#loukhoum

[parfumieren]

Happy Birthday, Mata Hari...

Today (August 7th) is the birthday of Margaretha Geertruida Zelle MacLeod-- the dancer, sex symbol, and spy better known as Mata Hari. What scent best suits the occasion? Perhaps the ghost of the guest of honor will guide my hand...

First, a bit about Margaretha. Forcibly transplanted to colonial Java by a philandering husband, this young Dutch-born mail-order bride found comfort in studying traditional Indonesian dance. A local dance troupe proved supportive-- as did one of her husband's fellow Army officers, with whom she absconded from her marital prison. In 1897, she renamed herself "The Eye of the Day" and freed herself from domestic bondage for once and for all.

Today, we remember Mata Hari as an infamous World War I double agent whose life ended in front of a firing squad. But in her heyday, she - alongside Isadora Duncan, Loïe Fuller, and Ruth Saint Denis - ushered in an era of "sacred dance", which incorporated tribal, ceremonial, and contemporary movement, fusing East and West.

In fact, it's this sense of emerging from one matrix to immerse oneself in another that makes Mata Hari and Guerlain's Elixir Charnel Oriental Brûlant a heavenly match. At once simple and sumptuous, Oriental Brûlant excels at bridging cultures through scent as deftly as its namesake did through dance.

It begins with a dense sweet top note that says "vanilla" in as many languages as it can. As it progresses, it becomes more transparent, ascending from deepest plum to the aforementioned misty mauve, where it seems to pause and hold its breath. There it remains for hours and hours-- comforting, reassuring, never cloying or annoying, a mystical scent meditation.

Inasmuch as Spanish jijona turrón, Italian torrone, French nougat, German marzipan, Czech turecký med, Israeli halvah, Turkish loukhoum, Indian halwa, Japanese yōkan, and American fudge all lie on the same confectionary spectrum, one can trace the path of a single idea spurred by common hunger across a hundred national boundaries in its quest for manifestation. And actually, candy isn't a bad metaphor for Oriental Brûlant, which smells like an imported sweet concocted from honey, orangeflower water, and almond paste layered between fragile sheets of rice paper. It's an uncommon dessert of the high-calorie variety. It may be an acquired taste for some, but not me-- I was charmed by it from the first.

A side note: Oriental Brûlant is tinted pale mauve, a hue historically associated with a number of contradictory social conventions. Invented in 1856 by Sir William Henry Perkin, "mauveine" dye became popular as a half-mourning color for women in transition from a state of bereavement. By the Gay Nineties -- dubbed the "Mauve Decade" by social essayist Thomas Beer -- the color had amassed a following among artists, poets, and mystics whose social and sexual mores ran counter to those of the establishment. Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, Aleister Crowley… and of course Mata Hari.

____________

In my perfume travels, I have found to my dismay that all saffron perfumes smell alike in the end. What seemed extraordinarily novel the first time I encountered it (in Olivia Giacobetti's Safran Troublant, to which I remain imperishably hooked) now seems as uniform as if die-stamped by machine.

Time and again, saffron is paired off with the same old partners -- rose, cardamom, steamed milk, sandalwood -- only to end up carrying them all on her broad back. I'm certain she gets weary of these arrangements, but is too mild-mannered to say so. Like a superhero recruited not to some global justice league but the local PTA, she gamely offers to run the next bake sale, knowing full well she'll end up saving the world.

What if saffron took a holiday?

Histoires de Parfums' 1876 Mata Hari is one of the best saffron perfumes I've ever smelled... only it doesn't have a lick of saffron in it. All of her usual dance partners have gathered in one place to scratch their heads at the saffron-shaped vacancy in their midst. Where is she? they're thinking. Not me: I'm getting too big of a kick out of watching the gang sweat bullets at the prospect of doing all the heavy lifting.

