The Perfumes of Dorian Gray: Chapter Eleven

“And so he would now study perfumes and the secrets of their manufacture, distilling heavily scented oils and burning odorous gums from the East. He saw that there was no mood of the mind that had not its counterpart in the sensuous life, and set himself to discover their true relations, wondering what there was in frankincense that made one mystical, and in ambergris that stirred one’s passions, and in violets that woke the memory of dead romances, and in musk that troubled the brain, and in champak that stained the imagination; and seeking often to elaborate a real psychology of perfumes, and to estimate the several influences of sweet-smelling roots and scented pollen-laden flowers, of aromatic balms and of dark and fragrant woods, of spikenard that sickens, of hovenia that makes men mad and of aloes that are said to be able to expel melancholy from the soul.”

Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles, Study of a Double Entendre

Photo courtesy of unifive.ru

I have been wanting to write about Serge Lutens’ Fille en Aiguilles since I was first introduced to it at the Perfume Lovers London Perfume and Well-being event.  I’ve thought very much about its name, Fille en Aiguilles, which translates to “girl in needles” and “girl in stilettos”.  I’ve thought about this duality and what it represents to me.  Two wholly different representations of our public and private selves.

Perfume Lovers London Perfume and Well Being

Yesterday evening I attended my first Perfume Lovers London event, Perfume and Well Being hosted by Lila das Gupta and presented by Tanya Moulding of The Perfume Mistress.  Aside from running fragrance workshops, talks, private parties and perfume events, Tanya also works as an aromatherapist and had an extensive amount of information to offer to us about a variety of our favorite perfume accords, their history and the various ways she uses them in her line of work.