Best of 2012!

It's that time of year again, where we talk about what we loved in 2012. Whether it's new, old or in between, these are the scents that we wore and adored: Beth: For me, the holidays are a blend of magnificent, fragrant sensations. Because I'm a cook as well as a perfume obsessed writer, the smells of the season tend to blend together for me in  a gloriously fragrant stew starting from Halloween through the New Year. There are so many fragrances that I love that are synonymous with this time of year, but I've been told today that I have to choose only five. This is not an easy feat for someone like me, but here goes!  Most of you who read my musings know that from November the 1st until January the 2nd,  I will only wear Caron's magnificent Nuit de Noel. I love it because to me it smells like a crackling fire with a split of champagne and a bouquet of slightly warmed roses in a vase nearby.  Nuit de Noel is full of spicy amber, musk and a bit of oak moss… some may call it a chypre, but to me it's a true oriental. Last year I was gifted with a bottle of the vintage perfume that I ritualistically applied this year during this week of Christmas…1 drop on each wrist, one drop in the cleavage . It's just beautiful…an entirely different animal than the EDP and to be cherished. True to my word I put my Nuit de Noel away sadly every year come the second of January, but because I do so it's a bit of magic that's never lost it's ability to enchant  me year after year. The second of my favorite holiday scents is  the Noel candle and home spray from Annick Goutal. This is possibly my favorite home fragrance  anytime of the year, but during Christmas it is just so beautiful to me. Several years back they actually discontinued it, but the hew and cry must have been intense because thankfully it wasn't gone very long! Noel is the classic balsam and pine smell of Christmas with a touch of fresh orange and spicy mandarin.  It gives me a lift all year round but never more so than during the holiday season when it is completely and understatedly appropriate . To me synonymous with the holiday season is a shopping  trip to New York City and  the roasted chestnuts that can be found on every other street corner is  my idea of simple and perfect fast food. A bag of them in my lap while snuggled up against my husband in a Hansom carriage is as far as I'm concerned the best time to be had in the world.  I love them…peeling them leaves a roasted , woody aroma lingering on my fingertips  and eating them is a sweet and sinful pleasure. These same roasted chestnuts and champagne are a perfect pairing and lets take it up a notch and talk about marrons glace! To make those you'll take those same roasted chestnuts and simmer them over and over again in a bath of simple syrup until the moisture in the chestnuts has been replaced by the sugar, leaving them crystalline and  aromatic.  Crumbled over fresh vanilla ice cream and sprinkled with a bit of candied ginger you won't find a much more delightful and festive dessert to enjoy with even more of that Champagne.  Every year on Christmas morning I would walk into my mothers kitchen where she would be making the same breakfast that she had cooked and eaten for almost her entire life. Creamed Chicken a la King on buttered toast points, egg strata with cheese and smoky bacon,  a fresh pecan roll , stewed fruit and a pot of coffee . Since she's been gone I make it every year (my family would riot if I didn't!)  and it's a wonderful way to spend my morning thinking of her. All of the aromas of that breakfast are wonderful, simmering onions and warm yeasty sugary  dough , but the stewed fruit is especially amazing. It's a simple recipe too, water and about 5 different sorts of dried fruit go into a saucepan along with a cup or two of mulling spices, two cups of brown sugar, a cup of sherry and a sliced lemon and orange. It simmers for hours until the whole thing is a syrupy , delicious mess of fruity, spicy goodness. There's always plenty left over because a little goes along way. Around New Years I'll put it back on the stove, add an onion or two and simmer it down some more and serve it with a pork tenderloin and some crispy roasted potatoes. The last of my favorite holiday aromas is perhaps the simplest one. It really can't be called Christmas if I don't have a batch of my mothers Christmas Chocolate Pears. This is possibly the simplest recipe in existence and it was first discovered by my father and me at a wonderful old Atlantic city restaurant  called "Bruno's Pen and Pencil". It took my mother years to replicate it and when she finally did we were in heaven because it is just so good. You must have freshly whipped cream and you must use canned pears and a thin layer of the very good chocolate. At Bruno's they made these in individual servings but for a party you can layer the pears in a crystal bowl.  Then layer the whipped cream on top of them, and place them in the freezer . Melt the chocolate, add a little bit of the canned pear juice into it and then pour a thin layer of the chocolate over the top of the whipped cream and pears. The chocolate will harden into a delightfully bittersweet coating that cracks when you touch it with the spoon. Each mouthful is a decadent bite of pear, chocolate and whipped cream and is simply perfect. Thankfully my dear friend makes it for us every year so that the tradition continues as I would prefer to never have to be without them. Donna: It was very hard to choose just three top fragrances for 2012, because so many good ones have been launched. I could have closed my eyes and pointed, and picked any number of others, but since I have to decide: 1. Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling! was a delicious surprise, a mango fragrance that was much more than just a fruity novelty. Of course, the fact that it was composed by the great Bertrand Duchaufour doesn't hurt! 2. Providence Perfume Company Moss Gown, an all-natural perfume with a vintage vibe that entranced me completely. It smells like the kind of fragrance that mainstream houses gave up on decades ago. 3. Arquiste Flor y Canto, just a beautiful white tropical floral with the twist of pungent marigold to make it interesting. It was a standout for me among the Arquiste scents, all of which are very good. Marina: If I had write this last month, I would have vacillated between three fragrances, looking for my one Top 1 of 2012. It so happened, however, that in the beginning of December I attended the Nutcracker, the Balanchine version, at the Lincoln center, with the big tree going up and the saucy Coffee of Arabia (all the dads in the audience were wolf-whistling) and the cute Candy Cane (all the moms in the audience wished they knew how to wolf-whistle) and all those magical trimmings that made even this jaded heart go aflutter, like a 10 year old's. And for that occasion I finally, hands shaking, opened my vintage Nuit de Noel, in its packaging with all the trimmings, the black bottle, the golden wire, the green tassel. And the combination of the two magics was absolutely perfect and truly powerful. And then I vacillated no more. Nothing compares to Nuit de Noel with its "slight patina of olfactory dust, the texture of old Persian lamb fur, still glamorous but worn so thin that now it looks and feels more like velvet. The kind of texture that makes it hard to distinguish notes in a composition, leaving one with a general impression of a Perfume and a feeling of vague nostalgia." Tom: Since we have done nine scents so far I am going to pick just one, that was from 2012 and that I reviewed on this blog. So it has to be Anat Fritz Tzora. I called it in my review an "instant classic" and I stand behind that. It's a pitch-perfect blend of peppery orange, subtle florals with cedar and a deliciously musky patch drydown. It's even decently priced at $130 for 100 ML. It's marketed as a masculine, but like really great "men's" scents it is entirely unisex. So please chime in with your best of 2012, and also please check out the other participating blogs: Grain de Musc, Now Smell This, Bois de Jasmine and Perfume Posse

Spring Favorites 2012

"and it's spring when the world is puddle-wonderful" and we have a list of favorites share yours with us! Beth Oh my dears I am so predictable…..my mind wants to swing out there and write brilliant prose about some exquisite new scent and make your necks and senses tingle with flowery statements of orgasmic olfactory bliss the likes of which you've never experienced before! I can't though, because once again it's spring, the ethereal white lilies are beginning to bloom and my heart can never stray far from my beloved Diorissimo . Not much could be written about this beauty that hasn't already been said throughout the ages in one way or another, but for me it remains the only thing that I want to wear when the breezes turn soft and fresh. I buy a new bottle every year to herald the greening of spring and this year I did notice a return to something…I don't know if there's been yet another reformulation, but this new bottle of Eau de Parfum seems more as I remember it, a bit sweeter, a little more true to it's roots. Regardless of that , every spray brings me pleasure and makes me want to put on a pair of fishnet stockings, a short short skirt and a beret! I can't imagine cavorting with any other during the merry month of May! Diorissimo is like a fabulous "Same time next year" love affair…..it never disappoints and never fails to make my husband smile, so tell me why would I ever choose another? Donna Spring fragrances are some of my favorites, since I love florals so much, and there is no shortage of them in my collection. Spring florals are special; they have to be fresh, lilting and attuned to the season. There will be a number of these lovelies in heavy rotation during the height of spring, but two that will be getting a lot of attention from me are both from DSH Perfumes; the elegant, cool green floral chypre Vert pour Madame and the ethereally beautiful 1,000 Lilies. Both of them could have been made just for me, they are so close to my ideal of what a fragrance should be. Vert pour Madame smells like a great vintage classic, and 1,000 Lilies could not be more appealing to a green floral fan like me. Speaking of which, I have been waiting all winter to break out my Guerlain Chamade, a rich floral scent with a most delightful hyacinth character, and what could be better than that for the season? Kelley This time I decided to go with something I discovered locally. It's called Fleur d'Oranger by Ablu. Ablu is a small company based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, that makes natural fragrances and soaps and lotions (and related products). Fleur d'Oranger is my favorite with a strong orange component mingled with neroli flower. It is extremely long lasting for a natural fragrance. I even detect hints of ambergris in the dry down. They can be reached at www.ablusma.com or even better, visit them when you are in San Miguel. Linda Mine is an old favorite: Bvlgari's Voile de Jasmin. It is quintessentially springlike in its cascade of tenderest blossoms of jasmine, orange, and mimosa - a soft aura of fragile petals. Anyone looking for naughty jasmine will be disappointed. This is a virginal, pretty, girly fragrance that would be suitable for a bride. It is also sweetly sentimental for me, as I got my bottle while on an uncharacteristically luxurious anniversary cruise. I just keep reaching for the bottle over and over this spring. Marian This season the scent I've enjoyed most is SMK Fragrance's Orris Civet blend. Usually I think of iris as being very austere and cool, but in this all natural composition the iris note, culled from high quality orris butter, is festooned with a charming and light-hearted violet delicacy. The real shocker is the civet. When smelled "raw" civet is so fecal that the only place I'd feel comfortable wearing it is in a tannery. Surprisingly, when blended with orris its naughty skankiness is balanced with a powdery, vanillic softness that adds a halo of child-like innocence, making this all natural blend as surprising as it is approachable and irresistible. Marina This spring my heart beat surrender to the classic Guerlains. It beats the most intenesly to Chamade. Green, slightly bitter and seemingly unyielding, it hides deep, deep...very deep down inside the sweetness and the warmth of a loving caress like a chilly spring day hides a promise of summer heat. But Chamade will only reveal its soft side to the one it loves back. To those it doesn't, it would never, never, never, never give up. Marla I've been enjoying two perfumes that play on the opposites of Spring on a Sand Dune. Shiseido's Koto, with its cool, quiet demeanor and touch of icy detachment works beautifully on the hot, humid days when anything warm would be stifling. And By Kilian's Amber Oud by Calice Becker, cuddly and warm, but also soft and gauzy, for the cold winds that blow from the North occasionally in April. Tom My favorite spring scent this year is something I had in the closet: Frederic Malle French Lover. I bought it when I was flush and had it shipped from France so I could have the "French Lover" name, since I think Bois d'Orage (what they sell it under in the states) is just silly, and the American translation "Thunder Woods" reads like a porn star. In any case, it's a beautifully done scent, green with galbanum and vetiver and grounded with cedar and warmed with spice. There's something square-jawed about it's clean green-ness that's fairly spring-like but add a little bit of dressiness to my day, when I'm not a dressy person. Not showy; it's a stainless-steel Rolex of a scent. I feel dressed up in it, even in jeans and topsiders. Please check out the other participating blogs: Bois de Jasmine, Perfume Posse, Grain de Musc and Now Smell This. Photo, Spring on 63rd, is by Marina, all rights reserved.

Best of Winter 2012

Yes, it's time again where we list our bests of winter!  Feel free to list yours in the comments. Alena: The best scent of this winter is, no doubt, Bottega Veneta. At some point I even stopped wearing it, to not turn into a routine the contact with this wonderful scent. Canonical beauty also has reverse side – large circulation. Remember those crowds in front of Mona Lisa? But I felt for Bottega Veneta not because of it's beauty. I got tired of feeling myself a hundred years old, nagging about everything new not less than about conceptuality and too much self-expression in perfumery. Bottega Veneta doesn't make me feel myself a stranger in my own time. Beth: I seem to be having an affair du coeur with Tom Ford. First it was his luscious woodsy Violet Blonde, but about three weeks ago I fooled around and fell hopelessly in love with Tobacco Vanille. Tobacco Vanille is described as a modern take on a man's club and I must agree but go a bit further. When I'm wearing it I immediately think of that incredible striptease scene from 9 and 1/2 weeks  when she's completely naked and wrapped in his fully clad arms.   All of that cocoa, tonka bean, dried fruit , wood sap and vanilla blends together in a way that's practically edible and layers on my skin like one of the DH's oversize cotton shirts that I love to sleep in. However, there's no sleeping when I'm wearing it and it's definitely the perfume that kept me warm at night all winter long.  Birgit: When it is cold, outside, really, really cold, I look for an olfactory blanket to go with my down coat, and the brand I come up with time and again is none other than the stylish Tom Ford's. While Tom himself might disapprove of my Trip to the Himalaya-style garb, he sure would love to get a whiff of me. Amber Absolute and Tobacco Vanille are my two most worn, go-to warming fragrances in winter. A classic amber, big-boned, smoky and very much present, Amber Absolute is like a rock, always reliable, always pleasant, staying the distance and fulfilling its duty of being a layer of protection and warmth. Similar sentiments go for Tobacco Vanille, although this is the one I wear when I need an extra dose of sweetness. A pronounced honey note makes this duet of mellow tobacco and dark vanilla cozy and warm, and therefore ideal to keep the cold at bay. Donna: Winter here in the Pacific Northwest has been mild, even for us, so my big Orientals like Bal à Versailles and Rochas Absolu have not been getting the attention they usually receive at this time of year. I have been wearing some summery and even tropical fragrances, especially light floral bouquets such as vintage Crown Alpine Lily on those days when it’s so soft and humid that anything balsamic or ambery would be too much, especially at work. Overall, my winter default fragrance has been the comforting yet very sexy Natori, both in the Eau de Parfum and the rich body cream, especially at bedtime It has been in heavy rotation along with Badgley Mischka pure parfum, a deliciously fruity chypre which really brightens me up and gives me a mood lift on those grey, unrelentingly rainy days. I have also been on a rose and rose chypre kick for several months now, so my L’Arte di Gucci, Parfums de Rosine Une Folie de Rose and Rose Kashmirie get regular use, and of course, always and forever, my beloved Caron Parfum Sacré in the original formula is so well suited to winter and evening that I have been finding reasons to wear it even when the occasion only calls for jeans and a sweater. There is never a wrong time or season for it! Marian: Al Mendoos by Agar Aura It’s not often than one can call an oud-based perfume “understated” and delicate but Al Mendoos is this exception. With notes of osmanthus, cedar and Cambodian oud, this perfume is redolent of apricots and smooth sweet woods, dusted with a sprinkling of powder that adds a soft downy-ness to this ultra-feminine perfume. Oud mellows and supports the ripe juiciness of the beloved Asian flower, cushioning its sweetness and adding resonance and luster to this tender and gentle blend. Marina: This has been a gentle but cruel winter. The kind that makes you want to be wrapped up in a perfume not for warmth, but for comfort, protection and escape. Nuit de Noel's nostalgic, not-from-this-era feel and the velvety texture akin that of old Persian lamb fur provided just that. It made me feel as if I am not here, but on an old sepia photograph, a stranger looking inscrutably from under her pill box hat with short black veil...a stranger to my own sorrows and worries...gentle, aloof and maybe a little bit cruel.  "Once more I sent to you a letter Tenderly kissing its pages And opening the bottle of your evil perfume I'm inhaling its intoxication And then oh so clearly I see These thin black birds that are flying From the bottle they fly to the South From the bottle of Nuit de Noel" Nuit de Noel", Alexander Vertinsky  Marla: We've had several scary cold snaps here in the Southeast this winter, and each time, I've reached, without even thinking, for Serge Lutens Chergui. The warm hay, tobacco, resin and spice scent is the ultimate warmer for my winter chills. Luca Turin claimed that hay absolute, all on its own, would make a perfect perfume. This is true, and so it seems to me that Lutens and Sheldrake have outdone perfection with Chergui. No big surprise there. Tom: Our winter has been just plain weird.  One day in the 50's, the next in the 90's  My usual winter stalwarts are a little much in those circumstances.  Musky by smell bent is one that I'm reaching for a lot; it has just the perfect amount of sweet immortelle without going all syrupy.  It's as comforting as sipping hot, sweet tea by a fire in a cashmere sweater.  Since it's $45 bucks I think it's also the easiest indulgence I can think of. Please check out the other participating blogs: Bois de Jasmine, Perfume Posse, Grain de Musc and Now Smell This.

