May 11, 2012 by Undina

Entertaining Statistics: April, 2012

I’m so late with April’s statistics that I almost forgot what the month was like. I think it was good though.

I’m still keeping up with my New Year Resolutions but I’m one bottle closer to the self-imposed limit. I just couldn’t resist! I liked Jo Malone’s White Lilac & Rhubarb and didn’t want this limited edition bottle to slip away as those limited editions have a habit of doing. I wish I could have all three bottles from this release in 30 ml bottles but for a reason unknown Jo Malone decided to have only 100 ml bottles for this collection. So if anybody wants a small decant of White Lilac & Rhubarb at cost send me an e-mail.

This month I decided to check if my reaction to perfumes I test depends on the application method. There is nothing scientific about the results since it wasn’t my choice to spray or to dab: I used whatever sample I had. But based on this anecdotal evidence the application method doesn’t affect whether I like the perfume or not (see the chart).

Quick April stats:

Numbers in parenthesis are comparison to the previous month’s numbers.

* Different perfumes worn¹: 26 (-1) from 18 (+2) brands on 30 (+1) occasions;

* Favorite perfumes worn: 21 (0) on 23 (0) occasions;

* Different perfumes tested²: 50 (+2) from 27 (-6) brands on 57 (-1) occasions;

* Perfumes I tried for the first time: 32 (+7);

* Perfume house I wore most often: Dior;

* Perfume house I tested the most: Guerlain (third month in a row: it looks like once started I cannot stop);

* Most popular notes (only from perfumes I chose to wear) are almost the same as in March: top – (not counting bergamot) lemon and pepper; middle – (not counting rose and jasmine) iris root and ylang ylang; base – vanilla, musk and sandalwood;

* Perfumes I tried for the first time and liked a lot (went to my wish list): Indochine by Parfumerie Generale, La Femme Bleue by Giorgio Armani and Dzing! by L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Have you found any new favorites recently?

¹For the testing I apply a perfume to one area on my arms easily available for the repetitive sniffing. But, most likely, I’m the only one who can smell it. I can test two, sometimes even more perfumes at the same time.

² When I wear a perfume I apply it to at least three-four points and usually I plan to spend at least 4-8 hours with the same scent so I’m prepared to re-apply if the original application wears off.

Image: my own (I wish I could draw!)

May 6, 2012 by Undina

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 9

I was traveling last week so it’ll be a short post – whatever I collected before my trip started. Also, if anybody was wondering, I want to mention that my monthly stats post is still coming. I know it’s a little later than usually but I cannot do it on the road.

Lemmings

Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) makes sure my lemmings for the latest release from Amouage keep swarming: Beloved is a big perfume, and despite the previous comments about its grandeur and drama, it is not hard to wear, actually I find Beloved particularly easy to wear, with a lovely, but not intrusive sillage and excellent lasting power (Do you know an Amouage that is gone in two hours? I don’t, and this one is no exception.)

Laughs

Vanessa (Bonkers about Perfume): Even the sales assistant apologised for the extreme woodiness of this scent, saying that it might appeal to men. Or extreme wood-loving women, obviously. An 8 out of 10 on the “trapped in a tea chest” / “planky” scale.

Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) about images invoked by L’Heure Convoitée: My doll Sonja: an unfortunate plastic child I practiced plastic surgery on. She never recovered and my dreams of becoming a surgeon where nipped in the bud (at least I married one, talk about projection!).

Loves

Susan (Fragrants) about my favorite Petite Cherie by Annick Goutal: Smelling this perfume makes me want to grab up my daughter and shower her with kisses while she is still small; smelling this perfume makes me want to be the best mother I can be and the best woman I can be. And it makes me acutely aware that the minutes, hours, days, are slipping quickly by. If you’re curious, here’s my take on this perfume.

Sigrun (fragrantfanatic) shares her experience while wearing one of my favorite perfumes from Amouage: Wearing Gold makes me reach for my most elegant skirts and dresses instead of jeans. It makes me take my time putting on make-up in the mornings, going for a full skin routine and red lips instead of the usual transparent gloss. It even affects the way I paint my toe nails. If you didn’t read it before you might find amusing this story about a blind sniffing test.

