Serenity Now

Perfume Chat Room, May 30
by

Perfume Chat Room, May 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, May 30, and I’m back from London! I had such a wonderful time, while my lovely husband worked (which is why we were there). One of my many adventures was the Barnes Fragrance Fair, which I found out about from Sarah McCartney of  4160 Tuesdays.

Sarah McCartney, 4160 Tuesdays

The Barnes Fragrance Fair is a relatively young event; it started after COVID lockdowns, I believe. It is a showcase for British independent perfumers, like Sarah. She had a display there and she taught perfume-making workshops like the one I did at her studio the week before.

There were so many interesting perfumers there, from some that are well-known among fragrance fans, like Beaufort London, 4160 Tuesdays, Jorum Studio, Kingdom Scotland, Maya Njie, Gallivant, Angela Flanders, Nancy Meilland, and more. There were also brands that were new to me, which was fun. All the perfumers were very friendly and interesting, and I came home with a few discovery sets as well as three new 4160 Tuesdays fragrances. I got there right after it opened, so it wasn’t too crowded, but by lunchtime, it was packed.

I have more photos to share but I’m having technical issues right now! Do you know any of these brands?

Perfume Chat Room, May 16
by

Perfume Chat Room, May 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, May 16, and I did a perfume-making workshop in London this week with Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays! It was held in her studio in Hammersmith, in a very appealing neighborhood.

Sarah McCartney, 4160 Tuesdays

It was so much fun. Sarah focused the workshop on sustainability in perfumery and did an excellent job explaining to the group how each ingredient she had chosen for the workshop relates to that theme. As a lover of rose scents, my favorite was the rose absolute derived from upcycled rose petals. As a gardener, my favorite was the vetiver, which was harvested via a different method that leaves half the plant and, importantly, its whole root system to prevent erosion.

Tester strips for the substances we used

Sarah also did an outstanding job explaining how perfumery is a mix of math and chemistry, as she taught us to combine different substances in different ratios on filter paper, which we would then try to translate into the proportions we would use in our final creations.

The book you see on the left is the full weeklong program for London Craft Week, which has been this week. Sarah’s workshop was part of that.

Some of our workshop materials

I used Sarah’s base of “Soft Musks” for my own creation. I can’t describe it any better than she can, so here’s the info.

Made from readily biodegradable materials. These molecules enhance the aromas of natural materials, and extend a fragrance’s longevity, to make a more wearable longer lasting fragrance. They take the place of components lost during the process of extracting natural materials. Historically animal materials, like musk, ambergris and civet, were used for these effects.

To that base, I added compounds based on rose, lily, orange, raspberry.

My own perfume!
Part of Sarah’s collection of perfumes

Sarah also has an important collection of perfumes, many of which she used in writing her book with Samantha Scriven, “The Perfume Companion”, which I highly recommend if you can get a copy (I think it’s still available on Kindle if you can’t find a hard copy).

Sarah McCartney

I had a fabulous time and I learned so much! Sustainability is important, and it’s wonderful to know of the progress in this area.

Do you have any thoughts or insights about sustainability in perfumery?

Perfume Chat Room, May 10
by

Perfume Chat Room, May 10

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 Saturday, May 10, and I’m late posting because we’re on our way to London!

I have a long list of things I want to do, mostly special exhibits or events since I’ve been lucky enough to visit London quite regularly because of my husbands job, which takes him there often.

Tops on my list is the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which I last visited pre-pandemic (I think it was 2019). And of course, I plan to enjoy the usual spectacular displays by the UK’s top rose breeders, which are always so beautiful — and fragrant.

Then there’s a massive exhibit of Cartier jewelry at the V&A Museum, and an installation of the red ceramic memorial poppies at the Tower of London, plus a special exhibit of apparel at Kensington Palace. Whew!

To get in the mood for Chelsea, I’m wearing a sample of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Rosa Verde. It’s very pretty and fresh, but I’m not sure how I feel about the dry down. It’s almost a bit sour, to my nose.

On the other wrist, I spritzed Cartier’s Baiser Volé, also very pretty but with a progression I find more appealing,

If you know of any more must-dos or must-sniffs, please add suggestions in the comments! And if you were going to a massive flower show, what would you wear as fragrance?

My own roses

Perfume Chat Room, May 2
by

Perfume Chat Room, May 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, May 2, and yesterday was May Day in many countries. In France, a May Day tradition is to give bouquets of maguey, or lily of the valley, to loved ones and friends. Apparently this was a tradition faithfully honored by M. Christian Dior, whose favorite flower was the muguet. This inspired, in turn, his work with Edmond Roudnitska to create the legendary Dior fragrance Diorissimo. As regular readers here know, muguet is one of my favorite scents and the flowers are one of my favorite flowers. In past years, I’ve done daily posts in May for a blogging “May Muguet Marathon”, which has been great fun!

Today I’m wearing my newest muguet fragrance, Cavatina by Parfums Dusita. I really love it, especially at this time of year when the weather shifts between late spring and early summer.

Lilies of the valley, green moss, and ferns in woodland garden
Lilies of the valley in woodland garden; image from Pinterest

Did you do anything special to celebrate May Day? Do you have any new-to-you favorite muguet or other spring fragrances?

Perfume Chat Room, April 25
by

Perfume Chat Room, April 25

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, April 25, and we had a lovely Easter with family last Sunday. My husband’s brother, his wife, their older daughter, her husband and their baby joined us and our three children, so it was quite festive. The roses in my garden cooperated by producing many blooms, and the weather cooperated by staying sunny!

I don’t normally comment much here about masculine fragrances, because my own taste and collection are much more floral than most “masculine” scents (which anyone can wear, of course). But our twenty-something son was wearing a fragrance he had requested and I gave him for Christmas, and he smelled so good! It is Azzaro’s The Most Wanted Parfum, and it came out in 2022. I don’t know who the perfumer is. Top accord is ginger, middle accord is “woody notes”, and the base is Bourbon vanilla. It smells warm and just a bit spicy, with soft sillage. Downright cuddly, without being sweet.

I’m very happy that our son has developed a nose for nice fragrance. He only has a couple, that he wears in rotation depending on his mood and the occasion, but he always smells appropriately nice, in a preppy sort of way. His first fragrance, which I picked out for him, was Davidoff’s Cool Water, which suited him as a teenager (and he could afford to buy it himself if he wanted to, an important consideration). He still wears Chanel’s Paris-Edimbourg. And now he has The Most Wanted. I just wish its bottle wasn’t made to look like the chamber of a revolver, sigh.

Do you have any recent new favorites among more masculine-leaning scents?

Bottle of Bourbon vanilla extract with vanilla bean pods
Bourbon vanilla beans and extract; image from nativevanilla.com
Perfume Chat Room, April 18
by

Perfume Chat Room, April 18

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, April 18, and it is Good Friday. I love Easter, but Good Friday is of course a solemn day in the Christian calendar, since it marks the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One thing I love about Easter is the prevalence of Easter lilies, which smell so good. I don’t think I own any lily-forward fragrances, do you?

Happy Passover to all who celebrate, and happy Easter in advance!

Perfume Chat Room, April 12
by

Perfume Chat Room, April 12

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 Saturday, April 12, and I have another new fragrance by Parfums Dusita! The latest is Cavatina, a beautiful tribute to vintage muguet fragrances like Diorissimo, Muguet des Bois, and others. Listed notes include: top notes of bergamot, litsea cubeba, petit grain; heart notes of lily of the valley, tea rose, jasmine; base notes of ambrette seed, Siamese woods, vanilla. Additional notes mentioned on the website, presumably used to create the lily of the valley accord, include tuberose, ylang-ylang, heliotrope, and aldehydes.

Coty "When You're in Love" ad for Muguet des Bois fragrance, by Eric
Coty “When You’re in Love” ad for Muguet des Bois
Muguet du Bonheur ad by Caron
Close up of lily of the valley flowers
Lily of the valley; image from http://www.pixabay.com

As longtime readers here know, I adore lily of the valley flowers and fragrances, and in past years I’ve amused myself by writing a “May Muguet Marathon” series of daily posts during the month of May. (In other years, I’ve done a “Roses de Mai” Marathon).

I was curious about the litsea cubeba listed, and it turns out that it is an evergreen tree or shrub native to China. According to Eden Botanicals, its essential oil has “an intense, clean, fresh, sweet-green, lemon-like aroma with light woody-floral undertones.” Seems like a perfect ingredient to create a Muguet fragrance, since lilies of the valley share some of those fragrant traits.

Lily of the valley fragrances list on Fragrantica
Photo: http://www.fragrantica.com

Cavatina is a lovely muguet. It is light, floral, elegant. The bergamot gives it a little zing at the start, and it must be the litsea that adds the lemony note that I do smell in real lilies of the valley. The muguet accord is very realistic, even without the molecules that made Diorissimo a legend but are now banned or can only be used in tiny quantities.

I won’t be doing a May Marathon this year, as I’ll be traveling (including a trip to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show! If I did another marathon series later this summer or fall, what would interest you most?

Happy Passover to all who celebrate it!

Singers with giant flower hats and flowered dresses at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, May 2019.
Perfume Chat Room, April 4
by

Perfume Chat Room, April 4

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, April 4, and my roses have just barely begun to bloom. Right now I have lots of buds and two or three actual blossoms.

While I’ve been tending my roses, I’ve been reading a new book about them, and it has a whole section on the chemistry of rose fragrance. Very interesting! I know some of you are quite knowledgeable about this aspect of fragrance.

My current fragrance is still Rosarine by Parfums Dusita, which I’m getting to know. It’s a complex, multi-layered rose scent, starting out as a fruity rose, then becoming a musky rose, and finishing up as a woody rose.

It’s too bad that most azaleas and dogwoods don’t have a scent, because ours are in full bloom, though just starting to fade.

I went with friends to view the millions of daffodils in bloom at a location in North Georgia, and they do have a lot of scent! I also wore my beloved Ostara to match, and wondered anew why, why Penhaligon’s discontinued it.

Gibbs Gardens, Georgia

I know some of you have lost fragrance loves — which discontinued favorite would you most like to see return?

Perfume Chat Room, March 28
by

Perfume Chat Room, March 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, March 28, and last Friday was International Fragrance Day, which I totally missed! OTOH, I did visit the niche fragrance boutique that opened a few years ago in a nearby suburb, Indiehouse. I had first visited its pop-up store before it had its fixed location, and I’ve been to its intown location, which isn’t far from my house, but I hadn’t yet visited its main store. I’m delighted to say that it was lovely, with many interesting rinds, and the staff could not have been nicer.

Indiehouse fragrance boutique

I bought a discovery set I’ve been eyeing for a while, from the brand Grandiflora. If I can’t get to Australia this year, I’ll wear Australian fragrances!

Indiehouse fragrance boutique

The two sales associates were very warm and welcoming, and managed that great balance of offering help but then letting me wander around sniffing until I had a specific question. They were both knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and we had a great chat about Christian Dior, his sister Catherine, and the original Miss Dior.

I haven’t p,urged into my new discovery set yet because I’ve been enjoying the Rosarine by Parfums Dusita that I was “ given” in February. I’m using quotation marks because as usual, I bought it for myself then handed it over to my patient, nice husband to give me for Valentine’s Day! He’s a very good sport. Next up: Cavatina, for Mother’s Day, lol. The lilies of the valley I grow here (barely, they don’t seem to like the heat here) are already in full bloom and very fragrant.

Spring is in full swing now, and I’ve been very busy caring for all the roses and other plants I put in last spring and summer. All seem to have made it just fine through our erratic frosts, and I’m tackling the usual bugs and diseases early and preventatively.

Have you discovered any new stores, fragrances, or plants recently?

Indiehouse fragrance boutique
Perfume Chat Room, March 14
by

Perfume Chat Room, March 14

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, March 14, and Spring has sprung here at home.

The air is full of lovely spring smells, from the daffodils everywhere to the early pink magnolias, and one of my favorite scents, hyacinth. Now Smell This had the community project this week of wearing a hyacinth scent. My favorite hyacinth fragrance is Jo Malone’s Blue Hyacinth. It smells exactly like the real thing! Another of my perennial favorites, Chanel No. 19, has a strong hyacinth note.

I bought several pots of hyacinths for a spring luncheon I hosted this week, and they still smell wonderful. Some of their predecessors, planted outside after they faded, have come back beautifully in my garden. I’m enjoying the fragrance indoors, where on pot of bulbs can fill an entire room with scent.

I plan to go on a binge of green scents starting this weekend. I have plenty from which to choose, lol. I know not everyone shares my affection for the green scents — if you do, do you have a favorite? Please share in the comments! And happy Spring!