Candy eyes.

Ever wondered what sexual desire smells like?

Well one whiff of the new gourmand offering from Prada will get you close to it. With a narcotic swirling of 12% Benzoin its a wonder it passed regulation. (Benzoin is one of the strongest skin sensitizers). The normal percentage ranges from 0.1% to 3%. Rumor has it Givaudan were actually in doubt of its production levels, nice! The oils sit on skin like a glimmering sticky residue awaiting a lick. Indulgence baby, utter gluttony. The official note roll-call states the eau de parfum contains caramel, benzoin and musk.

I imagine Candy is a fox fur stole caked in melted caramel, the amber hued solidifying liquid oozing down the cleavage of an over tanned 30 something model laying poolside, the flash cans erupting as her latest shoot takes shape or alternatively... sex in Ladurée!!

On a purely aesthetic level I would probably have purchased the 50ml's for the bottle itself. (I do hope it wins an award for the design.)




Heels off to you Puig and  Daniela Andrier. Check out this post from that scented sly fox....
 *candy darling prada candy*

For those of you with a sweet nose I suggest sniffing out the following.(all names clickable)
Guerlain Iris Ganache
Hermés Hermessence Vanilla Galante
Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum
Penhaligon's Amaranthine
Dior Hypnotic Poison & Dior Homme Intense.
L'Artisan Parfumeur Mure et Musc
Etat libre d'Orange Rossy de Palma
Il Profumo Chocolat
Frederic Malle Une Fleur de Cassis 
Sud Pacifique range.... cheap, cheerful and moreish.
Parfumerie Generale Praline de Santal
and the original... Thierry Muglers Angel.
anything containing high doses of C16 Aldehyde (Strawberry!), Maltol (Candy floss/Sugar), Almond Milk, Heliotrope, Vanilla, Tonka or Benzoin will also do the trick.

There are many variations on the gourmand theme, some stand out and the others are exercises in aroma chemistry at a tooth aching level.

Wrap me up in Papier d'Arménie and toss me to the bees.

Rising Stars

My life is dedicated to beautiful things, people and places. My passion for fine fragrance is unrivaled, insatiable appetite for fashion leaves me constantly hungry and Im always worrying about unsightly living spaces. Most people call this O.C.D I call it living.

My other preoccupation as you may have noticed is photography. I would like to share and spread the good word and works of these wonderful young people whom carry lenses with the goal of manipulating light into visceral and haunting "things". I am in no way a photographer but merely an appreciator of this fine art.

Do enjoi!
(Ps. as there are so many images in this post they are all in the smallest form, do click to see the normal size images!)

By

Victoria Baraga.

From Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Born 1984

*Victoria*

*Baraga*

By

India d’Scarlett

From Cairn, Australia.

Born 1994

*India*

*d'Scarlett*

By

Mira Loew

From Vienna, Austria

Born 1984

*Mira Loew*

 By 

Louis Edwin Fry

From London, England

Born 1991

*Louis*

*Edwin Fry*

By

Julia Aumann

Living in Magdeburg, Germany

Born 1988

*Julia*

*Aumann*

 By 

Andrew Nuding

From Dublin, Ireland

Born 1993

*Andrew*

*Nuding*

By

Yulya Kuznetsova

From Krasnoyarsk, Russia

Born 1991

*Yulya*

*Kuznetsova*

Blind

Imagine you lived in Japan. Imagine you were a * 'salaryman' * and now try to imagine your commute in post nuclear Tokyo.... Well if you cant here is a pretty awesome short by Tokyo based director Shoda Yukihiro to help you visualise this

Cinematographer: Ryouken Okamura
Gaffer:Satoshi Mizoguchi
Designer: Nami Masuda - 66 DESIGN
Composer: Yuuki Ono - WONDROUS inc. / Chorus: CANTUS
Sound Mixer: Yuri Hasegawa
3DCG: Wataru Hanajima & Kanji Fukuta / Inferno: Hisashi Suzuki
Colorist: Motoi Tanaka
Photographer: Tokio Kuniyoshi -Shootinglife LLC.
Web Designer: Junji Suzuki
Costume Designer: Chihiro Yasuda
Deco Designer: Mio Shoji


Executive Producer: Mike DeMille
Producer: Jamie Holland & Pasha Alpeyev
Production manager: Ryousuke Haruta
Assistant director: Nobushige Suematsu
Written & Directed by: Yukihiro Shoda

Stylus.....t

Have been a busy bee this past week. What with going to see Arcade Fire play the ethereal Edinburgh Castle esplanade and a somewhat busy workload.

My day's off have been spent catching up with friends, arranging flat viewings and looking out for stunning "new" artists, designer's and obviously sniffing out the constant barrage of new fragrances hitting us this autumn.... delightful.

I would like to direct your attention here.... below I mean.

Released today, oki-ni's latest 'Styled' by series. This time oki-ni present us with the splendor of Mark McMahon. McMahon's background covers all aspects of the fashion industry. He has experience in styling and consultancy for Fantastic Man, Vogue and i-D, he has worked in PR and also runs his own design label and boutique "Urban Dandy"

And a little more from Mark....

The artful dodgers.

A few arty folks worthy of a shout out are the following designers, artists, photographers and all round creative beings whose work I am astounded by for different reason. A advise actually clicking on each of the images to get a fuller resolution of each. The true beauty blooms in hi res.

Image by Sophie Delaporte.

First up, Amy Guidry. Here website states her work walks a fine line between "photorealism" and "Pop Surrealism". Says it all actually doesnt it? Im enchanted by her output. A little bit like Tim Walker with a bout of depression. Her new series "In our Veins" has a lot of connotations centers round the idea of the life cycle. Her previous series have dealt with destroying female stereotypes in "New Realm". The collection "Beneath the Surface" looks at modern day living, vanity and mortality.

*Hogret is a collagist living in South Africa. She marries vintage photo stocks, media and objects to create her work. 

Lisa Geue is a German photographer from just outside Berlin. She is very hip, very talented and balances the artistic with the real (containing the perfect amount of nudity). I adore her merging of images and overlays of light. Delightful. Read an interview with her *HERE*

My current favorite is Nicola Samori. An Italian painter who plays with the darker side of the psyche  toying with the idea of disfigurement, melting with an unmistakeable baroque influence. I think the beauty of her work lies in her ability to mangle beautiful objects into something deeply dark and disturbing if not a little painful to look at. I love it. I love all things dark and haunting. With in excess of 20 exhibitions under her belt and two highly acclaimed Italian Art awards, Nicola is one to watch out for at galleries near you.

A newer name to me, Ian Cuttler is a photographer with the skill, talent and directional abilities to take on any of the big names. He has worked for a dynamic range of clients including Converse, Christie's NY, GQ Germany, Maxim, Gillette, Axe and Sony BMG to name but a few.

And finally a few snaps from Sophie Delaporte. Her work centers around the use of beautiful and odd models in often very normal settings. All above board but her work also includes few surreal touches. Be it the models posture, lighting, focus or an additional object in the composition. Very sharp, sterile and imaginative work with an odd digital veneer.