Luckily, everyone pitches in and gets this baby off the ground. Rose and sandalwood know all the steps, and lychee provides the fresh perspective of a newcomer to the scene. Substitute cumin for cardamom? Yes, please-- it makes for a slightly more ballsy drydown in place of the usual oeufs à la neige. All together, 1876's components do such a good job of filling in for the missing piece that you'd swear she was present and accounted-for the whole time.

If Guerlain's Oriental Brûlant is our antiheroine all dressed up in her stage costume (beads dripping, headdress sparkling), I'd have to say that 1876 is Mata Hari in civilian clothes. To be sure, they are beautifully cut, perfectly proportioned, and wildly expensive as befits the wardrobe of a demimondaine-- but they are unobtrusive enough to allow her to pass through society without attracting too much attention. So skillful is 1876's air of olfactory misdirection that, applied with a light touch, it could make the wearer damn near invisible.

But perhaps that is exactly what you want. After all, a good spy does well to remain incognito.

Scent Elements: Tonka bean, almond, vanilla, styrax, clementine (Elixir Charnel Oriental Brûlant); bergamot, orange, lychee, rose, iris, violet, carnation, cumin, cinnamon, vetiver, guaiac, sandalwood (1876 Mata Hari)

[theshoegirldiaries]

Day 4 Layering Guerlain Terracotta Le Parfum EDT with: KAYALI Yum Pistachio Gelato | 33 EDP Intense.  Yum Pistachio Gelato launched in Spring 2023 with top notes of Pistachio, Ice cream, Bergamot, Hazelnut, Rum and Cardamom; middle notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Pear, Peony, Jasmine, Geranium, Raspberry and White Peach; base notes are Whipped Cream, Marshmallow, Cotton Candy, Loukhoum, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Cedar and Cacao.

After my slight hiccup yesterday, I decided to try a KAYALI combination that was new to me!  Since T is a beachy fragrance, how about some ice-cream with that? I actually wore YPG to bed last night and could still smell it faintly this morning, so tried it alongside Terracotta.  Yum genuinely is an intense EDP, I get wafts of it throughout the day and it lasts for hours and hours, still with a strong scent.  I felt the hazelnut opening which I often miss when Yum is worn alone, was definitely brought out more with T.  My nose can begin twitching at the initial spray, there’s something bitter that it doesn’t want to smell and everything is a little synthetic, but it wears so well. With each wear, I fail to recognise the middle notes. I’m definitely getting that creamy, mallow in the base though, it’s soft.  A decent combo! 

[loumafoxart]

Based on Loukhoum's pic on Insta 🌈

Alternate colors under the cut!

[keikomecheri]

One of our longest retail partners in Italy, Mariabruna Beauty is an institution of fragrances and more! Located in the lovely city of Brescia, one will find plenty of beautiful fragrances including some Keiko Mecheri best sellers! Photo courtesy of Mariabruna Beauty https://mariabrunabeauty.it #marinabrunabeauty #keikomecheri #brescia #eaudeparfum #perfume #luxury #beauty #loukhoum #hanae #peaudepeche #daturablanche #ume (at Brescia - Italia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfaP_HKpbCj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[scentoftoday]

Nasty Woman by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Nasty Woman: black fig and patchouli, filthy bourbon vanilla, honeyed amber oud, and loukhoum.

[fruitchouli]

Alanis Morissette wears the fragrances Serge Lutens A La Nuit, Serge Lutens Douce Amere, Serge Lutens Rahat Loukhoum, Byredo Gypsy Water, L'Artisan Parfumeur Tubereuse, Annick Goutal Des Lys, Le Labo Rose 31, JAR Golconda, Dasein Winter, Clive Christian X, Santa Maria Novella Acqua di Colonia, Sandoval Love

[les365dorele]

dessert ! #loukhoum (à Saint-Saëns, France)

[queenofnichefragrances]

SOTD is Turkish Leather from @prynparfum You can see by the size of the dent in the bottle that I’ve both worn and also spoken about this fragrance a lot. It’s so good and also one of those that however you describe it never seems to do it full justice. For me it sits somewhere between borderline gourmand but never overly sweet, you’ve got the lovely caramelised dates, cocoa powder gives you a quality dark chocolate and loukhoum giving it a bit of Turkish delight like sweetness and yet underneath that there’s an almost dark and burned leather that gives this a great backbone, whisps of incense and spice work their magic too. This is thoroughly unique I literally have nothing else like it in my collection. An outstanding example of perfumery done to perfection. It’s now sold under the name Anatolia, have you tried this yet? If not what are you waiting for? You won’t be disappointed. #sotd #fragrance #perfume #scent #mrcologne76 (at Edinburgh, United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaUdo-oDG3t/?utm_medium=tumblr

[zombizombi]

hell yeah i got mail

fake news - crushed pink pepper pod, bitter white tobacco, gnarled patchouli, all covered in glinting, garish slashes of gold (proceeds to the ACLU)

nasty woman - black fig and patchouli, filthy bourbon vanilla, honeyed amber oud, and loukhoum (proceeds to EMILY's List & Planned Parenthood)

mummeries and straining-to-be-memorable passages - rosemary water with lavender, blackberry, Italian bergamot, and white musk (proceeds to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the Trevor Project, and the National Center for Transgender Equality)

[lavegetarienne]

hello-lo-lo

ça va là-dedans? la météo, on en parle?  it's a joke, right? no way que je vous entretienne du sujet le plus bateau populaire du moment 

bon, qu'est ce que je peux vous dire de plus intéressant?

tiens, saviez vous que le t shirt a été inventé aux Etats Unis, au tout début du XXe siècle pour "les hommes célibataires"? bah oui, un homme un vrai, ça coud pas, hein. donc si t'as pas une fée du logis discrète et dévouée pour repasser et repriser tes petites affaires magnifier ta virilité en société, t'as l'air d'un loser avec ta chemise négligée... donc le t shirt compense avantageusement (et visuellement) l'absence d'épouse.

et rapidement, tout le monde l'a adopté.

(du coup, je me demande si le hamburger a été inventé pour les mêmes raisons? 

c'est vrai, ça cuisine pas, un homme, non plus... )

ingrédients (2)

- 500g de citrouille cuite à l'eau (moi je l'ai débitée en dés, mais la tranche entière ça le fait aussi) - de la fécule - 2 cuillères à soupe de St Hub/margarine - épices: ail semoule, piment, curcuma, graines de cumin et de moutarde (il existe des mélanges tout prêts), gingembre moulu, cannelle

  préparation

rouler les morceaux de citrouille dans la fécule, et les déposer sur une assiette: ça va ressembler à des jolis loukhoums oranges.

faire le vagaar: faire fondre le St Hub dans une sauteuse, puis y jeter les épices et laisser se mélanger quelques minutes; quand ça frémit et ça sent (divinement) bon, y faire blondir la citrouille à feu vif, en remuant souvent pour que toutes les faces soient dorées.

servi avec de la PST aux épices et quelques choux de Bruxelles émincés et cuits dans la même poele.

  et l'entrée du jour: salade verte, avocat, vinaigrette balsamique et sésame

  ciao ciao! 

[calicotown]

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Nasty Woman ($24.00 for 5ml) is a blend to show pussy-grabbing, racist, predatory, misogynistic, hateful, irresponsible, ignorant, immature grotesquerie out of politics for good. It is a limited edition scent benefiting Planned Parenthood and EMILY’s List.

Notes: Black fig and patchouli, filthy bourbon vanilla, honeyed amber oud, and loukhoum.

In the bottle that honey and fig, wow. It is filthy sweet, verging on cloying. On the skin it’s far better, still honeyed fig but the honey and oud come up to create something surprising— it’s sweet and sophisticated, but it smells a little dangerous. Is it the touch of patchouli? The blend is actually done so well it’s hard for me to pick out anything in particular. It feels very much like what I imagine when I think of Bhramari.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Fake News ($24.00 for 5ml) is a blend to help penetrate the dense fog of of misinformation that’s already begun settling around Truth, Justice, and other historically celebrated American ideals. It is a limited edition blend, with proceeds going to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Notes: Crushed pink pepper pod, bitter white tobacco, gnarled patchouli, all covered in glinting, garish slashes of gold.

