Tuesday, October 23, 2007

What I Smell Like

I’ve worn the same brand of cologne now for thirty years.
Halston Z-14 is, hands down, my favorite.

I first encountered it during my freshman year in college. My roommate and best friend, Mark, wore it. We were inseparable during our first year of college.

I had come from my little-bitty home town where I’d received, like, a dozen bottles of Jovan Musk or Old Spice for graduation. Mark was from the huge, sophisticated city of Houston and he wore this very sophisticated cologne. I loved its woody, cinnamony, spicy scent. Still do.

It’s not like I’ve never worn anything else. Sure, there was the brief flirt with Polo by Ralph Lauren back in 1980. One whiff of that, and I’m instantly transformed to my junior year of college and New Wave clubs in Dallas.

Do you remember the Obsession obsession of the mid-eighties? God! Some guys wore that so thick that there would be a sickeningly sweet Obsession-fog following them around. I hated that stuff.

Then, in 1987, I was visiting a friend in Toronto and found Lacoste (you know, with the green alligator). It has a light, lemony, herbal, vanilla-like scent that’s very unique. The thing is, it was only available in Canada. When I moved to Toronto for graduate school back in ’99, I wore it almost continually.

You know how your sense of smell has the most sense of recall? For example, if I smell sweet pickles, it reminds me of the next door neighbor’s kitchen – when I was three years old!

So, Lacoste reminds me of Canada and Canada is a happy place for me. (Socialized medicine rules!)

Now, thanks to Froogle.com, I can remain well-supplied of Lacoste. It’s my second-favorite cologne to wear.

And my best friend, Mark, from college? He transferred to Cal State a year later but we’ve stayed in touch all these years.

Mark’s on his third marriage, but I’ve remained faithful to Halston for thirty years now.

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8 Comments:

At 6:56 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

Wow, I have worn Halston (the women's fragrance) since MY freshman year of college in 1972/73. I've only been unfaithful once, when I went through a phase of having a "winter fragrance" and a "not winter fragrance". My winter fragrance was Hope by Frances Denney. It smelled like a heavier, cinnamony Halston to me. I gave that up after a couple of winters and have stuck with only Halston ever since. You see, I grew up in the era when you had to have a "signature fragrance", and Halston became mine. When I'd hear people say, "I know Gina is here, I recognize her perfume", or when my sister tells me she has a client who wears Halston that makes her think of me, well, I know Halston has done its job. I tried to get The Spouse to wear Z-14, but he never liked it. He's a Polo man, and I LOVE the stuff. It makes me weak in the knees. :) I thought I was one of the only people on the planet who has worn the same fragrance for over 30 years.

 
At 7:00 PM , Blogger Br. Jonathan said...

Gina: I LOVE the women's Halson. One whiff of that, and I almost grow an ovary. It's a great "signature scent" to have.

 
At 7:01 PM , Blogger Unknown said...

LOL... seriously, I'm at my desk laughing out loud at the "growing an ovary" image.

 
At 11:59 PM , Blogger Iwanski said...

I wear BBQ sauce and spilled beer.

 
At 8:36 AM , Blogger Citymouse said...

ok, obsession is still my best, (1992 to present) and on a man--- eternity for men mmmmmmm I still will follow a guy down a hall if he is waring it-- ya, i got it bad!
I have been looking for something new, but i havent fallen into anything yet.

 
At 11:01 AM , Blogger Kimberly Ann said...

Great post. Eternity for men is great, Aqua de Gio is good too. For me, L'Interdit by Givenchy. I'm trying my damndest to channel Audrey Hepburn (her signature scent).

 
At 11:56 AM , Blogger Lorraine said...

I used to where "Jessica McClintock" by, uh, Jessica McClintock. It was awesome. Then I got pregnant and it smelled like bug spray. So I waited. After the baby, I tried it again. Still smelled like bug spray. So now I don't wear anything. I used to wear Chanel 22 as well but now it seems too heavy.

 
At 10:33 PM , Blogger Br. Jonathan said...

Iwanski: That scent works for you. Don't change to please me.

Mouse: I'll let you smell my Halston when I see you in a couple of weeks. You might like that.

Kimberly Ann: I haven't heard of those. I'll have to hit the tester counter next time.

Lorraine: I love you just the way you are.

 

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