Carner Barcelona - Sandor 70's

Picture: Sandor 70's
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

Last year, Carner Barcelona launched a luxury sub-line, named Black Collection. There are three fragrances up to day, very well made and they all smell very pleasant. First out for review is the suede-booze-tabbacco Sandor 70's.

Sandor 70's starts with the soft suede character which is characteristic for the whole dry down of the fragrance. First the suede is paired  with an almost caramelized, round boozy accord with tobacco where also dark, dried fruits like in Serge Lutens Boxeuses are hidden. It's like resting in a comfortable leathery clubchair, reading the newspaper in the lounge of a venerable gentlemans club even if Sandor 70's is inspired of one of the most iconic bars of the 70’s in Barcelona so maybe the chair should be a bit more contemporary in style. There are also an intriguing contrast from emerging from the depts of the fragrance, hints of something animalic, furry reminding me of the horsey aspect of Rania J. Oud Assam but the intepretation is more polished and quiet  in Sandor 70's. In the middlenotes there is also a glimps of the pleasant "dust on a lit bulb" which is more prominent in another leather gem of 2016 Téo Cabanel Kasar as also in the opening of Mona di Orios first fragrance Carnation. The basenotes of Sandor 70's is dominated by an extreamly pleasant accord, smooth, balsamic, fresh leathery/tobacco with a balancing note of patchouli. The vanilla is not present as a single note but I can imagine it softens and fills out the other notes.

Picture: Sandor 70's
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

Taken as a whole Sandor 70's is a multifacetted fragrance, mostly linear in construction but still an intriguing compostion. It's very comforting, almost relaxing and very wearable, with absolutely no harsh edges. It's perfect for the colder seasons, for daytime or evening. Sandor 70's is unisex in style, maybe a tad more masculine, Mr Parfumista likes this much. The sillage is somewhere between close and medium and longevity about 12h+.

Those who likes fragrances in the style of for example Puredistance Black, Parfums MDCI Cuir Garamante, By Kilian Back to Black and Huitème Art Liqueur Charnelle should definitly try Sandor 70's.

Rating: 5

Notes: Suede, bergamot, jasmine, osmanthus, rose, tobacco, clary sage, cedar, peru balsam, vanilla, leather, patchouli, vetiver, incense, oakmoss

Parfums de Nicolaï - Rose Royale

Picture: Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Royale,
resting in the snow,
 reminding of the coming Spring
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Rose Royale is a celebration to spring, launched by Parfums de Nicolaï to Valentines Day 2017. This (pink IMO) rose soliflore is inspired of the rosegardens of Palais Royale in the center of Paris.

Rose Royale starts pink rosy with natural smelling fruity accents. The fruity notes are somehow almost dry in appreance and there is nothing too sweet or artifical about it. I especially recoginze the note of passionfruit but lighter and not as prominent as in for example Vero Profumo Rozy Edp or in the tribute to the passionfruit flower from Maître Parfumeur et Ganiter Fraîche Passiflore. In the topnotes also there is also a contrasting glimpse of the fresh, tangy nuance of blackcurrant as also the bergamot which provides the fragrance with a particular chic style. Coriander also brings a light green, refreshing spicy touch to Rose Royale, which togther with the bergamot, provides a slight retro vibe or perhaps it's more appropritate to call it timless.

Picture: Rose Royale
Photo: Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Rose Royale is all about the rose flower itself, with no interference of stems and greenery. Its about the natural fresh smell of the velvet smooth pink rose petals. It's a bright but not at all shrill rose, it is happy and uplifting when waiting for spring in the last days of the winter. When Rose Royale dries further down, I can also recognize a more severe side of the fragrance, there are snapshots from a darker dept where traces of an accord familiar to the metallic, cold, bloody rose of Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin are hiding. This gives an intresting twist to this over all polite, refreshing, pink, rose. The roses of Rose Royale resting in a elegant, well balanced musky smooth, warm, woody base where also a very light immortelle sparkles..

Beeing an "easy to go" EDT aimed for spring, Rose Royale has a good longevity if liberally applied. I can smell traces on skin after more then 12 hours. It's a very wearble daytime fragrance both for work and casual. The sillage is somewhere between close and medium.

