scent diary: 46 posts

The fabric store in Leuven, a charming town in northern Belgium, smells like hot ironed linen and wool. I come here to buy a piece of colorful cotton for napkins, and I leave with two rolls of Belgian linen. One is the color of wheat husks and summer hay and it feels pleasantly rough under my fingertips. Another bolt is white like freshly fallen snow, and I use a lipstick red thread to embellish it with flowers and leaves.

Scent Diary is a place where we can share fragrances we encounter, good and bad, perfumes we wear and the scents around us. It’s a way to sharpen our sense of smell, but also just to enjoy the fragrance hobby in a richer way. Whether you write down 1 recollection–“I smelled coffee this morning”–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.

I look forward to your scent diaries!

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

Happy New Year! I hope that everyone’s year is starting off on a great note. I decided for this note to be Frédéric Malle Lipstick Rose. This raspberry smudged rose is big, bright and bubbly, and it feels exactly right. The rest of the day I plan to spend watching movies with my husband and reading Gerard Russell’s Heirs to Forgotten Kingdoms, which was one of the best books I discovered in 2014.

What perfume are you wearing? And since many of us love reading, what were some of the best books you’ve read in last year?

Scent Diary is a place where we can share fragrances we encounter, good and bad, perfumes we wear and the scents around us. It’s a way to sharpen our sense of smell, but also just to enjoy the fragrance hobby in a richer way. Whether you write down 1 recollection–“I smelled coffee this morning”–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.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, rose-pistachio marzipan

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope that everyone is enjoying a nice holiday break. My reader Eliza asked if I could poll you on your most versatile perfumes, the ones that you can wear anytime, anywhere, summer or winter. I thought that it was a fun question, so I would love to find out.

Some of my favorite choices would be Guerlain Après L’Ondée, Chanel No 19, Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist and Bois de Violette, 4711, Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine, Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan, Olfactive Studio Lumière Blanche. I can wear these perfumes anytime, rain or shine, and they always feel just right.

And of course, you can use this space for our usual Scent Diary, sharing fragrances you encounter, good and bad, perfumes you wear and the scents around you.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, the central square of Brussels, Grand Place, beautiful even on a rainy day.

I love the first of the season apples that are still not quite perfect. They may be too small, too bumpy or too soft, but the fragrance of green leaves, honey and butter compensates for any aesthetic flaws. This was the reason why I couldn’t resist getting more apples at the market, even though my fruit basket at home was overflowing.  When it comes to scented things, I’m too easily tempted, especially by the assurances of a sweet-looking lady that she grew these apples herself.

The apples at the market stalls are now competing with the nutty scent of fallen leaves. Golden autumnal light fills the parks and every gust of wind makes the carpet on the ground thicker and thicker. Sometimes I take detours to experience more of that aroma, because few things create that serene, yet bittersweet feeling of time flying by, one chapter closing and another one yet to open.

Scent Diary is a place where we can share fragrances we encounter, good and bad, perfumes we wear and the scents around us. It’s a way to sharpen our sense of smell, but also just to enjoy the fragrance hobby in a richer way. Whether you write down 1 recollection–“I smelled coffee this morning”–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.

Photography by Bois de Jasmin

Phloxes smell like hay and cloves. These flowers are so commonplace that I don’t think I ever bothered to smell them before. They merged into the summer cityscape of dusty chestnut trees, yellowing grass and tiny marigolds that dot the lawns around here. Occasionally, I spotted them at the florists, but since I knew that they don’t keep their freshness well, I rarely bought them. Not smelling phloxes was a mistake, because if I were to have lowered my face into the mass of soft petals sooner, I would have added another beautiful fragrance to my scent palette.

This little discovery encouraged me to smell things I often take for granted–walnut leaves, chestnut shells, potato peels. When boiling chickpeas for a salad, I noticed that they smell meaty and nutty at once. Moss covered clay pots on the patio had a vetiver like odor. I also tried Jovan Musk from my box of “perfumes to try later” and liked its creamy drydown.

Scent Diary is a place where we can share fragrances we encounter, good and bad, perfumes we wear and the scents around us. It’s a way to sharpen our sense of smell, but also just to enjoy the fragrance hobby in a different way. 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.

Wishing a great Labor Day weekend to my American readers!

Photography by Bois de Jasmin, phloxes