SOTD: Datura Noir

I thought it might be fun to have a theme week for my images and I decided to go with Susan Seddon Boulet. I love the dreaminess of this image.
Today the weather is shockingly cool for a day in July, I have all the windows closed, and I am tempted to put a sweatshirt on. I have spent most of day doing household chores, the things you put off until the pile is something you have to walk around. Plus, cool weather is conducive to this effect.

image provided by http://www.liveinternet.ru/users/pollydan/post72607299/

image by Susan Seddon Boulet

SOTD: Omnia

Funny how things come full cirle, when I was in my teens I was in love with Susan Seddon Boulet's art, and some how over the years I have forgotten about her. That is until I was re-watching season three of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and there was a poster of Susan Seddon Boulet's work in Buffy's room. This re-occurence was driven even more when I went to Santa Cruz yesterday and walked into a wonderful stationary store and Boulet's artwork was everywhere.

And now for some 90's fun and something rather ironic too, The Beginning is the End is the Beginning by The Smashing Pumpkins, this song was originally created for the Batman & Robin movie which was one of the worst of the Batman franchise of the 90's. This weekend opened the second of Christopher Nolan's intelligent and dark take on Batman. I was introduced to this song this weekend via the new trailer for The Watchmen based on a graphic novel aka comic, and behold the song I'm blathering about:

image provided by http://www.imeem.com/people/Nmsbm_S/
image: Athena by Susan Seddon Boulet
video uploaded by imindaband

SOTD: Bois des Iles

I woke up today and all I want is comfort. Somedays the wrong mood is what happens, still the weather is perfect today.
provided by me

image: Princesses by Kay Nielsen

SOTD: Black Cashmere

Quote of the day: Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore? -- Henry Ward Beecher

Today is my father's birthday, to celebrate it I am taking him out for barbecue and giving him a bag of delectable goodies (my father comes from a line of people with sweet tooths and has passed it on to me) he also has something arriving in the mail. My Dad has given me many of his attributes over the years starting with my birth, I inherited his rich warm red brown hair (he is really prideful of this), his bibliophile tendencies (well my mother also contributed to this), the obsession with smoked foods, an appreciation of the natural world and history, (that I can honestly say most of my peers do not have), the knowledge of how to make a good fire on winter days, and he also has contributed to my understanding of how artistic vision works, he is also a wood carver, this is some of my father's work:

For my father's birthday I am wearing Black Cashmere because it is essentially the scent of woodshop to me, which reminds me of my father. As for my father's fragrance tendencies he claims to hate strong fragrances, but the fragrances he enjoyed smelling on my mother were: Paloma Picasso, Tabu, and Opium. I think he just doesn't like florals. Happy Birthday Dad.

image provide by artnet.com
image: River Celebration (lunar eclipse) by Kevin Paulsen 2007

Dad's work image provided by http://www.diablowoodworkers.com/don-koth.html

My Current Top 25 Fragrances that are currently in production/available

So I was inspired from yesterday's top 25 of fragrances in Production/available. Also I have taken the day off after the last two days worth of headaches/favor/belly flipping.

*Bois des Iles
I know many describe this as elegant and for only special nights out, but honestly this is pure comfort of the perfect autumn day to me, it is also my favorite fragrance for a gorgeous sandlewood note. Many have described this as reminding them of gingerbread, but for me this is spiced cider.
*Osmanthus Interdite
It is no surprise that this one is here, I adore osmanthus, and this is the gold standard for me. What makes this scent breathtaking and alluring though is heat, it will be firmly put in the cupboard come cool weather.
*Must de Cartier
An amber I adore, imagine smoke, tobacco, gingerbread, amber, vanilla, and narcissus all wrapped up in perfection.
*Narciso Rodriguez edt
Transparent and yet utterly sensual, the perfect scent for the colors of pink and black, always reminds me of glowing skin.
*L de Lolita Lempicka
Strangely smoky salty caramel vanilla scent, that always reminds me of cold winter seashores on a perfect sunny day.
*Chanel 22
A bright flirty aldehydic white floral with a perfect dry incense running through it, it always makes me think of green and white.
*Un Bois Vanille
My idea of Mexican black vanilla, having such a wonderful nectar quality, yet lovely dry woods.
*4711
This is my summer pick-me-up, homey yet utterly refreshing.
*Egyptian Goddess
One the best egyptian musks out there, surrounds you in a perfect haze.
*Organza Indecence
A most wonderfully dry vanilla, amber, spice combo. Reminds me of rice pudding and incense.
*Bvlgari pour femme
When I want to give the quality of a spring goddess. Clarity and jubilance.
*Parfum Sacre
My incense rose scent, just melds with you, and makes you think of faraway lands.
*Mille et Une Roses
Think of the most dewy luscious rose.
* Fifi Chachnil
Makes me want to wear pencil skirts and heavy eyeliner and flirt.
*Datura Noir
A cool exotic goddess of scent. The tropics in antartica
*Chanel 5
The classic scent of powdered skin after luxurious bathing.
*Magnetism
Could be called utterly trashy, except for its use of smoky dry vanilla, that you don't expect.
*Songes
Heaven in the sultriest way.
*Infusion d'Iris
Like the first bud of spring, green and silver, utterly elegant, but never pretentious.
*Light Blue
I want to hate it because it is so ubiquitous, but quite frankly it smells so damn good. The best time to wear this, believe it or not, Autumn, brings out the creamy apple lemon note, and reminds me of a Macintosh apple; creamy and crisp.
*Lolita Lempicka
A gourmand that does not smell like Angel and is an original.
*Ambre Narguile
A gourmand that wraps you in the scent of spiced baking treats in the oven. Rum, raisins, apples, and lovely delicate cinnamon.
*Vetiver by Guerlain
The true antidote to summer heat, earthy cool green.
* Burt's Bees Baby Bee Apricot Baby Oil
The truest scent of apricot out there.
*Omnia
cream, spices, and sandalwood. Comfort in a bottle.

