When I first came to the US, Henri Bendels seemed like the epitome of elegance to me. It was my Tiff

I have to thank my reader Jill for helping me discover the vintage perfume gem that is Nicky Verfaillie Grain de Sable . Jill contacted me to add a couple of fragrances to the Long Lost Favorite Perfume series  I started to run on Fridays, and Grain de Sable was one of them.  "I had never smelled anything like it then, and I still pine for it," explained last minute discount vacation packages Jill.  As it turns out, she keeps company with Luca Turin in her love for Grain de Sable. Luca called it an "obscure masterpiece" in his NZZ Folio article , and it was to him that I turned for help.
When Jill described Grain de Sable and its pebble shaped bottle, I realized that I've seen this fragrance at various discount shops in New York's Midtown. However, I had never been tempted to buy it. A little last minute discount vacation packages research uncovered that Monique Verfaillie started out as a fashion designer before launching her own line in the late 1970s. Grain de Sable, created in 1980, was later presented as part of a perfume last minute discount vacation packages trio with Grain de Folie (1982) and Grain de Passion (1985).
I wrote to Luca asking whether my search for Nicky Verfaillie last minute discount vacation packages was worthwhile. He responded that Grain de Sable is one of his all-time favorites.  "The fragrance was extraordinary and to my knowledge unique," he said. "It was an all-out ripe sweet melon accord with a papaya garbage angle, in spirit not unlike Christian last minute discount vacation packages Dior Diorella but without the citrus backbone, in a more amorphous background, i.e. an early 80s abstract floral like Balmain Ivoire or Madame Carven . No aldehydes, very watery and transparent fragrance. The overall effect was intensely languid and elegant and had an unwearable morning-after feel that I feel sure contributed to people staying well away from it."  Tania Sanchez, his co-author on Perfumes: The Guide , also named Yves Saint Laurent Champagne/Yvresse   as a possible contender.
Armed with this information, I tracked down a mini of Grain de Sable for the bargain price of $15. Nicky Verfaillie's archives describe Grain de Sable as a green floral, a perfume style in which the floral notes get a boost from an accord of crushed leaves or grassy notes. The ripe fruity notes described by Luca and Tania are obvious from the outset—nobody would mistake this luscious ripeness for the zesty lychee compotes ornamenting the top notes of many fruity fragrances today. This is what gives Grain de Sable its unique twist, but also as Luca warned, it  makes the perfume a challenge to wear.
Besides the voluptuous Diorella and Yvresse that have a similar overripe fruity note, I would also recommend that Jill smell Frédéric Malle Le Parfum de Thérèse  with its warm cantaloupe. Grain de Sable has a refined green note that remains bright and clear, while its floral heart is a sheer medley of jasmine and rose. Diorella leaves behind a patchouli trail, Yvresse embraces you in a fold of vetiver and moss, and Le Parfum de Thérèse caresses with its tangy leather accord. But Grain de Sable continues to tease with its fruity notes.  A grain of sand is a fitting name for a perfume that smells like a day on the beach—warm skin, salty breeze and a brightly colored cocktail included.
Erin: I used to read the NFF Folio articles every month and didn t remember this one I guess I assumed it was obscure and impossible to find, because of it being housed at the Osmothèque. What a beautiful bottle! Will have to see if I can find it around here, because the juice seems to fit my tastes, too. (I m one of those rare perfumistas who loves melon ) April 20, 2012 at 9:30am Reply
Victoria : The bottle is very pretty. I have a mini, but I can imagine how beautiful it must be in a full size. The shape of the bottle reminds me a bit of Donna Karan Black Cashmere last minute discount vacation packages smooth, elegant. April 20, 2012 at 6:05pm Reply
Suzanna: I had a bottle of Grain de Folie back ten years ago that I must have purchased in a department store. It, too, had some big fruit notes and I recall it being nearly identical to a scent called Princess last minute discount vacation packages Marina de Bourbon (which I think Marina at PST wrote about) and which I also bought at a department store.
annemariec: Thanks for the mention of Princess Marina. I enjoyed Marla s reminisce about that one. I still have a mini, which I bought cheap at a discounter at least 10 years ago. That was way before this little virtual perfume community had sprung up, and I could never place Marina in any sort of context.
That is also the lovely thing about Victoria s Long-Lost series. Suddenly you can hear from people who were travelling with you, had you but known it, wearing the same perfume all those years ago! April 20, 2012 at 5:56pm Reply
Victoria last minute discount vacation packages : Annemarie, that s exactly what I was thinking as I was searching for GdS and then reading last minute discount vacation packages the comments here. I originally hoped that the series will help us to find replacements for the perfumes we missed. But it seems that by talking about these long lost perfumes, we talk about our memories and reminisce about other times.
