The Prettiest Girl In The Room: Lolita Lempicka L'Eau En Blanc

Sometimes you forget you like pretty, like the easy pretty, where there is frankly nothing else but pretty going on. As a scent lover this is even easier to forget because most of the time your passions are for the things that are less easy because you are rather sick of the banal. You confuse banal with pretty. This is a sad confusion which I easily blame on the crap that is usually on the mass market perfume counters that is called "pretty." A good deal of the time it is banal, so you frequently pass it by with good reason, but in doing so you end up becoming jaded to the idea of a pretty fragrance. At least I have, maybe others not so much, but I frequently forget I like pretty scents. And then every once in awhile I am wonder struck by one because it makes me remember that pretty can be really good in a scent.

Maybe I should back up for a moment and also mention that pretty is frequently equated with floral perfumes and pure floral perfumes have always been a very small legion I get along with. Other people wear them beautifully but for me screechy can frequently happen, the pretty getting outweighed by whatever off note chose to manifest on my skin, that then causes me discord.

Lolita Lempicka L'Eau En Blanc is pretty, it's not banal, but you know what neither is it going to cause argument. What it is a springtime variation of Lolita Lempicka the original scent. Take the notes down that could be too much in warm weather and instead heighten the violet and iris note, let a little greenery enter the scent. Accent the almond note with more heliotrope then heighten it just a little with the tint of raspberry, the raspberry is used with a perfect hand never overwhelming the fragrance but rather it flutters around the edges of the almond meringue scent in L'Eau En Blanc. The raspberry also tones down the white musk note giving it a fruity edge that allows for the powder of the scent to mingle easily with sweet notes of the perfume. Finally keep that delicious tonka, vanilla, and vetiver mix of the original but let it be lightened up by the musk and iris.

What you end up having is a very pretty scent that is still interesting but allows the wearer to feel a little more at ease in the heat of Spring and Summer, the iris and violet are allowed to show their cooling properties but the gourmand qualities of Lolita Lempicka are still allowed to play.

Try if you Falling In Love by Philosophy, Trussardi Jeans for her, Lieu de Reves by Sonoma Scent Studio, or Apres L'Ondee by Guerlain.

first image from punmiris.com
Second image from metmuseum.org

Next Week Is All About The Pretty

Next week I will be celebrating "pretty" perfumes. You know the ones that have no hard edges and don't require a thesis on why they are brilliant but rather you sniff them and immediately thing "Mmm, that smells good."

image from kinfolk.com

The Children of PHI Une Rose de Kandahar: Rose Flash and Vanilla Flash by Tauerville Perfumes aka Andy Tauer

It should be at this point stated that Andy Tauer loves roses. He has created multiple scents dedicated to roses. And one of his great opus roses is the rather elusive PHI Une Rose de Kandahar. A gorgeous gourmand fougere rose. It is a rose that tackles apricots, tobaccos, cinnamon almond pastries, and musky herbal goodness. It is a big opulent scent worthy of praise. It is also on the elusive side of acquiring, the rose used in it is hard to obtain, Andy has always been up front about the fact the scent cannot be constant in his offerings.

I am going to make the argument that PHI Une Rose de Kandahar has been very inspiring for Andy Tauer and that technically it has inspired two flankers: Rose Flash and Vanilla Flash. I know flankers if bit of divisive term because it usually means "crap" but sometimes someone actually uses it properly and creates fragrances that have a clear pedigree to another fragrance but are definitely fragrances of their own.

The first is Rose Flash, perhaps one of the most gourmand roses out on the market. I will also say the price is beyond generous in what you are getting. In this case if you have smelled PHI you will remember that it starts with a gorgeous sweet mix of apricot, cinnamon almond pastry, and rose. This opening is so delicious and makes an excellent argument for roses and stone fruits supported by cinnamon pastry. With Rose Flash, Tauer amps the fruit and rose idea, which he has also played with in Une Rose Vermeille (that scent a combo of rose and raspberry), here we are treated to roses, peaches, berries, and spicy vanilla all with that touch of ambregris effusiveness. The connection to PHI in Rose Flash is the marriage of rose and stone fruit, here the aspect is more peachy than apricot, but still it is the lush jam of roses and peaches echoing the apricot rose jam beginning of PHI. The further proof of heritage is the eventual dry down of Rose Flash that echoes the tobacco and vanilla found in PHI.

Rose Flash ends on a bed of tobacco, vanilla, and ambergris and from that bed does Vanilla Flash jump. Vanilla Flash amps up the spicy decadent cinnamon pastry note found in PHI. If you love that moment where PHI is cinnamon almond pastry with hints of rosewater then Vanilla Flash is for you. The beginning is vanilla and cinnamon, it is big, but then quickly enters that delightful rose note, a clear echo of the rose in Rose Flash. Vanilla Flash eventually ends in blend of vanilla, spices, tobacco, and the ever present ambergris note. The connection to PHI smelled in the tobacco and ambergris blend.

At this point I am hoping for Almond Flash and Apricot Flash.  What I find interesting when doing a comparison of all three of these perfumes, is that word "Flash" is excellent in describing the Flash series of scents because they are flashier than PHI. PHI is a smoother more subdued scent, where as the Flash series of scents is about quickly announcing themselves and getting to the point. They are delightful in their pointed assertiveness, they are obviously the more boisterous children of the more melodious PHI. There is no doubt that PHI is the more sophisticated scent of the three and the more sensual with the addition of a prominent musk note, but for sheer playful delight the Flash series wins.

First Image: Andy Tauer

The Weirdest Scent In My Collection: Un Jardin Apres La Mousson by Hermes

Yes, you read that correctly the weirdest scent in my collection is from Hermes Un Jardin series, which is essentially for the most part fairly easy going and pleasant. The scents are interesting, but weird is not an attribute you give them.

What makes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson such a little oddity is that it plays with the idea of fruit and savory notes. For me it is close to the equivalent of one of my favorite combos in the summer for when the days are absurdly hot. Chilled watermelon sprinkled with chili powder and salt and a squeeze of lime or lemon. My boyfriend's mother prefers her's with a sprinkle of cumin seed and salt instead. So what does Mousson do? Mousson is the combination of cardamom, ginger, and watermelon, it sounds intense, but it isn't. Jean-Claude Ellena is able to do an incredible balancing act of juicy watermelon combined with spicy cardamom all on a bed of vetiver.  It is light, tangy, and spicy, with watery notes. Some have accused it of being re-interpretation of the 1990s aquatics but those things always gave me a headache where as Mousson does not. It is a fruity scent that never tips itself into the banal category. I find it refreshing and cooling.

Try if you like: Ao by MikMoi, Voyage d'Hermes by Hermes, or Declaration by Cartier.

First image from Olfactoria's Travels
Second Image Caribbean Gal

Enter the King's Forest: Konig by Yosh

I grew up with wood smoke, mountains, and wilderness. In the winter our coats smelled of wood smoke and for me that is the ultimate evocation of the colder seasons.  If you can also evoke the scent of damp chilly woods even better.

The books I loved the most when I was younger were fantasies with heavy fairy tale/ folk lore elements. I adored the dark primal qualities they had with hints of the sinister and the mystical. These qualities I am describing are not easily found in perfumes. Perfumes usually go with other story lines, the uber-sensual taking up most conversation, yet if you enter the sphere of indie/niche perfumes you find that sometimes a perfumer goes down less known path.

Konig by Yosh is a perfume that goes down a different path. It is a scent that evokes the images of forests at the cusp of before turning into winter. The cold rains of Autumn have come already, there is barely a bedraggled leaf on a tree and only the oldest overly ripe moldering fruit is left on the branch. There are mists at the edge of each day. Yosh has created the dark fairy tale country in Konig.

 The scent begins with the lightest note of  Autumn, a beautiful fleeting apple note. From there the perpetual scent of smoke, woods, and leather enter.  Here I am reminded of lapsang souchong tea that has been mixed with cold woods. As the wood smoke calms down on the skin what emerges is the tangy note of vetiver, it smooths out the leather and smoke. Yosh creates perfect balancing act with the use of vetiver, it keeps the leather and smoke smooth and reigned in. Eventually the evergreen notes of the scent are allowed to emerge, they are natural and subtle. Konig is a wearable dark fairy tale.

Try Yosh's Konig if you like Ormonde Jayne Woman, Guerlain's Vetiver, or Knize Ten.

image Greg Shield

Lipstick and Loukhoum: Traversee du Bosphore by L'Artisan

Traversee du Bosphore by L'Artisan is an odd one. I like it but as many have pointed out the qualities it aspires to create, a marketplace in Istanbul, is not what the user actually gets.

So what are you actually getting with Traversee du Bosphore? Imagine an expensive suede handbag with an owner who frequently carelessly tosses expensive lipstick, tobacco, makeup powder, and fruity loukhoum into it. The purse is a mess inside but the mess smells good. The rosy chewy scent of expensive lipstick is supported by a powdery fruit note from loukhoum, and in the background with the lightest touch is suede and tobacco. It is a scent that hints at the gourmand but is not actually a gourmand scent, it is a fairly easy going scent, that uses divisive notes. Overall it is a balanced scent nothing is overpowering the other. It is a bit Chanel like in that the blending is the point; no one note is blaring above the others. It feels like a weird take on the lipstick rose genre scent. Instead of violets, loukhoum takes their place and instead of pure makeup powder to support the lipstick, it has been mixed with powdery tobacco and suede. It is basically the scent of lipstick at a bar.

Try if like Frederic Malle's Lipstick Rose, Etat Libre d'Orange's Putain des Palaces, or Vivienne Westwood's Anglomania.

image Slava Fokk

Taken With Indigo and Dusk or How I know I Like A Musk: Rasa by Ava Luxe

There is a pretty easy test for me to tell if I like a musk, the scent reminds me of indigo and dusk. I have no idea why I associate a good sensual musk with indigo and dusk but I do. I think it may be because I associate otherworldly with dusk and dark blues with violet edges and good musk for me should smell otherworldly. I am aware of the irony considering musks are meant to enhance the scent of our skin...but for me a good musk is supposed to smell like enchantment. For me Ava Luxe's Rasa is one of those dusky indigo musks.

Ava Luxe's Rasa is dark sensual musk that also balances itself with with an absurd creamy lightness. I am always a bit shocked by how easy it is for me to wear but it is. The musks are balanced perfectly with a creamy iris and earthy labdanum, the ambregris offering its beautiful diffusiveness so that scent lingers around the wearer at a comfortable distance. Yet, I never feel like I am overbearing in this scent nor do I feel torrid. While it is no doubt sensual with its reminder of bare skin it does not make me feel as though I have spent the afternoon in bed with a lover. It is a wonderfully serene scent for me.

Try Ava Luxe's Rasa if you like Kiehl's Musk, Serge Luten's Clair de Musc, Sonoma Scent Studio, or Serge Lutens Gris Clair.

image by George Barbier

Do You Need A Rose? Consider Sonoma Scent Studio

I think it can be established by now that I love rose scents, but as we all know getting a good rose scent can require some sampling, and every rose lover wants a certain quality of rose accentuated. If you are looking for a new rose scent, then please consider Sonoma Scent Studio, and the three rose scents offered. The quality of scents are superb.

For the lovers of true rose, you know the kind, the one that is fresh, green, dewy, and reminds of rose gardens, consider Velvet Rose. Velvet Rose is a true rose and a lovely one. It is blatantly about rosiness and nothing else. The spice, zest, greenness, and dewiness of a rose at the height of its bloom are accentuated beautifully. The base is clean musk that is deepened with sandalwood, the rose is the shining star still, but wafts are akin to tea roses, and rosewater. If you want big glorious dewy rose then this is the scent for you.

Try Velvet Rose if you: Paris by Yves Saint Laurent, the 1000 Roses line by Andalou, and Bvlgari Pour Femme.

I don't think Rose Volupte could be more aptly named, for it truly is a voluptuous rose scent. Rose Volupte starts off with an enveloping scent of roses, powder, lemon, and plum the vintage inspiration of this scent is announced immediately. The rose then becomes mildly spiced and then the enveloping final stage of rose, ambregris, and oakmoss. And truly this is the enveloping, imagine rich fabrics, and concerts. Very romantic and dramatic.

Try Rose Volupte if you like L'Arte di Gucci, Chanel Bois des Iles, and the original Agent Provocateur.

The last rose offering by Sonoma Scent Studio is my favorite, Rose Musc. Rose Musc is a very thousand and one nights scent to me. Like all my favorite musk scents it evokes the color of a indigo sky at dusk. The rose is lush and perfectly balanced with smooth creamy musk that has a gorgeous depth of labdanum and the added luminous quality of ambregris. This a mystic scent to me.

Try Rose Musc if you like Ava Luxe's Rasa, Montale's Musk to Musk, or Lancome's Mille and Une Roses.

Image 'Follow the Roses' by Perla Maarek

Give It A Little Heat And You Are Good To Go: Pepper Ylang by Smell Bent

I like ylang ylang. I feel at times it is the forgotten tropical floral, everyone either loves jasmine, gardenia, or plumeria but for me it is ylang ylang. On the other hand ylang ylang is a bit of a weirdo smell. It is cold, pungent, at times described as rubbery or like cold cream. More often ylang ylang is a supporting player take for example Chanel No.5. The most known prominent ylang ylang scent though is not a perfume but rather Nivea's original scent, a heady mix of ylang ylang and rose with other delightful notes. Either way as you can see ylang ylang is all over the place.

So what is Pepper Ylang by Smell Bent like? Well, first let me share how excited I am that someone has done another ylang ylang perfume, because there really are not that many around. I think Smell Bent has put out a really nice little scent that shows someone obviously loves ylang ylang there. The scent starts with a full lovely ylang ylang note which I found works best when there is a little heat in the air, with heat it blooms on the skin, and offers an airy quality that reminds me of seaside and sand, but with no coconut. The pepper note offers a really interesting spiciness that emphasizes the hot cold effect in ylang ylang. The base of sandalwood, myrrh, and vanilla are just the right amount of sweetness and woods and meld into skin easily. What I really like about this scent is that it is not too sweet, the creamy woods work wonderfully to enhance the ylang ylang note. I am highly tempted to get a full bottle of this for the summer.

