1. February came softly, quietly even, noticeable only by the occasional cold spell here in L.A. I’ve never quite felt aligned with January first being a new beginning—it was always too cold, too stark, too harsh for even a symbolic renewal—and instead, have come to consider February my new year. For a while, I attributed the offset to generosity or excuses; I would find reason to give myself another month to recalibrate before pursuing a fresh set of goals. Now, a new begining in February simply feels intuitive. (Or, perhaps, this is deep-seated cultural ancestry at work.) Either way, there’s logic to why the Chinese New Year falls between January 21 and February 20.
2. I’ve always been fascinated by Chinese perfumery, but living in the U.S. has relegated me to peering only from the well-guarded perimeter, curious from afar. A trip to Taiwan opened olfactory doors, with discoveries abound—but found that many of the Asian brands have European perfumers behind their bottles. (For perceived legitimacy, maybe.) LLEMS is one such example, a purposefully “East Meets West” exploration of fragrance. Gorgeous concept, astute storytelling, and beautiful scents (迷 Obsession is my favorite of the four); I simply can’t help but wonder how it would manifest had the brief been interpreted by a Chinese nose.
3. Carrie Bradshaw kept her shoes in the oven; you’ll find books in my freezer. In the past few months alone, I’ve managed to find several out-of-print books that have been on my grail list for years—and as a good bibliomane, have done my due diligence cleaning, then freezing, every book.
4. This portable reading lamp by Notion Studio has been one of the best additions to my office. If I were a less practical person—and the Mono not a portable, cord-free light source—I’d want one in every room. I went with the black because most of my accents are black, but the colors and two-hued combinations are scrumptious. Functionality is considered; the vision, too, just as winsome. Notion Studio cites zuo yi 作揖, a traditional Chinese salute of respect, as the inspiration for the gentle bow of the lamp head.
5. If you have the budget for them, Bottega Veneta perfumes are worthy. I have a few—some kindly gifted, others personal investments—and right now, Almost Dawn is as close to a signature scent as I’ll ever get (as a fragrance editor).
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xx
Your turn. Thoughts?