first gift

i received my first christmas gift for the year this afternoon.

it's a bottle of perfume from neiman marcus. okay, i told myself, an addition to my collection. i like collecting perfumes, especially my favorite scents. i tend to favor citrusy over musky and woodsy. i like it fresh.

anyhow, the perfume is called creed. seriously, i've never heard of the brand before. and i wondered why, especially since i love perfumes. how could i not know about this brand called creed? as soon as i got home, i did a little research and found this.

Established in 1760 in London by James Henry Creed, it became a favourite with the aristocracy and royalty, receiving its first royal warrant in 1781 from King George III. Creed was adopted by many of the fashionable courts of Europe: from Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie, to Franz Joseph and Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary, and Queen Christina of Spain. In 1854, the House of Creed moved to Paris under the patronage of Empress Eugénie.

In the twentieth century, Creed continued to be extremely popular with celebrities and aristocrats, especially in the golden age of Hollywood, when many stars commissioned their own personal fragrances.

Creed fragrances for men and women are hand made, using the costly and time-intensive traditional infusion technique. Most of the modern perfume industry has abandoned infusion in favour of mechanized commercial techniques.

so that is why i don't know creed. insert evil laughter here.

i checked the neiman marcus site for the price (naughty me, i am sorry!). $208. plus tax. $208! with tax, that's around $220. times fifty bucks. PhP11,000. for a bottle of perfume. i'm hyperventilating.

it turns out that my first gift for this year is also going to be the most expensive, and that, i am almost certain about.

grazie, mme. v for the thoughtfulness!

[still smiling.]