Today we hear from a blogger many of you will know, Lucas of Chemist in the Bottle. Lucas lives in Poland and writes from his unique perspective as a perfume lover and cosmetic chemistry student.
A good day starts with…
a sunny view outside the window as I fold the blinds.
I’d never leave the house without…
a couple of things, like my wallet, a pack of tissues, house keys and a phone – all in my bag (although I often take just wallet and keys with me when I’m leaving for just a few minutes).
I always feel good when…
when I know I did my best to overcome a challenge. I feel even better when the results of my work can be seen.
My favorite thing in the world is…
taking an imaginary journey to the land of dreams where everything is possible.
The next thing I want to buy is…
a pair of jeans or chinos, preferably in a black color. Perfume-wise: a bottle of perfume (haven’t decided on particular one yet) for my birthday in late February.
The place I always come back to is…
Tatra Mountains and Zakopane, where I spent my childhood summer vacations for 7 years in a row, hiking with my parents.
My personal style is…
I like to call it a casual elegance. I love jeans and I pair it with shirts, polo shirts, monochromatic sweaters or elegant jackets. I just add a pair of brogues (or warm leather boots in the winter) and I’m done.
My favorite perfume…
is Prada Amber Pour Homme, the first fragrance I bought with my very own money. Ever since it’s been on the top of my list. Even though it’s not my only perfume anymore (yes, there were days when I only had this Prada) the perfume has a special place on the shelf and in my heart. My most beloved perfumery note is iris.
When I travel I always…
take a lot of pictures. I really enjoy taking snapshots with my pocket camera – they allow me to capture the place and the moment of life. Months later I like to come back to them and remember the fun I had here and there. I also travel light, packing only the necessary things.
To relax I need…
my bed, a couple of smooth jazz CDs and a couple of candles as the only light in the room.
When I have a bad day…
I drink a lot of hot tea, don’t talk too much and prefer to be alone at that time.
I like to gift people with…
things that are practical or can teach you something. I always try to avoid gifts that would be of no use to the recipient.
I find my inspiration…
well, I find it everywhere! In the weather, nature, other people and places. In blogs of my friends, in things people say…
Something I would never want to miss…
is a chance to put a smile on a face of my friend. If a friend is happy then I’m happy too!
Also, I’d never want to miss the opportunity to achieve my goals.
My last mistake was…
forgetting that since 1 January 2014 all trams in Poznań returned to their regular routes after the major railroad repairs. I took a wrong tram and in result I missed the train back home. Luckily the next one was just 1 hour later.
In my fridge there is always…
some natural yogurt. When I get hungry I mix it with muesli and dried fruits to make a colorful and healthy snack.
On my nightstand I keep…
a glass of water, nothing else. I’m one of these who fall asleep within 5 minutes after they hide under the quilt.
The perfect weekend starts with…
a family breakfast. As a student I live with my parents (the realities here are different than in the USA). Mum works in our hometown but Dad and I we both commute to work/university. Weekend is the only time during a week when we’re all home together in the morning.
My role model is…
I don’t have a role model, in fact I never had one. I just try to live my life wisely and with some plan in my mind. Step by step I’m trying to make it work and helping my wish to come true. Maybe one day I’ll be a role model for somebody else?
Something I always want to be asked in questionnaires like this is…
What is your favourite number?
The answer is 13. Many good things happened to me when it way thirteenth in the calendar. Some Fridays the 13th had an additional portion of luck for me. Black cats are supposed to be hugged, not blamed for our misfortune 😉
In the time since Lucas started blogging, he has made an amazing journey. His English has improved incredibly and I really respect and admire him for that.
It will be interesting to see where life will take Lucas and whether his dream to become a perfumer will come true one day. I for one, am sure it will.
Olfactoria's Travels 
Lovely interview Birgit. Lucasz is almost exactly as I picture his mind in his answers. Very interesting guy. Thanks for the insights, both of you.
Portia xx
Glad you enjoyed the interview, Portia!
Oh, great, chemist in the bottle is one of my favorite fragrance blogs, thanks for featuring Lucas here! I admire his purposefulness and yes, black cats are supposed to be hugged!!
I’m all on board too when it comes to hugging cats, black or otherwise!
Thank you dear Birgit for having me! I had a lot of fun answering the questions. “The next thing I want to buy” answer is a little bit out of date because I answered this questionnaire a while ago, it was still before my Bday. But I got both my birthday perfume (Fourreau Noir) and a new pair of black jeans 🙂
Thank you for participating, Lucas!
Glad you got your bd presents. 🙂
Lucasz is an all together good bloke and he has excellent taste, in perfume and in cats. And yes, it will be interesting to see what the future brings for him, it’s easy to forget that he is so young 🙂
True!
Yep. It was totally cool to have had the chance to meet Lucasz. It definitely adds something positive to reading his blog. xxx
I saw the lovely photo of you two on APJ!
Good to see Lucas highlighted on here. He’s come a long way from that one bottle of Prada.
He has indeed!
Enjoyed learning more about Lucas. So unusual for your first perfume love to still be at the top of your list after falling down the rabbit hole. I like that a perfect weekend starts with a family breakfast and the fact that he is happy when his friends are happy.
I wish him all the best in his studies and I also have no doubt he will achieve his goal.
That’s right, it is really unusual that the very first bottle stays on top of the favorites lists.
Thank you for highlighting Lucasz and his blog. He is fantastic and unusual among bloggers since he is a chemist, too, and he can speak to how notes are combined, etc. And he’s a great writer. His English is fantastic, much better than a lot of native English speakers, I might add. I speak only for Americans, who butcher the King’s English every day. Great interview, too.
I love the questions that you ask. Thanks, Birgit!
Thank you! I enjoy reading Lucas’s blog. It’s fun getting to know more about him.
Glad you enjoyed this, Suzy Q.
Lucasz, I love your answer about black cats and the number 13 🙂
Dear Lucas,
I wish that most of your “mistakes” going forward were of your last one’s kind ;- )
Ialso like number 13.
B., thank you for the interview – I learned something new about my perfume-almost-twin.
I was thinking the same thing about the mistake. 🙂
The Chemist in The Bottle – now also in The Fridge and on The Nightstand! Would be interested to know what smooth jazz artists you like…?
It’s nice to see Lucas here. It is like seeing a favorite actor as a guest star in another favorite show. Iris lovers unite!
🙂
: -)
Yah Lucas! Natural yoghurt and museli are life essentials for me too. As they say in Thailand, ‘if you’re happy, I’m happy”. See you in the lands of dreams and I wish you all the best for making them reality; as you say ‘step by step’. To which I will add these lyrics from Whitney Houston’s song of the same name;
Well there’s a bridge, and there’s a river that I still must cross
As I’m going on my journey
Oh, I might be lost
And there’s a road I have to follow, a place I have to go
Well no-one told me just how to get there
But when I get there I’ll know
Because I’m taking it
Step By Step, Storm by Storm
And this old road is rough and ruined
So many dangers along the way
So many burdens might fall upon me
So many troubles that I have to face
Oh, but I won’t let my spirit fail me
Oh, I won’t let my spirit go
Until I get to my destination
I’m gonna take it slowly because I’m taking it
Step by Step
Go Lucas!