Coral Negro Perfume by Suchel

Coral Negro: Head notes include citrus and spice, heart notes are mainly tropical florals, and the soul of the scent is sandalwood, amber, with touches of musk and patchouli. Suchel perfumes are award winning scents and the history of perfumery in Cuba is a very old and respected one. The French house of Molinard was at one time a huge favorite in Cuba. Habanita by Molinard is still a popular perfume.


I have a thing for Coral Negro which keeps it in my top five, and here is a quote from from a good friend of mine regarding Coral Negro. I couldn't describe it any better than he does.

"The saleswoman brought out a bottle, she said it was The Black Coral of Suchel for me to try. Instantly I found it to be on par with the best French perfume. It had a warmth, and was seductive. I decided to buy a bottle for my wife. In the days I spent in Cuba, while sampling the handcrafted fragrances offered in the boutiques and visiting the impressive Perfume Museum, it was as if I was in a place like Grasse, but more mysterious ~ with a very, very spirited nightlife. " ~J.C.



Long ago I imagine, in Habana Vieja the old men sat companionably, in well-worn linen suits and savored their espresso. Perfumed women in lovely handmade dresses brought them a light meal and another espresso ( which they had made from the freshest beans, spring water, raw sugar and boiled milk.) The women heated the water, stirred in the coffee, and boiled it for just a second in tiny pots over a fire. They carefully strained it through cloth. The strong scent of the espresso mingled with that of the cigar smoke and perfume on the breeze. When the Italian espresso machine came to Cuba it was met with great enthusiasm, as you can imagine. Since I've been reading the Coffee Messiah's blog I've been wanting an espresso machine. I doubt if I'll ever get one, and so I'll continue to make primative espresso.

Fun Factoid: French Colonists who settled in Cuba in the 1700s set the standards for coffee cultivation, standards that are still maintained today.A friend told me that François-René de Chateaubriand wrote that the Island of Cuba presents itself by the scent of vanillas and the perfume of tropical flowers. I wasn't able to find the exact quote anywhere, but Chateaubriand did spend time in Louisiana and no doubt sailed to Cuba at some point during his tour of The Americas. I've never read any of his books, but while searching for information on his travels, his novels and memoirs looked very interesting.

Perfume bottles are found on old Cuban postage stamps (I tried to find a clearer stamp image, but no luck.)


~ Yesterday's book review made me add a post script to this post.
The flashy cover review caught my eye ~ Rachel Kushner's novel Telex from Cuba set in the 1950's.

"Kushner has fashioned a story that will linger like a whiff of the decadent Colony perfume." ~ Susann Cokal for The New York Times

The Colony perfume she's referring to is Jean Patou's 1938 creation. (A strong tropical rum punch of a chypre with tobacco, leather, woods, and floral notes.)

Other quality perfumes inspired by Cuba include:
Cuba by Czech & Speake of Jermyn Street, London
perfumer: Robert Stephen
Head notes: a nice blend of rum, lime, and mint
Heart notes: rose, spices and bay
Soul notes: spices, tobacco, cedarwood, and tonka bean.


Cuba Express by perfumer Dominique Dubrana
for Abdes Salam Attar Dubrana chose 4 scents that reminded her of Cuba: coffee, tobacco, rum and cacao.
She blended them with tropical fruits and Caribbean spice.

Helen

Helen of Troy Vs. Helen of Rubinstein

When I was very young I came to think that Cosmetics Executive and Beauty Salon Queen Helena Rubinstein was a magical queen named Helen, who ruled in a faraway city named Rubinstein.
Rubinstein had minarets studded with rubies and people traveled around on flying carpets. Helen of Rubinstein was a stunning brunette who made Helen of Troy look bland by comparison. Helen of Rubenstein had the finest silk gowns, She wore sapphires and emeralds, and there were even jewels on her velvet slippers. She took baths in a beautiful sunken tub full of perfumed waters. Flower petals were the carpeting under her feet. Beautiful and delicious cupcakes were brought to her by devoted servants. I wanted to travel to Rubenstein and live there for awhile, ( or forever) and I was young enough to firmly believe in flying carpets. I had seen illustrations of them in books, and my older sister had assured me that flying carpets did exist, but only in Arabie. ( The city of Rubenstein was somewhere in Arabie). I was given empty perfume bottles, and as you can see by the photo posted, they were beautifully designed. They conjured up more daydreams for me. Perfumes sitting on a dressing table looked like they could be used in some magic ritual, or hold a magic potion that would help me soar above the minarets on my own magic carpet.

post script: My eldest sister also introduced me to Bob Dylan, Dark chocolate, and photography.

Jack Black: Blacque Jacque Shellacque

Actor Jack Black ( School of Rock, Shallow Hal) will play Blacque Jacque Shellacque in the upcoming biopic, "Pogo Stick"

Shellacque was a French Canadian fur trapper who landed a starring role as the villain in two Bugs Bunny cartoons. Shellacque was a great actor and worked very well with Bugs Bunny--his future seemed bright. Yosemite Sam flew into a rage at not being cast in those cartoons and told Warner Brothers: "There ain't ROOOOM enough in the cartoon biz fer the both of us!" Warner Brothers decided to let Shellacque go to placate the difficult Sam, who was already an established star.

