At The Moment

Oddly enough June hasn't yet scorched us like I expected, which is a good thing. Dipping my body in the sea for prolonged stretches of time is of course a remedy of the first magnitude, a true baptism.
So far so good, nevertheless, so I am sharing with you some of my latest discoveries and treats. And please feel free to share yours too, in the comments below the post!

via

Wearing

Remember how we used to knot the edge of our baggy T-shirts back in the 80s to imitate our pop idols? It seems like there's a ready made solution out there to have the look without the fuss. This Asos slouchy top with twisty front gave me a good jolt of recollection and made me smile. It also goes with everything.

via Asos.com

I also wear a straw fedora for days spent in the sun or when out and about in the city. (Don't look at me that way. We have to wear sunglasses in the wintertime as well, in Athens.)
This one by David Young, found on Nordstorm, is perfect.



Reading

Nabokov's Speak Memory, a stylized autobiography. It's not only the language that is marvelous, it's the merging of cultures in a complex childhood which leaps off the page.


Beautifying

Latest discovery has been that elusive perfect sunscreen (at least for now, don't know about next year): photo-stable, very high protection (SPF60), mostly mineral filters to reduce inflammation, waterproof to withstand sweat, light tint to avoid the Casper look, smooth texture, no irritating or pore-blocking ingredients. It's Filteray Face SPF 60 Tinted Cream by Coverderm in shade Light Beige.

On my nails and toenails I'm sporting this gorgeous fuchsia-pink nail polish, shade Watermelon (#31456) from Oriflame's seasonal The One collection.


Listening

I have occupied myself with covers these days.
Trifono (aka, "3 voices" in Greek) hereby sing, almost completely a capella, a classic Greek song by Mikis Theodorakis in a quite memorable way.

And I still think that AHA's (remember them?) rendition of the golden standard of the Everly Brothers is very very good indeed.

Perfuming

I've been wearing a hell of a lot my Antaeus (Chanel) and Gomma (Etro) lately. The onset of heat usually means I bring out these leathers and the fang-like acid green chypres. Bandit eau de parfum by Piguet is the logical bridge between the two and that gets a lot of mileage as well.

via 

Eating and Drinking

Addicted to cornichons (what the British call gherkins I believe) which I put into everything, notably potato salad and salmon sandwiches. (Love the spice-blend brine!).
I'm also drinking iced cider for a spike of fruity freshness and enjoy the sunny togetherness too!

What are you enjoying at the moment? 
Please share in the comments!

Hair Fragrance: Beauty Hacks for Hair Worthy of Baudelaire's Intoxication

Have you ever read Charles Baudelaire's poem La Chevelure (Hair)? It's chockfull of imagery of scented tresses which evoke the breadths and the widths of the earth in their sensuous emanations. Hair fragrance, inherent, can be lovely. Hair fragrance, added, can turn up the notch just so.

Although we perfume lovers often love to give a playful spritz or dab on our temple and nape, concern for the pernicious (apparently?) effect of certain ingredients, mostly alcohol, to the health of the hair itself has evolved into a plethora of hair mists on the market which caress our tresses like a luxurious caviar skincare cream would to our complexion. In that context, I just published an article on Fragrance.about.com with photos and info on the best hair fragrance mists which you can use on your hair without any concern for its well-being. You can find it on this link.

And Perfume Shrine being the more personal venue it is, just for the heck of it, please find below the original poem by Baudelaire, translated in English by PoemHunter.com

Yvon LeMarlec via GoYouToKNow Tumblr

O fleece, that down the neck waves to the nape!
O curls! O perfume nonchalant and rare!
O ecstasy! To fill this alcove shape
With memories that in these tresses sleep,
I would shake them like penions in the air!

Languorous Asia, burning Africa,
And a far world, defunct almost, absent,
Within your aromatic forest stay!
As other souls on music drift away,
Mine, O my love! still floats upon your scent.

I shall go there where, full of sap, both tree
And man swoon in the heat of the southern climates;
Strong tresses be the swell that carries me!
I dream upon your sea of amber
Of dazzling sails, of oarsmen, masts, and flames:

A sun-drenched and reverberating port,
Where I imbibe colour and sound and scent;
Where vessels, gliding through the gold and moiré,
Open their vast arms as they leave the shore
To clasp the pure and shimmering firmament.

I'll plunge my head, enamored of its pleasure,
In this black ocean where the other hides;
My subtle spirit then will know a measure
Of fertile idleness and fragrant leisure,
Lulled by the infinite rhythm of its tides!

Pavilion, of autumn-shadowed tresses spun,
You give me back the azure from afar;
And where the twisted locks are fringed with down
Lurk mingled odors I grow drunk upon
Of oil of coconut, of musk, and tar.

A long time! always! my hand in your hair
Will sow the stars of sapphire, pearl, ruby,
That you be never deaf to my desire,
My oasis and my gourd whence I aspire
To drink deep of the wine of memory.
Charles Baudelaire

Guerlain Quand Vient La Pluie & Quand Vient L'Ete: fragrance reviews, notes & bottles history

Approaching Guerlain fragrances has me strained on the brink, like the tailor with his home-made parachute when he was about to jump from the Eiffel tower more than a century ago. Contrary to this proto-pioneer of aviation the apprehension comes not from the chill of the unknown but rather from the gloom of having one’s lust non-quenched. Like that supreme stylist Vladimir Nabokov said, “the look of lust is always gloomy; lust is never quite sure—even when the velvety victim is locked up in one’s dungeon—that some rival or influential god may still not abolish one’s prepared triumph.” Thankfully there are instances where neither rival nor influential god can take away from what one has carefully designed, even when it’s relatively of a recent vintage yet sure in the footing of tradition; and who better than Guerlain to be in that position? The two seasonally named, yet of panseasonal capabilities perfumes, "When the Rain Comes" and "When Summer Comes," prove to be amongst those “vintage” (and I use the term very loosely) Guerlains for whom lust is fully justified.

Guerlain Quand Vient La Pluie via 

Find out on this Fragrantica link why that is. plus how these two meta-vintages smell and how they implicate other famous and less famous Guerlain perfumes, such as L'Heure Bleue, Apres L'Ondee, Terracotta and No.25, before being both contained in the limited edition Les Saisons coffret.

Fragrance notes for Guerlain Quand Vient La Pluie include bergamot, rosemary, neroli, heliotrope, violet, jasmine, amber, gourmand praline notes, patchouli and musk.
The bottle was designed by Serge Mansau

the 1910 original formula (loosely inspiring the latter) Quand Vient L'Ete by Guerlain, in Baccarat quadrilobe bottle (circulating to this day) Pic originally from Ebay via 

a later re-issue of Quand Vient l'Ete in the retro bottles, originally on Ebay via  

Fragrance Notes for Guerlain Quand Vint L'Ete (2007 formula) include:

Top notes are mint, lemon and rose; middle notes are lily, jasmine and ylang-ylang; base notes are carnation, iris and vanilla.

Marilyn Monroe's Favorite Perfumes for her (would be) 89th Birthday Today

via Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives

Today would have been Marilyn Monroe's 89th birthday, had she been alive and kicking and demystifying her perennial legend. Famous for her sweet-sexy glamour puss image and her Monroeisms, the not-quite--dumb-blonde, though she often played one on screen, had her beauty routine down pat; from Erno Laszlo skincare and Elizabeth Arden eyeliner pencils in black and brown to her Glorene of Hollywood falsies, pages upon pages are written on it.

Naturally we decided to dedicate ourselves to her perfumes. We've skimmed the surface before, but this is more in depth.

Here is the full slideshow with rarely seen pictures of Marilyn on Fragrance.About.com. Enjoy!

The winner of the draw...

...for the Acqua di Parma Radiant Face Cream (part of Italian Resort Collection skincare) is KatarinaVeet. Congratulations and please email me using Contact, mentioning AcP DRAW in the title of the mail and your shipping data, so I have this shipped to you soon.

Thanks everyone for the enthusiastic participation and till the next one!