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.

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.