How many times have I mounted my high horse and lectured a friend (my ‘fury’ barely concealed) when such friend would utter these words after smelling a fragrance: “Old. Lady. Perfume.” Nostrils flaring, eyebrows on top of my head, lips pursed…I would commence my lecture: “I hate that phrase! There’s nothing OLD about this perfume…it just has ingredients you don’t know or like or…UNDERSTAND…ingredients that remind you of the past. Aldehydes! Oak moss! Real musk!” (I could go on…and I won’t even broach the subject of ageism!)

Imagine how awful I felt after smelling Acqua di Parma Colonia Club;¹ the first words out of my mouth were: “This is an old man perfume!” …

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