scent

So what perfumes do you wear, you ask?

Old, odd, and unusual perfumes. Many modern-day perfumes smell one-dimensional and overly sweet to me. I think there's a trend now to create perfumes that are comprised of only perky and sweet ingredients, which I don't agree with. It's like smearing cake icing on your skin and calling it perfume.

It's hard to explain my idea that some parts of a perfume shouldn't necessarily smell yummy and edible on their own, because it seems contradictory — you want the end result to smell good, right? There's a reason that strong, even animalic undertones work well in perfume: contrast, dimension, and balance.

(Someone said once that their perfect perfume would be one that made her smell like herself, only more so and awesome. I thought that was a great description.)

My love of interesting perfumes came back to bite me last night. I joke at times that my sense of smell must have been intended to make up for my lackluster hearing and squinty vision, but it's a double-edged sword. Wear the wrong perfume on a day when my sense of smell is keener than normal (thirtysomething hormones are the gift that keeps on giving, sigh) and there's a very real possibility that I'll end up with at least a mild headache.

I came up with a disturbing, yet accurate, description for what the wrong perfume did to me last night. It felt like someone jammed a closed umbrella up my nose, and kept opening and closing it inside my skull. (This made it very difficult to focus on what was, otherwise, an extremely good dinner. Sorry, Jeff. Thanks for getting me home quickly.)

Courtesy of Heather:

1. What cologne or perfume do you wear?
   Chanel No. 5. It’s my one indulgence.
2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex?
   Actually, I prefer nothing at all. Since I’m pretty sensitive to smells, I prefer people to smell like…people. There’s a difference between smelling like yourself and, well, smelling. I think you get it.
3. What one smell can you not stomach?
   Skunks.
4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird?
   I love the smell of bookstores. They have this wonderful paper/dust/age smell that’s wonderful. Such a powerful thing, memory…
5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?
   

Some days, it’s just difficult to make up your mind. Go to the Christmas bazaar with a friend, or attend a screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch?

Me: Hrm…..I’m feeling damned indecisive today. *laugh* I’m sitting here knowing I should make up my mind…but find myself thinking….’mmm, nap, sunshine.’Kat: *laughing* Okay, then I’ll make up your mind for you. Amy, you’re going to [the for-charity Christmas bazaar]. You will leave the house at 1pm and head over here and we’ll go into town together.

Amy: From my spouse: “I think you have your answer, Amy.” OK.

Even I, dear readers, can occasionally take a hint. Therefore I showed up, Amy-style.

In attempts to imitate my walk and talk, there are two proper facial-expressions to assume while shopping: the absent-minded-professor look, and the kamikaze-shopping-trip look. I tend to favor the former; it requires less effort, and people don’t glare at an absent-minded professor as a twentysomething power-shopping for groceries in fifteen minutes or less.