Seattle-based indie line Sweet Anthem has opened their flagship boutique in Seattle. The store will carry the entire Sweet Anthem fragrance line plus other indie brands, including Slumberhouse and L’Aromatica, selected by owner Meredith Smith…
My tired nose is on a brief hiatus from perfume-sniffing. Right now, I’m devoting my appreciation of scent to what’s blooming in the garden: mock-orange/Philadelphus (one of those glorious floral aromas that no perfume can duplicate), honey locust trees, roses, wallflowers, gardenia, jasmine, clove-y “pinks,” peonies…and lavender.
West of Seattle, a large area of land near the town of Sequim, Washington, is devoted to lavender production, and I’m heading there next weekend to breathe in lavender’s pungent, herbal aromas. Lavender…in soggy western Washington, you ask? Sequim is located in what residents of Seattle fondly, yearningly call “the rain shadow” of the Olympic Mountains in the Sequim-DungenessValley. Rainfall is usually less than 20 inches a year in the sunny rain shadow, so lavender thrives. As Seattle is the “Paris of the Northwest,” so Sequim is the Provence of the U.S. (Relax! You may laugh!)…
Knows Perfume in Seattle will be holding a series of “Perfume 101″ classes:
These informal and fun classes will explore the history…
Knows Perfume, in the West Seattle Junction neighborhood, has one of the most eclectic selections of perfumes and home fragrance products in Seattle (and Seattle isn’t a slouch in the perfume department these days). Owner Christen Cottam, perfume lover, raconteuse, former roller derby skater known as “Flirtation Device,” and ex-biotech rep, opened Knows Perfume last summer.
The high-ceilinged store, with dark wood floors, natural (non-aggressive) lighting, and a large comfortable sofa, provides a calm/relaxed atmosphere for sampling fragrances. Cottam would not be unhappy if you decided to stay the afternoon and try every fragrance in the shop; there is no hyper, hard-sell atmosphere at Knows Perfume…
Nasreen Rehmat’s tiny Parfumerie Nasreen in Seattle’s Alexis Hotel (“a jewel box,” her website calls it) is stacked floor to ceiling with perfume boxes and glittering display bottles. Nasreen’s specialty is being able to peg the perfect fragrance for a customer within minutes. For twenty years she has held court in her store, scenting the thousands of visitors who have sidled in and tucked their purses under their arms to avoid knocking a bottle off a nearby shelf.
I called Ms. Rehmat and told her that when I was in college she helped me pick a scent, Dolce & Gabanna, which I wore through my mid-20s. Her voice was animated, with a slight and elegant accent. “Ah!” she said, “You must be very naughty…”
Stella McCartney in conversation with Alexandra Shulman (video, talks about new scent L.I.L.Y) http://t.co/VAKYigvK "French parfumier Guerlain on trial over 'race slurs'" article at Telegraph http://t.co/lVDxoZMi Vote for NST's Mood Board on FB and win a Zoya Nail Polish collection! http://t.co/MXHMN7I3