Chanel #5 — Sharon Mark Cohen

After reading a random Facebook post asking, “What perfume did your mother wear?” I paused. Reading the responses was enlightening. The most amazing part to me was that I, like many others, could answer that question.

It should have come as no surprise that so many answered that their mother or grandmother used the still popular and highly rated fragrance Chanel N°5. Yet again, looking at the cost, it’s a wonder how so many, including my mother, could afford a pricey bottle. My mother was very protective of that bottle and now I understand why she only dabbed the perfume on for special occasions.

While purchasing makeup on a recent trip to the mall, the saleswoman asked me if I wanted to try a perfume sample. After she offered a few variations, I selected my mother’s go-to, the original basic Chanel N°5.

My mother’s elder sisters worked in retail, and my aunts undoubtedly turned her on to the staple. When I was younger, I thought Chanel N°5 was “old-fashioned.” Don’t get me wrong, nothing about the scent made me think that, but I was busy crafting fancy new scents with my gifted perfume kit.

My fun experience of experimenting with mixed scents likely led me to try different brands over the years. Surely, my children could not answer that Facebook question about their mother’s go-to perfume.

That may change. After sampling Chanel N°5, I’m heading back to the mall for a full bottle of the basic Chanel.

There’s one specialty bottle listed online for a whopping $22,000! No worries, I won’t be reaching for the Baccarat crystal bottle.

Is it the memories it holds or the scent that is drawing me? I’ll never know, but my children and grandchildren will be able to list my perfume of choice.

Isn’t it always about making life easier for our children? Smell that.

See Perfume and Zoom, dated May 12, 2020, at sharonmarkcohen.com.