Happy Halloween! Fall Favorites and a Fabulous Treat!

BY BETH “There’s a few things that I’ve learned in life; always throw salt over your left shoulder , keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for good luck and fall in love whenever you can.” Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic So the wheel of the year has turned once again, bringing us back into the dark, plunging us deeply into the time of year when our need to move inside towards the hearth, away from the bone drenching cold into the arms of our lovers is the most important need that we have. October 31 is the festival of Samhain in the witches year or Halloween , a time when the veils between worlds is so very thin and a time when if you dare to ask, those that have crossed over will reappear, sometimes with answers, sometimes with warnings. Today if you hear anyone whispering to beware in a voice as thin and wet as a creeping fog take heed.Today even if you don’t listen you will feel them pulling you away from danger and you will look , yet never see their misty astral bodies in the sunlight. Yet you will know that they have been there, as sure and unsettling to the soul as any horror movie could ever be. The spirit world is far reaching in a way that is more unsettling any of us could ever imagine. I know…I’ve seen, smelled and tasted of it firsthand. There ARE things that go bump in the night and you would be wise to listen for them. You’ll know that they are near when you walk through a spot that is cold for no apparent reason, or if you smell the sweet smell of spring honeysuckle or lilac on a cold autumn night. Maybe you’ll feel a hand on your shoulder as a friend of mine did one Samhain eve as she was feeding her horses, yet turn around to find no on there. All she heard was the voice of her Lakota grandfather fading fast into the cold dark night telling her to be careful of the old barn ladder. For centuries, we have tried to make sense of that which we cannot see nor explain by burning them, exorcising them, ridiculing them or simply pretending that they don’t exist. Simple forms of banishment will never work, because how can you get rid of something that you have no understanding of. Witches like me have existed for centuries and even though you’ll try, you’ll never succeed in destroying us completely. You need us….we’re your voice into that other world that you are so afraid of, we’re the ones that know how to heal you without the medicines that will destroy you body and soul. We know how to hold your hand while you are dying and if it is part of your journey we will remove your fear. We know how to make sweet balms and perfumes that will make the homeliest among us instantly more glamourous and yes, be very careful because if we wanted your men, they would be powerless to resist us. But I know that you’ve heard that old saying, “that there’s a little bit of witch in every woman” and it’s true. Every witch has a Grimoire, which is a handwritten journal of recipes and spells that has sometimes been passed down through many generations. If you’ve got one of your Grandmothers cookbooks, with all of her beautifully handwritten notes then you’re in possession of a book of family magic and you can use it to strengthen that bond any time you wish. We have all kinds of magickal tools to play with, some of the most potent we learn from our mothers who never even realize what they were teaching us. There is magic in the art of preparing a beautiful meal for your family, there is magic in the art creating a beautiful home that conveys a message of comfort or status. My personal ‘Book of Shadows” is full of delectable recipes that will put all of the sparks back into your sex life and make you as bewitching as you’ve always dreamt you could be. In the spirit of celebration I’ve been asked to share with you my favorite things that I’ve been eating, drinking , sniffing or wearing this fall. I’ve been a busy little witch and my cupboard isn’t bare. So grab your brooms and meet me in my woods by the fire. Clothing is optional and the fire is very hot. There’s a bit of my favorite witches brew for everyone and of course because this is MY party, plenty of good food. So without further adieu here they are…. Some of my favorite things; all fabulously witchy , wonderful and ready for fall! My Favorite Candle Every good witch has to have a favorite candle and mine is the wonderful “Mary Jane” by the notorious fragrance house, Juliette’s got a Gun! When it burns my entire house is filled with the spectacular scent of Hashish, Pine and Oud. This candle comes poured into a simple silverplated cup that basically tells the story of this lovelytender creature that has been so reviled in the last century. If you’ve never been in an opium den or were not lucky enough to be a child a the late 60’s , then what I can say is that “Mary Jane” is the scent of a sweetly burning pile of maple leave and oh so perfect for telling ghostly stories on a spooky autumn night. Favorite Lipstick My favorite lipstick that I’ve worn this fall, the one that never fails me is Lipstick Queens “Medieval”. This is more of a stain than a lipstick and it hearkens back to Medieval times when (GASP!) full coverage of your lips was considered a sin. Alas, what’s a hot young maiden to do? This wonderful, vitamin E filled and delectably rich balm gives your lips a juicy and lusciously bee stung appearance and stains your lips to a beautiful soft red that’s appropriate for almost any skin tone. Favorite Classic Cocktail A vintage pre-prohibition sazerac made with Bulleit Rye, a swish of Mata Hari absinthe, a touch of sugar , a caramelized lemon peel and some very excellent bitters. Pour all ingredients into a well chilled cocktail glass and stir. Favorite Bitters Bitters are making a comeback and not just your garden variety Angostura bitters, but in all kinds of flavors. Fee Bitters has been open since 1863 and are still mixing up the best blends that I’ve ever tasted. Try the White Peach or my personal favorite which is of course the Aztec Chocolate. The Black Walnut is absolutely bewitching when stirred into a bit of butterscotch schnapps and hot spiced rum! Favorite Olive Oil The white truffle infused olive oil from New Yorks fabulous Olive and Fig restaurant is simply to die for and they WILL ship it to you! If you or anyone you know loves truffles than this is a must. I buy this in gallons for my husband, who adores it. Drizzled on a salad or grilled meats makes them a completely decadent treat, but for the most sensual meal ever whisk a bit of it into a bowl of steaming creamy risotto with fresh butternut squash, a little bit of sautéed onion, potatoes and parmesan cheese. Favorite Boots These are a bit silly to be sure, but my favorite rain boots this year are from DKNY, lovely black rubber things with colorful sketches of New York City all over them and my favorite incantation that says over and over again…”New York…I love the feeling of never wanting to leave and always wanting to return” I said that over and over again for an hour and poof…an opportunity to return to NYC emerged for late January…. My own pair of ruby slippers! Favorite Fall Perfume Number 1 Tom Fords utterly ravishing Violet Blonde….This is a take no prisoners love potion like I haven’t seen since the early 80’s. With notes of Violet, Iris, musk , Suede and Vetiver , this lusciously sweet, remarkably green and thoroughly disarming perfume is just the thing to warm you and another up on a cold chilly night. Favorite Caramel Apple I wrote about this last week but it’s back! My favorite caramel apple recipe comes from Tartine, that lovely bakery in San Francisco that has invented the easiest , yet most delectable recipe ever for making perfect caramel apples that come out right everytime. Just mix the ingredients which include molasses, butter, sugar and maple syrup and cinnamon into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Dip the apples into the soft buttery caramel for a translucent and deliciously decadent treat that is in my experience the perfect prelude to a sugary kiss…Here’s the link Favorite Fall perfume Number 2 I have fallen head over heels in love with Creeds Tubereuse Indiana. This amazing fusion of Tuberose, Ambergris and amber is one of the most exotic and arresting perfumes that I’ve ever had the pleasure to own. Wearing it makes me feel sexy and colorful and it’s a fabulous fragrance to go dancing in as it gets better as it warms up and blends with the scent of your skin.This one can be as spicy as you want it to be and also is the perfect fragrance to scent anything from your underwear to your stationary (You’d probably know I’m a huge fan of love letters!) Favorite New Website Although I’m definitely a fan of the written word, time IS limited so what’s a girl like me to do? The folks at Paperless post have created one of the best sites that I’ve seen yet for sending invitations, thank you notes and all forms of written communication. Their templates are gorgeous and of course no trees were harmed in the making of them . Hands down the best site I’ve seen yet for paperless communications that require an RSVP. Here’s the link! Favorite Home Scent and Witches Brew Yes, I know that you’re expecting something exotic, but this time of year I’d like to end on a simple and homespun note. When you carve your pumpkin, dip the inside of the lid in cinnamon, really coat it. When you put the lit candle inside and I always use a little scented tea light (Witches Brew from Yankee candles) your entire house will be filled with the aroma of cinnamon, patchouli and roasted pumpkin. As a bonus, just put a gallon of apple cider on the stove and let it simmer. Addcinnamon sticks, cloves and an orange and about 10 teabags of Mate’ . Sweeten with agave nectar and you’ve got my favorite warming “Witches Brew” ! I hope that wherever you are that you’re enjoying the season. In your comments please share with me some of your favorite ways to celebrate the season. I’ll choose one lucky winner who will receive from me a 50.00 dollar gift certificate from Sur La Table just in time to begin the holiday season! To check other Fall Favorites, please visit: Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Now Smell This and Perfume Posse Merry Meet and Merry Part and all my love until we meet again… The Windesphere Witch

