Chances are that if you're a regular reader of this blog you rarely use the word "bling", even in irony. Also, there's a high likelihood that you share my general  suspicion towards perfumes with a mango note, green or otherwise (I can't even begin to express my dislike of Hermes Jardin Sur le Nil, second only to its sibling, Après la Mousson). Still, I urge you to give Bombay Bling, one of the trio of perfumes composed by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations, evoking some of the many facets of India.

Bombay Bling opens very fruity. Surprisingly, even at its juiciest and flashiest, I find it fun and charming. It actually smells good and not cheap and artificial even in the slightest. This particular fruit salad is served in a chilled crystal bowl over shaved ice, and decorated with fresh and colorful petals. Colorful is a key word in this Neela Vermeire fragrance (actually in all of them, just using different shades and brush strokes). Bombay Bling is all about orange, bright pink, purple and yellow-- a cliche? Maybe, but such a delicious one.



The Bollywood fantasy Neela Vermeire envisioned is tastefully seasoned without letting any one spice take over until the creamy vanilla of the dry-down arrives, winking and flirting with the skin. Bombay Bling abandons the fresh fruit theme in favor of a full on oriental, again, well-blended and precise. It's ornamental and elaborately decorated but never juvenile, and the masterful composition ensures pleasure in wearing for the entire 24 hours the fragrance remains detectable.

Notes: Mango, lychee, blackcurrant, cardamom, cumin, cistus, Turkish rose, jasmine sambac, ylang-ylang, tuberose, plumeria, gardenia, patchouli, tobacco, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla

Neela Vermeire Creations- Bombay Bling ($250, 55 ml) is available from Luckyscent, but even better, you can do what my husband did when he was looking to buy me an unusual Valentine's Day gift. He ordered the discovery set, 10 ml of all three Neela Vermeire perfumes (90 euro) directly from the perfumer's website, neelavermeire.com (samples also available).

Art: Indian Beauty by Smita Pawa

I loved all your comments last week on the pointy nail issue. Today my nails are in a nice shape and almost optimal length (at least they grow quickly), so tomorrow will be a good time for a nail polish review. Also, a reward to myself for being so kind to my nails, I'm considering getting a couple of colors from Paul & Joe's Kitten Collection. I loved what I saw in Karen's post om Makeup And Beauty Blog, and , hey-- it's all bout kittens.

Until then, let's look at Lana Del Ray and the talons she sported at a Guns N'Roses concert the other night. I'm not quite sure what I think of Lana Del Ray, other than that she's a pretty woman with a beautiful voice. Style-wise I guess we don't see eye-to-eye. The nails are scary and the cropped t-shirt with Frank Sinatra's mugshot is not winning any style awards with me.

Have you figured her out yet? What do you think of Lana's style?

Photos via Zimbio

Lights E301 from Ellis Faas is probably the most versatile product from this eye shadow range. It's a tick silver liquid with a metallic finish, and while it's definitely can be used on its own if you're so inclined, the magic of E301 is when mixed with other Ellis Faas products.

Blending a tiny drop of Ellis Lights into a Milky Eyes eye shadow makes them sparkle. I've also been experimenting with adding E301 into Creamy and Milky Lips and even mixing some with a foundation and dabbing it as a cheek highlighter.

I used way too much product for the swatches you see, as they were all made with the first squirt from brand new just opened pens. You need perhaps 1/5th of this amount when actually doing your makeup. As with other Ellis Faas eye products, it takes a little practice, but those of us who like to play and mix colors tend to find them best in show. The texture of Lights is wonderful, quite unique in the way it applies and acts on skin, and never ever creases (as long as you don't use too much).

The applicator with its plastic bristles is as annoying as always. I keep it clean with makeup remover wipes so there's no dried gunk. Once you learn to control it, the waste factor is greatly reduced and I'm very appreciative of the fact that the product in the pen stays fresh.

Bottom Line: fun.

Ellis Faas Eyes Lights E301 ($42) is available from Sephora (online only and in the NYC Meat Packing District location), SpaceNK and ellisfaas.com. The product was sent to me free of charge for review.

Olivia provided moral support, pretty background and the occasional purr.

What does the sun smell like?
Apparently, of oud. And spices. And also of an intoxicating tonka bean and tolu blend, at least according to Memo, that names their oud-centric perfume Shams, the Arabic word for sun . I'll take it. I'll take anything that smells this good.

I first learned about Memo when I stumbled upon their (now closed) freestanding Paris boutique in 2008. When I went back last fall I already knew that another bottle was going to come home with me, I just wasn't sure which one. Memo perfumes (and candles) are now sold at Galeries Lafayette and Le Bon Marche (and at Harvey Nichols in London, if you're lucky enough to be in the area), so it's easy to locate them, especially since the brand's display in black, white and gold is gorgeous. I could have easily picked several of the fragrances, but the one that left me week in the knees this time was Shams, though I wasn't sure if I loved it more on myself or on the husband.

As Victoria from EauMG asserted, Shams is not your Montale-type of oud. Not only is it not medicinal, but thankfully it's also not rosy, which delight me to no end. shams is full-bodied and spicy. The saffron in the opening nudges it a little towards the gourmand zone, but it never fully gets there, despite being decidedly sweet (on me distinctly more than on my husband, so your mileage is likely to vary). The spicy top is also a bit boozy, though that might also be a matter of skin chemistry, as Shams is pretty dry on The Blond's skin.

As Shams progresses it gets warmer and very ambery. I could swear there's a little tobacco somewhere in the mix, but it's not listed, so maybe it's a phantom note as I often associate these type of fragrance with hay or tobacco. The oud becomes more prominent, and it smells wonderfully luxurious and delicious, like something that belongs in By Kilian's Arabian Nights series. I fully agree with Victoria that fans of Kilian's Pure Oud and Amber Oud should give this one a try.

Shams is lavish to the point of smelling bigger than life. It's strong and assertive with a sillage that knocks down city walls. Victoria recommends to stick with one spray (guaranteed to survive 24 hours), but I admit to having no restraint and no shame, so I double that (and have also experimented to see what happens when you wear three spritzes: people will stare. And point). Two sprays will envelop you in an impenetrable bubble  and transform you to foreign lands. It's almost narcotic or perhaps meditative in the way it takes over the mind (and the room, and perhaps also the solar system). It leaves little space to anything (and anyone) else. How could I not love it?

Notes: pepper essence, ginger, saffron, vetiver, Russian paper, tonka bean, birch essence, tolu absolute, styrax absolute, oud

Shams by Memo (69.00€ for 1 oz)  is available in select European locations and from mymemo.com. In the US, you can buy samples from The Perfumed Court.

Book
The husband just downloaded a new novella by Connie Willis to our Kindle library. I think that's what I'll read next. I love Connie Willis and can't recommend her books enough.

Music
Leonard Cohen- Going Home



Perfume
All three of Neela Vermeire's fragrances.

Makeup
Red lipstick or gloss and Dior Grege New Look palette.

Frequently worn outfit/item
A black Rachel Pally wrap dress accessorized outrageously.

Food
Honey Nut Cheerios. I'm a cheap date lately.

Bane of my existence
I'm so baneless it must be a sin.

Shame-inducing guilty pleasure
I'm also quite shameless these days. Well, maybe except for today when I wore Absolue pour le Soir to the DMV. Actually, no. I'm still shameless.

Joy
The first daffodil in my back yard.

Anticipation
The new season of Mad Men.

Wishlist
This Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti knit dress (photo from net-a-porter.com):



Random Thought
Kate and William better announce a pregnancy before we're all devoured by Snooki and her spawn.

What are your current loves/banes/recommendations and thoughts? Please share!

Art: A Promise Of Spring by Alexander Volkov

Last night in Paris: Marc Jacobs attended the 'Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs: The Exhibition' as part of Paris Fashion Week at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs wearing this pink shirt dress. I have to say the only part I don't like is his tattoos. I can deal with everything else. Well, maybe not the shoes.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Europe