The Buzz

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My 2009 Halloween Shopping List

Marilyn Miglin Fo-Ti-Tieng

The Body Shop Love Etc.

Fall Fragrances: Cornucopia of Dark Fruits

L'Occitane Labdanum de Séville, Mimosa de l'Estérel

Robert Piguet Futur

Kate Moss Vintage

Frapin L'Humaniste

Patriotic Bestseller Perfumes: Discuss

Faguenat, Faganat...Fug?

Sniffing Rich Orientals in Paris

L'Artisan Parfumeur Havana Vanille

Dolce & Gabbana Rose The One

Guerlain Idylle - Part 1

Guerlain Idylle - Part 2

Kat Von D Saint & Sinner

Calvin Klein CK Free for Men

Mariah Carey Forever

WienerBlut Klubwasser

Prada L'Eau Ambrée

Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles

Britney Spears Circus Fantasy

Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne

Idole d'Armani

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Tiaré-Blossom, Cherry Blossom

Hermès Eau d'Orange Verte, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose, Eau de Gentiane Blanche

Parfums de Nicolaï Weekend à Deauville

Serge Lutens Fourreau Noir

Essential Faith

Penhaligon's Anthology: Eau de Verveine, Extract of Limes, Gardenia, Night Scented Stock

Mac Naked Honey & Africanimal

Chopard Cascade

Lancôme Hypnôse Senses

Juliette Has a Gun Midnight Oud

Narciso Rodriguez Essence

Queen Latifah Queen

Benefit Laugh With Me LeeLee, There's Something About Sofia, My Place Or Yours Gina

The Body Shop White Musk White Hot Summer

Rochas Eau Sensuelle

L'Artisan Parfumeur Côte d'Amour

Chloe Eau de Parfum

Guerlain Les Fleurs du Guildo: An Early 19th Century Precursor of Marine Scents

Lush Vanillary

Byredo Bal d'Afrique

Zadig & Voltaire Tome 1 La Pureté - Part 1

Zadig & Voltaire Tome 1 La Pureté - Part 2

Guerlain Muguet

Guerlain Muguet (en français)

Spring Notes: Lily of the Valley & Dior

Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte

Christian Dior Escale à Pondichéry

Frédéric Malle Géranium pour Monsieur

Gobin-Daudé Sous Le Buis

Roger et Gallet Bois d'Orange

Montale Patchouli Leaves

Stetson All American

Stephen Jones by Comme des Garçons

Givenchy Harvest 2008: Ange ou Démon Jasmin Sambac, Amarige Ylang Ylang, Very Irresistible Rose Damascena, Organza Fleur d'Oranger

Yves Saint Laurent La Nuit de l'Homme

Yves Saint Laurent l'Homme

The Sex Factor in Men's Fragrances

Nina Ricci Love by Nina

Hermès Kelly Calèche EDP

Annick Goutal Un Matin d'Orage

Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire

Serge Lutens Nuit de Cellophane

Parfums MDCI Péché Cardinal

Hermès Vanille Galante - Part 1

Hermès Vanille Galante - Part 2


October 6, 2009

Dior Hypnotic Poison Rubis & Thierry Mugler Angel Liqueur: Sniffing Rich Orientals in Paris Lead Me to New Flankers {Scented Thoughts} {Perfume Reviews} {Perfume Streetwear}


hypnotic-poison-rubis-2.jpgOne of the pleasures of taking a stroll in Paris or simply going from point A to point B is picking up on sillages of perfume on the streets. When a repetition pattern appears, it becomes a bit intriguing.

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Paris ca. 1925, from art.com


In early September when the weather was still summery and sunny, I started smelling Hypnotic Poison a few times. What I found anomalous was the fact that it felt as if several women had decided to anticipate the colder days and pulled out their fur perfumes, the same one for some reason, seemingly showing the same concerted impatience to get done and over with summer. I couldn't help but think several things: that Parisian women indeed like their oriental perfumes and are all too ready to stop pretending summery scents can be satisfying; it was interesting that these women were young (with one exception) and finally that maybe they could have held on a bit longer to envelop themselves with the rich, sensual volutes of this boudoir oriental. I felt pleasure at smelling the heliotrope and rich tonka but at the same time felt there was a discrepancy with the pace of the season. I somehow liked the idea that in the near future when the gray of autumn would cover the sky and mesh with the zinc roofs and coldness would be inescapable, that it would make the scent be even more irresistible. But now? Wasn't it a bit early?...

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Continue reading "Dior Hypnotic Poison Rubis & Thierry Mugler Angel Liqueur: Sniffing Rich Orientals in Paris Lead Me to New Flankers {Scented Thoughts} {Perfume Reviews} {Perfume Streetwear}" »

August 28, 2008

The White Musk Trend In Paris...Really? {Perfume Streetwear} {Scented Thoughts}

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An early engraving of the musk deer, here called the "musk-cat" - Hortus Sanitatis, 1490


PERFUME STREETWEAR: THE WHITE-MUSK TREND IN PARIS... VRAIMENT?
by Marie-Helene Wagner


Being in Paris, a capital-city bigger, more kaleidoscopic than Cambridge or even Boston, with more clusters of villages in it, I started experiencing first-hand how one can catch a meaningful glimpse, or rather sniff, of current perfume-wearing trends trailing sensually along the sidewalks, the subway corridors and as showcased in the intimacy of steamy, thronged buses in the summer. Finding myself in the privileged historic environment of an urban culture that is  keen on burning incense at the altar of the gods of seduction and of the art of "paraître" (looks) through recourse to personal aromas (but without neglecting the interior life as the contemplative gazes of the cigarette smokers indulging in street-smoking reveals), and which is moreover conscious of its beautiful, multi-secular scented and fashion traditions, makes it all the more interesting to observe or rather take in while simply walking about.

Just as fashion-conscious Parisian women and men love to check out each other's shoes, accessories, clothes and style sense on the street, with more or less discreet patrolling surveillance-eyes that sometimes reveal a startled look of realization, one can bet one's bottom Euro that lovers of beauty are silently inhaling perfume inspiration when brushing past discerning perfumistas in the many busy areas of the city. Or is there such a thing as a perfumista in Paris and is my vocabulary just being contaminated by professional lingo? I muse on: aren't all French women and men expected to have been lulled to bed by the scents of their mothers and developed a seemingly innate appreciation for perfume from the time they were falling asleep in their cradles? Come to think of it: what if one were not just a perfumista but if one were just, is...perfume... in some meditative and deeply reflective sense? The thought is too deep to tackle right now, of course and besides I am thirsty, so I leave it aside. But it's about this idea that early education becomes something like second nature, and that other idea that perfumes that have authenticity about them are psychological constructs that contain doors one can open with invisible keys to enter in their universes...

Continue reading "The White Musk Trend In Paris...Really? {Perfume Streetwear} {Scented Thoughts}" »

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