Tableau de Parfums (Andy Tauer) - Loretta

Picture: Loretta, the protagonist from the Brian Pera
"Womans Picture" movie Loretta

Loretta is a dark fruity floral oriental created by Andy Tauer for his line Tableau de Parfums. The parfumes in this line are created to match the characters in a serie of movies "Womans Picture" created by the filmmaker Brian Pera. Before Loretta the aldehydic Miriam has been released as also the very limited edition Dark Passage.

The story of the film is described as: "Loretta is a young woman who works as a maid at a motel. She is shy and withdrawn, but creates her own life in a fantasy world where she danced and falls in love with a man. She is sensual, sexy and seductive, but she has a secretive dark side."

Loretta starts with an accord dominated by sweet, almost jammy, dark ripe fruits where the plum is the prominent note. There are also  notes that reminds me of the scent of warm, dry and dusty leather accuented with a dry, dark and dusty touch of rose. As drying down, the dark plum takes even more the centerstage and further into the middlenotes the white flowers kicks in. First the orangeblossom dominates alterned by the tubereuse. The  farther in the dry down, the more the tubereuse becomes prominent to my nose. The tubereuse in Loretta is velvety, dark and thick, not transparent and light as a veil as in Jimmy Choo Flash reviewed earlier this week, the two fragrances are on the opposite sides on the scale. The tubereuse and the white flowers are sweetened by resins and by the dark jammy overripe plum even in the basenotes. There is also a hint of the typical  Andy Tauer labdanum-resin accord. 

Picture:Loretta in its unusual bottle.
Photo: PR  picture Tableau de Parfums

Loretta reminds me of fragrances like Rochas Femme (in swedish) with its dark plummy notes and dark flowers. The dusty and dry rose makes me think of Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Rose Etoile de Hollande as also the warm dusty note "dust on a lighted bulb" in Mona di Orio Carnation (short impressions in swedish). The dark, sweet, jammy notes of Loretta reminds me of another Tauer favorite Une Rose Vermeille (in swedish) a wonderful, sweet, bright lipstick red rose. To conclude, Loretta is a fragrance in the contemporary retro style, intriguing to wear, especially the earlier dry, dusty, plummy accords, comfortable but in the same time inspiring in the dark resinious basenotes. Loretta i suitable for the colder months but I'm convinced it will bloom beautiful also during warm and humid summerdays, as before and also after a thunderstorm.

Loretta is the perfect fragrance for those who like dark, mysterious and challenging flowers and as I'm among those, wearing Loretta was a real pleasure for me.

Rating: 5

Notes: Dark plum, fruit, aldehydes, rose, tubereuse, jasmine, orangeblossom, carnation, cinnamon, patchouli, ambergris, leather, sweetened orris root , woody/resinous notes, labdanum

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample of Loretta.

Jimmy Choo - Flash

Picture: Flash the latest Jimmy Choo release
Photo by Jimmy Choo (c)

As a longtime parfumista I shouldn't (of course) like Jimmy Choo latest fragrance Flash, but I have to confess, I really do like this mainstream release. Flash, created by experienced perfumer Christine Nagel, is a diluted and thin floral fragrance, so typical for a IFRA/EU compliant 2013 release even though, it has something appealing in its appearance. Maybe it's the contemporay interpreation of the cold white floral notes backed up by some light and spicy notes.

Flash starts flowery with a contemporary stripped down, cold tubereuse matched with a jasmine and a lily handled in the same way. The indolic, animalc notes are far away, and there is also no creamy aspects as for in example the lily dominated Baiser Volé from Cartier. Instead Flash has cold and clean and in the same time pleasant smelling flowers accentuated with a slight just recognizable note of frozen strawberries. The strawberrynote is not particular sweet, I percieve it as wellbalanced. Flash is quite linear in structure, but in the basenotes, some to the chilly impression, contrasing, light spicy, warmer notes appears as also a pleasant slight soapy note. Overall Flash is cold and the pale purple color of the juice is a perfect match to the feeling Flash intermediate: Its texture is like a pale, purple chiffon veil.

Flash is a very uplifting perfume, refreshing and even if pale, somehow distinctive. It's the perfect perfume for days when tired or even with a hang over. Flash is also a comfortable, non-offensive, office fragrance, versatile and a easy choice for days when not knowing what to wear. Flash will also be a good fragrance for spring. Despite Flash is representing the pale and almost bodyless structure of a modern mainstream, the longevity is almost 24h.

