Back To My Roots, Sucessfully

Well, there is just no way to get warm. Winter is hitting hard and here in Texas, we are vacillating from a summery day of 83 degrees to a 23 degree day 24 hours later.

A pleasant surprise in the form of perfume swaps keeps my spirits high. You see, I am a niche kind of perfume lover, and rarely venture out of that new-found comfort zone. Browsing through the swap lists on Fragrantica recently, I noticed a perfume called Maroussia. My ears perked up at the name, it being clearly Russian. I found the perfume online easily and saw that it was a 90s Russian-style perfume that was marketed all over the world. The red bottle with its bright red cupola top made me remember my childhood.

I was about to purchase a small bottle just to have something that reminded me of my cozy days at my grandma's kitchen table and my long-anticipated scavenger hunts in my great-aunt's cosmetic/jewelry drawers.

To my delight, a Fragrantica member decided to send me her bottle that she had up for swap. I was grateful for the freebie, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to receive. Upon opening the bright and cheery red flowered box, I was astounded to smell a scent that totally captivated me. It was spicy, warm and sweet, and reminded me of a warm shawl and sweet breads with tea on a dark winter's night.

A truly great perfume has the power to transport and transform, and Maroussia did that instantly. In fact, it smells just like the niche Une Rose de Kandahar, one of my all time favorites. Une Rose has a similar base but a sweeter and more noticeable rose note while Maroussia stays linear in its dusky warmth.

For an old scent that is extremely affordable, Maroussia surprised me. It is now my signature scent and I wear it on days like these, when the wind howls down the chimney and the snow whips at the windows. I picture myself in a small Russian village, the heavy wooden shutters blocking cold out and keeping the cheerfulness in, sitting with my cup of tea and wrapped in my black shawl with giant bright flowers, sprayed liberally with Maroussia.