Category Archives: I’ve been thinking

Zagreb is a linden city

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume June 20, 2013 Comments: 12

I’ve been thinking about this for the last two weeks since the weather turned warm enough for all the blooms in the city to start releasing their scents.

I do wonder though how come I never realized it before – I grew up with a linden tree in our court yard and I know the smell. I just didn’t realize it before this year though how much linden trees there actually are in Zagreb.

The wonderful thing about the smell of linden is the fact that it can be both sultry and refreshing. I wouldLinden never have thought it, but the heat wave we’re having at the moment is making the smell of linden blossom permeate the air in a wonderfully sultry manner – the air is very humid and hot and the smell of linden flowers just fits with the idea I usually have reserved for tuberose (and some other white flowers).

But, if you climb some of the city hills and enter into a bit more fresh air, the smell of linden feels refreshing. Reminds me actually of having a glass of cool juice made of elder syrup (rather common here).

Basically, if you’re walking or driving an open vehicle, the city smells great.

It’s just a matter of where you are, whether you will be feeling languid, warm and saturated with the smell or a bit refreshed and lively.

On being discrete. And Technique Indiscrete

I've been thinking, World of Perfume June 14, 2013 Comments: 12

I admit to feeling rather ashamed of myself yesterday. But I wasn’t the only one.

There was a happening at the street where I grew up, and still go often as my parents live there, meant to introduce people to the new stores and studios hidden in its inner courts (and some on the street too) – called Propuh (meaning draft, as in wind).

I walk down that street at least 3-4 times a week and I’m ashamed to say that I never knew there was a lovely little studio called Sapunomanija producing soaps.

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It looks much better on the inside – this used to be a cookie factory quite long ago (long even before I was born).

But more importantly, there is a little Croatian design clothing studio called Roba where I never walked in, mostly because I am not a person who shops at designer stores (either Croatian or foreign, for the simple and practical reason of not being able to afford it).

In this case though, it seems I was mistaken. The clothes are more expensive than what I am used to buying usually, but still not too bad. What I am ashamed to admit to, as a perfumista, is that they carry the Technique Indiscrete line. And I’ve been walking by for two years without being aware of it.

It was rather busy yesterday everywhere we went so I gave the perfumes only a cursory sniff but I’ll be going back there for a better perusal of both perfume and clothes.

As I ended up buying my first designer item yesterday – after all, it WAS 50% off. 😉

Pics are mine – my neighbourhood I never noticed until  yesterday. Seems I’m rather discrete when it comes to new discoveries.

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Small doors in the middle of two buildings, seemingly going nowhere…

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In front of the photo studio I wasn’t aware existed

Coming full circle

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume June 2, 2013 Comments: 15

After several years of, well not actually scorning but not wearing for sure, fruity-florals, I am now back where I started from.

Well, not exactly where I started from but back where I actually enjoy the smell of such perfumes and enjoy wearing them.cvivoć

It was the fact that all perfumes started smelling typical how I accidentally stumbled upon the perfume community. I don’t remember how it happened, I just remember it happening and after discovering this new perfume world, the fruity-florals lay forgotten by me in my pre-perfumista days.

I got a hint that things might be changing after discovering Aqua Fiorentina by Creed but I dismissed that as just a really good example of perfumes I no longer consider good.

As it happens, my scorn went and bit me in the, well, you know where.

it doesn’t mean I will be wearing solely fruity-florals from now on, it is just that I can  enjoy wearing them again, along with the rest of the wonderful perfumes out there.

Haunted by perfume

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume June 1, 2013 Comments: 12

hauntedThe other day there was a post of Victoria’s on Bois de Jasmin which got me thinking.

I realized that I can’t smell perfumes consciously while at work, trying to work out notes for a review for example, as I just can’t focus on that many things. And in the evenings, I’m usually tired so it’s much slower and not as efficient.

As it was Corpus Christi day on Thursday, this being a holiday in Croatia, I took Friday off in order to get some sleep and rest.

It seems my subconscious mind thinks I had quite enough rest, as wherever I go, I smell traces of perfume. That shouldn’t be so surprising as I have samples and decants lying everywhere and I decant perfumes in the house, but I never actually had traces of perfumes come at me unexpectedly as I was reading or just doing chores around the house. Especially as I haven’t done any sampling or decanting recently.

