Well, hello there. Yes, it’s been a while.

This is the part where ordinarily I would put on my clown shoes and do the awkward shuffle-dance of promising to write more. Not today.

The truth is, I love writing, and I love perfume, but I don’t think that I love writing about perfume. At least, I don’t lately.

I used to be a prolific writer — I did professional scientific and academic writing, I wrote stories and poems, I wrote a lot of letters, I moderated some forums where I shared many thoughts and ideas online. People used to always say, “you should be a writer!” But I already had a job. Writing was expression, not work.

One person in particular, who I had a lot of written correspondence with, was constantly pestering me to “become a writer.” One day I asked him what that meant. How does one become a writer?

My friend told me that in order to become a writer, I needed to have “a subject.” A topic, to immerse myself in and compose themes about. When I started stammering about having no ideas, he immediately suggested that I move to Southern California and write about thoroughbred racing, be a sort of writer-in-residence at Santa Anita and Del Mar. (I often wish I had done that, but that’s a different story).

Years later, I had cultivated a number of friendships in little corners of the web where we discussed perfume online. I would often write descriptions of perfumes, some rambling and lengthy, some snippets and one-liners. These were free exchanges of ideas (most of them irreverent, and many NSFW) with people who were familiar. We knew each other’s tastes and idiosyncrasies, we understood each other’s lives and limitations. There was a lot of grace there. There was also a lot of warmth. I kept coming back and writing about perfume because of the interaction.

A few people in the past encouraged me to start a perfume blog, and when I was off work recovering from shoulder surgery, I did it. I thought it would be a fun challenge, and sometimes it is. But it’s not interactive. I’ve met some really lovely people writing about perfume, including a few who I would call my best friends in adulthood. However the community as a whole is superficial by nature. I don’t mean the individuals as people, but the way that they interact. They flit from one thing to the next, sprinkle praise, move on. Rinse and repeat. The cycle of new releases now feels like a relentless tide that never stops battering, and yet, there are all the people, still standing in the surf, still showing up with unflagging enthusiasm for all of it. I don’t fit in here. The warmth and depth are lacking.

I do this for myself. I don’t have any ambitions to “grow,” or get attention or awards or free swag. So, when it starts to feel like a chore, I’m not going to do it. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how that affects this notion of whether or not I am “a writer.”

I still write. I write about a lot of things. One thing I’ve decided is that a writer does not have to have “a subject.” A distinguishing feature of writers, in my estimation, is that writers produce finished work. They finish things. I tend not to finish things. I have at least seven drafts of a review for one perfume, all unfinished. I am not a writer. I am a person who writes. That distinction frees me of a lot of baggage. I am no longer beset by this expectation (from myself or others) to produce anything on a regular basis.

On Instagram, there is a category setting where they ask you what kind of business or ‘creator’ you are. My page used to say “writer.” Last year, I changed it to “hot spring,” because, while wildly inaccurate if taken literally, it’s more descriptive. I’m a deep well, with something always percolating.

FRAGRANCE REVIEW

This would have been a perfect opportunity to write about some perfume that I had finished. Because I’m a consumer, by “finished,” I mean “used the whole bottle.” I don’t do that either — I have too much. I haven’t finished a bottle in ages, I’m sure that some of you can relate.

However, I just got a sample in the mail of a perfume that fits perfectly with that theme. We first heard of Mond from Slumberhouse back in 2018? All we knew was that Josh Lobb was making a “pumpkin vetiver,” and it could be expected (along with Victorialand, which was already late and still doesn’t exist) later that summer.

It’s now fall of 2021 and Mond is finally here. To his credit, Josh finished it. I’ve always felt a certain affinity for him as a person, because he is introverted but when he shows up, he puts it all out there emotionally. I relate strongly to this kind of vulnerability and authenticity. However, after buying and reselling Fjerne, and revisiting a lot of my older purchases, I’m not sure if I relate to his perfumes anymore. I still have some sentimental favorites, but the style of heavy, overdosed naturals like wearing a bearskin rug of a perfume just doesn’t do it for me anymore. It feels tired and dated.

It was a great relief not to even care about the release of Norne extrait, and therefore be spared the anxiety (and likely, the disappointment) of trying to buy it. However, I had this leftover, pre-conceived excitement for Mond. Back in 2018, I couldn’t wait to buy it. Older and wiser 2021 me just ordered a sample from Luckyscent, out of curiosity.

Mond smells like this…. It’s your birthday, and you asked for a bottle of Slumberhouse Sova. What you received instead was a Sova-scented crayon. Yes, you’re disappointed, but you’re trying to make the best of it, so while the other guests are eating yellow cake, you’re scribbling with your Sova crayon all over the plastic tablecloth.

Mond had low projection and after about three hours it is barely noticeable. So, it seems to be a departure from the old Slumberhouse style. As a matter of full disclosure, I’ve only worn it once, dabbed on from a sample. YMMV.

I’m sure there will be many other, more comprehensive reviews of Mond, but this was all that I was inspired to write about it. So, I’m calling it finished and moving on. Farewell until next time, whenever that may be.

P.S. I have been asked, in emails, why I don’t have a place to leave comments. I do — keep scrolling to the bottom of the page.

Sample purchased by me, from Luckyscent. I have no affiliation with Slumberhouse or Luckyscent.