The Tamesis
in this story
Of course, compliments are part of the fun. At the office, I have an ongoing ritual fashion magazine Beauty editor Arden Fanning Andrews, who I jokingly call our “perfume sommelier.” Whenever a new scent comes to my desk, I spray it on and get her opinion – not just if it smells good, but if it feels like I. We would go back and forth on its merits until she inevitably made the fateful reading. Usually, it’s: “That doesn’t look like you.” One afternoon I rediscovered my old faithful Nemat rollerball pen at the bottom of my vintage Gucci Jackie bag and stuck out my wrist. Her reaction was immediate. “Now this “Smells like you,” she said, nodding reassuringly in what felt like final approval. It’s a small victory, but a satisfying one.
Fast forward a few years, and essential oils are having a major renaissance, both as a sensory step in body care and as a key player in layering. Format aside, at the same time, a parallel obsession has brought Egyptian musk scents back into the spotlight (much to the chagrin of my best-kept secrets and personality complex). This buzz can be traced, at least in part, to love story— a fan fiction about the relationship of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Bessette Kennedy — captivated a new generation. Don’t believe me? If you dare, go hang out in the West Village. Its influence is everywhere: the resurgence of ’90s minimalist style, CO Bigelow’s Bessette-inspired accessories line, and fragrance lore. No, let’s be honest, there’s even a thread about it on Reddit.
In the first episode, a throwaway line hinted at the scent’s allure, with a co-worker telling Sarah Pidgeon’s Bessette in an elevator that she’d almost been “inhaled” by a man in a bar after drinking her recommended signature perfume, Egyptian Musk—and since then, the Internet grapevine has determined that Bessette’s alleged go-to was Abdul Karim’s Egyptian Musk oil. The accuracy of this detail is entirely hazy—much like the show itself—but the intrigue only adds to the mystery. Whether fact or fiction, this is all anecdotal, and while Abdul Kareem’s Egyptian Musk is no longer available, Nemat’s version was also launched in the ’90s.
While I’m personally not a fan of celebrity worship and entertainment of any kind, my own rollerball is still ready to wear perfume. Now, let’s hope it doesn’t sell out in the craze.