Perfume-Smellin' Things Summer Favorites 2011 & a Prize Draw

Alena Это лето выдалось дождливым и холодным, поэтому мой летний парфюмерный гардероб мало отличался от остальной части года, разве что я меньше ношу розы и альдегиды. Кожу я люблю в любое время года, но этим летом я особенно часто носила Onda Vero Kern в духах. Onda входит в мой стандартный дорожный набор. Обычно я никогда не знаю заранее, что мне может понадобиться, поэтому стараюсь взять все самые любимые ароматы с собой. В поездках я по обстоятельствам надеваю тот или иной аромат из набора. Этим летом мой выбор часто падал на Оnda. Onda побывала со мной в Антверпене и Париже, но собенно органично она звучала в старых замковых и монастырских стенах. Главным событием этого лета стало посещение аббатства Мон Сен-Мишель. Лил проливной дождь, от камней веяло холодом, на арках и лестницах пробирали сквозняки. Onda – глубокий аромат с внутренним стержнем, он согревает тело и охлаждает голову. Запах дегтя, дыма, кожи, ароматных трав, кисло-сладкий привкус настоящего хлеба... В Onda мне удалось прочувствовать как жили монахи в этих суровых и прекрасных местах. И я опять беру ее в следующую поездку. (This summer turned out to be rainy and cold, and so my perfume wardrobe did not differ much from that during the rest of the year, apart from the fact that I wear less roses and aldehydes in summer. I leather anytime, this summer I have been wearing Onda Vero Kern in parfum the most. Onda is in my standard travelling kit. I usually don't know in advance what I might need and so I try to pack all my favorite scents. This summer I mostly chose Onda. It went with me to Antwerp and Paris, and it seemed the most at home within the old castle and monastery walls. The main event of the summer was the visit to the Abbey of Mont Saint Michel. It was raining hard, stones seemed cold, the arches and stairs were drafty. Onda is a deep aroma with a hard core, it warms the body and cools the head. It is the smell of tar, smoke, leather, herbs, of the sour-sweet taste of a real bread. Through Odna, I sensed the way moks used to live in this severe and beautiful place...) Alyssa Austin is looking at it's 47th day of triple-digit heat today, and we've had so little rain that trees are dropping their limbs in thirsty self-defense all over the neighborhood. The weather has pared down my perfume rotation, too--I've become a serial monogamist. First I was obsessed with cool green of The Different Company's De Bachmakov, then it was the tart, sparkling orange blossom of Annick Goutal's Neroli, and shortly after that the softer, more honeyed blossoms of L'Artisan's Fleur d'Oranger. Currently, I can't stop wearing The Different Company's Sel de Vetiver, a sea-bleached vetiver that makes the best of my sweaty, salty summer skin and brings the beach and much longed for breezes to me. Beth I have fallen in love with a perfume that I swore I'd always avoid, mostly because it was the signature scent of one of my best friends. But fall I did and very hard. Hermes 24 Faubourg is beautiful and my husband adores the way that its soft floral and amber accords smells on my skin. It's also the first perfume that I've worn in a long time that travels easily from day to evening. By day 24 Faubourg is the olfactory equivalent of a soft pashmina shawl, classy and elegant...full of color, but by night it magically becomes a bewitching symphony of soft Egyptian cotton and a sensual caress. This Hermes is my summertime affaire de coeur ... Birgit Surprisingly the perfume I am most fond of this summer was one I discovered accidentally. I wanted to try a sample of Lostmarc'h Aod and received Ael-Mat instead. I tried it anyway and promptly fell in love, or at least in summer-flirt.With notes of hesperides, chamomile, jasmine and musk, Ael-Mat looks simple, but it smells very unusual. The top is effervescent and cheerful, the the floral notes of whitest, softest jasmine with the herbal, vegetal almost feel of chamomile mixed in dominate for some time, finally giving in to a soft, salty-musky skin scent. Ael-Mat meaning Guardian Angel in Breton, is an Eau de Toilette and lasts about three hours on my skin. Reapplying is a treat though. What I like the most about it is its uniqueness, Ael-Mat smells unlike anything I know, it is not your run-of-the-mill standard summer citrus scent. I have a soft spot for Lostmarc'h and Ael-Mat has proven to be another very good reason to really like that line. Donna My top pick for Summer 2011 is one of the most delightful fragrances I have ever smelled, and a tropical style scent that is head and shoulders above most others in this usually cliched genre; Vents Ardents by Shelley Waddington of En Voyage Perfumes. It is a bounteous blend of everything that evokes the tropics, minus the usual coconut and suntan oil, with notes of luscious mango and other fruits, rich florals, sweet dark rum, fragrant tobacco, vanilla, Tonka bean, amber and exotic woods, its is the embodiment of all my island fantasies. It was actually envisioned as a masculine fragrance, but the guys can't have this one all to themselves! Outstanding in every way. Linda My summer favorite this year is MDCI's La Belle Helene. The vanilla-infused, citrus-scented pear of the opening plays joyfully with the seductive floral heart and chic oriental drydown. It strikes me as intrinsically modern -- yet it has a big, timeless, classical feel too. I love the way it blooms in the heat of summer. It is like a sumptuous picnic of poached fruit, set out on a perfumed and elaborately embroidered cloth, spread in a lavish flower garden. It makes me feel grand. Marian Maybe it’s because it’s been way too long since I’ve left the sweltering sidewalks of New York that the fragrance I’m most enjoying this summer is Ambergris Absolute by SMK Fragrance. It’s redolent of the somewhat shocking yet compelling scent of shells washed up on shore- a mixture of brine and animal that is as alluring as it is disquieting. It reminds me of mollusk-encrusted hulls, salty breezes, grizzly sailors and tangled masses of wave-scattered kelp- images that carry me across oceans as I stare out my apartment window. Although I like to wear it unaccompanied it’s amazing how the ambergris brings to life other oils and perfumes with which it’s combined, and increases their longevity many times over. Because it both exalts and is exalted Ambergris Absolute is truly a whale of a scent! Marina When one has a baby, a job and a 100F heat, one wants everything else to be nice & easy. Including fragrance. At the moment, "nice" means pretty & girly, easy means light and lighthearted. Maitre Parfumeur & Gantier's Fraiche Passiflore is all of the above with a bonus of deliciousness. To me it's like an exotic not too sweet drink which smells of peaches. Because what else one needs when one has a baby, a job and a 100F heat? That's right, a (cold) drink. Marla Lilies, acacia blossoms, jasmine, amber, and spice. Donna Karan's Gold (2006) has been a very happy discovery for me this summer. I love the way those flowers bloom in July heat, and the amber drydown is sultry and warm. Sad to find out it's discontinued (of course, I mean it's 5 years old already, right?), but it's still online, so I've got a backup bottle, too. I prefer the richer eau de parfum to the cucumber-topped EdT. And what a gorgeous bottle! Tom I think my new favorite of the Summer is one that I just got: smell bent Debonair Eau Dandy. Part of their "Remix Project", they took the original scent and added lemon, rose, jasmine and amped up the oakmoss (yes, the real stuff) to make a summery little wonder that smells startlingly fresh. In the hear of summer I could bathe in it. If you would like to participate in a prize draw for a set of 10 summery samples (Marina's choice & some of the above), please, say so in your comment. The winner will be chosen at random and announced next week. To check other lists, please visit: Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Now Smell This and Perfume Posse Image by Slim Aarons is from staleywise.com

