Chandler Burr Untitled S01E03 - Page 4

Awesome! Glad you got it in time!!!

Glad you're digging into the citrus. I think that's very cool (and very believable, IMO) that you can diagnose Iso E Super by the diagnostic headache. Several women here get the exact same thing. I just get a sporadic "feeling" in my head from it, but it's not consistent enough to really call it trustworthy.

So you think it's a musk + Iso that gives it the buzzing? That's very interesting!!! And you mention hedione, too. Are there certain components used intentionally for the buzzing, or is it more of a "side-effect"? Fascinating stuff!!!

Whip smiley? You need to whip rogalal for making ladies wear Old Spice!

I think it's a fascinating world where one can discuss perfumes gently with the stiffs at the Basenotes Club, or go hang out at Katie's Saloon de Parfum and take your chances on a bit more action!


Yes, I'm glad that my blindfold finally stayed on this time!


I'm getting a lot more than just Chandler's artistic lessons out of these sniffs. I'm learning a great deal about how people as a whole actually perceive things.


You shall soon have your wish! I may opt for a small bottle - we'll see.....


Absolutely. I'm bored with it in the same way that I am with 80-90% of what I see in any art exhibition. It's one of the pieces which are pleasant and interesting for a moment. Every new picture, sculpture, or presentation brings the fresh possibility of something to fall in love with. But in the end, only a few pieces in the exhibit will stay with me for life. Perhaps one or two will touch me deeply. This was not one of those.

I was already well-acquainted with S01E01, so that was interesting but nothing new. Chandler's take was an interesting new perspective. S01E03 is also interesting in that it was a great lesson. But the one which affected me most deeply was store-bought Mugler Cologne, approximated by S01E02. MC is one of the pieces I will remember for life.

I'm already excited about S01E04, to be honest. NEXT! (Seriously, I almost don't give a crap about the reveal. Now THAT is not what I expected.)

Yes, I'm really happy to have gotten to this stage. I think this is very close to the pure enjoyment of fragrance for its own sake.

I know there has been criticism of the idea that Chandler hasn't removed ALL of the labeling (or has replaced some of it with his own), but I have to say - removing 95% of it works wonders.

And that last 5% is debatable. Yes, it's true that these fragrances are slightly tinged with "Chandler thinks they're worthy". But honestly - if that's 5% labeling, nobody is reading that part of the label anyway. I see nothing but disagreement with authority day in and day out on Basenotes. Only the n00biest of n00bs cares what anybody else thinks. We only work on how to be more diplomatic in our disagreement. Honesty in fragrance is the hallmark of the post-n00b. So I contend that the label is utterly gone.

Some of that is undoubtedly due to the fact that there is one teacher and a hell of a lot of us class rowdies in here.




Has the Anonymous Kid been shooting up the floors again over at Katie's place? Tarnation!

Seriously, I looked over there and didn't see any LOLs at Irina - somebody must have cleaned up the mess.


Yes - I have paid a lot more and gotten a lot less out of fragrances. This is working for me!


There is a real nozzle-smell on this stuff. I didn't realize what it was, though. Very interesting.

LOL - the cigarette thing is something I got, too, but I really had to try to recall that smell you get right when you open up the cellophane. A very faint paper/tobacco, that is a real distortion of the smell of the cigs themselves. I think it makes a good analogy for me at least, because the tobacco note is so faint to my nose.

The show must go on!

Seriously, a good question - but I think it will go on. Remember - there are a lot of lurkers. And each new fragrance is its own story. If the next one looks like a style that's been neglected so far, there could be a real spike in interest.

So I do hope there is an S01E04. Very much!

More than that, the show is going on in two more ways I just found out about:

(1) The Museum is organizing a sniffing event in NYC in September, in conjunction with IFF. I just got an email about it. I am certain that some of the people who are either on this thread or following it will want to go. I will probably post a thread about this later. If I can possibly convince any of you people to do this, I will try. This is priced right for people like us - they have to be taking a loss on this, but it's basically for the Museum. I will just say this for now - I have met the people who are doing this thing, and they're wonderful, amazing folks, who you read about in my articles. This is your chance to meet them and learn from them. This is much more nerdy and of interest to perfumistas than the next item, though some of the die-hards will love that, too.