May 2, 2012 by Undina

In the Search for the Perfect Lily of the Valley

I grew up with May Day being an International Workers Day. Even though it was a holiday, it was an official holiday and people were required to participate in parades officially held in all major cities and translated by all TV stations. In my city, I remember, all traffic would be blocked for those demonstrations in the downtown area from early morning and until 2-3 p.m. My room’s window was facing one of the major streets and I would be woken up by music, megaphone announcements and other human noises. And then, for hours, non-stopping streams of people with flags, banners, balloons and artificial flowers would flow by my window toward the main city square. As a child I liked that holiday: it was a real beginning of the spring, we would get two days off school, kids weren’t a part of those demonstrations (unless their parents took them to their groups formed by places of work) but it was festive, different from regular weekends and there always was something interesting to do during or after the main event (like shooting balloons with a slingshot, for example).

I haven’t been not only celebrating but even acknowledging this holiday for many-many years and this year with everything going on under the sign of this day I’d be even less inclined to feel any nostalgia towards May Day if it weren’t for my hobby. Starting last year, when I read about it for the first time, I chose to associate this day with a beautiful French tradition of giving bouquets of lily of the valley.

I’m fascinated by this flower. I’ve always been. It looks fragile and lusty at the same time as if those tiny flowers were carved out of a very white ivory and carefully placed against a backdrop of flat wide leaves. And I love a very distinct lily of the valley aroma unmistakable with any other.

For a while I was collecting samples of perfumes built around this beautiful flower and testing them for this post in my Single Note Exploration series. Then I was struggling with a horde of lemmings born after I read an announcement about this year’s limited edition bottle of Muguet by Guerlein. How cool would it have been to make a picture of that gorgeous bottle for the post about lily of the valley note in perfumery?! It wasn’t easy but I won with the moral support from Victoria (Bois de Jasmine) and Natalie (Another Perfume Blog) despite Tara’s subversive actions! Instead I bought the last in the store pot with lily of the valley and took pictures of my very photogenic cat Rusty playing with it.

That was a hell of a preamble. But don’t worry: since I’m not doing real reviews I’ll try to be laconic. I’ll skip usual “created by” and notes lists since most of these are well-known perfumes.

All perfumes I tested can be divided into three categories: Lily of the Valley I didn’t Like, Lily of the Valley I couldn’t Smell and Lily of the Valley I Loved.

Lily of the Valley I didn’t Like

Muguet Blanc by Van Cleef & Arpels – I smell an apple in it even though it’s not mention in notes. An artificial apple. It’s wrong. On paper I remember it being more lily-of-the-valley-y but on my skin it smells rather unpleasant in the first 45 minutes even though I think I recognize the scent of the flower. For my nose Muguet Blanc smells of a cheap synthetic lily of the valley air freshener brought in the room full of not just wilting but decaying in water floral bouquets. Then the freshener wins. In 2 hours it’s a perfectly nice scent on my skin. I’m not sure I’ll ever finish my sample.

Le Muguet by Annick Goutal – in general, it’s nice, slightly more perfume-y than other believable lily of the valley renderings but still very recognizable. Le Muguet has some sweetness but it’s not overly sweet to my nose. Unfortunately, during one of three testing I got some plastic-y note. It might be my skin reaction but understanding that doesn’t make Le Muguet more wearable for me. I will give my sample another try but I do not see this perfume joining my collection in any form after that. You should try Le Muguet since it might behave differently on you (and if it does it smells really nice and natural).

Idylle by Guerlain – for the first couple of times when I tested it (a year ago) I was sure it was a rose scent. And then one day my nose picked out a prominent lily of the valley note. Since then I always think of Idylle as of a lily of the valley perfume. When tried in parallel with the other perfumes that are closer to being a soliflore Idylle feels more complex, more perfume-like and less lily-of-the-valley-centric creation than the rest perfumes I tested. I do not think Idylle is bad, it’s just not special enough for me to go beyond the sample I have (if even that).