SOTD: Vanille Divine des Tropiques, Spun Orange Blossom, Silk Yuzu

I want to feel like a fluffy cloud of summer sunshine considering I am once again working a Sunday. So I have come with the concoction of Vanille Divine des Tropiques, Spun Orange Blossom, and Silk Yuzu, so far very pretty with a nice little zing. To go with this sunshine feeling, Summersong by The Decemberists, featuring the city I live by, San Francisco:

image provided by artnet.com
image: Sunshine Peace Pink by Peter Max 1971
video uploaded by sidyadav

SOTD: Evening Edged In Gold by Ineke

Well This is definately a different take on datura aka Angel's Trumpet. So far Evening Edged In Gold is musky creamy and bizarrely almost aquatic but in a non-nauseous way. Definately intriguing. Good news the temperture here is wonderfully down.
And now for some old nineties fun and the lady that rather ruled my high school music taste, Datura by Tori Amos:


image provided by http://www.plantsafari.com/Catalog2/Detail/00182.html
video uploaded by Datura90

SOTD: Osmanthus Interdite

So I want something sweet and incensey but with the heat of the last couple of days that is just really not going to happen, so I am instead opting for something that blooms in the heat so spectacularly that well it will be immediately being go back to the cupboard once Autumn and Winter approach (it just isn't going to be right in the cold weather.).

image provided by http://www.flickr.com/photos/caricature-by-radimus/459883744/in/set-72157600078931438/

SOTD: Abricot by L'Aromarine

Today I am taking my first outing with L'Aromarine's Abricot parfum extract, so far very floral and citrusy, and more of a necterine scent to me, personally I would recommend this to fans Jo Malone's Necterine Blossom and Honey and it is a complete steal at $7 a bottle.

Some how in the last month's I have been rather caught up in bird fairytale's, it began with Alice Hoffman's The Third Angel which is woven with the fairytale of The Heron Wife (which I am pretty positive she made up), about a week ago I read Midori Snyder's article on swan wives which can be found here http://www.endicott-studio.com/rdrm/rrSwan.html, and now I have come to be rather entranced by The Decemberist's seriese of songs called The Crane Wife, this is Part 3:

Fun little food for thought: both osmanthus and cranes are associated with longevity.
Last night this was all juxtaposed with a Nova special on a four winged dinosaur.
image provided by artnet.com
image: Japanese Crane by Carol Grigg
video uploaded by GeekyGirl123

SOTD: Chanel 22

Quote of the Day: A marriage is always made up of two people who are prepared to swear that only the other one snores. -- Terry Pratchett, The Fifth Elephant
I wish I could say my day is going to be spent relaxing and evading the oncoming heat, but hah! I'm working. Considering there will be no relaxing I decided to go instead with sheer beauty, Chanel 22. A continuation of my white floral need, Chanel 22 just makes me realize how much I wish there were more scents out there that combine white florals with aldehydes, I just love the mix.
The theme from Ang Lee's Lust, Caution:

Well I finally saw it, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, artistically it is gorgeous and incredibly raw emotionally. The last movie I can remember leaving me feeling that emotionally raw and like I had seen something far too intimate and painful, was Closer.
image provided by artnet.com
image: The Chinese Pavillion in Green Park by Karen Kilimnik 2007

Most Worn In June: Osmanthus Interdite

Osmanthus is keeping her reign.

image provided by artnet.com

Image: Cotton wool and butterfly by Taeko Maezawa 2008

SOTD: Carolina Herrera

I'm not sure what has come over me but today I am craving a big white floral. I admit I am in a dramatic mood and as much as I love orientals and florientals the idea of wearing something spiced, just didn't fit the bill. Part of wearing Carolina Herrera which is also inspired by Chandler Burr's review of it last week, the first time I smelled it, I hated it, but then again I stuck my nose right in it, but today with two dabs it is rather lovely. The tuberose is bright and crystilline and sings sweetly and I am rather enjoying the green powdery narcissus. What really kills me though, is Carolina really did get right when she wanted to evoke her Latin American heritage, because this scent really does evoke to me the large dancing skirts of Latin America.

