Vanille Insensée: A vanilla perfume for the 15+ Set (by Atelier Cologne)

I must be on a vanilla kick. I recently reviewed my new favorite bodywash Vanilla Botanique, by DSH. Today, I'm back with another vanilla, this time one you can spray or splash on. 

I mentioned the other day that I have horrific flashbacks to the early 90s when everyone and their mother were doused in vanilla-scented chemical soup. Luckily, that trend has been put to rest. I hardly ever smell someone wearing vanilla these days. 

I think I may be past my twitchiness about the scent. And thank goodness! Right now, as I type, I'm freshly showered and quite relaxed, wafting the blend of my gourmand shower gel, Vanilla Botanique, and a gorgeous and nuanced vanilla perfume.

“He wove through the crowd when suddenly his heart quickened. That scent. It was hers. He had worn it first until she stole it for herself. Now, there she was before him and the magic of years past came flooding back in a moment.”

Today, my vanilla perfume is Vanilla Insensée by Atelier Cologne. 

The name,Vanilla Insensée, is translated to "insane vanilla" or "crazy vanilla" and does not have anything at all to do with incense (which one may assume by reading the name too quickly or with no clue at all about French*).

* I fulfill both criteria for having needed clarification myself.
I read too quickly and my French is non-existent.

Vanille Insensée, an electrical current runs through the subtle sweetness of vanilla, jasmine and fresh lime to bond with rich oak moss, woods and spicy coriander. 

Top notes:	Lime, cedrat. coriander
Heart notes:	Jasmine, vetiver and oak moss
Base notes:	Vanilla from Madagascar, oak wood and amber

I smell a delicious flash of citrus for just a moment when I applyVanilla Insensée. There's enough there to just barely register it, at least when the scent is dabbed on from a sample vial.  Perhaps spraying or splashing with wild abandon communicates more of the lime advertised in the top notes. 

Quickly, this fragrances melts into a unique, special creature. This is no heavy, enveloping vanilla. There is no blanket of sweetness, no foody denseness. Vanilla Insensée is as soft as the lightest silk. 

There's jasmine in this blend, but only a touch. The same goes for the vetiver that keeps this scent slightly green and very clean. Vanilla Insensée sits on a bed of amber, but again we're witnessing something very buoyant. This amber grounds the rest of the scent without pulling it down or warming it up too much. I considerVanilla Insensée a pretty darned good feat of magic. It's vanilla without being sweet or cloying or heavy. Perfect for warm weather, it also stands its ground in the cool weather. 

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It's interesting: Birgit, who travels the scented land as "Olfactoria" says spraying this scent always brings to mind a transparent glass orb. Since the first time I ever tried Vanilla Insensée , I see a constantly-moving, multifaceted round prism, kind of like a disco ball, but transparent and hollow. You can easily sense that it is lightweight and bright, but it is also nuanced and delights in catching and tossing the light to and fro.

Atelier Cologne describes their range as a completely unique classification: Cologne Absolues. They share the same bright citrus characteristics of a classic cologne, a style created three-hundred years ago, but they have the long wear and sillage of a more dense scent blend. Where a traditional cologne would have a mere 5% of it's recipe come from perfume oils, Cologne Absolues incorporate a whopping 12-20% which is equivalent to the concentrations usually labeled either eau de parfum or pure parfume. The Atelier Cologne scents are artfully balanced: the scents never feel heavy but wear as long as some perfumes. For the record: Cologone Absolues are totally "unisex". 

via

The only thing insane about this vanilla perfume is that it is insanely beautiful. 

If you're at all in the market for a grown-up vanilla gourmand that wafts brightly and lasts and lasts, here you go. And even if you don't think you're interested, you may want to give it a go. It certainly surprised me! 

[vanilla bean + orchid image from header: source]

One not-so-polite leather: Jolie Madame (Balmain)

A while ago, I entertained myself by writing about two "polite" leather perfumes I love. And I do love them. But I love even more a dirty leather. Kind of the olfactory equivalent of this:

I like my leathers best when they're a bit naughty. Rough around the edges but with a heart of gold. Or maybe not even a heart of gold. Rough and rougher is fine. Bedroom eyes don't hurt.

My favorite dirty leather is a bit polarizing. A lot of perfumistas love the stuff, but I know a lot of "normal" people get that wide-eyed, nostrils-flaring look that usually comes right before a quick goodbye or a dash to open the window. Let's just say this one is not exactly "work friendly".


Jolie Madame is something I wear whenever the hell I want (I already have no perfume fear, but this one makes me even ballsier). Others may feel it's best suited for evening. Maybe midnight. In a barn.

As a little clue as to what you might be in for, here is a quote from March of Perfume Posse:
"Jolie Madame was the nastiest, skankiest piece of liquid hell that had graced my wrist..."

She goes on to point out that she later fell head over heels for it. That's a familiar story.

I stumbled upon a bottle of the vintage, viscous and dark and hiding in plain sight in an antique store. I picked it up, bought it, went home, sprayed and... wow. That stuff is just weird.

I read about Jolie Madame from time to time, and as I developed more perfumista cred, I started loving "the skank". Jolie Madame has skank. Take a look...

Top notes: artemisia, coriander, gardenia, neroli and bergamot 

middle notes:  tuberose, narcissus, orris root, jasmine and rose 

base notes: leather, patchouli, musk, coconut, civet, oakmoss, castoreum, and vetiver

Ah! The skank trifecta: musk, civet, and castoreum!

I have three bottles of the stuff now. Clearly, I "learned to love it". It wasn't hard. Jolie Madame is dark. It's a little mean. It's also very, very different from the department store perfumes I was used to (to which I now say "thank God!").

All of my bottles of Jolie Madame smell pretty different. One is not as jagged and rough. I don't like it as much as I like the others. The two I love, while different, are still identifiable as being the same perfume. They're both powerful. Really powerful. One drop is plenty, two is insta-bombshell. Three is probably too much.

My Jolie Madame bottles are all "vintage", though I have not bothered to try to find out how old each is. From what I understand, the modern version is still Jolie Madame, though maybe a bit more green and bright than the vintage.

Like most people, I'd classify this as a violet-leather perfume. The juxtaposition of the feminine violets (often considered "girly") against the dark and dirty leather is, quite simply, perfection.

Jolie Madame was created in 1953 by perfume genius Germain Cellier, who also dreamt up the incredibly beautiful and very significant scents Bandit, Fracas, and Vent Vert to name a few. You can read more about her here and here.




If you are into violets (as I have learned I am), you will find these two articles really interesting:

• Perfume Shrine: Perfumery Materials: Violet, Violet Leaf & Ionones
• Parfumieren:  Ultraviolet

And here are some other reviews of Jolie Madame:

• Perfume Posse
• Muse in Wooden Shoes
• Now Smell This
• Bois de Jasmin
• Scent of the Day

Now, if you'll excuse me please, I have to go kick some asses.

Image sources: Leather Marlon, leather Johnny,
leather James,  leather Ryan; Perfumed Ryan Gosling.
All other images, and the editing on Perfumed Ryan are mine.

Spring flowers courtesy of Fleurage Perfume Atelier

I think it's here. Spring, that is. At least, I think it's here in my neck of the woods. I know what the groundhog said, but I think he may have been joking this year. The grass is struggling to push up through the ground, the Canada Geese have flown back from warmer climes, and I heard the tree frogs in the woods the other evening. As you can see from my picture above, we have achieved crocus blooms. These things all point towards warmer weather, despite the protestations of cranky rodents from Pennsylvania.

I am actually a Winter girl. I like cold. Snow is my happy-maker. I love to walk outside and smell the cold, crisp air and far-off fireplaces burning away. I like shrugging into sweaters, tugging on boots, and bundling up on the couch with blankets. I didn't get much of that this year in Virginia so I'm mad at Winter. Holding a grudge, as I do, I'm ready for Spring.

Part of the season change for me is switching up my scents. That's not really a conscious decision. It's more organic than that. I slowly start pushing my heavy incense scents and my robust ambers and orientals aside. They just don't feel right. I start reaching to the back of the cabinet. I am pulled towards the green scents. The florals. The bright and light. Like the blooms on my favorite flowering plant, the lilac, my urge for florals is usually short-lived, so I try to indulge as frequently as possible while it lasts.

Luckily for me this almost-Spring, I was given samples from a new-to-me botanical fragrance line called Fleurage Perfume Atelier (thanks Monica!). I received four samples (in lovely glass vials!). Two are soliflores, which simply hit the spot right now.

Note: I am the Queen of Google. I naturally went and found Emma's (really beautiful) website ( Fleurage ) and searched for these soliflore scents. Nope, not there. I asked Emma about them, and she told me this:

Image is courtesy of Fleurage Perfum Atelier.

