Month: February 2024

Petrichor by Marissa Zappas
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Petrichor by Marissa Zappas

Hi there crew, From MetroOffice: Petrichor is the smell of rain. The word comes from the Greek words ‘petra’, meaning stone, and ‘ichor’, which in Greek mythology refers to the golden fluid that flows in the veins of the immortals. The phrase was coined by two researchers at the Australian CSIRO science agency in a 1964 article for the journal Nature. I do love it when the Aussies get stuff done right. As an aside, the CSIRO plant was in the next suburb to where I grew up and as we would drive past there were always strange and wonderful scents emanating. Sadly the area got sold off and is now an up market apartment building estate.

Petrichor by Marissa Zappas 2022

Marissa Zappas site gives these featured accords:
Top: Damp earth, lemon
Heart: Immortelle, orris, vetiver
Base: Ambergris, sandalwood, moss, musk

Marissa Zappas is a new name to me. I bought this decant from Surrender To Chance because I love the word Petrichor. This lids of the bottles look a little like those Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 lids in pictures. I’d love to know how similar they are in life if any of you has had a hold?

How does Petrichor smell? The opening is sharp citrus and earthy iris root. Is it like that unbelievably glorious scent after the first few drops of rain? Not really but it does capture the feeling I get when I smell it. Does that make sense? Here, even in the city when the rain first hits we get this hint of eucalyptus to go with the concrete moisture. It’s cool and mentholated sweetness adds a bright and sparkling tint.

In Marissa Zappas homage to Petrichor it is as if we are experiencing it from inside the apartment. We are warm and rugged up. Looking outside we notice the rain just starting and open a window. Sure, there is the smell of newly wet concrete but also the scent of comfortable living. It’s a beautiful perfume picture and I am enjoying it immensely.

Ask we head towards dry down the damp earth, shady bench seat at the park, and flick of umbrellas is sitting perfectly beside the luxurious creamy warmth of the sandalwood and slightly furry yellow/white treacle like floral of immortelle. BEAUTIFUL!

I’m smitten and Petrichor has just hit the Top 5 on my To Buy List. As soon as I have a few extra $$. GAH! Just looked and it’s currently SOLD OUT! Damnit. Let’s hope it comes back.

Sound good to you?
Portia xx

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Saturday Question: Do You Write Reviews?

I understand that those of my readers who have blogs post perfume reviews, this is given. I’m not talking about posts or comments on blogs, Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. The question is about designated review spots where your feedback will stay with the product/service and will be visible to others.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #204:

Do You Write Reviews?

The main question, of course, is about perfume reviews. Do you write them on one of the large perfume sites? How about online perfume stores? Perfume decanter sites/services?

And a wider, general question is whether you leave any reviews, for any products, services or experience.

My Answer

As most of you probably noticed by now, I rarely publish anything remotely resembling perfume reviews even on my perfume blog, so I don’t remember even once being tempted to write a perfume review anywhere else. For me, perfume reviews are useful if I know (I mean, virtually) a person whose opinion I’m reading because that allows me to “calibrate” expectations based on what I know about the reviewer’s tastes. Reading Fragrantica reviews from time to time, I’m amazed at how different people’s perceptions of the same perfume might be and how categorical some of them sound, even when their opinion completely contradicts everybody else’s. I wouldn’t dare. Not with my nose.

As to the other types of reviews, for many years the only place where I was almost religiously leaving feedback was eBay: since I myself rely a lot on the sellers’ reputation, I thought it was my duty to contribute to those ratings. But my feedback is usually done for the “service” (how well the seller described the item, how quickly it was delivered, etc.) and not for the product itself.

On several occasions, I left a review for a restaurant (because I was annoyed; they were mostly negative) and for an Airbnb/VRBO rental (those were mostly positive – but only because I was lucky with my choices, thanks to reading other people’s reviews!).