image provided by artnet.com

image: Canasta de luz (Basket of Light), Sumpango, Guatemala by Flor Garduno 1989

SOTD: Nanette Lepore

Quote of the Day: When I was born I was so surprised I didn't talk for a year and a half.-- Gracie Allen
I wish our skies were blue like that right now, but with the many fires in California at the moment, our area has been covered with smoke the last few weeks. Trying to induce the sense of summer gaiety I am wearing Nanette Lepore which is a peachy jasmine concoction layered over Sephora Necterine Blossom.

image provided by artnet.com

image: Summer 66 by Takashi Murakami 2006

SOTD: Bois des Iles

Quote of the Day: Nothing is as simple as we hope it will be. -- Jim Horning
In the middle of summer I am utterly in love with the autumnal delight of Bois des Iles. As much as everyone describes it as an autumn fragrance, I think this works perfectly year round, there is a transparency to this scent that pushes it to be a year round fragrance, and the sandalwood is so perfectly cool that well here I am wearing it in the middle of the summer. I think tomorrow I am pulling at Ava Luxe's Royal Parvati to go with this sandalwood jonesing and I admit I have also been smelling my bottle of Burberry Brit Gold which is a sumptious sandalwood which is most definately meant for the colder months.

image provided by www.nocloo.com

Image: Songs and Sonnets by Charles Robinson

SOTD: Osmanthus Interdite

Quote of the Day: You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.-- Ray Bradbury, advice to writers
The weather is once again in the 70's just where I like it. This summer I have gone on a binge to appreciate art, so it is my delight to share a website that has to do with one of my all time favorite moments in art, The Golden Age of Illustration, the site is http://www.nocloo.com/home/ , the best part was and I kid you not, finding out that one of my favorite illustrators, George Barbier actually illustrated a book called The Romance of Perfume, and well I had share the beauty of this on one of my favorite subjects: http://www.nocloo.com/gallery2/v/george-barbier-romance-perfume/
I am especially taken with one featuring a woman with a white doe.

image provided by www.june-leeloo.com
image: Hatsuharu by June Leeloo 2008

SOTD: Coco Madamoiselle pure parfum

Quote of the day: If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.-- Tallulah Bankhead
If there is a note Chanel should be known for I think it is there jasmine. I have never been a jasmine lover, but yesterday after I put on Coco Madamoiselle I was entranced by the jasmine note that Chanel uses. I have smelled it in Chance, Allure, Allure Sensualle, and Chanel 5 and it remains one of the most gloriously creamy jasmines out there. But how can I forget the aldehydes which I think Chanel uses geniusely, examples: Bois des Iles (a mix of woods and aldehydes that I have yet to smell any where else), Chanel 22 (aldehydes and incense, I still haven't smelled this combo any where else), and grandmother of it all Chanel 5. But then again I think the house of Chanel has rather been genius with the use of vetiver and patchouli; in fact I think Coco Madamoiselle is first fragrance to really use the cleaned-up patchouli note that has taken over the world of perfume the last couple of years. I never thought the day would happen that I would owe most of my allegience in fragrance love to the house of Chanel; I thought I would be a Guerlain girl, but I had the sad realization that guerlinade and I do not get along together. Chanel is so modern and I look rather in proportions and looks like something from the 19th century, but I do also love the irony in fashion.

image proved by artnet.com

image: Tete de Femme by Francois Louis Schmied 1930

SOTD: Climat

Quote of the Day: Life is a long lesson in humility.-- James M. Barrie
So the blistering heat of last week has melted away into a refreshing coolness (actually cool enough that I don't have my bedroom window open). Today I am going with the cool earthy aldehydic scent of Lancome's Climat, it has a peppery vetiver drydown that you would never expect from the cool water aldehyde opening.
Some scent observations:
-Must de Cartier in pure parfum, I forget that it really does have a nice note of leather in the dry down.
-Thoroughly enjoying the scent of Johnsen's Lavender Chamomile baby powder, really theraputic.
-Neutrogen's new UltraSheer Dry-Touch Sunblock has the most incredible scent not beachy at all, but rather cool and refreshing, crushed green leaves and waterlily, I was really impressed putting it on this morning.

