The Power of Perfume

An alluring mystique is created by a woman's choice of scent.

Excerpts from a fragrance editorial, The Power of Perfume, in Harper's Bazaar Magazine, Nov. 2012 issue.

"The appeal of perfume is that it is at once ephemeral and empowering. It creates a shimmering invisible armor that lingers in a room long after its wearer has gone and infuses our imagination with a subtle power, hinting at a hidden identity. ... My first and strongest memories about perfume come from...my mother.... My mother wore perfume before going to Paris (Straw Hat by Fabergé), but the perfumes I recognized as hers were the ones she bought in Paris.... I knew them best not on her body by in the beautiful bottles on her dresser: Chanel No. 5, Lanvin Arpège, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue. The shapes of the bottles had authority, the force of elegance, and their mingled scents spoke of things about her that I could sense but not see, something on the outer perimeter of my awareness. ... I remember the Arpege in particular, because of the tiny silhouetted image on the stopper -- a woman in a long, billowy dress stooping toward a child who was reaching for her. The dress was evocative of Arabic robes and butterfly wings, a magical combination..." Read more