fragrance

Perfume Chat Room, August 30
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Perfume Chat Room, August 30

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August 30, and I’m looking forward to an upcoming trip to London. As usual, I’m tagging along on one of my husband’s work trips, which I’m always happy to do! I haven’t made up my mind yet about all the things I want to do, but one option is Portobello Road’s markets, which I’ve never visited and have always found intriguing. If you have suggestions, please share! I do have a friend who has lived in London for many years; maybe I’ll see if she’s interested in going with me.

Also on my list is Fortnum & Mason, which I’ve never visited, and maybe a return visit to Jovoy Paris. And of course, if I’m at Jovoy, why wouldn’t I stop by my favorite store in London, Liberty? I’m hoping to see some theater and art exhibits too, but I’m not buying any tickets in advance after last September’s cancellation (which I don’t regret doing at all, given our son’s situation, but we weren’t able to use some tickets I had bought. Luckily, my nice friend could!). If the weather is nice, I’m always up for a visit to a garden. Maybe Syon Park this time?

I might see if I can stop by the new digs of 4160 Tuesdays, a favorite brand of mine. I was able to visit their former location and meet Sarah McCartney, who is just as fun, nice, and creative as one might hope from sniffing her fragrances and reading her website. Speaking of Sarah, she was just featured in a great article in The Financial Times, by Hannah Nepilova, which is well worth reading. It’s about her work scenting performance arts, such as a new opera that will open next month.

Is there a possibility that, between all the visual and musical stimuli, such subtleties of aroma might go unnoticed? McCartney believes that “even when we don’t positively register it, smell contributes to the atmosphere of a room.” Besides, “smell activates a part of the brain that wouldn’t otherwise be used . . . I’m not hoping to add something extra to the opera, but rather to fill in the missing part that everybody has forgotten about.”

Do you have any suggestions for my London trip, fragrance-related or otherwise?

Perfume Chat Room, August 23
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Perfume Chat Room, August 23

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August 23, and the weather is finally cooling off a bit. My poor roses, which have been gasping for breath and water for weeks now, seem to be sighing in relief and gearing up for a fall flush of blossoms. I planted several new-to-me varieties in large pots this spring, and it has been interesting to learn their growth habits and needs. The one characteristic all my roses have in common is that they must be fragrant. I just don’t see the point in growing roses that aren’t fragrant; I know many people do, because they are more focused on color and shape, but I’ve found I can have all three: lovely color, shape, AND fragrance.

I’m still wearing light, summery fragrances, as it still gets pretty hot during the day though we get some relief overnight. A recent favorite has been Patricia de Nicloai’s Rose Pivoine, which one of my lovely regular readers here sent me. You know who you are — thank you so much! I’ve been loving it! Top notes are ambrette, raspberry, red currant, and bergamot. The heart is rose oil and absolute, mixed with violet, iris, peony, and pepper; the base is sandalwood and musk. It is meant to evoke a bouquet of fresh roses and peonies, with green leaves as companions. It is lovely. I think I still prefer Nicolai’s Rose Royale, but Rose Pivoine is excellent, especially in hot, humid weather.

Parfums de Nicolai is launching a new set of gourmand fragrances next month, “Les Gourmandises.” I don’t often gravitate to courmand fragrances, but these do sound intriguing. I’ll be in London after their launch date, so maybe I’ll see if I can sample them at one of my favorite London fragrance boutiques.

Bouquet by Bloom in the Box

Have you started switching over to autumn fragrances, or spring fragrances if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere (looking at you, Portia!)?

Perfume Chat Room, August 16
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Perfume Chat Room, August 16

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August 16, and I have read that perfumer Christine Nagel has created a new fragrance for Hermès: Hermès’ New Perfume Took Ten Years to Make. It is called Barénia, after a special kind of calf leather, and her intent was to create a feminine counterpart to Hermès’ masculine Terre d’Hermès. The same article states that it is the first “chypre” fragrance launched by Hermès, which actually surprised me. I love chypres, so I’m adding Barénia to my list of scents to try. It is supposed to contain, in a chypre structure, notes of “green bergamot, a roasted oaky wood that was reminiscent of rum; two types of patchouli; butterfly lily; and miracle berry.”

