First of all, apologies for radio silence. Like many other bloggers who started out around ten years ago, my perfume and blogging fervor has waned significantly in recent times. A large part of that is no doubt down to the passage of time but the pandemic certainly played a part in my case. At this point, I can’t imagine going back to regular blogging but I am keeping the blog live so the old posts aren’t lost and in case our beloved Val ever wishes to write again.
All the same, I’m very happy to hear that Perfume Lovers London is returning after being on hiatus since Covid. It is being organised and hosted by lovely former member Brooke, who has sent me all the details below:
Barbara Herman, founder and creative director of New York based niche perfume brand ERIS PARFUMS will be flying over to meet with the group on Friday 28th October at the October Gallery in Bloomsbury. She’ll be sharing the stories and exploring the ingredients that comprise ERIS’s seven fragrances, all composed by master perfumer Antoine Lie. Everyone who attends will be able to experience natural ambergris, hyraceum, seaweed, tuberose and more alongside each of the finished scents.
Barbara started out as a blogger for Yesterday’s Perfume (2008 – 2012), writing her impressions of the vintage fragrances that she started collecting in 2008. This exploration turned into a book, Scent and Subversion: Decoding a Century of Provocative Perfume, which looked at the cultural, political, and aesthetic history of 20th century perfume, with an original focus on its queer, subversive nature and how it upended conventions around gender, gentility, and even our sense of smell as the lowest in the hierarchy of the senses.
Barbara’s talk will begin at 7pm in the October Gallery’s Club Room. Tickets cost £25, which can be used towards an ERIS fragrance on the night of the event. Copies of Scent and Subversion and ERIS Discovery Sets will also be available for purchase. You can book a ticket here.
It would be good to catch up in the comments. Let me know how things are with you.
A Bottled Rose 
Nice to see you writing! I actually wrote a post as well after ages.
I agree with what you said in the introduction, although I do want to write more, it’s just that perfume topics are so far from my head in the last few years. Working from home, I completely lost the habit of putting it on.
I’ve been thinking a lot how I don’t want to live in the past because that’s what I do as in the past there were so many nice things keeping my spirit alive and happy. I’m sure there is a way to do it now as well, just haven’t found it yet.
So that’s in short my life at the moment. Looking forward to Christmas time. 😀 (yes, already)
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Snap Ines. I got out of the habit during successive lockdowns and I guess it’s only natural that interest wanes with a lack of engagement, as it were.
Although I’m consciously getting back in the habit of wearing it while also working from home, the feeling is not the same as it was.
It’s not easy navigating this new post-Covid life, so I totally relate. Agree there is no point in looking back. We need to find a new approach.
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I was missing you and thinking of you often – and hoped that you are fine, just tired of blogging.
I noticed my fatigue with parfum during the recent few years too – on the other hand, every time I take the effort to put some on I hugely enjoy it and parfum definitely makes things better for me. And I still buy new bottles if someone out there manages to surprise me (I‘m looking at you, Meo Fusciuni and hima jomo…😉)
I‘d really love to come to the PL meeting – I‘ve always enjoyed spending time with people who I share a language with.
But I don‘t hold my breath anymore just because an admired nose brought out a new scent and I can’t get my paws on it…
And yes, I‘d love to hear from Val again…
Sending lots of love and my enveloping hug, dearest T. 💕
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I think that’s the brilliant thing about the Perfume Lovers London meetings – getting to spend time with the perfume tribe!
Glad to hear that you like Hima Jomo. I’ve been thinking about trying those!
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hima jomo is truly exquisite – strangely, the word I get when putting on the scents is „innocent“… I‘d be curious what you think of them !
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Lovely to hear from you M. Sending much love back in return.
Yes, perfume still makes life a little brighter. I am starting to remember that now I’m getting back to regular wear.
It’s good to hear you can still be tempted to buy a new bottle. It would take a hell of a lot to make me buy one, but never say never. I’ll always be interested in what a few brands like Frederic Malle are releasing.
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Sadly I cannot afford to go either financially (extortionate train fares & strikes) or time wise (caring for both mother & husband).
Would the organisers consider a download of events for a small fee?
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I will check to see if we can organise something for you!
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Thank you
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Sorry to hear it’s tough for you to get out and about these days. Caring is incredibly tough and yes, the train fares and strikes don’t help.
Brooke has read your comment so you never know.
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Hello and a big welcome back. It is so sad that our joy in perfume has diminished, which has happened for all sorts of reasons. However, I miss reading my favourite bloggers’ posts as they are so much more than reviews of fragrance. I should use my vast stores before they all turn, but sometimes I simply am not in the mood any more. However, I will not tire of reading you or your lovely friends! Please pass on my good wishes to Val.
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Thanks so much, Jillie. Your words are much appreciated.
I am what is called ‘a mood reader’ when it comes to books and I think I’m the same with perfume. I have to go with my mood, like you.
We’re lucky people like Portia, Vaness and Undina are still posting.
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Hi, lovely to read you again and I’m glad you are well. This event sounds wonderful, I love Eris perfumes and really enjoyed Barbara’s book. Sadly I am still vulnerable to Covid and cannot attend. I do hope it goes well and really look foward to joining in an event in the future when I and the circumstances are better.
Best wishes
Bee
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Thanks so much, Bee! I hope to see you at one of the future events once you are feeling up to coming to one.
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Thanks Bee.
I very much hope you can attend a future PLL event. It’s great to know they are back up and running again.
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Thank you so much for sharing the details about the upcoming event, Tara! I really appreciate that!
I think an event about how the OG era of perfume blogging was so much healthier for the industry than the current circus on instagram would be a brilliant topic for conversation!
Reading blogs is part of what got me excited about perfume, and I really miss that. It’s not quite the same with a forum like instagram.
Thanks again!
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Good to hear from you again, and I do understand the doldrums phase in blogging. I have actually *half* got my mojo back, though from a very low base, haha. I spend a lot of time writing emails every day though, and often run out of time before I clear the decks to sit down to a post.
This event sounds great – I have Barbara’s book and realise I have only ever dipped into it rather than read it from cover to cover. Just took a look at the trains and they are a right mess that day…there is the dreaded mention of “rail replacement” routes, and lots of services that simply aren’t there. So I will have to take another look nearer the time.
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V, your writing on half a mojo is better than most people’s on full.
All those productive experts advise only looking at emails twice a day. You can see why. They are a total time suck.
It would be good to go to a PLL event together one of these days.
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I am glad you keep the Bottled Rose in the air. It would be lovely to see Val posting for what it says about her recovery. I hope the muse will find you too. Sometimes I suspect that the continued stresses of the last years take up much of our energies leaving at times little left to enjoy, let alone create. Still it is also my experience it is surprisingly close-by. I think of Val and wish her the very best.
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Thank you for your kind wishes. I will pass them on to Val.
I’m sure you’re right about the toll the last few years has taken on us. I don’t think we have fully appreciated the extent of it.
I do hope things for you have improved.
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I’m about halfway through reading the book now. I like the idea of showcasing the raw materials alongside the finished perfumes, especially ones that are harder to get. Reading some of the comments here makes me sad that I missed the first peak of many people’s perfume writing… I do hope some inspiration comes back!
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Thank you Nose Prose. I am deeply grateful for the times I got to experience and the amazing friends I’ve made. They are truly for life – one who hasn’t blogged for a very long time is coming to stay with me next month!
It is a great idea to showcase the materials with the perfumes. I’ve always enjoyed it when we’ve been able to try raw ingredients like oud, orris root etc at events in the past.
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Tara!!! It’s so great to see you here!
You should go to the event, even if you don’t write about it afterwards (but if you do go and feel inspired to write, you know that we love your accounts of these meetings, right?).
I find this brand extremely interesting. Not sure yet if I could wear any of perfumes that I tried (all minus 1 or 2 latest), but they all are so original and not boring that I keep going back to my samples. Once they are gone, I might “need” one of those.
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I miss chatting with you Undina!
I agree about Eris. The perfumes are really beautifully done and appeal to my taste. I get that vintage feel without having to try and secure old, expensive bottles that might have turned.
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