Falling in Love~Scents and Treats for Fall

T.S Eliot in The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock came up with the immortal line of having "measured out his life with coffee spoons".
Somewhat less arrestingly I have been counting the (academic) years by the new leather-bound notebooks I buy every September, a perpetual student even while lecturing others.

The mixed feelings of new beginnings and the wistfulness of the rainy season produce a compelling crash in me: Perhaps it's merely that I was born in autumn that it holds a special place in my heart. Perhaps it's that autumn is a special season any way, reminding us of our own mortality.



Whatever it is,
"La Petite Fille de la Mer" (Girl of the Sea) by Greek composer Vangelis, captured in this visually beautiful clip titled "Autumn" below, is following me these days.
I accordingly got myself a new bottle of Eau de Monsieur by Annick Goutal to replenish my finished one. It's a criminally underrated fragrance from 1980 which pioneered the use of immortelle back when no one would think of having that fenugreek-like aroma about them. Its sexy, maple & moss over warmed sand dunes, tawny atmosphere reminds me of the passage of summer into winter.
My evening-unwinding scent for when I'm in? Douce Amère by Serge Lutens (click for review), a mix of sweet and bitter like absinth liquor.


And then there are things that easily lend themselves to autumnal thoughts by their very nature. Whenever I catch a glimpse of Andrei Tarkovsky's Zerkalo (The Mirror) I find myself listening to the hush of nature going to sleep. Christopher Brosius' Burning Leaves comes to mind...With a touch of the gently decaying red apples and myrrh incense of Wazamba (review here).



During the day I am fantasizing of striding moors à la Catherine Earnshaw in sturdy and mean boots. I have zeroed on these ones by La Redoute. My black riding boots scent? Chanel Cuir de Russie in extrait de parfum or Doblis by Hermès, baby! (click for reviews)
And of course this calls for a nice cashmere little sweater that can be worn any day and not be cumbersome (we don't get the Yorkshire weather, after all!). This Isle of Skye little number looks perfectly cozy and flattering. I'd like it in charcoal grey and would pair it with just about anything: colourful shirts, print scarfs, jeans, my A-line skirt in pitch black...
My cashmere sweater scent? Barbara Bui Le Parfum and Sonia Rykiel Woman, not for Men! in Eau de Parfum strictly. (Interchangeably, they're quite similar, as you can read here)

In the evenings, as the weather cools progressively, I have been reverting to my comforting Crème Spendide Nuit by Annick Goutal, whose rose essence is perfectly calming while the texture is a dream: Its instant moisturising claim is not misleading. And spraying my surroundings with my latest obsession, Opopanax by Diptyque: If you even remotely like the classic Shalimar by Guerlain, give the Diptyque a whirl. The resinous powdery touch is perfect for centering and I love the elegant bottle.

I was watching Strange Days by Kathryn Bigelow (Cameron's wife for those who don't know her) on TV the other day. 14 years yesterday since its release and it struck me how modern it still looks, how original. (And I still absolutely adore the above song by PJ Harvey.)
In a way we're living snippets of the lives of others through the Internet these days: Their experiences become our collective "Squids" and you're in one of them. So I hope you enjoy the ride and are left with a desire to Playback!

Please visit the following blogs for more thoughts on favorite Fall scents & associations:

The Non Blonde, Under the Cupola, Ayala's Smelly Blog, Savvy Thinker, Olfactarama, Notes from the Ledge, Ars Aromatica, Mossy Loomings, I Smell Therefore I Am, Tea Sympathy and Perfume.


Sepia Tree photo credit: Autumn in Sepia by Rick Lundh (via gallery.photo.net) manipulated by me.

All other photos by Elena Vosnaki (click to enlarge)


Clip October Dream originally uploaded by Shastasheene, Clip from Mirror originally uploaded by unkindrublicrpp, clip of Juliette Louis singing in Strange Days by SanJayaPrimeon Youtube.

