Wednesday, April 16, 2008
ysl M7
My favorite perfume to wear right now is Yves Saint Laurent M7, which is a freakishly earthy, woody, dark masculine fragrance, but there you go.
andy warhol union square perfume bottle
I like this perfume bottle. What do you think? What do you think the perfume smells like?
(image courtesy of Bond No. 9)
(image courtesy of Bond No. 9)
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
strawberries
I went to the Lake Merritt farmer's market Saturday morning and got a basket of strawberries, and just now had some of them with my lunch. And I am here to tell you there really aren't too many things better than the sweet, dark, creamy fragrance of slightly over-ripe California strawberries in season. This incredible smell doesn't come from the strawberries that you buy at Safeway; I think the difference is that Safeway strawberries are picked green in order to make them travel well, and the farmer's market strawberries go more directly to the consumer - they are picked closer to ripening, and don't have to travel too far. To do it right, you really should go to the source - to the Central Coast, where I grew up, and get your strawberries from a location as close to the field as is available. And the strawberries you want are those ones that are just hitting that edge between ripe and rotting - based on my empirical research, there is a very short window for this, of about one or two days. And then you have your perfect strawberries, and that wonderful fragrance, which must be what it smells like in heaven.
Monday, April 14, 2008
interview
A couple of weeks ago, Robin at NowSmellThis arranged for an interactive interview with Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, the authors of Perfumes: A Guide. Readers of NowSmellThis posted questions for the authors, and the interview is a series of responses - you can find it here. And a very entertaining read it is, especially for me since I am in the middle of reading the Guide right now (I have already broke the rule I made for myself to not read reviews of perfumes I haven't sniffed, oops).
I sent in a few, silly questions - here is their the response to one of them:
smelltheglove: Have you ever dreamed of a perfume, and what did it smell like?
LT: Thanks for the question, smells appeared in my dreams only a few years back. Until then I'd be smelling something and thinking it was pretty weak. Then in a dream I smelled perfume and it was exactly like Jeffrey Dame's Wanderlust: big, old-fashioned and very nice.
TS: Only a couple of times. I can't remember the smell, only that it was powerful. It's like when you dream you're reading something, a message of prophetic and possibly global import, and you remember everything about it (tone, typeface, paper, degree of eloquence) except what it said.
Love it!
I sent in a few, silly questions - here is their the response to one of them:
smelltheglove: Have you ever dreamed of a perfume, and what did it smell like?
LT: Thanks for the question, smells appeared in my dreams only a few years back. Until then I'd be smelling something and thinking it was pretty weak. Then in a dream I smelled perfume and it was exactly like Jeffrey Dame's Wanderlust: big, old-fashioned and very nice.
TS: Only a couple of times. I can't remember the smell, only that it was powerful. It's like when you dream you're reading something, a message of prophetic and possibly global import, and you remember everything about it (tone, typeface, paper, degree of eloquence) except what it said.
Love it!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
I sent fan mail
I read Perfumes: The Guide last night until my eyelids wouldn't stay open and today I am drinking coffee, blearily. Before I went to bed last night, I sent a fan email to Ms. Sanchez and Mr. Turin, telling them I love love love the book, but why no CB I Hate Perfumes or Demeter fragrance reviews? By golly, I got an email this morning from Luca Turin in response, the substance of which I will share: Mr. Turin writes that he feels that these two perfume brands "(very deliberately) fall short of being perfumes proper, in the same way that a sound is not music. All you can say abt them is how well they approximate the intended thing." By golly! Can't say I agree. Perfumes: The Guide includes reviews of similarly simple/one-note fragrances, such as the Clean line and (it could be argued) Jo Malone, so I still think it's an omission. But also a clearly-reasoned one.
my jicky
I am risking the discomfort of my co-workers today and am wearing Jicky, one of my very favoritest perfumes and one of the old, classic Guerlain fragrances that (as I understand it) haven't changed that much, in the last few decades at least. Some Guerlains are ridiculously, deeply gorgeous; others are so poignant they bring a lump to the throat; others are so mossy and sharp I have trouble being in the same room with them. Jicky is none of these things. Its mix of spice, vanilla and woods is similar to Shalimar, but it is earthier and somehow subtler than Shalimar, I think. The warm-skin quality of the middle and base notes could lull you into a sleepy feeling of intimacy, if there wasn't that clever little thread of herbal/floral freshness (lavender, rosemary and bergamot are in the list of notes) running through the thing to alert your senses and make your eyes fly open again. This is one of the most balanced perfumes I know, but not so much in terms of ingredients as in terms of personality - it is a balance of indoors and outdoors, depth and clarity, humor and intelligence. This may be an odd way to describe it, but it smells like a great-smelling person wearing a simple, great-smelling perfume. Another way to describe it is as a testament to a fine and easy union between feminine and masculine. To me, it is the smell of a life well-lived.
