Chateau, 1970

The most beautiful wood vintage hotel vanity with a vase of dried up roses sitting upon it and a bath robe hanging on the seat. This is Sharon Tate at the Chateau, its Eve Babitz at the Beverly Hills Hotel and her glamorous empty atomizers she kept sitting on her vanity, it's a woman in her 70's (glamorous as ever) carefully wrapping her perfectly rolled hair in a silk scarf for the night, cigarette smoke blowing out the window, rose dusting powder puff to her left, glass of wine to her right, and perfectly staged vintage bedsheets and frilly pillows behind her. I liked this when I first smelled it and definitely got the roses and vintage armoire wood and linens and then didn't think much of it. But in going through my travel sprayer i've fallen in love with it more and more with each wear. It's comforting in a way that makes me feel confident and glamorous and feminine in the specific way I love to be. It makes me feel like a 1960's femme getting ready to meet my butch lover at a hotel bar mid day, knowing i'm gonna be greeted with a small bundle of pink roses and the smell of a sun-warmed linen shirt when they arrive. 10/10

This is by far my favorite out of the Los Angeles Collection (I’m a Girl of the Year bitch when it comes to the New York one, FWIW). So, upon getting a full-bottle, I’ve been wearing this every day without fail. Truly a fragrance that goes through distinct stages, TWM is great at that, it starts with a pretty powdery rose. But hang on, because it quickly develops into a spicy, sexy rose—the nutmeg note warms up on the skin, I think—that somehow melds perfectly with musky clean linens and vintage wood. It’s a magnificent, hot girl rose scent that does not lean into old lady territory, nor into jammy fruity Delina/VGG/etc. territory either. I live in West Hollywood and I love imagining Sharon Tate spritzing this on, putting on light makeup and a cotton mini-dress, and trekking from Chateau Marmont to the Sunset Strip. When I’m in a freshie mood and after showers, I’ve been layering it with Maison Louis Marie Antidris Cassis perfume oil which gives everything a greener vibe.

Imagine if you will, that you have awoke from a deep slumber, the warm summer air wafting the smell of the outdoor lemon trees in through the back door. You rub your eyes awake and hear that your lover is in the shower. You lay back down and just sink into the still warm linens on his side, his spicy scent lingering on the sheets. You breathe in deeply and sign contentedly. The steam from the shower awakens the old wooden furniture in your room. You decide to get up and open the back door to your private chateau - after that, you go to surprise your lover in the shower. That is what I think of when it comes to this perfume. It's zesty and spicy, which evokes that older 70s cologne aesthetic, then softened with vintage woods and crisp laundry. Slip on your best bell bottoms and cowl-neck shirt - this will have you living your best 1970s life.

Wow, this perfume is absolutely unique and wonderful. I don't really like rose perfumes generally, but here, the rose seems enveloped, a soft background giving way to hints of nutmeg and fresh citrus. This isn't a perfume I would usually buy because of the notes, but I was drawn in by its name and description. Nevertheless, rose usually ends up being the most prominent note in perfumes that include it, and this one doesn't really avoid that, so if you truly hate rose I would tread carefully, but it is more gentle here. The name and reference of this fragrance fits really well, and it does invoke the atmosphere of lounging around in a freshly cleaned hotel room, being rich but not quite, wanting to go to the pool or beach but opting for a drink instead...

I have always thought there is a difference between something smelling “old” and something smelling “vintage”, and this perfume is a magical example. When I was 12 years old I loved to raid my grandmother’s wardrobe and dress up in the sequin gowns that she wore to go ballroom dancing. This captures, for me, exactly this scent. Aged sequins, the rustle of tissue paper, waxed wooden dance floors, a slight undertone of sweat. This perfume will turn you into a fabulous dame with pin curls and a cat eye who knows how to foxtrot. This is looking at a grainy photo of a New Year’s party, This is Bridgette Bardot reminiscing. I have no idea how that exact smell got into this tiny bottle but my god- what a beautiful, evocative experience. Bravo.