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

Ten Fall Essentials

So what if the temperatures are in the 80s and the official start date of fall is the Equinox, September 23rd? These precious weeks of pre-season are good for planning our fall strategy. Colors, textures and scents. Here are the things that are making me forget that fall also means that it's about to get really really cold...

• Skinny black pants
  If you're going to wear a longer cardigan or a top with some volume, a pair of black stretchy pants is your friends. As long as it's butt friendly. 
• Lacy top
  Black, sexy and mysterious. Goes with jeans as well as with a pencil skirt.
• Berry/pink- a subtle approach
  Pink, purple and berry tone are all the rage. I can't wear most, so instead I go for a pop of the color in a more palatable black and grey top.
• Pencil skirt
  A classic. You need one.
• Gray basics and accessories
  Who said it was boring? And gray nail polish is probably the edgiest item this season. Chanel Kaleidoscope or OPI You Don't Know Jacques are probably the most interesting.
• Gray eye shadow
  You don't need to go all the way with a smoky eye, but a touch of gray on the lids works surprisingly well.
• Dark lips
  Not just for goths. Choose a color that works for you: burgundy and plum are quite easy to wear.
• Perfect skin
  Hopefully, we were all smart about skin protection during the summer. But extra TLC in the form of serums would do wonders. I'm still loving my old C booster from Remede but have been testing one from Chanel and there's a Guerlain sample on my shelf. And the new Secret de Vie serum just came out.
• Tea
  I've been on a chocolate tea kick for a while now. My new favorite is chocolate-mint. 
• Perfume
  Continuing the chocolate theme, Borneo 1834 from Serge Lutens is chocolate and  patchouli with a touch of tobacco, honey and camphor, to keep things interesting. Borneo 1834 is a Paris exclusive, but will be this year's limited edition export release. Coming soon to a Barneys near you.
  
  And a bonus one: The remake of the 1939 movie The Women is coming out September 12th. I'm a bit scared to see it what they've done to it, but won't be able to stay away. At least, we'll always have the classic.

1. Nanette Lepore lingerie lace top. $325 Neiman Marcus
2. M. Missoni double knit pants $295 Neiman Marcus
3. Stila Backstage Beauty Eye Shadow Palette - The Red Carpet Look $40 Sephora
4. Diane von Furstenberg Nadina blouse $198 Saks 5th Avenue
5. Serge Lutens Borneo 1834  €110 (the export edition is should be about $130)
6. Nars lip gloss Rose Gitane $24 Sephora
7. Diane von Furstenberg Cashmere Maia sweater $345 and wide leg Burnes pants $158.90
8. Chanel Kaleidoscope nail polish $20 Saks

Fragrant Treats- Harney & Sons Flavored Tea

It seems like many fragrance enthusiast are also tea fanatics. It makes a lot of sense if you think of it: Good tea has a complex aroma and your enjoyment starts with inhaling deeply and appreciating nuances and notes.

While I love a good Oolong and a first flush Darjeeling, sometimes one just want a comforting treat (yes, just like even the most sophisticated chypre lover occasionally seeks a cuddly vanilla scent). And just as with perfume, my favorites in this category are vanilla and chocolate.

You might know Harney & Sons teas from Barnes & Noble stores where they offer a limited selection of their most popular fruity teas, but if you pursue their catalog or web site you'd find some of the most interesting blends.

Just like my imaginary cousins in Buckingham Palace and Balmoral, I like milk in my tea. The vanilla and chocolate flavors are especially amenable to this. But the one that really stands out (and makes me wish for a perfume with similar notes. Do you know any?) is Florence, a chocolate and hazelnut mix. It's rich and heady, and serves as a perfect low-cal, low-fat substitute to hot chocolate.

Photos: mine. Model: Thomas