I like the name, too. If I had named it, I probably would have come up with something like "Manure and Lavender," which I'm sure would have made it fly off the shelves. And which is why nobody is eager to pay me the big bucks to write perfume ad copy.
I like the name, too. If I had named it, I probably would have come up with something like "Manure and Lavender," which I'm sure would have made it fly off the shelves. And which is why nobody is eager to pay me the big bucks to write perfume ad copy.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
I got it I got it I got it
Got my copy of Perfumes: The Guide today in the mail. God Bless Amazon! Or rather, God Bless the Amazon distribution warehouse, which I think is, like, 15 miles from my house.
It's over 400 pages, so I haven't *quite* finished reading it yet - A few first impressions:
1. It is fabulous.
2. I don't agree with some of the ratings so far.
3. As far as I can tell, they haven't reviewed a single I Hate Perfumes or Demeter fragrance.
Yes. Also, I have decided that I will try not to read the perfume reviews until I have smelled the perfumes. I've already read most of the reviews of perfumes that I have smelled. Here are a few choice excerpts from reviews of some popular/classic fragrances:
L'Interdit, Givenchy (lactonic floral, TS, four stars): ...much of its pleasure is the thrill of the retro, like watching a perfectly restored old black-and-white film and falling under the spell of that midcentury acting-school accent.
cKOne, Calvin Klein (radiant citrus, LT, four stars): CK One is not so much a perfume as a chemical time machine....The mix in the air is unvarying, and time forever stands still at 8 a.m.: the frozen morning of a day full of promise.
Lovely, Sarah Jessica Parker (cute floral, LT, four stars): ....Naturally, I approached it with the proper furrowed brow of the critic-not-to-be-taken-in-by-nonsense. Five seconds later, I was like Solly in Monsters, Inc., clutching little Boo to his hirsute breast. This is a truly charming floral....Makes you want to buy furry toys.
Dang, I was going to do my taxes tonight.
It's over 400 pages, so I haven't *quite* finished reading it yet - A few first impressions:
1. It is fabulous.
2. I don't agree with some of the ratings so far.
3. As far as I can tell, they haven't reviewed a single I Hate Perfumes or Demeter fragrance.
Yes. Also, I have decided that I will try not to read the perfume reviews until I have smelled the perfumes. I've already read most of the reviews of perfumes that I have smelled. Here are a few choice excerpts from reviews of some popular/classic fragrances:
L'Interdit, Givenchy (lactonic floral, TS, four stars): ...much of its pleasure is the thrill of the retro, like watching a perfectly restored old black-and-white film and falling under the spell of that midcentury acting-school accent.
cKOne, Calvin Klein (radiant citrus, LT, four stars): CK One is not so much a perfume as a chemical time machine....The mix in the air is unvarying, and time forever stands still at 8 a.m.: the frozen morning of a day full of promise.
Lovely, Sarah Jessica Parker (cute floral, LT, four stars): ....Naturally, I approached it with the proper furrowed brow of the critic-not-to-be-taken-in-by-nonsense. Five seconds later, I was like Solly in Monsters, Inc., clutching little Boo to his hirsute breast. This is a truly charming floral....Makes you want to buy furry toys.
Dang, I was going to do my taxes tonight.
my jacket smells funny
I noticed a smell today, and at first I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Smelled like old water faucet - you know that metallic, cold, slightly sweet smell? not a bad smell at all, but sort of otherwise incongruous with my surroundings. I sniffed a bunch of things until I located the smell in the woolen pea coat I wore to work today. Weird - it must be the remains of some perfume I have worn recently, but I can't put a name to it. Maybe this is the last little breath of Mitsuoko?
Perfumes, The Guide
I am counting the days (one) until Amazon ships me my copy of Perfumes: The Guide, by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez. I haven't looked forward to something so much since the last Harry Potter book. Perfumes: The Guide will include some good basic educational stuff, like the answers to such questions as "what's the difference between eau de toilette and eau de cologne?" and "how long does perfume keep?" - it will also include reviews of hundreds of perfumes, which is what I am really looking forward to. Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez produce some of the very best writing on perfume I have yet encountered, and I think reading this book is going to be an experience in just sheer, unadulterated pleasure.
