Raketchen73

After all these years, I must confess that this has never happened to me before.

I tested the fragrance in the fall of 2024 in the store. I found it pleasantly fresh. But that’s not enough for a purchase. Still, I ordered 10ml in a sharing for the height of summer. And quickly forgot about it. Until last Saturday. Without thinking, I sprayed the decant (5 sprays). And now the following happens.

At the gas station: "What a great fragrance you’re wearing! What’s it called? Can you write that down for me?"
At Edeka: "Who smells so good here? Is it you? What’s the name of that perfume?"
At the pharmacy: "You smell really good! What is that?"

I am now 52 years old. But I have never been approached so directly about any fragrance before. I perceive it as a woody fresh scent that lasts surprisingly long (about 10 hours on me). The obvious synthetic quality it exudes with a certain pride. After spraying it on, I quickly forgot about it. But there must be something in the sillage that attracts people like moths to a flame. And therein lies the fascination of this fragrance.

For anyone looking for a compliment getter, it’s an absolute must. For the rest: fresh laundry with a woody base that lasts a long time.

Why the Miracle is called that, I can't explain exactly. There is nothing miraculous about it. It is floral, it is fresh. Further discussions about the fragrance notes can be followed here in abundance. I actually only want to write a somewhat more detailed comment because:
It’s Thursday. I got up. That in itself is not a miracle, it happens daily. After coffee and the usual getting ready for the day, I make one last trip to the bedroom to the fragrances. Also not a miracle. More of a routine. On my dresser, there are about 10 bottles that I have assigned to the spring/summer seasons. I reach for the Miracle and it occurs to me: I have been doing this for over 3 weeks. Without interruption. I leave the Diors and Chanels to the side. Sure, I love them all. But daily, I am magically drawn to this bottle. I feel good. Not euphorically good. But "I am centered"-good. And that’s exactly what Miracle fits. It doesn’t need to stand out; it just wants to be pleasant. It laughs, especially at itself. It is present without artificially trying to take center stage. It knows that everyone eventually has "the last word." In short: This fragrance simply doesn’t need to make a fuss.

A colleague who has never commented on my scent in all these years joyfully called out today: "I could smell at the entrance that the beautiful bouquet was already here." So it is a miracle after all, even if a small one.

Berlin 1978.
Thunderous applause that seems never-ending. The heavy curtain has fallen. The beautiful Margaretha enjoys the cheers of the clapping crowd. She has just given a passionate performance as Martha in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf." Critics shower her with praise for her fantastic acting. Afterwards, she heads to the trendy jungle with friends and lovers. Life is one big roaring party that never seems to end. And at the center of every party, Margaretha shines. But as it often happens in a tumultuous star life, fate soon took a wrong turn and her career stumbled. Fatal decisions, trust in the wrong people, surrounded by yes-sayers... where the decline began and with whom is hard to say in hindsight. Was it the miserable marriage to the envious Stephan, who tormented her with jealousy and squandered her money in casinos? Or the mocking press that exploited the end of this disaster for weeks? What followed were lonely evenings with far too much red wine and prescription medications. Soon, only dubious engagements in third-rate films trickled in. Until even those stopped asking.

Munich 2024.
Margaretha has long since traded her spacious old apartment at Gärtnerplatz for a 1-room apartment in a social housing complex. Anyone who sees the 80-year-old lady on her way to the drugstore today would hardly believe that this woman was celebrated on renowned stages almost 50 years ago and appeared in every magazine. You only know what it is like to be old when you are old. Her days pass without notable experiences. Only an old photo on the dresser reminds her of how she once stood on stage and the audience loved her. Her neighbor once told her that there were photos and films of her on the internet. But Margaretha wants nothing to do with that. The memories of the silly dialogues in a nurse's costume in "Two Noses Fill Up on Super" are too painful. Like every afternoon, Margaretha tries to sleep for an hour. And like every afternoon, she is awakened by the squabbling below her. Who ruined whose life remains unclear. So young and they spoil all the fun, she thinks. But she wasn't any wiser either. Then the doorbell rings. She rarely has visitors. A young man in a DHL fleece jacket stands in front of her apartment and hurriedly hands her a package. Margaretha sits down confused on the sofa bed and looks at the sender: Ludwig Lochmann, Alexanderstift Wildeshausen. The name is completely unknown to her. She opens the package and finds a carefully wrapped bottle of Dioressence. And a letter.

