It's the 90s Yo But In The Future! (Basically Imagine Andy Samberg as Connor4Real saying this): Versus by Versace (2010)

I know it's been too long. Long story short: Wedding planning is an insane hobby that will take over your life and after you are done you have to recuperate. That's right I am married person now and thus I must go to Lowe's all the time and talk about scheduling maintenance (at least that is what t.v. has taught me). Yet, I finally have the time and energy to take care of this little blog.

Between the resurgence of brown lipstick and pants that don't cut off your circulation I think we can all officially say that 90s fashion is back. The funny thing is the iconic perfume styles of the 90s stayed around a lot longer than the fashion, remember this is the era that gave us aquatic, fruity florals, and the gourmand patchouli bombs aka Angel. The grand irony is and never did I think I would think this with a nostalgic gaze but lets face it once you have your nose assaulted by the upteenth "praline" sugar bomb of the current era you sort of end up missing the fresher fruity florals that used to populate the landscape known as the perfume counter. Yeah, I still can't believe I just typed that. So on to the perfume.

Supposedly Versus by Versace (2010) is based on the beloved Versus from 1992, from what I can tell the notes have nothing in common. The joke on this perfume though is if they released it now with the mention of the 90s connection I sort of wonder if the sales would be better. You're getting two different perfumes from the 90s with Versus, the first is the creamy fruity bubblgum musk thing you find in Herve Leger and the opus to that genre Light Blue by Dolce Gabbana what follows is a switcheroo into the Calvin Klein's CK One territory with a dry down of clean peppery unisex slightly mineral cologne.  It is bizarre yet intriguing, you want to keep smelling it just to try and decipher what the hell is going on in this scent.

In the end all I can think is this is what I always imagined the Spice Girls to smelt like. A lot of rambunctious pink and neon lime with cologne thrown in. A bizarrely nostalgic scent that decided to cover all the bases of what the "cool" kids were wearing.

First Image from NST


Second Image Chronicle Live

The Scents of Summer

Considering Summer is now 2/3 of California's year, I was bound to do this list. Sigh, grand irony I'm not a giant summer scent sort of person so part of this list may come off as one woman's attempt to wear anything that can remind her of another season other than summer. Alright, there are a few utter summer choices on the list, but I hope there are a few that seem little different.

Because Summer is Trying to Roast You Alive

Vetiver by Guerlain, perhaps the best cooling tonic I can think of. Wearing this makes me feel cool, calm, collected, and a bit forest-y. A prime example of why vetiver is popular in countries that are hot and humid, also perfect in hot dry places too. Once I run out of my decant of this will have to explore more vetiver scents.

Eau de Minimes Cologne by Le Couvent des Minimes, everyone needs a some sort of classic cologne in their collection for the summer. I recently used up my Atelier Cologne Oolang Infini and Bois Blonds and don't have a bottle of 4711 on me so Eau de Minimes it is for this summer. I bought heavily discounted from Ulta and it fits my cologne needs. This starts with the classic neroli with lemon, orange, and rosemary. It is fine and easy and finishes on a rather modern clean musk with hints of soap. Genius, not in the least but cologne in a middle of the day when crossing the parking is hell should not be genius it just needs to be refreshing.

Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum d'Empire, this scent blooms best in humidity. While I wear it throughout the summer, loving the tart apricot tea leather notes of the scent, only in humidity does the sweetness of the florals in Osmanthus Interdite come out and develop on the skin.

Because You are an Adult Who Works in the Summer and Vacation is Way Too Damn Short

Ao by MikMoi, what more can be said about this genius non-cliched take on a tropical mystical vacation in the bottle that is all serenity. The serenity of this scent I suspect is going to save me a few times this summer between work and school.

Songes by Annick Goutal, heavy incense, vanilla, and tropical ylang-ylang and frangipani, sounds like too much doesn't? Nope, the factor that makes it swoon worthy on hot nights is that super dry incense note that keeps everything in check. Sure you are in the tropics and the humidity has the flowers blaring but there is a dry edge that keeps it in check.

Elle L'Aime by Lolita Lempicka, perhaps the poster child for tropicals for the girl next door. Elle L'Aime is all about the pretty. There is no jarring note in this lime, coconut, and ylang-ylang fusion its fresh, sweet, and frothy. Yes, it sounds like a tropical drink and at first veers there but the use of ylang-ylang keeps the scent centered and no one will accuse you of just smelling like sunscreen.

Sicily by Dolce and Gabbana, I feel that this is the closest a Mediterranean scent will ever get to monoi notes that frequently define scents inspired by the tropics. In this case it feels like what if monoi was created in Italy. Creamy citrus flowers, jasmine, banana, spice, and sandalwood are what you would get. This scent is languid and suggests nap filled afternoons with barely a sheet on the bed.

I Need Something Different

Coriandre by Jean Courturier, cool mosses with hints of summer dust in the shade, sounds wrong but is oh so right with soapy aldehydes playing their role.

Gris Clair by Serge Lutens, cool lavender with incense and tonka like surrounding yourself in a cool grey mist. Clarity through the haze of heat.

L'Eau de Kenzo Amour by Kenzo, milky sweet oolang tea. Sounds wrong but somehow the rice pudding vanilla and tart dry tea note work it out.

Image by Jodi Cobb from National Geographic

SOTD: Dolce & Gabbana Red Cap over Spun Orange Blossom

So today is Monday and I will be spending it waiting for maitenance repair. As I right I have two cats trying to find their perfect sunspot. Avalou on the table sitting on a cupcake book (she likes to be next to me) and Henri on the living floor by the patio glass door moving his head in fascination at the movement of leaves. Last night I spent the evening over at a friends house for dinner and there in the company of two women, who could wear florals, one wearing the original Vera Wang and the other I fairly positive the original Marc Jacobs, and I was most definately jealous in a way only a fragrance lover can be. I have a hard time wearing florals, to put it this way I can make the most easy going florals highly indolic, example Bvlgari Jasmin Noir, as Grain de Musc points out in her newest article this piece is very light on the jasmine, put it on me though, and you have major indoles baby. I often wish I could pull on the floral category better because it adds such an easy feminine quality. Still in my years of exploring floral fragrances I have learned: rose usually is my best friend and so is osmanthus, tuberose and orange blossom are the white flowers for me (Gardenia is usually not), Jasmine and I are very tricky, my best luck with the note being Bvlgari pour femme and Coco Madamoiselle pure parfum, and finally my major florals are:
Le Chasse Aux Papillons
Bvlgari pour Femme
Mille et Une Roses
Osmanthus Interdite

And now for an awesome little music video, The Pierces "Sticks and Stones," very gothic, and had Buffy the Vampire Slayer was still around this song would so have been used:


Avalou approved scents:
Bal a Versailles
Magnifique
Burt's Baby Bee Apricot Baby Oil

Henri approved scents:
Dolce & Gabbana red cap

image provided by http://lacomunidad.elpais.com/la-mujer-poliedrica/2007/12/7/el-color-mis-suenos
image: La Dormeuse by Tamara de Lempicka
video uploaded by thepierces

SOTD: Light Blue

It's apple season, with all my complaining of the heat in the last couple of weeks, all the sudden on Friday I could smell and feel Autumn in the air, and that wonderful feeling has not stopped. My grandmother for years has been volunteering at the Gerrin Heirloom Apple Orchard, I went up their years ago as a child, and today I am visiting again to go apple harvesting. I can't wait; in honor of this occasion I am going with Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue, although consistently referenced as a summer fragrance, I find that I prefer this as an autumn fragrance. The gentle creamy apple note with hints of bergamot and amber, blooms so much better in autumn weather.
image provided by artmagick.com
image: A Devonshire Orchard by Hon John Collier

SOTD: D&G red cap

If there is a scent that Juno would wear with her peacocks in tow, I imagine D&G's red cap would be the one. Loud, brash, and utterly feminine in the most rightious sort of way. It has a really rare combination (at least to my nose) of using basil with peachy aldehydes creating a really amazing entrance for a big soapy womanly lily supported by sandalwood. Very va va voom without going into the territory of amber, high indoles, or super musk. I'm having such a weird white floral craving right now.

image provided by http://www.photos-site.com/a.html

image: Mujer con plumas by Flor Garduno 2000

SOTD: Light Blue

As the sunday tradition continues I go with an easy casual scent and Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue is the epitome of just that. The scent is bright and refreshing, but as it dries down on me becomes a rather delicious lemon cream scent. Perfect for summer and spring and early autumn.

image provided by artnet.com

Cosmos vs. Light Blue Sky by Tony Mendoza 2004