Mainstream Monday: Sniffing a Popular Perfume
A couple New Year’s Days ago, I was washing my hands after making enough tamales to feed a multi-generational familial unit. I glanced into the mirror and saw something light at my center part. Thinking it was masa, I went to wipe it off. It didn’t budge. Upon further inspection, I was mortified. There they were. Gray hairs. It was like they popped up overnight to ring in the new year. I didn’t feel old. WHY WAS MY BODY DOING THIS TO ME?
Yes, I know that people have gray hair, even in youth. I actually wasn’t graying early, but later than average (after a horrified Google search). But, I guess, it wasn’t even about vanity, but realizing that time was passing. That we age without our minds ever feeling “old”. I had went through death and caring for a sick parent in the previous year. Mortality and aging was on my mind. The gray hairs just sort of put me over edge. I dealt with this like so many other people deal with their problems, I covered those roots up.
By no means, am I saying I am old or that aging is bad. I’m exposing a moment, masa in my hair, that felt like a crisis. It wasn’t. But, it had me thinking about mortality and the current state of affairs of my life. As funny as it sounds, that moment in the mirror lit a fire under my ass to stop putting things off and do them now. Want to move? Move. Want to go back to school? Go back. I didn’t feel old. It felt like a rebirth.
Now let’s go back to that notion of “feeling old”. At that time, I didn’t feel old. I felt like someone who realized they were in a new stratified demographic. I’m aging and I’m fine with that. But, then there are moments where I have that “Hold up. I’m aging” moments. For example, I sprayed on YSL Mon Paris and well, I felt old.
Mon Paris opens with strawberry candies. It’s a sweet, synthetic fruity fragrance. It starts to remind me of grape juice and rose petals. It wears as a “pink” fruity floral. Think peony and red berries. There’s also an accord that reminds me of caramel-coated popcorn and candied apples. I also get some sort of aquatic/ozonic pear but it’s mostly drowning in simple syrup. The heart basically smells like a jammy peony. The dry-down is a sweet musk and the sort of patchouli that is always in these sort of blends to keep them grounded.
Mon Paris is a perfectly pleasant perfume. I also think this is one that will get a few compliments (strangers tend to love this sort of stuff). Why does it make me feel old?¹ I am still trying to figure that out. Obviously, it’s a “me” thing. My best explanation is that the notes seem to be holding onto youth with a headstrong grip. There’s the sweet, candied notes that come across like a fair or carnival. It’s like it’s holding onto those memories and never letting go. But, it’s also a fruitichouli. So, it reminds me of a lot of the perfumes that were popular when I was in college; the perfumes that were called “clubbing fragrances”. They were a mix of sugary fruits, patchouli and candy all wrapped in a pink bottle or had a celeb’s name slapped on them. I think since I remember these sort of perfumes so vividly, that may be what makes me feel old when I wear Mon Paris. I think it boils down to me not wanting to relive that period of my life. I may feel old but I’m more than ready to move on.
Notes listed include Calabria bergamot, strawberry, raspberry, pear, datura flower, peony, jasmines, orange blossom, white musk, ambroxan and patchouli. Launched in 2016. PERFUMERS – Olivier Cresp, Harry Fremont and Dora Baghriche
Give Mon Paris a try if you like sweet floral ambers or fruitichoulis. Or perfumes like Dior Miss Dior Cherie (really, really reminds me of this one), Montale Roses Elixir, Soap & Glory Original Pink, Sarah Jessica Parker SJP NYC, Escada Magnetism and/or Jovan Silky Rose.
Projection and longevity are average. Note that I’m reviewing the EDP.
The 1.6 oz retails for $94 at Sephora and Nordstrom. Other sizes are also available for purchase.
Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Strawberry fruitichouli. I jokingly call this YSL Mon Paris…Hilton since it reminds me of the early 00s so much. I like this perfume; it’s fun. But, I do not have a desire to wear it (yes, I have baggage).
¹”Old” throughout my whiny personal, pseudo-perfume review isn’t really “old” but me having those overwhelming feelings of how quickly time passes. I’m sure those of you that have read this whiny personal pseudo-perfume review and are parents are either reminded of this daily and completely over this feeling or well, just got better at ignoring these feelings.
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*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from Sephora. Kylie Minogue picture from designscene.com. Post contains affiliate links. Thanks!
I really feel this post. I’ve had grays/whites sprouting up near my temples for 2-3 years now. If it’s prominent enough, I just pull it out. I haven’t colored my hair since college, so I’m not at that point with the greys yet. Whenever I try a perfume like this these days, I’m reminded of what was popular in college (I think we were in college around the same time), and I just think “I’m too old for this shit.” I recently retried Hanae Mori and while I think it’s well done, the time has passed for me to wear it.
I had an “I feel old” moment last year when I saw an article that Snapchat was trying to gain older users. Now, I don’t use Snapchat, but what caught my attention was the starting age for an “older user.” It was 35. I’m 34, turning 35 in a few weeks actually. But I thought to myself, I’m almost an older user. How did that happen?
I’m about 20% gray now. The worst part isn’t the color gray, but the texture! Ugh, I have all of these curly corkscrews and they stick straight out and feel like wires. They are unmanageable unless I use ‘cone heavy products.
It’s not that these from our college days are “bad”. They aren’t. It’s just that I’ve been there done that. I’m ready to move on (and really I didn’t love that style back then either).
Another “what, how old am I” moment…walking past Topshop with friends and we all want to know why the youths these days all want to dress like posers from our school days. That wasn’t even cool back then, not cool now. Yes, we’re the same age-ish or range of “older user” 🙂 Oh, well.