Platine by Dana

Platine was soapy. I used to think of perfumes as either edible, soapy, or flowery when I was a kid. Not knowing how else to categorize them, I just had those 3 groups in my head. Then of course I had blends, such as the soapy floral... which was Platine.

Platine was meant to make women think of diamonds set in platinum bands or the glamour of platinum blonde hair.

Promise her Anything ...

...but give her Arpege. The women in the photographs are my aunts and if they were promised happiness they certainly didn't get it until they were out of their terrible marriages. Not everyone gets the romance promised in perfume ads. But in these photos they are all just starting out, hopeful and romantic, with no idea what was ahead. One is at her wedding with her Matron of Honor and the other is on the road during her honeymoon trip.

Emeraude

Amazingly this just recently opened old bottle of Emeraude (approx. 35 years old) smelled just like a new bottle purchased at a local drug store. Although the owners of the Emeraude formula changed, they managed to keep the scent. This speaks volumes for storing things in a cool, dark, dry place.

At a concert last summer, we were packed in tight. After John Mellencamp finished his set and before Bob Dylan came onstage, the woman sitting next to me asked me if I was wearing Emmerood Perfume. I said --"Well close, but it's Shalimar." She said her mom used to wear both those perfumes and it made her feel very nostalgic for them. "Maybe I'll buy some." she murmured. Then she proceeded to get up to stretch her legs or whatever. At some point she accused a man at the end of the row of "groping" her as she passed by. The guy told her to F -off and worse, much worse, really insulting her. His buddy joined in laughing at her and criticizing her weight and looks. (She was a nice looking woman in my opinion.) Indignant, she huffed off and returned with a security guard. At that point the two men (who seemed very drunk) and the woman's boyfriend began shouting at each other and the security guard told them to all calm down or leave. From then on there were scuffles between the three men, a couple of nose to nose stare downs, many taunts and ugly insults, raised fists, poised for action, and so forth. It went on and on and it was silly until it turned into a real wrestling and punching match. Security guards came over and pulled the threesome out to give them a stern talking to. They returned after awhile, still muttering threats. All through Bob's set the woman next to me cried while her boyfriend was taunted by the two guys at the end of the row.

Anyway, back to the Emeraude / Shalimar connection. Emeraude was often referred to as the poor man's Shalimar, since some notes were very similar, and Emeraude was always very affordable and easy to find. (Today it's a bit harder to find, but still very affordable.) I hope they never stop making Emeraude.

Something Blue

Shalimar

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.)

Mariella Burani

I was able to thoroughly test Mariella Burani products since I found a perfume shop that had several gift sets and bottles. They were using one of the gift sets as a tester. The perfume itself smells like something that was created long ago, something that only Mrs. Gottrocks could afford to wear. It smells expensive and tres chic. Wearing Mariella Burani might forever ruin some of the classics for you, as it feels warmer, richer, and you'd reach for it instead.

Avin ( the SA pictured) was captivated by it. for her it held some memory of a scent, a favorite place, ( so real it evoked strong emotion, yet she could not place it.) For me it is the best of all the classic Aldehydic scents, each note captured perfectly. The strong citrus and aldehydes at the top, the violets and roses blooming in the heart, with unusual notes chiming in. It is a masterpiece that is still available online and in some shops. Warning: For evening wear only unless you are a daring femme fatale.

Mariella Burani 1992
Head: Bergamot, Mandarin, Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Aldehydes
Heart: Rose, Violet, Ylang, Ylang, Peach, Iris, Lily,
Geranium, Coconut, Jasmine
Base: Cedar, Balsam, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla, Musk, Oakwood, Tolu, Styrax, Labdanum, Castoreum, Benzoin.
A Powerful, deeply satisfying, classic yet sultry evening scent.

Donovan does Guerlain

Donovan: Wait, Bob! Before you fire up a ciggie, try my truly gorgeous new 'fume!