Other than that, I rarely write any product reviews: Who cares whether I liked (for example) that iron or blanket? – I was thinking. But over the years, I started feeling almost guilty about it: I noticed that I heavily rely not even on the ratings people leave for different products but for additional information and sometimes personal photos of those products – be that on Amazon, Sephora or other sites that sell products I am not familiar with or can’t try at a store. So, I’m thinking that I should start contributing more actively – to warn others about products that I find subpar or to offset ratings from idiots who complain about items being not of the size they expected – even though measurements were clearly stated in the description.

Rusty Fragile

How about you?

Do You Write Reviews?

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Saturday Question: Do You “Collect” Anything (Besides Perfume)?

I think we all understand that while talking about our perfumes, the use of the word “collection” is somewhat a stretch: it is a collection in terms of being an assembly of items of the same type, probably even systematically arranged. But since the objects of the collection, perfumes, are being used (no matter how infrequently) and also can spoil, the “collection” part is a figure of speech rather than a literally meaning. Today’s question should be considered in this context.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #203:

Do You “Collect” Anything (Besides Perfume)?

As it is hopefully clear from the introduction, the question is not about collecting art, baseball cards or vintage Hermes scarves. A “fair game” would be something that is/can be used up, which you’re buying in excess of regular use/consumption. Food, drinks, bath and body products, socks, ties, pens, paperclips, umbrellas, etc., etc. – I hope you got the idea.

If you have photos of your collections somewhere online and can share, please do.

My Answer

I LOVE lipsticks. It has been a while since I posted about them, but for a non-beauty-centric blog, the number of posts on the topic of lipsticks is quite telling: Lipstick Extravaganza, Lipstick Queen’s Mixed Metaphor, Sunday Self-care, Episode 6: Read My Lip… Care Choices, The (Last?) Two Queens, (Pillow) Talking myself into buying perfume, They had me at “Hello” – and now “Goodbye”, Frog Prince(ss)’s Kiss, Black Lace in Tropics, and more, but I’ll stop here.

A couple of years ago, I decided to sort all lipsticks I had at that time by color, take pictures of them and swatches, and have those photos with me every time I think of buying another one while at a counter. These are pictures of almost complete “collection” of my lipsticks back then.

I use lipsticks, lip balms, lip veils and other lip products daily. So, since these pictures were taken, I used up some of the lipsticks I had. Lock-down and not shopping as often somewhat helped to slow down my acquisitions, but still, I bought more than I finished (I think – I’m afraid to count).

 

Do You “Collect” Anything (Besides Perfume)?

Southern Bloom: Sweating It Out Down Under
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Southern Bloom: Sweating It Out Down Under

Hi there ULG crew, While most of our readers are from the Northern Hemisphere and feeling the cold, down under I am sweltering in one of the weirdest weather summers I can remember. It’s either blazing hot and humid or raining, cooler and humid. We are normally (till the last couple of years) practically a desert here in Sydney. We get a few really big thunder storms that drop oodles of water in a relatively short time and then blue skies. Out here in Parramatta, about 25km from the city, it usually doesn’t get ridiculously muggy very often. 2023/4 summer is like living in a tropical monsoon area. Without the daily afternoon downpour. I’m not complaining, just letting you know how unorthodox this year is. OK, maybe I am complaining, coz.

Southern Bloom by Goldfield and Banks 2018

Southern Bloom Goldfield & Banks Australia

Goldfield & Banks gives these featured accords:
Boronia Absolute Tasmania, Jasmine Sambac India, Cassis France, Sandalwood Australia, Vetiver Indonesia, Ylang Ylang Madagascar, Coconut Accord, Iris Italy

Australians are incredibly proud of Goldfield and Banks. They are an Indie House gone global. It was a thrill for me to see them in such diverse cities on our recent trip as Vienna, Paris, London, Budapest and Seoul. I can’t think of a perfume brand of ours that has ever had such distribution, especially with such a niche feeling product. Maybe Grandiflora is getting close? Tommi Sonia gave it a red hot go, if they had stayed the distance I reckon they’d be global by now too.