Continuing the water theme here is Bjork's Oceania (she is so wonderful!):

image provided by artmagick.com

image: The Water Nixie by Herbert Draper 1898

video uploaded by dancedanceToki

The Birth of Cool and AMC's Mad Men

I admit I am not usually obsessessed with the style of films or television shows, every once awhile my attention is truly grabbed by the style I am seeing on screen. The first show that has captured my fancy in long time with its sheer visual appeal is AMC's Mad Men it is so authentically 1950's that I often sat watching it completely loving just the visual of it (not to mention the awesome acting and incredible writing.). I have come to appreciate the art of the show even more after going to an exhibit yesterday called The Birth of Cool which directly dealt with the style of the 1950's and all I could say is the set designers of Mad Men are truly worthy of admiration. I juxtaposed a few images to show how Mad Men capturing the style of the times.

enjoy. By the way I have for awhile tried to fragrance Joan (the voluptous gorgeous red head in the green dress in the top photo) for quite a while after a scene between her and one of the male leads, after he says she smells incredible, and it finally occurred I would put her in Youth Dew, it fits to a T.

image provided by http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2008/06/madmen200806 for Mad Men cast visual

image provided by http://grainedit.com/2008/05/07/mid-century-modern-design-exhibition-oakland-museum/ for Birth of Cool people
image provided by http://electricityandlust.wordpress.com/2008/01/21/series-review-mad-men/ for Mad Men official poster

images provided by http://www.cartoonbrew.com/books/birth-of-the-cool for The Birth of Cool

Van Cleef and Arpels is trying to kill me: A Midsummer Night's Dream jewelry collection

I don't usually espouse that a jewelry company is trying to kill me with beauty and theme, but Van Cleef and Arpels has A Midsummers Night's Dream jewelry collection and some of the pieces are way to damn gorgeous:

http://www.vancleef-arpels.com/en/van-cleef.html#/midsummer/

The one that truly gets me is the Pivoine necklace on scene IV, just utterly gorgeous.

image provided by http://www.midsummernightsdream.cjb.net/

SOTD: Light Blue

Quote of the Day: Lord, what fools these mortals be! --Puck, Act III, scene ii from A Midsummer Nights Dream

Today is the first day of summer, but truthfully summer started earlier than this day here in the Bay Area. Still I rather love the idea of there being an official beginning of the season and well the beginning of summer is always in my mind been associated with fairies. After all these years I still adore the idea of the changing of the season having a mystic and enchanted meaning. So to celebrate and do something I have been meaning to do for a long time I am visiting a museum. To help imbibe the beauty of summer I am putting on Dolce & Gabbana's ode to summer, Light Blue, and yes I have brought melon with me to eat on the museum greens. Lately I have felt the need to appreciate the beauty of the world.

Fragrant Thoughts: Basmati rice and butter go together so perfectly, the nuttiness is delightful.



image provided by artnet.com
image: Museum by David LaChapelle 2007

video uploaded by classical78rpm

SOTD: Parfum Sacre and Osmanthe Yunnan

And no that is not some sort of crazy layering you are reading up above; I started the day in Parfum Sacre and now in the heat of the late evening I am reaching for Osmanthe Yunnan. But the best part of this heat is that I am enjoying cold slices of sweet honeyed melon, this is one of the true pleasures of summer, nothing more refreshing that cold melon in the heat. Sometimes I forget though that melon is one of my favorite fruits until the hit heats and all I want is melon. You get caught in the stone fruit frenzy of the summer, but in the end I always come back to melon, maybe because on a hot summer day it can be such restorative medicine.

SOTD: Chergui by Serge Lutens

Quote of the Day: I have a new philosophy. I'm only going to dread one day at a time. -- Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown in "Peanuts"

So today is my first day of truly testing out the much loved Chergui by Serge Lutens, so far what has struck me with my sampling of it is the beautiful honeyed floralcy I get from it. It also has reminds me of the style the Madini Perfume oils (hint hint Madini is from Moracco and Serge lives in Moracco and has many times announced he takes inspiration from Moracco). So Chergui lovers I highly recommend you go sniff some Madini oils.

image provided by http://www.kimjoon.co.kr/joon/bbs/board.php?bo_table=j_2006

Duet-Tiger by Kim Joon 2006

SOTD: Bois des Iles by Chanel

Quote of the Day: And remember, no matter where you go, there you are. -- Earl Mac Rauch, from "Buckaroo Bansai"

To say I had a long weekend is an understatement. I attended two graduations (the big one being my boyfriend's), a graduation party, and took my father out to lunch. And to top it off last night I ended up getting awful stomach cramps. I'm feeling much better now, but that was not fun.

So I am finally trying out the legendary Chanel Bois des Iles, so utterly lovely and soothing, the first time I have ever wanted to call a fragrance aromatherapy aldehyde. This has one of the most beautiful notes of sandalwood I have ever smelled. It is also the first time I have ever wanted to associate a Chanel fragrance with fairytales, Chanel for me has always been thoroughly modern with clean precise edges, but Bois des Iles is Chanel's take fairytales, crystal clear but wonderfully soft, like sunlight through crystal.

