Violette in Love, by Parfums de Nicolaï, came out in 2009. I can’t remember when I first tried it, but I think it wasn’t until much later, possibly the following year. At any rate, I thought it was pretty but maybe too charming for my taste, and I set it aside.

Now, there was a time when I tried almost everything — everything I didn’t absolutely detest, anyway — at least a few times. Many fragrances I tried more than that. I might have worn the same fragrance, off and on, for a few weeks: lived with it awhile, in other words, before deciding what I thought of it.

Those days are long gone. It is not just that there are too many fragrances, practically speaking, to spend that much time on each one. It’s also a psychological effect, distantly related, perhaps, to the well-documented studies that show that more choice does not lead to more happiness: when there are so many fragrances, it seems less important (to me, anyway, slacker that I am) if I miss one or two gems. I know I can’t find them all, but surely I’ll find plenty of other gems…

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