Here are excerpts of two reviews from the book, taken from the authors' website - the first review is by Sanchez, the second by Turin:
What saves KenzoAmour from falling into the sticky caramel death trap that gums up other vanillas is that its loyalties lie not with cakes and cookies but with something more low-key: rice pudding. While this may make Amour seem fit only for the toothless, its soothing, softly powdery vanilla-woods sweetness stays from dinner until breakfast.... TS
....[Bois de Violette's] woody-fruity violet smell of methyl ionone recapitulates and intensifies the rest of the fragrance. Its rotation takes place around the center; the stained glass mandala is perfected by a violet gem around which everything dances. I remember stepping out of Lutens’s purple shop into the perpetually quiet walled gardens, armed with this purple smell with a purple name, thinking I was carrying the most precious object in the world.... LT
I'm not posting these excerpts here to make you run out and buy the book, just to let you enjoy some dang good writing.
Here are excerpts of two reviews from the book, taken from the authors' website - the first review is by Sanchez, the second by Turin:
What saves KenzoAmour from falling into the sticky caramel death trap that gums up other vanillas is that its loyalties lie not with cakes and cookies but with something more low-key: rice pudding. While this may make Amour seem fit only for the toothless, its soothing, softly powdery vanilla-woods sweetness stays from dinner until breakfast.... TS
....[Bois de Violette's] woody-fruity violet smell of methyl ionone recapitulates and intensifies the rest of the fragrance. Its rotation takes place around the center; the stained glass mandala is perfected by a violet gem around which everything dances. I remember stepping out of Lutens’s purple shop into the perpetually quiet walled gardens, armed with this purple smell with a purple name, thinking I was carrying the most precious object in the world.... LT
I'm not posting these excerpts here to make you run out and buy the book, just to let you enjoy some dang good writing.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
perfume rampage, part two
I'm back, almost a week later, with Perfume Rampage: The Sequel!
Later that day after the I Hate Perfumes field trip, I hopped on BART to meet J in the City, at Saks. As I swung open one of the heavy glass doors, a gorgeous drag queen with a bronze up-do, a long, golden-brown mink coat and fabulous boots swept into Saks next to me. It was nice, like the spirit of the store saying, Hello darlin', welcome to my house.
I landed in short order in front of the Bond No. 9 counter. I have been very curious to smell some of the Bond No. 9 fragrances, because the discussions on perfume blogs I read have been full of them, with many raves. Bond No. 9 was started after (and partly in reaction to) September 11, by a French woman who has been a long-time resident of New York City. It seems to me as though these perfumes, named after different parts of the city (Chelsea Flowers, Bleecker Street, Nuits De NoHo), were inspired by that post-9/11 burst of feeling - of patriotism, humanism and fierce nostalgia. In a way, this line is the other side of the I Hate Perfumes coin - Bond No. 9 also evokes place, although in a style that is far more baroque, and one that operates at a higher volume. As we found out that afternoon, Bond No. 9 goes to eleven.
The guy behind the counter liberally sprayed sample cards for us of half a dozen different fragrances - here are some of my impressions:
Chinatown: a very sweet, strong, earthy floral. Not really my thing, from what I could tell from the scent on the card.
Scent of Peace: simple, clean, floral with a little bit of fruit (blackcurrant, I think), and some nice woods. As advertised, a peaceful scent.
Wall Street: if you like the way fresh, salty money smells, you will like this fragrance. I think it is supposed to smell more like marine air than a Benjamin, but I couldn't help smelling cash (maybe it's psychological). And I'm not particularly greedy or acquisitive, but I love the leathery paper smell of money as much as the next nose, and I really liked this perfume (which I think is aimed at men).
Andy Warhol Silver Factory: this perfume, whose inspiration was the studio where Andy Warhol lived and shot his movies, is one I've been wanting to try for a while. The "silver" in the title refers to the tin foil that decorated Andy Warhol's original Factory. I expected the perfume to be a whole lot funkier than it is - was somehow thinking it would smell of platform shoes, cigarettes and film stock, but it's really pretty clean. The notes, which include bergamot, cedar, and patchouli, form a seamless blend - one that somehow manages to be intense and smooth at the same time. Not so much the crumpled squalor of tin foil; more the aerodynamic elegance of fuselage. Very nice.
Chelsea Flowers: this one is a pale yet somewhat bracing floral, and smells great. Notes include peony, tulip, hyacinth and rose, as well as vetiver and musk. The flowers smell fresh, young, and very green - crunchy green - and I liked it enough to get a spray on my left wrist.