Dear Mrs. Margaretha,
you do not know me. But in 1978, I was a sound engineer at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. I enjoyed your performances every evening. And yes, I was very much in love with you. Once, I had the chance to fetch a microphone from your dressing room and saw this enchanting bottle on your makeup table. I simply couldn't resist and hastily sprayed some of your fragrance on my arm. Silly? Perhaps. But I have never forgotten the scent of the green rose with cinnamon and cloves. I am now 88 years old and feel life slipping away from me. Last week, my daughter drove me into the city and I bought two bottles. Now she thinks that I am declining both physically and mentally. But that doesn’t matter. I gladly indulge in memories, and the fragrance helps me see the old images before my clouded eyes. I thought you might enjoy it too. With respectful regards and best Christmas wishes, your Ludwig Lochmann.

Margaretha fights back tears and sets the letter aside, moved. As the first spray lands on her wrist, she can't help but smile. For the first time in a long time.

"Well, today you smell really good."

My husband rarely comments on my perfume obsession. To be honest, I only remember one single time 18 years ago when we met. I was wearing Ambre Narguilé and he was keen on me. So that doesn’t really count. Still, I have to agree with him. The scent I swapped for here in the forum is really beautiful. A fruity-bitter pomelo dances past a magnolia by bright red rose beds. Later, warm wood and soft musk join in. So far, so unremarkable. One has smelled something like this a thousand times before. Or have they? I can’t help it but this time my beloved scent dyslexic is right. This fresh, harmonious fragrance is somehow particularly well done; it has a magic to it, as Hesse beautifully wrote in "Stufen."

Vince Camuto? My backmost brain fold leads me to the wardrobe. And there it hangs. Surely for the last 15 years. A long halter-neck dress in subtle orange, brown, and green tones, held by a golden collar. I have only ever worn it on beach vacations. And I loved it there. Boracay Island, Mykonos, or Norderney - Vince Camuto was always there. Out of curiosity, I google the good man. A passionate shoe designer with Sicilian roots who built a fashion empire with various brands. Much more well-known in the USA than in Europe. Mr. Camuto passed away almost 10 years ago. In the photos, he looks about how I imagine Gianni Versace would look if he were still alive. What can you do? I assume Vince Illuminare has never been smelled anyway. But it just fits surprisingly perfectly with the summer dress.

At the end of the month, the fragrance and the dress will accompany me to the Algarve, that much is certain. Let’s see if the scent dyslexic will be inspired to give a third compliment in this life.

No one would dare to call you nice?
You express your opinion fearlessly?
Do you sometimes swim against the tide?
Do you apologize because you mean it and not because it's expected?
Do you laugh when it’s not enough to cry?
And do you never feel ashamed of your tears?
Do you consider the obsession with youth to be senility?
And age to be just a number?

Then welcome to this beautiful classic. Half a century old. Only a few fragrances achieve that. There’s no salted popcorn-caramel nonsense here, no agarwood trees were cut down, and every whale got to keep its nasty stomach contents. Even all molecular substitutes have a day off here. A fresh bouquet of fragrant leaves and flowers lies in a gentle cocoon of sandalwood and patchouli. That’s it. Unexcited, casual, and dreamily beautiful. This whole green combination simply radiates straightforwardness and self-confidence.

51 years ago, if things went well, I smelled at most like Penaten cream. But if I had worn it, I would have loved to pair it with an olive green Halston dress in suede. Today, I would probably opt for something more ecologically correct in a knitted dress from Cordera. After all, not everything was better back then.