Tag Archives: Zagreb

The odd woman out

I've been thinking, Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume July 18, 2013 Comments: 10

Would be me actually. :-S

It seems that I, in my blogging efforts, have completely missed the fact that there is a lively perfumista scene here in Croatia, thriving through different fora, mostly the ‘local’ version of Fragrantica (punmiris.com).

And if it weren’t for my decision to sell some of the perfumes from my (unfortunately still growing) collection, I would still be unaware of this fact.

I met another of those lovely perfumistas today and realized she actually knows all the other people I meet through these sites rather well. It is only I who is meeting everyone just now (or in the last year).
Well better now than never. 😉

And I’m loving it!

(I hope that didn’t sound like the McDonald’s commercial…)

Zagreb spice market

World of Perfume July 10, 2013 Comments: 8

Is actually a little shop called Harissa in Masarykova street.

harissa

I’ve never been to a spice market so I really don’t know what the offer would be like there but I  know I was overwhelmed here.

 

You can pick up any of the jars containing spices and smell them. Everything is listed on the jar,

including one notice that actually warns against opening as it’s the second most hot spice in the world (of course I don’t know the name).

I felt like a kid in a chocolate store. 😀 I neither knew where to start reading (let alone smelling) and in the end I just skimmed through everything as the spices weren’t even the reason I was there.

They also have teas, sauces, salts, jars, etc. Well worth the visit if you’re in Zagreb.

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P.S. It turns out harissa is actually a spicy paste used in North African cuisine. Sounds just like the thing for me.

 

 

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.

Mr. Roucel rules!

Perfume thoughts, World of Perfume June 17, 2013 Comments: 9

I was away for the weekend, otherwise I would have written about it on Saturday ASAP. 🙂

It was great fun and I was a bit surprised to find myself nodding to many things Mr. Roucel discussed. I somehow thought perfumers were more than just real human beings one could have a fun conversation with.

It was supposed to be a talk on the subject of Noir perfumes but the discussion spontaneously moved on in  another direction and we got to hear Mr. Roucel give his opinion on many subjects.

He makes a lot of sense and sounds very down-to-earth and realistic in his thoughts on many different perfume  subjects.

Some of the things he mentioned:

“Oud is fantastique!” – as he went on to explain it has so many different facets and is therefore a good material to work with.

“Perfume is about smelling good” – and not about sex (on the subject of how fashion perceives perfumes these days).

And he loves Suskind’s Parfum – thinks of it as a work of art actually, which makes me ashamed to admit I haven’t read it yet.

Anyway, I would say Mr. Roucel has a new fan club in Zagreb now (as evidenced below):

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A quick photo session at Velvet

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The chandelier getting in the way

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One blurry photo with me

And before you all go thinking I had a chat with Maurice, it was just two sentences in which he asked what I was wearing, to which I happily replied L de Lolita Lempicka. 🙂 My little perfume company all wore Mr. Roucel’s creations in honour of his talk.

 

P.S. I made a video with my phone, some 20 minutes of the talk . I’m trying to make it available on request (it’s still in the process), I will not be posting it publicly though.

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

Perfume shopping in Zagreb – TOP

Perfume shopping, World of Perfume May 14, 2013 Comments: 11

There is a new niche place to visit in Zagreb! 🙂 And, it’s one that is right on me routes around the town. The address being Tomiceva 4.

You can check their facebook site too.

It opened yesterday, when I learned about it from my Zagreb perfume crowd – so of course I went to check it out today.

The place is rather small and cosy (when compared to other niche destinations in Zagreb) and at the moment, you are greeted by Borut, the lovely SP who I first met at Viktor Koncept.

It might seem like there aren’t many lines there at the moment (the number will definitely grow once Croatia enters the EU) but I had to stop smelling at some point as my brain decided to process what I’ve smelled so far.

So, here are my reflections so far.

I am happy to say it seems L’Artisan’s Caligna will be available here (and I might get to try the tester even sooner, hopefully next week).

I finally got to test Blood Concept and even though I’m not sure I would wear any but my own group (A – strangely likeable) and realized again that I pretty much suck at rebus because I had to have the name +MA explained.

Also for the first time I tried A Lab on Fire perfumes – What We Do In Paris Is Secret is my favourite of the trio. The more I smell it, the more I fall in love. Well, I’m predisposed to it just by seeing the name. 😉 It is very romantic and seductive.

JHAG Mad Madame had the most intriguing opening and is the first JHAG perfume I liked from the start and the next time I’m there, I’ll give it some arm space (didn’t have any left today).

The more I smell Byredo line, the more I like them. I am not a fan of Inflorescense (or whatever is the name) but I quite like La Tulipe.

Of the LM Parfums I only tried O de Soupirs and I admit, it smelled much better on the blotter than on me.

A lovely surprise was Eight & Bob which I find a rather lovely concept and a perfume I will try at a later time when in passing.

So, from memory, here are the lines that can be found at TOP:

Juliette Has a Gun

Escentric Molecules

Parfum de Nicolai

Blood Concept

Naomi Goodsir

LM Parfums

Byredo

Eight & Bob

A Lab on Fire

LaDuree Beaute

L’Artisan Parfumeur

Snowed in!

World of Perfume December 9, 2012 Comments: 17

I shouldn’t be so happy about it but I can’t help it. 🙂 I love snow.

And we had a record-breaking snow yesterday. 40cm of snow fell in less than 15 hours which has never happened before in Zagreb (last record is from 1955 when 38cm fell in 24 hours).

The whole city pretty much stopped yesterday and luckily it happened on a weekend as I can’t imagine what would it have looked like if it were a normal work-day.

