FRAGRANCE THAT SPEAKS OF ME!

If you’re a doctor, they ask you about medicines, and if you’re a writer, books take the place. Probably my passion as a perfumer invites questions from all around regarding scents and fragrances. And one question I’ve myself pondered over a lot would be,
‘What’s my favorite fragrance? One that speaks of me to the fullest?’
This question always drags me to major flashbacks to the lifestyles I’ve witnessed and the travel experiences I’ve endured. These are bits and pieces of my life about which I can keep talking about, for long! When the time comes, I’ll tell you all, one by one!

Not all stories begin from golden eggs! As a vibrant young man in this vast deserts of UAE, I kick-started my earnings as a perfume retail salesman. In those days, perfumes weren’t a passion for me! Neither did I dream of being a perfumer one day! All those bottles of different colors, sizes, and typologies were nothing more than an utter luxury to me, most of which I was a stranger for! Many of the bottles are sure to have laughed at me pronouncing their names, who thought I would put my creation into the displays with them!

Days passed until one fine day, a European guy stepped into the shop asking for ‘cool’ water. With all the language capacity I had in those times, I somehow directed him to a place where he could quench his thirst from the hot summers of UAE. With all the kindness and demeanor, he explained to me of his request for the world’s most demanded perfume, Cool Water. I would still like to believe that he wasn’t laughing at me, but laughing with me on the innocently dumb reaction I responded with. Since then, every time I see a Cool Water bottle, I sense it smiling at me as we share a secret that made me what I’m today!

This perfume has to be the golden feather in the cap of the very famous brand named Davidoff, topping the best-sellers list since its launch. My relationship with Cool Water has enabled me to instantly identify anybody wearing it, at any time and place. It takes me no seconds to have my attention grabbed as nothing has been yet discovered that can replace, and not even come close to what it has accentuated in the perfume market! Critics call it off as being stolen from ‘fabric softeners’ but I doubt if it’s the other way around! I even feel the fancy soap in my guest room smells of Cool Water! If that isn’t a victory, what else is!

What makes this perfume blending into ant situation is its fresh and masculine emotion that suits men, obviously, and warmer climates that make its presence much more felt by the user and those around. The beautiful mixing of mint, green notes, lavender, coriander, and rosemary clears out any doubt on its first impressions. Followed by the incredible thought of combining geranium, neroli, jasmine, and sandalwood taking your breath away, all of a sudden. A constitute of cedar, muck, amber, and tobacco fumes makes up the base note to keep it fresh and alive. Created by the magical hands of Pierre Bourdon, an extremely talented disciple of Edmond Roudnitska known to be the founder of Modern Perfume, the Cool Water came to existence in the year of 1988. This is only one of the many marvels of the designer including Cool Water Female, MontBlanc Individuel, Yves Saint Laurent Kouros, Escada Magnetism, and Jill Sandar Sun.

Another fragrance that has my heart and soul is the Jean Paul Gaultier launched in 1995, much later compared to the former one. Once again with a masculine blend of power and attention-grabbing physics, this perfume has been on demand for so long. Being a classic that can never fade away with age, its prime notes of mint, lavender, and bergamot helps you steal the charm of any night. With the heart made of cinnamon, cumin, orange, and floral aroma and a forever staying magical spell of vanilla, Tonka bean, sandalwood, and cedar make this bottle of perfume have its poise and stature! All hail to Francis Kurkdjian for this incredible invention along with equally inspiring others like Baccarat Rouge 540, Narciso Rodrigues, and Elie Saab Le Parfum!

No! I haven’t forgotten you, my female family, out here! My pick would be the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue for its never-fading aura and outstanding captivity. With its cynical berry-flower fragrance, this product was launched at the beginning of the 21st century. Beholding all emotions of the summer patterns, the crisp odor of lime and cedar sets the mood right for any occasion. Exquisitely made from bamboo, jasmine, and rose, the second and middle note harmoniously soothes your mind, just like an effective meditation in the morning. You would not believe this, but the scents of amber, musk, and cedar bring out the fresh greens in you and the virtual effect of the forest around you. Designed by the classic perfumer Olivier Cresp, this stand number one for a lot of women in establishing their ideal signature! Cresp isn’t anything but pure brilliance as displayed in his works like the Thierry Mugler Angel, Nina Ricci, Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, and Christian Dior Midnight Poison. Well, these titles prove how huge a competition he is for many in the industry is!

‘Take a breath!’ my team says!
Yes, I find it difficult to pause myself when I talk of perfumes, I call it my compassion, you can call it an addiction! Well, what are dreams without getting addicted to them! I will talk about a few more about my treasured scents in the next blog, for now, let me take a breath, as they say (wink)!

Also, which fragrance speaks about you? Let me know below!

With love,
Faizal Changampally