Category: A – F
-
Call to Arms: The Chanel Problem (In Reference to Gabrielle by Chanel)
Some food for thought. I call this the Chanel problem. They’ve done this to themselves. The initial reaction to Gabrielle hasn’t been overly enthusiastic, to say the least. In fact, it has called for a retreat into perspective. What perspective? The general consensus has been drawn: “It’s perfectly fine for…
-
On Patchouli: Velvet Haze by Byredo and Brutus by Orto Parisi
It has been too long since I’ve smelled an interesting patchouli fragrance – something that goes beyond the typical archetypes that consist of oud, rose, amber, chocolate, and any mixed variation of that set. Byredo has left me pleasantly surprised, producing a patchouli of pronounced clarity and definition. Velvet Haze…
-
Extravagance Russe by Diana Vreeland
Up until I explored this range of fragrances, I had never heard of Diana Vreeland. Consider it a fashionable faux pas – I am guilty! I will treat this ignorance as a fortunate opportunity to attempt to test my internalist/externalist discussions in fragrance. Does smelling either Extravagance Russe alone or…
-
Aromatics Elixir by Clinique (With a Footnote on Context)
Does anyone smell a scent like Aromatics Elixir for the first time and actually like it? I am not so sure, and I continue to be dubious. But why? Aromatics Elixir, to me, represents the pinnacle of good classic perfumery in a number of strong ways. Aromatics Elixir is a…
-
On Rose: Six Roses to Know
Taste is not static! Would you believe that I once found rose fragrances unappealing? I can’t either. Rose is now one of my most highly worn notes, and I am captured by its ability of metamorphosis between compositions. Here are six rose fragrances (of the many other roses) that I frequent…
-
A Treatise on (Soft) Orientals: Chinoiserie – From Opium to Coco
A blog reader put me to task for not connecting Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium and the idea of spice in my most recent treatise on spices. How could I be so foolish? Until recently, Soft(er) Orientals have always seemed like a half-baked idea to me. Yet an inclination for extremity and…
-
Sceptical: Superstitious for Frederic Malle
Let’s look beyond the narrative Malle and Elbaz set out – I am incredulous, forever sceptical, and am not willing to accept it at first glance. My suspicion may be wrong (of course), but launching Superstitious seemed to be the next logical move for the Frederic Malle brand, injecting a…
-
Le Parfum de Therese for Frederic Malle
My quest for the objective in no way undermines the subjective experience. I have always admired Le Parfum de Therese, capturing the fiercely strong style of Edmond Roudnitska and demonstrating it with the utmost amplification and clarity. Every other Roudnitska work in reference to Therese never quite captures the same…
-
Jasmin Angélique by Atelier Cologne
Atelier Cologne’s Jasmin Angélique does a few things right, and then it does quite a few things wrong. It is able to showcase the broad range of jasmine, starting with the squeaky volume of the white flower, fixed with petals made of rubber and positioned to demonstrate indoles cut with…
-
Meaning in Fragrance: Maduro by Fort & Manlé
There are considerable, crucial moments in perfume writing and consideration that it begins to change and shape the way you think about scent. A shift towards the most critical is what has shaped my writing on the blog, and in order to achieve that a breadth of perspective is demanded.…
Olfactics 