måndag 31 mars 2014

Vero Profumo Voile d'Extraits - Summary

Picture: Vero Kern with her Mito Edp
Photo: PR Vero Profumo (c)
My conclusion from testing the Volies d'Extraits and comparing from my testing of the Extraits and what I remember form my earlier testings of the Edp:s is:

* The Edp and Extraits/Voiles d'Extraits are different enough to justify owning one from each category if you are a Vero aficionado.

* When it comes to the Extraits vs Voile d'Extraits there is more of a question which version to own, ie if you prefer you fragrance in the higher octaves or in the lower register of the scale.

Overall the perfumes of Vero Kern is intriguing, high quality creations with great personalities and the line is flexible enough to let everyone find his/her favorite version.

torsdag 27 mars 2014

Vero Profumo - Kiki Voile d'Extrait


Picture: Mr Dunfords Champion wirehaired Foxterrier
Arthur Wardle early twentieth century painting
Over the years, Kiki both in Extrait and Edp has grown to be my favorite fragrance from Vero Kern, dethrone Rubj to be number two. Therefore it was of course very intruiging to test Kiki in the Voile d'Extrait version.

Kiki in Extrait is an multifacetted fragrance with notes of lavender and some notes that reminds me of wheat and beer notes over a dark, fresh earthy accord in the basenotes. Review here. The Edp version is almost gourmand in style and the passionfruitnote contrasted with dark patchouli is more prounanced. Review here.

To make a long story short, I think that Kiki Voile d'Extrait is close to the extrait (just as Rubj and Onda) it just play one or two ocataves higer on the scale. The fragrance is brighter and more sparkling in its apperance and the lavender is a bit more pronounced.

All the Kikis are intriguing fragrances with new twists in each stage. Kiki is a demanding, stubborn, racy and energetic character which is never boring, just as the two (after each other) wirehaired foxterriers of my grandparents who were named Kiki.

Kiki Voile d'Extrait has a good longevity just as the extrait, over 12h. Nice to wear during autumn, winter and early spring.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, citron, black currant, passionfruit; lavender, geranium, musk, patchouli, opoponax, amber caramel

måndag 24 mars 2014

Vero Profumo - Rubj Voile d'Extrait

Picture: Bayâd singt zur Laute vor der Herrin und ihren Dienerinnen
Bild im "
Die Geschichte von Bayâd und Riyâd" (« Hadîth Bayâd wa Riyâd »),
Maghrebinisches Manuskript, 13 Jh, Wkimedia Commons
Rubj Voile d'Extrait from Vero Profumo is, just as Onda Voile d'Extrait reviewed a few days ago, a lighter and brighter variation of the Extrait version of the fragrances. Rubj Voile d'Extrait is created by Vero Kern.

Rubj Voile d'Extrait starts brighter and fresher than more spicy and darker Rubj Extrait with its dirty notes of cumin. In the Voile d'Extrait, even if not mentioned in the notelist, I almost smell a note of a fresh lavender instead of the cumin. Just as in Rubj Extrait, the orangeblossom note is very beautiful, deep and full and without any syntetic wibes as in many orangeblossom fragrances. Also the jasmine is full bodied in texture, natural and blends perfectly with the orangeblossom. Even if Rubj Voile d'Extrait lays an octave or two higher than the Extrait, it also intermediate the image of resting on a couch, hiding from the heat at noon in the palace gardens of Alhambra during the days of the Moors in Al-Andalus. The Extrait is like resting in the same place in the warm and velvet dark evening, lighted by the stars, the full moon and the torches in the palacegarden, listen to the sparkling of the fountains and the music from the lute and other strings.

Overall, to my nose, Rubj Extrait is a bit more complex with its dirty, retro notes and Rubj Voile d'Extrait is easier to wear and could therefore be appreciated among a wider audience.  Rubj Voile d'Extrait is as indicated above, proper for daytime wear and the mysterious Extrait is better suited for evenings and nights even  if I don't care about such "rules" and wears the Extrait also at daytime. Longevity for both fragrances are about 12h, the Extrait a bit longer and the sillage is good, with a bit better radiance from the Voile d'Extrait.

