Victoria: 2551 posts

Leather Perfumes and Glamour

Whenever I browse the accessories racks in vintage shops, I furtively sneak a whiff of the leather purses. They are always full of surprises, these old handbags, still bearing traces of melted lipstick and ink on their silk linings. Their worn leather can smell smoky or sweet, reminiscent of salty tobacco or spicy wood. I trace the cracks in the leather with my finger and imagine the places where the purses accompanied their owners. Had this beige minaudière decorated with pearls seen many a cocktail party? Did the faux crocodile leather doctor’s bag conceal important documents—or love letters?

Leather accented perfumes inspire similar daydreams for me. Though leather accords have the reputation of being dark and brooding, the versatility and range of leather notes lend them to many styles, including romantic.

Continue reading →

Mimosa Fragrance For Her and For Him

“I will bring you cassie, if you still enjoy its perfume,” wrote French novelist Prosper Mérimée in Lettres à une inconnue (Letters to an Unknown). The Unknown, was Mademoiselle Jenny Dacquin, the daughter of a notary of Boulogne, with whom Mérimée corresponded for over forty years. And what flower should his Carmen throw to Don José? Une fleur de cassie.

Cassie and mimosa are two closely related plants from the acacia family. The branches covered with masses of lemon yellow pompoms not only look beautiful, they also have a rich scent valued in perfumery. Native to Australia, mimosas were brought to France in the 18th century by the British explorer, Captain James Cook, and they have flourished in the mild winters of the Mediterranean coast. Every February the Massif de Tanneron in Provence turns golden yellow as the mimosas come into bloom, a Fauvist painting come alive.

Continue reading →

Recommend me a Perfume February 2024

Our “Recommend Me a Perfume” thread is open this week. You can use this space to find perfume recommendations, to share your discoveries and favorite scents, and to ask any questions about scents, aromas and flavors. Or you can just tell us what perfume you are wearing!

How does it work: 1. Please post your requests or questions as comments here. You can also use this space to ask any fragrance related questions. To receive recommendations that are better tailored to your tastes, you can include details on what you like and don’t like, your signature perfumes, and your budget. And please let us know what you end up sampling. 2. Then please check the thread to see if there are other requests you can answer. Your responses are really valuable for navigating the big and sometimes confusing world of perfume, so let’s help each other!

To make this thread easier to read, when you reply to someone, please click on the blue “reply” link under their comment.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

New Spring Classes : White Florals, Violets and Iconic Perfumes

All classes are now SOLD OUT.

Mimosa, violet, jasmine, incense. Our spring classes will cover different aspects of perfumery, so you have lots of choice. We will talk about the fundamentals of perfumery such as citrus, spices, woods. We will then explore the classical florals like rose, orange blossom and iris. Then, we will delve into opulence and study jasmine, tuberose and incense. Finally, my new series of classes will examine the violet family. We will discuss violet, mimosa and osmanthus. In the violet seminar, we will learn about this ever popular floral note and how it’s used in classical and contemporary fragrances. In the mimosa session, we will discuss powdery and green notes. In the osmanthus session, we will also talk about tea notes and I will explain how the famous tea accords in perfumery are created. In our more technical workshops, we will deconstruct Guerlain L’Heure Bleue and Eau Sauvage and learn what ingredients and accords power these iconic fragrances.

These classes are for students of all levels of interest in perfumery. They teach you how to smell like a professional perfumer, take apart complex scents, and sharpen your sense of smell. Together we will study the fundamental classes of perfume materials and discover how they are used in perfumes. The lectures are designed to improve your enjoyment and appreciation of scents. We will use readily available materials like spices and citrus fruit for these classes (for the violet/mimosa/osmanthus session, I suggest buying alpha ionone, but you can also use readily available violet-scented candy or any violet cologne for the exercises.) The classes are small enough to be offer everyone personal attention and guidance.

