This is an amazing, enormous, interactive art piece in the middle of an Canadian city, Vancouver. The sheer scale of what the artists have achieved is mind blowing and that anyone with a smart phone can get involved makes it triply special. This is future art. I feel blessed to live in a world where something like this is not only possible but happening. Done as a installment for TED 30th Anniversary in conjunction with Studio Echelman and Google Chrome.
Photo Stolen Hashslush (if this is your image and you are upset, comment, I’ll take it down immediately)
From the Janet Echelman site: Studio Echelman installed its largest, most interactive sculpture installation to date at the TED Conference’s 30th anniversary, March 2014. The monumental aerial sculpture spanned 745 feet between the 24-story Fairmont Waterfront and the Vancouver Convention Center, challenging the artist to work on her most ambitious scale yet – over twice the size of her largest previous sculpture.
The sculpture was presented with an original, interactive work created in collaboration with artist Aaron Koblin, Creative Director of the Data Arts Team in Google’s Creative Lab. At night the sculpture came to life as visitors were able to choreograph the lighting in real time using physical gestures on their mobile devices. Vivid beams of light were projected across a massive scale as the result of small movements on spectators’ phones.
Kiera Knightly seems the perfect choice for advertising, gorgeous and quirky looking she is both elegant and seems to have a pretty good handle on fun. I loved her since Bend It Like Beckham and wish she was in more stuff that I see. well THANK GOODNESS for CHANEL who have created some wonderful ads for her to star in.
Fragrance is what takes up most of my brainspace but I also love fashion. Though I will never be rail thin, super rich or ever invited to be one of the Haute Couture clients (yes invited, it’s an invitation only experience) still I love the flamboyance and often unwearability of the runway shows and then later the trickle down effect where two or three seasons later I notice a particular thing that I thought ridiculous or totally innovative or terribly unfinished walking the streets and being sold on high streets everywhere.
Here is a four minute snapshot of Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2014. What did I notice? I loved the cut out fabric reminiscent of the cheap nylon curtains that we used to have in our garage as children. The sheer glitter knee high socks, asymetrical but unmatching fabrics, the single cut drape from a miniskirt front to floor length back, the gathered backs of the jackets which meant they float out as you stride. SO MUCH! I think Raf Simons is doing a great job.
Today’s perfume is often mentioned by perfumistas as one of the rare, extremely good Celebrity Scents, often put next to Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lovely and Covet, and above Kate Walsh Boyfriend and Queen Latifah’s Queen. That’s pretty high praise and at this price would make an excellent add on gift for the younger crew around you.
With Love by Hilary Duff is a warm oriental fragrance with loads of character. It evolves over time to reveal layers of different fragrant ingredients. Don’t be fooled by its celebrity ties with expectation that With Love will be a girly perfume. It is an oriental spicy fragrance and not sweet, fruity or floral.
Fragrantica gives the following notes: Top: Spices, mango Heart: Cocobolo, mango blossom Base: Amber, musk.
However, in this case Fragrantica has given a cut down list of notes and the mango and mango blossom should be mangosteen fruit and blossom. Other sources include Now Smell This where you can find a review of With Love by Hilary Duff gives notes of mangosteen fruit, exotic spices, chai latte, mangosteen blossom, cocobolo wood, balsam, incense, amber milk and amber musk.
Mangosteen should not be confused with mango. Mangosteen is an exotic fruit from South East Asia and is used in traditional medicine. With Love starts with top notes of mangosteen and spices. The mangosteen is quite intense and not very sweet or fruity. The astringent smell is a bit like cough medicine or liquor. In time the fragrance becomes creamy and the perfume evolves with musk, wood and smoky incense. As the layers fall away I’m left with a creamy vanilla musk on my skin and it smells beautiful.
I think the Scented Salamander says it amazingly: The perfume starts with the sparkling fruity notes of Mangosteen and Champagne then becomes very langourous and creamy. It soon smells like buttersctoch topping crystallized pineapple. Then the milky accord changes its nuances from butterscotch to coconut milk. A lush tropical bouquet of flowers makes its nuances felt. The sumptuousness and piquancy of sandalwood and Cocobolo wood make their entry. The base notes develop a warm Oriental accord. The very realistic and fine cedar wood becomes more prominent in the longer dry down as well as the musk and amber.
Hilary Duff’s With Love is a unique perfume and definitely worth a try, especially if you like spicy oriental fragrances.
Can’t wait for the movie Maleficent by Walt Disney and now I can’t wait for the make up range from MAC too. LOVING the ad copy and the cosmetics look killer too. MAC available in June 2014
The beautiful Australian actress Cate Blanchett won the 2014 Academy Award “Best Lead Actress” for her role in the movie Blue Jasmine. Cate is well known and loved in Australia, and particularly in Sydney where she was the Co Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company from 2008-2012. I’ve never met her, but so many of my friends have and absolutely rave about what a goddess she is, stunningly gorgeous and radiant – elegance personified. In 2013 she became the ethereal ‘face’ of Giorgio Armani’s new perfume release
Si by Christine Nagel for Giorgio Armani 2013
Fragrantica gives these featured accords: Top: Cassis Heart: Freesia, may rose Base: Vanilla, ambroxan, patchouli, woodsy notes
I was given a very generous ‘discovery pack’ of 7ml EDP and a body lotion recently. The juice itself I find is simple and uncomplicated and has a good silage and longevity, however the scent is borderline linear and doesn’t change appreciably on my skin as it dries down. On opening there is a sweet, sugary vanilla and berry stickiness that has a light floral background and this combination is persistent for about two hours. After this time the vanilla is less prominent, and it is all blackcurrant and rose with just a faint hint of something woody in the background. I’m starting to get worried about my nose – twice now I’ve tested perfumes which have patchouli listed in the notes, but I’ve not been able to find it. And I know what patchouli smells like, goodness, it is pretty distinctive as a stand alone oil… so not sure about that.
So after 3 hours, I’ve got a pleasant berry/floral vibe going on. I know ambroxan can be amazing on my skin, but I feel like I’m just waiting for that to kick in and give a twist, and at 4 hours maybe I’m getting hints of it however I’m still having to look hard. The scent becomes a touch more personal. It’s like being at a summer barbecue with friends, and at desert time having a generous helping of pavlova heaped with berries and vanilla cream, then after a while wandering off to a quieter spot for a 1:1 conversation.
All round, I do like it, but it is a sweet and dependable perfume – not sure what the question was, but the answer, sí (yes), is definitely not one borne from the throes of passion. I’ve worn it to work on days where I know I’m going to be ultra-busy and don’t have time for too many distractions. On these same days I’ve also opted for old-faithful flats instead of killer high heels, and worn something comfortable, and I’m not 100% sure I haven’t just grabbed the nearest bottle to dab on as I’ve run out the door.
Now, I’ve seen a similar question asked on another blog but I’m going to repeat it here because I’m interested – if you had to choose any perfume/s for Cate Blanchett to represent, which would you choose?
Tina G xx
Cate Blanchett and Anne Fontaine – A connection – Sì
I have spent part of the evening watching this season’s Paris Fashion Week. There are only a very few things that I found to be watchable at all this season and here I am giving you my favourite of them. It is the Lanvin show, all 11 minutes of it. There are some extremely interesting looks, some giving a nod to historical costume, some unashamedly modern. Absolutely NOTHING I could wear as an emsemble but certainly details I would be interested in thieving, the opening black marching band hats, the very Givenchy black singlet gown/pinafore with the broad brimmed hat, a sleeve, hem, cuff or some fur.
I have written of this fragrance before, it is one of my go-to frags and I have no idea why it is so addictive to me. What I can say is that it’s a hugely under-rated gem, it’s cheap as chips at the discounters and when I wear it I am instantly transported to a happy place, even from dark despair. When I am already feeling good it’s a mood matcher, bright, sparkling and super silly.
Liberté by Domitille Bertier + Olivier Polge for Cacharel 2007
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Amalfi lemon, bergamot, mandarin orange, bitter orange, orange, freesia
Heart: Marmalade, white honey, heliotrope, gardenia, frangipani, white flowers, sugar
Base: Patchouli, vetiver, spices, vanilla
So here we have a fruit-chouli, one of my least liked of the fragrance models. It’s fizzy, spicy, sweetness in most other versions of this frag type leave me cold or send me straight to the bathroom to bathe. Very similar to one of the Miss Dior incarnations, that I don’t like particularly, there is something in the mix that makes me happy. The first time I wore it I felt as if it had burned its way into my olfactory area with a cauterising pole. Since then the ride has been less fraught but I will always remember that first scary/fabulous ride.
Here’s how my skin reacts with Liberté. Opening up I get the sweetest, sparkliest whoosh of hot citrus, like someone has thrown and enormous amount of sugar and oranges on a Bar B Q, I think the Bar B Q effect is a dry, woody and raspy patchouli. This fun and crazy zing lasts only about 2 minutes but it’s so fabulous. Once that burns off we still have loads of sugar, spice and citrus but it feels more jellied, more like sugar coated soft jubes. The ones that you put three in your mouth at once and the flavour engulfs your whole body. It’s a sticky, fun fair flavour that could be fairy floss if it was just a trifle sweeter, I think still the patchouli keeps Liberté’s feet on the ground.
Can I say that there is nothing natural feeling about Cacharel’s Liberté, everything feels so completely synthesized and over processed, like a citrus version of single wrap sliced cheese where the wrapper is probably healthier to eat than its contents. Yes, I KNOW, but I love it. It stays fairly linear for a couple of hours, getting softer and softer, adds in some vanilla and ends its life sweetly as it has been all through the 3 hours fragrant and 2-3 hours close to your skin.
Here’s the thing. I know this is no masterpiece of fragrance. Liberté has been discontinued in Australia and is selling for peanuts on the discount stores that still have it. Frankly, I don’t care what the world thinks because when I wear Liberté I am instantly and unreservedly happy. It brings a smile to my face even thinking about spritzing it. So it’s not art, so what? Art is rarely this profoundly joyful and I’ll take smiling and bubbling with fun. In fact, I make that choice regularly when I spritz Liberté.
Here is a film made about a fragrance that could, but probably won’t, be a fabulous, daring and beautiful creation. I love the film’s story and how perfect the whole scenario is, even though it’s old and trite there is a small shiver of magic through it.
Fragrantica gives these featured accords: Top: Neroli leaf, papaya flower Heart: White amaryllis, narcissus, white water lily Base: Cashmere woods, musk
I do hope the fragrance is even nearly worthy of the film,
This is one of my mates, Courtney. She is currently starring on RuPaul’s Drag Race and here is her latest single’s video clip. The song is her best so far and I have had it on repeat since returning back from overseas. It’s also a big fat finger to Russia’s Vladamir Putin who seems to think it’s one rule for him and another for his people.
Today is Mardi Gras in Sydney, our biggest celebration of the year. Though we are not equal in the eyes of the law we hope it may come soon.
Photo Stolen Hashslush (if this is your image and you are upset, comment, I’ll take it down immediately)
Australian Perfume Junkies 