Day 19: Free at Last, on #66 to New York

Punchy is with her good Mimi this weekend. They Christmas-shopped yesterday and are having a family holiday breakfast with Mimi’s sister today.

Freedom! While we all adore spirited Punch, she can surely give us a run for our money, even at age 10. So when I saw an invite about today’s fragrance event at Hermès on Liberty Street in NYC, knowing I would be my old independent self, I reserved my spot for $15.

It’s hosted by Sniffapalooza, the cleverly named fragrance lovers’ group that attracts passionistas from all over for sniffing and shopping events. It’s through this group that I learned about Grace Kelly’s signature scent [Chateau Krigler 12; please see this post I wrote] and had a perfume bottle signed in gold, in person by Annick Goutal’s granddaughter at Bergdorf Goodman [under Tom Crutchfield’s loving eye at the jewel-box counter on the Beauty Level].

Sis likes going to these events, too. We haven’t been for at least a year. But she is flying to Wisconsin to spend eight days with Don’s daughter and family. She is sharply missing Don this first Yuletide since his April death.

Dan has been working very hard—article deadlines and the 60-Second Novelist is in very high demand for holiday parties. He's generally booked months ahead but for the one last night on the Upper East Side, it was just days ahead. People love him and the stories he taps out on the spot on his charming vintage typewriter.

Today he is driving to the Boston area to do a party.

Anyway, I don’t have an Hermès-size bankroll, but I love the idea of learning about their top notes, etc. I might get a shower gel. They look pretty delicious on the website.

More later. Bus about to nose into Port Authority. It’s not Rudolph’s red nose, but for the way my spirits are lifted, it might as well be!

Jasmine & Roses, Figs & Lime

Henri Bendel was my favorite stop at Sniffapalooza yesterday.

Tired again--it's 12:08 on Sunday night--but want to jot some fragrance notes before I forget. Reflections on yesterday's Sniffapalooza Spring Fling for scent lovers:

• First stop with Sis: Guerlain counter on Beauty Level at Bergdorf's. I had my eye on the special-edition Emilio Pucci bronzer/blush compact, in a Pucci-print carrying case. This is the only Pucci thing I own, though I'd love others. Years ago, a high-profile dermatologist in NYC, quoted in many top magazines, clued me in to Guerlain's Terracotta powder, which makes you look like you have a light, healthy tan. This Pucci powder is a luxe twist on that.
• Kiehl's Since 1851 department. My friend Diane loves one of the face washes--Sis bought that one, and I bought a cleanser in a tube. Saleswoman La Verne White was very helpful. Sis and I bristle at salespeople who are too pushy.
• Tom Crutchfield.  Tom is amazing, and the intimate Annick Goutal corner alcove at Bergdorf's that he commands is like a little jewel box--or like you've wandered into your gorgeous French mother's secret perfume stash. Tom had on a great colorful shirt and bowtie, and even had his mother's vintage Pucci sunglasses for show. Seeing him makes the whole expedition worthwhile. He knows this exquisite line from Paris inside and out, with a passion. I first heard about Annick Goutal, like a cult secret, from my friend Sandra Lee, when we worked together at Good Housekeeping years ago. Gosh, I was only in my 30s then.
• Perfumers' refueling. You have to stay hydrated and fed to shop from morning till night. Tickets for the day, including lunch [but not wine] cost $90--I bring that up to put the lunch in context. It was very nice, though elbow-to-elbow crowded. [Tickets started out years ago at $25, but the price has climbed.] I liked the meal at Opia on 57th Street near Lex--especially the organic mixed field greens and the apple strudel with vanilla ice cream. The coffee was good. I needed a caffeine hit to energize myself for our next jaunt, another round of sniffs and whiffs. I liked sitting at lunch with Sis, Susan, and three other women we met: Valerie from NYC, Patti [sp] from Irvington, NY and Pam from Minneapolis [she works for the Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day company]. Perfumistas all.
• Lunch mist. Won't lie here. Sis and I were chatting today about how we felt a hard sell during lunch--there were 10 speakers, representing seven different interests. We were held captive from 12:15 to 2:30, but of course not against our will. [The next event, @ Bendel's, started at 2:45.] Two interesting men at the podium: Francois Damide, a Frenchman with a flair from Jacomo, and Chandler Burr, curator, department of olfactory art, Museum of Arts and Design. The Art of Scent exhibition will open Nov. 13, 2012.
• Bendel's booty. Good stuff! Lucky I didn't spend my whole budget at Bergdorf's. Bendel's had a 20 percent off sale if you spent over $100....so would you believe I got my Annick Goutal Hadrien refill [$130] for 20 percent off? Saved $26. It's really hard to get discounts on brand-name beauty and fragrance. And the lovely blonde saleswoman with a gamine haircut and crimson toes in her high-heeled sandals gave me a tiny golden funnel so I can pour the elixir into my collector's flower-painted Annick bottle that I bought years ago from Tom at Bergdorf's. She also gave me a travel-size spray [which I passed to Sis] and the gift with purchase was an awesome tote bag with signature Bendel's brown and white stripes, with goodies inside. Also: A waiter passed a platter of chic cellophane-wrapped cake pops iced in brown and white, the Bendel's colors. And I liked fragrance manager Albert Gomez there--big smile.
• Dark chocolate mining. For the first time, dipped into French chocolate boutique Michel Cluizel with Sis on our walk down Fifth Avenue on way to Grand Central for her, Port Authority for me. Chocolate sardines--intriguing. Chocolate-covered almonds--true treasure. Had them once from lovely shop in Montclair, but out of my price range yesterday after all that spritzing.

