Harney & Sons Opening A NYC Tea Store

It's interesting but hardly surprising that many perfume lovers are also interested in high-quality tea. Let's see: bergamot, jasmine, lavender, osmanthus, smoky notes... we can drink as well as wear them, not to mention my favorite vanilla-flavored black tea.

One of my favorite fall trips is driving up north to Millerton, NY (rt. 22, right on the New York-Connecticut border) and visit Harney & Sons Tasting Room. I usually order their teas online, but it's still a fun ritual and the adjacent store has all kinds of tea paraphernalia, including home fragrances.

The nice people of Harney & Sons are about to open a tea store and tasting bar in NYC. The address is 433 Broome St. (SoHo) and the opening is mid-November according to this WSJ article.

Photo: harney.com

Jasper Gallery & Gifts- Vintage Shopping In New Jersey

I found this cute vintage cuff bracelet at Jasper Gallery & Gifts in Midland Park, New Jersey. It's a new store, barely opened, actually, their official opening is this coming Saturday (they're having a little reception that afternoon). They took a restored little stone cottage (not many of those in our area) and turned it into an art gallery (one of the owners is an artist) and a carefully-edited vintage shop. It hosts all kinds of interesting one-of-a-kind items- pottery, fashion accessories, jewelry. No perfume, sadly, but I'm simply happy to see more unique places opening. The last couple of years have been absolutely terrible to independent businesses and too many antique and vintage stores in the Tri-State area closed down. Let's hope for more new stores like this and less mass-produced mall crap.

Jasper Gallery & Gifts, 26 Goffle Road, Midland Park, New Jersey. Hours: 11AM to 6PM Tuesday- Saturday.

All photos are mine.

An Early Fall Day In NYC

It's an old cliche, but there's nothing like fall in New York. Even this early in the season, before the leaves start turning. It's something in the air, a change in the light over the buildings in Midtown and the way it reflects in windows and puddles. Then there's hot chocolate with Nutella at François Chocolate Bar (714 Madison Ave., 4th floor of Mauboussin), which made me think I must have done something really good in a previous life to deserve it. I headed back to Barneys so I could rectify this little issue. All is well now and Bas de Soie has joined its siblings in my cabinet and I'm well-marinated in iris goodness. Here are some bits and observations from today's adventure:

I had a look at Chanel Holiday 2010 collection at Henri Bendel. It's pretty, especially the eye shadow quad, but the sparkle level is much above my comfort level.

I don't mind so much the change of the Setge Lutens logo and packaging, but I'd hope that if they were already messing with stuff they'd make the boxes friendlier for those of us who keep them. They didn't and you still need to perform some cardboard surgery after inserting the sprayer into the bottle if you want to be able to close the box back.

The main fragrance counter at Barneys is becoming a favorite place to hang out. Sometimes a change in personnel does a world of good.

Speaking of that, the wonderful Giuseppe is no longer at Henri Bendel. This is not a good thing, at least for Bendel. There aren't that many passionate and knowledgeable people in perfume retail.

Back to Barneys. I always knew the Chanel specialists there are the best in the city. Seriously, Barneys, at least in NYC, is my favorite place to buy Chanel makeup and get a good advice on the collections, application and anything Chanel. Apparently the guys are this good even when they get stuck helping clients with YSL products.

Gilberto, the Chanel guy who did my makeup today smelled divine. It was something deliciously incense-like but not too dark. I couldn't quite place it. I quickly scanned my memory to figure out if it was something from CdG Incense series but I knew it wasn't. I could also tell it wasn't Heeley Cardinal. When I asked, Gilberto said it was Bleu de Chanel. Yes, the same one that was an utter dud, bordering on unpleasant on me, on the husband and didn't impress my scent twin, either. Skin chemistry, go figure.

Photo: October in Midtown by Catcing Flies on Flickr, 2005

A Day And A Night Out On The Town

The Blond and I have been hermiting it since we came back from vacation, but today we broke the spell. We had tickets to see Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight in David Mamet's A Life In The Theater. I'm perfectly happy to watch Sir Patrick just stand there and read the NYC phonebook, but an actual play, with a dialog and everything is even better.

Grandaisy Bakery and dinner at Cafe Blossom, but I know you're not here for the cake. Obviously, in between noshing and admiring Sir Patrick's accent there was some serious perfume sniffing and shopping.

Aedes has the newest Serge Lutens export, Bas de Soie. I didn't expect to love it, but I sprayed it before the show and by the time we were done applauding I was head-over-heels. Uncle Serge knows his iris, but this isn't that rooty carrot and damp dark soil of Iris Silver Mist. Instead, this is dry and piercing with its hyacinth note. Bas de Soie is a lot more sophisticated than it seems at first sniff and proves our favorite uncle hasn't lost his touch just yet. Have I said love already?

The Blond played happily with some CdGs, wasn't too impressed with Diptyque Duelle, but he's just not a vanilla person. I actually liked it, but it reminded me of Le Labo's Paris exclusive, Vanille 44. Well, maybe Vanille 44 on a diet, but still. It's not very tenacious, which is a problem I'm having with most of the newer Diptyque perfumes.

