Your heart is dark as a hemlock grove where the sun never shines and nothing grows.

Perfume Challenge Week 29: Monday, 8/1/11, to Friday, 8/5/11
A week of DSH Pefumes

When I was in junior high and early high school, I had a wonderful best friend, Marti. Marti was smart and funny and sharp-tongued and beautiful, like so many teenage girls are, and we could talk on the phone for hours after school after spending almost every class together. We grew apart in high school, in same the way I was systematically isolated from everyone by the growing random horror of my home life and my inept and desperate attempts to deal with it (hello, cycle of violence), but I never forgot Marti. Years have passed now, and we've reconnected thanks to ye olde intertubes, and I'm happy for that. It's nice when technology occasionally brings people together rather than isolating them from one another.

Never turn your back
on Mother Earth.

Recently Marti reminded me of something it's possible completely escaped my attention at age thirteen: her mom is a huge perfumista. To quote Marti, "she has more perfume than is natural for a human to own." I'd say that described me, too, at this point. I always adored Marrti's mom for so many reasons -- she was smart, she was funny, she was an excellent nurse who specialized in difficult deliveries, and when she was angry at the world, she watched nature videos of tornadoes destroying things as a coping mechanism. The perfume thing is icing on a cake of amazingness I've long admired. When I'm in Houston next, I'm hoping to hook up with them both for some perfume shopping.

If you're reading this, Lillian, thanks for always being kind to me after my mom left. I never forgot it.

Monday: DSH Perfumes Spring Moss - A dewy moss with subtle cool melon and cucumber nuances. Notes: Cucumber, Melon, Moss.

This is a bright, fresh scent that on me is almost spearmint-y. I know the notes say melon and usually that would be the death knell for me, but in this case it is light and fresh scent with the melon no where to be found. It lacks the decaying earthiness I'd have expected from a moss, but maybe that's what is Spring-like about it. Spring Moss is very much a new growth scent and great for warmer weather, so I suspect it wears very well at the cusp of Spring's change to Summer. I'll be sure to try it around that time next year. A solid 3 of 5 nods for scent, 5 of 5 nods for longevity (like all DSH perfumes oils, a little goes a very long way - 6 to 8 hours), and 5 of 5 nod for pricing (1/3 oz pulse roller on sale for $18), which for me was a whooping $14 for what I suspect is a three to five year supply with frequent use of this Fond Farewell item.

Layering Experience: I tried layering Spring Moss with Jo Malone Red Roses, after thinking I'd like a fresh green rose and finding the combination of Red Roses and Jo Malone Fresh Mint Leaf left me wanting a stronger green aspect. I found the combination a huge success, the Spring Moss being strong enough that a few pulsepoint dabs balanced very evenly with a light spritz of Red Roses. The effect was is a youthful and fresh rose scent that makes for nice wearing in warmer weather.

Tuesday: DSH Perfumes African Violet - A powdery, almost candy-sweet, violet flower note. Notes: Violet, Orris, Violet, Violet Leaf Absolute, Orris Concrete, Orris Root.

Well, helllllllllo violet. Attention lovers of soapy, powdery violets. Do not be fooled by the description, because this is definitely not the sweetest or most candied violet I've tried. No this is the kind of violet that once made me opine that violets were hard for me to love. That was on September 30, 2009, almost two years ago. My, how things change. Had I tried African Violet back then, I would have hated its intense soapy powdery florality. Now I think it is really quite pretty, though, it is not in the vein of violets I tend toward (like CB I Hate Perfume Violet Empire or Serge Lutens Bois de Violette.) Despite my newfound affection for African Violet's soapy, powdery beauty, I still prefer those less traditional violet approaches; turns out my nose is, at times, pretty consistent. But if you want a voluptuous violet of the soapy, powdery bent, I insist you look no further. 3 of 5 nods for the scent (based on my preferences, not the quality) and again, amazing longevity and price point (1/3 oz pulse roller on sale for $19).

Wednesday: DSH Perfumes Sweet Gardenia - A thoroughly tropical interpretation of gardenia with island flowers and a hint of sensuality in its base notes. Notes: Coconut, Orange Blossom, Gardenia, Tuberosa, Ambergris, Musk.

The opening is, as promised, very tropical. I think the tropical aspect comes from a balanced overlay of coconut and tuberosa, though the tuberosa is supposed to be a base note. This is one unusual gardenia, and more what I expected from Pacifica Tahitian Gardenia than what I got. Also, and this is a bonus for me, I get the rubbery part of the tuberuse/gardenia combo, which I truly enjoy. If you want a pretty gardenia for a beachy date, this is a nice option. Also a Fond Farewell item; 1/3 oz pulse roller on sale for $14. 3 of 5 nods.

Filmed in Oregon!