Rose Royale is something to tray for those who like a uncomplicated but still wellconstructed, rose soliflore as for example Annick Goutal Rose Pompon, Maison Francis Kurkdijan À la Rose and Téo Cabanel Early Roses.

Rating: 5

Notes: Blackcurrant buds, passionfruit, bergamot, coriander, rose, ambrette, immortelle, sandalwood, guaiac wood, musk

BeauFort London - 1805 Tonnerre, Coeur de Noir, Vi et Armis & Lignum Vitae

Picture: PR BeauFort (c)

The house of BeauFort London is inspired from the naval past of Great Britans as also the historical merchant shipping. The fragrances are very special and intriguing, they recreates the scents of the past, exactly as one can imagine, for example the smell from the battle of Trafalger. As mentioned in the review of Fathom V the first three fragrances from BeauFort which constitutes the collection "Come Hell or High Water" are true artistic craftwork, a sort of fragrance installations, to inhale the fumes triggers the fantsy and transforms the wearer to the past. The two latest fragrances, Fathom V and Lignum Vitae are not that extreme, perfectly wearable and also transform the wearer back in time in the seafaring milieu. This is fragrances every Parfumista should try, at least just for the experience of perfume as an art.

Picture: 1805 Tonnerre
Photo: PR BeauFort London (c)

1805 Tonnerre - The scents form a wooden sailing warship twohundred years ago. Inspired of the battle of Trafalger. Dark, salty oak, sharp tar, the scent of smoked Baltic herring (the special one from the swedish north east coast).Salted fish in barrels rotting seaweed, smoke, metallic notes of steel and blood,  gunpowder. Very intriguing and vivid perfume.

Coeur de Noir - Starts very powerful with the fumes from black, heated tar. A short glimpse of the smoked herring of 1805 Tonnere above, and smoke, like the smell of smoke in a moist environment, as from fires on the docks . Later Coeur de Noir calms and a sweet almost minty element joins the composition which now is very indoor with a cold inky note appearing together with a cold tobacco and leather accord.

Vi et Armis - Here is also the BeaFort signum, the smell from tar, dry and salt licorice. The opening is very pungent, almost agressive and very masculine in style. Later the scent of burnt rubber appears together with a very light sweetness, as if the licorice no changed to the sweeter variety. Reminds me a bit of Chamens Party by Honoré de Prés and with the burnt rubber texture of Bulgari Black.

Lignum Vitae - The scent of a crispy cracker or cake contrasted by the light scent of a mixed, airy, flower bouquet composed of flowers in cold light pastel pink-apricot shades. All surrounded by an seaish, slight salty and sandy, airy accord with a sort of acid, citric note.

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the samples for test and review

BeuFort London - Fathom V

Picture: Paiting by Albert Bierstadt
(1830-1902)

Fathom V is one of the (to my nose) two "wearable" fragrances from the line of the niche house BeauFort London, the other is Lignum Vitae. The first three releases ( 1805 Tonnerre, Vi et Armis, Coeur de Noir) from the house are very intriguing but to my nose more of fragrance artworks or scent installations than perfumes which could be worn in public. More about the other BeauForts will follow in next week.

 Fathom V starts chilly, crispy, green with a smell similar to narcissus but a bit more flowery, lily is mentioned among the ingredients. There are also green coniferous elements, like fir and juniper. Soon also a cold, earthy smell emerges, like the just thawed earth in late winter/early spring. This accord is contrasted with a glimpse of an animalic note which slight resembles the smell of cat fur. After a while a windy element appears in Fathom V, it smells like someone is airing out an attic closet in an old house by the seaside during a cold, windy day early in the spring. Something in the concept/texture but not in smell reminds me of a outdoor variation of Parfumerie Generale L'Ombre Fauve. Further on in the drydown, the fog is rolling in over the cost from the open sea. Salty elements together with seaweeds and algaes appears in the blend, and later also a hearbal almost minty note, shows up, clearing the fragrance up from the fog. The salt and mint slightly reminds me of another Perfumerie Generale  Harmatan Noir and for the airy salty vibe also Laboratorio Olfattiva Salina but Salina is warm in texture. The icy cold and dry lily is present during the whole dry down of Fanthom V and as it settles, there is also a moisty, mossy element supporting the green herbal accord sweeping over the scent of  fresh soil.