Robert Piguet/Raucour Calypso: fragrance review & history

Leafing through mythology books while researching on Nausinous, the son of Ulysses and Calypso the couple appearing in Homer's Odyssey, I cannot help but marvel at the invisible threads that tie history, perfumery and the great imagination of inspired creators such as Robert Piguet. His fragrance Calypso encapsulates the ethereal and yet alluring qualities that the eponymous numph was renowed for in a most refined way.

It is with stupendous surprise that one learns that Rober Piguet, born in the Swiss town of Yverdon in 1901, was originally trained not in fashion but in banking! So much his couturier and creator of stylish fragrances reputation has preceded him among the cognoscenti! A young boy of 17 he moved to the fashion capital of the world, Paris, and landed a job first with Redfern and later with fashion legend Paul Poiret. His industrious and inquisitive spirit resulted in the founding of his own salon in 1933. There he provided Parisian women with his own creations as well as those of alumni Antonio Castillo, Christian Dior, James Galanos, Marc Bohan, Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain. Although his couture side of the business is largely forgotten apart from the historic scope (he retired in 1951 and died in 1953), his perfume business is very much alive. This is thanks to at once the tremendous fame that his pioneer fragrances Fracas (1946) and Bandit (1944), both by iconoclast perfumer Germaine Cellier, have created, as well as the respectful treatment his compositions have received in the hands of Joe Garces of Fashion Fragrances and Cosmetics Ltd. after a limbo state of the brand while under Alfin inc.

In researching Calypso the fragrance, I tried to find visuals and was aided by my friend Octavian who provided the image herein. On it there is a bottle not unlike the bell-shaped jars of today's Lutens bottles for his Paris-exclusives which bears the name Calypso by Raucour. The brand Raucour is most probably inspired by a personage in French history: Françoise-Marie-Antoinette Saucerotte, nicknamed Mademoiselle Raucourt or Françoise Raucourt, was an anti-Revolutionist tragedian living in the late 18th century France and the Directoire period, famous for her roles as Medea, Semiramis and Agripinna. Could Calypso, the nymph who fell in love with Ulysses/Odysseus and kept him captive on her island for 8 long years following his nostos from Troy, be another one of the roles which would fit her? The tragic quotient of the role, with its clash between the vagaries of the heart on the one hand and the predecided by the Gods fate of Ulysses (namely to return to his home and family) on the other, is not antithetical to her range.
Additionally, her predeliction for aromatic substances in the form of exotic and rare plants such as frangipaniers and baobabs in her Château in La Chapelle Saint-Mesmin lets the imagination roll with fragrant images...

The Renoir company simultaneously produced the perfumes Renoir, Raucour and Piguet while the Piguet trademarks were filled by Renoir during the war. The depicted Calypso from Raucour is in the same bottle and packaging Renoir used for Messager/ Cattleya or Dona Sol (that were also sold later under Raucour brand and credited to Piguet in several guides). This puts an interesting spin into the alleged launch date of 1957 or 1959 for Piguet's Calypso. In those older days aroma-producing companies (the equivalent of today's big boys, aka Givaudan, Firmenich, IFF etc) formulated the jus with less speed. Therefore in light of the above clues, could we assume that Calypso by Raucour and Calypso by Piguet are indeed the same fragrance? If so, the date launch should be pushed in the previous decade, placing it firmly alongside its olfactory "inspirations", more of which shortly, Whatever the truth is, the scent itself is revelational in some respect.

Piguet's Calypso olfactorily reflects the qualities of both spicy floral and green floral facets, resulting in a refined composition that alludes to both L'Air du Temps (its carnation tinged airiness) and Ma Griffe (its green buds on the mountaintop dryness). Calypso's daintily mossy garland is woven into delicate lacework that enhances these themes and in the canon of current Piguet fragrances which impose their presence it presents something of an anomaly. However it is for those occasions exactly that one is advised to look back at the history of a house when pronouncing judgement on terms of aesthetics: The Piguet portfolio included legion of fragrances once upon a time, with some of the lesser known being: Augure, Cattleya, Fou, Dingo (all from 1945), Gambade (1946), Grande Epoque, Rollon, Hirondelle, Brigand, Dark Herald, Donna Sol, Mimo, Esclave (all from 1947), Estampe (1948), and Messanger (1952).

