Monthly Archives: April 2010

The smell of gardenias?

World of Perfume April 30, 2010 Comments: 7

I still don’t know what they smell like even though I was testing two gardenia named scents, Chanel Gardenia and Guerlain Cruel Gardenia. That didn’t help much. 🙂

It’s great how much decants and samples I managed to accumulate even before starting this blog and now I rumage through them and come up with things I smelled 2 years ago and completely forgot how they smelled because at that point I still wasn’t writing anything down (that is one of the reasons I started this blog, to make myself write down what I think, otherwise I forget).

Btw, I slightly like better the Chanel’s Gardenia – but Cruel Gardenia is great too.

Notes for Gardenia: tuberose, orange blossom, gardenia, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli, musk vetiver

Initially (this time for a minute), I thought Gardenia was going to be an austere, serious and iris-like smelling perfume. That didn’t sound terribly appealing but it didn’t take long for me to start wondering if what I smelled initially was just a figment of my imagination (I believe not and blame it on vetiver).

And then you get this sunny flowers of the meadow variety (but not as happy, sweet and colorful as Ninfeo Mio), with a slightly bitter or root-like undertone (my guess that’s vetiver peeking out, probably some patchouli giving that off even though I didn’t smell any patchouli).

The combination is so wonderful it practically leaves me without words to describe it, and since I was smelling it in combination with Cruel Gardenia, trying to force the gardenia out, I have to say, I think Cruel Gardenia might be more appropriate for the Chanel variant. It was terribly cruel to me, it didn’t let me approach closer that the general feel, whenever I tried to get to the individual notes, it wouldn’t let me. 🙂 So the best I could do was guess that the root quality came from vetiver and the saltiness in the end couldn’t come from iris (where I usually get some) so I think that it was the sandalwood (which I could detect) combination with white flowers. I’ll have to get some more of this once my decant is empty.

Notes for Cruel Gardenia: damask rose, peach, neroli, violet, ylang-ylang, white musk, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla

Well, Cruel Gardenia started in such a lush manner that when sniffing it first, I thought I will prefer it to Gardenia.

It starts warm and creamy and tuberosish. I know that’s not a word but what I smell feels like it. Like slightly sweet white flowers. I thought it smelled like fat, creamy, lush petals. And then I read the notes and got angry with myself. What is wrong with me that I can’t recognize rose when I smell it until I read it among the notes?! I recognize the smell and each and every time I’m asking myself whati sthis? I know this and until I read the notes I cannot for the life of me remember. Now that I know I have this problem, rose will be the first thing I will think of even if it’s nowhere near. Just to eliminate it. 🙂

So, if it smells creamy, it doesn’t smell cruel to me. I think I might be missing the point here. But at least it’s a great smelling point.

The drydown is actually similar to Gardenia, slightly less salty and more sweet but quite alike.

The bottom line, I have no idea what gardenia smells like but since it appears in stuff that smells great, I’m sure I love the way it smells.

That’s all from me – have a great weekend everyone! I plan to.


Laurell K. Hamilton: Narcissus in Chains

World of Books April 30, 2010 Leave a comment

Yes, I did manage to through another Anita Blake novel without reading anything else in the mean time. But it seems the urge is slightly lessening (and some other interesting books have found their way toward me) so I might be reading something else soon (after I finish Cerulean sins first).
Narcissus in Chains is interesting because we learn more about Jean-Claude’s past and by that I mean more of the sordid details of what he had to go through to become what he is. Anita has to learn to deal with a bad side effect to being a vampire servant – and this is the book where the sex starts appearing everywhere and with some new people (the number of people is just going to grow from now on, so if you decide in this book it’s too much, stop reading the series). 🙂 I don’t mind – especially because – SPOILER – it is going to be Asher’s time soon.

Narcissus from the title can be attributed not only to the head of werehyenas (he is called Narcissus) but to several characters who are either chained in this book for real or chained i life by circumstances.

We also learn that werehyenas are matriarchal and that there exists something called a panwere – a were person who can change into several animal forms.

And even though Anita seems to contract the leopard variant at the beginning, which leads to serious problems with werevolves who consider the possibility of Anita becoming a wereleopard as losing her as the lupa. And of course Richard being Richard has led to some serious problems inside the pack.

Of course, all these problems are resolved by the end of the book, except for ardeur which is here to stay and Anita isn’t terribly happy she needs to feed it by sex regularly. Especially since she cannot feed on the same person all the time.
But more on ardeur in the following book.
I like it that still in this book we are following again two parallel stories that end together and there is quite a lot of happening – you never get bored reading through Anita’s life.

Meeting a fellow enthusiast

Perfume thoughts April 27, 2010 Comments: 12

Until yesterday, I never met a fellow perfume enthusiast in real life, someone who won’t mind talking hour and half about perfumes, perfumers, notes, niche perfumery, what can be bought where in Zagreb, where is a good place to shop both here and online… It was only hour and a half because I had some other stuff I had to do, otherwise it would have taken longer. 🙂
We talked about what our favourite notes are, genres, perfumers, what do we think of the non-niche stuff, we smelled the samples we had with us, discusse why some things are just unbelievably expensive…
The time just flew by and there are so many things we didn’t even touch (so much left for the next time, and the time after that…)

Ankica is this lovely, vivacious, smiling young woman full of creative energy and ideas. And her ideas are not limited to her work, she was happily pointing out things I could do with my blog if I wanted to give it more time and effort. You never know, I just might listen to some of her advice.

What’s great in all this is the fact that Ankica is interested in creating her own perfumes and has already given me some of her creations to try. She has a much deeper knowledge of basic ingredients and how to mix them to get some wonderful results – I am totally in love with one of the creations she gave me to try, I really like one other and the third I tried is just not me, but there are more hidden gems in the little bag of samples she gave me so I’m already looking forward to trying them all out.
And I’m also looking forward to the next time we sit down surrounded by samples and enjoy some mutually enthusiastic company. 🙂

Is tea a spring note and other musings

Perfume thoughts April 21, 2010 Comments: 15

I’ve been meaning to write about this for some time now but I’m glad I waited and had a chance to smell some DSH creations that arrived last week.

As the spring started, I thought a lot about things I would like to wear, what feels right in spring and came up with tea among other things, smelling it in Amaranthine and The Silk Road (also by DSH). But the tea note I crave is not black tea, I need greenery now in all forms. Not the tea that makes appearance in CdG Tea – that smells like some Chinese tea I tried some time ago and hated. That is just a total scrubber in my case.

So, in my mind, green tea is one of the spring notes I like and prefer.

Then I read Katie’s comment to my Scents that sing Spring! post and realized she is right. My choices are zesty and yes, I enjoy citrusy stuff because it gives off an energetic vibe I seem to need in the spring. Everything is waking and after the initial surge in energy, my energy level slowly decreases so I crave smells that will help with that.

So, you can imagine I was happy when I discovered some new gems in the DSH package.

I just wish that they weren’t letting go Wasabi-Shiso. That is bottled spring energy! And I have no idea why is it considered an autumn scent on DSH site?!

I have the notes now but when I smelled it for the first time it was a rush. 🙂 The description at the DSH site says Whoosh! Well, that certainly is one way of putting it. You get this strong lemon peel vibe underscored by green (those are my initial ideas – lemon peel and perhaps basil and majoram). It is very optimistic and energetic and once I saw the notes, I realized there was quite a lot to give that citrusy vibe. It is almost grapefruity, smells more like lemon peel and pits and is just a limey, juicy, happy thing. It practically fizzes with all those citruses. Later it settles down and I lose my note detection ability. Some easy vetiver and sandal.

I am happy to have a little bottle of this, especially if it’s going out of production.

And now on to the one that has my spring cravings. Bancha.

