I Smell Like my Grandma . . .

dreamdaisy

. . . in this case my Father's mum. She had two distinct aromas, autumn and winter was Yardley in Lily of the Valley, spring and summer was the classic 4711 cologne. A week ago today we attended a wedding and I wanted a light scent that could be easily topped up (without causing olfactory distress to others) so decided on 4711 (cheap, cheerful and pleasant) if I could find it. I was astounded to discover that it is still sold in the classic bottle (with the turquoise and gold label) and now comes in stick form. I bought a small bottle but will get the stick version for my handbag. I used to buy her a little bottle for Christmas (as did other small rellies) and she would break into her new supplies on the first official day of spring regardless of the weather.

As for my mum's mum the classic combination of Deep Heat, cabbage, Mornay's French Fern soap and denture powder springs to mind: don't think I'll emulate that particular mix. DD

mig

Unfortunately I didn't know my grandmas but my mum was either Evening in Paris or Tweed.

frogmorton

My Mum's was Shalimar by Guerlain and I still love it myself I can't actually buy it though as I bawl :oops:

I had no Grandparents growing up at all ,(or Aunts/Uncles ), but always imagined they smelled of lavender somehow....???

DD I had never heard of 4711 so googled it the bottles are rather wow!

Lovely memories I bet

Slosh

Didn't know you could still get 4711, my Mum somtimes wore it, and also liked Lily of the Valley but preferred the Coty version. Her favourite was Je Reviens by Worth and another one she wore was Ma Griffe, as she was 43 when she had me DD and was born in 1918 she was possibly of the same generation as your Grandmother. I inherited a love of perfume from her along with the idea of matching your perfume to your mood.
My favourite is Organza, and when I wear it my daughter always says I smell "right".

barbara12

Oh DD you have brought back memory's, I used to love the smell of 4711 on my mum..a very dear friend bought me some many years ago ..I still have it in my bedroom... mine is a sort of deepheat come antiinflam gel. at the min..

dreamdaisy

Scent is very evocative, isn't it? My Ma liked Je Reviens and once sprayed it on me: the word 'agricultural' immediately sprang to mind, it worked on her but not me. I was reading the ingredients to the 4711 through the back of the bottle and it has a hefty whack of cintronella, I wonder if that would be helpful in repelling bugs? According to the blurb on the box 4711 has been having a positive effect on mind, body and soul across the globe for over 200 years - I wouldn't put it that strongly but is zesty and refreshing!

I might drag myself into town later, I want to buy the stick and there's a hand cream that sounds interesting . . . . DD

Slosh

When my Mum got older she did tend to smell more Olbas Oil than anything else!

stickywicket

That sounds rather lovely, DD, and I might invest and see if it likes me. Sticks are useful for transatlantic air travel where liquids (and washing facilities) are limited. I do like your grandmother's attitude of 'Today is spring / autumn regardless of weather forecasts'.

I also like your own attitude of 'a light scent that could be easily topped up (without causing olfactory distress to others)'. Oh, how often has a meal been ruined by the overpowering, and no doubt hugely expensive, stench emanating from some, usually elderly, lady near me!

I only ever knew one grandmother. I don't recall her smelling of anything much. My mother, though, also did the Deap Heat meets Olbas Oil in her latter years. Not good but not as bad as that heavy, expensive stink.

dreamdaisy

On reflection I was fortunate in that I knew both of my maternal parents (even if I was too young to appreciate the fact) and my paternal mother: now she was a doughty old bird. She was widowed in 1934 (her husband was gassed in WW1 and his remaining years were not easy). When his Pa died my dad left school (aged 14) and went to work to support his mother and his six siblings (no welfare state in those days).

My Mum's father was mentioned in dispatches, he lied about his age in 1914 to join the army in and rode a motorbike between the front lines and the 'bosses' relaying messages. He married in January 1916, probably for the wrong reason. I was too young to appreciate him as an individual but I do remember the smell of his tomatoes in his greenhouse: now that is a lovely scent. And the scent of him in his string vest? Hmmmm, not so good! He was once challenged in a pub (yup, he was that kinda guy) that he couldn't knit an Aran jumper in the round within a month. Apparently he did (or so I was told). DD

theresak

Oh, the scent of tomatoesDD! My dad grew them in the greenhouse, and some of my early memories are of him weighing a bunch, then handing them to me to put in a grease proof bag to give to neighbours who w anted them. I felt so useful!!

The scent of certain things can be so powerful & stir the memories.

Slosh

Snap, well nearly DD, my maternal Grandfather also lied about his age to join up in 1914 but in his case he ran away to sea! I still have his medals.

GraceB

I wasn't lucky enough to know any of my grandparents. I have a vague recollection of my maternal grandmother, but she died when I was 4 or so. That recollection is of a hazy figure sitting on a swinging hammock arrangement in a garden.

I think having a relationship with grandparents is such a special thing to experience. For you DD, and the others, those individual special smells will always bring back lovely memories.

GraceB

tkachev

Lovely stories all.

I really have no memories about perfumes but do still love the smell of germolene, which my Dad kept in his bureau alongside his brill cream and lion ointment (whatever happened to that)? I think there was some old spice in the bathroom but I'm not so fond of that.


Elizabeth.