Try Pepper Ylang if you like Eau Moheli by Diptyque, Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder, or Yin and Ylang by Sonoma Scent Studio.

Image by Conrad Roset

Putting Spring in Your Perfume

In California it has been Spring for awhile, so I have actually had the chance to get out my spring perfumes, and really figure out which ones are the most spring-ful to me. So without further nattering my picks for Spring. Also, this following list is only for perfumes still in production.

1. Elie Saab Le Parfum. Do you need a resplendent orange blossom with a bit of earthy cedar and honey? Which is also easy to find? Then pick up the original Elie Saab scent. You will glow in this scent and get compliments. It is the best orange blossom on the mass market at the moment and I still love it.

2. Jour d'Hermes by Hermes. Do you often wonder what a modern spring goddess would smell like? I suspect it would probably be this. A tart tangy grapefruit opening followed by a bouquet of flowers. The funny thing with each wearing I get a different emphasis on different flowers or notes. Sometimes it is tiare, other times freesia, in other moments sweet peas, and one time delicious musk.

3. Le Temps d'Une Fete by Nicolai Parfumeur Createur. A glowing yellow field full of earth, musk, narcissus, and sweet herbs. Utterly gorgeous and just makes you want to keep inhaling. A unique take on oakmoss that I actually like.

4. Cassis, Rose, & Sandalwood by Dame Perfumery. Juicy current and peonies followed by roses and woods, I am reminded of easier going L'Ombre Dans L'Eau by Diptyque. If you have ever found the L'Ombre Dans L'Eau too harsh and green try this one.

5. Trefle Pur by Atelier Cologne. Need to feel fresh, earthy, and completely classy? Pick this one, I am always reminded of rolling green hills and green ferns when I wear this one.

6. Neroli Blanc Intense Eau de Parfum by Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger. The great orange blossom gourmand, sweet and lively, this scent is for feeling joyous. It makes me think orange blossom cream and first stone fruit of spring.

7. Lieu de Reves by Sonoma Scent Studio. Rainwater violets, sweet rose water, heliotrope and with a sweet amber iris dry down. A lovely rainy spring day at a pastry shop.

8. Pepper Ylang by Smell Bent. The hot cold sweet scent of heady ylang ylang with a smooth drydown of vanilla and myrrh. A happy yellow scent.

image from ili-ili.net

A Dark Entrancing Vanilla: Vanille Botanique by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

It has been a long time since a vanilla caught my attention. Other than Jeffrey Dame's Black Flower I have not been interested in many vanilla fragrances recently and then of course something extravagantly gorgeous passes your way.

The first time I smelled Dawn Spencer Hurwitz's Vanille Botanique was on paper and it didn't really click with me very much, I kept on smelling the paper, and thinking yes that smells good but it didn't really tell me just how good it could smell. Luckily the shop owner of the perfume store I was at sent me home with a sample.

Vanille Botanique may be one of the most seductive vanillas I have smelled in a long time. It belongs to the genre of vanillas that are drier and not dessert but it is different from other vanillas in this category in that it is not boozy. It is woodsy balsamic vanilla with clear classical qualities. It definitely shares a heritage with Guerlain's Shalimar but thankfully has none of the qualities that makes Shalimar a gross beast on me. Rather Vanille Botanique is all about vanilla and amber tinged balsams, the vanilla remains throughout the scent, as the scent progresses dark sexy balsams are revealed. There are tiny hints of leather in the scent that give the balsamic notes an anchoring.

 I cannot emphasize enough how gorgeous this vanilla is or how sensual it is. There is nothing cutesy or girlish about this scent, it is a pure luxury vanilla. You are going to find yourself entranced. Extra plus this is a pure botanical scent and has amazing longevity and strength.

Try if you like Aroma M's Geisha Noire, Guerlain's Shalimar, Guerlain's Spiriteause Double Vanille, Jean Desprez Bal a Versailles, and Givenchy Organza Indecence .

Madonna by Alessandra Maria from Spoke-Art

Indie Perfume House Spotlight: Dame Perfumery

In a bizarre way I have a long history with Jeffrey Dame of Dame Perfumery in that my first perfume haunt in the heady days of the early aughts was at the message board Perfume of Life that he created. It was a great place to learn about perfume and at the time one of the few places to meet like minded fumeheads. Things change Mr. Dame went on to new projects, Perfume of Life is closed now, and the world of perfume lovers is far larger. In the years since it appears Jeffrey Dame has worked in many perfume projects but I feel that in 2014 he made the big transition, to what I suspect is a lifetime passion project, Dame Perfumery.

What I find really refreshing about Dame Perfumery is the enthusiasm, heart, and joviality behind it. It is very much in line with wonderful Andy Tauer of Tauer Perfumes and Tauerville, there is a respect for the perfume lovers that support them, and the appearance of joy in sharing their creations. I find this refreshing because while there are the great noses of the world that work for the big houses, the reality is that those of us who are perfume lovers will never interact with them and frankly they don't particularly want to interact with us. Dame Perfumery is of the new school though, that if you have people loving your creations, interact with them.

So what can you expect from Dame Perfumery perfumes? Well I haven't tried them all but I have tried four and I can tell you there is a definite common aesthetic in them. They are clearly modern perfumes but and here is the part that takes Dame out of the mundane there is real craft in them, a real value in note transition and transformation. These scents are about smelling good and enjoying yourself, if you are looking oddness look somewhere else but lets not think that means his scents are boring, they're not. They are tailored and as far as I am concerned tailoring is one of the great crafts of the world. To tailor is to know your ingredients and how they play with others. A finally tailored perfume knows how to cut the harsh edges and awkward angles but knows how to emphasize the best facets and facets should be interesting.

The first perfume that I had real experience with in the Dame Perfume collection is Black Flower Mexican Vanilla and it I am going to be honest it is one of the best recent vanilla releases. What Dame did with this perfume is frankly pretty daring when it seems like most vanillas released these days are either gut bombs or insipid cupcakes, he instead chose a middle vanilla, it's dry but not boozy, it keeps the sweet but the sugar won't kill your teeth. The opening is love letter to the iconic Shalimar in that it begins with animalic lemon tinged vanilla but then it takes a turn to the drier side the lemon is gone the musk backs down and out steps spicy dry cocoa dusted vanilla. At this point I am reminded of the lesser loved Guerlain vanilla, Cuir Beluga, a vanilla that wasn't about booze like Spiritueuse Double Vanille, but rather about skin and vanilla. Black Flower Mexican Vanilla is able to emphasize the beauty of musk and vanilla together, it is a common combination, but one that recently has been ignored and has been due for a reinvention. Dame Perfumery does a fine job in giving vanilla its sex appeal back with an actual reference to the muskiness of skin.

The next perfume I fell in love with is Cassis, Rose, and Sandalwood. So what are you getting with this scent? Well, for me this is a lovely take on two types of fragrances the berry musk category best identified with L'Artisan's Mure et Musc, Philosophy's Falling In Love, or Bath and Body Works Black Raspberry & Vanilla and my other favorite combo berried rose jam scents such as Tauer's Une Rose Vermeille, Keiko Mecheri's Attar de Roses, or the scent of LUSH's Rose Jam. Dame combines the two to make a lovely easy uber pretty perfume. The start is tart cassis, grapefruit, and green notes followed by a heart of velvety soft pink peony that is softened with musk and vanilla. The dry down rose jam with hints of vanilla and woods. The dry down is my favorite stage and thankfully stays around a long time, the longevity and strength of this perfume is excellent.

Next up is the spicy opulent brand new release Desert Rose. If you are a rose fan you owe it to yourself to try this scent. The opening is an intense rush of spicy pink carnation followed by a satiny smooth pink rose scent that retains the spice but blooms on the skin with musk, a hint of peach, and vanilla. It is lovely and sonorous and belongs in the category of queenly roses such as Neela Vermeire's Mohur and Jo Malone's Velvet Rose & Oud.

Finally there is Herb Man, Dame Perfumery's first men's offering. I like to think of this as smoothed out herbal scent, on my skin I mainly get sage, lavender, and rosemary that are supported by sueded  iris and vetiver. This is a very polished scent that blends well with the individual wearer. I think a wearer of Infusion d'Homme would really enjoy this.

What I love about these scents is that they are complete scents, they do not feel unfinished. Finally I must say that the price point for these is excellent and because he is a perfume lover himself, Jeffrey Dame smartly sells the perfumes in smaller sizes.

Disclaimer: I received these scents in a giveaway done by Dame Perfumery.

All images from fragrantica.com

Tackling the Classics: Angelique Encens by Creed

Once long ago for a song I got a decant of Angelique Encens by Creed. It was almost on a whim that purchase and now looking back I really wish I had gotten more. Angelique Encens has now been discontinued by Creed, in the weird Creed fashion where it apparently goes into their "vault", and is then released once a decade as a limited edition. Whatever, Creed. I will stop my annoyance with Creed and go to the actual scent.

Angelique Encens is truly worthy of the adoration that those who have smelled it bestow on it. It is simply one of the most beautiful delicate dry interesting takes on incense out there. The beginning of Angelique Encens for me is the sweet entrance of angelica, a note with not enough love in perfume as far as I am concerned, easier on the nose than anise with a green sweet gentleness that perks up your mouth when you smell it. It is then followed by a soft marshmallow vanilla and a very soft dove grey amber, what then follows is the most interesting use of a cedar incense. The use of the cedar incense offering a unique spark to Angelique Encens, it keeps the scent balanced in a world of ethereal and cool.

While many associate this scent with Marlene Dietrich, the scent was made for her by Creed, I have always had other images in my head with this scent. The softness of it so wonderfully hazy that it makes for something more comforting than noir. It is a misty gray scent, all softness, but never overt.

Try if you like: L'Heure Bleau by Guerlain, Jicky by Guerlain, or Chergui by Serge Lutens.
first image provided by fragrantica.com 
second image: Fumee d'Ambre Gris by John Singer Sargent

Easy on the Senses: Perfumes For When You Just Want White Noise

I think my relationship with perfumes in the winter is a bit like my relationship with holiday foods. By the time January rolls around I am wanting hot, bitter, sour, and brothy foods that scream this is vitality. I find these comforting but at the same time they are utterly the opposite of the rich dense foods that start in November and end December. While I wouldn't describe them as white noise they do offer the wake-up call that my tongue very much needs after all the butter and cream.

When January rolls around I suddenly crave white noise scents. I am needing a break from the dense spices, ambers, and uber-amped scents that go great with a a holiday mood but when work and soothing come into the picture are just too much. I like to call these scents white noise scents, many would categorize them as comforting, but for me they provide the perfect veil of scent without being intrusive like white noise they keep the discordant out but allow you to focus.

Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black oil, the perfect soothing blend of sandalwood and vanilla with a dash of violet. I am frequently reminded of Tam Dao when I where this but the vanilla and violet add just a hint more creaminess. This scent is so easy and blends easily with your day.

Auric Blends Egyptian Goddess, one of the best Egyptian musks out there, and provides you with an easy clean lovely musk.

Trussardi Jeans: rainwater, violets, irises, heliotrope, and almonds all on a layer of creamy grains. A cool and warm and effect that is instantly soothing.

Ted Lapidus Silk Way, a musky light heliotrope incense with hints of cedar.

image: Liminal Moment by Bobbette Rose via alyzenmoonshadow.com

Beginning the New Year

There is nothing quite like getting a cold to decommission you from smelling perfume and if it is a particularly nasty one it will leave you congested for a very long time. On the other hand in that time of healing and rest it allowed me to think about how I wanted to focus my perfume blogging this year. Consider it a sort of New Year's resolution list of how I want to consider perfumes this year.

*More indie perfumers! I cannot believe the amazing beautiful perfumes this group is putting out. In some ways I consider indie perfumers an offshoot of niche and many ways better. First off the customer service, the desire to communicate and see what people are loving about their perfumes, this simply does not happen with most niche lines.
*A focus on California perfumers. I feel like there is a renaissance happening here that I want to get to know. From MikMoi, Shelley Waddington, to Sonoma Scent Studio there seems to be really group of perfumers in the state that all have really wonderful visions for the perfumes they are putting out.
*At least one entry a week, I like to talk about perfume, consider it a joy, but between school and work I frequently lose track of it. I feel like I need to pay more attention to the things I enjoy.

image by Olaf Hajek

Favorite Perfumes of 2014

So the question is what perfumes did I love in 2014? Was it an oldie in my collection that I rediscovered? A new launch? A classic? I like to think it was pretty varied. Well, no it wasn't because there is a lot of rose in my favorites for 2014.

Velvet Rose & Oud by Jo Malone, the launch of my rose quest again, you would think after finding this beauty I would be done but I wasn't, instead it renewed by love of gourmand rose scents.

Rose Flash by Tauer Perfumes, it may be the best gourmand rose around. Andy truly did create something for the gourmand rose loving enclave. I was lucky to get my hands on this beauty.

Coriandre by Jean Couturier, I can only thank the lovely Perfume Shrine blog for this recommendation. The scent of summer at my family's ranch. So many memories found in this scent.

Ao by MikMoi, an introverted tropical, it's genius, and the perfumer is incredibly kind. This scent is so tranquil and unique.

Elie Saab Le Parfum, a radiant futuristic orange blossom that just smells so good.

Neroli Blanc Intense Eau de Parfum by Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger, the best orange blossom gourmand out there. Comforting and serene.

Ambre Narguile by Hermes, I rediscovered this delicious tobacco cinnamon apple pie.

Jour d'Hermes by Hermes, it let me have a spring when we had summer for most of the year.

Image by Monica Ramos

The Variations of Orange: Monserrat by Bruno Fazzolari

Do you need to smell something that smells close to the sublime moment of a seed sprouting in soil? If so you need to get your hands on Montserrat by Bruno Fazzolari.

This scent is for me that strange juxtaposition that citrus ripens in the winter. We consider the scent of citrus to the scent of summer at times but add cloves and you think winter. Montserrat does not go into clove combination but rather it plays with the idea of citruses out in the cold fields of spring and winter in California. In fact under the layers of grapefruit you smell the green buds of citrus about to bloom. Yet, what I love more is that he is able to capture the scent of citrus as you pick it from a tree the dry earthy green scent of the break between fruit and branch.

This scent is heightened with the intriguing note of plaster which appears in the dry down. With addition of this note Fazzolari creates a full image in my head. Think white walls of old farms houses in the countryside think in the style of Italy or Spain, especially the ones that may have a courtyard, and in that courtyard are citrus trees.

There is a strange beautiful quality of lushness and austere-ness in this scent. The grapefruit and citrus notes verdantly singing and yet the addition of earthy notes of carrot seed and plaster keep in grounded in a cooler contemplative mood.

Try if you like: Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne, Concentre d'Orange Verte by Hermes, and 4711.
image from Riochico

back with the beautiful bluster of a storm

I know far too long not to write about scents but life unfortunately takes detours with our time. For me it was school. Simple as that. The work, school, and personal life balance is so hard to maintain at times but with the beauty of the storm we just had I feel like talking fragrance.

Happy Halloween!

I was going to wear my usual Halloween fragrance today of Lolita Lempicka but decided to change up this year with Serge Luten's Five O'Clock Au Gingembre, the smoky tea and ginger scent has been calling me and with the rain today feels like a perfect combo. Tomorrow I will wear Lolita Lempicka in honor of Dia de Muertos, the anise notes of the scent perfectly complementing the anise scented pan de muerto.

Image: "Forever Autumn" by Jen Brook

Best Cheap Thrill I've Smelled In Awhile: Rose Oud by Laurence Dumont

I'll be honest I'm not an oud fan, most of the time I find it to be a note not used kindly, or even with much understanding. I like oud scents that are not really actually about oud for an example Jo Malone's Velvet Rose & Oud. So as things go Laurence Dumont's Rose Oud would not have been on my radar until I read a lovely review mentioning how rose forward it is and it reminded someone of Velvet Rose & Oud. So at the mention of Velvet Rose & Oud I had to try it.

Rose Oud by Laurence Dumont is not a dupe but it takes a lot of parts of other things to create something that smells far more expensive than it is. What I am first reminded of just for a moment of in the beginning is of L'Artisan's Safran Troublant's creamy saffron opening, it quickly leaves but it is a herald of the nice scent. What follows for me in the lemony jammy rose of LUSH's Rose Jam with a very light dollop of oud, this stage is long lasting and the most representative of the scent. The dry down is a fruited rose with hints of amber. Overall, Laurence Dumont is offering a really lovely entry into the world of jammy roses with touches of oud but without the ginormous price tag. Give it a try if you have ever wanted a rose oud combo that didn't take itself so seriously.

Try if you like: LUSH's Rose Jam, Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud, or Yves Rocher Rose Absolue.

image by Sofia Perina-Miller

Perfume Review: Ao by MikMoi

How does one describe such a transportive perfume as MikMoi's Ao? I think first I need to establish what it conjures in my mind. Ao is a tropical scent that has taken all the cliches out, this is not suntan lotion, or a pikake lei. It is not bright and sunny. Ao is a scent that explores the meeting of the in between areas: dusk, ocean and land, those ephemeral zones that have mystic connotations. So how does the perfumer Mik do this?

Ao creates a fine balance of tropical mysticism by ignoring the sweet aspects of tuberose and coconut. There is no doubt they play a role but the coconut is fresh and green and the tuberose is applied as though you are smelling it in a garden afar; it is noticeable but your face is not pressed into it.  He then layers smoky cade, a very green ginger, and woods around these notes. He finalizes this wonderful layering of notes with an airy mentholated note which fades but provides a luminous quality to the scent.

An interesting thing happens as this fragrance progresses to the dry down I get hints of green peach/apricot. The perfumer was actually there when I tried this scent on and he even noted that my skin had heightened this aspect in the scent, he surmised that I accentuating this quality from the tuberose. This little fruit tart note really ends up accentuating the smokiness of the cade and makes the scent even more enchanting.

Another additional quality I enjoy in Ao is the salty note that brings images of the ocean to the mind but thankfully does not make you think aquatic.

I never thought I would meet a perfume that was an introverted tropical. Yet, that is what Ao is, quiet and contemplative but full of tropical notes. It is not jovial and bright and talking about laying out in the sun with an umbrella bedecked drink. This scent is dusk, smoke, and water lapping against boats.

Ao is utterly unique and worth sniffing just to smell how someone can redo the idea of a tropical/aquatic scent. I really can't wait to explore more of MikMoi's scents and smell the new interpretations he comes up with.

Try if you like Serge Luten's Datura Noir, Diptyque Tam Dao, or L'Artisan Timbuktu.

image Mark Cross

What Made September Memorable

September went by in a frenzy. There is no other way to describe it. I started school and now all I am in is school mode. Perfume analysis is a happy oasis of not school and will remain so. All I can think of right now is school and everything else seems to be hazy memories. So a few good things I can remember that happened in September. Sorry for such a late update.

Books
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Once again I am in adoration of Rowell's talent, skill, and genuine empathy for her characters. Her world is kind but true, bad things happen, but that isn't the whole story for her characters. At times I saw way too much of college of my college self in Cath and it was both wonderful and at times annoying. Thankfully, Regan was their to keep Cath in check.
Astonish Me by Maggie Shipstead. I'm not quite sure what I expected but this was so much more interesting than I expected. 1970's ballet, ballet dancer defectors, and the question of passion and talent. Great read that was thoughtful and fast paced.

Film
Only Lovers Left Alive. I wanted to crawl into this film. Jim Jarmusch has created one of those most romantic films I have seen in a long time. Utterly enveloping atmosphere that is wonderfully lush, antique, and delightfully quirky. Hiddleston and Swinton have excellent chemistry and you definitely root for them. Also, the soundtrack!

Scent
Found the uber-real Wood Violet by Sonoma Scent Studio

image from Trendnista

Plum Quest 2014: Plum Cider or No.31 Arquiste for J.Crew

Had you told me I would be stepping into J.Crew to sniff perfume this year, I would have probably looked at you puzzled. J.Crew and I don't exactly intermix, but this year they did something that piqued my interest. They had Arquiste make them two perfume and they centered those perfumes around a really interesting historical event: Peggy Guggenheim hosting the first modern art show to showcase women in the United States, it happened in 1943. That is the sort idea I like, a perfume centered around women doing something interesting, I am rather sick of romance, seduction, sexiness, and the usual monikers of perfume themes that are directed towards women. Give me a perfume that showcases the awesomeness of Rosie the Riveter, Ada Lovelace, Hedy Lamarr, or Maya Angelou. I guess what I want is what men get in the perfume advertising: being dynamic.