I'd love to write more but I'm too tired, and want to save a minute to actually wash my face rather than just write about the Kiehl's face wash. Good night.

TCOY

1. Went to support group! Glad.
2. Popped over to Van Vleck Gardens Plant Sale. Bought small pink zinnia, ornamental strawberry and petunias and planted them in pretty planter out front.
3. Went to Mass.
4. Went to Montclair Film Festival with Figgy and her pal. Awesome. Actor Patrick Wilson [HBO's "Angels in America" and many other credits] was fielding Qs at the Montclair Art Museum about acting and the girls got their photo taken with him.
5. Nap, window screens open, cool, fresh air.
6. About to wash this face--1:20 A.M., better late than never.

Spritz Snapshot to Come Tomorrow

Wait till I tell you about the loot from Bendels--even cake pops.

I went into NYC to the Sniffapalooza Spring Fling with Sis. At the first stop, Bergdorf Goodman's Beauty Level, we ran into Susan Westmoreland, my colleague/friend from Seventeen and Good Housekeeping. We ended up sniffing with Susan--you need a second opinion, or a third one, when you spritz your forearm and inner wrist with so many scents in one day! We also sat together for the luncheon.

It was a heady day, and I want to post about it in detail. Plan to tomorrow. Right now too tired. Caught 8:42 A.M. bus into NYC, walked an hour in the city, came home. dashed to store for chocolate, butter, vanilla and sugar, and made Martha Stewart's big devil's food layer cake to take to Cinco de Mayo party tonight at our lovely friends' lovely home. Margarita, yum. Great company, too.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Bubble bath.
2. Good tooth care.
3. Walking in NYC.
4. Got some beauty purchases to help me take care of myself. I hope I'll follow through, washing my face, using pretty new lipstick and powder bronzer, spritzing on my favorite fragrance like part of my wardrobe.

Beauty Notes

Check out original Chance and this fresh green version.

