One of the best interviews I have read recently was posted on French blog Simon~says! (link no longer active.) François Simon, a food writer, talks with Catherine Deneuve in his article, Rencontre Avec Catherine Deneuve, about a dizzying range of perfume topics—her first perfume, her role as a fragrance muse, her favorite perfumes on men, the strange scents that she enjoys, etc. The original interview is in French, which I highly recommend reading. For those who do not speak French, I will post a few interesting excerpts. To round out the topic, I will also include mentions of Deneuve’s other scented references from her previous interviews. The legendary movie star is an avid perfume lover, and she even wrote a preface to Frédéric Malle’s new book, On Perfume Making.

Frédéric Malle Noir Epices

Deneuve mentions that she selected Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska for the role of Princess Marie Bonaparte in the mini-series Princesse Marie (2004.) Noir Epices was a perfect way to slip into the character of a strong, bold, audacious woman.

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Holiday Shopping : Gifts for All Senses, Perfume and More Part 1

More Books

In the previous installment, I focused on perfume and scent themed books, while today I would like to offer a few suggestions on flavors. A book like The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America’s Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg might be equally fascinating for cooks and fragrance lovers. It outlines different combinations of flavors, pointing out what foods go well together. Another great book from the same team is What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea – Even Water – Based on Expert Advice from America’s Best Sommeliers. The Flavor Thesaurus: A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook by Niki Segnit is similar in premise to The Flavor Bible, but it goes further by classifying different flavors and explaining why some combinations work.

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Cold evenings make me crave ambery perfumes and rich flavors. Tonight I made Shirin Plov, a Persian style sweet and savory pilaf with apricots, rosewater and saffron, which goes perfectly with grilled meat or chicken. Today, I felt that it needed no accompaniment, other than salad and soup.

While browsing online, I found a few articles that I would like to share with you.

Frankincense Fit for a King (One, Anyway): how to grow frankincense at home, something that I would like to do.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Like Baiser Volé, Cartier’s newest launch II L’Heure Convoitée (The Coveted Hour) is a lipstick floral. While Baiser Volé adds a red stain to lily, the powdery sweetness of lipstick embellishes the carnation in this launch. Like the other fragrances in Les Heures de Parfum collection (L’Heure Promise, L’Heure Brilliante, L’Heure Folle, L’Heure Diaphane, L’Heure Mystérieuse, La Treiziéme Heure, L’Heure Defendue and L’Heure Fougueuse,) L’Heure Convoitée was created by Cartier in-house perfumer Mathilde Laurent. It is a plush floral composition for those who like the retro style and warm, cashmere wrap perfumes.

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Star rating: 5 stars–outstanding/potential classic, 4 stars–very good, 3 stars–adequate, 2 stars–disappointing, 1 star–poor.

Caron continues to regale us with conventional fragrances, stubbornly clinging to the idea that this is what modern consumers want. While Caron promises that “Délire de Roses presents the Queen of Flowers in an infinite variety of moods – audacious, tender, teasing, dreamy, provocative,” I only find that it captured rose in a conventional manner. The bland fruity top, the generic musky drydown and the nonexistent character… I think I have just described the majority of today’s launches. Why does Caron think that theirs might stand out in this crowd?

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