December 2008

The Standouts In My Crowd: 2008

December 31, 2008

Now that 2008 is wrapping up (and with a bang, not a whimper), I’m taking a look at some of the objects and experiences I enjoyed most this past year. 1.) Parfumerie Generale L’Ombre Fauve: Deep, rich and intensely enjoyable from start to finish, L’Ombre Fauve gave me insight into how razzle and dazzle a [...]

Read the full article →

Our Very Merry French Bread Christmas

December 30, 2008

So, Louise apparently thought that our lives would not be complete unless we had a loaf of decorated holiday sourdough bread . . . from France . . . cuz, you know, France isn’t famous for anything other than sourdough bread. The decorations are inedible, so I think we’re just supposed to put the loaf [...]

Read the full article →

Donna Karan Essence: Labdanum and Wenge

December 29, 2008

The Donna Karan Essence series works in much the same way as the Karl Lagerfeld Kapsule series and the recently discontinued Matthew Williamson Collection — the individual fragrances are deliberately crafted as simple, somewhat light scents that can be worn individually or together. Designers figure this type of fragrance collection will whack two moles with [...]

Read the full article →

Le Labo Vanille 44

December 27, 2008

Regarding Le Labo Vanille 44, Now Smell This presents a statement on their website, framing it as a quote, though I’m not certain from where the quote originated: “Vanille 44 doesn’t smell like vanilla… It is a complex association of amber and woody incense that will unveil after its first taste of musk, a profound [...]

Read the full article →

Black Friday II

December 26, 2008

Since the original Black Friday (the first day of shopping after Thanksgiving) still left retailers seeing red, analysts are hoping that today, the first shopping day after Christmas, might finally be the shopping Friday that retailers need to nudge their books into the black. They’re wistfully calling it

Read the full article →

Quick Sniffs: Tom Ford Tuscan Leather and Black Violet (plus more!)

December 24, 2008

I thought I’d dig into the Private Blend coffret and take a quick sample of a few of the Fords that I haven’t yet tried, plus mention feedback from holiday perfume gifts. TOM FORD TUSCAN LEATHER: Starts off kind of sharp and chemically enhanced, but eventually mellows out into a casual, smooth fragrance that smells [...]

Read the full article →

Stephanie de Saint Aignan Un the Au Sahara and Karl Lagerfeld Kapsule Woody

December 23, 2008

STEPHANIE DE SAINT AIGNAN UN THE AU SAHARA: Au Sahara was a bit of a surprise. I am not a fan of the smell of tea, and less a fan of the smell of tea in fragrances, but I am a fan of Paul Bowles’ novel The Sheltering Sky and Un the Au Sahara is [...]

Read the full article →

Fashion Industry News Roundup: 12/22/08

December 22, 2008

1.) Swiss fragrance house LesNez is nearing release of a new fragrance titled Manoumalia. I reviewed two other LesNez fragrances here (l’Antimatiere and Let Me Play the Lion), and Manoumalia sounds like it might be a bit of an exotic departure from their previous works. Perfumer Isabelle Doyen was behind the first three LesNez fragrances [...]

Read the full article →

Guerlain Rose Barbare and Chanel Coromandel

December 20, 2008

I don’t focus a lot of my attention on the older, more established brands because their products are mostly so well known as to have galaxies of information already named after them, and also because their fragrances tend to be conservative to the point of tedium — but it’s always a good idea to drive-by [...]

Read the full article →

Everything Must Go: Part 2

December 19, 2008

So, it’s like a discount wonderland out there right now. I mean, when was the last time you saw Alexander McQueen merchandise marked down 60%? Right, me neither. It’s bad that the economy is in a tailspin, but it certainly makes for great Christmas shopping. I picked up this clutch below as a gift for [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries