Monday, May 15
Wednesday, February 25
30 Stunning Pictures of EDSA in Noir
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| Edsa Shrine, Our Lady of Peace (Photo from wikitravel) |
EDSA, one of the busiest and most congested thoroughfare in Metro Manila, is a 23.8km highway and the longest one inside Metro Manila. It traverses the major cities of Caloocan, Quezon, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay. It is also named as C4 or Circumferential Road 4, a network of bridges and roads and the fourth beltway for Metro Manila, connecting south and north Luzon express ways.
It's economic and industrial impact can be seen with the industrial centers in the metropolis connected directly to it. Hence, it is also the most congested with an average of a million vehicles plying its route daily.
In the middle of EDSA is the MRT-3, a transport system aimed to provide alternative public transport to buses along this road and is connected to two more train lines in Metro Manila.
EDSA is named after Epifanio Delos Santos, a Rizalist, group of Jose Rizal advocates. Its name used to be Avenida 19 de Junio shortly after WW2 in 1946, after the birthdate of Jose Rizal, the country's national hero. It was renamed Highway 54, as it was thought to be 54kms long during that time. President Ramon Magsaysay named after Rizal but Rizal province resident wanted it after a Rizalista. In 1959, it was named as Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue, on his birthday April 7.
It's historical relevance is the staging of two peaceful people power revolution. One was in 1986 as a revolution against the dictator President Ferdinand Marcos and his 20-year rule. More story on this peaceful revolution can be found here and here. On February 25, 1986, the revolution ended with Corazon Aquino, the mother of the current president, was put in power. This marked the return of the Philippines to democracy and the Philippine constitution was revised.
Hence, the February 25th holiday in the country, in celebration of this popular and peaceful revolt.
The second peaceful revolution was during President Joseph Estrada's short-lived reign, in 2001. The convicted plunderer, which was granted clemency by then President Glorai Macapagal Arroyo was kicked out of office through the peaceful revolution because of corruption and plunder charges during the height of his impeachment case in the Senate. More information on this can be found here and here.
In celebration of the 29th Anniversary of Edsa 1 Revolution, here are photos taken while driving along EDSA using Noir filter of an iPhone
...
Monday, February 23
A Fragrance for An Ideal Man
One would always consider simplicity as a great expression of true beauty, devoid of the frou-frou and the tackiness that goes with it. A rare kind of real opulence that transcends time and joins the league of timeless classics.
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| Far from its supposed image, L'Homme Ideal depicts the ideal man |
That simplicity and opulence are bottled in the latest fragrance from Guerlain. The idealism that comes from this fragrance is its woody base mixed with the sweet vanilla-ish notes from tonka bean. The top note reminds you of a fresh citrus-spicy impact that is pulled down back to earth with the heavy woody notes. Freshness impact is boosted by the soft white floral orange blossom. Its distinctive opulent note is coming from the leather and tonka bean mixture.
It is very modern in construction, in terms of how the woods-citrus-flowers are flirting with each other. The sweet tonka bean made the fragrance soft and yet very warm. Even with a seemingly heavy approach, the fragrance achieved a natural fresh and light impact that turns softly heavy and long lasting at the bottom.
Ideal? It is! I am not sure though if the company tested it to be true among women, as depicted in this video.
OLFACTIVE RATING : SCENTSATIONAL (5)
RECOMMENDATION : perfect for those looking for something different and non mainstream and get some attention because of the hook it gives to those who'll smell it
IDEAL TIME OF WEAR: afternoon to night
IDEAL SEASON : any
Saturday, February 21
Fun & Effective Travel Tips for Couples
Embarking on a
journey with your partner? Here
are some tips to save money, time and energy without straining your
relationship.
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| Our very recent travel to Seoul, February 2015 |
Plan Your Itinerary
AIRPLANE & HOTEL BOOKING
As both of you may have
to take vacation leaves from work, scheduling ahead gives you enough time to free
up task list at work days before the trip. Significant savings on plane fare
and hotel booking is also a huge advantage scheduling ahead.
BUILD YOUR TO-DO/MUST-DO LIST
Agree on your to do list.
Identify the areas, tourist destinations, shopping areas and restaurants you
want to visit. You can set aside half a day or more for solo wandering. This
way you can be more efficient covering more areas and doing what you like
without boring your partner or worse, annoy him or her. It’s not as romantic
but you get to do and see more.
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| El Nido, September 2014 |
ORGANIZE
YOUR TO-DO/MUST-DO LIST
Now that you have a to-do list you may organize them
on a per area basis. Daily schedule may be organized based on the different activities
that can be done in a specific area or location. This way you can truly savor
what the area can offer in terms of culture, heritage, history, food, souvenirs
and goodies without wasting time, energy and money in the process. And from
this, you can now pack accordingly.
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| Sydney, Australia, August 2013 |
TRANSPORTATION
OPTION
Know how to get
to the different points of interest. Download all the necessary apps to your
phone to understand the wisest transportation mode. In most advanced cities, the
train system is the best choice, if you don’t mind the walking distance. Since
you identified your daily itinerary on a per area basis, it is a lot easier now
to track how to go to that area from your hotel and back. It is also
recommended to get a train card and top-up/reload on a daily basis to save
money.
Other transportation
modes include the more expensive taxi or uber services. However, the more rural
you go, the more challenging the transportation becomes, especially in
developing countries. The best source of information is the locals. Ask from
hotel concierge, co-travelers, neighbors, store owners, waiters, etc. on the
best and easiest way to your destination. Have them translate in their native
language and write in a card that you can show to the driver where you intend
to go.
PRINT EVERYTHING
Print all that can be
printed – itinerary, hotel reservation, daily activities, maps, and list of
food to eat. Have a picture. Don’t forget to screenshot everything and organize
them in your phone’s photo app. Attach together all the items needed for that
day’s activities. Include the envelope that contains your pocket money.
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| Tokyo, April 2014 |
BE FLEXIBLE
Be flexible with your itinerary. Sometimes,
due to unforeseen events or your mood, there are places that you can opt to
skip. If you have scheduled a trip to temples or museums located in the areas you
plan to visit, chances are you will skip all the other temples after seeing a
couple on your first two days. This is especially true for those who are not
really after the heritage and history.
SET A BUDGET
Especially if you are a backpacker type,
sticking to a budget is crucial. Always have money for the daily basic needs –
transportation, meals and drinks. Also, prepare for other expenses such as
souvenir shopping, entrance fees to tourist spots and tips. Buy the destination
currency from your friendly neighbourhood moneychanger to get the best rates.
Always bring cash. You can also opt to withdraw money using your local ATM card
in the destination. Credit card is also advised but only for emergency expenses
or if you plan to buy an expensive item. But these may entail additional bank
charges and foreign currency adjustments.
When buying with a credit card, ask the
merchant to charge you in their currency. Normally, there is now an option to
charge you in your country’s currency. But this is more expensive than having
the bank convert it to your local currency on your cutoff.
 |
| Hongkong, November 2014 |
Set Roles & Responsibilities
Here are some of the roles that you need to identify:
- Finance Manager – the one in-charge of making sure that the daily itinerary is within the allocated budget and keeping an inventory of all the bills and coins. You don’t want to be stuck with so many coins after the trip unless you plan on going back.
- Transportation Manager – the one who will manage the daily commute – what mode to take, stations to go to, and directions. He/she will be in charge of printing the maps, downloading the apps on their phones and making sure that you can go back to the hotel every night. He/she can also be in-charge of the itinerary scheduling.
