Fragrance(s) of the week (7) 2013

Tired of all the fleeting, almost spooky, watered down, similar smelling  IFRA/EU compliant fragrances of the latest year(s) my appreciation of the oldies or semi oldies has increased. Have been drawn to my samples    of two very different but both distinct characteristic (as always with) Maître Parfumeur et Gantier fragrances: The dirty jasmin/neroli La Reine Margot from the MPG sub-line Les Parfumes Historiques and the sunny, very uplifting but at the same time a bit weird herbal, floral, tea fragrance Eau de Camelia Chinois. Both are great stuff, which stands out from the pale crowd of today.

Pictures of the beautiful LPH/MPG falcons borrowed from the net

(c) Maître Parfumers et Gantier

Oscar de la Renta - Santo Domingo

Picture: Santo Domingo de Guzman 
Montage by Elvisanti1, Wikimedia commons

Santo Domingo is the unisex offering in the new Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries collection with fragrances created by Calice Becker. Santo Domingo is a tribute to Oscar de la Rentas birth place, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The fragrance captures the flowers, spices and colors of this island country.

Santo Domingo starts with a citrusdominated accord reminding of the start of Aramis classic Tuscany but greener and with a smoother, musky touch. As Santo Domingo dries down, the white, milky, musknote gets almost predominent as it wraps the slight smoky, spicy, tobacco into a pleasant creamy blend. It's the same construction as in Granada also from this line, where the orangeblossomnotes are wrapped in the same creamy musk. The impression of a contemporary creamy/milky Tuscany also remains during the whole dry down. Another fragrance Santo Domingo reminds me of is a much gentler and polite variation of the herbal, spicy, smoky Eau d'Iles from Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, a fragrance that also founds its inspiration from the scents of the Caribian Islands.

Santo Domingo is a well crafted fragrance, the notes interacts in a very balanced way and the fragrance has no sharp edges.  Santo Domingo, just as Tuscany, is a fragrance well suited for wearing in the office. Even if smooth in texture, Santo Domingo is clearly present during the whole dry down with a medium sillage and longevity for at least a day. The review is based on Santo Domingo worn by the picky Mr Parfumista and he likes this fragrance much.

Santo Domingo is another example of the good fragances of the Essential Luxuries line. I experience the fragrances as wellcrafted and balanced, subtle and refined in the same time as these fragrances are very easy to wear. On the other hand, they are not especially innovative or distinctive. All of the fragrances feels warm and comforting in their apperance and these fragances are well worth trying for those who are searching for a    wellmade and wearable everyday scent.

Rating: 4

Notes: Mandarin, citrus, bergamot, coriander, geranium, tobacco, vetiver, patchouli

Oscar de la Renta - Sargasso

Picture: Lines of  Sargassum 

Photo: Unknown, source NOAA FishWatch 

Wikimedia commons

Sargasso is a green slight flowery-acquatic, happy and sunny fragrance in the Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries line. Sargasso will express the essence of the Sargasso Sea, it's deep bluegreen
color and exceptional clarity that  touches the shores, the scents of salt and the marine vegetation that washes up to the beach at Oscar de la Rentas house.

Sargasso starts with an accord that is constructed (to my nose) as it has an embedded accord similar to the start of classical Eau de Rochas. It's just like that the "Eau de Rochas-accord" is a minor part of the main topaccord, which is smooth acquatic-green. When reaching the middle Sargasso becomes woodier and a bit sandy in texture, as sand meeting the salty water a sunny day, mixing in notes of driftwood and the special algae for the Sargasso Sea, Sargassum, just as the marketingblurb says. I can also smell traces of a flowery note, note that also is present in the base. The basenotes are smooth woody-green with supported by a slight white musky note, the same as present in Granada from this line, but to a lesser extent in Sargasso.

Sargasso is a smooth and tender acquatic fragrance in the fleeting style that characterizes many of the latest releases from many houses. I suspect that these fragrances are pre-compliant to the coming, much stricter regulations that probably will become effective the coming summer. Sargasso is discrete and is not chemical -screaming as some acquatics tend to be. It's a officefriendly character and best suitable for the summermonth, even if wearing it in the winter, conjures the images and feeling of the warmer season waiting about some months.


Sargasso is a fragrance for those who like Calypso Marine by Calypso Christiane Celle even if Marine is more distinctive, woodier and mediates a more watery feeling.

Rating: 3

Notes: Mandarin, lemon, juniper, petitgrain, spearmint, cucumber, lentisque, fennel, driftwood, patchouli, cypress

Fragrance of the week (6) 2013

Picture:Seated woman playing a kithara. From Room H of the Villa of P.

Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, ca. 40–30 B.C.; Late Republican Roman.

