Let´s Go Shopping: How Perfume Salespeople Make Life Interesting

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Olfactoria

The following post has been published last November, current events (namely a memorable shopping trip) make me feel it could use another airing. It is still painfully up to date! 😉

Last Saturday I managed to extricate myself for a few hours from the men in my life, to venture out on a sniffing tour. Aside from a few interesting ideas for upcoming reviews, I also witnessed an extraordinary assembly of what must have been the world’s most incompetent salespeople. This seems to be a common species in todays retail environment, sadly they are increasingly prevalent in the world of perfume. I´m sure many of you have already met one or more of the following.

1. The Bored One:

The first specimen is the “I wish I was anywhere else but here, don’t bother me in my supreme state of misery, because I have to work here” type. S/he is super-bored, uninterested, in many cases on the phone to her best friend who knows all about the tedium s/he has to endure (and so do the customers who have to listen as well) and is prone to roll her eyes at the least suggestion of work. Help is not to be expected from her, and it is best not to seek it in the first place, because it would be foolish to hope for any profound knowledge here. Be content if your purchases are in stock right there for you to pick off the shelf yourself (God forbid s/he has to trundle into the back for anything) and then quickly pay and get out, lest you bother her even more with your audacious wish to actually purchase something in a place of commerce (the nerve!).

2. The Eager One:

The second specimen is the clueless but eager one. S/he is friendly, open and approachable, clearly wanting to be of help, even more wanting to make a sale. Sadly, this one is as bare of any information as the Sahara is of trees. If you are lucky s/he can point you to the bathrooms. So nothing to expect here either, just pray she knows how to operate the cash register, or you are in for a prolonged stay until your credit card gets unstuck by the grumpy janitor.

3. The Pseudo-Scientific Babbler:

Third, the pseudo-knowledgable one. This is a dangerous specimen one has to watch out for, since s/he lures you in with a lot of talk that sounds quite important and impresses through sheer volume alone, but you immediately get the inkling that something is off, even when you don´t know a lot about the subject. If you happen to know a lot, say, about perfumes, then to listen to this one is actually hilarious, if one were to see the bright side. If not, it is an effrontery. An example: “Chanel N°5 has only natural ingredients, no synthetics whatsoever. Synthetics are baaaad”. (Wiggle finger for emphasis). Or: “The difference between Eau de Toilette and Eau de Parfum is only the size of the bottle”. (I kid you not!)

4. The Haughty One:

Fourth is the “haughty, better than the plebeian rest” one. This type is mostly found in highest-end designer boutiques, where they languish in borrowed splendour behind a black counter, either mustering you with beady eyes or not even acknowledging your humble, underfunded, designer outfit-less self. Immediately they make you feel unworthy of living, let alone being in this temple of the elite. Come on, get thee away… there is nothing here for you. Come back after you married a sheik or something!

5. The Opinionated One:

Last, but definitely not least, the over-enthusiastic and opinionated one. This type starts out real pleasant (especially after what you´ve been through with the first four already). S/he is hearty, friendly, seems to be genuinely interested in you and glad to be of help. Very soon though you realize, that your own desire, your motivations, wishes and opinions are irrelevant. S/he knows what is best. She knows you better than you know yourself. The fashion designers fourteenth flanker is just right for you, the celebrity´s “self-made” wonder juice is absolutely perfect, the fruitsalad-smellalike is so you, here let me spray huge quantities on you, whether you want it or not, I know what you need – don´t talk back!!! Be glad if you get away unscathed (if not unscented).

As you can see, I had quite a blast on Saturday.

It is a sad state of affairs indeed, that personal engagement and a passion for the field one works in, are so scarce. I am realistic enough to see that not everybody has the opportunity and luck to work in their dream job (and even a dream job has many long and irksome days!), but a little more can be expected I think. Thankfully there are just as many sales assistants who know what they are doing, who are genuinely friendly and helpful, who are a true resource for customers and and an asset for their employers. A big “Thank you” to those! They are just not so much fun to write about 😉

Picture Sources: tuffmaonkey.ca, casualhardcore.wordpress.com, anajohar.blogspot.com, peace4palestine.housewife4pale.blogspot.com, marieclaire.com some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Ramblings, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , | 16 Comments

Olfactoria On Perfume Smellin’ Things

Posted on February 5, 2011 by Olfactoria

Head on over again to PST today to read about what hides behind closed doors…;)

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Buddha – Review: Aftelier Perfumes Candide

Posted on February 4, 2011 by Olfactoria

Incense fragrances, while beloved by many, myself included, carry a certain gravitas, a solemnity that often precludes other feelings. Wearing incense perfumes induces a mood of somber reflection, it can inspire awe and calm, quiet and spirituality. It can evoke old churches or big skies, dark and smoky alembics or camp fires in the dusk.