Lily of the Valley I couldn’t Smell

When I read about Andy Tauer’s lily of the valley perfume I was very excited. There are just several Andy’s perfumes that work for me but I thought: how bad can it be if a talented perfumer creates a perfume with one of my favorite floral note in the middle of the composition? Well…

Carillon pour un ange by Tauer Perfumes – I smell pollen, a lot of sweetness and, I think, some mimosa. It has a great tenacity and I think it’s a very nice, very masterfully created perfume. But I couldn’t smell lily of the valley in it at all! I was so upset when I tried Carillon pour un ange for the first two times, I felt so cheated that I gave away my sample.

It wasn’t until several months later when, after trying DSH’s Muguet de Mai Perfume and Muguet Cologne, I realized that while I couldn’t smell lily of the valley in there either it seemed to me that both Andy and Dawn smelled (tried to re-create?) the same flower. Muguet de Mai starts very lemon-y plus some earth note. Muguet Cologne starts earthy and then turns into more floral composition… Both without much lily of the valley how I know it. I got another sample of Carillon pour un ange just to confirm my impression. And I can tell that though these three are completely different perfumes I smell more in common between them than between any one of them and lily of the valley. Compared to the real flower (I think I spent hours doing that for all perfumes I tested for this post) I kind of “see” the idea but all three don’t smell as lily of the valley to me. It should be my nose, right? Samples will stay in my scents reference library.

Lily of the Valley I Loved

For the First of May this year I wore Diorissimo by Dior. I own a bottle of the current EdT and a vintage mini that has problems with top notes but then it’s fine. Diorissimo is so nice and spring-like! I do not love it but I like it enough to enjoy wearing from time to time. Even though Diorissimo has a prominent lily of the valley accord I do not think of it as of a soliflore. When I wear it I wear a perfume. But only when I smelled Diorissimo together with the real flower I realized how close they were. I always knew that Diorissimo was an iconic lily of the valley perfume; I wore it knowing it smelled of lily of the valley but I’ve never realized how much it smelled like lily of the valley. Wow.

Muguet by Guerlain – is a fresh and very… clear scent – not in the sense “airy” but rather “without impurities” like a diamond or “not distorted” as in “clear sound”. As I’ve mentioned earlier, I fought off the urge to buy a full bottle of this perfume but I’m amazed at how much I liked it and how true it is to the real lily of the valley. I get everything – sweetness of the flowers, greenness of the leaves, general warmth of the scent. The only component that isn’t there is earthiness but I do not miss it, I’m fine with the pure floral part of the plant. I want a full bottle but will have to settle for a small decant of Muguet if I can find it. It’s so beautiful!

Lily of the Valley by Penhaligon’s – I like it a lot. It’s bright, warm and very realistic. I’m not too familiar with this brand, I’ve tested just a few of their perfumes and I haven’t formed any opinion about the house yet. It was the last perfume I tested for this episode and I think I didn’t expect it to be as good as it proved to be. I suspect that I like Muguet slightly better not even because it’s Guerlain but because I loved the bottle and all that “one day only” marketing BS (sorry, Guerlain, I start liking you more and more but this February Muguet 2011 was still available at the boutique). But I’m not sure if in a blind sniffing I would be able to tell them apart. I plan to add a mini bottle of Penhaligon’s Lily of the Valley to my collection.

I read a rumor some time ago that Frederic Malle had a plan to add a lily-of-the-valley-centric perfume into their line-up. If it happens I will definitely try it. Other than that I do not plan on actively seeking any more perfumes with that note being a dominant one.

How about you? Do you like lily of the valley – as a flower or a perfume note? Do you wear it? And, what I’m mostly interested in, if you tried perfumes from my Lily of the Valley I couldn’t Smell category, did you smell lily of the valley in them?

Images: my own (I hope there was enough of them to compensate for the long story)

April 29, 2012 by Undina

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 8

It was a very stressful week: nothing too serious but a lot of small problems at work and some health issues. I’m feeling better now and ready to deal with everything I need to deal with in the office. But I had the most wonderful weekend including a perfumeeting with Natalie (Another Perfume Blog) that went too fast – as all good things usually do.

