Autumn Has Arrived!

Can I say just how happy I am that summer is done, well at least it is on the calendar. I have been excitedly looking at my collection and considering the perfumes I can't wait to wear in the cooler weather. I'll be the first to admit this collection is leaning on the sweet side but I have to say when I have to spend 80% of the year in citruses, florals, and other variations on clean it may mean I go crazy on the olfactory overload of rich Autumn scents.

1. Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens
I have become firmly enthralled by this rosy sandalwood syrup. Sweet and musky with a delicious dollop of sandalwood this scent will be scenting many of my days, I find it melds beautifully, and I love getting wafts of from my clothes. Obvious scarf scent.

2. Wood Violet by Sonoma Scent Studio
This lovely plummy rich violet scent has been calling me recently. I love the combination of roasted plums with violet.

3. Vanille Botanique by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz
Oh the moment I get to wear this sumptuous vanilla outside on a cool day with brisk Autumn wind it is going to be the best.

4. Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka
Yes, I still have the original bottle from when I was 15 and it still smells amazing. It continues to be the perfect mix of vanilla and anise of me with violets and touches of delicious toasty nutty tonka bean. I especially adore wearing this in October around Halloween.

5. Ambre Nue by Atelier Cologne
I really like this juicy chewy amber. The opening of tart delicious mandarins always catches me followed earthier peppier middle with marigold and orchid. I consider this the grown-up version of BBW's Sensual Amber. It is of that school of fruity smooth ambers that are so popular but thankfully it uses more interesting notes and pepper keeps it from being saccharine.

6. Tudor Rose and Amber by Jo Malone
I love this wine-y rose and amber combo. The opening of spices and rose evokes mulled wine the edition of amber and patchouli make it a bit thorn edged.

7. Elie Saab Le Parfum Eau de Parfum Intense by Elie Saab
The original Elie Saab is a favorite spring scent for me with its bright almost neon orange blossom notes. The Intense version is deliciously honeyed and with hints of dried apricots and a base of amber.

8. Nirvana Black by Elizabeth and James
A simple and easy mix of violet, sandalwood, and vanilla a perfect work day scent for me. Its soothing and makes me feel warm without being stiffled.

9. Narciso Rodriguez For Her L'Absolu by Narcisco Rodriguez
I don't usually care for the variations on the original Narciso Rodriguez scent and stick to the original edt. The scents that came after have never really worked on me, but L'Absolu is a different story. It is a powdered richer scent, the woods have been amped up creating incense-like quality in the scent. An ample plum has been added and the osmanthus and orange blossom have been replaced with a rich tuberose, this is without a doubt for me the Autumn/Winter variation on NR edt. At times I am a little bit reminded of Nicolai Parfumeur Createur's Sacrebleu, another Autumn fruit tuberose scent on a bed of woods which has at times reminded others of the ultimate name in intense fruity tuberoses, Poison by Dior. Yet, L'Absolu is not baroque like the previous mentioned scents, it is clearly modern but does have familial to those scents. On the other hand most definitely do not wear this in hot weather.

10. Fifi Chachnil edt and edp by Fifi Chachnil
I am lucky to have in my hands two decently large decants of this perfect femme tobacco scent. This for me is one of the great losses of the perfume world in its discontinuation. From the awesome use of coriander in the opening to the entwining of pink rose, tonka, and delicious tobacco it was a pretty genius blend that got the tobacco note trend before anyone else did.

"Amelia" by Erica Rose Levine

SOTD: Fifi Chachnil EdT

I am always rather amazed by the vintage flirty quality of Fifi Chachnil, it smells like it is from a bygone era, but it only came out a few years ago. It is playful but full of womenliness the powder, tobacco, and amber are alluring yet the top notes of coriander, rose, and bergamot always keep the wittiness of the fragrance going. I would say it is the fully throaty giggle/laugh of having a glass of champagne and then hearing a really good joke. I'm going with the edt today because the rose and coriander are more pronounced making it far more appropiate for spring and daytime.

 

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image: La Coquette by Howard Chandler Christy 1920

sotd: Fifi Chachnil

Talk about a big day, I admit I pulling one of those fragrances I save for special occasions, because today is a special occasion. The weather has slightly cooled so it won't be too bad. I have MSNBC blaring in the background and I am jealous of all those people right now in D.C. . I hope everyone has a gorgeous day.

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image: Celebration by Bill Rane

Celebration: What I Wore For My Two Birthday Dinners

So I feel really silly right now with the poll in the corner asking what I should wear, considering my birthday was on Monday. This year I had a fairly quiet birthday, my Sunday night was spent with friends (hard to ask anyone other than direct family who live near by to do dinner on a Monday night) we had dinner at a restaurent and headed back to my place for cake and presents. For that night I wore Fifi Chachnil to go with my somewhat Joan Hollowayesque inspired dress (What can I say part of my adoration for Mad Men is Christina Hendricks and finally seeing someone on the screen who's body I can actually relate too and who is dressed so wonderfully. The only other woman I felt the same way about is Nigella Lawson; who I actually kind've look like). Madame X would have also gone wonderfully with the outfit, but Fifi Chachnil is little bit more cheery so it won out. The next day I had lunch with my grandmother and later on that evening dinner with my family, overall the day was very casual so definately no vavavoom scents, instead I spritzed on the expensively delicious Ambre Narguile by Hermes.

As for the lasting powering of these and taking into consideration the sillage:

Fifi Chachnil edp: Wow this one is incredible 2 spritzs you are good until the next day and it has perfect sillage. I'm just trying to imagine this in parfum.

Ambre Narguile: 3 spritzs and you good for most of the day, has fairly good sillage until about 2/3's of the way through. Interesting in that you really need a full spray on to smell the tobacco note.

As for fragrance presents, well I got a couple of gift cards to sephora, but the truth is Ambre Russe was my present to me for my birthday.

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Image: Untitled #16 , The Birthday Party Series by Vee Speers

SOTD: Fifi Chachnil edt

Somedays you need that glamourous scent that has a million layers, my answer to that is what I think was one of the great surprises in the perfume world: Fifi Chachnil. When I put it on two images always pop into my head 1) The heavily kohled eyes of female stars in the 1960's and 2) one of my favorite color combos pale pink with black. What amazes me about Fifi is that it is so feminine and flirty but does not the usual cupcake fruity floral note to get the effect, instead it is smokey, powdery, ambered, with hints of greenery, rose, and citrus. It is highly addictive scent.

And now more song re-interpretations (going along with the whole 1960's theme):
The Original Led Zeppelin version of Dancing Days:

And the better version by The Stone Temple Pilots (I know I am sacriligious, but many agree):

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image: Elizabeth Taylor Pink by Russell Young
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SOTD: Fifi Chachnil edt

Today I leave with what I think is the most provocative image by Flor Garduno, anyone who has had a passing interest in Greek mythology, should easily recognize that this image is firmly grounded in the Zeus and Leda myth. A myth that has always kind've freaked me out. Still what of love about Flor Garduno's interpretation is that in this image Leda is no victim, but rather she is the one in control. So ends my week of Flor Garduno.

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image: Leda and Swan by Flor Garduno