What is that smell?

I have just returned to the Lock-Up in a state bordering upon

euphoria probably induced by over exposure to perfumes

But I'm getting ahead of myself which makes a pleasant change

from my normal digressions.

Lautrec sums it up perfectly

I beam like a Cheshire cat and smell like a couple of whores on

a night out as almost every inch of visible flesh has been anointed,

sprayed, daubed, splashed and smeared with an assortment of

perfumes ranging from the sublime to the headache inducing.

I am borderline embalmed.  I have been to the perfume department

of Roy's of Wroxham - and I lingered.

Roys of Wroxham back in the day

I blame the weather.  There was a steady drizzle coming down and not

a chance in hell of getting anything done outdoors so I thought I'd

take a leisurely tootle over to Wroxham.  Admittedly the purchase of

a small bottle of perfume was my intention as Roy's prices are

unbeatable, even on the Internet, and I'm almost down to my last

squirt.  So this was not to be an indulgence but a necessity 

- like toilet rolls or a pint of milk.    If it hadn't been for Helen!

Lalique - not a perfume but a famous glass maker

It's amazing when you think about it the way all our lives cross and all

the interactions we have with each other day by day, month by month,

year upon year.  And every so often we encounter someone who will

stick in our minds and not be forgotten - Helen is one such person.

Good enough to crosstitch

She popped out at me from behind a Dior display just as I was about to

administer my first squirt of the outing and I knew instinctively that I

should have left the plastic at home.  Her enthusiasm for her subject was

that infectious.  What that young woman didn't know about perfume just

wasn't worth knowng - history, suitability, "notes", ingredients.  She knew

it all - or did she?

I should never have read the label of Ange ou Demon by Givenchy out loud.  

All right Annie, I admit I was showing off just a teensie bit but the words

were no sooner out of my mouth than a deluge of assorted bottles and

atomisers were produced for me to say the names so that she could learn

the correct pronunciations, such was her dedication to her work.

Helen, I salute you my woman and award you the title Miss Perfume

2016.  I am also now the proud owner of a rather larger than planned

bottle of Estee Lauder Youth Dew, a vaporisateur of Eden by Cacharel

(special price), an English lavender cologne stick (it reminded me of my

Gran) and more testers and free samples than you could shake a stick at.

I do hope it doesn't rain again tomorrow, this could become expensive.