Picture: Fathom V
Photo: PR BeauFort London (c)

Fathom V, like all the BeauForts, is very intriguing and creates vivid fantasies and pictures for the wearer, in this case more pleasant ones compared to the first fragrance trio. It's my favorite from the house and I really appreciate it's shifts in different moods and nuances. The fragrance is an outdoorfragrance in the same spirit, but not the same smell, as the also earthy, early in the spring/late in the winter, fragrance Onda from Vero Profumo. That even if Onda to my nose is describing this season in the inland and the scents of Fathom V is from the seaside.  Fathom V is unisex, maybe a tad more feminine because of the lily and that the herbal element isn't the typical, harsh aromatic type. Instead it's sort of soft and smooth herbal which is unusual and Fathom V therefore is wearable fougere for woman. The fragrance is perfect for daytime wearing in late winter and early spring but could be worn year around. Sillage is medium and longevity very good about 24h.

One of the best fragrances in 2016 IMO, if I had sampled it then, it would be among the top three.

Rating: 5

Notes: Juniper berries, tangerine, black currant, green notes, soil tincture, thyme, lily, jasmine, ylang-ylang, ginger, cumin, black pepper, mimosa, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, salt, incense, atlas cedar, amber

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to review

Anatole Lebreton - Grimoire

Picture: Grimoire
Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

Grimoire is the fifth fragrance in bretonic perfumer Anatole Lebretons robust perfumeline "Parfums de Liberté". For reviews of the earlier releases from the house click here.

Grimoire  starts with distinctive green incense, which is the domiatning note in the whole dry down of the fragrance. The green incense is warm and has a resinous texture. In the backgroumd there is also an accompanying, sharp compact and deep citric note which also is green in appreance, probably the bergamot. In the opening there is also a blast of cummin, which for a while creates an almost sweaty impression but in a nice, horsy way. There are also herbal notes, which are leaning to the dry almost dusty side and conveys the
image of an old half-binding book with its old, dry musty paper and its dry leather.The base also shows some mossy, woody notes.

The overall impression is green, resinious incense, a fragrance with the robust, rual character which is the trademark for the Lebreton style. Grimoire is a fragrance of it's own even if it reminds me to some extent of Parfumerie Générale Bois Blond which lacks the incense but has a similar texture and the rual, natural character. When it comes to the green incense, Grimoire has similarities with Andy Tauers Reverie au Jardin even if the greenery in the Tauer is more sappy and even more outdoor, like resting in the green grass, Grimore is more like reading the old book sitting on the terrace surrounded by the greenery. As a fragrance in the outdoor category,one can perfectly imagine a relaxing stay in the countryside wearing Grimoire. Other fragrances which conveys that relaxed outdoor feeling (even if not smelling alike) are for example Pafumerie Générale Papyrus de Ciane and Parfums de Nicolaï Week End a Deauville.

Grimoire is an intense perfume, it is strong with 24h longevity and should be applied carefully. It's sort of
addictive, the more I try it, the more I like it. Grimoire is a daytime casual, fragrance, unisex, leaning to the
masculine side. It's suitable year around except when warm in summer. For that season there is better to wear the more hayish, flowery, green L'Eau de Merzhin also from Lebreton.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, patchouli, musk, basil, moss, cedar, lavender, elemi, olibanum, cumin

Neela Vermeire Creations - Rahele

Picture: India map
Photo: (c) FOTOLIA, MOONRISE /PR Neela Vermeire Creations

The inspiration to the latest Neela Vermeire Creations fragrance is according to the house as follows:            "Rahele (traveller) is an ode to exotic travel, an olfactory journey in the company of 17th Century French visitors to the East. Tavernier...Bernier...Thévenot...the names still resonate in the imagination of armchair travellers today, as each man left a detailed record of his adventures, showing us Mughal-ruled India through a European lens." Rahele is created by Bertrand Duchaufour as rest of the fragrances from Neela Vermeire.

