Another day in olfaction paradise

We learn so many things every day... Every morning we smell ten paper strips with raw material like a test, we have to tell what is on the strip. Rosey is not rose. Rose is oil or absolute and it comes from Grasse, Turkey or Bulgaria. In this room life gets so many nuances. It moves me. Some raw materials appear similar in our minds - then we get them on separate strips at the same time and we understand exactly. The contrasts between naturals and synthetics are extra-ordinary. Something we think that we know and know in a certain way, like a blackcurrant, has so much depth and darkness and beautiful strangeness.

Fir balsam, childhood memories.

Everyday new raw materials are added to our collection. We talk about our associations to them. Our memories. Today I had a moment where a raw material I had never smelled separated suddenly catapulted me back to my childhood in my grandparents home as I was reminded of wood shavings. We have different references and different terminology and this creates a really rewarding atmosphere.

Oh and vetiver... Every day with vetiver is a better day.

Tomorrow we are going to visit the jasmine fields. But first I have to take control over my notes. And sleep.

I cannot wait to wake up so I can go smell things again.

Moon over Grasse.

Jasmine

Picked some on the way home with a lovely new friend from the course after she told me that in her family in Spain they always picked fresh jasmine to have in the bedroom during a warm night because it smells amazing. Now my room smells amazing.

"Everything is important"...

...our teacher Laurence keeps reminding us of this and I love it every time.

I am in Grasse for a two-week course at Grasse Institute of Perfumery, GIP. Actually I started this trip three years ago when I wrote to the school to ask if there were places available. I didn't go then, life took a different path and led to me to other priorities. But now I am here and today was the first day. We are eleven students from all over the world and with different perspectives on perfume which creates a very interesting setting for discussions. And we have Laurence, I could not imagine a better teacher.

We spent a big part of the day smelling separate notes from different olfactive categories and Laurence told us how they are used, practical significant things like prices and how they affect creation and gave us fantastic insight into the work of a perfumer. We also looked at the differences between naturals and synthetics, this was absolutely fascinating. Both to hear about strengths and weaknesses with both and to compare by smelling.

No matter how much one reads and thinks and smells perfumes there is nothing that can substitute the enormous privilege of having a real lab with so many notes of such quality to discover separately. This is such a luxury. I cannot wait for tomorrow. As Laurence says, "At 9 o'clock we smell".

I will share more with you during these next two weeks, I am just so overwhelmed today that I do not know where to start. I don't know how many of you reading this have had the experience of brining out a private passion into the spotlight and just doing it, making it concrete, booking that thing you dream about doing and going there. It is a sacred experience. I feel privileged that I can do this and grateful for being here.

To be continued... I leave you with some photos from yesterday and today and wish you whatever it is that you need - money, confidence, support, timing or other - to follow your inner dream and let it take you to really special moments in your life. Sometimes it is closer than we think.

A special thanks to Clayton at What Men Should Smell Like (is there any perfume blog better than this!?)  for some much appreciated preparation support.

Treasures.

Bought some old perfume posters in the old town.

Very motivated student!

The luxury of all this there to discover...

There is a shop here with only vintage flacons...

Where it's all coming from

During the last couple of months I have noticed this blog has a lot of new visitors. Welcome! I don’t expect any of you readers to go on a historical safari through old posts (although I notice some do posts do get a second, third, seventeenth life which feels great) so I thought I would take a moment to introduce myself a little bit to new acquaintances and maybe connect some dots for some returning readers. So this will be a slightly more personal post that might answer some questions about where topics and details on Sense of Scent come from.

My interest in perfume is in fact rather an interest in olfactory perception, or the sense of smell, in general. This, is part of an interest in how our senses work, which of course is a big part of how we work as humans. Why do we do what we do?  What do we notice, what does it mean to us and why. The eternal metaphysical or psychological quest, trying to figure others and oneself out. (And yes, I have numerous times wondered why I did not major in Psychology because this field always attracted me.) I think I am interested in perfumes for some of the same reasons why I am interested in communication (which has been my career path my entire adult life) – I am fascinated by how we define ourselves to ourselves and to others. Like many others interested in scents I was brought up in a family where senses where always present. I was taught to trust my senses when choosing meat or vegetables, to experience places with eyes and nose, to feel materials for house construction with my fingertips - stone, wood... To smell the air in order to predict rain and to never wear clothes that didn't feel good against my skin. I was encouraged to use my senses and to trust them. This has had a major impact on my personality and life and is something I believe in when it comes to guiding children through life.

When it comes to the sense of smell, it is an unquestionable fact that we are affected by smells and that this influences our relations and perception and evaluation in daily life. It has been like this for as long as humans have existed, our sense of smell has been essential for our survival capacity. We are affected by olfactory impressions. They influence our moods, energy levels, associations, feelings and more. So the situations in which we choose smells, for example when applying perfume and when buying/choosing perfume are really interesting. There are more or less conscious choices, there are more or less informed choices. But no choices are arbitrary and every time we apply a smell on our skin, that will affect us and people we meet for hours, it is a choice. Why does one person choose something transparent and another one something forceful? Why does one person want to smell like a walk in the forest and another like a spicy old church (no judgement, I like both!)? Not to mention how mass-market perfume sales reflect zeitgeist in terms of gender issues and other aspects. I find this fascinating.

Now from a communications and marketing point of view I am intrigued by the big black hole between the fragrance industry and the consumer. Perfumes are a product created with much skill, it requires time and an aesthetic endeavor. Perfume is a fairly expensive product to purchase. And yet the industry is quite bad in most cases at educating the consumer and sharing its knowledge and intentions. So we have a market full of consumers that don’t really know what they are buying or how they should go about choosing which product is right for them. And retail personnel do not always have sufficient tools to provide adequate support. I am talking mainly about the mass-market now. Which is what the majority of consumers see. Now we also have a parallel fragrance world created by numerous independent niche companies. Generally this is the market that I am more interested in because I see that these perfume companies are leading the way when it comes to customer relationships, intelligent brand work and communication. Helping people discover this perfume world is a privilege.

A couple of years ago I started writing this blog mainly to inspire (and put pressure on) myself to learn more and because I felt a desire to do something concrete and professional with this personal interest. I wasn’t really sure what my designated perfume path would be so I thought this would be a way to discover that step by step. In the last two years the blog has lead to some seminars, some freelance writing and a number of private consultations. I have gotten to know amazing people thanks to this and have had many inspiring experiences and thought exchanges. My profile has also formed itself a bit more and I do feel that I feel most likely will work in some way with scents for the rest of my life.

Some day I would definitely like to create fragrances, but it is not the most ardent dream or priority right now. I would however love to work with marketing and communication for a perfume brand that I believe in and who believe in a less excluding way of doing things. I get a genuine kick out of helping people with curiosity but limited knowledge to discover the world of scents. Many perfume bloggers are enormously knowledgeable and if you follow some blogs I am sure that you like me are impressed with their encyclopedic minds. I have at times felt a pressure to deliver in a way suitable to those eyes in this blog, which has occasionally paralyzed me a bit. Because what I initially and in many ways still want to do is to write for those who have no idea how to find a perfume, where to even start. Those who have never experienced finding a fragrance that feels really personal or found their scented style. I never get tired of talking about top notes, base notes and why a cologne always smells in a certain way or why a perfume does not feel right when you come home with it after having tried it for 15 minutes before buying. I love love love helping someone find their personality in the language of scent, translate their descriptions of themselves into olfactory notes. This means that if at this point I was offered to choose between making a perfume or writing a book I would choose the book. And among my long-term plans is to learn more about the neurological and psychological aspects of the sense of smell in order to someday work with scents as a therapeutic tool for example with people suffering from traumatic experiences, grief or Alzheimer, autism…I don't know yet exactly. I suppose my perspective puts me in a crossroad between art and science.  I like that crossroad. They are lovers, science and art.

It is not likely that you will find me writing reviews here, although I do choose to highlight perfumes, perfumers, perfume brands that I find inspiring. I rarely write about perfumes or perfumers that I don’t like if not for some specific reason. There is so much to spend time thinking about and I prefer to look for the stories that inspire me and that I think deserve some spotlight.

I am very honored that you are here, that you spent the time it took to read the reflections above and I hope that if you follow my scented journey through life I will have the occasion to inspire and enlighten you at least once. If you have a question or want to share a thought on scents I will always be happy to read it, my email is s.z@lefumoir.com You can also connect through twitter or facebook.

I wish you a new week full of scentful sensations. 

Come to the dark side, there is eternal honey…

Insects have the most acute sense of smell in all nature and used it for all sorts of physical courtship. A queen bee attracts drone males with an indisputably welcoming scent from a gland in her mouth. In an experiment scientists harvested this scent and put it on a flying balloon. Drones clung to the balloon in layers desperate to mate. No wonder the queen bees are not exactly humble… The same gland produces another pheromone that worker bees take from the queen and distribute to female workers bees. The effect it has on these is that their reproduction ability is killed. This means that there will never be another queen bee competing for the spotlight until the first one has died and stopped distributing her pheromones.

pinterest.com/pin/62980094758592720/

There are more than twenty thousand species of bees but only a couple of them can make honey. They make it by using nectar from flowers. Honey is actually partially digested food that bees store in the hive during winter when no nectar is available. It takes about ten worker honey bees to make one tea spoon of honey and each bee’s contribution to that tea spoon corresponds to the amount of honey it will produce during its lifetime. In 2006, honey bees suddenly started to disappear in the US. When this was discovered a more careful monitoring of the honeybees was conducted and soon it was clear that this was a global phenomenon. This phenomenon was named Colony Collapsed Disorder. It affected the honey supply of course, but also all crops globally that are pollinated by bees. It is still not entirely clear how this started but research indicates that is has to do with pesticides severely affecting the nervous and immune systems of the bees.

Cave paintings in Valencia, Spain, seem to reveal that humans have been harvesting honey for at least 15,000 years. Bees have been producing honey for about 150 million years.

Mesolithic rock painting of a honey hunter harvesting honey and wax from a bees nest in a tree. At Cuevas de la Araña en Bicorp.

Honey almost sounds too obviously “nice” to be perceived as something interesting enough to analyze and be seduced by. It is enormously attractive visually of course, like liquid jewellery. But still, it is also something we associate with tea and honey and home made facial masks, right? Honey does play an interesting role in perfume though and can be found in an impressively wide range of fragrances. And the history of honey is mesmerizing and impressive. Yet we tend to not really speak about it that much in perfume contexts. Why is that? Honey seems to be like the pretty smiling well-composed sister that gets forgotten at the family dinner because the little magnates, monsters, delinquents, clowns, professors and divas demand all the attention. But we should not forget about honey. Honey is sweetness with attitude and patina.

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Honey is versatile and interesting. In daily life it is a wonderful sweetener but also has health benefits. Honey builds up our immune system, soothes sore throats, fights with bacteria, viruses and fungi and helps with hangovers. Phytonutrients found in honey seem to possess cancer-preventing and anti-tumor properties, and may improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity.

When used in perfume the honey note is sweet in a soft and balsamic way, soothing. The scent can vary from woodsy to floral, herbal or tobacco-scented. It is often used as a prelude to the gourmand character of a fragrance. The honey used in perfumery is typically created from beeswax and molecular ingredients found in organic honey.

Melting beeswax. pinterest.com/pin/1407443603097640/

You’ll find honey in an epic olfactory diva like Dior's Poison but also in Jo Malone’s youthful Nectarine Blossom & Honey and in Chanel’s Beige. And in a very unfrightening cosy Honey I washed the kids. In Acqua di Cuba by Santa Maria Novella honey is combined with herbs, tobacco and citrus. It is a warm fragrance, slightly spicy with a vanilla base. If you are into Serge Lutens look for Miel de Bois and A La Nuit. There’s an interesting discussion on Miel de Bois here. One of my personal favorites, Ambre Narguilé by Jean-Claude Ellena, also has a honey in a sultry olfactory performance that is nothing for a shy day. Another gourmand honey fragrance is Thierry Mugler’s Angel, brilliantly exposed by The Perfumed Dandy. To get to know TPD's world - and honey analysis - better, just click anywhere on the eloquent area below. (And for a female Dandy, do check out the review from Olfactoria's Travel of La Dandy).

"I find that instead of getting overly sweet the honey becomes at first
slightly animalic, which I suppose is as it should be, and then woody." 
- TPD

Other honey fragrances and thoughts of them can be found here: Hedonist by Viktoria Minya, Perfum de Luxe from enchanting DSH reviewed by the lovely Sigrun and the exquisite dark unusual M/Mink from Byredo. 

Honey can be kept for thousands of years without losing its qualities. An extra-ordinary example of this is the honey found in Tutankhamen’s tomb which was still edible after more than 2,000 years. Honey is mentioned as a symbol of good things in many sacred writings. In Hinduism it is considered as one of the five elixirs of immortality in Hinduism. The Promised Land, Canaan, is “a land flowing with milk and honey.” The word “honey” itself reveals a powerful, sacral significance. This word originates from the ancient Hebrew word for “enchant.” Honey is considered kosher, even though it is produced by non-kosher beings. The explanation for this can be found in the fact that bees during Biblical times were wild bees who carried nectar from flowers to hives for storage in the shape of sweet liquid gold. Beekeeping was developed long after this. And honey, the liquid sacred sweet gold, will be around long after this...

Dear patient reader,

So sorry I've been a bit quiet here. I got stuck somewhere between writing jobs and researching for posts that made me feel like I never researched enough. And then I have decided to give that old dream of writing a book about scent/perfume a try. I try to write things from a personal perspective and avoid reviewing, others do that better. It is my ambition to find a path that combines a general discussion about scents from a psychological and aesthetic perspective - with detail touchdowns such as a certain perfume or note or environment. During these times when I get stuck in research clouds I do warmly invite you to join in the more fast-paced Twitter and Facebook where I post shorter thoughts and interesting stuff on a daily basis.

By the way... I am packing for a trip to Grasse where I will be at school for a couple of weeks. I so look forward to learning new things. The world of scents is one of constant new beginnings. I look forward to feeling like I still have so much to learn when I am old.

I'll be back soon. In the meantime, join me for some magic in the form of BBC:s documentary.

Also, I know that some of you are returning visitors and you come from all over the world. I would love to know who you are, your thoughts on perfume, what you would like to read about. Drop me a line?

/S.

Lavender

Have you ever picked fresh lavender? When it is halfway between buds and flowers and the leaves are velvet soft? You can detect so many difference scents in it then... That obvious lavender smell we all recognize is not there, instead there is a variety of things going on... Try it. I could name about ten-fifteen different smells. What about you? 

Lavender is a somewhat underestimated scent. It has been used in so many contexts that it has almost become a cliché and unfortunately the market is so over-whelmed with what pretends to be lavender scent that we have almost forgotten the real deal and how that smells. It does not smell like sleep - in fact lavender increases your ability to solve problems because of the effect it has on the brain when you smell it. And there are many lavender products out there that smell fresh, elegant and manly and not like Laura Ashley duvet. Not that I want to disrespect Laura Ashley, it's just that those florals kind of take the jazz out of some rather jazzy raw materials when they go all romantic on bed spreads and lamps.

Try to find some fresh lavender and begin the lavender love affair again.

The scent of serendipity: Jul et Mad

Not every one cares about the brand behind the perfume. Or the brain behind the perfume, for that matter. And sure, if I discovered olfactory marvel from a perfume house I did not feel strongly for I would still find the perfume extraordinary and wear it. But I do prefer to feel that there is also a person and intention behind the perfume that I can relate to and like. This could be explained with my day-job in PR and communication. I started out as a copywriter so I am interested in storytelling of course. But more than that, I am interested in the special stories that I believe can be found in anything if you know how to listen and how to search. And that’s why I got into communication in the first place. To search, find and tell. 

For this reason there are some perfume(r)s that appeal more to me than others, there are some brands that I feel more comfortable with and more curious to discover. I appreciate a personal declaration and intention, expressions of curiosity, passion and purpose. I appreciate the generosity of those who share more than their product, for example the way Carlos Huber of Arquiste connects all sorts of life dots in his interviews. Or how Jean Claude Ellena invests so much energy into writing books that give the reader unique insight into the life and mind of a perfumer. I appreciate the world of Mandy Aftel enormously, such passion and endless curiosity for the craft and a generous dedicated ambition to share it. Byredo’s perfumes became so much more special to me when I learnt about the red thread with Ben Gorham’s recreation of memories and places. There are many examples, I realize I leave important ones out by stopping here but it has already taken me too long to get to the point. (Then again, that is not really relevant in perfume reflections, the journey is the point.)

First time I read about Jul et Mad I instantly loved the story. Who wouldn’t? It is enough to know that Jul and Mad in “Jul et Mad” are a couple who met and created perfumes together. Yes, I admit in my world creating a perfume together is the most romantic thing any people in love could do. This kind of story only works though if it comes with perfumes that really deliver, otherwise it becomes a somewhat awkward branding concept.

So who are these two perfume makers and lovers? Julien, comes from a science environment with thorough knowledge in neurosciences and biology. This background is combined with an entrepreneurial spirit that has led him to communication companies specialized in the scientific field. He is also a traveller at heart. Madalina, left her native Romania to go to NYC in order to pursue a future in the beauty industry. The first step was the Cosmetics and Fragrances Marketing program at the Fashion Institute of Technology, followed by work at several luxury brands. So far – two separate stories about two separate ambitious individuals who have not yet met. (I can relate to both for various reasons so what happens then gives me double goose bumps).

This is where the magic starts… One day the both find themselves in Paris and in the same café. I know no details of what happens here more than the result of this encounter – Madalina leaves NYC and moves to Paris for love. These two find each other’s hearts but also a share path, which is the creation of perfumes that tell the story of love. The name seems rather inevitable, Jul et Mad. With the help of Dorothée Piot of Maison Robertet they have so far created three fragrances: Stilettos on Lex, Amour de Palazzo and Terrasse à St-Germain.

Stilettos on Lex is the olfactory story about Madalina’s life as a single woman in Manhattan. It is an interesting one, this super feminine blend of independence and softness. I have worn it to work, cinema, girls’ talk-about-life-dinner and a date. On me, this fragrance is really soft and I appreciate the way in which it is sweet without trying to please. It is very easy to wear and manages to combine a soft romantic feeling with something more urban and mischievous. I don’t know how else to describe it. I really enjoy wearing it, but for me it works better in a private context than at work.

Notes
Head : Lemon, Pear, Davana, Plum Liquor


Heart: Lily of the Valley, Violette Leaves, Rose Absolute, Heliotrope, Iris, Carnation


Bottom: Musk, Madagascar Vanilla, Indonesian Patchouli, Atlas Cedarwood

The second fragrance in the story is of course Terasse à St-Germain… The Moment that changes it all. And this is where you can tell there must have been many candid personal conversations between Julien, Madalina and Dorothée Piot because this is a completely different feeling. Just like Stilettos on Lex combined different sides of femininity, Terasse à St Germain sparkles with different energies in a special meeting. Soft, bouncy, sweet, playful. When you know that this is the meeting between two persons you can find that duality blending. And it is so happy, so extrovert.

Notes
Head : Grapefruit, Tangerine, Rhubarb


Heart: Freesia, Lotus Flower, Blue Rose


Bottom: Musk, Sandalwood, Indonesian Patchouli

The third fragrance, Amour de Palazzo tells the story of the couple’s trip to Venice… If you feel any of the seduced infatuation that I feel for this city you will recognize much of that feeling in this perfume. It is dark, flirtatious, deeply sensual and seductive. It is the scent of the beauty of no turning back now. This has nothing of the cashmere softness of Stilettos on Lex, nothing of the playful sunny conversation of Terasse à St-Germain. This is just pure seduction.

Notes

Head : Four Spice (pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg)


Heart: Absolute of Violette, Atlas Cedarwood, Leather, Indonesian Patchouli, Labdanum


Bottom: Musk, Oud, Amber, Papyrus, Animal Castoreum

Three completely different perfumes, which could very well be the base of a perfume wardrobe if you add something more work-oriented. I love how they all emerge out of this love story because they are quite different reflections of the energies that exist between lovers. These perfumes remind me of the variation I have appreciated in my own most memorable romantic relationships. How both persons could be many aspects of their personalities and switch between them. The freedom and playfulness that a relationship that stimulates such variation creates.

I really like the background stories that come with each of the perfumes. In fact, I would almost have preferred to have only those and the notes. It seems to me that there are two different tonalities in the Jul et Mad communication, and personally I prefer the more poetic one which to me carries more of the personal serendipity of this beautiful story. I leave you with the three stories and the wish that all may find that soulmate to create with at least once in life.

She's back! I can guess her presence behind me by the clacking sound of her high heels on this legendary Lexington Avenue… I turn, and it is her, indeed, with her determined walk, her tall silhouette more real than ever… Pleasure for the eye, trouble for the soul… 
A mysterious aura accompanies this almost immaterial apparition while walking, so beautifully, so elegantly… Who is she? Where is she coming from? A divinity descended from a different world? An animated sculpture carved by the tools of what genius? The perfect image from a silent dream, if it wasn't for the regular percussion of her stilettos…
As in a spontaneous homage, the crowed steps aside to let her pass… Heads turn… Is she aware of it? Nothing indicates it. She seems ignoring the passers-by, her expression is serene, her regard soft but determined… Was that the shadow of a smile floating on her lips? Royal, superb, her image fades away, vanishes. Nevertheless, she offered me the most attaching gift: her unforgettable perfume. On her magical path she left the trace of a subtle fragrance, yet imposing… an obsessive, rare perfume that floats, nostalgically, like the memory of a Lost Paradise. 
Dream or reality? Enthusiasm or despair? All she did was to pass by… The contouring of her figure and the sound of her high heels marked my spirit… I now invoke my luck, hoping that one day I will cross again her magnificent allure on this same legendary avenue…
Her image disappeared, but during her short passage she offered me the most attaching of memories: her perfume…


Paris. Tender sunlight and bright fresh air of springtime. Saint-Germain. A pleasant noise of the conversations all-around floats over the café terrace. From her table, in perfect quietude, she watches the passers-by… when suddenly she observes this elegant silhouette, virile and relaxed, crossing the boulevard in front of her. They look at each other… They are captivated… It's intense, magnetic… He approaches… keeps regarding her… A moment of inattention, the sidewalk missed… A false step he transforms rapidly in a gracious reverence, accompanied by this charming smile… a bit embarrassed, a bit amused… Everything lasts no more than one second, the handsome stranger walks away… 
His passage leaves a void behind him, and this emptiness, daydreaming, she already fills it with wild and fascinating perfumes inspired by the picture of the young man… Fusions of subtle yet present scents, atypical but almost recognizable, a soft mix but virile at the same time, of a complete ambiguity and yet of an incredible simplicity: the very essence of a growing passion.
A delicate and refreshing breeze, in perfect accordance with the spring fragrances surrounding the terrace, brings her back to reality… She finally looks away from this sidewalk where the seducing silhouette escaped her insistent gaze… 
Then, suddenly, the perfume of her reverie embalms the air, but rather real this time. The beautiful stranger turned around and approaches, also real. He plunges his regard into hers, he walks straight towards her. 

It is truly her… her, Venice, revealing itself to our first avid regards as the unrestricted décor of a dream theater. High facades come out nude from the dark waters of the Grand Canal, slightly veiled by the mist of dawn, nude, but rapidly ornamented by the marble garlands of their bays. The three annunciating sounds of the ball will soon be heard; the costumed guests will animate the ballroom and the balconies with their multicolor embroideries and silks. 
Will the day put an end to this magical night? In the penumbra, an interlacing of winding narrow streets and canals traversed by bridges. Hand in hand. Drunk with love. Drunk from dancing for so long. We wander through these labyrinths charged with history, trying to recover our spirits after this enchanted night: the long passageways of the magnificent palazzo we just quit, its ballrooms richly decorated, so beautiful under the lights of their gigantic suspended chandeliers. 
The first signs of the dawn envelop the so well-called "Serenissima". The rich and heavy perfume of precious wood and leather furniture, shone and polished by passing centuries, mix agreeably now with the pleasant and cocooning fragrances coming from the surrounding gardens, the humidity of the old stone and the lagoon that follows and surrounds us… We walk aimlessly… Dream or reality? It doesn't really matter… Here we are in perfect harmony, we feel free, free to love each other, free to taste as one the same happiness… free to appreciate the instant… Every single gesture, no matter how simple, is now charged with profound significance.


PS: Love this – Jul et Mads pinterest. Fun way to share inspiration and references. 

PS: All images in this post from Jul et Mad.

Musings coming up

I am working on a few different blog posts at the moment. Three on brands that have made me really curious, Arquiste by the eclectic Carlos Huber, Jul et Mad that capture my heart with there love story and the opulent elegance of Puredistance.

Other themes I am putting together are a piece with some neurology and interesting research on how different scents affect us, a piece on scents in the home and a guide to bespoke perfumes.

That's why I am a bit silent... I like to do some research, you know that... But asap I'll be sharing facts and thoughts about all these great things with you!

In the meantime - stay connected with me in a briefer way more instant way on twitter and facebook, why don't you!

Have a fragrant one!

The summer evening air smells like oxygen marmalade.