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måndag 2 november 2015

Brecourt - Les éphémères - Poivre Bengale

Picture: Capturing the spirit of
Poivre Bengale
Photo: PR Brecourt (c)
Brecourt is a small nichehouse founded by IPSICA pefumer Emilie Bouge in 2010. Besides the regular line, Brecourt some years ago introduced  "Les éphémères" a collection which presents exclusive natural ingredients and highlights them in fragrances dedicated to each ingredient. Poivre Bengale is the second fragrance in the Les éphémères collection.

Poivre Bengale starts peppery, a very nautral, freshly grounded pepper. The pepper is Bengal pepper which I have learnt is not rounded, instead it's oblong. This was the pepper which was first introduced in Europe during the Antiquity and it's sweeter than the usual pepper. Soon also fizzy nuances of ginger appears as also nutmeg and Poivre Bengale reminds me of another spicy favorite of mine, Montale Amber & Spices (swe) where Poivre Bengale is less sweet (despite the description of the character of the pepper above) and doesn't contain any rosy elements. The smooth sandalwood is also a note that is clearly present and common for both fragrances. Overall Amber & Spices is more "spicy gourmand" to my nose than Povre Bengale. When reaching the middlenotes, the fizzy ginger element is withdrawn and a pleasant, very well balanced clove note appears, clove in some fragrances tend to take over, which is not the case here. The spicy notes are interacting with the woody base, where the sandalwood gives it a warm impression. In the basenotes an almost leathery note contribute with a dark and just slight moisty dept. There is also something that reminds me of a very light mintnote in the second part of the fragrance, probably it appears in the combination of some of the other notes. Taken as a whole Poivre Bengale is very dry, warm and in the same time clean and, I know it sounds strange, refreshing fragrance. Wearing Poivre Bengale in sunny, dry and warm weather (ca +25 C) gives that strange clean, refreshing, effect, probably due to the lack of sweetness and the well composed dryness. Another fragrance that appears on the olfactory radar when enjoying Poivre Bengale is Lorenzo Villoresi Piper Nigrum which is airier, sort of thinner in apperance, also presents herbal and green elements and has a tangy aura, almost similar to turpentine. Edition Frederic Malle Noir Epices is also coming to my mind when wearing Poivre Bengale, where Noir Epices just as Amber & Spices, is a bit sweeter and is including some flowery elements. Also some elements from Lubin Idole Edp are present.
Picture: Poivre Bengale
Photo: PR Brecourt (c)
As mentioned above, Poivre Bengale is fab in warm weather and here is a spicy fragrance that works for all seasons, which is not common. Sillage is medium + and longevity very good, traces are left 24h after application. Poivre Bengale is unisex, leaning slight to the masculine side.

Rating: 4

Notes: Bengal pepper, ginger, clove buds absolute, nutmeg, sandalwood, leather, cashmere woods, ambergris

Thanks to ParfumMaria for the sample to try

fredag 14 december 2012

Frapin - Caravelle Epicée

Picture: The Noord-Nieuwland in Table Bay, 1762, oil on canvas
by anonymous artist, Cape Town, South Africa
Caravelle Epicée is a fragance that I tried some years ago and liked very much but than went on sampling other frags and havn’t come to test it again than recently. And I have to say that like this beautiful spicy creation at least as much this time. Caravelle Epicée is a unisexfragrance in my book and its created for the perfumehouse of Frapin, not for the beveragesdivision J by Jeanne-Marie Faugier.

Caravelle Epicée starts with a gentle, very true, spicy accord. I can smell different shades of pepper, cummin, saffron, nutmeg and other spices in a wellblended mix where the spices are interacting and none is dominating over the rest. The accord is in the same time soft in character. After a while CE:s spicyness becomes creamy in texture, there are also woody notes which balances the spices. There are also notes of dry coconut, as the smell from the coconut shell from a unopend nut. When Caravelle Epicée reaches the basenotes there is a slight sweet woody note, putty in character, probably from sandalwood. In this stage, Caravelle Epicée reminds me of an unsweet Bois de Paradis by Parfum DelRae, without the sweetened berry and plummy notes of the latter. There is also smilarities with the basenotes of Yves Saint Laurent NU Edp and also something similar to the base of Donna Karan Black Cashmere. Caravelle Epicée has a dark, rich and vevety dept in the basenotes that triggers the imagination. Caravelle Epicée mediates something vintage. Not exactly a vintage smelling perfume but the images of times that have gone. More exactly the image of an elegant lady from the Jugendera (Art Noveau) dressed for the winter season in silkvelvet in muted colors and fur. Or the image an old sailingship “Caravelle” carrying the valuable spices over the oceans on the old spice route.

Caravelle Epicée is one of the best spicy fragrances I have tried, if not the best. It’s wellcrafted and balanced, comfortable, feels very natural, as the percieved notes where the real spices and wood. Caravelle Epicée is a fragrance which creates images and makes the wearer daydreaming of sailing ships carrying its precious cargo over the oceans or about elegant art noveau ladies. There is something in the overall impresson that reminds me of a sort of soft Opium by Yves Saint Laurent but with much more spices and without carantion and cloves. Also Idole by Lubin comes to my mind but that one is airier and somehow lighter, more of a sommer spicy fragrance.

As indicated above, Caravelle Epicée is perfect for winter, and espceially as a Christmas fragrance, with its delicious, spicy apperance. Sillage is close and longevity good, for a day at least.

Rating: 5

Notes: Nutmeg, coriander; chili pepper, pepper, caraway, guaiac wood, sandalwood, amber, patchouli, tobacco.

torsdag 5 juli 2012

Lubin - Idole

Spices in Mapusa Market, Goa, India,
Foto: Judepics, cc (some rights reserved)
Wikimedia commons

Scroll down for an version in english.

Idole är en kryddigt, träig doft enligt uppgift skapad av Olivia Giacobetti 2005 i samband med uppfräschningen och moderniseringen av det gamla klassiska parfymhuset Lubin.

Idole är inspirerad av dofterna i den afrikanska, karibiska och indiska oceaniska övärlden. Jag känner kryddor, mörkt trä, lite tjära och romindränkta tunnor fraktat av ett segelfartyg. Ingredienserna till trots så är ändå Idole en transparent doft, en motsats som gör doften fascinerande. När det gäller kryddigheten så känns den speciella pepprighet som saffran ger, en not som också finns i Montales Amber & Spices och Sisleys Eau de Sisley 3. Den transparenta stilen trots en del kraftfulla ingredienser, delar Idole med Eau de Sisley 3 fast den senare är dominerad av citrus där Idole domineras av trä. Det finns också något i den känsla som Idole framkallar som påminner om Maitre Parfumeur et Gantiers Eau des Iles.

Idole är en mörk kryddoft som med fördel kan bäras även sommartid. Passar dagtid både på jobbet och som casual. Mycket bärbar och en bra basdoft men inte (längre) särskilt originell.

Idole is a spicy, woody fragrance created by Olivia Giacobetti in 2005 in connection with the refresh and modernization of the old classic perfume house Lubin. Idole is inspired by the scents of the islands of the African, Caribbean and Indian oceans. I smell lot of spices, dark wood, a little tar and the rum-soaked barrels transported by a sailing ship. Despite all these potent ingredients, Idole is still a transparent fragrance, a contrast that makes the blend fascinating. In the case with the spiciness, it smells like that special peppery note that saffron gives, a note which is also is present in  Montales Amber & Spices and Sisley Eau de Sisley 3. The transparent style despite some powerful ingredients, is the common denominator for Idole and Eau de Sisley 3, the latter is dominated by citrus where Idole instead is dominated by woody notes. There is also something in the sense that Idole conveys that is reminiscent to Maitre Parfumeur et Gantiers Eau des Iles.

To summon up Idole is a dark spicy-woody fragrance which can be worn advantageously preferable in the summer. Suitable for daytime at work as well as casual. Very versatile and a good basic in a fragrance wardeobe but not (any longer) particularly original.

Rating: 3+

Noter/notes: Bitter apelsin, mörk rom, klöver, saffran, socker, ebenholz, sandelträ, läder /bitter orange, dark rum, clover, soffron, sugar, ebony, sandalwood, leather