Opération Séduction 13: Mouchoir de Monsieur
Mouchoir de Monsieur means a “gentleman’s handkerchief,” a masculine accessory which has today atrophied into the ignoble “pocket square.” During the …
Tag Archives: fiction
Opération Séduction 11: Tabac Blond
Tabac Blond was created in 1919 by the House of Caron as a fragrance for the newly liberated flappers who …
Six Riffs on John Banville’s The Sea
After his wife’s death, a grief-stricken widower withdraws to the seaside village where he once spent his holidays as a …
Opération Séduction 10: White Shoulders
White Shoulders is a favorite perfume of mine, very feminine and old-fashioned. It smells like gardenia, lily-of-the-valley, lilac, and tuberose. …
Opération Séduction 8: Électrique
Électrique was introduced by Max Factor in 1955. I love this sexy magazine ad: “Dazzling moment, when the thrill of …
Opération Séduction 4: Ambush
Cynthia, the heroine of Opération Séduction, is based on a real woman I know who has struggled with her weight. …
Opération Séduction 3: Musc Ravageur
I love the name “Musc Ravageur.” It sounds like something Tarzan might wear. This unisex fragrance was created in 2000 …
Opération Séduction 2: Égoïste
Chanel’s Égoïste is the fragrance I used in Opération Séduction to introduce heartbreaker Peter Noel, the toast of the female …
Opération Séduction 1: Life
Elaine Sciolino’s riveting 2012 book La Séduction is about an aspect of French culture that in the US is mostly notable …
My Fair Gent: London In 1900
My Fair Gent is a tribute to the enduring genius of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. It’s easy to forget that Shaw was writing …
Linnet Moss 