• Chanel Chance Eau Fraîche Eau de Toilette Spray. I love my big new bottle. For the last two days, I've been spritzing it on my wrists, neck and in my hair as if it were bulletproof protection against life's shots. When I was a teen, my friend Linda Papa taught me to spray perfume in my hair. I'd never thought of it before. Linda was a year older than me and we spent long, hot summer days talking about life's most important issues--halter tops, bras, suntans and more.
• Planning to keep longstanding date to go to Downing Street in Greenwich Village for lunch with Sis [and Don], and our cousins Lin and Judi tomorrow. L. and J. driving two hours from South Jersey to get here, then we'll take bus into NYC and cab to Downing Street. Heading back to the scene of our fathers' young boyhoods.
• Kind words exchanged with professionals and parents.
• Figgy smiled a little and we took out a notebook and asked each other to sketch things. She asked me to sketch Twinkies, Charlie Sheen and chicken wings, among other things. They were not very good renditions. I asked her to sketch a boy from school she has mentioned, her friend Ariana, Laura's cat, Greece and Cape Cod. Hers were good!
• Cell phone lifeline.
• Full moon at night when I walked to my car.

TCOY

1. Hot bubble bath. Felt good to sink in.
2. Salon blowout. Fit one in in the morning. Helpful, really helpful, from the shampoo to the styling.
3. Ice water.
4. About to brush teeth and read People Magazine.

Hail Marys on the #66 Bus

The Beatles at the historic Plaza Hotel with Dr. Joyce Brothers @ 1964 press conference.

Take Me to the Plaza

A while back, Sis ordered tickets for a Sniffapalooza [fragrance lovers'] event held today in NYC. It was at the tiny Krigler Perfumery in the Plaza Hotel.

Sis's coworker, a doctor named Nicole, joined us. We sniffed and whiffed figs and florals at the little boutique. We shimmied up to the table out front to get a spritz; the place was crowded with perfumistas waving white fragrance testers in the air and sniffing each other's wrists. We nibbled on Payard coffee, chocolate and passion fruit macarons, sipped white wine. Krigler is a luxury brand that Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly and others embraced. Sis bought a bottle. I want one, too. When the checks come in. We received slender sample vials of Ultra Chateau Krigler 12. It reminds me of Chanel, Sis said. I think she's right. But I like Chanel, and I like new No. 12, too.

Scents of Sadness*

But I have a heavy heart. It's a private family thing and I can't go into specifics. I put my arm around Sis's shoulder to lean on her while we lunched, just for her support. I told her I wished things were simple, like when we were girls. We shared a room, and if she had to baby-sit at night, she'd leave me a note on my pillow.

I felt bad missing Mass, but decided to compensate by saying a lot of Hail Marys on the bus. I said them to myself as I stared out the window at other cars, especially a shiny black car-service car that caught my eye; at billboards on the curvy road to the tolls; and at the yellowed tiles in the very long Lincoln Tunnel.

Hail Mary, full of grace

The Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou amongst women

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, 
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

I think I've always liked that prayer--a prayer to a woman, a mother. And Mary is pretty, young, strong, sky-blue; embrace beauty where you find it. Never mind that the prayer talks about death at the end. It offers a soothing phrase right from the top: full of grace. Though they never told me, and I never asked, I think my mother and her mother must have liked it too, because they went to novenas sometimes, and my grandmother had a couple of statues of Mary, including a white china one I was awarded by Sister Agnes in first grade. Give it to Granny for Christmas, my mother had said. She'd really like it.

I have Dad's pocket-sized white prayer book. I think he got it as a boy. The printing date is 1924 and the full name is: The Little Key of Heaven: An Ideal Prayerbook with Beautiful Colored Illustrations. It was in his last possessions.

From one mother to another. Good night. And Dad, are up there? Can you hear me? I miss you, Dad. I can't believe it's been almost a year.

