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lördag 9 mars 2013

Fragrance(s) of the week (10) 2013

Picture:Lilac Syringa Vulgaris in bloom
Photo: Author Marisa deMeglio from NYC, USA
(cc) Wikimedia Commons
This late winterweek, even if chilly, is showing signs of the coming spring. The light is here, the sun is warm in the middle of the day and the snow is melting. Inspired of that I have enjoyed my lighter Frederic Malle samples: L'Eau d'Hiver, what could be more appropriate than a fragrance inspired of melting snow, Angeliques sous la Pluie, I like the hay-ish note and the herbalflower touch and my favorite among the three En Passant, the most true lilac scent I have tested so far, even truer than the beautiful After My Own Heart by Ineke.

These three light Malles are well constructed and very easy to wear. Nothing extreme but timeless and minimalistic, the archetypes of spring staplefragrances.

torsdag 25 oktober 2012

Lanvin – Eclat d’Arpege


Picture: Ein Korb mit Flieder,
signiert und datiert Carl Massmann 1896, Öl auf Leinwand,
Wikimedia commons

Eclat d’Arpege created by Karine Dubreuill 2002 for Lanvin, has nothing but the name and the decoration of the bottle in common with the dangerous original (but of course reformulated) Arpége from 1927.

Eclat d’Arpege starts with some light green notes with some citrusy elements, but above all; lilac. The lilac which is not artifcial and cheap as sometimes happens with this note, it’s just like the colour of the fresh light purple lilac. There is a slight metallic vibe, but not the aldehydic type as in for example Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, it’s a more of a metallic facet of the flower. The lilac is’nt powdery as in Puredistances beautiful Opardu, the lilac note is quite clear and crips. It has more in common with another beautiful clear and bright lilac fragrance After my Own Heart by Ineke Rüland.

As Eclat d’Arpege dries down, mellower, fruity notes mixed with some warm flowers and a light tealike note appears. This accord somehow rounding off the metallic edge but the blend still stays flowery cool like a chilly day in the early spring. In the base Eclat d’Arpege is almost all about woody musk, but there is also a faint note of resin, probably the amber listed among the ingredients.  

Eclat d’Arpege is the perfect fragrance for spring, it’s overall chilly, flowery, woody, musky structure perfectly captures that season. One of the better balanced and not overly sweet fruity florals that is relatively easily aviable. It has also survived for ten years on the market, which is a sign for a certain quality. Eclat d’Arpege is somehow ageless in character, it’s a fruity-floral also for grown up’s, not obviously directed to the younger crowd. I don’t get the comparisons with Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue as that one is sharper, woodier, less flowery and with a green applenote, according to my nose. Eclat d’Arperge is smoother, more feminine and elegant in style. Eclat d’Arpege is a very wearable fragrance, especially for spring and summer but also for year around for days that demands something uncomplicated, nice smelling and office friendly. Sillage is medium and longevity not as good, less than 12h.

Rating: 3

Notes: Peony, peach blossom, tea, lilac, petit grain, osmanthus, wisteria, cedarwood, musk, amber

torsdag 13 september 2012

Puredistance - Opardu

Photo: Opardu by Puredistance, all rights reserved (c)

It's hard to find the right words to describe Opardu, the new creation (will be released in November 2012) by masterperfumer Annie Buzantian for the Austrian/Netherlands nichehouse Puredistance founded by Jan Ewoud Vos. Even if Opardu is classical in it's texture and gives a familiar impression, it's hard to find obvious perfume references. Opardu is one of it's own kind. Opardu is said to be inspired of the vibrant nightlife of Paris in the 1920s. It is classical but not at all dated in style, and it express the feeling of the nostalgic looking back of years gone by.

Opardu starts with soft green floral notes, emphasizing floral. The greenery is more of the violet leaf type, not the rougher (but in a surprisingly gentle way) galbanum that is present in my favourite of this classy line so far, Antonia. Already from the start I percieve the same level of elegance as is present in Antoina, but Antonia is more of a pronounced daytime elegance where Opardu is the contrasting, mysterious and graceful night bird.

The flowery notes confuses me, a note similar to violet is present and something that reminds me of hints of orris but without the famous carrotnote.The mysterious flower is lilac and Opardu in color and texture is just as a bale of exclusive lilac silk velvet. Good lilac scents is not very common, After My Own Heart by Ineke is a well crafted example from the genre but AMOH is fresher and more outdoor in style.

