I'm a little out of steam today; combination of general summer slowdown, dealing with Photoshop, working and not working, all kinds of things. So I'm just going to throw out some randomness and see where it lands. In the meantime, awhile back when I posted an image of one of my paintings, several readers asked to see more work when I finally got something resembling a web page together. If you're interested in looking at a sampling, click here.
On to scattered thoughts:
One of the things that we perfume fans have in common is that we wear fragrance to bed (to sleep in, okay?) This is where my spraying is the most lavish. Lately I've been into Sophia Grosjman's creations for this, as a friend sent me a handful of samples, all lush and opulent. I’ve been wearing them all as sleep scents.
What are your favorites for sleeping?
Annick Goutal "Gardenia Passion" with Ma Griffe EDT (modern) layer well. The AG is sweet, the MG sharp, together they’re interesting.
Shalimar (even the modern) is another great sleep scent.
O de Lancome and Elizabeth Arden's Green Tea, perfect for humid nights.
(In general, oil of bergamot under citrus fragrances makes them last longer and gives them depth.)
Ralph Lauren's Turquoise mixed with florals, which sweeten the dry modern chypre.
Bulgari's "Pour Femme," one of the Grosjman scents, violet and jasmine and a little green.
Rose and patchouli, a la Rosine’s “Rose d' Homme.” Delicious and long-lasting!
Van Cleef and Arpel's "First," lush but not overpowering.
Lately I’ve been mixing scents with abandon, too. Hmmmm. What could this mean?
Other things that improve the General Quality of Life:
Tomato leaves and dirt
Thai chili paste as a rub for grilling
Iced tea brewed with fresh mint
Chlorinated water and coconut-scented sunscreen
The beach, a cool shower, then white cotton clothing
Peanut butter and jelly (still!)
Rosemary oil and artisan bread
The summer landscape -- a thousand different shades of green
Atmospheric perspective turning distant greens blue
Macaroni and cheese (considered a vegetable here in the South)
Wearing shorts most of the time
Owls hooting at night
A double-scoop ice cream cone
Sweet and salt (as in bacon dredged in brown sugar, then baked until crisp)
Brushing against a lavender plant in bloom
Refrigerator pickles and homegrown tomatoes
...loving summer!
10 comments:
I guess I'm a perfume heretic as I do not wear perfume to bed. And the reason? Because it would interfere with the smell of my feather pillows - that sweet, almost balsamic smell they acquire.
Great list, and to add to it, I would say summer thunderstorms (of which we've had several), gliders and porch swings, linden trees (blooming now).
Vanilla scents seem to be the only ones that work as a bedtime scent for me. Everything else I've tried actually interferes with my sleep.
And at last I know where you got your avatar! I've always thought it was beautiful. Love your landscapes.
for fall and winter it's Hermes Ambre Narguile, that baked apple pie scent...yum. Or L'Art Bois Farine, which reminds me of Sunday morning bowls of farina with hot milk and melted butter and brown sugar that Daddy made because that was Mom's day to sleep in...
In summer, it's anything orange/bergamot/citrus to feel fresh and clean in this sweltering heat.
Love your suggestions.
I typically wear Demeter fragrance to bed since they are very straight forward (don't have to worry about missing out of a lovely progression while I slumber) and they are short lived. I love Beetroot, Dirt, and Humidor. I also like L'Aromarine Jasmin because it reminds me of night-blooming jasmine. And I love a mix of patchouli and bergamot oil for summer.
Oh, L'Art Bois Farine is a wonderful suggestion!
Just looked at your paintings - you are very talented! They are beautiful. Some of your names for them are pretty imaginative as well.
Hi R -- Thanks for the compliment!
I find thunderstorms to be thrilling, but they often knock down trees here, which knock down power lines, which can make things very uncomfortable for days sometimes, so I have mixed emotions about them...but we do have some spectacular ones!
Hi A -- Thanks! I've been using that avatar for awhile now. I love working with those intense blues.
Some people say that certain perfumes give them nightmares, but I guess I'm lucky; we have two cats, and one or the other of them invariable wakes me up sometime during the night, so at least I smell nice as I struggle to go back to sleep.
Hi V -- I always thought that Ambre Narguile smelled like the best bakery on earth.
Hi V -- Demeter makes a fragrance called "Dirt?" How did I miss that?
Will have to try the L'Aromarine Jasmine. I love them because their products are intense and inexpensive; I have their oakmoss essence and their sweet myrrh. But a jasmine that smells like the real thing...and isn't $250 -- sounds great.
I enjoyed reading this post, Olfacta! I love miscellany posts. I just realized that this was partly a layering post, and I just wrote one too! What is it about layering and the restlessness of summer?
I've been wearing AG's Musc Nomade to bed lately. Also, I've been testing Ava Luxe's Madame X by wearing the tiniest drop of it at bedtime.
Post a Comment