The Nose Knows

Not Your Mother's Shalimar

There’s a new lady in town, and her beauty won’t stay bottled up for long.

The iconic bold fragrance in an Art Deco bottle.

Recently unveiled Shalimar L'Essence Eau de Parfum Intense features 

modern golden lettering and a vanilla-drenched profile. 

Eau de parfum from $115.

BY ALICE GARBARINI HURLEY

Shalimar, the storied French fragrance that has captured hearts and gazes since 1925, was the guest of honor in the Waldorf Astoria on January 31. To fete her 100^th birthday, a rejiggered version of the scent favored by screen sirens Marilyn Monroe and Rita Hayworth was uncapped, passed hand to hand, sprayed and sniffed in the hotel’s new fifth floor Guerlain Wellness Spa.

A clutch of 56 guests of Sniffapalooza, the fragrance fan group founded in 2004, were there to meet and greet the icon's little sister, while sipping mimosas and nibbling on pastel pink and green macarons. Many purchased bottles of either the classic or new Shalimar formula from the gilded Guerlain boutique on-site. Some had loved the scent since their late teens, when their mothers gifted them a bottle, a sign that they were finally women. The classic, time-tested eau de parfum starts at $110 a bottle.

“Shalimar was independence for women,” said Lee Davidson-Xhakollari, Guerlain Manager of Education. In the 1920s, women were cutting their hair shorter and swingy, freer flapper styles were emerging.

Shalimar introduced the first footed perfume bottle, on a pedestal, with a fluted "batwing" design and then a signature blue, fan-shaped Baccarat Crystal stopper.

The glamorous crystal stopper is now a thing of the past, 

though a blue cap, batwing shape and pedestal remain.

Vintage bottles, like this one from the 1940s or 1950s, are collectibles. 

Image from GoldenAgePerfumes, an Etsy seller from Kansas.  

                                                                The fragrance was "conceived in a garden of India."

Shalimar perfume history began with Shah Jahan, the 17th century Mughal emperor of India, who was mourning the death of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He built the Taj Mahal and the royal Shalimar gardens in her honor as a timeless tribute to their love. Inspired by this story, Jacques Guerlain created the sensual, opulent scent--the first amber--with woody, sweet and floral components. The blue, fan-shaped bottle stopper is said to be inspired by silverware owned by the Guerlain family.

On Saturday, guests passed around the footed and still sapphire-blue capped bottles, waving their wrists, or Guerlain paper cards, for first and second impressions. The intense contemporary eau de parfum “celebrates vanilla in every form,” according to Guerlain, incorporating precious Madagascan vanilla tincture. The “floral heart" blends bergamot with rose absolute and iris.  

“I like the original Shalimar better,” said veteran sniffer Judy Davis of New York City. "But," she cautioned, "you can’t buy a perfume online. I never have. You have to smell it.” 

Snowy Morning at the Waldorf

The group included “noses” who had traveled from Poughkeepsie, Philly or other parts of NYC. 

“This event sold out in six hours,” said Karen Dubin, founder and CEO of the fragrance group, “with a waiting list of 30.” She has collected scents since age 6 (Arpège by Lanvin) and has over 2,000 in her New York apartment. The original Shalimar “was too cloyingly sweet” for her. But the new Shalimar L'Essence Eau de Parfum Intense? “I’m wearing it and can’t stop wearing it,” Dubin said. She plans to spritz it on for cocktail parties.

You will have to mist your wrist and decide for yourself.

Sniffapalooza hosts several events a year, in places from far-flung Provence lavender fields to bespoke boutiques, including Frédéric Malle on Madison Avenue and Hermès. In the Waldorf Astoria lobby, a second Guerlain Boutique is fully stocked with fragrances, makeup (KissKiss Bee Glow Hydrating Tinted Lip Oil in a lavender hue, anyone?) and refillable candles, steps from the historic Peacock Alley Bar.

 

 

Working It in Red Shoes

Tory Burch Georgia Ballet Flats in Triple Red suede, on sale now for $129. I love the square toe, but admit they will look better on a demure foot than in my size 11. But still....

Pops of crimson footwear rocked two nights in a row this week at NYC events.

At a Work Like a Girl Q & A Tuesday on the Upper West Side (led by Erika Ayers Badan, kick-ass CEO and thinker, with trend forecaster Valerie Jacobs), a woman in the audience wore fresh red flats with dark neutral pants. The pants were the foil and the shoes were the pretty, energizing grounding. Like all flats, they looked good worn barefoot (or with low-cut, no-show Peds). Your pant hem should not drag or pool over the skimmers. Trim cropped or skinny pants work best. The shape of the shoe was feminine, the way it framed the foot, but not unprofessional. Fun. Work Like a (Very Smart) Girl and look good doing it, too.

For the on-stage discussion between Katie Couric and Bobbi Brown at the 92nd Street Y re the new book Still Bobbi, Katie chose strappy red slingbacks with a kitten heel. Bare legs, white button-down shirt, black and white delicately patterned midi-length skirt. The shoes were everything. Smooth-looking, shapely legs help. Made me think about how I need to moisturize more with a nice body butter. (Hello, looking at Homecourt's new body collection.)

And there was an audience question about red lipstick. Can everyone wear it?

"Absolutely not," Bobbi said. The color makes a strong statement and not everyone can or even wants to own that. It depends on your personality, she noted. On who you are.

"Does anyone in the audience have on red lipstick tonight?" she asked, to prove her point. One woman near the front waved her hand and pointed proudly to her mouth. But the auditorium was darkened.

Oh, and Bobbi had a clean, short mani in Poppy, her signature orange-red color. I've seen her wearing it on Instagram. I bought it in town at the Jones Road store and I love it, for pedis and manis. My home mani lasted for 5+ days without chips, and I do a lot of dishes and garden without gloves. The kit includes a two-in-one base and top coat.

I enjoy soaking up events like these not just for style and substance watching but also for being at the heartbeat of it all, New York, New York. 

The magical ruby slippers Judy Garland, age 16, wore in "The Wizard of Oz," 1939. Showing their age here, and drab and depressing compared to today's color-drenched footwear. 

Photo from The Smithsonian.

Feathering My Nest at College

My campus nest is for workdays, not overnights. This morning, Figgy and Dan suggested a few places to work out of the home. I've had trouble focusing in my office, and I work more productively in a shared space. I had already considered these and ruled them out.

1. Upper Montclair Starbucks. I know too many people coming in and out. Not a private office. Plus, memories of completing a very stressful writer's test on deadline there, at night. Just under the wire.
2. Java Love on Bellevue Avenue. It has many fans, but the tabletops are small and I wouldn't feel comfortable staying too long. Can't spread out with my accoutrements: Kate Spade pink Filofax, Lilly Pulitzer laptop case, Stashers bag.
3. Cedar Bean's Coffee in Cedar Grove. Too far to drive and the menu is not really my cup of coffee.
4. Clifton Public Library, Allwood branch. Dan loves working there and is there right now, but IDK, it just doesn't grab me.
5. Montclair Public Libraries. The one on Bellevue has charm and history, but not too much workspace, and it feels like just me and middle schoolers in the afternoon. I should be working on a geography report. (Do they still even teach geography?) The main branch, like Clifton, just doesn't grab me as a workspace. But I am grateful to have two fine public libraries in town with a trove of books, and they co-host important festivals, speakers and events.
6. Mercado on Valley Road. Good food but laptop limit windows and also, most people are there to talk and socialize, not work.

Figgy reminded me about the Montclair State University Library, so here I am. It was a hell of a steep hill to walk on campus but I did it. So that's an added benefit, about 40 min. round-trip walk for slow walker me. I got a latte at the new college Starbucks next-door and then sat outside at the tables to make work calls/set up interviews and eat my packed lunch. I didn't want to offend coffee lovers with the smell of lox. Look at my bowls, I love them:

I shopped Food52.com for 20 percent off spring refresh items for our home using code SPRUCEDUP but I think the code expired now. I saved a lot but most of all, found great style in the shop (spring wreath fresh from a farm in California, half-moon-shaped woven doormat, streamlined dish rack designed in Japan and garden gloves). I loved the set of small nesting bowls on 52 but that aqua (Sea Glass Swirl) one pictured on their site was not included in the set, and is so pretty. So I went to the source, Golden Rabbit Enamelware, and ordered this set of nesting bowls in Modern Monet. Dishwasher-safe. It helps that I grilled zucchini on the stove last night, so it was ready to go, along with rice and the fish.

I also went on my Zoom support group meeting at 7 a.m.! to start my day right. So I am feeling better, inch by inch. More productive, more purpose.

Step by step, dream by dream, goal by goal, one day at a time.

Vintage White Lace, Icing On a Cake

The Butterfield Skirt and matching cake,

PerennialSpring.com. Cake not available to order.

Designer Caily Herbert grew up down the block from us here in Montclair. Young Figgy received one of her girlhood dresses, a fancy hand-me-down, new with tags. Caily's been a baker, worked on a farm and in the book publishing world, involved with the (near) release of a very big book. She attended Bard College, in its magical perch overlooking the Hudson River.

But now, behold: Her dreamy, handmade clothing line fashioned from finite amounts of fabrics and trims that she found on her treasure hunts. Every garment is made-to-order.

From the PerennialSpring website: The Butterfield Skirt in eucalyptus green cotton, ever so slightly sheer. Order skirt with lining for ensured opacity. Garments pictured are unlined. Available in sizes XXS to 4X. (That's Caily modeling.)

I love this feminine circle skirt, made with vintage Schiffli lace trim that Caily says "looks like frosting on a cake." A long row of covered buttons at the side adds to the confectionery appeal. In one Instagram photo, Caily models the skirt while holding a blue frosted cake with careful swoops of white icing. "Correct accessory for the Butterfield Skirt," the caption says. If I get the skirt, it will be a splurge to wear as a feminine basic, with a black top and black capri leggings, since I am no longer twentysomething. A kitten heel would help, too. I love the color (my favorite), the cut, the swing, the buttons--and the cake lace. 👗👗🎂

This beautiful young woman can sew and bake...for her mom's milestone birthday party, she made a "Wedgwood" Cake modeled after the famous English china pattern dating to May 1759 and named for potter Josiah Wedgwood. Here's that iconic color scheme (BTW, the designer's mother, Kate, said both blue cakes tasted as good as they looked):

The 7-inch Magnolia Blossom vase from 2Modern.

Caily has a whole line of circle skating skirts with vintage ribbon trims. She styles them all with fun winter sweaters. You have to take a look.

Brushing up on Beauty Product Launches

The Tek purse set, with small oval paddle brush, comb and ecru cotton travel pouch. Handmade in Italy. I met the little fella through a Zoom product launch this week. It comes in red, pink (rosa), lime, orange, light blue and natural.

Let's play a game of telephone. You remember that, right? Someone starts a word or phrase and whispers it to the person beside them. The message is passed along and then the last person repeats what they heard. So funny. The words get scrambled and everyone laughs.

With social media saturation, beauty brands can share something new in a hurried whisper, putting product samples in the hands of influencers to keep the message accurate and on point. Bring on the views, the clicks, the purchases. The message is not garbled.

New beauty potions have long been delivered to magazines with opulent bouquets and gifts to catch the editor's eye. Then there are breakfasts, dinners, spa visits, treatments. (Try Botox on your lunch break, our treat.) I once went to a spa weekend in Montauk, in the Hamptons, for a product line launch. A party bus picked editors up in NYC after work. (My friend Moey watched young Figgy back home.) We had a lobster dinner, with lobster bibs, and played a game at the table that involved guessing things about the lipsticks.

Today, lavish events still happen, but cue the Zoom launch. You get an email invite (Tek's was from polished PR person Pauline). You RSVP. The samples are sent to your doorstep/mailbox, so you can try them, hold them. I don't pursue many invites, because they take time, unless I have a related assignment, or if the product catches my eye.

The Zoom is maybe 30 minutes, with colleagues and a beauty expert to talk about the brand. 

Snip, snap, done. Now here I am blogging about this purse set* from Tek, a brush company founded in Italy in 1977.

Until now, the other mini brush of my dreams was the travel gold hairbrush from Aerin. I loved it so much, I ordered it for Spice for Christmas 2023, when she was 16. Like Tek, it is also handcrafted in Italy. But beyond that, the little wonder is galvanized with 24k gold.

________________________________________________

*Tek's claims, abridged:

Our small purse brush made of 100% FSC®-certified ash wood, detangles without damaging the hair. The wood is stained in a water-based, non-toxic, non-allergenic colour, the handle is treated with vegetable waxes and oils...and the white cushion is in pure rubber. The small brush is practical to carry everywhere, whether traveling, at the beach or the gym. 

Our products are vegan and 100% FSC®-certified, meaning they are produced with the environment in mind. To further reduce their environmental impact, they come with unique and ecological packaging, highlighting our commitment to beauty and sustainability. 

Note from the Farmhouse: Thanksgiving In Maine

Saturday sunset, 4:11 p.m., Curtis Light in Camden, on the far right. I went lighthouse-chasing while Dan and his brothers took a walk. Fig saw a friend, and Spice was with her cousin and aunt.

View from the 100+-year-old farmhouse in Belfast, where we are staying. Pat and Martha bought it and made it into an amazing Airbnb.

At the Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine, on Friday.

                                          Cheese board, hot cider. See The Lost Kitchen.

Well, my fingertips have not touched this keyboard for days, despite my best intentions. Dan and I arrived by about 8 p.m. Wednesday to a Hannaford supermarket in Belfast stripped clean of every can of spray whipped cream, every drop of heavy cream, and even Cool Whip, even frozen vegan whip, everything. (The one thing I didn't hunt down was Dream Whip, sold in boxes.) We searched in desperation for the required pumpkin pie adornment. No one wants naked pie. But apparently, Thanksgiving brings on a dairy stampede. Belfast Variety, open 365 days a year, with gas pumps, had two tall cans of Oakhurst sweetened whipped cream and we went there first, so I got one. Luckily, as in other years, my sister-in-law Martha snapped up a quart of pure whipping cream before the shelves were bare.

I knew we should have gotten it in Montclair but Dan is always in too big a rush to start the long drive. Fortunately, I got a tub of dairy-free CocoWhip at Whole Foods West Orange on Tuesday to cobble together a vegan no-bake pie for Figgy.

It is late, already 10:45 p.m. I've been off-kilter. I ate too many sweets and probably should not have made Fig that pie, but rather bought a vegan dessert. The cobbled-together dessert had a graham cracker crust, vegan mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, peanut butter and that fluffy CocoWhip.

But would an alcoholic make spiked sangria? I was tempted and succumbed. Sugar addict layering sugary things. Nope, not good. 

Today is a new day.

We were all planning to drive back today, Sunday, but Dan really wanted to do this family hike at Camden Hills State Park, where they walked to a cabin and, incidentally, made s'mores and hotdogs. It was a big group, and sounds refreshing, but I can't hike a mountain. I get too tired. So I walked over the Belfast bridge in the bay, and that was pretty. Figgy drove Spice home to Montclair so they can go to work and school tomorrow. 

We have tasks and packing in the morning, so I better resort to a list here. I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving.

• Sitting with Figgy as she crocheted on a couch in the farmhouse. Hearing everyone compliment her on the sky-blue top and knee-length sweater coat she had made, and wore Thursday. I really don't want to write here about Spice. Things are still very rough around the edges. How much is enough? How much is too much? Questions from a battle-weary mother.
• Seeing our big family this long weekend. Nieces, nephews, nephew's adorable little boy, 100 percent Hurley, with that brown hair and mischievous spirit. Girlfriends, husbands. Dan's four brothers (John, Mike, Dave, Pat), their wives (Therese, Sheila, Martha). My mother-in-law! Four of her sons carried her into our car and she stayed in her wheelchair  for the holiday meal. Her daughter stuck close by her side.
• The turkey James carved perfectly, rich gravy, Martha's great salad with beets and apples, Ian's homemade rosemary dinner rolls! 
• The Lost Kitchen in Freedom, Maine. My niece Mariah told me about it on Thanksgiving. The holiday shops were open Friday and Saturday. Mariah thought I would like it. She was right. So did Spice. I got my first Erin French cookbook, with beautiful photos, stories and recipes; Maine taper candles; the restaurant's coffee bean blend from Deer Isle, etc. How could I not have known about this, and about Erin? She and her husband were outside, stoking fire pits and helping us find a seat. It was an experience to remember.
• Drove by the first house in Camden where poet Edna St. Vincent Millay lived as a girl. Did not want to be a stalker, and house number (100) was not visible. 
• Curtis Point Lighthouse, so lovely with its green beacon. Good view from the overlook.
• The winter star was lit atop Mount Battie. I saw it on my 6 p.m. drive back to Belfast.
• The lavender store, which I always love, and the Swans Island shop, with blankets and scarves, both in Camden. Beautiful. 
• The Christmas tree by the Belfast Post Office is shining bright. The tree lighting was yesterday.
• Walk over the Belfast bridge. Chilly but pretty.
• Cup of cinnamon-orange tea with my niece Leah today in her Dad's comfy High Street kitchen. Long talk. We've grown closer.

 

Mindful Sweaters from Brooklyn, Coffee Beans for a Cause

A  juicy orange 🍊 YETI cup, a soft, stylish sweater sustainably knit from recycled Italian yarn--everything with the bonus of giving bucks back to research into Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, autism, mental health. Happy Mother’s Day (and more) shopping.

https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/mothers-day-gifts-support-research-neurologic-disorders

🛍️ 

Fashion Fun: Meeting Hadley Pollet

Hadley Pollet and me. Note my new large navy makeup bag, 

which I had been eyeing on the website. It matches my denim dress.

