You can’t get much more obscure than Pola’s Alla Festa. Though perfectly happy just chilling on the Sunday balcony after a knackering week, there were social demands to be met, and the noise was so boisterous after four years of no Bon Odori festival that I could hardly hear my own music anyway.
Dragging myself wearily to the perfume cabinet, I found myself inexplicably in Samsara vintage extrait mode – already in sandalwood oil and the smoke of mosquito coils – but couldn’t find it.
I went for Alla Festa instead – allegedly an ‘eau de cologne ‘ – if so, what the F must this ultra rare extrait be like, in potency terms ? –
Probably I just smelled hopelessly dated and wrong on a number of levels , but I enjoyed it.
One of those everything but the bathtub maximalist cusp of the 80’s and 90’s, this is a cyclamen jasmine wood TNT in the ballpark of similar bombstresses as the aforementioned ‘Guerlain’ and Sculpture by Nikos ( did I actually spray on lots of the original Gianfranco Ferre as well for more hideous floral sweetness ? I confess that I did)
When you are off to a sweltering summer party, cicadas psychotically dovetailing from the arbour, you might as well
Pola as in Pola Orbis? How exciting. I’ve not been able to wear anything too sweet or strong as it’s been nonstop rain and socks until today; I’m looking forward to wearing something I can sweat into. My jasmines are languishing on a chilly shelf until then.
Jasmines need to be unleashed at just the right moment else they are wrong
Pola the Japanese cosmetics brand yes
Burning a sandalwood candle, mosquito coil, and incense while writing this. After 75 hours of pouring monsoon rainfall I want DRY, if only olfactorily.
Sometimes I miss late 80s maximalism, bombstresses and all.
Me too
Sometimes you just sink into it without shame
Go big or go home.
“When you are off to a sweltering summer party, cicadas psychotically dovetailing from the arbour, you might as well.” SO good!
This, in fact, is just what I would love right now. Glad we can live vicariously through your posts, my dear.
B.C. is burning and we are all on edge.