~*DiScOnTeNt*~ v2.1: THE PODCAST
…IS ALMOST HERE. For now, a clearance sale, more Silueta, new Flights & more! 🔥
WELL—
Apparently I buckle in fear at the idea of speaking into a microphone in my empty office/studio and posting the resulting audio file on the internet. I’ve finally done so now, for better or for worse…but today’s not the day I’m releasing it. Not just yet. That’ll be in around three weeks’ time, and three weeks after that, you’ll receive a second episode, and three weeks after that, the third, and on and on. My intention with the podcast is to give ~*DiScOnTeNt*~ subscribers another way to consume the writing I do about perfume that accompanies my perfume releases. But it can’t all be just those long essays, I know, so I’ve also got some interviews with industry lifers, other perfumers, reviewers and others on the horizon, too. And so you’re aware in advance, I’ll be playing catch-up with the podcast to begin. So the first episode will contain a reading of the Frank Lloyd Wright & The O-Word essay, the second will contain a reading of the Abjection & American Perfumery Essay, and the third episode, at the end of May(ish), will be the first to contain all-new content—and that one may be an interview with a perfumista you likely already know & love, but it could be a reading of the Silueta essay that I’m still cranking away on. (It’s already longer than the Intra Venus one—WHOOPS.)
Beyond my trembling at recording podcasts, lately I’ve been designing packaging for Chronotope’s new 30mL bottles, which will soon be the only full-bottle option available. While that may not sound like much, it really does signal growth for this (admittedly, sorta whacky) perfume project—and it’s a representation of your support. The second year is when most new small businesses fail, so I don’t take it lightly that Chronotope continues to move right along. Thanks so much to EVERYONE.
Before I turn into an emotional sap…below are updates and announcements. I’ve just pushed out a great clearance sale on remaining stock in the classic packaging, there are new Flights for Silueta and Intra Venus, with Salon dates, as well as a return of the current Materials Flights, and then a rather consequential (maybe?) news item or two. And this newsletter ends, like last time, with a recommendation for a perfume that isn’t one I make. Have fun! (But first, why not share ~*DiScOnTeNt*~ with someone you know loves perfume?)
The rest of this week and much of next, I will be out of town to attend my best friend’s wedding, so all new orders will be fulfilled and shipped after April 8.
SILUETA IS BACK IN (VERY LIMITED) STOCK IN THE 15ML CLASSIC BOTTLES. I found some blank bottles I didn’t know I had over the weekend, and the new batch of perfume was ready, so I did what made sense and smashed an enameled thumbprint on the bottles & filled ‘em up.
In order to make way for the new, 30mL bottles, I’ve set all existing stock of items in the classic sizes & packaging to the following clearance prices:
(Cont’d) Cont’d) That’s $10 off the two Citationals Series perfumes in 15mL sizes, 35% off the four Autotheory Issues perfumes in 15mL sizes and 40% off the same four in 50mL. So you know, the new, 30mL bottles will all be higher-priced than what you can purchase a 50mL bottle for right now. (But prices for 30mL bottles will start at only ~$115, so Chronotope’s perfume will remain very accessibly priced!)
You can access an even steeper discount than what’s listed above if you purchase two bottles—but only if I’ve got the stock to accommodate, of course These are your options:
(Cont’d) The catch is that to receive these prices, you must email me, DM me on Insta, or otherwise contact me about your interest, as I’ll need to generate an invoice for you and knock inventory counts down on the site manually. These are also inflexible—you won’t be able to bundle Buen Camino with Spite EdP. (Sorry!)
By the way, there’s a 50mL Ugly Buen Camino available at the moment.
Formula Flights for Spite EdT, Intra Venus and Silueta are now available. And for just a couple weeks, the current Materials Flights are available again. Below is a schedule through the end of June for the corresponding Salons. My hope in making the same Materials Flights available again is that the makeup Salons might be attended by more than one or two individuals, as they’re typically best with ~5-15 attendees.
(Cont’d) For the record: I have a blast hosting these. Each is a reminder that smelling is not a singular enterprise, a real-time demonstration of how we assign meaning to smells communally and dialogically. Being able to speak so directly and interactively with everyone who attends has also made the Salon series my absolute favorite thing about operating Chronotope—so a huge thanks to anyone who’s attended. For anyone who hasn’t, I highly encourage checking one out.
I mentioned on Insta the other day that I’d made a bespoke perfume called Cucurrucucú for my friend’s wedding that features Copal Negro, a material that, contrary to belief (lore?), makes a wonderful essential oil that smells fantastic and is a beautiful emerald green color. I’ve got a bit of it left, and while I won’t be selling any, I will include free, small, half-vial samples of it with orders until I’ve run out. If you’re one to get some of it, I hope you enjoy it!
…which brings me to the two news items:
I’m now open to creating bespoke perfume—only one at a time, over a period of six months, and there’ll be a down payment involved. Email me if you’re interested, and I’ll get back with you after April 8. And—
Sometime between June and August , I’ll be releasing a limited-edition run of a new Buen Camino Extrait de Parfum—likely only 45 bottles’ worth. There will be more details on this upcoming release in the next newsletter.
Which leaves the recommendation. Lately I’ve been enjoying the fuck out of:
SUMMER SAUNA by Universal Flowering (Courtney Rafuse)
Why yes—yes I do have some favorite materials. And specifically, they’re hinoki and frankincense, and this one is just PACKED with ‘em. It’s also got this little bit of super-cooling eucalyptus up top and a drop or two of holy basil, and together they won’t, like, make your lungs open up the way Vick’s rub does, but you’ll absolutely breathe better after sniffing it. (Sorta like…a sauna…) It may not be the most seasonal choice for many of you, I’m aware—but remember: I live in Florida. It’s been hot here for weeks. And my sample of Summer Sauna sat there, untouched, for months. Now it’s almost empty after just a few days of use. Plus, I vibe with just about everything its creator had to say to Tracy Wan via Invisible Stories a few years back—especially her comments on being self-taught and making complex / challenging perfume. So, knowing that summer’s on the horizon for you, too, why not go ahead and pick some up? (But do so fast, as it appears Courtney’s low in stock of this product!)
And that’s all I’ve got for now! TALK TO YOU via the podcast (finally) in three weeks’ time!
—CWM
PS: If you’ve made it all the way down to the bottom here & still aren’t subscribed to ~*DiScOnTeNt*~ then you’re silly. Go ahead & do that:
Honestly this just reminded me that in the last volume/essay "Orders over $100 between now and 31 December will receive one free 7.5mL pen spray of your choice." but I do not receive any 7.5ml pen, though my order was made on 12/31 and was $100+ before taxes/etc....and for whatever reason, I found it impossible to get in touch with CS eventhough I tried about 4 different methods of contact. Still kind of annoyed because I might've made a smaller order if I hadn't been tempted by a freebie....