Summer was back this week in Northern California and we’ve got to enjoy sunny weather after very welcomed rains. It also made it almost enjoyable to walk to the next building to use a restroom (plumbing in our new office is busted for the past two weeks and counting).
I think that I read all the posts on my Reading List but I was busier this week (in addition to the regular job we did some serious office decorating for Halloween) so I might have skipped commenting on some of those posts.
Here are some of the posts that created lemmings, made me laugh or reviewed perfumes I love. And also something I felt important to mention but didn’t want to do a separate post on (the Leftovers section in the end).
Lemmings
Christos (Memory of Scent) made me questioning myself, how come I haven’t tried Gris Clair yet? Gris Clair… is unique in many ways. It truly stands out from the rest of the Serge Lutens releases as it is as cold and dry as lavender can be. There are no sweet notes, no embellishments in this fragrance. It is austere and ascetic.
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It’s official: Ormonde Jayne is finally launching a new perfume in November… Well, actually, a new collection – Four Courners of the Earth: Montabaco, Nawab of Oudh, Tsarina and Qi. Linda Pilkington, creator of Ormonde Jayne, takes inspiration from the East, Latin America, China and Russia and gives them a London twist. I have no idea when these become available in the U.S. (if ever) or online but a horde of lemmings are just swarming in my head. I even want to try the one with agarwood!
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Suzanne (Eidedown Press) describes new Arquiste‘s perfume in such a way that I want to run looking for it right now: Boutonniere no. 7 is a gardenia perfume that I feel confident in saying is the silkiest, easiest, most elegant gardenia perfume I’ve ever encountered. Forget that it’s marketed towards men—there is nothing that denotes this as being masculine: it is only a masculine scent by way of the things that it isn’t. It’s gardenia without any of the femme-fatale associations that often go hand-in-hand with that floral material.
Laughs
Meg (parfumieren) sets an example of a proper way of expressing one’s feelings about an offending perfume. I don’t want to give away the best part so just go and read the post.
Loves
Michael (From Top to Bottom): I immediately detected that incense-like feeling Alahine evokes for me. Two thoughts crossed my mind – this smells delightful and no way is this a feminine perfume. I honestly find it to be perfectly wearable by a man and the resins on my skin, while sweetish, are dry enough to suit my tastes. I need to get my decant out and start wearing it: the weather will be fitting soon.
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Robin (Now Smell This) reviews my recent new favorite: Hothouse Flower is a pretty, eminently wearable middleweight fragrance that should work in any season. It’s a gardenia you could wear to the office, with enough elegance to carry you elsewhere as well; for many people, that is probably a welcome thing. Here’s my attempt on reviewing Hothouse Flower byIneke.
Leftovers
Michelyn Camen (Ca Fleure Bon) published Mr. Duchaufour’s response to questions regarding his involvement in the creation of
the perfume for the daughter of the dictator of Uzbekistan. I hope Mr. D. was aware that his response would be published (because it looks more like a personal letter than an interview) but it doesn’t sound too convincing for me: he hasn’t stated his position even now. Either he thinks there is nothing wrong with him working on the perfume for these people or he had realized after the fact that he shouldn’t have done that – but either way he has to either own up to his mistake or stand by his decision. Just “I didn’t know” isn’t a position now when he knows. Also, I just have to mention that Ms. Camen’s censorship to exclude “blog initials” from one of the comments is sad: I don’t know which blog the commenter mentioned but all four where the topic had been discussed were much more popular than that post on Ca Fleure Bon. In case you missed any of the posts, here they are: The Non-Blonde, Bois de Jasmin, Now Smell This and Olfactoria’s Travels.
Undina's Looking Glass 
Thanks Undina,
Excellent bunch of links to new blogs.
Portia x
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Thank you for reading, Portia!
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Parfumerien’s post is priceless. Very funny. Now I must leave and go find a sample of Boutonneire! :)
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:)
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Gris Clair is really good, but on my skin it turns acidic after 30 minutes, unfortunately.
I’m also excited about new Ormonde Jayne scents, hope to try them soon (if not I’ll be in London next year)
Robin’s review of Hothouse Flower was very enjoyable :)
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I told myself the same thing: “hope to try them soon (if not I’ll be in London next year)” :)
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Who knows… maybe we’ll meet by accident in OJ boutique? ;)
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Your thoughts on BD’s email echo mine exactly.
