Overwhelm, destroying so sweetly...

A review of A Lab on Fire's What We Do In Paris Is Secret and a Drawing!

Snacks! (I'm like a horse, really.)

Dear reader:

So here's a little thing all ten of you out there should know about me. FN1. I have what could be considered a super human tolerance for sweet scents. Seriously. One of my favorites of all time? By Kilian's homage to the marshmallow, Love. Stuff that sets other people's teeth on edge - say Sud Pacifique Vanille Abricot (which, let's be honest, most people think smells like an insane carnival snack) or Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille (boozy and tons of vanilla, but you need a serious sweet tooth to love) - sets my proverbial hair on fire. FN2. So when I tell you that I have found a scent so sweet it might actually be almost too sweet for me?

You should take that statement seriously.

15ml?
You know that's right.

A Lab on Fire, according to nose in the know Robin at NST!, is a sub- or sister-brand of S-Perfume, makers of the much adored (by me) chocolate rose scent, 100% Love. FN3. So when I managed to get my grubby hands on a 15ml bottle of Dominique Ropion's creation, What We Do In Paris Is Secret, I was psyched! FN4. Would I love it? How much would I love it? Let me count the (imagined while it was still in the mail) ways!

Though it isn't much, here's what A Lab on Fire says about What We Do In Paris Is Secret:

Rue des Petits Champs ou rue Montorgueil. Place des Vosges ou St. Germain. Eau de Parfum What We Do In Paris Is Secret captures every part of the city. The glamorous as well as the edgy. Dominique Ropion, one of the most technically advanced perfumers in the world, has created a scent that shows his virtuosic skill and his ability to discover something new. The chic, au courant sensuality of What We Do In Paris Is Secret makes the magical real and Paris's secret palpable.

Notes - Top: Bergamot, honey, lychee; Mid: Turkish rose essence; Dry: tonka bean, vanilla, heliotrope, tolu, sandalwood, ambergris, musks.

Well kids, I'm here to let you in on the secret. In Paris, apparently the secret is sugar.

Froooooosting...

Oh holy crap, is it a lot of sugar! You know how sometimes a thing is so sweet it kind of sears your tongue and you get a twinge at the back of your jaw? This is the olfactory equivalent. I saw some reviews that got playdoh (I didn't) and a lot of almond (only a pinch over here.) Like Robin, I get a fleeting whiff of citrus and rose immediately, but it gets shoved aside almost instantly in favor of massive tonka and heliotrope. I know the notes say musk, but to me the base is more like a bowl of butter cream frosting mixed with the sweetest tobacco you could imagine. Some people say they get sweet floral, but I only get sweets and sweet smoke.

What We Do In Paris... will definitely be too sweet for ninety percent of the people who smell it. FN5. For example, my very own bestie, The Kate? She would run in the opposite direction. It's pretty much everything she hates in a perfume. FN6. My friend Amye, who likes to sniff scents then give them descriptions like "A beachy disaster - sunscreen and sand in your crotch!" or "It's as if a cosmo threw up all over you," would, I'm sure, have some choice words for this. FN7.

 Me? I'm all about the hearts and sparkles here, and in this case, the hearts are sugar cookies and the sparkles are made out of glittery crystallized sugar. While What We Do In Paris Is Secret is decidedly not for the perfumey faint of heart, I got good feedback on it from a girl a work today, and in a world of poseurs, this thing is the real gourmand deal.  I feel very lucky to have some, even if I am going to wear it sparingly for special occasions.  Honestly? It feels special occasion-y to me.  Like a very delicate, very fine, very expensive treat. If you ate it every day, you'd get a tummy ache, but every once in a while? Heaven.

Be forewarned: this sillage will run away from you (or make others run away from you), so give yourself a wide berth or go knowingly into the world cloaked in a confidence made out of candy glass armor. In terms of longevity, I put on the tiniest squirt this morning and twelve hours later I could still easily smell it, though it had lightened considerably. Definitely NSFW if you are in a fragrance limited/fragrance free environment. (Oops?)

You can buy What We Do In Paris Is Secret from Luckyscent in a 60ml for $110. They will also sell you a sample for $4.

But why wait? If you comment below, you can get a sample of What We Do In Paris Is Secret from yours truly, along with a few other of my current favs and a mix CD of music I'm listening to while writing. If you enjoy music from the Brill Building and the teeth gnashing and hair pulling of lost girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s, then between the super sweet scent and the super sweet music, you'll be all set.

Post here by 12:01 AM PST Wednesday, June 13, 2012 to enter. Open to anyone. I'll ship anywhere.

Want more? Try...
~ a review from Robin at NST!
~ a review from Smelly Thoughts.
~ a review from For The Love of Perfume.
~ a review from Legerdenez.
~ a review from 1000 Fragrances.

"Eyes, burning a way through me.
Overwhelm, destroying so sweetly.
Now, there is a fire within me.
A fire that burns...

This fire is out of control.
I'm going to burn this city,
burn this city..."
~ "This Fire," Franz Ferdinand
_______________________
FN1. I kid, of course. There are clearly at least twelve of you.

FN2. Not literally. That would smell waaaaay different. Though I'm deep enough into perfume mania at this point to think, "But I bet there's a decent perfume to be had in there somewhere."

FN3. If I'd had 100% Love when I got married, I give it 70/30 odds it would have been my wedding scent.

