July 2009: 8 posts

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

The summer has been chilly until the past couple of weeks, and I have been wearing ambers and orientals rather than fresh colognes. For this reason, I wasn’t in a rush to seek out the newest addition to the Dior “Voyage” collection, which debuted in 2008 with a light and fizzy Escale a Portofino. However, Escale à Pondichéry suits my current mood perfectly, for not only it has enough warmth to make its straightforward cologne structure enticing on a chilly summer day, but it evokes the memories of my Indian adventures. While my next trip is not until the winter, I am consoling myself with scents that remind me of India.

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Mark Twain once said that “The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.” He should have visited New York this summer! I have been wearing my fall jackets in the middle of July and packing an extra sweater just in case, along with an umbrella and a trench coat. As much as I would like to complain, I have to admit that I enjoy cold summers because they allow me to fully appreciate the delicate scents that fill the air. The green foliage that tends to dull and faded by this time is instead bright and crisp. The wild roses are still covered with raspberry scented petals. The strawberries are still delicious and sweet. I have also enjoyed darker, richer perfumes that ordinarily would have been too overwhelming in the summer heat. Yet, this summer the voluptuous roses of Guerlain Nahema are as appropriate as scintillating Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose. All in all, every cloud has a silver lining. Please see my list below for the favorite fragrances that made this summer enchanting.

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“One afternoon, we went to the House of Guerlain. George [Balanchine] wanted to choose a perfume for me. We sampled several before he settled on L’Heure Bleue (the expression the French have for twilight), a beautiful, subtle fragrance that I still use today. George dabbed some on my neck below my ear and lowered his head. His lips softly touched mine. The solemnity with which he conducted the perfume ritual, and the unexpected display of affection, was a surprise and was more fulfilling because of that. I felt gratified and loved” (p.66, Maria Tallchief By Maria Tallchief, Larry Kaplan)

The first time I’ve read this passage from the autobiography of a renowned ballerina Maria Tallchief, I felt both moved and saddened. The former reaction was elicited by the effect of perfume on these two people. The latter by my realization that obviously the love for L’Heure Bleue outlasted Tallchief’s marriage to Balanchine, a genius choreographer who changed the face of American ballet.

Whether one knows anything about ballet or not, this passage is a wonderful and rare glimpse into another woman’s relationship with scent. I hope to share more of such vignettes on these pages.

Photo: Maria Tallchief from Fargo Film Festival.