Rich Hippie has launched Groovy, a new unisex fragrance:
It’s an expert combination of Madagascan Mandravasarota Leaf, Canadian Black Spruce, French Grand Fir and Croatian Juniper Berry. The ingredients are of the finest quality and have been wildcrafted…
Nothing says Grand Perfume like a classic aldehydic floral, and nothing says classic aldehydic floral like Chanel No. 5. But I’ll be the first to admit that I often have trouble with aldehydic fragrances. In the name of personal olfactory growth, I’ll be reviewing a week’s worth of classic aldehydic fragrances in the order in which they were created. At the top of the list, by birth date and by reputation, is Chanel No. 5.
Ernest Beaux created Chanel No. 5 in 1921 as part of a suite of nine fragrances he presented to Coco Chanel. Depending on which story you believe, No. 5 was an accident when too much of a particular aldehyde was added to a scent or was a deliberate attempt to replicate Coco’s modern and blatant use of synthetic materials — think of her ropes of faux pearls.
As is true of many perfumes, No. 5 contains more than one type of aldehyde. Aldehydes provide sparkle and can boost the dispersion of some notes. When you get a strong hit of aldehydes right away from a fragrance, chances are that you’re smelling an “aliphatic” aldehyde. Although some people think of a dose of aliphatic aldehydes as “perfume-y” and old fashioned, when Beaux made it the signature of No. 5 (and No. 22), it was revolutionary…
When Terre d’Oc stopped making its Japanese Garden Citrus and Citronella Garden Incense I was very upset. Terre d’Oc’s long-burning, 19-inch bâtons d’encens were perfect for outdoor parties. They produced a gentle citrus fragrance that didn’t interfere with the tastes of food and drink. I put the incense sticks directly into the ground in dark or shaded areas of the garden where their lazy silver smoke was easily seen. I often placed a burning incense stick under my umbrella-shaped Harlequin Glorybower tree next to a Chinese Buddha statue; hours would pass, the yard would smell great and Buddha would look as if he were sitting on a silver-blue cloud. In very un-Buddha-like fashion, I cursed Terre d’Oc for discontinuing their garden incense line.
Thankfully, I’ve found a replacement for the defunct Terre d’Oc garden incense: Ashleigh & Burwood’s Garden Incense sticks; these sticks are also huge (22 inches long) and meant for outdoor use…
Setting: A crowded perfume cabinet in the Pacific Northwest.
Main Characters:
Monsieur Balmain (“Monsieur”): the original Pierre Balmain fragrance for men;
Monsieur Balmain (“MB”): the reformulated version of Monsieur Balmain.
Monsieur “awakes” and is startled to see a new, bright yellow bottle standing next to him on the perfume shelf.
Monsieur: Excusez-moi monsieur, we have not been introduced. Could you turn just a bit…. What? Is this a joke? MY name is Monsieur Balmain, yet “Monsieur Balmain” is written on your garish bottle…