LA SERENISSIMA WINKS ~ 10 Corso Como Uomo by 10 Corso Como

William and Charlie always took a vacation from each other in the middle of their vacation. When they ware abroad this practice helped to keep their friendship fresh and happy while in such close quarters. On this particular trip the “Your on your own day” happened on a Wednesday and it happened in Venice.

 

For there stay, William rented an apartment on the Piscina Sant Agnese near the wooden bridge on the Academia side of the Grand Canal. There was only one key to the apartment. So it was agreed on this Wednesday that one of them would hold the key and return to the apartment at two just in case the other needed to pop in to freshen up in la stanza da bagno.

Out the door and at Calle Chisea William said “goodbye” and went left and Charlie said “see you later” and went right.

“Gondola Mister?”  The handsome blond gondolier that Charlie saw every morning at Ponte San Vio called out to him and tipped his hat followed by a graceful bow that set his gondola to seductively sway at its moorings.

“Grazie no Signor.”  At one hundred fifty a pop Charlie knew it was a luxury he would have to pass up.

The gondolier winked. “Maybe domani?”

Charlie laughed and began to whistle “Meglio Stasera” and in so doing turned his morning outing into a Pink Panther adventure sans inspector Clouseau.

At two thirty-five Charlie realized that William was most likely not coming back to the apartment. He decided to have a small glass of Lemoncello. At two forty five he had another and realized he hadn’t eaten lunch yet. At three with William a no-show Charlie headed for Campo San Barnaba for a bite of of something to soak up the Lemoncello that was making him feel just on the edge of silly.

Sitting under a square white umbrella in the clear luminous light of the campo where years ago Katherine Hepburn fell into the canal in “Summertime” Charlie savored the best lasagna he had ever tasted.  He called the waiter over and ordered third glass of Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. When the forth glass of wine was set before him he saw William coming across the campo from the Ponte dei Pugni he nearly knocked over his wine when he jumped up to wave to his friend he hadn’t seen in seven hours.

Reunited and refreshed they each bubbled over with stories of there exciting day. Another glass of wine was ordered. After lunch they crossed the Grand Canal on a traghetto, the poor man’s gondola. Feeling a wee bit tipsy from the wine and the Lemoncello Charlie sat down to keep from re-enacting Hepburn’s tumble into the indubitably questionable waters of the Grand Canal.

“Signore! No sit!”

 

By five that evening Charlie was somewhat recovered and able to stand in a traghetto, when William suggested it, he was very agreeable to a having a cocktail. Why not they were after all on vacation weren’t they? Besides that, there was an hour or three to kill before dinner. The view from the tables outside at the Accademia Foscarini Bar e Pizzeria was the money shot of the day and the friends agreed it would be a stunning spot to rest their feet and lubricate the liver. They ordered Negronis. Charlie had never seen such a huge cocktail tumbler in his life.

The May sky which was streaked with rose and amber over the Grand Canal an hour before was now spangled with stars as they headed out to dinner at Osteria San Barnaba. Fueled with Negronis and un grande amore vivo e tutte le cose italiane, the two friends charmed the waiters at the Osteria. By one in the morning they were sharing a gasoline like drink called Grappa with their waiter Antonio and singing “Volarie” off key but with great feeling. At two A.M. Antonio bid them buona notte on the street outside the Osteria.

Shoulder to shoulder, very fuzzy and smudged at the edges William and Charlie wandered through the sleeping city.  Suddenly they stumbled upon the immense splendor and expanse of the dark choppy Giudecca Canal. Bobbing gondolas glimmered a rich dark shellac in the moonlight. There was not a sound but for the soft slapping of the water against the stone stairs that led down into the ink blue waters.  William had fallen moodily silent and was looking intently at the wet velveteen waters as they slapped the ancient stones.

“Don’t do it.” Charlie said. “It is so beautiful and it would be a dramatic end…a death in Venice, but don’t jump in.”

William smiled. “I wasn’t thinking that, I was thinking of The Wings of the Dove.”

Charlie put his arm around his best friend. And at that moment the sky above the Giudecca exploded in a glittering shower of fireworks.

“Look William, it is all for us.”

“La Serenissima is winking.” William said softly.

