u/Asleep_Lack

A few of mine

- I cannot finish a bottle above 30ml, no idea why, so I only purchase 30ml and under and it took me way too many purchases to figure this out

- What I really enjoy is researching notes and ogling pretty bottles

- There is no white whale/perfect scent that ticks all the boxes waiting for me out there, just lots I really like

- As someone else mentioned recently in another thread, owning one bottle, in my humble opinion, is very chic

- I’m enamoured with the idea of a signature scent

- People in my life rarely compliment my fragrance, or really anyone’s fragrance, for many of us it’s just not as much of a thing as people make out

- I breathed easier when I whittled my collection down to just 2-3 bottles. Some people can manage more, but I’m not one of them

- Owning a particular perfume - or smelling like a particular perfume - will not contribute towards making me the idealised version of myself I have in my head

- Just because I love the smell of something (peaches, strawberries, washing up liquid etc) doesn’t necessarily mean I want to smell of that thing

Would love to hear yours!

I’m doing a reread right now and while I’ve always had a dislike of Frank and his deception kink, what’s really standing out to me this time is how he uses treats Emma from the moment they meet:

> He encourages Mr & Mrs Weston, who he knows are hoping for a match between himself & Emma, to believe there really is a little spark there by singling Emma out at events and singing her praises

> He encourages Emma to believe that Jane Fairfax is somehow attached to Jane’s best friend/foster sister’s husband, Mr Dixon, on multiple occasions

> On this, he encourages Emma to think that she has a keen observant eye though he secretly knows she’s utterly deluded about Jane’s gifted piano, her reasons for being in Highbury etc

> He encourages Emma’s bad behaviour on Box Hill by flirting with her and teasing the rest of the company, all to get at Jane (📢 JUSTICE FOR EMMA. BOX HILL IS 90% FRANK’S FAULT AND THAT IS A BOX HILL I’LL DIE ON📢)

He must really dislike her, right?! You don’t do this to someone you’re friends with! He brings out the absolute worst in her, more than she does in him, I’d argue. He risks her reputation and her peace in general for his own games!

Their whole relationship from the moment he returns to Highbury (which he refers to as “home” to win the affection of his dad and the others at Hartfield, even though he has chosen not to visit for YEARS and then conveniently shows up only when Jane’s in town, the little slime) is based on lies.

This man is the worst. And he doesn’t seem to care about anyone but himself, least of all Emma.

Just curious!

Yesterday I sampled Jimmy Choo EDP; on first spray I was like “blurgh, so perfumey” then within minutes it dried down to such a pretty, grown up, sweet & sultry patchouli.

I really like it however patchouli bases remind me so much of my older sisters; this isn’t a bad thing at all and they both smell amazing but I was like “huh, maybe this isn’t quite *me* then?”

My eldest sister’s signature scent in the early 00s was Gucci Rush and my other sister’s signatures over the last decade have been Chanel Coco Mademoiselle & La Vie Est Belle, so you can see a taste for patchouli runs in the family! I personally have never owned a patchouli though, but am thinking about purchasing the Jimmy Choo EDP… I wonder if it will turn into a scent that feels like me or if it will always have big sis associations, even though neither have ever owned this particular perfume?

Interested to know your thoughts 💭

Jane Fairfax’s situation, from childhood to present day in the novel, is truly so heartbreaking. To be made an orphan at such a young age, then taken away from the only family you have left to go and live with a foster family who will give you a taste of the high life, all the while knowing that this is temporary and a bleak future of governessing awaits you… Argh, it’s awful!

On top of that, you find a glimmer of happiness & hope falling for a charming, amiable, soon-to-be very rich young man, only for your dreams to be dashed by learning that his life choices (and inheritance) are at the behest of a sickly, fickle, changeable, selfish old aunt..!

But from Emma’s perspective, who doesn’t know Jane is harbouring a deep secret of forbidden love and - let’s be real - probably can’t comprehend hardship in general because she’s so sheltered, Jane is just *so* painfully reserved. The woman gives nothing back!

Emma does try. I mean, admittedly Emma’s initial attempts at conversation with Jane seem more like she’s trying to mine her for gossip on Frank Churchill, so understandably Jane would be a little cagey, but could she not still make a little effort with Emma too and change the topic to something she is comfortable talking about?

I dunno, it’s not often I’m on Emma’s side but I think I’ll have to play devil’s advocate on this one. I realise Jane is going through a LOT during the course of the novel, so much in fact it literally makes her ill, but maybe Emma could have been a good friend and confidante for her, if Jane would have let her guard down a little.

(Also, she’d have easy access to Hartfield house & grounds, a great excuse to get out of the Bates’ apartment as much as possible..!)

Woke up this morning feeling like selling all of my fragrances bar 3 (my 2 favourites and 1 sentimental). I don’t have a *huge* collection - 6 30ml or less bottles plus about 5 small body sprays) but I’d really like to go back to having a tiny collection like I did at the beginning of this journey back in 2023.

I don’t know if it’s to do with the time of the month or what, but I just feel like my collection is getting a little unfocused because my taste is forever changing, plus it’s difficult to pan them (which I get sooo much satisfaction from when I do!) as I get hyperfixated on one, use up about 10ml and then get bored very easily by it, so then I feel I’m in a constant cycle of looking for the next “hit”!

So I think I’ve decided to only keep the fragrances I’ve ever repurchased (BS Midnight Fantasy 🫐 & Cacharel Amor Amor 🌹) plus the little 15ml of Rituals Fleur de L’Himalaya that was gifted to me by my sister earlier this year…

Tell me your decluttering stories, or about your mini curated collections, or the signature scents you keep repurchasing - I’d love to hear them!

Hi all, I hope this is allowed! Just looking for some advice and validation here

I tested 40 & 59 at my local Boots recently, on my skin & clothes & tester strip

40 was immediately juicy, pretty, delicious! 59 a little powdery and floral for my taste, but with a lovely vanilla dry down

Cut to: a couple weeks later, I’ve purchased a set of 30ml bottles (40 & 59 as well as 68 & 62)

59 smells SO much better than it did in the shop! It’s like it went straight to that lovely dry down smell and skipped the initial powderiness, I was so pleasantly surprised!

40, however, smells.. I dunno.. almost a little salivary? 😬 not terrible but kind of weak and sweet and indiscrimate.

What’s going on do you think? 62 smelled the same in store & the couple of bottles I’ve bought since, btw 🤷🏻‍♀️

Currently rereading ‘Emma’ and am at the start of Chapter VII when Harriet has received a letter of proposal from Robert Martin and omg Emma you are an actual menace!

The way she puts down Mr Martin from the get go, suggesting he’s reaching by wanting to marry the likes of Harriet and then can barely admit to herself that he’s written a beautiful letter is infuriating!

Then, to add insult to injury, she acts like she simply must let Harriet make up her own mind on the matter, whilst actually nudging her in the direction Emma wants her to go 🤦🏻‍♀️

Oh Emma, I have more empathy for you than most, but when it comes to Harriet, girl I simply cannot forgive you!