"Spring Is..." Fragrance Favorites and a Prize Draw

What is Spring to you? What symbolizes it, what embodies it, what is that one thing, one emotion, one sound, sight or smell that is Spring? And if you have one of those, which perfume translates it the best?...Our answers are below; share yours with us for a chance to receive a set of 10 spring-y samples, including some of our choices below. Alyssa Spring in Texas is all about knowing your days are numbered. The trees are lush and tender, the highways are filigreed in wildflowers, the air is crystalline. The tourists exclaim and check the local real estate listings, but the locals sigh--in a few short weeks the heat will set in and stay in for the next six months. I wear all my fragile, ephemeral perfumes, the things too pretty to stick around for long, and then I turn again to Les Nez's, The Unicorn Spell. It's snap-bean green and shadowy violets are a perfect match for the dappled light, but they stand up well enough against the heat to let me take a little of spring with me into summer. Beth Whenever I can, I spend a bunch of springtime in New York City . Something about watching the city come back to life and the abundant blossoming of Central Park just makes me feel just so incredibly sexy and feminine. I love to walk up and down 5th with a million Bergdorf’s shopping bags in tow and stop for a cocktail or two at the Plaza. As cliché as it sounds, it totally makes me feel (does a little twirl) “Pretty and Witty and Gay”! This year my springtime favorite is Bond No. 9’s Madison Square Park. I adore it’s totally hip grape hyacinth , rose and tulip accords that are completely trendy yet incomparably sophisticated in a very shocking pink way! Madison Square Park is definitely bouncy , light and absolutely screams sexy toenails, white capris and a shocking pink Ralph Lauren Polo. I’m busy looking for nail polish that’s the color of the bottle and a chanel bag that’s the color of the bright green flower that crowns the top. Yes, I know that sounds a bit shallow. But as I love to say, “I worked damn hard to be this shallow and I’m loving every minute of it!” Madison Square Park is captivating and I think you’ll just love it too! Birgit Spring means for me mostly one thing – change. And like so many people I have a healthy respect for change. People are creatures of comfort, and everything threatening to overthrow what we are used to is at first viewed with at least skepticism, at worst, fear. Spring, with all its accompanying changes is no different. You have to change your wardrobe along with your attitude. The former is not so bad, the latter requires coming out of your comfy cave, ending hibernation, renewing yourself along with nature. Frightening, huh? There is one perfume that symbolizes change for me, because it changes a lot during its wear time, it progresses from one end of the spectrum to the other. It does so fearlessly and boldly, just what I need. Guerlain Cologne du 68 is fitting perfectly for spring, it is light and lovely, but still has a hidden depth and complexity rarely found in cologne-style fragrances. It’ll coax me out of my cave in no time, you’ll see! Donna Spring means green to me, in every shade from tender to deep, and the exhilarating touch of green perfumes heralds its arrival. Alas, so many of my favorite greens are discontinued or reformulated, but one of them is still to be found quite easily even though it too is no longer made: Yves St. Laurent "Y" is a sparkling green chypre, more lighthearted and playful than most of its kind, and perfect for either chilly or warm days when you need a perfume to match the rising energy of the season. Kelley Spring (in Central Mexico) is: Jacaranda trees covered in purple flowers, giant coconut macaroons at the Tuesday Market, fireworks for Saint Joseph's birthday that last for about 24 hours (yuck!), calla lilies being sold for $3 a dozen (they smell like magnolia flowers when fully opened!), and quiet cobblestone streets because the tourists have all gone home due to rising temperatures. My fragrance choice for this time of year is L'Homme Sage by Divine, because it somehow fits with its saffron, incense, immortelle and smooth woody dry-down. Linda Spring is newness: young love and prom dresses, the fragile tiny birds and animals we are so often called to rescue in "baby season," the sweet limbs of babies who need nothing more than a onesie in this weather. The scent that expresses the newness of spring is Sonoma Scent Studio's Voile de Violette. It is a soft, tenderly spicy fragrance with hints of greenery and wood -- and reminds me of the many, many days I was late to my Drivers' Ed class because I was making out with my high school sweetheart in the bushes by the softball field during lunch break, reclining on a bed of wild violets. Now he's my husband of nearly 23 years, but springtime and violets will always recall the breathless romance of our first blush of new love. Mackenzie Spring to me is uplifting. After a long, cold, dark winter, there is something absolutely exhilarating about shedding those heavy winter boots, coats, scarves and gloves. It's always easier to get out the door, slip on a pair of ballet flats and light jacket, and not have to worry about temperature drops and piles of snow and getting things done by five when the sun goes down. Springtime brings with it happier, lighter moods, and an overwhelming sense of hope and inspiration - leading up to summer (which is itself an entirely different animal). For me, the season hasn't changed until I can smell it - the freshly turned earth, the subtle greenness of sprouting flower buds, wet pavement from the inevitable rain. The first scents of spring feel like a breath of fresh air after a suffocating season of stagnancy. I look forward to spring when I exchange my dark clothing to airy cottons, sheer gauzy linens and delicate silks - perfume being no exception. Seeking freshness, lightness and transparency, my scent of spring this year is L'été en Douce by l'Artisan Parfumeur. Defiantly named for the sweetness of summer, in my opinion this is much more of a spring fragrance. Capturing perfectly the dewy wetness of a morning in May and the romantic, wind-whipped shapes of dresses hanging sweetly on a clothesline, L'été en Douce is the ultimate shed-your-baggage, pick-up-running barefoot fragrance. With notes of green hay, white musks, orange blossom water, linden, rose and mint, perfumer Olivia Giacobetti just may be competing with mother nature herself. Marian Spring is sweet innocence when newly awakened nature unfurls, unblemished and bursting with hopes and expectations. Oriscent's Borneo 3000 cavorts with buoyant liveliness- a cool, green breeze whistling in the blossoming sun. Marina Spring to me is a feeling of melancholy. The term is unattractively defined as "an abnormal state attributed to an excess of black bile and characterized by irascibility or depression." In my own classification however, melancholy is that "mi chien mi loup" state of the soul, which envelopes one in-between...in-between black and white zebra stripes of life, in-between any major stage ending and another beginning...and in between seasons. It is an anticipation of happiness when you are feeling sad and a tinge of sadness in any happiness ...in my romantic understading of melancholy, it is a sense of fragility of our life and the world, and there is no season as Fragile as spring, which balances in-between Summer and Winter, life and death...And the perfume that for me is an embodiment of that is Apres L'Ondee, which is, to quote an old review,  is a "hesitant smile on a tear-stricken face. The fearful calm after the storm." I feel in Apres l'Ondee "the poignant fragility of violets and irises, of ethereal petals weighed down by rain drops... the softer than soft spiciness of anise and carnation, the spiciness that is like a pang in the heart... the gentle caress of vanilla... the tender warmth of the base notes that lingers on my skin for hours like a memory of happiness... the graceful gauzy-ness of the sillage (...) The hope against all odds that after the gentle rain falls, the ten thousand things will finally come together... Marla Spring, the dry season of the tropics, heat and dust, smoke and sand, waiting for the thunder and the rain, Bel Respiro calms and cools me. Tom Spring for me is always a period of joy. After months of cold, drab weather (yes, even in Los Angeles, where it's raining as I type this) Spring will, well, spring. Lily of the Valley for me is the ultimate scent of spring. The one that I'm most reaching for is Comme des Garçons Series 1: Leaves, Lily. It's lovely straightforward lily that reminds me of Springs from my childhood years ago. Please check out other spring favorites at: Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Now Smell This and Perfume Posse. Image source, artfulaspreycartoons.co.uk

