Merry Christmas!!

Image from The Woodblock Prints of Ando Hiroshige.

浮世絵

I was reading Patty's review of Hermès's Iris Ukiyoe at Perfume Posse, and naturally thought of... ukiyoe!

This is my favorite ukiyoe print: Seba from The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido by Hiroshige (click to enlarge). I have a copy of this print, framed, although it is still not hanging. I bought the print at the Ukiyoe Museum in Matsumoto. The man in the store claimed they made it using Hiroshige's original wood block. However, if you compare my copy with this one, or ones from the Japanese National Museum, the lines aren't as fine in the grass, so I think the salesman was fibbing. Still, I love the loneliness of the scene. The location is in Nagano-ken.

I took this image from an excellent site with copies of Hiroshige, The Woodblock Prints of Ando Hiroshige. Coincidentally, this site uses Seba as the image on its home page.

Renown

I always liked this commercial from the early '90s for Japanese clothing line Renown when I lived in Japan.



I found out recently the song was originally done by Sylvie Vartan for a Renown commercial in the '60s.



I guess there were other commercials between the two. They are all kinda weird and fun.

One

I bought Smell Bent's first anniversary limited edition scent One. I had tested it in the perfume oil, but ended up buying a 55 ml bottle of it in eau de toilette. It arrived last week, but I was unable to try it as I was in the middle of my week-long Dzing! scent challenge.

After midnight last night, I finally sprayed some on. It does remind me of Dzing! Per the Smell Bent web site, One smells of "aging paperbacks buried under cardamom, dark vanilla, dry wood and sweet musk." It is not as complex as Dzing!, and is somewhat louder and sweeter. More vanilla-y, no leather. One is supposed to be a limited edition that was not to be available after October 31. However, it is still on sale by Smell Bent. I really like it. I hope they add it to the permanent collection.

Dzing!

March at Perfume Posse is having a "Scent Challenge," and I have chosen Dzing! to be the scent I wear for a week exclusively. I don't think this will be difficult, as I wore the same thing every day until about a year ago. I have been in the mood for Dzing! lately.

I recently tried Smell Bent's limited edition One, which smells kind of similar. I have only smelled One in the oil, but I ordered a bottle of the edt, which should come some time this week. I will be interested in comparing the two.

Al Oudh

Today, went to Barney's, and, yes, got a bottle of Al Oudh. It's pretty skanky if you ask me. I really like it a lot and will be eating oatmeal until the next payday.

I really should be reviewing things here so maybe someone might be kinda sorta interested in reading this.

I think I will make a list of stuff I own... that's a start.

Mûre et Musc

I just bought L'Artisan's Mûre et Musc, in a 50 ml. It is the old bottle. Luca Turin in Perfumes: The A-Z Guide, says that it has been reformulated, and that the old version was better. I don't know if this is the older version or the reformulated. I am not sure when they changed the bottles. My recent L'Artisan acquisitions (Dzongkha, Timbuktu, Les Épices de la Passion) have all been the older bottles. Mûre et Musc smells like the L'Artisan sample they sent me last fall, though. I prefer this to the Extreme version. The Extreme, to me, smelled too much of grape Kool-Aid. Mûre et Musc is not my favorite L'Artisan, but I like it, and had been thinking of getting it.

Dzongkha

I have an interesting tale to tell.

In January, I came back from Japan. After having spent no money there, I decided to go out and buy the L'Artisan Parfumeur Épices de la Passion coffret. It is three 15 ml bottles of Saffran Troublant, Poivre Piquant, and Piment Brûlant. I had seen it in a store for $75 and went there to get it. By chance they were having a 75% off sale and I got it for $18!

Two months later, I am in the same store and checking out the L'Artisan stuff. For some reason, I sprayed my friend with Dzongkha. I had tried it last fall and, to be honest, wasn't so nuts about it. But this time I just loved it. The SA told me that, on the following Thursday they were having some sort of sale again, so I decided to come back.

When I returned, the SA I had had in January was there, and she remembered me. I had every intention of buying a 50 ml bottle of Dzongkha, less the discount of the day. We got to talking, and she and another SA decided to just GIVE ME a used Dzongkha tester with about 80% remaining. I offered to pay for it, but they said, no, it had been opened, and they were just going to throw it away (they had another Dzongkha tester on display). Also... to be honest, the bottle was kind of grungy. So I bought a 50 ml bottle of Timbuktu instead. And I got the Dzongkha!

Last fall I had liked Timbuktu more. But now I am really in love with Dzongkha, and I think, if it is still there next time I go, I will buy the 50 ml bottle of that, too, as a backup!

I really like L'Artisan, and think so far it is the house that suits me. A lot of people complain about longevity, but, so far, I have no complaints there. I own 100 ml bottles of Dzing! and Tea for Two. Sprayed on, they last me a long time (Tea for Two more so). I would like to buy more of the line. I also like the L'Artisan SA at Barney's on Oak Street, and, when I decide to get bottles of Al Oudh or more recent stuff, that is where I will buy them. But in the meantime, I will keep going back to this store until I deplete them of all their L'Artisans! (They are not carrying the line any more.)

Idole de Lubin

I finally got a bottle of Idole de Lubin. I have been meaning to get this for the past six months. Continuing with my general Olivia Giacobetti obsession!

I'll have more to say after I have had more of a chance to wear it. Prior to this I have only had a small sample.

Snow

It has been snowing all day today. At work they put waivers for the Midwest and once again for the East Coast. I went to work today, but have been sick with something-or-other so called in and went home. I have some sort of infection from what I can tell. Friday my throat hurt on the left side, yesterday I was completely out of it and had a hard time concentrating -- a fever? Today the left side of my face, including my teeth, hurt. Maybe it is sinuses. Thank god I am off tomorrow. Just relax! Plus it looks really horrible out from what I can tell.

Wore Lalique Encre Noire. I love it, but it smelled odd. Maybe because I am sick.

Dull post I know.

Working a double today. Should not be doing this. Someone at work has shingles, though, and can't call in sick for some reason. I will be dead tonight.

Lost on tonight!

お久しぶり

I haven't written in here in a long time. I thought I would start it up again.

What's new? SInce last August or so, I have developed an interest in fragrance.... yeah, I know... and I am kind of surprised that I am so interested. I'll maybe post on here about stuff. I am a member on Basenotes under the same name, and do add posts to the forums. However, I don't feel confident enough to write reviews there yet. Maybe I should start doing that here.

Naoki won the Green Card Lottery last year. He is still in Japan. He will come here in May to activate it. We shall see what develops from there. I don't think he will be moving here, since he has a job there, speaks no English, and the economy here is so crappy. But maybe he will be retiring (he's 53 now) and can move here... we shall see. I will keep you posted on that.

Naoki has lost a lot of weight, and I have gained a lot of weight since starting the job I am at. I dieted last year and lost about 30 lbs. I still have a long way to go .