Mother…that word means many things to many people. To me it has always meant someone who would love you unconditionally, tell you what you needed to hear (not wanted to hear) and always supported you. My mom is not your typical mother. She worked in a factory for 16 years and then operated heavy equipment for the state of Pennsylvania for 25 more. She has more blue jeans than dresses and collects wolves, teddy bears and (you guessed it) perfume. Despite her “gender bending” choices for occupations and style of dress, she has always been rather feminine, as you will read by her choice of fragrances.
She was not always a perfumista. She wore only a few fragrances when I was growing up. Her mother (my “Gunda” as I called her), on the other hand, had a huge dressing table covered in perfumes, colognes, toilet waters (as they were called back then) and scented powders. Her best friend was the Avon lady!! Her table had many drawers, also filled with scented treasures. I do not really remember her, per se, but I do remember a scent I smelled as a young lad that struck me somewhere deep in my soul and made me feel safe, loved and utterly wonderful. My aunt tells me now, that I get MY passion for perfumes “honestly”!
Whenever my Mom and StepDad were getting ready to go out for the evening, I would breathe in deeply the smell of CHANEL No5 Eau de Cologne floating through the house. No5 is the very first scent I ever remember Mom wearing and that I recognized as “perfume”. I can still remember her square black rechargeable sleeve (with golden Chanel trademark on top) that she kept in her top drawer. I used to go into her room while they were out and slyly open the drawer and take off the cap and smell the sprayer. It was like she was right there with me! The vintage eau de cologne is similar (if not better) than the modern parfum is. It was one of the three original versions, with EDT and Parfum, released in 1921; sadly discontinued in the 1990’s and replaced by the current EDP.
Its opening of soft flowers blended with aldehydes and fizzing citruses still makes me swoon and smile. Somehow perfumer Ernest Beaux took powerful flowers: roses, jasmine and iris (both bloom and root) and tamed them with a silken muguet to create something wholly rich and magical, without being ostentatious or arrogant. The dry down of civet and musk is just sexy enough (without being vulgar), as all this wonder comes to rest on a bed of earthy woods, delightful greens and just the right amount of smoky vanilla. I was blessed enough to receive an UNOPENED Eau de Cologne 60 ml splash from a dear friend. After opening the foil top a few months ago, I can tell you this is the scent of “mom” to me more than any other. This is (and will always be) my favorite concentration of No5. It is classic and feminine, but this transcends gender and era, remaining simply magnificent.
For those more relaxed days or weekends Mom used to spritz on a little bit of Dana’s Ambush cologne, released in 1955. As is usually the case, the modern version (1997) smells nothing like the original (she still has a large vintage bottle she wears sparingly these days) as it is much fruitier, more saccharine and slightly nutty (from tonka beans and pralines). The vintage has a sweet, but woodier, floral opening balanced by a shiny bergamot. Heliotrope is the star here and debuts early in the development with its velvety blossoms oozing a charming vanillic aroma. Orchid, elegant as always, has “let down her hair” and plays with a creamy jasmine resulting in a carefree and fun loving heart. Until the ultimate dry down this could almost be seen as the ancestor of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb. The base of real oak moss adds an arid green that keeps this down to earth and from becoming cloying or too frivolous. Here is a blend of sweetness, simple beauty and common sense…just like Mom!
One classic television commercial jingle I can still remember all the words to (over thirty years later) is the one from Revlon’s Jean Nate. Mom used to use the “after bath splash” after showering. This is the one that is still sold at drug stores in the US today, though she sighs and says “It’s not what it used to be”. It is more of a skin scent and I prefer the concentrated natural spray cologne myself, as it lasts longer and has more oomph. This comes screaming out of the sprayer with aldehydes aplenty, but they quickly subside leaving a well-balanced blend of citruses on the skin. A pairing of feminine rose and jasmine with masculine lavender and carnations smells grand, but not overly floral. A reserved sprinkling of rather non-descript spices moves this towards its pseudo-oriental finish. Dry cedar, elegant sandalwood, enticing tonka and subtle musk results in something easily unisex; though I cannot see many “manly men” wearing something named “Jean Nate” with a butterfly on the bottle. This has been around since 1935; longer than my mother or I have, and I can see why.
I have saved the best for last! The scent I smelled as a lad was Moonwind cologne released by Avon in 1971. My “perfume sensitive” aunt has confirmed (after smelling it and wincing) that my “gunda” did in fact wear this and often. To me, this is the scent that keeps her alive in my memory. I can find no definitive note list for this and it has been discontinued for many years, but it is without a doubt my favorite Avon scent (vintage or modern). A heavenly shower of aldehydes and citrus (mostly bergamot and grapefruit to my nose) shines down crisp and cool, like moonbeams. Some floral notes are on the wind: lavender (for sure) and narcissus. It is clean and slightly soapy, yet briskly cool and woody green at the same time. There is most definitely (now banned) evernia prunasti or oak moss here combined seamlessly with vetiver. Easily unisex, despite being marketed to women, this “femme” scent has more presence and strength in its little finger than most modern men’s designer scents have in a whole bottle.
This year, Mom is getting a Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur set and DKNY’s Delicious Night set from me because she loves them both and deserves it. She has over a hundred bottles now (and even more samples and decants) but these are the ones that will always be nearest and dearest to her heart…and are ingrained into my olfactory memory. I want to wish all Mothers everywhere a very Happy Mother’s Day and say thanks for all you do!!
–John Reasinger, Editor
What are the scents you associate with your mom?