World of Perfume | All I am - a redhead

Esxence – The Scent of Excellence

I've been thinking, World of Perfume January 29, 2014 Comments: 22

Is taking place in Milan this year for the 6th time, from March 20-23.

With these brands being there, it’s the place to visit to start off your spring with a scentful bang.

I just might have to schedule my skiing trip to France to coincide with this (Milan is on our way). 😉

Nivea In-Shower Body Milk

Sample of the day, World of Perfume January 15, 2014 Comments: 16

As you could have noticed by now, I really rarely talk about cosmetic products. It’s not that I don’t use them, it’s just that I find them all basically the same. Very rarely do I get surprised by any of them and feel that they need to be reviewed.

I admit, I am not a Nivea fan. Their facial products wreak havoc on my skin and I avoid them completely. I ended up with this in-shower milk because you got a shower gel for free with it, and my boyfriend always needs some.

I am now on my second bottle (this time the 400 ml one) of this in-shower milk (the blue one, for dry skin).

When they say in-shower milk, it’s exactly what they mean. I, for some reason, thought it was a shower gel that made your skin feel like you put lotion on it.

But no, it’s a body milk made to be used on wet, washed skin. You do your regular wash routine and then you apply the in-shower milk to your wet skin and rinse it off. All done!

For someone who needs to put something on my skin both evening and morning, this is a time-saver. I admit to being lazy and putting lotion after a shower requires much longer than putting this in shower. You just slather the in-shower milk while anything you apply to dry skin basically needs to be massaged in.

So, yes, my lazy self loves the fact that I save time because I put Nivea in-shower on me. 🙂

We’re not having a winter now so I can live with the feeling this in-shower milk gives my skin but if it were really cold, I would need something stronger for my dry skin.

It’s probably going to be perfect in spring and summer. But I find it perfect for my lazy lifestyle already.

A forgotten gem – Chanel Coromandel

World of Perfume January 9, 2014 Comments: 30

At least for me.

I bought the big bottle when I was in Paris for the first time, and since I was getting lost all the time, it took me a while to locate the Chanel boutique. Now the bottle has lingered several years in my closet until I got reminded of it through a perfumista friend a few days ago.

I still understand why I didn’t blink an eye buying that 200 ml for what was my most expensive perfume purchase up to then. Now I think about it, possibly ever.

Basically, what I think of it is that it smells like a dry, ambery pashmina bolstered by patchouli.

Now, if I concentrate, I can smell the citrusy peel note in the opening, the frankincense being hidden in there (that’s a good thing in my book) and the little sunshine hidden in the petals of jasmine and rose.

The longer you wear it, the more the resiny base comes through and the dryness becomes even more apparent. Incense is peeking out of its hidey-hole and the patchouli takes center stage but the resiny warmth never leaves.

And that’s it. It’s a perfect example of elegant simplicity while not being simple at all.

So, what are your forgotten gems?

And while on the subject of Coromandel, these days, I see Les Exclusifs everywhere. 😉

So if you haven’t already, go play the detective over at Denyse’s blog (one of those places).

P.S. While searching for pics, I noticed Chanel has a nail polish of the same name in red color. Is it me, or Coromandel just doesn’t smell even remotely?

Notes: citruses, neroli, bitter oranger, jasmine, rose, orris, patchouli, woody notes, amber, benzoin, and frankincense

2013. The year that was

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume December 31, 2013 Comments: 24

I have no better words to describe it. It was, it’s over now.

I look back on it and all I can think is, thankfully, it’s over. Nothing bad happened to me but it still felt like a bad year, full of bad news (both domestic and international), lethargy, indifference, deaths – generally, a year that didn’t display human kind at its best (an understatement) and did display it at some of its worst.

I always feel guilty for thinking like this, I feel I am being ungrateful. Compared to most of the world, I lead a life of plenty. And realistically speaking, it’s true. I lack for nothing, quite the contrary, I have a great family, a nice job, a good education, great circle of friends. I live in a beautiful country. I travel. I can buy perfumes and books. I am also healthy and hopefully will remain so.

So why feel like my year was one I just went through? Because it was. It mostly feels like a year where I went through all the motions of my everyday life when actually it felt more like hibernation with some small sparks of life.