Incense for me often means solemn catholic rituals, funerals, high mass on special holidays, a wedding at best. Certainly no laughing matter.

Mandy Aftel’s Candide is – on me at least – an incense fragrance. But, make no mistake, this is not one to make you feel the least bit somber.

Candide manages to introduce happiness, contentment, joy, optimism, hilarity even to the smell of incense. Candide – for me – is the Buddhist version of incense.

Calm and happiness, no dualistic, guilt-ridden catholic ambivalence to be found here. Candide could be incense of choice for moments of happiness for believers and atheists alike.  😉

Featured notes according to the Aftelier website are black pepper, blood orange, pink grapefruit,  jasmine grandiflorum, Moroccan rose absolute, frankincense, opopanax absolute and myrrh.

Candide takes off with a lovely citrus accord of pink grapefruit and blood orange, setting the mood barometer instantly to “Good”.

Jasmine is the dominant floral note in candide, and while this can be a difficult note for me, as I am easily overpowered by indolic jasmine, here it is so smooth and coated by the citrus notes it smells just lovely to me, full and rounded.

The bed of incense upon which the jasmine rests, peeks out soon and starts to develop like the slow uncurling of a leaf. It is, as is to be expected from my introduction, the dominant note on me. Candide’s incense stays light and somehow “white” throughout the entire wear time of about three hours.

After reading other reviews of Candide, this seems to be a perfume that develops very differently on different people. I love such chameleon scents, although it is very hard to make a decision on reviews alone.

I urge you to try a sample from the Aftelier online store, available for 6$ for a quarter ml of the perfume, which I tested and 6$ for a 1 ml spray sample of the Eau de Parfum.

Disclosure: A sample of this perfume was provided free of charge by the perfumer.
Picture sources: aftelier.com, buddhamuseum.com, some rights reserved, thank you!
Posted in Aftelier, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Incense | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Forest of Smoke – Review: Armani Privé Bois d’Encens

Posted on February 3, 2011 by Olfactoria

Armani Privé is a line I always admired from afar, I liked what I saw, but did not even attempt to smell what was inside those pretty wooden bottles. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know…

When my interest in incense fragrances was awakened, thanks to this wonderful perfume, Bois d’Encens came up time and again in my research. Of course now, that it seemed out of reach and discontinuation rumours circled, I developed a major craving for Bois d’Encens. Promptly it featured high up on my wishlist, and thanks to the incredible community I find myself in, the lovely Angela offered to send me a sample. She did exactly that, though only not just a sample, she sent more of a decant. Thank you, Angie, for your very generous gift!

I couldn’t resist to inquire into the fate of Bois d’Encens though and according to my information it is not being discontinued but is merely transitioning into new packaging. The wooden flacon is gone, so are the 50ml refills, Armani Privé perfumes are now housed in an opaque black matte glass flacon with a copper plaquette. The new and only available size is 100ml.

I am ashamed to confess that a bottle came home with me that day (at least at 20%off and for the greater good of the community, somebody had to make a picture after all) and look at it – you would have done the same 😉

So how does it smell?

On a rush of peppery top notes the incense approaches rapidly, in its wake trailing a whole forest of pine and cedar wood and a breeze of fresh, cool air. Bois d’Encens is never heavy or oppressive, and although Armani was quoted as to having intended to evoke a church atmosphere, for me this is more of an outdoor smell, the sky is not limited here, even if the trees of this particular forest stand close together and the underbrush is dense, the sky is open, wide and not quite dark yet as I look up to follow the lazy curl of smoke rising upwards.

Bois d’Encens wears for a long time. After a few hours I detect a slight burnt rubber note, that is how vetiver turns out on me sometimes, but not always, and it is no deal breaker.