Here is what DSH has to say about it:

“The season of new life, new beginnings and renewed wellbeing, Spring signifies a rebirth through a harmonious celebration of balance and revitalization. To welcome this invigorating time of year, we’ve created a special ayurvedic, all botanical scent elemental to the season, Bancha. Charismatic and refreshing, the bold citrus top notes of Bancha intertwine with a base of earthy, green aromas for a crisp, lively fragrance that will revive the senses and restore harmony.”

My initial thought was osmanthus perhaps and it smelled like lemon-tea but better. 🙂 I know, I really smell a lot. 😉

The problem was I smelled this after Wasabi-Shiso and thought it smelled like a watered down version of it. With citrusy opening but with the grapefruit association, some lemon peel no pits.

It doesn’t have the juiciness and doesn’t project so much energy but it grows on you. Me especially because there are similarities with Charmes et Feuilles and whatever is similar to that is guarantueed my love. The mandarin and lime peel underscored by greenery hinting at spearmint and basil, what more could you ask? And then it mellows even more and the tea note comes from somewhere (have no idea where, it is not listed, perhaps yuzu and rose?). Anyway, it is really a calming scent and totally for me and my spring cravings.

Although, you know, nothing beats spring. I guess that is why I keep looking for something to wear in spring but I don’t think anything will ever compare.

Laurell K. Hamilton: Obsidian Butterfly

World of Books April 19, 2010 Comments: 4

Yes, I was late writing about Blue Moon, so I’m doing both books at the same time.

Since Obsidian Butterfly is still so fresh in my mind (I only finished it yesterday), I have to say I think this one is up to now the most aggresive, gory and horror-like book in Anita series (and that series is among the genre the goriest in my opinion).

This is also the book where we get to know Edward better. And Anita is not communicating with either of her beaus until the end of the book, and then only with Jean-Claude.

This time around, the vampires are of Aztec origin and think of themselves as gods, they also come with some seriously scary monsters and powers.

As you can guess by now, there is never only one situation Anita is involved in, but in the end they always seem to be connected.

And not only is this book extremely violent, Anita gets to be the recipient of quite a lot of that. Good for her she is not your regular human otherwise she wouldn’t be alive anymore.

Anyway, the book ends up with Anita having another guy thinking she is the woman for him (actually soulmate) and hoping she never gets to see him (not gonna happen). 🙂
This is just the beginning of the series of man that are going to get into that same situation. Oh, so much more problems are ahead for our little necromancer (only in stature and nothing else).

Laurell K. Hamilton: Blue Moon

World of Books April 19, 2010 Comments: 4

I’m annoying myself with talking exclusively about Anita Blake books so I’ll keep this short.

As I already mentioned, the series is going to dive into some pornographic details down the road, but here it is still all ok, even though Anita finds herself in the end in a bit of a problem, having slept with both of the important guys in her life. Well, at least she got Richard into her bed, even though not for long.

At some point in the book, I got really impressed (and annoyed) for the amount of tolerance she shows to people (or in this case werewolves) who say lies in the name of love. But, that is mine problem, I just have no excuses for lies that are meant to make someone jealous and someone can get hurt in the process.

In this book, Anita needs to help Richard who ended up in jail for alleged rape (of course he didn’t do it – he’s the ultimate boyscout in Anita’s opinion) but he needs help with the situation even though in his mind, the fact that he is innocent should be enough. In what world does he live?!

Anyway, typically for Anita’s world, she ends up in some personal metaphysical problems but will get help from a really nice witch she meets there, has problems with the Master of the City of the city she visits, is forced to kill quite a lot of vamps, some people and torture some as well. It might sound real bad if you never read Anita Blake but the thing is, she never does anything unprovoked and all the bad things she is forced to do (she calls it letting parts of her soul go to save someone), she does in order to save the life of someone innocent. I cannot find a single thing to judge her for, even though I don’t think we should be judging anyone (except tolerating lies in the name of love – other people’s of course, she doesn’t do it).
The book ends up with Anita deciding to let go of both of her lovers until she learns more about what their triumvirate stands for and what exactly she needs to know to control it.

Scents that sing "Spring"! Joint blog project

Joint blog project April 16, 2010 Comments: 12

First a big thank you to Ayala Sender for organizing this, and Katie and Elena for coming up with the title and picture. When I saw the picture, I didn’t need any scent to make my heart sing – just remembering that movie is enough. 🙂

And what a better way to describe what spring does to people – seeing everything go green and blooming makes one’s heart sing. And that’s even before you start smelling the different things wafting through the air. For example, yesterday evening I smelled the air around my boyfriend’s house and it smelled like Black March. It’s been raining here a lot last two weeks so the soil is still wet, but yesterday it was sunny and in the evening, the earth was giving off that soil smell mixed with everything green in the garden leafing. Only it’s April. 🙂

Each season brings with it its own scents but I believe the spring is the one where those scents are most noticeable. After the winter’s cold and waste, time of birth is here and everything just seems to be amplified – the smell of spring rain, the blooming flowers, the smell of earth, the green boughs you walk under.

I’ve been meaning to talk about one particular note I seem to be craving this spring – green tea and I will leave that for another post in order to talk about scents that make me sing spring this year.

I realized that each spring there is another spring flower that comes to the front as the one I would like to wear. Last year I was in love with lily of the valley, this year I would very much like some hyacinths near me but that is a bit more difficult than it sounds. 🙂

So, let me tell you what I enjoy instead.

I’ll start with the one my last post was about – Un Parfum de Charmes et Feuilles. It is one of those scents for me that I breathe in and instantly feel happy and relaxed (I’m blaming everything great in this perfume on mint and majoram).

Another perfume that I enjoy lately but wouldn’t ever classify as spring, in my mind it defies any type of classification, Byredo Bal d’Afrique. I learned through testing it in different situations that it might not be the best choice for the workplace since on me it achieves a vast circle of scentful dancing. But for outside wearing – great!

One of the things that caught my interest this spring is Amaranthine. It’s getting quite a lot of love, including mine. If you’re in the opposite camp, you have some like-minded people on your side as well.

For me it embodies spring with bitter-green floral opening (there is some tea hiding in there) that turns slightly muskish (maybe that is where we are supposed to get the woman’s thigh?). I resisted the urge to buy it and instead swapped some Bal d’Afrique for it. I’m just so economical.

I did the same with Annick Goutal’s Ninfeo Mio. I love that one. One of the reasons why this one especially makes me sing spring is because it reminds me of my grandma’s garden. There is no longer either the garden around or my grandma, but Ninfeo Mio warms my heart with memories. This is the second scent by Annick Goutal that reminds me of that garden. First was Un matin d’Orage which reminded me of that garden after a spring shower. And now comes Ninfeo Mio that smells like all the flowers and vegetables my grandmother had growing in her garden. But she didn’t grow flowers like roses, tulips or some of that elegant flowers. I think her flowers were more of country cousins to the elegant flowers but the garden still smelled great. One more good thing about Ninfeo Mio is that it actually makes me tastes the sweetnes of flowers on my tongue – I really like this one and plan on hanging around it quite a lot.

I’ve also been trying to force some other things into the rotation among these four and I think I’m making some progress.

Miller et Berteaux Green, green, green surprised me yesterday with its lime-juiciness enveloped in spring greenery – quite easy to love and wear.

So, mine list isn’t particularly long or innovative but it makes me sing in the spring (mostly my heart or when I’m alone).

Please visit other participating blogs and see what makes them sing in the spring!

Seduced by mint

World of Perfume April 11, 2010 Comments: 12

I keep thinking about how to write about this perfume and decided to start from the pepper mint. The thing that was escaping me while I was smelling it for the first couple of times. And then it hit me – that it was mint I was smelling and then I went to check the notes. And here they are:

Notes: majoram, pepper mint, sage, serpolet, jasmine sambac, grapefruit, clementine, patchouli

I cannot tell you how happy it makes me when I figure out a note by myself. I am still learning how to distinguish so many stuff that it makes me so happy when I realize I learned to discover something new.

