scent in literature

"....His hair was deeply oiled, and comb tracks went all the way from his temples to the back of his thin black neck, and he reeked of green perfume..."

From Evan S. Connell's short story "The Fisherman from Chihuahua"  (1955)

I haven't been wearing anything new recently, although I still have so many samples to try.  Some of the scents that have been in rotation lately -  Le Labo Labdanum 18, Creed Fleurs de Bulgarie, Agent Provocateur L'Agent (this one has been growing on me), Les Nereides Patchouli Antique, and Annick Goutal Petite Cherie.   

In light of the above quote, I should reek of something green today.

a quick post - tomato seedlings and hair

Oh I am so busy - so please excuse the very sporadic and odd posts!

You know what perfume smells good when you're spending hours re-potting tomato seedlings?  Hermes Un Jardin Apres La Mousson.  Really good.  Really really good.  This may be my to-go perfume for the warmer days in the garden nursery (Chanel 31 Rue Cambon was perfect during the colder days).

Now onto hair:

My hair is the longest it has been in over 20 years, so I'm trying to find ways to tame it and keep it in place, especially when I'm, umm, re-potting tomatoes.

Been knitting up a bunch of cotton headbands - check out my other blog for a photo of a couple of them.  They help with the wispy grey strands surrounding my face.  I wear my hair in bun, or two buns at the nape of my neck, or sometimes a ponytail.  Sometimes braids.

When doing the bun thing, I realize that I do not like regular hairpins.  They don't work in my hair. I can put four hundred in, and my hair falls out within an hour.

And then, and THEN, I found these lovely pins! Good Hair Days Magic-Grip Hairpins. I'm in heaven.  I bought them at a local Sally's - and from what I have found, they do have the best price, too. I cup-squeeze (cup my hand around the bun thing and squeeze so that the pins are tight) a couple of times during the day but other than that, my hair will stay pretty darned bun-y throughout the entire workday!

I normally don't talk about beauty or hair products, but these are so terrific I had to talk about them.

(photo very blurry - it's difficult taking a photo of oneself from the side/back!)

scents of last week, and The Perfume Collector

Monday: Attended a City Council meeting as they were deciding on the community garden contract - wore The Different Company Bois d'Iris.

Tuesday:  I'm attempting to sit with (vintage) Avon Occur! which I received from the most wonderful Brian at I Smell Therefore I Am.  When I first tried this, I was overwhelmed by the fragrance. My initial impression was of women at Sunday Mass during my childhood (the 1960s), especially the wealthier few who wore the fox fur stoles - with their heads still attached. I was mesmerized by those foxes - they intrigued, horrified and disgusted me - those eyes! those eyes!

I need more time with this one. My nose and brain are all over the place.

Wednesday:  The good people at Harper Collins sent me a copy of Kathleen Tessaro's The Perfume Collector, and I finished reading it earlier this week.  I recommend this book to people who like 'chick lit' and/or perfume.  The author does a wonderful job of describing scent and perfume.  The story is an interesting one, and the best part of the book in my opinion is how she brings to life the mysterious Madame Zed.  Of course this book made me want to try vintage Lanvin My Sin.

Thursday:  Getting ready to go to work at the garden nursery, I put on some Chanel No. 5.  Boy, was that a mistake.  I immediately got grumpy (the cold rainy weather probably didn't help much).  So I scrubbed it, and put on Le Labo Labdanum 18 instead.

Friday:  Another nursery day, still cool, so I warmed up with a light spritz of Les Nereides Patchouli Antique.  I have to say that this is my current patch favorite, and it could be my all time patchouli favorite.

Saturday:  Work, then a Farmers Market meeting, then a St. Patty's Day party - hahaa, yeah friends were going to hold this party ON St. Patty's Day, but the flu made them cancel it.   Serge Lutens Sa Majeste La Rose.

perfume on television and in the dirt

So, what did you all think about the perfume episode on "Mr. Selfridge"?

I had to pull out my sample of 4711 (I know, I only have a sample - sounds kind of silly - a "sample" of 4711.  I have been meaning to purchase a bottle, but haven't yet) during the scene featuring the counter display, and sprayed some on the Moth and myself to get into the mood of the show.

As the house perfume featured in this episode was a lily-in-the-valley fiction, here are links from Bois de Jasmin and Perfume Shrine for more information about this note in real perfume.

In other news, I wore Chanel 31 Rue Cambon this week while gardening (yes, the weather has been nice lately - actually too nice as I'm not thrilled with 80 degree days in April but after the long winter, I'll take whatever warmth Mother Nature dishes up) and I was stunned by how wearable it is.  I have a preconceived notion that all Chanel are in general just too fancy for every day wear.    Bergamot, black pepper, patchouli, iris,  labdanum.  I swear I get a hint of a dirty rose in this.  Is 31 Rue Cambon becoming my go-to gardening perfume (as you may remember, I wore this when I went to an apple orchard back in October)?

