Best of 2020

In 2020 the year of Covid-19, the opportunities to sniff/try new releases, has been limited. Below the releases from 2020 which I've tested.

The winner

Picture: Puredistance Rubikona
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

Puredistance Rubikona - The more I wear Rubikona the more I love it. Starts chilly crisp and than gets warmer, wonderful creamy flowers, patchouli and moss. A real contemporary chypre, like a modernized version of a classic green chypre. This is the scent of power and self confidence, the role model for Rubikona must be Ursula von der Leyen, an Ursula in any age. When wearing Rubikona, I'm always come to think of the power woman  UvdL and her cool blonde apperance. 

Picture: Serge Lutens Fils de Joie
Photo: PR Serge Lutens (c)

The close contender

Serge Lutens Fils de Joie - Sweet, jasmine of different types drenched in honey, glowing like the sunset in the late summer, followed bt a dark but warm, mysterious starry night. This is the best Lutens for years and it reminds me of a scent from the past, have to wear Fils de Joie more to find out which.

Picture: Goutal Le Temps des Rêves
Photo: PR Goutal (c)

The no 3

Annick Goutal Le Temps des Rêves - Even if not as complex as the other two, LTdR is a well constructed, lovely contemplative soft white flower fragrance with notes of neroli and contrasting bran which is a new note to me in perfumes. Happy and comforting with a good stayingpower taking in consideration it's an EDT and a Goutal. Reminds me of the beautiful Hermès Hermessence Cedre Sambac.

The rest of the bunch

Picture: Dolce & Gabbana The Only One Intense
Photo: PR Dolce & Gabbana (c)

Dolce & Gabbana The Only One Intense - This is my secret obsession this autumn/winter.  Delicious, without too much sweetness. Fluffy, creamy coconut and neroli, contrasted by an applenote. Comforting and de-stressing. A hidden gem among the mainstreams.

Picture: Goutal Rose Pompon EDP
Photo: PR Goutal (c) 

Annick Goutal Rose Pompon EDP 2020 - A 2018 release in a new bottle 2020, maybe also the notes are tweaked somehow, dont know as I havn't tested the 2018 EDP. I was not so fond of the 2018 EDT which was a bit weak IMO. The EDP is thicker, the typical sweet (here not too sweet) raspberry rose which has been so popular the recent years. The raspberry rose done right.

Picture: Guerlain Patchouli Ardent
Photo: PR Guerlain(c) 

Guerlain Les Absolus de Orient Patchouli Ardent - I don't like the opening which is dry, a bit peppery, woody. Then suddenly PA changes and becomes deep green as a dark fig note appears and the woody notes goes from woody to green conifers. The patchouli is not present as detectable note, it plays a second role, blended with oud, contributing with a fresh but dark earthiness. Dark woody and figgy glimmering green, like wandering through a primeval forest. 

Picture: Hermès L'Ombre des Merveilles
Photo: PR Hermès (c)

Hermès L'Ombre des Merveilles - My favorite among the Merveilles. A darker version of  the salty L'Ombre des Merveilles Bleue. I find with some similarities with the light smoky, sundried woody black tea accord from Hermès Eau de Citron Noir an underestimated fragrance in the Hermès Cologneline.

The fragrances of Christmas Eve 2020

Picture: In the the wood 2020
Photo: Parfumista (c)

The Scent of Christmas Eve (sunny outside and ca -2 to -5 C the first winterday until yesterday there was autumn, grey, rainy and warm + 5- +10 C) of this strage year 2020 is the relaxed and elegant new Puredistance Rubikona. A suitable scent for autumn with it's fresh earthy and green accord surounded and contrasted by smooth and almost creamy flowers. A contemporary green chypre without the heavy animalic/mossy tinge which is often present in the classic chypres and may frighten many customers of today. No such heavy traces in the sparkling Rubikona, the perfect glowing gem. Mr Parfumista is wearing one of his favorites Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Intense a smoother and more elegant version of Tuscan Leather, with almost boozy notes of davana instead of the raspberrynote of the rougher original. The youngsters are wearing Frederic Malle Geranium pour Monsieur respectively Maison Francis Kurkdjian À la Rose.

Below the updated list of the fragrances I've worn for the last seventeen Christmas Eves: 

2019: Gold Puredistance (with a beautiful myrrhnote, a sort of smooth resin/sap and a cold (but not freezing) outdoor -in the wood - impression 

2018: Rubj Extrait by Vero Kern (warm, glowing orange in spices and elegant white flowers) 

2017: Vert de Fleur by Tom Ford (elegant retro but also contemporary austere flowery-green.)

