awesome

Things about scents

Posted on by elemonated

Mockingbird by C-91

  • I learned today from an executive from Marriott that Marriott owns Bvlgari. I didn’t know that before today, and I’m still kind of getting used to the information. I don’t know why it’s so weird to me. But it kind of makes me want to stay in a Marriott hotel more, because their tea fragrances are some of my favorites, so I guess +1 to Marriott. (Also, their international digital marketing strategies are amazing. I knew China was a mobile-focused country, but I didn’t know about the constant-scroll preference. I also had no idea Germany doesn’t like scrolling. I really want to work with Marriott now, and I’ve never really given the company a serious thought.)

    Also, Westin’s White Tea scent is really nice. When I get a place, I’m thinking I’ll buy the diffuser. It’s just very gentle and IMO, encourages focus. The last time I went to a Westin was for a focus group/consumer good study dealing with pillows and sheets, and I didn’t fall asleep.

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FKA twigs

Posted on by elemonated

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/aug/09/fka-twigs-two-weeks-lp1

FKA twig’s styling is so killer, her voice is lovely and interesting, and the lyrics are, well “Feel your body closin’, I can rip it open/suck me up, I’m healin’ for the shit you’re dealin’/smoke on your skin to get those pretty eyes rollin’/my thighs are apart for when you’re ready to breathe in/suck me up, I’m healin’ for the shit you’re dealin’/hi, motherfucker, get your mouth open, you know you’re mine.”

I’ve listened to “Two Weeks”, “Video Girl”, and “Pendulum” so far. There’s a layered, almost litany-like suggestion to the music so far that I really enjoy in most music. That’s also why I love HOLYCHILD, especially my first exposure to them via clothesencounters. Church choral (think Carol of the Bells, which is basically a huge choral round) is intended to open up the mind to the higher beings and create an emotional understanding of spirituality; I’m not religious, but there’s always a slightly different part of my hearing that only pays attention when that quality is used in music.

Expressive sexual passion and “weird” seems to be the image for her. Like Frida Kahlo (which is why I chose the above picture.) It’s rough and it’s a little weirder than what I would generally share with the general public, but I like it. Plus, it’s actually not that weird past the surface. She’s a popstar gaining traction and dating Robert Pattinson, so obviously someone thought the time was ripe for someone who’s like a female The Weeknd with extra synth. It’s severely different from one Ms. Nicki Minaj, who also has a hat in the “weird-sexy” field, but does it with wild colors, multiple personalities (Beyonce really should have just stayed out of that trend) and a kind of arms-length, clinical sexuality, while FKA twigs is much more intimate, and dirty.

I like that. Even Jhene Aiko, even though I adore her, doesn’t really have a texture like that.

Daybreaker Party Halloween!

Posted on by elemonated

http://daybreakernyc.splashthat.com/

DSC_0988[1]

Today I said good bye to sleep and hello to…morning?

That’s right. I left at 5AM for a 6AM party on a boat in New York City filled with EDM music, costumes, juices, coconut water, tea, coffee, and KIND bars. And it was brilliant. There was a newscast from Univision talking to Spanish-speaking guests. CBC 2 was there, I think, and some other news channels as well.

IMG_20141030_080044932_HDR

The sunrise was gorgeous, and the boat took us past lower Manhattan to near the Statue of Liberty. There was a helicopter taking air shots and showing off above, and the sun gave everything this rich glow that I haven’t seen in months of sleeping in. All of the food provided was decidedly healthy; veggie juices, juices with chia seeds, Runa drinks, Chameleon Coldbrew, protein shakes, coconut water, and AMAzon coconut water/tea drinks (I linked the brands I remembered!) The only solid food I could find were the KIND bars, which was considered pretty healthy as well. I think they were helping sponsor, or had an ad spot because they weren’t just set on a table with everything else, and someone was physically handing them out.

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15 Songs This Former Emo Kid Will Never Forget

Posted on by elemonated

http://www.buzzfeed.com/candacelowry/songs-every-former-emo-kid-will-never-forget-crying-to

https://i0.wp.com/3219a2.medialib.glogster.com/media/eb/eb27c417e5dff63ee7f8ab7774daf71b7049e007f13487212bbb0c5c5e002d8a/emo-guy-1.jpg

The quintessential hot emo guy looked like this. If I recall correctly, he’s some DeviantArt chick’s younger brother and he probably has a mortgage now.

So I didn’t like Buzzfeed’s list. I’m going to make my own, shorter list instead. Not in any real order, and I tried to keep the list to one-band minimum, even though I used to have the whole Ocean Avenue, Riot!, and A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out. Mitigate the bias just a little, ya know?

1. I Will Follow You into the Dark – Death Cab for Cutie

2. My Immortal – Evanescence

3. Emergency – Paramore

4. Famous Last Words – My Chemical Romance

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Coffee

Posted on by elemonated

Because I, and many of my peers, colleagues, and supervisors all over the world drink this black gold everyday, all day, and are chemically and behaviorally reliant on it for our daily functions…

The happiness and pride these people take in their coffee feels so much more genuine than the, at times hostile, song and dance the coffee geeks and small-batch packagers that I live around do. At most, the people around me teach me something about coffee in their weird, myopically western way.

Also, to balance out this anthropological episode, I bring you

So be careful with your intake and try to get your body’s worth of sleep!

Smell Turns Up in Unexpected Places

Posted on by elemonated

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/science/smell-turns-up-in-unexpected-places.html?_r=1

I’m obviously kind of a beginner scent geek and I feel like I learn new exciting things everyday, but I had no idea scientists were doing research on olfactory capabilities in other parts of the body, let alone studying healing effects.

“More than 15 of the olfactory receptors that exist in the nose are also found in human skin cells,” said the lead researcher Dr. Hanns Hatt….exposing one of these receptors (colorfully named OR2AT4) to a synthetic sandalwood odor known as Sandalore sets off a cascade of molecular signals that appear to induce healing in infused tissue…skin abrasions healed 30 percent faster in the presence of Sandalore.”

And Lyral, a lily of the valley synthetic, promoted the regeneration of muscle tissue.

That in itself is insane. But perhaps, as Jennifer Pluznick suggests, I simply need to rework my image of olfactory receptors, as smell is just a processing of chemicals.

The mystery of scent unfolds!

Jo Malone Rain Series – White Jasmine and Mint

Posted on by elemonated

Gather quickly
Out of darkness
All the songs you know
And throw them at the sun
Before they melt
Like snow

– Bouquet, Langston Hughes

Jo Malone Rain Series
White Jasmine and Mint

Wet: strong jasmine, citrus (like a lime juice and vodka), freshly chopped peppercorns, mint
Dry: jasmine, cream, nutmeg, back hint of mint

While I expected this to be floral-heavy, it’s actually surprisingly spicy, and reminds me of a mojito, or a vodka and lime juice a fraternity brother once made for me while we were all…relaxing. The jasmine stays strong throughout, but it’s warmed by spicy notes and unexpected creaminess, and then cooled off just slightly by the mint at the end which strokes the back of the throat. My boyfriend hates mint, but enjoyed this mix, and I have to agree.  I’ve always loved a nice jasmine, and White Jasmine and Mint doesn’t disappoint.

This is a really interesting scent, fitting for both summer and winter days, and perhaps a little mismatch for the autumn. I can equally see someone wearing this while snow drifts overhead, or on a beach lightening the scents of the sea. I can’t wait for winter to start.