There is some similarities in style with the In the Garden of Good and Evil fragrances from ByKilian but Flash is more distinct, less fruity and maybe a bit sharper in edges but it definitly gives a greater value for the money. Another fragrance that strangely comes to my mind when wearing Flash in its basenotes is the transparant, smooth-spicy Rima XI from Carner Barcelona. It's probably the light spiciness just detectable in Flash that is the common link as also the chiffonlike texture of both frgrances even if the Rima XI veil is white where Flash is purple, Rima XI is not flowery at all to my nose. Those who like Prada Infusion deTubereuse could also like Flash.

Rating: 4 *)

*) Even if Flash doesn't reach a 5 rating in the overall assessement, Flash is a fragrance that I personally like very much regardless the overall rating

Notes: Strawberry, tangerine, pink pepper, tubereuse, jasmine, lily, heliothrope, white woods

Fragrance of the week (8)

Photo:Parfumista (c)

I never thought I would fall almost completely for a certain fragrance which I will review on Monday. Since testing it (two full wearings) I have been drawn to take some sniffs of the sample almost every day. They have to have trown in some addictive substances in the blend. Stay tuned.....

Histoires de Parfums - Vici

Picture: Victory, Bronze quadriga on Wellington Arch, London, England

Photo: Kadellar (cc) Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved.

Vici is the third installment in the Julius Ceasar conquest inspired trio where houseperfumer  Gérald Ghislain examines different facetts of cardamom. The Veni, Vidi, Vici fragrances are a part of the Edition rare line.

As Vici is the scent of victory, my expectations were something powerful. Instead, Vici is a nice and comfortable fragrance with medium projection. The dominating note to me is incense, and here of course we have the connection to victory. In the Roman, as in many anciant cultures, and almost until today, incense is burned to celebrate victory. The incense in Vici is the dry, transparent and white (if I use a color to image the note) incense of one of my favourite incenses, Andy Tauers Incense Extreme. But in Vici the incense is tuned down some notches. The other note that is distinct to me is a iris very similar to the iris that  complements the tubereuse in the terrific Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse I Capricieuse. The cardamom? I can smell the note in the opening accord together with some flowery notes which together creates a herbal touch of the top. The iris and incense then stepping into the front with the incense getting more prodominant as longer the drydown proceeds to the balanced woody-musk base.

As Veni and Vidi, Vici is also a pleasant, wearable but not especially original fragrance, something that maybe could be expected from a Edition rare line. To me, the regular Hdp line is over all better and more original than the two Edtiton Rare lines. I almost get the feeling that the main work is done for the regular line and that some of what is developed during that process is recycled in the Edition rare line. But this is just a speculation.

Vici would be appreciated by those who likes incense fragrances but also some irises as the one mentioned above and also Hermés Kelly Caleche as KC has a flowery-green-vegetal texture that have similarities with the flowery aspects of Vici.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Angelica, cardamom, red fruit, basil, violet leaf, galbanum, aldehydes, iri, osmanthus, incense, celery seed, patchouli, musk, cedar, raspberry

Histoires de Parfums - Vidi

Picture: Mount Ararat, photo by Elegant's, 

Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved

Vidi is the second installment in the Julius Ceasar conquest inspired trio where the houseperfumer/founder  Gérald Ghislain examines different facets of cardamom. The Veni, Vidi, Vici fragrances are a part of the Edition rare line.

Vidi, I saw: When smelling Vidi I could (maybe) image Julius Ceasar looking out from the high mountains over another Asia minor country to conquer. The air in the mountains is high and clear, the sun has just warmed up the flowers, grass and herbs which pleasant smells are carried with the wind. Of course this image appears just because I have read about the inspiration to the cardamom trio, but the image is quite reasonable. Just as Veni, Vidi starts with a true cardamomnote that is present during the whole development of the fragrance. But as Veni is darker, sweeter and almost gourmand, Vidi features smooth ozonic notes ie supporting, ozonic notes of the contemporary style, not the dominating, sharp ones of the 90s. The ozonic notes accentuate the cardamom and fresh flowers with a light herbal touch and Vidi feels brisk and sprightly in character. The flowery, cardamom, ozonic accords are prominent in different variations during the whole dry down. One variation is that somewhere in the middle of the day, saffron suddenly take the center stage for a while. In the basenote  the pleasant "plasternote" appears, the note that is distinct in for example Musst de Cartier Edt 90s version and Comme des Garcons Jaisalmer.