FN4. Full disclosure - I won it in a draw on Now Smell This, because Robin is both wise and generous.

FN5. Okay, one minor complaint - could this name be any longer? It's like that band -- "...And you will know us by the fact that our name is ridiculous and longer than necessary."  They're just asking for a bad acyronym.

The perfumers, I mean.  The band already has one.

FN6. The Kate because in a world full of Kates, she is the Kate. The one, the only. Also/formerly known as cKate, until she usurped all other Kates, as was her due.

FN7. These are actual quotes from when we went a-sniffing one afternoon, because Amye is hilarious. And according to this Forbes piece, she's also too busy to date you, so no, you can't have her number.

Perfuming The Hunger Games: Scenty Thoughts and Drawing!

Thoughts, Perfumey and Not, on Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games, Part 2

Part 2: Hunger Games Related Musings, Olfactory and Auditory

So, now that I've said all that about Katniss and YA and Feminism in Part 1, let's talk perfume, a little music, and giveaways, shall we?

I've been thinking about what sorts of scents I would associate with the characters, because if I try to imagine the perfumes that would actually appear in the word of The Hunger Games, all I can imagine is horrible, fake, overly sugary fruity florals scents coating the Capitol, like the worst collection of boring celebrity scents in history. Seriously -- can't you just see someone suggesting to Cinna that Katniss needed a celebrity scent of her own? She's be as offended by that as by the idea of a Katniss Barbie. FN1. FN2.

He smells like food....hmmmmm...

No, instead I'm focusing on scents I think capture some of the spirit of the characters and world. It is hard not to think of L'Artisan Bois Farine when you see fans wearing buttons that read, "I heart the Boy with the Bread." I also think of it when I think about the District 11 gift to Katniss during the games, which sadly did not make the film. FN3. My other option was the intensely sweet marshmallow of By Kilian Love because I always think of Peeta as kind of soft and sugary. I don't mean that in a bad way; softness is a rare and delightful find in any man, and particularly here in a romantic lead. Even if that softness is worn away somewhat by circumstances, it is wonderful to think of the Girl on Fire ending up with the boy who frosts the beautiful cakes for the bakery windows. He isn't even the stereotypical bad boy baker/chef. He's sweet, vulnerable.

As for the Girl on Fire, I skip directly to CB I Hate Perfumes Fire from Heaven, which I once described as possessing a kind of "holy fire" and is therefore connected with my notion of Katniss as a warrior-saint, the Joan of Arc figure Lawrence referenced. Other options I think of are Comme des Garcons x Artek and Crazy Libulelle Encens Mystic, a solid perfume that was once recommended to me by a reader that I have since enjoyed (and can still be found with a little hunting). FN4. I also sometimes think of DSH Perfumes Festive, but that reminds me more of the triumphant girl on fire than the one strapping herself to trees to sleep and running from fireball cannons.

It's possible that in seeing Katniss only as "The Girl on Fire," I'm playing into a media-centered stereotype, and in turn I miss Katniss in her complexity, Katniss the sister, the daughter, even the lover. The Katniss that exists after she finally lays down her arms, and begins to love. The Katniss who hopes. That girl I want to give something vulnerable, something still innocent. But maybe I'll save that for later.

As for Prim, I like to think she smells of the herbal tinctures and salves that she and her mother use to heal the injured brought to their door. Medicinal but general, a little floral sweet, not foodie sweet.  Pretty, but not beautiful.

I think of JoAnne Bassett's Enchant, though that seems a little to adult in some ways, as is Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 EDP, though that also has a sweet/medicinal/earthy quality I'd look for. What little we see of Primrose is so young and innocent in the first book, I want to put her in some sort of delicate rose scent, something young and sweet but possibly edgy, like Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming?

Speaking of innocence, I have to give Rue a little love, mostly because this will be her only appearance. I love how clever she is, how every part of her life is used to her advantage.  She's a wonderful character, perhaps one of my favorite minor/side characters in all of YA.

For Rue, perhaps, something sweet, smart, acceptably youthful and light but...special. Maybe CB I Hate Perfume Wild Pansy or Borsari Violetta di Parma? I keep wanting to go floral with Rue...perhaps because of Katniss' impulse to honor her with wildflowers.

Generally, when I think of District 12, I cannot help but think it might smell like Olympic Orchid Perfumes Kingston Ferry, because it smells of woods and dampness and hard work to me, though wasn't exactly what Ellen Covey intended, I'd wager. FN5. I guess another way to go would be L'Artisan Al Oudh, which also reminds me of a walk in the woods, but on a dry sunny day...maybe the memory of an almost happy day Katniss spent with Gale hunting, the kind of memory she clings to during the Games?

Which brings me back to Gale. I don't know what to scent Gale as. Is there a scent that captures, in turn, angry, desperate, defiant, lost? I don't know. Maybe Esscentual Alchemy Lumberjack Man? Better to save him for later.

Interestingly, I found a perfumer who has been similarly inspired. SaraWenn Perfume Art popped up in my Hunger Games swag-related searches, and on sheer impulse I ordered some. There are three Hunger Games-inspired scents coming my way: Run Away With Me, Girl on Fire, and The Baker's Boy. And not just for me, dear reader. FOR YOU!

That's right. Once again, it's drawing time here at Feminine Things. Winner will receive a sample of several of the perfumes referenced above, plus a sample of SaraWenn Perfume Art's Girl on Fire, along with a Hunger Games bookmark, mix Cd of songs that remind me of Collin's stories, and yes, even a custom made hammered silver bracelet made by Serenity Storms that reads, May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor.


Perfume! Music! Jewelry! What fan wouldn't want that kind of swag?

So come on: what scents do you associate with Katniss and her band of rebels?

POST A COMMENT ON EITHER PART 1 OR PART 2 OF THIS PIECE talking about Katniss, YA books in general, feminism, perfume, whathaveyou on or before 11:59pm PST on Friday April 6, 2012 to enter. Will ship internationally.

I will leave you now with this, an oldie but goodie, and a song I always associate with Peeta and Katniss.




___________

FN1. This comes on the heels of Lionsgate sending a cease and desist letter to Oxfam/HP Alliance for trying to use the series' popularity as a tool to fight actual hunger because, you know, Hunger is not a Game. And can I just say, thanks HPAlliance! "The Weapon We Have is Love!"



EDITOR'S NOTE:  It appears Lion's Gate has since changed their minds re: OxFam. ('Hunger Games:' Lionsgate relents in charity kerfuffle, LA Times Blog.)

FN2. And before you ask, yes Bella already has a Barbie. In fact, she has two: normal and bridal. Sigh.

FN3. This is what I wore to the release.

FN4. I really need to do a round-up post of solid scents, which I have some of enjoy, and never talk about.

FN5. Reading the books, I kept thinking of The Capitol as being pretty recognizably in the location of Denver and District 12 more like being in West Virginia. Did anyone else think that? I know they filmed in the Appalachia, so I guess Gary Ross did, too. I just wondered.

Happy Valentine's Day from Feminine Things.

Happy Valentines Day!

From my little corner of the world to yours,

I wish you all a happy Tuesday with those you love,

both near and far.

Brunch and a trip to buy the newest
Buffy Season 9 comics -
our version of a V-Day date!

Jo Malone's Red Roses Chronicle - my gift to myself.

And congrats to our winner, ccdouglass!

Thanks for being my bloggy valentine.

Please email feminine(dot)things @ gmail(dot)com so I can send you your lovely gift! And thanks to all those who entered.  More drawings to come!

Today I weigh less than a shadow on the wall, just one more whisper of a voice unheard.

Scent Spotlight on EnVoyage Perfumes L’Emblem Rouge and Giveaway

Shelley Waddington, perfumer of the EnVoyage Perfumes lines, reached out to me recently with an intriguing new offering. Like any good 'fumie, I jumped at the chance to review it.

EnVoyage Perfumes L’Emblem Rouge is part of the Rubicon Collection. This 100% natural scent is a "Deep, Lightly Spiced Rose Soliflor" and is described as follows:

The many meanings that cluster around rose – friendship, passion, love – are fulfilled in L’Emblem Rouge. It incorporates the full scentual and spiritual significance of the rose. Sensual rose set in soft woods, balsam and amber. A modern classic with a timely message. 

Top Notes: Cassie, Mace, Cinnamon, Bitter Orange, Juicy Grapefruit, Green Pepper, Iranian galbanum, Violet, and Cistus Heart Notes: Organic Iranian Rose Otto, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope, French Jasmine sambac, Violet, and Honey Base Notes: Guaiacwood, Sandalwood, Copaiba, Vetiver, Cedarwood Virginia, Tolu Balsam, Benzoin Siam, Tonka, Vanilla and Ambergris.

Did anyone call for a spicy rose? Because here it is with emphasis on the woods and spices. I get a lot of wood in the opening, which is a new aspect of roses for me, and I've got a lot of roses. Tonka and cedarwood provide a strong, gently sweet base that comes immediately upon application and feels almost like a dry chocolate powder dusted over rose petals. After a few minutes I also get some bitter orange and grapefruit, which was a unique twist on spicy rose. Over time, L’Emblem Rouge becomes a gently sweet, slightly edible, spice mix with what feels like a rose base.  Despite being a soliflor, the rose here seems less the focus but more the lead partner in an intricate dance.

I tried it next to Teo Cabanel Oha, Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengeance, DSH Perfumes Dirty Rose, DSH Perfumes Beach Roses, and DSH Perfumes American Beauty, and it was nothing like those . However, as I dug back through my bag of perfumey tricks, I did find a scent it reminded me of, and I think provides an interesting contrast - Tauer Perfumes Une Rose Chyree.

Une Rose Chypree, on me, is a hot sticky (but lovely) mess of cinnamon, labdanum, and patchouli. L’Emblem Rouge has more sweet foodie citrus and wood. "Lightly spiced" is a good description because the spice aspect is gentle and less aggressive than Une Rose Chypree. Now while I love and admire Une Rose Chypree as I do most Tauer Scents, the truth is the gentleness of L’Emblem Rouge makes it infinitely more wearable by the average person. It's a strong, bold, and yet surprisingly accessible scent. Given my choice between a bottle of the each, I would have a difficult time choosing, but think I'd probably go for L’Emblem Rouge.

For any one who has ever thought all naturals were weak and fleeting, lacking both the oomph and staying power of synthetics and mixed ingredient scents, I offer EnVoyage Perfumes L’Emblem Rouge as counter-exhibit A. Beautiful blooming on the skin, moderate to high sillage, and long lasting, L’Emblem Rouge is proof positive that all natural scents can have long lives; a dose from a wand sample lasted on me in excess of six hours, though it stayed relatively close to the skin after about three and a half. Still, in a sprayer? Probably a scent I'd still be catching hints of after a long day at work.

