Love in the time of the Sniffles

First, a little explanation.  I miss posting, but life is so complicated, right?  Not that I am some prolific poster, but I miss it nonetheless.  I have the oddest schedule in the world.  Who doesn’t?  But I don’t want to neglect the commenters.  What to do?  “Why not the week-end,” Patty asked…so here we are.    So it’s winter.  Blah Blah Blah.  Where is the fast forward button.  Just a bit, mind you.  We are so close.  And yet.  And yet we still have to get to those first blooms.  The crocuses, God love ’em, will be showing up soon enough.   Where am I going with all of this?  I suppose I should remind all that I detest the winter.  Oh gee, what an original sentiment…but honestly, I am that random dude who smells of all things Spring-like in mid-Winter.  (Of course I’ve been known to waft incense in July, too, but that’s another post).   I complain so much about the winter that I forbid myself to complain about the horrific heat in the Summer.  I can’t have it both ways.  So I suppose where I’m going is this:What are you reaching for/loving/coveting during this ugly time of year? Guerlain’s latest to hit the States have been knockouts.  Thanks to Jason at Bergdorfs (and thanks to Patty and March for the heads up after their return).  Cruel Gardenia is anything but cruel.  (Is it me or have any of the scents in the L’art et la Matiere line been named correctly? Rose Barbare was anything but barbaric.  Was there Cuir in Cuir Beluga?…ahem)  The Gardenia, though is so polished and so, well, beautiful that I’m thinking I better get a second bottle so I have some left for Spring proper.  The Gardenia peaks out amongst the shrubbery only long enough to tease before slipping back into the greenery and allowing her sisters (the young buds on the breeze) to tickle the nose.  I find it lasts and lasts without being bothersome….as some gardenias are a bit insistent.What the bleep is a Purple Fantasy?  It doesn’t matter, I promise.  If it’s floral you seek, this is the stuff of, wait for it, fantasies.  A sweet floral that brings a smile to my face every time I spray….and in the gorgeous Parisienne Bee bottle.  That horrific name needed a gaudy bottle before, I suppose, to go with the silly moniker.  All is forgiven, though, as I am transported out of Winter and into a garden, complete with an erotic undertone.  Gotta love Guerlain. I promise to return soon.  Look for me on Sundays.  I can’t start my day without reading the blogs.  The Posse, Marina, Robin, Tom, Kevin, Victoria, Ina, Katie, et al….thanks for getting me through the winter. 

  • Patty says:

    I’m okay with winter and really love it until January 15, and then I start hating it, that hate builds until about April when it hopefully ends.

    I’m with you completely on all the new Guerlains they have out. Cruel Gardenia is just a beauty, my nose is glued to my arm!

    and you know how happy I am to have you post any time, but would love to have it be a regular thing!

  • Vasily says:

    What do I find myself craving as two more days of frigid weather here in northern Illinois are followed by more snow? When I’m ready to pack it all in and move back to North Carolina where one still has winter but it’s tolerable?

    The herbaceous lavender of Tauer Reverie au Jardin; the junipery goodness of Creed Baie de Genievre; a nice tropical cocktail of Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Bahiana; the figgy goodness of Miller Harris Figue Amere; clean and fresh Different Company Osmanthus; just as clean and fresh Frederick Malle En Passant with its promise of rain & lilacs. And of course, my beloved dark and mysterious Ava Luxe Midnight Violet and refreshing Fig Leaf.

  • katie says:

    :d Happy to see you again :d
    Well, here it’s summer and everything is nice. Why don’t you take a break and go to a summer vacation ?
    Just to let you know, I remember you every time I wear my FM Carnal Flower…
    Have a nice week !

  • tmp00 says:

    I am happy to see your byline in general; I am thrilled that I will get to se it more often; I am over the moon that I can read it on the drought that is the weekend, when I log onto the blogs and mewl hopelessly.

    I feel for you- I moved as far away from real winter as I could, and if I won the lottery I’d be in Australia or Buenos Aires or something where it was summer.

