Oscar de la Renta - Mi Corazon

Picture: Polianthes tuberosa (flowers), Plants of Hawaii
Photo: Attribution to Forest & Kim Starr (cc) Wikimedia Commons

Mi Corazon ia another nice flowery fragrance in the Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries-line. Mi Corazon is created to Oscar de la Rentas daugther Eliza, his heart, and will symbolize their shared interest for gardening and their mutual liking to the ylang-ylang flower.

To me Mi Corazon is a tubereuse dominated fragrance to that extent that I will classify it as a tubereusefragrance. Of course the other flowers are there, but more as supporters that lifts the star of the show, the tubey. Despite my writing about the tubereuse as the star of the show, the tubey of Mi Corazon is no indolic, Grand Diva a la Fracas. Instead the tubereuse is of the contemorary, sparkling, uplifting and clean version. Mi Corazon starts bright, sparkling and with the crispy light greenery that accompanies bulbflowers. In this stage Mi Corazon reminds me of the 80s bright, green and warm Gianfranco Ferré  (signature). The tubereuse is there from the start and it is present during the whole dry down. In its heart and base notes, Mi Corazon, get sweeter and deepens a bit with the caranation and ylang-ylang which adds an slight honeyed texture to the tubereuse. In the basenotes there is a passage that reminds me of a gentler interpretation the dark tubereusecentered blend of Ysatis by Givenchy. The overall impression of Mi Corazon is that it is a good example of a classical, clean floral that smells somehow natural, probably a sign of high quality ingredients and skillful composition.

Mi Corazon is a very wearable fragrance, perfect for work as there is absolutly nothing disturbing in it. Suitable year around. Even if spring and summer seems as the natural choice for a fragance like this, it's very comforting to wear in the winter as Mi Corazon is a warm fragrance even if containing these green, crispy, elements described above. To me Mi Corazon is a perfect, classy fragrance for a young girl, instead of the syntethic, musky, floral, fruitiness intended for this group from the marketing.

Those who like bright tubereuses like Kiss My Name from Ramon Monegal, La Divina Tubereuse from Antonio Visconti and  Un Air de Damas Tubereuse from Parfums Dorin will probably like Mi Corazon.

Rating: 4

Notes: Peach, narcissus absolute, carnation, tubereuse, ylang-ylang, cederwood

Oscar de la Renta - Granada

Picture: Patio de los Arrayanes, Alhambra, Granada.

Photo by Jan Zeschky, (cc) Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved.

Granada is a beautiful orange/orangeblossom fragrance which is a part of the 2012 introduced exclusive line of Oscar de la Renta - Essential Luxuries. In Sweden the Essential Luxuries will be introduced in February 2013.

Granada starts with a juicy orangenote, very true to how a fresh cutted orange smells. Inch by inch, Granada settles into a flowery blend where the orangeblossom interacts with jasmine and rose. The flowery blend is creamy in texture and there is a  sort of balsamic note present. Now and then the juicy orange shows up in short glimps, even in the base this tempting note is present. Granada is sort of circular in it's dry down, the some notes appears, disappears and re-appears. Except from the juicy start, Granada is very close to Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM pour Femme, in some stages they are almost equal. To my nose APOM poue Femme is a bit greener, woodier, sharper and with a light detergent note that is not present in Granada. Granada is the nice little sister to the tougher big sister APOM pour Femme. Granada could evoke images of the inner courtyards of the palace of Alhambra during the time of the Moors, the rippling water of the fountains and ponds, the voices and laughter of the girls of the harem.

Even if  not a complicated fragrance (or despite of that), Granada is very plesant to wear and it lightens up a grey and cold winterday with its warm and happy appearance. Perfect for work or pleasure year around, a fragrance to choose when it's hard to decide what to wear. Longevity is very good, about 24h and the sillage is medium.

Granada is highly recommended to those who like L'Artisan Seville à l'Aube, Elie Saab Le Parfum and both MFK APOM pour Femme and APOM pour Homme.

