The Prince of Charm, Andy Tauer, came by for a visit Thursday evening. He brought his partner Werner (pronounced Verner) with him. I was so enchanted that I forgot to document the visit with pictures. When I did remember, the affair felt way too sacred…

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Continue reading → Prince Charming

Andy Tauer returns to grace us with his presence at the Scent Bar this October. The Saturday, October 4th event is full, however the Friday October 17th slot still has a few openings. Click here to RSVP.The latest from Tauer Perfumes is “Vetiver Dance”…

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Continue reading → The Vetiver Dance

“Do you come from Heaven or rise from the abyss, Beauty?
Your gaze, divine and infernal,
Pours out confusedly benevolence and crime,
And one may for that, compare you to wine …
From God or Satan, who cares? Angel or Siren,
Who cares, if you make— …

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• Wine Modern 1900-Now Bottles Bottles Insulators Collectibles

Continue reading → Sycomore by Chanel: fragrance review

“She is the embodiment of grace. She flows like water, she glows like fire and has the earthiness of a mortal goddess. She has flowers in her hair, jewelled hands and kohl-dark eyes. Her eyes speak a language that her hands will translate, her feet …

• Ah My Goddess Japanese, Anime Animation Art, Characters Collectibles

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Continue reading → Vetiver Dance by Tauer: Fragrance Review and Draw

Have you ever watched a conjurer put a volunteer from the audience into one of those contraptions that open and close via those ornamented Chinese doors? He enters as a man, next thing you see is the magician’s attractive female assistant emerge from t…

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Continue reading → Vetiver Series 4: the Secret of Gender in Vetiver

Gucci Pour Homme and Comme des Garcon 2 Men seem similar enough at first whiff that for a while now I’ve been inclined to dismiss one or the other as inevitably redundant. The similarities, as it turns out, are purely superficial.
Gucci Pour Homme was created in 2003 by Michel Almairac, the nose behind several Bond No. 9 fragrances (Bryant Park, Fire Island, Saks Fifth Avenue for Him, Scent of

• Gucci Men Discount Fragrances Store

• Gucci Women Discount Fragrances Store

Continue reading → Comme des Garcon 2 Men and Gucci Pour Homme

It’s always wise when exploring a certain material to come to the source. In the case of vetiver, the natural essences themselves. And what better way of discovering the exciting facets of unadulterated vetiver than going the natural way? Natural perfu…

• Case Agriculture Advertising Collectibles

• Mixed Material Thimbles Sewing Collectibles

Continue reading → Vetiver Racinettes by Ayala Moriel: fragrance review

I guess I have to thank Elle McPherson: Australian 6-feet “the Body” supermodel of the 80s, whose signature fragrance has loyally been the masculine Vétiver by Guerlain. It makes sense: anything more traditionally feminine on that gorgeous specimen of…

• Guerlain Eye Shadow Makeup Store

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Continue reading → Vetiver and Vetiver pour Elle by Guerlain: fragrance review

Hey Brian,

…disappointing perfume day. I bought a bunch of perfumes from parfum1.com - they have amazingly good deals. I bought everything unsniffed, but for the price, no biggie.

1. Habanita - gagging from the powder - I thought I would love this - but the baby powder is too much - I can’t get through it to the tobacco or leather.

2. Casmir by Chopard - Josh said it smelled like a street

• Powder Boxes Vanity, Perfume Shaving Collectibles

• Powder Jars Vanity, Perfume Shaving Collectibles

Continue reading → She Said, He Said: behind the scenes memos between your I Smell Therefore I Am editorial staff

Vetiver is one of those materials of perfumery that has a particularly interesting background, not least because of its exotic lineage from the Indian peninsula and the fact that the aromatic substance is derived from its rhizomes, making fragrances fo…

• Mixed Material Thimbles Sewing Collectibles

• Printed Material Bicycles Transportation Collectibles

Continue reading → Vetiver Series: 2.the Fascinating Material

Vetiver is one of those materials of perfumery that has a particularly interesting background, not least because of its exotic lineage from the Indian peninsula and the fact that the aromatic substance is derived from its rhizomes, making fragrances fo…

• Mixed Material Thimbles Sewing Collectibles

• Printed Material Bicycles Transportation Collectibles

Continue reading → Vetiver Series: 2.the Fascinating Material

With releases such as Narciso Rodriguez for Him, Gucci Pour Homme II, Amouage’s marvelous Jubilation XXV, Frederic Malle’s French Lover and Dsquared²’s He Wood, I find 2007 to have been a great year for masculine fragrances. But even if it weren’t for all those perfumes just mentioned, I’d still consider 2007 an excellent year. You see, if I am honest, the two releases I’m most excited about,

• Jean Paul Gaultier Men Discount Fragrances Store

• Jean Paul Gaultier Women Discount Fragrances Store

Continue reading → Learning to Love Orange Part 3 – Fleur du Mâle by Jean Paul Gaultier & Fahrenheit 32 by Dior : Perfume Reviews

So, listen…. The Dark Knight, just go see it.  No, no, don’t argue with me, really, I won’t listen to it.  Do it not only because it has my favorite eye candy in it, but because it’s a really terrific film.  It’s not just a comic book film. It’s about honor and betrayal and friendship, [...]

• Fantasy, Film, TV Swords Knives, Swords Blades Collectibles

• Products, Non-Film Specific Star Wars Science Fiction Collectibles

Continue reading → Why So Serious?

In case you’re the type of person who is tidy and organised and makes lists of things to sample, get your pen and notebook or your spreadsheet and mouse and jolt down this: the new Vetiver (still unnamed) by Andy Tauer. And if not, do make an effort re…

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• Mouse Animals Collectibles

Continue reading → Note Down on Your Notebook: Must Test This!

More than a few people have noted a passing resemblance between Chanel Allure Sensuelle and Tom Ford Black Orchid. Both follow a recent trend in feminine perfumery, mixing a floral up top with a grunge accord at the bottom, albeit to varying degrees o…

• Ford Agriculture Advertising Collectibles

• Mixing Bowls Kitchenware Housewares Kitchenware Collectibles

Continue reading → Overrated, Underrated

Dear Fragrant Friends,In this newsletter:Father’s Day Celebrations New Arrival: ArbitRary Candle Candle Burning Tips Enjoying Scents in Summer Limited Edition: Vetiver Racinettes Father’s Day CelebrationsTwo years ago I was fortunate to celebrate Fathe…

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Continue reading → News from the Nose: ArbitRary Candle, Vetiver Racinettes and Father’s Day

Visiting the Hermès boutique, at which an appointment was made for olfactory appreciation purposes, is a reward in itself. The new summer collection has arrived, in maroquinerie and silk accessories as well as clothes, all in vivid, shocking pinks of…

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• Silk Fabric Textiles, Linens Antiques

Continue reading → Un Jardin Apres la Mousson

I’ve been playing with attars in a very limited fashion for some years now.  There are the obvious tonalities like mitti (baked earth distilled into sandalwood), gulhina (henna into same), motia (jasmine sambac into same), et al.
But you can get attars (I think these are technically co-distills) in vetiver as well.  My current favorite is [...]

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• Playing Cards Breweriana, Beer Collectibles

Continue reading → co-distills and attars rock

I’ve been playing with attars in a very limited fashion for some years now.  There are the obvious tonalities like mitti (baked earth distilled into sandalwood), gulhina (henna into same), motia (jasmine sambac into same), et al.
But you can get attars (I think these are technically co-distills) in vetiver as well.  My current favorite is [...]

• Limited Editions Animation Art Animation Art, Characters Collectibles

• Playing Cards Breweriana, Beer Collectibles

Continue reading → co-distills and attars rock

Upon setting foot on the Changi airport at Singapore a different world unfolds itself ahead of your eyes or more accurately your whole being. The tropical humidity which reaches an all-time high during the monsoon season is catching your breath as you …

• Singapore Airlines Airlines Aviation Transportation Collectibles

• Foot Pedals Sewing Collectibles

Continue reading → Travel Memoirs: Singapore

 
Okay, fresh pile of perfume samples today to plow through, so let’s get started.
Ineke Evening Edged in Gold - The latest perfume from Ineke, it features notes of gold osmanthus, plum, Angel’s trumpet, saffron, cinnamon bark, midnight candy, leather, woods.  Definitely an evening floral.  It opens big floral, while the cinnamon adds …

• Evening Bags Handbags

• Evening Womens Shoes

Continue reading → New Perfume Samples - Montale and Ineke

By Tom
Two new scents from the house whose previous release was the reissue of the delicious Idole.
Vetiver starts off sweet and rather cold, its vetiver tinged with grapefruit and pepper. As it moves forward, cloves and a slight bitter rootiness come into play. Further on, incense joins in with a whiff of Tabac Blond. While this reads as surprisingly light, it has a sly sillage; I was getting

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Continue reading → Perfume Review: Lubin Vetiver and L’eau Nueve

Lured in by Pontevecchio W, the corresponding fragrance for women, which received a glowing review at Perfume Shrine some days ago {click for review}, there I was testing the masculine companion also laced with iris to see where it would get me… I am…

• Welcome to the Perfume Bloggers Fragrance Store

• Solid Perfume Store

Continue reading → Pontevecchio men’s by Nobile 1942: fragrance review

As it turns out, the previous post on ashtray-smelling fragrances (that weren’t ashtray-like to me after all) wasn’t enough. I’ve been mucking about in the raw materials recently and I have discovered some real, for true, three day-old wet heaping ashtray elements among them: oakmoss, vetiver, guaiac wood, and tobacco absolute.

• Tobacco Cards Tobacciana Collectibles

• Ashtrays Tobacciana Collectibles

Continue reading → more ashtrays to empty

Smoking - by Elton Glaser - I like the cool and heft of it, dull metal on the palm, And the click, the hiss, the spark fuming into flame, Boldface of fire, the rage and sway of it, raw blue at the base And a slope of gold, a touch to the packed tobacco…

• Tobacco Cards Tobacciana Collectibles

• Spark Plugs Automobilia Transportation Collectibles

Continue reading → more ashtrays to empty

Dragging behind the whole enlightened perfumanity, I finally tried Lalique’s fairly recent masculine release, Encre Noir. (Many thanks to Robin for sharing this marvel with me!) So good is this deceptively simple, elegantly earthy creation, that it might just revive my passion for vetiver. When I say that it is deceptively simple, I mean that it appears relatively straightforward: vetiver and

• A Simple Plan A Rock, Pop Music Memorabilia Entertainment Memorabilia

• Robin Bird Animals Collectibles

Continue reading → Perfume Review: Lalique Encre Noir

In our quest for chypre perfumes we stumble upon a peculiar phenomenon: there are scarcely any true chypres getting produced in the last 25 years!! Why is that? The answer is two-fold and fascinating in its denuement.First of all there is the matter of…

• Perfumes Vanity, Perfume Shaving Collectibles

• World Series Baseball-MLB Fan Apparel Souvenirs Sports Collectibles

Continue reading → Chypre series 3: the new contestants

It’s not unusual that my mind reels into well known quotes/parables/phrases that get twisted to serve my purposes. I’m weird like that I guess and words have always being a playground. However the assonance of “s” in the above paradigm is testament to …

• Jim Shore Enesco Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

• Guess Men Discount Fragrances Store

Continue reading → Sally sells sea “sel” at the sea shore

As we discussed the other day, Vero Kern is a very talented perfumer in the horizon of niche perfumery. She interweaves elements of surprise in her creations that astonish and make you immediately see that here lies a complex naturalistic composition t…

• Line Terminal Tackle Fishing

• Tales to Astonish Superhero Silver Age 1956-69 Comics Collectibles

Continue reading → Vero profumo line ~Onda: fragrance review

Vetiver is fashionable these days, and has always been used in wide array of perfumes, because it is so intensely aromatic and it blends so well with many other of the classic natural elements. The plant is a tall grass in the same family as bamboo; lo…

• Wide Womens Shoes

• Family Guy Animation Characters Animation Art, Characters Collectibles

Continue reading → Vetiver

Having accumulated some essences of excellent quality from Liberty Naturals and others over time, I have been fooling around and “making messes” as some would say — thothere have been some wonderful “accidents” that I have been able to use for gifts a…

• Novelties Gifts Golf

• Liberty Falls Decorative Collectible Brands Decorative Collectibles Collectibles

Continue reading → Experiments