Oriza L.Legrand - Héliotrope Blanc

Picture: Héliotrope Blanc
Photo: PR Oriza L.Legrand

Héliotrope Blanc is a recreation of a 1886 Oriza L.Legrand release on the sweet. powdery heliotrope-theme. Responsible for the recreation is as always, Oriza co-owner Hugo Lambert.

Héliotrope Blanc starts powdery mixed with the orangeblossom/violet. The powder is of the dry gunpowder type which is clearly present in fragrances such as Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige and Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Ambre, especially in the topnotes. After a while a bit strange, not at all unpleseant, vegetal note appears as some mouldering leaves where thrown into the brew. The vegetal note soon steps in the background and the powdery flowers continues featuring the sweet, but not sugary sweet, warm heliotrope. Tonkabean is also prominent in some stages. From the middlenotes to the late drydown in the basenotes where Héliotrope Blanc is secured with the typical Oriza ricepowdernote. Héliotrope Blanc makes an overall linear impression, no particular twists and changes, but cosy and nice to wear. When it comes to other Orizas, Héliotrope Blanc in style most reminds me of the more intricate Jardins D'Armide. Another fragrance with similarites to Héliotrope Blanc is Parfums de Nicolaï Kiss me tender, which is sweeter, cookielike and smells as it is edible.

Héliotrope Blanc has close sillage and god overday longevity. Suitable for most seasons and occasions but would not be recommended for the warmest months. A good, easy to wear, Oriza styled fragrance but not as intricate as especially the earliest  re-releases from the house.

Rating: 4 (2015)  /5 (2016)

Reassessment February 2016: Wearing Heliotrope Blanc is like relaxing in a cloud of fluffyness, HB is incredibly cozy and smells just fab. An uncomplicated fragrance which creates a cherful mood. Perfect for grey days and Mondays.

Notes: Orangeblossom, violetleaf, almond, heliotrope, iris, mimosa, musk, risepowder, benzoin, tonkabeans

Le Galion - Iris

Picture: HRH Katherine Duchess of Cambridge,
in June 2012 - the perfect Iris wearer
Photo: Carfax2, cropped by Surtsicna (cc)
Wikipedia commons, some rights reserved 

Iris is another of the Le Galion soliflores, Tuberéuse is reviewed in the latest post. The original Iris was created by Paul Vacher 1937 and the reorchestration is made by Thomas Fontaine.

Iris starts with a soft carrot note which is not sharp or too earthy. After a while it steps backwards and Iris becomes more flowery when a sweet flowery note similar to violet appears. Until now Iris is quite similar to most comfortable and easy to wear irisfragrances. Then something peculiar happens, a tart green note, similar to celery apperars, offsetting the flowery  sweetness. The celerypart lasts for quite a while, the special green note doesn't disappear completely but it is very discrete in the rest of the flowery, musky drydown of Iris.In this part lily is the dominating flower and to be honeset, not much of the iris is present in the lovely boquet. The base is musky, slight woody in the same style as Tubéreuse but without the light animalic touch of the latter.

Iris, just as Tubéreuse, is an elegant, well made of good ingredients, classic flowery composition, refershing, very easy and comfortable to wear. Longevity is for a day and silage medium. Iris is suitable for daytimewear, perfect as a classy officescent as there is nothing chemical or sharp about it. Iris is a typical "don't know what to wear fragrance" something to put on when one doesn't for something challenging and demanding. Somehow I can imagine Iris is something that HRH Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge would wear.

Those who're searching for a feminine and flowery iris, or more precisely a good floral bouquet which features iris and lily notes, have to try this wonderful fragrance. Iris are in the same octaves on the note scale as Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile. Those who like irisfragrances such as Laboratorio Olfattivo Nirmal (sweeter), Prada Infusion d'Iris Edp (woodier), XeJroff Irisss (irisi-er) and Ramón Monegal Impossible Iris (frutier) would probably also like Le Galion Iris even if the irisnote is more prounanced in most of them compared to LG Iris.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, citron, mimosa, hibiscus, iris, lily, rose, galbanum, cedar, amber, musk

Le Galion - Tubéreuse

Picture: Le Galion Tubéreuse
Photo: PR Le Galion (c)

Tubéreuse is one of the re-issued and re-constructued fragances of the french house Le Galion (more about that in the previous post). The original Tubéreuse was created 1937 by Paul Vacher and the current interpretation is performed by Thomas Fontaine.

Tubéreuse starts with a blast of fresh cut, white flowers with some of the crispy, green leaves also clearly present. The tuberose is dominating in the first stage but as Tubéreuse dries down, the fragrance developes, on the verge to, a  voluminous white floral bouquet with some sweet, almost fruity elements. Tubéreuse is fresh and innocent in style, there is neither an indolic interpretation of the flower, like Robert Piguet Fracas, nor a cold, earthy  and green interpretation of the contemporary style like L'Artisan Parfumeur Nuit de Tubéreuse. The flowers are clean and clear, a (white) rose is another flower which steps forward in some passages, and a light spicy accords reinforces as Tubéreuse dries down. There is no powder or soap in the mix, and what it smells like is an uncomplicated, well balanced and very comfortable white bouquet composed with good ingredients. The delicious flowers rests on a musky, slight woody, ambery base balanced with an almost animalic note. The musky-animalic bases gives the fragrance a good longevity and medium silage.

