Perris Monte Carlo - Bois d'Oud

Picture: Uttewalde Grund
Painting ca 1825 by Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840)
Wikimedia Commons

Bois d'Oud is a fragrance in the Perris Monte Carlo oud duo, to me it's the more feminine one whereas Oud Imperial is definitly the masculine alternative.

Bois d'Oud starts powerful with a woody, light oudy accord underscored with smokey notes accentuated by a light note almost close to grilled meat or burned leather. This meat/leather note but more distinct is present in Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Cuir and to a lesser extent in Amouage Interlude Man where it's matched with a tangy almost rhubarbnote. Further on flowery elements steps forward, the flowers are interwoven with woody elements in an intricate pattern which gives an impression similar to flowery oud, I think it's the cambodian variety. In this stage I recognize the oudy, flowery style of Acqua di Parma Colonia Oud which smells more "vintage/perfumery" (in a positive way). As Bois d'Oud dries further down, the fragrance becomes more woody-spicy and Montale Amber & Spices comes to my mind, later on another Montale shows up the flower-sandalwood Sandalsliver which is brighter, sweeter and is playing in the higher octaves of the notescale. In the basenotes Bois d'Oud reminds me much of a darker, less sweet and more balsamic Sandalsliver with sudden whirls of the smokey notes.

Picture: Bois d'Oud
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Bois d'Oud as a fragrance captures the mystical, dark, forest atmosphere in the Caspar David Friedrich painting above. It's appropriate for dusky autumn and winterdays but it's also developing very well when tested in summertempratures. Bois d'Oud is a strong fragrance, a little will go for long. Longevity is for 24h and sillage is medium or more. Its intensity makes it suitable for a night out. If worn in the office, gently application is recommended.

Rating: 5

Notes: Peach, plum, jasmine, rose, iris, orange blossom, oud, cedar, blackwood, patchouli, vanilla, ambergris, labdanum, musk

Brecourt - Les éphémères - Poivre Bengale

Picture: Capturing the spirit of
Poivre Bengale
Photo: PR Brecourt (c)

Brecourt is a small nichehouse founded by IPSICA pefumer Emilie Bouge in 2010. Besides the regular line, Brecourt some years ago introduced  "Les éphémères" a collection which presents exclusive natural ingredients and highlights them in fragrances dedicated to each ingredient. Poivre Bengale is the second fragrance in the Les éphémères collection.

Poivre Bengale starts peppery, a very nautral, freshly grounded pepper. The pepper is Bengal pepper which I have learnt is not rounded, instead it's oblong. This was the pepper which was first introduced in Europe during the Antiquity and it's sweeter than the usual pepper. Soon also fizzy nuances of ginger appears as also nutmeg and Poivre Bengale reminds me of another spicy favorite of mine, Montale Amber & Spices (swe) where Poivre Bengale is less sweet (despite the description of the character of the pepper above) and doesn't contain any rosy elements. The smooth sandalwood is also a note that is clearly present and common for both fragrances. Overall Amber & Spices is more "spicy gourmand" to my nose than Povre Bengale. When reaching the middlenotes, the fizzy ginger element is withdrawn and a pleasant, very well balanced clove note appears, clove in some fragrances tend to take over, which is not the case here. The spicy notes are interacting with the woody base, where the sandalwood gives it a warm impression. In the basenotes an almost leathery note contribute with a dark and just slight moisty dept. There is also something that reminds me of a very light mintnote in the second part of the fragrance, probably it appears in the combination of some of the other notes. Taken as a whole Poivre Bengale is very dry, warm and in the same time clean and, I know it sounds strange, refreshing fragrance. Wearing Poivre Bengale in sunny, dry and warm weather (ca +25 C) gives that strange clean, refreshing, effect, probably due to the lack of sweetness and the well composed dryness. Another fragrance that appears on the olfactory radar when enjoying Poivre Bengale is Lorenzo Villoresi Piper Nigrum which is airier, sort of thinner in apperance, also presents herbal and green elements and has a tangy aura, almost similar to turpentine. Edition Frederic Malle Noir Epices is also coming to my mind when wearing Poivre Bengale, where Noir Epices just as Amber & Spices, is a bit sweeter and is including some flowery elements. Also some elements from Lubin Idole Edp are present.

Picture: Poivre Bengale
Photo: PR Brecourt (c)

As mentioned above, Poivre Bengale is fab in warm weather and here is a spicy fragrance that works for all seasons, which is not common. Sillage is medium + and longevity very good, traces are left 24h after application. Poivre Bengale is unisex, leaning slight to the masculine side.

Rating: 4

Notes: Bengal pepper, ginger, clove buds absolute, nutmeg, sandalwood, leather, cashmere woods, ambergris

Thanks to ParfumMaria for the sample to try

Lubin - Idole

Spices in Mapusa Market, Goa, India,

Foto: Judepics, cc (some rights reserved)

Wikimedia commons

Scroll down for an version in english.

