lördag 23 november 2019

Puredistance - Gold

Picture: Gold as visual art, concept by
Jan Ewoud Vos 2019
Photo: Puredistance (c)
WOW! The latest installation in the Puredistance opus Gold is a "constantly sniffing my wrists fragrance". This is of course not unexpected as "True exclusivity", the Puredistance slogan, exactly nails the sprit of this genuine house. When wearing Puredistance perfumes, I'm often get the feeling that I have to throw out a a significant part of  the rest of my fragrance wardrobe.  The Puredistance perfumes all through are blended with high quality ingredients and that creates a higher and more complex dimension of perfumery. There are for example no shortcuts where cheaper substitutes for ingredients are hidden in the Puredistance-creations. Puredistance is probably the most genuine perfumehouse  on the market when it comes to quality and a classy, conceived fragrance concept . As all Puredistances, Gold is in Extrait, for Gold in 36´% perfumeoil concentration. 

Gold is a part of the "sub" colour-line within the Puredistance Collection, all created by masterperfumer Antoine Lie. The colour-line started with Puredistance Black, followed with its contrast Puredistance White, is now completed with the intertwining Gold. Both Black and especially White have strokes of glowing and glimmering gold, and Gold itself is - as the name imply - the matte texture and aura of the material in different alloys interpreted to a scent.  The position of Gold on the fragrance notescale, is between the dark, mysterious Black and the bright, happy, shining White. The tonality of the fragrance is also very well matched by the beautiful golden flacon in the white de luxe box.

Gold starts with a light herbal- cold - spicy touch, a fresh hint of something close to a soft scent of Juniper. After a while a candied mandarine appears,  reminding me of the candied orange peel in Serge Lutens Bapteme du Feujuicier in Gold, just as the mandarine pulp itself is candied. Some bright balsamic facets are also shining through early on, probably the myrrh as the impression is clean and a bit chilly. A slight dirty-clean accord is also present for a while, it's like washing a horse after a ride with a luxury schampoo. There is also a green almost rosy element involved, probably the geranium. In the next stage the balsamic notes steps forward, dominated by the velvety coldness of sappy myrrh. The balsamic notes are thick but not heavy at all, the mix is smooth and very well balanced. Later one there is an unexpected and alluring phase in the development: Just like as the balsamic accord suddenly becomes misty, like transforming to a swirling haze, maybe this expression is coming from the smoothness of tonka beans. In that haze, I can also smell strikes of a contrasting, illuminating freshness of vetiver. In the late stage in the dry down of Gold, a soft slight soapy, clean resinous texture appears.
In the overall impression of Gold there is (to my nose) some resemblance to classic Jean Patou Sublime, even if that one is oriental flowery and Gold is a balsamic oriental  and also a smoother, richer, more accomplished creation.

Picture:  Gold is a perfect glow in the dark
and gloomy November, for me the optimal
season for the Puredistance rich fragrances
Photo: Puredistance (c)
Gold is very well blended and one can smell the high quality of the ingredients, the mix has a sort of a velvety density, without being heavy. The fragrance is very rich and harmonious, it's a relaxing, calming fragrance, when worn in the office, it has an anti-stress impact. I really like the resinous myrrhe-theme, and to me Gold is the other side of the coin of Puredistance Sheiduna - Gold is the cold, balsamic oriental, perfect illustrated by the sapphire in the gold plates in the picture above. Sheiduna is the warm balsamic oriental, it could be illustrated by a ruby, the sibling to the sapphire, in the same golden setting. Gold and Sheiduna are related, even if not too close. Actually they are both needed in the fragrance wardrobe to accompanying different moods/weather/occasions in the autumn/winter. Both are also very appropriate for the coming holidays Christmas and New Year. Just as Sheiduna, Gold has an outstanding longevity (24h +). Silage is close-medium and Gold has a subtle appearance, it has presence but doesn't interfere the personal spaces of others. Gold is unisex leaning to the feminine side.

To sum it all up: Gold really smells amazing and I'm enjoying it very much. It's up in my personal top three of the Puredistances, sitting there together with Sheiduna and Warszawa. Gold is the best launch of 2019 from what I have smelled so far from new releases.

