Canali Style and Montale Bois Vanille (plus shoveling snow! and wildlife!)

CANALI STYLE: I don’t usually care for watery scents, but the end result in Canali Style is like the smell of a Wall Street locker room without the sweat and stench: there’s an herbal aftershave quality to it that plays against a backdrop of showers, sinks, leather shoes and wool business suits.

Apparently, there’s some bergamot and grapefruit that’s supposed to herald the opening of the play, but I only get the faintest whiffs of citrus when it first comes out of the bottle, then it’s pretty much a straight woods (teak, cedar and thuya) and spice (nutmeg, coriander and pink pepper) fragrance with that unidentifiable water note running through it.

Note: the citrus pokes its head in and out of the door as the fragrance develops.

GQ Magazine UK writes that it’s “sophisticated yet unassuming” and that would probably be about the best marketing speak you could use to sum up the likes of Canali Style. There’s nothing groundbreaking or cutting edge about this offering from the Italian clothier; instead, it’s masculine in a buttoned-down traditionalist fashion while still surprisingly easy to wear.

I like it more than dislike it, though the drydown is fairly nondescript. I’d never purchase it for myself, but I wouldn’t begrudge anyone listing it as one of their faves.

MONTALE BOIS VANILLE: I’m like a kicked dog that keeps coming back in hopes of love when it comes to Montale — only to get kicked again.

Tara had recommended the Montale Chypre Vanille (which The Non-Blonde also likes) and I got confused and picked up a sample of the Bois Vanille, instead, so I seem to be sh*t out of luck.

Bois Vanille is kind of a mess right out of the bottle, with so much going on that it overpowers even itself. It calms down a few hours later into an attractive enough semi-sweet vanilla with a woodsy-patchouli undertow, but by then I’ve spent a good portion of its lifespan wishing I’d worn something else.

The Scented Life thinks Bois Vanille is the cat’s meow, but I just can’t bring myself to join in on that mewling chorus.

WINTER WONDERLAND!:

The BF gets some first-hand experience with a Montana winter. Yeah, I don’t know why he didn’t bring along a pair of gloves, either. I warned him that it would be cold!

He’s not amused that I’m taking photos instead of helping.

That’s enough white powder to fuel Lindsay Lohan for a week.

ADORABLE FUTURE ENTREE:

So this is what they mean when they say, “You look good enough to eat!”

I think they know I have dinner on my mind.

Love it up now, beasties, cuz I’m researching recipes!

***Note to any vegetarians in the crowd: I’m kidding (sort of), but don’t take offense. I snapped the photos because I thought the scene was touching and beautiful.

I’m way out of my league when it comes to the interpretation of wildlife relationships, but this struck me as a mother and fawn. When I first stepped out the door to get a clear shot, the mother stopped and stared at me . . . and stared . . . and stared. I must have eventually passed the sniff test, because she let down her guard after a while and returned her attention to the fawn.