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.”
Bengal cats; image from vetstreet.co
What fragrances do you associate with a pet, or really any animal?
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.
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?
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.
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?
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.
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.
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 12, and we are back from New Hampshire. It is hot, hot, hot here! Going up to 94 degrees Fahrenheit today, and even higher this weekend. NST is doing a community project on colognes, and I am here for it. SOTD is Berdoues’ Assam of India, part of their “Cologne Grand Cru” collection and a refreshing blend of citrus and tea. Perfect for a hot, humid summer day. And I love the little elephants on the packaging!
Tea plantation
I have a few Berdoues fragrances, and I really need to wear them more often. My husband has their 1902 Trefle et Vetiver, which is very refreshing. What colognes do you like?
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 TeamFireworks 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?
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 jasmine picker; image from BBC documentary “Perfume’s Dark Secret.”
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 21, and it is HOT where I live! 93 degrees with enough humidity to make it feel like 94. Interestingly, the heat revealed a facet of Pelagos that I hadn’t expected. I had applied very small spritzes, one to my neck and each of my wrists, three in all, so very little. I should have remembered that Pelagos comes in extrait strength! Because when I left my physical therapy appointment around 11, it was a bit too much. And it also “read” to my nose as more masculine, whereas when I first tried it, I felt it was truly unisex. I can’t even explain why my perception changed or what note/accord changed it, but here we are.
The good news is that I’ve completely recovered from COVID and my sense of smell is intact. Only my sense of taste was temporarily affected by Paxlovid, and it returned to normal by the evening of the day when I took my last dose. That’s a relief! The bad news is that Japanese beetles have arrived in my garden, seeking out my scrumptious roses, their favorite treat. I have gone to war. In researching the best methods that won’t harm beneficial insects or pollinators, I learned something new — Japanese beetles apparently have some kind of sense of smell and they release a pheromone when they find a food source, which attracts all their fellow Japanese beetles! Ugh.
Are you going through a heat wave? My sympathy if you are. Happy Summer Solstice too!
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 14, and I took my last dose of Paxlovid this morning — hurray! As some of you know, I came down with COVID last weekend. As it turned out, my husband had it first and probably caught it on the plane trip home from France, then both my daughters and I came down with it. I was able to start Paxlovid on Sunday evening, and I’m grateful to have had it although it did leave a bad metallic taste in my mouth all week. Luckily, it doesn’t seem to have affected my nose, and I’m told the bad taste stops by the day after one’s last dose.
Meanwhile, I received a free sample of Parfums Dusita’s newest fragrance, Pelagos, in the mail and I like it very much! The name means “sea”, but this is not an aquatic fragrance. Per Fragrantica, the notes are: top notes: Cypress, Oakmoss, Bergamot, Pine, Litsea Cubeba, Clary Sage and Orange; middle notes: Orris, Thyme, Tonka Bean and Jasmine; base notes: Sandalwood, Patchouli, Vetiver, Amyris, Ambrette, Benzoin and Incense. It is more of an aromatic fragrance than anything else, with a strong hint of chypre. Truly unisex, it would smell great on anyone. It comes in extrait strength, which is also very appealing. I’ll have to spend more time with it to share any deeper thoughts, but it’s a winner so far!
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 