Losing My Religion: A Perfume Lover With Anosmia and Her Long Journey Home

cecilia-paredes-roses

Cecilia Parades' art merges herself with her surroundings, usually patterned  floral fabrics so that she becomes lost in her own artscape

I turned 53 in November, which means 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of my ascent into the realms of perfume madness.

patou vintage ad with hands extended joy

It began, as such things often do, in New Orleans, a city teeming with fragrance and madness in equal measure, and was sparked by a hint of Patou Joy on a beloved aunt’s wrist. The obsession was made manifest in 200+ bottles of perfume, it was consecrated by the honor of contributing to the most prestigious online fragrance destination bar none, and came crashing to a halt when I lost my sense of smell early last summer.

cecilia-parades-flowers

Cecilia Parades

One minute I was at the airport in Dallas, marveling at how every airport in America seems to have the same distinct smell, and a week later I woke up in a strange hospital, with even stranger things making strange noises attached to several parts of me. Eventually, a day-long ambulance ride had me back home in the Ozarks, where it was determined that I was not quite sick enough to remain in the hospital, yet too sick to be at home alone, so off to the nursing home I went, and discovered almost immediately that entirely new categories of distinct smells were opening up before me. Thick, heavy smells, they were, lingering every where, like the worst scrubbers always do. My husband of 26 years took one look at my face and asked a nurse for something to write with so I could make a list of perfumes for him to bring me first thing in the morning.

i miss violet  the different company ad

I miss violet TDC

I opted for a mix of old loves and new friends;  Caron Nuit de Noel   Laurie Stern's  Jasmine Dawn and Dusk The Different Co.  Bois D' Iris, samples of Sammarco Alter, TDC I Miss Violet and my decant of The Precious-Rose Extreme by M.Micallef.  I made the best of a bad situation, luxuriating in the freedom to do nothing but experience these beautiful fragrances; they truly brought me comfort and joy when I needed it most.

The different co Adjatay

I Miss Violet and Rose Extreme were the only ones that really kept  the nauseating odors at bay, and I didn’t want to use my last bit of the Micallef under these circumstances, so I made a new list, heavy on chypres, plus Adjatay, cuir narcotique  which is perfect no matter the surroundings, Guerlain Mitsouko is not to be trifled with, and nobody puts Adjatay in a corner.

Amouage-Jubilation 25 XXV perfume

Amouage Jubilation 25 in particular was a huge hit with the staff and patients alike (she does have bodacious sillage, and I was spraying with abandon).

rose extreme

M.Micallef Rose Extreme

Despite a constant stream of visitors, I was getting very discouraged about this time, and was also put on oxygen.  I was very relieved, though, that the chypres and Adjatay seemed to have conquered  the stench around me. I didn’t notice that I wasn’t smelling my perfumes much, either, and even when I did notice, I thought maybe it was just chypre fatigue, so I went back to I Miss Violet. But one morning at breakfast, I found myself salting my bacon, and could no longer deny what was happening. I couldn’t taste anything, and my sense of smell was all but gone, too. I got kind of panicky and went digging for my decant of Rose Extreme. I had so little left, and I wanted to use it while I still could.  Just as I was about to soak myself one last time, Mrs. James knocked at the door, and ambled on it. She was fascinated by all my “scent” and loved to come and marvel at it, though she’d never let me spray any on her, since she felt she had nothing to give in return. At 98 years old she had never owned or even worn perfume. I decided that Rose Extreme was a perfect first scent as well as the ultimate last hurrah, and sprayed us both til there was nothing left.  Mrs. James tried to get indignant, but she just kept inhaling deeply, and I’ll never forget what she finally said. “It’s just a cloud of beauty, isn’t it?”

mirrorcafleurebonpaintingsPerfume-Bottlesmbd

I’ve written thousands of words trying to capture fragrance, when in fact the essence of any perfume is that cloud of beauty that surrounds us; how it makes us feel, how it affects us so deeply, on so many levels. For me personally, perfume is a talisman. Losing the ability to experience it was devastating at the soul level. Thankfully, after almost six months, my sense of smell is nearly back to normal, and needless to say, my Christmas list is 100 % perfume and I am glad to be home.

-Tammy Schuster, Sr Contributor

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

11 + = 14

16 comments

  • It is amazing your loss of smell was not permanent. I cannot even imagine without this gift, particularly, because I love perfumes. Whenever I read about anosmia, I cannot help but think of Jean Carles who was such a gifted perfumer and who became anosmic later in life. It must have been quite devastating for him. This is one reason why vintage Ma Griffe has a special place in my heart because not only it is amazing but it was also created by Carles when he had already lost his sense of smell but Carven didn’t know when they commissioned him. This is how gifted he was.

  • Tammy, thanks for the sweet little article. I’m glad you are better and have your sense of smell back!

    I am undergoing chemo and my of sense is all distorted, so most perfume smells wrong or weird or bad. I’ve gone without wearing or even smelling any for a month and a half and it’s not fun, as fragrance has been such a comfort in my life.

    I’ve in fact stopped reading Cafleurebon because it’s pained me so to even read about perfume, but I read your article with great interest.

    Cheers

  • It is wonderful and marvelous to learn that you are home again. Many congratulations on reaching your golden anniversary of perfume love. I too have fond memories of Joy and keep a sample vial of it on my desk. Each day it reminds me to be happy and grateful for the important things in life, just as you have done by sharing your harrowing story. Thank you.

  • What a blessing to have your sense of smell return! I imagine it must feel so good to be home again and on the mend. Thank you for the very touching article.

    Strangely one of the effects of chemo for me was a heightened (hopefully accurate) sense of smell, which has stayed with me even after several years.

  • I can only try to imagine how difficult it would be for me to lose, even temporarily, the sense of smell. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. It is so important to cherish what we have and to enjoy every day. I wish you a happy and fragrant Christmas time!

  • What a trial. Happy for you that you regained your sense of smell. I loved Mrs. James description of the rose fragrance. I will have to add that one next time I order samples. Thanks for sharing your story.

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    You are lucky enough to have your sense of smell back to normal. Wish you a pleasant and perfumed holidays.

  • It’s good you are back! I love the story about you and Mrs. James sharing Rose Extreme. Don’t forget to enjoy your cloud of beauty each day!

  • Hi Tammy, I’m so glad you’re better and that your sense of smell has returned. Did they ever identify why you lost it for a time? Just curious. By the way, I also love the Adajay!

  • Thank you all so much, it’s wonderful to be back!

    Cynthia, my doctor thought it was a combination of a medication I was taking, and being on oxygen for so long. Isn’t Adjatay fabulous?

  • How frightening! (From a medical perspective, also, not just a perfume-lover’s one!). I’m so glad your sense of smell is back and hope that you get all the scents on your wishlist – and a year of good health, too!

  • Tammy, what a difficult journey you have had. My mother is 89 and I’ve given her many decants and shared many articles about perfume with her, she will enjoy reading your experience. She was in a nursing home for months a couple years ago and her beloved L’air du Temps helped keep her grounded. Thanks for sharing.