All The Smells

 I can finally breathe through my nose again-hooray. To celebrate, here are some fragrances I'm currently making my way through.

Galanos. People think it smells like a cross between Opium and Youth Dew. It doesn't. Galanos is heavy on carnation, oakmoss, and geranium. It is very much an 80's fragrance (it launched in '79) but without throwing everything in like later 80's scents. Galanos is refined, and probably still acceptable in most public places provided you don't over-apply (which you shouldn't do anyway). There is a pungent clove note in Galanos, which can be a deal breaker for some people though in the absence of cinnamon avoids smelling too much like mulling spices. 7/10 because I love oakmoss.

 Ivoire. I learned to like it. Won't ever be love. Unlike Galanos, Ivoire throws EVERYTHING in the bottle in true 80's style. Narcissus kills it for me. Aldehydes, oakmoss, marigold...I should adore it. *shrug* perfume can be funny that way. I still wear it, but I always wish it had a bit more of something, though god only knows what as it already has every note under the sun in it. 6/10 because of the narcissus.

 Balahe. Meowww. Civet, plum, and aldehydes galore. Vetiver, coriander, rose, pineapple...hell yeah. 80's fruity florals were so much better than what we get today. I'm sure the civet has something to do with it, but there's also a good balance with the spices. Anise isn't an obvious note in perfumery these days, but together with the fruit and citrus notes it gives the perfume a distinctive personality. Balahe is strong though, and civet can clear a room, so apply sparingly until you know what the people around you can tolerate. 10/10-80's fumes don't get much better.

 Sweet Courreges and Courreges 2020.
Sweet Courreges is from the early 90's and is an inoffensive aldehyde tempered with peach, civet, and rose. I could do without the vanilla note, but overall it is a pleasant fragrance. I adore some of the Courreges fragrances (Courreges in Blue, Empreinte) but Sweet Courrege is something I probably won't bother to re-purchase once my mini is done. It isn't bad, just not my style. 7/10 for quality. Courreges 2020 is a disgusting, fruity nightmare that should come with a hazardous materials warning. Pear, peach, blackcurrant, cedar, rosewood-it smells like a 90's hairspray. 1/10 because at least the bottle is nice.

Bebe. Meh. It was five bucks at Marshall's so I can't complain too much. Fruity, bit of wood. Not terrible? 5/10 for cute bottle and price point.

In the evenings, I have been slathering lotion on my dry skin, and my favourite at the moment is Sofia Vergara Love. I do still enjoy The original Sofia Vergara, but for a lotion I'll be smelling all night, Love is very pleasant. Strangely, I'm not wild about the spray, though layered with something woody it is okay. Coffee notes are hard to pull off, and although Love isn't terrible, it isn't a favourite. The body lotion seems to be missing the coffee. There's a praline note that isn't too sweet and a passionfruit note that definitely is-such strangeness. I don't think it smells like Black Opium, but enough people do that it is worth mentioning.

I am so glad my nose has finally cleared. What have you been wearing this winter? Do you ever like a fragranced lotion better than the liquid?