Spring scents

Oh how I have been enjoying Miller Harris La Pluie, Diptyque L'Ombre dans L'Eau, Cartier L'Heure Vertueuse (and even though this does smell like old school Herbal Essence shampoo), it's all about rain and green green green since it's still freezing and snowing here. And,  CB I Hate Perfume Black March - perfect!

Cicely Mary Barker

I have been consumed with two other things lately; the first being the agricultural co-op that I helped co-found at the beginning of this year, along with three others.  Currently we have seven projects we're involved with (or should it be 'in which we are involved?"   Anyway...)  Growing food, on various parcels of land, for sale and donation to local food banks, farmers market stand, community garden, kitchen incubator, mobile market, and a few other things.  Plus let's not forget my own home garden - I have a few flats of seeds started - cross your fingers as I'm usually pretty awful at getting seeds growing indoors.  And I landed two part-time jobs - one as co-manager of our local Farmers Market, and the other working at a garden nursery.

These projects and jobs are going to take a lot of my time and energy (and I'm sooo excited and happy about them!), but I hope that I will still have the opportunity to talk about perfume, but just a warning that my posts may be even more few and far between than normal.

I'm also obsessed with the novels of Jo Nesbo.  Seriously obsessed with a capital O.  I have read five of his novels in less than a month, and they average about 500 pages each.

Yep, that's what I'm doing!  Now, how about you?

Toronto "Nosey Bunch" Fragrance meet-up #8 (public service announcement)

Hello everyone - a public service announcement from Daniel and the Toronto "Nosey Bunch" and Scent Society.

Invitation:

Well it's that time of year again! As has now become a tradition, the “Nosey Bunch” of Toronto are having a gathering and snifferoo, and of course you're invited!

Come join us at the prestigious Guerlain boutique here in Yorkville for an exclusive event - you will be greeted with familiar and new faces alike, white gloves and champagne, and of course, a selection of fragrances that showcase Guerlain's undeniable contribution to everything we know and love about perfume to this day.

If possible, please RSVP by either calling the boutique (details below), emailing me back, or lastly by posting a note in one of the forum threads (links below). Feel free to spread the word to those who might be interested…

Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you there!

Date: SUNDAY March 10th, 2013

Location: Guerlain Boutique, 110 Bloor Street West, (416) 929 6114. Valerie is the friendly store manager.

Time: 5-7pm, and feel free to come and go as you please.

To Bring: Yourself and significant others or friends/family that have an interest in fragrance and skin care, any industry books or magazines, etc.

And for those of you who didn’t catch the links last time, here are some pictures of the last meetup:

Jamie’s fantastic shots - https://www.flickr.com/photos/79426769@N04/sets/72157631153609582/with/7820938434/

A mix of my photos and other people’s - https://www.flickr.com/photos/85462024@N03/sets/72157631176743996/with/7831357266/

Links to the various forum posts in case you want to RSVP or join:

http://www.basenotes.net/threads/327721-8-Toronto-Fragrance-meetup-Sunday-March-10th-5pm-at-GUERLAIN-Come-Join-Us!

http://www.perfumeoflife.com/index.php?/topic/43833-8-toronto-fragrance-meetup-sunday-march-10th-5pm-at-guerlain-come-join-us/

http://www.meetup.com/Scent-Society/events/107847092/

http://www.fragrantica.com/board/viewtopic.php?pid=1072402

https://www.makeupalley.com/board/n.asp/bid=4/tid=456706

"what are you wearing?"

I think that the Oscars need a perfume correspondent.  Not that I watched the show this year.  But I would watch it (or any award-type show) if someone was asking the celebs "what perfume are you wearing?"

So this is what I wore this week:

Monday:  Mojo Magique.

Tuesday:  Von Eusersdorff Classic Myrrh.  I have a decant of this and I haven't posted anything about it yet.  I'll wear it again, perhaps this weekend, and maybe then I'll have something substantial to say about it.  In the meantime, here's a great review by Victoria at EauMG.

Wednesday:  I decided to re-test Neela Vermeire's creations, as I wasn't as blown away by them as so many other bloggers seems to be.  Conclusion:  I'm still not blown away by them.

Thursday:  Miller Harris Fleur Oriental

Friday:  Annick Goutal Mandragore.  I was looking through my collection of full bottles, and pulled this one out - I used to wear it a lot a couple of years ago as evidenced by half the bottle being used up, and I still do love it.  What a delight to re-visit this again.