“I will bring you cassie, if you still enjoy its perfume,” wrote French novelist Prosper Mérimée in Lettres à une inconnue (Letters to an Unknown). The Unknown, was Mademoiselle Jenny Dacquin, the daughter of a notary of Boulogne, with whom Mérimée corresponded for over forty years. And what flower should his Carmen throw to Don José? Une fleur de cassie.

Cassie and mimosa are two closely related plants from the acacia family. The branches covered with masses of lemon yellow pompoms not only look beautiful, they also have a rich scent valued in perfumery. Native to Australia, mimosas were brought to France in the 18th century by the British explorer, Captain James Cook, and they have flourished in the mild winters of the Mediterranean coast. Every February the Massif de Tanneron in Provence turns golden yellow as the mimosas come into bloom, a Fauvist painting come alive.

Continue reading →

BOOKINGS PAUSED DUE TO THE SITUATION AFFECTING MY FAMILY IN UKRAINE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDING. IF YOU ALREADY BOOKED AND THE TRIP NEEDS TO BE CANCELLED, YOUR DEPOSIT WILL BE REFUNDED IN FULL.

• The place where Jason and the Argonauts went in search of the Golden Fleece
• The oldest wine-making region in the world
• The country so renowned for its cuisine that its culinary traditions were honoured as Intangible World Heritage

Join us on a trip to Georgia, a country in the Caucasus region renowned for its stunning nature and rich culture with 5000-year-old roots. Despite its small size, Georgia has the largest number of UNESCO-protected properties in the region, several World Heritage sites, and many ancient traditions recognized as Intangible World Heritage—music, singing, wine-making, and even feasting. And we will experience it during our 8-day adventure for all senses. We will explore Georgia’s art, culture, and cuisine, while studying about our sense of smell in order to sharpen it and learn how to derive the most pleasure from perfume, food, and other daily experiences.

The best part of Georgia is its people, and our trip will give you a chance to meet artists and artisans. We will be hosted by a Georgian family and learn about music and cuisine from them. And we will be creators ourselves as we make our own perfume accords inspired by our experiences in Georgia.

I’m partnering with Nataliya Cummings of Experience Ukraine and Beyond, a boutique UK-based tour operator. Nataliya has done several highly rated tours to Georgia, and the particular route we have selected for our Adventure for All Senses lets us experience some of the most beautiful aspects of the country. ​

Continue reading →

Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time revealed to me how fascinating and beautiful physics can be. Whether he was talking about black holes and explaining that if the universe had a beginning then it was likely to have an end, page after page Hawking was inspiring me to see the world in a new way and to follow him in asking big questions. How does time flow? How did our universe come together? What is matter? What is the spirit? I had by then received a thorough science oriented education, but I had no idea that science could be discussed in such a creative and beguiling manner.

Hawking (January 8, 1942-March 14, 2018) had many achievements in the fields of theoretical physics and cosmology. One was his famous Hawking radiation discovery. Black holes were long predicted to swallow everything that crossed the surface that surrounded them, event horizons, but Hawking showed that they emit radiation and even glow because of the energy they radiate. It was a revolutionary discovery, because in the process of explaining it Hawking connected two seemingly incompatible domains, that of quantum mechanics and relativity.

Even more important, however, was Hawking’s drive to make scientific subjects, even complex ones like theoretical physics, part of popular culture. He found it a loss that with the increasingly technical nature of science and the overspecialization of academia as a whole, few people, other than specialists could understand it. In his books like A Brief History of Time, The Grand Design or The Universe in a Nutshell he set out to show the general public why science can enchant with its ability to answer complex questions or ponder the mysteries of life.

Continue reading →

“I’m so fortunate to be red! I’m fiery. I’m strong. I know men take notice of me and that I cannot be resisted… Wherever I’m spread, I see eyes shine, passions increase, eyebrows rise and heartbeats quicken. Behold how wonderful it is to live! Behold how wonderful to see. I am everywhere. Life begins with and returns to me.”

This description of the color of blood and roses from Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red, has stayed with me ever since I first read the novel while studying perfumery. At the time, one of the exercises we were doing involved matching scents to colors, and so I started looking for a fragrance that evoked the same intensity as Pamuk’s description.

The obvious suspects like roses and raspberries were cast aside. I was after drama, rather than mere associations. Once while leafing through an album of Indian miniature paintings, I had an epiphany—sandalwood smells red. The 16th century vignettes painted during the Mughal era depicted women making sandalwood paste, and their activity reminded of the time I had spent in India, especially of the bright colors and smells.

Continue reading →

Today have a generous giveaway courtesy of Bois de Jasmin’s reader Frank. He would like to give away two full bottles: Les Parfums de Rosine Rose Griotte 50ml (in box, sprayed once) and Dior Sauvage EDT 60ml (not in box, sprayed a few times). He can send his package anywhere, as long as the receiver assumes all responsibility for customs formalities.

Even if you aren’t interested in these perfumes, please help Frank with a very important task–what should he give his wife for Valentine’s Day? “She has many perfumes and she spends all of her time collecting more. I used to fight it, but now I myself have a collection that can rival Nordstrom’s. She loves woods, iris, orange blossom, and spices. She doesn’t like anything sweet. She likes tea and candles. I would like something unusual, but I’m out of ideas. Please help!”

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. What advice would you give to Frank? What perfume or scented gift would suit his wife’s tastes?
3. May I contact you via email to notify you of your win and share your email with Frank?

The contest is now closed. The winner is Therese. Congratulations! I will be in touch 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.