måndag 19 september 2016

Ormonde Jayne - Ta'if

Picture: In the Bey's Garden (1865)
Painting by John Frederick Lewais (1805-76)
Wikimedia commons
An Ormonde Jayne Classic, the beautiful oriental rosefragrance Ta'if was created by perfumer Geza Schoen in 2004.

Starts with a burst which smells like green pepper, not pink, mingling with something reminding of a tangy citric note. Soon an slight juicy, pink, rosy note appers, and then the whole accord becomes light creemy after a short while and Ta'if reminds me of a bit sharper, less juicier Le Galion La Rose. As Ta'if developes, the rose interacts with the other flowers, the bright and chilly freesia is prominent to me. Ta'if is more of a boquet than a solar rose fragrance and surprisingly bright and high up on the fragrance note scale to be an oriental fragance. The saffron is playing a supporting role in the background, not at all as prominent as in the standard dark, often oudy, oriental rose fragrance. At one stage in the middlenotes a hint similar to cedar appears which together with a fizzy, peppery note, reminds me of a light and smooth interpretation of Perles de Lalique and also of a more refined, cremy and smooth version of Marni. The datenote provide a moderating dark, fruity component, anchoring the kind of shrill flowers together with the pleasant amber-musky base.

Summed up Ta'if is a pleasant rose in the cold rose category. It's slight watery, but not at all thin, on the contrary it's heavy but in the same time transparant as the air of high humidity up in the mountains. As less sharp and more juicy/creamy than most cold roses, there is hints of warm trails Ta'if in some parts of the dry down. Since Ta'if creation many roses in the same style have emerged, I also comes to think of Burberry Body and Unum Rosa Nigra, and even if Ta'if is not as unique anymore, it has stood the test of time very well and is still a wellcrafted, intriguing fragrance. The longevity is great, traces are left after 24h, and sillage is good. Proper for daytime wearing escpecially for office or formal occasions. Works for year around, exept the coldest months.

Rating: 5

Notes: Pink pepper, saffron, dates, freesia, rose, orange flower, jasmine, broom, amber

Thanks to Fragrance & Art för the sample to test

måndag 12 september 2016

Ormonde Jayne - Vanille d'Iris

Picture: Iris Germanica (Deutsche Schwertlilie)
Drawing by Franz Eugen Köhler, 1897
Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen,
Wikimedia commons
Vanille d'Iris is a 2015 release from Ormonde Jayne created by Geza Schon.

Vanille d'Iris starts with an iris with an light, fresh carrotnote, like from a tin and small carrot "priemeur", harvested in the early summer. After a while Vanille d'Iris becomes more flowery, the carrot disappears as in most irisfragrances which are starting up with the rooty accord which gives an intriguing and sort of fresh, despite the earthy connction, impression for the irisgenre. After a while a non-sweet vanilla shows up and it reminds me of the chalky vanilla of Parfums de Nicolaï Vanille Tonka. The iris as the protagonist among other florals which dominates the heart and reminds me in style of the Le Galion Iris and Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile even if both these fragrances are more lush, flowery and warmer in apperance. Vanille d Iris goes quickly through the flowery phase but iris is also clearly evident in the woody-green accord of the basenotes , reminding me of a contemporary iris-woody classic as Heely Iris de Nuit. The iris in the base is balanced by a clean vetiver as also a barely detectable vanilla, adds an opposing smoothess which, together with a light glowing amber, almost precisely placing Vanille d'Iris just over the border in the feminine iris territory. But Vanille d'Iris is perfectly wearable for men who likes for example Dior Homme where the lipstick texture actually is more feminine in style than the subtle vanilla/amber addition in Vanille d'Iris.The base is also lightly infused with a clean but not powdery or soapy musk which higlights the other notes and makes the fragrance last for long.

Picture: Vanille d'Iris
Photo: PR Ormonde Jayne (c)
Vanille d'Iris is a good, elegant, "basic iris" wearable year around. It doesn't bring anything new to the genre but is well crafted and well worth  sampling if searching for a(nother) basic iris. It's a perfect office fragrance if carfully applied as it's a strong formula which despite its clean character could be overbearing if to much is spritzed, three-four spritzes is the limit. Longevity is very good about 24h, sillage is heavy.

Those who likes irises in general both flowery and woody, will probably also like Vanille d'Iris.

Rating: 4

Notes: Coriander, bergamot, carrot seed, pink pepper, oris, jasmine, magnolia bud oil, osmanthus, vanilla, cedarwood, vetiver, amber, musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

måndag 5 september 2016

Une Nuit de Bali - Suma Oriental, Mr Vetyver, Fleur des Fleurs

Une Nuit de Bali is a french fragranceline inspired from the plants, flowers, trees and natural substances of southern Asia.
Picture: Suma Oriental
Photo: PR Une Nuit de Bali (c)
Suma Oriental starts a tad too musky but this accord soon fades out in a bright sandalwoody and in the same time slight boozy accord. Later on Suma Oriental becomes darker, induced from a very well balanced patchouli which is supported by woody note and the sweet, powdery notes of tonkabeen. The light boozy impression remains also in the deeper and darker second part of the fragrance, a phase which is very comforting and long lasting. A good, easy to wear, woody oriental with classical vibes, there is something "Shalimar-ish" over it but not as complicated and without the sweet and animalic notes. Suma Oriental is my favorite in the line

Picture: Mr Vetyver
Photo: PR Une Nuit de Bali (c)
Mr Vetyver is a straight forward, masculine but IMO also unisex fragrance. In its first part Mr Vetyver smells like icecold dry vermuth. The chilly impression contiues when cold spicy notes appears, cardamon is dominating supported by herbal notes. There is also the musky note present in Suma Oriental which is more prominent and present duiring the whole dry down in Mr Vetyver. Maybe this musknote is a part of the house´s baseaccord. Worth to try for those who likes cold, white, boozy fragrances as Penhaligons' Juniper Sling and The Different Company De Bachmanov.

Picture: Picture: Fleur de Fleur
Photo: PR Une Nuit de Bali (c)
Fleur des Fleurs starts watery, like a floral light fruity bubble bath. The fruity notes are soft and airy, with a natural sweetness. There is also warm spicy notes, a light saffron is well blended with the flowesr and fruits. Warm, green notes, like tropical leaves balancing the fruits and flowers in a sunny, comforting and relaxing fragrance which is appropriate both for humid days in summer as to enlight during grey winterdays.Even if not smelling the same, Fleur des Fleurs reminds me of a contemporary interpretation of Balenciaga Michelle.

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the samples to test