But these days, it seems wherever I turn, some perfume is teasing my nose. I guess being home and rested did its thing – my mind seems ready to smell again and more. Because if I am catching those wafts from forgotten drops of perfume (anyone who did some decanting knows you usually end up with perfume not only being in the bottle), when on most days I usually don’t, it must mean my mind needs the fragrant stimulation (possibly that my nose is getting a bit better too?).

It also makes me smile more often – as perfume always does.

All I need to do now is find a way  to stimulate my mind into writing down what it perceives…

Especially if the hauntings continue. 😉

I am such a freak – when it comes to Harry Potter

I've been thinking, World of Books May 10, 2013 Comments: 19

People who know me are aware of that fact but I surprise myself now and then.

Btw, actually two people who I know independently of one another, learned they both know me because one of them mentioned Harry Potter in passing. So, there you have it. 🙂

But what I want to discuss today is actually something else. I re-read the series for the umpteenth time 2 days ago. And when I say umpteenth, it means more than 10.

Honestly, I actually thought there wouldn’t be anything new in the books this time around. Well, I was, ofharry course, completely wrong about that.

This time around I found new funny moments, realized that Charlie Weasley actually never appears in the movies even though I’d say he plays a big enough role in the books to merit one. I was amazed I never wondered what happened to Harry Potter’s grandparents (none of them seem to be alive).

Those were just some of the things going through my head while reading this time (I’ve also been figuring out many twists in the book which I previously ignored).

But the thing that makes me think I’m a bit freakish when it comes to HP is the fact that each time I finish it, I want to start over. Straight away.

And it ruins books for me for a while. I want to start reading something new but nothing I pick up just seems to be as good and reading-wise fulfilling as HP.

It will pass with time (it always does) and I seem to have found a book to tide me over in the meantime (P. Briggs: Frost Burned).

Enjoying the smell of season

I've been thinking, World of Perfume April 23, 2013 Comments: 14

I was thinking of the title in the vein of “Oh, the smell of spring is the loveliest” but then I remembered I do that every season (most recently with the smell of snow) so I decided this one was better. 😉

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The thing is I really enjoy the smell of each season. And I am possibly thinking I enjoy this one more because the winter was both long and dark which is not usual here. And the spring, now it has arrived, is both sunny and warm. The days lasting suddenly so long…

 

These days I am walking home most of the time, enjoying the various scents in the air. There’s been a little rain and the sunny warmth has made the grass suddenly grow tall. So now you can smell it being cut around the city. Everything is in bloom and so far I haven’t discovered what smell it is, but one of the trees I pass by smells candy-like.

 

Well, it’s probably vice versa, it’s probably a fruity tree in bloom but it’s wonderful. And that is just one of the smells. The air is truly fragrant and the best thing – it is warm.

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Each spring I’m on the lookout for a perfume that encapsulates spring and each year I end up empty handed.

There are many perfumes I associate with spring (Odalisque and Coty Fatale for ex.) but I would love discovering one that smells like spring in my mind.

Many try but fail somehow (Byredo Inflorescence I’m looking at you).


While the search continues, I’ll simply enjoy my fragrant walks when the season is upon me. 🙂

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.S. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel this incredible need to rest and re-charge?

P.P.S. If you’re wondering why there haven’t been any book reviews recently, that’s because I’m re-reading the HP series. 😀

Life

I've been thinking, World of Perfume April 17, 2013 Comments: 32

I feel bad for not writing about perfume for so long. But that will come too.

What I want to write about today is life.

The last three years of my life have been difficult. I don’t want to go into details but the fact remains I went through many downs and not so many ups – in the end getting here where I am now.

At no time have I felt mad at god/destiny/people around me, I just went with it all being part of life. In these years I also feel I have been rewarded for my perseverance. Possibly not in the same amount as I feel I suffered, but still rewarded.

And then today it all seems to have coalesced into the idea of life.

My day today has been not so very different from many I’ve had in these three years. But it feels like the trying times might have come to an end.

I laughed from the heart, completely carefree today and I was aware of it. I don’t remember the last I breathed a gentle fragrance – April Aromaticstime I felt so carefree.

Today was also the first time I went on a ride on a motorbike with my boyfriend this season. The night and the smell of spring in the air are, in my opinion, the best perfume in the world.