Lemmings

It feels like I’m the last person in the Perfumeland who hasn’t tried yet two ~~last~~ most recent creations from Amouage. New surge of lemmings this week:

Suzanne (Eiderdown Press) about Opus VI: It’s a perfume that has intensity without a ballast, and while that may not sound like a strength, it is what makes Opus VI smell so compelling, because I think we are often drawn to those things we wish to complete.

Thomas (The Candy Perfume Boy) about Beloved: The base is quite similar to that of Amouage’s first fragrance Gold Woman, although it is decidedly less animalic and more refined, it has that golden, shimmering quality to it that softens the heavy musks, balsams and woods. It seems to find that perfect balance between rich and smooth.

Laughs

Thomas (The Candy Perfume Boy): YouTube frightens me slightly. Maybe I’m just a wimp but despite the wealth of content YouTube has more loons, weirdos (not the good kind) and trolls than any of the other ‘tubes’, including the London Underground, which indeed has its fair share.

Ari (Scent of Self): This book makes an Ikea instruction manual look riveting in comparison. Although if you think about it, Ikea instruction manuals are already sort of suspenseful. Will those suspiciously smiley stick figures be able to properly assemble that Förhöja Wall Cabinet???

Loves

Sigrun (fragrantfanatic) tells us about the affair she had while her husband was on a trip: I’d really hoped I’d dislike Angel, considering my husbands opinions on it, but no such luck. The sensation of then sitting in a commuter train and have that…thing…whafting up on me from under my clothes invoked a giggly, exhilarated feeling… Have you read my story Angel of Jealousy?

Leftovers

Since one of the draw winners hasn’t contacted me in a week I used random.org once again. A new winner is Suzanne. Please contact me with your shipping address.

Feel free to share any links – your lemmings, [new] loves or good laughs.

April 26, 2012 by Undina

Déjà vu, Episode 3: powdery fruit vs. peony oriental vs. sandalwood jasmine

When I was a child there was a sketch comedy TV show for kids – Yeralash. One of the episodes was titled Twins (it’s shorter than 2 minutes – start at 4:00 – you can watch it for the idea, I didn’t find it with subtitles).

The plot: Two little boys (LBs) on a sled bump into an older boy (OB). He gets up to confront them when he notices that they look alike.

OB: Identical twins!
LBs (here and later they speak in unison): We are not identical twins!
OB: What do you mean “not twins”? Are you brothers?
LBs: Yes!
OB: Then you’re identical twins!
LBs: No, we told you, we are not identical twins!
OB: Were you born the same day?
LBs: Yes!
OB: Then you are identical twins!
LBs: No, we are not!
OB: Why are you messing with me?! Let’s do it again. Were you born the same day? Are you brothers? Are you look-alike?
LBs: Yes! Yes! Yes!
OB: Then you are twins!
(the third little boy who looks exactly as the first two comes from behind and pushes OB away): Leave them alone! We are identical triplets!!! I went to pee!

A year ago in one of the department stores I came across a stand with six or seven classic Guerlein fragrances. It was my first close encounter with those perfumes and since the only one I tried before – Shalimar – didn’t work for me I was reluctant to put anything on my skin. So I spent some time with all those bottles and paper strips. Have you ever tried keeping six unsigned blotters in order? I thought I was doing fine… Later, as I was going through those blotters in the car, the scent from one of them suddenly felt very familiar. A couple of minutes of intense sniffing later I conjured the answer: Estee Lauder’s Tuscany per Donna! The problem was that I didn’t know which perfume it was: blotters mixed in my hands and names did the same in my head.

I came home and went through the notes lists for those perfumes I suspected might be “it” – Mitsouko, Jicky, Jardins de Bagatelle and L’Heure Bleue. Each one of them had a potential but I couldn’t tell which one it was just from comparing notes. So the next week I went back to the store and sprayed those perfumes on new blotters (signed this time to avoid confusion). Nothing. None of them smelled like Tuscany per Donna. Since all that happen soon after I published the first episode in my o Déjà vu category I concluded that it was a wishful thinking on my part and thus wrapped up my experiments.

During my Guerlain Quest in Las Vegas this February, following Suzanne’s recommendation, I tested Samsara in parfum concentration. I smelled it from a blotter that an SA handed to me and immediately thought of another perfume Samsara reminded me of. Actually, I thought of another two perfumes. But remembering reaction of the Specialist (I won’t repeat the link but you might want to look through the story from the Episode 1 linked above to understand what I’m referring to); I chose the “more niche” of two to mention to that SA. I told him that Samsara reminded me of Frederic Malle’s Iris Poudre. And that was where it was “déjà vu all over again”: his reaction was really similar to the one I got from Malle’s Specialist. I thought it was ironic.

A month ago at a grocery store I thought I recognized a scent on a woman. I’m never shy to approach people about perfumes (or shoes) they are wearing:

– Are you wearing Tuscany per Donna? – I asked.
– No, it’s Samsara – she answered.

The circle has closed.

Since this post is a follow-up to my older story I decided against a full-blown blind testing (which was, in my opinion, a complete success in my second Déjà vu episode) but I had a chance to solicit a quick blind sniffing participation from Susan (Fine Fragrants):

Based on my first tries of each of these perfumes, I agree that they are similar. Yet I can readily identify differences between each of them. Red (Iris Poudre) smells more “modern” to me than Blue (Tuscany per Donna) or Yellow (Samsara) – more like something that would be coming out on the market now. Yellow is quieter and closer to the skin than Red or Blue. Blue is the most assertive, classic, and sexiest, as well as the most animalic – it’s the one I’d want if I had to buy one of these perfumes. It’s the diva of the trio.

Recently I tested all three perfumes – Tuscany per Donna, Iris Poudre and Samsara (both parfum and EdT) several times. Having five notes in common for all three (rose, carnation, jasmine, sandalwood and vanilla) and additional 2-3 between the most note-rich Iris Poudre and each of the other two, these three perfumes are distinct. I can definitely tell apart my favorite Iris Poudre: after more than a year of wearing it repeatedly I do not think any more that it’s identical to Tuscany per Donna. Testing Samsara and Tuscanny per Donna in parallel I can smell the difference. But all three have so much in common, especially on some stages of the development, that I’m not sure I won’t mix them up next time “in the wild” (©Dee, I think). Tuscany per Donna, Iris Poudre and Samsara are not identical triplets but definitely fraternal ones.

By the way, Tania Sanchez gave this “sandalwood jasmine” ****

Read Suzanne’s (Eiderdown Press) real (and very beautiful) review of Samsara and Iris Poudre; Victoria’s (Bois de Jasmine) very informative article on new and vintage Samsara; Elisa’s not a review but an interesting layering idea for Tuscany per Donna and (thanks to Suzanne’s comment) Meg’s (parfumieren) review of Tuscuny per Donna.

Image: my own.

April 22, 2012 by Undina

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 7

Summer is here! I’m not excited (I do not like hot weather) – just stating the fact. Suddenly I do not know what to wear, clothes- or perfume-wise. My cat Rusty, on the other hand (paw?), isn’t confused: he knows what NOT to wear – his fur. He’s shedding everywhere!

Lemmings

I do not have any practical use for that amount of Guerlain’s Muguet but it’s such a beautiful scent and I really like this year’s bottle! Please somebody tell me I shouldn’t be ordering it! Thanks for tempting me go to Robin (Now Smell This).

Laughs

I think everybody has read this already but if somehow you missed it read semi-final of Prix Eau Faux 2012 at Now Smell This. It’s hilarious! My favorite is Rhapsody by United Airlines for the print copy and Fairleigh Fanged by Fairleigh Lowd for the TV commercial (I know it wasn’t a category but I just “saw” it while reading).

Loves

Natalie (Another Perfume Blog) published an extremely captivating fiction story to accompany her review of Chanel‘s Bois des Iles: In my college film class, we studied ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.’ I think this was largely so my professor, a man who styled himself a feminist but managed to conduct the whole lecture without mentioning Anita Loos, could share his theories about Marilyn Monroe. (UPD: APB is closed now)

Ron (Notable Scents) reviewed my favorite Ineke’s perfume: Field Notes From Paris is an orange blossom fragrance that is full-bodied but not overpowering. This would be a great office scent as it feels like a classic masculine with a modern twist.

Leftovers

Jo Loves – Jo Malone‘s new brand, – finally offers samples from their site. You can order two free samples. It says on the site that they ship perfumes to the U.K. only but my samples order went through, I got a confirmation in e-mail, so you can also try if you’re interested in the line.

April 22, 2012 by Undina

Winners and Answers

The winner of the first draw is odonata9.

The winner of the second draw is australianperfumejunkies.

Congratulations! Both winners please send me your shipping addresses.

Four people guessed it right: My Daughter Dieudonne by William Merritt Chase was an inspiration for the flower arrangement from the brain teaser.

A word to those eleven who thought it was Caroline de Bassano, Marquise d’Espeuilles by John Singer Sargent: at the exhibition I had to double-check the label on the arrangement. Zoom in to see more details for both pictures.

Images: my own.

April 17, 2012 by Undina

Brain Teaser: Matching Flowers to Paintings

I have previously mentioned in Three Pieces of Neela Vermeire’s India Puzzle story, I love brain teasers. So even though I’ve previously won a Discovery Set I couldn’t pass by another picture puzzle that Neela Vermeire posted on her Facebook Wall. I found the answer and won “Try your India” trial set. Out of three in the set my favorite perfume is Bombay Bling! I like Trayee and do not mind Mohur. Once my discovery set’s bottles are gone, I’ll either buy another one or will go for a full bottle. Extra 2 ml of each perfume won’t make much difference for me. So I thought it would be a good idea to spread the joy. I asked Neela if she would mind if I held a draw for my readers and transfer my winning to the lucky winner. She didn’t mind. So here we are.

If you a) have never tried these perfumes before, b) sniffed/tried those at the store and now want to try more or c) own samples already but want to test more before deciding, you are eligible. Just tell me which one it is – a, b or c. That’s it. It won’t affect your odds, I’m just curious.

When I asked Neela about transferring my prize she offered to double the draw. How do you feel about solving a puzzle to be entered into the second draw?

In one of the halls of the de Young museum at the Bouquets to Art exhibition there were two paintings on the wall, one next to the other, and two flower arrangements inspired by those paintings. One of the arrangements, in my opinion, could be easily paired with any of the two paintings.

Caroline de Bassano, Marquise d'Espeuilles by John Singer Sargent

Bouquet (front)

Bouquet (back)

My Daughter Dieudonne by William Merritt Chase

Which painting do you think was an inspiration for that bouquet? Click on pictures to get a larger size. It doesn’t matter if you guess it right or not, you’ll be entered into the second draw. If you do not want to be entered into the draw, I’d still want to know your choice of a painting.

Images: paintings from http://www.wikipaintings.org; flowers – my own.

The drawing is closed now.

April 15, 2012 by Undina

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 6

It was a good week: there were more reviews for my current favorites than those posts that created lemmings to find new favorites – yay! It was a busy week and I’m still catching up on my reading but it’s time for a round-up so I’ll finish later (and if I missed anything I’ll bring it up next week).

Lemmings

I’m definitely saying “Yes!” to Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels): Cuir Noir is better than I anticipated, because it doesn’t overwhelm you with leather, it is not harsh or strong. Cuir Noir is soft and elegant, and it surprises with a relatively prominent oud note, I was not expecting at all, but that I like a lot.

Laughs

If you haven’t read Birgit’s Fresh Baked Biker – Review: Armani Privé Cuir Noir on your own or following my lemmings link above, do it now for a good laugh (I don’t want to quote the best part of the joke not to spoil it).

Vanessa (Bonkers about Perfume) keeps entertaining us with her travel/sniffing stories: Then we had a bit of a snigger about Kokorico, with its strange, un-PC black head bottle in a Le Creuset casserole tin.

Loves

Suzanne (Eiderdown Press): Annick Goutal Encens Flamboyant smells like an ancient pine tree—like resinous evergreen sap—and it also smells like the dry, high-country lands of the West. It is quite simply a bone-dry frankincense scent enhanced by enough sage and herbaceous notes that it speaks of the outdoors, yet does so in a way that manages to stay one’s focus. I do not own (yet) Encens Flamboyant but I liked it a lot when tested (thanks to Victoria of EauMG) and want to add at least a decant to my collection soon.

