Cover Art from The Professional Wife by award-winning author Maryann Reid

The Top Note | Vol. 17

Community · Luxury · Art · Perfume

Welcome back to The Top Note — your weekly fragrance letter. This week, we explore the shared language between literature and scent, honoring storytelling in all its forms.

Opening Note

“The breeze gently lifted the delicate lace off her sun-kissed shoulders, and she shivered with excitement. Beyond the lush gardens before her, vineyards wound for acres upon acres with different varietals of grapes. They'd chosen this vineyard in Napa for the wedding after a very romantic weekend shortly after they started dating.

The grounds were stunning, a hundred shades of green against the baby-blue sky. The evening they had planned for the celebration was over-the-top but elegant, and with the rustic backdrop, it was perfect. Candy couldn't imagine getting married anywhere else.”

— Excerpt from The Professional Wife by 7-time award-winning author Maryann Reid

We take a moment to acknowledge and highlight the literary work of one of our loyal The Taliaferro clients.

📖 Purchase The Professional Wife on Amazon →

Featured Fragrance: Tonight

Tonight — I know this might sound crazy coming from the chief perfumer of The Taliaferro, but this fragrance and its name are among my personal favorites.

It’s elegant, rich, and quietly confident. The simplicity of the name sparks curiosity without saying too much. It was named by a guest at our Scented Social gathering back in 2023, and it remains one of my favorite names to date.

Main Notes: Sheer Florals, Vanilla Absolute, Heliotrope, Musk, Sandalwood, Smoked Agarwood, Basmati Rice, Coconut

Client Spotlight

“Absolutely a treat! You get the outside of a coconut at first — earthy with smoky oud. Then it took me back to some of my earliest memories of smelling incense from my Somali neighbors. As this dries down, the heliotrope and vanilla add a sheer creaminess.

I am floored with this perfume. I have never smelled anything like it, yet it brought back some of my earliest memories. This is what perfume is all about!”

— Matthew D.

The Blend — Literature & Fragrance

Fragrance and literature share a quiet intimacy. Both rely on imagination, memory, and emotional resonance rather than explanation. A well-written passage can transport you; a well-composed scent can do the same.

Just as authors layer words to evoke feeling and place, perfumers layer notes to tell stories on skin. Neither art form rushes — both invite you to linger, interpret, and return.

Community Connection

We pause to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

His dedication to service, consistency, and championing justice continues to inspire us to be intentional in our creative work and responsible in our stewardship.

“A writer is a world trapped in a person.”
— Victor Hugo

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