Ms. Nagel has, of course, created many wonderful fragrances, including those she has created as Hermes’ in-house perfumer since 2014, when she joined Jean-Claude Elena there, taking over fully on his retirement in 2016.

Of her Hermes’ fragrances, the only two I own in full size are Un Jardin Sur la Lagune and Un Jardin a Cythere, both of which I like very much. I also like some of her creations for other houses, like Si. She has created m y classics for the brand Jo Malone, including the “Rock the Ages” set which has two of my favorites, plus the legendary Ginger Biscuit, wood Sage & Sea Salt, and Earl Grey & Cucumber. I also like Une Nuit Magnetique, which she created for The Different Company. I’m grateful that Fragrantica’s tools let us search by perfumer, the only way I can keep,track of their prolific output!

Do you have any favorites by Ms. Nagel? Have you tried this new one yet?

Bottles of Hermès "Jaradin" fragrances
Hermès’ “Jardin” series of fragrances; image from hermes.com
Perfume Chat Room, August 9
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Perfume Chat Room, August 9

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August 9, and we are still glued to the Paris Olympics! I haven’t felt this engaged with the Olympics in a long time. However, the latest in fragrance news has nothing to do with the Olympics. It seems that Dolce & Gabbana have launched a new fragrance — for dogs: Dolce & Gabbana Launches a Dog Perfume. Veterinarians Turn Up Their Noses. The vets’ concern is that smell plays a much larger role in the lives of dogs than it does for humans, because their sense of smell is much more powerful and they use scent to navigate the world as well as social relationships.

I do understand the temptation. Our beloved old dog Lucy can get stinky. She hates baths, so they are a rare event and we use waterless dog shampoo on her instead. But even so, she smells, well, like a dog. Would we rather she smelled like, say, “the woody, creamy undertones of sandalwood”? Well, sure, but not at the expense of her comfort and wellbeing.

I was very interested in the veterinarians’ responses. They noted that some scents can be helpful to dogs, like the use of lavender for calming. Generally, though, they’re not fans of the concept of dog perfume.

However, just as a fun imaginative exercise, what existing scents might you associate with a pet (yours or someone else’s)? I have to go with Papillon Perfumes’ gorgeous Bengale Rouge, just because perfumer Liz Moores created it with inspiration from her own Bengal cat Mimi. I don’t need Lucy to smell like sandalwood if I can apply Bengale Rouge myself and smell of sandalwood, rose, honey, vanilla, and myrrh! It’s a gorgeous fragrance, and I recommend trying it if you haven’t had the chance.

Liz describes it so beautifully that I’ll just share her own words:

“The muse for this perfume is my Bengal cat, Mimi. I have always been captivated by the beauty of her fur and her natural perfume. I didn’t want to create a literal fragrance, rather a re-imagining of the notes that lay upon her leopard coat. It was important that this perfume brought the comfort and warmth that so many of us receive from our pets, as well as do justice to Mimi’s natural elegance and grace. I moved away from dramatic, feral notes and focused upon a domesticated cosiness that would embrace the wearer with the same snugness and pleasure that I feel when I am with her. I wanted to include some of the exotic facets of the Bengal cats’ origins; unique, elegant and striking, I hoped to capture the majesty and mystery of these beautiful creatures in a sumptuous and soft perfume.”

Group of Bengal cats
Bengal cats; image from vetstreet.co

What fragrances do you associate with a pet, or really any animal?

Perfume Chat Room, August 2
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Perfume Chat Room, August 2

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, August, and the Olympic Games have been going on in Paris for a week. I thought the opening ceremonies were just wonderful, and there have been many enthralling athletic contests.

View of the Eiffel Tower and the Paris Olympics 2024 logo
Paris Olympics 2024

Did you know that a few companies have made special fragrances for this Olympics, such as Memo Paris?I shouldn’t be surprised, given that the Games are in Paris. Apparently the Olympic Village will have a scent shop where athletes can pick out a fragrance. The Perfume Society listed some suggestions here: Olympic-Ready Scents: Fragrances for the Win!.