Christos (Memory of Scent) writes about two of my favorite Jo Malone colognes – Black Vetiver Café and Wild Fig and Cassis: I love BVC because it is dry, herbal and rustic and it becomes one with the skin. Sometimes it smells like I have spilled coffee on me and forgot to wash it off, which I find very charming and daring. Fortunately it has the right amount of vetiver to keep others from detecting it as such. I made an attempt on a review of Wild Fig and Cassis in my In the Search for the Perfect Fig post.

After the successful move to the new web address Victoria (Bois de Jasmine) reviews one of my favorite Ormonde Jayne’s perfumes: Ormonde Jayne Frangipani Absolute smells like summer to me—peaches eaten on the beach, white stars of night-blooming jasmine tangled in my hair, a breeze leafing through the pages of a book forgotten on the patio.

Leftovers

If, like me, you were busy and distraught past week and missed Another Perfume Blog’s first year anniversary, I’m sure it’s not too late to stop by and wish Natalie all the best.

April 11, 2012 by Undina

Bouquet to Art 2012: Craft Imitates Art

Every spring for the last 28 years San Francisco’s Fine Arts Museum de Young organizes a very popular event Bouquets to Art. More than a hundred floral designers from all over the Bay Area submit their choices and concepts to a panel of judges who decide on the final list of exhibitors and those chosen then create floral arrangements based on the art in de Young permanent collection.

I love flowers so I’m very surprised I didn’t know about this exhibition until this year. I will try not to miss future events: it was a great experience, both my vSO and I didn’t notice how two and half hours went by.

I’ve never seen so many people in this museum before! It was impressive. Since for this event photography without a flash was allowed sometimes it took up to five minutes to get in the position to take a picture without people blocking something.

Despite multiple flower arrangements in each room the museum didn’t smell like a flower shop. Mostly I could smell other visitors’ perfumes. I wore Chanel No 19 parfum: I wanted to smell nice but not to overpower any possible floral aroma with my perfume. It didn’t. The only room with a distinct floral fragrance in the air was the one with the composition made of thousands of gardenia petals.

The smell was so captivating that I didn’t even think of looking for the art piece which that composition was supposed to represent. All I wanted to do was to smell it closer. So did many other people. I couldn’t find a moment to take a shot without anybody in the picture.

The exhibition was uneven: there were very creative inspirational compositions as well as very literal recreations of the art pieces (including a bucolic scene with a toy size cow or the one with banal lampshades on a table). I won’t spend space demonstrating those that I didn’t like and will focus on those that I think are interesting.

It isn’t easy to choose just several pictures for this post out of dozens I took. I tried to catch both – the composition and the art behind it (literally and figuratively). I wish there were fewer people, better lighting and a tripod.

Chihuly’s glass is created to be reproduce in bouquets!

One of the compositions that impressed me the most was inspired by Willard Leroy Metcalf’s painting Winter’s Festival.

Although appearing nearly monochromatic at first glance, such images reveal Metcalf’s extraordinarily subtle yet inventive use of color. Among the vegetation, vibrant hints of aqua, pink, gold, and even burgundy invigorate the subdued palette and suggest the dormant vitality of the frozen flora. Blue-tinted shadows and underlying traces of violet and lavender remind us that snow, never purely white, admits to endless variation. (Hood Museum of Art)

That description perfectly fits both the painting and the installation.

As I was exiting one of the rooms I overheard a conversation from a group entering that room:

– Look, an infinity symbol!
– Nature, infinity – it’s clever…

From their angle of viewing they couldn’t see that Arthur Tress’ photograph of a donut was an archetype for that composition. When I told this story to a friend who also attended that exhibition, she suggested calling that composition An Infinite Donut.

Images: my own

Undina's Looking Glass

Perfumed Reflections of Life

Author: Undina

Entertaining Statistics: April, 2012

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 9

In the Search for the Perfect Lily of the Valley

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 8

Déjà vu, Episode 3: powdery fruit vs. peony oriental vs. sandalwood jasmine

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 7

Winners and Answers

Brain Teaser: Matching Flowers to Paintings

Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 6

Bouquet to Art 2012: Craft Imitates Art

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