Vidi is a wearable and comforting fragrance that is suitable for both professional and casual, daytime wearing year around. The fresh impression makes Vidi suitable also for summer, unlike Veni which I can image will be a tad to sweet when the weather is warm. Projection is somewhere between low and medium and longevity is good, more than 12h.

Rating: 4

Notes: Cardamom, cucumber, ozonic notes, rose, cyclamen, saffron, immortelle, musk, amber, vanilla, blonde woods

Histoires de Parfums - Veni

Picture: Bust of Gaius Julius Caesar

 Photo by Andreas Wahra, Wikimedia commons

Veni is the first fragrance in the Histoires de Parfums "cardamom trio", fragrances that highlighting different aspects of cardamom. The fragrances are inspirated of the conquests of Julius Ceasar and his celebrated words "Veni, Vidi, Vici!" .Veni is composed by Gérald Ghislain, founder and perfumer of the house Histoires de Parfums and, together with Vidi and Vici, a part of the Editions Rare line of 2012. The theme of Editions Rare 2011 was (of course) oud.

Veni, "I have come" starts with a true smell of cardamom, followed by a light and sweet flowery impression supported by different spicy notes. The caradamom is present during the whole dry down of Veni and the unusual, slight flowery, dark, a bit moisty, spicy accord are resting on a bit peppery, contrasted with sweet and resin basenotes. Even in the basenotes the cardamom note feels as natural and the other spices acts like a wellblended warming background.

To be honest, Veni doesn't induce the picture of Julius Ceasar on expedition in faraway countries. My impression of Veni is drinking a nice cup of  chai tea and eating a soft cardamom cake a cold winterday.

Veni is suitable to wear at daytime, escpecially during the colder months. The sillage is close and the longevity about twelve hours.

Those who likes Phaedon Cendres de The and also Dzhari (even if cardamom here just is a supporting note), just as Hermès Un Jardin Apres la Mousson could, even if different cardamom interpretations, also appreciate Veni (and it's sisterfrags Vidi and Vici).

Rating: 3

Notes: Cardamom, cinnamon, galbanum, lavendel, tagete, saffron, guaiac wood, patchouli, vanilla, caramel, musk, amber, benzoin, oakmoss

Fragrance(s) of the week (7) 2013

Tired of all the fleeting, almost spooky, watered down, similar smelling  IFRA/EU compliant fragrances of the latest year(s) my appreciation of the oldies or semi oldies has increased. Have been drawn to my samples    of two very different but both distinct characteristic (as always with) Maître Parfumeur et Gantier fragrances: The dirty jasmin/neroli La Reine Margot from the MPG sub-line Les Parfumes Historiques and the sunny, very uplifting but at the same time a bit weird herbal, floral, tea fragrance Eau de Camelia Chinois. Both are great stuff, which stands out from the pale crowd of today.

Pictures of the beautiful LPH/MPG falcons borrowed from the net

(c) Maître Parfumers et Gantier

Oscar de la Renta - Santo Domingo

Picture: Santo Domingo de Guzman 
Montage by Elvisanti1, Wikimedia commons

Santo Domingo is the unisex offering in the new Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries collection with fragrances created by Calice Becker. Santo Domingo is a tribute to Oscar de la Rentas birth place, the capital of the Dominican Republic. The fragrance captures the flowers, spices and colors of this island country.

Santo Domingo starts with a citrusdominated accord reminding of the start of Aramis classic Tuscany but greener and with a smoother, musky touch. As Santo Domingo dries down, the white, milky, musknote gets almost predominent as it wraps the slight smoky, spicy, tobacco into a pleasant creamy blend. It's the same construction as in Granada also from this line, where the orangeblossomnotes are wrapped in the same creamy musk. The impression of a contemporary creamy/milky Tuscany also remains during the whole dry down. Another fragrance Santo Domingo reminds me of is a much gentler and polite variation of the herbal, spicy, smoky Eau d'Iles from Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, a fragrance that also founds its inspiration from the scents of the Caribian Islands.

