Musky

In life, I like to see, taste, feel and explore everything and anything I can get my hands on.

But when it comes to what fragrances go on my body during those adventures, I am a creature of habit.

Issey Miyake's L'Eau d'issey is one of only two scents that I wear.

Had my introduction to it ...morebeen contingent upon the description of undertones on its box, I might never have tried it. I tend to gravitate toward darker, exotic and primal scents, a preference which leads me to conclude that parts of me were left back in a cave somewhere when evolution came calling (a theory which, as an aside, explains several other things about me. I shall save those for later. You can exhale now. I'm done sharing my issues for today).

Miyake's fragrance has enough musk and other things to carry out "erotic exotic" but had I glanced at the chorus line of floral scents before smelling it my nose would have kept on moving down the line. I usually don't do things like Carnation in life or in scents.

As it happened, I was standing in an international airport Duty Free shop when a woman with a feisty haircut, fantastic heels and a good 6 inches of height over me walked up next to me, picked up the sample, raised one arm up high with the bottle and, while holding her shirt open and exposing her (my guess? La Perla) balconette bra, doused us both with it. Then walked away. I admire a woman with fragrance cojones like that. Even when she sprays my eye.

At any rate, my hetero-girl-girl airport crush aside, other people loved the fragrance as well. Of course I bought my first bottle right there at the airport, still squinting with one eye. I received more compliments from strangers (four women in that airport alone stopped me to ask what I was wearing) that one afternoon after having been sprayed upside the head than ever before on a scent. And I loved it myself. I really, really loved it.

Many years later, I still do. That is why it is one of only two fragrances you will ever catch me wearing. If, of course, you can catch me at all ; )~

Lotus, Freesia, Cyclamen, Rose Water, Fresh Peonies, Carnation, White Lilies, Precious Woods, Osmanthus, Tuberose, Amberseed, Musk.