May 2008

Cannabis Rose by Fresh

May 31, 2008

I decided I’d give Cannabis Rose from Fresh a test drive just for giggles. I was certain I wouldn’t like it, but thought, “Why the hell not? Branch out a little, try something new!” So I’m surprised (and more than a tad shocked) to say that I’m liking it . . . a lot. Cannabis [...]

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In the Closet in the 21st Century

May 31, 2008

Japanese woman caught living in man’s closet This is bizarre, and fascinating, and weird and oddly wonderful: “A homeless woman who sneaked into a man’s house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was arrested in Japan after he became suspicious when food mysteriously began disappearing . . . The resident of the [...]

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Lui by Mazzolari

May 30, 2008

Lui by Mazzolari is yet another powdery sandalwood/patchouli kitten masquerading as a musky wild cat. The non-blonde insists that Lui is earthy with dark woods and a spicy depth, and a reviewer at Base Notes waxes on about how animalic and potent it is, but Lui could only be considered “earthy” or “animalic” if you’re [...]

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Bulgari Black

May 29, 2008

I have to admit to being a bit perplexed by the fuss around Bulgari Black. I’d been hearing about it being a dark, almost rubbery fragrance — urban, modern, even edgy. Bois de Jasmin raved about its rubber and smoke, stating that it’s “one of the most sensual fragrances . . . thrilling, smouldering and [...]

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Sharon Stone: The New Stone Cold

May 29, 2008

The Financial Times featured today, on its front page, a huge photo of Sharon Stone in a sleeveless silk leopard skin dress standing at an AmFar podium in Cannes, her hair bleached out to a platinum blonde, her neck, wrists and fingers covered in coils of glittering diamonds. Photos like this don’t usually make the [...]

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Clive Christian No. 1 For Men

May 28, 2008

Women may have Chanel No. 5, YSL Opium, Guerlain Jicky and Dior Diorella, but men have Clive Christian No. 1 For Men and that just about evens the score on all fronts. A classic in its genre? Check. Smooth and warm and disarmingly attractive? Check. Richly layered? Check. Stuffed with expensive ingredients? Double check. Luca [...]

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Fumidus by Profumum

May 28, 2008

Boggy, peaty, smoky — three things that aren’t necessarily associated with a good perfume, but Fumidus by Profumum manages to accentuate the positive and turns the whole thing into the fragrant equivalent of a foggy romp across the peat marshes of Scotland. If you like the sharp, bitter smell of single malt scotch mixed with [...]

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“You Can’t Just Buy Things for the Label”

May 27, 2008

The Telegraph has printed a hilarious interview with Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli (he of the body-hugging, leopard print fame). The interview was conducted aboard Cavalli’s iridescent purple 130 foot yacht (I kid you not) moored in Cannes for the duration of the Cannes Film Festival. Sharon Stone yaks on her cellphone in the background. [...]

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Clair de Musc by Serge Lutens

May 27, 2008

Here’s the development meeting for Serge Lutens’ Clair de Musc as I imagine it: Exec #1: “Our financials aren’t what we were hoping for this quarter.”Exec #2: “The entire industry appears to be in slow growth mode at the moment, but did you see the numbers for Estee Lauder?”Exec #1: *groans* “Don’t talk to me [...]

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Or Black by Pascal Morabito

May 26, 2008

Maddeningly difficult to procure in the U.S., Pascal Morabito’s Or Black is a men’s fragrance that makes other classic masculines by Guerlain, Caron, Chanel, YSL, etc. seem timid and near prim in comparison. It starts off with a refreshing note that smells like a tanker truck full of diesel fuel crashed into a field of [...]

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