We have another generous giveaway made possible by Bois de Jasmin’s reader Rainboweyes. She would like to give away an almost full bottle of Jean-Louis Scherrer EDP, 50ml. It’s fresh, sprayed 1-2x. She can send her package anywhere in Europe (sanitized and well-wrapped, of course).

In Rainboweye’s own words, “I would like this giveaway to be art-themed. With all museums closed during lockdown, art books and documentaries are a great remedy that helps me to cope with the challenges of these difficult times. One of my favourites at the moment is ‘Portraits unmasked. The Stories and Secrets Behind the World’s most famous Portraits’ by Michele Robecchi and Francesca Bonazzoli. It tells the stories behind the portrayed individuals, reveals their identities and lives. A very comforting book.”

I would like to thank our entire Bois de Jasmin community for your generosity and kindness, whether it means giveaways like this, advice or comments. 

We are not responsible for leaks or damage during transit or for lost packages.

To participate, please answer these questions. I will randomly draw one winner.

1. What is your favorite art-themed book? It can be an art book, artist’s biography, art history book, or even a movie or documentary.
3. May I contact you via email to notify you of your win and share your email with Rainboweyes?

The contest is open till next week. I will announce the winner here and contact them by email.

Firmenich Senior Perfumer Dora Baghriche and I recently met on @FirmenichFine’s IGTV on Instagram to talk about cultivating creativity in today’s world, from our own perspectives. Many of you already know Dora through her beautiful creations, but what you may not know is that before becoming a perfumer she studied journalism. So, we have a lot in common.

Here is the recording of our conversation. Many of my IG viewers enjoyed it and requested the full version, so here it is. (You can also watch it on IGTV here.)

In the course of our conversation, Dora recommended a documentary called The Possibilities are Endless about a lyricist Edwyn Collins who suffered a stroke that deleted the contents of his mind. The documentary is about his recovery and journey. Among the things that inspire me, I mentioned a book by Ismail Kadaré, The Chronicle in Stone as well as a poem by Boris Pasternak, Let’s Drop Words.

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Happy Nowruz! Happy spring! Our “Recommend Me a Perfume” thread is open this week. You can use this space to find perfume recommendations, to share your discoveries and favorite scents, and to ask any questions about scents, aromas and flavors. Or you can just tell us what perfume you are wearing!

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, my haft seen this year

Happy Nowruz! نوروز مبارک ! Nowruz, the Persian New Year, is celebrated on the spring equinox, which March 20 this year. It will also mark the start of a new century according to the Persian calendar. 21 March 2021 will be the first day of 1400. I wish all of you health, happiness and joy. May it be the start of a beautiful new year.

And to start the new century on a positive note. Yesterday I met on Instagram Live with Firmenich perfumer Dora Baghriche–whom many of you know through her beautiful perfumes, and we talked about cultivating creativity in today’s world. We discussed our difficulties with facing uncertainty over the past year, ways of coping creatively and emotionally, and why perfume retains its power. We also shared our favorite books, documentaries and poems. Dora’s energy and passion were palpable. The Live was hosted on @firmenichfine and they will provide a video, so that I can share with all of you. In the meantime, you can go to firmenichfine IGTV and see the recording there. I hope that you’ll enjoy our candid, warm discussion.

The image above is of haft seen, a special spread of symbolic items that have deep significance on Nowruz.  I’ve already written about the tradition of haft seen before, so please check my article.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

Swan down puffs, lace camisoles, ivory fans, tulle skirts, satin shoes… If these words evoke an appealing vision for you, then you’re the right candidate for a Victorian violet perfume. While the 19^th century under the reign of Queen Victoria is often described as conventional and stuffy, the favorite aromas of the period might likewise be seen as uninspiring. Nothing could be further from truth. Despite its reputation for being overly dainty and demure, violet has a complex aroma with a fascinating history–and it retains its timeless appeal.

The Victorian era was a period of great changes in society, and the simple example of a violet cologne is a good illustration for the dynamics of the time. Violet waters became popular long before Victoria was crowned a queen, and they were highly sought after for their sweet scent with nuances of raspberry and rose.  At first, fragrances based on this flower were derived from Parma violets via the painstaking process of collecting tiny blossoms and extracting their essence.  It made violet a costly and luxurious perfume available only to the select few.

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