On the whole, I find L’Emblem Rouge artfully composed, and well worth a try. It can be found here.

A beautiful scent alone is a wonderful thing, but L’Emblem Rouge is particularly special because of the generosity of the fine folks at EnVoyage Perfumes. A lifetime gift of five percent of all L’Emblem Rouge proceeds are donated to Broadway Cares, a leading nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organization.

I am old enough to remember HIV/AIDS at the height of its prominence in terrorizing the American psyche. I came of age in the late 80s/early 90s, and I have crystal clear memories of the incredible effort put into educating my generation about safer sex practices. I am not HIV+, but I have known and cared greatly for people who were, a few of whom lost their lives to AIDS or AIDS-related complications.

Because of this personal connection, I am incredibly touched by Shelley's efforts. Any time I am having a bad day, it heartens me to be able to look around and think of all the kindnesses we do for one another that aren't necessarily required of us, kindnesses given freely to strangers who will never know us, who will perhaps never meet us, but whose lives are improved by the goodness inherent in our deeds. It is proof that human beings are probably capable of ending most of the strife and pain in the world if we can gather our collective will and marry it to our compassion and ingenuity. In this respect, we are truly and profoundly miraculous.

I can think of a lot of issues that need this kind of collective miracle, but the HIV crisis in Africa would be high on my list of problems that could be solved if we wanted. Yes, there are practical problems: trying to devise distribution chains for medication in remote locations; teaching people all across a continent from a panoply of cultures that are not slaves to time or regiment how to deal with a drug cocktail that requires a consistent routine; overcoming cultural barriers to learning preventative care and safer sex practices; even the basic difficulty of maintaining peace in order to make delivery of materials. These are just a few of the challenges.

Just looking at the meager list I have propounded, I acknowledge: it's a logistical nightmare of epic proportions. But so is the crisis. Too many people -- young and old, men, women, and children -- are dying every day from a disease that the western world has engineered out of terminal status and into a condition treated more as a chronic illness.

Those of us on top have this strange self-delusion that we will always be here. That unearned and unrealistic certainty has been called a lot of things in human history: manifest destiny, American exceptionalism, to name a couple. A good student of history realizes that the circumstances that make up the differences, though, could be reversed on us. Eventually, even Rome fell.  A significant earthquake along the West Coast, a biological agent released widely, or hell, a complete and extended lack of confidence in the market, could cripple an already limping country, and the hysteria and fear that followed could reduce our once great nation, frankly, to so much anarchic dust. In that circumstance, would we really want those with the ability to provide us aid and assistance in our darkest hour to decide that reaching out would be too logistically difficult to bother?

The concept of the veil of ignorance is a simple one: wherever souls come from, the part of you that is your consciousness was born into a particular time and place. That makes some of us inherently safer, healthier, and better off from the moment of inception by sheer dumb luck. That privilege isn't something that was earned, and it could have easily been someone else far less fortunate in your shoes and you in theirs. So imagine, for one moment, that just before your personal die was cast, you had the opportunity to distribute wealth and access and resources and education. Maybe you wouldn't make it exactly equal everywhere, but you'd probably at least ensure that the minimal needs of every person next to be born were met because you could not know which of those people would be you.

Americans are hard-working, but we are also lucky. We have innovated a lot of technology, particularly pharmaceutical advances. We owe it to those born into crippling poverty and resource inequality to meet the challenges that stand between them and basic necessities like food, clean water, shelter, safety, and health care. Not just in this country, but anywhere there are people in the world willing to accept it. I'm not saying we must force other cultures to conform to modernity or western thought to accomplish this; I'm not into naked paternalism or cultural colonization. I am saying, though, that we have a moral obligation to offer some of what we have and to assist those who need and want our help. And that we carry the burnt of that logistical weight, for surely their burden is already more than enough.

But enough politics and philosophy; back to the perfume.

Shelley Waddington has generously provided me a 1ml sample of  L’Emblem Rouge and a mini spray flacon of L’Eau de Emblem Rouge, the hydrosol distilled from the parfum reviewed above, to give away to one lucky winner. I'm adding a CD to the mix to entice you; and this won't be a one of the monthly mixes, but a specially made CD reflecting on the theme of the value and beauty of life and good health we so often take for granted.

Open to all readers anywhere. To enter please post below by: 12:01AM, Friday, September 23, 2011 Pacific Standard Time.

"Tomorrow leave the windows open
As fear grows please hold me in your arms
Won't you help me if you can to shake this anger
I need your gentle hands to keep me calm...
I can't believe you love me
I never thought you'd come
I guess I misjudged love
Between a father and his son.
- "The Last Song," Elton John

Ribbon image courtesy of freizeit.  Chart from the United Nations World Health Organization. Other images from creative commons.

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

When I got up this morning, it seems like such a good idea. Now my apartment looks like the equivalent of this scene from High Fidelity.

I'm actually waiting for one of you to bust through my door to tell me I shouldn't store my samples like that, they'll get really pressured and leak.

I owe you my weekly update,  I know.  What can I say? *looks around her.*  I'm distracted.  Tomorrow or Monday okay?  I did try four new scents this week (took one pass day), but need to translate my incohernt notes into a post.

