It Is All in the "S"

Sorry I haven't been here in a few days but I have been nursing the latest allergy attack along and really haven't felt like doing much.  However, I am bored with not doing much so I am ignoring the allergies -- seems like the thing to do!

One thing I have been doing the last few days is surfing the internet about skin care and how French women take care of their skin.  Several months ago I stumbled across an American skincare line that I really like, First Aid Beauty, and have sort of gotten on the skincare bandwagon.  My skin was never, even in teen-age years, tragic.  I never had a lot of problems with it and that hasn't changed.  The thing I have always had a problem with, however, is makeup.  I don't play nice with makeup.  So, I decided to see if I could improve my skin to the point that I don't actually need to wear much makeup.  I have been told by skin care "people" that I don't need it but I was never comfortable.  I always have always felt like I need to do something and I decided that something would be skincare.

So, I was doing a little study of the products that French women use and I ran across micellar water.  Now, I have used micellar water before but I wanted to try what the French women used.  Seems there are two brands --Bioderma and Vichy.  So, I ordered the Bioderma online because it can't be purchased locally and this is what I got--

cute little wrapping paper in a plain brown box

more packaging-- bottle wrapped in brown paper, tied with cream and black cord and nestled in copious amounts of black tissue paper -- felt elegant

Viola -- the bottle

Two days later I walked into Walgreens and found the entire Vichy line right there -- no ordering!!! That sort of thing always happens to me.

So, I have been doing the skincare thing but in reading about French women I learned that they always choose a signature scent and stick with it.

My aunt, who was very glamorous and a fashion buyer for a large department store, had a signature scent.  It was called Fleurs de Rocaille (Rock Garden).  This is a scent that I will never forget -- ever.  She wore it so much it permeated everything she owned.  I loved it.  At some point it became difficult to find so I asked my husband to buy me some on one of his trips to France.  He did.  It was wrong.  It didn't smell the same -- AT ALL.  Apparently there was a new (1994) formulation aimed at the American audience and that is what he bought.  I went to a perfumerie here to by some of the "original" stuff for my cousin and was assured it was the original formulation (1934)  but it wasn't.  I bought it anyway thinking I just couldn't smell anymore.

So, the other day when I was doing all my research on French women I started looking for this perfume.  It seems that the 1934 formulation was called FLEURS de Rocaille.  The 1994 version is FLEUR de Rocaille -- just one fleur.  So, I went to a site called Lucky Scent and found the 1934 version which is still being manufactured and I promptly had them send me a sample.  I was ecstatic when I got it in the mail today.

I just knew I was going to pop the lid off that tiny vial and be transported to my youth and be in the presence of my aunt again.  I didn't even smell it in the vial I just put some on my wrist and guess what -- it is WRONG.  It isn't anywhere near the scent that I was so familiar with. I was so disappointed! After a while, it was so strong I had to go wash it off.  So, I decided a little spritz of Chanel #5 was in order.  Even that was too strong.  I haven't really worn perfume in a long, long time for a lot of reasons and I guess my poor little nose just can't handle it anymore.  By the time I got the Chanel washed off I was sniffling and my eyes were running and, well.....

I guess I am just never going to be a French fashionista.