Santo Domingo is a well crafted fragrance, the notes interacts in a very balanced way and the fragrance has no sharp edges.  Santo Domingo, just as Tuscany, is a fragrance well suited for wearing in the office. Even if smooth in texture, Santo Domingo is clearly present during the whole dry down with a medium sillage and longevity for at least a day. The review is based on Santo Domingo worn by the picky Mr Parfumista and he likes this fragrance much.

Santo Domingo is another example of the good fragances of the Essential Luxuries line. I experience the fragrances as wellcrafted and balanced, subtle and refined in the same time as these fragrances are very easy to wear. On the other hand, they are not especially innovative or distinctive. All of the fragrances feels warm and comforting in their apperance and these fragances are well worth trying for those who are searching for a    wellmade and wearable everyday scent.

Rating: 4

Notes: Mandarin, citrus, bergamot, coriander, geranium, tobacco, vetiver, patchouli

Oscar de la Renta - Sargasso

Picture: Lines of  Sargassum 

Photo: Unknown, source NOAA FishWatch 

Wikimedia commons

Sargasso is a green slight flowery-acquatic, happy and sunny fragrance in the Oscar de la Renta Essential Luxuries line. Sargasso will express the essence of the Sargasso Sea, it's deep bluegreen
color and exceptional clarity that  touches the shores, the scents of salt and the marine vegetation that washes up to the beach at Oscar de la Rentas house.

Sargasso starts with an accord that is constructed (to my nose) as it has an embedded accord similar to the start of classical Eau de Rochas. It's just like that the "Eau de Rochas-accord" is a minor part of the main topaccord, which is smooth acquatic-green. When reaching the middle Sargasso becomes woodier and a bit sandy in texture, as sand meeting the salty water a sunny day, mixing in notes of driftwood and the special algae for the Sargasso Sea, Sargassum, just as the marketingblurb says. I can also smell traces of a flowery note, note that also is present in the base. The basenotes are smooth woody-green with supported by a slight white musky note, the same as present in Granada from this line, but to a lesser extent in Sargasso.

Sargasso is a smooth and tender acquatic fragrance in the fleeting style that characterizes many of the latest releases from many houses. I suspect that these fragrances are pre-compliant to the coming, much stricter regulations that probably will become effective the coming summer. Sargasso is discrete and is not chemical -screaming as some acquatics tend to be. It's a officefriendly character and best suitable for the summermonth, even if wearing it in the winter, conjures the images and feeling of the warmer season waiting about some months.


Sargasso is a fragrance for those who like Calypso Marine by Calypso Christiane Celle even if Marine is more distinctive, woodier and mediates a more watery feeling.

Rating: 3

Notes: Mandarin, lemon, juniper, petitgrain, spearmint, cucumber, lentisque, fennel, driftwood, patchouli, cypress

Fragrance of the week (6) 2013

Picture:Seated woman playing a kithara. From Room H of the Villa of P.

Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale, ca. 40–30 B.C.; Late Republican Roman.

Wall painting; fresco. Wikipedia Commons

 

Last weekend I made a rare find among my untested samples. I was browsing through the "Unsere Angebote" section on the website of Aus Liebe zum Duft where I noticed some bottles from the relative unknown italian house Sigilli. Sigilli is inspirated most of all by the ancient Italy, but also from the older history of some other countries. The eternal italian landscape, with its stunning views and of course all its scents and aromas  also a source to the line. As I remembered that I have a sample of Claudiae, the fragrance that was most intriguing to me after reading about the line earlier, I had to test it. And what a surprise: Claudiae starts almost repulsive to some noses, like clay, drying in the sun mixed by some herbal notes and natural smelling tomatoleaves.Subdued flowers and patchuli balancing out the composition. Wearing it, it's like being transported to the ancient Italy, to a city like Pompeii. Claudiae makes me curious to investigate the Sigilli line even more.

Oscar de la Renta - Coralina

Picture: Acacia constricta flower,

Photo by Stan Shebs (c) some rights reserved, Wikimedia commons.

Coralina is a mimosadominated contribution to the Essential Luxuries line of Oscar de la Renta. It's the third flower dominated fragrance of the line besides Mi Corazon (tubereuse) and Granada (orangeblossom).

