Sunday 31 August 2014

'Love the one you're given': a tale of Grand Amour no more and my dual Goutal windfall

Seriously luxe packaging for an eBay buy
I would like to start this post by apologising to Suzy Nightingale (aka 'Disappointed of Tunbridge Wells') for the complete lack of Sindy dolls in this post. I will write that one very shortly, but it got bumped by a recent fragrant haul. For Thursday's post brought a duo of Annick Goutals - Grand Amour and Myrrhe Ardente - which I got for a steal on eBay. Actually, that day's mail very nearly didn't bring my package: the postman pulled one of those 'knock and run' stunts, and stuck a red card through my door telling me I was out when he called and to collect my parcel from the sorting office. I doubt whether he even knocked, to be honest, for I would have heard all but a very light tap. To add insult to injury, he had written the time on the card as 10am, then crossed it off and put 11am instead. It was 10.50am when I found it, so both 10 and 11 looked like pretty arbitrary choices on his part.

Incensed at the thought of having to leg it over to the sorting office that afternoon, I pulled on my dirty clothes from the day before and ran out the door in search of a tell-tale figure dressed in red. In a matter of moments I spotted the offending postie delivering to houses at the far end of the street. I challenged him about the failure to knock, but he insisted that he had. I challenged him about the phony time and he said he didn't have a watch, so was obliged to estimate it. Hmm, based on the number of people likely to be out at work while he is doing his rounds, he must do a lot of estimating of the time in a typical shift. Anyway, I remained calm and polite and he promised to come back and deliver the package when he had finished at that end.

Sure enough, he was as good as his word, helped by a little note I had affixed to the door, pointing to the (admittedly rather archaic style of) doorbell that you twist to operate, and enjoining him to ring it vigorously. Parcel signed for - which, despite containing some 130ml of perfume across the two bottles, arrived refreshingly devoid of hazchem warning label - I spent a very satisfying few minutes unpacking it. The seller had not skimped on the bubble wrap and tape, and both bottles were tightly swathed like mummies, nestling in a beautiful silk lined box.

My Edwardian doorbell

I should point out that this was a partial blind buy on my part: Grand Amour I am familiar with, and very much agree with Elena of Perfumeshrine and Victoria of Bois de Jasmin, who both detect similarities to Chamade. Yet Grand Amour is more complex and ambivalent than that analogy implies, as both go on to explain. I love this quote in particular from Perfumeshrine:

"The atmosphere of Grand Amour is one of sustained uncertainty, poised as it is between the unctuous base of its resinous orientalia and the grassy, sappy, almost refreshing floral top."

"Orientalia" is a splendid - and ever so slightly suggestive- term for the base of Grand Amour...

Victoria also captures the contrasting facets of Grand Amour with her usual eloquent lyricism:

"While Chamade plays up the radiant green crispness, the sweetness of Grand Amour conveys a certain disarming tenderness. In an unexpected twist that makes Grand Amour such a fascinating fragrance, a ribbon of myrrh resurfaces under the floral opulence of the heart. Its somber incantation provides a brilliant counterpoint to the headiness of the composition, suggesting that even great love always retains an air of mystery."

My bottle is the edt, but nevertheless, the natural ageing process has lent it the colour of the edp. I have two samples of Songes edt that are also at opposite ends of the colour spectrum, which again I put down to their respective ages. Grand Amour was one of the very first niche fragrances I smelt after the onset of perfume mania, and I remember how close I came to buying a bottle. It feels fitting to have finally done so, especially for under £20.

Myrrh crystals donated by my friend Gillie

Myrrhe Ardente, on the other hand, was new to me, but the two bottles came as a job lot, so I scrutinised the reviews to determine whether I might like it. Katie Puckrik of Katie Puckrik Smells had likened it to 'mushroom-flavoured root beer', which didn't initially fill me with confidence, while numerous other reviewers on Makeupalley and Fragrantica alluded to a 'cherry soda' or 'cola' note going in. They are all right, but the cola / root beer note soon settles into a generalised subtle sweetness that is seamlessly blended with myrrh and benzoin. The incense registers as the softest of tingles, a nuzzling, comforting prickle that is far removed from the flagstone-y or medicinal facets of the note. In the end, it was Victoria's review that tipped me over the edge, for she is one of several bloggers with whom my own taste is broadly aligned. She had me at the 'alluring softness' and 'sensual warmth', which perfectly sums up the character of Myrrhe Ardente now that my bottle is here!

Then in a bid to extend my repertoire of myrrh experiencing MOs, I have just ordered some charcoal discs off eBay so that I can burn the resin at home - for the in-home combustion equivalent of Dolby surround sound.

Charcoal discs doing an excellent impression of black pudding ~ Source: bakhoor.info

Yes, I am delighted with this semi-blind buy, and as I was writing my glowing feedback on eBay, I remembered that the seller had included an explanation in her listing as to why the owner was divesting herself of these two bottles.

"I am selling them for a friend who has now found her 'perfect perfume' -- given to her by her new true love -- and is renouncing all others in a dramatic gesture!"

So on a whim, I wrote to the seller, thanking her profusely for her extremely conscientious wrapping of the parcel, and inquiring what was the perfume her friend now considers "perfect".

Source: dior.com

This was her reply: "As for my friend's new fragrance, it is J'Adore by Dior, and I suspect the name has something to do with her preference, since it was given to her by her new love, and of course she loves his giving her something that says he adores her..."

Well, you can't argue with that. Plus it has a pretty top, in a 'National Geographic-tribeswomen-wearing-ten-gold-necklaces-at-once' kind of a way.  As for the extra emotive charge / aptness of the name, the name Grand Amour is a perfectly good contender, come to think of it, however, that is a fragrance the owner had presumably bought for herself - or been given by a relative, perhaps - so it wouldn't have done at all.

Source: unconfirmedbreakingnews.com

This little story got me thinking - would a perfume given to me by a Significant Other have instant superior status to others in my collection, whatever it was? Hmm...And would a perfume name that alluded to the donor's love directly or in some other oblique way further enhance its appeal?  Say, if they gave you "Enchanted Forest", and you had had your first clinch on a woodland walk.  Or is it more the case that if the juice is not to your taste, nothing could redeem a perfume in your eyes, and confer merit upon it through the transformative power of love....?

For myself, I reckon that if the scent were half way passable, sentimentality could well fill in the gaps. But mostly I prefer to 'love the one I've chosen' rather than 'love the one you're with' - or given, as in the present case.




30 comments:

poodle said...

I'm a sucker for a great name and sentiment but if the perfume is not my cup of tea that will only go so far. I would wear it around him but not toss all my perfumes for that one. I hope she doesn't find out that J'adore is what his last girlfriend wore.
Congrats on your eBay score. I haven't bought anything on there in ages. Trying to resist temptation. I do like Myrrh Ardente but none of the AG's last very long on me so I've never bought any.

Vanessa said...

Hi Poodle!

We feel the same about this topic, it seems. That's a good point about remembering to wear the perfume when the SO is about, and I smiled at your comment about the last GF possibly wearing J'Adore!

I haven't bought anything as substantial as this on eBay for a while either. Grand Amour doesn't last ong at all on me, but the Myrrhe Ardente is fairly tenacious. I reckon I have about 50ml in the Grand Amour bottle so I plan to squirt quite liberally and often when I wear it.

Anonymous said...

I am enchanted by J'Adore as "the perfect scent" and by the eBay seller's seemingly wise-but-optimistically ironic (and very apt) description of "renouncing in a grand gesture." Her probable loss is your gain! (P.S. That is a very handsome mail drop. And I'm sorry there is no way to compliment it without sounding a bit vulgar!)

Yuki said...

Congratulations on your great ebay semi-blind buy! It sounds like a success, and both of the perfumes sound lovely (I have not tried either, and have not really fallen in love with any AG so far...but the Myrrh Ardente sounds intriguing!).

I do not love J'adore either, but I have always admired the simple beauty of the bottle. Also, I am not sure that anyone knows my perfume tastes well enough to buy me the one perfect perfume that will rule them all! However, I would certainly appreciate the sentiment :)

Vanessa said...

Hi anotherperfumeblog,

I loved the 'grand gesture' comment as well, and all that may have lain behind it. 'Handsome mail drop' is a fine summary of my 'package', and a bit of vulgar never goes amiss, hehe.

Vanessa said...