My OJ lemmings were brought to an abrupt halt when I read they are going to be £260 for 100ml. It’s such a huge hike up from the original line but I’ll have to wait and see (or sniff).
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To warrant that price these four should be really-really-really good. If they are I do not mind paying (at least for decants).
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Thanks, dear mermaid, I’m glad I made you smile! :)
As for Duchaufour’s letter on CaFleureBon…. his response (which strikes me as very petulant) only serves to increase my concern. My comment there, which is awaiting moderation, was this: <>
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” ‘Through the ‘Mysterieuse’ fragrance I tried to convey the image of Gulnara, her femininity and sensuality’? These are also Mr. Duchaufour’s own words. He knew the identity of the person for whom he was working, that much is very clear. His explanation that the entire commission came about via third party negotiation seems disingenuous and leaves me more skeptical than ever.”
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I really hoped to read some adult reaction from a perfumer whose creations I liked for years. And as much as it pains me to be making that decision on not supporting his future creations, I’m not ready to jump on that wagon of “Oh, thank you…” and “He didn’t know, everything is back to normal.”
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Totally agree! I was flabbergasted at all the comments that seemed to think the issue was resolved after that email. I didn’t think so at all! I felt even more that he is a thoughtless man who doesn’t think much about the moral implications of his activities (or care).
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Oh, thank you for the link love, Undina. I do believe you would get on very well with Boutonniere no. 7 … it strikes me as your kind of gardenia.
Completely agree with you (and Meg’s comment, above) regarding Duchaufour’s letter.
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Thank you, Suzanne! I liked the story about your dress :)
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Thank you for the smorgasbord of excellent reviews…I am savoring my way through them with the sound of Hurricane Sandy whispering in my ears. Like everyone else, I’m excited about Ormonde Jayne’s new series.
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I hope you’re staying safe (and dry :)), Renee.
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“It also made it almost enjoyable to walk to the next building to use a restroom (plumbing in our new office is busted for the past two weeks and counting).”
I almost stopped reading when I read the above. A silver lining but I absolutely cannot imagine having to go to the next building to use the RR. We (the peeps in my office including yours truly) are so spoiled that just last week when the water pressure in our building inexplicably dropped and the restrooms on our floor were not working, we were outraged that we did not get an email about it and that we could use the facilities in the basement (not the cold and dark kind…the building has 4 basement levels, maybe more but I did not pay much attention to the elevator buttons). Fast forward this week and our building is not operational on account of the storm and besides, I have no practical way of getting into NYC on account of the non-operational trains! I won’t complain about working from home thought — I have to admit it is convenient.
Anyway, i feel lemmingish about the lemmings but may need to wait a little. As I posted in Lucas’ site, I do have to organize my samples and your suggestion of ammo boxes was brilliant. I have 3 boxes (one of which I have to return as it was the wrong size) which is at least a step in the right direction.
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Oh, warning letters keep coming – can’t complain there ;) The last one today stated: “Property Managements construction team is taking extra time to consult multiple plumbing vendors, construction Managers, and structural engineers. This process is necessary to find the best repair solution.” It’s week 4.
As you organize your samples, don’t forget to create an index – at least what samples are in what box.
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Re: the index…great idea…otherwise I will have a very organized box (or boxes), a very organized list, but still have a hard time finding the samples!
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Thank you again for great Laughs, Lemmings, and Loves post!
And also for the link to the post with BD’s letter. I somehow missed that and can’t really decide what to think about it . . .
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Thank you for reading (and yey! to having electricity for doing that ;) )
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I know! You never realize how dependent you are on something till it’s gone . . .
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Like baconbiscuit212 I am still inwardly digesting Bertrand’s reply. I know that MC didn’t want to edit B’s words unduly, but a good translation is not necessarily a slavishly literal one, and I was a bit distracted by the odd turns of phrase that could have been better rendered into English.
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I have to say that I wouldn’t have done it this way. If I were his friend who was trying to let him to explain himself, I would have gone back and forth making sure the response sounds clearer. And if I were an enemy (or “an objective journalist”) I’d have chosen more direct questions and insisted on answers. This way it serves neither purpose.
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