If you were an elite athlete, what fragrance do you think would inspire you to new heights of achievement?

Perfume Chat Room, July 26
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Perfume Chat Room, July 26

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, July 26, the last Friday in July and the opening of the Olympic Games in Paris. Where has this month gone?? I’m watching the opening ceremonies as I finish this post, and they are AMAZING! I think Paris has truly outdone itself, with the boat parade down the Seine and the many performances along the way. Gotta say, I teared up when they rang the cathedral bells of Notre Dame for the first time since the fire that devastated it five years ago.

View of the Eiffel Tower and the Paris Olympics 2024 logo
Paris Olympics 2024

My garden looks as hot and tired as I feel this week; this is the period when the early summer blooms have faded and the late summer blooms haven’t really started. I do have one flowerbed that is still blooming with plants that appeal to pollinators and hummingbirds. They’re not particularly fragrant, though. The most fragrant plant in bloom in my area right now is gardenia. Heaven! Mine isn’t yet in bloom but there are many blossoming throughout our neighborhood, and the scent carries on the little breeze we’ve been getting.

I don’t have many gardenia-centered scents, but I do have a few, including Elizabeth Taylor’s Gardenia. My SOTD is Natalie, the gardenia fragrance created by Natalie Wood’s daughters, Cortney and Natasha Warner, to honor their late mother whose favorite fragrance was the original Jungle Gardenia. It’s very fresh and pretty, and it compares well to the scent of the actual flower. The structure is: top notes of Neroli, Bitter Orange, Freesia and Rose Oil; middle notes of Orange Blossom, Gardenia, Jasmine, Narcissus and Hyacinth; base notes of Woody Notes, Musk and Vanilla. The neroli top note adds the touch of bitter green that is true to the scent of the flower, underpinned by bitter orange and freesia with a hint of rose. The white flowers follow quickly, with the gardenia playing the leading role with a supporting cast of orange flower, jasmine, narcissus and hyacinth; these particular ones are some of my favorite floral notes. The base is pleasant but unremarkable, mostly white musk and a light vanilla, very suitable for a soft, light white floral. It’s a bit soapy, but I don’t mind that in the current heat and humidity — it’s very refreshing after a cool bath or shower.

What scents will you be wearing and/or what sports will you be watching this weekend?

Perfume Chat Room, July 19
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Perfume Chat Room, July 19

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, July 19, and I had so much fun at a gathering this week with Gérald Ghislain of Histoires de Parfums, at a local independent perfume boutique!

Gérald Ghislain, Histoires de Parfums

He discussed how he started in perfume, the backstory of Histoires de Parfums, his life in fragrance, and his newer fragrance line, Olibanum, which launched in 2021.

Histoires de Parfums and Olibanum testers

In Gérald’s words: “While Histoires de Parfums tells stories and spins dreams, Olibanum is all about the scent. If these creations are void of storytelling, it’s simply to return to and focus on the purity of the raw materials. And for an added personalized touch, each perfume has been designed around olibanum, [my] favorite scent.” Gérald now lives in Dubai but he continues to travel widely. His description of renting an apartment in Flatbush, New York, was hilarious. In fact, generally he was very funny and charming. I enjoyed sniffing some of the newer HdP fragrances (2020 and later); my favorite was This Is Not a Blue Bottle 1.6, which is ironic because it features a strong note of yuzu. I have long thought I disliked yuzu because of an unpleasant encounter with it in a Burberry fragrance, but I may have to revisit that opinion. I really liked 1.6 and found it very refreshing in the current heat and humidity. John Biebel wrote a terrific review of it in Fragrantica. As he wrote, it is all about citrus in the opening, then it moves to a fresh flower bouquet, and finally towrd a warmer base of white musk, vanilla and vetiver. It is totally unisex and very winning. Have any of you tried it?

