top 10: 56 posts

Thinking about 2008, I immediately reflect on the olfactive impressions I collected over the course of the year. Sure, I had a chance to smell many interesting new launches and revisit old favorites, but the dominating memories of 2008 that made it a special year for me are not necessarily found in the bottle. They are the scents I found as I traveled, as I worked on new combinations of notes, as I cooked at home and danced at my ballet studio. I wanted to capture these memories to share them with you, therefore my list below will present my olfactive highlights of 2008, along with the photographs I took.

India: Weddings in India are indelibly linked to the ritual of mehndi, the application of henna paste in order to form designs on the hands and feet. The scent of henna with its soft leather and warm hay notes clings to the skin for days, if not weeks, as the henna stain wears off. Beautiful soothing aroma.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

Two quotes capture the essence of spring particularly well for me.

“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower” Albert Camus

“It’s spring fever…. You don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” Mark Twain

Never do I feel so uplifted or so delighted by the smallest things—seeing a soot blackened tree branch near my office suddenly burst into bloom, finding the first buds on my jasmine plant and smelling the most wonderful of scents–that of wet earth and fresh grass. The sensation is not dissimilar to that of being in love. Of course, every change makes for new olfactory explorations for me. The following list (in alphabetical order) captures my current, 2008 if you will, mood. If you are interested in my more general reflections on the springtime scents, I would suggest Fragrances of Spring and Perfumes to Usher in Spring.

Continue reading →

Reflecting on 2007 in terms of fragrance is quite fitting for me, as it has been an exciting year in this respect. After almost a year of working in the industry I am glad to note that my love and passion for perfume has only grown stronger, even if I began to realize what roadblocks to creativity a fragrance can encounter as it reaches the market. For this reason, every exciting launch is doubly so for me now.  Therefore, below is my list of what I found to be most interesting in 2007—and I have to say that for all of the  pessimistic thoughts I had at the start of the year, 2007 turned out to be a good year for fragrance.

Best Niche Launch

I love the sense of humor present in the offerings by Crazylibellule & The Poppies, a new line that was one of my best niche discoveries of 2007. A tube of Encens Mystic is something you might find in my purse, next to my wallet, Blackberry and lipstick. The new collections Les Batons and Les Olfactives are likewise interesting. I loved the gentle texture of Ensemble ce Soir Baton as well as its opalescent sheen.

Another line that deserves a special mention is Parfums MDCI. Enlevement au Serail, Rose de Siwa and Promesse de l’Aube are simply breathtaking, while Invasion Barbare is an elegant masculine that avoids all of the clichés of a typical masculine scent. Bravo to Claude Marchal, the founder and the artistic director!

Continue reading →