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Tadashi Shoji Eau de Rose ~ fragrance review

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Tadashi Shoji, fall 2017 runway

I have to admit that I didn’t recognize Tadashi Shoji’s name when I read the press release for his first fragrance release. After a quick bit of research, I learned that he’s a Japanese fashion designer best known for his special-occasion dresses. His designs have gained an ardent following of women who love their floral prints, embroidery and other embellishments, and figure-flattering cuts, and you may have seen some of his dresses worn by such prominent women as Michelle Obama (multiple times), Octavia Spencer (for her 2012 Academy Awards win), Katy Perry, Christina Hendricks and Paris Jackson (yes, Michael Jackson’s daughter).

Eau de Rose was developed for Shoji by consultant Ruth Sutcliffe with perfumers Jacques Chabert and Nathalie Koobus, and it was reportedly inspired by Japanese gardens and Shoji’s love of roses…

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Guerlain Mon Guerlain ~ perfume review

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Angelina Jolie for Mon Guerlain

tl;dr — a diet gourmand; meh.

Perfumistas as a group tend towards Guerlain-worship, and why shouldn’t they? Jicky, Shalimar, Après L’Ondée, L’Heure Bleue, Mitsouko, Chamade, Vetiver: these are excellent good reasons. But the respect accorded the Guerlain brand by perfumistas today, in 2017, continues to puzzle me. It isn’t like Guerlain hasn’t made anything worth smelling since their glory days, but my guess is that if you took all the brand’s output in the modern era (let’s say, 1990 and beyond) and you released it under some other, less illustrious brand name, that brand would get considerably less attention from avid fragrance fans…

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Bruno Fazzolari Monserrat ~ fragrance review

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Bruno Fazzolari Monserrat

I was thinking of worn and repainted urban walls; I also was thinking of fresco painting — which is the origin of the fantasy note ‘wet plaster.’ — Bruno Fazzolari

It was the “wet plaster” that got me. To me, texture is one of the most intriguing aspects of perfume. Knowing Bruno Fazzolari Monserrat had a plaster note made me want to try it right away. I imagined something chalky and creamy at the same time, giving the fragrance the feel of earthy pastry cream.1

And it did. Monserrat’s plaster is really there…

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The Monday Mail ~ help Layla find a new fragrance

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post box

We haven’t done a Monday Mail post in ages — I hope there are still some old-timers around who remember the drill! Layla wants our help. She’s outgrown all of her “overly fruity floral one dimensional perfumes”, and wants to find something new. She’s willing to splurge for the right fragrance. Here is what we know about Layla:

She’s in her mid 20s, and is originally from the Middle East, now living in New York.

She’s a professional cook, an aspiring freelance writer and a (very) amateur musician.

Her ideal perfume: possibly unisex (or at least, something with some masculine notes), sexy, and woodsy, not so heavy and powerful…

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By Kilian Moonlight in Heaven ~ fragrance review

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By Kilian Moonlight in Heaven

On my first trip to Bangkok, I was lucky enough to be served a perfect plate of coconut sticky rice with sliced mango. This dish was freshly prepared and the mango was delectable (it’s the main attraction). This famous Thai dessert has never been as good when I’ve had it in the US, perhaps due to the quality of the mangoes available here most of the year. If you’re lucky enough to live in a city that imports Alphonso mangoes from India (my favorite mango), buy some and serve them with coconut sticky rice. (Alphonso season starts in April and lasts just eight weeks.)

French niche line By Kilian launched Moonlight in Heaven last year; the perfume was developed by perfumer Calice Becker and is an homage of sorts to coconut sticky rice and mango…

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