Of Guests and Challenges...

Its’ nothing to do with the unwelcome folks who come visiting or the horrors of what to cook for fussy Aunt Petunia who is part diabetic, part hypertensive and part susceptible to major allergic reactions (all in her hypochondriac mind). Nothing to do with a friend’s terrifying monster (“just hyper active darling – he’ll outgrow that stage”) who will leave your house looking like a horde of monkeys have ransacked it. What it is about is for want of a better phrase is “imposter perfumes” – read on…

I went into one of those “Discount” perfume stores that sell designer brands for less. Firstly the store itself was so depressing – filthy lino floors, dull lighting and rows of cheap shelves and glass cabinets packed to the brim with cheap perfumes. The interior of the store was crammed with tables sporting dusty white tablecloths on the tops of which were heaped monstrous handbags with colors and designs that were probably made with Medusa in mind. On top of that was the blaring, discordant music that even I (kinda deaf) found loud!

What caught my eye was the prominently placed “Challenge No. 5” and “Guest”. Fan of Calving Kleen? You could go for “Escapades” or “Enter City”. Is “Empire Armani” more your style or would you rather go with “Blue for Men” – a blatant copy of “Jean Paul Gaultier”? Jump through the “Hoop” for “Joop” and notice it’s “J. Adore” not “J’dore”.

Would I recommend your buying any of this? Most certainly A) if you want to expose yourself to dubious chemicals and B) you want to chase out uninvited guests with some strange and terrible scents!