Dzing! went the strings of my heart

By Tom Well, I was back in New York last week. Most of the time was visiting the Connecticut shore visiting my oldest and dearest friend at her parents rambling beach house, and wandering around visiting shops. What is surprising (well surprising to us city-snobs) is that there are so many shops that while smaller, rival any in the city. There was a cheese shop in New London that featured a heavenly Shropshire, ruddy with annato and beautifully veined, amongst other stand-outs. I honestly wasn't trying to puff myself up when I mentioned to the lady that owned the shop that she was rivalling my local cheese store in LA. Turns out she knows the owner, and gave me her card for when I visit the Beverly Hills Cheese Shop next! Six Degrees! I only had one full day in New York, which I will have to remedy next time. I did a run through Saks, skipped Barneys completely, never got to Le Labo or CB I Hate Perfume (the latter two hurt) and of course you read about my trip to Bergdorfs and the Lutens news. I am of course of two minds on this: I want my Lutens all the time, but I don't know that there isn't a little bit of cachet in the chase. The bell jars are spectacular, and there is something like a secret handshake quality about them. Anyone can get those admittedly handsome 50ml bottles; for this American anyway there's a furtive thrill breaking out that precious bell jar and dabbing away.. But perhaps it's only the two Bois and only in the 50ml bottles. As you know, Marina and I finally met face-to-face at the l'Artisan boutique. She is as charming as you would imagine, and as lovely, with crystalline blue eyes and cheekbones that Debbie Harry would envy. After a cappuccino in the park, overlooking those dreadful 5th Avenue in the 80's buildings that I could never live in (this the WASP version of kin ahora) and a nice chat that felt like we'd known each other for years, we went to the boutique. I looked at the home scent thingy that they had come up with, and it works wonderfully and smells fantastic. I am sure that in certain parts of the upper East side, (not West) Palm Beach and one or two Arrondissements it will do fine. For the rest of the planet, let's just say that price-wise Glade Plug-in need not worry. The boutique had some of the last of the small bottles of Dzing!, which I had neglected to either buy or review. After all this blather I will self-edit enough to write that on me its circus-showman opening is fairly fleeting; a burst of hay, leather, candy, animal and oddly, rose petals. It settles into a wonderful skin scent with a supremely elegant leather and a hint of vanilla and tea. Oddly for something that is meant to evoke the circus, for me it evokes one of a different kind: I think of the tea room at the old Bullocks Wilshire: expensive handbags, hot milky tea and the vanilla scented scones. Arrangements of genteel roses and the glow of genteel ladies who have been spending the morning at fittings and are settling in for a tea and the first of at least two dainty little glasses of sherry. As Marina has noted, Dzing! is not discontinued. Good thing! Oh, and l'Artisan? Open in Melrose Place. You're in a cupboard at Barneys. Image source, istockphoto.com.