Just some of the fragrance lines at Indiehouse

The boutique’s intown location is quite small, so attendance was limited and about 12 people were there; it was great fun. A wide range of ages and backgrounds, and a very diverse, convivial group. It was a nice reminder of how much fun this hobby can be. This location is focused on niche and independent perfumers more than the original location in the suburbs, so there were lots of interesting products to sniff.

Also this week, WordPress sent me a note that yesterday was the 9th anniversary of my beginning to blog on WordPress (or blog at all, lol). I can’t believe it has been 9 years since I started this blog, but here we are. As some of you know, I started it at a time when my work life was very, very stressful and I was also recovering from a broken shoulder. Fragrance had become a passionate interest of mine, and I had loved reading fragrance blogs (by writers much more expert than I) so I learned how to blog about it as a distraction. I’ve loved “meeting” fellow fragrance lovers here and on other blog sites! Thank you for joining me and the rest of the community.

Any big events in your fragrant life recently?

Perfume Chat Room, July 5
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Perfume Chat Room, July 5

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, July 5, and we had a great Fourth of July yesterday with my husband’s family in New Hampshire. We watched a classic New England small town parade, complete with synchronized marching lawn chairs (my favorite). Then last night, we had town fireworks over the lake, just beautiful.

Wolfeboro Lawn Chair Drill Team
Fireworks over Lake Winnipesaukee

We also drove over to the seashore to buy fresh lobsters and see the ocean, where we saw (and smelled) many beach roses in bloom. Of all rose scents in nature, I think that’s my favorite.

Beach roses

For those who celebrate the Fourth, I hope you enjoyed a great holiday! Any special events, or scents?

Perfume Chat Room, June 28
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Perfume Chat Room, June 28

Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.

Today is Friday, June 28, and we finally got some rain! Like much of the US, we’ve been experiencing an extended heat wave, with temperatures in the high 90s (Fahrenheit) and high humidity that made it feel even hotter. It’s all I can do to water my plants enough to keep them alive!

On a more serious topic also involving the cultivation of flowers, I recently reposted an article by the BBC that was published in late May: This Is Not Okay. The article is about an investigative documentary from the BBC called “Perfume’s Dark Secret.” It concerns the illegal child labor practices of firms that supply jasmine flowers for processing into oils and ultimately into perfumes. The only company mentioned in the article that appears to be taking this issue seriously enough to have real oversight and action plans is L’Oreal (which owns many brands, including Lancôme; its other brands include Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Viktor&Rolf, Valentino, Mugler, Azzaro, and the former niche brand Atelier Cologne). Most others in the supply chain, including major firms like Givaudan and Firmenich, come across as shrugging that this is the responsibility of someone else in the chain.

Now, I haven’t watched the documentary, and I know some of you have. I need to do so. I hope the BBC continues to follow this story and update readers/watchers on any progress made toward the commitments made by all of these firms. Ultimately, illegal child labor is a failure of governance, in this case by the Egyptian government. But we all have a role in the chain from flower pickers to perfume consumers. I don’t know what my personal response to this news will be, but I won’t be buying any new perfume until I figure that out. This isn’t a big step, as I’ve bought very little new perfume this year (trying to focus on and use the many fragrances I already have). I also buy little from these major brands, but I know that most perfumers at every level are getting their ingredients from part of this same supply chain. I need to research which perfumers may not. If any of you have already looked into this, please share what you’ve learned in the comments below. However, this is a matter of personal conscience, so I will delete any comments that seem to attack another individual commenter’s choices if they arise (I know my regular commenters wouldn’t do that!).

Sorry to be a bit of a downer in this week’s Perfume Chat Room, which is normally quite cheery, but I think this is a topic that’s worth discussing. Feel free to ignore it, though, and chat about something else that’s going on in your fragrant life this week!

Child laborer in jasmine field
Child jasmine picker; image from BBC documentary “Perfume’s Dark Secret.”
This Is Not Okay
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This Is Not Okay

Perfume’s Dark Secret, from the BBC: www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68172560

I’m really disturbed by this. No perfume is worth the theft of a child’s childhood.