by Katherine

Historian, researcher and writer, Katherine currently lives and works in Mumbai, India and travels widely throughout Asia. You can read further about her discoveries and adventures on her blog, Mumbai, Masala and More.

Much of Laos’ culinary culture seems to take place outside.  Everywhere you go things are being boiled, stewed and sizzled in outdoor stalls.  A crepe maestro would be deftly rolling out the thinnest dough creation in the world over a giant pan (France’s colonization of Laos has brought baguettes and European-style pastries into popular usage).  Eating is also communal; in the street, you can see people sitting around a meal served at the ka toke, the traditional low circular platform made of rattan where all the courses are brought out and eaten together.

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Reformulation:

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

To say that Christian Dior J’Adore attained legendary status faster than any other fragrance created over the past ten years is in fact an understatement. Since its birth in 1999, this vivid fresh floral has been responsible for a family of more than 500 offspring, ranging from mainstream to niche, from Estée Lauder Pure White Linen to Dog Géneration Oh My Cat. I cannot even begin to count how often it is selected as a benchmark for developing new feminine fragrances especially with regards to radiance and diffusion. Yet, J’Adore is also a perfect example of how dysfunctional the fragrance market has become. Instead of being left alone to shine in its resplendent glory and to continue to top the list of global bestsellers, J’Adore has been reformulated and diluted by flankers to the point that its character has been attenuated and its message confused.

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

A friend of mine quipped that the signature fragrance choice of Penhaligon’s Bluebell by former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher gives new meaning to the term “mixed message.” Indeed, the tough Iron Lady and the fresh, unassuming flower did not seem to mesh in my imagination so I decided to revisit Bluebell. If you are looking for a light, delicate, gentle hyacinth, I recommend that you look elsewhere, because Bluebell is the most brash and jarring watery floral you can find on the market. Come to think of it, that is quite an achievement.

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“How does a nose generate the signals that the brain registers as smell? The conventional theory says it’s down to the different shapes of smelly molecules. But fruit flies have now distinguished between two molecules with identical shapes, providing the first experimental evidence to support a controversial theory that the sense of smell can operate by detecting molecular vibrations.” from New Scientist, “Fly sniffs molecule’s quantum vibrations.”

Those who followed the developments of the vibration theory of olfactory since the publication of Luca Turin’s work will be interested to know that there has been more work on the topic. The results and the discussions are worth reading.

More reading on the topic:
Do Vibrating Molecules Give Us Our Sense of Smell?

Flies Sniff Out Heavy Hydrogen

Nose Works Like a Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Thanks to Tania and Jake for the links!

Smell Chanel No 19, and the first thing you will notice is the intensely green, somewhat earthy note. That effect is created by galbanum, a natural resin collected from several species of flowering Ferula plants, which are native to Iran and the Middle East. The oil is steam-distilled and has a very powerful, green, woody-resinous odor, reminiscent of sliced green peppers and hyacinth leaves. Its verdant notes are immediately apparent in fragrances, while the balsamic-woody facets come through as the composition dries down. Galbanum is a traditional note to give a natural green effect to floral accords like hyacinth, gardenia, narcissus, iris and violet. While on its own, galbanum has quite a brash, roughewn character, it lends a beautiful, natural green effect.

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