• The Soliflore range began as a custom Bridal Perfume range where the bride could match her bouquet with a perfume. Each scent is one of the most popular bridal flowers chosen. They were so popular though due to being so easy to love and their small volume retro bottles that I decided to make them part of the range but in a limited capacity.
• They are 20ml and coat $89 AUD (around $100 US) 
• The scents are Calla, Tulipe Joyeuse, Daisy Chain, Lilacs, Rosebuds, Honeysuckle Vine, Fleur de Nuit, Gardenia, Magnolia, Plumeria Blanca, Pretty Peony and of course Lily of the Valley. 

Did you see that "in a limited capacity" bit? These soliflores were originally only available in the Fluerage shop, which is in Australia and not terribly convenient for many of us You could also email Emma, if you knew these existed, and order them. The good news is: she's going to start selling them online! If you're interested in them, keep your eyes peeled, because they're going to be on the website really, really soon.

So anyway, let's talk about them a bit...

How pretty are these sample vials? And they're glass, which adds to their charm. It also adds to my anxiety levels, since I'm completely convinced I'm going to smash them with my ham-fisted ways.

Anyway, these are lovely. And the tags are such a nice touch, too, with the little silky ribbons. Very feminine. Very classy.

[image source]

As you see in the picture above, the scents I got to try are Tulipes Joyeuses and Honeysuckle Vine.


I have to admit, I am not so sure how accurate the scents are. Soliflores (scents built to resemble one specific flower) are not always aiming for exactness, but there's always some degree of verisimilitude.


How true-to-life are these? I can't tell you. I don't recall much of a smell from the tulips in my garden. They're not blooming yet, so I can't go test that memory (or lack thereof). It's not unusual for over-bred flowers to lose their scent. The people who cultivate them often focus on the visual appearance and not on scent. My memory of honeysuckle is fond, but it's not really about their scent. I remember plucking them off of the vines that ran along the boundaries of the nearby park and sucking on the sweet nectar.

[image source]

What I can tell you is that these are both incredibly pretty floral perfumes. I really enjoy them both. Tulipes Joyeuses is rich and full-bodied - almost heady. Honeysuckle Vine is lighter and fresher. It is the longer-lived of the two on skin and projects more on me.

Both of these perfumes are distinctly floral, regardless of whether or not they are olfacto-realistic*. There is no doubt that these are pretty flowers, blooming beautifully on the skin. They make me feel like I'm wearing Spring - that enthusiasm, that sense of building energy, that feeling of potential.

*yes, I just made that up.

I identify with the honeysuckle scent a bit more, or maybe it works even better with my skin. What I know is that I actually crave this scent, which is a nice feeling.

These are botanical scents, which does not make them "lesser" than perfumes made with some synthetic ingredients. It does make their appearance on the skin a bit more brief, which can be frustrating for some perfumistas. Once you embrace the nature of natural scents, though, you learn to love enjoying the nuances in the allotted time and begin to even relish the fact that you get to reapply sooner.

I can see why these were so popular for Fleurage that Emma decided to start selling them online (soon). I look forward to getting my hands on her gardenia, lilac, daisy, and peony perfumes. I think they're going to be mind-blowing!

FYI: If you're a Facebook fiend (like me), you can follow Fluerage here.

So tell me:
Do you like soliflores? Which are your favorites? What flowers are you drawn to, either visually or for their scent? Are you a fan of natural botanical perfumes, or do they not work for you?

Vanille Botanique by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

I was delighted to receive a small bottle of a body wash from Indie perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz recently. As big a fan as I am of her perfumes, I have never tried any of her body products, so I was kind of fan-girl excited. Truthfully: I geeked out a bit.

The bottle is labeled "Vanille Botanique" and carries Dawn's Essence Studios label, but that may just have been out of convenience. The product name is hand-written on the label. Sadly, I can't find this body wash on DSH's website anywhere, and I haven't heard back from her when I asked her about it.

Anyway, what I have sussed out is that this is probably related to her all-botanical scent by the same name. You can buy Vanille Botanique, the edp, on IndieScents, where it is exclusively sold.

Here's what IndieScents says about the perfume:

Subtle citrus in the top, warm, sensuous florals mixed with rich gourmand notes in the heart and luxurious base of balsams, resins and of course vanilla.

IndieScents also says the product won't ship until October and is available for pre-order only, which is strange. It's February.

At any rate, the description of this scent matches well with what I'm smelling when I use the bath gel.

If you hear "vanilla" and think of the horrid early 90's, when every girl walked around drowning in synthetic vanilla-ish body products and perfumes, well, think again. I know that's what I thought of, but I couldn't have been more wrong.

via

This vanilla is light and slightly-floral. It's nuanced. It's not a lumbering creature that smothers you in its embrace. It gentle and wispy, but substantial enough to still smell. This is a grown-up vanilla. It's not sweet, really. It's gourmand, for sure.

Vanilla Botanique bath gel has some nuance, but honestly there's not tons of time to appreciate it all. I don't have the luxury of standing in the shower thinking a lot. Usually there's a kid peeking in the shower curtain and another screaming from the other side of the door.

I wish I could smell it longer than I can - it's only really noticeable to me while I'm using it. It doesn't last on the skin for long. More's the pity.

As a bath gel, it works well. I think it gets me clean. I don't look dirty after using it, so I assume it's working! It's low-lather and silky, though I still moisturize after using it.

I also used this once on "a scrubber". It removed the offensive scent nearly completely, which as we all know is a miracle. After all, scrubber scents are the strongest clingers there are!

Basically, I can sum up my experience with this body wash in this way: it works, and it smells pretty much like a really high-quality vanilla bean ice cream. There is not a thing wrong with that, in my book.

From all accounts, there's a bit more going on in the perfume, which I can not wait to get my hands on! Read this review by Victoria on EauMG and this one by Trish on The Perfume Magazine and this one by Monica on Perfume Pharmer.

So tell me: do you wear vanilla scents? Which are your favorites? 

Ormonde Woman, the Devil's Wife, and the Missing Freak...

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Have you ever heard of Lilith? She's thought by some to be the Devil's wife, or maybe his consort. She was Adam's first wife, but by refusing to be meekly led by him -after all, they were created at the same time, from the same dust - she ended up in a world of trouble. (Adam later was blessed with Eve, who was clearly inferior and made from his rib and happy with her lot as subservient wife.) Lilith was punished for her disobedience. She was left to deal with the evil spirits and the fallen angels. She became the Lady of Sorrows and her cries are carried by wind and storms.

She's considered both innocent and evil, originally good and then oh-so-bad, the one who guards children under 8 days of age because she cannot have her own human offspring. She lies with demons.  She's a seducer. A harlot.  A winged woman. A black cat. A screech owl. Beautiful evil. 

If I were to imagine a scent for Lilith, it would balance her original, pure nature and the current circumstances she embodies. Green and woody notes would represent her roots in Eden. Spices would represent her place in hell. The perfume would need to be beautiful and natural and strange...

Ormonde Woman

That scent - Lilith's perfume -  just may be the beautifully bizarre Ormonde Woman, created by Linda Pilkington for her line Ormonde Jayne. 

I have long wanted to try the scents from this most cherished of perfume lines. Fragrance lovers and perfume bloggers and the otherwise scent-addled rave about Ormonde Jayne. Naturally, that's going to make a gal curious!

I chose to start my Ormonde Jayne adventures with Ormonde Woman. After all, that's where Linda Plinkington started. It's one of her first two scents, the other being a masculine called Ormonde Man.

When I placed my sample order, the only thing I remembered about this perfume was that it was "difficult" and "challenging". I like that in a scent!

Top: Cardamom, coriander and grass oil
Heart: Black hemlock, violet and jasmine absolute
Base: Vetiver, cedar wood, amber and sandalwood

Ormonde Woman is not a perfume. It is perhaps best described as a potion. It seems alive. It's both cold and warm. It's full of movement and yet totally calm. It's soothing and it's invigorating. It's natural and it's completely unnatural. I'm fairly certain it is full of magic.

It is amazing to me how this perfume comes across to so many people as being the stuff of fairy tales (witness Olfactoria's take here, The Non-Blonde's here, and Perfumeshrine's here). Ormonde Woman is, to me, the embodiment of a woodland forest. It encompasses the dark shadows at the base of the trees and under the fields of ferns. It also presents the dappled light that shines on the mulched path through the spotted leaves above. 

Ormonde Woman is woody and green and lovely. The grassy notes are shimmering and bright. The vetiver is dry and rooty. The jasmine is sweet and clear. The amber is delicate and soft. The cedar is sturdy and rich (and deliciously played with a soft hand).                 

