Surrender To Chance Cold Water Canyon

stcweblogobigOkay, first to the disclosure portion of the program. I don’t have a real connection to Surrender to Chance, but as a perk contributors to this blog get a credit for writing which I have used. Hey, I’m poor and begging for samples is a way of life for me.

Having typed that I got an email from one of the founders reading as follows:

Hi Tom – Patty and I wanted to let you know that we have finally finished working with AbdesSalaam Attar on two fragrances that he created for Surrender to Chance.  One of them is based on this:

It hasn’t been done yet. I’d love a jasmine that’s like the one that perfumes the nights here in Los Angeles, especially in the hills. Something that has the chill of evening the air off the ocean forcing the almost electric Santa Anas into retreat. With a soupçon of sage and a bare touch of dried pine as a nod to Coldwater Cañon. Add some leather and some of the oil that Andy Tauer came up with in “Hyacinth and a Mechanic”’

It may not smell exactly as you imagined and there is no oil in it, but it was your inspiration that created this and we wanted you to have some.

Well, first of all can I write that I am so freaking thrilled that I actually inspired something? Anything? Other than annoyance that is. The idea that my words were enough to create a brief for a fragrance is incredible.

I have to write that the fragrance is pretty incredible as well. They really did capture some of that elusive and wholly magical late-night Los Angeles scent; the jasmine that can at the same time be both heady and yet oddly elusive, the yin and yang of ocean breezes and dry desert heat carrying the scent of herbs. It really captures the beauty, innocence and menace that is the Canyons of Los Angeles. where fires. floods and the occasional serial killer happen. Lasting power is excellent, and after an initial blast of jasmine that I find very feminine, it settles into a much more unisex scent with the spices and the leather. But I love the jasmine so much and the memories it evokes of walking down the Canyon to the Beverly Hills Hotel (which I’m personally boycotting these days) to buy cigarettes and the occasional Laphroig that I want to give myself another spritz to experience it fresh.

Cold Water Canyon is available at the Surrender to Chance website. My sample was given to me by the founders.

Image: Surrender to Chance

  • Ann says:

    This is so cool, Tom!! You’re a perfume celebrity now, whoo-hoo!!

  • Kandice says:

    Tom, what a wonderful thing to have a fragrance created based on your request and input! And it sounds lovely. I can’t wait to try both the new fragrances. And what a coup to have that perfumer behind the scents. Thanks for your review!

  • Eloquaint says:

    Congratulations, Tom! It sounds like a wonderful scent. I’ll put it on my wish list.

    Your description was awesome-my mind got crosswise of it for a moment, and now I’m wondering what serial killers smell like. My money is on goat.

  • Lisa D says:

    Tom, that’s so cool! It can be your new signature scent….

  • tammy says:

    Ohhh, so YOU’RE the one! I can well believe it; an awesome man is bound to be an inspiration for an awesome fragrance.

    I can’t wait to try each of the scents; they are both of them right in my wheelhouse.

  • Wow Tom,
    You are the instigator! Totally cool.
    Portia xx