- Diet Manager – the one in-charge of deciding what food to eat on lunch, snack and dinner. When you go to the different areas, you will be flooded with a lot of choices. One must be able to decide what to eat, unless the other one has a suggestion or a particular craving. This is very important especially if the area you will visit does not have a must-eat list. He/she will also be responsible for making sure that you have water, snacks, and vitamin supplements.
- Documentation Manager – most likely both of you will have individual camera phones or camera to take pictures. Whilst this can be done by both of you, it is highly recommended that one takes a picture of all the weird stuff, while the other one takes a picture of the scenes and destinations and coufies (couple selfies). This way, you get to have fun and artistic freedom on the photos and save time in the process.
- Document Holder – the one who will always carry the important items – passport, plane ticket, calling card of the hotel, hotel codes, in case of emergency cards, etc.
 |
| Singapore, February 2013 |
Having clear roles and responsibilities allow you to have fun and collaborate on making the trip really memorable and meaningful, in a good way. As this is totally out of your daily routines, it is best to set expectation.
These are some of
the tips I can share. For more tips on travel dating, please checkout www.ourtraveldates.com.
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| Puerto Prinsesa, September 2014 |
Friday, February 6
I Miss That Davao's Durian Frappuccino
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| This has got to be the best frappuccino I've ever had. Durian Frappuccino. |
I have been to Davao several times already but all those trips were business related. Hence, I never get to see any parts of it, especially the beaches.
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| Gen. Douglas McArthur Highway, in front of Matina Town Square, Davao, 2009. |
DOT has posted in their YouTube this video.
What do you think? Will Davao be in your itinerary this year? Our company outing this August will be here. Shall I join? I certainly miss the durian frappuccino!!!
#VisitPH2015
Fragrance Must-Have for Valentine's
Lovers and singles out there, heart's day is fast approaching. You may be wondering what fragrances you can use or give as gift this time of the year.
As the color of this celebration is red, not to mention that it is also the color of the Chinese New Year, here are some love-themed, red-colored fragrances for you.
HUGO BOSS HUGO RED
Every bit Hugo Boss that we've loved all these years in a sweet, fruity rendition - romantically sweet that is! The fragrance starts with metallic-citrusy-spicy fragrance that screams Hugo Boss signature scent.
The fragrance continues with fruity pineapple and fruity rhubarb on a bed of sweet amber and woody tonka beans. The fragrance exudes sensuality and intensity.
And who wouldn't be in love with Mr. Jared Leto?
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| Ain't he hot for you to be not sensually romantic? Sige nga?! |
RALPH LAUREN POLO RED
A fragrance that make you last until the early hours of the following day, this red edition fragrance from RL Polo line evokes sophisticated macho sexiness - truly alpha male of the night!
The fragrance's energy comes from the warm citrus made bolder and heavier with sweet amber and spicy coffee notes at the bottom. There is certainly an olfactive hook here. Perfect for catching ladies (or men) out there. Great for singles who are in a prowl for the next victim of seduction and sexual escapade.
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| Are you in for the sexual drive of your lives? |
KENZO AMOUR MY LOVE
Flirty floral fruity fresh fragrance, this sheer and light fragrance, launched in 2013, is an embodiment of a woman in love! Its light sweetness is coming from cherry blossom, passionfruit, red currant mixed with fresh floral bouquet of rose and lilac for that soft flirty impact.
The fragrance is made more romantic with white musk at the bottom. It tells of true love and euphoria of being in love. Romantically sheer and transparent. It feels like a woman in love, wobbly on her knees and ready to fall for that man she calls her soul mate.
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| Maarte ba siya? |
DIESEL LOVERDOSE TATTOO
Significantly on the opposite end of Amour In Love, this oriental floral fragrance is wild and wicked with its overtly sweet vanilla and creamy milk! It is made more hedonically interesting by mixing citrus mandarin and bergamot, as was done with Manifesto L' Elixir. But this one is darker, heavier, sexier.
The fragrance is made more interesting with white floral bouquet of orange blossom, rose, and jasmine. What's interesting is the use of rice in the entire ensemble making it so addicting to smell.
Perfect for single women who want to party the Valentine's night away with her girl friends, minus the pressure of catching a prey for the night. It speaks power and excess and that it provides true indulgence without the guilt!
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| Ladies, let's party the night away. |
Wednesday, February 4
The Charm of The Fifth
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| Photo from Fragrantica.Com |
In celebration of the 5th birthday of Viktor & Rolf's very successful fragrance Flowerbomb, they launched in 2013 the La Vie En Rose flanker variant. This fragrance is truly a charm as it adds a citrusy-peppery top note to the usual ambery-candy--fruity-sweet Flowerbomb.
The citrus is boosted by green tea and mandarin and paired with spicy pink pepper. This adds a very youthful summer energy to the already very young and fancy Flowerbomb bed of red berries, sweet candy and oriental amber heart-bottom notes.
I like how it starts with a funky energetic spicy-citrus top and continues to a sweet-ambery Flowerbomb that we know and love. Although I am a bit worried with the green leafy mossy direction that intrudes in the overall pleasantness of the fragrance. Nonetheless, if you are a fan of Flowerbomb, then this is a worthy addition to your collection.
OLFACTIVE RATING : Scent Bleh (2)
RECOMMENDATION : for young ladies who need energy and funk on a summer night party
IDEAL TIME OF WEAR: afternoon to night
IDEAL SEASON : summer
RECOMMENDATION : for young ladies who need energy and funk on a summer night party
IDEAL TIME OF WEAR: afternoon to night
IDEAL SEASON : summer
Tuesday, February 3
A Celebration of Vanilla And Citrus
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| Photo courtesy of parfumemall.com |
Manifesto L' Elixir YSL, from the Manifesto line, is truly a celebration of citrus and vanilla mixture - freshly sweet, daring but subdued, soft and yet strong enough to be enjoyed.
The fragrance starts with a citrus explosion but you feel the vanilla pulling back its impact, making it very sophisticated but accessible. The white floral notes in the heart provides restraint to both woods and vanilla's heaviness. There's a slight spicy note in the base but maybe from the cashmere.
Overall, I admire the way how opposite notes in terms of heavy and fresh impacts are mixed together and how they allow the floral and woody notes flirt with the overall fragrance impact.
OLFACTIVE RATING : Sensorial Overload (5)
RECOMMENDATION : for ladies who want something more from their fragrance without veering away from the familiar citrus and floral notes that they have loved
IDEAL TIME OF WEAR: any
IDEAL SEASON : any
Wednesday, January 28
Fragrance 101: The Fragrance Pyramid (Part 3)
In the previous Fragrance 101 post, the different
ingredients used in fragrance design and creation were discussed. These ingredients will have different evaporation
rates that are crucial in creating a perfectly performing fragrance.
The evaporation rate is also key in creating the olfactive pyramid
or a fragrance triangle. The fragrance pyramid is the structure of the
fragrance very much similar to a house’s structure – walls, roof, foundation
and pillars. Fragrance structure progresses into three parts – the top, the middle or heart and
the base or bottom notes. Fragrance
ingredients are placed from the top to bottom in descending order of evaporation rates.
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| Fragrance Pyramid |
The TOP
NOTE gives the initial impression of the fragrance. Top note ingredients
are volatile and diffuse quickly. This part of a fragrance provides the impact and appeal. The hedonics hook is very important at this stage as it promotes product trial.
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| Citrus considered as part of top note (image from Pinterest) |
However, you have to sample the fragrance first before making any final decision. There are instances that the fragrance changes in direction as the less volatile compounds become more pronounced. This brings us to the next part.
The BODY
or MIDDLE of a fragrance is a complex blend of less volatile ingredients. This is normally when you and the people around you enjoy the fragrance the most. It establishes what the fragrance really smells like. It more or less represents the entire fragrance and helps consumer loyalty to the product.
