Maître Parfumeur et Gantier - Tubéreuse

Picture: Polianthes tuberosa
Source: Wikimedia commons

The tuberose interpretation of Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Tubéreuse starts with topnotes that reminds me of powdery lipstick. The tuby-note are evident even if embedded in lipstick. As the top notes fades and the perfume reach it's heart, a more polished version of the typical dirty "stable-like" jasmine note of MPG matsterly interpreted in the MPG soliflore Jasmine, appears accompaning the tuberose. There are a lot of similarities between Jasmine and Tubéreuse but the latter is more well modulated and polished even if some skankiness lurking behind it's elegant exterior. The former is straight forward, it smells as it has just left the stable. In both Tubereuse and Jasmine the top-and mid-range are infused with green notes that accentuates that respective flower. The green notes are slightly harsh, galbanum comes in mind but without the typical crispiness of that stuff. Just as Jasmine, Tubéreuse is grounded in the special MPG musc that contribute to the retro-like impression of their fragrances.

To summon all up, MPG Tubéreuse is a green floral scent accented by tuberose although there is a hefty dose of jasmine too. The scent is not an equally distinct and compact tuberose frag such as Annick Goutals Tubéreuse or Frederic Malle Carnal Flower. As Tubereuse is not very powerful and it is almost percived as thin in the projection. But it fills its place as a retro scent with a clearly nostalgic vibe. Tubéreuse is an EDT that fits well  wearing during daytime especially for spring and summer. 

Rating: 4

Notes: Green notes, tuberose, jasmine, rose, musc, amber

Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle - Eau de Magnolia

Picture: Magnolia × wieseneri 
Photo: WibblyWibby (cc) Wikipedia commons,
some rights reserved

Almost everything is already said about the beautiful latest Malle release, Eau de Magnolia a creation of Carlos Beniam and I has little to add to the praise. Eau de Magnolia is inspired from a draft to an airy magnoliaperfume, created by the great Edomond Roudnitska. But in those days, we are talkning the late 19th century, the technology in pefumery (for example head-space), didn't left the same opportunities as today and Roudnitska had to set his magnolia idea aside.

To me Eau de Magnolia is quite linear but with some characteristics in different parts. It's starts crispy-airy, a bit chilly and I instantly think of the Roudnitska masterpiece Dior Diorissimo. Further in the drydown Eau de Magnolia becomes a bit warmer and turns from the initial cripsy white impression to a pale, yellow note with a light honeyed almost beerlike (malt) note. The light airy flowers are still there but the fragrance becomes sort of deeper in texture. Eau de Magnolia is more about at white and pale crispy flowers bouquet than of a soliflore of the "note de jour"; magnolia. There is also an almost bitter, dense citrusnote discretly following through the top and middleaccords, probably the bergamot. In the later stages I smell a wellbalanced vetiver and some moisty mossy notes. There is also the high, bright, airy, chemical note, typical for contemporary fragrances, present in both niche and mainstream releases. Besides Diorissimo fragrances such as Elie Saab L'Eau de Couture (even if emphasising other flowers and sweeter, the texture is similar fresh, airy and a bit chemical) and Serge Lutens La Vierge de Fer (even if this one is more formal and has an almost metallic vibe).

Picture: Eau de Magnolia
Photo: PR Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle (c)

Eau de Magnolia is a very feminine fragrance and it makes me think of cool, blonde, natural beauties such as Ingrid Bergman or a bit more styled ones as Grace Kelly/Princess Grace. The fragrance is very versatile, easy to like (I guess it will be a bestseller, a new Carnal Flower) and could be worn for any daytime occasion. Longevity is good for such a light fragrance, for more than a day liberally applied. Eau de Magnolia is relaxing, undemanding and just beautiful, something to wear when you not need to be challenged from your fragrance, just smell good. The unchallening nature of Eau de Magnolia is also the only drawback with the fragrance, just smelling divine is sometimes a bit booring.

Rating: 4

Notes: Bergamot, magnolia, vetiver, patchouli, cedar, moss, amber

Midsummer (and some concerns about Caron)

Picture: Midsummerflower
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

So here we are, already the magic summersolstice with the shortest night of the year i.e not dark at all, just more or less light outside. But when it comes to the temprature one could suspect it's the wintersolstice we are celebrating. Yesterday was the coldest Midsummereve in decades and perfumewise I felt to put on some spicy-woody YSL Opium instead of something traditional midsummer flowery or green grassy. It all came to a compromise, I chose a flower but not at light pretty summerflowery one.

Instead I went for a classical, dramatic, elegant and restrained soliflore, Caron Tubéreuse which has intrigued me lately, inspired from the great review on Suzannes Perfume Journal as well as a post on The Scented Salamander and the fact that I suspect (don't know from any official source) that Tubereuse is discontinued. At least as a fragrance widly avaible in a bottle and not only as an urn/fountain-extrait. Can't find it on the Caron website which is also the case with for example Bellodgia (there is a new release called Più Bellodgia) and I suppose the old, cranation dominated one is replaced with a new interpretation of the fragrance as last years regulations hardly affected the substances which creates the smell of carantion.

