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After a huge plate of scrambled eggs with shiitakes at The Harold, my favorite breakfast spot, I journeyed to SoHo to hit up the various fragrance boutiques that have been popping up like mushrooms. First stop: Penhaligon's. I sought a sample of A Kiss of Bliss, which from previous sniffings I believed I liked. I didn't think such a simple task would be so time-consuming and ultimately for naught. The store had just received a large shipment of stock, including samples, all of which needed to be added to inventory before my request could be filled. I spent almost an hour there, sniffing and chatting desultorily with one of the SAs--who had a heavy European accent and was hard to understand--until I had sample in hand. Kinda put me off the brand, to tell the truth. Not sure I'll go back to the boutique, though I had been excited to see Penhaligon's return to NY. (Turns out A Kiss of Bliss is a bit cloying on my skin, and I'm so glad I didn't buy it after only one testing.)
Next was Commodity, where I had a much better experience. The guy running the show there--Bryson--was friendly and knowledgeable and I left happy, with a travel spray of Gold + and samples of Milk, Gold, and Book in the "expressive" formula. No fuss, no muss, and I'll happily return to spend more time sniffing their Archive fragrances.
I noticed a clothing shop called And Other Stories that I knew sold fragrance, so I stopped to browse. The clothes seem worth rummaging through (next time) but the scents were all meh. Then it was on to D.S. & Durga. I was on a mission to smell Wear at Maximum Volume, a Liberty of London exclusive that was available for a limited time in the US. The Soho shop had a tester, with which I spritzed my wrist. I liked it right away, but chose to wander around the neighborhood a bit before making a purchase. Only one bottle remained from the 100 that were made for the US market, and it was at the Madison Avenue shop. As I had a train to catch and little time (and no desire) to travel up and down the city, I arranged to have it shipped to me. It arrived the next day--NY high-end shop customer service is really the best.
I wandered across the street to Osswald to see if they had received Bohoboco Polish Potatoes yet, and they had not. I sniffed a couple of things, then left after the SA's unpleasant comments about a fragrance line I enjoy. They are new and Osswald is the only retailer that carries them, AFAIK. He said their scents were "trash," which was cruel and completely untrue, and I told him that. I wonder if I should say something to the brand? Though I left without purchasing anything, I did pick up a follower--a young woman who had been in Commodity, who appeared at Osswald just before I left.
After a brief walk, I stopped into a Korean shop called Elorea that not only sells perfume but also has a coffee shop in the back. I fell in love with their Water scent, a beautiful floral white musk. I didn't buy it (yet) but I took home a well-sprayed blotter. (At this writing, two weeks later, the fragranced blotter is still going strong.) I also enjoyed a black sesame latte and a much-needed sit-down. As I left, I told my follower that I'd see her at Stele, which I assumed was next on her tour of fragrance shops...
...and indeed it was. The Stele on Mott Street is a sister shop to the one in Brooklyn, and each has its own inventory. I was hoping to sniff some Mabelle O'Rama and Melissa Zappas, but those scents are currently available in Brooklyn. Still, I had a nice time wandering around the new space, petting the doggo, and talking with owner Jake. I'll definitely put Stele on my regular sniffing agenda, as they have some brands that I haven't seen elsewhere.
Finally, I stopped into Granado for a quick looksee at their line. I did have that train to catch, so no time for actually spraying and sniffing, but I took a quick tour of bottle caps and vowed to be back next time.
Commodity Gold +
Amber, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Iso E Super, Saffron, Patchouli, Nutmeg
I love amber fragrances and own quite a few. This might have catapulted itself to the top of the list, or at least very near the top. It might be a tad sweeter than I normally prefer, but it's lovely. I wish the saffron note lasted longer than it does, but it's pleasingly not at all iodine-y. It lends a golden light to the scent that is otherwise very warm and cozy.
D.S. & Durga Wear at Maximum Volume
Silk, Mandarin, Pepper, English Rose, Violet, Egyptian Jasmine, Patchouli, Moss, Amber
The On the Scent podcast strikes again! Several of my recent fragrance purchases have been quite influenced by Suzy and Nicola; they've convinced me to try scents that I normally wouldn't sniff. Rosy chypres are definitely on that list, as I'm not a huge fan of either roses or chypres. However, the disappearance of oakmoss in most modern chypre formulations has made them far more palatable for me. At least that's the thing to which I'm attributing the sudden appearance of chypres in my fragrance collection. The "silk" note is very much a sensation that brings to mind a lovely blouse--in my mind it's a warm grey color--light and cool against skin that's been spritzed with a bit of citrus cologne over a dusting of rosy powder. The other floral notes are present, but gently so. The patchouli note in the drydown is very much like the one in D.S. & Durga's Pistachio, which I adore. Apart from the patch, Wear at Maximum Volume is a scent that I normally wouldn't enjoy. So why do I love it?
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Posted by theminx on Minxstinks
Note: this post is my opinion. I am not affiliated with the companies mentioned in this post or any other companies.
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