Here is info for the event in question. If you are interested, PM me a regular email address, and I will auto-forward the email I got (it has a forwarding link). They need 20 people minimum and 30 maximum. I don't know if they even have openings still, but I just got it, so......


Like I said - highly recommended. I hope they fill it up.

(2) The Museum has just announced the opening gala for the Art of Scent exhibit. A bit pricey - this is more for people who want to be patrons of the Museum and schmooze with the olfactorati. It includes one of Chandler's famous scent dinners. Now this thing may be a little ritzy for some of us, but the normal opening day should be at roughly the same time, I'd gather, and that presumably isn't going to be as exclusive. But if you've ever had a hankering to get close to the core of perfumery in a big way, no chance like this one. This is a big deal.

http://madmuseum.org/events/visionaries-gala

This is in late November. My boss says I have to take some vacation this year, so I'm probably hitting either the IFF trip or the exhibit opening. (My wife will bean me over the head if I even talk about the gala event!)

Me too!


I really wanted to stay focused on the tuning fork, so I intentionally avoided defocusing. You were braver than I was.

Did. Not. Look at your guesses - except for the first.


LOL! Here's to many embarrassing facepalms!


In the end, I think that most people are not so embarrassed for others saying how they feel, as they are for realizing that they themselves don't have the courage of the perfumer. Blush on, Sister!


Yes - I met Veronique at the Speed Smelling event, and Ron, the headmaster of their perfumery school, when I visited the Manhattan Creative Center. This is like getting to live that article, only more. This time, I think the day includes the botanical gardens, some actual lab sniffing with Ron, and something else I dare not look up on my iPad, or I'll lose this post. And then it ends up with a private scent party at MiN, basically. The full agenda is in that email - that's why I'm offering to forward it. My visit to IFF was something of a life-changing event as a perfumista. That's why I'm so encouraging on this. This would be an ultimate fragrance vacation, and reasonably priced, too. Noseneyland vacation!

Dictionary attack!

I respond with.....

Thesa[u]ron!


Go, Thesauron! Beat Team Redact!




You're right. The more one knows about the effort and care (even love) that goes into fragrances in general, the easier it is to respect not only other people's pet fragrances, but even all the "stuff" that surrounds making them on a massive scale.


LOL!

Honestly, we haven't been THAT nice to Chandler. I mean, we talk about him as if he isn't even in the room. Doing the same to the guy in the next cube at work would be rude as hell.

Although I have to admit that I *love* the word unctuous. There should be no leather hotpants that are not completely "unctuous" (having a "greasy" or "soapy" feel). Oh, ___yeah___.

Hmmm. Maybe they intended unctuous as a compliment!


Yes, blind sniffage is very "in" right now, that is FOR SURE!

Go get 'em!


This word is definitely getting some play!

I'm wondering if dictuous and trictuous might be even more the "playas"!


Awesome! Great idea. Thanks for getting the word to us on this, Mark. I have a couple of questions I definitely want to ask!

Sorry that it's not working for you. If it's any consolation, I think that the point of these examinations isn't necessarily to enjoy the fragrances, as it is to find and recognize patterns that somebody else has seen, and which are tightly coupled with both creative intention and technical innovation. So don't feel bad at all for not finding these compositions pleasant. Even as I find both interesting and pleasant aspects, I am running into unpleasant ones at the same time.

And don't be hard on yourself. I contend that all humans are basically nose-blind, or at least unable to interpret olfactory signals with any real power.


Whatever the reason, I will continue to love Katie no matter what. She is a breath of fresh air in the olfactory world, and is the Aphrodite of my olfactory pantheon. Whatever happens in her perfumed clouds, nobody can change how I feel about her, or what she has done for fragrance.

I hope that nothing we said or did here contributed to this, though I suspect it would be impossible for us not to have affected things in some ways. Just for clarification, in case it wasn't obvious, my reference to "Katie's Saloon" was perhaps more of a compliment than everybody realized. Nobody who understands my roots would doubt that. I truly appreciate the fact that there was a livelier place than Basenotes where this was being discussed, even if I'm a bit too sensitive to go there. Deep down, I guess I'm a bit of a tenderfoot, and afraid to venture into the livelier parts of town. But if Katie wishes to reconsider reposting her threads, I would be completely behind it. The fragrant world cannot be anything but a lonelier place without her, and her posse.


Bless you, Friede! My wife is already putting her foot down on those more expensive options, and I like being married too much to try moving it.


LOL!!! I hear you, but I'd also love to hear you elaborate after the reveal!

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Looks like I'm signed up for the talk tickets, so I'll be there for the opening event, too. I've been waiting for this for a long time. Wouldn't miss it for the world.

WOO-HOO! I'm excited already!

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And one more off-topic thought. If anybody in NYC can possibly get to these classes in that Olfactory Engineering series, you absolutely must consider it. OMG. This is like taking hands-on, painting appreciation classes with living masters. My jaw simply drops. If I lived there, I would have signed up yesterday.

Visitors to the city should note that these are on Saturday afternoons as well.

Wow.

I was trying things today, and I got a big shock when I smelled Hermès Eau Claire des Merveilles. I thought that it was very similar to S01E03. However, ECdM just seems nicer. There is the same sort of citrus burst in the beginning, followed by a long tone, but it was just *nicer* than S01E03. And I think that Hermès was still a designer - at least it was, the last time I checked - even though their prices are a bit niche.

The tension mounts.......!!! *bites nails*

I hear you on saving for NYC. However, I think I'm so addicted to this series, that I'm willing to forgo something else (like a weekend trip or two) to scrape up the cash needed for an unexpected vacation.

I feel that Chandler is rather unapologetically showing us what he regards as moving works - and his taste is clearly shining through. I admit that he is perfectly entitled to do that, and for an inaugural "virtual exhibit" of this kind, I think that doing what he - personally - wants, rather than a balanced mix of styles, is probably the best choice, given the uncertainty of it all. Still, I understand why some folks would prefer more balance.

I have mixed feelings about what he said in dismissing all-natural perfumery - something along the lines of "not interested". He didn't so much call it unimportant, but he implied it by saying he was sticking to important works. I agree that this is not the time and place for natural and small artisan stuff. But it would have been a perfect opportunity to get those folks on board by speaking to the future, and implying that they will someday find a bit of shelter and respect - even just a smidgeon - in the MAD. (Ca Fleure Bon is a big friend of all-natural perfumery, so he was certainly in the right place to do some pre-sales for future exhibits.)


LOL! I have to laugh at the idea of cuddly, suave JCE and Satan being in the same sentence. It has all the makings of the first ghastly good/bad/wtf off-Broadway play about fragrance: Jean-Claude versus Satan. The clouds of L'Etrog in dry ice smoke, billowing down on the audience, would surely be one of the high points.


I was glad that it was an obscure and pricey niche frag which I had actually rolled my eyes at earlier, though I think it was interesting that the fragrance had been discussed with a lot of respect - thus (in my mind) confirming Chandler's pick as something deserving of consideration. I'm actually very glad that I finally got to smell it.

However, I did a momentary double-take, because the "Etrog" that I remember most of all, isn't their "L'Etrog", but the (cough) all-natural perfume, Etrog Oy de Cologne, by Ayala Moriel. Apparently created with the help of her rabbi.

Chandler - G_d is winking at you right now! vide supra

http://www.ayalamoriel.com/index.cfm...&PerfumeID=101


I thought that was really important. Understanding that I don't necessarily have to *like* something to appreciate the artistry that somebody else sees in something. And trusting my own sense of what is important TO ME.

It's like when I finally got comfortable sight-seeing in Europe, and the French hostess pointed to Yet Another Important Roman Ruin. At that moment, a hunchbacked octogenarian in a beret walked around us quietly with his daily loaf of French bread. I have no memory of what building she was talking about, but I can honestly tell people I've been to France.


He seemed to be inviting us to use "whatever", but at the same time he's clearly relying on artistic tools and descriptors borrowed from the established arts. Actually, I think that's a perfect mix for growth. It says "use the old", but allow for the new.

It's my continuing contention that olfactory art needs a language of its own. Not just borrow-words, but its own language. Language is messy - the borrow words will hang around, but pretty soon, they become distinctly olfactory and not visual / musical / textural / flavorful. And there are uniquely fragrant words - chypre, fougère, etc. But I really believe that we need more and better sensory descriptors, be they borrowed and modified or internally generated.


I think this is exactly what Chandler is hoping for - true artistic discussion, as if we were all accompanying him in a museum - some of us nodding, and some of us not. I would be fully horrified if we were all nodding in agreement with him - it would make me doubt that any of this was real.

Peoples reactions have the distinct smell of truth!


Yes. Makes me wonder if the etrog has a distinctive "post-citrus" smell that they captured.


Now THAT is interesting. Dates and prunes have always had tonal qualities to my nose. WOW. Fascinating.


Yeah. Completely agreed. And he was very apologetic about E02/E03 (sometimes not sure which he actually meant). Either way, I'd say we're all good.


Yeah - I will fess up to my sh*t-eating grin on that one.

You know - OpenSky as a business operation is on their shake-down cruise (no pun intended) as well.


I think we will get a bit more variety. However, I highly doubt that we will be treated to any of the Gothic knuckle-draggers that a lot of the boys would appreciate. If we even get a flower-draped diva from the past, I'd be surprised. But I am fully convinced that there will be some real quality coming.

I think it would be pretty neat if he saved the best for right around the museum opening, as a way of adding to the excitement!

I never got this, but I'm sure you did, because this feature made such an impression on Chandler as well. To me, it's painfully light. I find this paradoxical observation fascinating.


I really love this side-effect of the project! I've rediscovered my passion for several scents!


I *LOVE* cedrat! O.M.G. - that's what it is! Bois de Cedrat is one of my deepest fragrant loves.


Great thought - I had forgotten that fragrance term. It's definitely a fully appropriated borrow word.

You know, I think he wants us to just forget all our "usual" stuff - despite the fact that it works. I really think his main goal is to get us away from all the nuts-and-bolts descriptors, so that we can see new features in fragrance - things we're not used to talking about. And I have to say, I hope it works.






Cool!


Interesting idea - and I'll take it seriously enough to explain why I'm certain that it's not the case.

There was definitely something up with E02 - that stuff was just wrong. I have since smelled several authentic samples of Mugler Cologne. However, I am positive that they are all the same fragrance There is too much similarity in almost every aspect of the fragrance save one, which happens to be very important.

However, I can also tell you that every sample of Mugler Cologne has smelled differently. I just smelled some in Macy's last week, and while it was more green than E02, it was significantly less green than my authentic Mugler Cologne, and it was even less green than the tester in Von Maur.

Oddly, the degree of "wrongness" of the scents - the lack of green - is inversely proportional to sample volume, in a very obvious order. That is to say, my large bottle is the greenest, the smaller bottles are less green, and the 30 mL decant was the least green of all. I am growing increasingly suspicious that an oxidation effect after bottling, kills the green note. That would explain everything, and it can happen with everybody telling the truth about reformulations, etc.


It's pretty hard to deny any of this. I did get my half-money back, however, just like it was promised.

I'm calling it a clean slate for OpenSky - let's hope they do well with it.


Absolutely one of the best posts ever. That first paragraph should be framed and put up somewhere in the museum!


Don't worry about those guys! Most of the snark-meisters are just pussycats with a wicked sense of humor. A long time ago, there were a lot of guys here who favored large carnivores and big-breed dogs as avatars. I was always tiptoeing around them. It took a couple of thousand posts to realize that those avatars might as well have been teddy bears!


Thanks, Irina - I appreciate your faith in me. But honestly, I'm just a fool with a "soup-stone" who unknowingly baited in you folks, who have the real goods!


I do hope you can come around and spend time with us, even if you're just smelling by proxy.


Glad you're here, too!


Affirmative. Totally!


Love it!


I think you just channeled Turin's assessment of Burr's taste on a day when he was feeling very 1-star!


I agree. But I would like to give Chandler a pass - just on the odd thought that this may be his last fragrant fling as anything approaching "just another guy on the web with an opinion". I am sure that when the curator hat is fully on, as in having a valid wing in existence, and when all the forces around the fragrance world are clamoring for mind-share, he will be up to his neck in political alligators. This may end up being one of the last perfect glimpses of his personal taste, until a "Curator's Favorites" exhibit appears in..... don't even want to hazard a guess.


Me too! I would love to get some fall scents for fall. But most of all, I'm hoping that the one for November produces a real buzz around the museum opening!