Everyone should have at least one indulgence about which they are passionately obsessive and lovestruck through all the days of their lives, and for me that is fragrance. My cologne cabinet – because of course I have a cologne cabinet – is one of my prized possessions, as are the contents contained within, and as silly and superficial as it all may be it still brings me happiness in a world often bereft of joy. 

Fragrance can act as one’s calling card – a representation of who a person is, what they like, and how they want to be portrayed. It’s what’s left in their wake after they have left a room, or what announces their presence to someone just entering. That said, I change too much to have one signature fragrance, and there is too much variety, and too many beautiful extremes, to be bound to just one. Hence my ever-expanding collection. 

Recently, upon a bathroom repainting/revamping, I succumbed to my Virgo nature and decided it was time to dust off and polish each bottle separately. It hasn’t been done in about ten years, as this cabinet is entirely closed, and not susceptible to much dust. As I took my time going through each one, I would take off the cap and bring the bottle to my nose, indulging in the beauty, and the memories each one evoked. Scent is one the strongest memory triggers, and almost all of my fragrances carry with them a seasonal memory, recalling where and when it was that I wore them. That is the truest pleasure of my cologne collection: all of those wonderful memories. 

The Tom Ford Neroli line brought back many summers – happy ones from long ago and a very sad one from last year – all of them beautiful in their own way. His Soleil collection (of which I’ve amassed Soleil Blanc, Soleil Brulant, and Soleil De Feu) brought back the summer sun and all its radiant warmth. My entire Tom Ford Private Blend collection is filled with very special bottles, most of them gifts from Andy or my family that make them even more meaningful. I thought of those beloved ones, and the lovely memories they evoke, as I took my time inhaling each bottle on its own.

My trio of Creed fragrances is spare (largely because of that house’s impossible price point) but significant. Of course, Aventus is there – the powerhouse performer that is ideal for office wear as it’s so universally enjoyed, though I prefer their take on Royal Oud, which has become my Thanksgiving fragrance – recalling gatherings of family. That was a gift from my Mom for my birthday, only adding to its significance. My very first Creed acquisition, the little bottle of Green Irish Tweed pictured below, was a gift from Andy, and this is the fragrance I wore on our wedding day in the Boston Public Garden. 

So many scents, so many memories, so much love… it feels less silly when I think of it this way. The Frederic Malle line comes with a number of special bottles – notably one of my very favorite fragrances, Portrait of a Lady – and there are others that conjure giddy recollections of winter nights and winter days. (See also Geranium Pour Monsieur, Uncut Gem and Outrageous! (The exclamation point is not part of my writing; it forms part of the ridiculous name! There, that one was mine.) 

Lately I’v been enamored of the Night Veils collection by Byredo, of which my Mom gifted me the autumn-like Sellier and Andy got me the deliciously-resinous Tobacco Mandarin. The House of Byredo also supplied another office frag, Accord Oud, which I wear a lot in September, when things go back into the post-summer swing. 

If you’re wondering what’s next, I am too – and I’m requesting the delicious Carnal Flower for the upcoming spring anniversary season…