It’s been a busy few weeks. Here’s a hodgepodge of things for you!
New York Smells
I smelled Baccarat Rouge all over Manhattan when I was there a couple of weeks ago. Maybe I recognized it more because it’s such a strong recognizable scent. Or maybe New Yorkers are still loving this one. I also whiffed Glossier You a few times. Both are solid classics. You probably already heard that Glossier will be releasing more fragrances in the new year (maybe sooner?!) I heard a little about them from someone who worked on them and I can’t wait to whiff them. It will be hard to follow You, but I bet they get this right.
D.S. & Durga Visit
I also visited the D.S. & Durga offices when I was in New York. What an excellent vibe and good time that was. I will be sharing much more about that visit soon. Everyone in the office was so welcoming, I wanted to hang out with all of them. David and Kavi are as cool and kind as you would imagine and it was so fun getting a peak behind the curtain. I smelled so many things with David, I could have easily spent another hour whiffing fumes.
I left with some goodies including their new Murder Mystery Layering set above. One of the things I appreciate about D.S. & Durga is how creative they are with their marketing. This is pretty genius. They’re calling this "The Case of the Stolen Heart." And you get to create your own formula to solve the mystery. I could wear each of these scents on their own and I hope they release some of these in larger bottles! I layered I Don’t Know What with Professor Rose and couldn’t stop sniffing my wrists. I’m a rose fanatic and this rose is one I would add to my rotation. The next day I wore Prince Amber alone and loved it. I’m excited to play around with this one. What a great gift this would be, for yourself or a libra in your life.
What I’ve been wearing
This week I got complimented on my smell twice. Like most fragrance people I love it when this happens. It’s an opening to talk about perfume with strangers. And there’s nothing I love more than talking to strangers about fragrances.
Earlier in the week I put on a sample I got in New York of Tabac 28, Le Labo’s Miami city scent. Tabac 28 feels like the inside of a cigar bar where they’re only drinking scotch and whiskey. It’s warm and comforting. This rich tobacco scent was a little too boozy for work. I regretted heavily spraying it all over me. To sweeten it up I spritzed a few sprays of Escapade Gourmande on top. Escapade Gourmande is a syrupy vanilla sugar that many describe as smelling like crème brûlée. I can’t wear that one on its own, I like sweet but I need a little darkness and dirt mixed in for balance. But the combo of the deep-rich tobacco and the musky vanilla sugar was perfect. The compliment came almost 12 hours after applying it in the morning so I was a little surprised when the cashier handed me my bag and said “by the way you smell amazing”. I wanted to linger and talk to her about the combo and ask what scents she wore but people were waiting behind me.
Lately when I can’t decide what to wear I find myself reaching for Caroline Herrera’s 212 NYC Men. This one found its way into my collection after smelling it on
. When we worked together I was obsessed with the smell he left behind in phone rooms. He told me it was 212 but there are about 20 different versions of this one, when I finally realized it was the Men version I bought it immediately. This one was made in 1999 but smells pretty current. It’s got those woodsy notes everyone loves and smells faintly of Santal 33. It’s likable and inoffensive. The dry down is everything. I was surprised when someone still smelled it on me towards the end of the day. She asked what it was and wrote it down.Perfume Party
When
asked me to come to her birthday party and talk about perfume I had no idea what I was signing up for but I immediately said ‘Sure!’. Like I said, I love talking to strangers about fragrance. And that’s exactly what I did. I brought some of my collection, a couple of discovery sets, and books, and set everything up on a little table. I tried to bring a range from florals to incense-heavy resin perfumes. It was such a sweet crowd and I loved sitting and hearing about what people wear, and what kind of notes they like in perfume. Was very excited to catch up with , who is a bit of a fraghead himself.Anna had also invited mixologist turned perfumer, Jackie Brenner of de Kloka. Jackie’s fragrances are so well crafted and complex. I was blown away by the layers and depth. I fell for Vivi which is a custom blend she sadly didn’t have available but Sun Gold was also divine. You can purchase on her website which I encourage you to check out. Jackie has been studying fragrance for years with the legendary Mandy Aftel. She has some serious witchy vibes that made me want to sit and hang out with her all afternoon. I love a perfume witch. Jackie also studies tarot and astrology. She is now weaving perfume-making into a spiritual practice and offering bespoke blends inspired by astrological natal chart analysis. You can book a session with her on her website.
Press?!
I was thrilled to see my name in this Glossy article on how online perfume communities are shaping the fragrance industry. Was even more surprised and happy that Yosh Han was the one who mentioned me. 🙏
Stores to visit next time you're in New York
I was on the hunt for a new dress and I ended up finding three. The first was intentional. I knew that Tamara Malas had just opened their first brick and mortar in the LES and I was excited to try her stuff on in person. The shop is on 143 Ludlow Street. I ended up leaving with a Boyko dress and was thrilled to discover this new to me brand. Loved seeing her designs in person though.
Next I stumbled upon the Batsheva store and was giddy. Batsheva is a favorite of mine and when I get to the next tax bracket I will buy many more dresses from her. The store was perfect so was the salesperson who talked to me about the different styles and convinced me to leave with the dress I tried on. You can see them sweetly wrapping it in the photo above. I brought home the Phoebe Dress in Black Satin and it’s honestly the lacey black dress of my witchy dreams. I can’t wait to wear it.
I found the third dress right before
’s party for her one-year anniversary of Shop Rat (subscribe immediately if you don’t already). I was wearing the Batsheva dress but feeling a little too dark and moody for the weather. I was not looking for a new outfit but I found one at Toast next door to Outline where the event was being held. Go to both of these stores. This is Toast’s first brick and mortar in the US and their clothes are beautiful. Outline also had an amazing collection.Read this
And lastly! My brilliant colleague and perfumer,
, has posted on her Substack, , after a long hiatus. If you love reading about the science and craft of perfume you will be a fan of her writing. She’s so smart and I’m in awe of her fragrance knowledge. I’ll be doing an interview with her soon. In the meantime subscribe and comment on her latest post so she doesn’t make us wait so long for the next one.
I now need to host a perfume party
Now I want a perfume party. What a fabulous thing!