Time for Change

Having spent a day with my oldest friend (best friend from school - long history, lots to talk about since we rarely see each other) - I went into Liberties and blew near on £80 on perfume (what was I doing!?!?!). I've been quite, no, very traumatised because the Body Shop has stopped making the perfume oil that I have worn solidly since I was 17 (thats 16 whole years - nearly half my life) - tea rose oil.

They did this to me once before when they stopped making the colours of eye shadow that I had worn for 5 years - and when I wailingly told the shop girl this fact she said, "well its time for a change then isn't it?" at which I could have swished my tail at her and cut her feet off but instead I went out on a mission to replace it with something better so I never had to darken their makeup counter again (and I have to say I succeeded very nicely).

But the perfume was different. This scent has become synonymous with me. It is what I smell of. People in the street comment on it. Even when they don't know that it is actually my perfume ("can you smell roses?"). Added to this is the fact that I didn't actually like many blended perfumes - the tea rose oil was very pure, one scent, defined.

So began the hunt for something to replace my fragrance. I searched on the internet and found a scent called Tea Rose. I thought about buying from the net but what if I didn't like it? I found a Rose Neroli at L'Occitane - nice scent. It was growing on me. It passed just about.

So after spending the day with my oldest friend I had some time to spare between that and meeting the evening crowd. I was wandering aimlessly really, in and out of shops, looking at scarves in Liberties (good time of year for a new scarf) and then found myself in their perfumery. They had the scent called Tea Rose - but it was sharp, I can't stand perfumes that drive up your nostrils and stab the back of your nose.

And this is how I discovered Rose of Mai and Vivienne Westwood's Boudoir. Much humming and haaa-ing, help from the matron of perfumery and her young male assistant (and what about this madam, or this...). So I came away with them, and a sample of Stella McCartney's new perfume. And felt like I'd had a good day of shopping. Trying to forget the implication that from now on it will cost me money to smell nice.