TCOY

1. Big, big news. I ate vegetables today. Seriously, I've been so depressed and frightened and worried lately that I think the only vegetables I ate all week were the sauerkraut on a reuben yesterday and the seaweed in the sushi last night. I just couldn't do it. Too much effort. Mental block. I had asparagus but couldn't bring myself to steam it. But today we shared a salad at the Plaza Food Hall by Todd English and I had a portabello flatbread pizza with lots of broccoli rabe on top [light on the roasted garlic mascarpone cheese]. And H. is making eggplant parmigiana and steamed asparagus now. [FYI, I was eager to try the food hall, and it's trendy and hip, but the food is not a 10. Maybe a 7.5, what we had.]
2. Walked from Port Authority to Plaza Hotel.
3. Prayed.

*What are the scents of sadness? A co-worker once told me carnations made her sad, because her husband had died young and she remembered all the flower arrangements. Someone else told me it was gladiolas. I'm not sure what they are for me, but I'm going to try and pay attention, use all five senses.

Eye on Prize: 2 Bottles of Madison Square Park Bond No. 9

Figgy gave me this gift last Mother's Day, when she was 14.

My wonderful cousin Lin scanned this sepia photo from my Mom's Fordham yearbook.

I'm lagging way behind in votes in the contest to win two bottles of Bond No. 9! I really don't feel that bad, b/c the other stories about women and their moms are really awesome. So touching. But in case you want to vote [for any of them], here's the link again:

http://blog.bondno9.com/

The pencil portrait above, which Figgy did of my Mom's 1945 graduation photo from Fordham University, accompanies my entry. Voting open through Sunday, May 8--Mother's Day.

I know, it's shallow, to be rustling up support for some free perfume. C'est la vie--it's the little things in life that sweeten it most.

Thank you. Good night.

I Entered a Contest to Win 2 Bottles of Perfume

Here's the link for the Mother's Day contest....I'm not too proud to enter...but the competition is very stiff, such sweet stories! You can vote for your two favorites. Thanks--no matter which you choose.

http://blog.bondno9.com/


TCOY

1. Pulled myself together after major binge [see The Ugly Truth: Hello from Skid Row], to work and face the music.
2. Ice water.
3. Private Benjamin.
4. Planted yellow pansies, bought a pot of tiny daffs for the bathroom.
5. Allowed myself a little time to read about the British hats @ the royal wedding [in People Magazine], and to close my eyes and rest. 
6. Ordered RX refill. 
7. Planned [and bought] sliced turkey, nice tomato, whole wheat bread for tomorrow. 
8. Went through piles--filed bills and work. 
9. Walked Sug to Iris Gardens and back.
10. Tracked every dime.

Pretty in Pink: Beauty Cream and Daughters

Bond No. 9* Body Silk in Chinatown scent,
which I bought yesterday at Sniffapalooza [15% discount].
My very first Bond purchase--this niche NYC brand has a wildly devoted fan base.
Chinatown smells like peach blossoms, gardenia, tuberose, patchouli and cardamom. 
It's intoxicating and addicting, and softened some rough moments in my day.
I kept wanting to bury my nose in my forearm and inhale the scent.

Wanted to share another beautiful thing, too--the song "Daughter" by Loudon Wainwright III. Not to be missed. Click here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVam-fshUgw.

I don't own it, except on the alice iTunes playlist Figgy made me on this desktop computer. But I want the song for car rides!

Good night.

*Bond No. 9 New York has a coveted collection of fragrances named for NYC neighborhoods, from Wall Street to Little Italy, Central Park to Park Avenue. Like I said, this was my first purchase. But I can see it would be easy to get hooked.


TCOY

1. Boot camp in the park!
2. Walked Sug around block twice.
3. Shower and Chinatown Body Silk body cream. Yum. This could really keep me on the TCOY road, a couple of little dollops a day.
4. Private Benjamin.
5. Bought fruits and vegs @ Whole Foods--and a pretty powder-pink hydrangea to plant in front.
6. Read a little NY Times, and napped.
7. Salad.
8. Long tall glasses of ice water.

