Love the sinner.. My Sin by Lanvin

By Tom A very generous friend sent me a package of treasures that I will be examining over the next few months. The reason for the length of time examining them? They are all beautiful vintage scents that warrant a more introspective view than modern ones. Nothing against modern scents; there is something about vintage that sometimes makes me need to get into the mindset. Angela at Now Smell This called My Sin "demanding" while Gaia, the Non-Blonde was reminded of her Grandmother (a woman I would like to go back in time and meet), It reminded me of an experience I had driving a vintage T-Bird my friend owned. The T-Bird was a car that you capital "D" drove: one minute of being inattentive and you could be across three lanes of traffic. My Sin is something you capital "W" wear: it's serious perfume. It's not winking, it's not "retro" and it's in no way frivolous. It's from the time when you went to a store like Bergdorfs and the dresses were modeled for you on live "mannequins" and tailored to you, three fittings minimum. Meeting the girls for lunch meant hose, gloves and a hat, which pretty much was the way you'd pick up the morning paper, which of course you wouldn't do. If there was such a thing as Bravo at the time you'd rather die than be a "Housewife" on it. How does My Sin smell? Rich. Aldehydes and flowers open it and they're rich and heavy as a sable coat. There's also a shocking bit of civet in there: the eponymous "Sin" made olfactory, which gets more and more sinful until the drydown, which is close to the skin and whispers of past indiscretions. My Sin was discontinued in 1988. A lady named Irma Shortell has the rights to the name and markets a version of that I have not smelled. If you've smelled the new one of better yet both, please chime in. Oh, and it you're wondering whether I'd wear this? Sure. Like I'd wear spaghetti straps and taffeta...

Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise: Perfume Review

Let me start with a question: before the creation of the aqueous pastel wonder that is Vanille Galante, has there existed a transparent vanilla perfume? I went through the list of oh so many vanillas, and couldn't come up with another name, except for the new Jo Malone fragrance. Perhaps it is simply the first of some more (hopefully not a thousand) scents, which surely have been launched by the sheer, watery beauty of the last Hermenessence. "Transparent vanilla" is a genre I apparently enjoy. It is especially in the first stage that Vanilla & Anise seems to have been inspired by Jean-Claude Ellena's take on vanille. Something in the citrusy-spicy-fresh accord in the top notes has almost a melon-like effect, to me. A spicy melon effect, to be exact. The Malone creation is somewhat sharper then the Hermessence, and, despite "Vanilla" in the name, seemingly more unisex, at first anyway. As it develops, the scent acquires more substance. Vanilla, tuberose and frangipani in the heart of the composition gives it a certian creaminess, a hint of flesh under the gauzy veil of top notes. Still, this tropical-sounding mix is not what I'd call voluptuous. The spicy characteristic from the start of the fragrance returns in the base, with cloves, and so does the sharp-dry unisex feel, with vetiver. This is an interesting scent, refreshing yet vaguely gourmand, at times obviously feminine, at other times almost masculine. There is something off-kilter in it, as if the balance of freshness and sweetness, of creaminess and spiciness haven't been gotten quite right, but oddly, this slight, quirky imperfection of the blend is what I enjoy about it. Available wherever Jo Malone products are sold, $55.00-$100.00. Image source, jomalone.com