Rating: 4

(As a follower to APOM pour Femme, Granada falls sligthly in points. If Granada has been the first of the two fragrances, the same had happened to APOM pour Femme)

Notes: Jasmine, rose, orange blossom

Fragrance of the week (4) 2013

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Is Musc Tonkin from Parfume d'Empire. Earlier this week there was something as unusual as a Perfumenerd AW here in Stockholm. Many beautiful fragrances where displayed (and sprayed) such as some from Roja Dove, Mona di Orio, Amouage, Parfum d'Empire, exclusive Guerlains and Chanels, but also most interesting of all, extraordinary beauties from a vintage collection. The vintage collector, who so generously exposed those treasures to our noses, also owned the brand new Musc Tonkin, animalic,dirty and vintage in style. Among all the wonderful fragrances, Musc Tonkin was the one that made the lasting impression to me. Of course the vintage  Guerlains, Givenchys, Chanels and others, with their dept, richness, high-quality ingredients and individual characters were outstanding and gorgeous. But as a specific fragrance, Musc Tonkin is the one!

Robert Piguet - Petit Fracas

 The sparkling and flirtatious spirit of
Petit Fracas (Robert Piguet)
Picture: All Posters.com

Petit Fracas from one of my absolute favouritehouses, Robert Piguet, it seems as the RP fragrances gets very well with my skinchemistry, is created by the housenose Auerlien Guichard 2012. The Petit Fracas is meant to be the entry to the Grand Fracas, the Queen of tubereuses and it is said to be aimed to the younger generation. According to me, it suits all ages of those who likes a well crafted frutiy-floral.

Petit Fracas starts with sparkling fruity notes, dominated by the pear and contrasted by a cacao note. The cacao blended with especially the pear creates an impression of butterscotch. The pearnote is recognizable in another recent Robert Piguet fragrance, the sparkling tubereuse/white floral Douglas Hannant.  The gourmand impression of Petit Fracas is present already from the start and the cacao note is running through the whole fragance. It gently interacts with the notes of each stage, creating different gourmand impressions. As the name of the fragrance indicates, tubereuse is of course the star of Petit Fracas, even if the cacaonote comes close as the most important, contrasting note.

As Petit Fracas reach the heartnotes, the white flowers takes the command with the tubereuse as the leader of the team. The tubereuse is more sparkling and clean than the dark, dense and almost animalic version of it in Fracas The cacaonote in this stage, appears as more dry and less sweet as its performance in the topnotes. Petit Fracas in this stage, to my nose is more close to Douglas Hannant, (but DH lacks the gourmand notes as a clear floral fragance) than to Fracas. At least compared to my 10+ years old version of Fracas, I don't know if the current forumlation is weaker. The flowery gourmand accord developes beautifully when interacting with the warm sandalwood and the smooth, rounded musk of the base. The effect is almost creamy and there is very comfortable to wear Petit Fracas as it performs in its sweet, mouthwatering, delicious greatness for about 24 hours. Something in the texture of Petit Fracas later stages, reminds me of another great Piguet, Mademoiselle Piguet even if that one is centered around orangeblossom and also features some almost decaying vegetable notes, perfectly contrasted to the clean orange. Sillage is contemporary medium, not as bombastic as Fracas. To summerize: Petit Fracas is a real pleasure to wear and a good example that there are indeed good fruity-florals on the market. Something that parfumistas often tend to forget when discussing this taunted category of fragrance :-)

Madonnas Truth or Dare with its mashmallow note comes to my mind when it comes to the cacao - tubereuse combination in Petit Fracas. Both are gourmand tubereuses where Petit Fracas is the well-behaved and subtle, and Truth or Dare the bold and perky one. I also think that those how like the sweet beauty Tubereuse Couture by Parfumerie Generale will like Petit Fracas very much.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, pear, tubereuse, jasmine, gardenia, musk, sandalwood, cacao

Puredistance - M

Picture: The spirit of Puredistance M, 

Puredistance (c) all rights reserved

M is the masculine (or most masculine) fragrance in the excellent Puredistance line. It's a masculine oriental in the classical style, featuring soft leather notes. Even if classified as masculine, the elegant and smooth construction of the fragrance makes it suitable also for a brave woman, the same situation as with Aramis JHL. M is created by Roja Dove.

