Friday, October 24, 2008

TWRT 10.24.08 (This Week’s Random Thoughts)


Having a cold really puts a damper on sniffing.

Sonoma Scent Studio’s Winter Woods is genius.

I prefer cooler weather over the heat of summer. It’s better for my hair and for sniffing.

Givenchy Amarige Harvest Edition 2007 is Crazy Good (I’ve said this a million times so I’m a broken record on this subject).

As much as I dislike dealing with sales associates, I love the woman at Saks in NYC who I call to place orders (Christine is it?). She includes tons of Chanel miniatures for me.

I watched my first episode of Mad Men this week. True Blood is such a guilty pleasure.

I’m turning into a coffee person instead of a tea person. But still, there’s nothing like the afternoon tea ritual.

Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere smells nice, but it’s fleeting. I have no need for it.

Still must remember to buy candy for Halloween.

I can’t wait until the presidential election is over. Our next president better be Obama lest I need to move to Sweden, Canada or Spain.

Dogs are full of joy and spread joy.

Heliotrope doesn’t work well on me.

I’d like to smell perfumes focused on herbal notes like Thyme, Sage, Lavender, Marjoram and Basil.

I’ve decided Apres l’Ondee gives me the creeps. I know this is worthy of 50 lashes but Apres l’Ondee is so dated. It smells like a musty plastic floral arrangement and makes me think of a funeral home. And it does smell melancholy, perhaps downright sad and miserable.

Last night’s The Office was great – I love Holly, she’s as crazy as Michael.

Chanel Coromandel is a wonderful patchouli scent – I love the vanilla and chocolate notes.

I need to practice yoga - I’m so inflexible it can’t be good.

I’d love a new mimosa fragrance. A scent focused on mimosa but also spicy.

Low-fat cream of mushroom soup is an amazing base for sauces and soups. It’s especially good as a base for a creamy pasta sauce.

Steamed artichokes make wonderful appetizers.

Diptyque Opone is a ‘back of the closet great’ for this time of year (its rose & saffron, sort of a rose potpourri).

I need to figure out this double blind perfume experiment. I’m curious about the extent to which brand mystique and advertising effects me.

3 comments:

lady jicky said...

I am nodding my head right along with you with many of your "randoms" LOL

Olfacta said...

Abigail, are you a "Mad Men" virgin? Run right now to Netflix or wherever you get DVD's and order or rent the first season DVD. You have to know the characters' backstories for it to have the proper depth. Otherwise, it's a soap -- a great soap, but a soap.

And "True Blood"...yeah.

I did experimental design in college. Are you talking about doing a group experiment, or just you?

I went to one of those "Scent Dinners" of Chandler Burr's, and he had us do some blind sniffing using test strips and masked bottles, of niche, mainstream and even celebrity scents. It was amusing, but hardly scientific; there are so many visual cues from the person who knows which is which (aka experimenter bias) that people, especially women, can often pick them up subliminally. That's why the double-blind.

Going to get some more coffee now...

Abigail said...

Olfacta,
YES! I'm a Mad Men virgin. I know I need to rent the entire first season. I'm actually so excited. I love being able to watch a while season - one right after the other - without having to wait.

And, True Blood, yeah, I'm glued to the TV. Sunday night is a BIG deal at my house (Dexter, True Blood, Californication and Entourage).

I can't wait until Big Love is back. If it weren't for cable I wouldn't watch TV.

I think we need to go for this double blind experiment. You and Helg from PerfumeShrine have expressed interest. I'll gather my thoughts and send you both (and others) a note. I'm looking forward to it! :-)