March 2012: 27 posts

What do you smell around you these days?

It is officially spring. The Bradford pear trees are draped in the foam of blossoms, its marine connotations echoed by the white petals’ fishy odor. The sticky red buds on maple branches smell sweet and acidic, a mixture of hot metal and honey. On most mornings I step outside and feel uplifted by the bracing freshness. It works better than a cup of coffee!

As I enter the subway, I realize that these days I smell more perfume. Since people wear fewer layers, the sillage can be overwhelming. The usual green apple and peach scents of hair products are now supplemented with the fragrances I recognize. On Monday, I sat next to a girl wearing Dior J’Adore. On Wednesday as I was heading back home, a guy wearing Thierry Mugler Angel and tight black jeans complimented me on my perfume–I also wore Angel. Yesterday, my friend and I had to navigate the sushi bar to avoid a lady wearing half a bottle of Chanel Coco Mademoiselle. And this morning I smelled the dewy gardenia and coffee at Starbucks. Not much of a scent revelation, but it made for a more memorable morning.

Image: Pear Blossom by kellygifford via flickr, some rights reserved.

You may know Alyssa Harad from her contributions to Perfume-Smellin’ Things and Now Smell This. This summer Alyssa is releasing her perfume memoir titled Coming to My Senses: A Story of Perfume, Pleasure and An Unlikely Bride. Alyssa’s book tells how she fell in love with perfume through reading blogs and how her passion led her on an exciting journey. You can read her last essay for NST here. Meanwhile, I wish Alyssa luck as she continues her fragrant journey and look forward to her own blog going live on alyssaharad.com.

At thirty-six—earnest, bookish, terminally shopping averse—Alyssa Harad thinks she knows herself. Then one day she stumbles on a perfume review blog and, surprised by her seduction by such a girly extravagance, she reads in secret. But one trip to the mall and several dozen perfume samples later, she is happily obsessed with the seductive underworld of scent and the brilliant, quirky people she meets there. If only she could put off planning her wedding a little longer.

Thus begins a life-changing journey that takes Harad from a private perfume laboratory in Austin, Texas, to the glamorous fragrance showrooms of New York City and a homecoming in Boise, Idaho, with the women who watched her grow up. With warmth and humor, Harad traces the way her unexpected passion helps her open new frontiers and reclaim traditions she had rejected. Full of lush description, this intimate memoir celebrates the many ways there are to come to our senses.

Available for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Chanel is introducing a new flanker on Allure Homme, Allure Homme Sport Eau Extreme. It is described by Chanel as “an aromatic musk cologne” with notes of mandarin, cypress, spearmint, clary sage, white musk accord, tonka bean, cedarwood, sandalwood, and black pepper.

“True to its origins, EAU EXTRÊME takes its cue from ALLURE HOMME SPORT but has a decidedly more aromatic personality. Launched in 2004, ALLURE HOMME SPORT EAU DE TOILETTE captures all of the elements of a body in motion. In 2012, ALLURE HOMME SPORT is pushing a new boundary with EAU EXTRÊME. With a composition of exhilarating sensations, the new sporty, edgy, avant-garde scent appeals to risk-takers and adrenaline seekers.

Mint kicks things off from the very first note, along with refreshing of Sicilian Mandarin rind and Moroccan Cypress. The impression is as icy as the chill that runs down the spine just before taking a leap. Discreet but present, Clary Sage adds a touch of warmth, an almost amber plant-like sensuality. While not as spicy as ALLURE HOMME SPORT, the composition nevertheless calls upon Black Pepper from Madagascar, suggesting a muted, rhythmic beat that resonates in the chest. Then comes the big moment: a White Musk accord selected by CHANEL Master Perfumer Jacques Polge for its cottony soft and subtly animal intonations. And above all, the round, almondy note of Tonka Bean is used to create intensity. Cedar, a conserved note from ALLURE HOMME SPORT, plays a supporting role of pure strength in a straight line underscored by milky Sandalwood. One thing is for certain: ALLURE HOMME SPORT EAU EXTRÊME gives a fresh boost on the skin.”

Via press release

Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Truth or Dare? Tame or dramatic? Cheerleader or femme fatale? As I reached for the slim white bottle of Madonna’s Truth or Dare perfume at the Macy’s counter, I felt reluctant to shatter my dream of a Bandit like blend. Of course, since Coty, a company renowned for its commercial blockbusters, backed Madonna, it would be naïve to expect leather and incense. However I tried to reason with myself, I just didn’t want Madonna’s first perfume to be a cheap cotton candy blend. I spray the liquid on my skin, wait for the alcohol to evaporate and bring the wrist to my nose for the moment of truth.

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New York based perfume boutique Aedes de Venustas is releasing a fragrance under its own brand name. Aedes de Venustas Signature Eau de Parfum is composed by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, and Duchaufour’s words, it is an olfactory reflection of the boutique. “The Aedes de Venustas world is a world of luxury, of quality; simultaneously opulent and baroque yet decadent in a way that is refined. This is reflected in the store’s interior; purple, red and aubergine colors, shimmering and iridescent tones like those found in peacock feathers, and textures expressed in velvet, angel skin like silk, taffetas and brocades.” In 2009 Aedes de Venustas collaborated with L’Artisan Parfumeur on Aedes de Venustas perfume, also created by Duchaufour. The previous fragrance was a smoky incense composition.

The fragrance includes notes of rhubarb, tomato leaf, red-currant, honeysuckle, vetiver, hazelnut, and incense. “The construction is round, luxurious, voluptuous and addictive. The scent’s chypre character is pierced at its center with the ephemeral green freshness of rhubarb accord; the axis around which the fragrance revolves, like the wearer emanating its memorable sillage. Embodied and embodying; Aedes de Venustas Signature Eau de Parfum is the past, present and future of perfumery in simultaneous revolution.”

Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum (3.4oz/100ml – $225). There is also soap (9 oz/250gm – $35). Via press release