On Edgy Comfort Scents

I've recently been wallowing in a wealth of new-scents-to-try, thanks to Suki of cognoscented (http://cognoscented.blogspot.com/ )... I've carefully sniffed and I've taken notes, a lot of good that does.

I've come to the conclusion I'm not an analytical perfumista. I hope I can still hang onto the label of scent-lover.

I'm just one of those illiterate gallery-goers who doesn't know art, but they know what they like.

What I've recently liked are Les Néréides Imperial Opoponax (sweet myrrh, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, benzoin, citrus) and Guerlain L'Instant (citrus, magnolia, amber).

What I also like, but have found to be acquired tastes, are Les Néréides Patchouli Antique (patchouli, vanilla, musk) and Vivienne Westwood Anglomania (cardamom, coriander, green tea, rose otto, nutmeg, violet, vanilla, amber, leather).

Look at all those notes for Anglomania. Old Vivienne really takes you for a ride ... because you are going to be able to isolate each and every one of them. I'm not kidding. Speaking as someone who can appreciate a smorgasbord, I promise there's something for everyone in Anglomania. If you don't like what you're getting right now, wait a minute and something else will show up. Until, after a while, we're all sitting down to tea.

Of these four,the two I like best can be labeled "comfort scents," although L'Instant, to me, has a bit more edge with its citrus/magnolia component, a kind of sharpness before it settles into a soft, not-so-sweetness.

Imperial Opoponax is also a bit edgy for a comfort scent, in that there's a subtly dry bitterness to the myrrh that's almost entirely enveloped by the amber/ vanilla/sandalwood triumvirate.

Supposedly Seattle is going to join the rest of the country's heat wave in the next few days (We're gonna hit 90! Maybe!). The four I've described above will be perfect for rainy autumn. I need to dig deeper into Suki's box and see what's good for sweltering in.