perfume addiction: 1 post

The following message arrived into my inbox last week:

“Dear Victoria, help me!

Several months ago my wife became perfume addicted. She tried a new scent and was instantly hooked. Since that day no sensible conversation with her is possible. Whatever subject I bring up (varying from Islam to when to prune roses or whether dogs have a conscience), after two minutes she turns the discussion to fragrances.  She  bought a kind of perfume bible and studies it for hours and hours, she orders test bottles and sniffs  small puffs, commenting on them like an old winebuff tasting  Petrus 1996. She has bought some bottles ( “so you need not look for a birthday present next year darling, I have it already”) and is in fact completely out of control.

Dear Victoria, what to do? Forbid her to read your blog? Alternatively, is there a cure for this disease? Where can I find a clinic for deperfumisation and rehabilitation?

Yours truly helpless, W.”

I asked W for the permission to post his message here and to open the question to all of you. What advice would you give him? How do you manage your fragrance hobby to keep things in balance?

Photography by Bois de Jasmin