Ineke F: Field Notes from Paris- Perfume Review

By Scott At the tender age of 18, T.S. Eliot wrote The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock in which he reveals the internal musings of a young man preparing to ask for his beloved’s hand in marriage, wondering if his restrained, carefully meted out collection of life experiences has created a man worthy of her love: For I have known them all already, known them all: Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons; I know the voices dying with a dying fall Beneath the music from a farther room. So how should I presume? One of the inspirations for Ineke Rühland’s new release, F: Field Notes from Paris, is that lovely line about coffee spoons, how it evokes a metering of memories, of nostalgia, of that Proustian moment of clarity when all that has come before coalesces into one instant in time. Rühland has metered out her fragrances not in coffee spoons, but in alphabetical letters. Her early creations A though C can all be characterized as florals of fresh, sparkling, effervescent clarity. In D: Derring-Do she pushed the transparent quality into a more literal realm with a masculine/unisex fragrance that played with magnolia and aquatic notes on wet cement, to capture those first moments of a summer rain shower hitting pavement. Derring-Do was her first foray into unisex fragrances. In her latest creations, E: Evening Edged in Gold and her brand new release F: Field Notes from Paris, she has turned down the wattage, moving away from bright fizzy transparency toward a warm glow, from champagne to cognac. Evening, which features gold osmanthus and angel’s trumpet (brugmansia, which releases its perfume only during the nighttime), is a fragrance for warm sultry nights and feels more formal, elegant, opera-ready. With her latest release, she continues the trend toward warmer, denser creations. Despite the line about coffee spoons, there is no coffee in this juice. The accompanying box notes and “story” for F: Field Notes from Paris tell us that the fragrance is meant to evoke the “nostalgic feeling” of sitting in Parisian cafés, lingering over café crème, perhaps jotting down our adventures in a journal. Described as a “woody oriental”, the top notes are listed as coriander seed, orange flower and bergamot; middle notes of tobacco flower and leaf, patchouli, and cedar; and base notes of tonka bean, leather, beeswax and vanilla. The coriander seed adds a sweet spiciness to the opening which balances the slight sourness of the bergamot and patchouli, which predominate (for me in) the first 15-30 minutes. The patchouli adds radiance and depth to the early proceedings and as it recedes a bit, Tobacco leaf, leather, and vanilla take center stage, with vanilla and cedar more evident in the dry down. While notes of orange flower and tobacco flower are listed, it is never overtly floral. This fragrance opens as more traditionally feminine patchouli fragrance and ends as a vanilla tobacco and leather masculine fragrance. The tobacco here is not the harsher smoked variety, but the slightly damp leaf of pipe tobacco still in its leather pouch. The progression and development is a pleasure to experience, the sillage is moderate, and the tenacity is excellent. For me it lasted the entire work day. The amber/tobacco colored bottle is wonderful, with a hand drawn map of Paris visible through the class. I believe Ineke, as a line of fragrances, has achieved the perfect marriage of bottle and perfume design. There is a simplicity that manages to be fresh and contemporary, and yet still feels solid and luxurious. Looking at her perfumes lined up in order of release, the bottles provide a visual cue of the progression from effervescent to more dense perfumes. F: Field Notes from Paris is original (a feat these days!), well constructed, warm, approachable and wearable by men and women alike, especially if you are fond of the leather tobacco accord. I predict it will be added to many lists of Best Fall Fragrances, and the timing of the release could not be better. Like J.Alfred Prufrock, who agonized over whether he was marriage-worthy, I too have agonized over many a sample of perfume, wondering if it was bottle-worthy. In this case, it is. Scott Lauzé, MD Dr. Lauze is a psychiatrist in private practice in San Francisco and a perfume enthusiast. Image source, Ineke.com

JAR Shadow: Perfume Review...Sort of...

When my father's father died, he took with him the secret of his marinated tomatoes. His marinated tomatoes were, without any shadow of a doubt, the best in this galaxy, and in a couple of others. We have always thought that the secret ingredient were sliced onions, however, when we tried to pickle tomatoes that way, our version had none of the incredibly rich, spicy yet sweet taste of grandpa's preserves. The other day I put on JAR's Shadow, and realized that somehow the creators got hold of my grandfather's recipe. The perfume smells exactly like the brine of those pickled tomatoes from my childhood. I also realized that the secret of the preparation could have been cloves, and maybe even a touch of cinnamon. That would account for the sweet, delectable piquancy of the preserve. I understand that this "review" must be frustrating to read for those who want to know what Shadow smells like. After all, they have no point of reference, as they have never, sadly, experienced the mouthwatering savoriness of deda Volodya's pickled tomatoes. My best guess is that Shadow could have vetiver, wood, cloves, cinnamon and oakmoss (the latter very evident in the drydown, where the savory-gourmand quality wears off a bit). And believe me when I say that it is even more frustrating for me...almost Tantalus torture-like...to smell, to salivate and not to be able to partake. Have a frustration-free week, everybody! Image source, дневник Хозяюшки.

Guilt-Free: Саlvin Кlein СКfree- аnd а draw

Earlier Marina was contacted by the people marketing this new scent asking if we'd like to try it and offering to give two bottles away in a draw. She asked me if I wanted to be the reviewer (I suppose since I am male) and my answer to her was "won't they hate me if I trash it?" Her answer? "Who cares :-)" They're going to hate me, but just a little. I'm not quite sure the marketer had read my post on one of the previous Klein scents that I found frankly a bit lacking, that mentioned the one that started a thousand СК's- СКone. For those of you vacationing in outer space in the early 90's, СКone was a monster hit for Calvin Klein: the then-edgy ad campaign featured all sorts of kids of indeterminate gender and grunge-esque clothed Tweens standing around against a bright white background, like in God’s waiting room, or The Apple Store. The reason that scent was such a hit wasn't the campaign or that the idea of unisex scents were so new, but that the scent was the right one at the right time: bright bergamot, sparkling hedione and a skin-musk drydown as addictive as crack. I had a bottle and went through it in record time, but somehow didn't buy another. As for СКfree, I'll quote from the press release: casual - spontaneous – confident скfree, inspired by the spirit of the modern, independent man who lives every day to the fullest. he has nothing to prove. he’s cool, relaxed and free-spirited. he does what he wants and is in control of his own destiny. He also is apparently averse to capital letters. Notes, again from the press release: top: thailand star anise, jackfruit, absinthe, juniper berry mid: suede, tobacco leaves, coffee absolute, south african buchu dry: patchouli absolute, oakwood, texan cedarwood, costa rican ironwood I normally think of myself as having rather a good nose, but this totally defeated me. I couldn't discern one single note. I'm going to be nice and ascribe it to the scent being well-balanced. To be honest, it's not a bad scent. It's pleasant, slightly sweet and with a very nice, very light woody dry-down. You could wear it anywhere and the most reaction you'd get is "he smells nice" without the smeller being able to pinpoint why or what. I think the Calvin Klein people made two mistakes with this: first, it really should have been released last May. It's pleasantly summery and and has a frozen fruity chill that would have been perfect for a hot summer day. Second, the name. This isn't СКone, two or forty-seven; and I think they should СКbe done with the whole СКwhatever business and start coming up with actual names. I am, most likely rather (ahem) outside of the age group being marketed to here. You'll be smelling a lot of this, just more in the mailroom than the boardroom. As I wrote, the marketers have offered 2 bottles to be given out, if you would like to be included in the draw, please leave a comment. СКfree will be available everywhere except perhaps outer space at prices ranging from $32 for 1oz to $62 for 3.4oz Note: I was given a small full bottle by the marketing people. When they read the above I am sure they will bitterly repent having done so. Image source, techandlife.com.

The Visions of Vespertina - lessons in Perfume, Passion and Allegory - Roxana Villa and Gregory Spalenka

