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My First Bell Jar: De Profundis – Celebrating Life

 

Reading adventure or historical fiction books as a child I couldn’t comprehend the significance of death. Characters being threatened with death would betray their allies or help enemies – and that was very strange to me: it wasn’t a torture or a threat towards their loved ones, it was just death, what to be scared of? It was definitely not a good enough reason for treachery.

I read a lot of books. And still remember having all those thoughts. And I remember that finally the realization of the value of life came to me. I was ten or eleven. I don’t remember what happened and what caused that change but I remember that it was an epiphany.

…

When I came across information about De Profundis by Serge Lutens for the first time the idea seemed appalling: I’d just experienced a couple of losses and the thought of a perfume somehow linked to death felt wrong. The only reason I wasn’t completely offended by it was Serge Lutens’ age: I told myself that it was probably fine for the man, who was statistically closer to the final destination than I or people I love, to toy with death. But, as I said in the comment on Asali’s review of De Profundis (All I am – a redhead), I didn’t plan to test it because of the connotation.

Soon after that I won a decant of another perfume on the same blog and Ines was kind enough to send me a sample of De Profundis also. I’m grateful to her because knowing how stubborn I might be I think I would have avoided trying it otherwise. I loved De Profundis from the first application. It smells so unusual. I adore the green bitterness of chrysanthemums even though I never really liked the flower itself. When I was choosing a bell jar of which perfume I wanted to add to my collection De Profundis was the only one I considered.

Rusty and Serge Lutend De Profundis

Where I grew up chrysanthemums weren’t associated exclusively with funerals though it was one of the common uses for the flower. For me a much stronger association is September 1st – the all-national first school day of the year. On that day all students would bring bouquets for their teachers. Chrysanthemums were popular flowers on that day.

September 1st

September 1st would start with students from all ten grades (there was no elementary/middle/high school separation) gathering in the school yard, in dress uniforms. After some official greeting words from the school director and other stuff members, a boy from a graduating class would pick up a tiny girl from the first grade and would carry her around the yard as she would be ringing a bell to symbolize the First Bell in a school year – the beginning of a new life, school life, for all first graders.

I didn’t get to ring that First Bell (or the Last one in the end of the year) though I secretly wished I had been chosen. But now I got my personal (and personalized!) bell [jar]. And I choose to see De Profundis as homage to life.

Rusty and Serge Lutens De Profundis

For a real (and very detailed review) see Kafka’s Perfume Review- Serge Lutens De Profundis: Purple Twilight

 

Images: De Profundis – my own (can you find Rusty on the first one?); September 1st – from my school’s classmates group, author is unknown.

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Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 35

 

Summer is over: yesterday we had our first rain. It was great! Everything got washed and watered. My lemmings started waking up after summer hibernation. So I decided to resume my weekly round-up posts. How are your lemmings doing this Fall?

For new readers: in this series I feature posts that made me smile, conjured some perfume lemmings or reviewed perfumes that I love.

Lemmings Laughs Loves

Lemmings

Steven (The Scented Hound) has just created a 4.5 star bones rated lemming: Sideris is a fragrance that I feel like I just can’t give enough justice to… It’s all too beautiful and sometimes words are just too hard to convey.

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Lanier (scents memory) tells the story that makes you want to try Vesper by MIKMOI. I don’t want to quote any part: just start reading it and see if it captures you the same way it captured me.

 

Laughs

Not a perfume-related but a smile-worth story from Vanessa (Bonkers about Perfume): Milk for tea was an alien concept. Tea itself was an alien concept.  I spent one night on a camp bed in his living room, having declined his invitation to ‘walk a portion of the way’ with him, which I took to be code for a cosier sleeping arrangement.

 

Loves

Parfumista (Parfumistans blog) compares two versions of the perfume that I like (especially in the extrait concentration): I find the Mohur Extrait deeper and darker than the Mohur Edp. […] The Extrait gives me the image of heavy silk velvet in the color of dark purple with golden stiches and loads of roses in the same color, all surrounded by a smooth almost creamy saffron and other delicate spiced stored in smooth leather pouches.

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Katherine (Mad Perfumista) writes about three first perfumes from Neela Vermeire Creations: If Mohur is a solemn tribute to one of the most powerful women in Indian history, and if Trayee is a homage to the spiritual doors opened by Vedic religion and philosophy, Bombay Bling! is a stiletto-heeled, Kelly-bag toting, Gucci-clad member of India’s new fast-living middle class, living high on the economic boom of contemporary times. Have I mentioned before my take on these three perfumes? I have? Well, maybe for the new readers, one more time: here

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Mario (guest writer at The Perfume Chronicles) reviews one of my favorite Serge Lutens‘ perfumes – Ambre Sultan.

