SYTYCD Season 6: Week 5

Ellenore & Ryan's Lindy-hop -- That was one tough routine, very well choreographed. Personally, I've known lots of swing types, and they did not seem happy and free wheeling enough for me. I liked Ryan's slide. Okay, but not stunning.

Kathryn & Legacy's Jazz -- As a choreographer, Sonja is hit and miss with me, but I LOVED this one. It was so acrobatic and she was so lucky to have two dancers who could do all that really difficult strength based movement. Also, I hated Karen's weird one piece with the flesh colored bits. Bad and distracting.

Karen & Victor's Tango -- One of the hottest dances EVER ON SYTYCD. EVER. LOVED IT. Loved the costuming, loved the music, loved the choreography, loved the performance. Can't say enough good things about this one.

Mollee & Nathan's Hiphop - This was a fun routine, and the first half of it was surprisingly hard hitting. Mollee was surprisingly good on her rolls and stuff at the beginning; she was a lot better than a many of the other little white girls who have done this style before. I thought it was fun, but near the end Mollee got tired and it showed a little. Decent. Definitely not bad.

Noelle & Russell's Samba -- Dips not low enough. I have seen a black hiphopper shake his stuff ad sell a Samba (Joshua, Season 4), and Russell, who I love, could not have been less convincing here. Neither one of them seemed into this at all, or into each other. This was the worst of the bunch so far. Shankman said they were "too nice" and I agree. It was not a hot steamy dirty dance, and it needed to be.

Jakob & Ashleigh's Lyrical Jazz -- Sonja again, brings on the good stuff. The dancing? Technically just perfect and beautiful, which for Ashleigh is so impressive for being able to do it because this is no where near her style. She is very talented. Emotionally, it felt empty to me. It just didn't do it for me.

Weakest two of the first round: Noelle & Russell and Ellenore & Ryan (though the hiphop was close).

--------------------

Ellenore & Ryan's Broadway -- Holy crap! THAT WAS SO GOOD! What a wonderful piece and the dancing was great! That was possibly one of the very best Broadway performances I've ever seen on this show. One of my favs of the night. Totally redeemed the first half.

Kathryn & Legacy's Viennese Waltz -- Okay. I cried. I did. I cried. So beautiful. So emotional. I just loved it. I cried even before Legacy did. I don't care that it wasn't technically beautiful, because I was moved. Very nice.

Karen & Victor's Tango -- Bad. They weren't together at all, and the entire freaking piece was basically united movement. Weakest of the night, which sucks because the Tango was so good.

Mollee & Nathan's Cancan -- Hmmm. I can definitely see how Mollee hurt her ankle. It's funny because this was exactly as united in movement as there is. It made the previous performance look even worse by comparison.

Noelle & Russell's Contemporary -- I love this song, but did not like this version. It was a nice piece by Tycee and I think this really helps overwrite the really bad showing in the first half.

Jakob & Ashleigh's Cha-cha -- I did not look at Jakob once. Usually I think all of XX's salacious comments as just the weird ramblings of a very dirty old man, but DAMN! She was so freaking hot. I mean just could not be hotter. I'd vote for them just so she could keep going. She was just so wonderful. Wow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Favs of the night: Karen & Victor's Tango, Ellenore & Ryan's Broadway, Kathryn & Legacy's Viennese Waltz

Bottom 2: It's really hard for me to cut anyone, but honestly, I'd cut Karen and Victor. I just don't find either of them to be very consistent. The other couple I night put at the bottom is Nathan and Mollee. They aren't bad at all. They just haven't overwhelmed or wowed me at any point. As I look back over my notes from the previous weeks, I just feel sort of eh toward them. I really hope it isn't Ellenore and Ryan, who I'd like to see for another week.


And because this is the week of Thanksgiving, I will say this: I am thankful for not serious prop routines this week! Hallelujah! Even when the dances had props, they weren't the focus. Amen, hallelujah!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm taking this week off to feed many, many holiday homeless college students. See you next week. Until then, be thankful for the love in your life. I know I'm thankful for the love in mine.

Champagne bubbled up through the nick of the bottle & sweet silence came out through the radio.

Susanne Lang Vanilla Champagne

That's right friends, back to vanillas today. Sometimes I think I should have named this blog something to do with vanilla, since it feels, even to me, like 15-20% of my posts are about vanilla scents.

According to Luckyscent, Vanilla Champagne is a

celebrate with chocolate, roses, champagne and the sweet smell of love... bottled! Vanilla Champagne captures the scent of all things romantic: A 30ml Spray combines the delicious scent of sparkling champagne with the essence of dark chocolate and sweet vanilla bean, two scents long considered aphrodisiacs.

Notes: Sparkling champagne, vanilla bean, dark chocolate, essence of rose petals and sandalwood

Vanilla Champagne is a a nice mix of candyfloss vanilla and a peachy liquor. On immediate application, it reminds me a lot of mixing vanilla vodka and peach schnapps, actually, so it's about as girly a shot of liqour as you can imagine. I mean that in a good way, though. Both halves are well-balanced throughout, and over two hours neither half take over completely. I don't get the chocolate much, but I do get the rose and sandalwood very lightly as the scent develops. I think Vanilla Champagne would make a great summer scent and is very feminine; though I rarely say this, I think it would be hard to sell this one as masculine, though I know at least one salsa dancing Latino man who could pull it off. Vanilla Champagne is a nice light scent that I think would appeal to short swishy skirts, big hoop earrings, bright colored tank tops, and strappy, peep-toe platforms. It's a fun scent, and yes, it feels a bit youthful in its innocence, but I also think that for a hot night out on the town, it would make a really nice choice.

You can buy Vanilla Champagne in a 30ml bottle for $50 from LuckyScent. You can also get 4ml of Vanilla Champagne and eight other vanillas in a lovely package for $95 direct from the perfumer. The Scented Salamander recommends both Vanilla Champagne and the box set for the holidays, and I concur.

"You danced across the living room floor,
and you kissed me once and then you kissed me some more.
You had your arms wrapped around my neck and it felt real fine,
and then your ankle knocked up against mine.
And resonating in my bones
was the precise crisp drumming of Mr. Elvin Jones.
God damn it, I love John Coltrane!"
- "My Favorite Things," The Mountain Goats

I could not find any reviews of Vanilla Champagne other than the user reviews over at Luckyscent.

SYTYCD Season 6: Week 4

Ashleigh & Jacob's Lyrical Hiphop -- I wait all season for these routines. And this -- was terrible. These two could not be worse at hiphop. I can't believe Nigel was so complimentary because this was so rough. It was NOT HARD HITTING AT ALL, and while yes it was passionate, that did not save the fact that they weren't even really TOGETHER when they were supposed to be.

Karen & Kevin's Broadway -- Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeak. They were both too small with all their movement and obviously really uncomfortable. Also, this song is supposed to be full of joy, because Charity is supposed to be overwhelmed with glee at her good fortune. And this wasn't. This was just flat and nervous. Bottom 3.

Noelle & Russell Foxtrot -- I loved this. Here was a couple doing something very unfamiliar to them and they not only looked comfortable, but they looked happy! They looked like they were having fun very genuinely. This was the first good number of the night for me.That the dance was so hard and one that usually screws people makes it all that much more impressive. A favorite of the evening for me, which is saying something.

Channing & Victor's Jazz -- Despite the use of an overwhelming props at the beginning, this was a great piece once they got out the stupid cage. What wonderful choreography! Tycee is really probably the most talented and creative choreographer left now that Mia Michaels is gone.

Legacy & Kathryn's Paso Doble -- Legacy's lack of training finally was showing through here but I still feel like all in all this was a very good routine. They really committed to their parts and worked their asses off. I enjoyed it way more than the hiphop piece at the top. This is a another number that can really kill a couple,so good on them. Also, I really like Legacy, so I am happy to see him doing so well.

Ellenore & Ryan's Contemporary -- Travis Wall is, without a doubt, a young choreographer to watch. What an amazing and powerful piece. Well made and well executed. I think he gets to that emotional place repeatedly that the show used to go with Mia Michaels.

Nathan & Molly's Pop-Jazz -- I really loved this piece. The unity of movement and the fun of it all was wonderful. Choreographically, one of my favorites of the night.

My Bottom Three: Ashleigh & Jacob, Karen & Kevin, and I DON'T KNOW! I honestly don't. Everyone else was very good this week. Kevin should go home this week, and I really don't know which girl. I'd hate to see Karen go, but kind of think she should. While I thought Nathan and Molly were good this week, I really don't think they are as good as some of the other couples.

BTW I write these before the judges weigh in or results are in. If there was some sort of SYTYCD pool, I'd be kicking butt.

Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got...

Frapin 1270 EDP

I'm on record already about my love of booze in general and boozy scents in particular. One nice thing about moving back to Portland is that it is considered the Microbrew Capital of the World. This means that there is not just quality booze here, but also some of the best beer in the world. In a couple of weeks, several of our friends from California and Washington are coming into town for the annual Portland Holiday Ale Festival. Therein, some of the most lovely winter brews from all over the United States will be available, as well as the excellent offers of Mountain Meadows Mead, one of my personal favorites.

When I'm looking for fall weather appropriate scents for to wear to various holiday parties and ale events, I like to turn to Frapin. Frapin, makers of fine cognacs, also makes some fine boozy fragrances. 1270 EDP, a "fruity oriental" is described as being for "hedonistic ones," including

-travelers, seduced with exotic, warm and tasty scents
-sensuals, identifying themselves in this olfactive creation, voluptuous and unique
-thoughtful ones, who embrace the elegance, richness and mystery of an olfactive emotion, a moment, a loved one.

As Cognac has always been, this fragrance, suitable to both men and women, is complex and seducing with the use of fruity and floral accords : at first, a stunning candied orange note arouses. Then, the fragrance reveals accents of nuts and hazelnuts combined to raisins and prunes delicately envelopped by gourmand, balsamy and roasted aromas such as cocoa, tonka and coffee beans.

The heart notes convey a sublime harmony of vine flowers, the same ones as those from the floral FOLLE BLANCHE ; a grape variety now disappeared. The tonic accent of the everlasting flower gently mixes with the softness and elegance of linden, and delicatly melts into a spicy touch of pepper and sweet spices.

As for all great Cognacs, the fragrance reveals a perfect balance between the richness of precious woods, the sensuality of white honey and the sweet vanilla exotism.

Notes: exotic woods, spice, raisin, vine flowers, pepper, candied orange, nut, hazelnut, prune, cocoa, coffee, leather, woods, white honey, vanilla

1270 EDP is a very masculine scent, combining citrus, spices, wood, and incense. It's sweet and smoky, and has a hint of menthol bite to it. The second time I sampled it, I got a little bit more of the coffee and a bit of a vanilla tabacco-y thing going on than I had before, and it was a lot less medicinal. It reminds me of a very nice and cozy bar with high polished wood and shiny chrome bars, back lit shelves with top-shelf liqours, where everybody knows your name and even the worn parts hold memories and thus have a sweetness and charm.

For all of that, though, it's lighter than you'd expect, and with its moderate sillage, I think makes a lovely scent for a woman as well. I don't like it quite as much as Passion Boisee, but I think it's also very nice and worth owning.

You can purchase 1270 EDP from Luckyscent or Beautyhabit, and you can get samples from Luckyscent or The Perfumed Court.

Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they're always glad you came;
You want to be where you can see,
Our troubles are all the same;
You want to be where everybody knows your name.
- "Where Everybody Knows Your Name (Theme from Cheers)," Gary Portnoy & Judy Hart Angelo

Want more? Try...
~ a review from For The Love of Perfume
~ a quick review from Nathan Branch
~ a review from Pink Manhattan
~ a review from Winterstorming: Perfume, Kimono and Tea

Images courtesy of Frapin and Cheers.

Turkey for me, turkey for you...

CB I Hate Perfume M#3 November

When I think of November, I think of the beginning of the holidays. For me, that has always meant three things: food, family, and friends. Aside from one very lonely Thanksgiving I spent sitting in a dorm room, eating Doritos, and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade by myself, I have spent every November focused on a day of coming together with people I loved. As I've mentioned before, I really enjoy the holidays, and thus I am always looking for scents that remind me of the holidays.