Hemlock, an evergreen, is rarely used in perfume and probably never in these amounts. It is probably what is responsible for the nearly lemon-like flashes in the top notes of this perfume. At the same time, I think this note is also what gives Ormonde Woman a sense of being a deep, dark green. The spices add an earthiness to the blend rather than burning fire. The coriander and its other form, cardamom, help this scent seem familiar and utterly strange all at the same time.

From afar, there is a powdery nuance to Ormonde Woman. Think green powder, darker than - but not dissimilar to - Chanel No. 19's. It's missing (or at least much more subdued) when you come closer, but adds a lovely dusting of innocence to the scent's sillage. I think Lilith would use that to her advantage, luring the naive men she spots into her web.

This innocence is also presented in the violet note that wends its way through the development of the scent. I have come to learn that I love violet in a perfume, but here it's not quite as sweetly and femininely portrayed as usual. Or maybe it is, but the deeper counterpoints play against it in a novel way. 

The sandalwood at the base of the scent is actually apparent throughout, and adds a nuance of creamy skin to the scent. What's not to like there? I think Lilith would agree.

Ormonde Woman is at once darkly mysterious and calmly soothing. It is darkest green, beautiful, and tempting. It's not sexy, it's sensual. Natural. And strange. It reassures as it unsettles. It is indeed a fairy tale forest. It is perfect for Lilith, the caretaker of newborns, the taker of lives, the mother of demons, the consort to the devil. 

Though this perfume carries "Woman" in its name, and even though I think it's perhaps the fluid personification of Lilith, Mistress of Darkness, I bet is smells amazing on a man! 

Note: PerfumeSmellingThings also thinks Lilith would be a fan of Ormonde Woman. Read this.

Freak

Another scent one would have believed "a natural" for Lilith, bride of Satan and mother of his demon children, would be Freak, by British makeup brand Illamasqua. The line is famous for their cutting edge artists, intense pigments, and amazing, slightly subversive and totally inspiring imagery. 

This brand, icon of certain subcultures, called their first perfume Freak.  The name seemed perfect. Freak is housed in a bottle that's forward-leaning, Tower of Pisa style. It features a snail eternally crawling up the side of the shiny black mountain. 

When Illamasqua announced they'd be releasing a perfume, when the first images came out and when the notes were shared, many of us were thrilled! The scent, I assumed, would be completely counterculture. Crazy. Ground-breaking. Unusual. Inventive. Underground. Dark. An enigma. A little scary. A lot beautiful. Just like everything else Illamasqua touches. 

Take a look at the description of Freak's notes:

Top NotesBlack Davana, Opium Flower and Belladonna bewitch the senses into uncontrollable lust and passionHeart NotesPoison Hemlock, Datura and Queen of the Night blossom, caress and kissBase NotesAromas of Frankincense, Oud and Myrrh, addictively mesmerises and captures the senses

Look! It's got poison hemlock, which also featured in Ormonde Woman! 

Sadly, I don't think Lilith would be a fan. I know I'm not. Sure, it's a pretty scent. But there's nothing surprising, subversive, or even dark about it. It's a scent that I could see almost any woman wearing to almost any event. 

I think Freak if works for Illamasqua, and by all accounts it's selling well, it's going to be because so many young women and men are only familiar with scents from their department stores. Sure, Freak is dark and moody and sexy when compared to fruity pink juices or cool blue colognes. 

For those of us with a broader familiarity with scents, it's really not all that creative. Pretty, yes. Demonic and mysterious --- not so much. It's round and dark purple and somewhat fruity. It's got no bite, though. This freak has no teeth. It goes round and round, like the spirals on that snail shell, but never really gets to a point that pulls it up and above the crowd, which is what Illamasqua is usually so good at doing.

I may actually track down a bottle... eventually. Not because it's so groundbreaking or evil, but because it's pretty and versatile and that damn snail is adorable!

Thoughts
It's so odd... I expected to fall in love with Freak, but I did not. It barely inspires me to write about it. Then I met Ormonde Woman, a scent I had expected to have to struggle with to understand. Immediately it not only inspired me, but made me love it. It will definitely be added to my scent library, and worn often I expect. Ormonde Woman is everything I expected from Freak. Everything Freak is not. 

Devilscent

All of this evil talk has me itching to share some news!

I'll be participating in a devilish project soon. Devilscent will feature a handful of fiendish perfumers, a gaggle of demonic bloggers, one diabolical writer, and, of course, perfume!  