 

Leftovers

Tauer Perfumes did something we repeat saying perfume companies should do: they released Explorer Set – three 15 ml bottles of your choice, shipping included in the price. Until September 24th they offer 10% off. Nine perfumes from the line are currently offered. I want one or two – and even those I’d hate not taking advantage of the discount I just can’t find the third one. But I love the idea! Go Andy!

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A Postcard from Undina: More Love From Sonoma

Cat & Dog Wine Tasting

The weekend was great: warm, sunny and just perfect for a quick visit to Sonoma. The hardest part was not to wear any perfume: I had a hankering for vanilla perfumes recently, which were completely inappropriate for a wine tasting. But now I’m back and waft happily Spiritueuse Double Vanille (I need to get a decant of it!). My internal batteries and our wine cabinet got recharged but I’m hopelessly behind my blogs reading. But if you’re reading this I want to let you know: I’ll get to all of your posts.

Have a productive and fragrant week!

 

Undina

 

Image: a picture I took at one of the wineries. I think this is her site though I couldn’t find this picture anywhere online.

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In the Search for the Perfect Blackberry: P.S.

 

As it often happens, while working on my blackberry Single Note Exploration post, I had blackberries on my mind. I went through my database to find all the perfumes featuring that note; tested perfumes I had; sniffed, purchased and ate berries at the Farmers Market, abandoned my current phone for the BlackBerry Q10… Ok, this last one I was kidding. But you’ve got the picture.

So when in the ad that came from Ulta I saw that lipstick I just knew I had to have it!

Lipstick Queen Hello Sailor

Not only it was of a wonderfully weird color but also it had a funny fitting shade name – Hello Sailor. I do not usually shop at Ulta but I wanted that lipstick. After the completely blank stare from the first SA, I found another one who heard about the Lipstick Queen brand but told me that only selected stores carried it.

So now I had not only to buy a lipstick untested but also paid for shipping it to me. I don’t make impulsive purchases, I didn’t know the brand and I don’t like Ulta. But I liked the color. And the name. So I decided to bite the bullet… only to find out that it was out of stock both at Ulta and brand’s sites and sold on eBay almost twice the price.

I would have probably paid that ridiculous price eventually but my procrastination helped: it came back to several online stores and I got it from Barney’s (with a free shipping!)

I don’t want you to think that I’m getting ready for this year’s Halloween: since it’s a lip stain the only place you see that dramatic color is in a tube. I have a fair skin so on my lips Hello Sailor looks like a slightly shimmering berry tint. It’s a nice lighter alternative to my favorite Black Orchid stick gloss from Laura Mercier.

Lipstick Queen Hello Sailor Swatches

For those who uses lipsticks (sorry to the rest): What was the strangest color or the most interesting lipstick name you came across or used?

 

Images: my own

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In the Search for the Perfect Berry: Blackberry

 

I was in my late 20s when I tried blackberries for the first time. Before than I knew of them but where I lived they weren’t grown commercially so I wasn’t even sure how blackberry looked or smelled.

Blackberries

I still do not know how blackberries smell. I checked just yesterday: at least those that I buy have almost no detectable scent. Are there any other varieties that actually have a smell?

So it’s fair to say that I wasn’t really looking for a perfect blackberry scent. What I was (and actually still am) looking for was a limited edition bottle of L’Artisan Mure et Musc Extreme that looked like a blackberry.

I wanted this bottle. I found a special bottle of Premier Figuier Extreme but for the last year I’ve been stalking eBay for that blueberry bottle without much success. But to be ready to jump on a bidding game if a bottle is offered for sale I wanted to try the perfume: at least to know what to expect.

Mure et Musc Extreme by L’Artisan Parfumeur, created by Karine Dubreuil in 1993, includes notes of … all sources agree on blackberries and musk, and some type of citrus. But then I saw “red berries”, “black currant”, “hint of raspberries”, etc. I don’t smell any of those. I can smell some citrus in the opening; I can smell something that I classify as musk. If you want, I can say it has a blackberry note – but only to the extent of it’s not smelling of anything distinctive, same as those blackberries I buy to eat. Mure et Musc Extreme isn’t unpleasant but I do not see any reason to buy and wear it. Not unless I find that cute bottle.

Mure Et Musc

I still wasn’t looking for a blackberry perfume when an SA at Nordstrom almost forced a Trish McEvoy No 9 Blackberry & Vanilla Musk sample on me. Created in 2000, Blackberry & Vanilla Musk includes notes of blackberry, vanilla, rose, musk and Cashmeran. I can’t believe how much I disliked that perfume! Of course, I rarely test mainstream offerings nowadays so I lost my immunity towards that type of perfumes so I should have expected that could happen. But I didn’t. And I wanted to test different perfumes for this post. Blackberry & Vanilla Musk is sickly sweet on my skin. Once I applied it I did not want to smell any nuances or trace changing notes. All I wanted was for it to go away. Right… You know how persistent those synthetic musks are. Never again.