Sweet Smell of Spring

Bond No. 9's new Madison Square Park fragrance,
which comes with the rose brooch and bracelet.
The pink and green pairing is very Lilly Pulitzer!
It was the first scent we sniffed on our perfume immersion trip today.

I couldn't figure out how to put text under the horse's head photo in that last post, and I thank Hubert Steed for posting the photo on his site in the first place.

That horse is a very cool decoration on what was a stable/carriage house on Downing Street in the West Village when Dad and his two brothers, Anthony and Aldo, and his parents lived on the block until moving up to the Bronx. Downing Street [#41 or 14, I'm flopping the numbers now] was my grandmother's first home when she moved from a small Italian village near Genoa.

Today Sis, Figgy and I spent from 10:30 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. in the city for Sniffapalooza's Spring Fling, a scent spree that started with Balthazar coffee and mini scones at cult favorite Bond No. 9 on Bond Street and drew fragrance lovers and perfumers from all over [Paris, Genoa, elsewhere]. Auntie treated Fig to her ticket. Later, after the luncheon, we walked from West Broadway to Bleecker Street to hit niche boutiques on the itinerary, like Diptyque and Fresh [and spray and sniff, and get goody bags].

En route to Bleecker, Sis and I saw Downing Street. Figgy ducked into American Apparel while we headed over.

I had been there with H. and Figgy and Dad maybe 13 years ago--Figgy was about two. We were out on a Friday night for dinner at Minetta Tavern, which was not far from Downing Street. We walked over and Dad showed us his cousin's plumbing store, and the old apartment building.

Look, there's the horse's head, Dad said. That was the horse stable.

So I told Sis we had to find the horse's head, that Dad had make a point of showing us that. I'm not sure how old he was when they moved, but I know he always loved animals, and I can picture an observant, smart, big-eyed little boy being fascinated by that large horse's head--not to mention the horses themselves.

Maybe it's gone, we said. But I knew Dad had been so happy to see it, that it was tangible proof of his childhood there.

That was a long time ago when you came, Sis said.

We went up and down the block. Then I looked up, and there it was. Giant! It's so old now, so historic. I wonder if little boys and girls look up and notice it. Since the stable/carriage house is no longer in operation, it's less likely to draw a child's eye. I think it's a residence now.

But Dad, I'm so glad we saw an important piece of your childhood today. It was almost eerie, but I loved it. It made me sad that the three little boys and their parents who lived near that horse's head are gone. Who on that street would even know you all existed? That you played and cooked and slept there? [Well, an art gallery owner knows, b/c I stopped in to tell him. He said he loves the street.] And I found it odd that one of the featured perfumers today was from Genoa--your mother came from a simple farm life near there, and this un-farmer-like woman with a cascade of brown hair and a gorgeous navy dress talked of concocting intoxicating fragrances with her husband. Worlds apart.

Good night.

TCOY

1. Made Aunt Jemima Whole Wheat Blend pancakes with Punch. We added mashed bananas and some dark chocolate chips. Tried not to use too much maple syrup and butter on mine.
2. Good tooth care.
3. Lots of walking in NYC, at least one hour--and shopping bag toting, to strengthen the upper arms. ;)
4. Fresh tomatoes, basil and mozzarella for dinner.
5. Walked Sug around block once.

High Tea with My Sister

Bergdorf Goodman, playground of the rich and stylish.

Sis took me to Bergdorf's gorgeous seventh floor restaurant to clink cups for my 50th birthday! [It was in January, and she toasted it then, too.]

It was so nice to sit with her in a serene spot and be waited on. It's been a rough year, and not so long ago, we were side by side talking to a funeral director. Today we had a flute each of fine Champagne [the tiny bubbles looked sparkly and festive, rushing up in a stream, as if to say, Light, happy times ahead!], nice teas, crustless sandwiches, treats and sweets. We settled into big, beautiful blue chairs and drank in a view of Central Park South.