So how does No.31 smell? The first thing I think of is cider, if cider were made with plums. There is a wonderful fizzy plummy spiced cider quality happening in this scent. The good news this is not at all childish smelling, it is grown up and quite classy. There is an elegant restraint to the sweetness and the Bulgarian rose note in the middle brings a hint of wine to the composition. It all sits on a modern chypre base but thankfully this is not a fruitchouli scent. The Bulgarian rose note keeps the fruit notes from taking over and provides a nice floral middle that rests on the rather nutty chypre base. Overall this is an excellent fall scent, I wish the longevity was a bit more, but at $25 the little roll-on is a steal. If you are looking for something interesting at the mall definitely give this one a try.

Try if you like: Bois des Iles by Chanel, Osmanthe Yunnan by Hermes, or Lush's 1000 Kisses.

image "Shades of Picasso" by Gilbert Adrian

An Elegant Musk: Chenonceau by King's Palace Perfumery

I like a good musk scent and from my completely random poll based on memory musk seems to like me too. Yet, a good musk scent is not easy to find. Frequently in this era they dry down to laundry musk, that hyper clean scent that is super crisp and at times can singe your nose with their caustic-ness. So when you find a good musk scent you need to talk about it.

King's Palace Perfumery has created an elegant and very French little musk called Chenonceau. While I'm not sure the scent evokes the era King's Palace wants it too, I can definitely say they get the casual elegant French quality with this scent. It ignores the idea of perfect cleanliness and instead goes to the idea of evoking warm skin in Autumn, when you are sitting by a fire, and wearing a favorite sweater. You are warming up and so is your sweater and from both surfaces the last wafts of the perfume that you thought was gone appears.

It is this interplay that I love in the scent. The musk of warm skin weaving in out of ideas at moments you catch a play of cocoa iris then it moves to a vanilla laced tonka bean note before moving on to a earthy amber. It is never overwhelming but it is present. It smells natural and very like powdered suede at times but before it can get too dry the tonka bean and amber provide sweetness. What I really enjoy about this musk scent is that it has layers but it is still identifiably a musk scent.

Try if you like Prada's Infusion d'Iris Absolu, Fresh's Cannabis Santal, and Chanel Allure Sensuelle.

Image: Peter Samuels

Plum Quest 2014: The Jolly Rancher plum scent aka Prune Jasmin by Laurence Dumont Les Senteurs Gourmandes

Jolly Rancher candies bear no real resemblance to the fruits they are based on. Somehow the makers of Jolly Ranchers have distilled the strongest qualities of flavor and scent we associate with those fruits so that when we eat one we immediately think of the fruit they are based on but know also this is not in anyway like that real fruit.

Laurence Dumont Les Senteurs Gourmandes' Prune Jasmin is the Jolly Rancher variation on the plum note. In no way does it resemble a real plum but somehow when you smell it you think, yes, this is plum, but the more you think about it the more you realize this is neon version of plum. This plum scent never varies what you get is bright Jolly Rancher plum with a hint of vanilla and it stays. This scent is powerful, you will get wafts of it, and hours later the plum is still blaring. I smell no jasmine in this, although at times I think I get a waft of that modern caramel note that can be found in La Vie Est Belle and Flowerbomb. So if you want a hyper-candied version of plum try this scent, if you are wanting something more layered and realistic steer clear of this one.

Try if you like: Flowerbomb, La Vie Est Belle, or Viva la Juicy.

image by Markus Jans

Pop Culture Fun: Alicia Florrick of The Good Wife

I like to analyze at the character of Alicia Florrick in three eras: before her husband's affair, emerging independence, and her current state of confidence and leadership. In her three eras I have identified her by what scents I think she would have worn during them.

In her era before she knew of Peter's affairs I think she wore Donna Karan's Cashmere Mist. It is a comfortable scent that signify's a certain amount of my domain is domestic affairs and I am very good at what I do there. Still it is one of the smarter maternal scents out there, the structure powdery and dry with a uniquely cool jasmine note.

After the scandal of Peter's affairs coming to light, I feel that Alicia probably wanted a scent that had more armor, oomph, and intellect. She was once again a part of the job force and having to stretch her intellectual and balancing muscles. With the new status of being a lawyer again and being able to support herself and her family I think she would wear a scent like Balenciaga's Paris. Balenciaga's Paris is a mix of violet in all its forms with a cool green mossy fougere note running through it and just a hint of sweetness from a very subtle raspberry note. It is a scent that signifies determination, elegance, and business all the things that Alicia embodies at that period.  

The the current era is signified by the key turning point in Alicia's life: her affair with Will Gardner. The affair demands change considering it allows Alicia to once again become sexual and completely lets her step out of her duty of being "the good wife." Her assertiveness in her life is more obvious and she isn't shying away from showing it in her personal and business life. For Alicia's current era of life I think she is wearing Serge Luten's Feminite du Bois. The scent continues the violet theme found in Balenciaga's Paris but this violet has woods, musk, spices, and plum. The scent is more opulent, assertive, but it is also sensual. It is not an obvious sensual scent, Alicia is never one for the obvious, but there is no denying that Feminite du Bois is alluring in its use of woods and spices. It remains subtle enough that no one can question the appropriateness of it but up close the warmth of the notes suggests warm skin.

image from Tvholic

It's a drop in the bucket, but it smells so good: the scent of rain.

Currently outside my window in the first genuine rain I have heard in California in a long time. The sound is beautiful. I hope more keeps on coming. The first rain for me is one of the most beautiful scents. It makes the earth bloom with scent; when I was a child, we lived on a ranch, and I swear when the first rain happened you could smell the manzanita berries. Breaking out an iris or heliotrope based scent today because they always remind me of rain.  Sorry for the lack of perfume posts currently fighting a cold and basically over it except for the stuffy nose.

image: Rachopin

Autumn Bounty

Today is the first day of Autumn, which for me is always a cause for a little celebration, it is my favorite season, and here in California probably the most elusive. It arrives so much later than in other regions that I think once it arrives I really make the point of reveling in it. So here are the scents I am looking forward to wearing once a chill arrives in the air and corresponding Autumn-like images I like to think they evoke :-).

Nebras by Al-Rehab. I have been looking so forward to this warm powdery floral in fall.

Anglomania by Vivienne Westwood. A spicy powdery rose scent with hints of leather, yet soft enough for everyday wear.

Arquiste No.31 for J. Crew. Delicious plum rose cider scent.

Traversee du Bosphore by L'Artisan. A strange wonderful combination of rosewater loukhoum, tart apples, light suede, light tobacco, and powder yet wonderfully wearable.

Geisha Noire by Aroma M. Spicy seductive dark amber and sandalwood.

Just a few of the fragrances I plan to wear. What do you plan to take out for Autumn?