By Beth It is rare as a writer, that I’m left speechless. But there are those rare occasions when I come across a story so haunting that I’m left with simply my own tears and almost no way to put them into words. About a month ago, I arrived home from California to find a beautiful package waiting for me from Roxana Villa. I waited for a perfect day to open it and sooner than later I found myself alone, listening to thick warm raindrops splattering against the windows. What I found when I opened the thick envelope was a complete mystery to me. There was a beautiful little pot of solid perfume sealed with Roxana’s trademark bee and enveloped in a beautiful bag of sheer rose colored chiffon tied with a simple green ribbon, but there was also a beautifully illustrated book entitled “The Visions of Vespertina” and a cd that was inserted ever so gracefully into the sleeve inside. It was simple, magical and completely enchanting. I was amazed. I’d never considered it, perfume as music, illustration.....perfume as art, art as perfume. It was an inspiring concept to consider, somewhat surreal as if from another time or place and incredibly bold in its conception. I knew by the way that my hair stood on end that there was something here for me to consider, to be profoundly moved by. So I made myself a pot of yarrow tea , opened up the lovely little pot of perfume and inserted the cd into my computer. All of a sudden the kitchen where I work was transformed into a beautiful cloister with a soft rain outside, fresh flowers and herbs and a walled garden all around. I found myself swept away and captivated by the story of Vespertina , a young mystic who is in essence a time traveler, one who walks between the worlds of this life and the next. She is one born to a very long lineage of those who travel back and forth through the veils and although it is she who is ultimately destined to to bring balance back into both of those worlds, she is emotionally lazy and unwilling to claim that capacity to provoke healing that is her birthright. Vespertina in her journey is opened powerfully to the possibilities of passionate , yet unrequited love with her lover Dante’ and it is she who learns the ultimate lesson in the releasing of that passion. I think that many of us can identify with experiencing a love so powerful and ultimately so earthbound that we are simultaneously destroyed and yet opened up by the very nature of its elusiveness. I have an image of Vespertina standing at her garden wall holding a rose given to her by her lover and yet with her head encircled in a wreath of stars. Her story serves as a reminder to me that there is a fine balance to be walked in this life, that we are all far vaster beings than we know and yet our time here is precious. I know that in my own life, to walk amongst the stars I need to have my feet planted firmly here on Earth and it has been a hard won lesson. Every time that I have tried to do it in reverse I’ve come crashing down with the weight and agony of my ungrounded spirit. Walking between worlds comes very easily to me and so does being carried away by the rapture of those journeys. Many times I have been burdened by a love that seemed so real and yet was made that way only by the power of my own imagination. It took me years to understand that I was that love and it was then and only then that living the powerful life that was to be my birthright was even possible. Vespertina’s story, her perfume and the gorgeous music that is woven along through is an spiritual yet earthly allegory of the rarest and most exquisite sort. Greg Spalenka (along with Michelle Barnes) is the co-author , musician and illustrator of “The Visions of Vespertina”. Greg is Roxana’s adorable husband and together they have created a breathtaking work of conceptual art with a fluid life of its own, an unfinished and still unfolding story that we can all place ourselves into. The music is magnificent with its origins found in many of the old Renaissance masterpieces. The paintings are done in the style of the most glorious illuminations and yet they are more than that, they seem to be portals into another time and place, beckoning you gently to explore those secret places in your soul that only you know exist. Roxana Villas “Vespertina” perfume is grounded in sweet scent of honey and beeswax with flourishes of sandalwood and frankincense, rose and jasmine. There are over 20 different and beautifully handmade botanical essences used in the making of it and when I wear it I feel as if I have become the lady in one of my beloved French Unicorn Tapestries . It is available as a gorgeous liquid perfume as well as a sumptuous solid. As with all perfumes made by the divine Ms. Villa, this making of this fragrance harms none yet has bewitched almost everyone that I’ve let close enough to enjoy it. Vespertina has a quiet energy , created in the monastic image of the heroine who has inspired it, yet is a very seductive fragrance that is completely full of all of the forbidden nuances and subtle inuendos that can’t help but inspire a deep hunger filed with equal parts desire and passion. Wear it at your own risk and enjoy the results. If falling that deeply in love with yourself isn’t worth it, nothing is...........

Vintage finds: There’s a lot more to Lucien Lelong than Indiscret – And a Prize Draw

