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Hey, y’all! I wanted to trot out my new bag and a fabulously floppy hat for these crisp, sunny days we’ve been having lately, so I threw on a reliably pretty vintage dress in a neutral print, some tights and a pair of peep-toed shoes that took the look to a fun, sassy level. Also, we found a massive dead tree branch on our little walkabout! YAH!

You might find it amusing to know that I first tried to sit on that smaller branch I’m leaning on up there. It broke after about 2 seconds and I fell right on my ass in a big pile of dead leaves, while M had herself a good bellyaching laugh in the safety of the manicured green lawn you can’t see. You can see where it disappears below, leaving only a jagged stub behind. I managed to recover…

I’m trying to think of what’s new since I last posted!

• lovely visits from friends at home – one involved baking shortbread and another very in-depth lessons in eyeliner!
• football madness – since I was raised on the 49ers, the NFC Championship Game was a BFD – sadly, we lost
• finished reading Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex for book club (not for the faint-hearted)
• began reading The Faster I Walk, The Smaller I Get, written by a Norwegian author and given to me by M
• attended my sweet cousin’s delightful baby shower sans tomboy, only to find the soiree dotted with them after all!
• dove into a new bottle of perfume, Crystal Noir from Versace – but more on that later
• received copies of Luca Turin’s perfume guides as well as After Claude, which is deliciously mean (so I hear) – can’t wait!

So, I said I was going to get back into the business of discussing perfumes soon and here we are. This newest bottle of Versace Crystal Noir was a Christmas gift from the tomboy, more or less. (She originally bought me a bottle of Bright Crystal, which she’d already done before and somehow forgot. I’d been admiring it from afar and so handily swapped Bright for Noir and called it a day!)

First things first, I love the absurdly dark, heavy, gaudy bottle. It looks fantastic on my perfume tray, lurking moodily among slender Kenzo Amour or the austere Chanel No. 5  and Serge Lutens Chene, towering over a suddenly wan-looking bottle of Flowerbomb (which is of course shaped like a crystal grenade). Its contents are another story entirely.

Perfumes: The A-Z Guide, says that Donatella Versace provided creative direction for this scent, and proceeds to dismiss it as a “trashy white floral” (an improvement, believe it or not, upon Bright Crystal’s two-word assessment: “hideously screechy” – ouch!). The notes are gardenia and tuberose, as well as amber. Out of the bottle, I suppose the florals do exit the vehicle with a somewhat jarring crotch shot, teeter a bit, and then – at least with my skin – hit their stride on the drydown, which becomes a wonderfully creamy, soft dusty musk. A hint sweet. Folks are split on this – either it’s bug spray or bombshell mystique, but to me it’s like snuggling up to the tomboy in a fancy dress, murmuring dreamily while half-filled glasses of champagne sit neglected on the bedside table, sunrise teasing the sky lighter by the second. A cozy, familiar sort of ravishing. Lovely especially in cold weather.

Do tell me if you’ve got new loves in the fragrance world, I want to hear all about them!

Dress: Vintage
Tights: Hue
Shoes & Belt: Elie Tahari
Bag: Cynthia Rowley
Hat: Kathy Jeanne
Earrings: Silver Crane Sterling
Thorned Cuff: Made Her Think

I know things are rather turbulent in parts of London right now, and the tomboy and I have been following along with the riot news (anything but CNN, they manage to mention race where UK-based press mentions it NOT AT ALL) since Saturday. I hope that the rioting ends soon, with as little injury and damage as possible. So much has already been done, I just hope things don’t worsen. The ballistic results are to be posted within 24 hours, but at this point, where the rioting is concerned, it may not matter, as it seems to have devolved from protesting about the shooting to senseless destruction and violence that’s got little if not nothing to do with Duggan’s death.

Anyway, it seemed impossible to go posting a jolly new entry and not acknowledge that. Friends abroad, please be very safe!

What good is a trip to London without seeing the Buckingham Palace? The changing of the guards, the indelible Victoria Memorial, checking the flag to see whether or not the Queen’s in residence! It was a hot, hot day, and our last in London (which means the next posts will be Edinburgh, hurrah!) and the first set of pictures here are from our walk through Green Park from the Piccadilly tube stop. They’ve got all these wonderful wooden and canvas lawn chairs for renting by the hour, or even all day, if you wish!

This breezy cotton summer dress was picked up for pennies at The Garment District in Cambridge, MA. It’s H&M, so it’s nothing special, but lord is it soft and comfy, perfect for a summer’s day and the neckline is flattering without being too va-va-voom.