    You are a bigger man than I am with the tuberose; also I think my skank-eating skin magnifies white flowers. I think my inner Norma Desmond should stay inner, or at least at home… :d

  • Elle says:

    I am SO w/ you in loathing winter – anything below 50 degrees makes me literally want to just weep. I thrive in mid summer or in the tropics. I’ve been alternating between wearing scents like Tabac Blond, En Avion, FT and an assortment of ouds and light, bright scents, which, given my penchant for magical thinking, I hope will encourage spring to hurry it’s derriere up and arrive (apparently not working since tomorrow morning is supposed to be in the 20s – sob!). I actually purchased the new Molinard chypre just because it smelled so much like early May. Can’t wait to try the Guerlain gardenia! Sounds like it will be a February essential.

  • Molly says:

    Bryan,
    Mmmmm tuberose. I love it! I’ve realized that all my favorite perfumes have tuberose–excluded my beloved incense, woods, and green chypres of course. Heck, I love it all. But tuberose and frangipani are very special indeed!
    And speaking of tuberose I must go spritz some Fracas now…
    Molly 🙂

  • Bryan says:

    Molly,
    I adore OJ Frangipani. I spray the parfum concentration liberally and delight in the tuberose/frangipani aura. I agree…what a beautiful world indeed.

    🙂

  • Molly says:

    Hi Bryan,
    Although I actually love winter and all the delicious perfumes that work great in the winter, this season I’ve been unusually impatient for spring. Which isn’t good since where I live spring seems to last for barely a minute before the suffocatingly hot hellfire of summer arrives. And I hate, hate, hate hot weather!
    So instead of reaching for my winter favorites Opium, Black Cashmere and others, I’m going through copious amounts of Delrae Amoureuse and Ormonde Jayne Frangipani. At this rate I’m going to have to buy more for when summer does get here!
    I love perfume. What a beautiful world it is!
    Molly

  • Joan says:

    Bryan, Happy surprise to see your Sunday Post. I feel very dreary in the Winter but do not forbid myself to complain in August nevertheless…

    Looking forward to your Sunday musings.

    • Bryan says:

      Joan,
      Thank you for the kind words. I guess, truth be told, I do my fair share of complaining in the middle of August myself. :”>

  • Lee says:

    Enjoy those crocuses when you see them – they’re out here already too. This week is normally the coldest of the year but it’s been freakishly warm – today I was outdoors in just a T. Ok, I had trousers and undercrackers on too…

    So is this Sunday thing gonna be weekly ( [-o< ) or as and when ( :-< )? So lovely to see you perky! I feel for you midwesterners and your deeply continental climate. (whispers) I'm yet to smell CG or PF. But that's me, champion floral slacker! Love from Mr Temperate Maritime.@};-

    • Bryan says:

      Lee,
      I will be posting on Sundays. Hopefully they won’t be so simple. Pictures and spacing are good things, as Martha Stewart would say.
      I’ll send you some samples of my florals. Nothing warms me up like coming in from the bone chilling wind, taking off my coat/outer layers and getting a whif of tuberose. OK, jasmine, lilac, hyacinth, gardenia do help too.
      I do love leather and incense and patchouli, etc too. I just get tired of the winter scents in, well, the winter. I must retry the Dior eaux. I can’t seem to find where they are hiding, though. HMMMM
      Thanks for the advice on pics, etc. Enjoy the warmth, you b&*((. :d

  • Bryan says:

    Louise,
    Spring is coming, no matter what that annoying little bleep of a groundhog says. I refuse to endure six more weeks (make that five now). I suppose I don’t have much choice. I wouldn’t say that the Cruel Gardenia is too green by any means. It is definitely a floral. I just don’t get nauseated by the heaviness of the gardenia, et. al.
    I will have to try the M et B.

  • Louise says:

    Hey Bryan, glad you’re coming out of hibernation. I’m rather enjoying the winter here, since it’s punctuated by 60 degree days…yesterday I saw crocuses while hiking.

    I’m curious about Cruel, doesn’t sound like my thing, too green, but my thing changes a lot. I do love Miller et Bertaux Green X 3 in the spring.

  • Debbie says:

    The only fragrances I’ve smelled that have green done in a manner that appeals to me are those by DSH: Cimabue and Oeillets des Rouges. They started out…I smelled the green…groaned inside, and then had to say, “Wait a second!” The green was fresh green, better than reality. Perfect. Can anyone else even share that perfect green? And it doesn’t last too long before going into beautiful fresh florals.

    I’m too busy reaching for new samples to have anything in particular that I crave.

    Anyway, consider me a brother-in-arms when it comes to hating winter. Ick.

    • Bryan says:

      Debbie,
      I was telling Anne, that it isn’t green per se. I would just say that the other florals aren’t as developed as the gardenia. We’re not talking Molinard de Molinard or Ma Griffe here. This is a floral with a comforting undertone. I think you’ll love it.
      I will have to try the DSH. I tend to like her stuff.:)

  • Anne says:

    My blog reader showed a new post today. Thought it was some mistake and almost marked it ‘read’. Fabulous to have a weekend post to look forward to. You are making Cruel Gardenia sound enticing. I’ll have to try it even though flowery scents are not usually my thing. Sounds like there is a lot of green in there and that it’s balanced. I have been going back again and again to Parfums de Nicolai Eau Exotique these days. Be well! :)>-

    • Bryan says:

      Anne,
      I’m happy to oblige. I absolutely love Cruel Gardenia. I may have mislead everyone a bit. I don’t think it’s a green fragrance, but there’s a freshness there that undoes some of the cheesier aspects of the Gardenia. You know, the blue “cheeseyness” of the say Jardenia or Tom Ford’s Velvet Gardenia.
      You be well too.:d

  • Dusan says:

    I feel your pain, Bry. Last night it started snowing; not that we had much of snow this winter but still it’s been too damn cold and gloomy.
    I too reach for spring scents in winter to tide me over until March (and am also guilty of wearing orientals in summer b/c they work best for me in the 90s). Let’s see, I’ve been wearing Eau des Merveilles a lot in the past couple months as well as Declaration, Reverie au Jardin, Bigarade Conc., New York, Jicky, Dzongkha. During short sunny spells I sought comfort in Iris Silver Mist, blankety Eau Noir and divine Santal de Mysore (courtesy of wondrous Lee), which I’ve fallen hard for and need to get a bottle of like, yesterday. Un Jardin sur le Nil is my new love, hopefully soon to be joined by Eau de Cartier 🙂
    Glad you’ve decided to go regular! Much as I enjoyed your sporadic posts here on Posse, they were few and far between so I’m really looking forward to Sundays with Bryan. 🙂

    • Bryan says:

      D,
      I’m so glad you noticed I posted. I’m sure it will take a while to get noticed on Sundays, but I love the blog so much that I feel too guilty after a while. I love Santal de Mysore. It’s rich and almost decadent but not in a foody way. I have to confess I don’t adore the Eaux by Dior. I perhaps haven’t given them a fair shot. Do you ever do a floral?

      • Dusan says:

        B, I like but wear few florals. There is no gender bias behind this, it’s just that I don’t think I can pull off the really opulent ones, except perhaps for Boudoir and Montaigne. The florals [here used broadly] I adore, off the top of my head: Chanel 19, Ecume de Rose, Kenzo Parfum d’Ete and Flower Oriental, OJ Champaca, Bulgari pour Femme, La Chasse, Tube Crim, Rose de Nuit (have tried these two only in wax but would mos def wear the latter if I had some), Divine’s Ame Soeur, Parfum Sacré. Then there are the chypres like Mitsy, Parure, Chamade, Miss Dior, Diorella… the truth is I’ve only scratched the surface w/ florals. Of course, I’m always open to recommendations… 😉
        P.S. Love the rose in Egoiste, iris in Dior Homme and orange blossom in Fleur de Male and Rochas Lui. I’ve yet to find the perfect violet… I’m sure Bois de Violette and Apres l’Ondee would fit the bill (?)