bargain bonanza

OH, who got fabulous 1/2-full bottles of Un Lys and Fleurs De Citronnier by Serge Lutens for $3 each?
Oh me oh me oh my!

Melvita - Cologne aux 8 essences

If Limacol is harsh enough to induce fears of spontaneous combustion upon application, and Christian Dior's Eau Fraiche is swooning in swandown, Melvita's Cologne aux 8 essences is exactly in the middle: a Meret Oppenheim'd cheesegrater, a fur-covered mandoline.

It is inexpensive, practical, and you can use it all in a month or two. Orange, lemon, bergamot, litsea cubeba, lavender, rosemary, petitgrain.

"Of course they visited the parfumeries and indulged in all manner of mingled fragrances, cunning fards, and rare oils. Some of the scents were made from real flowers, others from mysterious unnatural blossoms, whose odours were full of the intoxications of desire. There was Jasmine, full of intangible charm, refined and delicate as a Schubert melody; Geranium, curiously reminiscent of withered loves; unblended Ambergris, that had the power to excite the most anaemic virgins; Civet; Saffron; Benzoin; Stephanotis; Kiss-me-quick; Frangipanni; Cul-me-to-you; Bouquet des Amours; Peau d'Espagne; Fleur d'Amour; Jicky; Bouquet Largillerie; Jardin de mon Curé; and Bosom-Caresser."

from Count Fanny's Nuptials by Simon Arrow, 1907, via Bizarre ed. Barry Humphries.