Thursday, April 15, 2010

Pairings: Odd Greenery

Today's pairing does not involve alcohol.  Not in the beverage, at least; barhounds should return for the next installment.  (All should refrain from quaffing their perfume.)

Conjure this:  vegetal, earthy liquid that is part tonic (as in the medicinal concept, not the quinine mixer), hint of bitters, salty-ish something that kicks the green toward seaweed.  All connected by something which smooths it out, makes the herbal potion not only palatable, but pleasurable, in an umami sort of way.

What is "this"?  In a cup, an iced green tea latte.  On my wrist, Niki Saint Phalle parfum.  Wonderful co-conspirators.  Potions, each of them.  Neither of them an easy down kind of thing.  But compelling.  And the more huffed or sipped, the more pleasure they offer.  Your tongue adjusts.  Your nose starts to tell you there's something sweet in there.

This is a simpatico pairing.  Very similar, these two, and definitely complimentary.


image of a 16" factice from "Silke's Giant Factice World"
(available for purchase)



☤☤☤
I used parfum strength Niki Saint Phalle, from a beautiful cobalt bottle with the intertwined snakes on top, which I scored from online auction last year.  (Was the artist-perfumer conjuring a cadaceus there?  What form of witchcraft this? Hmmm...)  Just last week, I got some Niki in the edt.  It behaves differently, in many of the ways you might expect.  If you're doing this pairing, go with the parfum.  The extra viscosity provides a suitable equivalent for the milkfat in the latte.  Straight up green iced tea would probably be a nice accompaniment to the edt, though.

☤☤
Sadly (yup, here it comes), Niki Saint Phalle is discontinued, but is at this point fairly readily available online.


My green tea latte was lightly sweetened and came from Starbucks.

6 comments:

Mals86 said...

Hmm. Have not smelled Niki parfum, but the edt sort of frightened me - like a witch doctor suddenly leaped out in front of me waving all these potent herbals in my face. Eek.

ScentScelf said...

Mals, the Niki edt is all the sharps with none of the butterfat to act as a carrier. Hangs out in the upper part of your nose. Of course, I kind of like it, but I am keen on a number of chypres. That don't have peach. (Talking about Looming Goddess That Shall Not Be Named because it's one of those perfumista if you don't love it I will judge you thangs.)

((Of course, I *have* named it in the past. ;) ))

ScentScelf said...

Oh! and...should have included that "a witch doctor suddenly leap[ing] out in front of me waving all these potent herbals in my face" was a strong element of my sipping the green tea latte experience, lol. Herbal sludge in the bottom of my cup.

Musette said...

Niki skeered the toenails offa me! La Belle E sent me a hit of it and ...well....

...well....

uh..

but I totally get why Folks Who Are Not Me would like it!

xoA

Mals86 said...

Ah... well, I don't like The Unnamed Looming Goddess either (or she doesn't like me, rather).

I think I might skip the herbal sludge, too...

ScentScelf said...

Musette, you hang onto your pretty toenails. You and Mals can go off and enjoy some aldehydes together. Or you can introduce her to the joys of Charmes and Leaves. Mals, share some Chamade love with Musette. I appreciate 'em both. But I think I'll just sit here and drink the dedoction until you are done... :)