We headed uptown for the Triple B tour (Bergdorf, Barneys and Bendel). A couple of the brands formerly found across the street at Takashimaya have migrated to Henri Bendel, so we can still get our fix of Ineke and Histoires de Parfums. The newest Bendel private label scent, Wild Fig, did nothing for me, and I'm a fig freak, so you know something is amiss there.

The L'Artisan boutique there has one of the two new scents,Traversée du Bosphore. I don’t know if the Blond didn’t spray enough or what, but I could barely smell anything. I’ll have to seriously test again before making judgment, but at this point I was going to give up on L’Artisan. It’s a good thing the day wasn’t over (spoiler alert!).

I never payed much attention to the Profumi del Forte line, but that's probably because the samples I had were of the masculines, which I've found boring, at least from casual sniffing. This time something compelled me to look further and I absentmindedly sprayed my wrist with By Night (White). Oh.

By Night, the feminine version, is a gorgeous orange blossom and vanilla over a sensual wood-musk base. Not the most innovative idea, but it works for me. Added to the wishlist. Because, really, I need more vanilla perfumes.

Speaking of which, Bergdorf will be getting the new limited Edition Shalimar Ode A La Vanille on October 23rd. I'm ridiculously excited, but then again, I've never met a Shalimar I didn't like. Sadly, this is the only exciting perfume thing going on at Bergdorf these days. They don't have the new Serge yet and it looks like they're stocking less perfume brands than ever. The young ladies ready to spray you with Balenciaga don't contribute much to the atmosphere, either. But the other aspects of the beauty level are still as fabulous as ever and maybe more. Le Metier de Beaute will have some new and exciting items soon, and if you haven't seen the latest Cle de Peau eye palettes yet I highly recommend them (a review of Malachite is coming as soon as I give mine an adequate testing).

Barneys has both Bas de Soie and Coeur de Vetiver Sacre, the other new L’Artisan. We both tried it on and were stunned to realize how much we liked it. Of course, one can never have too many vetivers (or leather scents, or dirty musks), but this was different and intriguing enough neither one of us felt it was redundant.

We came back to Barneys after the show and before heading west for dinner to buy our newest loves. Or tried to. The L'Artisan is peacefully resting in our cabinet now, but somehow the SA and I didn’t notice, but he grabbed Ambre Sultan instead of Bas de Soie. I didn’t realize it until we got home, so there’s an emergency  trip to Madison Avenue in my immediate future. Like most Serge groupies, I love Ambre Sultan, but I don’t need a backup bottle just yet. But I do need my iris fix, so there.

All in all and wrong Serge aside, it was a great day.
How did you spend your weekend?

Image: The Swinging Sixties Blog.

Anya Ponorovskaya- Fashion On Elizabeth Street

I love NYC's Elizabeth Street and not just because of Le Labo. It's full of indie designers and retro stores and I always manage to find something special to wear. Last weekend it was a gorgeous dress by Anya Ponorovskaya. The tiny boutique feels like Wonderland for those of us who likes exquisitely cut feminine dresses. There's a vintage vibe there, but Ponorovskaya's designs are timeless and very sexy and the fabrics- cotton and silk- are modern and crisp.

There are also shoes and accessories, but it were the dresses that mesmerized me. They are so well-made and have no other purpose than to make you feel pretty. The dress I got has a similar shape to the one above, but is made of a lace overlay and a red silk slip. It's figure-friendly and made me feel like I just stepped out of the Mad Men set.

Just call me Joanie.

Anya Ponorovskaya has four boutiques- the one on 235 Elizabeth street as well as a bridal store on 167 Elizabeth (there's a gorgeous white version of my dress), and two other locations: in Brooklyn and in Miami. If you're in the area, check out Caffe Falai on  265 Lafayette Street. It's a great Italian place, as authentic as they come. I love their poached pigs with ricotta cheese and their crepe cake is dreamy- layers of thin delicate crepes with perfect creme patissier. Seriously- don't miss the desserts.

Photos:
examiner.com
cherrypatter.com

Polished In The 'Burbs

The other day I was sorting my makeup brushes, mentally going over what I need for upcoming travel. The result was a quick visit to Ulta. The store is five minutes from my house, right next to Whole Foods. Nothing like getting your Urban Decay primer and organic broccoli in the same outing. I found the brushes I needed from Smashbox- not exactly Chanel, but efficient enough. Then it was time to look around. I wanted to see Urban Decay's Naked Palette, just to confirm that I didn't need it. They had the palettes in stock, but no tester. A well-meaning SA showed me the single eye shadows that also appear in the palette. They're ok, but the amount of shimmer and shine is not my thing, and I have so many nicer neutrals, so it was easy to move on.