It was created in 2004 by Michel Almairac. Notes include pepper, vetiver, cedar, incense.

I am glad to have Bois d’Encens in my arsenal, it is calming and oddly refreshing at the same time and I can trust it to stay with me for the day. It is always appropriate, easily my most pedestrian incense fragrance and I mean that in a good way, I lead a pedestrian life after all. 🙂

Picture source: fragrance bottle: my own, Smoke Curl courtesy of Photos8.com (http://www.photos8.com/view/smoke_circles-other.html) Some rights reserved, thank you!
Posted in Armani Privé, Fragrance Reviews, Incense, Woods | Tagged , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Sailing Upwind – Review: Guerlain Sous Le Vent + Giveaway!

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Olfactoria

Sous le Vent is the second perfume that came to me by way of the good people of Place Vendome Haute Parfumerie in Belgium.

This perfume was dedicated to Josephine Baker by Jacques Guerlain in 1933, it was re-released in 2006 along with Vega.

Sous Le Vent (French for leewards, upwind) features notes of basil, bergamot, lavender, tarragon, carnation, oakmoss, iris, woods, patchouli. It is available from select Guerlain boutiques worldwide.

Chypre perfumes always seemed very inaccessible to me, I was a bit afraid of them because I did not know them well. I always read about how the chypre genre is essentially dead, the modern chypre being something else entirely and that a real chypre can only be experienced in vintage perfumes to which I didn’t have access.

The wonderful Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and her Outlaw project perfume Mata Hari was my first “real” chypre. And it was love.

Sous le Vent is also a chypre, done Guerlain style.

It is an interesting perfume, unexpected and fascinating from first spray to late drydown.

Sous le Vent begins green and dry, evoking a tropicale locale from the start, a soft breeze keeps it moving and swaying, the dryness like sun-warmed sand on a remote beach. It is indeed exotic, but in a very french way. Like a Parisian would imagine the tropics. It is wonderfully vintage in feel, even if it is the re-release from 2006, its softly enveloping sillage takes me back in time and space to that unspecified island I have never been to in real life either.

In its development Sous le Vent gets sweeter, the Guerlinade takes over but without ever letting go of the green, the verdant freshness stays to the end.The current version is an Eau de Toilette and it wears for about three to four hours on me.

My beautiful apothecary style bottle of Sous le Vent

I love Sous le Vent for its softness that goes hand in hand with an assertiveness that makes its wearer sympathetic and respected rather than imperious and willful.

The more I wear it the more comfortable I become with it, it is a perfume that encourages snuggling into, encourages inhaling deeply and giving in to a wave of contentment and sheer pleasure.

It is a warm tropical breeze that lifts the spirits and makes everyone who encounters it, smile. That is a powerful thing to accomplish for a perfume and it reminded me of a phrase the talented Tarleisio used not long ago in another context, T. forgive me for paraphrasing: some perfumes are capable of spreading happiness in the instant of a breath.

I am giving away one 5ml sample of Vega and one of Sous le Vent. Two lucky readers will have the chance to try these rare perfumes.

Please leave a comment below to enter the draw. I will pick two winners in a weeks time, on February 9, 8am GMT, using random.org. The first winner to contact me can state his/her choice of sample. If you have any questions please let me know!

International entries welcome. Good luck!

Picture Sources: Vintage Ads via postersguide.com and basenotes.net, thank you!. Image of bottle: my own

 

Posted in Chypre, Fragrance Reviews, Guerlain | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 55 Comments

Rage Against The Dying Of The Light – Review: Guerlain Vega

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Olfactoria

In yesterday’s post I talked about the blue hours and how perfume can jolt me out of such a mood, one that can do this job excellently is Guerlain’s Vega. (This is what I ordered from Heaven in Belgium along with one other perfume, the identity of which is still undisclosed ;))

Vega is the one to spread the light, light up the darkest corners, all pervading, blazing, it means safety, warmth, security, it stands for everything that is good and right in the world.

Upon first spray Vega bursts into flame and burns with the brightest light, a bluish white hot light, gleaming like a super nova.

Vega burns for a good while before it mellows into a warm glow like the embers of a camp fire.