The vintage Calypso by Robert Piguet (not to be confused with the duty-free limited edition by Lancôme by the same name) was originally available in Eau de Toilette strength and extrait de parfum in the standard curvaceous and simple flacons of Piguet and makes sporadic appearences on Ebay. Since Baghari (1945) and Visa (1946) have been re-issued and so have Futur (1974) and the masculine Cravache (1963) recently, to varying approximations to the original formula, let's hope that the marvel that is Calypso is destined for Phoenix-like resurection as well.

Painting of Odysseus and Calypso, 1883 by Arnold Böcklin via faerymists.tripod.com

Francis Kurkdjian: Bubbly on Fox TV

"Luxury today is not only about pricing, but it's about dreaming," Kurkdijan told Good Day NY's Julie Chang. Starting at $18, the products are quite affordable. You can find them at Bergdorf Goodman for now and at Maison Kurkdjian in Paris.

Catch Francis Kurkdjian in this month's issue of Vogue US as well.

pic via jtcomboy/mua

Ormonde Jayne Tiare: new fragrance

Ormonde Jayne fans (and you can count us among them) will be thrilled to hear of the latest creation of the superb quality niche house: TIARE (the flowery emblem of Tahiti and pronounced tee –a- ray).

Linda Pilkington, the founder and creator of Ormonde Jayne, has been searching for the perfect gardenia-tiare aromatics for long and has zeroed in Tiare Absolute from Tahiti (extracted in Tahiti, refined in the US and furthermore in France before it reaches the OJ studio in London) that provided the means to arrive at the desired result. Like precious jewels resting on dark green foliage, the unsurpassed beauty of the Tiare flower is hand picked whilst still unopened and laid in oil for 15 days to extract the fragrance. In case we have been wondering why a tropical floral amidst the season of fallen leaves and the mulled wine & spice allusions we crave, the brand reassures us: "Like the woman who wears Tiare, this is a perfume that totally ignores seasons and the time of day, a perfume so artfully blended and infinitely refined... but with a dash of scintillating appeal".
Notes for Ormonde Jayne Tiare:
Top: Mandarin, Orange Flower and Sicilian Lime
Heart: Tiare, Freesia, Water Lilies, Jasmine, Orris and Ylang
Base: Cedar, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Moss and Musk

Linda Pilkington, who must be thrilled as Ormonde Jayne as been shortlisted for the Warpole awards of Best British Emerging Luxury Brand, divulges:

“From the moment I first encountered Tiare, the search was on to find the purest oil extraction. Tiare is a flower that doesn’t give up its secrets easily and it took many different incarnations, finding a subtle progression from citrus to flower, before I felt that we had an exceptional perfume”.

Prices: £68 for Eau de Parfum 50 ml spray bottle and £ 180 for pure Parfum (50 ml with stopper)

Available from The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street , London W1S 4SL and Ormonde Jayne at Boutique 1 Jumeirah Beach , Dubai as well as online at Ormonde Jayne (worldwide shipping) from November 19th.

Update: Full review uploaded on this page. (click link)

some info via press release

Pamela Anderson: just the person to launch another celebo-scent!

I just got sent the most disturbing news. OK, I should probably tone it down because it's not as if I found out having multiple sclerosis or some such debilitating disease or learning that my on-the-side "dough" for a tough day has magically gone up in smoke due to some accountant investement malhandling. No, the news is much more sedate, yet it does still have something of the creepy in it.

