My addiction

On one of my boards, someone recently asked the question "what is your favorite perfume?" Most of the wonderful women there answered with one or two fragrances, with a few women stating that they don't care for perfume at all.

Me?

Ever since I bought my very first bottle of perfume*, I have been a fragrance junkie. I adore scented lotions, sprays and body washes. And it never ceases to amaze me how strong my scent association can be. Last year, I bought a case of conditioner I'd loved during my college days but had since been discontinued (Revlon Outrageous), because that's how much I love the scent. I lived with my grandmother while in college, and every morning I use this conditioner, I am transported to the upstairs bathroom at her house - the sunny, 1960s pink-tiled oasis** with the southeast-facing window where I got ready for class every day for 4 years.

*Fuzzy Peach from The Body Shop, which was purchased on a field trip to South Street Seaport - to this day, I'm still nostalgic for South Street Seaport and The Body Shop.

**Here's a pic to give you an idea - this isn't a pic of the actual bathroom, but it's the exact floor tile.

I mentioned in my reply that at any given point in time, I probably have at least 15 different fragrances hanging around the house. A few are in heavier rotation than others, and I am prone to going on kicks. Right now, I'm on a White Musk kick (another Body Shop scent), having worn it almost exclusively for at least two months. And while I do enjoy some of the more expensive scents, I do own quite a few inexpensive ones as well - I don't exactly have the budget to feed my addiction exclusively with designer fragrances.

My post got me thinking, and I became curious enough to take an inventory. I'll preface the inventory by saying that some of the more expensive ones either came heavily discounted from TJ Maxx, or are tiny bottles, the size you pick up for 10 or 15 bucks at Walgreens when you know you like it but don't have the 50 bucks to buy the full-size at Macy*s.

• Seven scents from Bath and Body Works alone: Rice Flower & Shea, Japanese Cherry Blossom, Sweet Pea, Sensual Amber, Mandarin Mango, Warm Vanilla Sugar and Moonlight Path (a few of these came in a variety gift pack I got for free when I bought my mother-in-law her favorite for Christmas last year, but I enjoy each of them)
  
• The aforementioned White Musk
• Diamonds & Emeralds
• Jessica McClintock (this was my Grandma's favorite - I wear it when I'm particularly missing her, including every day for about a year after she passed)
• Narcisse
• ici
• Colors
• Burberry Brit
• A couple of ancient, discontinued Avon scents that I wear once in a blue moon (Dreamlife and Little Black Dress)
• A purse-sized spray tube of a Glow by J. Lo. knockoff (received as a stocking stuffer in a work exchange, but shoot me now, I actually DO like it).
• My most recent purchase, Covet by Sarah Jessica Parker.
  

However, the one that is a constant and has been since the first time I smelled it is Trésor by Lancôme. No matter what else I have in my stinky arsenal, Trésor is always there in one way, shape or form.

There was once a part of me that wanted to be that person that people are reminded of upon smelling a certain perfume, but I love fragrance far too much to stick with just one. Bryan didn't like Trésor at first, but he says it grew on him, because it smells like, well, me. But I wear a ton of other stuff, too.

And for the edification of nobody in particular, but I feel it must be said - I am NOT one of those people who bathes in it. I may HAVE a lot of it, but it's used courteously.

All that having been said, it now occurs to me that I need to find some new fragrances. Some of the ones I listed - actually, most of the ones I listed - are now only available on internet fragrance outlet websites. Maybe I should find some new fragrances I can actually get in stores, huh? Ah well... just another excuse to add to my collection.