Posts filed under 'This and That'
It seems like I’ve made several perfume lists here in the past few weeks, and today is yet another list! Woohoo! However, today the list is a joint project between other perfume bloggers - our top 10 fragrances this summer. The fragrances below aren’t necessarily best for summer weather - they’re simply my most loved and worn this season.
Carnal Flower by Frederic Malle is the scent I enjoy most in heat.
Iris Ganache by Guerlain as the best new release this season.
Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassie Body Butter is my favorite scented moisturizer.
A.Maze by People of The Labyrinths in eau de toilette makes me feel amazing.
Black Oud by Montale is my top going out scent.
Fleur de Narcisse by L’Artisan Parfumeur is elegance in a bottle.
Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has A Gun makes me feel like a vixen.
Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford is my all around feel good scent.
Rose En Noir by Miller Harris is one of my favorite sultry rose scents of all time.
Coromandel by Chanel as a versatile scent that can be easily dressed up or down.
Please be sure to check Summer Top 10 on the following blogs:
Bois de Jasmin
Now Smell This
Perfume Posse
Perfume-Smellin’ Things
Scentzilla
July 19th, 2007
I’m back from New York after having a blast sniffing with Miss Colombina and am already spotting first withdrawal symptoms. My olfactory solace is to have samples of the new Serge Lutens fragrances (that were waiting for me at home, thanks to a very kind fellow perfume lover from Europe). My first impressions (for those who’re really dying to know what they’re like): Sarrasins, the jasmine one, is Gorgeous. The color is what struck me the most at first - it’s deep, rich purple. Upon first sniff, a luscious, indolic mix of tuberose and jasmine. Louve, the almond one, is surprisingly good! It reminds me a lot of Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle mixed with Rahat Loukoum, one of the Serge Lutens non-export scents, plus a little almond. I know this probably sounds odd but that’s really what my nose is picking up at the moment. I plan to do more detailed reviews of both in the near future. Also, please stay tuned for our New York Sniffage report coming this Thursday! Good day to all!
July 16th, 2007
July 13th, 2007
That’s how I choose to look at it - yes, I’m 31 today. Sigh. But it’s just a number, right? Besides, numbers can mean anything. For instance, 31 perfumes. That’s a lot! So here’s a list of my favorite 31 perfumes (in no particular order, although, a Guerlain girl at heart, I’ll list those first):
- Metallica/Matalys by Guerlain
- Guet-Apens/Attrape Coeur by Guerlain
- Apres l’Ondee by Guerlain
- Voilette de Madame by Guerlain
- Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain
- Iris Ganache by Guerlain
- Cuir Beluga by Guerlain
- Rose Barbare by Guerlain
- Plus Que Jamais by Guerlain
- Vol de Nuit by Guerlain
- Diorama by Christian Dior
- Eau Noire by Christian Dior
- Bois d’Argent by Christian Dior
- Drole de Rose by L’Artisan Parfumeur
- Fleur de Narcisse by L’Artisan Parfumeur
- Iris Poudre by Frederic Malle
- Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle
- Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens
- Rose de Nuit by Serge Lutens
- Tubereuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens
- La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens
- L’Air de Rien by Miller Harris
- Rose en Noir by Miller Harris
- Black Oud by Montale
- Oud Roses Petals by Montale
- Oud Damascus by Montale
- Chanel 22
- Chanel Coromandel
- Chanel Coco parfum
- Orris Noir by Ormonde Jayne
- Feminite du Bois parfum by Shiseido
Image source: me holding a balloon in the kindergarten 28 years ago.
July 11th, 2007
Today Marina from Perfume-Smellin’ Things and myself are presenting to you yet another joint project: the diva perfumes. I won’t go into much detail as to what that implies (Marina has already done an excellent job!) except for saying a diva perfume to me is potent, compelling, demanding, and somewhat rebellious. I’ve come up with ten of such scents but, needless to say, there are more. Now imagine these perfume divas at a party, all in the same room. The party is thrown by a very influential man (let’s say, Chanel Egoiste). Their attendance is an essential career move as well as an invaluable opportunity to network. Here’s what I see:
Jean Paul Gaultier Classique busts in (literally) with her curvy shape, giving everybody kisses and leaving bright red lipstick stains (she never goes by Classique alone to make sure everybody knows she’s Jean Paul Gaultier’s). Poison immediately shoots venomous glares at Classique while stomping the floor with her super high heels and blinding everybody with her shimmering purple halter dress of rather indecent length. Meanwhile, in the midst of such steaminess, Madame Fracas and Lady Joy repose in the corner, both in utter shock over such impudent, non-ladylike behavior. They’ve lived, they’ve loved and been loved, they’ve endured, and they’ve seen it all but this? Quelle horreur! Nevertheless, they’re smiling perpetually, exuding the most pleasant, friendly demeanor, while, in reality, there’s an argument going on between them. The nature of the argument consists of who’s the headiest. It looks like they’ll never agree - which is only to be expected as both possess enough headiness to out-heady them all. Shalimar floats through the room gracefully performing an occasional belly dance on demand. She feels quite out of place in this room void of Heavy Orientals. Paloma Picasso and Cabochard seem to have formed quite a companionship sipping wine and smoking endlessly. Both sturdy feminists, they also seem to be engaged in a heated discussion, completely disregarding everybody else. Patou 1000 is the best dressed of the night, no doubt, wearing a luxurious white silk dress, a string of pearls, and a sparkling golden bracelet. She’s composed and placid, keeping occasional company to her cousin Lady Joy (only to be ignored by her). Black Orchid and Donna Karan Gold pass the time at the bar utterly inebriated. They’re here only to put in an appearance. Black Orchid’s outfit is rather striking - a wild mix of “80s meet 60s”. She indulges in exuberance, clearly. Donna Karan Gold has a bit more class, although still revealing a bit too much, showing off her bulky golden jewelry. Overall, it’s quite an impressive gathering. However, there’s a certain forced, stifling air that’s undeniably quite irritating for the ones present (although they try hard to hide it). You can witness regular glances at the clock and certain uneasiness. Well, these are Divas, after all. They each need their own, unshared audience and praise.
What other perfumes do you consider Divas, and what would they do at a party like this?
Image source: courtesy Ms. Colombina
July 10th, 2007
Today is my only day off this week, and I’m quietly contemplating on my recent perfume discoveries or, rather, rediscoveries. Fickleness when it comes to perfume is an absolutely normal state of mind (and nose) - I fall in and out of love all the time. So it’s always quite thrilling to develop new obsessions over scents you’ve known all along, especially if you used to dislike them (ooh, that really spices things up!) My current rediscoveries are fragrances I quite liked from the beginning but more in a detached kind of way. Two of them deserve a paragraph each at least, and the rest - honorable mention for the time being, with plans for future reviews:
Fleur de Narcisse by L’Artisan Parfumeur - been wearing this daily at work and wondering how on earth did I allow this beauty to be so far from my skin for this long! Never again. I love, love, love daffodil, and I can safely say there’s no other perfume under the sun that conveys its scent as beautifully as Fleur de Narcisse does. What makes it even more appealing to me is the added leather and hay notes which tend to smell a bit off when first applied on skin but subside as the scent develops, giving way to the stunning narcissus. I see a bottle in my future.
Clive Christian X For Women - a complete opposite to the airiness of Fleur de Narcisse, this scent is all about opulence and presence. It’s the kind of fragrance that will speak louder than your demeanor or attire, hence I’d only wear it to accompany a very simple, classic look (like a black dress). A rich, almost brooding blend of pulpy peach, green ivy, tangy mandarin, and piquant patchouli that gets better the longer it stays on your skin (and it does stay!) The fact it’s one of the most expensive perfumes in the world and all the claims regarding luxury, exclusiveness, and the like hardly matter to me. I love it for its scent alone.
Honorable mention goes to:
Pretty much the entire Montale oud line. Yes, I know, the perfume blogosphere has been on a Montale kick lately, and I do plan to make my contribution to the excitement at some point soon (most likely, when it subsides a little - to make some waves again). I adore Black Oud and Oud Roses Petals. Both have no rivals.
Lady Vengeance by Juliette Has A Gun which has already been reviewed here. I’ve now tried its counterpart, Miss Charming, a much more innocent, blushing kind of rose. If I think of enough to say, there will be a review soon. For me to have to say enough, a rose based perfume has to have a lot more going on than simply depicting the flower.
I think that’s about it. Have you had any discoveries or rediscoveries lately? Please share.
Image source: barneys.com, nordstrom.com
July 4th, 2007
I just can’t get enough of Kate Winslet in these new Lancome Tresor ads! I just wish I loved the scent as much, although I’m now moved to revisit it, especially the original, pre-reformulated version.
July 1st, 2007
Aromascope goes on a mini summer vacation (that’s much needed and looked forward to)! Disregard the picture (I just loved the feeling it conveys), a beach vacation it is not, although there is a possibility to be near water at some point. I’ll be back on Thursday with a review of Iris Ganache by Guerlain (which I’m utterly smitten by at the moment). Have a good week and make sure to smell fabulous!
Image source: corbis.com
June 17th, 2007
The legendary Opium by Yves Saint Laurent is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. The house has created an interactive web site for the Opium fans featuring the history of its creation, ingredients, and various fun activities like creating your own Opium bottle. Check it out!
Image source: osmoz.com
June 10th, 2007
I’ve been playing with various samples this week, mostly digging through my sample boxes for scents I wanted to revisit. I came across quite a few Montale samples (I’ve always liked Montale creations in general but the fascination has been off and on), and I couldn’t help but notice once again how most of them are pretty linear fragrances. Linear doesn’t always mean bad, as long as it’s got some character. I played with several Montales: Aoud Cuir d’Arabie, Ta’if, Aoud Damascus, Aoud Velvet, Black Aoud (am currently in major love with this one). While some are more complex than others, a few are positively straightforward, and by that I mean not only the linear quality but moreso what one thing/concept each particular scent represents. You get what you see, plain and simple. For instance, Ta’if is all roses and honey, from top to bottom, while Aoud Cuir d’Arabie is a leather purse. Neither really go anywhere on my skin, they just sit there unapologetically making a silent but solemn statement as if saying, “Well, that’s what we are. Take it or leave it”. And I take it because I do like well-done, intriguing straightforward perfumes. Today’s topic is my rambling on the subject as well as a sort of a query: what other perfumes are straightforward and good? What about straightforward and not so good? The first brand that instantly pops in my mind is Demeter. Needless to say, the names speak for themselves: Play-Doh, Laundramat, Dirt, Ginger Ale, Fuzzy Navel (?!), Waffle Cone, and the like. I view them as objects of entertainment for the sheer pleasure of olfactory images more than scents I’d put on my skin. Same goes with all the versions of Clean perfume. Comme des Garcons is another line that seems to favor straightforwardness: its Sweet Series is quite fascinating, with such evocative and wearable scents as Wood Coffee, Sticky Cake, Burnt Sugar (same goes for their Incense series).
What perfumes are straightforward to you - good and not so good?
June 7th, 2007
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