M starts with topnotes dominated by a natural leathernote, a leathernote like the scent of an elegant briefcase. After the leathery start, M transforms into a close wellbalanced spicyness with clear notes of carnation and clove. The leather takes a step behind but is still recognizable in the background. In this stage a very light and smooth note that reminds me of a soft, refined curry appears among the other spicy notes. On my skin anyway, this note is not clearly apparent on Mr Parfumista. In the basenotes, M get balsamic-resiny and more leathery again, a deeper and muskier leather than in the topnotes. To conclude it all: On my skin M is a harmonious mix of leather,carnation and spices.

Overall M gives me the association of resting in a wellworn armchair, nestled in a cashmereblanket, sipping an excellent cognac, in front of the fireplace at some old country estate.
M is most of all a masculine fragrance, but is so gentle and refined that it could also be worn comfortably by a women. In that sense M is unisex. M is a wellcrafted, comfortable fragrance made of quality ingredients and it suits both for formal worksituations and for festivite occasions. With its warmth M perfectly suits the colder months of the year, but I suspect it could also be fine for chillier summerevenings.

M is similar to Hermès great Bel Ami but to my and Mr Parfumistas noses, M is more leathery, darker, boozier and closer than the current version of  Bel Ami, but the style, and apperance is the same. M is even more close to the old Bel Ami-version in the "coctail-shaker-bottle" which is thicker, spicier and somehow boozier in texture. There are also similarities between M and the real leather classic Knize Ten and the contemporary but classic in style Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens. My nose also find some traces (the spicy cinnamon-warmth) of JHL (original formula).

M wears closer to the skin than Bel Ami but then M also is in perfumestrength whereas Bel Ami is in Edt concentration and therefore has a more extensive radiation. Longevity is about the same for both fragrances, they lasts for about 24h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, lemon, jasmine, rose, carnation, vanilla, vetiver, patchouli, wood, labdanum, moss, cinnamon, clove, leather, musk

Fragrance(s) of the week (3) 2013

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

This week I had new experiences with two fragrances which until now have been a bit hard for me:

* Old Mitsi - Mitsouko. It seems as after almost ten years of experimenting I finally found the right dosage and right climat conditions etc as Mitsi now seems to fit quite well. Or at least I imagine so, as every true parfumista of course want this classic to fit. As I lunched with Fragrantfanatic that day, I got a professional opinion; the peaches over the moss was the main impression and that Mitsi smelled good.

* Today  (snowy as usual, - 20 C  :-) I percieved Douglas Hannant by Robert Piguet in a quite different way than when worn in the spring and summer. In the warmer months the pearnote takes the centerstage and DH becames fruity-floral in apperance with a touch of detergent. Today it performs as a bright, clearly tubereusedominated, white floral with just a light supporting pearnote and no laundry vibes. Delicious!

By Kilian - Forbidden Games

Picture: Boy with a Basket of Fruit
Oil of canvas by Michelangelo Merisi Cravaggio ca 1593
Wikimedia commons

Forbidden Games is the third installment in The Garden of Good and Evil line from By Kilian. Forbidden games is created by Calice Becker and is said to express the following: "When going beyond the boundaries has never been so exciting and dangerously attractive".

Forbidden Games starts a bit chemical, in a good way, fruity-floral, with emphasis on fruity, sort of like a compot of fruits as peach and apricots. Forbidden games is slight gourmand compared to the other two in the Garden of Good and Evil trio In the City of Sin and Good Girl Gone Bad. There is also like a light trail of cacaopowder glimpsing throughout the composition. As the rest of the trio very light and somehow thin and fleeting in charachter when taking into account the quite distinct ingredients mentioned in the notelist. A nice and good officescent that smells nice and can't harm anybody. Even if light the longevity is good almost for a day and the projection is close.