Hi Yuki,

Thanks for stopping by! D'you know, as with Diptyque, Annick Goutal was a line I had always 'quite liked' but never felt I loved, and I think I am belatedly bonding with a number of perfumes from each. I guess both ranges are sufficiently broad that it is possible to miss potential lemmings along the way. Musc Nomade is another new love of mine from the AG stable that I am keeping my eye out for on the Bay.

J'Adore does come in a pretty bottle, I agree. I also agree that no one I know is qualified to buy me a holy grail-type scent. When I was with Mr Bonkers I used to buy what I wanted for Christmas and he'd give me the money. Not very romantic, but never a disappointment. ;)

Asali said...

Hahaha "it has a pretty top, in a 'National Geographic-tribeswomen-wearing-ten-gold-necklaces-at-once' kind of a way" hahaha- thanks for that- so obvious, I can't believe I never saw that before :-)
I most certainly would not chuck my collection because my (imaginary) loved one had bought me a new perfume. I hope should a gift of perfume from a loved one happen, that he'd have the good sense to listen very carefully to the subtle hints dropped in this regard ;-) Great that you've got the Goutals at such a great price and with such a great experience too- I love great ebay communications. There's been some real memorable ones, and it does something extra for the perfume for ever after.
So far the Goutals just haven't really had my number, although at gun point I'd probably choose them over J'adore ;-). I'm not sure that I've ever tried MA though. I have a decant of Ambre Fetiche that I like, but still, I have better ambers than that.

Martha said...

Himself officially disapproves of perfume, so when he gives me one it's generally one that I've been longing for for a very long time, and ideally one that's hard to get, those factors presumably overriding his general disapproval. But the fact that he's given it to me does increase my already existing fondness for the scent.

Undina said...

As much as I like good perfume names I am yet to buy a perfume for the name alone (I did it for the bottle though) - so getting it as a gift is almost out of question.

I need to find my sample of Grand Amor and re-test it (if it's still alive): I remember not liking it when I tested it for the first time but I love Chamade.... As for Myrrhe Ardente, I'm still contemplating a FB purchase... I like it but I do not love it. But those discontinued bottles... I'm still thinking :)
Congratulation on your perfect catch!

Ines said...

I'm with you. :)
If it were passably good, then emotional connection might fill in the rest. But I'm more for what I chose for myself...

Vanessa said...

Hi Asali,

That bottle neck is a splendid oddity all right - the analogy only just popped into my head in fact.

Dropping subtle hints is a good tactic and I hope it pays off when the imaginary loved one takes material form some day! I agree that if you have a nice friendly exchange with an eBay seller, it does help you 'bond' with your purchase. Sorry the Goutals have underwhelmed you thus far - they are made with a light touch as a rule, so I can understand that you might wish to seek out something more gutsy, especially in the amber line, not that I have tried the Ambre Fetiche myself.

Vanessa said...

Hi Martha,

Sorry to hear that Himself is not 'of the faith' when it comes to perfume, but am glad to learn that sometimes his better instincts prevail and he does buy you your longed for bottle. I am not surprised that such great effort on his part makes you warm to the perfume in question more.

Vanessa said...

Hi Undina,

I know you are a bit susceptible to bottle appeal, but I can't see you buying a bottle for the name only either!

Grand Amour has quite a spiky opening - the hyacinth, presumably, so I wonder if that was the issue. Don't rush into a FB purchase of Myrrhe Ardente without speaking to me first, as I have enough to go round. Though if it is the bottle itself you might be after, that's another matter. ;)

Vanessa said...

Hi Ines,

You and me both then - choosing for oneself is safer as a rule, no question.

Tara said...

V, I wonder if mail drop is actually American for letter-box?

Tara said...

Hmmm it is intriguing to think of this lady foresaking all others for J'Adore. Especially as she clearly liked niche. I do hope she doesn't regret it but I'm glad you've gained in any case!

I'm very sentimental and place a lot of importance on meaning but even I'd be hard pushed to stick to one perfume a beloved gave me unless it really bowled me over which seems unlikely (though who knows?).

Great that this was such a successful semi-blind buy and I'm very interested by Grand Amour being Chamade up top and orientalia down below :)

Yuki said...

I actually have felt similarly about Diptyque as well, though that might be changing :) I have found myself becoming quite fond of Geranium Odorata (and the fact that they have the smaller volume rollerballs makes a huge difference too!).

Vanessa said...

