Friday, October 31, 2008

2091 Chin Hair and the Vermont Catalog

Friday, October 31, 2008

The Vermont Country Store catalog arrived yesterday. They arrive regularly, but I haven't been looking at them. I opened it yesterday looking for Welsh cookies, I get a hunger for them about this time of year, and I ended up with several dog-eared pages, and no cookies.

It's funny how the contents meshed with recent desires.

My chin hairs are driving me crazy. I tweeze and tweeze, and the next day I feel more stiff stubble that I missed. It's difficult to get them all, because I can't SEE the dang things, can't see close enough to grab them. Waxing doesn't work because the hairs have to be too long. Shaving doesn't work because they're back the next day. The other day I was thinking about the Epilady I had tried on my legs and discarded (pain!) in the '80s and wished I had it back. Guess what I found in the catalog? This! Major dog-ear.

With all the traveling and overnighters I've been doing lately, I've been wanting a solid perfume, but haven't been able to find one I really like. On Wednesday I was going through a box of old cosmetics, and I found a Coty compact from the mid-70s, containing Sweet Earth Woods Fragrances (sandalwood, amberwood, and patchouli). I was rather passionate about the sandalwood and amberwood, and wore them with a touch of the patchouli, until the day toddler Daughter discovered it, smuggled it into her room, and dug out ALL the perfume, smearing it all over every inch of herself, her bed, and everything else she could reach during a "nap" one day. She wanted her nap time to smell like Mommy.

Coty had stopped making it. I couldn't replace it.

The old compact still has bits deep around the edges of the trays, and it still smells wonderful. Still soft and creamy.

And then I found this! It's MINE! MINE! All MINE!

Yesterday, searching for my cousin, I was thinking of the few college friends I had located online. The scents of those days, the early to mid-60's, were Tweed and Woodhue. Everybody wore one or the other. I loved both, but neither have been available for decades. Then I found this! And this!

My grandmother always wore Avon's To a Wild Rose, and I'm considering it. Minor dog-ear.

The only scent I'm missing now is Yardley's O! de London, which was my favorite after the Sweet Earth Woods. It was a lot lighter than the other scents, very Carnaby Street kicky. Maybe if I write to Vermont Country Store, they'll find it for me. It is available here at a gold-plated price for 3.3 oz, and here at a completely ridiculous price for .5 oz. I'm thinking about the first one.

Still no Welsh cookies, but the almond buttercrunch is looking good....
.

2 comments:

Becs said...

I remember those perfume compacts! I had one because it had tuberose in it which was said to be Dorothy Parker's favorite perfume. (Come on. I was 15.)

I miss "Wicker" perfume. They has this creamy kind of perfume - don't think it was a lotion.

And what my heart longs for it "Love's A Little Lemon" bath oil.

Donna in Alabama said...

Oh my, I did not remember those solid perfumes until I clicked on it and saw the compact. I loved those, I always like the earthy or musky smell! I may have to order one.