The pepper and gold play well together without any kind of sharpness or metallized tinge to it. There's a really nice blend of patchouli and tobacco that smells soft, a touch sweet. After being turned off by the sweet cigar smoke in Mr. Prenderghast, this is such a winner for me.

BPAL also included four complimentary imps:

Blood Lotus - Sweet, thick, a little tart. Dragon’s blood and lotus make for a heady combination. Dried down I lost the tartness, but otherwise it remains the same.

Notes: Lush, velvet-red blooms born from the blood shed in the eternal battle between Set and Horus the Avenger.

Baku - In the bottle, mint, eucalyptus, a touch of anise.  While I like the taste of anise, it’s a death note for me. Instant throbbing headache. I skipped testing this one.

Notes: Our Nightmarebane. Named after the Baku, benevolent Japanese spirits that eat nightmares. In Japanese tradition, nightmares are gifts from malevolent spirits; when you wake up from one, you may call, “Baku, please eat my dreams!”, and if you are virtuous and merciful in spirit, the Baku will devour the evil, transforming it into a blessing of good fortune.

Has No Hanna - What a spring scent! Light, soapy, and floral in the bottle. It feels very much like a mainstream perfume scent. On the skin I get tuberose and gardenia, still soapy clean. It’s very strong, a touch is all I needed and I felt like I my sinuses were getting cleared.

Notes: Brings a rush of good luck, lifts the spirit, and helps alleviate depression.

Al-Azif - Sharp, sweet resinous floral, but I can’t pick out any real flowers. I could be reading the sweetness as floral? Straight on it’s almost overwhelming in that sweetness, but as it dries down it becomes more sinuous. I really enjoy it then, when the throw is low. It really morphs into ‘sinuous incense,’ like coming across a mortuary temple.

Notes: A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay.

I placed my order 1/22, it shipped 1/26, and arrived 1/28. Shipping is a flat rate $7.50, priority mail. My order arrived in a well insulated small flat rate box, undamaged.

[zongoh]

[parfumhikayeleri]

Vive le Vent d’hiver, MUTLU YILLAR!!

Yeni yıl, yeni bir başlangıç, yeni bir hayat demek. Şöyle bir düşünürsek 2013 yılı aslında bizim için ne kadar önemli bir yıl oldu. Çünkü tarihimiz adına önemli olan birçok olaya tanıklık etti bizlerle beraber. Bir bakımdan kendi hayatımızın debdebesi içinde koşuştururken, yaratmaya çalıştığımız mutlu anları, hüzünleri, kaygıları ve korkuları yaşadık bu yıl içerisinde.  Çoğumuz yeni bir yıla başlarken oldukça radikal kararlar alırız. Yeni bir başlangıç için kendimize farklı yollar çizeriz. Belki yeni bir iş, yeni bir tarz, yeni arkadaşlıklar. Madem ki yeni yıl bizim için bu kadar önemli bir dönüm noktası, neden yeni ve farklı bir parfümü yeni hikayelerimize gebe olacak 2014 yılı için seçmeyelim?

Her ne kadar Noel ruhunu benimsememiş bir toplum olsak da aramızda bu günün ruhunu kokularla yaşatmak isteyen eminin birçok insan var. Benim için Noel’in kokusu, zencefilli kurabiyelere eşlik eden yanan odunun, puslu havanın kokusu demek. Biraz odun notaları, hafif tatlı, belki bir miktar dumanlı ve sıcak. Yağan karın yumuşattığı soğuk havanın içinde tenimde süzülen bu koku ile ısındığımı hayal edebiliyorum.  Yeni bir yıla sayılı günlerin kaldığını göz önüne alırsak bu kadar kısa bir sürede hala kararını veremeyenler için bu günün ruhuna eşlik edebilecek parfümleri gözden geçirmekte fayda var. 

                          Andy Tauer’in efsanevi parfümü L’Air du Désert Marocain, yeni yıl gecesi için mükemmel bir seçim. Tütsü notasına eşlik eden, vanilya , amber ve kişniş ile yaseminin floral dokunuşu gecenin heyecanı ile birleşince unutulmaz bir anı temsil ediyor.  Ayrıca bütün bir yıl kullanmak için hem sıra dışı hem de dikkat çekici.

Keiko Mecheri’nin lezzetli parfümü Loukhoum’un zarif versiyonu olan Eau Poudree ile mutlu bir an yaşabilirsiniz. Konforlu notaların verdiği rahatlık ve güven hissi ile içiniz ısınacak. Kavrulan bademe eklenen gül, şeker ve vanilya notasına karakteristik bir menekşe notası hakim.  Aile sıcaklığının verdiği huzurla ağız sulandırıcı bir parfüm.

Serge Lutens’in ses getiren parfümü Jeux de Peau, ilginç notaların kompozisyonu ile dikkat çeken bir parfüm. Meyan kökü, tozlu buğday, Hindistan cevizi ve ölmez otunun süt ile ıslatılmış harmonisine eklenen kızarmış ekmek notasının kayısı ve baharatlar ile çocukluk yıllarınıza götürecek güçlü bir birlikteliği var. Yılbaşı gecesi için güzel ve etkili bir seçenek.

                 Gerard Ghislain’in tasarımı olan Alice and Peter koleksiyonundan Showy Toffee, taze kesilmiş çimenlere eklenen karamelize çikolata, amber, paçuli ve frezyanın muhteşem gülün, yıl başı akşamı fincandaki çayınızı yudumlarken yanında yediğiniz kurabiye ile uyumuna şaşıracaksınız. Hatta bu parfüm ile kurabiyeyi biraz kaçırabilirsiniz aman dikkat! Gerard Ghislain bu parfüm için boşuna “dayanılmaz ayartma” dememiş.

[keikomecheri]

For Loukhoum lovers. Purchase a bottle of Loukhoum Eau Poudrée, and receive a free deluxe travel size Loukhoum Eau de Parfum - a $20 value, while supplies last. And, yes, we always include 5 mini samples with each bottle ordered. Go ahead, satisfy that sweet tooth. #keikomecheri #loukhoumperfume #gourmand #loukhoum #turkishdelight #cultfavorite #eaupoudree #eaudeparfum #freegift #deluxe #travelsize #decadent #sweettooth #love (at Beverly Hills, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWw_jUuLEYH/?utm_medium=tumblr

[cultofpretty]

Not to be corny, but isn't perfume supposed to be a delicious, sensual experience?  That's what all the department store brands tout, but most of them give me a headache. 

I bought about $50 worth of samples from cult fragrance site Lucky Scent.com awhile back and have been slowly making my way through an amazing selection of niche and rare perfumes. But I think this week, upon reaching into my stash and randomly pulling out a sample, I may have stumbled upon my new signature scent.

                 Keilo Mecheri's Loukhoum is a cult fragrance inspired by the Turkish delicacy rahat loukhoum (rose petal jam, noor dates and white almond).  It starts sweet, but utterly sophisticated (NOT Victoria's Secret sweet/fruity), and dries down to a very unique powdery scent.  It's the first powdery fragrace I've fallen in love with - it's so different and very addictive.

If you love feminine scents but want something no one will recognize, I highly recommend it.

Does this: Beautiful, unique, addictive-ly feminine cult fragrance Is this: Keilo Mecheri's Loukhoum Get this: Above Price: $90 or $3 for a sample

Image via Our Hearts of Ruin (contains NSFW images)

P.S. Last couple hours to enter the Urban Decay NAKED palette giveaway!!  Ends 12pm E tonight (Friday).