The First Perfume I Ever Loved... & a Prize Draw

Where perfume lovers are concerned, there might be some truth to Henry Louis Mencken's statement that one always remembers the first [perfume] love with special tenderness, but after that begins to bunch them. So to celebrate Valentine's Day, we decided to put the jadedness aside and to dedicate this post to our firsts... First perfumes we ever loved. Join us and list yours for a chance to win a 50ml bottle of Park Avenue, courtesy of Bond No 9. One commenter will be chosen at random. As an aside on other loves, what was the first city you fell in love with? For me [Marina speaking here], it was New York. I have lived in various cities over the years, but with none have I felt such an immediate and strong connection. Alyssa My first perfume love? Do I really have to tell you? All right then. It was a half-empty bottle of Elizabeth Arden’s Sunflowers discarded by a friend who clearly had better taste than I did. Though I instantly removed the spray nozzle so I could drizzle small amounts onto my arm instead of suffering through a full spritz, I adored it. I really did. I thought it smelled like the sunflower honey I’d once tasted, and like the sun-warmed scent of the flowers themselves—that vegetal, hay-and-flowers field smell. In my memory it still does, and always will, no matter how often you say the words acquatic or nightmare to me. What can I say? It went with my Benneton sweaters. Ashleigh There were a few before her; Love’s Baby Soft and Jean Nate come to mind, but the first perfume that I ever loved and could truly call the one was the 1985 rose masterpiece by perfumer extraordinaire Sophia Grojsman. Maybe it was my age (let’s just say I was no longer a non-discriminating junior girl that only had access to the Walgreen’s beauty counter), maybe it was the time, but one thing is for certain; I was enamored at first inhale. Not your mother’s rose, Beautiful by Estee Lauder is a vibrant, voluptuous bouquet that has sandalwood and incense at its base making it a lush and complex head-turner. There have been many perfumes that I have outgrown, changed my mind about and simply, don’t care for anymore, but somehow, Beautiful has endured. I wear it to this day with affection and inevitably, every time I do I am stopped by curious strangers that ask, “What is that Beautiful perfume?” Beth I fell head over heels in love with Dior’s Diorissimo when I was 18 years old. Granted, the only reason that I even tried it was because it was rumored to be Mick Jaggers favorite and at the time he was the fervent object of my desire. I’ve never regretted it. My husband adores it and one of the best tributes that it ever got was from my son who declared to me at the tender age of 16 that if he ever met a woman who smelled of Diorissimo that he would probably be a goner. Sure enough during the greening of the spring of 2006 he met a lovely young girl who was to be his very first true love. She danced up to him at one of the local street fairs with flowers in her hair and a stem of fresh lily of the valley clasped in her hands. The wanton charm of Diorissimo is that it is all at once modern yet classic, demure yet completely and passionately sexy. Diorissimo is still my very favorite and I’m fairly sure that this always will be. No other perfume has ever been able to weave that glorious green spell that continually disarms me, bewitches me and sends me dancing with light speeds into vast whirlwinds of passionate fun! Birgit When I think back to the days of normal perfume behavior, i.e. using one bottle until it is gone, then thinking (albeit not much) about the next, I mostly see a black hole. Nothing really comes to mind, I must have used several fragrances in those unenlightened days, but many are too atrocious to mention in a place like this.But thinking back again and again for the purpose of this post revealed one single, distinctive sphere-shaped red bottle. One scent that stands above the sea of unremarkable utility scents. Le Feu d’Issey.I loved it. It was different. The bottle alone was indicative of what was to come – something unusual. It smelled sharp, milky, spicy, flowery, musky…it has been a while, and I didn’t know how or at least didn’t attempt to describe a perfume then. Of course, as is just my luck, it is discontinued. The time was not ready for it, and neither was I. But one of these days, I will get lucky and snatch it up on eBay, to be reunited with my first love. And for the first time we will be able to talk. Donna My love affair with perfume started very early, with something I found in my Christmas stocking when I was no more than nine or ten years old. It was a cute little green pagoda-shaped jar of Avon Hana Gasa perfumed crème sachet. This was one of Avon's best fragrances back then, a really pretty fresh green floral with plenty of lily-of-the-valley, one of my favorite floral notes to this day. I felt so elegant and grown up when I wore it, especially since luxuries like perfume were rare in our household. Hana Gasa has been discontinued for a long time, but recently I found a full bottle of the liquid perfume online and decided to take a chance; I think I only paid about four dollars for it. To my delight it was still good, a sparkling green splash of delicate flowers in a bottle of that same shade of pale green with the pagoda cap, and I have been enjoying it as much as I did the first time. Who says you can't have your first love back again? Kelley My first love was L'Artisan's Incroyable. Not sure of the exact name, just Incroyable (incredible in French). It contained plum and blond tobacco. I first smelled it on my Uncle Steve and I asked him about it and got almost no information. Several months later I was at Stanley Korshak in Dallas and was chatting with a woman that had recently had foot surgery. We were talking about my search for my uncles cologne but knew almost nothing...no name, no brand...nothing. I mentioned my Uncle Steve had the exact same foot surgery. She asked if my uncle happened to be Steve Kelley (of course he is my uncle). She said she was friends with Steve and then she reached under the counter and pulled out a bottle of Incoyable and told me that she had sold Steve his bottle. Sadly, L'Artisan no longer makes Incroyable. Linda The first perfume I ever fell in love with must have been vintage Coty’s Emeraude – or the faint impression thereof. I was probably four or five years old and had been turned loose to play in my grandmother’s jewelry box, which seemed like a trove of impossible riches. Among the costume jewelry, souvenirs, and the few delicate gold items she kept in the jewelry box, she had a little gold-toned scent bottle with a filigree front adorned with red and transparent fake jewels – an item that seemed to have been secreted away from a mysterious harem somewhere. It was empty, but a powdery, exotic Oriental scent redolent with resins and flowers clung to its interior. I sniffed, and sniffed, and was transported. I refilled the bottle over and over with water, which, after four or five days, took on enough of the scent to scent my skin when I dabbed it on like a precious elixir. Sadly, she had no idea what fragrance had once graced it, as she had inherited the piece - so I remained haunted by its graceful ghost for years. It took me decades to identify it. Marian YSL’s Paris was the first perfume that stole my heart. I loved being wrapped in juicy roses and ambered violets and felt unabashedly feminine, romantic and seductive whenever I wore it. Not long ago I nostalgically sprayed some on and my daughter excitedly exclaimed “Mommy- that’s the way you used to smell when you kissed me good-night!” She looked so happy- it must have brought back memories of when our family was still “a real family” prior to my divorce. Those days are gone forever and I doubt I’ll ever remove the cap again from Paris' dusty crystal bottle. It used to be painful to know that “you can’t go back” but now, at long last I’m happy to say, I no longer want to. Marina Define love, right? My first perfume love could have been my mother's Madame Rochas, of which I was in awe, taken with its olfactory sophistication, the golden lace of its packaging and the fact that it was my mom's...Or it could have been Marina de Bourbon, gifted to me by someone when I was in my very late teens, which I faithfully wore and adored for many years ...But I am not sure whether my love for either was the love of perfumes themselves or more of the people associated with them. I believe The First Perfume I Ever Loved for the perfume itself was Farnesiana by Caron. I can place the moment that love happened in place and in time. I can still remember the aaah! feeling and the disbelief that such gentle, bittersweet, haunting beauty can really exist...It was a proper perfume answering to all canons but it was more than that, it was a story, it was an atmosphere. That fairy with soft eyes took my heart forever. The course of true love has never run smooth, we had our ups and downs, but Farnesiana is one fragrance I never want to be without. That is love. Marla The original Chanel Cristalle was my first real perfume love. I was a Southern California beach chick, like, okay? mall-hopping with my fellow Valley Girls and scoping for foxy surfer dudes, when I came across Cristalle at a Chanel counter. The SA tried in every way to dissuade the smitten teen (me) from buying a bottle, but I insisted. It was so very primeval, so green, so cold, so weird! It was as far from Love's Baby Soft, the current high school fave, as I could think of. I wore it practically every day throughout high school. I cried when they reformulated Cristalle.... Tamara They say you never forget your first love. That is true in romance and it is equally true in the fragrance. I remember with vivid detail my first perfume love. I remember saving my wrinkled dollar bills from my steady babysitting job to purchase her. I remember learning how to say her name. I remember bravely walking into the store, setting my sites on the opulent fragrance counter that I had frequented with my aunt, and asking for her. I remember feeling so grown up in acquiring her at a mere fourteen years old. I remember exploring her white, clean packaging, studying her curves and inhaling her fragrance. Yes, I remember … Her name was Anaïs Anaïs by Cacharel. I can conjure her scent in an instant, for she accompanied me nearly every day through my sophomore year of high school. She mentored me like a loving, big sister. A little powdery, a lot floral and definitely not sophomoric, her sophistication embraced my wholesome, naïve adole-scents. Yet, her lack of overly musky or animalic bases ensured her consistent appeal to my untrained nose. Cheerful orange blossom, sweet lily and springtime hyacinth underscored by sandalwood and incense, Anaïs Anaïs’ accords are always appropriate, even for my strict, parochial school days. If only the pains of growing up were not associated with her, I would reconnect with her, asking for another warm embrace. Instead, I will always remember … with love and adoration. Tom The first perfume I ever loved I suppose was Joy, since it was the scent my mother wore when she and my father went out. Although I have grown to love it independently of her memory, in some way it will always make me flash on her leaning over to kiss us goodnight before heading out to a dinner party or the theater with Dad, The fist scent that I fell in love with for my personal use and the one that started me off on this journey of being a scentaholic was Diors Eau Sauvage, when I was a teen. I smelled it first at the long defunct local department store Steiger's and was blown away by it. It was so fresh and clean and bright and happy smelling. I had to have it. I saved my allowance and did odd jobs for months until I could finally get on my Raleigh and pedal over to the Hampshire Mall and make my purchase. Although my first love has been supplanted by others I still have some and still wear and love it.

