Happy New Year! Of Celebrations and Perfumes

NewYearCollage

Happy 2011! I hope that this year will brings lots of happiness, health and fortune to all. For our perspective, I hope that we will have many new interesting perfumes to smell and will enjoy another interesting year of memorable discoveries.

What did you do for New Year’s Eve? Do you have any specific New Year’s Eve celebration traditions that you follow? 
And more importantly, with what fragrance did you greet 2011?

While our friends braved the crowds to see the ball drop in Times Square, we stayed at home and had dinner near the fireplace. We watched Peter Sellers’ The Party, while making tortellini and a gingerbread trifle.  While we had to wait till the next year for our dinner to be finished, we had lots of champagne to tide us over.  Lately, these kinds of laid-back, simple celebrations are my favorites. I wore my new black and pink dress and L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore. I selected it both for its vibrant blend of roses and violets on a plush base of smoky woods and amber and for its name. There is something very alluring about crossings of all types. Let our crossing into the new year be a special and memorable one!

Photography © Bois de Jasmin, VeraKL

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48 Comments

  • violetnoir: Went for Chinese with the family. Wore black leggings and a gold crocheted top with black turtle neck and black knee high boots, with your favorite, Carnal Flower.

    Happy New Year, V!

    Hugs! January 1, 2011 at 3:29am Reply

  • dodie: Happy new year to you. Wishes another good write up from you this coming year. January 1, 2011 at 8:42am Reply

  • Bellatrix: All the best 🙂
    I didn’t do anything and I am glad hahah January 1, 2011 at 3:42am Reply

  • zab63: Because of the food and because of the cold, I needed vitamins and freshness … so I selected “Cristalle” eau de toilette ! Best wishes from France. January 1, 2011 at 8:43am Reply

  • Isa: Happy New Year!

    I wore Ajmal Sacrifice. My boyfriend wore Mona di Orio Lux. We had dinner in a restaurant and then we went to the town hall square, where many people go to listen the twelve strokes. Here in Spain we have the tradition of eating twelve grapes, one for each stroke. It’s not so easy! Many people can’t eat the twelve 🙂 January 1, 2011 at 8:43am Reply

  • Ines: Happy New Year!
    I spent the evening with my boyfriend’s family and then just with him. Cozy and relaxing. January 1, 2011 at 6:53am Reply

  • Zazie: I can’t beleive it! We watched the party and ate homemade tortelli too!
    Before that, we attended the traditional “9” Beethoven concert at Milan’s auditorium, which always ends quite early in the evening. We all danced a bit and lit a couple of stars…
    I had planned to wear my dearest 2010 perfume discovery (and my favorite fragrance tout court- shalimar parfum), but at the end I opted for one spritz of Carnal Flower.
    I didn’t regret it. It’s emerald and shimmery aura made me feel very special and made a wonderful fragrant debut for 2011!

    I wish everybody a wonderful new year! January 1, 2011 at 11:58am Reply

  • Alice: My husband and I spent a quiet evening at home with a friend. I wore Esprit Noel to greet the New Year. It was perfect! Happy 2011 to you all! January 1, 2011 at 12:19pm Reply

  • Olfactoria: I love “The Party”, so funny. We enjoyed a quiet dinner and went to bed at ten, getting old 😉
    At night I wore Bois d’Encens, for its calm and quiet properties. January 1, 2011 at 8:55am Reply

  • Felicia H: Stayed home and watched classic period movies and wore AMBER NATURAL BOTANICAL PARFUM EXTRAIT by Justine Crane. January 1, 2011 at 9:11am Reply

  • Victoria: Oh, your outfit sounds so elegant, and with an edge too! As for Carnal Flower, you know my deep affection for it. 🙂
    I might wear it today. January 1, 2011 at 9:48am Reply

  • Victoria: There are years when I don't want to do anything at all either, but in Ukraine this was the biggest holiday of the year (esp since all religious ones were banned,) so I still cannot shake off the need to do something. I streamline more and more each year though. 🙂 January 1, 2011 at 9:51am Reply

  • Victoria: Cozy and relaxing NYE is the best one! January 1, 2011 at 9:52am Reply

  • Victoria: Thank you, I will try! 🙂 January 1, 2011 at 9:53am Reply

  • Victoria: Cristalle sounds like a great choice! I love how effervescent it is, almost like a glass of champagne. January 1, 2011 at 9:55am Reply

  • Victoria: You are a wonderfully scented pair! 🙂 I wonder where the twelve grapes tradition came from. In Ukraine, I remember everyone at one point doing something similar–write a wish on a piece of paper, burn it and drink the ashes, as the clock strikes midnight. Just about guaranteed to be impossible to accomplish. And drinking burnt paper… I prefer my champagne without burnt aftertaste. January 1, 2011 at 10:01am Reply

  • Victoria: Peter Sellers has a great comedic timing, although for today's viewers it is probably too slow. The Party and The Pink Panther are among my favorite comedies.
    Bois d'Encens is so calming, so serene… January 1, 2011 at 10:03am Reply

  • Victoria: Sounds like a warm and cozy celebration. Your fragrance matches the spirit so well too! January 1, 2011 at 10:05am Reply

  • linda: I have spent the holidays surrounded by orange trees in the small town of Lemon Cove in California. Each morning I have taken walks among the sweet oranges and tangerines… and the other day came upon a little tree in bloom. I picked one small orange blossom to sniff and was delighted to find that it smelled exactly like my favorite orange blossom perfume, L’Artisan’s Fleur d’ O’ranger! Remarkably so! But setting that aside for the evening, I wore my beloved Carnal Flower to ring in the New Year. And again this morning! And now I am off for another walk through the orange trees to collect some fruit before heading back to Oregon tomorrow.
    Wishing you the very best this New Year!
    Linda January 1, 2011 at 4:31pm Reply

  • Vintage Lady: I spent the night chilling out at home and out but I was wearing a cachemire coat because it was really chilly outside! I welcomed the new year wearing Grand Amour by Annick Goutal. Today we are very tired. Happy New Year! January 1, 2011 at 11:34am Reply

  • Victoria: Grand Amour is such a perfect, symbolic start for the New Year!
    Today I am exhausted too, and I spent the whole morning reading in bed. Could hardly get up, even though it is beautiful and sunny outside. January 1, 2011 at 11:38am Reply

  • DeniDithyrambic: My New Year’s tradition is to wear Epic from Amouage as it seems to be the exact time to wear it. I wore a black dress that had a fluffy tulle underskirt and spent time at home with my family and neighborhood friends. Happy 2011! January 1, 2011 at 12:07pm Reply

  • Victoria: Wow, you and I were definitely on the same brainwave! I made tortellini for the first time–it was a last minute decision. As the first time trial, they actually came out quite well, were tasty and did not fall apart; it is just that they were a bit crooked here and there, because I rolled out the dough by hand. Well, by the fireplace with plenty of Amarone, the aesthetics were not as important. 🙂
    And to top it all off, I was planning to wear Carnal Flower, but then decided to save it for the Ukrainian Christmas, which is our wedding anniversary as well (and I wore Carnal Flower when I got married.)
    So, I know that you smelled amazing! 🙂 January 1, 2011 at 12:11pm Reply

  • Victoria: Deni, it is a great tradition, and Epic is gorgeous! I have a weakness for dresses with tulle skirts, so yours sounds beautiful. January 1, 2011 at 12:14pm Reply

  • Victoria: Alice, how beautiful and symbolic!
    I love quiet holidays, and now I appreciate them even more. My last couple of NYEs were very hectic! January 1, 2011 at 12:26pm Reply

  • Marina: Had the same kind of quiet family celebrations, even T stayed till past midnight. Wore Like This. 🙂 January 1, 2011 at 12:37pm Reply

  • Victoria: Sounds like a wonderful evening for all! I still have not tried Like This, but after your review, I really want to. It sounds perfect (although nothing is as perfect as those little toes!) January 1, 2011 at 12:44pm Reply

  • Lily: Happy New Year V and others! here’s to a wonderful 2011.

    We saw in the new year in Sydney… enjoyed the beautiful harbour-side fireworks on a warm summer night.
    I chose EL Tuberose Gardenia which is a lush and sentimental favourite for me… and the fragrance I wore when I was married just over a year ago! Love how it sparkles, then blooms in the heat.
    (V, I was actually torn between TG and Carnal Flower on my wedding day… they are both beautiful scents 🙂
    Lily x January 1, 2011 at 5:44pm Reply

  • Anna in Edinburgh: Gingerbread trifle? More information (recipe?) please.

    “Wrappings” body lotion (to try it out); seems quite like fizzy lemony ginger-beer to me. January 1, 2011 at 6:27pm Reply

  • Victoria: Linda, I agree, California is amazing! I was so delighted to go out into the backyard and come back with a basket of lemons and oranges. Somehow, citrus trees are still very exotic to me.
    The scent of citrus blossoms is my favorite, which is why I love Annick Goutal Neroli and L’Artisan’s Fleur d’Oranger. Very true, pure orange blossoms! January 1, 2011 at 6:03pm Reply

  • Victoria: Oh, Tuberose Gardenia is one of my favorites too (and also my favorite from Estee Lauder Private Collection.) It is so lush, opulent, sensual, and yet it does not have the heady heft of some white floral blends. Very beautiful and sparkling, perfect for a bride! 🙂 January 1, 2011 at 6:05pm Reply

  • Victoria: Anna, I love Wrappings, but I have never tried the lotion. Does it moisturize well?
    I was inspired by the trifle in Saveur to try making it for the first time. Here is the original recipe:
    http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Decadent-Trifle
    I made it slightly differently by using dark honey instead of golden syrup in the cake. Plus, I skipped raspberry jam, and instead I just macerated raspberries in cognac and a bit of sugar. The raspberries were frozen, but after maceration they tasted even better than the imported fresh ones.  Finally, I made only the dark chocolate custard (I made half the portion only, and making two custards + syllabub seemed like too much work at that point). The cake is absolutely delicious, moist, tender, very flavorful, with the addition of cranberries lending it a nice tartness. I could eat it plain with some yogurt
    for breakfast. The trifle itself was great, very decadent, just like Saveur promised. The combination of gingerbread, chocolate, raspberries and lemon flavored cream is perfect. January 1, 2011 at 7:33pm Reply

  • Eric Brandon: I wore Chergui, which I just cannot commit to. It did the same thing Malle’s Musc Ravageur: turn into a fruity-compost mess. Well, at least half of the time they do. Sometimes I think, “Why don’t I like fruit in my perfume?” This is a prime example. January 2, 2011 at 2:59am Reply

  • Skilletlicker: Attended a small New Year’s Eve party in chilly Santa Monica and surprised myself by wearing Bond #9’s Chinatown. I guess I was in the mood for something exotic. January 2, 2011 at 3:15pm Reply

  • Skilletlicker: The Party is a brilliant masterpiece and never gets old! Birdie Dum Dum!!! January 2, 2011 at 3:17pm Reply

  • Victoria: Eric, I know what you mean about that overripe fruity note. It bothers me too, but I do not notice it in Chergui all the time. All in all, I love that fragrance, but I have to be in a particular kind of mood to wear it. It is not the easiest Lutens for me.
    Have you ever tried Shalimar (the EDT might be a good choice)? I find it very similar to Musc Ravageur (or rather, the other way around, as MR was inspired by Shalimar.) I smelled Shalimar on a friend, and it was great on him–leathery, warm, bright. January 2, 2011 at 11:11am Reply

  • Anna in Edinburgh: Thanks very much for sharing the recipe, Victoria.
    That Gingerbread Trifle looks like a pretty decadent dessert! I especially like the look of your “tweaks”, particularly the macerated raspberries, and I might just have to try it for myself, purely in the interests of research and the spirit of enquiry.

    The Wrappings lotion seemed fine at the time on the moisturising front, but I would have to try it again before I could be sure.

    Thanks again,

    cheerio, Anna in Edinburgh January 2, 2011 at 5:42pm Reply

  • Victoria: I got in the mood to wear Chinatown recently after a very long hiatus! I enjoyed it very much, and it actually put me in a very festive mood. I might wear it more often in 2011! January 2, 2011 at 7:12pm Reply

  • Victoria: The Birdie scene is my favorite. Every time I watch it, I laugh so hard, tears stream down my face! January 2, 2011 at 7:13pm Reply

  • Victoria: Anna, thank you, I will definitely check out the lotion. I love Wrappings, and for some reason, the matching lotion really caught my interest.
    My husband jokes that I like macerating everything in alcohol, but a spoonful of cognac adds so much flavor to fruit! Kirsch is another nice option with raspberries, because it brings out their dark violet notes even more.
      January 2, 2011 at 7:17pm Reply

  • Eric Brandon: I love Shalimar, actually. If I had the money, I’d get myself a bottle of the parfum. It’s just heavenly.

    It’s true, though. I used to like Chergui–this is the first time I’ve gotten this note from it. Glad I didn’t sink for a bottle. January 3, 2011 at 12:24am Reply

  • Victoria: I find Shalimar easier to wear than Musc Ravageur, because it seems more balanced between its different facets.
    I had a similar experience with Cedre (after I bought a bottle!) I still wear it time to time, and I admire it for its interesting woody tuberose composition, but there is something in the fragrance that bothers me. January 3, 2011 at 10:31am Reply

  • Bolsa: I hope you also might have a happy new year entry, and that 2011 looks very good for everyone, so I look forward to reading for a long time. January 3, 2011 at 3:59pm Reply

  • karin: We traveled to our friends’ home in Rhode Island, ate huge barbecued steaks, drank a variety of Beaujolais, laughed a lot, and toasted the New Year in with Billecart Salmon Brut Rose.

    I wore Guerlain’s Nuit d’Amour! Light, fruity, and fun. January 3, 2011 at 6:50pm Reply

  • Victoria: Thank you! Happy 2011 to you too! January 3, 2011 at 6:24pm Reply

  • Victoria: Sounds like a perfect New Year's Eve party and a great way to greet the new year! Nuit d'Amour is a lovely composition, very easy to wear and refined. January 3, 2011 at 7:30pm Reply

  • Mimi: Belated Happy New Year. My sister and I moved over Christmas–not recommended. We had our stepmother and friends over for dinner on New Year’s Day. I watched football during the day which is something I love.

    I wore Nicole Miller’s Frenzy. I ordered a sample before the move from The Perfumed Court and wasn’t impressed when I first tried it on. Then I kept smelling this wonderful scent by my chair. It turned out that I had placed the sample on a jewelry cleaning cloth and the cloth absorbed the fragrance. So I began to wear it. I’m not thrilled with the top note, but then it settles down to something lovely, woody and spicy.

    Again, Happy New Year. May it be the best year ever. January 4, 2011 at 12:13pm Reply

  • Victoria: Happy New Year! May it bring lots of happiness to all!
    Moving over the holidays is stressful, but it is so nice to meet the new year in the new place. I have done it myself once, and while the whole thing was hectic, starting this way gave me a boost somehow.
    I also do not care for the top note of Frenzy, but the drydown is wonderful. I love smelling it on my scarf the next day. I also wish that the whole fragrance was this way. January 5, 2011 at 10:59am Reply

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