168: 11.3 Perfume (ii)

This is another story about perfumes. Before we were officially married, A and I made a pact to gift each other perfumes. I had read somewhere that smell has the ability to powerfully evoke special memories - like it helps store moments better in our treasure chest of memories. I thought that it would be nice to reintroduce ourselves to one another as husband and wife with scents that we thought best represents the other.

I bought his after auditioning many typical musk-filled perfumes in many well known department stores. It was only at a last ditch effort in John Lewis where I found what I was looking for. It smelt fresh, calming and breezy. It lies between a salty ocean breeze and a Mediterranean night. It smells sharp and rich, Italian even, enough to warrant another look but not too much that it overwhelms - it was both an accent and a wallflower in equal measures. Basically, it was perfect - bottled in a cylindrical black bottle, it was just what I was looking for. And I was proud to present it to A, complete with ribbons on our wedding day.

In comparison, the perfume that A got me was packaged in a curved clear bottle with a flower on top. Its scent is strongly floral, sweet and contains depth. It is feminine yet exudes confidence. Reminds me of a perfect summers day, one where people could lie on the grass bathed by the sun's warm rays.

We have made it a habit to douse a little of our respective perfumes before bed. Just a little gesture to let the other know that we have made an effort. I have loved A's perfume so much that whenever he is away, I would spray some of his on myself and my pillow for comfort. Probably that explains why he is at his second bottle and I am still on my first bottle.

I don't really know what would happen once our perfumes are discontinued from production. When their brands have tired of their scents and opt for newer additions. Probably as we grow old together, we would evolve too, either by choice or necessity. And with the times, we too would have to find other scents to match our new personalities. Hopefully ones that reflect better versions of ourselves now.