The colors of Kateryna Bilokur (1900-1961). Born into a peasant family, she learned painting on her own. Her family thought that she brought shame on them by refusing to be “a normal woman”—marry and have children. The Soviet government wanted to showcase that even peasants on Soviet collective farms can do such incredible things, so Bilokur was denied education she sought and a transfer to Kyiv. In 1954, her paintings were praised by Pablo Picasso when he saw them at the international exhibition in Paris. But that praise didn’t materialize into anything significant for Bilokur. She died in poor health a few years later.

Look at these rich colors and the splendor of these flowers. Imagine a place where all flowers bloom at the same time.

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

Eau de cologne, eau de toilette, eau de parfum, extrait de parfum. What do these terms mean? Open any perfume book, and I guarantee that you will read an explanation that these French words denote different concentrations of fragrant oils in the finished product and a corresponding strength. Some authors might even give you a chart showing that cologne is 2% oil and lasts for only 2 hours, while extrait de parfum is 25% oil and requires a skin graft for complete removal. It sounds convincing until one confronts the truth. Perfume concentrations are a marketing tool and they do not mean anything specific.  The proportion of oil doesn’t play as great a role as the ingredients in the composition. As such, different concentrations denote neither how long a perfume will last nor how many “rare and precious” materials it contains.

Eau de cologne refers to a style of fragrance rich in citrus essences. It is the Cava of the olfactory world, bright and shimmering. Citrus oils are among the most volatile in the perfumer’s palette, and some colognes are indeed evanescent, meant more as an instant boost of freshness rather than a thick veil of aroma.

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I’m participating in the Hay Festival Querétaro 2023 and I have two events, during which I will present my book, The Rooster House, and talk about Ukraine:
Victoria Belim in conversation with Eduardo de la Garma de la Rosa and Alejandra Martínez Quesada
HAY FESTIVAL LVIV BOOKFORUM SERIES
Thursday 7 September 2023, 12pm
Venue: Tec de Monterrey, Punto Blanco

Victoria Belim in conversation with Yael Weiss
HAY FESTIVAL LVIV BOOKFORUM SERIES
Friday, September 8, 2023, 10:30 a.m.
Venue: City Theatre

I hope to meet some of you there. You can see the full program at the Hay Festival Querétaro website.

On this note, if you have recommendations for what to see and do in Mexico City and Oaxaca, I would be grateful. My readers make the most wonderful suggestions and I learn a lot from you.

Image: Frida Kahlo, Roots.

Today have a generous giveaway courtesy of Bois de Jasmin’s reader Carla. She would like to give away a nearly full bottle of Chanel Gardenia EDP, 3.4oz/100ml. It’s our second Gardenia giveaway this year!

Carla would like your help to find a new fragrance for her. Please see her question below. Carla can send her package in the continental US.

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

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

1. Please suggest a new perfume to Carla. “My children left for college, I moved to a new house and I’m starting a new job this fall. Lots of new things. I would like a new perfume to mark this transition for me. I like woods and spices, but nothing too sweet or heavy. I wore Diptyque Tam Dao for many years, but it’s been reformulated and no longer smells the same. Thank you for your recommendations.”
3. May I contact you via email to notify you of your win and share your email with Carla?

The contest is closed. The winner is Luce. Congratulations! I will contact you via email shortly.

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. 

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