...Dlane1953:Your suggestion for the style for BK is right on target.I plugged in "black pepper" as a search criteria here on Parfumo and came up with interesting candidates. Only problem is, I don't know what they smell like! Vitriol d'Œillet by Serge Lutens: not only is it chockablock full of pepper notes but it's name, "vitriol", is perfect. Oops, just ran the name through translation software and d'Œillet apparently refers to dianthus or carnations. Suddenly all the malevolence and vitriol went out of this one. Black Musk by MontaleHonour Man by Amouage

...Dlane1953:Gary "Gal" Dove (Ray Winstone): a cheesy, second-rate criminal given to big chunky gold necklaces and speedos on a very rotund physique. He'd have to wear something really loud and common that can be picked up in a drugstore for $20. I don't want to offend anyone's taste so I won't name brands; I leave it to the reader's imagination. Imagine the frag as harsh, brash, and LOUD in capital letters!DL, you didn't hold back with Dee Dee Dove as a devotee of Giorgio so go ahead and name the brand Gal Dove would wear. How about Drakkar Noire and lots of it? Or did you have something else in mind. Something more disco fever era?As for an avenging character (Ben Kingsley) I'd pick something with an malevolent, edgy, yet not too potent black pepper accord. Something that simmers just enough to make those around him fearful. Somebody else will have to suggest a fragrance with this character because it's really not my thing.

...I came across this course offering at Cornell University. Yep, that's it, I'm quitting my job and going back to school!http://www.arts.cornell.edu/sochum/courses_10_11.htmlSHUM 4952 Exotic Scents: Cross-Cultural Aesthetics of Smell (also ASIAN 4495) Spring.  4 credits.  Limited to 15 students.  J. McHughT 10:10 - 12:05This course is a cross-cultural exploration of the aesthetics of smell, the technologies of affecting smell (i.e. perfumery), and the demand for exotic aromatics. We will consider the theory of the aesthetics of smell in a variety of regions and periods including, for example, the work of Kant, early South Asian sources, as well as more recent studies by perfumers, philosophers, and anthropologists. We also explore the long-globalized art of perfumery and the important international demand for exotic aromatics such as musk and sandalwood. Students will pursue individual research projects, and they are highly encouraged to bring their own area-expertise to the seminar.How does the aesthetics of smell differ from other sensory modalities? Within Western aesthetics, we shall consider how Kant dismissed smells and perfumes, before looking to more recent work by scholars such as the historian Alain Corbin, the perfumer Roudnitska, and the philosopher Clare Batty. Moving beyond these Western intellectual contexts, we will also explore the understanding of smell in medieval South Asia, as well as through the important anthropological studies of Howes and Classen. Here, we will also examine the complex theories of smell and odors in the late-antique Mediterranean (Ashbrook-Harvey). Ideally, in our examination of the aesthetics of smell, we will take a short smelling-class with a perfumer to introduce students to the issues involved in thinking with actual smells.Not only does the seminar take a cross-cultural perspective on the aesthetics of smell, but we will also focus on the importance of exotic aromatics and perfumes in global olfactory material culture. From the writings of Theophrastus to Jacques Guerlain’s perfume Shalimar, European olfactory aesthetics has long gained prestige from acknowledging the Eastern origins and exotic Oriental aura of key materials, such as spikenard and sandalwood. Medieval South Asians, on the other hand, celebrated the Western regions as the fragrant lands of frankincense and coral. We will consider discourses and practices involving exotic perfumes in several areas, including Medieval Europe (Paul Freedman), China (Edward Schafer), as well as the history of musk in Islam (Anya King). What is the connection between the exotic and the aesthetic in perfumery? How do such non-Western discourses of luxurious foreign lands complicate our notions of a Western Orientalist point of view?As the study of many of these questions is still quite neglected, this course provides students in a number of disciplines opportunities to make original and important contributions to their fields.James McHugh is Assistant Professor of South Asian Religions at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. James’ teaching and research interests include the material culture of South Asian religions, the senses and religion, as well as Sanskrit religious and technical texts. Currently he is producing a monograph on the sense of smell and the use of aromatics in early and medieval South Asia. James is also interested in gemstones and minerals, as well as the theme of old age as represented and theorized in Sanskrit texts.