Thierry Wasser at Guerlain

Thierry Wasser (seen here with Jean Paul Guerlain) was born near Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Obsessed with botany and earth science as a child, he received his degree in Botany at age twenty. Four years later Wasser was a Junior Perfumer with a degree from Givaudan. If you've tried Dior's Addict or Lancome's Hypnose, you've experienced the creativity of Thierry Wasser who is now the head perfumer at Guerlain.

Wasser is the nose behind 2007's Quand Vient La Pluie, (bergamot, heliotrope, violet, jasmine; patchouli leaves, praline note, white musk, herbs, woods.) and Iris Ganache (bergamot, vanilla, cinnamon, and iris butter in a patchouli base.) Both are excellent~ elegant yet modern.

Angelique Noire

Today I was reading a post at Merle Sneed's
blog. I thought, hmmm... Sneed's blog smells really good.
Then I realized it was the Angelique Noire I had put on this morning. I went out to get a haircut, and afterwards as I was
walking to the liquor store I thought...this haircut smells so good. Then I realized it was the Angelique Noire. This kept happening to me all day. I thought the perfume had faded, but it kept wafting back, probably due in part to my incredibly warm, soft skin.
( I am a bit tipsy as I write this )
Angelique Noire is a dark angel, a mysterious blend of notes
that always surprises me when I wear it. Always.
Perfumer: Danièle Andrier
Some of the notes are Angelica, Bergamot, Spices,
Almond Wood, and the famous Guerlain Vanilla.

Gossamer and Kirsch

Gossamer was hard to love. At first he scared me the same way he scared Bugs Bunny. Then I liked him just a little, then I felt he was endearing & sweet, or he tried to be sweet. This reminded me of his perfume look-alike that smells like Cherry Liqueur. I wasn't so sure about that at first either. But I came to accept Delices De Cartier just as I had accepted Gossamer. They are both lovable.

-Photo of Gossamer with his hair in TNT curlers at Bugs Bunny's beauty salon.
This was JUST before his head exploded.

* Update

Unlike cherry liqueurs and many 'cherry brandies', Kirschwasser is not sweet. The best Kirsch has a highly refined taste with subtle flavors of morello cherry and a slight bitterness from the stone.

Cherry Brandy is much sweeter and not as nice to drink. The fact that Delices de Cartier smells like a tart cherry Kirsch rather than cherry brandy or cherry candy/ cough drops is what makes it a worthwhile perfume. It will not bring to mind candy or cough syrup, but it is a very boozy scent.

Bob Dylan in Houndstooth

I don't display perfume bottles until they are empty. While removing the metal cap and plastic tubing, I finally noticed the houndstooth design on the bottom of the Miss Dior Cherie Bottle.
I used this perfume all summer and never noticed the pattern etched on bottom of the bottle.





I've wanted to do a post on the sculptors who design perfume bottles for awhile, but the pattern got me thinking about clothing designers who also decide to make perfumes. Some, like Dior and Chanel, create classics and some use the cheapest chemicals possible to make a fast buck.

And seeing the houndstooth pattern made me think about Dylan's transformation from his old Folksinger clothing to Mod suits. It wasn't a shocking, sudden transformation, but over a five year period he goes from shabby to sharp, from hobo to hipster. Still some people are offended by the changes in his musical and personal style and hate him for it.

On May 17, 1966, Bob Dylan stands on an English stage, wearing a fitted houndstooth suit and pointed boots in front of a 5 piece band with his fender stratocaster, playing rock and roll. There are boos and catcalls from the audience, as some feel he has sold out by "going electric" and finally, just before the last number, someone in the audience screams "Judas!" at him.

Sometimes I think even the 'very resistant to change' are transformed, even if it is only a slight change of thought, or for some, maybe not much more than a new haircut. But I can't imagine anyone wanting to be the same person they were a decade ago.


"A worried man with a worried mind
No one in front of me and nothing behind
There's a woman on my lap and she's drinking champagne
Got white skin, got assassin's eyes
I'm looking up into the sapphire tinted skies
I'm well dressed, waiting on the last train
Standing on the gallows with my head in a noose
Any minute now I'm expecting all hell to break loose
People are crazy and times are strange
I'm locked in tight, I'm out of range
I used to care, but things have changed."
--Bob Dylan