And because I finally like Coldplay again (I really hated their last album) and I heard it all over the radio stations, and because I think it is the perfect song for George R. R. Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series, Viva La Vida:



image provided by http://www.animationarchive.org/2005/12/media-kay-nielsen-twelve-dancing.html
Image by Kay Nielsen from Twelve Dancing Princesses
video uploaded by daniloprudente

SOTD: Pure Grace

Quote of the Day: Elections are won by men and women chiefly because most people vote against somebody rather than for somebody.-- Franklin P. Adams, Nods and Becks, 1944

I admit I wish I could wear a richer scent today, but I have a job interview and the best I can do is wear Philosophy's Pure Grace (which I hope will some how give me some grace) and to help induce more grace I am imbibing jasmine green tea, and to try and bring about a little serenity the last of japanese incense sampler, this last stick having a definate note of hinoki. Most likely after the interview I will spritz on something richer and comforting. So wish me luck and grace.

And for some nice ironic goodness, Fire It Up by Modest Mouse:


Has one of me favorite lyrics of late:

Oh we ate all of the oranges
Off the navels of our lovers

image provided by artnet.com
image: Grace in Window Tanyth Berkeley 2006
video uploaded by mattyjtheoriginal via youtube.com
lyrics provided by azlyrics.com

SOTD: Infusion d'Iris

Quote of the Day: The murals in restaurants are on par with the food in museums. -- Peter De Vries

image provided by artnet.com

image: Bronzino's Blue Bird by Claire Pestaille 2007

Fragrant Thoughts- Incense

It's getting hot outside and I find one of the most wonderful ways to create a cooling effect is burning incense. I don't want the scent of flowers or fruits both imbued with the heat of the summer sun, but I want the cool effect of incense, the herbal woody smoke creating the effect of a densely crowded forest where even the summer sun has a hard time touching the floor. A dark cloaked serenity.
Something to watch while enjoying the coolness of incense, Neil Gaiman (one of the most handsome authors!) reading his poem Instructions, a beautiful look at fairytales:


image provided by artnet.com
image: Mantelpiece and Incense by Robbie Wraith
video uploaded by webelfneil

SOTD: Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus

Quote of the Day: I've done the calculation and your chances of winning the lottery are identical whether you play or not. -- Fran Lebowitz

I am a morning person which seems to be a rarity in my generation; I have inherited this tendency from my grandparents who passed it onto my father who has passed it on to me, where as my brother can sleep in until three and stay up until 5 in the morning. I love the quiet of the mornings, but I honestly wish I had friends I could meet in the morning at cafes. This segways into Sunday in that I firmly believe Sundays should be spent in lazy relaxation, in my case getting up early enough to enjoy the cool breeze of morning but getting a nice nap later on. This once again will be not happening because I am working. The temperture is supposed to go up today and I plan to wear Ormonde Jayne's Osmanthus, which so far I have only really gotten grapefruit from, but supposedly blooms in heat. In the evening I plan on enjoying the sultriness of Dolce & Gabbana's Sicily which is gorgeous in the summer.

Fragrant observations:
-La Maison de La Vanille's Divine Vanille des Tropiques is really made for hot weather, just surrounds you in gorgeousness.
-Azuree Soleil has a gorgeous musky drydown; I often forget the many beautiful stages this fragrance goes through.

The ultimate music of summer is Jack Johnson and here is If I Had Eyes by Jack Johnson:

image provided by artnet.com

image: The Lemon Song by TJ Ahearn 2007

video uploaded by Oniracom

SOTD: Azuree Soleil

Quote of the Day: Invention is the mother of necessity.-- Thorstein Veblen

So working on the weekend continues and get through this I am going with vacation in a bottle: Azuree Soleil. Can't get more relaxed than this scent, although hopefully the library will be calm with the weather being gorgeous outside. Later on I am seeing friends for dinner and a movie. Going to new tapas bar and seeing Sex and The City (I haven't done anything this girly in ages).

To get the mood relaxed and chill, Playground Love by Air:

image provided by artnet.com

image: Beach Activities by Claudia Williams 2007

video uploaded by iheartsofia

A rubied salad and dragon's breath

Last night for the second time this week, I made the Georgian salad, Lobio; to quite frankly put it I adore this salad. The irony is I have never been a big fan of kidney beans but this salad is something I can eat all by myself. It is a beautiful salad, looking rather jeweled with the red kidney beans, minced red onion, and the vibrant green of cilantro and jalepeno. I am a dragon with this salad I will eat it and keep it all to myself and because I do this I get some serious dragon's breath from the raw onion and garlic. But I must share this recipe I adore:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7870158

SOTD: Vanille Fleurie de Tahiti

Quote of the Day: If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.-- Ludwig Wittgenstein

Today I'm wearing something I haven't worn in ages La Maison de la Vanille's Vanille Fleurie de Tahiti. I suppose this one has been overshadowed in the years since the great vanilla awakening and well this scent has a great deal of memories attached to it; I wore this the first summer my boyfriend and I were together. It is a rich little vanilla with a boozy opening with a lovely ylang-ylang note woven through it and a rich sugery amber cream dry-down. It is a high calorie scent that I would suggest to those that love Annick Goutal's Songes, they don't smell alike but they are most definately in the same family of high calorie tropical vanilla orientals. By the way use this one lightly.