Still not looking for a blackberry-centric perfume I unexpectedly got one. It was a gift from a friend who got persuaded by an SA at Heathrow airport that this perfume wasn’t available in the U.S. It wasn’t true: by that time I’ve already tested and liked Blackberry & Bay by Jo Malone. But I don’t complain: it was a great gift.

Jo Malone Blueberry & Bay

Blackberry & Bay by Jo Malone, created by Fabrice Pellegrin in 2012, includes notes of blackberry, grapefruit, bay leaf, floral accord, vetiver and cedar wood. Fruity perfumes are not widely represented in my collection but Blackberry & Bay is one of a few that I truly enjoy. I like the sweet and tart mixture of this perfume on my skin. It’s fruity, bright and dark, deep and playful at the same time.

 

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Images: my own (all but L’Artisan blueberry bottle)

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Entertaining Statistics: August 2013

 

August was just perfect: there were several warm days to get some summer feeling but it was never really hot to be unpleasant.

You, my readers, helped me with this month’s statistics. I asked you about your perfume application habits and here’s the quick compilation of the answers to two questions I posed:

1) Do you apply perfume symmetrically (e.g. both wrists or décolletage – it’s still symmetrical even though it’s just one spot) or asymmetrically (e.g. just one wrist, one side of the neck or one ankle)? A single asymmetrical point makes the entire application asymmetrical.

Out of 23 people who took part in the survey 19 (83%) applied perfumes symmetrically and only 4 (17%) admitted to using perfumes asymmetrically (but all for a good reason!).

Stats August 20132) What is the spot that usually gets the first spray?

No matter how carefully I try to pose the question I can never get a straight answer from the respondents. So after all the efforts I had to combine answers for left/right sides since I couldn’t get several people to confirm their choices.

Stats August 2013The most popular first spot is a wrist – 11 people (50%) start applying perfumes there (7 to the left wrist, 1 to the right and 3 undecided). 5 people (23%) apply perfumes to the side of their neck first – 2 to the right, 2 to the left and 1 undefined. 4 (18%) start with chest/décolletage. One person (5%) starts with the back of her neck and one (5%) steps into the sprayed mist making her hair the spot #1. It makes it up to 22 people and one, Lanier of the Scents Memory left it at “I always apply perfume where I want to be kissed.” I’ve decided better not to guess.

 

Image: my own

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“Oh, TOES!! (for some people)” or Where to Apply Perfumes

 

A question where (and how much) to apply perfume is regularly raised on blogs and discussion boards. More than once recently while answering this question I thought that I saw myself as Monica (Friends TV show) explaining to Chandler how to satisfy a woman using an improvised chart of a woman’s erogenous zones:

 

 

To illustrate what I mean here’s an example of my algorithm (see the chart below: 1 – neck, 2 – décolletage, 3 – wrist, 4 – back of the neck under hair, 5 – hair, 6 – back of a knee, 7 – ankle; R/L – left/right side):

For the office (dependent on the strength of the perfume): 1R–3L or 1R–1L–3L or 1R–1L–2–3L.

For a meeting in a small conference room: 3L–2 or 3L–4, preferably in parfum concentration.

For a weekend day (running errands): 1R–1L–3L–3R, sometimes I add 2 or 4.

For a plane ride or to a concert hall: 3R

For a big party: the full scale from 1 to 7 and back.

Where To Apply Perfumes

What I realized putting that diagram together was that I do not always apply perfume symmetrically: notice that in all combinations for the office it’s always the left wrist – not to transfer perfume to the mouse pad’s hand rest; for the airplane it would be just a right wrist – to smell it myself when I drink something or just bring it to my nose.

I welcome any comments but for this month’s statistics post I’d appreciate your answers to two questions (both about the time when you wear a perfume, not just test it and both are about “more often” and not necessarily “always”):

1) Do you apply perfume symmetrically (e.g. both wrists or décolletage – it’s still symmetrical even though it’s just one spot) or asymmetrically (e.g. just one wrist, one side of the neck or one ankle)? A single asymmetrical point makes the entire application asymmetrical.

2) What is the spot that usually gets the first spray?

Since most of my days I spend at work I apply perfumes asymmetrically and the first spray usually goes to the neck.

 

Image: my own

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Winner of Two Le Labo for Anthropologie Decants

 

I didn’t even realize how much easier it would be just to use numbers instead of going through the post and creating a list of names. Thank you everybody for the participation!

2 Le Labo decants Winner

The winner of the draw poodle. Please contact me over e-mail.

And for everybody else a glimpse into how Rusty spends his day while I work hard choosing winners:

Rusty And Window

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Imaginary Signature Scent: A Conclusion

 

Last week when I suggested a virtual experiment with a signature scent to my readers, I decided to go further and actually wear Nature by Yves Rocher – the perfume I selected as my Imaginary Signature Scent for a week.

Yves Rocher Nature

When I’m at home, I usually do not have a problem choosing what I want to wear. But whenever I travel and have to take perfumes with me I noticed I would be having some type of anxiety attack: I might have 10+ decants with me and still feel like “I have absolutely nothing to wear!”

Since I was still at home I didn’t feel the pressure: there was nobody else to keep me to my perfume choice and I could end the experiment at any point.

I wore Nature as my main perfume for four days. It was still pleasant and not overbearing but I realized that Nature was too simple to satisfy my current tastes, I would want something more complex and multidimensional if I had to wear it for a while. Day five was my work from home day when I usually do not wear any perfumes but test several instead. So I interrupted the experiment. When I resumed it on the sixth day I enjoyed Nature more than for a couple of days before then. I’m not sure why: either because I felt slightly guilty for interrupting the experiment or just because I gave my senses some rest but it smelled much better. Day seven didn’t bring any more discoveries and I was glad that the experiment came to the end. I haven’t changed my opinion of Nature and will be revisiting it once in a while (not the least to handle that beautiful bottle) but I do not think I’m ready to settle down with any perfume.

What about you? Did you play the game?

 

Image: my own

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An Oriental Powder for a Beauty of the Evening or When Le Labo went to Anthropologie

 

Anthropologie isn’t my style. Over years I bought a couple of items there but mostly things they sell leave me cold. What I do like about that chain is what they’re trying to do regarding perfumes.

I’m not a huge Le Labo fan: while I like and enjoy wearing several perfumes in the line, most of their creations (and those from the city exclusive line in particular) are not worth their price for me. Nevertheless, I went and tried all five perfumes “By The Creators Of Le Labo” once those were released as their collaboration with Anthropologie in 2010.

I didn’t dislike them but none of them made me reach for my wallet. They were nice, they were much more reasonably priced ($62 for 2 oz bottle), they were available … and as a result much less desirable. Once in a while I’d stop by the store, smell them all again, try Belle Du Soir that I liked the most and think that I should get it eventually.

Two years later when I finally decided to add Belle Du Soir to my collection it was too late: it was gone from both the website and the closest store. Judith (unseen censer) who was more decisive (or just more spontaneous?) sent me a decant of Belle Du Soir from the bottle she’d got.

Le Labo Belle Du SoirAnthropologie site describes Belle Du Soir as “musky and rich, neroli, water lily and gardenia float above notes of cedar, sandalwood and patchouli (SPICE).” It’s not a phenomenal creation; perfumistas do not rave about it. But I noticed that since I got that decant I wore Belle Du Soir more often than some of my most favorite perfumes. Once or twice I thought that Belle Du Soir smelled more masculine than I cared for but all in all I like it and especially in the drydown.

In the opening statement I stressed “trying” part because there are aspects of the Anthropologie’s perfume business with which I disagree.

First of all, not only the assortment of perfumes varies from store to store but in different locations perfumes are usually scattered all over the place so it’s not easy to figure out if the store actually carries a brand you’re looking for. Asking SAs proved to be fruitless since they were barely aware of the fact that there were any perfumes in the store.

In addition to that, most stores where I tried to test perfumes had no test strips anywhere in sight. I understand that the younger demographic they cater to has no problems spraying a random perfume they’ve just smelled from the nozzle all over themselves but I have to be creative every time finding a napkin in my purse or just spraying it into the air and smelling it this way.

And finally, Anthropologie tends to phase out perfumes after a while. It’s not a big problem in case of the established brands that just move their offerings to different venues. But in case with such special editions they just go away – and they’re gone.

Good part about it is that before disappearing those perfumes go on sale and then you can get some of them almost free (and I’m not talking in $100-new-free perfumista terms).

During one such sale in addition to Belle Du Soir I also got Poudre D’Orient – my second favorite from the line. Poudre D’Orient is described as “exotic aromas of violet leaves, patchouli, vanilla and suede musk (FRESH).”

Le Labo Poudre D'OrientHave you tried any of the perfumes from the line? Do you think they “smell like Le Labo”? Do you like bottles design?

I want to share two 5 ml decants (one of each perfume) with one reader. The conditions are simple: I’ll mail it anywhere in the world if you’ve previously commented on my blog; for new followers I want to limit participation by the U.S. Just let me know in your comment that you want to be entered into the draw. You have until 23:59 PDT, August 27, 2013 to enter.

I liked these two reviews by Brian (I Smell Therefor I Am) and by Shera Pop (Il Mondo di Odore). If you haven’t tried these perfumes read the reviews to see if it’s something you might like.

 

Images: Anthropologie website