Aedes de Venustas - Copal Azur

Picture: Views of the South Seas, a set of four,
HMS Resolution and Discovery in Tahiti
Watercolour by James Cleveley (1747-1786),
Wikipedia commons
 

New York based perfumstore and also perfume house Aedes de Venustas has, like so many others, also accelerated their launch rate the latest year. Copal Azur realeased in late 2014 is their second latest one. Copal Azur is composed by Bertrand Duchaufour.

Copal Azur starts with an accord dominated by a sort of smooth, rounded but in the same time distinct incensenote. The incense is not as heavy or sharp as in the traditional church insence personified by the classic  Commes des Garcons Avignon. Further on an accompanyng accord appears. This accord reminds me of a something woody, coconutty in a airy, humid, salty surrunding, there is also a slight woody-green note present. I get an image of a palm-tree situated on a beach, the weather is becoming worse, grey skies are appearing over the sea and the wind is increasing and with flurries. From the still sunwarmed palm-tree trunk, one can smell the tree resin, balsamic-woody with hints of coconut. As Copal Azur dries down further down, the resin qualities strengthens as also the spicy ones and in the same time the fragrance also becomes  ambery sweet. Maybe, at least when it comes to my nose, a bit too sweet when compared to the intitial airy-incense phase of the fragrance. Even if a different incensesmell, the airy pine-incense Oriza L.Legrand Relique D'Amour comes to my mind as it's also the airy incense concept but sutiated in the North whereas Copal Azur is the airy incense of the shores in the countries around the equator.
Recently I watched a documentary on television about Captain James Cook and I can imagine the smell of Copal Azur when the ship anchored by the islands in the South Pacific.

Picture: The beautiful Copal Azur bottle.
Photo: PR Aedes de Venustas (c)

Copal Azur is refreshing and pleasant to wear especially in spring and summer but could also be suitable in autumn and winter when in the right mood for this type of high and airy incense. It's a daytime fragrance, perfect for both work and casual. Silllage is medium and longevity for a day. Copal Azur is totally unisex.

Those who likes different kinds of airy incense fragrances as for example the dry, woody, high Incense Extreme by Andy Tauer, the light slight flowery incense Encens d'Ange by Autour de Parfums as well as the airy-aldehydic "Chanelesque" incense of Montale Full Incense could also like Copal Azur.

Rating: 4

Notes: Incense, salt, ozonic notes, patchouli, cardamom, tonkabeen, amber, myrrh

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try

Autour d'Parfums - Poudre d'Iris

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Poudre d'Iris is the iris interpretation in the affordable fragranceline from Autour d'Parfums which contains good and priceworthy "down to earth" basic fragrances in the same way as fore example the houses of  Les Nereides and Molinard.

Poudre d'Iris starts like a bit sweeter but in the same time thinner version of the neroli/orangeblossom dominated accord of Prada Infusion d'Iris Edp. After the initial phase, Pd'I becomes sort of wet powdery, like putty in  texture, and a note of almondblossom, with the characteristic (good) smell of the classic swedish paperglue, Carlssons klister, appears. This white glue also has this sort of texture as Pd'I reminds me of. The iris is note the rooty, carrotlike, harsh type, it's velvet flowery, as I image iris would smell if the flower had a scent. In the basenotes Pd'I is almost powdery, edible, gourmand and here it reminds me a bit of Guerlain Tonka Imperiale but softer and less sweet. There is also something with the irismix in Pd'I that reminds me of a quite different fragrance, the classical  80s light spicy floral Turbulences by Revillon

To me Pd'I induces the image of a sheer but in the same time heavy, light purple silkchiffon veil embrodied with gold and amethysts, the exquisite veil of a grand odalisque. Pd'I is very wearable and even if a tad sweeter, just as officefriendly Infusion d'Iris. Longevity is for more than 12h and sillage is close.

Rating: 4

Notes: Neroli, angelica, iris powder, almond blossom, heliotrophe, white musk, almond, sandalwood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test