One of my favorite songs being covered by Arcade Fire, Naive Melodly by The Talking Heads:


image provided by artnet.com
image: Tropical Paradiza by Vladimir Manic
video uploaded by jfar23

SOTD: Clementine by Melissa Flagg and Fragrant Thoughts

Quote of the Day: Reality is nothing but a collective hunch.-- Jane Wagner, Lily Tomlin in "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe"

Today I testing out Melissa Flagg's Clementine, which last year gained some notice when it was being hyped that many starlets were wearing this orange blossom scent. I suspect this was being touted as the next Child, Kai, and Monyette Paris; the famous white floral oils of Southern California. Clementine is a cute very simple orange blossom scent and if you have floral issues like I do, it is quite indolic on my skin. The thing was I had great hopes for it because I am a big lover of orange blossom out of the white florals in the world this is the one that attracts me, but I have yet to find my perfect orange blossom scent. So the search continues...

A Few Fragrant Thoughts:
-I love carnation but carnation does not love me, I remember as a child wandering my grandmother's garden and loving to lean over and smell her carnations, but I have come to the realization that when used in fragrance it is basically a death wish for me except for Commes des Garcon's Carnation. Two greats of perfume feature carnation Opium and Coco and both are heinous on me because of the carnation.
- Gorgeous smell of the day: homemade tapioca pudding. delish.

And for some humor after watching both Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and I'm Not There in the last few weeks, I must include the hilarious mock-up of Bob Dylan style songs from Walk Hard, and here it is Royal Jelly as done by Dewey Cox:



image provided by artnet.com
image: Orange Shades-Alliterative
video uploaded by WalkHardMovie

SOTD: Climat by Lancome

Yesterday I had the sort of perfume find that well happens about once a year if you are lucky: I found the discontinued set of Lancome's La Collection of Magie, Sikkim, Climat, and Sagamore at Perfumania for $69.99! I almost made a whoop in the store. With this buy I have unintentionally ended up becoming a collector of the La Collection series, I now have all of them except the new Peat-Etre. Today I will be trying out Climat the most famous scent of the series. I find it interesting that this scent is inspired by the tropics, it really is a history in how scent of a place changes through time, these days it is coconut, gardenia, and tiare that reminds us of the tropics. Climat though is not centered around any of these notes, but instead reminds me of tropical rain. The scent is based around cool flowers enhanced by aldehydes and earthy vetiver.

Quote of the Day: Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. -- Mark Twain

I Feel It All by Feist

image provided by artnet.com

Green Banana Leaf by Nguyen Dieu Thuy

video uploaded by artscrafts

SOTD: Paris by Yves Saint Laurent

So the news is going through the blogsphere and the rest of the world that the designer Yves Saint Laurent has passed away, in honor of him today I am wearing Paris. The man helped to contribute to perfume history immensely with the creation of Opium and Paris.

Quote: Fashion isn't just to decorate women, but to reassure them, give them confidence- Yves Saint Laurent

an advertisement for YSL's Paris:

image provided by artnet.com

image: In the Pink by Claude Ronald Bentley 1986

quote provided by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Saint-Laurent_%28designer%29#Quotes

video uploaded by tylw

SOTD: Osmanthus Interdite

Working on a sunday is never fun, but I have too, and next sunday. So rather going with my usual relaxing scents (really sundays should be spent relaxing around the kitchen table), I have instead opted for the more up-beat Osmanthus Interdite. I imagine this leathery tart floral would go wonderfully with Japanese Kitsune aka the fox woman; a mythological figure I have always been fascinated by.

Quote of the Day: The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised.-- George F. Will


And now for a magical video, A&E by Goldfrapp:


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Image: The Fox Woman by Bertha Lum

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Most Worn in May: Infusion d'Iris and Osmanthus Interdite

Osmanthus Interdite is so utterly lovely it is scary and Infusion d'Iris continues its reign in fragrances I have worn.

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image: Deliberate Landscape III by Jennifer Scott McLaughlin 2006

SOTD: Pink Suger

So after weeks of floral loving I am suddenly hit by the need for vanilla scents, yesterday I wore Un Bois Vanille, which was just lovely. Today I was all over the place in what I should wear, until I found one of my samples of Pink Suger, and well no matter how heinous the name is, it is really actually quite good. To kick of the weekend here is one of my favorite songs by one of my all time favorite musicians, David Bowie:

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image: Candy Curls by Will Cotton 2005

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song: Thursday's Child

Music and Scent: Pete Yorn's Turn of The Century and L'Heure Bleue

The story of this connection between scent and music begins with a relationship, one that is now sadly severed. When I was a child I used to go visit an aunt in the summers and winters, and the scent of her home was Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue. She was ironically anti-scent, except for her beloved used of amber oil and crushed amber resin, she burned nag champa incense routinely, and her home was located up in the mountains. I remember the first time I dabbed L'Heure Bleue on, I instantly recognized it as a familiar scent, but I could not place it to my memory. As I sat in my truck later on that day with the air-conditioning blaring (it was summer) the realization suddenly hit me, it was the scent of my aunt's home, I felt an ache as I always do when thinking of my aunt. This reaction to L'Heure Bleue is not unknown, for many the scent is the scent of nostalgia with deep emotion. The truth is I cannot wear L'Heure Bleue, I admire it greatly, and out of three greats of Guerlain* it is the one I can wear that shows its true greatness, but the sheer emotional quality of this scent is not something I can spend a day in, it leaves me feeling emotionally drained and in that mood to look over photo albums and tear up a bit. It is the scent of the past in all of its tender pain.