If Faust were a woman with an attitude problem and six strings of accumulated madness...what deal would she make with the Devil?

Follow along to learn what Quantum Demonology is. Like the Devil's Facebook page to stay in the loop!

Along the way, you may find out what, indeed, Lilith smells like - if you dare. And learn what inspires her wrath! You may meet her husband, if you haven't already. You may find yourself. You will definitely be entertained...

You can read a little more about The Devilscent Project here thanks to our intrepid leader. And stay tuned! We're only just now stepping into the darkness. Who knows what dastardly shenanigans will transpire?!

So tell me: 
What would Lilith smell like, do you think? And her husband?
Are you a fan of Freak?
Do you love the fairy tale that is Ormonde Woman, or is it more of a horror story for you?

And are you ready for Devilscent? 

5 Things I Smelled Today

This post is pretty much going to be what it sounds like: a list of 5 things I smelled today.

Don't get all excited, thinkin' this is going to be some regular thang here on This Blog Really Stinks. I don't do "regular". I am way to scattered for that nonsense. Besides: I'm a stay-at-home-most-of-the-time Mom. There's not a ton of variety going on except for the perfumes I spray. I want to challenge myself to pay attention to various smells, though, so hence this semi-regular-when-I-feel-like-it brand-spankin'-new not-series!

So let's hit it. Five things I smelled today.

1. Sausage. 
   Kid #1, who I will call "Lulu" (which is actually her name because that's the only way I'll remember her pseudonym) asked for "saus" for breakfast. Voila! One of the most disgusting things a vegetarian can cook. Ugh.
   
   
2. Stinky Dog. 
   I had to go sit at our rental property while a plumber plumbed. Boring. The only bright notes were that I got to read a bit more of The Help (yes, way behind the times there) and I got to pet (and pet... and pet... and pet) our tenants' dog, Beauty was more than down for a lot of lovin'. Big old fat and stinky beagles make my day!
   
   

   

   Beagle. Pre-fattening-up. 
3. Burning Dust.
   The heat kicked on at home and a dust bunny must have gone up in smoke. For just a few minutes I was very aware of that distinctive smell. Do you know the one I'm talking about?
   
   
   
4. Stinky tennis shoes.
   Yup. Kiddo #1 (AKA Lulu) inherited the tendency to stink up shoes fair and square. Sorry, doll!
   

   

   Click here to learn how to clean those bad boys!

   
   
5. Feria conditioner.
   Did you know you can buy that at Sally Beauty Supply? It's got silicone in it, so I don't use it all the time, but it's invaluable to keeping my colored hair smooth and shiny. Kid #2, who I will call Ara (yup, you got it: that's her real name - I am not clever at all) gets hella tangles, and this really helps those knots slip out. We've been out of this conditioner for awhile and I just picked some up yesterday. As soon as I opened the container, I thought "there it is"! Funny the scents you remember.
   
   
   What did YOU smell today?
   
   

Karma Chameleon: Lush's Karma Soap plays dress-up

You don't really have to be a patchouli lover to get into LUSH's Karma soap, but you do need to love LUSH...

Karma is one of the brand's more popular scents and comes in several different varieties. I have the perfume, in a solid, and I get the soap as often as I can! There's also a Bubble Bar, which got mad props from the girls, a liquid perfume, a bath melt, a body lotion (mental note: gotta try that one!), and a shampoo bar.

They all have the Karma scent in common:

Spicy patchouli is complemented with refreshing lemongrass, orange oil and pine to create a clean and lovely smell that lasts on the skin for ages after you've washed. If you've been mindful and brimming with loving kindness, this is the soap to reward you. One whiff and you'll be hooked - for this life and the next.

And hooked I am. I find the scent really, really centering in the bath (is it the soothing Lavendin oil and pine oil?). It's as great a way to start a day as it is to end one. As an added bonus, the entire washroom smells great for the rest of the day!

I get mostly orange and pine and lemongrass from the Karma products, though there's definitely more patchouli coming off of the perfumes than there is off of the soaps. That citrus blast is one reason I like Karma best in the morning - it invigorates while it soothes you. Yes, that sounds like a paradox, and it probably is, but I don't mind. Seems fitting for something called "Karma", doesn't it?

Karma is minimally-lathery and soft on the skin. I wouldn't say it's particularly hydrating and moisturizing, but neither does it strip the skin or leave it dry. A nice, basic soap that does its job well. The scent lingers a bit, especially in the bathroom, as I mentioned. As for skin, I have found that after a half an hour or so I can put on almost any perfume and it won't clash with the Karma. Naturally, popping a citrus or patch scent will draw those last Karma molecules out just a little bit longer.