Rating: 4+ (Extrait still 5)

Notes: Orange blossom, jasmine, musk, cumin

torsdag 20 mars 2014

Vero Profumo - Onda Voile d'Extrait

Picture: Onda Voile d'Extract
Photo: PR Vero Profumo (c) 
Onda Voile d'Extrait is swiss perfumer Vero Kerns of Vero Profumo alternative interpretation of the original Onda Extrait (released 2007). To me, the Voile d'Extrait is more similar to the Extrait then the Edp with its passionfruitnote which is the characteristics for the Edp versions of Onda, Rubj and Kiki.

In both Onda Extrait and Voile d'Extrait the vetivernote is dominating and in both fragrances in a different way than in most vetiverfragrances, especially the extrait is unusual. In both fragrances the vetiver is surrounded by spices, herbs, mossy and woody elements which creates the perfect image of the smell of early spring, when the snow has just melted and the sun is warming up the soil in the forestground. That was the situation when I tested Onda Voile d'Extrait and I took a walk around the small lake in the woodland nearby. Onda Voile d'Extrait matched perfectly as well as the drops of the Extrait that I worn on my left arm as reference. When comparing the two Ondas I think the Extrait is the more difficult of the two. The Extrait starts deeper, darker and almost animalic, dirty whereas the Voile d'Extrait is ligther and more sparkling, it has more of the fizzy gingernotes where Extrait has deeper and warmer spicy notes. The Extrait is more retro in style, with powdery, a bit dirty  notes and the vetiver is seamless blended with the other ingredients. The Voile d'Extrait is clearer, the vetiver is greener and more distinct and the composition is somehow fresher in appearance. I think the Voile d'Extrait will appear to a broder public than the Extrait which is more complicated and to generalize, more of a "perfumista fragrance". I like both versions but prefer the Extrait as it is more challenging during it's developement.

Onda Voile d'Extrait is suitable for casual daytime wear but it's also good for office. It's perfect for late winter and spring, the sillage is medium and longevity for 12h+.

Those who likes vetiver fragrances such as Chanel Sycomore and L'Artisan Parfumeur Coeur de Vetiver Sacré, sharp, dark, smoky greens as Hermès Eau de Gentiane Blanche and Eau d'Italie Sienne l'Hiver will probably also appreciate Onda Voile d'Extrait.

Rating: 4  (Onda Extrait still 5 just as when I tested 2009 and 2011)

Notes: Vetiver, ginger, nutmeg, coriander

måndag 17 mars 2014

Vero Profumo - Mito Voile d'Extrait

Picture: The great swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson (1918-2005),
maybe
the closest to a Diva we have had in this country of Jante. 

MitoVoile d'Extrait would have fit character as Birgit perfectly.
Photo: 
Gunnar Harnesk 1948, Wikimedia commons
The "Les Voile d'Extrait" sub-line from Swiss perfumer Vero Kern is another interpretation of Veros beuatiful perfumes and EDP:s Mito, Rubj, Kiki and Onda.  Just as the differences between the perfume and EDP line justifies owning both versions of the favorite, also the Voile Extrait versions are sufficiently different to justify owning also these. When it coems to Rubj, Kiki and Onda I think the Les Voiles d'Extraits are closer to the perfumes than to the EDP:s, the speical passionflower accord in the latter distinguishes the EDP:s of this three most from the perfume and the Les Voile d'Extrait-line. Mito EDP that is a later creation than the first three of the house is without this passionflowernote. But now to todays subject the stunning beauty Mito Voile d'Extrait.

Picture: The retrostyled bottle of
Mito Voile d'Extrait
Photo: PR Vero Profumo (c)
When Mito Vd'E starts the round, sunny,  fresh citrusy note of Mito is clearly present but not dominating as in Mito EDP. Instead a beautiful tubereusenote is taking the centerstage. The tubereuse is the varm, honeyed, nectarladen tubereusenote of Annick Goutal Tubereuse which smells like as I image the tubereuse flowers on the fiield during the day, exposed in the strong sunlight. Mito Vd'E is very feminine (whereas Mito EDP is more unisex) and voluptuous, a perfume for a Diva, but not the heavy diva as Fracas. Mito Vd'E is more transparent in texture and somehow a retro but  in the same time modern impression is achieved. The flowery notes which are present in the middle notes of Mito EDP for instance the magnolia are amplified in Mito Vd'E and the interaction of tubereuse and magnolia reminds me of another fragrance which combines these notes; Arquiste Flor y Canto even if the magnolia is more distinct in the latter and the combination is soapy, which is not the case with MitoVd'E. Compared to the original Mito EDP, Mito Vd'E is warmer and much more flowery, the original is a juicy citron, with distinct green and also some slight almost herbal notes and a moisty mossy base. The mossy base is also present in MitoVd'E but a bit smoother in character, or maybe just dazzled by the flowers. To compare the both Mitos: Mito EDP could be the daytime version and Mito Vd'E could be the evening/more festive version of the Mito theme.