But I want to focus on all the positive things this year brought me (because it feels like the hibernation period might be over) and one should always bring in the new year on a positive note. 🙂

PERFUME

This year has brought me some true treasures. 🙂

I discovered Cuirelle by a lucky chance and fell in love completely.

Suzanne opened my eyes to what incredibly happy perfume 24, Faubourg is.

I listened to Maurice Roucel give a talk on perfumes and met some new perfume friends.

And then the new Puredistance Black came out. And speaking of black, it really has become my favorite color to wear.

BOOKS

I discovered I am hooked to post-apocalyptic novels of any and every caliber – YA, horror, zombie, romance – you name it, I’ll probably enjoy it. I do wonder about what that says about me because I’m scared of the actual possibility (some of them sound too realistic). Am I preparing for the possibility?!

I haven’t read World War Z but I did see the movie and loved it. I’m guessing the book is better. When someone asks me what I want for birthday, that will be on my list (although I can already see the eye-rolling accompanying my wish for more books). 😀

I also think I will never reach my annual goal of 100 books. Last year I came closest, but this year, I think it’s the worst so far. Maybe I should sign up for the 50 books a year challenge, I would be able to finish that one. 😉

THE REST

The highlights of my year have been the trips to Vienna and Rome. In Vienna I finally got to meet the lovely Birgit and her boys, with an additional surprise of meeting Sandra and her son as well.

Rome was a trip we planned while in Paris in 2012. I cannot say how happy I am that I got to meet with Suzanne, Mark and Asali in Rome again. I thought there wasn’t a city in the world that could remove Paris from the top of my list of places I would love to live, but there’s Rome. I love that city and I hope to visit it again soon.

View from the park above Spanish steps

It might seem like I had a very active year, what with finishing 4 half-marathons in 3 different countries, but that was an uphill fight all the time, as all I wanted to do was stay home and read, and not go out and run. Still, you can’t tell that from the races, so at least it looked good on the outside. 😉

See how tired I was?!

But I took time off for the last two months as I needed to replenish my physical and psychological energy levels. I actually feel better now.

So, without further ado,

Wishing you all a successful, fulfilling New Year full of happiness, laughter and joy!

*off to toast to that with a glass of champagne*

The Rose of Morocco – Andy Tauer’s Phi Une Rose de Kandahar

Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume December 30, 2013 Comments: 19

Actually, it’s the rose of Afghanistan but I’m calling it the Rose of Morocco in my mind as it smells of dry and thorny rose, on the familiar Tauer base which always makes me think of L’Air du Desert Marocain (not that they smell similar).

But the idea of dryness and dust is there, accompanied by light acridness and the feeling of thorns being hidden so you better beware when approaching it.

HEAD NOTES: natural apricot extract,cinnamon,hints of bitter almond, bergamot essential oil.

HEART NOTES: rare rose essential oil with its unique scent of spices, plums and flower petals, rose absolute from Bulgaria, Bourbon geranium,dark tobacco fond, absolute of dried tobacco leaves.

BODY NOTES: patchouli, vetiver, vanilla and tonka, musk and amber gris.

I would say smelling the notes is not what is important here. Sure, I can smell the bergamot, spices and almonds in the opening together with a beautiful rose note. And then the warmth of the vanilla and tonka, together with a pinch of tobacco. Finishing off with a warm, dry base resting on incredible patchouli.

What I find incredible is that it actually smells and feels like a warm, dry, rough region where the most succulent rose comes from. Not that I would know what dry, rough lands smell like, whether in Afghanistan or Morocco, but in my mind, this is how.

And once the night falls down, the rose closes its petals and you are left with the warmth of dry lands, reminiscing what bounty there was to smell when the petals were open.

This rose has so easily captured my heart and climbed the list of my favorite rose perfumes.

My sample was provided through http://www.tauerperfumes.com/ and the notes were taken from there as well.

The Scent of Music: Winter Wonderland

World of Perfume December 22, 2013 Comments: 26

It’s that time of year when we all want to write about our Christmas scents. A big thank you to Undina and Natalie for bringing us all together for another fragrant blogging event.

Today we are pairing Christmas music and perfumes and I just have to say it’s the best idea as I love Christmas music and well, you all know I love perfume.

My choice of music was Dean Martin‘s Winter Wonderland – the idea of winter wonderland paired with his voice makes for a perfect song to indulge in during this time (at least for me it does).

