Tuesday, November 16, 2010

SOTD: Serge Lutens Serge Noire, and Angry Scents

I was grumpy today. Burned-up, smoldering, grumpy. So I decided to choose my perfume accordingly.

But it didn't quite work. As I commented once before, but forgot, Serge Noire is not at its best in halfhearted weather. It needs cold or heat, and on mild days like today it's just sticky.

Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle would have had a better explosive vibe. Or Chanel No. 19 would have served well as the scent of "don't mess with me" - and I see that I logged L'Arte di Gucci in that category as well.  Or Cuir de Russie might have given me that above-it-all feeling.

This is all reminding me of Miss Manners' assurance that while etiquette is normally about making others feel at ease, it can instead be used to make one's enemies feel very much the opposite, while avoiding bloodshed. The same for perfume. At least in my own head.

What about you folks? What are your angry scents?

Review Roundup: Is here.

Image: By Jon Sullivan. Wikimedia Commons. and PDPPhoto

11 comments:

  1. Honey!

    You need some contemporary Mitsouko EdP. That'll say Do. Not. Mess. With. Me. Not. Today. like nobody's biz.

    Hope you're feeling more the thing soon!

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, Musette! Hmm. I do have a bottle of some-strength-or-other of Mitsouko, bought very early in my perfume freakery when I thought that I _would like what my reading led me to believe that I _should_ like. And then that didn't quite work out.

    But it's been months since I gave it another try; maybe it's time. What if it's EDT? Are there any truly bad Mitsoukos, or are there just versions that are less good than others?

    ReplyDelete
  3. No Mitsouko is bad. None. The current edp has this gasoline-edge that some of us like (me, meee) and the vintages, esp the vintage parfums and edps, usually have a smoother, peachier feel to them. I don't think I've ever smelled the current edt - I have a lovely vintage edt that is very beautiful though it, too, has that 'edge'.

    sounds like you are feeling a bit better?

    xoxo

    But they are alllll gooood!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Cool! I keep meaning to give my bottle a good determined perhaps multi-day try, but I didn't want to bother if it isn't the (or a) real Mitsouko.

    Yes, the desire for destruction has largely been eliminated. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have no idea how I missed this post. :) We posted the same thing a day apart, and even had the same choices. :)
    I'm much better today but I'm still on the lookout - I will give Mitsouko a try.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Two angry women - I clocked you both, haha!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hey, Ines! Freakish, isn't it? Maybe the perfume gods were trying to communicate something.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Yo, Vanessa! Maybe there's a market research angle in this. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Musette! Musette! Your reference to gasoline may be the key. (Mitsouko post coming up.)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Cristalle, Bandit, Black...

    I think I'd wear Samsara, though, so everyone would know I was thundering forth.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Howdy, Joan! Y'know, I sometimes think that I mis-smell Cristalle, too, because I find it to be cheerful and almost bubbly, and most people smell something less happy. In the case of Cristall, that's just fine - I love the way Cristalle smells to me.

    Hmmm. It's been a long time since I smelled Samsara; I should try it again.

    ReplyDelete