Stripping away our Scents: Where have those imaginitive child play day's gone?
- By Kirsty Watson
- Published 01/30/2008
- Etc
- Unrated
I'm not sure if this was a regional ritual or an "English thing" but as quite a young child I remember duting the summer months making perfume with my girlfriends. We'd collect jars from all of our neighbours and families and set about making our own potions. All we would need is two ingredients; flowers and water! Looking back, although we weren't naughty kids, it was a little shameful what exactly we'd do. We would go around the neighbours gardens and pick the petals from the biggest, healthiest and unusual looking flowers... and never get caught!
Then we'd climb into "our secret perfume den" which was a luxurius place- a hole in the midddle of a bush! We would squash our flowers into the water-filled jars and then shake it... something like developing the flavour, before we would bury the glass jars in the ground with our names on! A couple of day's later we would return and strain the soggy, stinky petals from our the jars and smell the creations. "Hmm!" We would chorus with glee... although actually it smelt like cat wee and didn't at all look attractive in the murky brown water.
On returning home, we would present the heavenly scent to our mothers, and insist that she try it. After watching her place the "unique" scent onto her pulse points before she would say "Wow, that is the nicest perfume I have ever smelt in my entire life!" I would be content, and even though I would never see my mother with the perfume again, it didn't matter because it would be so
easy to make more!
At one point, aged about 8, I thought I had the nose of a perfume maker and so my Grandma bought me a "Get Set perfume maker!" I loved it, and had fun for hours mixing the ingredients and pouring the juice into the cute containers (much more sophisticated than our jars!)
It kind of saddens me now to see so many perfumes for very young children on the market. However, if you are stuck for a gift for your 8 year old niece look no further.
Barbie™ Fragrance
"Love makeup, lotions and potions? Spritz on “B,” the latest perfume from Barbie™! It smells like berries and candy apples! Every bottle comes with a sparkly charm you can wear anywhere. There’s also a stylin’ gift set that comes with perfume, a trendy tank top, or a pretty pink belt!"
Barbie™ Fragrance 2
"Hey, stylish girl! Need a perfume as fresh and pretty as you are? Try the new scent from Barbie™! It smells like flowers and light citrus. Choose between gift sets that include either a cuddly bear coin purse or a hip pink handbag. They’re sweet, sassy, and so you!"
Both can be purchased at the Barbie website!
Then we'd climb into "our secret perfume den" which was a luxurius place- a hole in the midddle of a bush! We would squash our flowers into the water-filled jars and then shake it... something like developing the flavour, before we would bury the glass jars in the ground with our names on! A couple of day's later we would return and strain the soggy, stinky petals from our the jars and smell the creations. "Hmm!" We would chorus with glee... although actually it smelt like cat wee and didn't at all look attractive in the murky brown water.
On returning home, we would present the heavenly scent to our mothers, and insist that she try it. After watching her place the "unique" scent onto her pulse points before she would say "Wow, that is the nicest perfume I have ever smelt in my entire life!" I would be content, and even though I would never see my mother with the perfume again, it didn't matter because it would be so
At one point, aged about 8, I thought I had the nose of a perfume maker and so my Grandma bought me a "Get Set perfume maker!" I loved it, and had fun for hours mixing the ingredients and pouring the juice into the cute containers (much more sophisticated than our jars!)
It kind of saddens me now to see so many perfumes for very young children on the market. However, if you are stuck for a gift for your 8 year old niece look no further.
Barbie™ Fragrance
"Love makeup, lotions and potions? Spritz on “B,” the latest perfume from Barbie™! It smells like berries and candy apples! Every bottle comes with a sparkly charm you can wear anywhere. There’s also a stylin’ gift set that comes with perfume, a trendy tank top, or a pretty pink belt!"
Barbie™ Fragrance 2
"Hey, stylish girl! Need a perfume as fresh and pretty as you are? Try the new scent from Barbie™! It smells like flowers and light citrus. Choose between gift sets that include either a cuddly bear coin purse or a hip pink handbag. They’re sweet, sassy, and so you!"
Both can be purchased at the Barbie website!