Nebras image from: Sh3noonte
Anglomania image from: Anna Berezovskaya
Arquiste image Daniel Merriam
Traversee image Maria Zhelibskaya
Geisha Noire image Courtney Johnson

Brisk and Happy: Wood Sage and Sea Salt by Jo Malone

Had you told me I was going to like this scent, I would have guffawed. I actually smelled it about a month ago on paper and really did not think much of it. In fact I would have not given it a second thought had I not read other's reviews of it saying you have to try it on the skin because on paper it is lackluster.

So what makes Wood Sage and Sea Salt by Jo Malone so enjoyable, for me it is the buchu note. The first time I encountered buchu was LUSH's Ponche body wash and what buchu provides is a bright citrus black current hybrid of a scent, but thankfully no cat urine note. In Wood Sage and Sea Salt buchu makes a play between a salty mountainous coast and black currents. For me it is the best type of coast line rugged and full of forests and crashing waves. There is nothing tropical about this scent but it does evoke the ocean. There is a salty tangy thing going on that is rather addictive. I will say I do not smell any sage, in fact nothing particularly herbal about it. What it is though is salt laced berries on a coast line. One major problem though with this scent is the longevity is close to nil, you will have to mad spritz to get it to stay a little, and at its price point that is a big problem.

Try if you like: L'Artisan Mure et Musc, LUSH Ponche products, and Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil.

image from: Stefan Irvine/ImageBrief.com

Plum Quest 2014: Wood Violet by Sonoma Scent Studio

We grow a lot of plums in California. Now that I think of it we are probably the state that grows the most plums. The Santa Rosa plum was created in California. We are a plummy state. Going to the farmer's market here at the right time of year is like being in plum land, the sheer variety is amazing. So getting to the point: I know plums. In fact I like plums enough that I want a well done plum scent, something that bursts with plumminess, which if you are a perfume lover know is bizarrely rare to find. So I have started my plum quest, a search to find the plummiest fragrance I can get (reasonably). For an idea of what I am going to try or what I have deemed not plummerific enough check this post.

So the beginning of this quest has started with the wonderfully local Sonoma Scent Studio's Wood Violet. I would like to add how proud I am to know that this amazing perfumer is from California and creating some of the best niche fragrances out there. The quality is amazing and what I love about her perfumes is that they always feel finished, there is never a point where I think well this note feels off or the depth isn't right, they feel so wonderfully classically finished.

Wood Violet opens with one of the plum rich beginnings I have ever smelled in a perfume. This is a rich plum note, at full ripeness, the point where the honeyed flavor of a plums is the most intense. This opening is hyper realistic, I have frankly never smelled a plum opening quite so realistic. This opening stays around for quite awhile and yet what will catch you off guard is that violet comes in so smoothly, perfectly melding with plum that you are rather shocked when you realize it has fully taken over. What I find so interesting is that Laurie Erickson makes this transition so utterly seamless and they way she does it is by emphasizing the banana leather note you smell in violets and plums. The scent begins its middle stage where the violet is reigning queen, the plum is still there giving the scent a rather velvet depth, but now the scent is about violet. The scent finally ends on a warm cedar-y musky dry down at this point it is very akin to Serge Luten's Feminite du Bois but Erickson makes it even smoother there are hints of violet leaf  and a very tiny hint of spices that keep the scent very rounded.

Wood Violet is most definitely inspired by Feminite du Bois but where as FdB becomes a cedar spice musk story, Laurie Erickson decides to run with the violet, and let it be the major player in the story. Along the way she also decided to emphasize the role of the plum in doing so she created a riper lush scent that emphasizes the magic of a well done violet scent.

Try if you like Feminite du Bois by Serge Lutens, Jolie Madame by Balmain, or Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka.  

image from Sarahmet

Great Scent Disappointments

The subject of great scent disappointments is not about badly made scents. It is instead about the scents that everyone is getting something amazing from and it sounds perfect for you but once you try it, the scent just does not meld. You hype these scents in your mind, they will be the answer to perfume quests, and then they are utter and complete disappointment.

First up L'Artisan Havana Vanille, oh this one was going to be the dark smoky tobacco vanilla that I was looking for. Everyone was loving it and the note description sounded exactly like something that was going to work for me. The moment samples were available I ordered one, the moment the package came I opened it hurridly, and put it on expecting something akin to scent euphoria. I admit now that is a lot of pressure for a perfume but what I got was something akin to coca cola hay with a hint of vanilla. I could not quite believe my nose, I sampled it the next day but there it was, something that did not work at all on me.

The next great perfume disappointment was Serge Luten's Nuit de Cellophane, this was supposed to be in my head Luten's grand opus to osmanthus, I had in my head waited years for this to happen. Finally Luten was going to tackle my favorite note and Luten-ize it, but what I got instead was something of a screechy mess on me that was akin to J'Adore by Dior. I should have headed the warning of comparisons of it to J'Adore, a classic I have never understood but the lure of osmanthus in Luten's hands was pretty blinding.

The last great scent disappointment for me was A Lab On Fire's What We Do In Paris Is Secret and that was one hell of a let down. Other people spoke of finally finding the perfect almondy honey powdered rose tonka scent and what I got was a decent powdery scent but nothing magnificent. It just sat on my skin and talked softly of boring subjects. It was nothing to write home about or even mention in dull conversation.

So what have your great scent disappointments been?

image by Rikke Otte

Evening in Provence: Jasmin Reve by Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger

Imagine Annick Goutal Songes and Donna Karan Gold had a child but she was just a bit more soft spoken than them, what you would get is Au Pays de la Fleurs d'Oranger's Jasmin Reve. I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I tried Jasmin Reve. I admit I was bit trepiditious, I have an uneasy relationship with jasmine sometimes it can be screechy on me and other times an indolic hell, but Jasmin Reve is a creamy jasmine. While Jasmine Reve does have a prominent jasmine note it is more than that.

What makes Jasmine Reve a seductive scent is the use of a subtle smoky incense with vanilla this quality in the scent reminds me of Songes the difference though is the location they evoke. Songes takes place in a tropical paradise. Jasmine Reve is a balmy night in Provence, you can smell the creamy jasmine blooming, there is the smoke of clove cigarettes in the background, jazz plays somewhere down the street, and you have just passed a patisserie with its doors wide open. A gentle breeze rolls through the night air and because it is the perfect temperature it feels like a caress. Jasmin Reve is very much an evening scent it has a shadowy lush quality that brings to mind perfect inky sky evenings. It is one of the most tactile and sensual scents I have smelled in awhile.

Once again I am impressed Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger and the qualities they are able to evoke in their scents. What I enjoy is that they seem to really enjoy exploring the idea of comfortable sensuality, their fragrances keep the sensuality but don't blare it. If you are looking for weird don't look here but if you just want something that makes you smile, is well blended, and classic but smells different then give this house your attention. I would say their greatest strength is their understanding of florals. I adore that their jasmine scent goes down the road of floriental with incense and vanilla but still retains the jasmine notes.