Idole är en kryddigt, träig doft enligt uppgift skapad av Olivia Giacobetti 2005 i samband med uppfräschningen och moderniseringen av det gamla klassiska parfymhuset Lubin.

Idole är inspirerad av dofterna i den afrikanska, karibiska och indiska oceaniska övärlden. Jag känner kryddor, mörkt trä, lite tjära och romindränkta tunnor fraktat av ett segelfartyg. Ingredienserna till trots så är ändå Idole en transparent doft, en motsats som gör doften fascinerande. När det gäller kryddigheten så känns den speciella pepprighet som saffran ger, en not som också finns i Montales Amber & Spices och Sisleys Eau de Sisley 3. Den transparenta stilen trots en del kraftfulla ingredienser, delar Idole med Eau de Sisley 3 fast den senare är dominerad av citrus där Idole domineras av trä. Det finns också något i den känsla som Idole framkallar som påminner om Maitre Parfumeur et Gantiers Eau des Iles.

Idole är en mörk kryddoft som med fördel kan bäras även sommartid. Passar dagtid både på jobbet och som casual. Mycket bärbar och en bra basdoft men inte (längre) särskilt originell.

Idole is a spicy, woody fragrance created by Olivia Giacobetti in 2005 in connection with the refresh and modernization of the old classic perfume house Lubin. Idole is inspired by the scents of the islands of the African, Caribbean and Indian oceans. I smell lot of spices, dark wood, a little tar and the rum-soaked barrels transported by a sailing ship. Despite all these potent ingredients, Idole is still a transparent fragrance, a contrast that makes the blend fascinating. In the case with the spiciness, it smells like that special peppery note that saffron gives, a note which is also is present in  Montales Amber & Spices and Sisley Eau de Sisley 3. The transparent style despite some powerful ingredients, is the common denominator for Idole and Eau de Sisley 3, the latter is dominated by citrus where Idole instead is dominated by woody notes. There is also something in the sense that Idole conveys that is reminiscent to Maitre Parfumeur et Gantiers Eau des Iles.

To summon up Idole is a dark spicy-woody fragrance which can be worn advantageously preferable in the summer. Suitable for daytime at work as well as casual. Very versatile and a good basic in a fragrance wardeobe but not (any longer) particularly original.

Rating: 3+

Noter/notes: Bitter apelsin, mörk rom, klöver, saffran, socker, ebenholz, sandelträ, läder /bitter orange, dark rum, clover, soffron, sugar, ebony, sandalwood, leather

Neela Vermeire Creations - Trayeé

Picture: Spices in Mapusa Market, Goa, India

Photo: judepics, (cc) Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved

Trayeé is a very original, thick, spicy blend, created by Bertrand Duchaufour for the indian inspired perfumehouse Neela Vermeire Creations. Trayeé is inspired by the ancient India during the Veda-period.

Trayeé smells as I image an Indian spicemarket with distinct spices with the unconventional addition of a slight smoky tarnote. The tarnote is most evident in the topnotes but lingers in a dimmed version during the whole dry down. As Trayeé reaches the basenotes a bright, geraniumlike oud becomes the star of the show, even if it interacts very well with the spices. The oud note is the same as I percive in Mona di Orios beautiful Oud but as Monas oud is interacting with the flower of osmanthus, the oud in Trayeé interacts with the spices instead. In the basenotes of Trayeé I can finally smell something slight vanillic that rounds out and soften the other potent notes.

Trayeé is a pleasure to wear and it is perfect for cold days. It is suitable for many occasions, to work or casual. Besides the similarities with the oudnote of Mona di Orios Oud, Trayeés spicyness reminds me of Montales Amber & Spices and also of Lorenzo Villoresis Piper Nigrum but the spiciness of Trayeé i thicker, darker and mysterious than in those two mentioned.

Trayeé is a must try for the spice and/or oud lover and so far it's my favorite among the three Neela Vermeire Creations.

Rating: 5

Notes: Ginger, cinnamon, elemi, black currant, basil, jasmine, sandalwood, saffron, clove, cardamom, vetiver, patchouli, okmoss, cedar, amber, incense, myrrhe, vanille, oud

Carner Barcelona - Cuirs

Picture: Cuirs and it's source of inspiration

 (c) Carner Barcelona.

Carner Barcelona is a spanish nichehouse founded by Sarah Carner in 2009. Sarah want's to capture the meaningful moments in her perfumes and she is collaborate with different perfumers to achieve that. The latest perfume Cuirs is created by perfumer Sonia Constant. Cuirs is inspired by the artisan atiliers in Barcelona in the beginning of the last century, the smell of pipetobacco smoke mixed with the tanned leather preparde in the craft workshops.

