The Nostalgic Nose: Volume 1

One of my favorite childhood memories was saving up for my very first perfume purchase, and walking into the store to finally buy the bottle I'd been eyeing for a long time.

But somewhere between the new wonder of fragrance exploration and adulthood, fragrance lost its glimmer as I became absorbed with adult responsibilities. I lost touch with this side of myself, and forgot to invest time in this creative + worthwhile expression.

In an attempt to find a very-missed discontinued perfume, I turned again to the world of fragrance in order to obtain a bottle - and found so much meaning in exploring other areas of memories and fragrance, too.

Since nostalgia is a comforting getaway from the "daily grind" of adulthood, here are a few fragrances that bring back memories of simpler times:

1. Lip Smackers "s'Whirly Shimmer Gloss" = Sérénade aux Fraises

This lip gloss promised "sheer color, frosty flavor & shimmery shine wondrously s'whirled together" - and it smelled like creamy, synthetic strawberry. Sérénade aux Fraises is exactly that: a fun strawberry vanilla with a bit of a bite - kind of like the creamy-sweet Strawberry Creme Savers candy, but with the waxy feel of a gloss or lipstick. Truly smells just like your favorite Lip Smackers.

2. Saturday morning cartoons = Chocolate Cereal Milk.

When I opened the tester vial, I couldn't believe how realistic + strong this was! It's a bowl of "Cocoa Pebbles" cereal, but amplified to a 10 - with notes of chocolate cereal, powdery "dusting" of sugar, and a touch of chocolate milk (the leftover milk turned chocolate, after the cereal has soaked it). If you want a nostalgic nod to Saturday Morning cartoons as a child, this is worth a try.

3. The ice cream truck = "Orange Cream Pop / Orange Cremecicle | Demeter Fragrance Library / The Library Of Fragrance"

You'll never forget the feeling of hearing the ice cream truck's cheerful jingle as it drove into your neighborhood, and the thrill of running to the truck for a cold ice cream bar on a hot summer day.

"Orange Cream Pop / Orange Cremecicle | Demeter Fragrance Library / The Library Of Fragrance" captures this memory perfectly, and is just what you'd expect: a hyper-realistic creamy-orange frozen treat, as if you'd pulled back the wrapper to a simpler summertime.

4. Disney "Perfume Princess" Aurora doll = Blanche Eau de Parfum

There was a Disney Sleeping Beauty doll released in 1994, that came with a small bottle of "lily of the valley" perfume - and I loved it so much. Blanche is almost identical to this fragrance, but a more grown-up version.

Although this doesn't match the notes, to me it's lily of the valley, powdery "babydoll head", soft rose, and faint iris. It brings to mind a fluffy, lilac-colored cloud - creamy, well blended, and clean like fresh laundry.

5. Blue Raspberry Jolly Rancher candy = Sea & Sol - Sol de Janeiro

Jolly Ranchers have been around since 1949, which is why many memories across multiple generations include this candy. As a child, I remember my swim instructor tossing Jolly Ranchers into the bottom of the pool - to motivate us to swim further and deeper during swim lessons.

Sea & Sol is exactly like a Blue Raspberry Jolly Rancher, with its punchy-fruity + tart candy vibe - so if you want to feel like a kid in a candy store again (or for me: like a kid during swim lessons), this fragrance will take you back.

6. Lip Rageous Watermelon Lip Balm = Dirty Soul Soap Co. "Apple Punch"

Lip balm is already pocket-sized, but Lip Rageous made theirs even smaller. Although tiny, these little chapsticks really packed a punch with flavor - and I was obsessed with them in the 90s.

To me, Dirty Soul Soap Co.'s "Apple Punch" comes across like the watermelon-flavored Lip Rageous balms: waxy, sour, and candy-like tart fruit (perhaps a combination of green apple and synthetic watermelon) to make your mouth pucker.

Did nostalgia draw you back in to the world of fragrance too?

Stay tuned for part 2 of this nostalgic fragrance article series! 📼🌈💾🛼