In Memoriam: Sandrine Videault

Ashen Death

I used to think, my friends,
I used to think...
that all things
were marching on this Earth
in their true colors.
Joy was white,
grief was pale,
love was pink and
death was black.
I thought so...

And I passed my days
with my colors laid clear.
With my dreams tidy.
With my poems neatly written.
Because it was thus I saw them.
Or I thought so.

~Menelaus Lountemis (Constantinople 1906 - Athens 1977)

It is with extreme shock that I'm relaying the news of the untimely demise of perfumer Sandrine Videault, whose work and generosity of spirit -above all- I had come to love. Reading the somber email, thanks to the providence of her husband and Nathalie Prichard, left me with the bitter realization (once again) of how perishable we are, how frail. Just when she was about to launch her latest fragrance Magnolia Grandiflora, fate had other plans for her. May the soil that covers her be light, as she shed light to the lives of those she became a part of.

You can read an interview with Sandrine Videault I had conducted some time ago on this page.

Summer Fragrances: A Compilation for Every Mood and Need

“I was surrounded by friends, my work was immense, and pleasures were abundant. Life, now, was unfolding before me, constantly and visibly, like the flowers of summer that drop fanlike petals on eternal soil. Overall, I was happiest to be alone; for it was then I was most aware of what I possessed. Free to look out over the rooftops of the city. Happy to be alone in the company of friends, the company of lovers and strangers. Everything, I decided, in this life, was pure pleasure.”

~Roman Payne, Rooftop Soliloquy

photo by Jeanloup Shieff via pinterest

Summer fragrances come in all shapes and forms and there's something for everyone, from the die hard orientalist who can spray on Ambre Sultan (Serge Lutens) secure in the knowledge it's the driest amber out there, never cloying in the heat, to the women in their late 30s who still rely on Light Blue (Dolce & Gabanna) to make the insufferable lack of breeze seem less suffocating via the lemon-tart-on-cedars coolness. I have elaborated on summery fragrances numerous times on the blog, perhaps more so than any other season, exactly because it's the most difficult time for me to be coherent enough in the midst of the hot & infatuating Greek summer. (When I know I need to be collected, I resort to Chanel No.19, a review and classification of which can be found here. The bracing galbanum and the starched iris make me feel cool, especially paired with a white shirt and silver jewelry). Besides there's not one micro-climate: from the intense heatwave of the Midwest to the non-summer landscape of rain and coolish temperatures of northern Europe, "summer" itself is not a blanket term, so why should your fragrance be?

For all of you who want a shortcut there is a detailed post with fragrant suggestions for every possible activity you might be engaging in this summer in I Know What You Did Last Summer. If your major problem is having your perfume disappear before you want it to, I have some solutions in Summer Fragrances That Last. In case sultry is your speed and you can afford a little intensity, there's Sultry Summer Fragrances for you. For the contrarians among us (those who want a spicy oriental as dense as mohair when all the others are in sarongs or who live in a coolish country) there are 10 Unusual Summer Scent Choices (all right, not as thick as mohair, but satisfying all the same) with film clips to set the mood too. There's even the selection by perfume "editor" Frederic Malle himself on his favorite scent choices for summer. And if you're a simple and proud soul, there's Limon Kolonyasi or 4711 you can pop into the fridge for freshening up.

Some "categories" of fragrances perform better than most in the torpor induced by heat: see the entry on White Noise Fragrances if you want to still perceive your fragrance but not offend anyone, check out our Skin Scents selection if you want something very subtle & erotically reminiscent of naked skin, or take a look at the perfumes described in the Powdery and Dry Fragrances article which will be invaluable in sweaty situations. If it's the summer landscape and the memories of the sea and the beach you're after or you want to echo your surroundings (lucky you!), Beachy & Sea Evocative Fragrances for Every Style can be your comprehensive guide into finding the right "beach-evocative" perfume. And finally if you're after that perfect Coppertone or Ambre Solaire scent in an eau de toilette you can spray on, there are many Fragrances Inspired by Suntan Lotions and Tanning Oils' Scents, with creamy ylang, coconut or monoi nuances.

Last but not least, if personal rumblings are of interest to you (with a bit of beauty stuff, food and music thrown in for good measure), here is my Top Products to Beat Summer Heat from last summer with lots of suggestions by readers, which is also the case for the entry on Cooling Down Tips. And if you want to travel to the Mediterranean -and specifically to my country- via the evocation of smells, please visit Scents of the Mediterranean on this link.

Whatever you do, enjoy the season!

Weird Comments on Perfume and Other Short Stories

"Have you rolled in gunpowder? What is it you are smelling of?" he said with an air of surprised distaste. This is what my tender 14 year old years met with one memorable afternoon as I was decked to the nines to go play at a piano concert organized by the Conservatoire. The delivering agent of the comment that would apparently shutter my childlike innocence was my own beloved father as we were entering the car, off to a -not so good- start to the concert in question. Flubberbusted and quite self-conscious for the rest of the afternoon (of which I have little recollection otherwise) I was rolling the info I had on the  innocuous Anais Anais by Cacharel I had just sprayed on in the back corridor of my mind.

Source: ghastlydelights.tumblr.com via PerfumeShrine on Pinterest Photo of Ina Balke, 1962 by Jeanloup Sieff

The guy has a good nose, you see, and I never for one minute doubted he would not be smelling what he said he was smelling. It's enough to make you a bit paranoid, though; if Anais Anais smells of gunpowder (on your skin? in general? who knows?), then what the hell do other, less conspicuous but more questionable, smells really smell of to those meeting you? Still, the experience was enough to make me doubt my perception and to start paying more attention to everything my father remarked on regarding smells.

It took me years to finally figure our that yes, my father had his nose screwed on the right way (this sounds much naughtier than it it's intended to be) and that yup, he was in fact smelling gunpowder indeed. It just wasn't coming from my Cacharel perfume, but rather from the Normaderm spot treatment gel which I used as a precaution on my forehead to deter stray pimples forming from my mousse-ed bangs sticking to it. The treatment contained sulfur, as I found out later on. In retrospect it's a good thing he didn't say I smelled of rotten eggs instead (which are highly sulfurous), my confidence would have been shredded to pieces and I doubt I would have ventured beyond the car. But the story goes to show that a weird comment regarding our scent can have an impact on our day; sometimes if we're obsessive enough, on more than one day. I mean, look at me, I'm rambling on something that happened years and years ago (more than I care to mention)!

I guess not everyone is as occupied as I was at 14 with what impression they give when going out wearing their latest perfume fling. (All right, all adolescents are a bit wrapped up in how they present themselves to the world, so take that statement at its face value). Otherwise things like Burger King fragrance or Zombie cologne spray wouldn't even be possible. But apparently they are, so there's something there. Do some of us secretly hide a frat-boy in our heart of hearts, longing to play pranks and engage in scatological questionable humor, their scent-du-jour included? Are there many others out there who are so afraid of giving off the wrong impression that they censor their fragrance wardrobe and limit their exposure, however? I bet there are. If you're one of those who upon hearing the word "diapers" (or "incontinence", "baby wipes", "ass", "like weed", "lady bits", "mothballs" and the dreaded "old lady" in relation to any fragrance) shudder and start viewing your beloved perfume bottle with the disdain reserved for child molesters, you know you're one of them.

And why are we so horrified of giving the wrong impression via our smell, much more so than our fashion sense, our world views or our home decorating? Probably because like the state of our complexion it is a biological indicator that speaks volumes without uttering a sound and, at the same time, like the books that we like or the art we enjoy a gauge of our taste & statement of the self.

So fire away in the comments: what are the weirdest comments you have had on your fragrance? I'm dying to know.

Tale of Two Scents by Rosie Jane

I was sent info about an Australian-inspired duo of fragrances, Leila Lou and Tilly by Rosie Jane (Launched in May 2013) which I thought might interest my readers.

Inspired by time spent with family, a relaxing day on the beach of her native Australia and named in honor of her daughters Leila and Matilda , celebrity make-up artist Rosie Jane Johnston has bottled up blissful moments in these travel size 5ml roller balls you can see all cute up in the photo. Made from pure essential oils and the highest quality ingredients, as per the company, Leila Lou and Tilly are free of carrier oils, animal products and preservatives. They are also paraben, sulfate, phthalate and phosphate free and come in 100% recyclable packaging, for those of us who search for a concern-free product.
Leila Lou blends notes of pear blossom, jasmine, vanilla and fresh cut grass, while Tilly, reminiscent of a relaxing day at the beach, is full of notes of grapefruit, coconut and tropical gardenia. The two fragrances are available as 5ml rollerballs for 35$ at b-glowing.com

The winners of the draw...

...for the Harad book are Larie, Marjorie, and Cacio. Congratulations and please email me using Contact with your shipping data so I can arrange getting your prizes in the mail soon.

Thanks everyone and till the next one!