Forbidden

The story of how L'Interdit (Forbidden) was created is almost as beautiful as the friendship of Audrey Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy. The fragrance was made specifically for Audrey, who as his muse largely wore his designs and then adopted the perfume designed for her too. She loved what he had made so much she wore it for the rest of her life, and even encouraged him to sell it to the public (such were the requests she'd have from people who smelt it on her!). While it has been remade in a modern version today, the original was supposed to be spectacular..

"..the original L'Interdit, it was a fragrance of elegant beauty, with a playful side. The opening notes are of aldehydes paired with bergamot, which soften considerably as the fragrance is allowed to meld into the skin and reveal soft peach and strawberry--ripe fruit warmed by the sun--on the floral backdrop of rose, jasmine and iris. The floral notes are not distinct, instead presenting a beautiful swirl of abstract shapes, with the edges blurring into each other. Yet, above this refined melody, spicy carnation adds some pleasant honeyed warmth, thus enhances the floral voices. Matte glow of amber paired with the earthy opacity of vetiver forms an elegant base upon which the floral notes recline, veiled by a powdery mist." - via Bois de Jasmin

I've been thinking about scents and how they can help identify a person or conjure memories. My love of perfume goes back to when I was a little girl and my parents would go out smelling, always and only for a special occasion, of their respective choices of Chanel. It's like dream dust that way.

If I had a personal perfume, I would want mine to manifest as an incense flower bed. I used to wear Attraction by Lancome and it was pretty much perfectly like that. I still have the first bottle I bought of it, empty in a box, it's just waiting to transport me back to those old places in the powdery mist described above. Until I find a new one, I've been wearing Lola by Marc Jacobs, Hari by Kenzo and a mix of Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford with Amber by Kiehls. But I know I'm still looking for that particular one, and I really want to try these.

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