Parfum d'Empire - Osmanthus Interdite

Picture: The northwest corner of the Forbidden City, Beijing, China
Photo: Attribution Charlie Fong, (cc), some rights reserved,
 Wikimedia.com

Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum d'Empire is a fragrance inspirerd from the scents and overall impressions from the imperial gardens in the Forbidden City in Beijing. Like all the high quality Parfum d'Empire fragrances, Osmanthus Interdite is created by the Parfum d'Empire founder,  IPSICA perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. The review is made from a sample from the latest edition of Osmanthus Intedite, the version in the new bottledesign.

Osmanthus Interdite is fresh, floral, dry chalky fruity matched with light, white tea notes. There is also some deep, almost dark passages, as shadows from the bushes besids the ponds a sunny afternoon in the palace garden. Smooth and very well balanced accents of the osmanthus flower like soft deep apricot, velvety leather as suede and dry fresh haynotes create a sofisticated, pleasant aura around the wearer. The tea notes are smooth without any harsh edges. In the base of Osmanthus Interdite, a pleasant chalky note steps forward, adding a deeper layer to the fragrance. In texture Osmanthus Interdite reminds me of a feather light, almost transparant cashmere shawl worn over an elegant, white, casual chic outfit. Some how Osmanthus Interdite has a calming and meditative effect, it's a relaxing fragrance to wear. Fragrances with the same relaxing and elegant, white aura that comes to my mind (even if not smelling the same) when wearing Osmanthus Interdite is By Kilian Water Calligraphy, Imperial Tea and Bamboo Harmony as also Dior Homme Cologne 2013 version.

Picture: Osmanthus Interdite, new bottle
Photo: PR Parfum d'Empire (c)

Osmanthus Interdite is quite linear in constuction, with its accords flowing back and forth during the dry down of the fragrance. It's discrete with a close sillage, with good longevity, about a day. It's the perfect office fragrance for spring, summer, early autumn but could be worn in any season. As I remember the previous version in the old bottle, I can't detect any differences, probably there is no reformulation in connection with the switch in bottledesign.

Osmanthus Interdite is the osmanthus fragrance that I've experienced so far and I also think it's one of the best tea fragrances on the market.

Rating: 5

Notes: Osmanthus, green tea, apricot, jasmin, rose, fruit, musk, suede

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

By Kilian - Flower of Immortality

Picture: Peach Blossoms  (1878)
Oil on canvas by Winslow Homer
 Wikimedia commons

Flower of Immortality is the third installment in the By Kilian Asian Tales line. FoI is, like most of the Kilians, created by Calice Becker. The Asian Tales line is aimed to the asian market and features subtle, transparant fragrances as these type of fragrances is said to be preferred there. The first two fragrances of the line were the elegant but in the same time refreshing Water Calligraphy and Bamboo Harmony.

Flower of Immortality starts with mouthwatering topnotes of peach (the fruit) accompanied by a note that feels like peachblossom. The peachnote is very realistic and I havn't smelled peachblossoms but I can image a scent like this. This is the best peachaccord since MDCI Parfums Peche Cardinal even if that one is denser and a bit darker in its peachy loveliness. In the middlenotes the peaches calms down but is still clearly present when the contrasting, cool iris accompanied by a subtle rose appears. There is not the carrotsmelling earthy iris, which surprises me as according to the list of ingredients there is also carrotseeds in the blend, the iris is clean, powdery and polite, just as the texture of FoI in the middle and basenotes. I also think that the tonkabeen mentioned among the ingredients adds a powdery warmth to the fragrance.

Picture: By Kilian Flower of Immortality
Photo: PR By Kilian

Flower of Immortality is a polite, elegant, refreshing, officefriendly and easy to wear fragrance, perfect for spring and summer especially for days when the only wish perfumewise is to be ensured smelling very good. In some way FoI is almost too perfect, it smells so good, is so wellconstructed and is so wellbehaved that I suspect the wearer could be a bit bored if wearing this to often. The only drawback is that FoI fades away quickly and is just a too faint trail of the scent after a few hours.