Shellacque sunk into a deep depression and his drinking escalated. He suffered through many public humiliations and a series of short stints in jail. His wife left him, his friends stopped taking his calls, and he suffered some serious injuries while pogo sticking under the influence. During his recovery he met the woman who would change his life forever.

This is an inspirational story that will have the audience in tears. I hear that the script is top notch, and that Jack Black actually lived with Shellacque in St. Foy, Quebec, working on the accent and body language needed for a realistic portrayal.

Photo of Jack Black courtesy of the Jack Black Fan Club of Warwarsing, NY


Bob Dylan has a small role in the film, playing the actor Vincent Price.

On Fifth Avenue

Scribner's was my favorite bookstore. It was beyond compare. The only time I ever left without purchasing a book was the day I discovered "comic genius" Jackie Mason all alone, at a table, attempting a book signing. His assistant wasn't even with him at the table. He was shouting out jokes, trying to get people to come over to him. Customers and bookstore employees alike were pretending he didn't exist, which made him louder. It is hard to browse books AND ignore an obnoxious person, so I went over to Rizzoli's that day. I preferred Scribner's to all other bookstores for so many reasons that I practically went into mourning when it closed forever. The beautiful space became home to a clothing store, or two, and then a Sephora. I finally went inside one day because:
a.) It was a humid 90 degrees and I wanted some free cold air.
b.) I felt nostalgic for the beautiful space that was once my beloved Scribner's.
c.) They had perfumes in there.
I had pretty much ignored Sephora up until that day. First I wandered around just looking at the space itself, then I took a few snaps. I had mixed emotions, swirling thoughts about the beauty industry and great bookshops going out of business. A feminist rant was going on inside my head, and then I went to test some perfumes. I had the perfumes all to myself, as the store was filled with tourist ladies and their teenaged daughters who were all mesmerized by lipsticks and bronzers.

The perfume I tested that day was a unisex scent by Guerlain: Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca. It has notes of grass, spearmint, and just a hint of lemony wildflowers. This scent, to me, also has notes of fresh air & sunshine. I'm currently enclosed in an artificially heated space due to freezy winter temps, and it smells like a fresh breeze through a summer meadow. This is one many people would call a "summer scent" but it works very well year 'round.

Habanita by Molinard

The air was thick with clove, patchouli, cigarette and other forms of herbal vapor... I thought, "So, this is a Bob Dylan show." --Chris Lane

Habanita by Molinard: 1921 (Inspired by dancers in Havana.)
Head Notes: Bergamot, Lavender, Juniper
Heartnotes: *Mastic , Leather, Heliotrope, Peach, Turkish Rose, Jasmine
Base: Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk, Tonka, Tobacco, Opopanax
Habanita In Parfum form is exquisite: great sillage, just feminine enough, and intoxicating. Rich and smoky...it really defies description. Intriguing.
*Mastic is a pleasant note; lemony & incense-like.
In Greece, mastic is used to flavor sweets,make wine, and
scent cookies and cakes. It also has medicinal uses. Mastic is
a costly ingredient since the tree grows only on the
Island of Chios.

Check out the lovely Molinard website: http://www.molinard.com/visite_gb.php
Molinard was founded in 1849 in Grasse in Provence in the south of France, remaining an entirely family-run business (oldest in France) right through to the present day. Molinard originally manufactured Eaux de Fleurs (flower-scented waters) and Eau de Colognes that were then sold in its small store in the heart of town. Perfumery is a scientific art. An art mastered by the perfumer, who has a "palette" of between 5,000 to 6,000 different scents, each with its own individual note and personality.
Molinard invented the Concreta: a solid perfume (without alcohol) which they sell in a beautiful gold compact. You can order directly from Molinard.

Je Reviens

Today's Fragrance: Je Reviens
1932 House of Worth
It has head notes of Orange Blossom, Ylang Ylang, and Aldehydes.
The heart of the perfume is a bouquet of Carnation, Jonquil and Violet.
The foundation notes include Amber, Musk and Sandalwood.



Love is All

*Love is All by Guerlain

This post is a special tribute to a particular group of people -- Let's all congratulate all the couples out there who love each other so much, who have found great joy in being together. Couples who have weathered storms, coming through them loving each other more than ever. To all the couples, together for a just few years or for many, who understand the power of true love. (They have lived it.) This post was inspired by some bloggers who are deeply in love, and have been in love with that very special someone for decades, and by my own sweet and remarkable better half. Cheers! This is not to exclude those who are currently searching for that special someone, so don't feel badly, just join me in saluting those who have worked at coupledom and found it to be so worthwhile.


All You Need is Love

Can you see John Lennon's face in the Kaleidoscope image?




Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.”
~ Lao Tzu


"Love is the energy of the Soul."
~ Zukov


*Love is All by Guerlain is a light fresh romantic yet kittenish scent. Take it from a cat who was once a kitten! Mimosa and
Orange blossom in a nice amber sandalwood base. No wonder my bottle is empty!

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.

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