 

Gondoliers watch the fireworks from Venice across the Giudecca

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10 Corso Como Uomo by 10 Corso Como is a beautiful Spicy Oriental for men. The house of 10 Corso Como which is dedicated to art, fashion and design was founded in Milan by Carla Sozzani a gallery owner and publisher. It began as a gallery in 1990 and has since grown to include fashion, food and a hotel. The philosophy behind this house is to present the world of art, music, design, cuisine and fashion to reflect the inspiration of world cultures.

The perfume opens in a clear spicy zing of ginger ringing with notes of bergamot and mandarin orange. This is a lovely crisp and eye-opening scent, not shocking to the system but rather delightful and warm in its opening presentation.

 

Accademia Foscarini Bar e Pizzeria

The dominant note in the perfume enters rather fast to join in the sparkle created by the ginger and as the bergamot and mandarin fade to the back this lively Pepper takes center stage. Along the way in the heart of the fragrance the peeper is joined by a shy Ylang-Ylang and a bashful jasmine. Together these two floral notes smooth the pepper and ginger out and lead the way to a really nice dry down.

In the base notes there is a clean Musk that never gets soapy but stays true along with the Cedar to a classic masculine oriental feel. This is added by a light shimmering veneer of amber and vanilla.

Overall the perfume lasts about eight hours on my skin and has a noticeable sillage in the first few hours. I must thank Michel Gizinski at Neiman Marcus for introducing me to this wonderful fragrance. Michel is an incredible ambassador of fragrance, so knowledgeable and eager to share the world of fragrance with his clients. He has been dubbed “The Nose of Union Square” and indeed he is the go to man for many San Franciscans who are into perfume. The nose knows!  And because of this lovely man, I always find myself coming back to 10 Corso Como Uomo when I am looking for something sophisticated, unusual, and neo-classical in feeling.

10 Corso Como Uomo ~ 5 Platinum Stars

PERRIS MONTE CARLO COMES TO TOWN! ~ Fragrance Event At Neiman Marcus San Francisco.

This October 12th at Neiman Marcus San Francisco there will be a very special fragrance event. Our ambassador of fragrance at Neiman’s Michal Gizinski will be presenting the brilliant Gian Luca and Elisabetta Perris to San Francisco. The Perris Family are the force behind the perfume house of Houbigant Paris, Corso Como and the creators of Perris Monte Carlo Perfumes.

 

Along with such classics as Quelques Fleur l’Original,  Fougere Royale from Houbigant and the sensational perfumes of 10 Corso Como they will be sharing with us 

the much anticipated arrival to our city of two very exciting perfumes of very special merit.

These exceptionally singular perfumes are only two of five new fragrances to come from this exciting perfume house. We will be able to enjoy the glamour and beauty of Rose de Taif and the deep sensual allure of Oud Imperiale.  Rose de Taif is made from the very rare Taif rose which is grown in Arabia high in the mountains at above 4,000 feet. The combination of the altitude and mountain rain makes this particular rose a much sought after flower for the creation of perfume.  Its cherished blossoms are picked only at dawn to preserve the oils within it at its most lush and beautiful. The extraction of the oil is very unique and time intensive.

 

(Photo from Parfums Perris Monte Carlo) 

Just to give you a hint of what Rose de Taif perfume is all about, the top notes are lemon, nutmeg, and geranium. The heart is the gorgeous Taif Rose, and the base notes are Rose Damas absolute and Rose Musk. If you are a rose perfume lover you are not going to want to miss this event!

 

 In the equally enticing Oud Imperial the top notes are Jasmine and Cumin, The heart unfolds with Oud, incense, patchouli, and saffron. And the dry down consists of sandalwood, Cedar, Javanese Vetiver and Blackwood. The oud used in this perfume is of the best quality and costs $27,000 a pound.

 

If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area be advised to mark your calendar for October 12, 2013 (time to be advised in an upcoming post) to join our host Michal Gizinski of Neiman Marcus and Gian Luca and Elisabetta Perris for the olfactory event of the season. 

