall down the rabbit hole until after she had passed – I think she would have enjoyed trying my collection. She was always up for that kind of adventure! Everyone else in my life finds my perfume thing curious… I keep trying to get my sister in law to try something other than her two signature perfumes but no luck so far!

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    • Hey there MMKinPA, I do not know Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose but would love to smell it. I love the way my parents are up for new adventures, whether it in perfume, food or traveling. That is how I want to age – keeping my mind open. Perhaps your sister in law will come around soon. Fingers crossed. 😉
      Sandra xo

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  2. EVERYONE knows of my love of perfume. I’m not shy. My mom got into perfume because of me, but not in the collector sense. She tries new things and has about 15 bottles or so. I do not have her come and look or sniff because she would just be judgey about my overspending and space full of thousands of bottles. It is extreme, but I don’t need to be criticized for it.

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  3. I got into perfume because of my parents. Even as a toddler I remember 4711 bottles strewn around the house, CHANEL, Dior, Estee Lauder. Before I started kindergarten my mom gifted me my own bottle. After that I demanded a fragrance wardrobe. Fast forward 50+ years later and my 82 year old dad still sprays his under wear and socks. The mini Marzipans also share the obsession and I am now teaching them about the importance of backup bottles. When my parents visit they rummage through our collection and ” borrow”, sometimes never to be returned. I don’t mind. I LOVE sharing everything with my family and friends. Some of my friends even ask me to make essential oil blends for themselves and as gifts for their family. One co-worker visits her family in Ireland every year and they look forward to receiving my blends. In my very long-winded fashion I guess what I’m trying to say is that most folks know about my obsession and it gives me extraordinary pleasure to share with anyone who wants.

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    • OMG Brigitte! That is just brilliant that your Dad sprays his pants and socks. Smart man. I love the term “borrow whilst I am visiting” that Mom uses. If she ends up loving it that much I will most definitely try to make her a decant or give her the bottle. I have more than I can possibly ever use! Should I ever meet you in person, I would love to smell one of your essential oil blends. I am sure that you have a wonderful hand and nose in creating the blends. Your generosity and pleasure in sharing is self evident. I love it!
      Sandra xo

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  4. My mom loves selecting her scent of the day when she visits me, and I often send home a bottle or two with her. She has always worn perfume, no doubt I got my passion for it from her.

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    • Hi Tara. That is so nice that you get to share your perfume with your Mom. There is something special in sharing it with Mom. I certainly learned to love and appreciate perfume through her as well. She presented me with Ungaro Diva as my first perfume bottle so many years ago.
      Sandra xo

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  5. How nice your mom is sharing your perfume love, and that you can give her some of your fragrances. My mother died a few years ago, I remember she used to wear Chanel Chance (which I loved then, pre-perfumista), and when I was a child she wore Diorissimo and Blue Grass. I ‘inherited’ her no 5 EdT, my sister found it in her bathroom cupboard. I think it is 80’s or even 70’s, still perfect and gorgeous in spite of warm bathroom!
    To some extent my sister is interested in my perfume love, she used to wear no 19 when she was in her 20’s. I am fortunate that my husband really likes my perfume hobby, we made a sort of perfume roadtrip in the beginning of my perfumistahood (Grasse, Wevelgem Place Vendome), and he has quite a collection himself now!

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    • Hi Hamamelis, Beautiful scent memories of your mom. How nice thqt you received her No. 5 EdT. I love it that your husband likes your hobby and that you can make roadtrips together. I never got to go to Place Vendome and still regret it. My husband deals with my perfume hobby nicely and lets me do my thing. But he would rather stick to only one or two perfumes for himself.
      Sandra xo

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  6. I’m sure I inherited a good sense of smell from my mother, so it would have been wonderful to share moments of perfume sniffing with her. But it was very many years after her death that I became really interested in perfume. Now I love to nudge my aunt (my mother’s younger sister) in the direction of more adventurous scents. I also give away the odd decant to friends who show an interest in particular perfumes I’ve been wearing.

    I very firmly believe that sniffing new perfumes can be one of many activities to keep us mentally alert. Isn’t it fabulous when we find activities suitable for several generations?

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    • Hi Ingeborg, what a lovely thing to get from your mom. I am sure you two would have had a hoot exploring and sniffing together. I too think that keeping my sense of smell alive and alert will keep me going for years to come. It does not need to be only perfumes, as I love spices and flowers as well.
      Sandra xo

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  7. wow, amazing story. Must have been so fun sniffing perfumes with your mom and she keep surprising you with her reactions. I have noticed not many people enjoy the process of smelling your perfume collection if they are not in the hobby but there are always exceptions when certain someone non-collector is actually excited. This reminds me of a wife of good friend (in reality both were good friends) when I was in college. She was not into collection but I could always tell she enjoyed the process of smelling my perfumes rather than being just polite.

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    • Hi Fazal, how right you are! My sister does not enjoy the process of smelling unless she is completely relaxed and outside of her comfort zone. She does not want to collect perfume but will enjoy the odd perfume here and there. I love smelling perfumes with someone who truly enjoys it.
      Sandra xo

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    • Yes, isn’t it fun when a friend unexpectedly take an interest! An old friend of ours from graduate school was here with his wife visiting for a few days last spring, and I showed him “Perfumes: The Guide” (Turin and Sanchez’ book). He was as entertained by their writing as I thought he would be, reading the funnier entries aloud to his wife, and they both asked many questions about my collection, what I like, why, etc. Shortly after they went home, I received a lovely hostess gift of a Le Labo discovery set from them!

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  8. My family has always critized my collection. They do not justify the overspending. I am not so sure if they are really aware of the amount of perfumes that I have.
    My love for perfumes came from my maternal grandmother. I don’t remember what she wore those days, but I remember that she had several bottles and used to spray on them often. My mother rarely wears perfume. Her signature scent is Dana Tabu. Lately, she has been wearing some Estee Lauders from minis that I gifted her many years ago and that are still in perfect condition. She wears perfume only whe she goes out or for special occasions. My sisters are not perfume lovers either. The youngest one only wears Ysatis as her signature scent, because it reminds her of my maternal grandma, even though she never wore Ysatis. The younger one wears perfumes every day, because she considers them trendy, not because she loves them. She has few bottles of mainstream perfumes, especially Chanel. She doesn’t understand the concept of decants, samples and exchanging or sharing perfumes with others. She finds that insane. I am very thankful that I found perfume blogs that helped me get in touch with the perfume community and expand my horizons. I am happy to be able to share and enjoy the only hobby in my life.

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    • Heya Perfumelover67, I am so sorry to read about the criticism you face. It is so difficult and painful to deal with it. Sometimes I wonder if my grandmothers even wore perfume and what they would have worn. The blogs are a wonderful way for me to connect with people too. You are very kind and generous to be sharing your hobby.
      Sandra xo

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    • I thank the heavens that I found perfume blogs, too. Glad you found your tribe😉 It’s a shame that you can’t share your interest with your family. My eldest sister, every time we meet asks me if I’ve found her any Kiku yet, since she knows that I’m always on the hunt for vintage. One of these days I hope to surprise her by saying yes!

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  9. My lovely husband enjoys my interest in perfumes and totally enables me — he likes to hear what I think, sometimes he brings me a new fragrance, and he’s always willing to go to interesting perfume stores with me. He doesn’t wear much fragrance himself, although I’ve bought him a couple of niche fragrances, and he liked them. My daughters are tolerant; they don’t want to talk about perfumes with me, but they happily accept perfume gifts and they’ll try some of the ones in my collection. My son asked me to help him pick a fragrance a couple of years ago, but I don’t think he wears it much (or any fragrance). I’ll have to ask him if he wants to try again!

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  10. I love to share perfume! It gives me great joy when someone is interested and wants to smell perfume that I have.
    I love that you can share perfume with your Mom Sandra. My Mom has never worn perfume and has no interest. My sister wears a signature scent only and loses interest very quickly when I talk perfume.
    Thankfully I have a few girlfriends who share my passion; my husband loves that I love perfume and he is always happy to smell what I am wearing usually with positive feedback; and my brother-in-law has recently fallen down the rabbit hole with a newfound passion for perfume.

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    • Hi Kathleen, I love reading that you have several people with whom you can share your love of perfume. Your husband sounds like he is a wonderful support and to top it off your brother in law loves perfume too! I think I need to open up more about it with those around me.
      Sandra xo

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  11. Hello Sandra, my family would never buy me perfume as they think i have too much already! I do like to share though. This morning I did gift a couple of samples to the lady who makes my coffee most mornings (at the local bakery) as she always compliments me when i wear L’Art Ambre Extreme. So i shared a sample of Extreme, and a L’Art L’eau Ambre and she gifted me a free coffee!

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    • Hey Melanie, Oh I hear you! My family doesn’t buy me any perfume either. How kind and generous of you to give the woman samples. She must be thrilled and she will always remember the gesture. Passing on the love of perfume is a wonderful way to connect with people. Sandra xo

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  12. Sandra, that pic of your parents and your comment about your mother arriving empty handed and going home with lots of treasures makes my heart sing. My first ever perfume was bought for me by my mother when I was about six to the best of my recollection (it was Avon Charisma). I had two much older sisters who were into their perfumes so I grew up surrounded by smells. Mum had a couple that I will always associate with her, and the one she had for ‘good wear’ was Youth Dew. She’s been gone for many years now so I’ve ever had the chance to share my perfume mania with her. The only one who knows the true extent of my hobby is my daughter. She just laughs and says I have a problem, but she loves diving in and wearing my stuff, as does my six year-old granddaughter – she goes crazy with the sprayer! I’ve been enabling one of my nieces too and she now has a sizeable collection. I love sharing with colleagues and friends. Isn’t that what hobbies are really about?

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  13. Dear Sandra, I am wistful hearing of your experience with your mum and perfume. I too am a motherless daughter, her moderate collection came to my sister and I, augmenting my small collection of lovelies. Her divine Coco, Aromatics Elixir, Noa, mitsouko, Private collection expanded my nose. It wasn’t until this year when two vintage bottles of hers (Detchma and Infini) came to me, that I was swept into the heady, huffing fume-vortex; Still spinning!. Now, its my sister and two close friends to whom I divulge my secret and clandestine purchases. I have discovered my adoration for Chypres, I downplay the collection from my beloved. He thinks I have too many bottles… Phtff!! one can never have too much. Thank you all from this newbie who adores reading your words and exploring the blogs you write on. x

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    • Thank you for reading Abby. I am so sorry for your loss. You mum had fabulous taste in perfume. Infini is a wonderful perfume and together with all of her gems you will have memories for years to come. Phtff is right! There are never too many perfumes in my house.
      Sandra xo

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  14. My gosh sorry. I dunno how I missed this post Sandra. One of your best pieces. I so wish my mum has been alive to see and experience and share my collection, she would have loved it.
    My family most certainly know about my perfumes life. Hahahahaha. Everyone does, although most people say nothing. Except the “do you make your own perfume?” thing. I get that quite a lot. Eye roll. I would share more perfume if I ever got some empty bottles.
    Big hugs. ❤️❤️❤️

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