Countdown day 25

Merry Christmas all of you lovely people. I am sat here drinking the tremendous Beavertown Neck Oil and helping/singing to the beloved. Of course today is day 25 and the conclusion of our Christmas Fragrance countdown. Thank You all for taking the time to listen to my rambling. It means a great deal to have shared my not so secret passion with you. Watch this space for a new development! Whilst these splendid perfumes are not really in any order, there are some which hold a pivotal place and as such deserve the final word in a list such as this. One house in particular has made more appearances than any other and that is of course Guerlain. This is no coincidence, for they are responsible for many of the greatest and most influential creations of the last three centuries. They are the reason we have modern perfumery, having given birth to Jicky in 1889. This was the first fragrance to hit the mass market utilising the art of the perfumer in combing Naturals and Synthetics. If you ever hear someone say that synthetics in a perfume are bad and that all natural is the way forward, please ignore. The judicious use of newly discovered molecules and their resultant accords and impressions has propelled the art of perfumery from strength to strength. So next time you smell those tennis balls, camel love, salty sea breeze, sensual civet and the relief of a beaver, say thanks to Guerlain. Right, time to travel back almost 100 years. Mitsouko (1919) comes to us courtesy of Jacques Guerlain and is pure poetry from start to finish. It takes its inspiration from la Bataille, a novel by Farrere in 1909. Mitsouko is a stunning Japanese beauty who embarks on a tragic love affair with an English officer. Like her, this perfume is staggeringly beautiful, bold and mysterious, and tinged with a note of melancholy. We open with a first in perfumery, a wonderful ripe and opulent Peach note. This was striking in 1919 and still is today. Alongside this comes a sparkling and tea smoke Bergamot. We also have the Hesperides, these are the oils extracted from the peels of its citrus fruits. It is a stunning opening. Richer in the EDP version, but equally fresh and lively in the EDT. The heart brings us florals singing in perfect harmony, yet with all their individuality in tact. I get a slightly overripe Rose and a smiling Lilac. There is also a discreet Jasmine adding a sweet kiss. Of course Ylang Ylang also adds its slightly fruity halo. This middle emerges so seamlessly from the breathtaking opening, that you will wonder how on earth it happened. It is a supreme example of how to structure a perfume to achieve length and depth in an organic way. The base brings us our first evening companions of Amber and Oakmoss. They provide a depth and richness that feels palatial and luxurious as you can imagine. They are rich but somehow still infused with streaks of light, I always imagine looking through a dark amber at the sun. There is also a freshness to be found in its Cinnamon and Black Pepper. I get less of the pepper but feel its enlivening presence. The closing hours bring us tinges of that earthy and smoky Patchouli which had underpinned things, and a slightly salty and even a little rubbery Ambergris. This base gives me a feeling of something quite animalic, and perhaps looks forward to the daring of Shalimar. This is no mere pretty floral, and shows to me a style and grace that has been lost over the years, not only in perfume but also in our expectations and fashions. I have no difficulty exclaiming this perfume to be one of the most important and most stunning masterworks of all time. Of course it has undergone reformulation like all perfumes, but it's essence is still here for us all to enjoy. It is dated in the most wonderful way, and gives us a glimpse of an era when being overwhelmed by elegance and beauty was essential for the soul. I believe it still is, and the fact that this thing helped to forge a path to create this passion of mine today gives it pride of place. This perfume may require you to take a day off and sit in your garden in the spring, and allow yourself to be taken on its journey. It is a long adventure, and slightly different each time. It takes all the time it needs to make you sigh, smile and perhaps weep. Please give it a moment of your attention, EDT, EDP or even the Pure Parfum. You will not be disappointed. Happy Smelling, and ThankYou Guerlain for what you have left us. J xxxx