The thing I love best about Ulta is the huge selection of nail polish. Essie, OPI and the occasional China Glaze among many others. I wanted a good look at the Swiss collection, which is really beautiful. The problem is that I'm not really a nail polish collector. I buy them, I wear them and I stare at the pretty colors, but my version of OCD doesn't include a burning need to own every special release and limited edition if I already have enough version of the colors in question. OPI's Swiss collection is beautiful. The jewel tones, the reds, the cremes and shimmers- all are gorgeous and I could get lost in the blue shades. But I don't really wear blue polish, I have enough reds already and as much as I loved the pale gold glitter of Glitzerland it was just too much. Instead, I went back to the Hong Kong collection (spring/summer 2010) and picked Meet Me On The Star Ferry, a shimmery medium purple that won my heart right away. I don't know why I skipped this collection when it first came out, but Meet Me On The Star Ferry is a great color for transition  into fall. Swatches and review coming soon.

Next was Essie. The fall collection really hit the spot for me and I love the packages of four minis.This season's set includes Merino Cool (taupe/mauve), Limited Addiction (dark blood red), Little Brown Dress (espresso coffee) and Sew Psyched (sage? celadon? smoky jade?). I also picked a full size bottle of In stitches, the kind of dark rose I love. It's not that Essie has reinvented the wheel here or anything, but the colors are beautiful, wearable and I don't own too many similar shades. Officially this collection isn't supposed to be out until September, but it's already available online from Nordstrom and obviously Ulta in Paramus has it.

A shopping report from NYC will have to wait another day or so. There's quite a bit to talk about, from the new By Killian (MiN New York on Crosby street already got the tester) to a fashion designer on Elizabeth street that makes Joan Holloway worthy dresses. Stay tuned.

Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt, 1942, life.com

Scenes From The Mall

Unable to contain my curiosity and not entirely satisfied with the swatches I've seen online so far, I headed to Nordstrom to check out the new Burberry makeup collection. It meant going to the Garden State Plaza, a place I try to avoid at all costs, but the promise of fabulous lipsticks and gorgeous packaging was too much to resist. Since the Paramus store is one of the few locations that actually carry Burberry, I went there full of Jersey pride. Except that the launch date has been pushed back to August 10th. They're doing a pre-sale but there are no testers or any information about the makeup other than a handful of items in one of those display cubes you can't open.

Since the place was cheerful and abuzz with brand reps, makeup artists and the general anniversary sale fun I stayed for a while to see what's new and pretty. I'm glad to report that the Dior counter still has the Nordsrom exclusive palette, so if it's already sold out at your location you might want to give this store a call. At the Armani counter, a young SA whose misfortune was to have me as a customer tried to convince me the summer collection was actually the new stuff for fall. I didn't even bother to argue.

I decided to head towards Neiman Marcus. The place was eerily empty and silent. The fashion floor was in that limbo stage between seasons, when there's absolutely nothing interesting and/or in my size. The beauty department was equally ghostly (to be fair it was still early-ish, about 11:30 am), and most counters were empty of SAs. A couple of employees and the floor manager were running from counter to counter just behind the handful of customers who walked around.

The good news is that the Le Metier de Beaute counter already has a tester of  the fall Kaleidoscope eye Kit (no other fall testers, though, and the products only go on sale September 10th), so if you're in the area that alone is worth the visit. At the Guerlain counter I was assisted by the Lancome specialist who was awesome, helped me play with the testers and rang my purchase:

These are two of the gorgeous eye shadow palettes for fall. Review and swatches are coming as soon, of course.

The previous scene from Armani was repeated at the Nars counter. An overly made up SA tried to insist that the dirty and abused testers of the summer collection were of the newest items. I know that several locations, including some Sephora stores, already have all the fall items, but apparently Paramus isn't one of them (our Sephora didn't have them, either, but I wasn't surprised. This store is always behind).

A quick stroll through the mall made it clear it was time to run for my life. The crowd has thickened and the nasty aroma of the food court reminded me why I haven't set foot in the Plaza in the last 10 months or so. I went home and did some highly satisfying online shopping.

Top photo of the Garden State Plaza in its previous 1960s incarnation from mallsofamerica.blogspot.com
Guerlain palettes: photograph by me.

News From 5th Avenue

Makeup:
Le Metier de Beaute's growing success has earned the brand an upgrade. The Bergdorf Goodman counter is relocating to a much more central space on the beauty level. There are some beautiful new summer products coming out, a skin care miracle and a lot more to talk about. Stay tuned.

Perfume:
The fragrance department at Henri Bendel is slowly but surely reclaiming its rightful place in the city's shopping scene, thanks to Giuseppe, its new(ish) manager. There are plans to move and change the current floor plan and allocate more (premium) space to perfume. New brands have been added and there are some exciting surprises in the works, including lines that have never been seen in NYC before. I'll report the details as soon as the launch dates are set.

In the meantime, there are a couple of interesting events scheduled at Bendel for the next few weeks that should interest many of us-
6/12 A personal appearance of Robin Coe Hutshing of Memoire Liquide
6/15 (5:30PM) OsMoz Workshop (see bellow)
6/17 (5pm-7pm) Tilda Swinton will sign bottles of Like This, her perfume collaboration with Etat Libre d'Orange.

As for the perfume workshop:
Perfumer Sabine de Tscharner of Firmenich will conduct a fragrance workshop where attendees will learn about notes and accords in perfumery. The  $100 fee includes an OsMoz kit of 12 accord bottles. Naturally, space is limited. To reserve a spot call 212-904-7990.

Notes From The Perfume Front

1. Annick Goutal is back with a vengeance. While I've heard some kvetching about Barneys not having most of the scents online, the NYC store has everything, including the newest one, Ninfeo Mio. The latter (and several other Goutals) is also inexplicably available at Antropologie.

2. Speaking of Anthroplogie, I just looked at their website. If you dig deep enough to find their perfume section (someone on their web team needs some lessons in information architecture), you'll find not only Goutal and the rest of the brands they've been carrying for a while (Tokyo Milk, Tocca, Lollia, Anna Sui), but also an edited selection from Histoires de Parfums and D.S. Durga.

3. While not much is left at Takashimaya's closing sale, there are some worthy perfumes to be found. Mona di Orio, Neil Morris and several Histoires de Parfums bottles are still available, as well as Debut and Emotionelle by DelRae. Everything is 40% off.

4. The SAs at Barneys are becoming pushier than ever.

5. I saved the best for last. MiN NY (117 Crosby Street ) is a good reason to deal with SoHo mess and masses even on the weekend.  The store is spacious which allows for sniffing without suffocating. There's a good selection of skin care and grooming products, home fragrance and, of course, perfumes. The entire L'Artisan range, Parfum d'Empire, Frapin, Linari (I think I love Angelo di Fiume in all its heavy caramelized glory) and Miller Harris. Speaking of which, MiN is not only getting the classic line, but will soon be the exclusive US retailer of Miller Harris Nouvelle Edition, body products, home fragrance, oils and teas (I can't wait. Thé Bigarade sounds especially amazing). Everything is (or going to be) available online. But it's not just about exclusive brands and wonderful products. There's also friendly, welcoming and super knowledgeable service. That alone is a reason to celebrate.

Photo: People inside a perfume store by Hans Wild, 1947. Life.com.

Takashimaya closing sale and a possible Miller Harris issue

The closing sale at Takashimaya started on Monday. Everything is 40% off, including fragrance and cosmetics. From the way things looked today, only three days into this sale, I doubt there's going to be much left after the weekend. The housewares floor is already nearly empty and it's almost impossible to find a complete set of anything. But we're not here to talk about napkin rings, right?

 Some perfumes are already sold out, but as of Wednesday afternoon there's still quite a bit left (apparently perfume is less popular than scarves and table linens). A partial list:

Yosh
Keiko Mecheri (Loukhoum is already sold out)
Neil Morris
Ineke
DelRae (Bois de Paradis might already be gone)
Mona de Orio
Esteben (some are already missing)
Santa Maria Novella (stock greatly depleted)
Histoire de Parfums
Ulrich Lang
Caron (a bunch of the EDTs in fancy leather atomizers)
Fragonard (Grain de Soleil and a couple of others)
Ramon Molvizar

Home fragrance tip: While there are still quite a few reed diffusers on the entrance floor (mostly Antica Farmacista), if you go up to the Bed & Bath department (5th floor), there are several other brands (including Takashimaya's private label).

Leaving the store for the very last time was very sad. I'm thankful for the bargains I found, since everything I bought are items I wanted and planned on buying anyway. But it will be a long time before anything even remotely comparable to Takashimaya will open again in our area.

In other not good news, I wanted to check and confirm an unsettling suspicion that something was up with Miller Harris. If you check online, the US e-commerce site is closed (it's a fairly recent development. Last time I checked it was in February and everything looked normal). Furthermore, both Saks and Bloomingdale's no longer carry the line (I hear some Bloomie's stores are selling what's left at discount). A visit to Saks 5th Avenue flagship revealed the Miller Harris counter is gone completely. It used to be the only place you could find the Nouvelle Edition range other than online.

Luckyscent is sold out of several Miller Harris perfumes and there's no date or information when (or if) they're coming back. The same goes for MiN New York- almost everything is already out of stock. A quick Google search shows many online discounters now offer them, so it seems like full stocks were dumped everywhere. Prices aren't all that attractive, though, and some of these sites look a bit too shady for my liking. It's not that I suspect these bottles are fake- Miller Harris isn't that popular of a brand counterfeits would bother imitating. I just don't trust sites with names like dirtcheapperfumes4u (not a real one, but you get my point) with my personal or credit card information.

The thing is that Miller Harris main UK site looks alive and well. It's updated for spring and the e-commerce is operating. So I suspect a US distribution issue, the kind we've experienced with MPG before the house made its comeback to our shelves. To some this up and before an online rumor begins- Miller Harris is alive and possibly well in the UK, but at the moment there is no official and legit retailer in the US (the list of stockists on the website is clearly outdated- they only list Bloomingdale's and Saks locations).