Just as hinted of in the In the City of Sin and Good Girl Gone Bad posts I suspect that  these sort of indistinct, fleeting charachters as I perceive from the Garden of Good and Evil  fragrances, is a good example of the coming, even more regulated perfumeworld that could be effective from 1 July 2013. Probably By Kilian is just pre-compliant.

Rating: 3

Notes: Apple, peach, plum, cinnamon, rose, geranium, jasmine, vanilla, honey, opoponax

By Kilian - Good Girl Gone Bad

Picture: Lü Ji, Birds in Osmanthus and Chrysanthemum,
13th century, Palace Museum, Beijing

Testing the next installment of the In the garden of Good and Evil subline of By Kilian, Good Girl Gone Bad. This almost natural smelling fruity-floral frag is created by Alberto Morillas. The spirit of the fragrance is described as "A woman who is game for anything in the world of love, of desire, of naughtiness"

Starts with fruity-flowery notes, osmanthus  contrubutes with the fruity-floral notes but there is also something similar to a mellow, yellow melon in the opening. Soon a tame tubereuse, some white flowers off-setted by a crisp but smooth narcissusnote appears. A very light creamy touch also appears in the middlenotes. There also some very light traces of cardamom (I think). Cardamom seems to be a it-note by now, Histoires de Parfums cardamomtrio Veni, Vidi, Vici is another example of this trend. The fruity-floral blend continues in the same style, supported by a conventional ambery-woody base.

To me there is nothing "Gone Bad" or naughty with this nice & fresh, totally officefriendly fragrance that could be worn in any season. There is more body to it than the initial perfume of the subline, In the City of Sin, but despite this, I percieve Good Girl Gone Bad as thin and uninteresting (I wonder if this depends on compliance with the new EU-regulations/IFRA selfregulations), but smelling nice. To me also GGGB just as ItCoS doesn't lend any remaining impression. On the other hand, Mr Parfumista think GGGB smells very good, "clean and wellblended not as the strange old-ladys scents you're insist to wear".To summon it all up: A nice smelling, easy to wear perfume that couldn't offend anybody. Taking the pricerange of By Kilian into account (if not buying the refills), I rather go for something mainstream, for example the Versace Vanitas Edt or Vanitas Edp if I wan't something in this uplifting, easy to wear style. The two latter also have a fuller body and are not fleeting.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Jasmine, osmanthus, may rose, tuberose, narcissus, amber, cedar

By Kilian - In the City of Sin

Picture: Still Life With Compotier, 

Painting by Paul Cezanne (ca 1879-1882)

Collection Mr. and Mrs. Rene Lecomte, Paris

Wikimedia commons

Sorry, but I get no sinful associations at all from this fleeting Calice Becker creation In the City of Sin. In the City of Sin is one of three initial offerings from the new ByKilian sub-line In the Garden of Good and Evil from handsome Hennessy heir, Kilian Hennessy. In the City of Sin is said to be "The temptation which leads to carnal desire".

In the City of Sin starts with a sparkling clean bergamot-cardamom dominated accord. Then some natural smelling fruity nots follows, there are no harsh chemical notes, instead the fruity notes are round, soft, fresh and perfectly ripe. The fruits reminds me of a tamer version of the fruity notes of Bombay Bling from Neela Vermeire creations.  The fruity notes are supported by a bright, pink rose and tha blend is grounded in a rather cold woody cedar-patchouli base.

As hinted above, instead of sinful, In the City of Sin is a quite innocent, very officefriendly scent that could be worn daytime year around but preferably during spring, summer and the early autumn. Nice and friendly but to be honest, nothing special when taking into account that In the City of Sin is created by the flower-champion Calice Becker. I have to admit that I like the two of many perfumistas critizised offerings of the Asian Tales line (Water Calligraphy and Bamboo Harmony) much better than this mediocre composition.

The question what is happening with the ByKilian brand is justified when smelling this fleeting (probably already fully IFRA-compliant) fragrance. Earlier there was body and strength in the By Kilians. The Arabian Nights collection is great as also many of the fragrances of the initial L'oeuvre Noire line.

