I am so nostalgic. In fact, I’m often so busy looking back that it’s difficult for me to look forward.
Phrases such as “the good old days” and “remember when” fall out of my mouth regularly. Lately I’ve been engrossed in reruns of the 1980s hit television melodrama “Dynasty” — Krystle’s gorgeous blonde hair, Alexis and all of her antics. I loved it then, and I am loving it now.
I am also fixated on fragrances, old and new. A scent can take me back as far as I can remember or punctuate a new memory to savor for years to come. Each time I slide in a DVD, it’s not just the shoulder pads or the Carringtons’ drama that keeps me tuned in. With every scene, I remember watching it the first time with my mama. I remember her scent so well. It changed over the years, from Youth Dew and White Linen when I was a child to White Diamonds, Spellbound, Liz Claiborne, and the last fragrance she wore, Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle.
The scent of a woman is intoxicating and memorable. When I get a whiff of Calvin Klein’s Obsession, it takes me all the way back to ninth grade hovering around the cool girls at lunch. The scent of Ciara sends me back to my own first few haircuts by that sweet lady that cut my bangs crooked all those years ago. There’s even a new perfume line out called Bitty Bettys that is as individual as each person wearing it and might be fun for a mother and daughter to try together.
The experts recommend layering fragrance to make it last, perhaps as long as our memories. First, if available, use bath products in the same glorious fragrance, and then layer on body lotion before spritzing your eau de parfum onto the pulse points. Mama always carried her travel size spray and hand cream in her purse.
Perfume is the pure, most expensive version, while eau de parfum and then eau de toilette offer lighter, more everyday scents. One of my favorites is the roll-on purse size that can be swiped onto the skin for an afternoon refresher. Fragrance is such a personal expression, and often the very first impression that can leave a lasting memory.
I kept all of my mama’s little perfume bottles, and I confess while enrapt by Krystle and Alexis, I keep a bottle of Estee Lauder’s Beautiful nearby to remember.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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