I stumbled upon the world of perfumes at a game-changing point in my life where it became a welcome distraction from the humdrum of reality and it's been a love and fascination of mine ever since, albeit an extremely expensive passion.
Perfumes are like people. You might find that even those with many similar notes or DNA remain as highly individual characters and behave differently with different skin chemistry. Just as how we mesh well with some people and not with others, but I've since learnt to give both perfume and people a second chance at least.
I've come enough of a way to know that I enjoy Orientals the most, be they floral-orientals, spicy orientals or gourmand orientals. On me they are full-bodied, intoxicating and passionate with rich color palettes that I paint my imagination with. I don't have a steady relationship with any nose or house as yet but currently am embroiled in affairs with Serge Lutens/Christopher Sheldrake, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Guerlain and Frederic Malle. The affair with Lutens has reached such heights that I named my furry companion after him.
* Dear Serge passed away on the 18th of August 2015. I have since adopted another furry friend off the streets and was dithering between naming her Mitzy (for my love Mitsouko) or Scheherazade. The latter won.
* EDIT December 2015: Scheherazade was given to a foster friend as I got the worst case of urticaria that ultimately got traced to being allergic to her. Being on daily steroids and antihistamines couldn't be a long term option for me, so I had to give her up. My sister got me over the heartache with a new bundle of fur joy in the form of Jules who was my birthday/Christmas present.
Monsieur Serge, the one and only. |
My favorite scents strike a personal note for me, they are like old friends who one knows well and who know me well, no secrets hidden anywhere, emotions run wild and free between us.
My day job is as a family physician, which I enjoy as it pleases me to help others feel better both physically and emotionally, even if the effort can be draining or challenging at times. It also funds my perfume habit.
What free time I have is divided between pursuing new samples to test and gaining further knowledge on perfumes through reading blogs, reviews and books (except over the top bitchy reviews held by bindings and called books). This blog started more as an easily accessible diary for me to pen my thoughts and feelings on what I've smelt (as well as bits and bobs of things I've read or seen or indeed eaten and loved enough to share). I realized that even though there is a ton of information available online, there still aren't enough reviews for many scents that I am interested in and I wanted to share my perceptions with others, especially if people are looking to blind buy a scent.
I would love to meet people who share my passion for exploring scents of all kinds(I won't rule you out as a friend just because you don't like Orientals), it's a lonely hobby where I live apart for my virtual perfume friends on the online forums. Beyond perfumes, my nose and tastes enjoy food and travelling and it pleases me to learn something new about the world or its history everyday. Hence the nickname gaBby, for the love of food and all other temptations.
I leave you here with one of my favorite quotes regarding the type of life I try to lead when my need for security and stability doesn't pull me back into my box. Con Affetto!
I leave you here with one of my favorite quotes regarding the type of life I try to lead when my need for security and stability doesn't pull me back into my box. Con Affetto!
“Everyone praises the endurance of the ascetic, but no one appreciates the stamina of the hedonist. To laugh until the throat burns and smoke a cigar to soothe it, to black out but not pass out, to love without climax, to be immortal in the moment – what stoic has such fortitude?”
― Bauvard, The Darkness of Nature
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