October 5th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
I’ve noticed that the patchouli scents I’m drawn to seem to be either comforting/soft or tonic/medicinal. I can pretty much stick them in their respective corners, as I’m about to do for you. In the comforting/soft corner are Fresh Index…
Related StoresContinue reading → Patchouli Power, Baby: Fresh Index Patchouli Pure & SMN Patchouli
September 29th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
What do people have against patchouli? I can’t find anything wrong with the herb myself. In fact, it’s one of my favorites. But you always hear people go on about it being a “hippie smell.” Give me a break. How…
Related StoresSeptember 24th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
I enjoyed this tour of Christopher Brosius’s CB I Hate Perfume shop in Williamsburg Brooklyn in More Intelligent Life magazine, and thought you might, too. If the writer does not actually call herself a perfumista, she is certainly one at…
Related StoresContinue reading → Getting Some Love: CB I Hate Perfume Shop
September 22nd, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Ines de la Fressange eau de parfum is, for me, the symbol of a perfume passion gone berserk. It is the last perfume I purchased while still in the grips of my hard-core perfume habit. I am still trying to…
Related StoresContinue reading → Ines de la Fressange: What Was I Thinking?!
September 19th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
What do people have against patchouli? I can’t find anything wrong with the herb myself. In fact, it’s one of my favorites. But you always hear people go on about it being a “hippie smell.” Give me a break. How…
Related StoresSeptember 14th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
The moon was so pretty tonight I had to take a picture of it. I just checked the moon phase, and it’s a full moon. With all of the hurricane hoopla I’d sort of lost track of it and was…
Related StoresSeptember 13th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Hurricane Ike roared through the Houston area overnight, the eye of the storm passing just east of where I live. From around midnight on I was curled up in my closet, having moved out my boxes of perfume to make…
Related StoresContinue reading → Hurricanes Stink and Yet There is Always a Silver Lining
September 10th, 2008 — from minette @ Scent Signals
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder. You’ve no doubt heard that. The concept is said to have been first expressed in third century B.C. Greece. Writers across the centuries, including William Shakespeare and Ben Franklin, put the same…
Related StoresSeptember 2nd, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Hope you had a lovely Labor Day holiday. I spent mine building and manhandling bookcases. In the process of rearranging books, I found a gem from the Victorian era: Our Deportment, Or the Manners, Conduct and Dress of the Most…
Related StoresContinue reading → Perfume Etiquette in the Age of Queen Victoria
August 27th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
I love men. Always have. Always will. No matter how many times they try to tell me they are all just pigs (and then set out to prove it). There’s just something about them. The way their bodies are made….
Related StoresAugust 25th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
If you’ve been keeping up with my fragrant adventures, you know that for the past couple of months I’ve pretty much been avoiding the hard-core stuff, i.e. anything I have to spray on, and most alcohol-based perfumes. As I’ve described…
Related StoresContinue reading → Going Soft Core: Attar Bazaar Jannat Al-Ferdous and Sudanese Black Rose
August 22nd, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Poor, poor guys. Beauty entrepreneurs have finally figured out how to target them: by focusing on their deep insecurities about their “junk.” Yep, products for the penis and testicles are being launched willy-nilly. The first one to come to my…
Related StoresAugust 20th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
The just-released YWCA study Beauty at Any Cost has me thinking all sorts of thoughts, seeing as I’m an American woman who’s been bombarded by beauty messages my entire life. Not only bombarded, but twisted, by those messages. Of course…
Related StoresAugust 17th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
It’s been an interesting few weeks, scent-wise. Still not feeling it for most of the mainstream commercial stuff. In fact, a little alarm bell goes off in my belly whenever I smell things like Est??e Lauder Sensuous and Hanae Mori…
Related StoresAugust 10th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
My perfumes have stopped talking to me. They used to tell me stories. Fragrant fantasies. (Entertaining.) Liquid lies. (Distracting.) Now they stand shoulder to shoulder. (Silent.) As a monastic vow. (Quiet.) No more chatter. (Peaceful.) Have they gone mute? Have…
Related StoresAugust 4th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
For a brief break. Other creative projects are calling my name and need my energy and attention. Scent Signals will return next week. Until then, please enjoy perusing the archives. And if you live in the States and would like…
Related StoresContinue reading → We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Programming…
July 30th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
If you’ve been around perfume long enough you notice that you go through phases. One day you love certain scents, the next day you don’t. Even longtime favorites can suddenly lose their appeal. I’m not talking about the seasonal shifts…
Related StoresContinue reading → From Full Moon to Dark Moon - Phases in a Perfume Lover’s Life
July 22nd, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Does peace have a smell? Can we really capture it in a bottle? Perfumers have tried to conjure it, and some have made good money selling the idea that they’ve done it, but can the smell of peace be reduced…
Related StoresContinue reading → The Smell of Peace - There’s No Place Like Home
July 20th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
She swept through the undergrowth, her long cape flowing behind her, leather boots silent on the thick bed of leaves. The tall trees seemed to lean toward her as if to watch her progress. Clouds scudded across the moon, throwing…
Related StoresJuly 16th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
The first thing that caught my eye in the August Vanity Fair was this series of ads for Chanel. I love them. They are the first ads in a long time that have captured my interest and made me look…
Related StoresJuly 13th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
“Let me tell you what your perfumes say about you. They say, ‘Sophisticated, elegant, and quirky.’” That’s what my friend Reggie told me last week. Not surprisingly, that made me feel good. Like someone was actually paying attention and maybe…
Related StoresContinue reading → Thoughts on a Perfume Wardrobe - Plus a Perfume Drawing
July 12th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
With the exception of the beautiful photographs I occasionally wrangle out of my professional photographer friend Bill at ShootDC.com, all of the images on Scent Signals are shot by yours truly. As a media professional in real life, with friends…
Related StoresContinue reading → Special Thanks to My Photographer’s Assistant, Peter Cat
July 11th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Giant personal-care products producer Procter & Gamble just announced its most aggressive price hike since this latest oil fiasco began. Here’s the scoop from Cosmetics Design-Europe. Prices on P&G brand soaps, laundry detergents, dishwashing detergents and shaving products (and no…
Related StoresContinue reading → Rub a Dub - Time to Stock Up on Soap for the Tub
July 9th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
I’m not much of a follower, so I’ve never slavishly followed fashion or other trends. If I like something, I’ll adopt it - on my schedule - whether or not it’s in vogue at the time. Same goes for perfume….
Related StoresContinue reading → A Trend I Like: Perfume in Smaller Bottles
July 4th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Spent the day enjoying and appreciating my freedom. Which meant reading, snacking, napping, and watching and smelling the spectacular rain we had today. It was a relatively quiet storm, very little scary lightning and thunder, just buckets and buckets of…
Related StoresJuly 1st, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
I love cats because I love my home, and after a while they become its visible soul. - Jean Cocteau A while back, I brought home a bottle of valerian capsules. Valerian is reputed to be a sleep aid, and…
Related StoresContinue reading → A Cat Tale of Two Scents: Valerian and Spikenard
July 1st, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Years ago my mother told me, Men like the chase. Perfume lovers like it, too. And like many men, we may even like the chase more than we do the conquest. The Wanting can be more fun than the Having….
Related StoresJune 24th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
Your perfume is talking behind your back. It’s saying all sorts of things about you. It’s like a radio transmitter, sending out the subtext of your life. But who’s it talking to, and what message is getting through? If you…
Related StoresContinue reading → Does Your Perfume Say What You Think It Says?
June 23rd, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
My dear friend Isabell told me a ghost story last night. It was about her love Matthew, who died years ago in a tragic accident. It seems Matthew has been visiting Isabell for the past few weeks, showing up in…
Related StoresJune 19th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
Happy Summer Solstice! This is one of two days during the year when the Sun stands still (the other being the Winter Solstice). For those of us living in the southern half of the United States, it feels as if…
Related StoresJune 18th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
We interrupt this perfume broadcast for a quick excursion into the land of comfort foods. A recent trip to the grocery store and a few seconds worth of navel gazing are to blame. I love Campbell’s Bean with Bacon Soup….
Related StoresJune 18th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
We interrupt this perfume broadcast for a quick excursion into the land of comfort foods. A recent trip to the grocery store and a few seconds worth of navel gazing are to blame. I love Campbell’s Bean with Bacon Soup….