The first accord reminds me of an up scale version of Lalique Flora Bella which is also creation of Bertrand Duchaufour .Then when notes of cedar and cardamom appears, I come to think of a less sweet and much more floral variation of Lubin Inedite. As Rahele dries further down it becomes more bright, floral, rose-violet is prominent at first than round, fruity flowery notes of osmanthus appears. The osmanthus note is luminous even if thick and velvet smooth in texture. Here the impression of Inedite diverges where Inedite takes a woody-spicy-gourmand and darker path. Rahele takes a different direction, it's sunny and warm, lush and juicy and in the same time calming and refreshing, in its floral-fruity glory. Raheles floral-fruity accord smells natural, there are no cloying, syntetic candysmelling sweet fruity notes. Probably most of the frutiy sweetness comes from the osmanthus which in this creation is not dilluted as in most other fragrances featuring osmanthus. As Rahele dries down, the similarities to Inedite reappears in the basenotes when the elements of cedar and cardamom steps forward again. There is also a fresh mossy element which anchors the fragrance.  

Picture: Osmanthusflower
Photo: (c) FOTOLIA, CHUNGKING/PR Neela Vermeire Creations

Rahele is not oriental as the previous Neela Vermeire fragrances, it's a beautful floral fragance with some elements of a contemporary interpretation of chypre. Rahele is a terrific fragrance for the coming late winter and early spring when looking forward for the coming brighter days. It's a joyful cretation equally perfect for a day at work or for the weekend. To me it's more but also brave men can wear this. The longevity is good, more then 12h, silage is medium. 

Picture: Rahele
Photo: (c) M. TASSY/PR Neela Vermeire Creations

Rahele is a great choice for those who like joyful, lush, luminous boquets in the style (not the same smell) of Téo Cabanel Lace Garden, Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia and Le Galion Iris and La Rose.

Rating: 5

Notes: Mandarine, cardamom, cinnamon, violet leaf, oamanthus, rose, magnolia, jasmine, iris, violet, cedarwood, sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli

Jehanne Rigaud - Vanille Blonde

Picture: Milou, here in Tintin au Congo,
a main character in Hergé:s (George Remi)
"Les aventures de Tintin"
Borrowed from Tintinmilou 

Vanille Blonde is the fourth fragrance I've tested from french perfumehouse Jehanne Rigaud. The fragrances from the house are priceworthy, there are other nichehouses with similar quality of their output which charge significantly more.

Vanille Blonde starts gourmand vanillic as a fresh, warm, just from the owen, soft vanilla cake. It's not the boozy type nor the woody type of vanilla, it's just perfectly gourmand and reminds me in its first accords of Annick Goutal Les Absolus Vanillle Charnelle but soon becomes denser and sweeter than the former which is light, fluffy and airy. Vanille Blonde is quite linear but deepens and becomes a bit darker in the basenotes. The musky note in the base is the same as in the other Jehanne Rigauds. It higlights the other notes in the same time as it adds a vintagestyled, on the verge to dirty, musky character to the fragrance. The vanilla in the later stages are like caramel and has left the cake impression from the topnotes. In the middle- and basenotes Vanille Blonde reminds me of Molinard Vanille (old version in the blue bottle).

Picture: Vanille Blonde
Photo: PR Jehanne Rigaud (c)

Vanille Blonde is a good, a bit rough, basic vanilla which I can imagine it's good to layer dry and heavy woody scents with. Not a complex or particularly intriguing fragrance but cosy and easy to wear especially during cold winter days and evenings. Unisex with a close sillage and a longevity for more than a day.

When it comes to the Tintin characters which I have combined to the Jehanne Rigaud fragrances, Vanille Blonde of course is the constant companion to Tintin; the quick, clever and brave foxterrier Milou, though but sweet.

Rating: 3

Notes: Vanilla, sugar, star anise, benzoin, musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test