Hi Tara,

I agree that it seems like rather extreme behaviour - especially as she is giving up the niche ones. To only have one perfume - and it not even be one chosen with your say-so - is kind of counter-intuitive for the average perfumista.

'Orientalia down below' sounds so funny put like that!

Vanessa said...

Hi Yuki,

Have been hearing good things of that new geranium scent of theirs, though I have yet to catch up with it. Smaller rollerballs is an excellent idea - I hadn't clocked that either, so thanks for the tip off.

Vanessa said...

Good point, T. I just looked it up and it also means a 'receptacle for mail' as well as an actual delivery. That is just a photo of my letter box, but Natalie may be inferring that there is a basket at the back that physically catches the mail, in which case I thank her for the compliment about my 'door furniture'! ;)

Anonymous said...

Well I loved this. I would like to try them both. J'Adore? The advertised on telly frag? If a bloke adores me I'll take a handbag. I have never bought from eBay. I am a bit nervous of it to tell you the truth. Bussis my dear. xxx

Anonymous said...

What a great story. And I love your doorbell. I am a pushover for names and concepts. I try to exercise tremendous self control. [And as you know , self-control is a subject I failed in grade school]. I want so badly to like "Baudelaire" for the name that I have come very close to buying it more than once. But how about this for fragrance karma? A sample vial broke in my desk drawer (a place where I do *not* as a rule stash sample vials) over a year ago. To this day, whenever I write, the smell wafts up and reminds me that I don't want to wear it. No, I just can't love the one I'm with.

Vanessa said...

Hi Val,

I am sure that can be arranged at our next meet up if not before... ;) And yes, it is the Charlize Theron frag we are speaking of.

A handbag is a very fine gift from a bloke, as long as it is in your preferred style. It is possible after all to get even handbags badly wrong.

I have had almost entirely good experiences with eBay, and when things don't work out, the backing of PayPal is always there as a safety net.

Vanessa said...

Hi Cheryl,

I laughed at your comment about failing self-control at school. Baudelaire the perfume is by Byredo, right? I have not sniffed it, but I must say my ears also pricked up when I heard the name, being a big fan of his poetry from my uni days.

Interesting about your broken vial. I had the exact same experience with Calypso by Piguet, which was upsetting, as I did really like the scent before - it was just too much in the flooded (sock) drawer setting. A year or two later I snapped out of my kneejerk prejudice and have rebonded with the one what was 'too much with me and my bedroom furniture'. So hopefully that might happen to you some time...?

AustralianPerfumeJunkies said...

Excellent read Vanessa,
How lucky you are to have scored a reasonably priced bottle of this discontinued gem. Bravo!
As to frags, I have a couple of faves that are memory scents bought with significant others, none that have been bought for me. I'm not sure how it would pan out. I think Jin would probably write to Val, no I think he would leave fragrance well alone.
Portia xx

Vanessa said...

Hi Portia,

I do consider myself lucky - I have probably lost more eBay auctions than I have won! 'Memory scents bought *with* significant others' adds a new and interesting other category, so thanks for that. I am amused that Jin would duck out of the perfume buying challenge altogether. Discretion is the better part and all that. Good call. ;)

Unknown said...

Call me a cynic, but I find J'adore as a gesture perfume name rather tacky. Look, I bought you that because I adore you....
But grumpyness aside, I love a good ebay story, as they are so rare. My latest ebay purchase was a Cuir Cannage decant, which came in a bog standard unpadded envelope, no bubble wrap or anything, had a sticker that declared it had been opened and re-closed by RM and yet, it still arrived. Miracle.

Tara said...

Your stylish, period doorbell and letterbox Is very much in keeping with Natalie's love of all things vintage which makes me think it is indeed the door funriture.

Vanessa said...

Hi Sabine,

It's certainly a bit obvious, I'd say, ;) That is remarkable about your Cuir Cannage arriving intact, despite being opened by the RM. I would have expected it to be impounded, as I take it it also didn't have a Hazchem sticker on it either which all perfume in the UK is meant to have? My Ebay bottles above didn't either. I am not sure that the kind of seller who only has occasional dealings with perfumes would be aware of the new regs, although PO clerks are meant to be routinely quizzing them about the contents of packages.

Anyway, glad you got your decant in the end - that was nothing short of a miracle indeed..

Vanessa said...

Thanks for the inference - I would be flattered if that were so!