Dear readers, as the year draws to a close, I would like to offer thanks for your constant support and presence on these pages. Despite the economic outlook, it remains a season to give to those who have less and to think of others. Therefore, I would like to open a charity raffle for a chance to win a brand new bottle of Serge Lutens fragrance of your choice.

Rules:
1. Donate to Doctors Without Borders by January 15, 2009. Other charities are also appropriate but please confirm your choice of charity with me before donating. My intent is to help those with urgent need for those things we sometimes take most for granted: food, water, medicine and shelter. By way of example: Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, UNICEF, etc.

Doctors without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) is an organization that includes doctors and nurses who volunteer to provide urgent medical care to victims of war and disaster regardless of race, religion, or politics. It remains independent of any political, religious or economic power. Most of their work is funded by private donations. In fact, the organization received the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its members’ continuous effort to provide medical care in acute crises, as well as raising international awareness of potential humanitarian disasters.

2. Minimum Donation Amount is $25=1 raffle ticket drawn blindly. Each $5 increment will buy an additional raffle ticket.

3. Provide proof of donation to Bois de Jasmin via email at editor at boisdejasmin dot com by January 15, 2009.

The winner can choose one (1) bottle of Serge Lutens EDP from the following:
A La Nuit (1.69oz)
Ambre Sultan (1.69oz)
Arabie (1.69oz)
Cédre (1.69oz)
Chergui (1.69oz)
Chypre Rouge (1.69oz)
Clair de Musc (1.69oz)
Daim Blond (1.69oz)
Datura Noir (1.7oz)
Douce Amere (1.69oz)
Five O’Clock Au Gingembre (1.69oz)
Fleurs de Citronnier (1.69oz)
Fleurs d’Oranger (1.69oz)
Gris Clair (1.69oz)
Louve (1.69oz)
Miel de Bois (1.69oz)
Rousse (1.69oz)
Sa Majeste La Rose (1.69oz)
Santal Blanc (1.69oz)
Serge Noire (1.69oz)
Un Bois Vanille (1.69oz)
Un Lys (1.69oz)
Vetiver Oriental (1.69oz)

Winner Selection: Upon receiving a proof of donation, each person will be assigned a number. On January 15, 2009, a winning number will be selected by the computer based random number generator.

Important Disclosure: Neither Serge Lutens nor Shiseido have anything to do with the choice of fragrances for the raffle. They are fragrances I  have in my personal collection, and they are being offered because of the particular affection expressed by readers of Bois de Jasmin towards these scents.

Thank you for your participation in the name of a good cause.

Autumn, automne, خريفي, 秋, осень… By any name this season retains for me its associations with the languid decay, with the bittersweet end of beauty, with the melancholy. I was born in the fall, and that is why perhaps the autumn and its scents appeal to me. The dampness of fallen leaves, the rooty fragrance of wet earth, the incense of distant bonfires… Let the scents below serve as a journey into the autumn with me.

Amouage is a fascinating fragrance house given its history steeped in the rich perfume traditions of Oman, the site of the ancient Frankincense Road. Created as a means to preserve the country’s perfume-making traditions, Amouage offers a range which allows a glimpse both into the splendors of grand French perfumery as well as the smouldering beauty of the Eastern scents. If Amouage Gold and Jubilation 25 for Women fit well into the former category, Homage occupies the latter. I love the traditional combination of rose, oud, sandalwood and frankincense with the modern clarity and sparkle. An introspective and serene scent.

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Founded in Paris in 1976, Cinquième Sens (which means Fifth Sense in French) is offering an opportunity to learn about fragrance through series of workshops and training programs designed for the professional and the fragrance fan alike. The sessions range from 1 day to a year and can be tailored to reflect your specific needs. The best part is that unlike most programs of this nature, Cinquième Sens training sessions will be available in New York, from the Cinquième Sens Madison office. The topics that the sessions cover range from Olfactory Perfection (study of the main raw materials in each family,) A Century of Women’s/Men’s Fragrances, Study of the Top 20 launches, Formulation Workshop, among many others.

Please contact Laetitia Longuefosse, Director USA of Cinquième Sens at laetitia dot longuefosse at novalys dot com, + 1 646 251 5221 for more information, prices and availability.

I have always mourned the departure of Donna Karan Chaos. Even though many other fragrances since its original launch in 1996 attempted to capture the delicious darkness of incense, woods and spices, nothing could quite rival Chaos, where every woody, incense and spicy facet was magnified and arranged in a perfect harmony. However, it seems that the reps at the fragrance house have seen the light, and Chaos is soon to return to the stores, along with Donna Karan Signature, Fuel for Men, Black Cashmere and the Essence Collection. Meanwhile, you can visit the Bergdorf Goodman counter to preview these fragrances between August 13th and August 16th. (via press release)

Every year I wait for the summer impatiently, even if I know that once the mercury levels start rising, I shall be miserable and cranky. Yet, the idea of a summer escape, of azure waves, of golden sand sticking to the skin, of ripe peaches, of jasmine scented nights is too irresistible, too seductive. My summer of 2008 is none of these things (save for jasmine and peaches.) It is filled with work projects, and whatever escape I manage lies in books and perfume. A spray of something orange blossom scented, and I am transported to Riviera. A hint of dark woods and cardamom, and I am having a cup of coffee someplace in the Omani oasis. The perfumes below are just that—tickets for my escapist fantasies.

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