Kew

Perfume Chat Room, January 2
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Perfume Chat Room, January 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, January 2, and we are slowly digging out from the holidays. I wish you all a very happy New Year, full of fragrance, family, friends, and fun! Instead of writing about a particular scent, I’m going to share some photos of some of the fragrant destinations that I was privileged to visit in 2025. I look forward to seeing and smelling more in 2026! How about you?

Luz de Sevilla
Crime Passionel, Copenhagen
Les Senteurs, London
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London
David Austin English Roses at Kew Gardens, London
Liberty London
Barnes Fragrance Fair
Le Parfum, Vienna
Barcelona
May Melange Marathon: Layering Zara Emotions
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May Melange Marathon: Layering Zara Emotions

Today’s fragrance is a true “melange”, from the Zara Emotions line, a series of fragrances created by the perfumer Jo Malone for Zara, the clothing retailer that is known for its inexpensive yet effective fragrances. In interviews, Ms. Malone has said that the line uses raw ingredients similar to the ones she uses in her own (much more expensive) line, Jo Loves, taking advantage of Zara’s enormous global buying power; there are just fewer separate ingredients in each Zara Emotions fragrance. The Zara Emotions fragrances are pretty simple but several are very appealing, and they are designed to be easy to layer with each other. So today, I am wearing one of the brand’s recommended combinations, Waterlily Tea Dress and Amalfi Sunray.

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