2016: Oud Sublime Parfums de Nicolaï (quality "forest-refreshing" dark green, mossy, woody) 

2015: Rose de Taif Extrait Perris Monte Carlo (high class smooth velvety rose petals) 

2014: Impossible Iris Ramòn Monegal (an elegant, contempory iris with a delicious rasperrynote) 

2013: Quintaesensia Ramòn Monegal, (a special retro styled blend, furry, ambery, herbal/spicy) 

2012: Nothing, knocked down by the worst flu in ten years+. 

2011: Betrothal, Grossmith (classic, light and exquisite florals) 

2010: Cuir Mauresque, Serge Lutens (saddle leather, orangeblossom, jasmine, spices) 

2009: Tribute Attar, Amouage (dark leather, smoke, oud, excellent spices) 

2008: Incense rosé, Andy Tauer (rose, mandarine, cardamom, myrrh cedar, incense) 

2007: Ambre Russe, Parfum d'Empires (boozy amber, the, wood, oriental) 

2006: Jil Sander 4, Jil Sander (dark, overripe fruits, white almost withering flowers, oriental spices) 

2005: Nuit de Noël, Caron (dusky, retro flowers, moss and a furry note) 

2004: Cabochard, Parfums Grès (leathery chypre, harsh green notes and retro flowers) 

2003: Fracas Robert Piguet (the ultimate classic grand tubereuse) 

I wish you a Great Fragrant Christmas, stay healthy and safe

Puredistance - Rubikona

Picture: Rubikona a mulitfacetted, glowing gem
Drawing: PR Puredistance (c)

Rubikona from the luxurious perfumehouse Puredistance: I've craved for this perfume since I got information about the release about a year ago. Why did it attract me far in advance? 

- The description promised a contemporary but retro chypre,
- From my favorite perfumehouse Puredistance, always reliable when it comes to quality and imaginative perfume concepts.
- Created by one of my favorite perfumers Cécile Zarokian.
- The teaser of the coming presentation in elegant ruby red, which now is realized from the flacons to the images and drawings of the Rubikona women.

In October 15 2020,  Rubikona finally will be launched and thanks to the founder of Puredistance Jan Ewoud Vos,  I've tested it. Does the perfume (extrait 28% perfumeoil) live up to my high expectations? Yes it really does, it exceeds them by far. This is the best constructed perfume I've tested for years, there are so many layers and also facetts within each layer of the perfume, a real mulitfacetted gem, the inspiration from the glowing ruby is spot on. Rubikona is now my No 1 favorite from Puredistance.

Picture: The chic Rubikona Extrait
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

The opening of Rubikona is très chic with an elegant blended citric dominated accord (which doesn't smell like citrus) of bergamot, mandarin and surprisingly grapefruit. There is absolutely no traces of the often almost acrid impression that grapefruitnote can provoke. When Rubikona first hit my skin,  I for a short while, can smell a note that reminds me  of  lilac slightly reinforced by aniseed and I come to think of another great perfume from  Puredistance - Opardu. 

The following overall warm, but still in some aspects almost chilly and refreshing dry down, is very wellblended. The indivdual notes doesn't stand out, they cooperate in well crafted accords to an experience far greater than Rubikonas different parts. In the heart there are mixed elegant creamy flowers reinforced by soft mossy and woody notes balancing the fragrance, creating an overall dry texture. In the basenotes there is a creaminess in the dryness and  something fleeting by that reminds me of a smooth and gentle edition of accords from Robert Piguet Bandit.  When it comes to the warmth of Rubikona, I can imagine and almost visualize, it coming from the intense glow of the gemstone and the contrasting chiliness I perceive reminds me that after all, the ruby as material is a cold mineral. When compared to Cécile Zarokians other great creation for Puredistance the oriental, warm as the sand in the desert,  Sheiduna, which to me is warm-warm in apperance, Rubikona is cold-warm.

Even if Rubikona is a contemporary chypre it not at all features the typical, a bit sweet patchouli musk base, which is quite pleasant but standard in the so called noveau chypres.  There is patchouli and musk in Rubikonas baseenotes for sure but so wellblended that it's almost impossible to pick up the indivdual notes. The texture of Rubikona is dry and transparent

Picture: The elegant sprit of Rubikona
Drawing: PR Puredistance (c)

in apperance, and manages to creat the impression of an elegant, retro flowery-green chypre in a contemporary form. I come to think of the great chypres from the late 70s and 80s but not dense, animalic, bold and intrusive as many of them. When comparing Rubikona to the other chypre of  the Puredistance line, the elegant  Warszawa , the latter represent another sub-group of chypres; the dark fruity one (think Guerlain Mitsouko, Rochas Femme, YSL Yvresse). Rubikona is from the brighter floral sometimes green sub group (think Esteé Lauder Knowing and  Private Collection (original), Trussardi Femme (80s original)).

When wearing Rubikona images pops up from memory, inducing and triggering scentmemories is one sign for a real intriguing perfume. In this case a ceratin light pink lipbalm in a black metal tube with white cap and screw mechanism which I (and also a friend who had exactly the same association when she smelled Rubikona) were wearing in school in the late 70s and early 80s. Can't remember the name of it and when thinking of this lip balm, I can still clearly visualize the place around the corner where I put this lip balm on before entering the schoolbuilding. When it comes to fragrances from the past, there are for example elements that reminds my friend of the fresh, green Private Collection, me of the green mossy YSL Y.  My friend was also reminded of the powerful Giorgio Beverly Hills (in a positive way she emphasized, don't be scared from this association, Rubikona is not smelling similar, they just somehow share the positive, warm, sunny and shining spirit). Also something from Montana Parfum de Peau stripped of the animalic notes, comes to my mind. The fragrance Rubikona reminds me most of (up to this day at least) is the warm and elegant  Hérmes 24 Faubourg.  
To summarize my overall impressions: Rubikona as a concept, reminds me of a contemporary, transparent, less bold  and not dense interpreation of the great  floral and floral-green chypres of the 70s-80s. 

Rubikona is elegant and chic, suitable for daytime wear and also for the evening, even if Warszawa (of the Puredistance chypres ) IMHO is more of the evening type of perfume. To me Rubikona is leaning more to the feminine side even if the refreshing, dry, mossy, woody elements also make it suitable for brave men. Sillage is medium and longevity about 12h.

Rubikona will be the perfect Christmas gift of 2020 to all lovers of real chypres. Even if no oakmoss is mentioned among the ingredients, this masterful blend itself, creates a light touch of it. From my point of view, this is a timeless perfume  that will stand the test of time, a future classic. 

Rating: 5+

Notes: Grapefruit, bergamot, mandarin, rose, iris, ylang-ylang, clove, orange blossom, creamy notes, patchouli, cedarwood, musk, vanilla, solar notes

Picture: Rubikona  avaible in three
different sizes: 17.5 ml, 60 and 100 ml
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

Thanks to Puredistance Jan Ewoud Vos & team for the opportunity to try this gem.

Midsummer 2020

Picture: Just unfolded red rose on the grand rosebush

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Midsummer 2020 is when it comes to the weather, the best in 10+ years,  +25 and warmer, sun and a light breeze, cooling off a bit. Maybe a short time for relief in these strange Covid-19 days, perfect for celebrating solstice outside.

My scent of the day is an obvious choice: Montale Highness Rose in parfumestrength, the fragrance I've worn on this day exactly ten years ago: The weddingday  of our lovely  crownpincess couple Victoria and Daniel, 19 June 2010. Here some nice new pictures of the couple, pictured at their home, the castle of Haga in Solna, just outside Stockholm.

Picture: A pink/red rose from a lower plant
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Highness Rose is also the perfect choice as the roses in our garden are just about to/just started to bloom. I've illustrated this post with pictures from all the roseplants/-bushes I found in some stage of bloom, there are also some that have not started yet.

Picture: A budding Queen Elisabeth
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Now to the subject of this post: Highness Rose. The fragrance starts with the gum-like smell that is characteristic of  natural perfumeoil. Then different stages of mulitfaceted nuances of rose follows, velvety but somehow fresh, spicy with hints of smooth green. Highness Rose is all about the rosepetals, not the greenery or thorns at all. It also about red rosepetals, in different shades and nuances, from light to dark purple red. All the different nuances of the roseoil are like a scentpyramid in itself. In the later stages when Highness Rose becomes darker, very smooth and with a texture of velvet, the fragrance almost smell like a hybrid between rose and tuberose, something that could be find in Vero Profumo Rozy EDP, where in Rozy EDP the two notes are actually blended. 

Of course there are some additions to strengthen aspects of  Highness Rose (violet and spices according to Fragrantica), but the impression is only true roseoil. There is for example no scent of geranium, citronella, raspberry, peach, patchouli, oud or other common rose companions. 

Picture: Light pink and minimalist roses from a wild  rose bush

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Today I'll enjoy Highness Rose in all it's splendor. And also good midsummerdishes with family and a few good friends, distanced, outside.

Happy Midsommer!

Picture: Two varities of  yellow roses sneeking in in this tribute 

to their red  relatives

Photo: Parfumista (c)