Photo by Alfred Eisensstaedt, 1940, life.com

Anne Koplik Designs at Klay Gallery

We're having a serious demonstration of April Showers the last couple of days, but Saturday was gorgeous and as springy as they come. It was a perfect day to walk the streets of Nyack, NY, and visit antique stores, galleries and my favorite patisserie on this side of the Atlantic, Didier Dumas.

Another high point was Klay Gallery on 65 South Broadway. Most of the space is dedicated to pottery and there are some gorgeous pieces there, all handmade and at least semi-local. There's also a selection of the cutest baby items- clothes, blankets and toys, including tiny crocheted sleepers (including in boy colors). And jewelry...

Anne Koplik Designs is a small family business from Brewster, NY, that has steadily built a reputation and an impressive client list. This necklace called to me with its happy spring colors and cute details. The flowers were enameled by hand, but unlike other enamel pieces I have, this necklace is very lightweight. The chain is very casual and almost rough-looking, which is the only thing I might have changed, but it looks great either with a sun-dress or a simple white tank top.

Anne Koplik has a website (annekopik.com) that needs quite a bit of spiffing up to do the jewelry any justice. As I said above, I bought the necklace ($58) at the Klay Gallery in Nyack, NY.

Photos and neck are all mine.

Breaking News: MPG Perfumes Back At Henri Bendel!

I just got a call from Giuseppe at Henri Bendel: The Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier line is once again available. Since Henri Bendel is somewhat stuck in the early nineties ecommerce-wise you'd have to give them a call (212-247-1100) to order your bottle(s) or go to the store in person.

Update: Luckyscent (Scentbar) in L.A. is also selling MPG now.


MPG bottle store display photo by me (from a couple of years ago in Paris).

Sniffin' In the City

The Blond and I celebrated spring in the city. It was a gorgeous day, perfect for walking our favorite blocks between Madison and Fifth and stopping at most of the usual suspects to see what's new and fabulous.

We started with the Frederic Malle boutique on Madison and 72 to check the home line. I was especially curious about the spiffy diffuser, Fleur Mécanique, a retro-looking small appliance (yes, it's the thing in the photo above). There are five or six scents you can use to fill it, all are floral. We both liked the gardenia best, but not enough to shell out more than $300 for the diffuser and then start buying refills. These scents also come in candle form along with four others which I liked much better- they smell of wood, incense, spice and my favorite one, Coffee Society by Carlos Benaim that would have been a good reason to at least consider the diffuser if it actually came in that form. We don't use candles (fire and nine cats just do not mix), so it's out of the question.

Next stop was Creed, where I was surprised to see that the Private Collection line was available again. They no longer come in the ridiculously huge splash falcons, instead they are sold in the leather covered spray bottles. I love Vintage Tabarome, but the Blond was not impressed, which is probably a good thing. I didn't ask for the price but I hear it's more atrocious than ever before.

There's a newish tenant in the fourth floor of the Mauboussin store. Francois Payard closed his famous Payard and opened the much smaller Francois Chocolate Bar. The last time we were in the now defunct Payard we were quite disappointed- the cakes weren't as fresh as they should have been and the atmosphere was too touristy. The Chocolate Bar is swankier, better and makes every calorie count. We both chose a verrine- a layered parfait in a small glass. My Bergamote was divine with its cherry cake, Earl Grey tea mousse, a gelee of red berries and tiny salty tea cookies on top. They sell the three Payard scents at the counter. While I'd skip the lychee-something, the only reason we didn't leave with both the Pistachio Ganache and the Bergamote Truffle was that both are an eau de cologne concentration and don't last much. They were completely gone by the time we got to Barneys.

You know what brought us to Barneys. I didn't know if I really wanted to smell the newest Lutens, L'Eau Serge Lutens. The whole idea of Uncle Serge making a Clean Scent that doesn't smell like perfume (his words, not mine) was too painful to take. But you know the drill- I try stuff so you don't have to (and the husband is apparently along for the ride). And let me tell you, with this one you really don't have to. It's not bad. Not at all- it's a crisp, clean, pleasant laundry smell, like a high-end version of the original Clean perfume. But that's hardly a compliment.

In a surprising twist of events, Bertrand Douchaufour is now doing a Lutens-Light. I've sniffed L'Artisan Al Oudh a couple of times before, but it was the first skin test and I like it a lot- it's a non-violent Arabie, and while I don't think it's the greatest oud scent ever, I'd be happy to wear it had the Blond not hated it quite so much. He doesn't deal well with cumin, and while he admitted it's not half bad on my skin, he'd still rather not have this aroma lingering in the air at home. Too bad.

Speaking of L'Artisan, it's time to clear up the confusion over who carries what, at least in NYC: Barneys has to full range, from their home pomander to the newest releases (Al Oudh and Havana Vanille). The same goes for Henri Bendel and Aedes. So there are no distribution issues and everything is easily available, including online.

There's some news from Takashimaya- They're getting rid of the Eau d'Italie line and selling all that's left at $50 instead of the regular $120 price.  Just as promised, Mona di Orio is back, including the newest two- Chamarre and Jabu. I tried Jabu for the first time and loved it. Like everything else Mona di Orio does, it's complex and shapeshifting between heady flowers and something musky in the best possible way. I see more of it in my future. The best part is that Takashimaya is now offering more perfumes online, including several of the di Orios. Why not everything? Who knows. The same goes for the Histoires de Parfums line- they have all of them in the store, yet only three are online. And speaking of which, three new Histoires de Parfums releases, Tubereuse 1, 2 and 3 are there, as well as the other one I've never tried before, Moulin Rouge. I can't tell you what Moulin Rouge smells like even if I tried, because the moment I turned my attention to the Tubereuse everything else was gone and forgotten. While No. 2 Virginal was a bit too much on the fruity-floral side and smelled like (nice) stuff we all tried before, No. 1 Capricieuse was quite interesting with its distinct powdery suede note. But the winner for me was No. 3 Animale.

I rarely buy a perfume nowadays after only one try. I prefer to get several samples and often decants before committing. Except when something grabs my skin and starts doing a Brandi Carlile "I was made for you" imitation. This tuberose is drenched in honey and immortal, and now, 12 hours after I applied 1 spray, what's left is a sweet tobacco note.

Serge who?

The last stop of the day was Henri Bendel (we skipped Bergdorf  since I'm planning to be there later this week). The bad news is that MPG is still not on the shelves. The SA didn't know what was the status and Giuseppe, the department manager, wasn't around today, so I don't have any news yet. The good news is the tester of Annick Goutal Ninféo Mio.  After reading Tom's review I had no doubt I would love this green fig with a dirty backbone, and indeed, the scent twindom wins again. I'm getting a bottle as soon as they're available for sale. It's also great on the husband, who usually avoids my fig scents for a reason known only to him.

And one last thing in case you were wondering: Sécrétions Magnifiques is still revolting.

Photos:
Audrey Hepburn and William Holden in Manhattan during the filming of Sabrina (1954)- myvintagevogue.com
Frederic Malle Fleur Mécanique- editionsdeparfums.com
A Francois Payard Verrine- Serious Eats: NYC

Let's Talk About Sephora

This wouldn't be the first time I'm kvetching about Sephora. Maybe it's my fault for still occasionally shopping there, because it certainly looks like the company has lost interest in me as a costumer. I can still remember that ten years ago Sephora was a lot more fabulous. The stores (at least the ones I frequented in NYC and NJ) were better maintained, the brands offered were more interesting and even the perfume selection was better- more prestige/luxury houses, less mass market. They used to offer the entire range of Cartier perfumes, for example, not just the latest/bigger sellers. There was more Chanel (including makeup!) and Guerlain parfum extraits- can you imagine buying L'Heure Bleue at a Sephora store today?

There were also smaller high quality makeup brands that weren't necessarily geared towards teenagers. I first discovered Skin by Alison Raffaele at Sephora. The same goes for Paula Dorf makeup, Becca Cosmetics and Anna Sui nail polish. All of them are no longer available there, and the bad news keep coming: Both Cargo and Laura Geller makeup brands are being withdrawn from Sephora. You'd be able to find them on QVC, but seriously, I'm not a fan.

But beyond the kiddy brands, the disappearance of old favorites and the clueless SAs (what else is new?), the biggest turn off is the state of the makeup displays. It's the same in every store I visited over the last year or so, from Paramus to the brand new store on Times Square. Testers are broken, missing and dirty. The general feel is that you're going to get a serious case of cooties if you touch anything there, and that, my dear LVMH friends, is the total opposite of luxury.

Photo by me.

The Cranky Shopper- Part Eleventy Three

Strange things happen when you are just twenty five minutes away from Bergdorf Goodman. The place I regularly call "my local mall" isn't your average Jersey strip mall. The Shops At Riverside, formerly known as Riverside Square, is where you can find an Hermes boutique as well as a Tiffany store, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and other pretty nice options to spend a not-so-small fortune. There are also two department stores: Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue. Neither would be considered as slummin' it.

I went makeup shopping last week. There were a couple of items I already knew I wanted and a few others I wanted to check in person before making decision. And, of course, there's research. After all, I'm here to try stuff so you don't have to.

Online swatches, photos and reports from fellow bloggers have left me undecided about the Giorgio Armani spring collection. The palettes and most of the colors seemed several degrees too light, but I had to try them on skin first, so I headed to Saks. There were four SAs in attendance at the counter, something that rarely happens- the place is deserted more often than not, so I expected to be helped and get some good suggestions. However, all four ladies were busy doing their own makeup, often blocking my access to the products. One of them informed me that they were getting ready for a special event at the country club, which apparently required piling on the eyeliner. I finished testing and swatching, considered buying one of the palettes, but as I just couldn't catch the attention of any of the SAs, decided to move on and go to Bloomingdale's.

I wanted to decide between two colors of the new Guerlain Rouge G Le Brilliant and to have a good look at the new version of pressed Meteorite powder. I already knew I should avoid the new eye shadow quad for spring. That black violet color makes me look like I got a shiner, which the SA agreed would not be a good thing. Instead, she suggested I tried one of the regular quads, which had a gorgeous teal with some more questionable silvery shades. Since I wasn't too sure about it, I asked the SA to show me how to apply and make it work.

She was very nice and friendly, just chatty enough and a complete opposite to the four Armani ladies with the eyeliner of doom. I sat happily in the uncomfortable high chair and expected some magic. It is Guerlain, after all. Red flag number one appeared immediately, when the SA didn't bother to remove my makeup. I was wearing Chanel Black Jade eyeliner with eye shadows from the Kashka Beige spring quad mixed with a Shu Uemura something or other. It was a pretty neutral look, but you still couldn't miss the fact I was already wearing a full face of makeup.

Wielding her brushes, the SA told me enthusiastically about the training seminar she had the previous day at the Guerlain Spa, how well the company treats the employees and how lucky she felt to work there. It was nice to hear, really, and I was concentrating on the conversation more than on some strange looks I got from passers by on their way to the YSL and Laura Mercier counters. When she was done with my eyes and took a minute to help another customer and bring some blush and bronzer I looked in the mirror and was horrified.

First, there was a ton of teal and silver fallout on the apples of my cheeks. I'm quite familiar with Guerlain eye shadows and have never seen them create such a royal blue mess. My half educated guess is that the eye color was applied with the wrong brushes. I wish I paid more attention from the beginning so I could know for sure.  But that can always be cleaned up. The problem was what used to be my big brown eyes now lost in a sea of teal and blue that were smudged all over and not necessarily in the most symmetrical manner. Hideous doesn't even begin to describe it. When the SA got back to me I requested she'd clean and tone it down significantly, which she tried, but the rich pigments weren't cooperating too well. Some makeup remover and frantic smudging later I was left with a little less teal which was still way too much. She tried  to blend it with some peach toned base only to create a bigger mess before deciding the problem was lack of balance between my pale face and the dark eye. So to balance things out she fetched a blush in a scary red tone and some bronzer and proceeded to try and find my cheek bones.

Crusty the Clown was looking back at me from the mirror.

I thanked the SA for her effort, paid for the items I intended to purchase in the first place and escaped into the darkness and the snow flurries.

Then I couldn't remember where exactly I parked my car.

Bespoke Chocolates NYC

The Blond and I were walking from the East Village towards Elizabeth Street when we spotted the sign directing towards Bespoke Chocolates in an alley we've never noticed before (reason 7592 why I love New York). Artisan-made chocolate is one of the things neither one of us can resist, and this kind of store is my favorite- the chocolatier, Rachel Zoe Insler (no, not that Rachel Zoe. Can you even imagine?) works right there and you can watch her make the truffles while swooning from the delicious scent.

We tried several of the chocolates and all of them were excellent. My favorite one was Chai Spice: milk chocolate, black tea blend of ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. I'd wear a perfume with these notes, but eating it was just as good.

Address: 6 Extra Place, New York, NY (closed Monday). Extra Place is a tiny, sign-less alley in the East Village that runs north from East 1st Street between the Bowery and 2nd Avenue

Photos: bespokechocolates.com and The New York Times

Ananas Collection- Handmade In New York City

Reading Dana Thomas' book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Lustre a couple of years ago and my disgust with fake brand name items have fueled my quest for real luxury: interesting accessories with a personal touch that look unique and don't resemble whatever "It Bag" or anything you might find on Lindsay Lohan. Handmade items that one knows exactly who designed them and where they come from are my definition of luxury. Of course, they need to be and look exquisite.
Nolita area in Manhattan is an excellent shopping destination if you're in the same frame of mind. Elizabeth street is full with stores of up and coming designers who offer an individual point of view and gorgeous clothes, jewelry and perfume. That's why I found myself there on a Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago, and how I stumbled upon Ananas, designer Jennifer Baum Lagdameo's boutique.

I saw this handbag in the window and simply had to have it. The Mila bag was also available in purple and a few neutral colors, but the emerald green was perfection. The leather is soft, the inner design offers enough small pockets to ensure I don't misplace my phone, the interesting touch of the natural wood hardware and the lining (the pattern is based on photographs the designer has taken during her travels some years ago) are true luxury.



Ananas boutique is also full of other lovely items like scarves, belts and jewelry that complement the collection (the new colors almost make me happy about fall. Almost). As I was about to pay for my bag, I noticed a few resin-made rings. As you can see, one of them came home with me.

Jennifer Baum Lagdameo works with natural materials and all handbags are made in NYC.

Ananas boutique is located on 248 Elizabeth St.. For additional address (North America, Paris and Japan) you can check the website. No e-commerce but they do take phone orders.

