studying the art of fragrance...and writing about it here since 2017
in which I make my public radio debut. Earlier this week, journalist Edgar B. Herwick III interviewed me for the daily show The Curiosity Desk at WGBH. The episode’s theme was “Tomato Takeover,” and I’d been invited to talk (via Zoom) about the tomato perfume trend. This was my first time speaking on a podcast that’s [ ]
Phew. Wipe away that sweat and tell us what you’ve been up to! Here are some of my recent diversions… Reading: Ann Patchett’s Whistler (her newest novel) and The Dutch House, back to back. Art: Shape of Dreams: Leonora Carrington at L’Space Gallery. Video: My friend A and I went to see some Laurel Hardy shorts at Film Forum (where we [ ]
I’m writing this post just a few days before the summer solstice, which seems like a good time to revisit an interview I gave a few weeks ago. Beauty editor Kara Jillian Brown got in touch to ask me whether I had any thoughts to share on beachy perfumes that lean towards seaweed and brine [ ]
The late (but very pleasant) spring season put me in the mood for a few neroli-centered fragrances, so I’ve reviewed a few for Now Smell This; you can read my full post here. My picks (all launched in 2024) for this review were Régime des Fleurs Nitesurf Neroli, Essential Parfums Néroli Botanica, and Donna Karan [ ]
I truly have no idea where this month went. I was rushing towards deadlines for a big writing project and a big public lecture and then got it all done and then…things ground to a halt and I sort of toppled over. I guess I’ve been recharging for the past couple of weeks. Reading: I’ve been [ ]
Maybe it s just the 20-year trend cycle, or maybe it s the triumphant new wave of successful pop stars hawking their own branded perfumes, but in any case, we re seeing a revival of enthusiasm for celebrity scents. Back in 2005-2010 or thereabouts, I (like many of my scent-sisters on the online message boards) expressed a certain [ ]
April was a frenzy of deadlines (editing and writing and lecture preparation) for me, but I did manage to appreciate some of the sunny, picture-perfect spring days that unexpectedly dropped down on NYC. I even spend “met” the woodcocks who hung out in Bryant Park for a week or two and bopped around under flowering trees right [ ]
Upcoming event alert: on Friday, May 1 (3-5 PM), I’ll be giving an “art aroma” talk at Cooper Hewitt (Smithsonian Design Museum) on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Cooper Hewitt’s home is the historic Carnegie Mansion, so its galleries are housed in a remarkable Gilded Age interior. The event will take place in one of [ ]
Finally! We have “sprung forward,” and the sun isn’t setting at 4 PM. (I realize this is all a human-made construct, but that fact doesn’t negate the effect the “short days” have on my mood and productivity.) The temperatures in NYC are still riding a roller-coaster of highs and lows, giving wardrobe instructions that veer [ ]
If it isn’t the onslaught of grim national and international news, it’s a blizzard turning the sky dark and bringing all travel and activity to a halt…but I hope you’re all finding some balance and a sense of fulfillment in your own days. Here’s are some notes on some of my own recent doings. Reading: Another [ ]
What can we say about January 2026? Maybe the less, the better. In any case, here’s some of what I’ve been up to… Reading: Finished Wuthering Heights, even darker and rougher than I’d remembered. Now, on to an advance copy of the novel The Fountain by Casey Scieszka. This is a good one. Art: Sixties Surreal at the Whitney. Joan Semmel: In [ ]
I still remember, even twenty (!) years later, how excited I was to notice that Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab offered a perfume oil inspired by the ancient Egyptian cat-goddess Bastet. Cats, perfume, history — a perfect combination, to my mind. Bastet was probably one of the first sample vials I ordered from the BPAL website. Here’s my [ ]