New Haarlem: the sweet flavor of this one hit me like a blast of air from a trumpet; I don't think I've ever smelled such an aggressive vanilla. New Haarlem's notes include chocolate, coffee, vanilla, patchouli and lavender, and I definitely also smelled some toasty coconut in there, as well, though it's not in the list of notes. To be honest, I sort of hated it at first (maybe because I am not really a coffee drinker?), but I am developing an appreciation for perfumes that are obnoxious right out of the bottle, and as I kept going back to smell the card, this one seemed to keep getting better after that first, noisy blast. It's an attention-grabber - a smell that seemed to perfectly match the visual and aural experience of listening to hot, loud, basement jazz. I got this one sprayed on my right wrist.
After we left, and during the hours that followed, Chelsea Flowers kept smelling good, but less and less, until it was just a faint wisp of scent on my wrist. New Haarlem, on the other hand, just kept belting it out. It stayed obnoxious for a while until it had won all of my respect, and then it softened into a nice, spicy, slightly woodsy caramel scent, and lasted until the following morning. I couldn't have predicted that it would have become my favorite scent of the day, but that's how it turned out.
Later that day after the I Hate Perfumes field trip, I hopped on BART to meet J in the City, at Saks. As I swung open one of the heavy glass doors, a gorgeous drag queen with a bronze up-do, a long, golden-brown mink coat and fabulous boots swept into Saks next to me. It was nice, like the spirit of the store saying, Hello darlin', welcome to my house.
I landed in short order in front of the Bond No. 9 counter. I have been very curious to smell some of the Bond No. 9 fragrances, because the discussions on perfume blogs I read have been full of them, with many raves. Bond No. 9 was started after (and partly in reaction to) September 11, by a French woman who has been a long-time resident of New York City. It seems to me as though these perfumes, named after different parts of the city (Chelsea Flowers, Bleecker Street, Nuits De NoHo), were inspired by that post-9/11 burst of feeling - of patriotism, humanism and fierce nostalgia. In a way, this line is the other side of the I Hate Perfumes coin - Bond No. 9 also evokes place, although in a style that is far more baroque, and one that operates at a higher volume. As we found out that afternoon, Bond No. 9 goes to eleven.
The guy behind the counter liberally sprayed sample cards for us of half a dozen different fragrances - here are some of my impressions:
Chinatown: a very sweet, strong, earthy floral. Not really my thing, from what I could tell from the scent on the card.
Scent of Peace: simple, clean, floral with a little bit of fruit (blackcurrant, I think), and some nice woods. As advertised, a peaceful scent.
Wall Street: if you like the way fresh, salty money smells, you will like this fragrance. I think it is supposed to smell more like marine air than a Benjamin, but I couldn't help smelling cash (maybe it's psychological). And I'm not particularly greedy or acquisitive, but I love the leathery paper smell of money as much as the next nose, and I really liked this perfume (which I think is aimed at men).
Andy Warhol Silver Factory: this perfume, whose inspiration was the studio where Andy Warhol lived and shot his movies, is one I've been wanting to try for a while. The "silver" in the title refers to the tin foil that decorated Andy Warhol's original Factory. I expected the perfume to be a whole lot funkier than it is - was somehow thinking it would smell of platform shoes, cigarettes and film stock, but it's really pretty clean. The notes, which include bergamot, cedar, and patchouli, form a seamless blend - one that somehow manages to be intense and smooth at the same time. Not so much the crumpled squalor of tin foil; more the aerodynamic elegance of fuselage. Very nice.
Chelsea Flowers: this one is a pale yet somewhat bracing floral, and smells great. Notes include peony, tulip, hyacinth and rose, as well as vetiver and musk. The flowers smell fresh, young, and very green - crunchy green - and I liked it enough to get a spray on my left wrist.
New Haarlem: the sweet flavor of this one hit me like a blast of air from a trumpet; I don't think I've ever smelled such an aggressive vanilla. New Haarlem's notes include chocolate, coffee, vanilla, patchouli and lavender, and I definitely also smelled some toasty coconut in there, as well, though it's not in the list of notes. To be honest, I sort of hated it at first (maybe because I am not really a coffee drinker?), but I am developing an appreciation for perfumes that are obnoxious right out of the bottle, and as I kept going back to smell the card, this one seemed to keep getting better after that first, noisy blast. It's an attention-grabber - a smell that seemed to perfectly match the visual and aural experience of listening to hot, loud, basement jazz. I got this one sprayed on my right wrist.
After we left, and during the hours that followed, Chelsea Flowers kept smelling good, but less and less, until it was just a faint wisp of scent on my wrist. New Haarlem, on the other hand, just kept belting it out. It stayed obnoxious for a while until it had won all of my respect, and then it softened into a nice, spicy, slightly woodsy caramel scent, and lasted until the following morning. I couldn't have predicted that it would have become my favorite scent of the day, but that's how it turned out.
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