Sunday, January 07, 2007

Lancome Tropiques: Postcards from the Gift Shop


Yesterday in the 34C heat I was happily making mango ginger marmalade. It came out perfectly. I filled a pretty, smaller jar to give away but now I'm keeping it because it's the best jam I've made in a while. About 8 small mangoes, 2 oranges, crystallized ginger and some lemon juice. And sugar of course.

Lancome Tropiques is a part of their travel series, limited editions released only to duty free outlets at airports. Asia and Africa will be coming out this year and the next. Throw in some ginger to Tropiques, and a touch of saffron and it could have been the Asian edition but Tropiques is definitely more of a hula number, though a somewhat stately one. Middle aged hula with little likelihood of anything falling off mid hipsway in the sand. For those that fear tropical means the pubescent punch offered up by Escada this is good news. Creamy mango with a faint touch of wood in the drydown the brightest moments are the fleeting top notes. I wish they lasted longer because they are quite delicious and I turn into a topnote huffer with this one, reapplying for my fix.

The dignified mango Tropiques settles into is quite unique. Often a perfume seeking to distance itself from youth but still include fruit will use the fruit as a minor chord but that is not the case here. It's mango. It's tropical. It's espadrilles and "maybe I'll go in the water tomorrow". Meanwhile, let's hit the gift shop!

2 comments:

Peter @ Enviroman said...

Hi Teacake,

Thanks for leaving a comment in my post Own Domain for blog hosted with Blogger. I have responded to your blog.

Peter a.k.a. Enviroman
Enviroman Says

BlueBugg said...

The jam sounds yummy! I don't blame you for keeping it to yourself ;)

Thankyou so much for commenting on my blog (I'm the messy one...incase you've forgotten ;). You definately brightened my day :)