5 Perfumes for a Moon Landing

17 Wednesday Jul 2019

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Avedon Shrimpton 1965

Jean Shrimpton photographed by Richard Avedon for Harper’s Bazaar, 1965

July 20, 2019 is the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s spaceflight to the Moon and the first human contact there. “One small step for man…” (You know the rest!)

I don’t think Buzz Aldrin, Neil Armstrong, and Michael Collins were wearing cologne on that historic voyage—they had other things on their mind!—but I couldn’t help wondering, what perfume would I wear for a fantasy visit to the Moon, or simply for an evening of moon-gazing?

Here are a few ideas…

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For the 4th of July: Perry Ellis America, 1996

04 Thursday Jul 2019

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Spacious skies, amber waves of grain, the open road…this print advertisement for Perry Ellis America (1996, now discontinued) has everything.

“It’s Big. Really Big.”

I’ve never tried either of these his-and-hers fragrances in their eagle-embossed bottles. I doubt that either of them would have thrilled me as a perfume when they were still available. However, looking back, I can’t help but admire their Clinton-era optimism. So much has changed since the mid-90s.

Wishing you a happy Independence Day, however you’re celebrating it.

“Perfume 101” Class at the Brooklyn Brainery

02 Tuesday Jul 2019

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I’m teaching my one-night “Perfume 101: Fragrance Appreciation” class at the Brooklyn Brainery on Thursday, July 11, 2019. This class is an introduction to the past and present of perfumery, including some classic scents that we’ll sniff together. If you know someone who has a beginner’s interest in this subject, feel free to pass this information along!

Image: Rimmel Perfumery’s “perfumed almanac” of 1861

Summer Solstice!

21 Friday Jun 2019

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Here’s a 1994 advertisement for Ô de Lancome to mark the summer solstice. It’s time to break out those citrusy Eau de Cologne or “eau fraîche” splashes!

(The echo of “Suddenly, Last Summer” in the copy throws me off a bit…but I’m sure Lancôme’s creative team wasn’t counting on us to know much about the plot of Tennessee Williams’s play.)