Perfume musings, and thoughts on Caron

I know I tend to go on a bit about new perfume ranges that come to my town, but considering that Tunbridge Wells only has a population of about 50,000 (albeit a fairly affluent one at that) I think it punches above its weight on the sheer diversity and range of perfumes on offer.

My local Fenwick department store has now got the Van Cleef and Arpels Collection Extraordinaire back in stock, including the two most recent additions, Rose Velours and Oud something or other. Bottega Veneta Pour Homme has just come in (more about that one another day perhaps) and there is now a small range of Caron perfumes, including Parfum Sacre. 

Speaking of Caron, the new bottles have been modernised a lot (I quite liked the older ones to be honest) and I gauge from various reviewers that the juice in many cases has changed drastically too. That may be the case, but I haven't tried enough Carons side by side to have an opinion one way or another. I smelt Parfum Sacre on paper and it possibly did smell different to the sample I had from about four years ago, but a scent strip is hardly the ideal way to form an opinion or make a comparison. I actually thought it smelt very good by the way.

I'd be interested to find out if you live in a town or city that has a particularly good selection of perfumes. Also, what is your view of the recent Caron perfumes? Any marked change, otherf than the bottles and packaging?

Bottega Veneta - Man vs Woman

Bottega Veneta is one of my favourite mainstream releases of the last year. It isn't flashy - it has a fairly quiet and restrained elegance that speaks of class and good bearing to me. Perhaps that's a slightly snobby perception, but I can't help it.

While I really love the smell of Bottega Veneta, I have to admit that my skin chemistry doesn't bring out the best in the perfume. It smells quite muted on me.

I recently gave my wife a sample and tonight she wore it for the first time. She doesn't wear a lot of perfume, but tonight she is going out for dinner with friends and sprayed some on before leaving the house. Well, what can I say - Bottega Veneta smells absolutely amazing on her. The sillage she left behind as she departed was just stunning, putting this lovely perfume in a whole new light for me.

It goes to show that in this 'battle of the sexes', perfume wise, Woman came out on top!