Victoria: 2669 posts

Students here are expected to master 500 of these substances “like the letters of the alphabet.” Then come the “chords,” as the combinations of materials are known, and last the “phrases,” families of scents as defined by the school founder Jean Carles — citrus, floral, woody, fern, oriental and “chypre” — a mix of citrus and moss. “But real skill is not about memorising ingredients,” [Jean] Guichard says. “It’s about invention, and that always involves a degree of chance.”

Givaudan’s school: ‘Noses’ hone senses at Paris perfume school

L’Artisan Parfumeur is reviving the 17th-century tradition of scented gloves with a limited edition collection. “An updated version of the house’s signature eau de parfum, created in 1993, Mûre et Musc Extrême is a “gourmand” fusion of blackcurrant and blackberry, infused in silk-lined, black kid-leather gloves by house of Causse, handmade in the south of France.” The gloves will be available in October 2012 at L’Artisan boutiques (€320). Via hintmag.com (discovered thanks to Rina!)

French pastry chef Pierre Hermé and Rochas in-house perfumer Jean-Michel Duriez are collaborating on a book that explores the relationship between perfume and food. Hermé is often called “The Picasso of Pastry” for his unconventional flavor combinations. He has been using fragrances such as Guerlain Shalimar and Rochas Eau Sensuelle as inspirations for his desserts. More recently, he created a “Rose and Jasmine” cake inspired by Jean Patou Joy and a “Peach, Rose and Cumin” tart suggested by Rochas Femme.

“For the edible version, Hermé began with a sweet biscuit pastry, garnished with an almond cream infused with rose petals, and fresh yellow peaches dusted with cumin-flavoured sugar for the right balance of fruit, flower and spice.” The book will be released in October 2012. Read more about the collaborations between a chef and a perfumer in Edible perfume, when chefs follow their nose.

Now I would love to taste the Femme inspired tart!

I recently thought about one of the first lessons I had as a ballet student–a lesson on falling. The idea is that the fall will be inevitable and that without falling, you will never learn to dance. Even when the solid earth vanishes from under your satin clad toes and you find yourself falling, you should retain your center of gravity.

So, thank you for being my center of gravity. I was so touched by all of your incredibly moving and supportive comments and emails in response to my Perfumed Comfort post. I read and re-read your comments, made lists of your various suggestions and before I knew it, I felt less disoriented. Many of you have been following my adventures and perfume explorations since the inception of Bois de Jasmin seven years ago; some of you have discovered me fairly recently, but all of you are the reason I enjoy writing and sharing on these pages.  I guess I’m feeling a bit too emotional right now to write a coherent Saturday post, so I will just say again, a big thank you to all of you!

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, a towering pile of fragrant peonies at the market–for you!

As I described in my post on sandalwood fragrances the other day, I’ve always had a romantic and exotic association with sandalwood. Its perfume of roses and cream–so rich, so haunting, so long lasting–seems like a whiff from some other world. Scheherazade’s palace in the Arabian Night Tales must smell of sandalwood. If so, who would be better placed to create a fairytale sandalwood perfume than the man who made a career out of worshiping beauty–Serge Lutens.

Like a modern day Scheherazade, Lutens weaves one tale after another, with the leitmotif of a fantasy running through the collection. Perhaps it is for this reason that his large range doesn’t feel redundant. Or perhaps I’m too much of a fan of his tales to be tired of them. Whatever the case may be, Santal Majuscule is the latest fragrance to cast upon me the Lutensian spell.

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