Last night I spoke with my cousin and my friends in Ukraine to find out how they have been handling these past few days. My friend Nadia is an embroidery master and teacher, and despite the power blackouts, she continues working. She showed me a beautiful rushnyk, an embroidered hand towel, that she finished, and explained that she selected the design of a tree of life to feel more hopeful. “Embroidery is my meditation practice,” Nadia says.
I have an update about our Ukrainian fundraiser. We now have more than 20 prizes, including vintage Coty Chypre and a brand-new bottle of Chanel Bois des Iles extrait de parfum. All of your contributions make a difference, so Thought Group Chile and I are immensely grateful. Here is a message from Cristian Wittig, the director of Thought Group Chile:
“With your contribution we will be able to continue developing the architectural proposals that have been required of us by the authorities of the Cities of Irpin and Chernihiv, for the reconstruction of their destroyed spaces and buildings. Your help will also allow us to continue with the development of our proposals for the 5 architectural projects commissioned for the City of Chernihiv, of which we have already begun to develop our proposal for the New House of Culture in Ivanivka. Your financial support and trust placed in the work of our team, encourages us, motivates us and inspires us to continue working for the wonderful Ukrainian people.
Soon we will have available our official website where you can find all the information regarding our work process for the destroyed cities in Ukraine. In the meantime, I invite you to check our Instagram account @thought4ukraine.”
Scent Diary is a place to write your observations about the scents around you. Whether you write down 1 recollection or 10 matters less than simply reminding yourself to smell. You can add as many comments as you wish. You can comment today or over the course of the week; this thread will always be open. Of course, do share what perfume you’re wearing or what particularly good scented products you’ve discovered.
While looking through my articles, I found this article that I wrote a few years ago but that still remains popular and often-read: A to Z Tips for Enjoyable, Affordable and Rewarding Perfume Hobby. If you have any tips to add, I’d love to hear them.
Photography by Bois de Jasmin
4 Comments
Dia: Hi from Philadelphia! I am new to fragrance and a new reader + fan of your work, Victoria. Bois de Jasmin is the perfect accompaniment on this journey, reminding me to keep a running archive of notes I enjoy, and to just be more mindful and present in sensory experiences.
A dear friend recently sent me a fragrance sampler from her collection, and I fell in love with Lolita Lempicka. I never envisioned myself craving the scent of licorice or anise and wow- it is addictive. The only downside is it doesn’t last well on me. So, I’m now on the hunt for something similar, perhaps with a stronger vanilla note. March 10, 2023 at 8:39am
Emily: With the caveat that I haven’t smelled Lolita Lempicka since the 90s, perhaps some other 90s classics might be worth exploring? No one ever complained that Angel didn’t linger. Hypnotic Poison is also by Annick Menardo & shared certain elements of Lolita Lempicka.
If on the other hand you want to dive head first into licorice candy, Black Vines by Kerosene is hard to top. March 10, 2023 at 11:02am
Aurora: Your current embroidery looks beautiful Victoria. I am so glad the fundraiser is going well.
Today I detected a new smell in the air, I think it’s the smell of spring, damp and green March 12, 2023 at 2:42pm
Awfulknitter: I’m still on the search for a pleasant oil blend for my oil diffuser. So yesterday I just popped in a couple of drops of rose oil. It combined suprisingly beautifully with the waft of just-made coffee from the kitchen. Now I’m wondering how I can get that more often without increasing my caffeine intake too much! March 13, 2023 at 10:50am