In Your Opinion: 314 posts

Get ready to become intoxicated by Elisa’s heady selection of winter fragrances.

As I write this, it’s 65 degrees – hardly fire-building and hot-toddy weather. But Denver is erratic in spring, and it could easily snow this week. Regardless, winter is the perfect time for perfumes that feel like an après ski fantasy: cozy, firelit, complete with nightcaps. Here are some of my boozy favorites.

Mezcal

MiN New York Barrel – Described by MiN as a “complex cocktail of spirits” including tannins, absinthe, and rum, this wonderful scent has a smoky sweetness that reminds me more of a cross between bourbon and mezcal, laced with intense spices that conjure up whiffs of Chinese mustard and gunpowder.

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This week, we have our “Recommend Me a Perfume” thread. You can use this space to ask any questions about perfume, including fragrance recommendations. If you’ve asked for a recommendation before, we would love to hear how your search went and what you’ve discovered.

How does it work: 1. Please post your requests or questions as comments here. You can also use this space to ask any fragrance related questions. To receive recommendations that are better tailored to your tastes, you can include details on what you like and don’t like, your signature perfumes, and your budget. And please let us know what you end up sampling. 2. Then please check the thread to see if there are other requests you can answer. Your responses are really valuable for navigating the big and sometimes confusing world of perfume, so let’s help each other!

To make this thread easier to read, when you reply to someone, please click on the blue “reply” link under their comment.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, Kyiv, Ukraine

Early last year, Pat and Elisa set down some perfume resolutions for 2014, with the intention of revisiting in early 2015 to see how they did. In this post, our writers share their resolutions and progress.

Elisa’s Resolutions

If you really love something and there’s nothing else like it, buy it, even if it’s expensive.

I get partial credit for this one; one of my first purchases last year was a small amount of Mona di Orio Musc, which I truly love. However, I’m not wearing it enough; perhaps I should reward myself with a full bottle if I’m able to finish the mini!

Otherwise, I made few full bottle purchases this year, but I did manage to get several scents that have been on my wishlist for a very long time as birthday and Christmas gifts.

Give more perfume away! I have so many full bottles I’ll never get through.

Again, partial credit; I mailed away plenty of decants and also gave away a few full bottles that weren’t getting much wear. But I want to share even more in 2015, especially with locals so I don’t have to deal with the post office.

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Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates today! In the Orthodox tradition, the main festivities begin today and run until Epiphany on January 19th. I’m celebrating by cooking my family’s favorites, such as garlicky pork belly roasted over cherry branches, beet and mushroom salad, and pampushki (donuts) with rose and almond filling.

Bois de Jasmin will return on Monday, January 12th with its regular schedule. Today we have our “Recommend Me a Perfume” thread. You can use this space to ask any questions about perfume, including fragrance recommendations. If you’ve asked for a recommendation before, we would love to hear how your search went and what you’ve discovered.

How does it work: 1. Please post your requests or questions as comments here. You can also use this space to ask any fragrance related questions. To receive recommendations that are better tailored to your tastes, you can include details on what you like and don’t like, your signature perfumes, and your budget. And please let us know what you end up sampling. 2. Then please check the thread to see if there are other requests you can answer. Your responses are really valuable for navigating the big and sometimes confusing world of perfume, so let’s help each other!

To make this thread easier to read, when you reply to someone, please click on the blue “reply” link under their comment.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone’s year is starting off on a great note. I decided for this note to be Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose. This raspberry smudged rose is big, bright and bubbly, and it feels exactly right. The rest of the day I plan to spend watching movies with my husband and reading Gerard Russell’s Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, which was one of the best books I discovered in 2014.

What perfume are you wearing? And since many of us love reading, what were some of the best books you’ve read in last year?

Scent Diary is a place where we can share fragrances we encounter, good and bad, perfumes we wear and the scents around us. It’s a way to sharpen our sense of smell, but also just to enjoy the fragrance hobby in a richer way. Whether you write down 1 recollection–“I smelled coffee this morning”–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.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, rose-pistachio marzipan