Some Sun in the Middle of a Hurricane

Below is a screenshot of the hurricane trajectory from MyFoxHurricane.com at around 10:20 am this morning.


And here is a little bit of sunshine:


Diane von Furstenberg has a new perfume out. She doesn't have a large repertoire. She's had only two hits: with Volcan in 1979 and Tatiana in 1981. She came back to to perfume design in 2003 with variations on her name: D in 2003, Diane in 2011, Love Diane in 2012, and now Sunny Diane also in 2012.

Nonetheless, Sunny is charming, light and, well, sunny. Winter is coming, and a bit of sunshine is always welcome.

The notes for Sunny Diane are:

Mandarine Orange, Frangipani^*, Woodsy notes, Musk, Violet, Sea Water and Driftwood

According to Fragrantica, frangipani is:

Soft, fruity, peachy, and creamy on the canvas of the soft gardenia-like aroma.

Fragrantica's "odor profile" describes Sea Water as:

captured via highly sophisticated synthetic components of organic chemistry. A "marine" note.

The "odore profile for Driftwood is:

A watery, slightly musty but very light note that is evocative of driftwood and vast expanses of water. Beautifully rendered in Preparation Parfumee by Andree Putman.

These last two are clearly synthetic scents, but Sunny Diane's perfume designer clearly came up with something that does evoke sunny, breezy, beeches with the warm smell of sand and wet wood, and the fruity floral scent of a tropical flower.

Her perfume designer is Aurélien Guichard.


Here is part of an interview on his choice of career:

Interviewer: What led you to become a perfumer?:
AG: I am from ...Grasse..., in the south of France. Growing up with a famous perfumer father and grandparents who were jasmine and rose producers, it was difficult not to be influenced. The less obvious reason is my mother. She is a sculptor. She highly contributed also in my need to do a creative job. This job - or passion - is not just about mixing ingredients, it is about creating scents with personal ideas that you truly believe in.

Guichard has a short list of perfumes. I have tried a few on the list here, and none stand out. Perhaps he's hit the jackpot with his mild, but refreshing Sunny Diane.
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Frangrantica describes the a dark side of the flower:

In some countries in Far East white fragrant flowers have a quite dark reputation: Symbolizing death, they are common on cemeteries, and their fragrance in the night is one of the signs of an approaching vampire.

And from this site:

The Chinese turn their noses up at the frangipani, referring to it as ‘the graveyard flower’ due to its proliferation in cemeteries across Asia.

So what's new about the perennially superstitious Chinese? These are people who won't build houses in certain directions because of "bad luck." Even "acculturated" Western-born Chinese and their offspring cannot live without their daily dose of vodoo.