Tubéreuse is very wearable white flower, suitable year around for daytime wearing. It's a bright and happy fragrance and it's reminds me in style of other white bouqet tuberoses such as Gianfranco Ferre signature fragrance with the same name, Oscar de la Renta Mi Corazon (both quite timeless in style), Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle (older and denser in style) and Ramón Monegal Kiss My Name (more contemporary in style).

Rating: 4

Notes: Mandarin, galbanum, pink pepper, pear; tuberose, rose, orange blossom, raspberry, cedar, amber, musk

Thanks to Fragance & Art for the sample to test

Made in Italy (2) - Lorenzo Villoresi - quick impressions

Picture: Landschaft mit Sonnenuntergang ca 1505
Painting by Giorgione (1477-1510)

About one and a half year ago I had a post regarding some interesting Italian perfumes from different perfumehouses. I really like the often dramatic, sometimes almost unpolished style of the italian perfumery. Below short impressions of some fragrances from Lorenzo Villoresi, a well-established, contemporary-classic house with quality fragrances to reasonable prices. Even if the fragrances differs in style, the LV house IMO is sort of the italian equivalent to the french Annick Goutal or Parfums de Nicolaï: Reaible fragranceinstutions of their respective country.

Donna: This is a true bombshell, intense floral fragrance in the great 1980s style. A fragrance for the brave, the diva who doesn't mind taking the center stage. Starts with a bold, sour, old fashioned, dark rose, that transforms to a beautiful slight creamy leathery-smoky-dark rose stage, almost the sort of creamy effect of the rose-oud-saffron combo that appears in some modern ouds like Montales Aoud Safran (swe), but in Donna without the oud. There is also just the right spicy carnation note supporting the rose and probably it's this combination that gives the creamy-leathery-smoky effekt. Later on, soft sandalwood and musky  notes smoothens and calms the fragrance a bit but the dark, smoky rose are still there, lurking in the blend. When I smell Donna, I'm glad that someone still has the courage to produce such an "unfashionable" and not at all easy to wear fragrance.

Alamut: This is much smoother and more pleasant than I've imaged from reading reviews of it. A bit powdery rosewood, the beautiful gunpowder note that is used but on a much higher volume in my favorite LV Teint de Neige. There is also polished orangeblossom notes, soft wood and spices which smells like an old wooden chest used to store spices for deacades. Alamut is the true image of a  member of the soft oriental fragrance family. Comforting, unobtrusive but still ever present during its dry down, a  cherishing fragrance for autumn and winter.

Sandalo: A velvet smooth, straight-forward, nutty sandalwood, not the sharp type of sandalwood (I think it's the australian grown type of sandalwood that contains the sharp notes). Reminds me of Etro Sandalo (swe) but less peppery in style. The Etro I refer to is an older formula than the one sold now which I havn't sniffed. LV Sandalo is a very good canditate for those who seeks for a singlenote sandalwood for the fragrance wardrobe.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Masculin Pluriel

Picture: "The Dandy king",
Joachim Murat (1767-1815),  King of Naples etc
Portrait by Francois Gérard (1770-1837)

Masculin Pluriel created by one of my favorite perfumers Francis Kurkdjian for his own house, is the masculine counterpart to one of the very best feminine perfumes of 2014 Féminin Pluriel. Just as the latter, Kurkdjian in Masculin Pluriel interprets a classical theme in a contemporary setting but still retains the timeless expression of the fragrance.

Masculin Pluriel starts with a beautiful note of lavender on a light, woody background. The lavendernote is the featured note during the rest of the dry down and it shows off a bit different at different stages, influenced by the surrounding and supporting notes. Masculin Pluriel is truly aromatic, lighter in the begining and darker in the later stages. The woody notes never get sharp or chemical and interacting with the herbal notes, the fragrance explore both dark and light accords, bitter and even if an overall non-sweet fragrance, there are some sweet elements, I can smell some woody vanilla, the vanillic note coming from wood, in the middle of the fragrance. There is also a very light, smoky element present in the fragrance but it's almost not detectable as smoke, there is absolutely nothing sharp or offending about it. The patchouli in the base are dark and desert-dry, like dried patchoulileaves, no moisty texture but anyway it lends a slight earthy impression to the mix. The patchouli blends perfectly and highlighting the deep and dark facets of the lavender, here the lavender reminds me partly of the lavendernote of Vero Profumo Kiki Extrait. There is something, the bitter, slight smoky impression, in Masculin Pluriel that reminds me of  the new By Kilian "extreme" Smoke for the Soul where Masculin Pluriel is the polished, elegant and wearable one. I read on Fragrantica that the fragrance trend for the coming years are woodsy and piny notes, as for example birch and likely  there is room for woody-aromatic fragrances in this trend which Masculi Pluriel and Smoke for the Soul could be some of the forerunners to. Another fragrance that comes to my mind testing Masculin Pluriel is the classic Aramis Tuscany (vintage) even if that one is bold and big compared to the former.

