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A Postcard from Undina: ZZ Top at the Mountain Winery

 

Last week was surprisingly quiet: no new lemmings, no reviews for my favorite perfumes and nothing amusing enough to warrant a LLL post. So I decided it was a good time to introduce a new category – A Postcard From Undina. From time to time I plan to publish a picture of something I like, experienced or saw – with some notes from me or just a “blank” postcard.

  

40 years, the same three guys, the same three chords.
Billy Gibbons

ZZ Top at the Mountain Winery, August 2012

It was a very enjoyable August night at a beautiful venue with rock legends.

Wish you were there.

Undina 

 

 

Image: my own

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Know-how: Decanting, Labeling, Packing and Shipping

This is a public service article. I’m sure that all experienced perfumistas (meaning “my regular readers”) know all that and then some. But I decided to put together in one post information I wish I had when I started sharing my perfumes with others (not that long ago). So for most of my readers it’s a post with pictures of Rusty helping me to illustrate my points.

If you plan decanting as a business there will be completely different rules, this post probably won’t help you.

Decanting supplies

Decanting Supplies

You might find useful to get 1-2 ml dab vials (for sharing your small samples, extraits or perfumes of which you do not have enough); 3-4 ml sprays for samples; 5 ml and 10 ml sprays for bigger decants. Pipettes might be useful if you plan to decant a splash bottle into many decants. Otherwise just get some straws from a coffee shop: it’s less convenient but it will do the job.

I know that some perfumistas prefer plastic bottles: they are cheaper and are safer to ship but if I have a choice I won’t go for a plastic bottle. I don’t know that for a fact but I’m afraid that plastic will dissolve a little and contaminate my sample.

Decanting: Rusty and Pipette

There are many places to buy bottles for decants. They vary by selection, prices and minimum order size.

Best Bottles: has better prices but require minimum $50 order (plus shipping; please note that shipping to a commercial address is cheaper).

Accessories for Fragrances: almost twice as expensive as those from Best Bottles but they allow smaller orders.

1 ml, 3 ml (with screw-on spray pump) and 10 ml are good at both sites, 5 ml decants, in my opinion, are nicer from Accessories for Fragrances.

Decanting: Rusty and Vials

If you have other favorite places for decanting supplies (and especially in Europe) – please share.

Labeling

Labels are important. You do not think about them when they are alright but when they go wrong it might be devastating. Read Steve’s (The Scented Hound) story – though it’s a lot of fun to do a detective work guessing which perfume you’re testing, in general it’s better to avoid those situations.

There are many ways of making labels – from the simplest hand-written labels supplied with decanting vials, through printed on a printer (I saw some fancy ones with brand fonts/logos reproductions) all the way to those printed on label makers (functionality of some of those is just a mind-boggling).

If you do paper labels, it’s a good practice to put a transparent tape over it to prevent smudging during the shipping leakage or further use.

Decanting: Rusty and Labeling

I use a simple label maker similar to this one but I’m too lazy to learn how to do more styles (I got it used without documentation) so I just chose the font size and stopped there.

Preventing leakage

There is an assumption you should make: if a package with your decants flies it will leak. There are a couple of things you can do to prevent/minimize that.

After you make sure that a vial/atomizer is closed as well as it can be you’ll need a tape. Many perfumistas are using an electrical tape and it works just great. Vanessa (Bonkers about Perfume) wrote the Ode to it: The Unsung Hero Of The Swap Scene – Electrical Insulation Tape.

Decanting: Rusty and Tape

But black color bothered me so I found an alternative and for a long time I was using colored vinyl tape. The only bad thing about those tapes is that when a perfume leaks a little and you do not take the tape off after it arrives the tape might leave some sticky residue on the bottle.

Recently, thanks to Ruth Kaminski from Facebook Fragrance Friends Group, I’ve discovered an even better solution – a parafilm. If you’re not in a hurry, you can watch for the price drop (I bought it for ~$18). I suspect that package will serve me for years: all it takes is a really small piece of parafilm per a decant. You just cut it, peel a protecting paper, stretch it warming in your fingers and wrap around a vial. No leakage, no sticky residue. I plan to use it also for some of my samples/decants that I’m not using up too quickly to prevent evaporation.

Decanting: Tape

No matter what you use, just make sure you’re wrapping it around the place where plastic part connects with glass. If you wrap it around the place where a covering cap ends you will reduce leakage into the package but it won’t prevent a perfume from leaking into that cap and evaporating.