Winter Favorites & a Prize Draw

This winter reminded us that, like Verna M. Kelly observed, "snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look what they do when they stick together". With this post, we stick together to shower you with our winter favorites. Each of us chose a fragrance family (loosely defined) to tell you about our favorite winter perfumes. The Woody category was not covered, and so we would like you to list your favorite winter woody fragrances in your comments. Those who participate, will be entered into a prize draw for a set of 12 samples of "wintery" fragrances, some of them mentioned in our lists and some surprises. The draw is now closed. Winter Aldehyde (Marina) If I were to assign a season to perfume ingredients, aldehydes would be filed under winter. Look at the notes of perfumes with "pure" or "white" in the name; more often than not, you would see aldehydes. And truly, what other accord is more capable of suggesting the sparkle of the ice, the whiteness of snow, the crispy feel of the frosty air, the overal dazzling coldness of an ideal winter...The story goes that Ernest Beaux, the creator of that legendary classic of the genre, Chanel N0 5, used aldehydes to replicate the fresh smell of lakes and rivers of the Arctic circle, as well as to lift the otherwise overly rich blend. That ability to provide a striking contrast to darker notes and to cut through heavier ones is what attracts me to aldehydes the most. Such luxurious, complex compositions are particularly appealing in cold weather, when they provide warmth and comfort (and glamour, for holidays!) and when the very chilliness of the air seems to illuminate every facet of the olfactory structure. And so in winter I reach for an "oriental" aldehyde, Natori, sweet Robert Piguet Baghari, cashmere-like Editions de Parfums Iris Poudre, and -the most favorite category- "incense" aldehydes like Chanel No 22, Comme des Garcons 2 and Byredo M/Mink. Winter Chypre (Linda) I freely confess that most chypres don’t move me; they remind me too much of my (rather glamorous) Grandma Rose, so I get too sentimental to live in my own skin when I wear them. But they DO move my partner with their vampish complexity. Our meeting point is Grossmith’s Hasu-No-Hana, which I think is the perfect chypre for winter. This rich, seamlessly pretty fragrance opens with a tender aura of bergamot, orange, and sensual flowers, progresses through a siren’s song of a floral, and lives positively forever on my skin as a sexy, woody Oriental drydown with naughty licks of patchouli and moss. It is seductively balsamic and unapologetically bombshell-y. Hasu-No-Hana is my new secret weapon, an empowering classic for a day when your tightest sweater and reddest lipstick have to save you from the slushy weather outside by inspiring your partner to take you somewhere fancy – or stay in by the fire. Winter Citrus (Kelley) Comptoir Sud Pacifique L'Eau du Gouverneur/L'Homme (1993). On me, L'Eau du Gouverneur opens with a huge blast of pepper and bergamot. It morphs into a wonderful citrus and allspice and nutmeg scent that lasts for several hours. Sillage is decent if you apply heavily and the best part is that it can be found for ridiculously low prices on Ebay and discount perfume sites. It is sunshine in a bottle (or should I say aluminum can?). Winter Earthy (Beth) When it comes to earthy notes in perfume I’m of the opinion that no one understands them better than Christopher Brosius of CB I hate Perfume. His perfumes Black March and Burning Leaves have the ability to evoke primal emotion and passionate memory in a way that can almost embarrass even me. Most recently I’ve fallen in love with his Second Cumming for the sheer sensuality of it. Rubber, Leather, Highland Mud, Whiskey, Peat Fire all laced with a bit of white truffle? Absolute pleasure and completely delicious in a very um, satisfied male sort of way. Then there’s Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s Cuir et Champignon. This one is a deliciously erotic potion that leads you down into the depths of the earth where unseen magic lives and strange things flourish. I adore Cuir et Champignon...a complex blend of fleshy mushrooms, a wicked little twist of leather, a soupcon of clove, a little civet? There are many other wonderful accords woven through this incredibly sexy brew and all of them simply love a bit of heat..... Winter Floral (Donna) My choice for a winter floral perfume is the soft and gentle Tasneem from La Via del Profumo. Wearing this romantic fragrance is like being enveloped in scented gossamer. Its longevity is also impressive for an all-natural composition, so it holds its own even in cold weather. It is built around a unique note, the second extraction of the ylang ylang blossom, which gives it an appealing almond-like character without being at all “foody” and makes it both warm and very appealing. Winter Fruity (Alyssa) In perfume, a little fruit goes a long way. But what better time to indulge than in bitter February, when the charm of your regular winter rotation has worn off, but spring is still dispiritingly far away? I prefer my fruits seasonal. For winter perfume that means I want them sparkling (see citrus) or stewed and spiced. I love the luscious fig jam note in the heart of Bois de Paradis (Parfums DelRae), the apple pie opening of Ambre Narguile (Hermés), and dark plums wherever I can find them, from the plum-leather of the new Boxeuses (Serge Lutens) and the cognac soaked fruits of Frapin 1270, to the spicy stewed prunes in the heart of the sadly discontinued Asja (Fendi). I even enjoy an occasional helping of the unspecified Big Red Glam Fruits in Badgely Mischka’s