Then, since Sis was captive in my favorite store, I led her by the elbow and made her look at the carefully edited candy alcove [Vosges, MarieBelle, lovely little sugar cubes and more] and the Tory Burch and Milly departments [and sale racks]. She kept trying to slink off to the elevator! Then we went down to the Beauty Level, where we met a nice salesman named Robert, who sprayed and spritzed until Sis settled on a Jo Malone fragrance I will give her for her birthday, this coming Tuesday. [She loves Jo Malone scents, and chose one mysteriously called 154.] On my wish list: Scent Surround, a gentle, heavenly fragrance to lightly douse your pillow and sheets at night. Hadn't heard of it till Robert showed us. Sweet dreams for sure.

Have I ever told you how generous my sister is? [Have I ever told you that her real name is quite elegant? It's MaryAnne.] She's been generous ever since I was a girl. She treated me to my first plane trip; got me a sterling silver charm holder necklace when they were the rage; bought me a skirt and blouse when I got my first magazine job. But more important than that, she read me nursery rhymes, left me notes on my pillow when she had to go baby-sit at night, and sewed me things, like a cheery red felt Christmas stocking, which "Santa" magically left to replace the little ratty red and white striped one I put out every year. I soon found out it was Sis who did the Christmas Eve swap. And it was doubly good because it was bigger, so it held more loot.

Thank you to my dear sister. I am grateful for your presence. My life is so much richer because you are here, and I do not mean just luxury wise.

TCOY

1. Walked Sug around block twice, once in sunny morning with H., once in chilly dark, just me and my fluffball.
2. Raked and hauled leaves for 45 minutes. Making lots of progress! And I feel it in my arms.
3. Took a few minutes to care for teeth properly and smooth on a little self-tanner for a glow.
4. Walked 10 minutes in town on way to catch bus.
5. Walked 40ish minutes in NYC from Bergdorf's to Port Authority. [Slowly, wearing heels, too stubborn to change back into sneakers.]

Big Light, Big Love

My Sis likes Jo Malone fragrances [from London], so that was the first counter we hit during Sniffapalooza yesterday.

A huge, beautiful white candle in a glass jar was burning there. Big as a birthday cake, and just as delicious, aroma-wise. Wait--better than sweet buttercream.

"Wow," I said to the saleswoman. "How much is it?"

"Three hundred and forty-five dollars," she said.

"Does anyone buy them?"

"All the time," she said.

Woah. Not that I wouldn't love one myself. I would. The four-wick Luxury Candle comes in Grapefruit; Lime Basil & Mandarin; Vintage Gardenia; and other beautiful scents.

And the company says it burns for 230 hours, so if I burned it once a day for an hour, that would take me from now till Thanksgiving, at a cost of $1.50 per day. I spend way more than that on a tall decaf iced mocha.

Maybe I can talk myself into this. Then again, maybe not, since it costs about as much as our monthly car payment.

Sigh. I can dream, can't I?

In the meanwhile, I'll happily settle for my little taste of Jo Malone--a black tube of SPF 15 Vitamin E Lip Conditioner [$20], which is my best friend for the moment. It has a hit of honey and a pampering feel.

Good night.

P.S. I am love, love, loving my Lovely Patchouly 55 perfume from Krigler. Tonight, I kept asking H. and Figgy to smell my wrist. It's addicting.

The Secret Garden of Scents

Why a photo of Grace Kelly in a post about fragrance? Because today at Sniffapalooza in New York City, we sniffed intoxicating Chateau Krigler 12, the hand-mixed potion the beautiful actress wore.

"This became a kind of lucky charm for her," said fifth-generation perfumer Ben Krigler. The House of Krigler celebrated its 105th anniversary in 2009; its fragrances are sold only in Monte Carlo and at the Plaza Hotel [and, I've just found, you can check krigler.com]. We Sniffa members were invited for a special sampling [and 10 percent discount].