Rating: 3

Notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, cardamom, apricot, plum, turkish rose, incense, atlas cedar, patchouli

Fragrance of the week (2) 2013

Picture:Vaslav Fomich Nijinsky (Вацлав Фомич Нижинский) (1890-1950), 

in the ballet Afternoon of a Faun

Painting by Leon Bakst (1866-1924), Wikimedia Commons

Fragrance of the week is definitly the intriguing The Afternoon of a Faun from Etat Libre D'Orange. Like the moisten smell of a mossy forestfloor, in the shadow of the forest of confier,  a late summerday. The Faun also has the delicate smell of an antique, precious wooden box, very vintage in style. I have already been complimented when wearing The Faun, so he is really something special... If I had tested this fragrance two weeks ago, it had been included in my best of 2012 list. I also have to admit that I couldn't resist The Faun and a bottle from the Escentual 20% sale last week has just arrived. A  fragrance with this special character is a must have to me

Many thanks to Fragrantfanatic for the sample that introduced me to this new favourite :-).

Place des Lices – Twenties

Picture: Where there's smoke there's fire" by American artist Russell Patterson (1893-1977).
Full-length illustration of a fashionably dressed Flapper, 1920s. Swann Gallery, Library of Congress.
Wikimedia commons. This would be the perfect illustration for Habanita :-)

Twenties from the Saint Tropez based house Place des Lices is a fragrance that will capture the spirit of the nightlife of the roaring twenties. As an eveninginspired fragrance from that era it’s “of course” an orientalstyled perfume, but a soft oriental contemporary interpreation.

Twenties starts with rounded spices which creates a soft and smooth aura round the wearer. As Twenties continuies in its drydown a slight gourmand note, but not especeially sweet note, appears, probably the honey. The delicious spicy-honey accord is resting over a well balanced ambery-patchouli base.

To me Twenties is not a wild, outrageous perfume for decadant nightlife of the 1920s, in my book such fragrances are for example Habanita by Molinard, Arpége by Lanvin and to some extent also Guerlain Shalimar. To me Twenties is a straight forward, easy to wear, comfortscent, perfect for relaxing with a good book in front of the fireplace. As a soft, non-offensive, oriental, Twenties is also suitable for daytime officewear to lighten up grey, chilly autumn- and winterdays. Sillage is close and longevity good.

Twenties resembles many soft oriental fragrances, it doesn’t stand out but is on the other hand a representative, well-made and quite affordable example of the genre, a good soft oriental basic alternative for the fragrance wardrobe.

Rating: 3

Notes: Vetiver, pepper, cumin, patchouli, amber, honey

Place des Lices - Fiordlatte

Picture: Summer Evening on the Souther Beach,
 oil on canvas by  Peder Severin Kröyer, 1893

Fiordlatte from Place de Lices starts a bit sharp with notes of green grass and some flowery notes. I bet I can smell a moderated galbanum, even if not mentioned in the notelist. When Fiordlatte settles a bit, a pleasant, soapy, glabanumlike, note appears. It’s similar to the “antique, bathroom, chalky” note that is also present, but more intense, in Vanille Tonka from Parfums de Nicolaï. This accord is fading, but not disappear completely, in a nice, a bit paper-dry in texture, white floral accord. Despite the “bathroom” vibe it’s not a watery floral of the kind that is en vouge by now for exemple Live in Love by Oscar de la Renta or Water Calligraphy from By Kilian. The white floral note feels more timeless and the dry white floral impression is more in the style of Un Amour de Patou by Jean Patou and Montale Crystal Flowers (even if rose centered) but subdued in comparasion.In the basenotes Fiordlatte becomes light musky and moistier. A slight sour note (in a positive way) which is present in many light rosefragrances becomes detectable and I think it’s the note of peony.

Fiordlatte is the perfect outdoor casualscent especially for spring and summer, preferably at sea as the dry white flowers will balance perfectly with the salty air by the seaside. Fiordlatte is also a nice casual or officescent when one has to be reminded of the lighter seasons of the year.

