When Immortelle was the "It" note: L de Lolita Lempicka pure parfum by Lolita Lempicka

It you stay perfume enthusiast long enough you will find two things 1) Over time things you bought randomly or cheaply or both will sometimes become perfume treasures and 2) you will go through a few "It" note trends. L de Lolita Lempicka pure parfum encompasses those two experiences easily.

Currently in my perfume stash I have two bottles of L de Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka one in the original eau de parfum strength and the other in the pure parfum strength. These are both the original version before the reformulation and then the eventual discontinuation. I'll be honest I am still in shock that L de Lolita Lempick is not in production, it is excellent gourmand, and yet Lolita Lempicka seems to have never figured out what to do with it. It had only one flanker and then it was gone. Currenlty L is selling for a lot of money on ebay if it is original the pre-reformulated version.

 L de Lolita Lempicka is the perfect example of the perfume cycle, originally released in 2006 as the first new perfume from Lolita Lempicka it was never quite marketed right. The visual is a mermaid and the bottle a fun blue ocean hued shaped pebble with an oceanic motif. I love it, but inherently it probably confused many because inside is the ultimate gourmand mixture of vanilla, cinnamon, and orange all on a bed of maple infused immortelle. This is not a typical tropical beach scent but rather a beach scent for craggy coastlines or coasts that know all too well cold winter storms, it is sunny in that it is the bright light with brisk winds. I reminded of French coastline in Normandy and Brittany and you are eating an delicious buttery pastry of some sort.

More confusing to the average perfume buyer is the immortelle note, now this is probably the most likable immortelle you will meet but L has that heaviness of immortelle that probably takes awhile to get used to. Immortelle right around the time L was released enjoyed a brief moment in the spotlight, we in the perfume community were wanting salty maple laced notes and immortelle could provide that. L is the only mainstream release that I can think of and since then that featured immortelle but not much has happened since its release in mainstream perfumery with the note.

The scent was created by Maurice Roucel and is not completely original, it bares quite a bit of resemblance to his other creation Frederic Malle's Musc Ravegeur, the difference of scents was that L was more vanilla forward and used immortelle where as Musc Ravegeur was about musk and vanilla with spices and featured a more fougere quality. The thing is they are both examples of very modern perfumery, neither of them go through many changes on the skin but rather keep a constant reverberation of vanilla and spice going. Nothing wrong in that though because frankly they just smell really good.

L de Lolita Lempicka in the pure parfum version smells a great deal like the eau de parfum variation. the main difference being a tiniest hint of patchouli and hints of cocoa in the drydown. The citrus is more tampered down and thus the vanilla, cinnamon, and immortelle are the main stars. The lasting power is incredible and it is a scent truly meant for cold weather.

First Image from The Perfume Base Line
Second Image Ransom Mitchell

Pop Culture Fun: The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger

So I just finished the delightful confection of a series, The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger, and after reading the series for the last few years knew I had to do a post for perfuming the characters. It helps that Carriger assigns certain scents to her characters in the book that I immediately had an idea of what would go with them. So without further ado, here is my fragrance assignations to the characters of The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger.

Alexia Tarabotti, later Lady Maccon.
This was far too easy considering Carriger describes through Conall Maccon that Alexia smells of "vanilla and cinnamon." The first scent that came to mind was L de Lolita Lempicka, that absurdly delicious combo of vanilla, cinnamon, orange, and musk. Yet, in the last book Timeless when they were in Egypt, Conall then describes her smelling much like a delicious Egyptian pastry. I then thought of the delicious scent of Hermes Ambre Narguile which also uses vanilla and cinnamon, highlighted by powder, tobacco, apples, and dates. So for me Alexia has two scents: L de Lolita Lempicka or Ambre Narguile.