Notes: Mandarine, bergamot, pink pepper, clove, rosemary, jasmine, labdanum, geranium, cinnamon, styrax, benzoin, myrrh, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, castoreum, vetiver
 
If I still rated reviewed fragrances, Gold absolutely should be a 5 rated perfume

Thaks to Puredistance Jan Ewoud Vos for the opportunity to try this beauty
 

måndag 24 juni 2019

Peonies

Picture: A summerview from Stockholm Old City
Photo: Parfumista (c) photo from exactly
 a year ago, 24 June 2018
 
Even if I have no beautiful peonies in the garden I'm now (after the midsummerevening choice of Penhaligon's Peveone) into testing peonyperfumes. There are only two of them in my collection, the other one is Histoires de Parfums Vert Pivoine (VP). I was wearing VP yesterday and just as Peveone VP, at least from the later part of the heartnotes and in the basenotes, is mostly a pink rose perfume. The rose in VP is light, pastel tuned pink, whereas Peveone is dark pink. VP is dry compared to Peveone which is lush, juciy and showing up its beauty in a composition that creates the image of a warm, humid summerevening. VP is dry and chilly, understated, the peonies and roses ar accompanied with a wellbalanced dose of pinkpepper and cedarwood. There is a light touch of fruit which doesn't become sweet. VP is the image of peonies a grey, chilly and windy summerday. There is something, probably the rosewater and the chilly feeling, with VP that reminds me of an easy to wear rosefavorite of mine: Coquillete Tudor.
 
The notes of Vert Pivoine are (according to Fragrantica): Peony, ivy leaves, rose water, rose, gardenia, mimosa, red fruit, sandalwood, cedar, musk, vanilla.
 
The notes of Peveone are (according to Fragrantica): Violet leaf,, jasmine, rose, peony, vetiver, musk, chasmeran

lördag 22 juni 2019

Peoneve

Picture: The pink rosebud of yesterday
has unfolded during the midsummernight
Photo: Parfumista (c)

For the evening yesterday I switched fragrance to Penhaligon's Peoneve and it tangy, bitter peony (i a good way)combined with the pink rosy smell was great for Midsummer. This time the scent of peony dominated over the rose, usually it is the opposite.

fredag 21 juni 2019

Midsummer 2019




Picture: Midsummerroses with some sage
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Midsummer 2019 is warmer then last year, about 20 C + and cooling windy after the heat followed by tunder and (sadly just) a little rain, of yesterday. Have not still decided what to wear, last year midsummer I was wearing the quite heavy Halfeti   from Penhaligon's, this year I hesitate between wearing something light, slight woody and fresh or something matching a garden in full bloom.


When it comes to the former theme I think about  Yuzu Ab Irato from Parfumerie Generale, I'm having a PG crush for the latest weeks. Yuzu Ab Irato is refreshing with a damp, wet, slight woody, herbal accord suported by citric and restrained cold flowers. The dampness reminds me of something that could be an easy to wear, casual, bright and summery sibling to the dramatic wintery/early spring BeauFort Fathom V. 


The fragrance for the latter theme, the blooming garden, is depitched by Penhaligon's lush (mostly) dark pink rosy, peonyfragrance Peoneve, which of course, in a traditional view, is more appropriate for THE summerday of summerdays.


During the writing of this entry I started to really crave for Yuzu Ab Irato and had to apply some.
The choice is now obvious. Sometimes some structuring of thoughts has to be done to reveal the real craving of the day.


Happy Midsommer!




Picture: A pink Queen Elizabeth
Photo: Parfumista (c)


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måndag 22 april 2019

Easter in Guerlain

Picture: Easter Egg, with no resemblance
to the fragrances worn….
Photo: Parfumista (c)
And here are my Guerlain choices for the second part of Easter 2019....
 
Easter Eve: Encens Mythique D'Orient - I know that EMD'O is a high quality and well blended perfume but it doesn't team up well with my skinchemistry, at least not when heavily overapplied, applied five tiny spritzes and even if I tried to wash it off, it lingered like a second skin. I'll try only one spritz to do it justice another day. Starts with an interesting accord of cedar, spices that creates that almost eletrical note or dust on warm a light bulb note that is present in Mona di Orios Carnation and Téo Cabanel Kasar. After that I lost contact with EMD'O, it becomes an unstructured muddle of spice, rose and woody notes. But I don't give up that easy, the notes are just my cup of tea and I'll conquer EMD'O sooner or later.
 
Easter Sunday: Apres l'Ondee Edt - A comforting and calming perfume experience compared with the suffocating experience on Easter Eve. Starts with a beautiful, clean, earthy, slight carrot-y irisaccord, after a while violet, anis and heliotrope joins and Apres l'Ondee smells just like the outdoor precursor to L'HB as it also is. Not as powdery and indoor as L'HB, elegant casual and almost fresh. A happy fragrance unlike L'HB.
 
Easter Monday: L'Heure Bleue Edt - As mentioned above, the more powdery, lipstick, deeper and darker variation along the iris-violet-anis-heliotrope theme which isalso  the core of Apres l'Ondee. In L'HB there is also neroli that combined with carnation and balsamic notes creates a more dramatic and sophisticated style than the cheerful Apres l'Ondee. L'HB is melancholy, beautiful and intriguing, one has to take time with this, it's not an easy fragrance. I tested the Edt version today to compare with Apres l'Ondee which also is in Edt. The Edt (vintage from 1989) has a great radiance and longevity, when it comes to Guerlain the Edt and Edp formulas are different variations of the fragence with some differences in notes/accords. It's not som much about strenght and longevity.
 
Wearing Guerlain for six days is not at all boaring, on the contrary, I'll explore the fragrances further.


lördag 20 april 2019

Easter in....

Picture: Spring, Easter and Scilla´s in the garden
Photo: Parfumista (c)

 
This year I was pondering of what the theme for my Easterposting should be. Earlier years the theme almost always has been appropriate fragrances for Easter in the (to my nose) for the occasion appropriate fragrancesgroups gourmand, incense and green. As late as this Wednesday I had no clue what theme to choose when suddenly it stood all clear derived from my SOTD that day Mitsouko Edt: Fragrances from the honorable house of Guerlain should be the Eastertheme.

Wednesday (almost Easter): Mitsouko Edt (semivintage from 2001): This is a light sort of carefree Mitosuko, almost easy to wear. The typical peachy, spicy accord is cleaner, brighter, higher on the fragrance notescale and not as multifaceted  as the Edp. The latter could  sometimes, especially with a spritz to much applied, be perceived as almost muddled. The basenotes of the Edt, at least in this version, is dominated from an uplifting and pleasant note of vetiver. I think this verion of Mitisi is truly unisex.

Maundy Thursday: Rose Nacree du Desert - Starts like a green, elegant rose with also  the greenery botteled. Than it evolves to a radiating still very elegant creamy, clean rosy chypre with vintage vibes, if it had a color it would be powdery light salomonpink. When wearing RNdD I come to think of another elegant contemporary chypre Sisley Soir de Lune even if that one is deeper, heavier and more of a evening fragrance, whereas RNdD is a daytime fragrance.

Good Friday: La Petite Robe Noir Couture - Yesterday was very pleasant like I was wrapped in a delicious dessert during the whole day. Not too sweet if moderatly applied, with  just a few spritzes the earthy base with patchouli and vetiver are more present. Excellent longevity, even now  I can smell the pleasant notes of  cherry liqueur and patchouli on my wrists. To me it really smells cherry even if the berry in the notelist is raspberry.
 
 I will continue with a post about the fragrances for the last three days of this Easter on Monday.

Happy Easter!
 

 

tisdag 16 april 2019

In memory of Notre-Dame....

Picture: Notre-Dame Paris
Photo: Tristan Nitot (cc) some rights reserved
Wikimedia commons
….as we know her.

This morning I wanted to honour the Grand Dame of Paris and therefore choose an appropriate fragrance to remember this fascinating spiritual and cultural heritage. The SOTD was obvious:
Opus 1144 from UNUM/Filippo Sorcinelli, a fragrance inspired from the gotic era which was started approximately 1144. The fragrance is inspired from the stone in the cathedrals and the grey skies of Normandy, a birthplace for the Gotic style and Culture.

Opus 1144 is a lovely oriental styled perfume, comforting and cherishing, a Shalimar wrapped in a fluffy, creamy lemony note. What I don't understand is; where is the connection to the gothic era and the chatedrals? When I'm wearing Opus 1144 I come to think of the art deco style of the 1920s. Instead I'm associate Rosa Nigra from the same brand to medieval style and  atmosphere. This is some of the allure with perfume, different people have different associations. Positive news in this disaster are that two of the dominating luxury conglomerates will donate huge amounts to rebuild Notre-Dame and as a consequence, indirectly, we as parfumistas are also contributing.