Izulde
01-05-2007, 11:07 PM
Tonight was the first time in about a year that I'd worked at Victoria's Secret. We're in the midst of Semi-Annual Sale, which is usually the swan song for one or two fragrances. This year, a stunning four are being given their clearance hurrah. This is my goodbye to them.
The first is Forbidden Fantasy. I remember when it was launched. Sales were not as strong as a new fragrance should be, because it smelled like a fruit stand run by a retired street whore, cheap and overripe, sweet to the point of nausea. I predicted a short run for it and indeed, two years later, it is gone. No surprise here.
Its fellow Garden scent, Forever Romance, joins it in the retirement circuit and this is to my amazement. I rather liked its scent, raspberries dipped in water, and it had a strong introduction the summer we moved to a smaller store while our original one remodeled. After the honeymoon period, its sales were about that of Blissful Moment (grape cotton candy scented, remniscient of giddy late summer carnivals and girly girl colored stuffed animals that you try to win from grimy men running crooked games); limited, but with a strong core following. Alas, barely a year later, it too is leaving.
Very Sexy For Him and Very Sexy For Him II have long battled for the title of king among our men's fragrances. It was uneven from the very start, as strong, masculine, seductively scented Very Sexy For Him trounced its sportier, brighter, breezier, lighter inferior repeatedly in sales. The few loyal courtiers of II were not enough to save it as the crown has officially been lain upon I's head. II's banishment does surprise me, because competition is good and there were some loyalists to the scent, but the sales record makes the exile somewhat expected in hindsight.
But the real shock, the one that truly saddened me, was the notice of So In Love's departure from the chosen elect. Like Forever Romance, it too, was relatively new and smelled of roses, evoking memories of dusky, balmy summer nights and splendid European gardens, rich with history's timelessness and romance. Heady and enchanting, it recalled the joy and serenity of first love and the feeling that true love was not only possible, but eternal.
It held and still holds especial personal significance, for when I smell those roses, I'm reminded of a picnic, a girl's pleasing voice, laughter, and the unforgettable taste of freshly picked blackberries.
Ah well, all things must have their end.
So, so long Forbidden Fantasy. See you twice a year, Forever Romance. Wonder who'll replace you, Very Sexy For Him II.
And thanks for the memories, So In Love. You were always my favorite.
The first is Forbidden Fantasy. I remember when it was launched. Sales were not as strong as a new fragrance should be, because it smelled like a fruit stand run by a retired street whore, cheap and overripe, sweet to the point of nausea. I predicted a short run for it and indeed, two years later, it is gone. No surprise here.
Its fellow Garden scent, Forever Romance, joins it in the retirement circuit and this is to my amazement. I rather liked its scent, raspberries dipped in water, and it had a strong introduction the summer we moved to a smaller store while our original one remodeled. After the honeymoon period, its sales were about that of Blissful Moment (grape cotton candy scented, remniscient of giddy late summer carnivals and girly girl colored stuffed animals that you try to win from grimy men running crooked games); limited, but with a strong core following. Alas, barely a year later, it too is leaving.
Very Sexy For Him and Very Sexy For Him II have long battled for the title of king among our men's fragrances. It was uneven from the very start, as strong, masculine, seductively scented Very Sexy For Him trounced its sportier, brighter, breezier, lighter inferior repeatedly in sales. The few loyal courtiers of II were not enough to save it as the crown has officially been lain upon I's head. II's banishment does surprise me, because competition is good and there were some loyalists to the scent, but the sales record makes the exile somewhat expected in hindsight.
But the real shock, the one that truly saddened me, was the notice of So In Love's departure from the chosen elect. Like Forever Romance, it too, was relatively new and smelled of roses, evoking memories of dusky, balmy summer nights and splendid European gardens, rich with history's timelessness and romance. Heady and enchanting, it recalled the joy and serenity of first love and the feeling that true love was not only possible, but eternal.
It held and still holds especial personal significance, for when I smell those roses, I'm reminded of a picnic, a girl's pleasing voice, laughter, and the unforgettable taste of freshly picked blackberries.
Ah well, all things must have their end.
So, so long Forbidden Fantasy. See you twice a year, Forever Romance. Wonder who'll replace you, Very Sexy For Him II.
And thanks for the memories, So In Love. You were always my favorite.