Ah, Fifi! Those of y’all who’ve been with FFAF for awhile might remember when I first fell in love with this fragrance (and their lingerie). Described as the ultimate “pin-up” perfume, this is “an oriental scent and has notes of coriander, mandarin, rose, lily of the valley, amber, and tobacco.” It begins powdery and soft, but wanton – like a heavily lined wink from Brigitte Bardot. Pure sex kitten. After it’s had a bit to settle down it unfurls into a smoky, subdued afterglow. I knew we couldn’t leave London without visiting their shop on a posh little street in Knightsbridge, where I picked up the biggest bottle they sold! We took a break afterward to sip some champagne cocktails outside – Buckingham and shopping had earned us a little refreshment!

When faced with South Kensington’s three landmark museums – the V & A, Science and Natural History –  the choice was clear. DINOSAURS. The queue wasn’t too bad and the building was a stunner. It’s central hall (above center, left) is completely breathtaking. The museum houses specimens collected by Darwin! It opened in 1881. Very sadly, we discovered (too late) that the dinos were “on holiday” and wouldn’t be returning until 2012 or something. The poor tomboy was devastated, and obviously a return trip will be necessary to check them out. It’s urgent!

We obviously still managed to have a good time, and it was all a lovely way to end our stay in London. We stopped for a final round of Pimm’s cups around the corner from our hotel, and were off to hop on a plane for Edinburgh! It was bittersweet – we wished we could explore London more, it’s the sort of place you can live in all your life and never know every part of – but our curiosity and excitement about a new adventure in Scotland (and then Ireland) was yanking our necks on the chain.

Goodbye, dear London!

PS. Some changes around the site! Now (finally) you can click anywhere on the FFAF banner to get back to the Home Page. Not sure about y’all, but that one was bothering me for the longest time. Comments have been upgraded to Disqus, and I’m hoping that makes sharing and commenting easier for everyone! (Please let me know if you notice anything awry, but I think all the kinks are out and it’s smooth sailing.)

The title of this post comes from one of my favorite miniseries, Angels In America, which I hope I’ll be able to see onstage someday. The exchange goes like this:

This is the outfit I wore on our date night on Friday. I love it. The tomboy cheered when I came downstairs. I pointed to my belt and said, “Guess who’s coming out with us tonight?” (I can’t remember the last time Sheeba circled my waist.) It’s just fun, the whole outfit, and shamelessly pretty. What makes it, I think, is the blazer from Asos. It was a steal, around 39 GBP, and it’s the perfect companion to these shoes. It’s also linen, so it was a foolish choice for a March night still being throttled by winter, but it’s going to be my BFF this Spring/Summer, I can tell.

Last night I discovered that, as far as I can tell, I cannot get Fifi Chachnil in the states. This was grave news as I’ve been desperate to get my hands on some since my decant ran out late last year. On the bright side, I’ll be able to visit their shop in London when we’re there this June! In the meantime, I ordered another 5ML to get me through, as well as a Frederic Malle decant sampler. I’m so excited. It’s been awhile since I’ve reviewed scents here, or even since I’ve gotten new ones, so I’m hoping it’ll kickstart that old habit!

Speaking of scents, I accidentally mashed these flowers into my hair when taking these, and my hair smelled weird the rest of the day. Since you readers are so swell at telling me which flowers are which, can anybody tell me what these are? I picked up four bouquets and made three lush, cheerful arrangements out of them. My nail polish is Caitlin from Zoya’s Spring Collection, Intimate.

Spring, won’t you hurry? Quit letting this dreadful, lingering winter bully you!

What Spring trends are you looking forward to most, and has Spring hit where you live yet?

Details on the outfit:
Dress, Target
Blazer, Asos
Pumps, Novela
Tights, Banana Republic
Bag, Freebird by The Sak
Belt, Vintage

Jewelry:
Bracelet: Lori’s Shoes
Necklace: Banana Republic
Rings: H&M

I believe I’ve mentioned it before, but tule fog is unique to these here parts this time of year:

“Tule fog (pronounced /?tu?li?/) is a thick ground fog that settles in the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley areas of California‘s Great Central Valley. Tule fog forms during the late fall and winter (California’s rainy season) after the first significant rainfall. The official time frame for tule fog to form is from November 1 to March 31. This phenomenon is named after the tule grass wetlands (tulares) of the Central Valley. Accidents caused by the tule fog are the leading cause of weather-related casualties in California.” (Wikipedia)

Aside from reminding folks to exercise caution whilst driving about in the fog, it’s also a cue to start bundling up in earnest! It makes me especially glad to have this brand new wool coat from Tulle. It’s my third coat from them – I have a snazzy pink one and another soft robin’s egg blue brocade – and the shiny black faux fur collar it came with is detachable, so you can play around and swap it out for any vintage numbers you have in your closet.

I am so into this shade of green right now that we just bought a new sofa that matches it. Our other sofa (a sleeper that’s seen many of our lovely houseguests) is more of a split pea soup green, and I am giddy about seeing how the two play off each other when the new one arrives later this week!

Here’s a sneak peek:

If you’re anything like me, it doesn’t matter how many coats are in your closet, how well-loved or made, each winter a new one begs to be added to your wardrobe. I surprised M by my intense recollection of a supple, buttery camel coat I tried on in 2005. It had a fur collar and was Narciso Rodriguez.

If you need a little inspiration, here are some of my current favorites (also from Tulle!) below:

I love the colors that pop and the bold patterns that say absolutely anything but humdrum wintry hues.

Let’s move on. Welcome to the little sitting nook in our new bedroom. Antique silver trays carry pretty bottles of perfume, while a miniature birdbath carries tiny, precious vials of obscure, hard to find fragrance. A tiny silk pillow filled with lavender says DREAM. The branches hold baubles and a birdcage whose sole purpose is to provide whimsy sits atop the vintage table. Atop a single pillar sits an Archipelago Botanicals candle in Havana (it’s our favorite, smelling gently of handsome tobacco).

I cut up our old Ikea duvet to use as this toile tablecloth, and a pen, notecards and matches in a beautifully ornate little box are tucked safely away in the hidden drawer. I can’t wait to put some art up on the facing walls! It’s a perfectly serene and cozy little nook.

Boots + Fur Collar: Vintage
Tights: Gap
Raw Silk Tunic: Banana Republic
Long Black Vest: Calvin Klein
Coat: Tulle

In this extra-exclusive FFAF post, a few dapper tomboys reveal their secrets to smelling good. Read on for two rather different takes on the world of men’s cologne and how to wear it well.

Our first portion is from G of the awesome Can I Help You, Sir? (Seriously, if you’re not reading this, you should be! It’s the adventures of G, with hot lists of swoon-worthy femmes and discussion on all things butch. RAD.)

G says: My preference is for clean, fresh or in some cases, woodsy scents with an underlying masculine feel. I tend to stay away from the spicy colognes, as they’re too heavy. I don’t want my scent to be noticed as soon as I walk in the room; I’d rather it be noticed because someone had to lean in closely to talk to me.

My top 3:

• Armani Code for Men: I think it’s the combination of the lemon and the wood that really does it for me with this scent. One of the things I like best about it is that it’s definitely masculine without being overwhelming, which is an elusive quality with all the macho colognes out there.

• Burberry Classic for Men: I really love what Burberry does with their fragrances, especially this one. It just smells great on my skin. It’s been around for a while, but it’s still one of the first ones I grab as I’m getting ready. The top notes of bergamot, cedar and amber really do it for me. I also own Burberry London, Brit and Beat, and I love them all.

• Banana Republic Slate: I love the fresh scent of this cologne, which relies basically on a blend of ginger and citrus notes. Those two together give it the a quality that is tough for me to find, which is clean AND inviting. It also just feels like a simple, easy-to-wear cologne, which I really like.

My choices also vary a bit depending on the season. These ones are all good fall/winter selections. I have different standbys in the summer that are a little lighter with more prominent citrus undertones (Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue is a favorite).

Next up is our very own M, who needs no introduction.

M says: OK! This is about colognes!

First, much like G, I treat most colognes like seasons. Summer scents are not okay in the winter, unless there’s some sort of obscene heat wave that drives all the sea lions from Pier 39 all the way to Oregon. There are a few that are transcendental, though, and can be enjoyed year round, not unlike peach cobbler (Team Pie! Niiiiiiiiiice. – SBJ).

• I like spicy  (but earthy) colognes in the fall and winter. Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 and John Varvatos Vintage are good examples. The Varvatos in particular smells like you just made an emergency landing with your prop plane in a mossy forest, survived, and so did your flask. It is quiet-handsome-action-hero-ruggedness! Tobacco, dirt, woods, gasoline, smoke!

• I am loathe to admit this, because Tom Ford is a giant dickbag, and most of his colognes reek like urinal cakes, but I really liked his Black Orchid cologne for Men. Fuck you, Tom Ford (but also: good job)! I plan to steal some from a department store so Mr Ford doesn’t profit. This makes me feel better. Anyway, why I liked it- even though he is like an attention-whorey-Vegas-casino, the cologne is more like an Olympic fencer: surprisingly subtle.

• Summer and Spring call for lighter, cleaner/fresher scents, to go with lighter clothing. Although I am all out, Creed Silver Mountain Water is my favorite. It is light and clean and not FRUITY! I don’t want to smell like food. Only food should smell like food! In fact, I have a household ban on any non-food product that smells like food (candles, soaps, cleaning products, etc). Okay, okay, I made one exception for a fig candle.

Tomboy Out!

I hope y’all enjoyed this! I sure as hell did. Now you have a whole roll call of fancy men’s cologne to get your tomboys or boy toys! (Or to try yourselves – I know I have some tough guys lurking out there!) In other news, M just smoothed a palmful of Lacoste all over the puppies. Sigh. As a bonus gift from me to you, take a peek at some covert butch stuff below – we femmes aren’t the only hoarders! – SBJ

CONFESSION: I know the rainbow heart print is a bit twee, but the button-up backline sold me on this dress. It’s a fairly well-made H&M number that I scored at a local thrift store for $5. It’s sweet and comfortable, and I love that it can be belted or not, paired with sky high heels and a skinny, studded, layered belt to punk it up a bit. Or not. (In fact, I’ve got a pair of killer moto-chic heels headed my way that I can’t wait to pair with this dress.)

SCENT: ARE WE READY FOR THE LAST OF THE LAST? I can’t say how pleased I am to be done with this sad, trashy collection of Victoria’s Secret fragrances, I honestly can’t. A friend of mine tweeted today about the arduous task of finishing a book she disliked. She started reading it in March. I think she read a bit of it each day. That’s torture. It’s exactly how I feel about this little scent experiment. Thank heavens it’s over with and I can now return to reviewing sniffs worth their salt.

Victoria’s Secret Very Sexy: I spritzed a bit on, turned to M and said, “Sweet, sharp floral…” and she added “…with citrus!” and sure enough, it’s described as a “sultry blend of sensual vanilla orchid, sparkling clementine and juicy blackberry.” It still smells like shitty potpourri and continues to on the drydown. I fail to comprehend why all of their scents are pitched as hyper sexy, alluring, come-fuck-me irresistible when they couldn’t be further from it. It’s so bad I can scarcely take satisfaction in the fact that I was right – and I love being right – the quality and caliber of their fragrances parallel the quality and caliber of their lingerie. I was open to being proven wrong or humbled, alas.

In summary, it’s all very black and white, kids. Like so:

PS. ZOMG, someone hold me back before I ruin everything I’ve been working toward and DYE MY HAIR these 84,000 colors:

CONFESSION: I love this dress so. It’s easy and comfortable, but pretty. It looks better without the white tights (points to anyone who gets the lyrical reference), and I’ll post it that way someday but it is COLD here, so tights you are. (Get it? Tights you are! Right you are! Ha!) My little kitty friend came to take pictures with me, she’s very affectionate; she’ll jump up and paw at me like a puppy might. It’s adorable. I love her!

SCENT: Let’s not dilly-dally, I’ve got a different Victoria’s Secret perfume on either arm just waiting to be scrubbed off, ach so:

God, just look at that packaging. Cue involuntary sneer! OK, OK. Super Model out of the vial makes me think of soft vanilla and citrus, orange, actually, like a creamsicle. (M’s favorite!) It’s terrible. She likes it, which concerns me, but she is sick after all. On the drydown, it becomes something like stale, matted cotton candy.

Dream Angels Heavenly (America’s No. 1 fragrance, according to the VS website) shows some promise right away – quince, cardamom, white peony – but fades into boring, stuffy mediocrity. I will definitely have to hold this up against Dream Angels Desire to compare the two.

Y’all? I only have one more of these crap vials to test and report, and the epic experiment is final. To celebrate this, I have a very special fragrance post in the works. All I can say is that it involves intimate peeks into the cologne closets of two roguish tomboys, and you will want to go to there. Just in time for the holidays, too! I can’t wait, and I bet neither can you. Until then, kittens!

XOXO,

SBJ

PS. This chair had a cold puddle. I sat in it. Bugger.