Try if you like Annick Goutal's Songes, Donna Karan's Gold, or LUSH's Vanillary

This is what I imagine playing from that jazz club :-).

image: Marion Cotillard

Needs More Depth: Replica Beach Walk by Maison Martin Margiela

I don't think this is a bad scent. I don't mind smelling it or wearing it but I have some issues with it and the price tag. This is perfectly nice smelling, I can see why people like it, but at the price of $125.00 this is a real over sell.  When you spend that much money on a scent I hope you end up with something with depth, lasting power, and stages. What you get with Beach Walk is a very nice ozonic coconut musk white floral that reminds me of a really good candle. The opening is fresh and smells like a nice breezy beach this quickly dissipates to a heart of coconut milk and clean smelling white florals with an ozone musk support. At best I really like the mix of a coconut milk and ylang ylang because it is not sickly sweet but it is so light and half an hour later you left with clean ozonic musk that hints at the white florals but for the most part smells a lot like a scent that is coming off fresh laundered clothes. The thing is none of this is bad smelling but at $125.00 I expect depth, some oomph to this scent, but what you get is a little ditty that in an hour and half is down to a base that is very easy to find somewhere else cheaper. My vote if you want a nice beach scent that isn't absurd in price and easy to find go with Estee Lauder Sensuous Nude or Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess.

Pop Culture Fun: Kalinda Sharma

The Good Wife is one of my favorite shows to my shock. I admit 6 years ago when I heard the premise I rolled my eyes and thought that won't last and will probably be really really tawdry. Yet, it turned out to be incredibly smart, well written, and has 3 very well written female characters. Thankfully it is not your usual procedural and I think explores modern technology issues in a very smart way. Plus I love that casting is willing to use actors that are not usually seen as dramatic actors specifically Nathan Lane and really lets them try it out.

I really adore Kalinda Sharma of The Good Wife, although we shall act like the 4th season did not happen. Ugh. So much bad character development and writing for Kalinda but it appears the producers and writers have learned. What I adore is that she is played with subtly, they have allowed her character to retain her mystery, and yet we are given wonderful acting by Archie Panjabi that lets us see emotional conflicts that give us some idea of her previous life (we shall ignore season 4). I also really really adore that they casted this British actress to be such an utter bad-ass, because honestly I have to say I can't remember the last time I saw an actress of Indian heritage have the role of such a bad-ass on television.  My case in point is one of my all time favorite Kalinda scenes:

 Also props to The Good Wife for having a genuine bisexual woman on television.

So the question then becomes how do you scent Kalinda Sharma the ever mysterious sexy investigator? I actually came up with scent I think she would wear pretty easily: Back to Black By Killian. I was actually inspired by this choice bizarrely from a scene in season 1 that featured Alicia and her at a bar and Kalinda is drinking a Russian imperial stout (In my head it is Goose Island Bourbon County Stout) and while Back to Black and GIBCS have nothing in common scent wise, the idea of dark entrancing scent that had the qualities of liquor made me think of Kalinda. Back to Black is dark and entrancing with a raspberry liquor note used so perfectly to support the scent of honey and tobacco over a bed of ambregris. The scent is seduction but it is not girlish there this a subtly in the way it sits on the skin that doesn't make it immediately obvious.

A Tale of Two Ambers: Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens and Ambre by L'Occitane

There was a point in my early perfume lust quests where I was a serious amber aficionado it came directly from a childhood surrounded by the wonderfully crumbly headshop amber perfumes, many people in my family wore it. The truth is that stuff is still wonderful to smell and if you love it keep loving it, I think it is one of those genuine cheap thrills that worth keeping around.

 For years I had a tiny bottle of amber perfume oil bought at some random shop but I grew out of it, associated it with period of disruption in my life, and eventually gave it to young woman I worked with who at the time I think was trying to find something different for herself. As for me and amber we parted ways, it was weird, at one moment it was what I wanted to call my signature, and then well a falling out in the desire to grow up and put some distance between me and childhood loves happened and so amber was put aside. Yet, I was never quite able to trade those bottles out. Last night I was wanting something opposite of abhorrent summer weather and suddently out came my mini bottle of Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens and Ambre by L'Occitane. I think it might be time for me to return to my amber perfumes.

Ambre Sultan and Ambre could not be more opposite in their ideas but at the same time they are still both recognizably amber scents. Ambre Sultan is a dry weathered amber that recalls desert nights and old empires, it use the notes of oregano and bay in such a unique way that it creates one of the more original amber openings, it is arid and recalls mountaintops with windswept Joshua trees. It feels like wearing some sort of epic movie about sultans and power plays.

 L'Occitane's Ambre on the other hand is the story of cozy amber and cream. It is a warm kitchen on a crisp Autumn day where a apple clafouti bakes in the oven with plenty of vanilla and because the cook was feeling creative has thrown a few dry apricots into the batter. It is incredibly smooth and enveloping and strangely un-spiced but rich from the notes of tonka bean and vanilla. There is just a hint of tarry leather in it that always catches me off-guard but eventually leaves I see it as the old leather work glove that has been left in the kitchen.

Try Ambre Sultan if you like Femme by Rochas, Ambre Russe by Parfums d'Empire, Madame X by Ava Luxe, Organza Indecence by Givenchy or Black by Bvlgari.

Try Ambre if you like Ambre Narguile by Hermes, Voile d'Ambre by Yves Rocher, L de Lolita Lempicka, or Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang by Estee Lauder

image: Alonzo King LINES Ballet Dancers

What Made August Bearable

Let us just begin that as far as I am concerned August can be taken off the calender and told to have a time out. Too much drama and worry for one month. Still there are things that brightened it and made it bearable.

Activities
-Little mini Labor day weekend trip to Kansas City where I basically did nothing but enjoy KC's culinary tradition of barbecue, buy lovely little local food products, and most of all hang out with friends and relax. We do this every year and this year's trip was much needed. I think what always amazes me is just great and vibrant Kansas City's food scene is, there are a lot of local and amazing products.

Books
-The Year of the Flood by Margerat Atwood, second book in the MaddAddam trilogy, and well what more can be said other than Atwood is brilliant. Giving myself a week or two before continuing on to MaddAddam.
-Hens Dancing by Raffella Barker, a sweet easy summer read if there ever was one. Made me wish I lived in the English countryside.
-The End of Eve by Ariel Gore, I just don't know how to summarize this one other than, how would you deal with your sociopathic mother who is dying on top of the ordinary crap that life throws at you? Gore gives her memoir of doing so and well it is brilliant, tragic, and hopeful. Shit happens.
-Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast. I highly recommend to anyone with elderly parents and having to deal with the big questions. Hilarious, insane, but frank in a warm way that is never saccharine.

Film/Television
-Stories We Tell, adored Sarah Polley's honest exploration of how we see others and how the stories tell can be so different about the same person. Very touching but creative.

Scent
-Lavender, musks, and comfort scents needed them so much in August. Hoping to be able to at some point be able to break out some Autumn oriented scents.

Recipe
Atlantic Beach Pie; salty, sweet, and tart. Enough said :-).

Ear Worm

image by Laura Ballesteros