Visar inlägg med etikett Rose de Siwa. Visa alla inlägg
Visar inlägg med etikett Rose de Siwa. Visa alla inlägg

måndag 14 maj 2012

Histoires de Parfums - 1876 Mata Hari

Photo: Margaretha Geertruida "Grietje" Zelle, known as Mata Hari (1876-1917)
Unidentified photographer, public domain, Wikimedia commons

I have hard to belive that a famous femme fatale as the first world war suspected spy Mata Hari was smelling like a sweet, almost caramelized, rose on a base of cookies. But what do I know? The HdP fragrance 1876 Mata Hari is tribute to or just inspired of Mata (or both). 1876 Mata Hari is as almost all HdP:s created by the HdP founder, perfumer Gérald Ghislain in colloboration with perfumer Magali Senequie.

The pink sweet, rose is present from start to end in 1876. In the topnotes it has a slight transparent vibe and something that is similar to a green tea-note passing by. Then the blend sweetens in the cookie notes. I recoginze these kind of dry buttery notes from the backgroundnotes of perfumes such as Agent Provocateur aldehydic Maitresse and the jasmine/honeysuckle Burberry London for Woman. To me this note is similar to the smell when opening an enclosed cookie jar. There is also the smell of pink rose as in Parfums MDCI Rose de Siwa but the RdS rose is fresh and dewy compared to the gourmand rose in 1876 Mata Hari.  As a whole the Mata Hari blend also reminds me of Andy Tauers Une Rose Vermeille, maybe 1876 Mata Hari was one of the scents that has influented Andy when he created URV? But 1876 Mata Hari is paler and not as distinctint in character as URV and 1876 also lacks the jam and incense notes of URV. As Mata Hari reaches the basenotes the blend is almost creamy and fleeting, supported by a well balanced sandalwood. An gentle and calm earthy note also apperars  among the basenotes and makes the end of Marta Hari less sweet and more serious. Ironically just as the tragic story of her life.

1876 Mata Hari is a nice variation of the sweet-rose theme and it is as well as URV, Rose de Siwa and so on. Which fragrance to choose is of course up to the personal references when it coming to details. Personally I have hard to choose between URV and 1876 Mata Hari as both speeks to me in different ways despite the same theme: URV joyful and happy and 1876 Mata Hari dramatic and mysterious.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, mandarine, litchi, rose, iris, violet, carnation, caraway, cinnamon, vetiver, sandalwood, guaiac wood.

torsdag 10 maj 2012

MDCI Parfums - Rose de Siwa

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Rose de Siwa is created in 2006 by Francis Kurkdjian for MDCI Parfums. Rose de Siwa is a classical rose fragrance in the light and bright genre. It's a medium pink colored rose underscored with a sweet fruitiness from the litchi. There is also hints of other flowers to smooth out the rose and the whole composition rests on a distinct musky base.

Even if Rose de Siwa clearly is a rosefragrance, the rose is not heavy or predominant at all. It's a well blended fragrance and the notes are floating in a seamless manner. Rose de Siwa is a fragrance in the elegant, classical style, composed of high quality ingredients and there are no traces of detergent, plastic or sharp notes. Rose de Siwa first of all reminds me of the original Paris of YSL, in it's original formulation from the eightis, they have the violets and the pink roses in common. Other clean, bright, pink roses in the same style as Rose de Siwa is Rose Pivone by Parfums de Nicolaï and Quel Amour by Annick Goutal. In both of them the peony is more pronounced than in Rose de Siwa and they are also less sweet and fresher than the latter.

Even if not groundbreaking, Rose de Siwa is an elegant and at the same time versatile daytime fragrance.
As YSL Paris was a favorite of mine in my youth, I also have a ceartian weakness for Rose de Siwa.

Rating: 4

Notes: Litchi, peony, hawthorn, rose, violet, cedar, vetiver, musk