Picture: Masculin Pluriel
Photo: PR Maison Francis Kurkdjian (c)

Masculin Pluriel is an elegant, understated, very wearable choice for daytime officewear. There is something dandy-ish over the whole composition. The longevity is very good, for over a day and the fragrance is suitable for every season except the warmest summermonths. As Masculin Pluriel is a very well constructed and easy to wear fragrance, it should have been included in my best of 2014 list if I had tested it properly on myself and on Mr Parfumista before year end.

Rating: 5

Notes: Lavender, cedar, patchouli, vetiver, leather, woody notes

Best of 2014

Picture: Grape hyacinths in spring 2014
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Best of 2014 is not an easy post to write (and should not be as long as the perfume industry has not collapsed compleatly :-) as I have tried a bunch of good fragrances released in the market this year. And as usual, I've just tested a fraction of the thousend+ releases on the international market.

Best Feminine:
Vero Profumo Rozy Voile d'Extrait, an retro styled but still contemporary deep, balsamic, oriental rose.
Close contenders: My Burberry and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Féminin Pluriel both contemporary, beutiful floral interpretations by Francis Kurkdjian, the former a  though, urban flower, the latter a contemporary but in the same time timeless flower creation. Le Galion Iris a magnificent, iris-lily dominated floral bouquet, review will follow in January 2015.

Best Masculine:
Le Galion Special for Gentleman, an elegant, retrostyled, very masculine aromatic/chypre.
Close contenders: Oriza L.Legrand Vétiver Royal Bourbon  unisex but leaning IMO to the masculine side. Chalky, brisk, light green vetiver, nautral smelling with some traces of Terre d'Hermes, the chalky tone. By Kilian Smoke for the soul doesn't suit me personally but the fragrance is very original and innovative to be a member of the Kilian line. Therefore it's the stand out in the "The addicted state of mind" trio.

For both:
Serge Lutens L'Orpheline is totally unisex to me, fits equally fits equally well for me as for Mr Parfumista. It's a fragrance that is a growing liking for me. I like it much better worn in colder tempratures than when tested it last summer for the review. A new and appealing interpretation of incense. Frapin Nevermore, this decades interpretation of the iconic dark rose of the 1990s; L'Artisan Voleur de Roses. Nevermore is leaning to the masculine side but I admit I notice a growing appreciation to wear it myself.

Disappointments of the year:
Both are very good fragrances but apparently in practice the don't fit me even if they should, in theory.
Editions Parfums Frederic Malle Eau de Magnolia: Even if a well constructed fragance and probably a hit commercial, it's just too shrill to me, and honestly, to me this fine fragrance is boring in the long run.
Cartier La Panthere: Probably I havn't tested it enough, but even if well constructed etc it doesn't leave a lasting impression, I can't remember at all how it smells.

Wishing you a great New Years Eve and a Happy New 2015!

Maison Nicolas de Barry - L'Eau de Shah Jahan

Picture: Shah Jahan (1592-1666)
Wikimedia commons

Even if it's a true unisex fragrance, it's obvious to me that L'eau de Shah Jahan is cretaed to be the masculine counterpart to the beautiful and bombastic L'eau de Mumtaz i-Mahal which was reviewd earlier in December. Shah Jahan is just as the Mumtaz created by Nicolas de Barry and Eddy Blanchet.

L'eau de Shah Jahan also starts with the rubbery rose oil accord as Mumtaz i-Mahal but less dominating and distinct. Soon fruits pickled in a liqueur-brandy like accord appears, the rose steps backwards but is discretly present in the rest of the dry down. The boozy fruits is the distinguishing theme when Shah Jahan is compared with Mumtaz i-Mahal, both has the same characteristic sandalwood, oud and what I think is the note of nagarmotha as basenotes and "frame". And of course the fragrances should complement each other very close, just as Shah and his favorite wife Mumtaz once did. To me L'eau de Shah Jahan is a true oriental version, at least as I, from my limited experience with the Arabian Oud perfumed oils, imagine true orientals, of the western woody oriental Serge Lutens Boxeuses, which compared with Shah Jahan of course seems almost anorectic, but the pickled fruits and the boozy notes is a common theme. Another western styled woody oriental that comes to my mind when testing Shah Jahan is Parfums Delrae Bois de Paradis.

Picture: The sofisticated bottle of L'Eau de  Shah Jahan
Photo: PR Maison Nicolas de Barry (c)

Shah Jahan has a distinct silage even if not as grand as the rosy Mumtaz i-Mahal. Longevity is just as the latter about 24h and Shah Jahan is also best for festive occasions or in very small doses, also for cold and grey winter days. This is not the fragrance for the workplace with the least tendency to scentophobia.

Rating: 4
This as I prefer the roses of the Mumtaz this one i 5 rated and Shah Jahan 4, but if I had preferred fruits better the rating would be reversed as the fragrances are so similar

Notes: Rose, sandalwood, oud

 As mentioned above I also recognize booze, fruits and nagarmotha


Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try

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