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The prickly aroma of hydrocarbons ranks among the world’s most popular fragrances, at least by economic activity, refined into fuel or else chain-grown into the polyester weave of contemporary life. And although their lineage stretches back millennia, modern perfumery and gasoline are rather young inventions, 19th century breakthroughs in chemical processing permutated by technological efficiencies and local regulation.

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Found itsmellscrazyinhere, Instagram account for the "best, worst and unhinged" reviews on Fragrantica which seems like the perfect lunchtime reading before a long weekend.

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This is going to be a bit of a throwback post for a couple sets that are almost a decade old from For Love & Lemon's Fall 2015 Skivvies collection, a LA-based boho brand that was picked up by fashion retailers like Anthropologie and Free People.

The designs of both sets with all their extra embellishments were fairly unique at the time. I still think the angular, diamond patterned mesh of the black set paired with appliques is unique and fun. You might not be able to tell from the photo but the bands of the white set are also velvet so there is some play with texture. Unfortunately, the positives end there.

These are the only FL&L sets I own because of their utterly appalling quality. They look very cute online but up close, they are a hot mess. As you can see from my close up interior photo, the stitching is completely sloppy, uneven, loose threads and raw seams everywhere. The most slap dash job imaginable. The black set is pretty much the same deal. The materials were plastic, cheap and pretty flimsy save the mesh for the white bottom which had zero stretch. The company seemed to be aiming for superficial cuteness for a photo shoot and maximal cost cutting. Like they were not made to be worn. You can perhaps see that the elastic waist of the black set has really bagged out. Most annoyingly, the little applique parts from the bottom of the cups of the white bralette are meant to drape below the band but keep curling up so it just looks silly.

I took a small in everything and the fit was fine except I probably should have sized up in the white bralette. Either way, they were very uncomfortable pieces because the materials were so cheap (apologies for not posting the fabrics for the white set below - I cut out the tags because the corners were unbelievably sharp and they kept pricking my skin).

I'm afraid I can't remember what the pieces cost. I want to say the knickers were around $60 which was basically highway robbery. In any case, these are basically H&M quality but the price point definitely wasn't because I remember being pretty offended when I received these. I feel like these sets foreshadowed the age of the disposable Instagram SHEIN outfit. A lot of things can change in a decade but I can safely say I'll never buy anything from FL&L again.

Black set: 84% nylon, 5% rayon, 11% spandex and 100% polyester

Made in China

Photos: For Love & Lemons; mine

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Papillon Artisan Perfumes is one of my favourite niche houses. It has a very cohesive and distinctive voice, one that draws heavily on vintage perfumes. Although the prices have gone up a fair bit (when I bought Salome in 2016, it was US$160 and it's now retailing at US$205), it has managed to maintain its singular vision and integrity over the years. I feel like when niche houses reach a certain point of success, there is a lot of pressure for them to grow by increasing the frequency of releases and then the quality/creativity suffers. Thankfully, Papillon has resisted that pressure.

I recently tried the house's two latest: Spell 125 and Hera and I enjoyed them both.

Spell 125 seems like a bit of a departure for the house. It has a powerfully resinous, coniferous opening that leans toward the photorealistic end of things. This was surprizing to me as it felt very contemporary, more Slumberhouse than Guerlain. But as the scent develops, Moore's familiar touch begins to emerge - even though Spell is in no way a vintage throwback. But the complexity of the dry down, its development, turns the scent's initial piney blast into something far more beguiling and it is here the scent really begins to distinguish itself. In particular, contrasting with the scent's coolness is a soft, animalic blur of "white ambergris" and fragrant, slightly sour frankincense that imparts an aliveness and a gentle heat that is very much in line with the more overtly fleshy Salome and Bengale Rouge even though Spell is completely different genre of scent. It evokes a spaciousness, stillness and serene vitality that makes it another winner for me.