Thursday: DSH Perfumes Hemlock - Based on Canadian Hemlock Spruce, this scent has a bright and shining lightness with subtle drydown notes that come straight from the dark forest floor. It's the perfect compliment to the winter chill. Notes: Green Mandarin, Green Peppercorn, Silver Fir, Tanacetum, Angelica, Balsam Fir, Spruce, Atlas Cedarwood, Patchouli, Peru Balsam, Rhum, Treemoss.

 Hemlock spruce, as it says right there on the label. To me, this reminds me of the many, many, many hours spent in Decembers of my youth wandering around car lots full of fresh Christmas trees, if someone had dressed all the trees with decorative balls made of various kinds of peppercorns. In other words, it has a great scent memory embedded, and really makes me miss those times. Though I find it very sexy for anyone, there is wonderful potential here to sell a perfume-adverse man on a scent that feels like it goes with the latest episode of Ax Men. Personally I love it and will be leaning on it heavily when we get closer to the holidays. 1/3 oz pulse roller on sale for $19. Again, a Fond Farewell item. 4 of 5 nods.

Friday: DSH Perfumes Almond Blossom - A delicate floral scent with hints of almond in the top note and warm lily/musky nuances in the dry down. Notes: Bitter Almond, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley (Muguet), Amber, Musk.

Dear Fates, if I'm meant to die of poisoning someday, can you make sure it comes in the form of cyanide baked into some sweet dessert items so it smells like this just before I die? At least I would die happy.

Almond Blossom is an attempt at the floral and not the food, and the result is sweet but not too sweet and very almond, in an almond extract way, not a roasted nut way. It lasts forever, and is as delicious as it is pretty, but not nearly as sticky sweet gourmand as DSH Perfumes Lush Honey. The floral notes ensure you get a sweet scent that runs less toward the almond food and more toward the flower, as promised. 1/3 oz pulse roller on sale for $18. Available for a limited time and quantity. 5 of 5 nods.

Layering Experience: I tried layering Almond Blossom with Jo Malone Orange Blossom, and it turned out to be another wonderful surprise. The dryness of the Orange Blossom kills almost all of the gourmand aspects, turning it into a decidedly lovely floral combination. This is a combo I will be revisiting with some frequency. If you have the two on hand, give it a whirl. Two to three generous dabs of perfume oil to one full spray works for me.

Winner of the Week: I'm not going to pick this time. Every one of them are truly lovely and available for less than $20 each. I am pleased to say I own a third ounce off them all, which I suspect will last me a blissfully long time.  Also, with that kind of variety, you can hit almost an mood, weather or seasonal inclination, and all for under $100. Definitely shop the DSH Perfumes specials and sales while you still can to find all of the above at more than reasonable prices.

"Love is crooked as the teeth in an old man's smile,
as the stones in the graveyard, as a country mile,
but I'll drive all night to get there if you let me stay awhile.
Your heart is empty as winter in a tourist town.
Your heart is dark as a hemlock grove."
~ "Hemlock Grove," Mark Erelli

We should have each other to tea....

Monday, 3/7/11 - Friday, 3/11/11

I'm out of town this weekend on a short trip to Washington for my birthday.  David and I are seeing his parents and hanging out in the general Olympia area, so if you've got recommendations, let me know. If I'm slow to respond, please forgive me -- I'm probably adventuring with my lovelier half.  Despite this trip, this week I'm actually giving you the as-promised five days, five scents challenge results, but with a specific focus.

I admit that I am not a fan of tea.  Until about four years ago, my reaction to the word was something along the lines of "Bleh! Tastes like dirty water!"  My husband, who loves tea, has always been amused and horrified by this attitude.  Slowly but surely, he's begun winning me over -- a little "sleepy time" here, a little "raspberry zinger" there.  But to me, tea is still something relegated to being consumed when I am too sick to smell or when I'm freezing and coffee is unavailable.

Jo Malone's idea of tea...

So you'd think when Jo Malone recently released a limited edition "tea" series, I'd have passed automatically.  Suprisingly, though, I actually like tea scents, even if I'm not wild about the beverage.  The five "tea" offerings, which are actually three tea scents and two layering flankers, are described as follows:

Tempting. Refreshing. Engagingly unexpected. The World of Jo Malone introduces a special limited edition collection - Tea Fragrance Blends. Five distinctive, contemporary scents, inspired by that most quintessential of British traditions - when everything stops for tea.

Assam & Grapefruit - Meant to be a morning tea incarnation, this scent is a bright fruity citrus. It's in the same vein as the English Pear & Freesia, but less floral and more spicy, in a baking spices kind of way. I own the English Pear, so I wasn't moved to purchase this one, but for anyone feels the English Pear is too "knock you down like a drunken floozy" loud, bright and boozy, this might be a good one for you. 3.5 of 5 nods.

