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, September 20, and we are back from London! What a great visit we had — especially me, since my dear husband had to work and I got to play. I have a lot to share with you in upcoming posts; I visited Harrods’ Salon de Parfums for the first time, as well as Liberty London’s Fragrance Lounge. I also went to Les Senteurs, Jo Loves, Jovoy, and Bloom. Among other cultural experiences, I saw the National Gallery’s exhibition of Van Gogh paintings, “Poets and Lovers”, which was wonderful. I met lovely people who shared their insights with me and helped me try some wonderful scents. What a generous community fragrance lovers are!
Right now, I’m fighting to stay awake, so this will be a short post, but do share in the comments any recent fragrance experiences or discoveries!
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, September 13, and I wish you all the best of good luck today! I’ve never really understood why Friday the 13th is supposed to be unlucky, but here we are. I’m happy to share the recent announcement below of an online (Zoom) Bois de Jasmin class with Victoria and Luca Turin. I’m sure this will be most interesting, and it’s for a good cause. I will not be taking part, because I’ll be on my way to London! I have a full week planned of cultural outings, which will include seeing the cinema release of the National Theatre production of “Prima Facie” with Jody Comer, which I’ve been dying to see and which hasn’t been announced for any showings near me in the US. And yes, there will be at least one perfume-related outing — a trip to Les Senteurs with my friend who lives in London, at her request. And since we’ll be so close by, a stop at Jo Loves too! Stay tuned for any more additions to the list …
Jo Loves boutique
Since I’m currently in Ukraine, I see the dire need in my local community for the most basic things. While there are plenty of charities and government-level programs, the only way to ensure that money goes to the people in need is to locate those communities and help them directly. I’ve been doing this ever since my arrival to Ukraine two weeks ago.
Raising money for local school to supply their bomb shelters with water.
Purchasing art supplies for the free-of-charge art studios that rehabilitate children suffering from post-traumatic shock.
Supporting animal shelters run by the individuals I know.
Working with local outreach programs to respond to the lonely elderly and their needs.
Supporting local cultural preservation projects and traditional crafts. I will share more information about these and other projects as I continue my work.
Full disclosure: 50% of the funds raised will be donated to these charitable initiatives. The rest will cover our time and my Belgian tax obligations.
The session will take place online via Zoom and will last for 1 hour. If you have questions for me and Luca, you can email them beforehand. You’ll receive full instructions before the start of the class. No recordings will be made available for these sessions. Thank you for your understanding.
Location: Zoom Class duration: 1 hour September 14, Saturday, 18:00-19:00 CET (12:00-13:00 EST) 50€ Book Now
For more information on Bois de Jasmin classes and other course offers, please visit the Perfume Classes page.
Do you have any special plans for this weekend, fragrant or otherwise?
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, September 6, and my birthday month has begun! I love the month of September. Because I grew up in New England, where school usually starts after Labor Day, and because I was born in September, I always associate the month with new beginnings. It is also the month when the heat usually (finally!) breaks and we get some respite from the heat and humidity of August, even here in the Southeast. It’s still hot enough that when I wear fragrance (which I do less in the extreme heat), I’m still choosing “summery” fragrances. Today it is Les Parfums de Rosine’s Bulle de Rose, which I bought in a travel spray when we visited Paris this past February. It’s very light and pretty, but tenacious, which in this case I view as a virtue.
Last week, the New York Times published this nice article about perfumer Christine Nagel, in connection with the launch of her latest fragrance for Hermès, Barénia. Apparently it is the first chypre fragrance Hermès has launched in several decades, and I do love a good chypre, so it’s on my list to sample during our upcoming trip to London.
I’m guessing that synesthesia may be a useful trait for a perfumer, though one would still have to have a highly sensitive and trained sense of smell.
Speaking of highly sensitive “perfume people”, I’m sure many of you read “Bois de Jasmin”, the longstanding fragrance blog by Victoria Belim. She’s a wonderful writer and has recently had a book published, a memoir of her roots and family in Ukraine (“The Rooster House”). Victoria has recently returned to Ukraine, where she is trying to help meet the needs of the people who have stayed in spite of the ongoing war. I’ve been following her updates on her Facebook page. She is in Poltava, which recently suffered a major missile attack that killed dozens. Victoria is safe, though shaken. As I look forward to my own hedonistic travel, I’m thinking of her and so many others in war zones, hoping for peace.
What are you looking forward to in September or later this fall?
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?
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’sRose 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.
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?
Hermès’ “Jardin” series of fragrances; image from hermes.com
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.
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 