dimanche 6 mai 2012

L'Ombre sur le Lac




Most of the time, synesthesias first come when testing a perfume (for the first time or after numerous tryouts). It’s actually really rare that for me to think of a peculiar perfume while looking at a picture or listening to music or watching a movie. But it has occured with this painting, The Lady of Shalott by the british preraphaelite painter John William Waterhouse, inspired by the same name poem by Alferd Tennyson. The expression of the Lady, the somehow faded colors and, most of all, the infinite melancholia emitted by this painting made me immediately think of L’Ombre dans l’Eau, by Diptyque. A french perfume with the most british twist. A green rose, crused leaves and blackcurrent. The scent of spring. It could have been a sparkling joyful perfume but it sets me on the contrary in a beautifully sad state of mind.

The scent of a melancholic landscape in a preraphaelite painting.





L’Ombre dans l’Eau, Diptyque (1983)
The perks of being a desperate romantic.

 Illustration : John William Waterhouse, The Lady of Shalott, 1888

Witches and Wizards


I know it might appear as totally crazy to some of you but an evidence appeared to me a few days ago, while I was watching some music videos by Kate Bush, an artist that I strangely love to listen to during this period of the year (few weeks before Halloween, I thing it’s pretty normal for an artist
who makes witches music).



Well anyway I was watching her videos* and while I came to Running Up That Hill, I had an illumination : “This is so Serge Lutens-esque ! “  I mean, really, I noticed a strong connection between her visual identity and Serge Lutens universe, especially his pictures. And then I naturally
thought of his perfume. Which Lutens fragrance could be combined with this great music ?




I know Luten’s creationg are strongly inspired by the Middle-East and East of Asia, by orientalism and exotism. But the fragrances that are more inspired by Europe also don’t lack mysticism (think about Chêne, Iris Silver Mist, Un Lys, Rousse, even Féminité du Bois). A mysticism which could suit Kate’s Bush somehow strange and fairy world.
I first thought about Féminité du Bois (don’t ask me why) but then I thought of the delicate and powdery Clair de Musc. Clair de Musc, definitely a perfume for a wood nymph, created by a wizard of scent.

*(and I also learned that some people are actually convinced that’s she’s a copycat of Florence and the Machine. I didn’t even wanted to try to understand)