Puredistance - WHITE

Picture: Puredistance WHITE
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

The idea of the new perfume WHITE  from the house of Puredistance is to create at perfume so Beautiful and positive that it gives the wearer an instant flow of happiness.  IMO Perfumer Antoine Lie and house founder/creative director Jan Ewoud Vos  have indeed succeeded in their mission to fullfill this idea. The process to create WHITE took over one year and probably this is a big part of the sucess, Puredistance never stresses new perfumes into the market, the creators take the time needed. Therefore the Puredistance line is one of the most solid lines in the market, there are no misses (so far) just solid, sophisticated, very high quality perfumes and I'm very fond of them all, can't choose a favorite as each fragrance suits different moods, styling and occassion. See my reviews of Black, Opardu, I, M and Antonia.

WHITE starts bright, transaprent and happy. My instant thought is the image of a daisy, a dried specimen of that little sunny flower was also included with the sample from Puredistance, a very good illustration to this scent. As WHITE dries down, flawless like an exquisite brilliant it becames thicker but never heavy in its texture. An excellent creamy smoothness appears and stays during the rest of the drydown, making WHITE very comforting to wear despite its elegant aura. WHITE is 
seamless blended and it's hard to pick up where on note start dominating and another take a step backwards. The notes are interacting, shaping a flowery veil anchored in a smooth top notch sandalwood, whitout any harsh or sharp edges, it's like the sandalwood is a part of the bouquet. There is a tonality of musk  wafting from the base of WHITE, a white, non-dirty musk which has no traces of  chemical,laundry. Instead it's deepens the accords and gives  bodies to the flowers. The musk also, together with the pleasant sweetness of tonka been and a minimalist patchouli, creates that special tart note which I  appreciate so much in complex floral compositions, in WHITE without the powdery aspect which the tart note also could be combined with. On my skin the tart musky accord especially highlighing the airy rose, pale yellow or pale pink if imagining a color, supported by some dry, slight fizzy, light earthy orris elements but without the orris carrotnote.



Picture: Picture: Puredistance full Collection
spring 2015
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

WHITE is a sophisticated fragrance, surprisingly easy to wear taken its elegance and the expensive, high quality ingredients in to account. It would the perfect pefume for the bride of the coming swedish royal wedding in June, Sofia read this :-). WHITE is comforting and conveys a  happy mood and sunshine. Even if in style a spring/summer perfume WHITE has enough dept and genuine texture for pleasant  wearing year around. It's as timeless and versatile as for example Chanel No 22. The longevity is very good, 12h+ and a few small spritses from the samples is enough. WHITE is in perfume (extrait) strenght and therefore quite close to the wearer, even if distinct traces are recognizable for people around.

WHITE is so wellcrafted that it makes me considering selling off my less well crafted florals. Even if I like them as such, when compard to a fragrance as WHITE the chemical, harsh and laundry notes of especially some mainstream perfumes becomes quite obvious.

WHITE is for everyone who likes a delicate, flower boquet and will please those who like the  style of fragrances as for example Grossmith Amelia and  Floral Veil or the new Teo Cabanel Lace Garden.

Maybe a bit boring but the fact is that I already know WHITE will be one of my most liked pefumes of 2015. And it definitly has the potential to be THE number one of 2015. Beware Chanel Misia.

Rating: 5

Notes: May rose, tonka absolute, orris root, sandalwood, bergamot, musk, vetiver, patchouli.

Aedes de Venustas - Oeillet Bengale

Picture: Oeillet Bengale
Photo: PR Aedes de Venustas (c)

The latest release from New York based perfumeshop Aedes de Venustas, Oeillet de Bengale is created by perfumer Rodrigues Flores-Roux, a pefumer who created hidden mainstream gems as Donna Karan Gold  (swe) and also hyped niche fragrances as for example for Arquiste.

Oeillet Bengale starts with a true and soft carnation note followed by a light spicy incense focused note. Soon a beautiful rose appears, the rose is tender and natural smelling. As Oeillet Bengale dries further down, the rose and spices blends in a mix that creates an impression of a soft spicy carnation. Further in the development, the rose steps forward and appears in a different form, now in the form of a retro diva, the rose smells balsamic and a bit oldfashioned, deep and dark but without powdery and soapy nuances and reminds me of the rose-saffron accord in Odori Zafferano but in a smoother version. In the basenotes the balsamic, ambery impression deepens and playing beautifully with the spicy, rose-carnation. Taken as a whole, Oeillet Bengale is linear in style but playing in a higher, flowery register in its first part and on the deeper, darker part of the scale in the second part.

Oeillet Bengale is subtle with an obvious, chic-simple elegance, I can imagine the wearer of Oeillet Bengale in a basic uniform consisting of a black chasmere jumper/cardigan, a black light woolen penskirt, contrasted with different decorative silkscarves or pashminas. In its olfactory character, Oeillet Bengale reminds me of a non powdery Chanel 1932 or a Grossmith like Amelia. When it comes to carnations, the current (or just disontinued) Caron Bellodgia Edt is too watered down and not as balsamic in style, Bellodgia Edt in
the older version is in the traditional eugenol carnation style. Compared to another great carnation release from this year, Oriza L. Legrand Royal Oeillet reviwed earlier this week, Oeillet Bengale is a more of a non descript carnation, the fragrance is in fact a spicy rose underscored by balsamic notes which creates the impression of carnation, whereas Royal Carnation is a very true, classical carnation but in a contemporary interpretation. I have also heard from a reaible source that Oeillet Bengale have many similarities with vintage Yves Saint Laurent Opium Extrait, havn't smell the vintage extrait myself.

Oeillet Bengale is soft, elegant and in the same time comforting. It's sillage is close
but fully detectable for those nearby. Appropriate both for casual and the office especially for the colder months. The stayingpower is good, for over a day. And the bottle, like the other Aedas falcons, just marvellous.

Rating: 5

Notes: Turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamon, clove, saffron, rose, white pepper, strawberry, floral notes, vanilla, tolu balsam, benzoin, labdanum

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Fragrance(s) of the week (21) 2013 - That note

Photo: Parfumista (c)

 ....or maybe it's an accord. In perfumes featuring different flowers created during the latest one - two years there is a special scent that is tart, putty (moisty but in the same time powdery) slight musky basenote that I like much. As this note/accord has been increasingly frequent during this time period, I suppose that it's compliant to the coming regulations and just like oud has been a sort of substitute to filling  the void left after the banned oakmoss. I find this note/accord more or less pronounced in for example Chanel 1932 (with jasmine), Oriza L.Legrand Oeillet Louis XV (with carnation) Grossmith Amelia (with peony), Puredistance Opardu (with lilac) and Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin (retro oriental slight spicy contemporary chypre). So there is just to choose what supplementing note one prefers.

Grossmith - Amelia

Picture: European peony, Paeonia lactiflora
Photo by Frances2000, Wikipedia Commons

Amelia, a part of the Grossmith Black Label Collection released in late 2012, is created in honour of the daughter of the founder of the house (originally established in 1835), Amelia. The fragrance is created by Trevor Nicholl.

Amelia starts with an accord reminding of an upscale version of Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely and Narciso Rodriguez For Her Edt. Amelia than proceed less musky and sweet than the two other mentioned, there are offsetting neroli, white flowery and green notes detectable which balances the fragrance in a delicate way. I also smell a small fraction of that special tart note which is present in many 2012 cretations, probably compliant with the coming regulations. I like this kind of dry tartness combined in one note, the tart note is more clearly presant in for example Chanel 1932. 
The star of the flowery accord is a fresh and dewy peony, a peony that manage to maintain this impression during the whole dry down and doesn't get sour and dull. The base is musky with a counterbalancing typical contemporary chypre accord containing patchouli and vetiver. In the latest stages of the development of the base, the notes seems similar to the baseaccod in Golden Chypre which was reviewed last week. As in all Black Label creation tested so far the notes are well balanced and seamlessy mixed.

Amelia is a perfect fragrance for spring. It is clean without any laudery- or ozonic notes. It fits into most environments and couldn't offend anyone, hence it's the perfect, feminine scent for work. To be a tribute to a woman of the 19th centurary, Amelia feels a bit too contemporary in style. Maybe it is also a bit too perfect, there are absolutely no dangers lurking in the background as in for example the NR For Her Edt mentioned above. Amelia wears close to the skin and the longevity is for a day. The quality is top-notch as with Grossmiths in general.

Those who like fragrances in the classical style of Annick Goutal Quel Amour and Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Pivoine will probably appreciate this modern, musky interpretation of the peony-theme.

Rating: 4

Notes: Neroli, osmanthus, rose, jasmine, peony, amber, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, cashmere musks

Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.