Rating: 4

Notes: White peach, carrot seeds, iris, black currant, rose, tonka bean

Robert Piguet - Chai

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Chai is a green fragrance accentuated by  flowery notes grounded in subtle and smooth, lingering teanotes. Chai is a part of the Robert Piguet Pacific Collection which is created by Aurelien Guichard.

Chai starts with a burst of the same fresh teanote that is the maintheme of the classic Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert. The fresh teanote quickly enters to the background but emphasizes the sparkling green freshness of the scent of just cutted  greenery and a gentle touch of white flowers, probably orangeblossom. A touch of a subdued citrusnote is also present. As Chai reaches the basenotes a wellbalanced smoky teannote joins the light teanote and the pronounced notes of greenery. A waxy note smoothens and warms the texture of Chai. Teafragrances are often cold and bright but Chai is warm and gentle in it's apperance. The smoky note is gentle, it's not the sharp smokiness of Lapsang souchong but a smooth smokiness. The smoky note reminds me somehow of a light version of the pleasant almost cigarette smoky note of my favourite Carner Barcelona, D600 . This smoky note is also present in another favourite, Annick Goutals herbal, smoky Nuit Etoilee. Finally there is (of course) also similarities to the smoky teanotes of L'Artisan Parfumeurs masterpiece Tea for Two but the smoky notes are subdued in Chai compared to Tea for two.

Chai is the perfect daytime spring and summerfragrance, also wearable in the colder month when longing for the summer. This green fragrance is suitable both for work and casual and even if bright and light in texture, Chai is sort of compact and not att all fleeting in its structure. The sillage is medium and the longevity for at least 12h.

Chai is suitable for wearers who likes the two perfumestyles indicated above: "Pure" tea fragrances and fragrances grounded with transparent, fresh lighten cigarette smoky notes. Other tea fragrances that comes to my mind when testing out Chai are Dior Escale à Pondichery (bergamot, jasmin, spices, black tea) and ByKilian Bamboo Harmony (bergamot, neroli, spices, tea).

To me Chai is the star of the Pacific Collection. An uplifting, comfortable fragrance, just in time with the color of 2013: Green.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot leaves, white tea, (white flowers), beewax, mate tea

By Kilian - In the City of Sin

Picture: Still Life With Compotier, 

Painting by Paul Cezanne (ca 1879-1882)

Collection Mr. and Mrs. Rene Lecomte, Paris

Wikimedia commons

Sorry, but I get no sinful associations at all from this fleeting Calice Becker creation In the City of Sin. In the City of Sin is one of three initial offerings from the new ByKilian sub-line In the Garden of Good and Evil from handsome Hennessy heir, Kilian Hennessy. In the City of Sin is said to be "The temptation which leads to carnal desire".

In the City of Sin starts with a sparkling clean bergamot-cardamom dominated accord. Then some natural smelling fruity nots follows, there are no harsh chemical notes, instead the fruity notes are round, soft, fresh and perfectly ripe. The fruits reminds me of a tamer version of the fruity notes of Bombay Bling from Neela Vermeire creations.  The fruity notes are supported by a bright, pink rose and tha blend is grounded in a rather cold woody cedar-patchouli base.

As hinted above, instead of sinful, In the City of Sin is a quite innocent, very officefriendly scent that could be worn daytime year around but preferably during spring, summer and the early autumn. Nice and friendly but to be honest, nothing special when taking into account that In the City of Sin is created by the flower-champion Calice Becker. I have to admit that I like the two of many perfumistas critizised offerings of the Asian Tales line (Water Calligraphy and Bamboo Harmony) much better than this mediocre composition.

