What A Difference A Spray Makes

Last night at the dinner table, amongst the aroma of thai burgers and home fries, I kept getting a whiff of my Chanel No. 5.
Sniffing at my wrist with a blissful buddha-like grin on my face, I declared to my family with a wistful sigh, that Chanel No.5 makes me feel unbelievably happy. Of course, my family, now used to my eccentric ways and utter conceitedness when it comes to smelling good, didn't bat an eyelid. So to get their attention, I prompted a discussion about what makes us feel good- the one thing in this world that we turn to when we need a little joie de vivre to lift us out of the funk we find ourselves in from time to time.

For the husband, his  joie de vivre is a well blended glass of Jack and Coke. Okay, that I can dig. For Miss 13 however, the answer was a little more brutal..."Anything to do with spending money feels good". Now before you judge me for being a terrible parent, that comment was quickly corrected with a "The Best Things In Life Are Free" speech and she was set straight on the evils of money and how mo' money ultimately brings mo' problems.

However, in all honesty and PC parenting aside, sometimes the best things come cellophane wrapped and tied with a Chanel ribbon at  $270.00 per 100mls.

So what is it exactly about Chanel No.5 that has this feel-good effect on me? 

Frankly, I think its as much about the ritual as it is about the juice.

First off, I dont remove the cellophane from the box when I get a new bottle. Instead, I carefully snip around the top so that the box is still covered, but the lid is easily accessible without having to unwrap the cellophane seal everytime you want to get at it. This gives it that "brand new" feel everytime I pull it out. Theres just something about the crunch of cellophane on its own that gets my heart throbbing.  
Next is the bottle itself. The familiar simplistic, heavy square glass flacon with a plain white sticker and those famous, indelible words:

   N° 5 

   CHANEL

The deep golden yellow colour encased in that gorgeous glass prison is enough to lift my spirits alone, rich and warm, pure liquid sunshine. 

The T-shaped glass lid pops off with a sumptuous "plomp", the perfume equivalent to popping open a bottle of champagne. With my index finger poised on the cold, gold metal sprayer, I am ready to unleash the liquid sunshine upon the blank canvas of my warm, clean skin.

With the first spray, the liquid sunshine scatters on the skin like a handful of ball bearings unleashed on a smooth marble floor. This is the best part, when the senses scramble to meet the molecules drifting towards your nose, and as you inhale, the scent is drawn into your body and rapidly activates all the little pleasure chakras inside. If it made a sound, it would sound like a pinball machine, ringing as each target is hit. Bing! Bing! Bing!

And thats where my happy place is, right in that moment when every target has been hit and I am lit up inside like a Christmas tree. This is my well blended glass of Jack and Coke and it really doesn't get any better than this. Even after the scent dissipates and I am left wearing only a memory, it lingers in my mind, reminding me that happiness is always, just a spray away.