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· April 3, 2008 1:58 AM by
Colleen Shirazi
· April 3, 2008 1:18 PM by
Dain
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Posted by Dain, Tuesday, April 01, 2008 2:37 PM (Eastern)
You may have noticed that this blog has been flooded with posts about perfume of late. It is not out of any solicitude, I've been stuffing samples in one end and vomiting adjectives out the other in hopes of coming up with a perfume wardrobe. I grow tired of the self-importance that furs the prose of my reviews, but without experience, I'd never have come to appreciate something like Mitsouko, which is not your easy spritz-and-go kind of juice and yet gives me that peculiar thrill of pleasure too intimate to describe.
One desires nothing short of objets d'art, pure aesthetics on the one hand, and on the other hand common sense urges me not to be a fool, no bottles that gather dust and balefully remind me of my mediocre judgement, the fate of those that barely miss. After all, I'm no collector, I'm not interested in perfumes for interest's sake, I'm interested in how they will fit into my life. My ideal perfume wardrobe would be uncluttered, because excess dulls your capacity for enjoyment, without redundancies or the predictable prescriptions of "here's a spring scent, there's an evening fragrance, versus one for work, and at last a perfume for your wedding". If the juice is good, wear it. And finally, it must be nothing that's hard to find: vintage/discontinuations/LE, parfums, or European exclusives—give me a fucking break.
That's enough rambling. Here is where I'm at right now. I'll start from easy to difficult (to wear):
 COMFORTquantitatively Gourmands, but not so sweet it makes me nauseous, and musks, but not so clean it gives me headaches. Evocative of domestic rituals, right? qualitatively Gentle and affable, nigh motherly. A balm for the soul. Thomas Gainsborough, Six Studies of a Cat (1770). Watching Bleach reruns in my pajamas. Afternoon sunlight. contenders I still have Givenchy Organza Indécence, more out of nostalgia than a true inclination, so Fendi Theorema is my current bottle. I also might consider Serge Lutens' delicate interpretation of Turkish delight in Louve, or the savory, polished wood effect of Miller et Bertaux Parfums Trouve #1, or maybe Narciso Rodrigeuz's elegant skin musk, but the best of all would be Chanel Cuir de Russie. |
 BOMBSHELLquantitatively Soliflores, or floral aldehydes, but one that doesn't bore me. qualitatively Conventionally gorgeous femininity for work or romance. A Mediterranean holiday. Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus (1482-1486). The glamour of classic film stars. Mozart's operas. contenders A very diverse category, with a series of reviews in the works. I've moved from the pure erotica of Michael Kors' tuberose to a soliflore of greater poise, lily of the valley and Diorissimo. But it was Montale Crystal Flowers, with its dreamy combination of creamy rosebuds and lily of the valley, that was the sample I found myself racing through. We'll see how I feel after the bottle is done. |
| QUEEN quantitatively Red rose and incense, the two most precious perfume ingredients, combined into one heavenly chorus. qualitatively The sublime can hardly be limited to one image alone, so I chose this video of famous female portraits (the rose) set to Bach (the incense). Ethereal cashmere. Steak cooked medium rare, washed down with a heady bottle of wine. Shakespeare. First pair of Manolos. Simple orgasmic bliss. contenders Caron Parfum Sacré, there is no other. |
 ZENquantitatively A chypre would be the ideal, sunny bergamot and earthy oakmoss, bridged by a floral, aldehydic heart. qualitatively Pristine and tranquil brilliance. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue. Katsushika Hokusai, "Red Fuji in Clear Weather" from 36 Views of Mt. Fuji (1826-1833). Margaret Atwood's austere, intelligent prose. contenders Every time I spritz myself with Mitsouko, it is heaven. Repetition does not dull my adoration, quite the contrary. Some day I might invest in the parfum. |
 BITCHquantitatively Orientals: leather, animalics, woods, and spices. qualitatively Messenger demon from Hieronymous Bosch, The Temptation of St. Anthony (1500, left panel). Uncompromising, eccentric beauty and wicked intelligence. Whispers, "the death of Satan was a tragedy for the imagination" (Stevens). contenders I looked long and hard for this one, especially amongst leathers. Somewhat to my surprise, the most dearly departed sample is a dark horse, Caron Coup de Fouet, a true feast of hot carnations and burning spices. Many a juice described as "difficult" has disappointed me in my quest, but Coup de Fouet is the true queen bitch. My only complaint? It doesn't last quite long enough. |
Labels: beauty notes, caron, fendi, guerlain, montale, perfume, the mnemonic sense
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April 3, 2008 1:58 AM,
I've had a couple of perfume thoughts lately.
One is the perfumes I end up buying these days, fall under:
1.) A heavy emotional factor. That's why I like the Patou scents I've smelled. Technically they may not be the "best" scents, but I don't care. I always think "smile in a bottle."
2.) Hillary Swank. :) The other category for me is Hillary Swank...unisex, but feminine-unisex. There is this lovely soft girl-next-door-ness to Hillary Swank, but she can do masculine too. I was very impressed by her work in Boys Don't Cry (even if it was a horribly depressing film). In Insomnia, which was a lousy film, she wasn't lousy...you would never know she had convincingly played a male part in her other film. I really like that versatility.
My Montale Aoud Blossom/Boise Vanille thing falls under Hillary Swank, because of the woods and dry vanilla (masculine) under a layer of almost pure florals. It's not truly unisex, it's more feminine, yet with that masculine edge.
April 3, 2008 1:18 PM,
Yeah, I figure I might be able to narrow it down further. I daresay a perfume wardrobe is extremely personal. And after living around with Theorema and Crystal Flowers, they're good, but I'm not gonna repurchase.
Coup de Fouet is pretty nice, but it's a bit light and fleeting. Of course, there's the parfum concentration, but Voleur de Roses might be even better.
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