What Smells Good?

So over the last few years as I have delved more and more into the world of smell specifically through fragrance and I have become to realize what I consider to smell "good" changes, at the beginning I was gourmand lover in the sense of only loving sweet candied bakery scents. Yet as time has passed I still remain a gourmand lover but I have gone beyond sweet to love neutral food scents specifically tea and rice. Although, I will admit of late I have come to love the varieties of scent found in rice from the lovely nutty basmati rice to the floral beauty of jasmine rice and simple perfume of store bought indistinct long grain white rice. A wonderful way to enjoy the scent of rice is the Thai dessert Sticky Rice with Mango, the chewy delicate grains of rice mixed with coconut milk and then served with slices of musky astringent sweet mango sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds or as I had it the other day toasted rice kernals, makes for a lovely sweet and slightly savory dish. If you love the scent as i do I highly recommend you get a bar of the Bath and Blooms Mango Rice soap bar http://www.bathandbloom.com/bath-shower/mango-rice-soap.html which sadly I cannot find a distributor for, I got mine originally at Pier 1 Imports.
And for some lovely music that combines sweet and savory in a way, with wonderful nature sounds and incredible symphonic qualities, Bjork's Isobel:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQP4UE241_0

SOTD: Nectarine Blossom by Sephora

With the rest of my sephora gift cards I got myself Sephora's seasonel scent offering of Nectarine Blossom in a dry oil body spray. I figured this would be a perfect Sunday scent, uncomplicated and easy, but enjoyable, sadly I wish I could say I was having a nice lazy Sunday (which in my opinion is how they should always be), but my day will be spent doing researching.
Quote of the Day: Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.-- Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus

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Two Peonies Against Black and Orange by Biala 1997

SOTD: Bvlgari pour femme

Super pretty day, so going with super pretty fragrance. Really I find it so strange how much I like Bvlgari pour femme, it is so not what I consider my type of scent, yet well I like a great deal.

Quote of the Day: Ahhh. A man with a sharp wit. Someone ought to take it away from him before he cuts himself. -- Peter da Silva

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The Green Tea Bride, Self-Portrait by Kimiko Yoshida 2006

Osmanthus, the love continutes: Kyoto by Tocca and tea experiment

My love of osmanthus continues, it is officially a part of my top 5 favorite scents. So I continue to try and find new ways to scent my life with osmanthus; it is a flower worthy of more adoration than it gets.
A little while ago I made a list of products featuring osmanthus, one of those was Tocca's Kyoto candle, well for while I had been carrying around gift cards for Sephora and I decided to see if they carried Tocca's Kyoto, I immediately bought up the candelina (which is bit on the expensive side) with the gift cards. Well I am here to say the raves for Tocca are correct, yes they are expensive, but the little candelina has amazing throw and lasts quite a while, but I admit I going through it fast because the scent is absolutely gorgeous.
Tocca on it's blurb says Kyoto is inspired by osmanthus during autumn* at Japanese temples when they bloom. The scent is lovely and soothing, I would love to catch the scent of it on a breeze. Tocca's interpretation is heavy on the apricot note, supported by cream and aquatic background, in general I hate aquatic qualities, but this works perfectly. Imagine fragrant flowers plunged in icy cold water, the effect is soothing and refreshing, and never goes into fake sea breezes or calone zone. This is a perfect gift for an osmanthus lover and I highly recommend it.

In my love of osmanthus a while I ago I bought a packet of dried osmanthus flowers for culinary use, today I finally did what I had always intended to do with little dried fragrant orange flowers, I mixed it with my Peet's Ti Kwan Yin Oolong tea, the combo is lovely bringing out the floral, fruit, and leather notes featured in both the tea and flowers. Now if only someone would make me a fragrance of it. Seriously at this point if I get rich my dream is perfect bespoke fragrance of Osmanthus. I think I will be dreaming for a long time.

*I love the fact that this flower blooms in Autumn, because I an Autumn baby, and it ridiculously makes me feel a little more symbolically connected to this opalescent fragranced flower.
image provided by http://www.photorae.it/natura2007/pages/Osmanthus_Heterophyllus_2.htm

SOTD: Mille et Une Roses

So it would appear that I had disappeared, well I did basically a week after suffering a horrifically crappy flu. I have not been this sick in a very long time. For two days i was a wonder who barely got out of bed and well the dishes that piled up were not a pretty sight. Luckly I had a sweet boyfriend (with his own insane schedule) that took the time to provide sustenance and medicine and very sweetly flowers. Yesterday I received my package of Cuir de Lancome; which may be one of the most short lived fragrances on the market, it appeared to be out for a month, and then was taken quickly off the market due to it being to expensive to be made. Ironically around Christmas time I ended up getting a bottle of Mille et Une Roses, which in its wonderful packaging ended up including a little pamplet describing all the fragrances in Lancome's La Collection series, and lo and behold it has the deliciously hilarious blurb description of Cuir de Lancome, which never actually officially reached US soil or US Lancome counters. Until about a week ago when parfum1 (no affiliation) got it and it appears also that beautyencounter (no affiliation) is also stocking it, but have no idea when they got it in. Well with my still horribly stuffed up nose my observations of Cuir de Lancome is that it is no scent for casual events or spring weather, I won't be wearing it for a while except for late night sniffing. So I instead have opted for the voluptously angelic Mille et Une Roses which is a part of the lovely La Collection with its most ridiculous description blurbs.

Quote of the Day: Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so. -- Douglas Adams, "Last Chance to See"

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Naked Angel Thinking (2004) by Anita Klein

SOTD: Coco Madamoiselle

Working on the weekend is never fun, but my case it is what you have to do. Wearing Coco Madamoiselle which is in my opinion a perfect office scent, has light florals that no one can call offensive, but an aggresive enough bottom notes that no one can call you a push over (aren't office politics wonderful?!). After that I have my boyfriend's nephew's birthday party to attend, which with his family should be interesting. Long day I must say.

Quote of the Day: It is no good to try to stop knowledge from going forward. Ignorance is never better than knowledge. -- Enrico Fermi

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Child with Flowered Hat by Gu Zhinong

SOTD: Caron's Pour Un Homme

A few years ago I had craving for the scent of lavender, which came as quite the schocker, considering in my years of fragrance adoration I had never desired lavender. So as any good perfume addict will do you immediately post the question to other fragrance addicts "What are you favorite lavender scents?" The resounding answer among many was Caron's Pour Un Homme. Well my perfume craving left me before I ever got to the point of sampling Pour Un Homme, but finally I have a sample of it (received with my purchase of the lovely Infusion d'Iris). The fragrance has so far begun with a blast of pungent lavender, then moved to a stage of doughy heliotrope and vanilla, and now has become a wonderful delicate fresh lavender lacing around slightly doughy heliotrope vanilla blend. This was also inspired by the news that Caron is releasing a new lavender scent for the summer. Excitement!

Quote of the Day: Fashion is something that goes in one year and out the other.-- Unknown

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Lavender Field by Nataly Kimmel

SOTD: Ivoire

Quote of The Day: There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. -- George Santayana, Soliloquies in England, 1922, "War Shrines"

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In The Park by Yuri Krotov

SOTD: Songes

Going with the lush, tropical, and dry scent of Annick Goutal's Songes. It really is an amazing scent for the time that it was released, it has a wonderful old school womanly quality, that I have not smelled in modern scent release since oh ever. It is timeless.

Quote of the Day: Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) -- Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself

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Tropical Forest with birds and Orquids by Ernesto Gualle

SOTD: Lolita Lempicka

After reading for the last week Helg of perfume shrine, post on absinthe and its related scents, I broke down and I am finally reaching for Lolita Lempicka. Let the aniseed begin.

Quote of The Day: Although golf was originally restricted to wealthy, overweight Protestants, today it's open to anybody who owns hideous clothing.-- Dave Barry