Rating: 3

Notes: Jasmine, cottonflower, peony, vanilla

Place des Lices – Pepper/Poivre

Picture: Piperaceae - Piper nigrum, Curtis’s botanical magazine,

 London 1832, Wikimedia Commons

My favourite from the house of Place des Lieces from what I have tested so far is the light and clean incensefragrance Pepper/Poivre which I reviewed in Swedish a year ago. Despite its name, to my nose Poivre is first of all an incense frgrance and second a pepperfragrance, but of course I’m no expert. Below is an extract in English of what I wrote about Poivre a year ago:

The Incense of Poivre

is high and clear, it’s not a heavy, dense church incense but more of the incense sticks burned outdoors in Asisa, perhaps outside a Buddhist temple high up in the Himalya. I think the incense note is reminiscent of a more modest and subdued version of the high and clean incense in Andy Tauers wonderful Incense Extreme. When it comes to Pepper / Poivre there is no risk of overdosing, which may occur in case Incense Extreme Pepper / Poivre also gives me associations to the wonderful interpretation of the air and surroundings in Bhutan, the wonderful Dzongkha by L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Pepper / Poivre, has a refreshing and almost cleansing effect. It is subtle and close to skin and fits perfectly in most settings during the day all year round. Can imagine that it is perfect in summer just as it feels like a welcome relief from all the spicy, sweet and mulled wine scents of the coming Christmas. Despite Pepper / Poivres lightness and transparency, it remains, although weakened, but unfragmented until the evening. Another plus with Pepper / Poivre is that it is a nichefragrance which is reasonable priced.

Rating: 4

Notes: Pepper, pink pepper, cummin, sage, leather, patchouli, musk, amber

Fragrance(s) of the week (1) 2013

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Almost every week there is a fragrance or fragrancestyle that I particulary crave. Maybe I wear the fragrance some day that particular week, just sniff it, tray it or just let the longing persist as I'm often totally off-season when it comes to what I crave and the season current. To examplify: The week before Christmas I suddenly started to long after the sparkling, grassy and green springlike Chanel No 19 Edt, this in the middle of the cold and darkest winter, with lot of snowing. The same phenomena, but in the opposite fragrancedirection, is happening in the middle of the summer, some years as early as around Midsummers Eve. Than in the warmth and brightness of the Nordic summer, I start longing for dark and deep fragrances as ambers, dark roses, ouds, patchouli. Another observation when it comes to my perfumecraving during the latest half year is an increasing need and appreciation for the classics as the classic Chanels, Guerlains, Rochas or Diors. When it comes tocontemporary perfumes, I prefer perfumes created in the classic style as the offerings of Puredistance, Parfums de Nicolï and Parfums MDCI or more complicated contemporary perfumes with many dimensions as the perfumes of Ramón Monegal, Amouage or Mona di Orio.

To conclude this philosophising: 1) Fragrancewise I'm often in the reverse season 2) Fragrancestylish the circle is completed, I'm back where it all started, with the classics or  classic styled, well-crafted fragrances.

For 2013 I will start to notice (and post) if there is a/some special weekly cravings. Here are my observations for the first week of January 2013:

- The longing for springfragrances has intensified. Today (chilly and grey outside) I'm wearing  the Guerlain iris/violet/mimosa/guerlinade classic Apres l'Ondee Edt and I'm constantly sniffing my wrists.

- The other perfume that influenced me this week and I really liked to wear at New Years Eve was a perfume that not belongs to any of the categories mentioned above: Miss Dior Le Parfum which IMHO is a well crafted, contemporary mainstream with some dept and body to it. Features that is becoming more and more rare these days,  both within mainstream and niche.

