Scent City

The collection of niche scents samples and decants on my bedside table is increasingly resembling the skyline of an American city.

I became a scent collector through reading the descriptions and reviews made by other smell nuts online. How do you convey something as abstract and complex as a perfume? I discovered that this world went far beyond the sensual pleasure of a good smell and extended deep into very personal inner worlds of intrigue, abstract imagery and subtle imagination. Each scent reflects a particular mood. Some are linear like a good light mood on a sunny day. Others morph into mysterious shapes and textures throughout the day, like a ramble in a dark enchanted forest. Every morning I carefully select the one that matches how I feel, or the one that will give me the aura that I need to get through a particular challenge. They also help to unwind like a good glass of wine. Tonight I liberally sprayed Pour un homme de Caron as soon as I got back home. It's simple, subdued and you just can't overdo it, but most importantly its key accord of lavender, vanilla and white musk has the perfect balance to lift up your soul. And that's what it's all about...

I already know what tomorrow's scent will be: Serge Lutens's Borneo 1834. Perfumes also have the magic to make you travel through time and space