After The Rain

The Martin Margiela fashion line has always been associated with avante garde fashion back when Margiela himself was designing for the house. I havent' checked if that tag can still be applied for its current line. The House's first scent, Untitled, can't really be describes as such. Untitled, at first, reminded me of a 70s powerhouse fragrance. The initial spray is a burst of galbanum: very strong, very green, very moist. Someone described this perfume as smelling something "after the rain," and I think that is very apt. There is a slightly wet, slightly moldy quality to it. But don't get put off by that description, for it is enveloped by a very subtle bitter orange border. The jasmine then kicks in, and it is a very sweet jasmine, silhouetted by the galbanum still, which makes it veiled. All these change are subtle, and substantial, proving how well-blended the fragrance is. It dries down to a soft, musky, woodsy (and still sweet) cedar, with just a hint of incense to wake it up a little bit. The over all effect is still very retro, I think, but its quiet elegance and wearability will instantly make this a modern classic. No wonder I liked it so much, it was created by Daniela Andrier, who created the Prada Infusion series, all of which are favorites of mine. This is perfect for the summer, and for me a green shower in the middle of the desert.

Top notes: Galbanum essence, Box green, Bitter orange blossom absolute
Middle notes: Lentiscus resinoid, Jasmine, Galbanum resinoid
Base notes: Musk (Serenolide), Cedar, Incense resinoid

The Smell Of Love

One of the top things I miss about NYC is Aedes , since it was kind of my "place" over there, where everyone there knows me, where I always feel welcome, I always feel at ease. So when I was in Los Angeles over the weekend, I wanted to check out the scent place over there which is "Scent Bar." (I think the company is also called Lucky Scent) As soon as I steped in, i felt right at home. All my favorites were available there: Serge Lutens, L'Artisan Perfumerie, Diptyque, Penhaligon, Carthusia, just to randomly name some houses. I wanted to try the new Limited Edition harvest of Iris Pallida, and it was love at first smell (I will write more about the scent later)  It was a chance also for me to try out some of the newer releases, like Archive 69 from Etat Libre D'Orange (solid but kind of linear) and I also know they stock "White Gardenia Petals" by Illuminium, which was what Kate Middleton was wearing during that wedding (utterly boring). Steve, the manager, and I instantly clicked, of course, since we have a mutual love of scents. I can see myself hanging out there for hours and hours, and I knew I would start crying like a baby if I hadn't gotten the Iris Pallida. Jeff got some goodies, too, like Ambre Sultan and Like This, and Mike got Pipo 06130's Youzu Rouge for his birthday . So they made out like bandits with us. For me, it was just such a perfect time, and I even got invited to a book reading later on in the evening. Since Mike had to pick up his purchase later, we did go back and I met "the" Kate Puckrik of KPS. It was an honor for me to meet her, since i have been following her videos on YouTube for a while now. 

And guess what: she was wearing the same dress from her Le Mimosa video!

"Follow your heart, but be quiet for a while first. Ask questions, then feel the answer. Learn to trust your heart."

- Anon

The Animal In Me

I am off to meet Gabby, who is coming in from Manila, and he is staying overnight before he catches an early flight back ti Colorado, where he lives. (Confused much?) I was getting ready and put on Penhaligon's Amaranthine, and with the dry desert air, the scent has gotten so...musky, and I love it. It is a testament to how well done a perfume it is that it changes based on the air quality, the moisture. It's one of my favorites of all-time, and I love all its incarnations. Wearing it here in the West Coast brings out all its animalistic qualities. Instantly, I feel sexy, confident, even predatory. (as if.) It's ever so slightly weird that I am hosting gabby again, after seeing him late last year in New York, and I was showing him around. We even went to the Serendipity there, and I just found out there is also a branch here. 

"Jealousy is all the fun you think they had."

- Erica Jong

Michele's Creation

So the day finally happened - I had to get a haircut. Far far away from Emiko. I know everyone I know is cognizant of my separation anxiety from her, and I searched and searched but in the end I just chose a place near me, across the street. It's a salon where all the cutters are women (I have a phobia with mail hair stylists) and here's the result. I wasn't unhappy with it - actually let me say that I like it. She listened to me, and understood. Michele, her name is, not my bell. Just like the First Lady, but with less jaw. She is one of those rocker chicks, with red-streaked black  hair and tattoos. What do you all think...

Spaniard SPF

Almost every day I meet someone here who tells me, "The summer here is horrible. Be ready for it." I keep on asking them, are you trying to scare me? Maybe not, but the spring weather so far has been very beautiful. And yes, I can kind of sense that the sun can be very harsh. I mean, everyday it's been up, without fail. I almost wanna ask for a cloudy day. Almost. So I started to search for a good strong spf cream for the face, as it is most important (even in non-sunny places) for the face to be protected. I mean, I don't want to say hello to sun spots and wrinkles. Someone recommended Heliocare creme to me, and when I researched it, it looked promising. It has even been rumored to be the one used by Dra. Vicky Belo. And they even had it in gel form, which I prefer because my skin do nto feel too cake-y after putting it on. Well, this stuff is truly wonderful. I feel like I get protection and it's non-greasy, glides easily. A total wonder. Apparently this stuff is made in Spain, and it kind of makes sense because, you know, Costa Del Sol is right over there! Now I really feel protected and I feel like I am ready for the harsh summer weather that everyone here has been warning me about. Bring it on, Mr. Sun!

You are sowing the flowers of tomorrow
in the seeds of today.
~ Unknown