National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation respond to IFRA opposition

The National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation (NTEF), at the request of the Nevada Assemblyman who introduced the bill, AB234, has provided the science and legalities regarding the bill.

The fragrance industry is grasping at straws, over the Nevada Bill that addresses indoor barriers under the Americans for Disability Act. (ADA).
The bill entitled "Revises provisions governing places of public Accommodation", expands upon an existing state statute regarding accessibility for disabled residents.
The intent of the bill is to remove all air fresheners, air scented branding, fragrance, candles, etc., to comply with both state and federal laws regarding the ADA. Industry's standard response to any type of impediment to remove fragrance is by referencing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, which is acknowledged on a case by case basis by various government agencies. The bill is for the protection of those with clearly defined and fully covered disabilities relating to the brain, neurological and respiratory systems. IFRA-NA's letter just muddled through with nothing to prove that their products are indeed not barriers, under the ADA.
The NTEF's response cited numerous independent peer-reviewed studies and government agencies, referencing that these have negative effects, even when used as directed.

The fragrance and air freshening industries, would like the public to think they are safe and fully researched. When in fact they are not required by law to test or list all the ingredients. The public needs to realize that the number of people with hidden/non perceivable disabilities outnumber the more readily identifiable ones.
No disability should ever be denied access to public accommodations.

The full response can be read at NTEF-USA.Org.

National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) , non-profit organization
whose core purposes are to provide research, education and services to the growing segment of the population who are adversely affected by everyday chemicals and toxins in our environment. Established in 1998

info via press release

Amouage Library Collection Opus V: fragrance review

People have been complaining about the Library Collection in Amouage comparing it to the other symphonic pieces in the house's portfolio and finding the fragrances (Opus I, II, III and IV) leaner and sparser; ultimately non as satisfying. Beside a full Wagnerian orchestra playing a Gesamtkunstwerk, like Gold or Jubilation 25, anyone would be deemed lacking. But further testing of the opera in the Library Collection confirms a theory I had that this is the "niche" sub-brand within the house (which is already niche enough), focusing on specific raw materials or accords and highlighting specific ideas which are themselves treated in a less complex, less dense manner.

They resemble études, rather than orchestral pieces: Indeed Opus I is a study in bigarade and what it does to lush florals. Opus II is a classic (and therefore somewhat predictable) spicy incense. Opus III is a violet étude, exploring both the confectionary aspects and the greener, leafy facets. I can't say I was impressed enough with Opus IV to retain a vivid impression. Opus V however is another one which investigates in more detail the various aspects of one material: iris/orris this time.

If I were to characterise Opus V, I would say it is a woody floral built on the facets of iris with a coda on agarwood. I can't stress enough that if you are to like Opus V, you have to be simpatico to iris, that strange rhizome note that can smell delicately of upturned earth, dusty old papers, boiled carrots and face powder.
Iris fragrances as compositions, run the gamut: from almost non-existent iris wrapped in a woody embrace with mastic accents, such as in Infusion d'Iris by Prada; to true irises taking on funereal melancholy like Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens; to surprising, astounding irises which pair the grey note of iris to the bright note of peach as in legendary Iris Gris by Fath; to calorific, chocolate-laced irises such as Iris Ganache by Guerlain or almond-laced ones such as Iris by Hilde Soliani. Not to mention other fragrances which although not pertaining to be a stand-alone iris, they feature copious amounts of it nevertheless, case of Chanel No.19 or Heure Exquise in point. In short, there's something for anyone in the marketand every niche company has their own. Why? Because "orris butter", the concentrated iris rhizome produced the traditional way, macerated for a long time, three years at least, but modern procedures have cut down that interval in the production, resulting in only three-months maceration time.

Opus V by Amouage opens on a lightly metallic, almost boozy note of silvery iris. It feels like sipping gin & tonic under a crepuscular sky with the uncertain temperatures of an April evening. Not particularly dry nor sweetened by other notes, it stages the scene for its expressive range in the next stage. Soon perfumer Jacques Cavallier flanks the composition with woodier notes, subtle, only slightly bitter (agarwood is mentioned, but I suspect some cedar and Iso-E Super as well), with underpinnings of suede, a soft mantle over delicate shoulders. Although the introduction wasn't sweet, as time passes a small subfacet of sweetness emerges, very mollified, without powdery aspects, just to annul the funereal aspects of iris. Indeed anyone who has been scared off by Iris Silver Mist will find a tamer, more friendly iris in Opus V and one which projects at a lower scale. The progression is seamless and feels natural, without the classical pyramidal structure. The lasting power is satisfactory, although the sillage is much lower than many of the other Amouage fragrances which announce their presence in no uncertain terms. If you were waiting for a typical Amouage, you might be advised to look in the main line of the house, because you won't find it here. Opus V is rather intimate and should be enjoyed in moments of a certain introspection or close quarters at the very least for it to highlight its best qualities.
Even though I find it perfectly pleasing, the inclusion of an iris composition in the line seems rather a compulsive move and for that it leaves me a little apprehensive.

Notes for Amouage Opus V:
Top: Orris absolute, rum
Heart: Orris concrete, rose, jasmine
Base: agarwood, civet, dry wood accord

Opus V will be available for purchase through Amouage and their respective boutiques, as well as online retailers which carry the brand. Amouage have uploaded a very conceptual short film on their site concerning the Library collection (lovely sight). Catch it on the Amouage site.

One deluxe sample sprayer will be given to a lucky reader. Please state in the comments if you like Amouage fragrances, or not, and why. Draw is open till Sunday 27th midnight.

Paining Black Iris by Georgia O'Keefe, 1906.
Disclosure: I was sent an advance sample mini from the company for reviewing purposes.

Evenings with Linda Pilkington

Ormonde Jayne is delighted to host the first of a series of Evenings with Linda Pilkington at the new flagship boutique on Sloane Square’s Pavillion Road. The first evening event will be on Wednesday 30 March at 6pm will be to celebrate Mother’s Day and Linda will be talking about the making and inspiration of Osmanthus and the fruity white flower from China behind this perfect spring fragrance. Linda will be delighted to answer any perfume questions after the talk. The cost of the £15 ticket will be redeemable against purchases made on 30 March and includes a gorgeous Osmanthus goody bag & refreshments.

The newly launched Osmanthus Soap Set which includes two bars of hard milled soap and a bone china dish will also be on display.

To reserve a place, please email boutique2@ormondejayne.com or call Monica on 0207 730 1381

info via press release

Frequent Questions: What's the Perfume Featured in "Single White Female" movie?

Viewers of that 1992 cult little thriller "Single White Female" staring Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh remember the delapidated NYC building, shot to reference the trilogy of apartment-house thrillers by Roman Polanski, and the plot which culminated into an early 1990s phenomenon. Summary? An ad for a roommate brought a stranger into Allison's life. Someone who shares. Someone who cares. Someone who borrows. Someone who steals. Someone who would kill to be her. A clinging, duplicitous psycho roommate all right! Viewers with a perfume interest however have long been perplexed on which perfume is featured in one memorable scene:

Allie brings a housewarming gift to Hedy, the psycho (played by Jennifer Jason Leigh). Upon inspecting her dresser, a bottle catches her eye; she handles the beautiful perfume bottle, sniffs off the top and dabs some on her wrists and neck. Hedy, who had been taking a shower in the adjoining bathroom, walks in on her, immediately perceives the scent in the air and comments on its use. Hedy will then proceed to offer earrings as a thank-you-in-turn gesture to Allie.

Allie:You haven't even been here two weeks and I'm already in your room.
     I was just about to go through your drawers.
Hedy: That smells nice on you.
Allie:I always wanted to try that.
Hedy: Sure, anything you want. Share and share alike.
Allie:I don't really know about that. I'm an only child.

The perfume on the dresser in said scene is in a light blue, cylindrical bottle, made of opaline by the looks of it. Theories on what it might be have abounded on perfume discussion boards for years; it's a recurring question to which no one had a definitive asnwer. Till now.
A freeze-frame on the video or DVD (a common enough practice for "crazied perfumistas") reveals that the bottle is tagged "Moi Même" which means...me, myself. Given the particular context of the film, in which director Barbet Schroeder explores the subjects of what constitutes identity and the implications of identity theft (through subtle and less subtle means pertaining to appearence, comportment and later play-acting), I had assumed it was a made-up perfume prop for the purposes of the film.

The cohabitation continues and things start getting weird. As Allie reunites with her cheating fiance, Sam, Hedy has in the meantime becometoo clinging. She will try to break up the re-united couple ~in an effort to make Allie keep her as a room-mate instead of leaving with her fiance~ by sleeping with him while pretending to be Allie. She uses perfume to sneak up on Sam, aiding to convince him in the dark of the night that she's really Allie.

Hedy:Guys like you don't change. You can't be faithful. And now she'll know.
Sam: She'll know what? That you came up here and pretended to be her?
  What is this hair? You're in her clothes. You're wearing her perfume!

The nuances of "stealing" someone's signature scent, like in that scene in the film, had provided the content for another essay on Perfume Shrine (which can be found in the link). At the time I had written:

"Copying someone's identity in its external manifestations and even their intellectual interests, emulating their fashion sense, their hairstyle, their makeup and colour choices and suddenly adopting the same music sense and book material can feel annoying and a little alarming for the one who is being copied: is it to be taken as a compliment or as an invasion of private space and the right to mark one's own territoty? That last part seems to me to be at the bottom of this particular annoyance. Although we have progressed from the jungle, the jungle hasn't left us: we still need to mark our territoty with the invisible olfactory stain of our id. And we do that with our loved ones and the scents we choose for them as well."

The context of that post still applies, but research has since revealed to me that the perfume in the dresser scene isn't made-up after all. On the contrary.


Two French companies have been producing perfumes by the same name: Desti* of Paris had a Moi Même fragrance launched in 1914 and Cyber, the producer of the semi-eponymous Cybera, launched another by the same name some years later. They're both art-deco scents in similar period-style containers and they would fit the context. The art director must have studied catalogues from antiques auctions or happened upon the beautiful opaline flacon browsing in some antiquerie. Certainly an art-deco bottle matches exceptionally well the art-deco building which is really the third protagonist in the film. What originally seemed random and superficial is revealed to be clever and fully intentional. More than a pretty prop, the signature scent in Single White Female stands as a meaningful and transient metaphor of self.

*In the same year, 1914, the company of Desti of Paris launched another 5 fragrances: Beatrice d'Este, Devinez (=Guess), Lilas, L'Invitation à La Dance and Saphir.

Elizabeth Taylor: 1932-2011

"Something wonderful is about to happen"
~Elizabeth Taylor

The Violet Eyes of Hollywood have closed for eternity this very morning. A breed apart, a tough cookie, a smart entrepreneur with the most successful celebrity scent line of them all and the last of a very different kind of star. May she rest in peace.

pic of Elizabeth Taylor in her iconic role of Cleopatra (1963) via arsaromatica