In the drydown one becomes aware that this is a Guerlain for sure, although the first hour, in its luminescence it is much more reminiscent of other aldehydic floral classics, like Chanel N°5 or N°22. It feels almost like a Chanel N°5 on steroids. 😉

I love the drydown the most. The initial aldehydic power has its purpose, namely brightening up my day, but the mellow warmth and softness of the Guerlinade base decorated by white flowers, ylang-ylang the most prominent to my nose, is more my cup of tea. I even like to underscore the base with a spray of Spiritueuse Double Vanille underneath Vega to amp up that lovely warmth it radiates.

My very own bottle of Vega from Place Vendome Haute Parfumerie

Composed by Jacques Guerlain in 1936, Vega was recreated by Jean-Paul Guerlain for the opening of the renovated La Maison Guerlain in the summer of 2006. It is an aldehydic floral including notes of rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, iris, and sandalwood.

As you might have deduced from the title already, there is some Dylan Thomas to come. I immediately associated his famous poem with Vega when I first smelled it. It is not in the intended spirit of Vega, I dare say, but it is what I see in it none the less. The spirit of holding on to the light, of holding on to life, even in extremity, that declaration of “See, I am here!” that is what Vega smells like for me.

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Dylan Thomas, 1914-1953

Vega is hard to come by, it is sold exclusively at Guerlain boutiques. It comes in a beautiful apothecary style bottle in Eau de Toilette strength (no qualms about lasting power here though).

Would you like to try Vega? I will give away a 5ml sample of Vega and one of the second Guerlain I recently ordered, in a few days when I review the second one, to two lucky readers. GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Picture source: Advertisement for Vega: Vintage Ad Browser, thank you! Picture of Vega: my own
Posted in Aldehydic, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Guerlain | Tagged , , , , , , , | 26 Comments

Into The Blue – Review: Guerlain L’Heure Bleue

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Olfactoria

I actually never expected to particularly like the old Guerlains.

Of course I wanted to try them, own them even, because I think a collection should have such important “founding fathers” of perfumes present and accounted for. Like Shakespeare belongs in every library, and Mozart in every CD collection.

But to actually wear them because I liked them for how they smell not what they stand for, I didn’t think so. I thought I would appreciate them, but not that I would love them.

How extraordinarily stupid of me.

They became classics after all because they are good, well-made and timeless creations that appeal to many people.

I already talked about Shalimar. My next conquest was L’Heure Bleue.

L’Heure Bleue was created in 1912 by Jacques Guerlain. Notes include bergamot, aniseed, carnation, orange blossom, heliotrope, Bulgarian rose, tuberose, iris, vanilla and musk.

I don’t want to talk about how it smells to me, dissecting it into its components goes against my better judgment this time. It is the same with some poems that I always refused to analyze. Some things are perfect in their entirety and poking around to see what they are made of only takes away some of the magic.

I can tell you how it makes me feel though.

The story of its creation is famous, here is an excerpt from Guerlain’s website:

“One summer evening, Jacques Guerlain was overcome by intense turmoil. It was the suspended hour, the hour when the sky has lost its sun but not yet found its stars. Everything in nature is clothed in a blue light”.

The descriptions and stories attached to L’Heure Bleue are very “me”.  That sad, a little self-indulgent moodiness, the twilighted atmosphere of bitter sweet ruminations – that is definitely something I like to do. Wallowing in self-pity, is what my husband likes to call such a mood, and maybe he is right, but what he doesn’t see is how lovely that can be.

L’Heure Bleue represents my shadowy side, the side where happiness is a smile at the most, where tears are a constant twinkle in the corner of the eye, where anger is blessedly absent and a feeling of longing for the unattainable, not even definable, is pervading me and my surroundings.

In that state, I am L’Heure Bleue. Curiously detached from the world, removed into a realm of introspection and futile musings about paths not chosen, dreams never realized.

I love L’Heure Bleue to accompany me in such a mood, to help me cocoon myself in my private world of unnamed desires.

But that is no place to stay long. It would be neither good for me, not for the important people in my life.

But – you know that –  there are perfumes to jolt me out of my blue hours, where everything is muted: colors, sounds, feelings.

There are perfumes to welcome me back into the world of starker contrasts, light and dark, loud and quiet, good and bad. Even, or especially ones by Guerlain.

