Today - A decade with the blog.

Picture: Nostalgia, a retro snapchat from the perfumcollection.
Photos from February 2004, long before Parfumistans blog
 was started 1 November 2006.  All the green ones above are still with me :-)
Photo: Parfumista (c)

This is a retrospective post. Today Parfumistans Blogg celebrates 10 years. It started as "Parfumistans Dagbok" (Parfumistans Diary) on the daily newspaper Expressen where it was possible for the readers to start up own blogs on the newspapers site. After six month I contacted the major swedish fashion magazines and the biggest of them, Damernas Värld, jumped at this opportunity. The website editor at the time proved to be interested in perfume, I doubt I would have my blogcolumn if this had not been the case. When she left and the there was a "site makeover" my blog was cleanad out for the benefit of blogs with broader content for example "Beauty" as a broader subject. Even today, six years after this (spring 2010), I can't find any specialized perfumeblog on the site. On the other hand, perfume is still not that big in Sweden even if the interest is growing and is far greater than ten years ago. In June 2010 the zenith of this perfumeblogging venture occurred (at least for the first half :-) as I was invited together with an expert from Swedens finest department store, NK, to talk about perfumes suitable for summer to the morning show in swedish television channel TV4. In October 2010 I moved to Blogspot and strarted to write in "swenglish" during 2012.

....as also these four
Photo. Parfumista (c)

Since then everything rolling on in the usual bloggingroutines writing on and sometimes two post in the weekend. I have found out which fragrancehouses I prefer to review fragrances from and mostly concentrate on them for full reviews. After so many years with perfume as a passion, I know which houses offerings generally suits me even if I certainly missing many good houses out there. Because of this non objektive selction of what is tested, most of my reviews are 4 or 5 rated and therefore I'm thinking of (but havn't decided yet) stop writing the rating figure as the selction is sort of biased from the start. A new experience During 2016 was that there has been a sort of writer's block during late winter, spring and summer but now finally the perfumespirits are back and some of the energy to write also. So this venture seems to continue, at least for a while.

Yours Parfumista

...the Hannae Mori is traded away since long...

PS: I'm painfully aware that I havn't checked the mail account which is linked to the blog for more than a year. Now I have to find the log in credentials and check the mail. I apologize if anyone  have mailed without response. There is no excuses but there are so many mails connected to first the mail at work, then the everyday household administration and probably because of that information overload, this maibox has been neglected :-(

...and so is the Trussardi  which I truly regret, the old formula
was a beautiful green, slight leathery chypre
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Perfumeshopping for Christmas

 Picture: Merry Old Santa Claus, 1 January 1881

in Harper's Weekly, Wikimedia Commons

I'm fully aware that an entry with the theme "advices for Christmasshopping" could be endless. Therefore I try to restrict, limit and structure it in some bullet points:

• All the beautiful perfumes that I have reviewed during the year (and the years before). Have in mind that all perfumes rated from 3 up to 5 have in common that they are all good perfumes. The final rating is in the nose of the wearer, ie my 3 rated perfume could be your 5 rated. Some favorite fragrances when looking back on the testings of 2012 (so far): Balmain Ivoire, Puredistance Opardu, Ramon Monegal Impossible Iris and Umbra, Robert Piguet Bois Noir and Mademoiselle Piguet, Chanel Coco Noir, Maria Candida Gentile Cinabre, Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin , Huitième Art Poudre de Riz, Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilée, Vero Kern Kiki Edp, ByKilian Ambre Oud, Amouage Opus VI., Carner Barcelona D600, Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Rose Etoile d'Hollande, Histoires de Parfums 1876 Mata Hari, Parfumerie Generale Corpes et Ames Eau de Toilette Apaisante, Frapin Speakeasy. This first bulletpoint was of course almost endless :-)
• For safety reasons: Chanel No 5 in all, or the favorite cocntentration. If the information provided during this autumn from the perfume master Octavian at 1000 Fragrances is correct, there will be no recognizable No 5 when the batches maufactured before June 30, 2013 ar sold out. This as the EU legislation,or IFRA selfregulation or both, will be significantly thougher after this date. And if this will not come into force, the person gifted (or yourself) are the lucky owner to a true and timeless classic.
• And of course, my usual nagging about to enjoy the easy to buy classics from different categories in the ordinary perfumeshop: For example: Boucheron (signature), Chanel No 19 Edt and Edp, Guerlain Shalimar, Lanvin Arpége, YSL Rive Gauche, Prada Infusion d'Iris Edp, Thierry Mugler Angel and Alien, Dior Poison (and flankers) and Dune,  Oscar de la Renta Esprit d'Oscar are all good fragrances, easy to catch.
• To attract someone to the perfumeaddiction: Gift with samples or decant-sets. First I'm a bit local:  A very good and reaible source for samples and decants, especially when it comes to the ELDO line (also carrying full bottles) is Riktig Parfym (Real Perfume). Fragrance & Art is another very good swedish E-tailer. F&A provides samples of all the fragrances sold. Well-stocked Aus Liebe zum Duft also provides samples of the perfumes in their assortment.The samples are almost always in spray and contains highly enough to provide sufficient testing.
• Discovery or samplesets as from Puredistance, Mona di Orio, Parfums MDCI and affordable high quality perfume in basic30 ml bottles from Parfums de Nicolaï.
• If investing in for example a rare Chanel or Guerlain, the Belgian Perfumeheaven Place Vendome is the real expertise to consult. Excellent and rapid customerservice.