Hey Everyone!
I can’t say I don’t have a massive perfume collection, I do. Almost every semester brought me to this one perfume store in Melbourne Central during every exam season and buying a perfume because a stress releaser for me. I guess you could say it wasn’t too healthy for the wallet but I just love smelling good. I think every woman should and the beauty of it is that smell is so personal – not only in scent but also the memories that each perfume carries. Out of my entire collection – you could say three stand out the most. Whenever I open any of these perfumes I’ve chosen today, it brings back a wave of memories. It’s like opening this huge time capsule. I thought it would be fun to show you some of the memories they bring back too.
I actually bought Paul Smith Rose way back before coming to Melbourne for University. I just graduated from High School and I remember this perfume was one of my “most expensive” purchases. I thought about it for the longest time – always returning to the store to give it a whiff and then eyeing where I could get the best price for it. It was my dream perfume and the fact that it was Rose related made me want it more. (Roseanne – get it? Haha.) I eventually bought it and flew right to Melbourne for University! I pursued a Bachelor of Commerce at the well-known University of Melbourne and coming here made me really nervous because I was going to live here all by myself and I knew basically nobody.
My Dad thought it was best for me to stay in one of the colleges instead of getting my own apartment for my first year so I applied to Queen’s because of the beautiful architecture and got in. It was an interesting experience there. All my life, I was really called the super nerd and never partied. I was well a little shocked at the crazy college life and couldn’t fit in much to be honest. I spent most of my time out of college and when they were having huge parties, I made sure I locked my door so they wouldn’t stammer in my room in the early morning. I was kind of freaked out and scared. I did make friends though with like four people and they became some of my best friends in my whole Uni life.
All the while, you guessed it, I smelt like Paul Smith Rose. My whole room smelled so beautiful because of this and even when I smell it now, it brings me back to my dorm room because my dorm room smelled just like it.
In fact, here it is! I decorated my room pretty well right? I used scrapbook paper and made a background for my board and made things a little more organised. I really liked my room. My bed was really soft and I remember always trying to study on that desk but failing miserably because I would find myself taking a nap there. You can view my dorm room tour I filmed when I was in college here.
It was all really adjusting to life alone without my parents I guess. I was a determined college student but at the same time I loved making youtube videos and learning more and more about make-up. I went crazy shopping and bought my first NARS, my first MAC brush and went crazy at Priceline getting drugstore make-up from the states. Then, I got the Chloe Eau De Parfum. Oh my gosh, I loved the smell of Chloe and it was a really expensive purchase but its so sophisticated and classy and that’s exactly the kind of woman I wanted to be.
Thankfully, my parents heard me out and after one semester in college, I moved out to my own apartment. Danielle, one of my best friends, lived in this apartment and wanted to move to college so we made the switch and it was perfect. Life was lookin’ up and it was an amazing place because it was right across the street from University so I could sleep in till whenever and five minutes from the city and shopping. It was like I was living the life and I had everything I ever wanted.
I started making a lot more friends too – from classes in Uni, through mutual friends and also friends I had in the past moving to Melbourne too. I was all about expanding my social network and meeting new people and hearing their stories.
I started eating out a lot too and trying different places and different cafes. If you’ve ever been to Melbourne, you’d know the coffee and cafe culture is amazing and so is the food. Forgot that Lauderee stuff, my favourite macarons come from this little shop called La Belle Miette and they are amazing. I love their violet and blueberry macarons! If you want to see more brunch places I love in Melbourne, check out this post here.
Of course, I loved make-up shopping even more. Let’s just say I built up a pretty healthy collection of make-up while I was in Melbourne! Priceline, LUSH, Mecca Cosmetica, M.A.C and even online to all these stores made it really healthy indeed. It was fun and I loved sharing it all with you online!
But of course we studied! Of course. No really, I took my academics really seriously and you’d probably find me at frank tate studying away. During exam times, I would seriously just go to the study centre at 9am and finish at 12am. I like lived there. It was fun though, I met a lot of people through studying (we were studying seriously!). I guess you kind of just bond after you see each other everyday..well..studying.
Just so many good times…
Do you remember any of these familiar faces? They’re all on YouTube too! I met up with Karla from Karlacosmetica and Daniel too in Melbourne and got introduced to this lovely bunch of people who I miss a lot! We’d meet up for dinner and coffee together to catch up.
We even dressed up to do our own Youtube series! Alice in Wonderland baby! View it here.
Through everything, I’d get really stressed sometimes and I found myself always returning to one place. This is the St. Paul’s Cathedral. I wasn’t Christian back then but I just don’t know why. Every time I came here, I felt like just amazing peace and it made me feel a lot better. I started talking to God here even when I wasn’t saved yet but more about that in another post!
Chloe brought back amazing memories. I still use this perfume today and I love the scent. I know the bottle looks kind of bashed up but that’s because it’s an old bottle!
When I first saw Katy Perry launching Purr, I really didn’t think much of it. It was kind of in the “celebrity perfume” section. Then, I smelled it and I smelled it again and then I fell in love. Danielle bought this for me for my birthday and ever since, I’ve been wearing it. It’s not really like the other perfumes I have since it’s more sweet and fun than floral and classy but you gotta have a mix right! This perfume opens up the box to my third year in Uni – I guess it was a time of really finding more about life and people and even though I did finish well academically, it wasn’t my purpose anymore.
Friends from Sydney!
to home cooked dinner parties that I really really miss. I think what is different for college is that you’re living in an area where everyone is like you and everyone is like your age so it’s like your own world. Plus, I was five minutes walk from so many of my friends. Now, I gotta travel on the train for an hour before seeing anybody.
For me, smell is a huge part of me remembering things. That, and sound. I’m happy I still have some of this stuff left to remind me of those sweet University days! I guess I shouldn’t get so caught up in missing my life back in Australia, and move on with what I have now but it takes some time to adjust I reckon. ;)
Hope you have a fabulous weekend!
What is your favourite perfume and what does it remind you of?
Love,
Roseanne