Sumo wrestlers (and samurai and geishas) all used scented hair oils to gloss and help hold their complex hairstyles in place. J-Scent (a Tokyo-based fragrance manufacturer) describes its Sumo Wrestler perfume* like this:
The scent of bintsuke (hair oil) subtly floating from dignified sumo wrestlers. Eucalyptus and anise give this perfume an aromatic scent…
L’Artisan Parfumeur is an old friend. I’ve owned bottles of Ananas Fizz (discontinued), Mûre et Musc (original version), L’Eau de L’Artisan, Passage d’Enfer, L’Eau d’Ambre, Dzongkha, Séville à l’Aube, Traversée du Bosphore, Dzing!, Timbuktu, Méchant Loup and Bois Farine, not to mention amber balls and candles. When I saw the ads for the new Bana Banana,* with their antique botanical illustrations of banana plants, I was primed to BUY…
My “Dirty” series is about taking classic, beautiful ingredients and putting a new spin on them – letting their hair down, smudging their lipstick and exploring new territory. I wanted to build a fragrance around the spontaneous and energetic aspects of lemons but wanted to bring something new and even a little naughty to lemons’ squeaky clean nature. — Douglas Little, Heretic Parfums.
Dirty Lemon (listed notes include lemon, bergamot, petitgrain, juniper, lime, sandalwood, pink and black pepper, ylang-ylang and patchouli)
Dirty Lemon opens with the aromas of bergamot oil and sliced lemons (heavily peppered), but its head notes are more dense than sprightly or fizzy…
I used to never burn candles during summertime in Seattle. My house was always wide open from May through September and the air from nearby Lake Washington and my garden smelled fresh and good. Over the last several years (and no doubt due to what The Guardian is now committed to calling ‘the climate crisis’), my home is often closed up for weeks at a time because of heat or dangerous smoke and particulate matter in the air from long-burning forest fires…or both. These days I need to use candles all year to keep the stale air at bay inside my home.
Otherland, one of the crop of new candle makers who don’t believe you need to spend over $100 to get a high-quality candle, has released its new spring/summer collection…
I recently ‘threw the dice’ and chose two newish perfumes to review; quelle surprise…I like them both!
Goldfield & Banks Southern Bloom
(listed notes: Tasmanian boronia, cassis, mandarin, ylang ylang, jasmine, iris, vetiver, sandalwood, amber, musk)
Southern Bloom honours the rare and enchanting native scented flower, the Boronia, during its short September ‘spring-bloom’ on Australia’s southernmost island, Bruny off the coast of Tasmania…