For the LUSH haters (I know there are some of you out there!), this probably not going to be the one to change your mind, but who knows? It's not quite as technicolor-herbal as many of the product from the line, but it is strong and it isn't subtle and it definitely doesn't smell like something you can get at a department store (except that you can because there are little LUSH kiosks at some of the departments stores, but you know what I mean, don't you? Please say yes...)

To celebrate the dawning of the Chinese Year of the Dragon, LUSH has transformed their Karma soap into a ferocious and hideous dragon* and given it a delightful and festive golden coat! The golden sparkles were not noticeable on my skin, in case you're worried. Then again, that is kind of disappointing. ;)

Pick yours up soon if you love the dragon idea! And check out the rest of the Karma line while you're there... let me know how that lotion is!

The Red Dragon Soap is Limited Edition. $7.95

*It's not ferocious, unless you loathe LUSH.
 It is kind of hideous looking. It only mildly resembles a dragon, at least to me. 

Men: Skip the 20 questions game with these great Alibis!

image source

Tired of coming home to the endless questions? "Where have you been all night?" "Why are you late?" "Why did you miss dinner again?!"

Skip the hassle by stashing one of these great scents in your glovebox - and give yourself a good spray before walking in the door!

Pick your Alibi:

My Car Broke Down - with the scent of fuel, burnt rubber, grease and steel
We Were Out Sailing -with the scent of fresh ocean spray, sea salt, aqua and cotton rope
I Was Working Late -with the scent of coffee, wool suits, cigarettes and ink

Dodge the questions with one whiff and avoid that "in the doghouse" scent!

___________________________

Ha! Ya'll thought I was joking, didn't you? Nope - it's real.

These genius (?) idea comes courtesy of Mavericks, a "gentlemen's club" in Cape Town, South Africa. Only time will tell if this genius idea will travel to other shores...

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2 Polite Leather Perfumes

If I had to pick two scent families that really work for me, I'd have to say that I almost unfailingly fall for chypres and leathers. I love the rich, earthy base of the former - but mostly when oakmoss is used, the heavier the better. The latter I love in almost every form.

I have no compunctions about wearing whatever I want, almost any time I want. There are exceptions, of course. I will wear close-to-the-skin scents around those who are allergic or sensitive. I will wear "polite" scents in offices and at funerals. I will not wear anything dirty or skanky when doing someone's makeup. But those are pretty much the rules. Other than that, I'm an olfactory free-for-all. Sweats and a t-shirt? That won't stop me from wearing a Big White Floral. Jeans and a turtleneck? What, you think my vintage chypre is too much? So what! Antiquing on a rainy Sunday? A skanky nose hair-singer suits me, even if it makes no sense to you!

My scent choices are mostly driven by mood. Sometimes, they're driven my someone else mentioning a recently-ignored bottle, too. Perfumed friends are good for that!

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When I wear one of my badass leathers,
this is what I look like (inside). 

At times, my mood calls for leather. OK, a lot of times my mood calls for leather. There are lots of nuances to this mood and perfume genre, so it's not really straightforward in my convoluted, perfume-addled mind. Take, for example, "the barn leathers" that smell of saddles and horses and maybe even cowboys. Then there are "the boot leathers", often heavily dipped in birch tar and smelling of old-fashioned, sturdy and shiny leather. I can't forget "the purse leathers" that remind me of a new handbag in an exclusive boutique. Some of what I think of as "purse leathers" are often what others would classify as scents reminiscent of the scented gloves of yore -- but not all of them. Basically, if you sniff that perfume and it smells like sticking your nose in an expensive and brand new handbag, that's a "purse leather" in my book! And there are a select few leathers that are just a little bit more naughty. Those remind me of a confident, sexy woman walking purposefully through life in her knee-high boots, dressed all in black. A little goth, a little sexy, and all woman. She's got that air about her that has just a little undercurrent of "naughty", which is thrilling! Those are my "badass leathers". I love those the most. There are a few other leathers, and even some scents that others call leathers that don't speak to me of leather at all. The nose is a funny thing.

Some times that I'm drawn to what I call "my polite leathers". These are perfumes I can wear anywhere without offending anyone. They are close-to-the-skin. They are lightly floral. They are feminine. They are not at all badass.

