On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 11:14 AM, Supriya Nair <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I share some of your distaste for the critical venting of spleen, Deepa, but > I think in this case the fault lies with me, for quoting the most > eye-catching part of a free-wheeling and catholic review of a well-judged > book, and not with Turin and Sanchez. > > I don't think they dismiss scents on a popularity basis. *Slate* carried a > review last week which carries a couple of nice things they say about famous > perfumes: http://www.slate.com/id/2190277/ > > Their snappy reviewing style is interesting to me for the reasons Udhay > mentions above. To my blunted sense of smell, the simile-laden strings of > press-release perfume descriptions mean zilch - the emotional and > intellectual consideration attached to [some of] these reviews keeps me more > interested. > > Supriya.
Hey Supriya! First of all, nice to e-meet you...and I do agree, what's biting is MUCH more interesting than what is polite! (I have just been re-reading some Jane Austen, and this is so true even in the more gentle form of her wit! "The visit (by relatives) was ideal in being far too short." And while I hold some opinions on how opinions should be expressed, I don't think that everyone should, or would, do things the way I want them to be done, unless of course I become Supreme Potentate of the Universe. I *am* working on that... Cheers, Deepa. > > > > On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 1:02 AM, Deepa Mohan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > On Fri, May 2, 2008 at 12:32 AM, Supriya Nair <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > wrote: > > > Turin and Tania Sanchez' book of perfume criticism is something I have > > > wanted to read since the minute I read this review of the > > > book< > > > http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2008/03/10/080310crbo_books_lanchester?printable=true > > > > > > . > > > > > > That, it turns out, is relatively mild, as their criticisms go. > > Consider > > > 212, from Carolina Herrera: "Like getting lemon juice in a paper cut." > > > Amarige, from Givenchy? "If you are reading this because it is your > > darling > > > fragrance, please wear it at home exclusively, and tape the windows > > shut." > > > Heiress? "Hilariously vile 50/50 mix of cheap shampoo and canned > > peaches." > > > Princess? "Stupid name, pink perfume, heart shaped bottle, little crown > > on > > > top. I half expected it to be really great just to spite me. But no, > > it's > > > probably the most repulsively cloying thing on the market today." Hugo, > > the > > > men's cologne from Hugo Boss? "Dull but competent lavender-oakmoss > > thing, > > > suggestive of a day filled with strategy meetings." Love in White? "A > > > chemical white floral so disastrously vile words nearly desert me. If > > this > > > were a shampoo offered with your first shower after sleeping rough for > > two > > > months in Nouakchott, you'd opt to keep the lice." Lanvin's Rumeur gets > > a > > > one-word review: "Baseless." > > > > > > Admire and appreciate that Turin is apparently a biochemist > > "specialising in > > > the creation of new smells." > > > > > > I suppose these are maestros of scent who know exactly what they are > > talking about...but such destructive criticism, while it sounds very > > witty, makes me, personally, very uncomfortable, because it posits a > > stance of "only my viewpoint is valid and the people who use these > > scents are idiots". Scents are so subjective that I cannot understand > > how any one opinion can be the only valid one. And I am with the > > snobbery of "I am so expert that I can slate every perfume which is > > popular." > > > > "If this > > > were a shampoo offered with your first shower after sleeping rough for > > two > > > months in Nouakchott, you'd opt to keep the lice." > > > > > > Oh, come ON! This sounds so clever and mordant...but Mr. Scent Expert, > > I would NOT opt to keep the lice after two months in Nouakchott, > > wherever that may be. > > > > > > Does expertise only mean looking down (looking down one's nose is an > > apt image here!) on others? I understand that some of us have much > > more highly educated noses than others..but surely every scent under > > the sun has its place somewhere in the Universe! "I don't like it" is > > acceptable to me, "No one should like it" is not. > > > > In fact, the same fragrance may affect one differently depending on > > the context. When I was walking through the State Forest at > > Devarayanadurga, the scent of the wild jasmine was everywhere. It is a > > strong and heady aroma, and I loved it; my memories of the day are > > completely tinged with that scent. But I would never buy such a strong > > scent as a perfume-in-a-bottle. > > > > My earliest memories are of "Tata Eau de Cologne" (applied to my > > forehead in a folded hanky, whenever I was running a high > > temperature), and I always associated the smell of "Tata Shampoo" > > (remember that annular bottle > > those-who-were-brought-up-at-that-time-in-India?) with clean hair. > > They were, probably, very hoi polloi scents; but I cannot change my > > "Tata Aroma" memories. > > > > Hmm...this smells like a rant... > > > > Deepa. > > > > > > > -- > Doo-bop. >
