Sponsored Post: Perfume Diary

JSG's Anne at the Picasso Museum

Paris may be better known as the “City of Lights”, but to me, it’s the “City of Scents”. If I close my eyes, I can still smell the chocolate macarons at Pierre Hermé, the crisp French bread from one of the city’s many bakeries and the irises at Monet’s Giverny home. Like any good perfume, though, the city's scents are layered. The base notes of Paris are a little gritty and masculine: a leather handbag at Longchamp, the distinctive smell of the subway and a glass of full-bodied red wine at the end of a long day exploring the city.

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is to wander the streets and get lost. In Paris, like in life, it’s the things we don’t plan for that are often the most meaningful. You never know what surprises you’ll find: a chic perfumerie, a picturesque lane or a funny new friend (above). Leave plenty of time to people watch, whether you’re sipping Champagne at the ultra-chic George V lobby bar or breakfasting at a sidewalk café on a café crème with a pain au chocolat. (Start your day this way and you’ll understand the adage, “French women don’t get fat”. This seemingly decadent breakfast will keep you full until lunchtime.) Speaking of French women, they’re so impossibly chic, they’re the only women in the world who can get away with head-to-toe vintage Lacroix or Nina Ricci. And they always smell impeccable.

Anne on the grounds at the Musée Rodin

All this is not to say that the traditional tourist-y stuff should be left off your itinerary. Notre Dame, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay and the Eiffel Tower are icons and well worth your time. On your first trip to Paris, you’ll want to hit all three.

Anne with her friend Heidi by the Eiffel Tower

Then, I would suggest heading to one of the smaller museums, like the Picasso or Rodin museum or take a day trip to Versailles or Giverny (below). If you're there in the spring, you'll experience the lushness of the flowers in full bloom--the azaleas, tulips, irises and roses. The memory of the fragrance will stay with you forever.



Wherever you go in the city, the scents of Paris are sure to delight!

Leslie Blodgett's Perfume Diary Contest
Write your own Perfume Diary and you will be entered to win Leslie Blodgett's Perfume Diaries contest. The Grand Prize is a 5 night trip for two to Honolulu, Hawaii and a gift basket of Leslie's Bare Skin collection. Three second place winners will receive a gift basket of Leslie's Bare Skin Collection.

To enter, post a photo and your original Perfume Diary on the Leslie Blodgett's Perfume Diary Facebook Fan Page. The contest runs from October 16-23, 2009. Good luck!

Read on for more about Leslie Blodgett's Perfume Diary fragrance collection.