One of the perfumers who I have been wanting to try for a while is JoAnne Bassett. In Sensual Embrace Ms. Bassett chose to have her musk accord behave more like a promise of delights to come, and after the musk has enticed you in, the remains of Sensual Embrace fulfill that promise.
Drifting sparks by Lisa Fong for Artemisia Natural Perfume was everything I had hoped it would be. The black currant and fruity sambac gave the sweet juiciness I was looking for reminiscent of animal musk, the ambergris and cedar gave longevity and the bois de rose a peppery kick. It reminded me of a woman’s personal scent, the allure of “musk” without a dirty animal funkiness.
there’s a revolution in this bottle.
It’s in the fresh, restless bite of lemon,
sharpened and intensified by a defiant black pepper.
It’s in the unruly turbulence of a prune
and an in-your-face ambrette.
Electrified by aldehydes, you can feel the pure energy,
pared down and pumped up by leather, shot through
with heliotrope and brought back down to earth
by a raunchy patchouli.
I have known Maria McElroy for five years. She is the embodiment of the duality within a woman. Incredibly stylish and chic, and has been known to ride shotgun on a motor cycle. Immersed in the culture of New York City, yet deeply spiritual, a student of the rich history and philosophy of Japan.
You enter my muscles and cells coiled like a serpentine swell,
then unfurl to release the froth of my own musk-scented core.
Even the sheets become an ocean of musk that we ride until
night drops, heaving our bodies to shore and devouring us both
This interview was pivotal in my career as a journalist; divided into three ‘acts’;it portrays M. Ellena as an iconic influencer of 21st century fragrance, the friend of Michel Roudnitska, student of Edmond Roudnitska and ultimately, provides glimpses into the life and ART of an extraordinary man.