Opardu also presents a pleasent almost slight creamy powdery accord that has some similarities with a subdued lipsticknote. The powder probably emerges from the heliotrophe but I also think aldehydes is included as Opardu (despite differences in flowery notes and scent) has some of the texture and expression of Esprit d'Oscar by Oscar de la Renta but Opardu is more polite and polished in style.

In the basenotes the lilac accompanied by an pleasant slight almondy heliotrophe, supported by a light handed white musk together with a beautiful soft cedarwood that blended with the heliotrophe smells close to sandalwood. Opardu ends as a soft, woody, lilac.

Opardu is an example of a wellcrafted, quality fragrance that unfold it's secrets in different very well blended layers, just as a budding flower.It's a relaxing fragrance that gives a calming almost sad/biitersweet pleasure during the whole drydown. Regarding the vibrant 1920s inspiration of Opardu, my impression is it's a perfume created for the sofisticated nightlife, visiting the Opera and dining at an elegant restaurant instead of dancing wild on a jazz-club. Personally I feel a connction between Opardu and the decade before, the early 1910s and the fashion of Paul Poiret with it's peacock feathers, muted velvet silk, sweeping, comfortable silk dresses with sophisticated oriental patterns, something I think is intermediated by the Puredistance advertesing picture above, just as the original below.


Picture: Poiret model 1914
No known restrictions on publication, Wikimedia commons

Opardu is avaible in perfumeconcentration and therefore it wear close to the skin. The stayingpower is good, Opardu lasts good for a day. To compare, Antonia (also pure perfume) is more radiant and has a 24h+ stayingpower. Opardu is also suitable to wear in daytime and I can image it will be particularly appealing duirng the chilly but bright, early winter-spring days.

I think fans of (among themselves as different scents) Chanel No 5 Parfume, Amouage Gold (in swedish) and Dia, but also Histoire d'Parfums Blanc Violette, and Guerlain L'Heure Bleue will appreciate the beautiful Opardu. And of course; every true admirer of a wellcrafted perfume.

Rating: 5

Notes: Tubereuse, gardenia, rose, lilac, carnation, jasmine, heliotrope, cedarwood, musk

onsdag 22 december 2010

Ineke - Gilded Lily

Ineke Rühlands senaste doft Gilded Lily är en fruktig chypre i en mer traditionell stil. Den är byggd runt en mycket sällsynt japansk lilja som Ineke i studiesyfte har planterat i sin trädgård. Gilded Lily påminner mig genast om en lite rundare och mjukare EnJoy (Jean Patou). Likheterna varar hela resan från toppnoternas äpplen (i båda dofterna) ananasnot och rabarber respektive banan och päron, genom ett blommigt hjärta en speciell japansk lilja i GL, jasmin och ros i E, till basen med patchoulli, ekmossa, och ambra i GL, detsamma  minus ekmossan men med tillägg av mysk och vanilj i E. Även om många ingredienser skiljer sig åt så är stilen och strukturen med blandad fruktighet i toppen, blomma i mitten och en chypre eller chypreliknande bas likartad.

Tyvärr kommer jag inte ifrån tankarna på EnJoy under hela provningen av Gilded Lily. Frågan är om Ineke inspirerats av EnJoy och föregångare från Patou som Colony, en fruktig trettiotalschypre med ananas i toppen. Gilded Lily känns helt enkelt väldigt Patou-ig. En robust och hållbar doft som kräver lätt applicering. Bärbar året om. Herr Parfumistas spontana rekation var: "Idag luktar du något maskulint, som Brut". Association kan verka konstig men troligen finns där några noter som överensstämmer och det är ju bland annant det som är så roligt med doftminnet. Olika näsor plockar ut olika fragment från minnet när de känner en doft.

Sammanfattningsvis är Gilded Lily en bra doft men den ger mig inget nytt eftersom den påminner så mycket om EnJoy. Ineke gör onekligen fina dofter, ofta baserade på inom parfymeriet ovanliga blommor. Exempelvis är hennes lätta syrendoft After My Own Heart outstanding. Men tyvärr är det inte bara den senaste doften Gilded Lily känns som en repetition av något annat. Även förra årets fina tobaksdoft Fieldnotes from Paris har lite för mycket gemensamt med Burberry London Man.

Tyvärr Ineke det blir inte mer än:

Betyg: 2