Listening to Pete Yorn's Turn of the Century is to be wrapped up in the loss of a relationship when catching the random glimpse of lover years later and remembering the loss vividly through the fuzzy haze of twilight. The story behind the song is wonderful for it is not based on a relationship of Yorn's but on a fictional relationship. A few years before Baz Luhrman would bring Moulin Rouge to screen, Yorn met Luhrman at a party, where Luhrman told Yorn about the lovers in Moulin Rouge, Yorn was so taken by the story, he ended up writing a song. It's funny but Yorn in the end, got a greater depth of emotion from Luhrman's story, than Luhrman would with his movie.

As much as L'Heure Bleue is a scent of emotional pain for me, it also instantly reminds me of a woman in fur stole at the turn of century in the evening, the evening light coming through the mist and giving everything that blue haze, tinting the tips of that fur stole. And here is where Turn of the Century and L'Heure Bleue meet, they both evoke this quality.

This is a live version of Turn of the Century, the only one I could find to showcase the song, I highly recommend trying to find a cleaner version to get the full feeling of the song:



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image: Evening by Samuel Palmer 1848
video uploaded by MphsQueen
*Shalimar and Mitsouko rounding out the trio.

Music and Scent: You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse and Fracas

So one of may favorite songs is Amy Winehouse's You Know I'm No Good; the storytelling is great in the song and sound is well unbeatable. Today while thinking about the song it occurred to me the song is a white floral all over and a big one at that. At first when I was thinking of white florals I was thinking of something a bit tragic (I suppose knowing too much about Amy's personel life will do that to you), but upon doing a re-listening it is without doubt, with the use of bombastic horns, that the scent for this song is Fracas. What do you think?

Odd little fact: I was introduced to the song by the pitch perfect use of it in the advertising for Mad Men (one of the most amazing shows visually and incredibly acted). The song is the perfect for the main character. The preview is below:

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second video uploaded by webslinger

SOTD: Baghari

Maybe I jumped the gun when I said summer was here, it felt like it a couple of weeks ago with the tempture going into the 90's and higher, but now it is unseasonably cool. The forecast for the next week is the 60's and I feel rather silly bringing out my summer fragrances, but truthfully neither do I want to wear my cold weather fragrances. So i'm going with the warm peachy fuzzy champagne amber fragrance of Baghari. I really need to get a bottle of this one and test out the new Visa (adding that one to my to smell list).

Song: Burning Down The House by The Talking Heads

Quote of the Day: In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.-- Andy Warhol (scary how true this one seems to be)

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image: Hope by Chunhong Chang

SOTD: Mille et Une Roses

So today is Memoriel Day and I do not have any big plans, but then again I doubt anyone is exactly having the planned Memoriel Day here in the Bay Area. The weather is weirdly cool and overcast. Right now it should be hot and the scent of barbecues in the air, but the weather is simply not letting that happen. I'm celebrating the day by have a friend over for brunch, I'm making coconut pancakes and something else to go with it, I'm also thinking of making a strawberry puree to put in the orange juice, and a nice pot of tea. I think later on I would like to finish a book. To go with this gentle day I am going with the gentle scent of Mille et Une Roses.

Song: Trust In Me by Etta James

Quote of the Day: We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are.-- Anais Nin

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image: Jet Blue Collage by Simone Aaberg Kaern 2007

SOTD: Opal by Sonoma Scent Studio

So yesterday was fabulous, my boyfriend took me to this insane castle winery up in Napa. It is amazing the change of scenery as you go up the valley the further up becoming greener and more forested. So lovely. We later on stopped at anothe winery to have lunch and there was the lovely scent of jasmine in the air.
Today I have to work and I suspect it will be crowded in the library, the weather has taken a turn for the cold and rainy, which is shock in May and after the heat of a couple weeks ago. Still I plan on my first visit to the farmer's market today, been waiting for this all winter and most of spring. Today I will be testing out Sonoma Scent Studio's Opal, which is so far a lovely cozy musk, and later on most likely putting on some Euphoria.

