February 2007: 20 posts

My recent exploration of Chanel Les Exclusifs and the love affair with 28 La Pausa inspired me to consider other irises outside of my beloved trinity: Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist, Chanel No 19 and Frédéric Malle Iris Poudre. Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile was created by perfumers Francis Kurkdjian and Françoise Caron of Quest in 2004. It is an unusual iris in that it does not smell of frozen roots like the other irises I admire. Its character is soft and floral, with a delicate sprinkling of delicate ornamentations.

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The disappearance of No 22, Gardénia, Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles testers from Chanel boutiques over the past few months has caused some consternation among the lovers of Chanel classics. The good news is that they are back, repackaged in the 200ml bottles for the Eau de Toilette and 15ml crystal flacons for the parfum. I had a chance to test them against the older EDTs and parfums I own, and if any reformulation took place, it was very respectful of the tradition. With minor exceptions, they are fairly close to the older releases, and they are still stunning. Above all, at the moment there are no plan to discontinue the Les Exclusifs parfums. In fact, I was tempted enough to add a new full bottle of Cuir de Russie EDT to my Chanel collection. The drier and more assertive EDT complements the iris heft of the parfum.

Adding: the main difference seems to concern No 22, which now has a stronger incense facet in the Eau de Toilette (I have not had a chance to try the new version of the parfum.) In fact, I much prefer it to the bottle of EDT I got less than 3 years ago.

Photo of Ernest Beaux, the genius perfumer behind Chanel No 5, No 22, Gardénia, Cuir de Russie, Bois des Iles, Bourjois Soir de Paris.

Basenotes has finally announced the winners of the 7th Annual Basenotes Awards. Bois de Jasmin has garnered a Silver Award in Best Perfume Blog category. Congratulations to Robin of Now Smell This for the Gold Award and Marina of Perfume-Smellin’ Things for the Bronze Award. They make the perfume blogging community an excellent place! I am also thrilled that my beloved house of Guerlain has won the Best House award.

The other Gold winners of the Basenotes Awards are:

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The rose is wrapped in amber and warm balsamic notes, but the start is fruity and bright. Although Rose Absolute has a classical rose character, it is  a modern flower. The roses are rendered in vivid and rich hues. Smelling the perfume on skin, I keep craving rose jam; Rose Absolute evokes crystallized petals suspended in translucent honey. The sweetness, on the other hand, is tempered by woods and patchouli. As Rose Absolute develops, it becomes darker, earthier and warmer. It never loses its sophisticated aura, but the character is lighthearted and vivacious. Wearing it is a pleasure.

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“Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are,” said the great French epicure and gastronome, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. If I were to divine this via my great grandmother’s recipe books, the answer would not be simple. Contrary to the popular stereotypes of Eastern European food as dense and heavy fare of cabbage and potatoes, generalization are impossible to make. Certainly, 70 years of Soviet rule have made an impact upon the cuisine in all of the former Soviet republics, but even before the revolution of 1917, the regional differences were quite pronounced and the cross-influences distinctly felt. The picture is even more complex if one considers the class differences in terms of food preferences. The yellowed pages of the notebooks which my great grandmother kept ever since she got married in the 1930s contain a fascinating array: poppy seed rolls, plum stewed meats and sour cherry vareniki (boiled stuffed dumplings) reflecting classical Ukrainian fare; walnut cream tortes alluding to influences from the former Austro-Hungarian provinces of Ukraine; and spicy meat and eggplant dishes betraying the love affair with the vibrant cuisine of Georgia, an affair that started since Georgia became a part of the Russian Empire in the 19th century. What better way to understand the culture than to eat through it!

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