In the mean time,  it's time for the April drawing, which I also somehow blanked on.  Mix CD and 3-5 samples from this horde I'm organizing.  To enter, post here and tell me your favorite scent for Spring and/or favorite CD right now.

Drawing closes 5/13 at 12:01 A.M. Open to anyone, anywhere.  On the moon?  I'll try to get it to you.

March Mix and Drawing Winner!

Congrats to *jen for winning the march drawing! 

Send your address to feminine.things@gmail.com and you will soon be the proud owner of a handmade mix CD (because I still function like i'm in the 6th grade) and, more importantly, a sampler set Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes!

I'm headed out to Hood River to look at the apple, pear, and cherry blossoms on the fruit loop.  Hope you are all having as lovely a Spring day as we are!


"Trouble in mind, I'm blue
But I won't be blue always,
'Cause the sun's gonna shine
In my backdoor some day."

~ "Trouble in Mind," Nina Simone

March 2011 Monthly Drawing!

My lovelies where did March go? It's madness I tell you, madness. Speaking of March Madness, you're all watching the Basenotes March Madness brackets, right? I voted this year. It was so HARD to choose!

As March 2011 passes into the annual of personal and public history, a few quick notes for my personal memorialization: Speak Now; Japan has earthquakes, tsunamis, & nuclear meltdowns; The King is Dead; Protests: Egyptian, Iranian, Jordanian, Ivorian, Bahranian, Syrian, Yemeni, Moroccan; workers stike in China while workers loss right to organiza in Wisconsin; trip #3 to Forks, Washington (don't judge me!); UN intervention in Libya; turned 33; finished a huge personal life goal (more on that later); getting ready for the July bar (another huge life goal); started getting paid to write regularly; felt inspired; felt discouraged; railed at the world; railed at myself; in-law peace in our time; Charlie Sheen; got accepted; got rejected; Middle Tornado; read voraciously; found a temporarily satisfying balance in my life.

Every month a wiener winner!

All in all -- a very full month. And you know what another month means: another Feminine Things drawing! Winner gets a standard sample set from Olympic Orchids, in honor of my discovery of orchid scents and my love of the PNW, and a copy of my handmade monthly mix CD.

To enter, post here by Thursday April 7, 11:59 PM PST. Tell me anything you like, but if you've got a fig scent you really like, I'd love to hear about it.

Any and all welcome to enter.

January Mix and Sample!

Oh the musical places we'll go!

Well readers, as we come to the end of week 4 of our Scent Challenge 2011, it's time for the first of our twelve draws. As of today I'm 19 scents into my goal of 260, and I feel good so far. I am 8% of my challenge complete. (Who knew perfume could involve so much math?)

So, in honor of this tiny milestone (more of a pit stop, really), one of you lucky readers is going to receive a mix CD and a couple samples. Don't ask me what samples yet -- I dunno.

I won't give up the track list of CD, but I can tell you that the name is "What's a Girl To Do?" and is likely to feature artists such as: The Bird & The Bee, The Heathers, A Fine Frenzy, OK Go, Bat for Lashes, and many more. Never heard of any of them?  That's okay!  I live in Portland, where we specialize in obscure things you've never heard of.  Also, we put birds on things and call it art!  Don't believe me? There's even a video about it.

All interested parties welcome regardless of place of residence.  Live on the moon?  We will still try to reach you!


Post before 12:01 AM Pacific Standard Time on 02/01/2011 to enter, and tell me what artists you are listening to right now. 

This inquiring mind always wants to know!

And the winner is...

The Astoria column, at night.

So my dear readers, here are the results of the anniversary draw!

I know you're all itching to find out who won.  thus we turn to Randomizer, who gives us the following results:

There were 9 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

Screenshot or it didn't happen!

1. Oh, True Apothecary
2. Bellatrix
3. PearlSugar
4. Elisa Gabbert
5. Ines
6. amberleigh
7. Fresh Local and Best
8. JoanElaine
9. Kathy

Timestamp: 2010-10-19 04:13:57 UTC

Congrats to Oh, True Apothecary, our grand prize winner (with an awesome name, I might add -- thy drugs are quick)! You get a mixed cd, candy, two samples (my random choice) and a $15 gift certificate to either Luckyscent or The Perfumed Court, your choice.

Second prize winners are Bellatrix, PearlSugar, Elisa Gabbert, and Ines, who will get a mixed cd, candy and three samples  (my random choice) each.  

Thanks everyone for entering, and keep reading because there will likely be more fun drawings soon.

Winners, please email me at femininethings@gmail.com with your addresses so I can get your prizes in the mail by the end of the week.

Until tomorrow, dear ones.  

Birthday drawing results.

Tiff, womo531, & Rita from Left Coast Nose won the birthday drawing for samples! Email your contact info to femininethings@gmail.com. (Well, not you Tiff or Rita, I know how to reach both of you.)

For those of you interested in knowing what I'm spinning for my 32nd annual celebration of birth, here's the birthday tracklist.

