Among the recycle shop delights of this holiday, the other day, at the most rundown Zushi scuz emporium I have ever been to – so messy and random and almost disgusting, in truth- I found a parfum de toilette of Nina Ricci’s Fleurs de Fleurs (the absolute perfection of this bygone archetype) for one dollar. One hundred yen.
I can’t tell you how soft and comforting it is as a bed perfume
These three precious floral perfumes were recently induced into my collection, all in vintage, all from junk shops; all, in some ways, too good for this world. Completely of another time. Too old fashioned; too trembling; too sweetly delicate and pure. And while from very different eras, all have similar composition, note lists and structure : in essence, soft flowers, like hand held bouquets from a garden, over gentler, antique musks, and sandalwood, amber and civet (in infinitesimal, well-calibrated proportions) to round off the edges. The space age chemicality of a Byredo Tulipe; or a red Kenzo Flower, are aeons away from this meadow, where we walk along in a flowing white dress, even a carefully tendered hat perhaps, pleasantly rueful in our reflections.
These flowers (all smell of cyclamen, of iris, jasmine, lily, lilac (especially lilac); of magnolia, mimosa, hyacinth, and lily of the valley), are like a perfumer’s…
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The Black Narcissus 