on the scent

In my mind—and nose—nothing conjures up a memory more than fragrance.

I can tell you what my date was wearing 30 years ago just by catching a whiff of Geoffrey Beene’s Grey Flannel.

I can describe the moment a co-worker at Mademoiselle walked into my office smelling SO delicious that I was compelled to ask her what fragrance she was wearing. I believe the conversation went something like this:

“OMG! (except, in those days, we spelled it out)…Patty, what perfume are you wearing? You smell like you just jumped out of the shower?” (She probably did. It was nine a.m.) The fragrance was a body oil called China Rain. I ordered it on the spot and still wear it to this day. Sorry, Patty—but imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Every time I hug my friend and restaurant owner—I’ll call him George—he smells nothing short of intoxicating. So I finally asked him what cologne he wears:

“Crete,” says George (in heavy Greek accent.)

I scour Google for Crete cologne. Found the island, but no fragrance.

Back to George.

“I can’t find the stuff, George. You sure it’s called Crete?”

“Yes, Crete,” says George (in heavy Greek accent.)

“Spell it,” I say.

“You know…Crete. C-R-E-E-D.”

Mystery solved. Until I found out that the House of Creed—which has been producing fragrances since 1760—currently churns out over 50 different scents.

Now I hit up George’s sister-in-law (let’s call her Nikki). She speaks Greek.

“Can you please find out what kind of Creed fragrance George wears?”

Nikki texts me back: “Original Version.”

Huh?

It took a while, but it turns out, George wears Creed’s Original Vetiver…a fresh blend of citrus and spice that evokes “lingering sunshine and relaxed sophistication.”

It now also evokes my son, Adam, who loves the stuff and asks for a new supply every time his bottle runs low.  Only, a 4-ounce bottle costs $285 retail and Adam is, what I would call, a liberal spritzer.

And all of this explains why I began buying my fragrances on eBay.

It takes a bit of time and patience to find a reputable perfume discounter who sells fragrances that are a) real and b) affordable. I screwed this up with my first Creed auction purchase. Seduced by an $85 buy-it-now price, I hit the confirm button. A few days later, I found myself the proud owner of what I typically refer to as… Eau de New York Taxi Cab Driver. The first clue that I bought a counterfeit product  was the package insert that’s typically written in French.

Oops.

When I sent the seller a message to complain that he’d sold me a fake product, he wrote back saying I should have known I can’t buy “Real Creed” for $85. I’m thinking he’s right. I’m also thinking he shouldn’t have called it “Real Creed.” Then he offered to send me a bottle of the good stuff for an extra $100. Thankfully, eBay intervened and refunded my money.

I eventually found “Real Creed” (I mean, Real, Real Creed) for $142 from a perfumer with a near-perfect eBay score, and told my son to spritz more frugally.

I’ve since bought other favorite fragrances from top-notch eBay sellers–including Annick Goutal’s Petite Cherie (a fresh floral) and Eau D’Hadrien (citrus-y and addictive). It’s a smart way to save money when you have expensive taste.

And you have children with expensive taste.

Where do YOU buy your fragrances? Have you ever tried eBay? Or ridden in a New York cab?