Stardust: The blog of glitter and dreams

My journey in makeupland.

Perfume Passion

Posted by Jenna on November 13, 2009

Anna May Perfume-image used with permission

I’ve had a love affair with fragrance since I was 15 (when I got my first job so I could actually afford it).  It started with bright young scents like Liz Claiborne Realities then as I refined my tastes I turned to scents like Ralph Lauren Romance and Dior J’adore.  Then I found Angel by Thierry Mugler.  From that point on, I fell in love with deep, slightly masculine scents.  I wore Angel for a few years then when Coco Mademoiselle (Chanel) emerged,  I wore that.  Coco Mademoiselle seemed the perfect embodiement of  ’me’ in a scent.  Strong, sweet, classic, with a hint of darkness lingering every so subtly in the background.   When I ended my 6 year relationship, the scent bothered me.  They say that memory and scent are strongly linked (think of the smell of crayons and paste and instantly be transported back to kindergarten).   Not that the memories were bad.  I just felt I needed a new signature because I had evolved so much.  So I gave my full ‘backup’ bottle of Chanel to my best friend and searched for a new scent that was dark and feminine.  That’s when I found Midnight Poison.  Already, the scent conjures up memories of Las Vegas, adventure, and the initial courting of my soul mate and I.  It’s a dark scent that Sephora describes as such:  

From a mysterious, sensual fragrance, a new Cinderella is born – the mystery begins when the clock strikes twelve. In a fairytale that only Dior could imagine, this intense new fragrance epitomizes the magical transformation that only a Dior gown can create. Cinderella’s metamorphosis as she dons her couture is like the blossoming of the mysterious black rose. The deep blues of the bottle recall not only past Poison bottles, but the sweep of a dramatic ball gown as well. At the stroke of midnight Dior’s Cinderella takes flight, leaving only the exquisite trace of her perfume lingering in her wake.  

Maya

Maya Perfume Oil--Image used with persmission

I love it, but I am also keeping my eye (or nose!) out for other deep and dark yet feminine fragrances.  Today, while browsing Etsy.com for natural skin care products I ran across the most unusual and delicious perfumer.  I was instantly captivated by her passion for her craft.  And her selection seems to cover all of general genres of the perfume catalogue.  I am considering ordering samples of most of her offerings.  The idea of a handcrafted fragrance excites me.  I love supporting other businesses run by women.  The company is called Wiggle Perfume.  Here is the blurb from their shop:  

A word about the wiggle: The wiggle is about pushing back against the notion that all our parts are meant to be hard and flat and angular. It’s about realizing how much power there is to be found in the curvy jiggly bits. It’s about spending less time in the gym and more time in the bedroom. It’s about relaxing and letting the good outweigh the bad. Rock what ya got! (It is not, however, about using those bits to get out of speeding tickets. At least not too often, let’s don’t ruin it for the rest of the girls, eh?)  Mae West knew about the wiggle, Marilyn understood…a little wiggle makes the world go ’round. 

Delicious!  

Standouts for me are:  Anjali-a spicy incense-y fragrance (sounds divine)  

Little 5- intense opium spice with oriental rose, deep and dark  

Black no.1-which she describes as “a mix of blackberry, narcissus, violet, patchouly, and clove. There’s also a little hint of rain floating around in there, ’cause it wouldn’t be the same without some moody weather. “  

 and Maya-cocoa, orchid and plumeria with a kick of black pepper.  OH!  

I’m tempted to get samples of them all to experience the true artistry and passion that I’ve grown to admire in people who follow their creative passions.  

Have any of you tried Wiggle Perfume?  Are there any other handcrafters of perfume you really think shine?  I see a new addiction on the horizon, indie perfume!


 I am in no way affiliated with Wiggle Perfume, Dior, Chanel, Liz Claiborne, Thierry Mugler or Ralph Lauren.  This is just a personal post doting on the emotional and personal world of fragrance and should be taken as entertainment or discarded as sheer babble.

7 Responses to “Perfume Passion”

  1. I am a fellow fragrance junkie! My signature scent is Clinique Happy– it seems to work really well with my body chemistry. I LOVE Pure Poison! I discovered that one in Sephora while I was studying abroad in France, so it always brings back wonderful memories. I’ve tested Midnight Poison before, and it’s actually on my Christmas list. Have you tried Le Baiser du Dragon by Cartier? It’s pretty $$$, but if you like deep, complex, slightly masculine scents, you might like that. It’s a deliciously complicated Oriental, unusual and not for everyone, but I fell in love with it. There are some sites that offer sample-size decants.

    I will definitely check out Wiggle perfume. I love handmade, artisanal fragrances.

    Sorry this comment is so long, I’m just a huge fragrance addict! :D

    • Jenna said

      I love Happy too! Another favorite is Viktor and Rolf Flowerbomb (divine!). The Baiser du Dragon sounds divine, it will go on the list! I want to try several scents including Japan Noir (Tom Ford), Bois Morcain (Tom Ford), all of Tom Ford’s fragrances captivate me but I believe he does them in Limited Edition batches, Rock Princess (Vera Wang), Asphalt Flower (LE mac) and Oudh Lacquer by Soivohle (Natural Indie perfumer). I love oriental scents so I will be on the lookout for a decant of the Cartier, sounds amazing!

  2. Krista Carlson said

    I love fragrance too…I just got a sample of Lola and that is awesome. I love Light Blue by D &G…..I wear Harajuku lovers Lil Angel and Love…Also I love love Fracas….I wore a lot of Prada and got tired of that…I really like a lot of Victoria Secret fragrances too…I have tons and I can never finish them….

    • Jenna said

      Ohhh!!!! Victoria by Victoria Secret! I used to wear that!!! Just the smell brings me back to my 20’s when I was so young and vibrant!!! I just ’sniffed’ the Harajuku collection at London Drug and they all smelled so fun and playful!

  3. Krista Carlson said

    I love the bottles of the Harajuku perfume…They are adorable….Again a sucker for packaging….

  4. jill said

    I actually have tried Wiggle, I think they’re well made, however she seems to use a musk that just doesn’t work for my nose in all the samples I tried. I remember they were inexpensive, and scent is so personal, they’re worth a try. I’d also suggest Ava Luxe, I think her seller name is AveLuxePerfumes. She’s pared down her list, but some of my favs are Moksha (cedar, sandalwood, musk, DIVINE!), Shisha (tobacco, honey and fruit, also pretty great!), Incense Rose (rose and oudh) and Milk for the sweet gourmand lover.

    Love love love perfume! I was a huge fan of Victoria back in the day too, it was dc’d too soon!

    btw, thanks for getting back to me so quickly when I emailed you a week or so ago about ingredients in the new collection :)

    • Jenna said

      Ohhh, thank you for the heads up on AveLuxe, I’ll have to check her out too–all the one’s you’ve described sound divine!
      My pleasure to get back with you! Your jewelry looks amazing =)

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