Les Parfums Historiques (Maître Parfumeur et Gantier) - La Reine Margot

 Marguerite de Valois, Reine de Navarre

Olja på trä av Francois Clouet

Bild:Wikimedia Commons

Summary in english, scroll down.
La Reine Margot är den andra doften i Maître Parfumer et Gantiers underlinje Les Parfums Historiques. I linjen utforskar man det historiska parfymeriet och har tagit fram två dofter dedikerade till två historiska personer - patchoullidoften Gerorge Sand och jasmin, ambra, myskdoften La Reine Margot. Dofterna som tagits fram liknar högst troligt de parfymer som de personer som stått som förebild för dofterna verkligen bar. I fallet George Sand har parfymören luktat på en liten parfymflaska som hängsmycke som varit George Sand och där känt de kvarvarande fragmenten av en patchoullidoft. I fallet drottning Margot (Margurite de Valois 1553-1615)  har man utgått från de ingredienser som löpanade beställts till det slott, d'Usson i Auvergne, där Margot på order av sin bror kungen, satt i ett slags husarrest under arton år. De dominerande ingredienserna är just jasmin, ambra och mysk och parfymen är blandad enligt den teknik som användes på femton-sextonhundratalen med ett fåtal ingedienser som interagerar.

De tre ingredienerna som används i La Reine Margot är av mycket hög kvalitet och man har låtit dess nyanser blomma ut på ett mångfacetterat sätt och det känns verkligen fascinerande att man kan få fram en sådan mångfald nyanser genom så få ingredienser.

Jasminen är stor, lortigt animalisk, pälsig men får på mig också djupt, mörkt, fruktiga nyanser med en liten kryddighet, ungefär som russin i glögg. På mig är det jasminen som dominerar i det närmaste totalt. De övriga två sekonderar, och är inte igenkänningsbara som separata noter. Deras roller verkar vara att ambran värmer och mysken binder ihop. Mysken bidrar antagligen också till lortigheten även om jasminolja i sig har en animalisk och lortig kvalitet. Jasminen ger i ett senare stdium också i från sig en gummiaktig, samtidigt lätt chokladig ton (troligen ambran) som jag inte känner igen från andra jasmindofter, kanske är det något som uppstår i kombination med de två andra ingredienserna.

Jag kan mycket väl tänka mig att en sådan här tung, mörk jasmindoft behövdes för att konkurrera med andra dofter och odörer som var en realitet i ett tidevarav där det var mer komplicerat att hålla sig ren och dessutom i kombination med tunga kläder med dito tyger som inte lät sig tvättas i första taget.

La Reine Margot sitter hela dagen även om jag inte känner den så tydligt på kvällen så gör omgivningen det. Herr Parfumista anser att det är tantvarning på doften citat "...och det är ju inte så konstigt om den nu är sedan femtonhundratalet".

La Reine Margot är en skickligt komponerad doft som fascinerar då den trots enkelheten i strukturen ger i från sig så många doftintryck. Spännande är också personen som är doftens förebild se http://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margareta_av_Valois

Summary: La Reine Margot is created by perfumer Nicolas de Barry and inspired by the emancipated french/navarrian queen Margurite de Valois (1553-1615). The perfume is a part of the MPG Les Parfums Historiques-line. The predominant ingredients are jasmine, amber and musk and the perfume is mixed according to the technique used in fifteen-sixteen centuries with a few ingedients interacting. Despite the few ingredients La Reine Margot is a interesting blend that mediates images of the era of Margot. The typical dirty, animalic, musky jasmine of MPG is on spot recalling the smell of heavy clothing that not allow itselves to be washed in the first place. That combined with the (compared to todays standards) questionable hygiene routines. A well blended, skanky perfume in true MPG sprit that reflecting the life of Margot. And just as interacting with Margot, "her" perfum has to be worn with caution.

Rating: 4+

Notes; Neroli, bergamot, jasmine, musk, amber

Happy New 2013!

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

I wish all Perfumelovers a Happy and wellscented 2013!

The fragrance of New Years Eve 2012 was nothing complicated, but very nice smelling:
Miss Dior Le Parfum - almost tobacconotes, some velvety, slight dried- fruity flowers over amber.
I think this is an excellent example that good fragrances could be created among "the mainstream", taking all the restrictions when it comes to the ingredients in to account.