The news came in the form of an email by Laurie Pike who writes for the LA Magazine and I am quoting verbatim, because it's perfectly worded: "Malibu is known as an enclave for celebrities, a surf haven, the subject of a Courtney Love song. It's a surprise that the name of the storied town hasn't been used before for a fragrance. Can't you just imagine? Notes of sea air and orange blossoms, perhaps? Maybe a little essential oil of patchouli to reflect the hippie vibe? Now: consider Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Evocative of spring break and, for old timers, the setting of the Connie Francis film Where the Boys Are. And, um, not much else. So why on earth is Pamela Anderson launching a fragrance called Malibu way the hell down there?
The event takes place November 5 at a club called the Living Room. Whatev!"

I mean, whatev! I'm sure it will be claaaassy (please don't remind me how she must have smelled when she had filmed that little yachting clip with then husband Tommy Lee) and right at the synchronicity when Pamela is looking for scraps of fame in the dustbins of younger, comelier (ooops) contestants.
Just when we were saying that the celebrito-trend is withering and dying, eh? Now, I've seen it all. Oh, wait, the judge of Britain's Got Talent Simon Cowell is issuing one too, perhaps it's "got talent" as well.

For some relentless but witty and creatively hillarious celebo-parody in both prose and imagery, you really shouldn't miss this page on Galley of the Absurd. This is true pop-culture-of-the-moment and Damien Hirst has nothing on it! Really, click on the link, it's unmissable.


pic of Malibu ad via lamag.com and X-ray Pamela Anderson via funslol.com

Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur: fragrance review

~by Mike Perez

Some fragrances play the part of the “quiet, silent type”. Let me explain: Strangely, there are fragrances that I’ve sampled that smell like nothing at all. Well…not nothing…but it smells as if a hole has opened up in the air and for a few minutes there is a blank space where the top notes belong. Like pushing PLAY on your IPod and watching the track begin (0:00, 0:01…) and no music plays. This has happened to me several times and I have no idea why. However, most of the time (luckily) scents that start out this way usually turn out to be fragrances that I grow to love. Like Mouchoir de Monsieur by Guerlain.

Before this I sampled the ‘classic’ lavender fougere by Guerlain: Jicky. The Eau de Toilette was too excessively talcum powder prominent, and although I could appreciate the lavender, it felt uncomfortable and slightly matronly on me.. Jicky Eau de Parfum is a shocker: so embarrassingly civet prominent in the top notes, I was instantly repulsed. Waiting for those top notes to calm down took a bit too long and tiresome so I considered sampling the parfum next when I got a sample of MdM.

The first time I sprayed it – I smelled a tiny bit of the Guerlinade, but that was it. Nothing. Sample off? Nose fatigue? A second time, I smelled a bit of the lavender but nothing as spectacular as the Aqua Allegoria Lavande Velours by Guerlain – a gushing lavender / purple violets that’s almost aroma therapeutic . The 3rd time I smelled it I was instantly greeted with a totally different accord – the familiar style of perfumery like Jicky – but swirled together into an entirely different pattern. Jicky remixed into a sturdier more solidly constructed accord. Wonderful! Perfect balance, with all of the parts of Jicky that I wanted: exceedingly high quality lavender, rosemary and bergamot; that unique fern aura; the rich Guerlinade – they are all here, but blended into the civet and woody notes in a richer and luxurious way. The fragrance evolves with a quiet, floral heart giving the patchouli a sophisticated, powdery nuance. Small parts of it remind me of wearing a refreshing eaux cologne, yet it simultaneously retains subtle and important details of Guerlain’s classic feminine fragrances. Not an easy feat.

It doesn’t scream for attention – it is essentially a subtle fragrance, hushed – making its presence known in tiny whiffs here and there, throughout the day, all day. It is, perhaps, for this reason why I couldn’t smell it when I first sampled it. There’s not a blast of aldehydes or synthetic woody ambers to diffuse this scent quickly. And the lavender, sometimes extremely medicinal and sharp, is soft.