Packing and Shipping

Bubble wrap is your friend. Just make sure you are not trying to re-use the one that has been popped or lost air. Do not wrap too tight. Think about it this way: this wrap will protect only if with a pressure applied a bubble bursts before the conducted pressure squashes the vial.

Broken Vial

Vanessa wrote a post about bubble wrap as well: Another Unsung Hero Of The Swap Scene – Bubble Wrap.

For sending decants in/from the U.S. there are several options: bubble mailer envelope, small box (you have to have your own) shipped First Class Mail (you have to specifically ask for it, many post office clerks try to upsell) or Priority Mail® Small Flat Rate Box (box provided). Padded envelopes are cheaper in bulk from stores/online, not from a Post Office. You can also re-use those that have been sent to you. Sometimes I use small boxes from jewelry or from cosmetics inside a padded envelope to make it sturdier. Small box for priority mail are free and if you print your labels online it’ll be cheaper and will include delivery confirmation without extra charge. Decanting: Rusty and Bubble Wrap

Other Considerations

Summer is really not the best time to be sending any perfumes: think about storage rooms and mail trucks. Somehow I do not think they have a climate control. If you have to send it in summer try doing it on Monday or Tuesday so that it doesn’t spend a weekend at the storage facility.

Have I forgot anything? Please share in the comments.

Happy decanting!

Decanting: Rusty and Supplies 

Images: my own.

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Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 18

 

It was a great summer week: I got to wear a summer dress twice (!) and yesterday it felt like a Bronze Goddess day – so I showered in it. It has been more than a year since I won my decant at Dee’s blog and bought a full bottle of this perfume but still every time I wear Bronze Goddess I think of Dee: small acts of kindness go a long way.

Laughs section is unusually full this week – and I haven’t even had enough time to finish reading all the posts from my reading list!

In addition to my regular sections Lemmings for perfumes I want to try, Laughs for posts that made me smile, Loves for posts about my favorite perfumes and Leftovers for everything else I find noteworthy from my readings, I introduce a new section Looking for – to publish requests for perfumes.

Lemmings Laughs Loves

Lemmings

Parfumista (Parfumistans Blogg) keeps reviewing new (at least for the US) niche brand by Ramón Monegal: The general impression of Umbra can be summarized as the picture and smell of the coolness of the mossy, forest floor under high pines a summer day. Even if classified as unisex I precieve Umbra as the most feminine vetiver I have sniffed so far.

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Thomas (The Candy Perfume Boy): To create Les Parfums de Cuir Thierry Mugler parfums a “tailor made […] natural leather” was added to four custom made vats containing each perfume allowing them to infuse & mature for four weeks and eventually, after the “leather-imbued extracts” were added to a solution, they became Les Parfums de cuir.

 

Laughs

Steven (The Scented Hound): Mechant Loup means “Big Wolf” in French, but the L’Artisan Perfumeur website lists it as “Big Bad Wolf.”  With that kind of name, I expect something over the top and powerful.  Sorry, there is nothing wolf like about this scent.  Instead, maybe it should be called “Nutty Ecureuil” or “Nutty Squirrel,” in English as it’s about as big and bad as a squirrel and holds a hazelnut note.

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Blacknall Allen (aperfumeblog by Blacknall Allen): […] French Women Don’t Get Fat.  It was full of helpful advice about dieting including eating leek soup (leeks are ace diuretics) and then limiting portion sizes drastically.  You can have anything you want, basically, so long as whatever it is comes in a tiny spoonful.  Quiche? Go for it.  Mousse-  no problem, grab your spoon and then put it down, you’re done.  Do not repeat.

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Portia (AustralianPerfumeJunkies): One of those spectacular grabs was Tous EdP in the gold package with the TOUS bear on top. Is it just me or does the TOUS bear look like a bear putting its arms behind its enormous BOOBS!!!! It looks very Dolly Parton/Pamela Anderson to me.

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Arielle (Scents of Self): I blame Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which taught me that having sex causes your boyfriend to revert to his evil vampire state and then you have to kill him to close the vortex to a hell dimension.

 

Loves

Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) revisits Jeux de Peau  – one of my favorite Serge Lutens’ perfumes (see Mind Games: My First Decant – Jeux de Peau). 

 

Leftovers

Melissa (She Blogs it All) is trying to organize a trip to/meet-up in France .

 

Looking for…

I’m on a Guerlain kick. I’m looking to swap for or buy at cost 2-3 ml decant of current formulation of Jicky extrait, Vol de Nuit extrait and Chamade extrait as well as 5 ml decants EdT versions of the same perfumes. If you have any of these please contact me and we’ll work out the details.

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[Forest] Walk down the Memory Lane

 

School at the country where I grew up when I was growing up meant ten years in the same building, mostly with the same classmates from the first grade and until the graduation.

School

Starting from the fifth grade several times a year each class for a week was responsible for tidying up school common areas – wiping, sweeping, washing and taking out garbage.

The best chore was to be a coat room keys keeper. Since we didn’t have lockers all outerwear had to be hanged in a coat room. Usually students weren’t allowed to leave during a school day unless a teacher came with a class or sent a note. But somebody had to be “on the post” with keys in case a student needed to leave. The great part about it was that it would give you an official permission not to attend classes that day. Only students with good grades were trusted with that important mission. I was an “A” student.

A coat room was a nice place to “work” not only because of skipping classes but also because you were getting a chance to meet everybody while being in charge. Everybody.  Even from those classes two-three year older who usually do not notice you. And also it allowed you some freedom: your friends would join you either after running their choirs instead of returning to a class room or during breaks. Because it was a perfect place to hang out, to play hide and seek between rows of jackets or to talk about your feelings (and perfumes) with your first love.

Cinderella

The second best assignment was to wax parquet in corridors. It also had to be done while everybody was in class rooms studying. I always imagined doing it Cinderella’s way (click and watch for 10 seconds – I couldn’t embed it to start on the right time but for those who can’t watch a clip on youtube there is a static picture above) but in reality it was just one floor brush with a strap for your foot and tubes of floor wax/polish. It was made of turpentine (pine resin), paraffin, ceresin wax and beeswax.

Parquet polish

My school was many-many years ago but the first time I smelled Forest Walk, the latest perfume from Sonoma Scent Studo, I was immediately transported back to that school corridor. I know that it’s a complex perfume, it’s built with many great ingredients (notes include Black hemlock absolute, fir absolute, Western red cedar, oakwood absolute, galbanum resin, jasmine sambac absolute, violet, olibanum, labdanum absolute, natural oakmoss absolute, aged Indian patchouli, New Caledonia sandalwood, orris, benzoin and earthy notes). But for me Forest Walk smells of happy times of sanctioned skipped classes, pine-smelling floor wax and the imaginary pas de deux with that handsome classmate.

I haven’t conjured a forest out of this perfume but I still enjoyed the walk I’ve got from it.

For real reviews read Gaia‘s (The Non-Blonde) and Mark‘s (Ca Fleure Bon) posts.

I got my sample with a purchase from Sonoma Scent Studio at First Artisan Fragrance Salon in San Francisco.

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Entertaining Statistics: July, 2012

 

July was nice and cool; I could wear almost any perfume from my collection though some of them didn’t feel right even with weather permitting.

Almost all perfumes I wear1 are those for which I own either a full bottle or a decant so I do not worry any more about not paying enough attention to them.

I am trying to slow down with my perfume purchases. One bottle per month, as somebody suggested in my June stats post, seems like a reasonable goal (in theory, at least). I almost met it! If not to count a small bottle of ISA that I bought for sentimental reasons, I got just one bottle: Field Notes From Paris by Ineke (as always, if anybody wants a decant at cost contact me).

This month I decided to chart price per ml of perfumes I wore. I took an MSRP price for 100 ml where available and calculated for the rest. If not to count the parfum (Chanel No 19) that is clearly the most expensive per ml (~$14), the next one is By Kilian’s Love & Tears ($4.70), Neela Vermeire Creations’ Bombay Bling! ($4.55) and Amouage’s Beloved ($4.30). On the other side of the distribution, the cheapest perfumes I wore were Yves Rocher’s Nature ($0.50 – though now it’s impossible to find it at this price) and Hugo Boss’ Deep Red ($0.50). The median price for the perfumes I wore in July was $2.60/ml. I can’t say I enjoyed the most expensive ones more than the rest.

Stats July 2012

Quick July stats:

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

* Different perfumes worn1: 25 (-1) from 16 (-3) brands on 28 (-1) occasions;

* Different perfumes tested2: 33 (-5) from 19 (-4) brands on 44 (-1) occasions;

* Perfumes I tried for the first time: 22 (+13);

* Perfume house I wore most often: Amouage and Tom Ford;

* Perfume house I tested the most: Sonoma Scent Studio and Cognoscenti;

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

* Perfumes I tried for the first time and liked: too many to list, it was a good month.

Of the top of your head, what is the least expensive perfume in your collection that you love and wear?

1 For 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

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Coco Noir… Light by Chanel

 

For many years Chanel and I weren’t getting along. I knew the brand had iconic perfumes. I knew it was well-loved and famous. I kept trying No. 5 and other perfumes again and again still wondering after each attempt what I couldn’t smell that others could.

A couple of years ago on my way home from a pleasant trip to Sonoma wineries I stopped by a perfume counter at Nordstrom (I’ve never been to that store before or after) where I met a sales associate who was really passionate about Chanel perfumes. I didn’t try any other brands that day but I left the store in an even better mood and with five Chanel samples. And that was how it started.

Chanel Coco

That Christmas  I bought my very first bottle of Chanel perfume. It was Coco. Since then I enriched my collection with numerous bottles and decants from Chanel including some Exclusifs. Some of them went much higher in my personal hierarchy. But Coco holds that special place by being the First one.

Coco by Chanel – created in 1984 by Jacques Polge; lists of notes are slightly different depending on the site, I’ll go with NST: jasmine, peach, frangipani, mimosa, orange blossom, cascarilla, rose, clove buds, angelica, labdanum, sandalwood, tonka bean, leather and opopanax.

If you want real reviews here is Angela’s (now smell this) and here is the most recent by Suzanna (Bois de Jasmin).

Three days ago I casually asked my friendly SA if she knew when they would be getting the new Coco Noir perfume and she very secretively handed me two samples saying that they weren’t supposed to show them yet, but for me… (She’s always good with me and I try to give her as much of my business as I can).

I do not trust my nose too much and I trust my ability to describe scents even less (not trying to be modest – just stating the fact) so these are just my impressions from testing Coco Noir in parallel with the original Coco.

Coco Noir is definitely Coco’s close relative – a younger sister maybe? She thinks she is all grown up and should be taken seriously; she tries really hard to be like her older sister who is effortlessly elegant and confident. But even through her thoroughly applied smokey eyes, dramatic lipstick and cynical gaze one can still see the freshness of the youth and innocence. But enough of the metaphor. In my opinion, the only “noir” part of this recent Coco flanker is the bottle – and what a beautiful bottle it is! I’m glad it isn’t dark blue or I wouldn’t have been able to resist.

Coco Noir by Chanel – created in 2012 by Jacques Polge; the notes include bergamot, grapefruit, orange, jasmine, rose, geranium, patchouli, tonka bean, vanilla, sandalwood, incense and white musk.

Coco Noir smells fresher then Coco; it is brighter because of a more prominent citrus note and it doesn’t last as long as the original version. Coco Noir is “younger” than Coco in modern perfumery sense as well – it’s fruitier and sweeter in the opening. A younger sister who prefers fruit punch on a sunny day to a glass of cognac next to a burning fireplace. If anything, Coco Noir is lighter than original Coco. But they couldn’t have used that beautiful bottle for Coco Light – right?

I do not think Coco’s fans will prefer Coco Noir and it’s not distinct enough to either justify the second bottle for a fan (unless you really want that bottle) or make a friend out of those who really disliked Coco. But if the original perfume was just a little too much for you Coco Noir might be an answer.

Victoria (Bois de Jasmin) today published a real review of Coco Noir.

Chanel Coco Noir

If you’d like a chance to win a sample of Coco Noir you have until 23:59 PST on Saturday, August 4th. You do not need to do anything, just mention in your comment if you want to be in the draw. The only condition: you have previously commented on this blog at least once (I’ll know, no need mentioning that).

 

Images: my own.

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Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 17

It was a good week: still great weather; many wonderful posts in those categories that I track (and then some) and a very enjoyable opening ceremony of the Olympics 2012. I read a lot of criticism about it but I had good time watching it. Though I have to admit that I watched it recorded so I had a luxury of skipping through all the advertising. What I didn’t miss was the information that Ralph Lauren promises that for the next Olympic Games our team’s outfit will be Made in USA (instead of China).

London 2012 & Lemmings

Lemmings

Victoria (Bois de Jasmin) reported the new Hermes L’Ambre des Merveilles perfume to be launched in August. Somehow I managed not to try any of Merveilles’ incarnations before so I decided that I would start there.

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Dee (beauty on the outside): In Equistrius, [rice note] creates a warmly tactile aspect to the cool, silky, powder of orris— not unlike a quick stroke on the heated neck of your mount after an elegantly executed passage.

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Natalie (Another Perfume Blog) found her leather perfume (Nappa Noir by Six Scents) but even if you’re not in the search for the one I’m positive you’ll enjoy an accompanying fiction story (I don’t want to give away anything so I’m not quoting). UPD: APB is closed now.

Laughs

Kathleen (No Disassemble Charlie No. 5): Although my favorite part of the sniffing trip was her reaction to the Montale display. “What is, this…fancy Axe?”

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Marlen (The Perfume Critic) published a funny story about his visit to Coty’s office in New York.

Loves

Clayton (What Man Should Smell Like): I wonder if I presented Opus III to the version of myself that existed 10 years ago, would I screw my nose up and say, “I think this is weird”. Perhaps so- but there is something about the scent that 2012 me loves. My last year’s post Library of Amouage touches first five perfumes in the collection.

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Kathleen (No Disassemble Charlie No. 5): If the Marilyn Monroe that popped out of JFK’s Birthday cake wearing little more than sparkles and a knowing smile had a love affair with Clark Gable in The Misfits, THAT would be Tuscan Leather!

Leftovers

Susan (Fine Fragrants) is getting married. If you want to say anything to her here is the right place.

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Jessica (Tinsel Creations), an art historian by trade who you might know better from her weekly reviews on NST, on her own blog has interesting series of posts The Art of Perfume Ads.

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Judith (the unseen censer) created My Perfume Portrait page on her site. She says it was easier than it seemed to do once she took my page as a template. Melissa (She Blogs it All) has also just launched a similar page Perfume Talk.

Carol (bloody frida) has List of perfume bottles and Steven (The Scented Hound) shares with his readers The Scented Hound’s Fragrance Collection. They do not specify which perfumes are their absolute favorites but at least it’s clear they like these enough to keep in their collections. If you are reading this post and have your own blog think about creating something like that someday – I’m sure many of your readers (I am for one) would be really curious to have your tastes mapped out in a readable format.

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We need to talk… Do we really?

 

I read Andy Tauer’s response to Sheila’s post and realized that I had more to say than was appropriate for the comment section on either of those two blogs. It’s a good thing I have my own blog.

Cat Xing

Why would any perfumer want a meaningful discussion in blogs and forums is completely beyond my understanding. But from my, blogger, position I think those discussions is a Sisyphean task. Why?

First of all, in my experience it’s such an unappreciated activity – telling an artist anything but how much you looove his every brush stroke. So unless you’re a professional who can provide an insight on why something shouldn’t be done (e.g. “not a stable mixture” or “will spoil faster than expected on average”) or won’t sell (e.g. “there are a really close alternatives from a more-known brand/for one-quarter of a price”) you are better off sticking to “loooove” or “nice but doesn’t work for me.”

Second, it might be important that those who serve as judges on different awards committees and panels know the difference between “niche”, “indie”, etc. perfumery. But why should a regular blogger care “[h]ow are things done and why does it matter whether a scent comes from a larger factory or from an artshop that resembles a kitchen more than a factory.” (Andy Tauer)? Most of us aren’t perfume critics. Most of us do not position themselves as experts in the field. We are perfume lovers. We are consumers. We write for other people like us. If we appreciate a perfume we might want to look more into the underlying story and share it with the readers (or not); we might be fascinated by how The Artist was able to create something so beautiful in a kitchen sink. But what if we do not like the result? If an “indie” perfume isn’t better than a mainstream (or niche mainstream) creation, it doesn’t really matter that a perfumer had to work 80-hours weeks, dreamt about the scent all his life and triple-mortgaged his house to launch it. It’s not a kindergarten and we should not be giving A for the effort. The best we, bloggers, can do is not to write anything – meaningful or otherwise.

And finally, when some of us dare to criticize some Artists’ work, what do we get in response?

[P]eople are trying to critique perfumes without knowing what it is to critique a perfume. They don’t have the knowledge. People don’t know what it means to compromise if you’re creating something for a brand.” and “[…] they try to drop ingredient names, chemical names, just to prove to their readers that they have the know-how. But so far, I’ve never been impressed by any critics. I read them to see if one day I come across something really different.” (Francis Kurkdjian’s interview with Persolaise).

Or

You have bad habits: you always expect people working in sales to creep in front of bloggers, because we are supposed to be afraid of your noxious comments? I’m the owner of Lubin, and I despise the people who criticize other people’s work and publish without even checking the most basic information. (a comment for Birgit’s review of Black Jade by Lubin)

So, in my opinion, the real dialog or criticism should be left to experts – it doesn’t matter real or self-proclaimed, let them defend their own status. We, regular people, will blog about something we loved or hated; will shout out our SOTD, SOTE, SOTA, etc. in 140 characters on twitter or “Like” a nice picture of a perfume bottle on Facebook. In the end we, laymen, will sell more niche and indie perfumes then those few chosen ones who are allowed to have an informed opinion and are capable of maintaining a comprehensive discourse in the subject. Why? Because most buyers are laymen with accounts on Twitter to tweet what perfume their cat has just spilled; on Facebook to post the newest “my cat sleeping on my lap” picture; on YouTube to watch the latest Maru video and Pinterest to pin up a bunch of cute kitten pictures.

Confused User

Images: my own

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Laughs, Lemmings, Loves – Episode 16

 

Last week was very serious: I haven’t come across any funny posts or comments. And I read most of the posts not only on my reading list but from “news & noise” category as well! So please, if I missed something laugh-worthy – give a link in your comment.

UPD: For a smile read Susan’s (Fine Fragrants) Juicy Crittoure dog shampoo review.

Lemmings, Laughs, Loves

Lemmings

Victoria (Bois de Jasmin): Santal Majuscule is […] a romantic and tender scent of warm sandalwood brushed with honey and scattered with rose petals. Never mind Scheherazade’s palace, her skin must have smelled like this–of milk, roses and sweet spices.

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Modesty Brown (Modesty Brown loves make-up): On selected dates from 27th July, artists will be available in Jo Malone Boutiques in the capital, to customise boxes with your favourite London landmarks. There is no extra cost for the service and as you can see above, the sketches look really striking on the signature cream and black gift boxes. There’s no doubt that this would make an extra special gift for someone. (you have to click the link to see a picture!) WANT!

Loves

Blacknall Allen (aperfumeblog by Blacknall Allen) muses on the pedigree of Coco by Chanel: Polge  thought he could  reproduce this atmosphere of richness, of muffled ultra-refinement, by fusing three existing Chanel formulas to come up with a correspondingly intricate and Byzantine mixture to reflect the subdued baroque richness of the late Mademoiselle’s decor, so he combined Bois des Isles, Cuir de Russie, and Sycomore.  Et voila, the resinous, slightly sweet woody oriental that everyone now associates with the successful excesses of the eighties.

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Denyse (Grain de musc) shares beautiful pictures and haikus for the Hermessence collection. For my favorite Vetiver Tonka:

And away it flows,
Robbing the sun’s bright light
Such is the source!

Find your favorite here.

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For those of you who scans through posts headlines to decide if to read it, I want to bring to your attention touching Angela’s (Now Smell This) review of the discontinued Dior-Dior perfume by Christian Dior. This one was my least favorite out of three that my mother had when I was a child and it is discontinued and practically unavailable so I could have missed this post as well. And I’m glad that I haven’t: perfume itself doesn’t matter. It’s hard to use a vintage, discontinued fragrance knowing that when it’s gone it’s likely gone for good. But enjoying a perfume sure beats simply having the perfume.

Leftovers

In case you missed, Sigrun of frafrancefanatic has moved her blog. New blog is Riktig Parfym.

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I like Atelier Cologne brand. I was an early adopter and bought two small bottles of their colognes two years ago. So of course I was thrilled to read that they will release two new perfumes this Fall – Rose Anyonme and Vétiver Fatal. And when they come to my local Neiman Marcus I will test them. But I’m mildly annoyed: did they really need to release two more agarwood perfumes? Well, yes, they did – how else do you justify nowadays raising prices 20-30% (two years ago I paid $55 for each!)? And it’s not even read agarwood!