If you took a moment to click through the "perfume" label at the bottom of this post you might find a handful of blog entries on the subject. I never thought that it would be a subject of significance or importance but in some way it has. Not being much of a beauty connoisseur, my first memories of thinking that I should find a perfume for myself was when I caught a delicious whiff of a friend's Dior Addict over a decade ago. Whaaaaat are you wearing?!
Fast forward to trials, errors and missteps and settling my dear Flowerbomb for so so long. After a decade of the same odour trailing my sphere, along with the conscious and unconscious memories and associations it was time to move on.
I finally zeroed in on Byredo's Bal D'Afrique, a warm and rich perfume that carried over bergamot top note from Flowerbomb. Founder Ben Gorham underlines the association of fragrance to memory where each scent created for Byredo starts from his connections to places, time and people. This notion made me wonder about that bergamot consistency, it also being the active flavour in my tea of choice Earl Grey, as this was a tea I always drank with my mother for as long as I can remember.
Coincidence?!
I think not. Or otherwise the hypnotically beautiful and astute sales associates at Byredo's Wooster boutique are just that good.
I've been wearing my beloved Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf ever since its inception. I'd deviate every now and again to try something new, but always came back to Flowerbomb. The chemistry of me and this perfume has invoked so many reactions, many of familiarity (how it's become "my smell") and several people have nuzzled their faces into my neck emitting a variety of exclamations. But somehow I feel like my relationship with Flowerbomb should come to an end or at least take a pause.
Back in 2006, while in Paris, my mom offered to buy me my first bottle, which attracted me because I thought the design was cool. I kid you not, that's how calculated my perfume decisions were: "I like Viktor & Rolf" + good bottle design = winning combination. I knew nothing about perfume, I tried some here and there but I was far from making an educated choice on what would work on me. But hey! My math worked! And I have been wearing it since. For many christmases my Flowerbomb stash would be replenished by my mother who thought it would be an easy and practical gift for her not-easy-to shop-for-daughter. Last christmas was my first one without my mother and my signature scent was dwindling. I took it as a sign. Time to move on.
I've been feeling a bit multiple personality since starting the tests. Hopefully I'll be able to strike perfume gold twice.
Speaking of twice here's the sonic version of perfume:
(a phone photo of Alan Wyffels and Mike Hadreas)
Last weekend I attended the Basilica Hudson's Basilica SoundScape, an "antifestival" of music and art and awesomeness in the Hudson Valley. From improv jazz drumming, performance art, noise bands, and droning electronic music, the night I spent at the Basilica had filled up my senses and The Haxan Cloak's subwoofers rearranged my insides. (Peep this great roundup article for more.) A more low-key moment in the evening introduced me to Perfume Genius who managed to seduce the audience into a dreamy eyed state. The set included a version of this charming piano duet, which has been looping in my playlist since I got home. Enjoy.
Last look: an enlightened telephone booth buddha at Basilica Hudson.
I know Montreal's gone a little foodtruckcrazy, (I give you 3 links!) but when I stepped out of a downtown office, I did a bit of a double take. What do I see?
That's right: a soft serve ice cream food truck covered in white on yellow polka dots handing out free cones. Wait? Marc Jacobs makes ice cream now? No silly, this is a mega marketing campaign for Jacobs' newest perfume Honey. This idea was made in PR heaven! With the ice cream came free perfume samples that described the new scent as "a sunny delicious floral with sparkling notes of orange blossom and a hint of honey." Only a hint? Yup, mostly orange, as stated, with vague memories of childhood.
And the ice cream? I did not end up getting a cone, but I hope it tasted like honey.
Spring has sprung! Buds are blooming and trees are filling up with green. Now this may not be a big deal to you if you are lucky enough to have paradisiacal weather all year round. But to those who have the depths of snow and winter as a not so distant memory (like yours truly), these beautiful blossoms are something to be thankful for, even with allergies. High five nature.
Thought I was going to call this post Flowerbomb and not mention the perfume by Viktor & Rolf? High five to you too Flowerbomb Eau de parfum and all your trademarks for making me smell amazing since 2006.
Welcome to a corner of my flat! This is one of my favorite vignettes that happened pretty much by itself. We moved into a tiny apartment, therefore no furniture buying was really necessary-actually major purging took place instead. When the unpacking began the pieces we did decide to keep had very little place to go-magique! The chest of drawers and black basket were pieces that belonged to my uncle. Growing up I was in love with this hand-made multi-purpose piece and always called it the chinese drawers-for reasons that are beyond me. The black basket is a multi-layer picnic basket that now houses my jewelry and is an awesome conversation piece. The drawing is an old sketch by the wonderful Gabriel Dawe and the print is a sexy girl by MTAF. The number "2" is a box that holds the remains of my Bernhard Willhelm perfume. Deeelish!
