Having a fantastic three day discovering of Shizuoka prefecture, including the cities of Numazu, Mishima and Shizuoka – all far bigger than I had imagined, with dreamy neon underbellies.
Last night was a delirium of transcendent cinema and then getting lost in the cherry blossom festival at the castle, my mind and eyes oversaturated.
This morning was a much more standard Saturday coffee and shopping type morning – Shizuoka City swankier and more gleaming than I would have anticipated: they even had a Louis Vuitton, an institution I would never enter in Yokohama or Tokyo as the levels of brand veneration there is like drinking anti-freeze for my general serenity. But as D says, the people are ‘much less twitchy’ here, a notch or three lower on the service uptight-ometer; everything more relaxed in general, so I felt fine just doing a quick hand-sanitize and sauntering in for a mooch of the perfumes; and also because I have seen so many of the Léa Seydoux posters for Spell On You that I thought I should actually finally sniff it.
What’s it like?
Very pretty; a fine quality iris and violet with citrus and acacia that Ms Prim And Proper Of Paris Or Tokyo will probably adore. To me it is a modernized mash up ( but quite seamless in blending ) of Après- L’Ondee, with some Miracle by Lancôme, and perhaps a touch of Trésor in the mix as well ( that would be all the rose and the peach ). Fantastically assembled with its crisp powder; Orthodontically pristine, behind her enameled veneer – when she laughs, you marvel, enviously, at her sparkling teeth and eyes : lower your gaze, slowly to the pleats of her coat, the bag at her side ; and the immaculately selected shoes. Getting closer to the faultless throb of her perfume , you begin to feel ill : and peony nauseous.
Of similar ilk in terms of immediate mainstream acceptability is the fresh, red-floral shampoo- sheened berried camellia cosmetic spray mist that is the new citric floral Chanel No1. Pleasant, if highly familiar to anyone used to the tropes that are common in Japanese popular perfumery ( I can imagine No1 really going down a storm here) this is a very clean, uplifting, astringent, sparkling, quotidian fashion spritz : brisk, easy – an inoffensive daily contender like Clarins Eau Dynamisante.
But I have more interesting things to think about right now. The bus has just arrived at the station on the hill with an EXTRAORDINARY vista of Mt Fuji in front of cherry blossom. I am about to go on a cable car ( vertigo ? ‘what vertigo’) and sail right past it down to a National Treasure shrine that stands overlooking.
Catch you later
The Black Narcissus 
Chanel really seems to be making overtures to the Asian markets, quite successfully if I am to judge by how much Chance and its myriad flankers I detect on Chinese, Japanese, and Singaporean tourists. Chanel No1 sounds interesting to wear on humid days, I shall try it.
Loving the lions and the sago palms!
PS
Are those blue bananas on a stick?
LV anything annoys me.
They ARE blue bananas on a stick – choco mint flavor
Is that what they are called ?
I LOVE them.
Chanel No 1 : I imagine you being underwhelmed ; I would also rather smell this on tourists than the vile Chance.
The tip of Mt. Fuji floating above the clouds… glad you’re enjoying the sights! The red bottle speaks to me, but I will have to smell it first.
I have never seen the classic Mt Fuji like this and literally gasped when I saw it. It WAS literally floating above the clouds. Amazing ( and obviously much more so in reality – an iPhone can’t capture it).
The red Chanel : I await your verdict – but I like you better in an enigmatic vetiver – this is too shiny and obvious for you.
Fabulous photos, N. Felt as though I’d been along for the ride. Would’ve been fun. Glad you guys had such a good time.
That army of bananas was pretty scary, though.
LEs bananes…..perhaps a mistake of an aesthetic inclusion for the piece as a whole, but I decided to leave them in for a bit of reality and irreverence. What do you make of the Chanel No1 concept? Face serum/ perfume range etc etc?
I think their target customer will enjoy it. I’m not their target customer, though!
Tell me about it.
The photos are beyond fabulous! The fragrances sound kind of meh, which is a little bit sad, because I was curious about the Chanel. Guess I don’t have need of it. Those photos though!!!! I want a blue banana!
!! They are hilarious, right?
The Chanel you definitely don’t need – but will obviously need to try when you pass through a department store or airport (whenever that is..)
I will try it, but so much new stuff is muck these days.