(Photo from Parfums Perris Monte Carlo)

PARFUMS PERRIS MONTE CARLO
CEDIP SAM – 5 Avenue des Citronniers, MC 98000 MONACO
– Tel: +377. 93.50.72.12– Fax: +377.93. 50. 21. 45–
contact@perrismonte carlo.mc

Perris Monte Carlo Facebook :  https://www.facebook.com/PerrisMonteCarlo

Houbigant Webpage: http://www.houbigant-parfum.com/

10 Corso Como Webpage: http://www.10corsocomo.com/

(Beautiful Monte Carlo)

THE PAST IS TOMORROW ~ Vesper by MIKMOI

“Diamonds are forever, but we both know I am not.” He whispered to her just as the evening prayers began in St. Marks. Tiffany let go of his hand and turned to look at the dark waters of Regent’s canal which ran past the old church under a bridge on Prince Albert Road and into Regent’s Park. .

 

“I know James, I’ve always known.”  She sighed and squared her shoulders. “I guess I’ll go back to America.”

“I think it would be best darling. I’ll make all the arrangements. Thursday I have to go to Istanbul on a job and maybe St. Petersburg. Can you be ready to leave on Wednesday?”

“Yes… Maybe you can send me some remembrance of you from Russia with love?”  She turned and smiled against the dying light of the early autumn sky. A diamond bright tear quivered in the corner of her eye.  She quickly wiped it away. “I don’t believe in God, but somehow I feel like praying. Will you walk me to the door of the church?”

“You don’t need to pray for yourself.”

Rather than answer him, she took his hand again and walked with him to the entrance to St. Mark’s.  She turned to him on the steps. “My prayers won’t be for myself, they’ll be for you my darling Mr. Bond.” She smiled, brushed a lock of his hair way from his brow then turned and disappeared into the sanctuary.

He stood on the steps of the church for a few heartbeats. He didn’t want to send Tiffany away but he knew it was just no good. It hadn’t been good since Royale-les-Eaux and the woman who had killed  the last shred of humanity in him. He turned from the church and started to walk along Prince Albert Road toward his flat. Beneath the twilight twinkle of the heartless stars that watched over London he pushed the memories that French town on the English Channel as deep into his soul as he could.

He had no remorse, guilt or moral compass when it came to killing a man, or a woman. That’s what made him a perfect agent for Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  He was afraid of no one. Except that single stiletto sharp memory, that haunted his dreams. Not every night and not always remembered but it was always near. There was no quantum of solace to be found in his dreams when her specter arose to slash at his armor with half remembered kisses and bloody sweet lies.

 

In a weak romantic moment that night in the Casino he invented a martini and named it after her. These days, these nights, he never drank that bitter cocktail, Now it was just vodka, vermouth, shaken well. Not stirred to distraction which he would be if he didn’t stop thinking of her.  It nagged at the edges of his mind, the unshakeable fact that he was sending Tiffany away as he would any woman who came too close. It would be just so with women until the day of his death.  Because of the woman he met at the Casino Royale he had to kill love as surely as he would any enemy who threatened to expose him. But tonight she wouldn’t die twice.

Bond turned toward the oncoming headlights on Prince Albert Road and flagged a cab.

“Where to sir?”  The cabbie said bright as a penny.

 

“Dukes Hotel.”

A quarter of an hour later Bond was seated at the bar in Dukes. The barman at attendance smiled warmly.

“Good evening Mr. Bond. Will it be the usual?

“Not tonight Alessandro, I need to kill a ghost, put an end so to speak to being the property of a lady.”

(Photo of THE Allesandro at Duke’s Hotel stolen from dukeshotel.com)

Ah…I see, you haven’t had one of those in quite a while, let’s see, three measures of Gordon’s, if I am not mistaken, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it’s ice-cold, and then add a large thin slice of lemon-peel. Have I got it?

“Got it.”

The lemon peel like a sparkling golden eye at the center of the cocktail winked in the low light of the bar as Alessandro placed the drink on a crisp napkin in front of Bond.

He looked at it and then as Alessandro stepped away he realized it was no use.  She would never let him go. Before he lifted the glass to taste one last time her poison he said her name very softly.

“Vesper….”

 

**********************007**********************

From the first moment I first saw the bottle of Vesper the unisex perfume by MIKMOI last March at the San Francisco Artisan Fragrance Salon I was captivated by the polished beauty of the Italian made flacon and enchanted the perfume that it held within its impressive form. (When you look down through the bottom of the bottle there is a charming surprise.)

I asked its creator Mik of MIKMOI if he had named it after the evening prayer practice in many Christian churches or if he had christened it after Vesper Lynd the heroine in Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale”. I was delighted when he said.

“It is named after both the prayers and the woman.”

Vesper has a sensuality that bleeds into a reverent introspective and contemplative feeling of soft dreamy layers like sea fog on a summer evening.  It is both a prayer and a remembrance of something precious that is past away and lost forever. “Vesper” is simply a beautiful perfume. And running below its beauty like a subterranean river is a touch of Japanese style and elegance.

The opening is as sharp as the fist sip of a martini and indeed there is a delicious note of Lillet in the opening. Lillet is a French aperitif that is used to make a Vesper Martini and quite nice on its own as well. There is nothing boozy or blowsy about this note, but rather urbane and stylish. It brings in a French perfume feeling to the rather surprising center notes to come.  The liqueur sharpness is quickly gone and replaced with a rich green fig note which deepens into the Lillet and enhances the elegance of this perfume. The fig is our fist hint of the East as we slowly move away from European tradition toward something new.

In the center a sophisticated and very cool Baccara rose unfolds like beautiful origami flower with ribbons of soft supple suede trailing from her long graceful stem. Here it moves toward a more Japanese feeling in it subtle play of notes. There is really a lovely soft green accord that plays over the rose and suede making it very distinctive and unusual.  In the base come the prayers on tendrils of twisting smoky myrrh, and frankincense coiling over the delicate amber. These incense notes with the amber can be both European cathedral and Shinto temple. It is all in your perspective on how they will play out for you.

The sillage is not overwhelming nor should it be. This is something as subtle as geisha’s glance across a fan and as beautiful and layered as a fine Kimono. On my skin the perfume lasts about eight hours moving very close to the skin at about three hours in.

Vesper begins in sensuality and ends in beautiful reverent place of meditation. A most unusual journey for a perfume and in so I find that Vesper is a really gorgeous fragrance.

(Vesper photo MIKMOI)

Vesper by MIKMOI Five Gold Stars *****

Where to purchase Vesper and other perfumes by MIKMOI: http://www.mikmoi.com/

(Vesper and Bond ~ Bojrk “You Only Live Twice:)

“IT’S BETTER NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT” ~ Bruno Fazzolari Launches A New Perfume

You could have fried an egg on my forehead yesterday! It was just that hot. On top of that nobody has air conditioning in San Francisco. That’s job belongs to our summer fog.

I had a date with a perfume bottle at the Catherine Clark Gallery. It was so steamy inside and out that for a moment I contemplated not going at all. It would be so much easier to just sit and drink iced tea and watch “Paris When It Sizzles” on T.V.  But I had received such a nice invitation and I had promised to go. A gentleman I reminded myself never breaks a promise no matter how hot it is.

 

The new and very exciting perfumer Bruno Fazzolari whom I had met last March at the San Francisco Artisan Perfume Salon had so graciously invited me to come to the group show entitled “This Is The Sound Of Someone Losing The Plot”. There he would be presenting his newest perfume “It’s Better Not To Worry About It”. So I packed up my paper fan in my orange tote bag and headed out the door for my march to the South of Market district. Why take a fan to an art gallery you may ask? Just wait!

With Henry Mancini on my IPod, my straw hat planted on my head against the UV rays and my oversized 90’s Jackie O sunglasses I hit the baking bricks of The City.  It is a good mile walk between my home and the gallery on Utah Street, 248 Utah to be exact about it. By the time I got there I was like an overheated Model T.

The Catherine Clark Gallery is brand new, very large and well, just the perfect pristine place to see beautiful art and be seen seeing it.  The place was packed and the lights illuminating the wide assortment of artist work was also sautéing the spectators. It was hotter than a tin roof in Mississippi with or without a cat on it. Fortified with a very generously full glass of champagne I sallied forth into the exhibit.

I found the two painting by Bruno and the mirror topped pedestal with his perfume winking at me atop it and a few perfume blotters in a small glass. I plucked a blotter and was ready to spray it when I thought. “Oh lord is it an art display and I have ruined it? “ I put the blotter back in the glass and stepped back to admire the artful arrangement of object d’art.

“Are we supposed to smell it?” a woman next to me inquired.

“I’m not sure!” and we both laughed. “I am sure the artist is around somewhere. We can ask him.”