Earl Grey & Cucumber - The afternoon tea offering, and in my opinion the most masculine (in the general perfumey sense) of the five. I found it gently dark, with a freshness I don't normally find in darker tea creations. Again, nice, but not moving me toward my wallet. 3 of 5 nods.

Fresh Mint Leaf - Now this one -- wow! This evening tea offering is admittedly the lightest of the three, with the lowest sillage and duration. That said, the mint is balanced with a delightful green herbal twist, and the whole experience is a light and airy affair. It may be that this was a "right time, right place" circumstance, but Fresh Mint Leaf immediately fed my desire for warm shiny days of Spring and Summer. This will make an excellent summer scent, and sniffing it I imagine keeping a bottle in the fridge so that it falls as cool and refreshing on the skin as it smells. Given that I am a wary scent shopper prone to buyer's remorse and therefore hard to move to purchase without finding an alarmingly good deal, I am completely surprised and pleased that I bought a bottle immediately. FN1. Over 24 hours later -- absolutely no regrets AND the sun came out today! I take it as a good omen. 5 of 5 nods.

Sweet Milk - It's a gently sweet gourmand scent that I think would do well as a stand alone, though it was designed as a layering compliment to the three teas. If the idea of milk smell on skin makes you think of sour baby breath, try this. You're in for a lovely surprise that might open you up to more milk-themed experiences. 4 of 5 nods.

Sweet Lemon - Tangy, zesty, sweet but not too much, this struck me as a classy option for those looking for a youthful scent. It felt contemporary, and the pineapple sweetness is a nice twist on your usual "sugary lemon" approach. Again, a great possibility for summer. 4 of 5 nods.

My idea of tea...

Also, because half of Jo Malone's marketing efforts are aimed at selling the line as one with layering possibilities to create your own 'signature' scent, I gave the layering thing a whirl with the Jo Malone options I had available. FN2. Some are endorsed by the line, and some are my own curious spraying efforts. Here are the results:

Red Roses and Fresh Mint Leaf - Nice in theory, but results in a smell akin to bitter, metallic, overheated dryer interior for an hour, then just becomes Red Roses alone. (personal mixology effort)

Orange Blossom and Fresh Mint Leaf - Two and a half minutes of overheated dryer smell then all I got was Orange Blossom. it was as if the mint wasn't even there.(personal mixology effort)

Pomegranate Noir and English Pear and Freesia - I really can't decide.It kept shifting on me, like using one of those old school view finder toys I had as a kid. Click: a delicious sangeria. Click: a loud fruity bubblegum. I can't decide if the two fight or compliment each other. (Jo Malone endorsed)

Pomegranate Noir and Red Roses - This one I liked.  It gave the Pomegranate Noir a liquored edge.  Nice option to have but I didn't like them as much together as I like them individually. (Jo Malone endorsed)

Sweet Lime & Cedar and Grapefruit - I love the Sweet Lime & Cedar by itself, and I normally don't have a lot of affection for the plain Grapefruit, but together I think the Grapefruit is a nice alternative to Sweet Lime & Cedar alone.  (Jo Malone endorsed)


So there you have it. A week of Jo Malone in all its British glory. If you've tried the tea scents, let me know what you think of them. If you haven't and the tea options sound interesting to you, beware: they really are limited. My local rep told me that the shipment they had in store was all they were getting, and once it was gone, that was it. I suspect this clever ploy will win over other impulse-resistant purchasers like me, who fear only one thing more than overpaying -- missing out entirely, then having to choose between paying double on Ebay or never get a bottle at all.

Jo Malone scents are available online and in a number of fine department stores, and generally run $55 for 30ml or $105-$110 for 100ml.

My personal love cats...

"We move like cagey tigers.
We couldn't get closer than this.
The way we walk, the way we talk,
the way we stalk, the way we kiss.
We slip through the streets while everyone sleeps,
getting bigger and sleeker and wider and brighter.
We bite and scratch and scream all night
Let's go and throw all the songs we know...  
We're so wonderfully, wonderfully, wonderfully, wonderfully pretty!
Oh you know that I'd do anything for you.
We should have each other to tea.
We should have each other with cream,
then curl up by the fire and sleep for awhile.
It's the grooviest thing.
It's the perfect dream."
~ "Love Cats," The Cure
________________________
FN1. I never regret having the scent so much as I find myself thinking "was that the best possible use of your perfume budget? Could you have gotten something better, or found a better deal?" Any time they ask you that question on personal typing tests: do you prefer the time (a) just before you make a decision, when all options are available or (b) after you've made a decision and things are settled, I am the person who always chooses (a).

FN2. I really have to struggle not to giggle any time I hear a rep refer to it as "the art of fragrance combining."