The Problem With Leisure...
1. Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe - Okkervil River
2. According To You - Orianthi
3. Natural's Not In It - Gang Of Four
4. Back Against The Wall - Cage The Elephant
5. The Blues Are Still Blue - Belle & Sebastian
6. She Came Along To Me - Billy Bragg & Wilco
7. Forgiveness - Patty Griffin
8. World Spins Madly On - The Weepies
9. Lost Cause - Beck
10. Breakeven - The Script
11. Passionate Kisses - Lucinda Williams
12. The Story - Brandi Carlile
13. I Never Met A Girl Like You Before - Edwyn Collins
14. Say What You Want - Texas
15. Life Is Long - Brian Eno & David Byrne
16. Troublemaker - Weezer
17. Pulling Our Weight - The Radio Dept.
18. Boy From Tupelo - Emmylou Harris
19. Black Sand - Jenny Lewis
20. Vienna - Billy Joel
21. Happy Birthday - Concrete Blonde

I get a little warm in my heart when I think of winter: Best of Winter 2009 & Drawing!

Inspired by I Smell Therefore I Am's list of Favorite Christmas Smells, I thought it was time I made my list of my top winter scents for 2009.

Winter is bearing down on us here in PDX. Saturday night we got our first ice over of the season, resulting -- campus events wise -- in David sliding five feet on his back, cars sliding off the road on the hill, a broken arm, and my friend Becca not being able to get back to her campus apartment from a late night in the lab because she kept sliding down the hill when she tried to walk up it! Being on a college campus at the top of a steep hill is always eventful when there's weather. Though, since I am no longer employed by a college or university, my role here is strictly spectator, even if David does have the duty phone from time to time.

So from the warmth of my apartment, with kittens all sleeping soundly, I bring you my list of winter/ holiday season favorites for 2009. My winter lists tend to be dominated by spice, sweet, and incense, which is reminiscent of my kind of winter holiday -- snow covered days spent next to fire places, spicy sweet roasted nuts, and trips to church for holy days. With that in mind, away we go!

1. Bond no. 9 New Haarlem
When it's cold, I like hot coffee with milk and sugar, and I like no coffee scent better than New Haarlem, and this one has vanilla and patchouli to boot! Every time I wear it I get tons of compliments. It's foodie but not too foodie, herbal but not too herbal, sweet but not too sweet. If you like coffee, I bet you'll love this.

For my review, which I wrote write at the beginning of this blog and really does not do this brilliant scent justice, go here.

2. CB I Hate Perfume Fire From Heaven
As I said in my review, this is such a potent smoke scent, one that to me speaks of sacred rituals and holy fires. A great scent, and one that is different enough from the generally lovely smoking smell of cold winter night spent in the warmth of wood burning fireplaces that it makes you stop and take notice.

For my full review, go here.

3. CB I Hate Perfume the Fir Tree
You might think that no one would want to smell like a fir tree, but let me tell you, you're gonna want to smell like this tree.

For my full review, go here.

4. Frapin Passion Boisee
When you think of all those spirits that help one get into the holiday spirit, and you are looking for a great holiday party or late night cocktails scent, this is the one.

For my full review, go here.

5. L'Artisan Dzing!
Possibly my favorite scent of all time. Summer, Spring, or Fall, I'll wear this one. But winter, ah, winter. I think practically every sweater I own has the faint smell of Dzing! If you are new to perfume and try this and think you don't like it, try again in six months. Trust me -- it's genius.

For my full review, go here.

6. Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon
Geranium Bourbon is another wonderful dry, boozy scent that would be great for the holidays.

For my full review, go here.

7. Tauer Perfumes L'Air du desert marocain
Hilariously, when I wrote the review I was thinking, "summer scent" but here I am in winter and I still want L'Air du desert marocain. It's possible that Andy Tauer just makes transcendent scents that go beyond time of day, event, season, or even gender. I feel this way about really all of the Tauer scents, but I love L'Air du desert marocain the best.

For my full review, go here.

8. INeKE Evening Edged in Gold
Again, here I am with the leathers and smoke, but there are plums here and gold tinsel and so many beautiful and fine things. All six of INeKE's scents are great -- definitely worth the $25 for a sample box. It's the perfect size for a stocking stuffer. Don't think, just order.

For my full review, go here.

9. Guerlain L’Heure Bleue
When I first reviewed this, one of the things I noted in the mixture was the smell of wet wool, like snow flakes melting on your coat or sweater after you come into a warm house after a winter walk.

For my full review, go here.

10. Lorenzo Villoresi Alamut
I have actually never reviewed Alamut, and I own a bottle! Ha! I'll have to get on that. I know that a lot of people were disappointed with Alamut, but I love it. It's big and warm and incense-y, and I deeply enjoy it, particularly in winter.

11. Bond no. 9 Andy Warhol Silver Factory
Possibly the best of all Bond scents, it's textured and multi-layered and beautiful. Woody, sweet, incense-y, awesomeness, with a great weirdness in the opening. Love it!

For my full review, go here.

12. DKNY Black Cashmere
One of the only bottles I've ever bought entirely unsniffed during the period when everyone thought it was being discontinued, Black Cashmere is a great spicy scent that has a weird rubbery leathered edge to it and yet somehow manages to simultaneously be a light fragrance. Donna Karan has since brought back Black Cashmere and Fuel and several other scents through the exclusive DK collection at Neiman Marcus, along with my beloved Fuel for Men, but I don't regret buying the bottle at all. This is yet another scent I need to review completely.

That's it for me. What about you? What scents do you associate with winter? In the spirit of the holidays, those who comment by 12:01am PST on Monday, December 21 will be entered in a random drawing for 1ml samples of Bond no. 9 New Haarlem, Lorenzo Villoresi Alamut, DKNY Black Cashmere, and L'Artisan Dzing!. Depending on my availability, prize package may also include a mix CD made by yours truly. Thanks in advanced for the commentary! The results will post on December 23, 2009.

"I run off where the drifts get deeper.
Sleeping beauty trips me with a frown.
I hear a voice.
'Your must learn to stand up for yourself
'cause I can't always be around.'
He says, "When you gonna make up your mind?
When you gonna love you as much as I do?"
"Winter," Tori Amos

Drawing results!

Thanks to randomizer.org, the results are as follows:

There were 3 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Nika
2. Sue
3. Ines

Timestamp: 2009-09-29 19:37:15 UTC

Congrats to Nika, who has earned a mix CD and three samples of her choice!

In appreciation for Sue and Ines's entry into the drawing, I'm going to allow them each to make one sample selection as well. Everybody wins!

Winners, please email femininethings@gmail.com with addresses and choices so I can send your spoils along.

Reviews to come this afternoon. I've been home sick for two days, so I've been behind.

Don't Miss Out on the Drawing! Mix CD & Samples!

Today is Wednesday, and it is like 100 degrees here in LA, the world is increasingly on fire again, and I hiding inside from the heat and flamage. This means I have time to do thing like bug you to enter my drawing!

Seriously, folks, if you have not yet signed up for my awesome drawing, you're are seriously missing out.

Winners not only get their choice of 1ml samples from ANY SCENT I'VE REVIEWS but also get an awesome mix CD, handmade and decorated by me.

So even if you're not into perfume, but just a friend who reads my blog, you know you love my mixes, so get to posting! Also, if you are a perfume novice and wouldn't know what to pick, I'm happy to pick some things out for you if you tell me what you already think/know you like.

There's really no losing here, people. Just click on the pretty link and leave me a comment. David arrives tomorrow, so I will not be available to pester you for posts (though there will be reviews tomorrow and Friday). I am so excited I'm practically floating!

"And she was drifting through the backyard...
And she was taking off her dress...
And she was moving very slowly...
Rising up above the earth.
Moving into the universe,
drifting this way and that.
Not touching ground at all
Up above the yard...
- "And She Was," Talking Heads

I said, "Hey, pretty baby, howsabout a date?"

She said, "I'm going to school, and I can't be late."

This is a very busy week for us, as over six thousand resident students descend upon us for the beginning of Fall Quarter. Also, David is visiting this coming weekend for the first time in two months. Thus I may be a little light on reviews this week, but I'll be back in full force next week.

In honor of the beginning of another year of school -- a phase of life that apparently will be of permanent relevance to my life whether I'm a student or not -- I'm offering up a special back to school mix and your choice of sampling any three scents I've reviewed (list in the column on the right), 1 ml each.

Want in? Post in the comments section and tell me either a song you associate with fall/back to school or a scent you associate with fall (or both!). Entries end at 11:59pm PST, Sunday September 27. Random winner will be selected from those who post and announced on Monday, September 28.

Any and all eligible, even if you're my one previous winner. (I'm looking at you, Divina. <g>)

Woe is me, all summer long I was happy and free.
Save my soul, the board of education took away my parole.
I gotta go back, back, back to school again.
You won't find me 'til the clock strikes three;
I'm gonna be there 'til then...
Whoa, whoa, I gotta go...
back to school...
again!
- "Back to School," Grease 2

Hilarious!

Who knew that my first give away would be so uncontested? I can't decide if I have only one reader or simply that most of my readers are people I know in real life who can ask me for samples at any time and know I'll provide.

Well, congrats to Divina, who will be getting 1 ml samples of Kai, L'Artisan Vanilia, *and* Memoire Liquide No. 900 Champagne et Mure Parfum as promised. Indeed, because she is the only person who posted and then mentioned that CB I Hate scents are hard for her to obtain, I'm throwing in samples of CB I Hate Perfume's Wild Hunt, Black March, Memory of Kindness and To See a Flower because I appreciate the support for my perfume ramblings. If nothing spurs the rest of you to post next time, let it be that I might actually send you more gifties than you originally thought available!

Divina, email me your mailing address at femininethings@gmail.com and I will have your package in the mail by the end of the week.

And for those of you who care, my last paper is being proof read as we speak and my last exam begins in three and a half hours. Around 9:30pm PST I will be completely finished with my requirements for this semester! I still have a lingering thesis paper to finish, but I have a week and a half of no classes, exams, or job to do that in. Despite this A paper nonsense hanging round my head, I consider myself more or less done as of tonight. That probably makes no sense to anyone but me, but if you've ever watched me write a 20 page paper in less than a twenty-four hours, including the lion's of research, then you know that ten days to write my A paper is more than enough for me to finish in time for the grade deadline.

A Near Wild Heaven: Spring 2009 Top Ten

So I am totally overwhelmed trying to finish what may be the last month of school I ever experience, along with its attendant last set of finals/papers I might ever have to deal with. Obviously this is…time consuming.

Spring, sprang, sprung!

Whatever it takes, I'm giving.
It's just a gift I'm given.
Try to live inside.
Trying to move inside...

However, I’ve been remiss and inattentive, dear readers. But to make amends, I’m offering up my Top Ten Spring Scents of 2009. Spring, to me, is the world’s asserted awakening after a long sleep. It smells like fresh rain and earth and flowers, like bike rides and visits to farmers markets and patio parties. The following scents feel like that to me, like newness. Like hope. Like renewal.

Because I am so busy, I can only offer up the ‘official’ descriptions of these scents. I’ve reviewed a one of them previously, but for the most part these are sniffed but unreviewed. I promise reviews to come as soon as my papers are done. Til then, I hope at least the recommendations and copy text will be intriguing enough for you to try sniffing these. Where I could not crib ad copy from the perfumer direct, I borrowed from Luckyscent and BeautyHabit.

1. L’Artisan Vanilia
A uniquely refined rendition of vanilla, this iconic L'Artisan Parfumeur fragrance blends vanilla absolute with the creamy floral accord of ylang ylang and smoldering spices. Enriched by the velvety base of sandalwood, Vanilia is a complex, multifaceted blend that showcases wonderfully the oriental beauty of vanilla and yet is more than just vanilla. A masterpiece.

Notes: ylang-ylang, nutmeg, clove, vanilla, sandalwood

My review is here.

2. Kai EdP
The creator of Kai spent her youth vacationing in Hawaii and always wanted to try to capture the island's fragrance. Thus Kai was born. The result is a blend of gardenia and white exotics that transports you instantly to your own tropical paradise.

3. Memoire Liquide No. 900 Champagne et Mure Parfum
A classic sparkling Kir Royale; refreshing, dry and subtly touched by sweet berry accords and a fresh lemon twist.

4. Téo Cabanel Oha
Oha is an evening fragrance that combines the most precious and noble essences. Transcending time and space this mysterious perfume will appeal to women with true personality.

A fresh sweep of bergamot in harmony with a delicate tea aroma. Voluptuous roses from Bulgaria and Morocco, jasmine from Egypt, creates its heart of spicy notes enhanced with Guatemala Cardamom. Suddenly, Oha luxuriates in the captivating powdery notes of vanilla, iris, tonka bean and exotic woods lifted by a note of white musk.

5. DSH Perfumes The´ Vert (Tea No. 1)
Classical. Refined. Minimalist.

A true green tea fragrance with a soft and subtle chypre dry down. My own green tea scent.

Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon; Middle notes: Green Tea; Base notes: Moss, Sandalwood

6. Serge Lutens Nuit de Cellophane
Cellophane night? The name was meant to shock, says the enigmatic maestro of the Palais Royal -- though what it alludes to is simply the material used to wrap bouquets in flower shops.

At first sniff, you may think Serge Lutens has gone mainstream. Nuit de Cellophane is, undeniably, a fruity floral drowned in a cloud of fluffy musk. But smell more closely, and the little night music running through the Lutens opus will make itself heard: the stained-glass light of mandarin, warmed by the solar cinnamon roundness of myrrh, drowns the dusk-blooming, indolic jasmine in sunset hues. A slight mentholated whiff betrays a roving tuberose throwing her green flash.

Chinese osmanthus, with its juicy apricot sweetness and suede-like facets, is offset by the clove-y warmth of carnation and the milky lushness of almonds. A touch of lily adds smokiness to the blend, melding into the woody, creamy sandalwood base drowned in honey. A deceptively innocent, multi-textured fragrance whose carnal whispers will draw you into the luminescent sparkle of a cellophane night...

7. Sarah Horowitz Parfums Perfect Nectar
Luscious and exotic, this succulent fragrance features top notes of tangerine and blood orange, followed by middle notes of papaya, mango, ylang ylang and green tea. Perfect Nectar's base accord is a bed of soft, white flowers.

8. CB I Hate Perfume To See a Flower
Delicate spring flowers (hyacinth, daffodils, jonquils & crocuses), green shoots, wet dirt & a bit of moss

9. CB I Hate Perfume Revelation
Revelation captures the scent of a Wild Fig Tree. The prime note is that of Fig Leaves & Twigs blended with Honey and a touch of Spice. The perfume is based on a rich warm blend of Cedarwood, Cypress Wood, Amber & Labdanum.

Revelation begins with a crisp green scent that gently warms on the skin to be sensual and glowing.

10. Strange Invisible Perfumes Urban Lily EdP
Similar to the gardenia, Lily of the Valley will not yield an essence. Happily, the sweetness of its petals, the strength of its roots, and the push beauty of its leaves are captured in urban lily, a stunning bouquet for the ages.

Inspiration: On the first of May, Lily of the Valley blossoms make their yearly debut on the street corners of Paris. Their inspiring scent rings out a clear and welcome message: The return of happiness. Urban Lily follows these flowers beneath the garden floor AND reveals that sweetness belies strength. Like an ethereal beauty living in a dizzying metropolis, this determined lily chases the beauty in adversity. It will endure small spaces, harsh seasons, and changing landscapes with mystical poise.

So that's my list!

And for being so patient with my slow posting, I am doing my first sample give away! Leave a comment below, and one commenter will be selected at random to receive 1 ml samples of Kai, L'Artisan Vanilia, *and* Memoire Liquide No. 900 Champagne et Mure Parfum. Because I post so infrequently, I keeping the drawing open until 5pm, May 9, 2009, which is, incidentally the last day of finals period.

I'll post the winner by 9am Sunday, May 10, 2009 so we can exchange emails regarding mailing info.

My heart thrown open wide
in this near wild heaven...
- R.E.M., "Near Wild Heaven"

Photo from Picturezone.