The question what is happening with the ByKilian brand is justified when smelling this fleeting (probably already fully IFRA-compliant) fragrance. Earlier there was body and strength in the By Kilians. The Arabian Nights collection is great as also many of the fragrances of the initial L'oeuvre Noire line.

Rating: 3

Notes: Bergamot, pink pepper, cardamom, apricot, plum, turkish rose, incense, atlas cedar, patchouli

Oscar de la Renta - Live in Love

Picture:Flower of Nelumbo nucifera, bean of India
Photo by T Voelker, (CC) some rights reserved, Wikimedia commons

Live in Love is an elegant, easy to wear, daytime green floral created for Oscar de la Renta by three perfumers in colaboration: Jean-Marc Chaillan, Carlos Benaim and Ann Gottlieb.

Live in love, despite its notes of classic though green notes as bergamott, hyacinth and galbanum, starts as a modern, fresh, clean green floral but without either the detergent note or the "just climbing out from the shower"freshness. The flowers are bright but not weak in appearence and there is also a complementing, subdued fruitiness present. All together this creates a watery impression, as of waterflowers in a pond. There is similarities with ByKilian Water Calligraphy and with the overall impression of Bulgari Omina Coral even if that one is much more fruity and sharp compared to the better balanced Live in Love.

After a while a shining almost incenselike note appears and starts to interact with the wet florals and their supprting slight fruity notes. This incensenote create an interesting contrast to the fruity notes and helps to put them forward. The incense like note I think is a subdued ginger and maybe traces of soft cedarwood (if looking at the notelist anyway).A very successful ginger interpretation as ginger often is too screamy, bubbeling andspritzy, almost as an overdose of  freshly minced white pepper.This interesting and appealing interaction between the "incense" and the fruity-floral notes goes on duirng the middlenotes and as the ginger tunes down the flowery/fruity notes lands in a pleasant woody, musky base.

Live in Love with it's sort of unsweet elegant slight fruity,wet floral, green notes and the classical ingredients (galbanum, hyacinth, bergamot) interpreted in a modern way is the perfect officescent suitable year around but especially for spring, summer and the early autumn. It's present but quite close to the wearer and can't offend (almost) anyone. The longevity is great,it lasts for 24h.

Live in Love is an evidence that good "mainstream"/designerfragrances could be created today also. It's seems that Oscar de la Renta has revived some of it's former glory in perfume especially with the launch of the beautiful aldehydic composition Esprit d'Oscar but also Live in Love is a good example of what could be created if the intention is there. The coming Essential Luxuries seems also very interesting and I hope I get the opportunity to smell them later on.

Live in Love could be appreciated for the fans of the fragrances mentioned above but also for those who like Dior Escale à Pondichery, Gala de Dia (review in swedish) by Loewe and By Kilian Bamboo Harmony.

Rating: 4

Notes: Hyacinth, galbanum, bergamot, lily-of-the-valley, orchid, jasmine, orange flower, rose sandalwood, cedar, woodsy notes, amber, musk

By Kilian - Bamboo Harmony

Bamboo Harmony is the other of the two Calice Becker fragrances released 2012 in the ByKilian Asian Tales line.The line is planned to continue at least five fragrances which will be launched during the next three years.

As with Water Calligraphy earlier this week, I've recognize another fragrance immediately when spraying BH. This time I recognize a smoother Escale à Pondichéry by Dior in the earlier stages of the dry down infused with some hints of Keiko Mecheris Les Nuits D'Izu. After a while BH is back on the smoother EsP trail, with less spices, tea and jasmine than EsP BH is a nicer and more polite version on the citrus-tea-aromatic-flowery theme. Nice, pleasant, refreshing and harmless, this is the perfect officescent for summer. Also as well suited for casual wear.

Well blended and polished, no harsh or sharp notes but unoriginal and somehow dull to be an expensive By Kilian frag.

Rating: 3

Notes: Bergamot, neroli, bigaride, tea, mimosa, spices, oakmoss, holly, figleaves