Woodhue

I can remember my mother dressed for church. 5'4", very slim, a black print sheath dress with cap sleeves, white gloves, black pumps, a small brim black hat on her waved and sprayed hair ... and a healthy dousing of Faberge Woodhue.

Of course, now I realize all that effort was expended on behalf of the church pastor, who she eventually landed, poor dear. (Mother is the poor dear. Talk about being careful about what you wish, you might get it.)

Later in life, my mother wore Guerlain Shalimar, but remembered Woodhue ... probably a nostalgic scent memory of ladylike (!) thrill of the chase.

Woodhue is long discontinued, but Long Lost Perfumes, specializing in such fragrances, duplicated it according to the "original recipe" ... and now, even their dupe is now on the edge of extinction.

Ellen, a kind fragboard member, sent me a sample of LLP Tinderbox, the Woodhue dupe ... and it is exactly as I remembered, with bergamot, carnation and violet. Geranium, ylang, iris and jasmin. Vetiver, musk and sandalwood.

An initially sharp spiciness, with the bergamot, carnation and geranium duking it out in topnote, smoothing out into a dense veil of florality ... eventually subdued into the best part, the soft, soft woody drydown.

Oh Mother, right outfit. Right fragrance. Wrong guy.