Here are two of them...

1. Cuir de Lancôme
   I have no idea what Lancôme is thinking, burying this baby at the discounters and not featuring in prominently on the line's counters! This gorgeous scent was created in 2007 as part of the La Collection. Named after a vintage leather, it apparently smells nothing like the original (also called "Revolte", a name that is unfortunate at best). Maybe that's why it has been tossed aside? Or maybe the decision-makers at Lancôme are too busy focusing on lipsticks and eye shadows? For whatever reason, this beauty is underrated even by the company who produced it. Very sad.
   
   Cuir is not a ball-buster leather. It's not going to make anyone think of S&M or punk rock boots or even saddles and horses. The only image I get when I sniff it is the beautifully-worn suede interior of a perfectly-preserved vintage handbag.
   
    The top notes are brief and gentle, the mandarin present in a delectable way. The florals are feminine and gentle and the patchouli is a silent partner the best I can tell. The soft, smooth, and slightly-dry leather base goes on and on and on without ever overstaying its welcome. Some leathers are a bit medicinal, even eye-wateringly so, but that's not at all the case here. Cuir is too ladylike for that kind of behavior! Nor is she powdery; she's a little too butch for that!
   
   I can't think of any place where this perfume would not be appropriate, unless perhaps the temperature were terribly high. But really, one wouldn't choose leather in those circumstances, anyway.
   
   Topnotes: mandarin, saffron, bergamot Heart notes: patchouli, hawthorne, jasmine, ylang Basenotes: orris root, birch, styrax
   
   

2. Bottega Veneta
   If Cuir was our flashback scent, Bottega Veneta is clearly the new kid on the block. Born just last year (2011), the work of Michel Almairac, Bottega Veneta is solid where Cuir is soft. The Lancôme scent is vintage leather, softened with age. It has a slight coziness about it. Bottega Veneta is a stiffer leather, newer and... fresher, perhaps?
   
   The opening notes of the famous leather purveyor's signature scent vibrate a bit, as if in anticipation of what's to come. The florals are well-placed and share the spotlight well with the leather. Neither is pushy, neither takes over. Angela at Now Smell This describes both Bottega Veneta and Cuir de  Lancôme as exhibiting "good breeding."¹ I can't think of a better way to put it!
   
   
   
   
   This perfume is a subtle but well-behaved trickster. The notes hail Lily of the Valley, patchouli, and jasmine as key players, but I can't find them. Sure, there's that floral-leather combo working hand-in-hand, but I can't pinpoint the flowers specifically. That's good. I like a well-blended mystery! Many people praise the fruit notes in Bottega Veneta, which you'll not find in the official notes listing. I've seen plum, apricot and peach called out. I smell them, too, especially the apricot/peach nuance. And then there's the controversial oakmoss... Yes, it's there but not in that overdose way (that I, for one, love). Instead, it's a soft padding in this supple leather handbag.
   
   There is without a doubt a softness about this perfume. Maybe "a fuzziness" as some people have noted. It has no hard edges, no angles. It is not shiny or black or stiff, rather it is supple and warm and even has a little glow.
   
   As I can't imagine a situation inappropriate for Cuir de Lancôme, I can't imagine a time or place where Bottega Veneta wouldn't suit. Of these two soft-spoken leathers, Bottega Veneta is the softer. I find it hard to believe one could wear "too much" of this one. Spray with wild abandon! In fact, feel free to layer up, from shower gel to lotion and body cream to eau de parfum.
   
   Top Notes: Pink peppercorn, Bergamot, Lily of the valley Middle Notes: Jasmine, Leather, Patchouli
   Base Notes: Oakmoss
   
   ETA: Well, ok then! There's jasmine in this here perfume. I realized it as I sat here virtually basting in Bottega Veneta (yeah, I really like it). The wind kicked up as I went to get the mail and I smelled it on myself and yup - that's jasmine. Interesting that it took massive overdoses of the perfume to pick that out (or at least for my nose to pull it). But that's that. Jasmine. Yup.
   
   

So maybe what I consider to be "polite leathers" are sueded leathers? Whatever you want to call them, they are luxurious, smooth, elegant, and pretty.

Psst... did you notice? Both of these scents are "mainstream" and not hard to find. And they won't make your wallet bleed, either. Whoa! 

I wanted to ask you about leathers! Do you like to wear them? What kind? Do you have odd little names for the different categories, like I do? What other "polite leathers" might you suggest for me?