Stay tuned. 🙂

Picture Source: Vintage Ad Browser, Blue Sunset courtesy of Photos8.com, thank you!
Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Guerlain, Oriental | Tagged , , , , , , | 42 Comments

Monday Question: What Are Your Fragrant Regrets?

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Olfactoria

Perfumes are the love of our lives, but none the less there are probably a few mistakes in our cupboards.

Are there any full bottle purchases you regret?

Did you ever change your mind totally about a perfume?

Do you ever make a wrong judgement when selecting your perfume in the morning and spend the rest of the day longing for a shower?

My Answers:

Oh, yes. I have been known to make an impulse purchase here and there. I almost always regret a full bottle purchase when I did not test the perfume for at least five times previously. After five outings I really know what I want or what I get myself into, but there are many “sniff once and buy” bottles in my cupboard that I have fallen for immediately only to find out horrified that I was plain wrong in my initial judgement.

Serge Lutens and I have had a stormy relationship from the beginning.

An example: I smelled Chergui, fell in love, got a bottle. I wore it once, it gave me a massive headache, I sold the bottle. Months later, I smelled Chergui, fell in love (again) and bought a bottle (yes, again). I had a few good days with it now, but mostly it still gives me a headache although I love it. What ever will become of me and Chergui, I certainly shouldn’t have invested in a full bottle (twice!)

I also regret the full bottles of Ambre Fetiche (unsniffed buy, my own fault naturally, but Dee is also to blame!) and Musc Nomade in my stash. At least they are very pretty to look at. :/

About choosing the wrong SotD, it drives me crazy to be stuck with something that irritates me for the whole day. Because it seems to be a law that perfumes you don´t like stay on your skin like glue (Hello, Traversee du Bosphore!).

I look forward to hear about your unwanted or neglected bottles!

Have a good start into the new week!

Picture Source: gomonews.de, thank you!


Posted in Monday Question | Tagged , , | 31 Comments

Where Is Heaven? – Turns Out It Is In Belgium!

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Olfactoria

Through a post by Dimitri on Sorcery of Scent I became aware of Place Vendome Haute Parfumerie.

A place every perfume lover should know about. On my quest to explore the House of Guerlain in its entirety (I know, quite a project) and no immediate plans to go to Paris, I was delighted to find out about this boutique. They ship (free of charge!) throughout Europe, and added many lovely samples to my order.

Samples of perfume and skincare by Guerlain

Three 4ml samples of Cartier's Les Heures Collection, yippie!

I have samples to keep me occupied for quite some time!

But what did I actually order?

Watch this space! 😉

Check out Place Vendome’s website or Facebook Page if you haven’t already.

Heaven is in a small town in Belgium. Who knew?

Picture source: my own
Posted in Ramblings, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Last Week In Perfumeland – Weekend Link Love

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Olfactoria

It is the end of the month again, January went by quickly and by now we are comfortably settled in 2011. Take a cup of tea (I hear Mandy Aftel has wonderful perfumed teas I need to try sometime) and take a look back over the past week in Perfumeland.

Dee of Beauty on the Outside wrote a moving and beautiful piece about a perfume I love as well, Amouage Epic Woman. A must read!

Victoria on EauMG tempted me with another lovely DSH creation – 1000 Lillies. If I love one, what about a 1000?

Tom wrote about a lovely spring fling over at Perfume Smellin’ Things. Perfectly suitable for little old British ladies AND tall Californian men! 🙂

Carrie lost her old blog, but thankfully for us she was not defeated but is back with a vengeance writing beautifully about the scentimental journey Mandy Aftel’s Tango evoked in her on the new Eyeliner on a Cat. Don´t forget to update your links and bookmarks!

I enjoyed the funny article Persolaise wrote about his visit to the hallowed temple of Maitre Lutens, he showed extraordinary restraint in the face of the bell jars and only regrets that he didn’t bring a torch. 😉

And last but not least Lucy of Indieperfumes talked about the most delicious breakfast combination this side of bacon and eggs – black coffee and orange juice in sniff-able form. Check it out!

I want to thank you all so much for reading Olfactoria’s Travels. This past Thursday we reached a 1000 comments, so thank you all for entering in the conversation about our favorite topic. Talking with all of you is the best part of blogging!

I wish you all a great Sunday! 🙂

Posted in Weekend Link Love | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments