Lush’s Kerbside Violet is that totally kissable stranger on the subway platform who eats those weird purple mints from the newspaper kiosk.
There’s a blast of burning coal and then bruised wildflowers and finally ashy sweetness.
Makes me nostalgic for the city.
Any city, really.
This one by Bat For Lashes (also English) has a dreamy edgy vibe, too.
Huh. So that’s what gentians smell like.
Interesting. And odd!
Not as sweet and delicate as the Regency romances would have one believe–like did the author actually research this? Or did they just go looking for “blue flower that grows in England?”
This is NOT a flower a swooning Georgian debutante would tuck into her bodice, unless she was trying to seduce the groundskeeper. (Which might make an interesting story, actually.)
2/16/23 – Edit
Pulled this out when sniffing Lacoste Match Point yesterday, to compare the gentian. It’s such a weird tangled green garden scent, that touches on tomato leaf and clover honey, bell pepper and sage dust.
Gentiana, after the first grapefruit squeeze, goes fast into that chaotic herbal floral, with a touch of nectar to soften the bitterness, and bit of lavender-ish soap suds to wash off the garden soil.
Some sandalwood on the bottom keeps it from getting too discombobulated.
One of the nicer Aqua Allegorias.
(Pamplelune is bolder and better.)
Also, I just ordered gentian seeds.
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More Blue –
Supposed to be bamboo, jasmine and flowers, and olibanum, and that’s nice, but I mostly get Old Skool lilac. Is that what they mean by “flowers”?
Edit – 2/18/23
I bought this set of minis–The Silk Road Collection–curious about what kind of scents Shanghai Tang (a very cool fashion house dedicated to the revival of Chinese culture of the 1920’s–I’ve used several of their pieces on stage) might put out.
Turns out their perfumes were designed by two French-trained Western bigwig master perfumers.
There’s an excellent article over here about China’s fragrance history–Mao banned perfume in the Cultural Revolution.
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This album came out at the end of 2013, just before Spring Jasmine was released. Hebe Tien was the front woman for the Mondopop mega band S.H.E.
#32 – Witchy grape soda.
This brand is ridiculous.
“Earth & Moss” and “Crushed Herbs?” Just say wormwood and stop being coy.
“Wild Grass?” Ookaaay.
The Jasmine I get.
It’s actually pretty good.
Edit – 2/12/2023
Well, I went back for it.
There’s an effervescent sweet wisteria purple that lingers for hours with hints of absinthe, that makes it enchanting and a little evil–poisoned soda pop at a birthday party.
Might be too young for me now–lately I’m more kitchen crone than fairy princess–but I don’t care.
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kira a. gold 