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Browsing by author: Jessica

Miller Harris Myrica Muse, Scherzo & Peau Santal ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 20 April 2023 16 Comments

Do you remember a time around 2005 when only a handful of “niche” perfume brands were available at most department stores? In my recollections of that era, Miller Harris was one such entity that had been granted generous counter space at the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship. I was intrigued by Miller Harris’s British identity, its interpretations of various botanical themes, the little strips of gray grosgrain ribbon that were used instead of paper blotters, and the vintage-looking illustrations on the fragrances’ bottles and boxes. As much as I admired perfumer Lyn Harris’s style however, I never found a scent from that line that quite suited me.

Any number of things can happen over a decade or more: personal tastes shift, brands change ownership (and creative direction) and perfumers keep evolving in their work…

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MCMC Zodiac Mist in Cancer ~ fragrance & home fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 9 February 2023 14 Comments

I mentioned last year in a review of Eris Parfums’ Scorpio Rising that I’ve always been curious about the zodiac, so I’m ready to explore an astrology-fragrance connection now and then. Also last year, the Brooklyn-based indie perfume brand MCMC Fragrances (a longtime favorite of mine) released a collection of “all-natural home and body mists” designed to complement the characters of the zodiac. Okay, I thought, sign (ha!) me up.

As you may not be surprised to learn if we’ve been online buddies for a while, I’m a June baby (rose is “my” flower) and a Cancer (“the crab”), which translates into being emotionally sensitive and most comfortable in home-like spaces. Some Cancer-themed scents lean into Cancer’s “water” category by foregrounding aquatic notes and delicate white florals. MCMC takes a different approach… 

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Imaginary Authors In Love With Everything ~ fragrance review

Posted by Jessica on 25 November 2022 5 Comments

Written in 1982, this electrifying novel about sex, drugs, and decadence in pre-Miami Vice Florida follows a delinquent clique of teenage girls through nightclubs, roller discos, and seedy South Beach bars in search of anything to keep the party going.

That’s the “inspiration” behind In Love With Everything, the latest fragrance from indie brand Imaginary Authors. Like the other scents in the line, of course, it refers to an imaginary book by an imaginary author. This description of an “unflinchingly honest portrayal of strong, outspoken, resourceful young women whose sole motivation was to have a good time” evokes a female-centered version of Less Than Zero, ripe for a film adaptation directed by Sofia Coppola. Conversely, if there had been a literary source for the movie Foxes, it probably would have sounded a lot like this…

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5 perfumes: transitional autumn fragrances 2022

Posted by Jessica on 27 October 2022 18 Comments

I’m writing this review from my favorite beach or, more accurately, the beachside inn where I’m taking a short breather from the city and soaking up some of the last warm temperatures of the season. It’s been an unpredictable month or so, both in the weather forecast and in my day-to-day activities, and I needed this sunshiny break even more than I realized at first. I also brought along a few fragrances that I’ve been wearing regularly over the past few weeks, since they seem to bridge the various moods of this summer-into-autumn moment.

I bought the Lush Garden box of travel sprays back in August, and initially I was focused on Rose Jam and V, since I already love the Rose Jam shower gel and the discontinued (and similar to V!) Don’t Rain on My Parade shower gel. Lately, though, I’ve been gravitating towards Pansy…

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BDK Parfums Sel d’Argent & Carthusia A’mmare ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 21 July 2022 12 Comments

My neighborhood feels a little quieter on summer weekends, due to many residents’ migrations to and from the seashore. That’s not something I personally do, because there are certain things about summer beaches that really make me miserable: the crowds, the noise, the excessive sunlight. I love the beach, on my own terms: off-season, in fall or spring, under slightly cloudy skies.

Since I can’t always have the beach the way I like it, or I can’t actually get there when the conditions are most favorable, I’m partial to beach-themed perfumes that let me imagine an ideal seashore visit. Two new additions to my rotation of beachy perfumes are BDK Parfums Sel d’Argent and Carthusia A’mmare, marine fantasies with different olfactory moods…

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