Aftelier Violet Ambrosia & Olfactive Studio Violet Shot ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 10 December 2020 6 Comments

One of my favorite winter-themed songs is the American standard “Violets for Your Furs.” Billie Holiday’s interpretation is the one I love most, although I’m very fond of Frank Sinatra’s version, which was probably the one that introduced me to this song. The nostalgic mood, the intimate gesture, the contrast between a wintry urban setting and some fresh flowers — it would make a wonderful inspiration for a perfume. And now that winter has arrived in my own city, I’m suddenly in the mood for any and all violet fragrances. Here are two new ones that I’ve recently tried…

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Gallivant Bukhara & Une Nuit Nomade Nothing But Sea and Sky ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 12 November 2020 7 Comments

As I’m writing this review, it’s the day after Election Day in the United States.* We don’t discuss politics here at Now Smell This, so I’ll just say that it’s been a stressful week (and month and year) so far. The current suspense is making me wish I were somewhere other than here, somewhere other than now, although I’m not usually much of traveler.

Come to think of it, I first expressed my non-wanderlust in a review of two fragrances from Une Nuit Nomade, Rose America and Memory Motel. The description for Nothing But Sea and Sky, the latest in Une Nuit Nomade’s tribute to the beaches of New York’s Montauk, caught my eye…

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Velvet & Sweet Pea Luminous Lemurs ~ perfume review

Posted by Jessica on 25 September 2020 5 Comments

Back in June, I wondered whether we’d see any independent perfumers responding to the events of 2020 through their fragrance work. Yes, as it turns out: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has been creating a series of fragrance “sketches” inspired by her home surroundings (see my review of Hot Masala), and now Laurie Stern of Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery has released Luminous Lemurs. Laurie writes, “COVID-19 has made it even more clear to me that the purpose of my work is to help animals and indigenous communities,” and Luminous Lemurs is a tribute to these endangered creatures and their human neighbors.

I’m a longtime fan of Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Black Cat, Honey and Moonlight, so I would have been curious about Luminous Lemurs if I hadn’t known that it’s being launched for a good cause. Laurie is donating portion of its profits to Centre ValBio…

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Yosh Sottile, Ginger Ciao & Omnistar ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 17 September 2020 9 Comments

The early-2020 closing of the Barneys New York flagship store on Madison Avenue was a sad moment for me. I’ve been shopping there for fragrance and makeup for longer than I care to admit, and I have happy memories of meeting the creators of various cosmetics and perfume brands during “personal appearance” events on the beauty floor. One of those creators was Yosh Han, whose line of perfume oils was carried by Barneys and was popular amongst Makeup Alley perfumistas in the early 2000s. I remember chatting briefly with Yosh and telling her how much I liked Winter Rose, among other scents in her collection.

I always kept an eye (and a nose) on Yosh’s work and even ran into her from time to time during her recurring New York visits. I worried a little when her perfume oils started vanishing from various online retailers a year or two ago, and then I was relieved to learn that a rebranding had been in progress…

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Maya Njie Les Fleurs, Nordic Cedar & Vanilj ~ fragrance reviews

Posted by Jessica on 28 August 2020 15 Comments

I’ve never been a minimalist — not by nature, not by nurture. I’ll never live in an airy space with bare white walls or limit my clothing to a capsule wardrobe. My taste in perfume typically matches my taste in clothing and decor, leaning towards retro florals and cozy ambers. But in fragrance, at least, I’ll occasionally experiment to some extent.

In this spirit, I ordered a few samples from the Swedish-born, London-based indie perfumer Maya Njie, who founded her fragrance line in 2016. (It’s only recently become available in the United States, where I live.) Njie describes her olfactory aesthetic as “the spirit connected to the classic 1970s Scandinavian idyll, combined with the soul of her esoteric Gambian heritage.” That reference to Scandinavian 1970s style, plus the clean design of her perfume bottles and labels, made me expect minimalist perfumes…

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