It still amazes me to think that thanks to the new communication technology we who are separated by so many miles! can all meet in one place and share our passion for scents. April 20, 2012 at 6:40pm Reply
Victoria : Ah, Princess Marina de Bourbon! That s another rare treasure. The best thing is that it is available for $15-25 at the discounters. And it smells more expensive than some niche perfume offerings that retail for hundreds of dollars. April 20, 2012 at 6:32pm last minute discount vacation packages Reply
Jillie: Thank you for your detective work on my old favourite. I must say that I think I was too young at the time to appreciate the individual notes I just loved wearing it and used to get many compliments when doing so. It s strange that it features melon so strongly as I always steer clear of this if I see it listed in a perfume! But it makes sense, as I have always liked Prescriptives Calyx and people often refer to the rotting fruit aspect last minute discount vacation packages of this, something it would seem to share with GdS. And I used to wear Diorella a lot. Perhaps I accidentally stumbled on replacements all by myself!
last minute discount vacation packages Jillie: Oh, I meant to say that I have never smelt Parfum de Therese, but am now keen to seek it out. And I am still reeling a bit thinking about how I was wearing a perfume that was a challenge to wear . Me . daring!? April 20, 2012 at 10:54am Reply
As others mentioned below, Emotionnelle by Parfums Delrae is a must try if you like these rich melon notes. It is so exuberant and vivid. I love Diorella, and while I generally don t like melon-cantaloupe type effect, last minute discount vacation packages in those fragrances, it is addictive. April 20, 2012 at 6:46pm Reply
Victoria : I m wearing Dune and GdS right now on different arms, and I can see what you mean about the beach character. Not exactly like Dune as far the fragrance, but the languid, sand-in-your-toes feel is there. That s what I love about Dune, and I can t really understand why it is described as bleak. Maybe, it is some association that I don t have. April 20, 2012 at 6:47pm Reply
Andrea: I read the comment about sun lotion; I m curious about whether or not it smells like Coppertone last minute discount vacation packages or Bain de Soleil? I am always looking for a Bain de Soleil-type frag to remind me of growing up in Miami in 70s-80s Bobbi Brown Beach was close but induced a huge headache, so it went back. April 20, 2012 at 1:58pm Reply
Alyssa : Yes, would definitely recommend Jillie smell Emotionelle along with Parfum de Therese they are figuratively and literally in the same family. PdT from Roudnitska pere, Emotionelle from his son, Michael. April 20, 2012 at 3:49pm Reply
Nancy: last minute discount vacation packages Wow! I remember exclusively purchasing Grain de Sable from Henri Bendel (when it was still Geraldine Stutz s HB). I don t remember the scent itself, but this long lost memory of a scent is appreciated. It was also the shape of the bottle and the feel of it too that felt good in the hand. For some reason, I was also reminded of Sonia Rykiel s Seventh Sens. She created many beautiful fragrances and I understand this was totally discontinued years ago unless someone is familiar. Thanks for this article. last minute discount vacation packages April 20, 2012 at 4:18pm Reply
Victoria : Oh, thank you for mentioning 7eme Sens! I haven t seen it for ages, but I remember that my aunt had a bottle of it at one point. I checked through my notes, and I see that I listed it as a chypre, underlining that I smelled honey and cardamom in it. Mmmm, now I feel like searching for a sample.
When I first came to the US, Henri Bendels seemed like the epitome of elegance last minute discount vacation packages to me. It was my Tiffany s. I couldn t afford anything last minute discount vacation packages there, but I saved up some money to buy a pair of martini glasses. My mom still has them. April 20, 2012 at 7:04pm Reply
grain de musc : As far as I remember, 7ème Sens had a whopping dose of costus in it an IFRA no-no now. It was a very distinctive scent, last minute discount vacation packages much admired in the industry. Sadly, the Rykiel perfume license was pretty last minute discount vacation packages badly handled April 21, 2012 at 4:33am Reply
Erin T: A friend of my parents, a non-perfumista, last minute discount vacation packages once went by me at a party, smelling fabulous, last minute discount vacation packages and I had to ask her what she was wearing. It was 7ème Sens, and she was in mourning, because her bottle was almost gone and it was the only perfume she ever wore. I managed to track down a bottle for her and she was very grateful. I remember thinking it was strange you never heard about the Sonia Rykiels interested, but not surprised, to learn 7ème Sens was admired in the industry and the line has been badly handled. April 22, 2012 at 10:38am Reply
by House 10 Corso Como A Lab on Fire Acqua di Parma Aedes Aesop Aftelier Perfumes Agent Provocateur Alexander McQueen Amouage Andree Putman Anne Klein Annick Goutal last minute discount vacation packages Anya's Garden Apothia Aquolina Armani Prive Arquiste Parfumeur As4 Curated by Colette Atelier Cologne Avon Badgley Mischka Balenciaga Balmain Bath Body Works Bond No 9 Bottega Veneta last minute discount vacation packages Britney Spears Bulgari Burberry by Kilian Calvin Klein Caron Carthusia Cartier Cartier Les Heures de Parfum Cerruti Chanel Chloe Christian Dior Cinq Mondes Clinique Comme des Garcons Costes Coty Crabtree Evelyn Cra