My hubby Mark and I had a wonderful trip to the beach this past weekend. Getting away for a little sun and fun for four days was the perfect way to re-charge our batteries. Rehoboth Beach, DE is nice from the standpoint that it’s small enough so that it isn’t too crazy and crowded, but its big enough to have some fun shops and great restaurants. I now have a nice tan and about five extra pounds around my waist thanks to good eating and drinking.
As mentioned in my last post, Rehoboth Beach also has a niche perfumery, Penny Lane Perfumes. For such a small town, this is a great treat. As it’s been a few years since being in Rehoboth and this was my first trip to Penny Lane Perfumes. I’ll be back.
The Penny Lane Scent Bar
Mark and I sauntered into the store mid-afternoon on Sunday after being out on the beach for most of the day. When we arrived, we were greeted warmly by Cassandra, who manages the store. The store’s not big, but it’s perfectly setup with a scent bar and some beautiful displays. Once I got over my initial excitement of being there (which means that I acted like I had major ADHD by getting distracted by shiny bottles, etc.), we sat down at the bar and got down to business. As we were the only two in the store at the time, we let Cassandra lead us down the road to various fragrance families, starting with florals, then moving too some citrus scents, etc. Again as I was being ADHD, I was ready to start purchasing at first sniff!
The lovely Cassandra
In all, Cassandra sat with us for about 2 hours. By the time we were finished sniffing,my nose and throat were raw. But I could live with that. We had a wonderful time and we felt very special by the wonderful treatment we received. So you are asking yourselves, “what did you buy?”. We’ll I’m almost to that point. Both Mark and I ended up finding 3 fragrances that we wanted to test before we purchased:
Mark’s choices:
- L’eau Froide by Serge Lutens
- Sanguine by Keiko Mecheri
- Grand Siecle by Parfumerie Generale
Steve’s choices:
- Damascena by Keiko Mecheri
- Vanilla et Coco by E. Cordray
- Brulure de Rose by Parfumerie Generale
Are we in Paris?
After spritzing ourselves with our three choices, we headed over to the Mexican Restaurant down the block for happy hour priced Margaritas (which means that we had more than one each). We sat at the bar sniffing each other’s arms, trying to decide which we liked best. The bartender gave us a strange stare until we let her in on what we were doing and she joined in and gave us her opinions. After about an hour, we trekked back to Penny Lane Perfumes and told Cassandra what we decided on. To our surprise, we both fell in love with our respective Keiko Mecheri fragrances!
In all, it was a great and fun experience. And here’s a tip for all perfumistas; you’ll never feel guilty about spending money on fragrance if you include your spouse in your excursion! Thanks again to Cassandra for her wonderful assistance. If you ever get a chance to get to Rehoboth Beach, DE, be sure to check them out!
Well let’s get down to the nitty-gritty, why did I choose Damascena? here’s my review:
WHAT I SMELL: Damascena isn’t a complex fragrance. When first applied, it seems rather sweet and a little herbaceous. That sweetness is punctuated by juicy black current. It remains in this stage for some time. It’s almost edible without being heavy and it’s fresh and fruity without being artificial. As it dries, out comes the rose. It’s a modern rose that’s light and slightly sweet. It’s funny though, each time I wear this, it takes on a slightly different tonality. On the first day I wore this it reminded me a great deal like Kilian’s Rose Oud in its drydown. For men, some rose scents can come across as too feminine and some may argue that Damascena may as well. To me, I believe that it can work for both men and women alike.
Damascena Notes from Keiko Mecheri website: Dades Rose, May Rose, berries notes, musk
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: When it first goes on, Damascena reminds me of a lovely garden; but a garden that’s not too formal or tended. In the garden, the roses and currents are a bit wild and overgrown and are fragrant in the morning sun and dew. The sweetness of the scent is pure happiness and joy.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE DAMASCENA: fruity, sweet, fresh
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DAMASCENA: Raphaella’s Roses
- Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
- Scent: Floral Fruity
- Classification: Unisex – leans a bit feminine
- Expense: $115 for 75ml EDP
The Scented Hound 