M#3 November is another creation of Christopher Brosius and part of (much beloved by me) the CB I Hate Perfume line. Brosius describes the inspiration for M#3 November, in part, as follows:

For decades November depressed me. As the year died away, I too longed for warm green grass, long summer evenings spent with friends outdoors and the sight of fireflies twinkling in the woods. the days became shorter and colder and i would become more and more gloomy. This feeling would never really leave me until the first snow fell. Sometimes that was a long wait...

But I have learned to embrace November and find comfort in the beauty of decay. I have come to realize the warmth I long for is still there - but it has taken other forms and it has changed just as I have. Change is inevitable and although I am still sometimes sad as the fall deepens, I know there is much to look forward to. The coming snow will being the warmth of family and friends.

So now on rain chilled November afternoons, I am content to sit quietly and wait...

The scent is supposedly to be an amalgamation of the scents of "Pumpkin Pie, Fallen Apples, Bonfire, Wood Smoke, Dried Grass, Fallen Leaves, Wet Branches, Damp Moss, Chanterelle Mushrooms and a hint of Pine Forest." All these scents, layered together, obviously make up the many days of November, with its weather and holidays and foods. But the amazing thing, to me, is that I smell my own special November scents in M#3 November, some of them the same and some of them the creation of my own mind and nose.

To me, M#3 November is a magical scent that embodies all things holiday. In my mind, when I sniff at M#3 November it smells like the first snow of winter. It's dry like snow, fresh like fir trees, and sweet like Christmas cookies, lightly toasted coconut on macaroons. After about ten minutes, there are hints of spiced cider and sprigs of spearmint. Two hours in, I get a little sweet chimney smoke, the way the night smells the first cold snap of the year, when everyone lights their chimneys up to keep warm.



You can buy the M#3 November for $75 in either 15ml perfume absolute or 100ml water perfume direct from the perfumer. You can also get samples from the CB website or from The Perfumed Court.

"Let's eat the turkey in my big brown shoe.
Love to eat the turkey at the table.
I once saw a movie with Betty Grable..."
- "The Thanksgiving Song," Adam Sandler

Again, the only reviews I could find were a bunch of short reviews from Luckyscent users.

Images from CB I Hate Perfume and BlogGreen.

In Remembrance: Veteran's Day/Armistice Day

I don't think war is noble. I don't like what it puts people through, and I don't like what it does to the people who train for it, much less endure it. But I do recognize that at times it is necessary. And when those times come I am never more grateful than to those who willingly put themselves in front of the gun. Those people include my grandfather, several of my cousins, and most recently, my brother. So I take today to say that I hope for a day when humanity can stop killing itself off by the thousands, that we can be better stewards of the world we all share, a time when people stop dying from hunger and thrist and lack of basic healthcare so others can have swimming pools and fancy cars and throw food away. Until then, I hope for peaceful resolution of conflicts through negotiation and diplomacy as much as we are able, and for a few of the young men and women who are willing to die to protect the rest of us to end up in pine boxes as possible.

Thanks to all veterans, all over the world and everywhere, and to all the men and women who currently serve. I appreciate the sacrifices you already make -- time away from family, low income, putting off plans for your future -- and the risks you take with your physical, emotional, and mental health and safety everyday on our behalf. I hope we never need to ask you for more. As it is, we owe you far more than we give you, and it is my hope that we can improve your benefits and get you the help you need and deserve.

We are the hollow men
We are the stuffed men
Leaning together
Headpiece filled with straw. Alas!
Our dried voices, when
We whisper together
Are quiet and meaningless
As wind in dry grass
Or rats’ feet over broken glass
In our dry cellar

Shape without form, shade without colour,
Paralysed force, gesture without motion;

Those who have crossed
With direct eyes, to death’s other Kingdom
Remember us—if at all—not as lost
Violent souls, but only
As the hollow men
The stuffed men.
- "The Hollow Men," T.S. Eliot