xvii

Poetry

Posted on by elemonated

img_20160227_120436308-2

Part of a window at La Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Spain. Taken in March 2016 by moi.

I was looking for a quote from Pablo Neruda when I came across a few other poems I wanted to share. The first one is also a  translated Spanish poem by Fernando Pessoa. I’m going to reserve judgment until I read more of his corpus, and then attempt to read and understand it in Spanish, but I’m kind of into this one, if only because it surrounds fragrance and humanity.

I know many people, myself included, who gladly wear the badge of “unnatural and strange” who also adore perfume. I may drop this into the purview of a few people in the fragrance community.  Read More

Jo Malone Rain Series – Black Cedarwood and Juniper

Posted on by elemonated

Review time!

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
– Sonnet XVII, Pablo Neruda

Jo Malone Rain Series
Black Cedarwood and Juniper

Wet: juniper, spice, tree bark, cedar
Dry: juniper, spice, tree bark, water

I love how woody this scent starts out, and am a little disappointed it falls to the background after a few minutes. Although the distinct cedar dies out on the dry-down for me, it leaves a warmth that I feel like is necessary to round out the sweet, watery juniper. Apparently there’s chili in this as well, which likely supports that point. I can’t stop sniffing it. It smells like how I want my sheets to smell after a night in, and a scent I could get used to on my pillow at night. Quite seductive, at least to me.

I like it on myself, but I would absolutely love this scent on a guy. It’s warm and sweet without being the masculine go-to sandalwood which I feel gets overplayed, and it’s just dark enough that there’s depth and passion implied, but light enough for day wear.