Perfume Fundamentals: Spices, Citrus, Woods

Location: Online, Zoom

Date & Time: 1h 30min

Spices February 28th, Wednesday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET SOLD OUT

Citrus March 3rd, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET   SOLD OUT

Dark Woods March 9th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET SOLD OUT

3 class series: Spices, Citrus, Woods SOLD OUT

Perfume Fundamentals: Iconic Florals

Orange Blossom March 10th, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/5:00pm-6:30pm CET SOLD OUT

Rose March 13th, Wednesday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/5:00pm-6:30pm CET SOLD OUT

Iris March 23rd, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/5:00pm-6:30pm CET SOLD OUT

3 class package: Rose, Orange Blossom, Iris SOLD OUT

Perfume Fundamentals: Opulent Florals and Incense 

Jasmine March 24th, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/5:00pm-6:30pm CET SOLD OUT

Tuberose March 27th, Wednesday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/5:00pm-6:30pm CET SOLD OUT

Incense April 6th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET SOLD OUT

3 class package: Jasmine, Tuberose, Incense SOLD OUT

Perfume Fundamentals: Violet Family Florals

Location: Online, Zoom

Date & Time: 1h 30min

Violet April 7th, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET  SOLD OUT

Mimosa April 13th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET SOLD OUT

Osmanthus April 14th, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET SOLD OUT

3 class package: Violet, Mimosa, Osmanthus SOLD OUT

“Create Your Own Package”

6 class “create your own” package SOLD OUT

Deconstructing Classics: Guerlain L’Heure Bleue and Dior Eau Sauvage

Location: Online, Zoom

Date & Time: 1h 30min

Guerlain L’Heure Bleue April 20th, Saturday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET SOLD OUT

Dior Eau Sauvage April 21st, Sunday 12:00pm-1:30pm EST/6:00pm-7:30pm CET SOLD OUT

2 class Deconstructing Classics package SOLD OUT

For more information, please consult the Perfume Classes page.

Vintage Dior Miss Dior (Original) Perfume Giveaway

Today have a wonderful giveaway made possible by Bois de Jasmin’s reader Tamara. She would like to give away a nearly full bottle of vintage Miss Dior Eau de Toilette, 30ml (comes with a box.) She can send her package anywhere in the US or Canada (sanitized and well-wrapped, of course). “I found this perfume when I was cleaning out my aunt’s stash. It’s not at all my style and I would rather give it to someone who appreciates it. It’s a vintage bottle, so I imagine that it’s valuable.”

We are not responsible for leaks or damage during transit or for lost packages.

To participate, please answer these questions by commenting on Bois de Jasmin (email messages aren’t included.) I will randomly draw one winner.

1. Tamara would like help to find a woody fragrance with notes of iris. She tried Hermès Hiris, but it was too delicate for her.
2. Please let us know what perfume are you wearing today and why did you select it.
3. May I contact you via email to notify you of your win and share your email with Tamara?

The contest is now closed. The winner is Jesse. Congratulations. I will contact you via email shortly.

I would like to thank our entire Bois de Jasmin community for your generosity and kindness, whether it means giveaways like this, advice or comments.

From the Archives

Latest Comments

  • Alexandra in Recommend me a Perfume February 2024: Thanks, Aurora! I was mixing up my London niche perfume shops. Thanks for setting me straight. March 18, 2024 at 5:43pm

  • Mari in Recommend me a Perfume February 2024: Hello all. I hope I’m not too late for this thread. I am looking for a perfume that is a photorealistic take on spring blooming trees/shrubs/flowers. I love the scents… March 17, 2024 at 1:07pm

  • Camille in White Winter Opulence : Floral Perfumes: I recently read an article (sorry I forgot where and by whom) that described the white florals as old fashioned, granny fragrances. Do you agree? I love the big white… March 16, 2024 at 12:28pm

  • Kylie walker in Guerlain Apres l’Ondee : Perfume Review: Thanks to your beautiful descriptive writing, i am enticed and feel I must try this fragrance of yours. You make it sound so interesting, like a well kept secret. Thank… March 15, 2024 at 11:59pm

Latest Tweets

Design by cre8d
© Copyright 2005-2024 Bois de Jasmin. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy