måndag 29 april 2013

Kerosense - Unknown Pleasures

Picture: Strand (beach) at Skagen (ca 1900)
Painting by  Peder Severin Kröyer, Wikimedia commons
Unknown Pleasures is one of the latest fragrance from the indieperfumer John Pegg, creating frags for his own brand Kerosene. Before John started to create pefumes, he worked in the Detroit automobileindustry which have inspired to the unique, by John himself, handlacquered bottles.

Unknown Pleasures starts with an accord very close to a waffle cone filled with lemon sorbet paired with vanilla icecream. Just in the beginning a citrus, slight woody classical cologne note appears creating an almost necessary contrast to the sweetness, probably this is the Earl Grey tea note mentioned in the notelist. After a while the teanote steps back and is not recognizable as a separate note but it's present as a part of the blend. When drying down to the base, the lemonsorbet-vanilla ice creme-waffle cone impression persist and the fragrance is becoming just slightly powdery. In the whole drydown but particulary in the basenotes, I can smell a sort of almost refreshing, green coconutty note which seems to be present to a greater or lesser extent in most Kerosene fragrances, probably a part of the "Kerosenade" base. This particular green coconutty accord is also present in another favourite of mine: Etat Libre d'Orange Tom of Finland which Unknown Pleasures reminds me a bit of in the basenotes.
Picture: Unknown Pleasures
Photo: PR Kerosene (c) all rights reserved

Unknown Pleasures is not the elegant, complicated and serious fragrance. Instead it is friendly, funny, sunny, warm and happy just like the pleasant feeling of eating icecream a warm and sunny summerday during the holiday. The fragrance is a great gourmand, truly delicious and it's the perfect replacement for a dessert and could therefore act as a substitute for a diet product :-). Unknown Pleaures, just as its name indicates, brings pure joy and comfort. The sillage is medium and longevity for more than a day. IMHO Unknown Pleasures is the second best fragrance of the Kerosene-line so far, and the best for me. The number one Kerosene over all is still (not for wearing myself but its suits great for Mr Parfumista) the multifaceted, boozy, dark and rough Copper Skies.

I think those who like vanillic gourmands in general and fragrances in the style of Estee Lauder Bronze Godess/Azureé Soleil would also like Unknown Pleasures.

Rating: 5

Notes: Earl Grey tea, lemon, honey, bergamot, tonka, caramel, vanilla, waffle cone

Thanks to  Fragrancefanatic at Riktig Parfym for the sample to test.

lördag 27 april 2013

Fragrance of the week (17) 2013 - philosophical thoughts about Opium

Picture: New Opium Edp
Photo: PR Yves Saint Laurent (c)
This week has been a week in Guerlain, except Tuesday when I wore Yves Saint Laurent Opium Edp in the current version.To me it was a pleasant experience despite all complaints I have read in different blogs and forums. Yes, of course it isn't the same as earlier formulas, compared to my Y2K Opium Edt formula the new Opium is woodier, darker, less spicy-floral and for a short while it has a slight artifical vibe. But most important is that the special Opium style and aura is still there, I don't think it has lost its soul which is what is important to me. It's just an Opium adapted to a new decade, just as much older classics as Guerlain Shalimar and Chanel No 5 have done multiple times. Of course a fragrance could not smell as before as the circumstances are changing over the years and maybe also it should not as it's, at least from a Parfumista viewpoint, interesting to investigate the development of a certain fragrance between different decades and formulas. This exercise is almost as exploring different but similar in style fragrances.

torsdag 25 april 2013

Grossmith - Floral Veil

Picture: Queen Victoria in her weddingdress 1847
Painting by Franz Xavier Winterhalter (1805-1873)
Floral Veil is one of the four classy fragrances released in the Grossmith Black Label Collection so far. Floral Veil is created by another perfumer than the other three: Jean-Marie Santantonio.

Floral Veil starts with an accord somehow familiar to me, I recognize the scent from some fragrance in the past but haven't sorted out yet which on it could be. There are light and transparent green and citrus-fruity notes, not sweet but refreshing. The delicate flowers joins soon, they are smooth, transparent and seemless blended, the only flower that is detectable as an own note to me is the airy tubereuse, a tubereuse without is regular companion the orangeblossom. The beautiful sheer florals are supported by light, green and fresh notes, the geranium for instance doesn't reach its typical tarty green stage, it's subdued and just there to create an natural, green freshness.The musk is the note in the foreground in the basenotes but it's so well blended with warm amber and silky cashemrean woody notes that I don't think of it as a separate note. One fragrance that comes to my mind when testing Floral Veil is the first Gianfranco Ferré, named Gianfranco Ferré, from the 80s. As a fragrance from that bombastic decade it is of course much stronger and the tubereuse has much more body, even if light for that era. In comparisation Floral Veil is like a translucent fairy.

Floral Veil is really a perfect name for this creation. When wearing the fragrance, I almost feel the smoothness of a chiffong veil in weightless slik and I can image a young, romantic bride wearing this. Floral Veil is also the perfect first fragrane for a young girl, even if the creation is timeless and also could be worn with grace by a 90+ old lady also. Floral Veil is all about understated class and elegance, just perfect which on the other hand in the long run could be a bit dull, but that is certainly no problem for me as I almost never wears the same frag two days in a row. Floral Veil is the fragrance to reach for situations when the wearer needs confidence but when it's not when it is not appropriate to stand out from the context for example when  giving a presentation at the boardmeeting.

Rating: 4

Notes: Citruses, green notes, lemon, black currant, geranium, rose, ylang-ylang, tubereuse, vanilla orchid, musk, cashmeran (wood), amber

Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.

måndag 22 april 2013

Grossmith - Amelia

Picture: European peony, Paeonia lactiflora
Photo by Frances2000, Wikipedia Commons
Amelia, a part of the Grossmith Black Label Collection released in late 2012, is created in honour of the daughter of the founder of the house (originally established in 1835), Amelia. The fragrance is created by Trevor Nicholl.

Amelia starts with an accord reminding of an upscale version of Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely and Narciso Rodriguez For Her Edt. Amelia than proceed less musky and sweet than the two other mentioned, there are offsetting neroli, white flowery and green notes detectable which balances the fragrance in a delicate way. I also smell a small fraction of that special tart note which is present in many 2012 cretations, probably compliant with the coming regulations. I like this kind of dry tartness combined in one note, the tart note is more clearly presant in for example Chanel 1932. 
The star of the flowery accord is a fresh and dewy peony, a peony that manage to maintain this impression during the whole dry down and doesn't get sour and dull. The base is musky with a counterbalancing typical contemporary chypre accord containing patchouli and vetiver. In the latest stages of the development of the base, the notes seems similar to the baseaccod in Golden Chypre which was reviewed last week. As in all Black Label creation tested so far the notes are well balanced and seamlessy mixed.

Amelia is a perfect fragrance for spring. It is clean without any laudery- or ozonic notes. It fits into most environments and couldn't offend anyone, hence it's the perfect, feminine scent for work. To be a tribute to a woman of the 19th centurary, Amelia feels a bit too contemporary in style. Maybe it is also a bit too perfect, there are absolutely no dangers lurking in the background as in for example the NR For Her Edt mentioned above. Amelia wears close to the skin and the longevity is for a day. The quality is top-notch as with Grossmiths in general.

Those who like fragrances in the classical style of Annick Goutal Quel Amour and Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Pivoine will probably appreciate this modern, musky interpretation of the peony-theme.

Rating: 4

Notes: Neroli, osmanthus, rose, jasmine, peony, amber, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, cashmere musks

Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.

lördag 20 april 2013

Fragrance(s) of the week (16) 2013 - Perfumed thoughts...

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)
Spring ha finally arrived but the mood for springfragrances has not yet appeared even if I tried with the soooo spring-/summerlike Eau de Ciel by Annick Goutal earlier this week. Overall I still want heavier and darker stuff such as my new lemming Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M.Micallef. I'm glad to have, even if late, tested something from the house of M.Micallef. It has not gotten around to testing them earlier, maybe because there is such a large range of perfumes that I havn't know where to start. My first experience is so promising that I'll definitly test more from M.Micallef.

Another just great one which is very suitable for the season even if floriental in style is Saffron Rose from Grossmith. Definitly the best one I have tried from the house so far, but I'll have of course not tried them all.

