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Giorgio Armani Eau de Nuit Pour Homme ~ fragrance review

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Back in February, Giorgio Armani released two fragrances: one “old” (Eau Pour Homme) and one “new” — Eau de Nuit Pour Homme*. I wonder if either of these launches generated any real excitement in the perfume-o-sphere? Certainly Eau Pour Homme has its loyal fans, but Eau de Nuit had a quiet launch — for awhile, it was a Neiman Marcus exclusive. Perhaps Armani fragrances are more popular in Europe than in the U.S.?

Eau Pour Homme is a well-made re-issue/reformulation. Contrary to some reports I read online, Eau de Nuit Pour Homme (same bottle design as Eau Pour Homme except the glass is black) isn’t a darker/richer version of Eau Pour Homme; it’s a distinct (if not exactly distinctive) fragrance experience…

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Kerosene Pretty Machine ~ fragrance review

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William Blake illustration

Anyone else sick of hearing about (the former) Kate Middleton’s post-delivery tummy fat and the big reveal concerning the “royal” baby’s name? Why do I have to see these baby-centric headlines, articles and photo spreads everywhere I look — I live in the U.S. for goodness sakes! I guess the royal family is England’s favorite “reality show” — comparable to the U.S. public’s fascination with the Kardashian clan and their ilk.

Last week, as I watched (via TV) a toothless, happy-as-could-be elderly man on the streets of London, dressed in Union Jack-inspired clothes and carrying banners celebrating the birth of a male heir to the “throne,” I wondered: “Has he ever thought the tens of millions of dollars spent by his country on Queen Elizabeth and her kin could perhaps be better used for other purposes…like a set of teeth for himself?” None of my business I guess…find joy where you can.

But all this antiquated royal stuff made me search out the things I love about England: its literature, eccentrics, gardens…dogs! This past week, I put some Purcell, Dusty Springfield, Arne and The Smiths on the CD player, watched a few Mike Leigh films (the great Another Year and Life is Sweet) and looked through some poetry books. I came upon Ode on the Spring by Thomas Gray…

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Bijan for Women ~ fragrance review

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Bijan for Women fragrance advert

“The souk! It smells like the SOUK! Yes…the SOUK!” In the middle of Bullocks Wilshire’s perfume gallery stood a statuesque African woman (Senegalese, if I remember correctly) — she was wearing a striped green-and-red silk wrap-dress, and had on enough gold jewelry to crush a lesser woman. “Madame” (“madame” was what the sales woman called her) stood with one hand on her hip and the other hand thrust out in front of her, palm facing the ceiling; she waved this Bijan perfume-moistened arm to and fro and took deep breaths of the scented air around her. Ever since, I’ve not looked at the famous Bijan bottle or smelled Bijan for Women without recalling Madame; she was the personification of an Eighties Bijan woman: glamorous, “exotic,” rich and theatrical. Of all those, ‘theatrical’ was my favorite (and still is). When Madame’s eyes met mine, she smiled widely and turned up her chin — I was then but a ‘babe’ and I felt weak in the knees.

Madame’s “souk” pronouncements were meaningless to me, I hadn’t been to one. Years later, with several souk visits behind me, I can see her point. Vintage Bijan for Women smelled like the air of a crowded Middle East market…

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Giorgio Armani Eau Pour Homme ~ fragrance review

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Perfume years are like dog years; time accumulates quickly — the period from birth to old age is brief. I loved my dogs and still think about every one of them, even dogs from my childhood. Being strict with myself when it comes to language, I can’t say I ‘love’ any perfume, past or present; when a perfume passes away (or gets reformulated beyond recognition), I don’t make a big deal about it. Best to think of reformulations as reincarnations; everything changes.

Giorgio Armani Eau Pour Homme is on the verge of turning thirty; truly, that’s got to be at least 60 years old in perfume years (with the changes in taste, and the thousands of perfumes that have come into being since 1984). Eau Pour Homme, being a child of privilege (his father is Giorgio Armani), just got a facelift in his dotage (a newish bottle) and (no matter what Armani PR says) a tweaking of his juice…

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La Via del Profumo Milano Caffe ~ fragrance review

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If I could live in many places all at once, I’d start my day in Naples…or Venice…or Rome…so I could sip several cups of espresso with breakfast. I live in Seattle and, yes, I can get some great coffee here, but none that matches the distinctive flavor of the cups of coffee I’ve enjoyed in Italy. And I can assure you, there is NO cafe in Seattle that compares to the grand Italian coffee houses you’ll find from Turin to Syracuse.

La Via del Profumo (also known as AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo) just released Milano Caffè. Perfumer Dominique Dubrana wasn’t born in Italy, but moved there from France over 25 years ago. He is celebrating his adopted homeland with five “Italian” fragrances, paying homage to the cities of Milan, Venice, Rome, Florence and Naples. Milano Caffè was the first release in the Italian line. Dubrana said: “This perfume, named for Milan, is centered on the omnipresent and most characteristic smell of the city, the aroma of coffee…

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