I admit – I’m the quiet, silent type myself. At a cocktail party, you’ll find me off in the corner checking out the host’s CD collection instead of socializing and interacting with others. I speak very little but when I speak, I choose my words very carefully…looking you straight in the eyes.

I’m okay being this type of “guy”. It’s who I am. It’s who my father is. Problems come and go. Challenges are thrown my way... I have horrible days, just like everyone else does. I choose to keep all of that inside, most of the time – introspective, reflective and calm to everyone. Only when you get closer to me, do I open up, and only then will I reveal what’s going on underneath the surface.

Just like Mouchoir de Monsieur.

Notes for Guerlain Mouchoir de Monsieur (1904):
Top: lavender, lemon verbena, bergamot
Middle: jasmine, neroli, rose, tonka bean, patchouli, cinnamon
Base: Iris, amber, vanilla, oakmoss

King Juan Carlos I of Spain (depicted) was reputedly one of the few purveyors of Mouchoir de Monsieur before Guerlain decided to re-issue it more widely.


Pics of Cary Grant, Mouchoir de Monsieur bottle and Juan Carlos of Spain via Mike Perez

Travalo Atomisers: Review & Giveaway!

Whether you're someone who enthusiastically likes to carry their perfume everywhere (gym, holidays, strolls etc) but feels a little encumbered by the sheer weight, bulk and risk of a whole bottle in one's purse or a perfumista on a shoestring budget who likes to test lots of scents rather than settling on bigger bottles, you will be thrilled to hear that a new type of refillable atomiser has arrived and I am hosting a giveaway of 5 items for our readers: Travalo Refillable Atomiser doesn't necessitate you end up with climber's fingers (ie.titanium strong!) from spraying directly the nozzle of your bottle into those little glass or plastic vials ~which is usually the practice if one wants to decant from a spray bottle into a smaller purse vial; nor does it end up in wasted precious liquid in the process, which unfortunately happens all too often. Its patented pump fill valve technology makes refills a breeze eliminating any mess or fuss because Travalo refills itself directly from the mechanism of your bottle. (People who have used the resourcante bottles of Angel and Alien are familiar with the concept, it's the same thing in small scale)

Travalo stands 8cm long and weighs 12g, made from durable aircraft grade aluminium, so durable enough to withstand drops and bumps without spillage. It holds 4ml which is the equivalent of 50 sprays (so they say, I haven't actually sprayed as many times myself), so perfect for a weekend getaway. And perhaps of importance these days, it's airflight approved, which means you can carry it with you onboard.



How to Use the Travalo:



Travalo refillable atomisers come with a lifetime warranty for normal use (more at http://www.travalo.com/), they're available in 3 shades (pink, golden and silver) and they all include an integrated fill level window from which you can gauge how much is left in your container. They retail at 9.99£ each in the UK online and for 14.88 euros in Greece. I found them very practical, if a little expensive if you want to have multiples for your whole collection (I guess it all depends on just how vast that collection is!)
So, on to the giveaway: The company has kindly offered to gift 5 Travalo atomisers to our readers in the colour of their choice! You simply need to comment if you'd like one and I will pick 5 winners who will be sent their atomisers by the manufacturer.

In the interests of full disclosure I was sent one Travalo sample. The winners will be mailed theirs directly from the distributor. Both photos by Elena Vosnaki

Autumn Smells

Autumn and smells are entwined, perhaps more than any other season, if only because the cooling of the air leaves us with a newly fangled apprehension of our surroundings after the languor of summer and because autumn signals new beginnings along with a certain wistfulness.

I therefore had proclaimed a little contest the other day in which a winner would get a goody bag with lots of samples that had been accumulating in my drawers. After a difficult elimination process I chose RachelG whose entry was truly transporting and original. Runner-ups (honourable mentions) include NinaZ and Scott, who both expressed their sentiments beautifully! Thanks to everyone participating for the love and sentiment they brought to this, and till next time!

