I’m nothing if not a woman of broad tastes. I can appreciate vintage Guerlain Aprés L’Ondee parfum, swoon over it’s heartbreaking beauty while weeping over it’s unavailability while I watch bottles as rare as gems sell for many thousands on ebay. But, I am not a perfume snob, and I can appreciate something that makes my skin smell lovely, no matter what the price tag says. Which is both a good and a bad thing….

One of my favourite, easy, cheap and cheerful perfume is Bobbi Brown’s Bath. It is meant to evoke that squeaky clean feeling one has after the bath- obviously- and does a good of it. It’s chock full of soapy and wonderful orange blossom and neroli that blooms on the skin, with a gentle note of water hyacinth that adds a watery aspect. It is uncomplicated, like a simple cologne, and as easy to wear as a white t shirt. It is definitely a soapy perfume, and an unapologetic one at that. I would say this is pretty much Ivory soap, and I have always loved the scent of Ivory. Wet and warm freshly scrubbed skin, good clean fun…

This perfume is particularly lovely in extreme heat, as you have that just jumped out of the bath (or shower) feeling. And for a soapy cologne scent that does not cost the moon, I get amazing longevity from Bobbi Brown Bath- maybe 3-4 hours, even in the heat. It is perfect for daytime, and also lovely for a night out, maybe on a patio with a nice cool drink. This sweet little perfume has garnered me so many compliments when I wear it, one wonders if we really might be over thinking our perfumes. I’ve been stopped by strangers asking me what perfume I’m wearing. It makes me think of a line from one of my favourite movies, Amadeus, when Emperor Joseph II tells Mozart that his music “is quality work….there are simply too many notes”.