Wednesday, May 18, 2011

CLOS DE TAPAS - Gastronomia para os cinco sentidos!

Para os leitores do + Q Perfume Blog, procuro publicar textos que exploram o olfato muito além dos frascos. O mapeamento olfativo é uma atividade desenvolvida com o fim de trazer endereços que possam proporcionar uma experiência sensorial tão única e tão especial, que servirá como instrumento de desenvolvimento de uma visão mais complexa e crítica do mundo. Sendo o olfato e o paladar, dois sentidos complementares, fui várias vezes buscar na gastronomia estas experiências.
São Paulo é um dos maiores pólos gastrônomicos do mundo, e atualmente é comparado a Paris e Nova Iorque, em diversidade, quantidade e qualidade. Oferecemos milhares de opções para todos os gostos e bolsos. Alguns endereços se destacam pela sua capacidade de oferecer este algo a mais que eu procuro, esta qualidade olfato-gustativa única. 


Clos de Tapas - Vista de fora

CLOS DE TAPAS é o projeto mais recente do restauranteur Marcelo Fernandes (D.O.M., Kinoshita e Mercearia do Francês), que conseguiu reunir em um só endereço sofisticação, qualidade artesanal e modernidade. Para + Q Perfume Blog, ficou claro o seguinte: existem dois tipos de pessoas no mundo: Aquelas que vivem a vida simplesmente,  e aquelas que apreciam tudo que ela tem a oferecer, vivenciando cada detalhe. Marcelo Fernandes é uma dessas. 
CLOS DE TAPAS não oferece refeição para quem quer apenas saciar a fome, sentar em um lugar para fechar um negócio, ou agradar um cliente. O restaurante oferece uma oportunidade para explorar e ampliar os cinco sentidos.
A proposta moderninha de utilizar somente ingredientes naturais, orgânicos e sustentáveis não deixa de ser batida, porém neste restaurante ela tomou um outro sentido, saindo do contexto de marketing em voga "politicamente correto", para ser mais uma confirmação de que o fresco, o natural, o ingrediente da estação, pode oferecer muito mais em termos de paladar e olfato. 


Lounge - detalhe da iluminação natural

Em termos de visuais, Marcelo caprichou, realizando um projeto complexo e cheio de detalhe. O restaurante foi cuidadosamente arquitetado por Naoki Otaki e o paisagista Gilberto Elkis, oferecendo um espaço iluminado naturalmente, com temperatura agradável graças ao pé direito alto e o teto envidraçado. No andar de cima encontra-se um lounge confortável, bar, e uma adega bem equipada, criando um ambiente contemporâneo, sofisticado e de extremo bom gosto.


Obras do artista Enrique Rodriguez

A parede de pedra bruta abriga obras do artista Enrique Rodriguez, que são estruturas tridimensionais de papel e lâminas de madeira, e que englobam este conceito de look and feel que o restaurante propõe a seus clientes. O jogo com texturas e relevos que começa na estrutura, continua nos tapetes de cerdas de algodão, nas cadeiras de couro e nas mesas de madeira, e se transporta para as criações dos chefs, que as apresentam de uma forma diferenciada, em pratos e travessas feitos de vários materiais como a cerâmica, o vidro, a pedra e a madeira, seguindo o mesmo conceito explorado na ambientação.


Cerâmicas de Haideko

Muitos artigos em revistas, sites e blogs gastronômicos, querendo ou não, recitam o currículo extenso, internacional e impecável dos chefs Ligia Karazawa e Raúl Jímenez, deixando de captar a verdadeira genialidade de Marcelo Fernandes na sua escolha. A cozinha não é na verdade pilotada a quatro mãos, mas por uma entidade formada por um casal.
Para os interessados no desenvolvimento sensorial, a junção do masculino com o feminino, do yin e o yang, resulta numa percepção completa de um todo. Lígia é charmosa, serena e intuitiva. Raúl é preciso e mui caliente. Ele traz o movimento. Ela, a delicadeza. E eles se completam numa cumplicidade que extrapola o âmbito profissional. Conversando com ambos notei o orgulho e a admiração que eles têm um pelo outro. A troca de olhares e elogios, que vem de uma forma natural e apaixonada, e extravasa na conversa. E é exatamente esta dualidade de seres do sexo opostos conjugada com essa sinergia romântica, que possibilita que a comida do CLOS DE TAPAS seja tão equilibrada.
Obviamente que a execução com perfeição só seria possível através da vasta experiência do casal e o currículo dourado, mas como eu mencionei...minha análise vai além de cúrrículos bem delineados!