Rating: 5

Notes: Citrus, galbanum, tubereuse, champaca, hyacinth, magnolia, peach, cypress, labdanum, moss, musk

lördag 15 mars 2014

Fragrance(s) of the week (11) - Mainstream week

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)
Sometimes I'm just fed up wearing and analyzing all these pretentious nichefragrances. This week I felt I had to relax during the weekdays by wearing straightforward mainstream fragrances. And of course, I couldn't stop analyze....:-)

Monday: My new favorite for spring Elie Saab Le Parfum L'Eau Couture reminds me of lily of the valley, some greenery over vanilla. Springlike crispy but in the same time warm.

Tuesday: Miss Dior Edp current version (former Miss Dior Cherie). Don't understand all the compliments about this contemporary chypre, floral, musky and light fruity. I think it's a good representative of the genre and a perfume with it's own characteristics, which are still recognizable after reforumlations, even if the strawberryflowers and the popcornnote seems to be replaced compared to the original 2005 Miss Dior Cherie release. Not many niche fragrances has a personality like this modern classic.

Wednesday: My liking for Boucheron Place Vendôme is growing. An elegant contemporary floral with contrasting notes reminiscent of airy tobaccoleaves in the basenotes. Would be perfect for spring in companion with an ivory colored, elegant, light, wollen suit, worn with a smooth silk top.

Thursday: Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Edp is in the same contemporary chypre floral category (with the typical patchouli in the basenotes) as Miss Dior Edp but darker, more formal and grown up. Just as pleasant as Miss Dior to wear during a working day, but provides a more serious impression.

Friday: Nina Ricci  Nina L'Elixir is a candied version of the original Nina, sweeter with less of the uplifitng citrusy sparkle of its forerunner. Strangly, in the dry down, Nina L'Elixir suddenly starts to smell like a much sweeter, crystallized Frapin Speakeasy. Nothing wrong with this perfume but this was the let down during the week, Nina L'Elixir doesn't play in the same leauge as the other tested, or for that matter, the original Nina in in which I perceive the same comfort level as in the fragrances tested Monday-Thursday.

Now I have to plan my next "theme-week", a week in Guerlain could be something....

torsdag 13 mars 2014

Olivier Durbano - Heliotrophe

Picture: A bottle of Heliotrophe with the bloodstones (heliotrophes)
which are the inspiration for the fragrance
Photo: PR Olivier Durbano (c) 
Heliotrophe or bloodstone is the semiprecious stone that inspiered to this red and warm perfume from Olivier Durbano.

Heliotrophe starts balsamic, with a hint of mandarine and a smell similar to red "autumberry" notes such as cranberries and rowan berries. There is also a tender, juicy, spiciness present combined with an almost powdery slight vanillic note, probably the heliotrophe (flower). After a while a herbal impression also appears. The herbal note creates a slight medical impression. In its earlier stages, Heliotrophe reminds me of Serge Lutens Chypre Rouge. Later Heliotrophe deepens and gets warmer with a light saffronnote which interacts with the resins and woods in different layers of the perfume, just as the incense typical for all the perfumes in the Bijoux Pierre Poemes. Heliotrophe is the smells from the forest with it's morass' a sunny day in the early autumn.

Picture: Another peace of inspiration to Heliotrophe
Photo: PR Olivier Durbano (c)
Heliotrophe is another outdoor fragrance from Olivier Durbano. Not as extreme as the ultimate fragrance for outdoor life, Black Tourmaline (see earlier review) instead a softer, gentler and friendlier one, easier to wear and suitable also for work. The sillage of Heliotrophe is close and longevity for less then a day. On fabric Heliotrophe lasts much longer and its character strangely enough shows off better on fabric then on my skin. Even if a bit tame compared to the other testes Durbanos, it's an original scent well worth testing.

Rating:3+

Notes: Elemi, olibanum, ginger, blood mandarin, angelica, chili pepper; saffron, magnolia, nagarmotha, heliotrope, myrrh, cedar, sandalwood, musk, ambergris, benzoin

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample