Grasse, France: The World of Scents, Eau de Toilette and the Man Behind them ALL!

I must admit that my recent visit to Grasse was filled with anticipation and excitement. The last time I was there, maybe around 3 years ago, I had the chance to meet an actual ‘Nose’ and no matter how brief that encounter was, it remained in my subconscious and made a promise to myself to visit the place one more time.

For a start, let me tell you what a ‘Nose’ does. The Nose is a magician in a different way, or we could also describe him as the scientist of scents or maybe a creator of thousand scents. The Nose is behind all the famous perfumes we have in the market. Maybe some of us think that creating the Chanel No. 5 or Dior, Versace or Kenzo were all easy tasks but nothing is so simple. The Nose created them all.

The Nose is chosen, born and nurtured differently. A “Nose” is a person capable of differentiating up to 100 scents. Not all of us have this talent.

When an emerging Nose has been identified, that person should avoid drinking any alcoholic drinks, eating spicy foods including dishes with garlic and onions. He should have a clean lifestyle and most often than not avoid shampoos or shower gels with chemicals on them. A Nose doesn’t even use perfumes or colognes. And aside from that, a Nose will undergo a rigid training that could take up to 7 years. And when A Nose works, it should only for 4 hours a day and no more than that.

The Nose works in a secret lab with an organ-like workplace filled with hundreds of scents from different flowers and starts mixing concentrations during the intense 4-hour period. And needless to say, a Nose is paid handsomely. And as of press time, there are less than a hundred Noses in the world and majority of them are from Grasse.

Grasse became the perfume capital world since the time of the Medici in Florence. It started by manufacturing scented gloves and soon flowers were grown and cultivated in the area, giving more resources to the scented gloves market. From then, it became the center of perfumery and even Pauline, the famous sister of Napoleon enjoyed staying in Grasse. She loves perfumes and this was already a growing market since then.

During the last decades or more, Grasse became the undisputed capital of fragrances and perfumes. Famous brands are coming to Grasse and asking the Noses to create a perfume suited to their demands and tastes. Celebrities are also coming to Grasse just so a Nose can create an exclusive scent for them. Truly, the perfume business has found a niche in this small village of Grasse.

There are quite a number of shops here that concentrate on the perfumery. I had a chance to visit the Galimard company before and this time, I visited the Fragonard. They don’t sell in bulk and out of the open market. Their marketing strategy is only concentrated on their place and one has to travel to such distance to avail their products. Thus, coming to Grasse was an added bonus not only appreciating the place but learning more about creating that one powerful scent that your body could fall in love with.

So the next time you buy a Eau de Toilette or a perfume, take a moment and spray in on your body. Walk a little and see if it blends well with your skin. We should always take our time to assess whether our body responds well to it or not. And maybe we could also check whether a bit of bergamot, rosemary, or nutmeg are good for us or maybe something with jasmine, sandalwood, ylang-ylang or cedar wood perhaps?

In any case, scents are not just created overnight. It takes that right amount of different flowers and other plants just to create that perfect perfume. Then the chemists will come into play and put everything in to writing.  And of course, growing and importation of flowers that are needed will be the next agenda. In the end, it is a cycle and a wonderful work of art.

Truly, my visit to Grasse has been a rewarding experience. I keep learning new things and also learning more about my body and soul. In the end, I purchase a wonderful work of art made of bergamot, marine, note, nutmeg, cardamon and musk. They call it Beau Gosse. It’s perfect for summer and really smells good on me.

It’s one thing to smell good and a different thing to learn more about perfumes and scents too. And yes, a different experience knowing the person behind all these heavenly scents around us!

Cannes, France: Feeling Like an A-List Star

 

True to its name, the city of Cannes has many faces. The common one and certainly the famous face of the city is due to its annual film festival or to say it appropriately; the Festival du Cannes. The Festival du Cannes was founded in 1946. It was believed to have been founded years before that but World War broke off that time. It was France’s answer to equally famous Venice and Berlin Film Festivals.

 

Since then, the Festival du Cannes became a worldwide event that puts the festival as the second most covered event next to the Olympic games. Every May, thousands of photographers, directors and actors all over the world would gather at Cannes.

 

 

All countries are allowed to enter the competition. Twenty films will be shortlisted, each one trying to win the prestigious Palm D’Or (Golden Palm). Last May 2012 year was spearheaded by no less than Robert de Niro, accompanied by Jude Law and Uma Thurman.

 

As the event became a celebration of exclusivity as no one from the public was allowed to see the film screenings, one can go and visit Cannes probably two months after the festival. Aside from walking along the red carpet of the Palais des Festivals, taking picture of yourself certainly doesn’t cost a thing. In fact, the whole city speaks of glamor that by walking along the famous Promenade La Croisette could certainly make us feel that exclusivity and star status.  I did all of  these when I visited Cannes. I simply sashayed the broad, red carpet stairs of the Palais des Festivals and jumped for an awesome action-packed photograph.

 

 

Another thing that I have enjoyed doing was placing my hands next to so many hand prints of famous stars and celebrities. I saw Pedro Almodovar’s hand print first and was so excited that I took several shots of it. I enjoyed his films such as Todo Sobre mi Madre which won the prestigious Palm d’Or years ago. Almodovar was also nominated for his film Talk to Her (Hable con Ella) and joined this year’s competition with his film The Skin I Live in.

 

 

 

The handprint adventures along the famous Walk of Fame took some precious minutes of my stay in Cannes. I found handprints of some of my favorite stars like Meryl Streep, Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie, Julie Andrews and Jack Nicholson. This was the closest I could ever get to these famous celebrities.

 

Indeed, Cannes has all the elements of an A-list status. Everywhere you go speaks of glamor and exclusivity. The hotels that lined up La Croisette and all those exclusive brands such as Chanel (which is really located on the number 5 spot; Channel 5), Prada, Gucci, Versace and so much more suggest an entirely different world. It does feel strange walking along this avenue.  After all, things like this does not come everyday. So please indulge me if for one day, am feeling like an A-List star in this beautiful, medieval (it has a medieval old town too) city of Cannes.

 

 

 

 

 

La Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre: Waiting for Sunset

 

 

 

Waiting for Sunset at the steps of one of the most beautiful churches in Paris- The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris or Basilique du Sacré-Cœur.

 

 

In Focus: Antibes, France; Spice Market

SPICES at a Local Market in Antibes, Franc

 

 

Stranded in Paris

 

 

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us. And the world will live as one. “

—- John Lennon

 

Paris has always been on my bucket list. But I never dreamed of being stranded on this beautiful city. With nowhere to go and with only 5o euros left in my pocket, I decided to lie down on the Eiffel Tower grounds. “This will do“, I said to myself and started making plans for tomorrow. The early regional train out of Paris would be at 5:00am. But my problem was the lack of toilets and I need to stand up and walk for a hundred meters or so. And I was so tired, having explored Paris on foot. From Versailles to Louvre, I never had much of a rest and I could feel my eyes were slowly closing beyond my control.

 

At least I had the Eiffel Tower. It didn’t feel so bad after all. As I was sitting on the ground and staring at this massive yet gentle edifice in front me, I realized that dreams do come true. I could even go up and touch the tip of the tower. It was a good feeling. You know I’d only ask one thing  and that was to see Paris. But I got more and that was to spend the whole night, just me and the Eiffel Tower in one of the most romantic places on Earth.  I could just sit here, looking and admiring at such unforgettable beauty, until my eyes could hold no more…….