Visiting the Osmetheque xhibit is never dull and it was one of my last stops on my last day in Milan. I had to smell vintage Shalimar (very similar to the Parfum, but the latest Jasmine version isn’t bad). They didn’t have vintage Habanita but they did have vintage Chanel Gardenia which was properly green. The Osmothque’s goal is to preserve and educate – they’re moving to a new space in Versailles in September, and I’m putting a visit on my bucket list.
I regret to inform you that Perfumer H perfumes are so well done and you can not sample them. Luckily they had them on sale at Campo Marzio and a lovely shop person took us through all of them. They’re all very delicate and balanced and for the perfume lover who is more discerning. You will not buy these for longevity or sillage, you will not fill a room with them or announce yourself. They’re the epitome of quiet luxury and you will wear them for yourself and for those who you choose to have in your bubble. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I bought Rain Wood on the spot.
Prada Beauty is here, launching at a department store near you, except oh wait, aren’t department stores on their way out?
Canada’s most historic department store is going under, filing for bankruptcy, while Sak’s, who hasn’t paid vendors for years, made headlines for sending out a letter saying they would be committing to a more firm payment timeline. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I, for one, haven’t really shopped in a department store in a while although I did use some points to buy some of my favourite perfumes. Really, it’s the Internet that changed things, because if I want something, I’m going to Google it first and then go wherever the price is cheapest, often from the brand’s own website, that said, Prada Beauty is coming to a department store near you, and if you want to hear about the brand in person, that is where you need to go.
It’s always exciting to check out a brand when it first launches because you can see that it sticks so clearly to its own aesthetic, and right now, Prada Beauty is doing that so well. It is refreshingly minimalistic, to the point that the universal lip balm is matte – you can’t even tell it’s there… except for the waxy coating left on your lips. The lipsticks come in a matte and soft-matte formula – symbolically tied to Prada’s Saffiano leather and nylon materials for their bags, and the mascara is a dark matte black that’s meant to give just enough definition. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But really, I could be talking about French beauty, known for its simplicity, and not about an Italian brand, since the Italians are known for being big and bold and extravagant in their art. This is not that, but Prada has never been that. Prada has always been chic, in that understated 90’s kind of way, and if that’s what you’re looking for, then it’s here, in the same chic mint green packaging that perfume lovers have come to know.
A Milan throwback.
Ciao from Milano! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀It’s been a while since I posted a mirror selfie, so here’s me in the elevator ready to go to Esxence, the niche perfume conference in Milan , and a picture of me trying to capture my makeup look, and some of the makeup that I brought with me. You know that they’re loves if they make it to the travel makeup bag because only things that I’m going to use are going to go in there. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I got the new Charlotte Tilbury eyeshadow palettes and yes, they got a little damaged on their way to me, but I cleaned this one up by gently pressing the dislocated shimmer back into place with a tissue on top of it. This is the Sensual Sunset palette, and it’s a mix of bronze tones in matte, shimmer, and sparkle shades. Honestly, I’ve turned into a one and done type of person, so I dip my finger into a sparkle and swipe on my lids and then call it a day. The sparkles are so pigmented that you just need a bit to make an impact, and then they basically last the whole day. The one and only downside is that there is no mirror in this palette. They’re not super expensive but a mirror is the one thing that makes you feel like you’re getting a luxury product, and when you’re travelling with a palette, it’s nice if something has a mirror so that you can apply it on the go. Nevertheless, this palette is staying in my collection. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
More dispatches from Milan soon. I’ve smelled lots of perfume already and the show hasn’t even started yet. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Smells like when you get a hug from your best friend’s mom. Warm but unfamiliar at the same time. Hairspray and hand cream, dish soap and vanilla.
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Halston woman – the green floral Chypre but with an ambery base. When the 80’s collided with the 90’s.
Like sitting in the grass, protected by the shade of your favourite tree, a breeze in your hair, not a care in the world. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Chanel No. 19 Poudre for the weekend.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Bubblegum in a bottle but it’s made with benzoin and cloves. Heavy on the sweetness but not on the vanilla. This is a gourmand I can wear. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Cherigan The Purple Bar. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It’s the new Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes Mascara, a new tubing mascara. And yes it’s actually tubing which means it doesn’t smudge during the day and comes off with just water at the end of the day.
I can’t remember the last time I went into Sephora for a perfume, but every time I’ve been in there, I can’t help but spray myself with this: Merit Retrospect. It smells like expensive pear shampoo. A tiny dose of aldehydes, and then it’s a little fruity but not overly sweet, settles to a soapy, clean, sudsy finish. Intense to start but then a more gentle finish many hours later. Every time someone catches a whiff, it’ll be a pleasant surprise. A tiny bottle but an Extrait de Parfum (and really feels like one too), in a design that feels very Elsa Peretti.
The perfumer: Fanny Bal, who has also done perfumes for other brands, even Frederic Malle.
The aldehydes in Retrospect are toned down for the Sephora audience, the powdery peachy gum is changed to a more palatable sweet juicy pear, and the musk is like the soap at your mom’s house… expensive and comforting. I like Retrospect better and it’s interesting that Bal did these two scents that were launched in the same year… aldehydes are back, maybe for a new generation of consumer who can make them their own.
Chlorine on warm skin. Violets pushing up through damp earth. The sky darkening. Wet rain on your cheeks. tastes like the sea. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Frederic Malle Dans tes Bras. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