By Donna The only Lucien Lelong perfume that most people know about is their great sharp, fruity Oriental Indiscret, deservedly the star of the line. Most of the scents from the elegant past of this great fashion house are long discontinued, which is unfortunate, especially for someone like me who is just discovering these treasures. I first became aware of the only truly modern Lelong, 1999’s Pour Femme, a few years ago when I fell hard for it at my local perfume shop. This luscious floral-Oriental is a bombshell scent for sure, and with its rich notes of florals such as magnolia, lilac and orchid and honeyed, syrupy Kadota fig on a base of sandalwood, vetiver, oakmoss and musk it smells like something out of the glamorous Hollywood golden age, and I just adore it. Later I discovered that they now have a web site where they sell not only this and Indiscret, but several of their old classics, either in the original version or brought back in reformulation. Tailspin, Sirocco, Balalaika, Opening Night, Bain Parfait and Orgueil for women are available, and the lone men’s offering is Robin Hood. I decided to see if I could find some of the original versions of these scents, but I had no idea how in-demand the Lelongs in general were; I had seen vintage bottles of Indiscret sell on auction sites for pretty impressive numbers but I had never really looked for the others. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the older Lelong perfumes are not always as hard to get as many others are; having been whipped into submission in my attempts to get even a small bottle of classic Shalimar Parfum I had expected the worst. I believe that one advantage was that the odd hobnail glass bottles with long necks that the fragrances came in for a long time (and the ones other than Indiscret and Pour Femme still do) can appear a little cheap in photos, and to the untrained eye they look a bit like drugstore specials. Another factor is that these scents are relatively unfamiliar, and many people looking for vintage perfumes might buy according to name recognition and go for the Guerlains and Chanels instead. In any event I was able to obtain three pristine vintage bottles for very little money: Indiscret, Tailspin and Sirocco. The first two came in an unopened gift set package, and I knew they were really old when I opened the package and examined it more closely. There was a Fedco price label on the box. This was a California members-only department store that existed only from 1948 to 1998; the price was all of $1.99, so I know that it was from the earlier years of the store’s run. The Sirocco bottle was individual, and the seller did not know the provenance, but it does not carry a bar code so I know it’s at least before that era, since everything has one now. The most surprising one of these three was Indiscret; it was completely lacking in the green sharpness of the opening that makes it so unmistakable today. I don’t know if it is because the top notes are destroyed due to age or if Indiscret was massively reformulated at some point. However, once it’s been on the skin for a while, it reveals itself to be the real thing, as the distinctive rich, spice-laced heart notes are still there, and once I got over the opening I loved it. Tailspin revealed itself to be a true delight, with a fresh, almost bouncy joie de vivre reminiscent of Jean Patou’s masterpiece Moment Suprême. It has a lively herbal opening that is followed by a soft, breezy floral heart with a pleasing and somewhat soapy character. I plan to wear it a lot when spring comes, and on winter days when I really need a lift I will splash it with abandon. Sirocco is an Oriental fragrance with a compelling dry coriander flourish at the beginning that drew me in immediately. As it developed I noted a resemblance to a certain well-known classic perfume, only instead of all that dark vanilla it’s got an absolute ton of my beloved oakmoss in the base; I won’t need any Shalimar for a while after all. Now I really want to try all the old Lelongs I can find, and if that is not possible I would feel confident in buying the back catalogue fragrances from the Web site, as they are very reasonably priced. I even sent the company an e-mail asking if they were considering re-releasing any other classics, but they have no plans to do so at this time. (I had read about their legendary Magnolia perfume, sadly long gone. If it were half as good as the magnolia in Pour Femme, I would sell my soul for it. I also asked them who did Pour Femme for them, but they declined to reveal that. ) I am offering a sample set of four Lucien Lelong scents - the three vintage ones mentioned plus a sample of Lelong Pour Femme. The vintage fragrances are all Eau de Cologne, but they have plenty of lasting power, and the Pour Femme is Eau de Parfum. Indicate in the comments if you are interested, and please note, I can only ship to U.S. addresses at this time, and any commenters posting as “Anonymous” who do not put a name in the body of their message will not be entered in the draw. The winner’s name will be drawn by an online randomizer program the week after this post appears. Image credit: Lucien Lelong fashion sketch from Flickr.com Fashion Sleuth photo set, some rights reserved.

