Old Labels

It's been a long time since I looked closely at the old Prince Matchabelli Labels my aunt gave me ages ago. I remember beach combing as a kid, and creating make-believe gypsy patterans, little piles of shells, beach glass, & whatever dross we found on the beach.

Blog Break

Magical Moon

Magical Moon Eau de Parfum by Hanae Mori 2006
Headnotes: Blooming Osmanthus Flower, Sugar Cane, Star Fruit
Heartnotes: China Rose, Orange Flowers, Guava Nectar
Basenotes: Patchouli, Incense, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk
A very warm oriental fragrance. This is a romantic perfume that is both light and potent at the same time. It truly lives up to the name.

"Conceived by master perfumers under a full moon in a garden of night-blooming flowers, its rich buds and blooms are harvested according to an ancient lunar calendar, blended in vats lined with blue moonstone, and bottled under a full moon." --Sephora.com

There is a scented valley in China, where Buddhist Monks planted Osmanthus long ago. Today these groves of Osmanthus perfume the air in the fall, during the Moon Festival. The gentle rains are fragrant and petals float down on a scented breeze. Moon cakes are made for the festival, using flavoring from the Osmanthus. The flowers are also used to make tea, jam, sweets, wine and liqueurs.

Maja

From Spain. Maja. Eau de Toilette, pretty mild. spicy and a little soapy. nice.

Rose Essentielle

St. Theresa of Lisieux (The Little Flower) is the Patroness of florists, pilots, and of France. (possibly because she was French, flew around in the sky, and smelled like roses even though she wore no perfumes) In "The Dharma Bums" a novel by Jack Kerouac, a hobo tells a young man about St. Theresa and how she promised to shower the earth with roses from heaven, forever, for all living creatures. She did a good job showering my yard.

Rose Essentielle by Bulgari is a true rose scent, light but enduring, and it smells like the roses in my yard. (pictured here)

Eddy's Perfume Review

Eddy has been with us for 90 days now, and his warranty has expired. Time for him to earn his keep helping Ched review scents.


Iris Ganache by Guerlain. This (if properly applied) is a light warm scent. Iris butter blended with patchouli and cinnamon makes it both spicy and gourmand. Lightly sweet unless you pour it on. (Why is it that excitable humans tend to overdo it?) I suppose you humans think more is better. Yikes.

Maeve Brennan Again

I was thrilled when Maeve's stories were collected and reprinted. I have been a fan of hers for many years. I've mentioned her in at least 4 blog posts, like this one.

After her death, Maeve Brennan was called a genius. In life she was loved by her many friends. Angela Bourke, Maeve's biographer described her office at the New Yorker:

"Glass panels in the metal door dribbled light into the corridor of Sleepy Hollow, but Maeve worked with her door open, and instead of the dreary cells the men tolerated, her little office became a bright and fragrant space, where she would sit behind her typewriter, wearing enormous reading glasses. She smoked constantly, but so did everybody else, and Maeve wore Russian Leather perfume that wafted along the corridors and gathered in her room. She brought in potted plants, had the walls painted white, the ceiling Wedgwood blue..."




They no longer use the same formula for Russian Leather, the new scent smells very similar, but toned down. The original had more Pizzazz -- the word Pizzazz was coined by Diana Vreeland, editor of Harper's Bazaar, (where Maeve once worked.)