Well, winter arrived here in the city of the angels in the form of our first big series of rain storms. Rain in the southland is always problematic: being in the worst drought in receded history we obviously need it, but it tends to come in big, fat wages rather than slow, steady and scattered. So we had the usual issues, like mudslides in some of the burn areas and flooding. PCH in Malbu was closed for a few days because of mudslides and too many homes were flooded out, especially in the Inland Empire which got quite a few more inches than the basin. The upside to this is that it clears out the air and leaves you with the sort of day where photographers take this beauty shots of LA like the one I’m posting with the snow on the mountains in the background.
It also gives me an excuse to pull out some of the scents that I wouldn’t try to wear in a tiny office in summer. You all know of my fondness for Muscs Koublai Kahn as well as some of the others in the Lutens line like Ambre Sultan and Fille en Aiguilles. MKK is of course one of those musks that frightens some people, but on me I sort of neuter the bog cat and pare down some of the claws. It’s all cuddly on my skin and it’s one that I never want to be without, although in a pinch I can do Kiehl’s. Kiehl’s is definitely less refined, but if you’re like me and on a budget that’s more Diet Pepsi that Dom Perignon it can be a reasonable substitution.
Ambre Sultan is almost sticky-smelling: it’s a super rich amber with smoky spices and the tenacity of the late Joan Rivers- get some on a sweater and you’ll be smelling it forever.
Fille En Aiguilles is a pine scent, bracing yet warm at the same time. It’s like walking into a cabin after a long walk in the woods to a warm cup of mulled wine.
Ambre Sultan is $130 while Fille en Aiguilles is $150 for 50ML at the usual suspects. It seems that MKK has left the USA in the export bottle size after a visit of several years. It’s bell jar only from now on and available at Barneys or the Lutens website for $310. Oh well, I didn’t need car insurance anyway.
So what are your favorites for winter? Let us know in the comments..
No samples this time, just spritzes from the bottles in my cupboard.
Image: Wikipedia
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