.

Post by Azar

.

Hi  APJ,

Like most perfume junkies I began my fragrance obsession at my mother’s dressing table, re-arranging her perfumes, copping a quick sniff or just admiring the beautiful bottles. My mother would encourage my budding habit, buying smaller versions of her favorites just for me or padding my weekly allowance so that I could try something new on my own.

Memories of Lanvin and Cocktail Parties

Photo Stolen Laineys Repertoire Flickr

Mom’s mid-century fragrances were representative of what most American women were wearing at the time including, of course, Chanel No. 5, Shalimar, Arpege, My Sin, Diorissimo and Jungle Gardenia. To me her bottle of Germaine Monteil Royal Secret was not quite mainstream and there were a couple of others that my inexperienced nose perceived as downright odd! One of these was Lanvin’s Spanish Geranium, the greenest, spiciest geranium I’d ever encountered floating atop the unmistakable Lanvin accord. I still love it and wear it to this day. The other was Lucien Lelong’s Sirocco, a potent oriental with a triple dose of coriander. My mother’s favorite was (and still is) Ritual by Charles of the Ritz.

Mom’s room was filled with treasures. Not only did she have a cache of perfumes and costume jewelry but also a closet filled with shimmering cocktail dresses. Mom is a very tiny woman, petit size “00”. Her cocktail dresses were like gorgeous doll clothes, strapless, pencil thin (Barbie? – no, no!) and complimented by a collection of tiny, exquisite shoes. Cocktail dresses were, of course, to be worn at cocktail parties. In the 1950’s and 60’s formal and semi-formal cocktail parties were serious social and business obligations for my parents and their friends. Shopping for dresses, perfume and accessories was more than just a frivolous pastime for my mother and the women she knew.

Photo Stolen FormalFringe

Today these parties are no longer part of my mother’s social life, or mine either for that matter. The last truly formal cocktail party I attended was over 40 years ago in Tehran, of all places! I wore dark green silk and Guy Laroche Fidji. Times certainly have changed.

Do you have memories of your mother’s perfumes? How has your mother’s taste in fragrance affected your own? Oh – and what did you wear to that last cocktail party?

Azar x

Photo Stolen sassisamblog

LANVIN USA ONLY GIVEAWAY

Photo Stolen RubyLane

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week in our Lanvin Giveaway. Each winner will receive:

1 x 2ml Eau de Lanvin
1 x 2ml Lanvin Extrait
P&H USA ONLY

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

All you have to do is tell me a favourite perfume from yesterday and who used to wear it around you: along with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @LANVINofficial Arpege GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1SM #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 12th September 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and someone at Azar’s house will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Sunday 15th September 2013 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.