Plutonic Rainbows

I recently picked this up and have to say it is one of the most incredible gourmands I have ever tried. The opening of Melt My Heart is as irresistible as it is complex, drawing you in with the rich, velvety warmth of dark chocolate. This is no ordinary chocolate note — here, it is bittersweet and luxurious, like the finest artisanal confection. Its smooth richness is immediately captivating, evoking the feeling of indulgence and the allure of forbidden pleasures. The chocolate feels dark and enigmatic, setting the stage for the sensuality that follows.

Interwoven with the chocolate is the elegant and creamy essence of orris butter, which lends a powdery, almost buttery floral quality to the fragrance. The orris root’s softness tempers the intensity of the chocolate, creating a delicate balance between richness and refinement. The orris introduces a sensual, tactile element, reminiscent of the feel of silk against the skin — cool, smooth, and intimately close. This interplay between the edible and the ethereal makes Melt My Heart a fragrance that feels simultaneously grounded and otherworldly.

This sumptuous oriental fragrance contains pure orris butter, a sought-after delicacy in perfumery for which there is no substitute. Like the warmth of true love, orris butter is irreplaceable. Our sensual blend is deepened by the sultriness of beloved oud and sandalwood, soothing ylang ylang combines with a hint of white magnolia and French sage to boost spirits. With their irresistible influence, purified ginger, stimulating mandarin, and luscious dark chocolate complete this enthralling creation.

As the fragrance evolves, a heart of oud and sandalwood emerges, grounding the composition with a smoky, woody depth. The oud here is subtle and refined, not overpowering, but present enough to give the fragrance a sense of exotic allure. The sandalwood is creamy and smooth, adding to the richness of the scent, while the ginger adds a slight spiciness, a warmth that contrasts beautifully with the cool powderiness of the orris.

The drydown of Melt My Heart is where the true magic happens. As the chocolate fades into the background, the base of amber and myrrh reveals itself, creating a warm, resinous cocoon that lingers on the skin for hours. The amber is golden and sweet, while the myrrh adds a smoky, balsamic touch, giving the fragrance a mystical quality.

I've finally finished configuring the CloudFront Distribution for the site. Previously, gzip compression was being enabled in the upload config file. However, it has now been configured to avoid that and only have CloudFront compress static files automatically.

This fragrance has been out for some time now but I recently managed to get a small sample for testing purposes. Vanilla Diorama is a unisex offering from the house that contains a mixture of ambery and gourmand notes.

Vanilla Diorama, the new creation of Dior perfumer-creator François Demachy, is a warm and joyful ode to vanilla. For this noble beauty, he composed a fragrance that is instantly pleasing, round and seductive, both rich, and shot through with freshness, revealing a joyful portrait of true vanilla perfection.

I first tried this a few weeks ago and wasn't totally sold on its qualities. However, it has sort of grown on me a bit and I will try to find a bottle at a decent price.

I am also waiting for a sample of Roja Parfums 'Lost in Paris' to arrive. I will update on that when it finally gets here.

New novel from this British author that sees him delve into the occult world of London. You can pick up a copy of The Great When by Alan Moore published by Bloomsbury on October 2nd.

The year is 1949, the city London. Amidst the smog of the capital is Dennis Knuckleyard, a hapless eighteen-year-old employed by a second-hand bookshop. One day, on an errand to acquire books for sale, Dennis discovers a novel that simply does not exist. It is a fictitious book, a figment from another novel. Yet it is physically there in his hands. How?

Dennis has stumbled on a book from the Great When, a magical version of London beyond time and space, where reality blurs with fiction and concepts such as Crime and Poetry are incarnated as wondrous, terrible beings. But this other, magical London must remain a secret: if Dennis cannot find a way to return this book to where it belongs, he risks bizarre and disastrous repercussions, such as his body being turned inside out (or worse).

So begins a journey delving deep into the city's occult underbelly and tarrying with an eccentric cast of sorcerers, gangsters, and murderers – some from legend, some all too real, and all with plans of their own. Soon Dennis finds himself at the centre of an explosive series of events that may alter and endanger both Londons forever.