Fearing the coming regulations and realizing I have not much of  Guerlain Shalimar I just had to order some more this week. Despite reformulated several times during the decades, I like the formulas now avaible and I dare not take the risk not having enough of this classic if it will be deeply affected from the coming regulations.

torsdag 18 april 2013

Grossmith - Saffron Rose

Picture: Roses in a vase,
 painting by Auguste Renoir
I knew instantly when I splashed on Saffron Rose from the small vial that I would just love this stunning oriental styled rosecomposition. And Saffron Rose are just not about flattering topnotes, it is quality all the way out. Saffron Rose, created by Trevor Nicholl is a part of  the Grossmith Black Label Collection.

Saffron Roses starts with a beautiful, very clean, natural smelling pink, a bit oldfashioned, tearose. It is accuented with smooth, spicy notes of saffron and cinnamon, handled in a manner that creates a smooth, slight creamy impression of soft leather. The creamyness is in the same time dry in its texture and this accord creates a sort of chalky impression. As Saffron Rose progress in its dry down the scent is deepen in a melange of very well balanced darker resin and woody notes such as oud and myrrh. The notes are accompanying and the oud doesn't take over the composition as in most oud-rose fragrances. When Saffron Rose reaches the basenotes an almost animalc quality appears but in a subtle way. During the rest of the dry down Saffron Rose highlights the classical rose which interacting perfectly with the darker, soft spicy and woody-resin notes.

Saffron Rose wears close to the skin, the longevity is about 24h. It's a creation of understaded elegance, not as dominating and rough as many Montale rose-oud creations, Saffron Rose is more finetuned and it is a real pleasure to wear, as also the Montales depending on the mood.

Those who (like me) likes Montale Taif Rose, Highness Rose, Aoud Queen Roses, Aoud Roses Petals, Histoires de Parfum Rosam and Annick Goutal Rose Absolue I suspect also will like Saffron Rose.

Rating: 5

Notes: Rose, saffron, cinnamon, myrrh, oud, tobacco, wood, labdanum, castoreum, sandalwood, amber, guaiac wood

Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.

måndag 15 april 2013

Grossmith - Golden Chypre

Picture: Golden Chypre,
a part of the Black  Label  Collection
Photo: PR Grossmith
Golden Chypre is one of the four initial releases in the new Black Label line from the venerable British house of Grossmith. Earlier Grossmith (among others) has released contemporary interpretations of the old classics of the house, such beautiful frags as Shem-el-Nessim Phul-Nana, Hasu-no-Hana and Betrothal. Golden Chypre is created by Trevor Nicholl.

Golden Chypre starts spicy airy with a clearly detectable but still transparant cardamom sourronded by smooth spicies and a sparkling citrusnote. The citrusnote could still be recognized when Golden Chypre reaches its middlenotes where light flowery notes appears perfectyl blended with discrete notes of patchouli and vetiver. The patchouli, which is a bearing note in most contemporary so called chypres is not as emphasized as in most of those creations, it's so wellbalanced that it is difficult to discern as a separate note. All this is is resting on an elegant, smooth musky base blended with wood and resins.

Golden Chypre is a wellbehaved fragrance which is a pleasure to wear with its high quality ingredients and its wellbalanced structure. It's not a exciting and challenging fragrance but it creates confidece to the wearer in its less-is-more styled elegance. Perfect for the office and for lunching at an elegant restaurant especially in spring and summer. Sillage is close and longevity is for about 24h.

Golden Chypre is an example that well made fragrances are still possible to create even with the though restrictions coming. A common feature for many of the fragrances created the latest year, just as Golden Chypre, is their fleeting characters which I assume is the result of cutting down the quantity used of many ingredients or having to avoid others.

Those who like fragrances in the elegant style of Chanel No 22, Chanel 1932, Puredistance Opardu and Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin will probably also appreciate Grossmith Golden Chypre.

Rating: 4

Notes: Cardamom, nutmeg, orange, bergamot, rose, geranium, heliotrophe, vetiver, patchouli, amber, musk, labdanum, wood

Thanks to Fragrances & Art  for the sample to test.