Anyway, I’ve been wearing Southern Bloom a bit in this strange weather. I want to say it’s a white floral but that is so much less than the whole experience. Straight up there is a lightly sweet, clear eucalyptus green. I’m thinking it’s the boronia and cassis but doesn’t really smell like either of them. This top stays but is overshadowed by the white floral dripping with tropical ylang and sandalwood. This heart is eye lollingly gorgeous and hums away merrily for a long time. It’s both warm and cool, sultry and exactly the fetishized dream of carefree tropical holiday nights.

Southern Bloom by Goldfield and Banks 2018

The heart also has a boozy component and makes me think of those creamy cocktails that sometimes come in a pineapple or big glasses with fruity embellishments.

The base is very sandalwood heavy and I’m surprised there’s no vanilla noted, it’s a luscious creamy confection.

While anyone can and should try Southern Bloom it does lean towards modern traditional femme. The first hour or so is very fragrant and its lasting power is impressive. It fits most seasons but this super weird summer it is working perfectly for me.

Sound good?
Portia xx

 

 

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Saturday Question: Do You Have a Red Perfume Bottle in Your Collection?

Happy Lunar New Year! Sending happiness your way in the Year of the Dragon.

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #203:

Do You Have a Red Perfume Bottle in Your Collection?

I realize that it’s a superficial connection between the celebration and our perfume hobby, but since most of these SQs aren’t serious anyway, I decided “why not?”

My Answer

My first thought was, “No, I don’t think I have any.” I remembered that for my blog’s “rainbow anniversary” (7 years) I managed to find a red-colored perfume. And I used to have a deep red bottle of the eponymous perfume (probably, it’s the other way around, but you got what I meant), but the current bottle that I have is silver. And that was it. And then I remembered: Puredistance Rubikona! (Just in case you want my take on this perfume, a couple of year ago I published Puredistance Rubikona: Iacta alea esto!)

Puredistance Rubikona

How about you?

Do You Have a Red Perfume Bottle in Your Collection?

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Saturday Question: Did You Ever Have A Signature Scent?

Theoretically, it is possible that one of the visitors who is reading this post is currently a “signature scent person” who got to this blog by searching for similar-minded people. But it’s not probable. So, I assume that none of us is currently monogamous perfume-wise. But what about the past?

Saturday Question on Undina's Looking Glass

Saturday Question #201:

Did You Ever Have A Signature Scent?

If yes, what was it? How long did it last? If no, did you ever consider getting one? Do you know anybody who wears just one perfume (all the time or at least serially)?

My Answer

Since this is my blog, I have previously touched this subject once or twice (or ten times?). So, I hope that those two readers who a) read it in the past and b) remember about it would forgive me repeating myself.

When I was growing up, having any perfume – leave alone a good one (read “French”) – was if not a true luxury then definitely something excessive and indulgent. From what I remember, even adult women who owned perfumes didn’t wear them daily saving them for special occasions. It was slightly different for men since they used colognes and balms after shaving, but that was considered as a functional application rather than “decorative” (and those colognes weren’t either too interesting or tenacious).

So, while owning just one perfume at a time was something common, that was rather out of necessity than a conscious choice. But since perfumes were rare and hard to come by, those women who did wear perfumes would usually use the one they managed to procure or were given as a gift. Thus, having a “signature scent” was mostly a romanticized but unobtainable idea.

Lancôme Climat became first my imaginary (while I didn’t have it but used my Grandma’s bottle once in a while) and then actual (once my Grandma bought it for me as a gift) signature scent. I did wear some random scented products from time to time – not because I wanted a variety, but because Climat was cherished and designated to the most special occasions. But I remember back then being convinced that I would wear only that perfume if I could afford it. And I was genuinely perplexed by the fact that not absolutely everybody was in love with that scent: it was the most amazing perfume ever!

By mid-twenties, I outgrew that “one and only perfume” idea (admittedly, with some help). And today I can’t imagine wearing not just one but probably even 10 perfumes over and over again. But if I were to fantasize about perfume I would want people to associate with me (that was one of the premises behind the signature scent concept I grew up with), Climat still would be one of the top 3 contenders (together with Ormonde Jayne Ta’if and Amouage Ubar).

Rusty and Climat Bottle

Rusty with my very first bottle of Climat from 80s

How about you?

Did You Ever Have A Signature Scent?