Perles de Lalique Lalique 2006

How does a busy entrepreneur proceed when his time is tight, but his need for connection is great?
Exactly, he hires his secretary to look for a candidate on equal footing, someone sufficiently familiar with business acumen. Thanks to her efforts on an online dating platform, he found himself at a fancy restaurant just a few days later. A blind date squeezed in between several appointments. He could trust his secretary; she had never let him down before. What should the ideal woman be like? A bit of spice and definitely not boring, was his wish.

He was a bit nervous but resolved to suppress that feeling with rational thought. A winter wind blew in as the door opened. The lady walked straight towards him. After a brief and effective greeting without unnecessary pleasantries, he helped her out of her white coat. Underneath, she wore a plain white pantsuit. Was she perhaps a doctor? Exciting. He knew nothing about her. He stole glances at her, careful not to stare. Flawlessly pale skin. Rosy cheeks.

The waiter approached the table for drinks. “What would the lady like?”
“Executives drink tap water,” she smiled decisively. He had to suppress a chuckle but then ordered the same for entirely logical reasons. Why had he never thought of that? Her self-assuredness impressed him.

The conversation was clear and structured. There was no room for playful flirting.
He almost missed the moment when the water she dipped her index finger into suddenly turned to ice. All very casual while studying the menu.
“Uh, your glass…” he was at a loss for words.
“Yes? Do you want some too?” She looked at him questioningly. Suddenly, the ice cubes in his drink clinked as well. It was impossible to process this moment as the order for food was taken. What did she order? Equally absurd: A bowl of tap water and extra large peppercorns.

“… And you’ll be full from that?” he blurted out. It’s not like he had taken her to a fast food joint. The menu offered all the delicacies one could wish for.
She simply smiled. Incredible. This woman seemed to know exactly what she was doing. She had style, even though the confusion in his mind didn’t cease.
“What do I do for a living? I founded a successful company.”
“Yes, and what kind of company?” he asked somewhat impatiently.
“A rental service for ice cubes.”
He burst out laughing loudly through the restaurant. Goodness, this woman had humor. But when she showed him the website, his laughter literally froze. She wasn’t joking.
Fortunately, the food was just being served. Clink, clink, clink, she prepared herself ice cubes again, but this time in the shape of roses. Then she generously sprinkled coarse grains of pepper over them. He politely declined. Her breath steamed as the rose cubes crunched between her teeth.

She looked at the clock. There wasn’t much time left, as she couldn’t risk a competitor sawing at her leg.
Why would anyone be sawing at her leg?
As if she could read his thoughts, her leg landed with a thud on the edge of the table. She pulled up the fabric of her pants and… the truffles literally fell out of his mouth as he actually looked at a wooden leg. It was carved from real wood.
He had just a tiny clear moment left and a burning question: “Does everything you touch turn to ice?” Yes, she nodded. Reflexively, he pressed his thighs together.

In his thoughts, he was already drafting a farewell message: “Thank you, Ms. Lalique, the company will get back to you. My interest in a partnership is frozen, but I remain open to professional collaboration…” What he didn’t yet realize: She would hear the words and turn the tear on her cheek into a crystal of ice.

Lalique.
You are hard to describe.
I can’t claim that the scent doesn’t transport emotions. Between goosebumps and cool distance lie a rosy smile and a sneeze from the pepper.
The woody base brings hardly any warmth to the icy body. The bottle already clearly indicates where the journey is headed. Frosted matte glass with black grains at the corners. I don’t find it powdery or sweet at all. Tonka, where are you when you’re needed? Patchouli joins the wood. But everything still stays within limits. Cold, woody, rosy, and spicy. Above all, however, distant. I like the scent better on a man than on my skin. It has a special character, which is why it is often suggested for professional purposes. It is not among my favorites. It probably never will be. It took a while before I could somehow grasp or understand it. But that’s certainly because I don’t understand anything about the ice cube rental service.