In 2007, Dan and I did group training sessions to be foster parents, in our quest to add a second baby permanently to our family (hello, Punch in lavender fleece onesie, though a year later, your living situation would change and be on a long pause for years, years that affected hearts and souls). 

Our classes were taught by a mother-daughter pair, two pretty blondes from a nice pocket of New Jersey.

When I'm a student, I spend a lot of time studying my teacher's outfits. What else is there to look at in a state-mandated class? Back in high school, I studied my English teacher's nude pantyhose and ladylike heels, a male teacher's tweed blazers and gum-soled shoes. My college professors in Women's Studies varied, from scary well-known feminist (scary as in brisk and unfriendly, wearing business attire) to hippie from New York City, with long flowing hair and chunky, arty jewelry. 

The daughter in this mother-daughter pair of foster parenting teachers had a belt I loved. She was slim and wore it with her blue jeans. It had a tortoise tone buckle. I complimented her on it one week and then another. Finally, she said, "It's expensive, but you have to remember it's reversible, so it's like getting two belts for the price." I got a bee in my bonnet. I love feminine, and retro feminine, accessories. The floral patterns were just so pretty. Beautiful art as eye candy. I wanted one. The teacher told me they were made by a young woman named Hadley Pollet, and I started internet sleuthing.

I ordered a belt from the website (my waist was smaller then, but I hope to get back to that beauty, can't now close the size XL); a makeup bag with ribbon trim; a size XL top with rows of pretty ribbon forming fluted cuffs; a ribbon headband; a leopard print clutch; and fell in love in person with a large pink travel tote with brown ribbon trim at Thread, a Montclair boutique. That tote went on every road trip with me and even plane trips, until Sis got me a carry-on with wheels, far more practical at an airport than a heavy shoulder tote. I still love that tote. Then, on sale in 2018 with free shipping, the Pink Flutter Top (XL). Take a look. It's that gorgeous ribbon on the hem that I could not resist. I looked at it, looked away, looked back again.

I wore the Flutter Top with an open pink cardigan sweater over it in 

Palm Beach. (Link to photo here.)

But now that it’s getting hot, I will experiment a little. That ribbon against the black!!!

Thursday night, Sis and I met Hadley Pollet at an evening wine and hors d'oeuvres event in Greenwich, Connecticut, where the designer debuted her home line (pillows, table linens, lovely, especially the former). We enjoyed passed nibbles at The Country Table: Pea soup shooters with chile oil; fried chicken bites with housemade ranch dressing; prosciutto-wrapped asparagus; and stacked, squared "grown-up grilled cheese." Each waitress had a lemon half on the serving tray, for guests to put the toothpicks in after use. 

It was eye-opening, the pops of color, the flowers spilling over, the well-dressed, toned women and men, the lustrous gold leather on some purses, the always alluring belts, especially a pink plaid floral that reminded me of a 1950s picnic dress.

Hadley was warm and friendly and fun. Sis left with a peek-a-boo clutch she purchased and I bought a large navy makeup bag, so crisp and pretty. The company is women-run and supports causes for women and girls.

A note about how it all began, according to the Hadley website:

Hadley’s original signature belt designs sprung from inspiration while at Rhode Island School of Design. Her unique style caught the eyes of many when she wore a belt made of vintage ribbon and a tortoise buckle to a birthday party in Boston where several people asked where she got her belt. And with the blink of an eye, she started her business and never looked back. Since then, her line has expanded into a lifestyle brand for high-spirited, powerful women.

And here's a notice from the NY Times in 2002.

I'm happy Sis and I went! Good night.

The abundant flowers.

A former Hadley employee with a ribbon belt 

tied to the shoulder strap of her dress.

Sis surveying the event. She enjoyed it.

Good night to you.

Sniffapalooza Strikes Again

Today's brand also sells a Perfume Gun, packaged in what looks like a cleaning spray bottle.

We might be wine buffs, swirling reds and whites in balloon glasses and comparing notes, then perhaps buying an expensive bottle or three. Or cacao connoisseurs, nibbling on squares of midnight dark bars and barks to access smoothness, depth of flavor, how the texture melts on the tongue.  

But we are fragrance fans/followers/enthusiasts/collectors, and we follow the noses of Karen Dubin and Karen Adams of Sniffapalooza, founded in NYC by the first Karen in 2002. We sniff and spritz to our hearts' content.

This time, Sis (my sister, MaryAnne, from Connecticut) and I trekked into the Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Boutique on Madison Avenue at 72nd Street, not far from Ralph Lauren. The intimate space was packed with at least 40 people for an 11 a.m. start. Men and women in Burberry, good shoes and cool eyeglasses. A pretty redhead in a long Barbie-pink gown. Asian, White, Black perfume and overall style lovers. Young people just starting out, taking notes on an iPad, and older people, like me, who slipped out of my pumps and into my comfy sneakers after the event. Girlfriends telling each other their birthdays were coming up, so maybe they could gift themselves. Fragrance fans who knew to lift the glass dome off a scented candle and smell the dome. (Still an amateur, I had lifted the wax candle to my nose.)

A chic boutique staffer in all black, Gilda Atlan-Perez, offered a large tray of mimosas in slender flutes, then a platter of small pastries and mini muffins.  

"Don't be shy," she said as she moved around the room. It was, after all, Sunday brunch time.

When I said no thank you, Gilda said, "You don't drink champagne? You're not French, huh?"

We laughed. But she surely was French, presumably Parisian. Refreshingly over 50, slim and beautiful, not too tall. Black pantsuit, impeccable black suede booties with low heels and squared gold buckles, cleanly filed nails polished red, large pearl button earrings, black hair swept back off the face and slightly flipped at the bottom. Gilda was charming. And her eyes and the soft skin around them had depth, the depth that comes from living life.

Why the party (which Sniffapalooza charged $20 to attend)? Frédéric Malle, the Frenchman who famously started out at Barneys New York, is unveiling a new fragrance on April 17: Acne Studios par Frédéric Malle. 

Acne Studios is a Stockholm-based fashion house known for its distressed denim, footwear, wool scarves and more. (The acronym initially stood for Associated Computer Nerd Enterprises. Later a backronym was announced: Ambition to Create Novel Expressions.) This new fragrance joins Malle's Portrait of a Lady, Lipstick Rose, Carnal Flower and others released in collaboration with famous noses. 

A young perfumer, Suzy Le Helley, 32, and Acne's Jonny Johansson are behind the new "clean laundry" layered scent. 

The buildup was brisk. "I will take just a few minutes of your time and then we are going to smell it," said perfume and education advisor Josh Mayhew, who led today's masterclass. He and Gilda passed around white cards spritzed with the scent. We waved them and inhaled. Josh asked the audience to call out words to describe it.

Layered, soft, sweet, musk, powdery, floral, soapy, clean, the people said. Sis and I really liked it. It smelled really good. I noticed layers of fragrance right away, not just one or two pronounced notes. In an instant, I imagined myself wearing it, smelling fresh and delicious, and confident about that, and thinking that other people would notice my clean, lovely scent. It could become my signature.

Then Josh let the cat out of the bag. "It's rose, violet and orange blossom with peach and incense, all resting on top of a white musk base. It smells like fresh clothing, fresh linen, fresh clean garments but with a French twist, a floral from another time."

"We all own a lot of perfumes, all of us," said Sniffapalooza co-founder Karen Dubin after Josh's presentation. But she didn't talk long, because she and everyone else wanted to dash off and smell the hair mist, the body butter and rubber incense. The boutique extended a 15 percent discount to us ("unheard of," they said, because fragrances don't go on sale), and everyone received a parting gift, an elegant rubber incense disc to hang in a closet or cupboard and three fragrance samples. We carried our loot out in the brand's small orange shopping bag.

Since a 50 ml bottle of perfume spray costs $295 here, it is not in my immediate future. (Sis always loves irises, in both real flower and bottled fragrance form, so I had scoped out the Iris Hand Cream* last night and she bought a small tube.) But I love a good glimpse of beautiful people and a beautiful scent on a Palm Sunday morning in New York. 

FYI, here is Vogue's report on the Acne Studios perfume launch.

*From the website:

Frédéric Malle was inspired by the history of iris as precious perfume for the gloves and hands of the Medici family. 

Its subtle, silky texture was harnessed by Olivia Giacobetti with musk and cedar to produce a clean, soft scent, combined with the perfect textural balance: shea butter, vitamin C and lemon tree honey make for a rich, nourishing cream that absorbs instantly, to fully hydrate your skin. 

Writing of Washing Machines

Today I wrote long and hard about the nuts and bolts of the best front-loading washing machines. By that I mean the superior models as judged by professional colleagues in thorough hands-on testing. The smartest front loaders, with intuitive sensors and features, apps to control cycles from the living room, etc. And just like wanting a new winter coat, wool sweater or dark chocolate brand when writing about those, I want one of these, too. Hell, all the ones the editors picked are excellent, but the four below stand out for me. I also love the color choices like Candy Apple Red, Champagne and Forest Green to elevate a drudge chore to glory. 

Our old white Whirlpool top-loader keeps powering on, so I will not be getting one of these any time soon. But when I see my sister's neatly stacked washer and dryer off the kitchen; my sister-in-law Eileen's handy setup of two big, nice-looking front loaders right off the bathroom; and my sister-in-law Martha's side by side machines, also near the bathroom, I want that. We have to walk from the top floor to the basement--4 flights of stairs--to get to our very basic laundry setup. We have lived in our home since 1994, a full 30 years this coming November. We inherited/purchased the previous owners' washer and dryer and had to replace both at least once in these three decades.

Noting sexism: Why do I say "Martha's" machines when she lives with her husband/my brother-in-law Pat? Laundry is not only a woman's domain anymore, not even in my house. And I think it's the technological advances, the bells and whistles, that are drawing more and more men into the laundry room. That and the fact that they need clean clothing and towels and their partners are busy living life, whether they work hard (chore and family wise and/or professionally) at home or away. 

LG WashTower in Candy Apple Red, about $2,500 or more. The washer and dryer are connected, with one control panel in the middle.

 Beko RecycledTub front-load washer. The eco tub is made from 60 recycled plastic bottles. In white, it costs about $1,400 online.

Miele washer in Lotus White with QuickIntenseWash cycle, over $2,000. I also want a pretty Miele canister vacuum in Curry Yellow. I've gone into the vacuum store on Valley Road to fawn over one. But it costs over $800. Maybe one day, bc I believe it will work and work and last and last. It will add fashion and beauty to our home, and our home will be cleaner.

GE Profile 2-in-1 Washer/Dryer Combo on sale on Amazon 

for under $2,000 but about $2,500 on GE.com. Take a look at this great video, featuring a model who is definitely not June Cleaver but very modern. Love it.

Speaking of wringers, wringing and wringing one's hands, I'm trying to keep my distance from teen drama. No amount of hand wringing and stress can stop it.

That's it, that's all. Good night, let's float off on bubbles to dreamland.

Postcard from My Life

Dan and me last Monday in The Sunshine State. We flew down for five nights to attend the wedding of Florida Orange, our goddaughter. We stayed in Homestead, where the wedding took place. The drive to Miami was about 40 minutes. Photo by Punch.

I can't believe I haven't blogged since November.

On the other side of our Florida trip, I wanted to jot a few notes. We returned last Wednesday.

We packed not just our suitcases, with swimsuits, sunscreen, and wedding clothes, but also our complicated and wrinkly-crinkly personalities, of course. Dan booked on Travelocity and instead of the two lovely, chilled, carefully decorated and kitchen- and laundry-equipped Airbnb homes we splurged on the last two years (the first was steps from the beach), this was the Travelodge by Wyndham Florida City Homestead Everglades motel with a free hot breakfast. (Even so, it was about $1,000 total for five nights and every room was full, many with foreign tourists.) We also had to get plane tickets for three of us, etc. and not overspend. (Fig flew JetBlue and has rewards.)

We did relax, even though we shared one room with two queen beds. I tried to prepare myself mentally ahead of time for that togetherness. (Figgy spent three out of five nights with the bride in Boynton Beach.) We were busy a lot. A rental car means everything. We explored Key Largo a little; drove to South Beach, Miami and enjoyed the gorgeous blue water and the beauty of the breeze; attended the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. Three of Dan's four brothers and two of my sisters-in-law flew down from Maine, and it was fun catching up among palm trees, also with the parents and brothers of the bride!

Figgy, 28, and Punch, on the cusp of 17, at the wedding. 

Torrential rain in the botanic garden outside, so Punch put on a sweatshirt.

My sister-in-law Martha texted this, saying Figgy's look 

reminded her of  the Portrait of Madame X painting 

by John Singer Sargent, 1884. 

I checked out the Robert Is Here tropical fruit stand, colorful and fun. It was under "Things to Do" on the couple's Knot website. I got a fresh mango smoothie with Splenda and had them add raw kale. That was healthy but the green hue not nearly as nice as pure sunny mango would have been on a rainy Florida day. I drove 15 minutes to a Sprouts supermarket, which I hadn't been able to find at home.  They carry the California brand Sweet Laurel's baking mixes (healthy, no refined sugar, also vegan for Fig). They only had the scone mix, but I scooped it up and tucked the pretty pink box in my carry-on.