...Dlane1953:If it weren't for Sherapop, I would know just about ZIP about fragrances. Truly extraordinary nose,a fascinating writer, and an extraordinaryly precise thinker. Kudos!! Thanks for all the help!Sherapop's blog was one of the first I read when I plunged into this passion. Her ability to connect diverse ideas of the arts to fragrances is something I aspire to and her reviews are always well considered and even handed. That we get to share this space with her is a real gift!

...Dlane1953:OK.let me understand correctly: we can recall a movie moment from the past and THEN associate that moment with a CURRENT fragrance association? When I"m watching a movie I'm totally engrosssed in the moment; fragrance never comes to mind. But later when I recollect a scene I can supply a fragrance that captures some of the essence of particular character or scene. So if that's allowed:You're spot on DL. Whether the scent takes you to the movie or the movie takes you to the scent is fine by me. Even if you want to think something up just for this thread I'm OK with that, too.I'm a huge fan of Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns so I really liked your association. After making up my list for the top 10 favorite movie thread I thought of this association because I'm currently writing a review of Acqua di Parma Tuscan Cypress: all those scenes in the main piazza of "Cinema Paradiso" put me in the mind of Tuscan Cypress

...Sherapop:Top ten lists are always a function of my current psychological disposition and BCC (blood caffeine content) : Just ten? Man, this is difficult...Night on EarthRopeCinema Paradiso To Kill a MockingbirdArsenic and Old LaceEllingThe Magic FluteWomen on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown PathfinderThe Usual Suspects I can't believe I did this without films by the Cohen brothers, Terry Gilliam or any Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns...

...PBullFriend, thanks for starting this thread. This is a short video (3 minutes) from Scientific American about how bees create a perfume that they use to, well, do the birds and the bees thing.

...With apologies to fans of Diptyque's L'Eau Trois, this bit of dialogue from the movie, Juno, came to mind after I wore L'Eau Trois for a couple of days. Juno, a pregnant high school student, is trying to convince her boyfriend, Paulie, to ask another girl to the prom:Juno: What about Katrina DeVoort? You could totally go out with Katrina DeVoort. Paulie: I don't like Katrina, she smells like soup. I mean, have you ever smelled her? And her whole house smells like soup.That's L'Eau Trois for me: galbanum (celery), caraway, bay leaf and oregano. Nice soup ingredients. But I'd rather not smell like soup or, apparently, Katrina DeVoort.Here's a link to that clip from the movie:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az11UHr9O8o&feature=youtube_gdata_playerAnyway, does anybody else have a movie moment that they associate with a specific perfume? I do not mean a perfume appearing in a movie. Just that moment when the dialogue or scene brings to mind a particular perfume...

...Because no one in my family ever wore fragrances my introduction to perfumes had an unusual genisis; it was literary. While in music conservatory I took a course in French poetry and among the professor's scholarly interests were the poets Rimbaud and Baudelaire. Needless to say, I was introduced to the term, synesthesia. It was also the first time I had ever really been aware of my sense of smell. Then, a few years later, I read the book "A Natural History of the Senses" by Diane Ackerman. Being a musician I fully expected to skim through the book until I got to the chapters on hearing and music. The book, however, starts with chapters about the sense of smell and the story of the nose Sophia Grojsman. I really don't remember the rest of the book, much less the chapters on music. But Ackerman's poetic yet factual writing had me hooked on the idea of wearing a scent. Unfortunately, at that time, the internet was in its infancy and there weren't any resources to educate the casual consumer of fragrances so I just started making blind purchases. Lots of bad blind purchases.I was a typical guy and didn't have a clue about picking out a scent for myself. I was constantly disappointed by my choices. But out of all those poorly considered purchases there were two fragrances that I really did enjoy, Pi and Obsession. Maybe not the greatest "colognes", as I called them then, but they had many of the qualities that I still look for in a fragrance. What I didn't realize at the time was that many designer fragrances shoe horn in notes to make them smell "manly"; thus inelegant and clumsy. However, Pi and Obsession have what most men would consider a feminine quality to them. I didn't realize it at the time, but to me that translated as a certain character of elegance that I found lacking in everything else I bought simply because it was labeled "pour homme".My wife, on the other hand, faired much better because of my ignorance and naivete. I only knew one name in feminine fragrances and after a couple of years of giving my wife perfume as gifts she owned a very nice wardrobe of Chanel. The first fragrance I bought for her was #5. When she put it on I melted. I couldn't believe how she transformed the perfume and it transformed her. Thank God for dumb luck! Why couldn't I find "men's" fragrances like this?Finally, just last year, I read an interview with Jean Claude Ellena. A composer (as he calls himself) who spoke of perfume using terminology and philosophical thought common to all the arts! It was also about that time I realized there were so many resources to help me find fragrances that I felt comfortable wearing, that really spoke of my character and personality. As it turns out, one of those authorities whose work I was reading was Sherapop. What an honor to share her company here on Parfumo.Apicius, I can relate to your experience finding Parfumo via Basenotes although my reasons for doing so are slightly different. While BN is an incredible resource of knowledgable people I've also found the atmosphere can be a little rough and tumble at times even when the most benign subject is being discussed. I don't enjoy the drama. I've found Parfumo much more welcoming and personable. Thanks to everyone!

...Apicius, what you and I consider to be summer weather has been with us for quite a while now in the SE US. I was forced to rotate the following fragrances into my wardrobe almost 2 months ago:Diptyque PhilosykosDiptyque L'Ombre dans L'EauHermes Concentre de Pamplemousse RoseAcqua di Parma Fico di Amalfi

...Hi I'm Greysolon and I'm so glad to have found such friendly people with whom I can share my passion for perfume. Everyone I've met on Parfumo has been so kind.I make my living as a musician and that determines the fragrances I can wear. Or, perhaps it's more accurate to say, "fragrances I can't wear." You see, wearing fragrances on stage is generally frowned upon, if not outright forbidden, by most professional arts organizations. Even away from work I need to be cognizant of what fragrances I wear so I don't disturb my colleagues with any vestige of scent. Thankfully, I naturally gravitate toward sheer, low sillage fragrances so my work generally doesn't interfere with my fragrance addiction.Aside from all that, I'm constantly looking for ways the art and design of perfume connects to other forms of art, be it music, literature, visual art or architecture. I'd like to find a more structured and consistent way to discuss scent rather than in terms of our personal likes and dislikes.One last thing: I hope all of you will forgive a particular fault of mine. Since I'm not very good at committing my thoughts to paper, I tend to tinker with and edit everything I write. Even my grocery lists go through multiple drafts! So if you notice one of my reviews reappearing on the queue multiple times, it's just me not knowing when to leave well enough alone. Sorry!Thanks again for making me feel so welcome to Parfumo!

...I have this grandiose delusion that I can speak German. The reality is, whenever we've visited Germany, Germans respond to my feeble attempts at their native tongue by answering in perfect English. The message is very kind but clear, "Don't bother, we've got you covered." There's nothing patronizing about it, they're always very nice. Even my own son recognizes my deficiencies although he's far less forgiving. If he's within earshot during one of these exchanges he'll clench his teeth in embarassment and hiss, "Dad, they don't understand you! Just say it in English!"I also recognize dibs and dabs of French and Italian as needed for my job as a musician. My love of perfume has also expanded my ability to cobble together a better understanding of French but, in reality, I'm just a typical mono-lingual American.

...Apicius:Le Mâle is a great fragrance but highly controversial. It is very popular, but at least in my country, many people think it's vulgar to wear this stuff.I still like it, but I hardly wear it myself. That tonka and benzoin appeal somehow smells like fuel, and it gives me pictures of gas stationsI have only tried Le Male once and that was a spritz or two from a tester at a store. I have two very strong opinions about It: 1) Based on my limited test the only association I had with gas stations was that Le Male smelled exactly the liquid soap used in public restrooms in most American gas stations. When my wife smelled it on me she said, without prompting, "Eww, it smells like gas station bathroom soap." 2) Apicius, based on the opinion of "many people" in your country, I'd say they are very sensible about fragrances. :wink:

...Rainy, low key day. I need something to keep me focused.Fou d'Absinthe by L'Artisan Parfumeur

...Sherapop:Of course, analogous codes are supposed to be followed by women as well. For example, "Women are to be seen, not heard." Maybe women can wear whatever they like, so long as they focus on their appearance and keep their mouths shut? :roll:Sad but true. The dichotomy of the situation was not lost on me as I was writing about the "oppression" of men.Back to the real topic: I've always wondered about Halston Z-14 as a choice for women. It's one of the stereotypically big, old school masculine fragrances and somewhat similar to Tom Ford Tuscan Leather. Tuscan Leather is, BTW, labelled "unisex". The difference between the two is that Z-14 is actually lighter, has a more pronounced citrus top note and is generally a touch less aggressive throughout than Tuscan Leather.

...Sherapop:Perhaps the problem is that women's perfumes tend to have bigger sillage? So it's much more obvious when a man wears a "feminine" fragrance than when a woman wears a "masculine" fragrance. What do you think? :?:I think I'm stepping into sensitive territory! :shock: Thanks Diane1953, Apicius and Sherapop for breaking the ice for me.I'm going to say something quite frankly and hope my limited writing skills are sufficient to make my opinions understood without offending anyone. Please accept my apologies in advance if I miss the mark...While projection and sillage might have a role in answering the question it doesn't get to the core issue which is much deeper and more emotional.When men express a perceived feminine quality it's often viewed as weakness and subject to ridicule and derision, if not outright hostility. Think of how often you see men mimic and ridicule effeminate qualities in other men. Also, as I said in my previous post, men have limited fashion choices based on uniforms and all the traditional social and moral roles that entails. Over the course of the 20th century that came to include fragrances, too. So if you're "out of uniform" fragrance-wise, especially in a way that's considered traditionally feminine, there will be people offended by your violation of the social contract.However, we're much more tolerant of women expressing masculine qualities through fashion: shoulder pads, bomber jackets, Doc Marten boots... I really don't think anyone would care, even if they noticed, if a woman wears a masculine fragrance. It's that expression of the masculine in fragrance that's given us Jicky, Cuir de Russie and Sycamore.So, once again, women are more evolved than us hairy, knuckle draggers. I'm giving my wife a bottle of Yatagan for Mother's Day :D

...Njdeb:I do agree that the woman = flowers, men = woods is just a manufactured dichotomy, but we were asked to make some kind of distinction between masculine and feminine in this thread. I wonder how others are making this distinction. Is it simply what you think smells good on you?I hope nobody minds a guy hijacking the thread for a moment. Njdeb, agreed. But if I might be so bold... it seems to me men have far fewer fragrance options than women because of cultural stereotyping and social norms. These constraints not only effect the variety and quantity of fragrance choices men have but the quality as well. I'm thinking largely of mass market fragrances in this regard.Looking at this in terms of fashion, the western world is very accustomed to seeing women in masculine styles of clothing. The same can't be said of men's clothing choices. We have what amounts to a selection of uniforms and the closest men's clothing comes to feminine are pastel colors and paisley prints.Extrapolating this to fragrances and returning to the topic of the thread, I can't imagine anyone having a problem with a woman wearing an overtly "masculine" fragrance. Even if someone noticed I don't think they'd give it a second thought, much less make assumptions about the woman wearing the fragrance. On the other side of the coin, I don't think men would find the same level of social acceptance wearing an overtly feminine scent. I would bet that many men and women taking notice of a man wearing a "women's" scent would see it as fragrance cross dressing. What's sad is that I find it difficult not to listen to the same self limiting voice in my own head when it comes to selecting fragrances for myself.The biggest floral I wear is L'Ombre dans l'Eau. I must admit, I wouldn't be surprised if one day someone asks if I've used my wife's perfume by mistake. I don't feel self conscious wearing it but I'm also aware of how it may be perceived by others. So I'll keep gently pushing the envelope little by little until I evolve more. In the mean time I'll be envious of my wife's selection of superior Chanel "feminine" fragrances, wish I could pull off #19 but settle for wearing her Sycamore and Cuir de Russie which are just masculine enough.