Happiness in a bottle

The art of creating perfume is something that has always fascinated me. That you can actually make so many different types of smells that all in different ways capture of feeling of beauty or happiness is incredible.

But of all the different scents that each fashion desinger, cosmetics brand or celebrity launch perhaps equally as enchanting is the packages they come in - the flacons.The perfume become so much more than just a scent when it comes in a beautiful flacon - it can completely light up your bathroom or dressing table and make you think that 'woaw I really can smell yourself pretty'. Like jewellery for all the senses.

Obviously the French have from the beginnging been really good at creating artistic and alluring bottle design.

However sometimes the actual scent inside isn't always as nice as the artwork outside. Even though I realise that preferences of perfumes is completely individual, which is what makes it so amazing, I personally for some reason always end up getting the scent that comes in the ultra simple and plain bottle. In some way it's really too bad. I look at my bathroom shelf I think, 'I need more glamour and excitement. But then I always get this idea that if the bottle is heavy on the art, there must be a strong and spicy smell to carry it off, which in the long run never really sticks with me. But here are some examples of classic flacons with a modern twist.

My favourite summer oasis

Summer has hit Copenhagen like a smack in the face. After a month of rain and traditional, depressing Danish weather it is suddenly hot as hell, with sunshine from a clear sky. The thing with such a surprise attack of summer is that it tends to go away again just as fast as it came. So get out while you can! But where to go?

Well, if you are stuck at work in the city and can’t get across to the Copenhagen Harbour Baths – which by the way, are also clear candidates for Place of the Month- you need an oasis in the city.

Thus such a calm green spot of tranquillity right in the middle of the city is Place of the Month in June.

One of my favourite oasis is the Royal Library's garden. Hidden well behind the parliament building Christiansborg is the old Royal Library which I wrote a little bit about last time. This way leads to the original entrance to the old library building, which is now closed off for the public. So here, between the library and Christiansborg, you’ll find a small peaceful garden, completely secluded from the busy life of the city just outside.

Almost no one comes here, and if they do it's usually just to pass by on the way somewhere else.

Here you can sit amongst such clever Danish thinkers as Søren Kirkegaard - in the shape of a bronze statue - and listen to the calming sound of a small fountain. Such a relaxing break from reality can foster many philosophical thoughts and new perspectivs on life.

So even if it starts raining again tomorrow a few hours in this place and you’re refreshed like never before.

You know you're a Nerd Girl when....

... you start getting your fashion inspiration from the library website.


The Royal Danish Library has been known as a closed up, dark and very nerdy place . But in the last ten years things have started to change. In 1999 the architecture was updated with The Black Diamante, a huge glasslike black building with an amazing view over the Copenhagen habour, new and more modern reading rooms.
The original library building dates back to the really early days of The University of Copenhagen - that's in the 1400s and it really shows . The old reading rooms look like something out of Harry Potter.
Now the latest new development in the modernisation of The Royal Library is an online gimmick featuring all the catalogues of the legendary Danish department store Daelles Varehus. And it is so much fun to look through and very inspirational.
The department store does not exist anymore, but was from its beginning in the early 20th century a popular place for Copenhagen ladies to shop. The website has all of the catalogues online, from the very first in 1914 to the early 1990 when Dealles Varehus closed. I actually remember looking through some of the x-mas catalogues as a child in the 1980s, but I do think that the older ones are more fun to look at now.

The Ultimate Summer Dresses

Looking out the window here it seems like summer is not coming to Copenhagen any time soon. It has been raining nonstop for the last two days. So instead of looking out I’m turning my head back to the computer and convincing myself that sunshine and warmer days are just around the corner.

Fashion-wise I love summer. Summer means dreamy dresses, sunglasses and cool sandals. Basically it is a chance to finally get rid of all the heavy winter layers, we wear here in the north, and dress elegantly and feminine. I’ve been watching Bottega Veneta for some time and I really like the way this spring style is sharp in texture and fabric and still looks really comfortable.

Bottega Veneta’s style always reminds me of Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. The sway of the loose dresses and a general attitude of relaxed sophistication is what I think is a brilliant style for this summer. So as I hear the heavy rain on the window, I just keep dreamning...

Place of the month: Taschen in Copenhagen

Copenhagen finally got a really high class art bookshop. For a while I've been ashamed of the selection of bookshops in Copenhagen. I think in general the city has about maybe 4 bookshops that have more than just best-sellers in Danish or photo books with the royal family and so on. Some of the more serious bookstores here have turned their space into book cafés to attract more people, but I'm not sure it has motivated more buyeres – Maybe?

So I'm happy for any new type of shop that actually takes books serious as a medium and celebrate them in a concept store.

I do realise that Taschen is an arty and 'coffee table book' type of bookshop that obviously does not specialise in serious or heavy reading material. But it is such a cool bookshop – I mean a shop dedicated to visually cool books – no more, no less. I've also made it place of the month because I'm a huge fan of Taschen's books. It's such a visually exciting universe. So I really look forward to dropping in now and again to browse into a funnier and more glamours world.

While I wait for Coco

The most anticipated fashion films this year Coco Avant Chanel and Coco and Igor are not coming out in Denmark until September. Even though Coco Avant Chanel premiered in Paris in April! Come on – what's the big idea? - why such a wait for the rest of us?
Well, while I'm waiting, I've been reading up on Gabrielle and her time in 'The World of Coco Chanel- Friends, Fashion, Fame' by Edmonde Charles-Roux.

It's not a serious biography about her personal life, but more an attempt of providing a look inside her world and the people around her in that period. And I kind of like this way of looking at Chanel, even though it does add a certain gossipy flavour to it. The good thing is that the book tells us about the people she was inspired by and spent time with, and indirectly that portrays her style and artistic vision for fashion.

Besides the book, that has more pictures than it has actual text (definitely satisfying your visual huger for Coco and her period of glory), I found the new commercial film for Chanel no.5 with of course Audrey Tautou as the leading lady. The Amalie-team (meaning Jean-Pierre Jeunet) is behind this film, which really shows in the colours and composition of the frames. I also think it has a little of the same goofyness of Amalie and his other films – I wonder if that's intentional? You can see the whole film here.

But, alas after all of this Chanel propaganda I'm still just sitting here waiting...

Paris, Capital of Photography

On a short stay in Paris last week I had the pleasure of seeing another great example of amazing photography. This is obviously in a completely different genre, but still made a huge impression on me. At Jeu de paume in Pairs I saw The Christian Bouqueret collection of French 1920s-40s avant grade photography.

The 1920 and 30s have had something of a renaissance these days in art and style and this exhibitions really made me want to just travel back in time and be a part of this period in Paris cultural history. These photos bring forward the simplicity of black and white photography and yet opens up new perspectives on the motives and how to look at the world.

Some of the photographs on display are by well known artists such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Brassai who are especially famous for their images from Paris street life. Together with the more experimental pictures the exhibition brings out the very best of black and white photography of that time.