Bruno was no where to be seen so I took the grand tour. There were some really exciting pieces to be seen. (Get thee to the Gallery if you are in the area) The crowd ranged from Pacific Heights ka-ching to South of Market/Mission nouveau chic. In more than one way it was a very hot crowd. After my circuit though the un-enfiladed rooms I repaired to the bar to switch out the champagne for a huge glass of much needed water.

Looking back into the gallery I spotted Bruno. As well as being a painter, and a perfumer Bruno Fazzolari teaches at California College of the Arts. He is a charming man who engages you at once with his passion for his art and sparkling mind. Bruno and his partner Bill welcomed me and we got right into his new perfume and the painting that complements it.

Bruno and Bill (stolen from Yosh Han)

“It’s Better Not To Worry Abut It” is a light lovely scent that was inspired by the recently passed Andy Warhol superstar, poet and artist Taylor Mead. We talked about Taylor, L’Osmothèque at Versailles, The notes in the perfume, the vibrational aspects of Bruno’s painting that goes with the perfume and how incredibly hot it was. I popped open my fan and gave the three of us a bit of much needed relief. (A fan is the essential accessory to an overheated art opening as Karl Lagerfeld will surely tell you. I ended up fanning many grateful art and perfume lovers around me.)

 

Taylor Mead (stolen from Bruno Fazzolari)

Bruno got the wonderful idea to spray the fan with his perfume. It was amazing! This bright light and glitteringly romantic fragrance filled the air in the most gorgeous way. In fact, “Not To Worry” was the perfect fragrance for this very hot event. Like cool crystals dangling from a burning chandeliers it was festive and inviting and created the feeling of being at a ball at the pinnacle of  the Belle Epoch.  It is slightly sweet without being cloying and has that accord that recalls perfumes of the early 20^th century without losing a very modern accessible touch. As the scent spread it drew people into our sphere and conversations about the beauty of the perfume ensued. To tell you the truth, Coco Chanel could not have orchestrated a buzz any better than this.

 

Over the course of the next hour I watched as people approached the display, some hesitant as if wondering as the woman I first encountered did; was an art installation or a real perfume to sample. In fact it was both. Yet others much bolder and with a sense of adventure walked right up and tried it on their skin. Everyone seemed delighted.

By the time I said my goodbyes to Bruno and Bill and headed back out into the late afternoon heat for home I knew that for me and many others the hit of the show had been Bruno Fazzolari and his magical perfume.

(Stolen from Bruno Fazzolari)

“IT’S BETTER NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT” will be coming released to the public some time in the near future. 

************************************

For more about Bruno Fazzolari, his perfumes and his art, visit his website:  http://brunofazzolari.com/

The Catherine Clark Gallery: http://cclarkgallery.com/

248 Utah Street San Francisco CA. 94013

415 399-1439 

Lagerfeld and his fan…. don’t for get yours!

CHANDLER BURR DOWN UNDER ~ Interview with The Australian Perfume Junkies!

Portia Turbo, the glamorous force behind The Australian Perfume Junkies puts her spin on the global interview event with Chandler Burr.

 

Click on this link to get the scoop! 

http://australianperfumejunkies.com/2013/09/08/chandler-burr-interview-untitled-art-of-scent-exhibition/

THE SCENT OF DANGER ~ Eucris by Geo. F. Trumper

East of Las Vegas, the sky was a sharp steel grey and a tinge of crimson bled across the serrated tops of the western mountains. The windows of the Sands Hotel were hermetically sealed against the approaching furnace of the Nevada sun.  Tiffany languidly rolled over in bed and looked at the man from London sleeping next to her. He wasn’t her type, hard body, forceful, coolly sensual, and hot with a revolver. He was a professional killer. In short he was a man. She had her reasons for not liking men much; men had ruined her and had set her on a path that ultimately put her here beside him. But somehow this man intrigued her. What was it about him that made him different? What made her…like him?  The sex had been hot but that wasn’t it. She pulled the sheet up over her breasts to cut the shiver from the air conditioning and tried to figure him out.

 

Tiffany leaned over to press her nose against his shoulder and breathed in his slightly salty masculine aroma. She closed her eyes and tried to place the fragrance he wore. It wasn’t something she had ever smelled before. There was oakmoss and some currant berries and just a hint of jasmine.  Most of the men she had dealings with from London diamond smugglers  to the pit bosses in Vegas all reeked of cheap cologne. This guy smelled nice. Like a gentleman. She had no dealings in her line of international crime with gentleman. She smiled and thought about how he had silently killed that man in front of her back in Amsterdam. So quick and nearly bloodless it was. He was no gentleman really, just a bloody cold killer.

As she ran her ring finger up his forearm to the forked veins of his bicep it hit her. Only while he slept could you see it in his face. A woman had ruined him. Of course that is what had intrigued her about him. He was just as damaged as she was. Because of the past both of them had shut down their emotions and were on autopilot. Neither of them knew how to land the plane.

He opened his arctic blue eyes.

“Are you hungry?” He said with just the whisper of a smile at the corner of his right eye.

“Ravenous.’ She leaned over him to the night stand on his side of the king-size bed  and picked up the phone receiver. “I’ll order breakfast. What would you like?”

“Orange juice, three eggs slightly scrambled, toast with orange marmalade, a large portion of bacon, and espresso with cream. Got it?”

She smiled. “Got it.”

As she placed the order with room service he looked her up and down and, then very slowly pulled the sheet down to her waist to reveal her appetizing curves. She smiled and pulled the sheet back up.

“Now it’s time for the truth Mister, what is your name really?”

In one panther move he rolled over on top of her and nibbled at her ear and whispered.

“The name’s James……..”

 

(Artist Frank McCarthy)

*******

James Bond most famously wore Eucris by Geo. F. Trumper in Ian Fleming’s “Diamonds Are Forever.”  For Bond fans its being in that book set it apart as a glamorous masculine fragrance from 1956 on.  A masculine scent for sure but guess what? Tiffany Case would smell smashing in this scent too. A splash or two behind the ears and on a décolletage cascading with Cartier ice, a glass of champagne and voilà, magic.

Created in 1912 by the famed London gentleman’s barbers you can bet that at least one bottle went down with the Titanic. It is a classic woody floral musk scent that when worn is sublimely rich and sophisticated in a very old school barbershop manner. That can be a good and refreshing thing in the world of today’s gourmand and oud craze. At over a hundred years old it is still a star in the masculine fragrance firmament.

It opens with the pungent slightly animalic bite of black currant, sweet caraway and earthy coriander. Then up from the bottom right though the mid notes comes the killer beauty of the oakmoss. It grabs the jasmine and lily of the valley in the mid note range and turns them on their ears giving them a toughness they rarely display. These flowers transfigured by the oakmoss are the Bond Girls of the scent, beautiful, tough and slightly dangerous.

The dry down is all creamy sandalwood and musk, clean and sophisticated to the end. The Oakmoss holds on and never lets you forget who is boss in this fragrance.

Eucris lasts around ten hours on my skin and has a respectable silage of about three feet in the fist few hours and then six to twelve inches in the dry down. It isn’t shy but it is discrete in its style and allure.

The wonderful thing about Eucris and many classic old perfumes and colognes it that they carry a history, a life of there own over the decades and many stories along with them. If handled and nurtured with love by the houses that created them they can be as lovely, exciting, sexy and relevant today as the day they were first un-bottled and enjoyed by the public.

 

Eucris by Geo. F. Trumper Five Gold Stars *****

(Please note that the story above is not an excerpt from Ian Fleming’s wonderful “Diamonds Are Forever” but simply a figment of my over active and romantic imagination.) 

First gentleman of scent… Chandler Burr Talks… to The Perfumed Dandy

As promised here is part 2 of our globe trotting multi blogger interview with Chandler Burr. Today  we go to London and our host is the inimitable Perfumed Dandy. Are you there London? come in London!

The Perfumed Dandy.

Author, campaigner, critic and curator, there is no more tireless advocate for perfumery to be regarded as the ‘olfactory art’ than Chandler Burr.

His 2003 work ‘The Emperor of Scent’charted the origins of Luca Turin’s theories on the functioning of human sense of smell. In his 2005 article for The New Yorker he followed Jean-Claude Ellena’s year-long creation, in Paris and Grasse, of ‘Un Jardin sur le Nil’ for Hermes.

Out of the piece grew his next book ‘The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris & New York’, which captures not only Ellena’s creative process but also the actress Sarah Jessica Parker’s involvement in the first perfume to bear her name ‘Lovely’.

Between 2006 and 2010 Chandler served as The New York Times’ perfume critic, a move the paper’s style editor commented placed its coverage on a par with “the way it does…

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