And Then It Went Bang!

I am finally feeling almost okay, and I thought today, Oh how the Holidays went by, and it was fine. Nothing to really be unhappy about it, and that's just fine. I have been trying to uneat the past two days, since my stomach was starting to bother me, what with all the crap I have been eating the past two weeks, and that's when I started feeling better. SO there must be a correlation there somewhere. It was an "aha" moment, as Oprah would call it. And I am not even being ironic about this. I think. 


One of the best discoveries for me in 2010 was Marc Jacobs' men's perfume "Bang."  I am glad to see it on a lot of "Best Of" lists from the perfume community. It was love at first smell for me, and I can even say that I have never been a fan of Marc Jacobs' scents. This had a very L'artisan quality, I thought, and is quite unique for a commercial scent: white pepper mixed with cedar. It turns sweet on me, as usual, but the pepper gives it that spice and kick that makes it interesting up until the drydown. It is pretty linear, and it doesn't last as long as I want, although some people say it is pretty big for them.  For a designer scent, it is pretty adventurous - no aquatics, no mens amber - so I hope it is successful so other commercial houses will be as adventurous. For its price point, it can compete with all the best niche houses out there. 

Hope is not a granted wish or a favor performed;
no it is far greater than that.
It is a zany, unpredictable dependence
on a God who loves to surprise us out of our socks.

~ Max Lucado

Scentfully Sartorial

I got invited by Aedes for the launch of the new Penhaligon's scent "Sartorial," which in itself is a very intriguing scent because the whole idea of the fragrance is to bottle the smell of a tailoring shop, specifically of those in Saville Row. But what was more interesting for me is that its creator, Master Perfumer Bertrande Duchaufour will be there. As far as Superstar Noses go, he is up there with Jean Claude Ellena and Olivia Giacobetti so I thought it would be an honor for me to meet him, as I have been a fond admirer of his work. Among other fantastic fragrances, he makes my most favorite incense scent, Comme Des Garcon's Avignon, which incidentally is also one of Sarah Jessica Parker's favorites. But I digress. 


Tonight's event was with cocktails, so if for anything, I brought Mike so we could enjoy the free liquor they were serving. And I did have a chance to meet Mr. Bertrande, and he was so friendly and amiable. I thought he would be one of those stuffy French gentlemen, but he is young, and so open and welcoming and so appreciative. WHen I mentioned that I like his previous work "Fleur De Liane," he related the story of his journey in making that scent: how he went to the rain forests of Panama and saw these ripe melons, and how the mixture of the humidity, and the moisture of the forest enhanced the smell of the ripe melon, and that was what he wanted to capture. It is always so interesting to see the artistic process. It was such an honor to be in his presence, and I had him sign something for me, and it was just wonderful. 


So here are some of the photos from the event: