Unlike the New Year Eve/Day or some common religious holidays, Mother’s Day is celebrated in different months either on the specific date or certain day of the month. But since it looks like countries from where many of my loyal readers come share the same day, the second Sunday of May, this SQ is in celebration of this beautiful holiday.
Saturday Question #214:
Have You Ever Gave Your Mother Perfume as a Gift?
Not necessarily for Mother’s Day, but for any other occasions or just because? If yes, was it something you knew she loved, or was it an experiment?
My Answer
In my childhood, since perfumes weren’t widely available, even adults used perfumes as gifts just occasionally, so no romantic stories about saving pennies and buying anything perfume-related. As I grew up and started earning money, times were hard, so money were designated for less frivolous, day-to-day necessities. But once we moved to the US and settled down, on each of my visits home I would bring my mom some perfume as a gift. And I always saved some perfume samples: since years ago department stores were much more generous with samples with purchase, I always had a bunch of extras to share with her.
She would actively use them up (but kept bottles for a while, so I know that she finished them), but I don’t think she cared enough to remember which ones she liked more. Or maybe she didn’t want to ask for another bottle trying to be considerate – even though I always asked for her wish list (in general, not necessarily perfume-related).
Since every time I would bring something different, the only three perfumes I remember were Diorella, Yves Rocher Desir de Nature and Elizabeth Arden Green Tea. I wish I could remember more. I wish I would have shared more.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
I’ve gifted my mom perfume several times, with varying success. She liked and wore about 75%, the rest I found unopened in a drawer after she died last October. So, a pretty good success rate. I got my love of perfume from her and we enjoyed it together for many years.
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I wonder: if those perfumes were unopened, how did your mother know she wouldn’t like them? Do you think/know that she tried them elsewhere?
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I’m guessing she didn’t recognize them as something she liked, or she had tried them and didn’t like them.
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I didn’t take up perfume as a hobby until after my mom had passed away. I think we would have enjoyed it together, though – she was always completely put together and had a small collection of perfumes that she wore. The most memorable was Perfumers Workshop Tea Rose (I still have her battered bottle). I remember when she brought it home from a trip to Chicago where she bought it at Marshall Fields (how we loved that store!!). A couple of little sprays and she wafted rose all day. I think she would have enjoyed trying my Tauer rose samples, Tocade – maybe I would have introduced her to many other fabulous scents. She was an adventurer, so I think she would have been open to trying anything.
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PWTR is a bomb! At its price, I don’t think “any flower was harmed during its production.” But I wonder if that always was the case.
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I have never given mom any fragranced item because she CANNOT stand perfumed items. I have given her freebies that may have a smell to them — very subtle and I made sure to tell her it has a smell and if she couldn’t stand it, I can find a similar unscented product. She never complained because she used the tiniest amount.
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Many people who don’t like perfumes as a product do not mind scented personal care or household items.
I like some scents outside of perfume world, but prefer them not to interfere with perfumes. My mom didn’t mind scented body products but wasn’t specifically looking for them.
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I did, in her later years but before her fall. I even searched out her favourite Escada by Margaretha Ley long after it was d/ced.
I found them all, unused, stashed in random drawers & wardrobes.
Perfumes weren’t the only gifts she didn’t use. Chocolates, clothing, even gifts of food.
It was sad that she didn’t allow herself these small luxuries & often made disparaging remarks about the gift and/or the giver.
I guess she was angry that she wasn’t in perfect health anymore so took it out on others
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I’m sorry you have these sad memories. Most likely, it was beyond her control. All we can do is to try learning from negative experiences to avoid repeating the traits we do not like in the generation that was before us.
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A very profound & true statement I can relate to.
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To my shame, yes…….!
https://bonkersaboutperfume.blogspot.com/2010/08/rochas-byzance-retro-soapfest-clouded.html?m=1
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It was such a thoughtful post! I’m glad I got to read it again.
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Mom loved perfume, I remember her wearing My Sin and Shalimar when I was little, I loved her fragrant kisses good night. As I got older, I loved buying Creed (Fleurs de Bulgarie) and Guerlain (Vol de Nuit and Rose Barbare) for her. She passed in 2011, but it gave me joy to hear the other ladies in the nursing home enjoyed her fragrances after she passed.
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You are lucky to have these memories about your mom! And what a great taste she had!
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Yeah, definitely Undina.
Today I wore Samsara, which was the first perfume I ever gave Mum.
That’s the only one I remember but there were others.
It’s such a pity she died so early. So many amazing adventures we could have been having.
Happy Mother’s Day to all celebrating
Portia xx
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Love Samsara! You smelled great.
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Thanks. It’s always a happy memory.
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