Here is the winning entry:

"To me, autumn is the smell of my cat coming in from the cold. It only lasts a minute, maybe less, but if I can scoop her up before she runs to the dinner bowl, and inhale deeply, there is a fragrance of incomparable beauty, and nearly impossible to describe: it is cold but alive, her fur, yes, but also wisps of the smoke from our chimney, the fresh cut woodpile she nestles in to watch for mice, the sweet brown of decaying leaves on the forest floor. Wandering outside won’t lead you to this smell, it is something unique to her and her kind. Maybe we walk too far from the ground, or maybe we don’t stay long enough in one place, but her autumn is a world truly apart from mine. While I love the rich wine and honey of my autumn, it is nothing compared to her wild and lovely life."

Rachel, please mail me using the email on Profile with a shipping address so I can send the goody bag to you!

Pic of Insomnium's album Across the Dark

Hermes Terre d'Hermes Parfum: fragrance review

In evaluating how Terre d'Hermès has been a resounding commercial success, but also a firm winner on the top lists of best fragrances on discerning consumers boards such as Basenotes for a couple of years consecutively, it is not difficult to understand its appeal and range of qualities that accounted for its popularity, earning it a newly fledged version named Terre d'Hermès Parfum.

The refreshing overture, the unusual, intellectual, mineral facets in its core and the great radiance of its woody bottom (accounted by IsoE Super, more on which on this article) are the cornerstones on which its reputation has been cemented.

Extrait de Parfum pour Homme is not the most usual concentration when one thinks about masculine fragrances. In fact the American generic term "cologne" for masculine scents is not without some sort of reasoning behind it: It seems that most men are accustomed to resort to splashes of scented eau on their neck after a good, close shave or a shower, and additionally they have been conditioned to believe that a men's fragrance should be light and not really perceptible beyond a certain number of paces. The belief has been a remnant of a patriachal code of conduct of the first half of the 20th century, in which men customarily earned the daily bread, read the newspaper while the wife put the babies to sleep and never wore anything remotely removed from lavender water, hesperidic eaux or aromatic concoctions that didn't leave any doubt to which team they were playing for.
Times have changed, new fathers pay more attention to their families, while some opt out of families in the traditional sense altogether, and the market has had to conform. Companies have realised that there is a new sophistication in the air, what with the emergence of the new metrosexual man, but also with the newly rediscovered ~for the Western world~ pleasure of reaping the benefits of aromatics and essences for the benefit oneself: A new audience that laps up niche offerings and ooohs and aaaahs at Pierre Montale's offerings or Amouage's luxurious attars is ready for a proposition that goes against the grain: Namely not an Eau de Parfum (in itself also a rare phenomenon in the universe of masculine fragrances) but an Extrait de Parfum, aka pure parfum! Thus Guerlain is offering their excellent Habit Rouge Extrait, Ormonde Jayne and Clive Christian are not far behind with their own, but it is Hermès that just launched a new version of their best-selling 2006's Terre d'Hermès in parfum concentration which will reign in terms of awareness and recognisability, I bet.

Terre d’Hermès Parfum explores a denser “Terre” (earth) than the original eau de toilette which married the skies above with the earth below. An intense concentration surely, yet not just ‘an intense version of Terre d’Hermès’ specifies Jean-Claude Ellena, but rather a rewriting that ‘amplifies the concept, and ‘heightens the contrasts’. Ellena has intensified the mineral-flint facets, and reinforced benzoin’s role resulting in a more bottom-heavy composition which nevertheless isn't far removed from the original. In the opening, shiso’s green, minty accents awaken the citrus tonalities a bit more perceptively. while the increased cedar allied to mossy notes tilt the composition from the aromatic hesperidic to the woody chypre; one of easy elegance. Still the experimentation in parfum strength seems like a studious exercise in concept more than practice, because the original had plenty of tenacity and diffusion already and its depths did not easily lend into a very intricate fugue treatment but more to a graceful and easy-paced minuet.