“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening,
In the lane, snow is glistening
A beautiful sight, Winter_Wonderland We’re happy tonight.
Walking in a winter wonderland. ..

…Later on, we’ll conspire,

As we dream by the fire

To face unafraid,

The plans that we’ve made,
Walking in a winter wonderland. …

When it snows, ain’t it thrilling,
Though your nose gets a chilling
We’ll frolic and play, the Eskimo way,
Walking in a winter wonderland.”

I skipped parts of the song and just focused on those I will feature in perfumes. That said, I’m still looking for a perfume embodiment of snow I have in my mind.

Each time I consider a winter wonderland, I think of white woods and walking through them in the snow. I guess all the skiing did its thing. 😉

So, my perfect perfumes embodying the smell of a walk in the winter woods would be Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles, making you feel you’re still close to the cabin and its fire while also smelling the pines around you, and Winter Woods by Sonoma Scent Studio which is such an incredible depiction in perfume of exactly what the name says.

Then there are perfumes that might not smell like snow exactly, but they smell white and cold and sparkly, and come very close.

I find it funny that I would list Byredo’s Bal d’Afrique among them but I do. It smells white to me and light and when I smell it, I feel the same as I would when I breathe in the snowy air.

Then there is Le Labo’s Gaiac 10 , with its incense and cedar and it makes me think white and clean, and therefore snowy. It’s strange that when a perfume has an incense note that smells white, I am fine with it (otherwise it’s a no-no for me on incense).

My third choice for the tranquility of the white world (winterland) is Montale’s White Oud. It’s as serene and peaceful as a white, snowy landscape where you are alone to find peace.

And as we go back to warm ourselves by the fire, I always go back to Piment et Chocolat, a perfume to warm you up that you wouldn’t mind drinking by the fire either, and Festive, the one you might want to wear if you need warming up of another kind by the Christmas tree. 😉

Please visit my fellow participating bloggers for their choices on what songs smell Christmas-y to them:

Jingle Bells
Lulajze Jezuniu
O Come All Ye Faithful
In the Bleak Midwinter
Carol of the Bells

Christmas Time is Here

Christmas Means Love

The Unseen Censer

I’ll leave you now with Winter Wonderland. 🙂

And my favorite for this year and one of my all time favorite Christmas songs of all time:

Impromptu giveaway

World of Perfume November 14, 2013 Comments: 5

This will be short and sweet (I hope).

As the winner of Sigili Electra never claimed her decant and I also found two small decants I don’t need, the first person to claim one of these, wins. I know, it’s not the usual type of luck, but at least this way I know the winner will know about winning. 🙂

So, you can choose one of these, and the first comment for one wins. Basically, the first person gets to choose and there are two winners:

Choice 1: 10 ml decant of Sigili Electra

Choice 2: 5ml of Jasmine et Cigarette by ELdO and 2ml of Orange Star by Andy Tauer (plus 2 samples of my choice)

Black is my new favorite color

Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume November 13, 2013 Comments: 17

And not only because I have a new perfume love called Black. 😉

This is more of a side note, but after years of trying to fix my wardrobe so it’s not dark and colorless, and now after actually succeeding, I again feel the need to wear black specifically. Other dark colors are as good as bold colors, but it’s black I crave and black I feel good in.

Back to Black. 😉

As with most Puredistance perfumes, (in the beginning) no one actually knows what are the notes. Except the perfumer of course (Antoine Lie – I had already joked on account of his last name but decided it might be inappropriate).

Anyway, what I wanted to say is, we all depend on our noses. And in order for other noses not to influence what mine smells, I was very good in avoiding all the reviews so far. Now I’ll be able to go and read what other people smelled.

So what do I smell?

It starts feeling masculine (which I love!), I would call it fougere-like with lavender + something else reminding me a bit of HdP Veni with the warmth and cardamom and dryness. There is some kind of a herb that makes it smell a bit medicinal but there are definitely more spices wafting around a boozy note I imagine rum should smell like.

It is a lightly boozy, woody, ambery concoction where you can tell that the base holds more of the lovely, oozy notes – you know, dark, mysterious and thick (like patchouli, camphor?, and I would say oud).

You can see here the smoke you smell

Because there is a smokiness appearing after the initial blast passes.

