to please any nymph or mermaid, the texture was refined, the smell divine. But what had I used to scent it? From memory, I scribbled the recipe: 60% Jasmine, 20% Lavender, 20% Sandalwood. Right? Oh shucks!People who used it begged for more when their bar ran out. That was over 30 years ago. I haven't made soap in many years, now, and I've never managed to reproduce that special batch. Yesterday, out my soap...

my review of Russisch Leder by Johann Maria Farina gegenüber dem Jülichs-Platz (is this a name or what?), located one 100ml vintage bottle in a very unusual packaging.Although I know the scent for almost 40 years, I had never seen this version before and despite a thourough online search I still haven't seen another one like mine. I won't repeat the reasons that this scent is so important to me, since...

to afford a lawsuit, but have the nerve to hope for occasional oversights. They always hope that you're gonna be some 2000 miles away when you'll discover why evolution provided us with eyes. Like the following bunch which could serve as a "Find the dupe 101" for perfume junkies in the making. I haven't smelled any of them, but it wouldn't surprise me if Fahrenheit's notorious imaginary diesel...

it was Michael Jackson's signature fragrance, I can see that Jacko wouldn't feel out of place in such an enviroment. Especially if I take his "modest" costume choices under consideration. Bal à Versailles is dusty, dry, smoky and syrupy, and it can't stop moaning out of pleasure. And because we haven't smelled Versailles in all its glory, let's say it smells like the tour bus of Mötley Crüe burned to a cinder,...

we all think sour milk smells nasty. The notion that I will smell sour milk and think it smells drinkable, and you will smell it and wrinkle your nose, is I suppose remotely possible but flimsy science. I've published a post on a study that proved people smell things the same way already, but haven't fully addressed the fact that people interpret smells differently. So I may smell soured milk and think, "I'm...

language of exclusivity stolen from wine-making? And isn’t running all othe world to find quality just colonialism in spanx? And though I only vaguely remember remember reading French New Feminism in the 1980s the word "natural" makes me cringe.I haven’t simply crumbled. I’m not chastised. I haven't seen the error in my disbelief. Better still, I’m convinced.Read the RLB website....

was accompanied by a picture showing the goods. I loved Macassar something fierce back in the day, and it's one of the discontinued fragrances that I miss the most. But how this dude found that I was in desperate need of some and eager to pay a fortune for it, completely eludes me. I haven't even written a review about it, so there's no way he knew. Macassar was just one of the numerous fragrances...

reasons that many magnificent fragrances are gone forever. But don't get me wrong. This doesn't mean that I'd like an oud-dominated perfume world. It just means that I'd be satisfied with a lesser evil... P.S. : Montale has 44 out of 104 fragrances blaring their oudness. I wonder why they haven't changed the name into Moudale yet...

I visited Las Vegas with my sister this past week (well, 4 days). The last day I had all to myself; I originally planned to visit various shops to smell perfumes. My sister booked a hotel off the strip which was a bit unfavorable because walking such a distance in the heat is a bad idea. But there was nothing I could do about that. That idea flew out the window after I walked 1.5 miles in 100 degree heat and full sun exposure...

I want to keep a list of indie scents I own for reference. I will keep this post updated occasionally. I realize some of these are dupes or fragrance oils mixed with bases, but nonetheless I still consider them a part of my collection. I am debating whether or not to post reviews via the blog feature here. edit: due to laziness, I won't be posting reviews. I might do this on a separate space...

not have disdain for sweet perfumes, I love Gucci Eau De Parfum by Gucci, now sadly discontinued, or the sweetness of a rose in Moment de Bonheur by Yves Rocher. I have even been tempted by the juicy lychee in Miracle by Lancôme. However, the sugary berry or candy sweetness of recent perfumes haven't impressed me in the slightest. I used to quite like Black XS and Black XS L'Excès by Paco Rabanne,...

...that I stole a bottle of Alien Extraordinaire off of a lady's dresser and got away with it. It was weighing down in my coat pocket and peeked out a few times, but I was able to bring it home. Do I subconsciously want to steal things? o_o I do want to buy it someday but I'm not in a particular rush to get it...