Thursday, August 09, 2007

Frederic Malle Lys Méditerranée, among Other Things

People, between the heat and the job, I hardly have a thing left to give. They're taking everything I've got this week. As usual, I had ambitious plans for sampling, but I only got through two of the samples I picked this week (Miller Harris Coeur d'Été and Etro Royal Pavillion), and I only managed to peck out a measly hundred-and-something words about one of them. In times like these, I want comfort: air conditioning, Diet Coke, truffles, and Frederic Malle.

I've been wearing Lys Méditerranée whenever I can since late last spring. I finally cracked open my sample sometime last May, wore it one day, and promptly ordered a decant. Along with La Chasse, it's been a comforting summer staple. With notes of ginger lily, angelica root, orange flower, and water lily, this perfume is both ethereal and refreshing. It's a green, dewy floral, an eternal spring morning on the wrist. See this picture of lilies I found? This perfume smells the way these flowers look. How often can one really say that about a perfume? Lucky for you, I'm too tired to wax on about this one, but it reminds me yet again why the Frederic Malle line holds first place as my favorite line. When I finally break down and buy a bottle, my first choice is no question: Iris Poudre. But there are too many contenders to count for second place! I must win the lottery, pronto!

I'll end this post by telling you I have not yet received my birthday perfume, and I'm seriously beginning to doubt I will. Not to spoil the surprise, but I broke the bank and ordered the Parure, and because I had a little extra birthday money, I ordered the white bee bottle. Well. At least, I thought I ordered it. I found it online at escentual.co.uk. At least, I thought I found it. You see, all the other sites said, "SORRY! SOLD OUT!" But not escentual.co.uk. No. They let me select one and click Add to Basket, give my credit card number and mailing address...on and on with the endless charade they went, making me register, sending me an email regarding my new order, and then--nothing. Nothing. I log in with my user ID and password to check the status of my order, and there it sits, "Processing." That's all. "Processing." No email about being out of stock or delays or when to expect anything. Just weeks of "Processing." They haven't charged me for it, of course, but still, a little courtesy email would be nice. A little "We're having trouble filling your order" or something. I'm thinking I should just write to them and cancel the order and snatch up the less sexy EDT bottle that's still available elsewhere, for a lot less money. But doggone it, I really had my heart set on that bee bottle! I've looked elsewhere and been unable to find it, and lord knows I am not secure enough to do something like call Guerlain and beg.

And speaking of Guerlain, today I received a decant of Liu I ordered, and I'm terribly worried the heat has ruined it. When I took it out of the envelope, the bottle was quite hot to the touch. But really, what was I thinking, ordering perfume in this heat? Hopefully it will be okay, as Bob got it out of the mail box right after it was delivered. I would be hopping mad, if I weren't too hot to hop.

*image from Barneys, Ginger Lily, and escentual.co.uk