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| Versace Yellow Diamond Pyramid from sunshinekelly.com |
However, we want our fragrances to last long. And this is when the next part of the pyramid is important. The DRY
DOWN or BASE notes of a fragrance include fixatives and other
notes that diffuse very slowly. These notes support the more
volatile notes of the body and top, and balance the fragrance.
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| Cedarwood, an ingredient in base note |
You can rebalance the fragrance to contain more of the top and less of the base in order to create more impact and freshness. But it will not last long. This type of fragrance is perfect for tropical countries, like the Philippines, where we want our fragrance to be strong in terms of appeal and impact.
On the other hand, you can also create a heavier base and make it last very long, but it will not be as fresh and strong. This type of fragrance perfectly addresses the preferences of the Middle Eastern market.
What's Next in Fragrance 101...
In the next Fragrance 101 post, we will be tackling fragrance description and families.
Previous Post
In the next Fragrance 101 post, we will be tackling fragrance description and families.
Previous Post
_________________________________________________________________________________
Fragrance 101 is a series of posts that will introduce the readers and fragrance fans into the magical world of fragrances. The author will impart his knowledge on what a fragrance is, how to understand fragrance descriptions and the different fragrance families used in describing the fragrances in this blog.
Fragrance 101: Ingredients Used In Making Fragrances (Part 2)
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| Image from prevention.com |
Continuing with our Fragrance 101 series, fragrance is made
up of different ingredients much like a lotion or a shampoo. These ingredients are categorized according to
sources and these are naturals – from plants and animals, and aroma chemicals.
Animal sourced ingredients are ingredients that come from specialized glands of animals. You had
to kill animals just to get those ingredients and make into perfume. Samples of
ingredients sourced from animals are musks (from an abdominal gland of a male
deer), civet (from civet cats), castoreum (from beavers) and amber gris (from
whales).
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| Musk Deer (image from wikipedia) |
Today, due to ethical and pricing reasons, animal products
are a rarity in modern perfumery as they have been replaced by synthetic versions.
But their history, usage and contribution to the industry have been very
valuable. Originally they were used as fixatives in fragrances, bringing
warmth, depth and complexity to a fragrance.
Plants, the most common source of fragrance ingredients, are
extracted for their natural aroma oils. Flowers, fruits and even barks and
roots are just some of the plants that we use to get our aroma oils from. So,
imagine the palette of ingredients we can already use for fragrance
designs. Not to mention, that for any
alteration in the extraction process – temperature, solvent, time to name a few
– you get different essential oils.
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| Image from mnh20.wordpress.com |
For example, 4 different extraction of bitter orange blossom yields 4 different types of essential oils – orange flower concrete, orange flower water, neroli oils and orange blossom absolute.
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| Sample extraction processes for bitter orange |
The aroma chemicals or synthetic chemicals are molecules
that were created in the laboratory for fragrance purposes. This is the most
commonly used ingredient as they are relatively more economical, sustainable,
and quality assured as compared to plant extraction. Due to advances in
technologies, aroma chemicals not only represent the synthetic counterpart of
natural-sourced fragrances but also advances in molecules
allowing more complex and consumer-preferred fragrances.
Benzaldehyde
was the first aroma molecule created in the mid 19th century. This was naturally
present in bitter almond oils. Then coumarin (tonka bean) came in 1868 and vanillin
appeared in 1874 among others.
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| Vanillin Molecuke |
As
highlighted in the previous post, fragrance ingredients MUST evaporate in order
for you to smell it. Without the molecules converted into gas, then the olfactive bulb (epithelium) in your
nose will not be able to smell anything, as highlighted in this post. Different ingredients have different
evaporation rates. Perfumers know all these in order to create a
perfectly performing fragrance.
What's Next in Fragrance 101...
In the next Fragrance 101 post, the fragrance pyramid will be introduced.
Previous Post
In the next Fragrance 101 post, the fragrance pyramid will be introduced.
Previous Post
_________________________________________________________________________________
Fragrance 101 is a series of posts that will introduce the readers and fragrance fans into the magical world of fragrances. The author will impart his knowledge on what a fragrance is, how to understand fragrance descriptions and the different fragrance families used in describing the fragrances in this blog.
Tuesday, January 27
What Could Have Been Ms. Philippines' Answer to the Miss Universe #FinalQuestion
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| Image from Miss Universe Facebook page |
This year, in a not-so-surprising twist to the Miss Universe beauty pageant, a second round of Q&A was done. This is one of the first in the history of Miss Universe. The question came from a Facebook user from the #FinalQuestion hashtag: "What is the greatest contribution of your country to the entire world?".
Here are some of the answers that are quite entertaining, you should have instead waited for the personal feeds of the fans for more entertainment and less the "what was the question again?":
We need a translator for this.
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Anita Linda, this is your cue... Then gunshots... Dead.
Ayan. Nagalit tuloy. Kasi naman hindi pinasok si Mj sa Top 5 e.
I would have probably started the answer with this. And ended with this. *I don't feel any pressure right now*
Sorry, Ms. Jamaica, we have more names to drop for you - 20 million OFW names to be exact.
If there is Chicken Joy, then why the hell don't we have Chicken Adobo in Jollibee?
Ewan ko na lang kung hindi ka manalo kapag nasagot mo ito... Sa chemistry quiz bee.
And that includes, selfie stick.
And for the serious answers, here are those who could have edged out Ms. Jamaica for fourth runner up.
And as tribute to the lives lost and work done for the victims of the greatest natural tragedy in history, this would have won the title for the Miss United Nation:
Is Madam Stella Araneta still going back to the country? Maraming nag-aabang sa kanya pakisabi. Choz.
This one takes the cake, Mj's National Cake Costume.
And WORLD PEACE! I thank you!
(Inspiration for this post from www.ourtraveldates.com).
(posts were screenshots from FB, Twitter, Wordpress, Google. I do not own any of these posts. Requesting permission to all post owners.)
Sunday, January 25
Fragrance 101: What Is A Fragrance (Part 1)
What is a fragrance?
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| Photo from caramellafashionbg.wordpress.com |
FRAGRANCE AS AN ART
I would always compare fragrance to a painting or a sculpture - an art. Whilst paintings and sculptures are described based on what you see and feel - colours, strokes, angles that evoke certain emotions, a fragrance is something that you feel and remember based on what your nose smells.
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| Image from kalundinha.com |
In my earlier entry regarding the olfactive sense, fragrance evokes certain memories and emotions linked to that memory. And this is where fragrance becomes an art, similar to paintings, sculptures and architectures. The only caveat is that you have to see and be with it for you to smell it, as opposed to visual arts, wherein a simple Google search will give you an image to cherish.
FRAGRANCE AS A SCIENCE
Fragrance is also a science. It involves a lot of chemistry and physics, and recently, also involves biotechnology and botany. A fragrance consists of different organic volatile ingredients. And these ingredients need to evaporate in order for you to smell it. These ingredients (more on these in a separate post) when mixed together must create a harmonious balance for that hedonically pleasant scent. Without the understanding of science, it will be difficult to create a stable mixture that will smell good and will perform according to specifications.
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| Image from rbnainfo.com |
Therefore, a fragrance is a harmonious combination of different ingredients that results in a hedonically pleasant smell evoking different emotions and memories. It is both art and science.
What's Next in Fragrance 101...
In the next Fragrance 101 post, different ingredients used in fragrance design will be discussed.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Fragrance 101 is a series of posts that will introduce the readers and fragrance fans into the magical world of fragrances. The author will impart his knowledge on what a fragrance is, how to understand fragrance descriptions and the different fragrance families used in describing the fragrances in this blog.
