Tokyo Milk is a small company with a delightfully inventive (and surprisingly affordable) line of fragrances called "Parfumarie Curiosite" [sic], as well as complementary perfumed soaps. Although I enjoyed reading the descriptions of all the scents in the line, the floral-lover in me was most drawn to Waltz Parfum 14 (formulation not specified, but probably an Eau de Parfum, shown above left) and Waltz Perfumed Soap (scented, somewhat confusingly, with a fragrance blend called "Minuet 14", shown above right).

Photos don't really do justice to the sweet packaging of these two products, especially their sepia-toned illustration of mid-nineteenth century dancers promenading in pairs along the length of a ballroom. The label of the perfume bottle is applied to the back of the bottle, so that the picture appears through the liquid of the fragrance itself, and the soap's wrapper is highlighted with fine, iridescent glitter.

A historical note: when the waltz first gained popularity in genteel European society in late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, it was considered daring and even immoral...

I first became aware of the delightful scent of linden blossom some years ago. I was having a lovely stroll in a nearby park, and as I meandered under the cover of some stately trees, a fresh and sweetly honeyed-green fragrance surrounded me, blending with the dappled late afternoon sunlight and the grounding scent of warm scuffed earth and stone. I later discovered that this was the well known linden blossom, lime blossom, or tilleul. It fast became a favorite of mine, particularly in home fragrances and body products. Quietly refreshing, its limber green structure is interwoven with a hint of tang and a gentle airy sweetness. In home fragrances in particular, I find it has a charm that is both elegant and fresh.

One of my all-time favorite linden body products is the Roger & Gallet Linden Blossom Moisturizing Shower Cream. Part of their Gentle Nature collection, this shower cream is enriched with shea milk...

Extrait de Songe starts with lightly sweet floral notes and a brief touch of mint. It dries down to a very clean, very cottony blend of linden, hay, and musk. If you were to take D'Orsay Tilleul, replace the honey with musk, and spray it on freshly washed cotton clothing drying in the sun, you would have Extrait de Songe...