I recently rewatched one of my favourite movies, The Bridges of Madison County. I love it not just for the heartbreaking love and longing between Francesca (Meryl Streep, positively radiant and perfect as always) and Richard (the manly and gallant Clint Eastwood). And, as a perfume addict, I am a constant watcher for perfume mentions in film, novels etc. So, of course I loved the Wind Song mention in The Bridges of Madison County. Francesca buys Wind Song perfume, and when she uses it, she applies is sparingly, as part of the ritual we do so often without even thinking about it. Her late night bath on an impossibly hot day, in the bathtub that Richard had just used. Francesca is feeling feminine, beautiful and loved. She feels beautiful, and the gentle dabbing of perfume as she dresses is a deeply sensual act. Shouldn’t applying perfume always be like that?
I remember seeing Prince Matchabelli Wind Song bottle on the dresser of the big sister of my childhood friend. She was impossibly cool, feminine and gorgeous, and I used to wish she was my sister. I don’t think it was the crown bottle, though, but it did have a dauber, vs a sprayer. This was in the seventies, and she was a bit of a flower child style-wise. Next to Wind Song there were Cachet (also Prince Matchabelli), Babe (Faberge) and Wild Musk (Coty) – all iconic American perfumes.
My scent memory of Wind Song recalls a similarity to L’Air du Temps, but slightly sweeter. The airy aldehydes of Chanel No5. A clean, sparkly yet gently sensual “girl next door who is now All Woman” scent that only American perfumery has accomplished. The tagline ” I can’t seem to forget you, your Wind Song stays on my mind” is one of the greatest in the history of perfume advertising. If you’re my age (ahem) I bet you remember this:
I have been dying to track down vintage bottles of all of these to be honest, but I am always afraid of buying vintage online. Perfume can last decades, but only if properly stored. I may bite the bullet, just because that crown bottle deserves a place in my collection. Dear readers, if anyone can compare vintage Wind Song with current, I would love to hear your impressions.
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