This made me feel Christmas is near and I put everyone in the mood yesterday by making warm egg-punch (made with rum, oranges and wine) and today by making meringues with almonds and cinnamon. They might not look great but they taste quite good. 🙂

So, as I’m getting in the mood for Christmas, I’m compiling a list of my Christmas fragrant and non-fragrant picks I hope to post soon.

Here are some photos of snow.

The terrace today:

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The terrace yesterday:
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Zagreb yesterday (pic taken from http://www.rtl.hr):

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The fragrant air in Zagreb

Perfume thoughts June 6, 2012 Comments: 10
I must say, I don’t remember ever so vividly smelling and remembering the period when the linden trees were blooming in Zagreb.

And I’m only just becoming aware of the fact, that along the chestnuts, those must the most common trees around Zagreb. Because when you’re walking (or being driven on a motorcycle) you pass through these wonderful linden-smelling parts of the city.
Each time that happens, I try and inhale as much of the scent as I can, it is just so full of memories for me.

So, is it just me or does linden smell a bit wistful to you?
It is quite possible that is just my state of mind…

The unexpected joys of running

I've been thinking April 17, 2012 Comments: 12

As some of you might know, I decided to join a running school this year and it’s been 5 weeks now that I’m going. Albeit not completely regularly but as an Aquarian with so many self-inflicted obligations, the only way I can live with them if I skip them sometimes.

Therefore, it is obvious I am not 100% regular, but I do make it to 2 out of 3 weekly trainings.

I can see the smiles as you read running schoold. 🙂 This is the second year Adidas is organizing this in Zagreb (this time in other Croatian cities as well) in order to promote running as a healthy choice for city people. After initial testing, we were separated into 3 groups and are following a program made for each group. The program is difficult enough that if you skip more than once, you will feel it the next time you’re there (so I try and keep to schedule, but honestly life does interfere).

Anyway, today’s training was a bit eye-opening in the manner that I enjoyed the running for the first time. Up to now, it’s been a constant battle with my body over the fact that my lungs seemed to have a problem with oxygen. 🙂 And then, my stiff shoulders protested and tended to constrict even more so I was leading a battle between my mind and my body.
My shoulders are finally easing down (and my pilates instructor can’t believe that running is helping me after all the effort she put into that) and my breathing is getting a rhythm my body can follow and now to the joys.

Well, there are the obvious joys of meeting new people, doing something good for your body, feeling your levels of fitness actually rising (I find it incredible how fast you can the signs of improvement, little, but they’re there), enjoying the fresh air (as we are running alongside the river running across Zagreb), releasing stress…

The unexpected joy happened today – someone in front of me was it seems wearing a tuberose perfume – which wafted in front of my nose for the duration of our running stretch. A good tuberose perfume I should add. 🙂

The other unexpected joy was meeting a friend from my university rowing days running in the opposite direction.

And the third unexpected joy is realizing you can actually do it (I’ll see if I’ll get into enough shape to run the half-marathon they are certain they can shape us up for) – and coming home realizing you keep smiling for no reason, but out of sheer joy. 🙂

Before you all go thinking it’s all fun and joy, I should add there are some unexpected problems as well.

Like, realizing your feet aren’t used to running so they ache during and after (it passes quickly). The same goes for your legs – it’s not your muscles which get overworked but some strange aches appear in tendons and parts I don’t know how to name.
Not to mention the fact that 3 times a week gets your body exhausted and you don’t have time to recuperate completely (hence me skipping some – and that helps me a lot).

But the basic line is, it’s a great body-mind exercise and if you listen to your body – it becomes joyful and fun fast. 🙂

P.S. Of course I’m using it as a way to lose a bit weight as well (as the pics of me from the school demonstrate I’m in dire need of that, even though they are a bit exaggerated, I hope) so it came as a great coincidence that I was pointed to this site yesterday in order to finally be able to count what I eat and its exact contents.  So Slim Kicker, I hope it works as a diet tool for me.

Perfume shopping in Zagreb – Parfumerija Lana

Perfume shopping April 4, 2012 Comments: 10

I admit it freely – I cannot stick to my resolutions. There, it’s out. Now on to more interesting subjects.

It’s been awhile since I had a new perfume shopping destination to tell you about.

This perfumery has been around for quite some time (I believe around 20 years or so) and over the years I’ve been hearing good things about its cosmetics department. Only recently (in the last 6 months) have I heard that it is also the place to go if you are interested in shopping for some “niche” perfumes.

So today I went to check. 🙂 And buy a mascara. That was it. The problem was, I wasn’t expecting to get blind-sided by Ananas Fizz. There is so litlle left in my bottle, and now it’s discontinued, I had to buy it. Which reminds me, there are 3 more bottles left although not exactly cheap I must say (you know, if someone is a hoarder like me).
Anyway, I got to smell some things I didn’t expect to and I foresee my visits there continuing with me bringing paper strips of my own to take away with me when I leave, so I have some remembrance of everything I smelled (it felt stupid to ask to take with me the lovely cloth strips they have, and I didn’t know what was on them anymore).

Everyone was nice and very generous so my experience was completely positive.
So, without further ado, if you’re looking for the following brands in Zagreb, they can be found in perfumery Lana (Bartola KaÅ¡ića 8):

Tom Ford (the regulars and the exclusives, and the new exclusives)

Serge Lutens

Creed

Juliette Has a Gun

Hermes (although not the Hermessences and Elixirs)

L’Artisan Parfumeur

Van Cleef and Arpels (Collection Extraordinaire)

Annick Goutal

CdG (some)

Balmain

Acqua di Parma

Balenciaga

The Different Company

Etro
Montale (some)

I probably forgot some but I’ll update the list with those once I visit again.

And if you’re wondering if I bought any other bottle of perfume, the answer is – Hiris. 🙂 I wanted that one for ages.

Pic taken from their facebook page.