Chefes  Ligia Karazawa e Raúl Jímenez


Vale ressaltar que a dupla ganhou pontos comigo quando se absteve de citar o famoso bordão decorado por todos chefes, do tipo "aprendi a cozinhar com a minha vó" ou coisas do tipo "vivi a minha infância na cozinha da casa da minha tia, vó"... ou outro parente qualquer que eles costumam citar. Ambos estudaram, se formaram e foram trabalhar em diversos restaurantes para adquirir e refinar seus conhecimentos, nada surgiu geneticamente. E já que entramos no mérito do óbvio e do já citado, haute tapas e comidinhas caras e em pequenas porções são tendências bastante exploradas, bem como cozinha fusion. Espuminhas disso e daquilo, nem se fala! Mas será que é isso que o casal tem realmente a oferecer? Na verdade a sequência de pratos de degustação, nomeado de "menu degustação" pelos menos sensíveis, proporciona uma viagem olfato-gustativa que vem apresentada em capítulos. O tamanho reduzido das porções nada tem de mesquinharia disfarçada de esnobismo. É preciso levar em consideração a experiência como um todo. Asseguro que ninguém sai do restaurante com fome!




O couvert é bem caprichado: diversos pães acompanham uma conserva de pepino japonês, maxiche, pimenta biquinho e cenoura orgânica.  E uma manteiga aromatizada com sementes de Amburana e castanha do Pará, salpicada de flores de sal. O aroma adocicado-salgado, levemente amendoado e amadeirado é simplesmente maravilhoso - se eu pudesse, teria devorado o bloco todo!


O meu passeio olfativo que foi conduzido pelo maître começou pela "mineirice" do povo brasileiro, com um típico PF revisitado (termo muito usado ultimamente). Seguiu por florestas aromáticas e orlas marítimas mediterrâneas, pelas fazendas do interior de São Paulo, deu uma volta pela Espanha modernizada, pelas terras exóticas da Índia, e terminou com um arremate à la francesa.


PF - O prato feito numa versão simples, porém requintada

O PF é composto de um caldinho de feijão com aroma de feijoada, adocicado pelo toque da pimenta biquinho, uma farofa verde aromática de couve e crisps de arroz (que se parecem o torresmo servido na feijoada). O prato tem uma aura olfativa comida feita em fogão a lenha. A cozinha molecular, neste sentido se aproxima das fragrâncias: ambas são capazes de criarem novas realidades olfativas ou recria-las de uma forma muito convincente. Uma proposta para brincar com a regionalidade da vastidão brasileira!


Floresta Mediterrânea

O segundo prato ou capítulo veio logo em seguida. Uma demonstração culinária do que seria uma floresta mediterrânea. Com um jeitinho Heston B. de ser (gelo seco e fragrância), CLOS DE TAPAS investiu numa fragrância do tipo florestal para acompanhar o prato, ampliando a experiência olfativa, tentando fazer com que o cliente se sinta realmente num passeio pela floresta.
Torinha feita de mandioquinha, cogumelinhos saborosos e várias folhinhas recriam a natureza de forma delicada. Em termos de paladar - bacana. Em termos olfativos...ficou a desejar. O casal me prometeu que irá trazer de volta a fragrância que usavam antes (que senti num evento da Loewe). A atual tem um aroma fortíssimo de orégano, que acaba encobrindo quase que por completo todos os outros (pinho, funcho, manjericão, tomilho e santolina). Faltou também uma nota de fundo mais complexa, do tipo moss, para recriar a umidade da terra. Mas acredito que seja fácil ajustar este detalhe. Vou ter que voltar pra ver se eles cumpriram a promessa!

Ceviche com molho de manjericão

O passeio pela orla marítima foi uma grande revelação olfativa! O prato consiste num ceviche servido com um molho de repolho roxo e manjericão. Detalhe que os chefs não sabiam: pesquisas científicas já desvendaram por que o mar tem aquele cheiro específico, apesar de a água ser inodora. O cheiro de mar existe graças a uma bactéria que produz um gás chamado dimetilsulfureto - ou (CH3)2S, que por coincidência é também o responsável pelo cheiro característico que sentimos quando cozinhamos repolho!  (Para quem quiser ler em sobre o experimento em mais detalhes, clique AQUI). O chef Raúl confirmou que foi o toque intuitivo da sua esposa, que fez com que eles acertassem no uso do repolho sem saber da pesquisa. Acredito 100% nisso. O olfato da mocinha é apuradíssimo!!
Um pequeno espetáculo visual a parte: uma vez que o molho reage com o limão do ceviche, ele muda de cor, adquirindo uma coloração pink. Bem interessante, fresquinho, saudável...baixo colesterol...aprovado.


Carvão de Bacalhau


Continuamos neste capítulo mediterrâneo com um prato de cor e texturas inusitadas chamado de carvão de bacalhau. Servido em pedra lisa e preta, o bacalhau só é visto graças as texturas diferenciadas. Envolvido numa capa preta de uma farinha feita com os mesmos ingredientes dos crisps que enfeitam por cima, a carne branca do bacalhau só é revelada quando cortada. Muito saboroso, muito delicado, e com um toque muito especial de tinta de lula e beringela, que conferiu ao prato um leve aroma defumado, meio "mofado" do tipo fungi secchi. Este prato ainda não estava incluso no cardápio e foi introduzido naquela semana da minha visita. Visualmente falando - bem inusitado!


Galinha Caipira


Saímos do Mediterrâneo e voltamos para o Brasil, mais precisamente visitando uma fazenda do interior paulista. Neste novo capítulo os chefs apresentaram uma galinha gorda, bem criada, acompanhada de um risoto saboroso. Mais uma vez o toque olfativo de fogão a lenha estava presente, mas desta vez combinado com alecrim. Fechei os olhos e me transportei para a cozinha da fazenda. Imaginei a galinha sendo preparada, o arroz sendo mexido na panela...fantástico. Sonhei com o dia em que os programas de culinária poderão compartilhar os aromas com o telespectador! Acordei com o maître trazendo mais um prato.


Leitão


O próximo prato foi um desafio para mim pessoalmente, que não sou fã de porquinho. Mas como sempre fui uma pessoa de mente totalmente aberta a novas experiências...resolvi encarar. O leitão é bem curtido, o que conferiu à carne um leve sabor adocicado-caramelado. Ele vem acompanhado com um molhinho de alho preto (que me parece ser o ingrediente da vez), uma farofa de castanha do Pará, caqui curtido na cachaça e uma folhinha de hortelã, que parece um mero detalhe, mas que faz uma diferença incrível. A degustação deste prato deve ser feita como um todo, pois os chefs conseguiram uma harmonia de paladar e de olfato incrível. No final das contas, foi o prato que mais gostei...vivendo e aprendendo! Analisando este prato olfativamente, posso dizer que ele é bem complexo, pois existe um equilíbrio de frescor, doçura, notas alcoólicas, frutais e amendoadas. um verdadeiro perfume!


Sobremesa


Nestas alturas chamei o maître e perguntei se viriam mais pratos, pois sinceramente, eu já estava pra lá de satisfeita! Ele confirmou que viria a sobremesa e que eu estava prestes a terminar a minha viagem. Exótica e picante, a sobremesa que me foi servida tem um formato de trufa, mas isso é somente uma ilusão proporcionada pela cozinha molecular. Um creme de côco foi preparado com nitrogênio líquido, que o transformou em uma casquinha dura, permitindo este formato de trufa. Coberto de cacao ficou realmente perfeito. A "trufa" vem servida sobre uma farofa picante de curry e pequenos cubos ácidos de maracujá. Gostei da combinação da picância, com a doçura e a acidez. É bem exótico, bem tropical. Levemente terroso e indiano, me lembrou os perfumes da L'Artisan Parfumeur criados para a coleção Les Épices de la Passion.