Spooky Scent

By Paul October 31st conjures many memories for me. In my early twenties, I bought a used Chevy Impala on that date, which I named “Vlad, the Impala.” But I digress. Welcome to my (lab)oratory on a perfume for Halloween. Now, I DO already know … thanks to my vast untapped knowledge of fragrances … ah who am I kidding … on my ability to Google, about Halloween Perfume by Jesus Del Pozo for Women. But like always, why would I want to buy one, when I can create my own? I draw my inspiration from Vincent Price’s “rap” in the song ‘Thriller’ … and in particular, two lines from that ‘rap’. The foulest stench is in the air The funk of forty thousand years Has anyone ever used human blood as a perfume ingredient I wonder? Then again, you want to go to your Halloween party a little more vamp, and a little less vampire. Pumpkin might be an interesting choice. Every year at this time, there always seems to be a release of pumpkin spice coffee available, and while it tastes better than it sounds, I just don’t see it as arousing to anyone this side of Peter Peter Pumpkin eater. So now, with the help of my faithful (and imaginary) assistant, Igor … let the work begin. I will start with rightwing of Newt (Gingrich) And eye of Batman The seed of a virtuous young Robert Pattison And … Nah, that’s not gonna work. I NEED MORE POWER!!!! (Sorry, I often shout that inexplicably in my lab) Well I am just going to toss some stuff in a hopper, see how it goes, and then even if it is the foulest stench in the air, I’ll just throw some celeb’s name on it and get the Madison Ave boys to spew some artsy dream-like ad campaign. “I need more clouds! Get me dry ice. Someone put more twigs in that sprite’s hair! Now tango across that conference table, not foxtrot! This is a perfume commercial, not Tom Delay promotional stunt! Work with me people!” I don’t know how you go about extracting the scent from things but I quote Freddie Prinze in “Chico and the Man” … “It’s not my job man.” So into the hopper (picture a big boiling witch’s pot) go the extracted scents of all the scary things I can think of apart from Dick Cheney. * Some graveyard soil … that ashy, misty, mossy night time dew (zombie scent) * Embalming fluid (mummy scent) * Something woodsy like a wooden stake (vampire scent) * Garlic (anti vampire scent) I NEED MORE POWER!!!! Then apply a little behind each neck bolt and you’re good to go. It’s ALIVE! … ALIVE! I call this concoction “Ghoul Power” Happy Halloween!

Hallowe'en Treat: Phoenix Myster by Roxana Illuminated Perfumes

By Tom A few days ago, perfumer Roxana Villa emailed me with news of a new product- inspired by yours truly. My first reaction was of course, pride since the only thing I had previously inspired would have been mild distaste. Then I felt some fear; what if I hate it? Well, I pretty much knew that wouldn't happen because of the notes (from her site) - Vanilla: warm and inviting - Benzoin: purifying, when combined with spice acts an an attractor - Myrrh: (for the nest) enhances contemplation - Dragons Blood Resin from a small indigenous village in the Amazon. - Spices: invigorating, energizing, spell enhancing and uplifting - Orange: uplifting I do admit googling "Dragon's Blood Resin" to see if it was for real and lo and behold it is. It's a resin with some medicinal purposes. Vanilla, myrrh, spices and orange are of course right up my alley. Pheonix Myster is written of in her blog as a celebration of my favorite time of year, Fall. For me it's a time of renewal and contemplation, planning for the upcoming winter and the promise of spring. Growing up in New England fall was a time for putting up preserves, making leaf piles, that nip in the air requiring cashmere sweaters and lit fireplaces. I used to drive on the cold days to school in my little red FIAT Spyder with the top down wearing a scarf, marveling at the beauty of the leaves turning, an experience I was able to recreate with my BFF Bitsy last year in a borrowed Honda S2000. It was just as sublime an experience years later and better shared (and it was nice to not have to crank the car..). While Roxana writes about Samhain and the celebration when time of year when the "veil between worlds are at their thinnest" the balance of notes neatly straddle the world of my memories and the world of the Druids. Maybe that's the point. Citrus dominates the opening, and never leaves the composition completely. The vanilla and the spices keep it somewhat foody, but not sweet; sort of like walking into a house where someone had been making really good marmalade. Benzoin and myrrh add shadows: those worlds of memory and mysticism merging. Phoenix Myster is at once as warm and inviting as a rambling country house, but with a touch of October Country darkness making it perfect for this season. Phoenix Myster is available at her e-shop $25.00 for 1 OZ spray Image source, Roxana Illuminated Perfume.

Thankyous, apologies, disclaimers, promises and winners

Thank you for your patience with the sporadic posting on the blog. I am settling into a new schedule at work and at home, but I promise that Perfume-Smellin’ Things will soon return to business as usual with five reviews a week. I have no doubt that my new working environment at International Flavors & Fragrances will be an added inspiration for the writing. Having said that, I feel it necessary to note that Perfume-Smellin’ Things is not affiliated with my employer. I hope everybody is having a great pre-Halloween week; please, stay tuned for spooky articles from Tom and Beth, tomorrow and on Friday. The winner of the Fall Favorite sample draw is dissed. Please, email us your address, using the contact me link on the right.