Wall painting; fresco. Wikipedia Commons

 

Last weekend I made a rare find among my untested samples. I was browsing through the "Unsere Angebote" section on the website of Aus Liebe zum Duft where I noticed some bottles from the relative unknown italian house Sigilli. Sigilli is inspirated most of all by the ancient Italy, but also from the older history of some other countries. The eternal italian landscape, with its stunning views and of course all its scents and aromas  also a source to the line. As I remembered that I have a sample of Claudiae, the fragrance that was most intriguing to me after reading about the line earlier, I had to test it. And what a surprise: Claudiae starts almost repulsive to some noses, like clay, drying in the sun mixed by some herbal notes and natural smelling tomatoleaves.Subdued flowers and patchuli balancing out the composition. Wearing it, it's like being transported to the ancient Italy, to a city like Pompeii. Claudiae makes me curious to investigate the Sigilli line even more.

Oscar de la Renta - Coralina

Picture: Acacia constricta flower,

Photo by Stan Shebs (c) some rights reserved, Wikimedia commons.

Coralina is a mimosadominated contribution to the Essential Luxuries line of Oscar de la Renta. It's the third flower dominated fragrance of the line besides Mi Corazon (tubereuse) and Granada (orangeblossom).

Coralina starts with a sparkling, sunny, very yellow and natural smelling mimosa. The fragrance is happy and clean in a positive way (not detergent). The mimosa is brighter than I usually percieve the note, I typically smell it a bit darker and golden, powdery in scent and texture. As Coralina developes an almost cold violetnote appears, contrasting to the warm, sunny mimosa. Iris is also mentioned among the ingredients but I can't dedect it as a separate note, probably it balances the violet, preventing it from beeing (too) nice and sweet. There is also a part of Coralina that reminds me of light and elegant leather, but this part lasts only for a while wheras the mimosa take the centerstage again, supported by a green with traces of the crisp, greenness of bulbflower leaves. When reaching the basenotes, Coralina gets a bit of the mimosapowder, but on my skin just a hint.The main impression of Coralina in the basenotes is that of the fragrance fleeting around in an accord of mimosa/flower/musk which lasts good but is less interesting than the first half of the developement of the fragrance. Compared to another mimosa i have tried, Annick Goural Le Mimosa, Coralina is lighter in structure and with less body. The fragrances are different interpreations of this nice, yellow flower. Also Maria Candida Gentile Hanbury which have clear elements of mimosa is more fullbodied.

Coralina wears close to the skin and the lasts for long, 24h, subtle and full. A discrete and officefriendly fragrance that doesn't offering any sensations, just lingers, creating a comfortable aura to the wearer.

Rating: 3

Notes: Mimosa, violet, iris, musk, wood

Oscar de la Renta - Oriental Lace

Picture: Lace fabric

Photo from Textile talk

Oriental Lace, the oriental in the Oscar de la renta Essentials Collection, has almost none of the classic oriental accords, besides the varm honeyd, vanilla base. It's a fragrance of its own which puzzled me during a day of wearing. First after twelve hours wearing  I could realate to what Oriental Lace reminds me of: Juicy Fruit chewing gum, in a positive way.

Oriental Lace starts with a transparant, sweet spicy (a touch of cinnamon and barely a touch of the fiery jamiacan pepper) accord. After a while it gets a bit thicker in texture, as a dry-creamy-powdery lipstick, a light smell of cacao glimpses. Even if oriental, in this stage there is almost a light chillyness which gives Oriental Lace the character of a somehow frech oriental. Reaching the basenotes, the fragrance gets warmer and deeper, honey, almond  and vanilla take the centerstage.

Besides  Juicy Fruit chewing gum oriental Lace also reminds me of a merrier and brighter alternative to Serge Lutens Rousse. There is also something that reminds me of the transparant sweet, spicyness of Carner Barcelona Rima XI. Oriental Lace, even if a bit different, is a uncomplicated, comfortable and non-disturbing fragrance, perfect to wear at work. There is something very appealing to it, probably the transparent take of the very sweet notes: The honey/vanilla is undoubtedly sweet and those who like dry-woody vanillas, may think it's too sweet. But as transparant in character, the sweetness never overwhelms. Sillage is close, longevity very good, 24h.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Honey, almond, cacao, waxplant, vanilla

Fragrance of the week (5) 2013

Picture: Haversting pepper, Illustration from Le livre des merveilles de Marco Polo
 ("The Adventures of Marco Polo"), date unknown, Wikimedia Commons.

Rushing  through my Fredric Malle samples to figure out if there is any FB I "have to" buy before the perfumemarauder regalutions eventually takes effect this summer.  Read an interview somewhere (Basenotes?) where Malle stated that his perfumeportfoilo would be heavely affected if the rules are implemented. As my samples are a few years old (2009) some reformulations probably are already implemented, if I remember correctly 2010 was a year of though IFRA selfregulation, but anyway...
To my surprise the a bit strange creature Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska, attracted compliments and that without me asking for an opinion. To me Noir Epices is both attractive and repulsive in the same time. I really like the dry spicy hot notes and the orange and rosewater. But there is also an overall impression of an old mans cologne worn on unwashed skin in some stages of the dry down. All these together makes Noir Epices challenging and interesting to wear, something that I appreciate very much when it comes to perfume.
PS: When going through the Frederic Malle consultation form on their website serveral years ago, the two recommended frags where Carnal Flower, which I, as a tubereuselover of course had to have, and Noir Epices