Mas, como tudo que é bom termina, fechamos a viagem olfativa com um doce toque francês em pequenas doses e um café bem forte Nespresso.
Saí do restaurante feliz e com a certeza de uma coisa, conceito é a base fundamental para o sucesso de qualquer empreendimento. Como cozinha sensorial conceitual CLOS DE TAPAS recebeu a minha aprovação. Adorei a brasilidade conjugada com a cozinha aromática do Mediterrâneo, a diversidade de texturas (macio, sólido, crocante), a brincadeira com a sofisticação e a simplicidade, e acima de tudo, a preocupação e a sensibilidade dos chefs em criar viagens olfato-gustativas complexas. 


Meus parabéns para Lígia, Raúl e Fernando!


Se você também quiser participar de um experiência sensorial no CLOS DE TAPAS, segue abaixo o endereço:










Todas as images pertencem a + Q Perfume Blog (com exceção da foto dos chefs, que pertence a revista VEJA), e está vedado o uso delas sem autorização prévia.
Rua Domingues Fernandes, 548
Vila Nova Conceição
Tel para reserva: 11 3045-2154

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mapeamento Olfativo

A partir de hoje,  + Q Perfume Bog está incluindo uma nova tag: Mapeamento Olfativo.
Esta nova tag agregará todos os artigos sobre lugares na Cidade de São Paulo ou no mundo, que se destacam por oferecer uma experiência olfativa excepcional. Pode ser um endereço gastronomico, uma floricultura, um museu, uma loja de perfumes...seja qual for o lugar, ele trará uma oportunidade para você explorar o senso do olfato de uma forma criativa, inovadora, complexa, inusitada!

Monday, May 9, 2011

MAKEDA by Shelley Waddington - NATURAL PERFUMERY - fragrance review

En Voyage Perfumes is a Natural Niche Perfumery Brand located in one of the most charming coasts of USA - California - Carmel-by-the-Sea. A small city with more or less 3,000 residents, including famous actress and singer Doris Day, with a one mile of white sandy beaches, and the home of many artists, such as perfumer and owner of En Voyage Perfumes, Shelley Waddington. Her creations are a reflection of the beauty of its nature, combined with her refined professional training in France, and her talent to develop elegant and exclusive scents, with eco bio-ethycal fragrance materials.
In 2010 I had the fortune to receive fragrances from her both collections, Odissey and Carmel-by-the-Sea. Last year I reviewed Pêche Noir (click HERE for the complete review), which in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful fragrances with peach notes I know. Today, I bring Makeda, a beautiful fragrance, inspired by a biblical couple - King Solomon and  the Queen of Sheba.

MAKEDA
In Biblical Times, The Queen of Sheba or Makeda, ruled a nation named Ethiopia (the home of the first homo sapiens in the Middle East), and according to legends, she was a dark mysterious womanInspired by her, and her love for King Solomon, the perfumer also describes her fragrance as being mysterious. 
To me, the only mystery here is how did she manage to be in my mind for 40 days, during my trip to the Middle East.