All photos are mine. If you're interested, my nail polish in the pictures is Barefoot in Barcelona from OPI's Spanish collection. More photos and reviews coming next week.

Today In NYC: Sniffs And Snippets- September Edition

• There was an odd smell outside the Sony store on Madison Avenue. Something synthetic and green, and not entirely pleasant. Apparently, Sony now has a store fragrance, Green Bamboo, that ties in with their eco-friendly, environmentally conscious campaign. Whatever.
  


• The new Nasomatto perfume, Black Afgano, still hasn't arrived at Barneys NYC.
  


• The new Tom Ford tester bottles are at Bergdorf. Grey Vetiver smells like an instant classic. Woody, salty, clean without being dumbed-down. I love it, the husband who has several vetiver scents in his collections wasn't sure it's different enough to justify the shelf space. We'll see.
  


• The four Tom Ford Private Blend musks are nice, but I wasn't slayed by any particular one. I liked the Urban Musk best. It's the sweetest and sexiest, I think, with a honey-plum thing going on there. Pure Musk has a powdery orris note that reminded me of Uncle Serge's Clair de Musc. I also liked White Suede, which feels very smooth (and didn't remind me of Daim Blond). Jasmin Musk didn't entice me to allocate any skin for testing.
  Am I all musked out? I don't know. I'll need to do more testing.
  


• The funniest thing: Bergdorf is now carrying and promoting Balmain Ambre Gris. Seriously. Those of you who don't know why I had to scrape my jaw off the floor should check out my post from last year. Bergdorf is selling it for full retail price, so no matter what you do, don't buy it there.
  


• Two words: Chantecaille lipsticks. I bought two more. Reviews coming soon.
  


• By Killian Back To Black made me want to layer Miel de Bois with Fumerie Turque and maybe Louve or Luctor et Emergo. It's very sweet on my skin, in a pleasant way. A bit more foody than I expected and utterly pleasurable.
  


• The husband lusts after the other new By Killian, Pure Oud. It's magnificent.
  


• There are still a few bottles of Mona di Orio on sale at Bergdorf, mostly the 100 ml for $60. Lux is all gone.
  


• Why (oh why oh why) does the new Michael Kors, Very Hollywood, suck so much? And why is so much floor and counter space devoted to this dud that will be at the discounters in four months and would probably be discontinued with most of the generic fruity florals in a couple of years?

Crappy cellphone picture of a beautiful 1956 DeSoto Fireflight just outside of Bergdorf Goodman: all mine (many thanks to my scent twin, Tom, for identifying the car )

Today In NYC: Sniffs And Snippets

1. The 3 Hs of NYC summer: Hot, Humid and Hazy. If you have curly-wavy hair, the only thing that makes it better is a healthy sense of humor.

2. Giorgio Armani lipstick, ArmaniSilk, lasts forever. And the Manta Ray collection for fall 2009 looks a lot better than I originally thought. Note to self: Find your perfect shade.

3. Tested the new Serge Lutens perfume, Fille en Aiguilles, at Barneys and loved it. I was reminded of a hard candy I bought years ago at the Manhattan branch of French food temple, Fauchon (sadly closed). It had pines and honey and had something camphorous about it that made it ideal on stuffy nose days. It dries down to sweet frankincense and is still very much there as I'm typing this, six hours later. The husband disliked it at first. He smelled bitter orange marmalade, but after the first couple of hours had to admit Fille en Aiguilles is beautiful.

4. While at Barneys, I wanted to smell a good incense note for comparison. Sprayed Heeley Cardinal, a fragrance that didn't excite me before (and I've gone through three or four sample vials in my attempts to get it). Talk about hitting the spot. I might need a bottle after all.

5. The checked patterns in menswear are cute and have a pleasant nerd-appeal, but I wonder if this trend is going to last as long as the striped shirt did.

6. There were a couple of seriously cute handbags at the window of the Sonia Rykiel boutique (the store is closed on Sundays). I'll need to check the Betty II bag up close. Interesting and no chance at seeing fake copies making the rounds (insert a big rant about people who knowingly buy counterfeited crap and support this arm of organized crime).

7. Perfume in the Jil Sander boutique on Madison: did I spot No. 4? Must go back there during the week and investigate.

Photo by Elliott Erwitt, 1955

Sign Of Times: Spafumerie2 Is Closed

I had an unpleasant surprise yesterday when I discovered that Spafumerie2 (also known as Turtle Bay Spa/Perfumery) is closed. The place looked like a hurricane has swept through, with shelves mostly empty and only a few bottles remaining. I never heard a word about a clearance/going out of business sale, so your guess about the fate of their stock is as good as mine. Their phone number has been disconnected and the last Twitter update is from July 6th.
If anyone knows more, please comment.

Things didn't look too cheerful at the beauty department of Takashimaya on 5th Avenue. With no customers in sight and fewer brands available, I'm worried about the future of this place. Frankly, the shelves looked bare and the atmosphere depressing.