I also cried today when I saw the picture of the boy killed in the Boston marathon bombing. I am also aware of the fact that there are many tragedies like that happening all over the world that we are not aware of. I try and not get depressed each time I remember that. But my heart weeps regularly.

I found true pleasure in opening the packages awaiting me today, decants from a great friend, a romance book I won and a swap package containing perfumes I never tried.

In spending some quality time with my parents.

Having a glass of wine with friends.

Laughing carefree with all of them even though I know they all have serious problems they are dealing with at the moment.

Life will give you the bad (and the worst) but if you take notice, it will also give you the best and the fulfilling. And you have to take it all. The only choice you have here is how you approach both.

I can’t say I am grateful for the bad, but I do know I wouldn’t appreciate the good so much otherwise. It’s life.

 

 

P.S. And yes, I did have enough wine to warrant a post like this. 😉

Impatience isn’t a virtue but it might be a teacher

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume April 9, 2013 Comments: 20

Many people around me think my greatest fault is that I’m stubborn. But if I were to say what my greatest fault is, I’d say impatience, closely followed by pride (which can easily be misconstrued as stubbornness).

If you are wondering why am I talking about my faults instead of perfume (or books) it is precisely my impatience what I believe is not letting me enjoy perfumes as I should.

It all came to me when I decided to put on Santal Majuscule the other day (after having reviewed it when it came out), only to realize in my mind, it’s not really a winter perfume (it’s how I thought of it)

Impatient for this littel gem

Impatient for this little gem

but more of a cold spring perfume – perfect for the time we are having now (it would probably work in autumn too).

I cannot describe how perfectly it felt these few days I’ve been wearing it. Which is something my impatience didn’t make me realize at the time I decided to review it.

And the fact that I look at my VAST collection of samples with what now seems dread is not helping my impatience.

So many times now I said I would start writing short reviews of samples, one each day, and that was my impatience to go through those samples at its best. I hate the fact that I am not familiar with them and they just lie there pretty much forgotten.

The truth is, perfumes don’t approve of impatience. You can try and force your way through the growing perfumes you have/want to try, but then it stops being pleasure. And if it’s a chore, you slowly stop doing it when you feel you can get away from doing it.

That is what wearing Santal Majuscule showed me. I liked it a lot when I reviewed it but it wasn’t a perfect fit at that time. Now it is.

There are several perfumes at the moment I am impatient to write about, but they won’t let me. They know I like them and now they are waiting for us to get to know each other without hurry, just for pleasure. Otherwise they won’t let me write (the words aren’t coming).

And they are right. Because if I don’t let go, I won’t enjoy myself.

Words will come later.

Perfume works in mysterious ways

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume April 1, 2013 Comments: 27

vino2The strange thing is, I want to talk about wine actually. 🙂
Yesterday I was lucky (well, I consider that luck) to try 3 rather expensive wines, all of which were good and all of which would work great as perfume drydowns.
But the third one we tried, said on the bottle it should be decanted, and once we poured it into glasses after decanting, I noticed a rather interesting smell. A manure type of one. 😀
Honestly, I never thought I would smell a wine with such a note and consider it a more interesting aspect of the wine.

I know it probably sounds disgusting but the wine smelled reminiscent of it, not really as manure. I have to admit, smelling it and identifying it made me feel rather good about my nose. 2 years ago, I don’t think I would have been able to distinguish it. And I know the only reason I was able to now was because I’ve been smelling perfumes every day for years now.

Btw, decanting helped lose that particular note (we guessed that was why it was recommended).

UPDATE:

Here are the wines in the order we tried them

1. Carmelo Ortega: Saxa Loquuntur Tres 2008 (DOC Rioja)

2. Casato dei Medici Riccardi: Sangiovese Shiraz 2008

3. Le Cloitre du Chateau Priure-Lichine 2007, Bordeaux (Margaux)

It’s been four years…

I've been thinking, World of Perfume March 20, 2013 Comments: 41

Since I wrote my first post. 🙂

I can’t believe how time flies.

I still think my blog is a work in progress and keeping it personal allows me to get away with not writing regularly or about perfume as much as I’d like to.

Which is why I want to thank you, all my readers, for sticking with me and still checking out my musings even though they don’t come often.

And to celebrate another blog year gone by – I’m giving away a Croatian box of chocolates and an 8ml roll-on bottle of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Festive perfume to one lucky commenter.

Here’s champagne for all of you my dear readers!

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