List: Foods I Love

I love making lists so I thought I would put one up of my favorite foods:
1. Kimchi- Fermented Cabbage and spices, who thought this would be the sort of love where I am tempted to eat the whole jar, actually I highly recommend this to spicy pickle lovers.
2. Apple Cake- I love all sorts of varieties, laced with spices or surrounded by a lovely butter batter, I will eat apple cake, comfort at one of its bests.
3. Chicharrones- yes it is deep fried pork skin! And it is so awesomely good! Eat these in a fresh corn tortilla with the simplest guacamole, and fresh salsa and well it is a form of heaven. It you love bacon try this.
4. Lentil soup- I have yet to meet a variation of this that I do not love. A comfort dish once again.
5. Bacon- I drool at the thought of this. Bacon is the ambrosia of meat. I want sainthood for the creator of this awesome cured meat.
6. Chile Rellenos- I don't know where to begin other than it can be one of the finest vegetarian dishes out there, but there are many variations. What must be understood is the magic is in a properly roasted chile, bright tangy spicy sauce, the right melting cheese, and the perfect light fluffy batter.
7. corn tortillas/corn chips- Fresh corn tortillas are an eye opener and a really sublime experience in how simplicity can be so good. Corn chips eat these with salsa and try to stop yourself, also for the ultimate experience chilaquiles or nachos.
8. Raspberry sorbet- the best way to show off the perfect flavor of raspberries.
9. Apricot preserves (homemade)- summer sunshine in a jar.
10. Smoked- If it has been smoked I will most likely try it. I love smoky flavor.
11. Fresh mozzerella- chewy, almost buttery, and so cool to the tongue.
12. Corsican omelette- I never knew the combination of fresh mint, chevre, and eggs could be so perfect until I ate this.
13. chocolate- it is called the food of the gods for good reason.
14. assam tea with a splash of tea- my breakfast drink of choice, morning wake-up is not complete until I have a cup.
15. pho- the reason for aromatics.
16. Greek Yogurt- to the yogurt haters out there, try Greek Yogurt and realize what a fool you are.
17. potatos- starchy goodness.
18. summer strawberries- get a basket from your farmer's market or side of the road stand, sit in a park by yourself, and eat every single edible ruby. Then try to remember all the bad things happening lately...it is very hard to do.
19. food made with thought- it just makes you feel good.
20. fava- the best way to show off why there should be more love for the split pea.
21. Black Beans- I think it is one of the wonders of nature.
22. spices- life just wouldn't be right without them.
23. chiles- I thank my father every time I eat chile and appreciate them, he always encouraged me as a child to eat spicy food. ditto on the bacon.
I have so many more but I am stopping here.

SOTD: Pure Grace

As the Sunday tradition goes: no complicated scents. So today I am wearing Philosphy's Pure Grace, which is really simple and seems to be made for Sunday's. Ultimate jean and t-shirt scent. Hope everyone is relaxing this Sunday.

Quote of the Day: The lion and the calf shall lie down together but the calf won't get much sleep. -- Woody Allen, Without Feathers (1976)

SOTD: Narciso Rodriguez

Quote of the Day: I'm thirty years old, but I read at the thirty-four-year-old level.-- Dana Carvey

image provided by http://www.traceymcnee.com/WebPages/Stephanie_Rew.html

Scarlet Kimono by Stephanie Rew

SoTD: Stella Rose Absolute & Molinard Mure

Today is going to be a very long day, so I have decided to go with Stella Rose Absolute for strength and for cheeriness layering it with Molinard Mure. By the end of the day when I get home I will most likely slip into something on the insanely comforting side.

Quote of the Day: If little else, the brain is an educational toy.-- Tom Robbins

SOTD: La Parisienne

Today I am going with the springy La Parisienne, there is a delightful apple blossom quality to this that I have never smelled in any other fragrance. It is also a wonderful aldehydic scent which uses the note i nsilvery fluttery way, that I can only think of as chimingly bright. I am kind've amazed with the comeback of aldehydes that this one doesn't get much mention. It also has a muguet heart that leads to a sensual musky dry down. There is something very turn of the century to me about this fragrance. Sadly I just googled the producer and Holzman & Stephanie seems to gone.

Quote of the Day: finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.-- Rita Mae Brown

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Dance at Bougival by Renoir

SOTD: Pink Suger

I had a long very bad day yesterday, I'm not going to go into details, but right now I need something so uncomplicated and comforting, that for many it is considered well the bimbo of scents: Aquolina Pink Sugar. I'm not going to say it is high-minded, but well I rather like it, I'm too embarrassed to by a bottle, but I do wear my samples. And I enjoy the mix of fluffy white musk, vanilla, and strawberries I get from it. I will also admit that when I was a child I was fan Strawberry Shortcake.

Quote of the Day: There is no excellent beauty that hath not some strangeness in the proportion. -- Sir Francis Bacon, "Of Beauty"

image provided by http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/007-44493/

Cat and Butterfly by Hokusai

Most Worn in March

Bvlgari pour femme
Mille et Une Roses by Lancome

Euphoria by Calvin Klein

Euphoria image provided by http://amp.az/home/Blog/CAC/t1170313200

Mille et Une Roses image provided by http://kimonovintage.blogspot.com/2006_10_08_archive.html Chinese Angel by Kinuko Y. Craft

Bvlgari pour femme image provided by http://www.globalgallery.com/enlarge/034-58324/
Woman in a Yellow Dress by Max Kurzweil