I had time to think a lot about this. It smell more like a cologne to me than a perfume, but I love it so much. The mint and majoram opening just plain do it for me. They make this green, springy, bough smelling perfume into one of the best scents I imagine in the spring. It reminds me of dewy morning cool grass (in the spring).
I just simply love it.
I had to go and check what exactly is serpolet – it turns out it’s thyme. And the name of the perfume made me think I might be understanding something wrong, but it turns out it does mean Charmes and Leaves, and it is charming (very much so) and it does smell leafy. 🙂
I love the fact that sometime after you out it on, it sortb of spreads around you, like you are standing in a meadow smelling it, and then it gets timid and sort of sticks to you. Later it gets into this late spring/early summer sweetness, like some white and yellow flowers blooming on that meadow you are standing in.
I’m lucky that for the time being I have two 2ml samples from TDC but once they go, I will need a bottle of this. It just feels like I’m putting on some herbal perfume healing remedy that speaks to my soul. It makes me smile each time I wear it and makes me so happy I almost get tears in my eyes from it.
And it made me realize I need to get to know the work of Celine Elena much better.

Notes and pic by: http://www.thedifferentcompany.com/

Laurell K. Hamilton: Burnt Offerings

World of Books April 9, 2010 Leave a comment

I know, I know. You all wish I’d read something else for a change. 🙂 I wish it too. I just can’t seem to stop but I think I will as soon as sex becomes the main story. It still hasn’t.

In this book, Jean Claude and Anita get into a lot of trouble with the vampire council (they are some really nasty vampires and they rule) so there is torture and part of the story are not for the weak of heart. I mean, I remember being quite shocked with stuff Mrs. Hamilton put her characters through and I know I was reading complete fantasy. It’s just nasty. I do wonder what LKH has against her female heroines (I’m including Merry Gentry here as well). I mean, the s..t just keeps piling higher and higher on them – there is no break from it. Ok, there probably is some months in between the stories but it doesn’t feel so to Anita, so it doesn’t feel so to me either.

Now that I’m going through the series a second time, I cannot but help wonder how strong a character Anita Blake is that she feels like a real person and I view her so in my reviews.

Anyway, the book is about the council visit (not all of them, just an envoy) and they come unannounced. Really bad. And it just goes downhill from there. At the same time, police is asking Anita for some advice and we learn what is Inferno for the vampires. Among other things. The triumvirate is needed to save the day and some serious political and diplomatic manouvering. Some nice twists to the plot, and Asher arrives on the scene. 🙂

In the end, you know it has to end as Anita’s side being the winning. Btw, I shouldn’t forget to mention her hospital stay this time around. I will take care and try to find a book where Anita doesn’t get physically hurt – is there one? I don’t know.

I smell stuff

I've been thinking April 9, 2010 Comments: 4

Yesterday evening I realized something. I smell more stuff and I smell hints of things other people don’t.
I guess when you start consciously smelling or trying to detect certain notes in scents (or anything else for that matter), you actually exercise your sense of smell to a better degree than other people.
I used to think that my entrance into the perfume world would just enable me to differentiate more and better different things I smell, but it actually got me ahead of most people I know in that I can smell things they don’t. My reasoning why they don’t consists of 2 things:
1) They are probably not consciously aware of the smells around them
2) As they do not try and smell things, their noses just aren’t used to picking out smells.

What usually happens is this (this is a situation from 2 days ago) – I’m walking with my boyfriend by our neighbors house and I say, “Oh, the neighbor spritzed the front steps with that cat spray again – yuck!” And my boyfriend says, “I can’t smell anything.” 🙂 OK, so he is most evidently one of those who can’t smell a thing, but it happens with other people as well. Btw, that spray so the cats wouldn’t pee on the steps is just horrible. It keeps me away as well.

One last thought for the end. This is something I am aware of for quite a while now. Smelling good food (either while walking through the city or at home) and inhaling it deeply works almost as good on my hunger as actually eating it. You inhale the smell deeply and your hunger is assuaged for a little while longer.
Does this happen to anyone else?