These two book gems are the pendant to a 1930s screwball comedy with Carole Lombard or Katherine Hepburn, with sparkling wit and full of tongue-in-cheek advice. The books are written by Marjorie Hillis, a “Vogue” editor in New York, then nearing 50 years of age. There is nothing dusty about these books, and nothing outdated.… Continue reading Brilliant advice from the 1930s – Marjorie Hillis’ books
Author: Consigliere Bellezza
When a name creates an image – Temple St. Clair
When I bought Temple St. Clair’s first book “Alchemy”, read her name and saw the kind of jewellery she creates, I was convinced she is a descendant of one of the families in a Dan Brown novel. You know what I mean, those with ancestors in Scotland and France who have a direct bloodline to… Continue reading When a name creates an image – Temple St. Clair
How did she do it? – Luisa Spagnoli in book and film
I had never heard of Luisa Spagnoli before I stepped into the clothes store of the same name in Palermo’s Via Ruggiero Settimo a few years ago. I had not been hunting for clothes, just wanted a quick look around because the windows were so beautifully made up and all the clothes were so luxurious.… Continue reading How did she do it? – Luisa Spagnoli in book and film
The Golden Ratio – “Vanille” by Mona di Orio
The opening note of Mona di Orio’s “Vanille” combines oranges, petitgrain, cloves, many more oranges and almonds. It is a very untypical vanilla scent, a bit darker and spicier and fuller and rounder than most. The prickling scent of the petitgrain is unmistakable the whole time, the vanilla more like a warm background for the… Continue reading The Golden Ratio – “Vanille” by Mona di Orio
An inspiring fragrance – “Lost Cherry” by Tom Ford
Tom Ford’s perfumes are a phenomenon. First, he creates one hit after the other. Second, he uses scent notes that seem to be a no-brainer, but nobody else thought of them (like cherry and peach in abundance). Third, the perfumes are terribly expensive (for 50 ml EdP one pays at least between 250€ and 400€).… Continue reading An inspiring fragrance – “Lost Cherry” by Tom Ford
Scent of a Queen “Bouquet de la Reine” by Floris
Dear Floris family, have a heart, produce the Eau de Parfum again! I just noted, when comparing the “Bouquet de la Reine” Eau de Parfum and the Eau de Toilette directly for this post, that there is a difference in roundness, in perfection. I did not note this when simply spraying the one or the… Continue reading Scent of a Queen “Bouquet de la Reine” by Floris
Wellness for the soul – Meditation
This is an essay about meditation, neither exactly the Transcendental Meditation (TM) as copyrighted and marketed by the organisation founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, nor the exact teachings of Deepak Chopra. Certainly, both have their value and they are similar enough. Meditation is a great tool to become calmer and happier in mind and body.… Continue reading Wellness for the soul – Meditation
A charmed life – Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia
Reading in Prince Dimitris book, it is difficult not to become jealous. I decided instead to admire him for his pose and for making the best out of being born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Some people stay idle when they already have a lot, Prince Dimitri grew his heritage further. Born into… Continue reading A charmed life – Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia
Give and Take – The Duke and the Duchess of Windsor
Aiming at an art review, I wanted to write first only about the beautifully illustrated book “The Windsor Style” by Suzy Menkes. When flipping through the book, the well researched and mostly friendly biography of Wallis Simpson “The Duchess of Windsor” by Greg King came back to my mind. This biography shaped my views about… Continue reading Give and Take – The Duke and the Duchess of Windsor
A successful, refined lady – Chanel “No. 19”
Almost Everybody holds Chanel’s “No. 19” in high esteem. One rarely finds a negative comment in the well-known internet platforms; the scent is rated extremely good. Still, it’s certainly not a crowd-pleaser. From its launch in 1971 the scent was seen as ground-breaking. And Chanel No. 19 is here to stay forever, like only few… Continue reading A successful, refined lady – Chanel “No. 19”