the chances of delving deeper into their secrets and understanding them in the end, were nothing near as negligible as they are nowadays. And these special and long time relationships have established a deep, unconditional love towards all these scents that shaped my youth, and, unfortunately, a cold indifference about 90% of recent launchings. In most cases I forget them overnight. I wish that...

They all want to be extremely famous and make shedloads of money. Especially younger people, who found this web of trivialities already woven when they were born. Bruce Dickinson in "Tattooed Millionaire" has described perfectly what I'm talking about. "Bodyguards, porn stars, gold credit cards. Using each other. Running for cover." And to think that this song was written in 1990...Since...

just ordered a bottle of L'Or du Verger Homme by Maison de la Mirabelle. I am curious of how JC Astier has coped with the topic mirabelle plum in a gents' cologne! So far, we have identified quite a few of those special 'Micallefs'. Often, their availability is limited. Once they are sold off, one cannot take it for granted that the customer orders another batch. Also, some of them are not on sale online....

came. There was nothing wrong with it. The manufacturer's code was at the bottom of the bottle in black ink. The cute thing is that the bottle is adorned with a little watch in the front and the dial is actually working. Of course they could not set it on any particular time as the perfume is sold in different time zones. The smell is fabulous. So what, the bottle does not have a cap...

he knew. Macassar was just one of the numerous fragrances in my "I had it" list. Trying to be polite, I didn't mention that placing a splash bottle sideways is not the wisest thing to do, and I answered. "How did you assume that I'm looking for Macassar? It's not in my want list. Truth be told, I prefer to discover old and discontinued perfumes by myself, usually in small and nearly forgotten...

the clean notes of Pomelos (a grapefruit type) and the iris may be to my "fresh from the shower" taste. The price is a song and there are only 4 left. The reason is that here you are paying for a refill. So you don't get the fancy M. Micallef bottle - but you get the content. Fine and good. I have done this before with other perfume purchases and I wish there were more opportunities to get a simple refill of an expensive...

du Temps as "old lady smell" and if those who wore L'Air du Temps during the '50s were thinking the same about Shalimar. My maternal grandmother was a beautiful and elegant woman and she used Tosca from her twenties until she died in the age of 85. So I'm sick and tired of people questioning her good taste. And what's more, having lived during the straits of two wars, she was an incredibly strong woman,...

Isabelle Raposo. She created her own fragrance. After lots of positive feedback by her friends she decided to bring it to the market. Launching one's own perfume – isn't that the dream of many Parfumos? The name is Isabeau, it is light and citrusy, and it comes in a nice flacon. I wish her good luck with finding a distributor! The more popular niche perfumery becomes the less...

Alien → ✓ Yves Rocher ◊ Vanille Noire → ✓ Agent Provocateur ◊ L'Agent → ✓ Agent Provocateur ◊ Maîtresse → ✓ Annick Goutal ◊ Les Nuits d'Hadrien → ✓ Aquolina ◊ Black Sugar → ✓ Aquolina ◊ Blue Sugar → ✓ Aquolina ◊ Gold Sugar → ✓ Aquolina ◊ Steel Sugar → ✓ Avon ◊ Soft Musk → ✓ Avon ◊ Sweet Honesty → ✓ Bath & Body Works ◊ Exotic Coconut...

“You hold them as if they’re diamonds,” my husband says to me as I place another decant in its spot in the tray. It makes me wonder. Do I? I know I get excited when I hear a delivery truck stop outside. I know I’m thrilled to hear the plunk of a box at my door. I pick it...

photo via bergdorfgoodman) Seeing a beautiful black and gold bottle at the Guerlain counter is exciting because it is not that often that a new Guerlain comes out. The last one I remember was Myrrhe et Delires, which left me thoroughly unimpressed. Santal Royal, however, did not have the same effect. Smelling this sharp spicy sandalwood immediately...

I know, I know, it is cold outside, but we have had some really high temperatures here for a few weeks which makes it seem that Spring is near, so put away your ouds and bust out the Spring fragrances! Two new ones, which are both centered on roses, are Aerin Rose de Grasse and Maison Francis Kurkdjian A la Rose...