National Fragrance Day is Monday March 21! Sounds like fun, though I’m not sure I’m up for a “smellfie.” And sadly, The Perfume Society only ships within the UK so I doubt I’ll sign up for their subscription although it comes with other benefits.
Author: Old Herbaceous
Fragrance Friday: Decisions, decisions
Spring has sprung, although we haven’t yet reached the vernal equinox. My garden is full of blossoming yellow and white daffodils, pink azaleas, blue starflowers, lavender redbuds, white dogwoods … a true Easter symphony of colors. A change of seasons warrants a change of fragrances! But which ones? I’ve enjoyed wearing Penhaligon’s Ostara quite often in the rotation, with its gorgeous scent of daffodils and beautiful packaging: Fragrance Friday: Ostara.
It’s almost time to plunge headlong back into my favorite lily of the valley/muguet perfumes (Fragrance Friday: The Scent of Water) but not just yet, although my first little LOTV bloom showed up this week outside. I even have a new one I’m excited to try: L.I.L.Y. by Stella McCartney.
Photo: http://www.fragrantica.com
It’s much too early for the rose perfumes I also love. Maybe something with cherry blossom? It is, after all, nearing cherry blossom time especially here in the South. I don’t happen to own anything with cherry blossom except a drugstore body spray, so if any of you have any suggestions, I am all ears! Or nose.
Happy spring!
What Went Well
What went well this week?
- My husband and I went to see the most glorious display of daffodils — literally millions of them in full bloom, at a place called Gibbs Gardens. Because I told him a while ago that I’d like to do that, to give him time to process the idea, and because when I reminded him, he sweetly said right away, “Let’s go!”. The flowers were spectacular, winding through the woods and up and down hills.
- We spent last week at the beach! Because we decided with a lot of travel planned for the summer, we would have a more relaxed spring break. We are so lucky to be within driving distance of beautiful beaches.
- We shared the city of Charleston with dear friends, and they loved it. Because, after all, what’s not to love in Charleston?
Have a great week and count your blessings!
Fragrance Friday: Charleston Girl
We have been visiting Charleston and the Isle of Palms recently, soaking up some sea and sunshine before the final stretch of the school year. Part of our mission was to share this beautiful part of the world with old friends of ours who have recently moved back to the United States after almost three decades of living in Paris. I have long regarded Charleston as the most beautiful, most European city in America, which, combined with its uniquely American history, makes it a favorite destination.
One aspect of introducing our friends to Charleston’s charms was taking them to visit Middleton Place, a former rice plantation on the banks of the Ashley River that dates back to the 17th century. Only one wing of the former mansion remains, but the outbuildings, gardens and rivermarsh views are still fascinating. We walked through hundreds of camellias in bloom, watched birds, admired centuries-old live oaks draped in Spanish moss. AND I found a locally made perfume in the gift shop whose proceeds support Middleton Place: Charleston Girl. Continue reading
What Went Well
This week’s three blessings:
- Vacation with my family! Because I am overdue for a restful break from an often stressful job, and my favorite thing to do is spend time with my family.
- Seeing old friends. Because two dear friends from our grad school days came and spent part of this vacation week with us; and no one understands you quite like the friends you made when you were young.
- It’s really spring! Which makes me very happy because there are more and more flowers blooming every week, including some of my favorites like daffodils.
Fragrance Friday: A Life in Scent
Fashion news outlets have been trumpeting the foray of a longtime fashionista and industry insider, former Vogue Creative Director Grace Coddington, into the world of self-named perfumes. Comme des Garcons will launch Grace by Grace Coddington this April. Okay, so far, so good, ho hum. Here’s what I found more interesting: this article by Vogue, in which Ms. Coddington traces her favorite scents throughout her long career in fashion, starting in the late 1950s when she was a young model in London.
Grace Coddington. Vogue UK, September 1962
Ms. Coddington has always had a striking, different look: more Pre-Raphaelite Sisterhood than Twiggy in my view.
Grace Coddington; photo from fashion.telegraph.co.uk
Her new perfume sounds lovely but pretty conventional: “peach blossom, white musk, and amber crystal–spiked Moroccan rose absolute”, according to Vogue. It will be interesting to see if the actual fragrance is more individual and quirky than that description, as Grace Coddington’s own style, personal and editorial, has long been both of those.
Featured photo: Steven Klein, for Vogue January 2013; editor Grace Coddington.
Expanding the Horizons of Floral Design
From David Austin Roses USA and Florabundance — just beautiful. Click below to see the gorgeous, imaginative wedding flower arrangements.
Fragrance Friday: A Perfume Mystery
An intriguing news item from Australia: Photo and perfume found hidden in doomed Gold Coast house. It seems that a bottle of eau de toilette, titled “Charlotte”, was found with a photograph of a young couple in a wall cavity, in a house slated for demolition.
The owner of the house posted the above picture on Facebook, looking for information on who the young people might be, and what is the story behind this discovery.
Another mystery: what is this perfume? I haven’t been able to find it in a cursory search on Fragrantica or Google — any ideas? I love the idea of someone doing this. If you were to hide a photo with a perfume, what would the photo show and what would the perfume be?
What Went Well
My “three blessings” this week:
- My dear husband is coming home tomorrow from a long business trip instead of having to extend it for several more days! Because he misses us, and we miss him.
- The daffodils are starting to bloom. Because I took the time to plant a few dozen bulbs of early-blooming varieties to add to the ones already in the garden.
- The massive international event my husband helped run this week went very, very well. Because he and his colleagues are creative, experienced and very hardworking.
Old Rose, Tea, Fruit, Musk, Myrrh – fragrance & unlocking the secrets of the rose
A wonderful article and blog post about roses and their fragrances, by Robert Calkin: “after leaving Cambridge, Robert Calkin embarked on a long and successful career as a ‘nose’ for parfumiers. Since retirement, he has used his expertise to help David Austin in connection with the scent of roses, and, in particular, to assist with the correct description of their individual fragrances.”
Princess Alexandra of Kent
This article is by Robert Calkin, originally published in The Royal National Rose Society Historic Rose Journal Autumn 2013. If you are not a member of the Historic Rose Group, articles such as these are just one reason to join! All the photography is mine.
The weather this afternoon is so foul, I’ve enjoyed the excuse and opportunity to transcribe the article and choose a few photographs from my ‘back catalogue’ to brighten my day.
The description of fragrance is fraught with difficulty. To begin with there is no definitive vocabulary of smell in common use, as there is for example for colour; we can only describe a fragrance by association. But this in itself raises a problem in that people have both different perceptions of small and different associations based on past experience. In trying to describe the fragrance of a rose the problem is…
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Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 