Every White has its Noir
I do not travel much for business. So when I was delegated from my office to attend a trade show in Denver to where I’ve never been before and with co-workers from other offices, none of whom I knew in...
View ArticleFeeling Li-lucky
I want to start with the story that was told to me by a friend who came to the US a couple of years before we did. In the first year of living here, when not only one’s vocabulary and pronunciation but...
View ArticleIf It Looks Like Perfume, If It Costs Like Perfume…
During my trip to Barcelona two years ago perfume was constantly on my mind, which wasn’t surprising since I managed to try about 700 perfumes while there. One evening, while walking aimlessly in the...
View ArticleYuzu Overload
I came across Demeter Fragrance Library more than 10 years ago while searching for a linden perfume. First I was inspired by the number of different perfumes they offered (as I was researching the...
View ArticleDo “Bad” Perfume Samples Circulate Better?
What does a perfumista do while being sick to the degree that wearing any perfume is temporary out of question? She thinks about them. And thoughts might flow in an unpredictable direction. But first...
View ArticleIn memory of a dear friend
For a week I went back and forth on whether I should write privately to several people or write about it here. In the end I chose to do it publicly. Suzanne Keller who some of you know from the...
View ArticleA Postcard from Undina: From Mendocino with Love
Nothing restores feeling of inner balance better than 3 days at ocean shore, almost “unplugged.” It was a wonderful mini-vacation full of serenity and beauty. I’m sorry I had to come back that soon....
View ArticleLinden Week
I planned to do this mini-project for the first week of July, a month a name of which, as we discovered, in several Slavic languages is connected to linden. But first it was my mini-vacation, then I...
View Article(Pillow) Talking myself into buying perfume
I like makeup but do not wear it much, so finally I persuaded myself to stop buying eyeshadows, eyeliners and other products that I never finish up or even use enough before I feel they are too old to...
View ArticleSummer Iris
While most of classifications, such as gender or seasonality, as well as more specific designations – genres, families and notes – are relatively abstract and often very subjective, we still use them,...
View ArticleIn the Search for the Perfect Lavender, Take II
It’s not exactly true: I think I found my perfect lavender perfume – Lieber Gustav 14 by Krigler. Since I published that Take I post, I finished the decant of Serge Lutens Gris Clair and bought a...
View ArticleA Smell of Home
I was contemplating getting back to blogging for a while now. I want to do it. I miss thinking my posts through, choosing pictures for them, waiting for and then answering your comments. I even have...
View ArticleUse it or…
This post is not about one of the favorite perfumistas’ topics of [not] hoarding perfumes we love. It’s a great topic, and I have no doubt we’ll talk about it again soon. But today I want to talk about...
View ArticleSpreading the Negative Word-of-Mouth: Perfumarie
First thing first: if you ever decide to buy anything from Perfumarie, do it at your own risk. I will never do it again. * * * A couple of months ago I shared with you how I talked myself into buying...
View ArticleLiquid Sunshine: Chanel Beige
I do not favor adjectives as perfume names in general, and use of color names feels even less inspiring, though I like, own and wear Amouage Gold, Puredistance White and Bvlgary Black, to name a few. I...
View ArticleA Postcard from Undina: Happy Hanukkah 2019!
I’m the third generation in our family who is not religious, any religion, though potentially I had two options from my parents. Many years ago, my Grandma send me money for my birthday. She had...
View ArticleA Postcard from Undina: Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday, Rusty!
I love Christmas. Even if I were religious, this day (December 24th) wouldn’t have meant anything to me since my potential denomination would have been Eastern Orthodox Christianity, and they celebrate...
View ArticleOrange Cats in My Life – Part XI: They didn’t get away after all (and Happy...
With two recent Postcards and many previous posts about Rusty, I didn’t plan to write anything else this year. But a couple of days ago I got a new comment on my post Orange Cats in My Life – Part V:...
View ArticleEntertaining Statistics: 2019 Year Round-up
2019 was crazy busy at work. I hope not to repeat it this year. Most likely because of all the stress, I had more health issues than usually. I hope not to repeat that either. But I got to travel much...
View ArticleA Week of Mainstream Perfumes
My closest friend (we were friends ON and OFF, but mostly ON from when we both were about 10 years old) lives half the World away. From when we both were young, both she and I liked and wore perfumes,...
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