Quote of the Day: Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies.-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Song: A Case of You by Joni Mitchell (0ne of my all time favorite songs)

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image: Pink Cloud by Julie Freund

SOTD: Datura Noir

So last night I feel like I had a celebration of the ending of my first semester of grad school. I had friend over for dinner, which was: moroccan grilled chicken (super tender from yogurt marinade), sauteed spinach (with garlic, lemon, olive oil, and chili flakes), lemon rice, and I made rossinis (strawberry variation of the bellini). She brought over lemon cupcakes with strawberry frosting. It was a wonderful time and great time watching the season finale of Grey's Anatomy which was finally good again. Today should be another wonderful day, my boyfriend is taking me to Napa for something special, he really is wonderful. Going with the exotic and lovely Datura Noir.

Quote of the Day: The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they're going to have some pretty annoying virtues. -- Elizabeth Taylor

Song: Paper Planes by M.I.A.

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image: White n' Blue (BOOK OFF series) by Tiffany Chung 2006

SOTD: Kimono Rose

Another very early day (teamship workshop at work), but later on will be having a friend over for dinner and cocktails, it's the Grey's Anatomy season finale, and well I have been looking forwarding to celebrating something. To help induce a happy attitude I'm going with The Thymes' Kimono Rose, a happy berry scent that has a rather sunny demeanor going on.

Song: The Moss by Daniel Agust Haraldsson

Your true value depends entirely on what you are compared with. -- Bob Wells

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image: Plum Blossoms and Strawberries by Cora Ogden

SOTD: Infusion d'Iris

There is something incredibly serene about Prada's Infusion d'Iris, it has a quality that evokes lotuses and Egypt to me; at least my idea of ancient Egypt (as a child I had a love for all things Egyptian). Layering it today with GAP's Spun Orange Blossom and Smooth Sandalwood. Long Day ahead and serenity is needed.

Song: The Perfect Crime #2 by The Decemberists

Quote of The Day: No matter how cynical you get, it is impossible to keep up. -- Lily Tomlin

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image: Lotus by Shi Ze

SOTD: Cuir de lancome

So I needed something different after the heavy floral use of the last couple of weeks and the weather is cool enough at the moment to bring out the rather divine Cuir de Lancome. Feeling a bit tired this morning; never a good sign, but hopefully will have a good day. I realized that Cuir reminds me a great deal of Bal a Versailles but Bal a Versailles is heavy on the incense (really do need to get a bottle of this one.). Have a lovely day.

Song: Mango Pickle Down River by M.I.A.

Quote of the Day: If life was fair, Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.-- Johnny Carson

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Image: sacrifice #2: it has to last (after Yoshitoshi's "Drowsy: the appearance of a harlot of the Meiji Era" by Iona Rozeal Brown 2007

SOTD: Osmanthe Yunnan

Some how osmanthus yunnan is evocative of peachy pink golds, just can't get away from these qualities.

Song: I Was Meant For The Stage by The Decemberists

Quote of the Day: Duct tape is like the force. It has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together.... -- Carl Zwanzig

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image: Nerissa by John William Godward 1906

SOTD: Azuree Soleil

The papers are done and I still can't sleep in. After a couple of weeks of intense brain activity which required early mornings and a damn bird that around 5 o'clock in the morning makes the most obnoxious noise, my body just hasn't taken in the concept of sleeping in. So once again I am early up in the morning. Decided of going with the usual wake-up of highly caffinated darkly brewed assam tea, I am going with the gentle brew of Ti Kwan Yin mixed with osmanthus (my own brew). The weather has cooled down to the lovely 70's and I am enjoying the airing out of my studio much needed. So now I am trying to figure out how spend my day. Long time since I had free time, to induce the idea of summer time relaxation going with Azuree Soleil.

Music: The Crane Wife 3 by The Decemberists

Quote of the Day: Marriage is a great institution, but I'm not ready for an institution yet.- Mae West

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image: Beautiful Love by TJ Ahearn 2007

SOTD: Narciso Rodriguez EdT

So today my boyfriend and I celebrating our 5 year anniversary. Explains all the romantic imagery and music, but hey it only happens once a year. Technically our anniversary was on Tuesday, but quite simply both of us were overloaded with school this week so we saved Saturday to be the day of celebration. I'm choosing to wear the sensual Narciso Rodriguez today, my boyfriend has always enjoyed it on me, and well I felt Euphoria would be to heavy for the season. This is such a lovely satin skin scent, everything about it seems to be about the glow of skin. Hope everyone has lovely day.

Song: Nothing Can Change This Love by Sam Cooke

Quote of the Day: Never be afraid to laugh at yourself, after all, you could be missing out on the joke of the century. -- Dame Edna Everage, In a television interview with Joan Rivers

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image: The Painter's Honeymoon by Frederic Lord Leighton circa 1864

SOTD: Osmanthus Interdite

Another hot day today, but luckly not as hot as yesterday. Osmanthus is one of those scents that just blooms in the heat which is especially true of Osmanthus Interdite, what can I say I must continue the osmanthus loving. I have also switched out my spring scents for my summer scents.

Song: Bachelorette by Bjork

Quote of the Day: It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in argument. -- William G. McAdoo

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image: Flourish Wind by Jiha Moon 2007