At 5:15, we sipped crisp white wine and nibbled demure olive-paste hors d'oeuvres in an elegant room at the Plaza. We sat on high-backed, dusky-blue velvet chairs under a ceiling of octagonal paintings featuring cherubs, flower urns, birds and plump fruit, while Mr. Krigler told us about collaborating on the newest scent, Extraordinaire Camelia 209, with his mother. I felt so pampered, so royal in that setting--like a princess, a queen, perhaps even a courtesan.

"We had some fights," he said. "She's a tough woman. I'm also a tough boy. But my mom and I collaborated to celebrate our one hundred and fifth anniversary."

Juice Jargon
Sis and I have been going for several years to Sniffapalooza weekend events in the fall and spring. [She had to get her train home before the Plaza event today, but we were sniffing since 10 A.M.] You pay a reasonable fee [$80 this year, counting lunch] and get loaded up with samples and goodies on what really amounts to a fragrance buying trip, with stops at Bergdorf's, Bendel's and other hot spots. You're generally met with treats on a silver platter and GWPs [gifts with purchase]. I first learned about the group when I interviewed the founder for a beauty article.

In the beginning, I was amazed at the knowledge of these women and men, who come from all over America to attend. They'd sniff each other's wrists over lunch, commenting on notes of this and finishes of that. They'd talk about the group's fragrance trips to Europe. They'd wave the little paper testers like the insiders they were. I'll never forget the woman from California who told me, outside the bathroom on Bergdorf Goodman's Beauty Level, that she wears several different fragrances a day, depending on what she's doing.

By now, Sis and I have almost caught up with them, via osmosis. A sampling of what we heard today:

1. "It makes me think of a wooded glen, with nymphs," said fashionable Tom Crutchfield, a great perfume guru. He works in the pretty BG corner alcove dedicated to Annick Goutal fragrances from Paris, and he was waxing poetic about the new Ninfeo mio scent, which several of us snapped up.

2. "Stop talking about the notes," said Chandler Burr, one of the luncheon speakers. Mr. Burr is the New York Times fragrance critic and author. "We're looking at the work. You should look at the perfume as a whole. A picture. A portrait. The work is what you react to." His comment was met with controversy in a roomful of people who love talking about notes of rose, fig, leather, lime, iris, jasmine, clementine, ginger, vanilla, cognac and many, many other fragrant ingredients.

3. "That's starting to smell like candle on your skin," said the helpful woman I met from Long Island. I wasn't planning to buy anything else, but the Krigler scents at the Plaza were so exclusive and so beautiful, I got caught up in the frenzy. I was wavering between the Subtle Orchid 10, heavy on the vanilla [a formula created in 1910 and starting to smell like candle on my wrist] and the Lovely Patchouly 55 [dating to 1955], which smelled as good on my skin as it did on the little cardboard tester. Thanks to the friendly Long Island lady, a nice guy who used to sell perfume at Bloomingdale's, and Denise from California, I learned that I should spray the scents on my skin to check the "dry finish."

4. "Perfume is the last accessory you put on before you walk out the door," said Teresa Findlay, general manager of Perfume.com and also a luncheon speaker. No wonder I've started to like it so much. I've loved feminine accessories as long as I can remember, starting with my Barbie's little straw handbag and continuing through my First Communion bouquet [I can still smell those pink carnations now] and my first matching bra and panty set, with pink and purple ladybugs on it.

5. "Fumies--people who love perfume--are the new foodies. It's available to everybody," noted Katie Puckrik, star of "Katie Puckrik Smells" on YouTube. She now has 10,000 subscribers, most of them teens. "YouTube is by, for and about the teenager," Ms. Puckrik said.

Gotta go. Have some serious dresser dusting to do to make room for my beautiful new bottles. Thank you to my darling sister for treating me to today's ticket to a beauty world I loved immersing myself in.

SPRITZ TALK: What's your favorite fragrance? I'd love to know.