And then tobacco hits you. 🙂 You better be prepared because it’s not for the faint of stomach. OK, so I’m being overly dramatic, but I did smell it on a day my stomach was feeling queasy and I can tell you, tobacco is not good for your stomach.

Now that you know what richness of notes this perfume is, I can tell you, it’s a pleasure wearing it. It comes close to its name. It fits with the image of an athletic man wearing a black sweater that flatters his figure. And makes you look repeatedly.

I just hope when I wear Black, the black sweater will flatter my figure too. 😉

My sample was provided by Puredistance.

And now I’m no longer sure what my favorite Puredistance is. I love I, Opardu and Antonia, but M and Black make me swoon.

Scott Lynch: The Republic of Thieves read-along #3

World of Perfume November 11, 2013 Comments: 22

This week’s questions were provided by Lynn and you can tell by the questions that the story is seriously heating up. 😉

1) The election competition. Sabetha isn’t wasting any time throwing pranks at Locke and Jean. Mostly it seemed fairly harmless, or at least not overly serious, until they were kidnapped and put onto a ship and taken out to sea. What did you make of Sabetha’s latest plan? And what did you think about the way she executed it?

She seems to be approaching the competition much more seriously than the guys. At least, as the guys were before they were kidnapped. I think they are going to approach this better now and retaliate in an ingenious (or at least I hope so) way.

2) During the escape overboard and Jean’s rather subtle nose dive into the water – I was curious about the lights Locke saw deep in the water when he was performing his rescue – Locke thought they looked different once he was under the waves which I suppose they would but he also had the feeling that he was being watched? Do you think this relates back to the Eldren or some other presence?

I certainly hope so! 🙂 There’s never enough Eldren references/information if you ask me. 😉

3) Given that Locke hadn’t seen Sabetha for five years how did you think their first meeting together went (well, it wasn’t strictly speaking their first meeting of course – were you surprised that Jean and Locke hadn’t figured out that the woman pickpocket was Sabetha?) and also what did you make of Jean and Sabetha’s reaction to each other?

Yes and no. They did figure it out in the end, didn’t they? I just can’t help but get frustrated that Locke keeps thinking that his feelings for her should be taken into account when she approaches a job that entangles Locke as well. I don’t think he understands Sabetha well – we don’t either, and I wonder if by the end of the book we might get some more information on her. I can tell we’re missing some important bits on her life.

4) So, the gang have arrived in Espara and already the plans have gone wrong through no fault of their own! Jail for a year plus lose a hand for slapping a noble?? What do you think of the justice system in Espara and how does this bode for the gang?

Should it be called “justice” system?! 🙂

I certainly didn’t expect such problems on their arrival. But it was fun seeing how they dealt with it and rather quickly at that. Talk about some intelligent ingenuity!

5) The acting company are finally coming together and we’re watching the gang as they try to read, act and grab the best parts – are you all ‘happy face’ with the whole theater scenes or, sad face! Also, I can’t help feeling like this whole story-line is a step out of character for the gang. Any ideas of how it will play out??

I’m glad they are trying to get good parts in the play and it seems not all of them are such good actors! 🙂 Didn’t see that coming!

I have no idea how will it play out, I admit I didn’t think they would be able to free the leader of the troupe. Yes, yes, I know, I shouldn’t doubt them but I did. So it’s obvious my guesses are not exactly realistic. 🙂

6) We are also being introduced to a number of new characters, particularly Moncraine and Boulidazi. What are your first impressions of these two and the other new characters in the Company and any particular likes or dislikes so far?

Actually, I’m not giving them much thought. I just see them as additional characters for the story-line Mr. Lynch needs. 🙂 And for giving flair to the “stale” theater world of Espara. 😉

7) The rooftop scene and the apology. How did it all go so wrong? And how will Locke get out of this latest fix with Boulidazi?

He, he, he, it went so wrong because Locke still hasn’t learned to listen well. 😉 At least, that’s how I saw it.

As for Boulidazi, first thing that crossed my mind is that they might play it as an incestuous thing. But since that’s what occurred to me, I’m pretty sure it will be something completely different. But get himself out of it, Locke certainly will. 😉 (I sound like Yoda now)

Until next week’s reading adventure, enjoy other people’s thoughts:

Lynn’s Book Blog

The Little Red Reviewer

Just Book Reading

Over The Effing Rainbow

Coffee, Cookies and Chili Peppers