Punchy did some good things. Florida Orange and Figgy invited her to hang with them and sleep over one night, so she took the train from the Miami Airport to Boynton Beach, responsibly and safely. Dan got her on the train and FLO and Fig met her on the other end. She also went back and forth to the Travelodge pool, sporting her sunglasses and a nice black swimsuit I got her. 

That afternoon in South Beach was pricey, as New York City would be for out-of-towners who don't know the place well. But we had the most enormous slices of pizza I have ever seen, just positively giant. We watched volleyball games with the sea as a backdrop. Driving back to Homestead, Punch and I drifted off into peaceful late afternoon naps after breathing in that beach air. That was a gift.

FLO and Eric tie the knot. Sweet couple. 

They crushed on each other back when; Eric is a friend of FLO's older bro.

Figgy and FLO before.

Figgy and FLO day after wedding.

Dan and FLO.

************************************

I stopped blogging because I wanted to dig in more to writing for pay, and I have. I wanted to stop spending day after day focused on a teenager's life, fielding calls from the high school, swinging at a curve ball with a ping-pong paddle. My efforts seemed fruitless. I was and am a caring witness but no one is equipped to fully fix things, not the trained staffers at a huge public school, though they tried, and surely not Dan or me. Punchy's out-of-district school placement since last March has helped greatly. I have six hours without phone calls and worries, without requests to come get her. She is in a safer place. We also consider her over-one-year relationship with her supportive boyfriend (blog name Great Smile Deep Thinker) helpful.

Still, even with the uninterrupted time, it's a bit of a crawl to make meaningful money. Publications like Brain & Life (about living with neurological diagnoses, from Alzheimer's disease to Parkinson's) pay five times as much as my lifestyle writing--which is called content production now, for the website of the golden Seven Sisters* magazine I will always hold close to my heart. But after 100+ years, that magazine has cut back from 12 issues a year to six. It's sad. Advertisers want instant clicks and purchases. They can't wait around for glossy print ads to grab a reader's purse strings. Everything is #rightnow.

I'm happy to say I've enjoyed all of the assignments. New skills. Anyway, here are three of my most recent articles:

• 12 Best Laundry Detergents of 2024, According to Cleaning Pros Good Housekeeping website
• Young Romeo & Juliet, Neurodiverse Production Brain & Life website and print magazine (subscriptions are free, and bilingual)
• Behind The Design: 5 Creative Questions With Sarah Sherman Samuel aspire design and home website

I'm broadening my horizons and it's great to be working closely again with one of my GH colleagues. 

But a funny thing happened.....just as writing about fashion eventually pumped up my style wanting and spending, even writing about CLEANING PRODUCTS has affected my buying of those. 

It's always been the case, the whole point of lifestyle writing featuring products is to make people want to get stuff. Turns out this can also work with the writer. 

I've now purchased Diptyque (pronounced DIP-TEAK) made-in-Paris wood and leather polish; Dreft baby laundry detergent in the pink bottle (I had a $3 coupon and after all, wrote "The rest of the family will also like the beloved 'Baby Fresh' scent that Dreft delivers," which I have found to be true when I could finally nab a bottle at my store) and reconnected with Caldrea, a brand I met on a Hudson Valley weekend 10 years back but hadn't encountered since. I also bought Safely detergent in a pretty colored jug at Whole Foods on Madison Avenue one Saturday when I had the car in NYC. 

These four purchases racked up a lot of spending but I think it's productive spending, as in cleaning our old wood and making the laundry smell lovely if I can. As Moey's mother, Muriel, wisely told me when I was a newlywed, getting a cleaning product that smells good helps you do the chore.

Good night to you.

*Seven Sisters can refer to a climbing hybrid rose, a cluster of stars or the group of women's (or formerly women's) colleges in the eastern U.S. having high academic and social prestige. It includes Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar and Wellesley. 

For the magazine world, I like this Wikipedia definition:

The Seven Sisters is a group of magazines that has traditionally been aimed at married women who are homemakers with husbands and children, rather than single and working women.^[1] The name is derived from the Greek myth of the "seven sisters", also known as the Pleiades. A major force in 20th century American publishing, only three of the magazines are still published as physical magazines:

• Better Homes and Gardens (1922–)
• Family Circle (1932–2019)
• Good Housekeeping (1885–)
• Ladies' Home Journal (1883–2016)
• McCall's (1873–2002)
• Redbook (1903–2019)
• Woman's Day (1937–)

Check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seven_Sisters_(magazines) for more details.