Coralina starts with a sparkling, sunny, very yellow and natural smelling mimosa. The fragrance is happy and clean in a positive way (not detergent). The mimosa is brighter than I usually percieve the note, I typically smell it a bit darker and golden, powdery in scent and texture. As Coralina developes an almost cold violetnote appears, contrasting to the warm, sunny mimosa. Iris is also mentioned among the ingredients but I can't dedect it as a separate note, probably it balances the violet, preventing it from beeing (too) nice and sweet. There is also a part of Coralina that reminds me of light and elegant leather, but this part lasts only for a while wheras the mimosa take the centerstage again, supported by a green with traces of the crisp, greenness of bulbflower leaves. When reaching the basenotes, Coralina gets a bit of the mimosapowder, but on my skin just a hint.The main impression of Coralina in the basenotes is that of the fragrance fleeting around in an accord of mimosa/flower/musk which lasts good but is less interesting than the first half of the developement of the fragrance. Compared to another mimosa i have tried, Annick Goural Le Mimosa, Coralina is lighter in structure and with less body. The fragrances are different interpreations of this nice, yellow flower. Also Maria Candida Gentile Hanbury which have clear elements of mimosa is more fullbodied.

Coralina wears close to the skin and the lasts for long, 24h, subtle and full. A discrete and officefriendly fragrance that doesn't offering any sensations, just lingers, creating a comfortable aura to the wearer.

Rating: 3

Notes: Mimosa, violet, iris, musk, wood

Oscar de la Renta - Oriental Lace

Picture: Lace fabric

Photo from Textile talk

Oriental Lace, the oriental in the Oscar de la renta Essentials Collection, has almost none of the classic oriental accords, besides the varm honeyd, vanilla base. It's a fragrance of its own which puzzled me during a day of wearing. First after twelve hours wearing  I could realate to what Oriental Lace reminds me of: Juicy Fruit chewing gum, in a positive way.

Oriental Lace starts with a transparant, sweet spicy (a touch of cinnamon and barely a touch of the fiery jamiacan pepper) accord. After a while it gets a bit thicker in texture, as a dry-creamy-powdery lipstick, a light smell of cacao glimpses. Even if oriental, in this stage there is almost a light chillyness which gives Oriental Lace the character of a somehow frech oriental. Reaching the basenotes, the fragrance gets warmer and deeper, honey, almond  and vanilla take the centerstage.

Besides  Juicy Fruit chewing gum oriental Lace also reminds me of a merrier and brighter alternative to Serge Lutens Rousse. There is also something that reminds me of the transparant sweet, spicyness of Carner Barcelona Rima XI. Oriental Lace, even if a bit different, is a uncomplicated, comfortable and non-disturbing fragrance, perfect to wear at work. There is something very appealing to it, probably the transparent take of the very sweet notes: The honey/vanilla is undoubtedly sweet and those who like dry-woody vanillas, may think it's too sweet. But as transparant in character, the sweetness never overwhelms. Sillage is close, longevity very good, 24h.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Honey, almond, cacao, waxplant, vanilla

Fragrance of the week (5) 2013

Picture: Haversting pepper, Illustration from Le livre des merveilles de Marco Polo
 ("The Adventures of Marco Polo"), date unknown, Wikimedia Commons.

Rushing  through my Fredric Malle samples to figure out if there is any FB I "have to" buy before the perfumemarauder regalutions eventually takes effect this summer.  Read an interview somewhere (Basenotes?) where Malle stated that his perfumeportfoilo would be heavely affected if the rules are implemented. As my samples are a few years old (2009) some reformulations probably are already implemented, if I remember correctly 2010 was a year of though IFRA selfregulation, but anyway...
To my surprise the a bit strange creature Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska, attracted compliments and that without me asking for an opinion. To me Noir Epices is both attractive and repulsive in the same time. I really like the dry spicy hot notes and the orange and rosewater. But there is also an overall impression of an old mans cologne worn on unwashed skin in some stages of the dry down. All these together makes Noir Epices challenging and interesting to wear, something that I appreciate very much when it comes to perfume.
PS: When going through the Frederic Malle consultation form on their website serveral years ago, the two recommended frags where Carnal Flower, which I, as a tubereuselover of course had to have, and Noir Epices