Photo credit: + Q Perfume Blog*
Jerusalem - Western Wall
Photo credit: + Q Perfume Blog*
Jerusalem - Western Wall
It all started in Jerusalem in a very cold night. I approached the Western Wall from the outside, I got out of the car to take this picture. The Western Wall is located in the Old City, at the Temple Mountain, and it was built by King Solomon. It was not the first time I visited this Holy City and the Temple, but it was the first time in my life that I stood there at night, thinking of Shelley Waddington!
One can think of many things near the Temple, specially if from the Jewish faith. But the fact is, Makeda moved me in a way (its beauty stroke me so intensely), that all I head in my mind of was thoughts of King Solomon with Queen of Shebba - Makeda fragrance - Shelley Waddington.
When this perfume touches the skin, you feel the sparkling notes of grapefruit tickling the senses and illuminating the soul. It brings an uplifting aura that probably came back from my memory, the minute I stepped outside that car and I felt the freezing air on my face! Citrusy notes always bring me a fresh cooling sensation. In Makeda, the citrusy opening is a combination of grapefruit and bitter oranges notes. (Bitter oranges, also called Seville oranges,  grow in the Mediterranean region). 
As its scent is a mix, something like a combination of sweet oranges and grapefruits, with a bitter touch - the first thing that came to my mind when I first used the perfume was: Holy Land! (said to be the land of milk & honey, but in fact is the land of citrus and rosemary!) 
So there I was, in a freezing cold night in the Holy Land, overwhelmed by the beauty of the huge illuminated blocks of the meleke limestones of the Wall, thinking of Shelley, and how she definitely managed to capture the essence of this region. 
Thinking about  hundreds of years of Biblical history and breathing it through my nostrils, I actually could smell the scent of Makeda in the air.


Photo credit: + Q Perfume Blog*
Dried fruits - Ben Yehuda Market - Jerusalem

Photo credit: + Q Perfume Blog*
Dried fruits - Akko Market
Makeda has a combination of fruity notes that Shelley calls Mediterranean. Peaches and apples receive a small strawberry nuance, becoming very cheerful and festive. The citrus notes blend with the fruits, and once they start to mature on the skin, very slowly and very smoothly till ripping in its fullness, the fragrance becomes very sensual-sweet. 
I visited many Jewish-Arabic markets in the Middle East, and it was always a joy to see the colorful pile of dried fruits displayed on the stands. You can smell the aroma coming from the pulp of the fruits, warming up as the sun rises up at midday. The aromas of all fruits than mix together to compose a fragrance that is unique, and its sweetness spreads all over the place, inviting you to taste and buy. 
Makeda came again to my mind many times. The fruity notes of the fragrance were there, as I passed through the alley and took photos of those stands
Today, smelling the fragrance on my skin, I am back to the to a shiny day in Akko, tasting delicious dried pineapples, pears, dates, apricots, etc...
The introduction of the fruits in this perfume works as an announcement to sensuality, to  a power given to you in a precious bottle, just as Queen Makeda, who gave to King Solomon many precious gifts as she arrived in the Holy Land. 
As Jewish Biblical passages teach us, King Solomon was a very good negotiator and a man of wisdom, and he knew that the Ebony queen had many precious treasures and wealth.  The Queen knew about the king's wisdom and power, so she crossed the Red Sea, with a caravan, to meet with him. Both monarchs joint their kingdoms in marriage, and exchanged their wealth and power. Many have mentioned love when citing this alliance, but he who knows his Bible better, knows that this was political and financial bond. But in the world of perfumery, we can make it more romantic, can't we? 


Photo credit: + Q Perfume Blog*
As I left Jerusalem to the Dead Sea and then to finally get to Eilat (Jordanian border), I drove hours into the Negev desert, exploring its beautiful dry landscapes. Kilometers of pastel sandy colors, of many shades and shapes passed thought my eyes. Also quite overwhelming! Specially when you reach the Nabatean Spice Route. (but this is another story to tell later).
As everybody fell asleep in the car, there I was, driving alone with my thoughts about Sheba and her journey to meet the King... Shelley was once again in my mind! I thought of her notes of cedarwood dancing around unfurled petals of jasmine, embracing my skin. Full blooms spread with desert winds, reaching the woodiness of the fragrance. 
Listening to David Broza's cd...the wind entering through the slit of the window, whispering in my ears... Thinking of Sheba dancing for king's Solomon...her body spread the scent of Makeda...all that kept me from falling asleep after hours on the road.



As I travelled back home, Makeda stayed on my desk for quite a while, waiting for its review. It was hard to start the article because I could not find anything that would describe the fragrance, rather than the Middle Eastern experience. The fact is...I could have looked into a 1000 musics, master painters' canvases, movies or personalities, like I do most of the time, but Makeda is unique, with a personality of her own. Mystery solved, she impersonates the feminine aura of the Holy Land, not all of it. She is felt everywhere and can be seen nowhere. Once you are there, you will find her. Far from it, you will miss her. Lucky us that Shelley has succeed to bottled her, so we can wear not only a beautiful fragrance, with sparkling fruits, amazing jasmine with a woody accent, and also be close to the Holiest of the Lands, when it is missed.


Brand: En Voyage Perfumes
Origin:USA
Launch: 2010
Perfumer: Shelly Waddington
Gender: Feminine
Range: EDP/EDC/Extrait
Olfactive family: Oriental - woody - NATURAL
Olfactive Notes: Grapefruit, bitter orange, Mediterranean fruits (apples, peaches and strawberries), jasmine Sambac, cedarwood, agarwood, musk.
Description by the Brand: " Lyrical, mysterious, passionate and carnal.
Description by + Q Perfume Blog: FEMININE, UPLIFTING, SENSUAL, BIBLICAL
Silage: Great!
Fixation:  Excellent.
When to wear: Perfect for any occasion, specially at night.
Could pair with: nothing I ever met!
Rating: ✿✿✿:
✿✿✿✿✿ - Biblical beauty.
✿✿✿ - A fragrance for Queens.
✿✿✿ - I will try when I date any guy called Solomon...
✿✿ - I would not put my hand on the Bible for this one!
- a mist of 3000 years? Smells like that!


Where to find all Shelley Waddington beautiful fragrances - click for HERE for her website.
Prices updated till today: Extrait 0.2oz USD90/EDC 1.0 oz USD55/EDP O.5 oz USD40


Shelley Waddington is a member of PERFUME TALKS at facebook, if you wish to get to know her and her work, connect to our group!


*This image is belongs to + Q Perfume Blog, all rights reserved. 

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Manhood, masculinity and scents - PART III - Final

BARBECUE
photo credit:www.bestbarbequecooking.com

The smell of melting fat, dripping into the fire, making bigger flames; the aroma of the meat browning slowly...the smell of hot charcoal heating inside the grill is very masculine. Although women cook for ages, most barbecues are made by men. They simply love to buy the grill, the knives, the meat, the beer... For us latinos, barbecue is 100% a masculine thing. We think of the great grillers of the South of Brazil, El Gauchos of Argentina... I guess, just like Bull fighting is a male thing in Spain, barbecue is for us Brazilians.
Sandrina, a fragrance specialist and executive editor for the fantastic website FRAGRANTICA, (where she posts amazing fragrance reviews) mentioned in PERFUME TALKS (our facebook perfume discussion group), the smell of bonfires. For her it brings an olfactive memory of men. She also mentioned M by Puredistance - a fragrance with this smokey touch. 

FLANNEL SHIRTS
photo credit: Urban Outfitters.com

Originally made in Wales since the 16th century, flannel shirts were fabricated with  carded wool and worsted yarn. Today it is basically made from cotton, wool or synthetic fabrics. Whether worn by lumberjacks, grunge Nirvana fans, railroad workers or cowboys, flannel shirts, according to Michael Mattison, publisher, and editor of amazing SPICE OF LIFE, (a blog about spices, lifestyle and traveling), flannel lumberjack shirts was something trendy, back in the 70's - 80's and he recalls being hugged by his uncles, older cousins and grandfather. So, the smell of flannel mixed with musk, is a very personal masculine olfactive memory of his childhood. I agree with him. The smell of flannel is so masculine that Geoffrey Beene launched in the 70's, a masculine fragrance inspired by the fabric,  called Eau de Gray Flannel EDC, with spicy greens & citrusy notes, sandalwood, vetiver and musks. 

EAU de GREY FLANNEL EDC by GEOFFREY BEENE

GASOLINE, WD-40
photo credit: poundland.co.uk
Here in Brazil, women does work in gas stations, but this is in the last 5 years. Women does have independence nowadays, but mainly fixing things, taking care of cars, putting the hand on greasy things is a "man thing".

Well, I think this list could go on and on...you found here many references...a starting point to think about the subject. A reminder to amplify your horizons and smell the world. Olfactive awareness is a very powerful tool!

Perfume Talk members all participated by giving me a list of fragrances that, in their opinion, brings manhood to the skin:

Silvio Levi, co-founder of Esxence - Antimatiere EDP by Le Nez  by perfumer Isabelle Doyen. In his opinion, this is the way every man should smell!
Dominique Archambou, fragrance passionate - Déclaration Cartier - or a dirty leather note or a barbershop scent, such as a classic fougére.
Ane Walsh, natural perfumer - Henna accords, oudh, musk, oakmoss, cedarwood, tarrangon, cardamom, hops, citruses combined with lavender and pines.
Shelly Waddington, natural perfumer - Costos, Iso Super, Saussurea lappas and cumin.
Amanda Feely, opera singer and perfumer - patchouli, cigar, woody smell and moss.
Eudiza Quevedo, a Mexican fragrance lover and blogger, editor of A MAL PARIDA - salty, marine, chlorine, sperm notes...something between the freshness of Hugo Boss and strong fragrances such as Polo, English Leather (reminds of her dad), Carlo Corinto (her grandfather), plus - notes of cumin, armpits, ink from the newspaper and gasoline.
Heidi Schoerder, a fragrance lover - gas station!
Stacey Moore, natural perfumer - a bundle of Northwood Twigs that she sell at work.
Michelyn Camen - fragrance editor for Ça Fleure Bon - Encre Noir - a fragrance by Lalique. Which I agree 100%!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Manhood, masculinity and scents - PART TWO



WHISKY
photo credit: www.gretereligion.org

Although some women do appreciate a good whisky (for me straight, no rocks), it is fair to say that it is mostly ordered by men. Women tend to order cocktails, wines, champagne, etc..."girlie stuff".
The smell of whisky is a mixture of molasses, grains (such as barley, rye, wheat) and oak wood. But since every distillery has its own recipe, whisky can vary according to the brand. Also the barrels can be made of other woods, such as cherry...than you can have a fruit accent to the whisky. But I am just a basic connoisseur ...so I won't give a lecture here. The thing is, whisky is such a masculine kind of thing. Classy while sipping, disgusting coming from the mouth of a drunk guy being totally inappropriate! And it is also a winter kind of smell. I just love the combination of the aroma of a good whisky and the smell of wood burning inside the fireplace  (not politically right, I know...), but still, it does smell wonderful! By the way - burning wood does have something to do with lumberjacks...doesn't it?

BO - ARMPIT
photo credit: www.news.sciencemag.org

It is sexy, it is a turn on...men have a special natural smell that can make women go up the walls. How men smell depends on their genes, what they eat and how frequently they bathe. Since women tend to care more about body odors, the smell of armpit is mostly related to men. Besides, according to scientists women's perception of BO is much intense than men's. Awareness is related to mating - and seems that we get to choose the best males to mate ;-). The fragrance blogger Annelie Högild, a married woman and mother of 2 boys men told me that men tend to smell different than teenagers. She said that the boys exhale a "puppy" kind of smell. I also read somewhere than men's BO are more cumin-scented and women tend to smell more like onions (ugh!).

Also in the same category, sweaty t-shirts and dirty sweaty socks are more likely to be related to men than to the feminine world. I know guys! You are all very clean and very perfumed...but every boy had his "no bath for me - stinky phase", which I doubt you know any girl who did!

"In 1996, Claus Wedekind, a zoologist at Bern University in Switzerland, conducted what's become known as the stinky T-shirt study. Wedekind had 44 men each wear a t-shirt for two nights straight, then tested how women reacted to the smelly shirts. Like mice, women preferred the scent of men whose immune systems were unlike their own. If a man's immune system was similar, a woman tended to describe his T-shirt as smelling like her father or brother." by Robert Ray Britt for Live Science.

URINOL
photo credit: www.vivercidades.org.br

The smell of piss is 100% masculine for one simple reason, we sit and they stand, frequently missing the target! According to Robert, female mice have an olfactive memory for the odor of the piss of their mate. WOW!

DEODORANT
photo credit: www.image.mirrors.co. uk

On the other hand, deodorant is also a "men thing". Have you notice that men have the bad habit of spraying deodorant all over themselves? Women don't do that! So, the very strong smell of cheap fragrance buffered by layers of clothes is just 100% masculine! Not to mention AXE deodorant...It takes me back to high school...it was a must then...OMG!


TO BE CONTINUED...

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Manhood, masculinity and scents - PART ONE

To Liam
Continuing inspired by barbershops and masculine products, I decided to research a little bit more about this world that fascinate all of us women. What are the scent, smells, aromas, fragrances connecting men to their manhood? Which are the olfactive memories that we have collected during all our lives that immediately bring us the image of men? Is there such a thing as "men's smells"?
Before any feminist jumps and makes angry remarks, I will list activities and things that TODAY may also belong to the feminine world, but due to the fact that they were originally, and for a long time associated to the masculine world, they are scent-connect to them:

CIGARS & TOBACCO SCENT

Photo credit: donpinocigars.com
It might be stinky for some, even offending for many, but the fact is, that for others, cigar  scent brings the olfactive memories of beloved relatives and friends. They feel secure once they are around it. I heard many people saying that he/she relates to the smell of cigars as an olfactive memory of their childhood.
Cigars were always related to the image of success. A pleasure for the elite, for men of wealth. Many private clubs had a lounge where men could gather to smoke their cigars and make business. Fine mansions used to have a library with leather chairs where men would sit, enjoy a good reading, and smoke his cigar. Some Gentlemen Private clubs, besides being a sanctuary where women were not allowed in, were places to savor a cigar.

Tightly rolled fermented and dried tobacco leaves are enjoyed by men since the early ages. The fermenting process is responsible for the cigar aroma, as the leaf dies slowly and gracefully. Unflavored cigars (the preference for purists) have a aromatic, honeyed, sweet smell.

"Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man's enjoyment of his cigar" - Mark Twain

POLISHED SHOES
Photo credit: life-trade.com
Although polishing shoes is not just for men, women tend to buy new ones when the ones she has in her wardrobe are not shinning as new anymore. I personally have Mink oil cream by Kiwi, to preserve my hiking boots, but mostly, the smell of polished shoes is one of the top listed smells of men. Also to remember, most men relates to military service memories when it comes to shoe polishing. Polished shinning boots is an order when Army is concerned. If not, army jail or 200 push ups in the middle of the night...
Polished shoes smells like a combination of leather and waxes. It can have a turpentine, bee wax, minky, carnauba smell combined with leather, depending on the product used on the shoes. A bit animalic, a bit chemical. The fact is, polished shoes comes also with the idea of a classic man, a refined man. A man who cares about his looks.

"you know the kind of man you are dating my darling, just looking at his shoes" - my grandfather wisdom.

CORDUROY SUITS
Photo credit: detailsmagazine.com
I know, I know...women wear plenty of corduroy! The thing is...we also wear a lot of scented products, including perfumes, that masks the scent of the fabrics we wear. When men wear winter suits, such as tweed and corduroys, the smell of the fabric is easily noticed and captured. Corduroy is a textile made of twisted fibers that are woven to be paralleled and form a cord pattern. Good corduroy is made of cotton and it has a typical man scent.

RECENTLY MOWED GRASS
photo credit: familytreeandturfcare.com

When women smell recently mowed grass, only one thought comes to her mind: my husband did not cut the grass as I told him to do it last weekend! Sometimes we also think about fragrances like Untitled by Margiela, but mostly, we think of men. I think it is because grass mowing is a hard job requiring some strength. The smell of recently cut grass is very green, fresh and said to be very relaxing. Freshly cut grass also brings the association of the sports played on field, mainly played my men originally. Today we have soccer, baseball polo female teams... but originally, they all were played by men.
The scent of cut grass is spread on the air when the blade cuts the fibers of the leaves. Volatile gases are released on the air and captured by our noses. To me, the smell of recently cut grass takes me back to my childhood, when I used to attend to Golf Championships. I loved to see men swinging their golf clubs. I also remember the joy I had to walk barefooted and feel the grass tickling between my little toes. All golf teachers were men. So to me, I relate to manhood 100%. 

TO BE CONTINUED...

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