Hera is more in line with Papillon's traditional vibe and is the more complex scent of the two. To be honest, I personally did not like it as much as Spell (which is just as well as it's retailing at a much higher price point than the others at US$310). It is beautiful, but this scent, originally designed for Moore's daughter's wedding, is perhaps one that speaks so much to someone else that it had less to say to me. It's still an excellent perfume, a vintage style aldehydic floral - but not in a diva-esque, attention seeking way. Quite the opposite, it feels incredibly well measured. Hera opens with a lovely veil of aldehydes that give its florals just the right amount of lift. As the scent develops, the flowers are abstracted but not stereotyped and certainly not the innocently fresh bouquet we associate with brides. Rather they are lushly dense with subtle, interchanging degrees of powder, butter and sweetness, all grounded in a gentle but hefty base of musk, labdanum and sandalwood. One has the impression of light, but it's not sunny in any Pollyanna sense, nor is it one of Dryad's sun dappled fields. It's more of a radiant, soft focus effulgence. There is too much of a sense of corporeality for Hera to evoke simple summertime sunshine. Allusions to the body in perfume are almost always a reference to sexuality, sweat and what goes unwashed but here, it is really about presence. What I like most about Hera is that it paints a portrait of a woman that feels very real, one that you can feel is authored by a woman's perspective. There are no fantasies here about blushing brides, no virgins or whores, no maidens, mothers or crones. I almost feel like I know something about Moore's daughter through Hera.

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A fun article on 110 years of the bra

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I posted years (!) ago that I was thinking of trying out Baserange and I finally got around to it last year. I'm going to review multiple pieces: the Odea bra and panty set, the Enna thong and the Tee Shirt Body bodysuit.

The Odea set is an extra stretchy, seamless set with a large, almost fishnet like mesh. It has a kind of fun, casual look that's almost sporty. It's very comfortable but aside from the band of the bra and the leg holes of the brief, the edges of the fabric are finished with overlock stitches. To be honest, I think this makes the set look cheap, especially the bra. I took a XS-S in both pieces according to Baserange's size chart and these both fit very comfortably though you're getting zero support so this is not a style for larger busts. I purchased these on SSENSE for $26 and $24 down from $80 and $65.

Odea set: 86% cotton, 9% polyamide, 5% elastane - made in Portugal

The Enna thong is pretty thin in terms of the fabric. Otherwise, it's a solid basic thong bottom with the front of the cotton gusset left open. I took a size S which fits a little tight but not egregiously so. Purchased on SSENSE for $22 from $40.

Enna thong: 94% bamboo, 6% elastane - made in Portugal

The Tee Shirt Body bodysuit is a crewneck piece with a very low cut bottom. The short sleeves have a nice drape. It's pretty light and sheer so you really can't get away with going braless if you're wearing this out. It's also so thin that I worry it could snag and rip. The snap closures are great - secure but not a hassle to undo. The seams use overlock and cover stitches. I took a size S and it's a good fit, if a little loose but that's the style. Purchased on SSENSE for $55 from $135.

Tee Shirt Body: 100% bamboo - made in Portugal

Overall, I'd say this is an expensive basics brand but not unreasonably so. However, I'm not entirely won over. Obviously I've purchased everything on a hefty discount. The materials feel great but are quite thin and are at best, a cotton blend (though I'm guessing this is at least in part because of Baserange's attention to supply chain tracing and sustainable production). It may be snobbish of me but I feel the consistent use of overstitching - especially in the bra - turns me off, even if they make sense for the light and stretchy fabrics being used. However, I should add the workmanship is very good - clean and even with teensy stitches.

Photographs: Baserange; mine

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I liked my previous samples of Phloem and Nectary from Jorum Studio so I purchased its Progressive Botany set and a couple more samples. Listed below in order from most to least favourite.

Carduus - A bold, peaty opening with hints of anise and dried grasses, spices and leather. Veers toward smoky and then comfortably mellow in the dry down. Evocative of medicinal herbal tea and the outdoors in late summer or fall without resorting to any cliches.

Medullary-Ray - The most intense opening of the set. You are hit with damp, moist wood with the subtle suggestion of unwashed hair. The texture is palpably rich and unctuous but becomes drier in the dry down. Unique and a little more challenging than Carduus, but still very wearable.

Firewater (purchased separately from the set) - A unique aquatic take on the smoky genre that's not the kind of bonfire smoke that the marketing copy suggests. There's the barest suggestion of the dreaded calone but it's so slight it doesn't bother me. It's a little reminiscent of Aesop's Karst in the dry down, but without such a hefty price tag.

Arborist - A pleasant and wearable woody scent, like a CdG but less synthetic. Nothing spectacular but a solid wear.

Trimerous - How I wanted to like this one! I love a good iris but sometimes it can go sideways on my skin, becoming unpleasantly candied. This showed promise in the opening but became a scrubber in the dry down for me.

Edited to add that while I've only tried roughly half of the house's offerings, I suspect Jorum is like a number of houses - Tauer and DS & Durga come to mind - that seems to employ a common base. Jorum's is pleasantly warm and ambery. Even if you really like it, it does make them a bit same-samey.

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Thought I'd start off the new year with a little mycelium magic. I first spotted mushrooms being featured in lingerie in 2020 with Uye Surana's Mystical Mushroom sets. Since then, I've seen mushrooms incorporated in a less obvious way, subtly worked into prints.

From left to right, top to bottom:

Fleur du Mal's Magical Mushroom PJ Set is made with 100% silk.

Uye Surana's Mystical Mushroom print (the third mushroom print offered by this designer) features a black mesh and burnt sienna lace colourway.

Free the Fillies' Autumn Treasures knicker showcases hand embroidered toadstools.

Mushroom prints can be a bit twee but Thistle & Spire's Chanterelle bra gives a more upscale look.

Only Hearts' Go Ask Alice collection offers multiple colour ways of what appears to be a pretty floral stretch lace, but upon closer inspection, it's all mushrooms. (It appears this collection was available prior to 2020.)

Solstice Intimates has carried multiple lingerie sets and bodysuits with hippie shroom prints in a vintage aesthetic for quite some time but I like their new ethereal mushroom lace best, especially in their Wood Nymph dress.

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“To raise prices, you have to take into account each brand’s power,” said Benacin. He added that “luxury giants like Hermès or Dior can afford any increase. 

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"The appeal of wearing a perfume that “boosts” your natural scent is that it means you must have a naturally good scent that is worth boosting. In our age of corporate-sponsored body positivity, these perfumes are well-marketed and conceived. Wearing such a skin-heavy scent is an act of faith—not in a higher power, but in one’s own aesthetic value."

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Sharing this interview because I've always loved Dita von Teese's approach to glamour and this one is all about perfume, beauty and a little bit about lingerie. In this case, it's the shame that the interviewer seems to know very little about vintage perfumes or for whatever reason, chooses not to delve into them, so she is unable to really delve deeply on the topic with von Teese or direct the interview in an organic way. However, we still get to hear a more detailed backstory of von Teese's own fragrances and I loved all the retro references. I also appreciated the interview because von Teese is usually bombarded with the same five questions over and over (Dita, how do you seduce a man?). Interviewers rarely seem to conduct any research or think to tap into her depth of knowledge when it comes to the history of glamour and American culture. I don't know how she manages to respond to these superficial questions with such grace as if she's answering them for the first time.

If you enjoyed this interview, I also reviewed Erotique and her lingerie pieces.

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Rihanna's Fenty came as a bit of a surprize to me. I'm not at all a fan of celebrity culture but I found Fenty to be a cut above the average celebuscent. Granted, at CA$185/75ml, it's also a fair bit more expensive than most celebuscents - but still more affordable than the luxury tier. Notably, the nose for Fenty is Jacques Cavallier, the Maître Parfumeur at Louis Vuitton whose past hits include L'Eau d'Issey, Classique (Gaultier), Noir de Noir (Ford), and a number of the Replicas (Margiela).

Fenty is fairly linear, so this opening of a candied, fruity floral rose with a hit of juicy tangerine, patchouli base and clean musks is pretty much what you'll get through the entire wear. However, this is not the saccharine, cliched fruity floral that one might expect. The sultry musk and depth of patchouli tempers the sweetness of the scent a great deal - there are no edges to take off. As well, the drydown does not degrade into a mess of suffocating laundry musks like so many designer scents do these days.

Fenty isn't a particularly daring wear, and despite the musk, it still skews young in my opinion. However, it's not harsh and brash like a lot of offerings I'm coming across these days that are being marketed to the same consumer segment. In terms of quality, it is better than a lot of what you'll find out there being released through more prestigious designer and niche houses. A surprizingly solid offering from Fenty that's worth testing if you are a fan of the genre.

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Like many claimed lingerie "firsts," SKIMS' Ultimate Nipple Bra has actually been done before, in the 70s by VIVA Lingerie and again the aughts by Victoria's Secret as the Bombshell Nipple Bra.

As an aside, the SKIMS' ad campaign for this new bra (climate change heat is coming but you can still look cold!) is being lauded as fun and clever. I find this reception deeply depressing because it illustrates to me how deep in denial people are about our current climate catastrophe and all the deaths and displacement it is causing. I get black and mordant humour but this ad is not it. The company might as well have made a cheeky lingerie ad about war and genocide.

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Article on why spending ~$30 on a bra means you'll end up with a piece of disposable crap.

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A somewhat rambling and random article about fragrances and hygiene - the archival images are very interesting though.