To me Cuir is a peppery oud perfume and to my nose the fragrance is to dry to induce the typical creamy leathery aroma that the mix saffron-oud-rose creates. To me Cuirs is more of a dry woody, spicy particulary peppery perfume. In the middlenotes I smell a fleeting, light, flowery note and there is also something slight foody in this phase.

Cuirs is extremely strong and the projection is huge as is the longevity. One sprits is enough to be sure not to cause allergic reactions nearby. It's the type of scent that can trigger a campain for a scentfree office. Cuirs is classified as a unisex scent which is true but to my nose it lends more to the masculine side.
Cuirs feels very familliar to me, the scent doesen't add anything new to the perfumed landscape. To my nose it is very close to some of the newer Montales as Dark Oud (the rough australian sandalwood) in particular, with the radiation of Aoud Musk and with some accords from Amouages Opus V, perhaps the bullied little violet (iris in Opus V). Late in the dry down, about twelve hours after application. I can recognize the varm, foody spices  from one of my favorite Montales Amber & Spices. Cuirs is a good alternative to those fragrances but doesn't feel original as the other fragrances precede Cuirs. To me Cuirs is to strong and to masculine and it's likely that Cuirs wears much better on Mr Parfumista as he wears the neutronbomb Aoud Musk very well.

In summary; Cuir is a scent for occasions when the wearer will make a bold statement.

Rating: 3+ (on me)
Rating: 4   (on Mr Parfumista) updated in April 2012

Notes: Cumin, Saffron, violet, australian sandalwood, cederwood, guaiac wood, patchouli, tonka bean, cistus, musk, oud, nagarmotha, amyris, dry amber, leather

Eau de Sisley 3

Denna fina EDT är i samma stil som Diors Escale à Portofino men den är kryddigare och mer tätt, citrus-juicig. Den känns mer ljus dräkt-elegant i stilen där Portofino är mer casual chic. Framförallt är Eau de Sisley 3 ganska kryddig eller för att vara mer exakt ingefärig. Doften inleds med olika citrusfrukter och snabbt kommer den spritsiga ingefäran och denna krydda hänger faktiskt kvar på mig hela dagen.
Eau de Sisley 3 påminner mig delvis om min nuvarande favorit Amber & Spices men är med sin citrus somrig (även om det är en doft som är så pass tät att den fungerar bra även vintertid) och jag upplever den som något enklare i konstruktionen.
Mycket elegant och bärbar.

Betyg: 4+

Min favoritparfym

Gör ett försök i Parfymguidens tävling som går ut på att beskriva sin favoritparfym se
http://www.parfymguiden.se/

Ämnet är förstås egentligen omöjligt för en parfymfanatiker som jag. Vilken bland alla dofter med högsta rating som är favoriten avgörs av känslan för stunden vilken i sin tur påverkas av årstid, väder, outfit, hälsotillstånd, humör, vad jag har ätit osv.

Sedan beror det på ur vilket perspektiv jag närmar mig ämnet: Egen favorit i nuläget, egen favorit under decennier, en favorit på en annan person eller en favoritdoft som jag beundrar på grund av att den snarare är ett konstverk och kultobjekt även om den inte behöver passa på mig.  Eller favorit på grund av att en doft är mycket bärbar eller favoriter i det "ordinarie" parfymsortimentet. Listan kan göras lång.

Jag väljer det första perspektivet nämligen "egen favorit i nuläget". Att den valda doften hamnar i nämnda kategori beror på att jag upptäckte den för två månader sedan. Det bör understrykas att den har redan parkerat bland mina all-time favoriter. 
Doften passar utmärkt denna kyliga vår då jag överhuvudtaget inte känner för lätta dofter. Doften är kryddig med muskot, pepprighet, något som kan vara lagerblad, lite oud, sandelträ, lite ros, ebenholz och en lätt ambra.
Parfymen ger mig omedelbara associationer och bilder. Så fort jag duttade på mig denna ljuvliga doft första gången transformerades jag till min farmors kök i den stora jugendvilla där hon bodde. Högt i tak, ett stort "walk-in" skafferi, serveringsrum och en köksingång med kombinerat blomsterrum där hennes blomsterlökar fick vila.  I köket luktade det av decenniers kryddor som blandat sig med trä och blandningen hade en lätt sötaktig ton. Precis så upplever jag kryddigheten i min favoritdoft. Till jularna gjorde min farmor en gudomligt god julkorv och lite av doften av den nykokta korven finns också i favoritparfymen.
Jag är övertygad om att min nya favoritdoft kommer att passa även i sommar. Detta då den trots innehållet och associationerna ovan ändå inte är särskilt tät i strukturen. Den är heller inte transparent utan finns någonstans mitt emellan. Amber & Spices heter min favorit och den är skapad av Pierre Montale 2009.