I've been enjoying the small bottle of Windsong I have–I've been spraying it on my mattress when I change the sheets. It's a lovely scent for linen.

As a teenager, I had Chloe, Cachet, AND Tatiana; the only one of them I really loved was the Tatiana (must have been the tuberose in it). My mom, white-floral hater that she is, would wrinkle her nose when I walked in wearing that. Funny, I don't remember Chloe being all that white-floral; Mom didn't hate that one, and I guess I can't check it now since its reformulation. I tossed or gave away all those bottles years and years ago… of course, they were mostly used up! I think the Chloe and the Cachet were gifts, and because they were perfume, I used them, but I never loved them. I look at the notes now and wonder why I didn't.

I adore carnation, but every time I've picked up Wind Song — and it's only in the last four months that I got out of the drugstore fragrance mindset — I've said, Naaaaah. Not me.

I wonder if Navy is still as fun as I used to think it was. I only had a mini, and when it was gone I moved on to something else. Aspen for Women, maybe, which I gave up pretty quick because its monster sillage was inappropriate for my first post-college job. And decades after my mother made me (age 17) take my unopened box of Sand and Sable back to the drugstore — “That's too old for you, honey” — I bought a mini of it. I still like its sunny mood-lifting effect, but now it seems all top-heavy and shallow.

Ah well… thanks for the blast from the past! And now I'm off to sample a couple of Guerlains, along with Jardin sur le Nil, which just arrived in my mailbox. Hm, I guess I don't really miss the drugstore-fragrance days all that much.

I used to work down the street from the Max Factor bldg in Hollywood back in the '80's. They knew me so well I could live my son there afterschool to be watched until I walked up from work at La Brea.

It was a dream that can never happen again. The rooms for each “haircolor”, the ads and stories about the makeup and Mr. Max Factor. And a WHOLE alcove devoted to Rita Hayworth and her make-over into movies right down to her hairline.

You could buy anything Max Factor there – they even had parking lot sales!

Sadly after the Northridge quake the bldg was shut because of damage. Nothing was lost but it was not structurally intact.

Now it is run by some tourist whack job who pinched this and that and runs “The Max Factor Museum” out of the south part of the bldg. And 15$ to be ripped off to see this stuff.

The other part of the bldg. is closed.

But, oh my I can remember walking in and seeing the wigs in the display cases worn in 'Marie Antoinette” w/Norma Shearer.

So so much.

Max Factor also made Hynotique, California, and so much more.

His life story is just too interesting. He left Germany using his dead brothers birth certificate, and having been in theatre there, made himself up to resemble a corpse. He then opened up on Broadway in downtown L.A.

I hope this helps. And for those of you, who live where there are purple 99c stores they carry Tatiana, Tabu, Chantilly, etc.

Dana is currently manufacturing them made in China with US ingredients.

Anyway, that's it for that. Happy Hunting!

I wonder if subconsciously I am trying to re find that dewy garden mix again? It made me feel really feminine.

Or always will it be a ghost the haunts me?

only the shadow knows,

Becca