An Ode to Lacoste L.12.12 Natural - A Childhood Relic

I remember my first perfume well, and the day I (well, my mom) bought it. I was thirteen, I had my first "big girl purse" that I actually still wore until it wore out this year, and I was ready to have something more mature than the Bath and Body Works fragrance mists that I'd had. So, off to Kohl's we went, giggling all the way at all the big goofy jewelry until we hit the fragrances. 

I knew Midnight Romance was, at the time, absolutely not something I wanted. I didn't want to smell like my mom, what middle schooler would want that? Florals were out of the question. Especially roses. Me being the kid I was, I wanted something less overtly feminine. I was always a tomboy, never really that girly; playing with my antique Erector set in the basement and running off with my mountain bike with the neighbors' kids was my idea of a good day. I wanted something that emulated that, something leaning more unisex, youthful, carefree, reminding me of the river that ran behind the house I grew up in. 

I tried a few, but the one that I smelled and instantly fell in love with was Lacoste L.12.12 pour Elle Natural. It was like a grown-up version of the White Citrus body spray I'd used for so long. It smelled like joy, adventure, it had a femininity to it but it wasn't in your face. It smelled like how I wanted to perceive myself. 

For years now, as my taste has shifted towards warmer, more fruity scents, I still find myself yearning for Natural. I see it on eBay, but the fact it was discontinued at all leaves a hole. My mother can say the same for her Midnight Romance. We bonded a lot recently over our love for our scents that are no longer, but at least she has a sizable backup stock that should last her well into her 70s.

Maybe Natural just reminds me of a simpler time, or of the carefree spirit I had at the time. A relic from when my days consisted of frolicking in the forest and laughing with friends instead of sitting behind an office desk.

I hear scents like Viva La Juicy being a "girlhood" scent. To me, Natural is my "girlhood" scent. It represents a time when I finally began to find myself, to start sitting up straight and preparing to face the world. 

Unfortunately, my bottle of Natural has long been missing. I know the house it has to be in, and I've searched every nook and cranny to no avail. It was still half full. All I can do is hope that someday it'll turn up and I'll get to feel that childhood memory again.