Friday scent of the day 2/2

Posted by Robin on 2 February 2024 202 Comments

Happy Friday and happy Groundhog Day! Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow, and he’s usually wrong but I am choosing to believe an early spring is coming all the same. (Plus, Woodstock Willie didn’t see his either, nor did Staten Island Chuck.) Our community project for today: assemble some winter- and spring-appropriate samples in a bowl, and pick one at random, then tell us if spring will be early or late this year. (This is a repeat.)

What fragrance did you pick? As always, do chime in with your scent of the day even if you’re not participating in the community project.

I put a bunch of Hermessence travel sprays in a small bag and picked Ambre Narguile. I haven’t worn it in ages, I smell great, and I’m still going with the groundhogs so it’s a good thing I wore it now before it’s too warm…

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This is where she tortured perfumers

Posted by Robin on 2 February 2024 Leave a Comment

“The minute I sold my company to Estée Lauder, I said that I wanted to do this,” says Malle. [...]
“This is where she tortured perfumers,” Malle says with a laugh, gesturing around the ornately-decorated, jewel box-like space. (The view of Central Park is so breathtaking, one has to wonder if visitors ever found it distracting during meetings.) Malle is, of course, not being literal, but referring to Lauder’s famously high standards for fragrance. For example, Beautiful, a blend of orange flower, mandarin, and rose that launched in 1985 and went on to become one of the brand’s bestsellers, was the result of “many, many months” of Lauder mixing iterations at the very same desk that sits in the corner of her office today, says Malle.

— Frédéric Malle on the upcoming Estée Lauder Legacy Collection. Read more in Reinventing a Beloved Fragrance Is Risky Business at Allure.

The daily lemming

Posted by Robin on 1 February 2024 7 Comments

From Adlan Fragrances, the Bitter End candle: "Embark on a journey of contrast, where the brisk allure of bitter orange and earthy petitgrain beckons you into sun-kissed Mediterranean neroli, tenderly sweetened by golden honey. This dynamic tale culminates in a whispered embrace of delicate orange blossom and intoxicating jasmine, capturing the duality of life’s sweet and bitter moments in an elegant, evocative dance." $85 for 290g at Candle Delirium.