The spray bottle design is so similar, almost identical (well, slightly squarer) to the original Terre d'Hermès that one might dismiss it and think it's the standard product: At least I did! It was with the greatest surprise that I was gently guided at the boutique towards it, by a most graceful and passionate assistant who nodded his head sagely, insisting it's indeed the parfum. Its geometrical, graceful contours and big size belie its unusual concentration: At 75ml/2.5oz it's a LOT of parfum to last you through several months even if used every day! Tenacity, sillage and evolution on both blotter and skin are excellent, testament to the great technical merit of the reworked composition. Perhaps the only gripe could be the price which is unusually low for a parfum concentration, about half of what is asked for the similar products in the feminine range at Hermès. But I am hypothesizing that the masterplan behind this marketing move was that men are practical creatures when it comes to their grooming products and don't have the madly voracious eye that women have in view of luxury, so a reasonable approach might work better with them. At any rate, at those prices and for such potency and tenacity, it's a bargain; assuming you already like the original Terre d'Hermès of course and would like to complete your collection.

Notes for Terre d'Hermes Parfum:

Top: Orange, shiso, grapefruit, pepper
Heart: Flint, mineral notes, geranium leaves
Base: Woody Notes, oak Moss, vetiver, patchouli, benzoin

Available at boutique Hermès and soon in stores.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Interview with master perfumer Jean Claude Ellena

Photo of Jean Cocteau by irving Penn 1950. Pic of bottle via sfilate.it

The Mystery of Perfume at Barneys

New Yorkers and travelers to the Big Apple sit up and take notice: Barneys will host a fragrance event on Wednesday October the 21st organised by Elle editor-in-chief Roberta Myers, Elle Beauty director Emily Dougherty and with the participation of fragrance experts Antonia Bellanca (of Antonia's Flowers), Frederic Malle (of Editions de Parfums), Ben Gorham (of ByRedo parfums) and Fabrice Penot (of Le Labo).

The Mystery of Perfume panel discussion will take place at Fred's Restaurant at Barneys on Madison and 61st Street in New York City (October 21st, 8:30-10AM) and apart from nibbly bits and coffee served there will be a fabulously fragrant goody bag for those attenting!
Since space is limited a 25$ attendance fee is charged, redeemable in product, and you're required to reserve your place at Barneys.com/Elle.

Ormonde Jayne Giveaway!

Luxury London perfumery, Ormonde Jayne are offering Perfume Shrine readers the chance to win a full size 100ml Essential Bathing Oil (worth £48.00) in celebration of launching their new site. Just send an email at sales@ormondejayne.com with "PerfumeShrine Essential Bathing Oil" in the title stating 3 spicy notes used by the brand! And 3 winners will be picked to get an Essential Bathing Oil in the scent of their choice.
Some of the scents are quite autumnal, like Orris Noir with its dark, orientalised combo of spices, incense and iris or the foresty Ormonde Woman and the warm cashmere-smooth Tolu. (click for reviews) Imagine taking a soak in a warm tub sprinkled with one of those fabulous scents or rubbing your skin at the end of a tough day. Mmmmm.....

The Ormonde Jayne Bathing range is free of parabens, sulphates, petrochemicals, GM ingredients & colourings & contain nourishing botanical ingredients. The 8 scents available for the Essential Bathing Oil are:

Champaca
Frangipani Absolute
Osmanthus
Tolu
Ormonde Woman
Ta’if
Sampaquita
Orris Noir

To find out more about Ormonde Jayne please visit ormondejayne.com, or if in the UK, at 12 The Royal Arcade, 28 Old Bond Street, London, W1 (020 7499 1100).

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: interview with Linda Pilkington of Ormonde Jayne
NB: I have nothing to do with the products and winners will be notified by Ormonde Jayne directly.

Irving Penn is dead...

"Photographing a cake can be art" ~thus said Irving Penn, who is no longer with us.




Photos I am on my Vacation 1944 and Rythm 1950s by Irving Penn.