Related StoresJune 15th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
If I had to pick one perfume to represent my idea of perfume, one perfume to put in a time capsule for humans centuries hence, one perfume to explain perfume to an extraterrestrial, I would pick Femme de Rochas. Each…
Related StoresJune 12th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
Ever wonder what it’s like to be one of the country’s top beauty editors? Those special few who get invited to those fancy perfume-release parties, where companies regale you with the dazzling delights of their new fragrances (with the unspoken…
Related StoresContinue reading → Banana Republic Classic Perfume Release: Behind the Smoke and Mirrors
June 10th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
Hypnotic Poison is more than a perfume. It is a magic potion. One that allows me to easily leave this world and enter the land of dreams. When I wear it to bed, I am guaranteed to sleep deeper and…
Related StoresContinue reading → Sweet Dreams are Made of This: Christian Dior Hypnotic Poison
June 9th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you stumble upon a product which restores your faith in the world’s ability to surprise and amuse you. Bálla Powder for Men is such a product. Bálla is ball powder. Talc for…
Related StoresContinue reading → Bálla Ball Powder for Men: Yes, Scented Talc for the Testicles
June 4th, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
The grape-velvet curtains exhale as the ancient door opens and cold air rushes like a scampish dog into the hall. Torch flames snap and lick, painting wild shadows on tapestry and stone. Oak chairs ring a massive ash wood table….
Related StoresJune 1st, 2008 — , Current Posts, June 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
Am I the only one who was surprised to learn how young Yves Saint Laurent was when he died Sunday? Only 71. Ancient to you twenty-somethings, but not really old to those of us who’ve been on the planet a…
Related StoresContinue reading → R.I.P. YSL: A Week of YSL Perfumes as Tribute
May 30th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Wikipedia, that font of online knowledge, says a mask can be used for protection, concealment, performance, and amusement. So can perfume. That’s why I think of perfume as an invisible mask. I’m unlikely to run around all day wearing my…
Related StoresMay 30th, 2008 — , May 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
Wikipedia, that font of online knowledge, says a mask can be used for protection, concealment, performance, and amusement. So can perfume. That’s why I think of perfume as an invisible mask. I’m unlikely to run around all day wearing my…
Related StoresMay 29th, 2008 — , May 2008 from minette @ Scent Signals
While working on another article, I came across the poetry of Edmund Spenser, and his story of the life of a butterfly. It made me think of the life of a perfume lover. Those of us who love to sniff…
Related StoresMay 26th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Sometimes I just don’t have an appetite for new releases - no matter how much glowing press they get - because it seems that most of them disappoint me. Each time I’ve tried to get to the Galleria in the…
Related StoresContinue reading → Hermès Un Jardin après la Mousson: Jean-Claude Ellena Does Vetiver
May 26th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Sometimes I just don’t have an appetite for new releases - no matter how much glowing press they get - because it seems that most of them disappoint me. Each time I’ve tried to get to the Galleria in the…
Related StoresContinue reading → Hermès Un Jardin après la Mousson: J-CE Does Vetiver
May 24th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
For many of us, Memorial Day simply means an extra day off from work, for which we are thankful. We often spend it relaxing with friends and family. But what we now consider a holiday has its roots in the…
Related StoresContinue reading → The Case for Burning Incense on Memorial Day
May 23rd, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
I’m working on something for this special weekend. Hope to have it up by tonight, tomorrow at the latest. So check back this weekend! And be safe if your plans take you out on the road.
Related StoresMay 20th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
You may not realize it, but Houston is home to one of the best fragrance and makeup shopping destinations in Texas, maybe even in the country: Kuhl-Linscomb. It’s a veritable candy store for us scent and makeup lovers. A great…
Related StoresContinue reading → Calling All Texas Perfumistas: Beauty Day Event in Houston
May 20th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Last night was one of those rare nights (here in Houston that is) when the air is clear and cool, the moon is blindingly white and the stars are winking off and on. A night when you can almost believe…
Related StoresMay 19th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Sometimes a girl just wants to have fun. She doesn’t want to have to think rationally. She wants to feel spaced-out, buzzy, and a little silly. She doesn’t want to plan anything. She wants the freedom to take life as…
Related StoresMay 18th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Where have some of the world’s foremost perfumers, including Serge Lutens and Edmond Roudnitska, found their inspiration? In their gardens. “Roudnitska senior is said to have spent at least two hours every day walking around the grounds. ‘To him it…
Related StoresMay 15th, 2008 — , Current Posts from minette @ Scent Signals
Don’t You Forget About Me is a new feature here on Scent Signals. In it I’ll shine the spotlight on scents I think are worth remembering, even if they’re not getting chatted up a lot these days. Let’s kick things…
Related StoresContinue reading → Don’t You Forget About Me: Dali for Women Perfume