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Cire Trudon Olim & Mortel ~ fragrance reviews

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St. Louis by the workshop of El Greco

I’m a Francophile when it comes to candles. Cire Trudon is part of my Candle Triumvirate; Astier de Villatte and Diptyque make up the others. (I’ve always been afraid to try Frédéric Malle candles…I have a feeling they’d expand my candle obsession and budget to an even crazier level.)

I was interested (that’s about the best I can muster these days in Perfumeland, no longer am I “thrilled” or “excited” about new launches) when I heard Cire Trudon had developed a personal fragrance line called Trudon (how many times did I wish one of Cire Trudon’s wonderfully scented room sprays or candles was a perfume?) I’m happy to report three of the first five perfumes pleased me, and today I’m reviewing two: Olim1 and Mortel2. Robin Here at NST beat me to my other favorite: Deux (II)…

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Byredo Encens Chembur ~ fragrance review

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One of my favorite times of year to wear incense perfumes is during Indian Summer — when days are hot and nights are chilly. Light and soft incense perfumes fit perfectly with the scents of dry leaves and the lingering aromas of smoke from neighborhood fireplaces.

Many of my once-favorite incense perfumes no longer appeal; their artificial ingredients have become obnoxious to me, maybe due to reformulations or my nose getting accustomed (and sensitive) to Iso E Super, Cashmeran, Ambrox and the like. (And must vanilla be in everything?)

Though I appreciate many Byredo fragrances (I love Pulp), I missed Encens Chembur’s debut nine years ago…

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Remnants of ladanum

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During the period of the Aegean Bronze Age (ca.3000-1000 BCE), the ancient cultures of the Minoans and the Myceneans on the island of Crete made extensive use of fragrant substances such as ladanum (also called laudanum) and saffron. It is said that shepherds would often meticulously collect remnants of ladanum, a sticky resin that comes from the shrubs of the Cistus ladanifer, from the beards of their goats after they had been grazing. As Jo Day, a classics professor at University College Dublin, remarked, the Minoans and Myceneans (1600-1200 BCE) also burned another spice as incense: saffron.

— Read more at Recreating The Aroma Of The Ancient City: Incense In The Ancient Mediterranean at Forbes.

The daily lemming

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Large Orb incense burner

I would not like to have to tell you how much time I spent looking at incense holders yesterday after posting my last lemming, but I did work my way down from $150 to the $60 that In.Sek charges for their Large Orb incense burner. It is a very different aesthetic, but one I find equally lemm-able. There is a smaller burner for $35, but it is sure to leave ash on my desktop, and come to think of it, the large one looks much better as a pair, doesn't it? So let's just forget the whole thing. ("Beautiful solid cast concrete incense burner looks great as a table centerpiece and catches all the ash from your favorite incense. Comes with a 1/8" hole in the center of the piece to hold all sized incense sticks or cones from small to large. Easy to clean with soap and water. Can be used indoor and outdoor.  Collects all the dust from your incense perfectly in the bowl!") At In.Sek.

The daily lemming

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I do not adore the brass base, but I don't hate it either, and the rest of the Amphora Incense Holder by L'Objet is exactly the incense burner I've been looking for — except that I wasn't really looking for an incense holder until I saw this one, on account of I already have one, and if I was looking for an incense holder, I would hopefully be looking for one that cost way less than $150. ("From the time our earliest ancestors tossed dried leaves and herbs onto their communal fires, the blending of incense became a sacred and healing art. Earthy yet mysterious, incense is still treasured today for its ability to enliven our senses, cleanse impurities, and elevate our mood. The Parfums de Voyage collection features Japanese incense, which delivers the purest fragrance possible. Elevate the experience further by aerating and lifting the fragrance through a timeless porcelain amphora.") Available at Twisted Lily.

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