Madame Genevieve Lefoux
This also was a fairly easy first identification, Genevieve is frequently described of smelling of "motor oil and vanilla" and dressing as a man in the series. I immediately thought of Bvlgari Black, a scent of vanilla, lapsang souchang, leather, and funky urbanism. It is one of the most interesting vanillic scents you can try and immediately fit Genevieve. Yet, as I thought about it more I could not help but think that L'Artisan's Dzing! would be an excellent fit also with the use of vanilla and combination of saffron and leather notes giving it a rather motor-y quality.

Ivy Hisselpenny
So for Ivy I knew that her scent was going to have to be big, over the top, and agreeable. As much her style is discordant her character while trying to be actress-y as possible is also jolly and rather agreeable. I immediately knew she was Victor&Rolf's Flowerbomb, the scent of fruits, caramel, and really well behaved patchouli and vanilla yet it is extremely effusive. You know when you are in the trail of Flowerbomb and for the most part you don't mind even if it is rather ridiculous at times.

Lord Akeldama
To some extent scenting Lord Akeldama was almost like scenting Ivy, they both shared the need for scents that are big and over the top. My first thought was to Jean Paul Gaultier's Fleur de Male if there was ever a scent to hit the sweet spot of very sweet, fluffy, feminine, but kept some masculine qualities this is the one. The bounce of intensely fluffy powdery white orange blossoms with Gaultier musk just makes me think of Akeldama, but I would also add I can easily Akeldama wearing Classique, that spiced boudoir powdery floral of Gaultier's.

Biffy 
Biffy is the epitome of the perfect dandy and that is why I can easily see him in that perfect dandy of a scent, Guerlain's Jicky. That lavender confection of musk and vanilla fitting perfectly with his immaculate style and sensibilities, but by the end of the series Biffy's status in life has changed quite a bit, and I see him while still wearing Jicky on his days of relaxation, but his new scent is Dior Homme. That powdery iris chocolate scent that belie's a bit more power and confidence in his new role in life.

Professor Lyle
Lyle's scent was going to have to be simple, discreet, and very calm. I easily saw him in the easy calm creamy sandalwood scent of Diptyque's Tam Dao. It is unobtrusive but unique easily going with the character of Lyle.

Conall Maccon
This was a bit of a stumper for me, because well the reality is Conall is easily a character I can see not wearing anything at all, but I can also easily imagine at some point Biffy, Alexia, and Akeldama basically in their own ways making him wear a fragrance for events. So I see them choosing Burberry's London for men, a scent of peaty scotch and earth, an easy reference to the Highlands he comes from. He will grumble about it but I imagine every once awhile when no one is noticing he will sniff the bottle with a tiny very masculine sigh of pleasure.

SOTD: L de Lolita Lempicka

Going to spend the day in the lovely embrace of L de Lolita Lempicka, the weather is cold, and there is nothing like the embrace of vanilla, spices, oranges, and delicious musk to make you feel cozy.

Tried a spritz of Mitsouko on today and well it isn't smelling that bad, in fact it is actually smelling good, I wonder what happened?

Kitten update: The baby I chose is the little golden eyed wild cat looking kitten. It was really hard, they were both adorable, but she just caught my attention with her prideful little attitude, she already considers herself a queen, her exploration was hilarious, tried to eat giant dog biscuit, gave up and tried to eat chocolate, my kind've girl. Realization: I like a little bit of a bratty attitude in a cat, mind you she was still very affectionate and a purrer. I admit I am rather smitten and I can't wait to get her next Thursday. She has a sort of adorableness that is just too cute. If I could have I would have taken the other kitten too, she was such an utter sweetie.

image provided by artnet.com
image: Woman with cat by Geza Farago

SOTD: L de Lolita Lempicka pure parfum

The vanilla craving continues, today I am going with pure parfum variation of L de Lolita Lempicka. I'm going to be honest most of the time I prefer the edp variation of this; the notes are more pronounced and sparkling. But today I suddenly want the earthier parfum, it seems right on this glorious fall day, a mellower fragrance for Sunday, which is what I always try to go for. Hope everyone has a lovely Sunday.

image provided by artmagick.com

image: The Mermaid by Howard Pyle 1910

SOTD: L de Lolita Lempicka

Today is the last day before the tempture begins rising again, I'm taking full advantage of a wonderfully cool morning, and a comfortable day: I'm wearing Lolita Lempicka's wonderfully honeyed smokey ambered citrus sprinkled vanilla scent, L de Lolita Lempicka. This took close to over two years before it made its way to the US market and I immediately snatched it up when it showed up on parfum1; there first fragrance, Lolita Lempicka, being one of my first loves. This one of those beautiful buy without sniffing scents that actually worked. It also turns out that it one of those fragrances I prefer in eau de parfum form rather than more ambered pure parfum form. In the edp variation you smell variation of notes far more easily and get to enjoy the smoky honeyed immortelle middle notes, where as I find that the pure parfum immediately moves to a more ambered bottom with just a hint of citrus.

Another way I am enjoying the cooler is by baking bread, I'm not quite sure why but when I bake bread I feel like I have baked an incredible feat, especially when you use this recipe:
http://kitchenmusings.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/11/no_need_to_knea.html

Also, onto another cooking feat, I finally made good polenta, that did not require more than four stirs, how you ask? With my most amazing of appliances: the rice cooker. I am now becoming a big rice quicker proponent, you can do so much with them. Steam dumplings, vegetables, rice of course, soup, and polenta. These are a god send in hot weather country. If you get yourself one or already have one, I highly recommend you get this cookbook:
http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Rice-Cooker-Cookbook-Porridges/dp/1558322035
I ate my polenta last night with my homemade marinara sauce and well it was divine.

More food talk, sometimes you forget that simple ingredients, that when used with proper technique can make the most wonderfully lip-smacking food. Last week I made Mark Bittman's Green Onion Noodles from The World's Best Recipes by Mark Bittman: the recipe required about 6 ingredients fresh chinese egg noodles, green onions, chives, peanut oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce; most of use have these ingredients sitting in our cupboards. What I got was crispy fried noodles with wonderfully sweet bright green onions that tasted caramelized but were not. This was due to technique and not based on having perfect ingredients (these are favorite types of recipe simple with the ingredients but use a technique that really make the food a treat).

image provided by artmagick.com
image: Golden Light by John Atkinson Grimshaw 1893

Most Worn In February, It's a Four Part Tie Folks!

Un Bois Vanille by Serge Lutens

L de Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka

Euphoria by Calvin Klein

Infusion d'Iris by Prada

Vanilla image provided by http://www.browniepointsblog.com/2006/11/21/time-for-vanilla-beans-again/

immortelle flower image provided by www.botany.com/helichrysum.html

pomegranite image provided by http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/category/milk/yogurt/

iris image provided by www.themayfly.com/weblog/this_and_that/

My Top Vanillas (so far...)

Un Bois Vanille by Serge Lutens
Serge Lutens' Un Bois Vanille is a nectourous wooded vanilla. It is adult vanilla that calls up the taste of things not enjoyed as a child, but none the less are sweet desserts. Burnt Caramel, dark chocolate, the tangiest of yogurts drizzled with aromatic honey, and spiced wine; all desserts better enjoyed by an adult tongue ready to appreciate the bittersweet.

Organza Indecence by Givenchy
This is the scent of the esoteric, comfort, and lust meeting. It is the scent of a snowy forest laced with smoke and incense, but encompassed by the all encompassing warmth of dry creamy vanilla. It is the warmth of fur and skin on the coldest of nights.

L de Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka

This is a heady sweet zingy vanilla that does not veer into girlishness by including the exotic smoky mapley note of immortelle. It is the scent of the beach at night with a tango in the firelight, sweet and womanly.

My top three vanillas by an admitted vanilla lover. And as it goes with all vanilla lovers I am still looking for more vanillas.

All images provided by artnet.com

Curry Seas by Tim McDowell

Aspens by a Lake by Eliot Porter

Sea Goddess by TJ Ahearn