original offering (though I must say I’ve only tried the parfum—$10 for 7.5 ml on *bay, people). And I have to sneak in a mention of Theorema, Fendi’s other discontinued wonder (apparently Italians know how to do fruit). Even though its beautiful orange note is officially citrus, it is far more marmalade rather than hesperides. Winter Gourmand (Tom) For my winter favorites I'm tackling gourmands, a category I usually shrink from. But when winter comes with its short, chilly days I start to reach for them. Ones like chewy cherry/almond of Serge Lutens Rahat Loukoum or the dark cocoa and woods of Musc Maori by Parfumerie Generale. But when the wind is howling and the days are rainy and my commute to work is entirely in the dark (i.e. now) the one I find myself reaching for most is the giggle-inducing Lann-Ael by Lostmarc'h, which smells for all the world like a bowl of Frooty Pebbles eaten while reclining in the arms your partner, with whom you have just finished staving off the winter chill the old fashioned way... Winter Green (Birgit) After a few months of a long, snowy and grey winter, I am in desperate need of a breath of fresh air, a little respite from the cold as well as the heavy perfumes I like to wear during the season, a peek of what will come in a few months time. Andy Tauer’s Carillon pour un Ange provides me with just that – and more. Initially a burst of green is captivating and uplifting, before it develops into a perfect rendition of Lily of the Valley, petals, stem and all, planted in wet soil. Its rich ambergris base stays with me for hours and makes transitioning back into the winter still all around me a lot easier. (Carillon pour un Ange is available only from Luckyscent and Tauerperfumes.com for now. It will be in wider distribution as part of the Hommage series in May.) Winter Incense (Marla) We’ve all read pages on Avignon, Cardinal, and Incense Extreme, frankincense is the most glorious substance known to humanity, yada yada yada. The two perfumes I picked for the incense category, Magical Moon and Nu, epitomize the Asian style of fumes for the gods. Hanae Mori’s Magical Moon, in a stunning cobalt bottle, is a fruity floral for perfumistas; the walloping kick of kyara and sandalwood incense takes it from delicious to sublime. I’ve burned through 3 bottles of it, and have numerous backups. The osmanthus and tropical fruit background is cheerful and comforting in the dead of winter, and it’s been my HG since its debut in 2006. Yves Saint Laurent’s Nu by Jacques Cavallier is discontinued, but still available online. Bergamot, wild orchid, and sandalwood are woven into a lush, velvety wrap against the blast of ice-cold Asian incense. It’s unique, androgynous, and addictive. Winter Leather (Tamara) Two leather-featuring scents have utterly captivated me this winter. Accord Oud by Byredo takes first place. Its leather and oud lusciousness transports me to even chillier temps and dimly lit, sophisticated lounges, toasty fires and Italian leather club chairs; its hint of ladylike blackberry, clary sage and powdery musk grounding reminders of the present. The second, L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore - velvety leather that morphs into nutty, gourmand goodness and eventually musky vanilla – pairs perfectly with stylish boots and a colorful scarf during winter’s cooler days in the desert. Winter Oriental (Ashleigh) There's something about an Oriental fragrance, with its intoxicating spices and sultry lasting power, that just seems to warm me right down to my soul in the winter. Maybe it's the un-human like cold that I endure toughing out my winters in the land of ice snow or that fact that lighter fragrances just evaporate on me due to the low temps. But one thing is for sure, Geisha Noire by Aroma M is my Oriental fragrance go-to this time of year. Reminiscent of Guerlain's Shalimar, this is an eastern perfume in its truest form. The perfumer Maria studied Kodo, the ancient Japanese art of fragrance, and it shows. The dark, thick, mahogany-colored liquid of Noire lets you know immediately; this is the real deal. Opening with amber, incense and sandalwood, Noire lingers on the skin and dries down into an almost powdery and slightly flowery stunner. Incredibly sultry and alluring; I wear Geisha Noire when I want to feel sophisticated and sexy, even in my flannel p.j's. If it's the classics that you crave try Estee Lauder's Cinnabar; clove and cinnamon make this iconic fragrance warm, while top notes of peach, tangerine and orange blossom keep it fresh and feminine. Other fab Oriental scents to try: Coco, Obsession and Tom Ford White Patchouli. Winter Oud (Marian) Ouds from India are amongst the most difficult for Westerners to appreciate- their “barnyard” and “fecal” aspects can be a turn off to those of us who were brought up to believe “cleanliness is next to Godliness”. Agar Aura’s Purana, which means “of ancient times”, exemplifies all that makes Hindi ouds so beloved by Middle Easterners- it pulses with the lusty smell of tawny leather, ripples with the supple smoothness of doeskin, trembles with the coolness of Vayu, the Wind God, and exudes a loamy wholesomeness as rich as the alluvial soil characteristic of its birthplace. For those who want to experience the dynamic complexity and thunderous sensuality of an Indian oil that is devoid of funky overtones common to the genre, allow Purana to introduce you to the aged virtues that inspire many connoissuers devotion to Hindi ouds. Please check out other winter favorites at: Bois de Jasmin, Grain de Musc, Now Smell This and Perfume Posse. The image, Will Ryman's installation of giant roses on Park Ave in Manhattan, is from dailymail.co.uk.