Definitly Caron Tubereuse should have more attention. It's not the bombastic, flowery, tuberose as Robert Piguet Fracas, nor the green, crisp, leafy, sunny tuberose as Frederic Malle Carnal Flower. Caron Tubereuse starts with a honeyed nectarnote like in Annick Goutal Tubereuse but not rounded and warm in texture as the latter. Caron Tubereuse on the contrary is cold, slight bitter-green and strangly enough at first dry but later dark-green slight mossy, a bit moisty in texture. It's a dark and restraind fragrance and even if not smelling close, I think Caron Tubereuse expressing a similar mood as Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Tubéreuse which is a lighter in texture tuberose compared to the Caron.

Fragrance of the week (5) 2013

Picture: Haversting pepper, Illustration from Le livre des merveilles de Marco Polo
 ("The Adventures of Marco Polo"), date unknown, Wikimedia Commons.

Rushing  through my Fredric Malle samples to figure out if there is any FB I "have to" buy before the perfumemarauder regalutions eventually takes effect this summer.  Read an interview somewhere (Basenotes?) where Malle stated that his perfumeportfoilo would be heavely affected if the rules are implemented. As my samples are a few years old (2009) some reformulations probably are already implemented, if I remember correctly 2010 was a year of though IFRA selfregulation, but anyway...
To my surprise the a bit strange creature Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska, attracted compliments and that without me asking for an opinion. To me Noir Epices is both attractive and repulsive in the same time. I really like the dry spicy hot notes and the orange and rosewater. But there is also an overall impression of an old mans cologne worn on unwashed skin in some stages of the dry down. All these together makes Noir Epices challenging and interesting to wear, something that I appreciate very much when it comes to perfume.
PS: When going through the Frederic Malle consultation form on their website serveral years ago, the two recommended frags where Carnal Flower, which I, as a tubereuselover of course had to have, and Noir Epices

Goutalvecka

Foto: Herr Parfumista (c)

För ett par dagar sedan avslutade jag min temavecka i Annick Goutal. Efter att i förra veckan blivit nedstämd och bedrövad vid provning av Serge Lutens makabra De Profundis, review följer men vid en mer passande tidpunkt som Allhelgonahelgen, bara måste jag muntra upp mig rejält. Inget kan väl passa bättre som humörhöjare än Annick Goutals fina, rena och klara dofter. För att få en rejäl kontrast inledde jag tema AG med:

Ninfeo Mio: Ninfeo är nog min största AG favorit. Den illusterar perfekt den skuggiga näckrosdamm i en gammal romersk park som den är inspirerad av. Citrus, lime, gröna noter, nässlig, trä och en blomnot som bara anas men som påminner om Tuberose. Det är kanske därför jag associerar Ninfeo Mio till L'Artisans Nuit de Tubereuse.

Un Matin d'Orage: UMdO var jag inte så jätteförtjust i från början men det är en doft som jag tycker mer och mer om. Doften förmedlar verkligen intrycket av en trädgård som vaknar upp i solsken morgonen efter ovädret, den höga klara, spritsiga, luften, det våta gräset och doften av blommor och blad som slagits ned av regnet.Review: http://parfumistansblogg.blogspot.com/search/label/Un%20Matin%20d%27Orage

Gardenia Passion: Jag hittar främst tuberose i denna fina, vita blomdoft. Finns stråk som påminner om den grönkrispiga tuberosen i Carnal Flower. GP är för mig en rätt klassisk tuberosedominerad doft, inte så särskilt originell.

Songes: Är verkligen som en tropisk dröm. Förmedlar en tropisk fuktighet och värme. Frangipanin är extra tydlig på mig och doftspåret varar länge efter det att jag lämnat rummet. Songes är också en AG som jag uppskattar alltmer.

Grand Amour: Tillhör liksom Gardenia Passion de klassiska AG:s som skapades medan Annick fortfarande var i livet. Aldehydisk hyacint och lilja, tät och lite metallisk i tonen men ändå varm, speciell. Vissa noter påminner om  Serge Lutens Bas de Soie fast BdS är kall i karaktären.

Passion: En av de allra första doftern från AG. Blommor på gränsen till att vara överblommade och noter av undervegetation i en krämig känsla. Påminner i stilen om Vivienne Westwood Boudoir och DelRaes Amoureuse minus kardemumman.

Mon Parfum Cheri, par Camille: Den senaste mörkt, fruktiga, chypreliknande iris-plommon-patchoulli parfymen var en värdig avslutning på AG kavalkaden. En kommande klassiker och en av de bästa dofterna 2011. Review i föregående inlägg.

Dofterna från Annick Goutal är verkliga humörhöjare samtidigt som jag kan njuta av välkomponerade och intressanta teman utan att behöva analysera till uttröttning. En AG vecka gör jag gärna om.

Den Stora Dagen ....

....är här. Äntligen och så välförtjänt får Kronprinsessan Victoria och herr Daniel varandra! Och Sverige får en ny prins, präktig och rejäl, något att luta sig mot. Kronprinsessan var otroligt vacker i sin svepande aftonklänning igår och så genuint strålande lycklig. Kan bara tänka mig hur vacker hon kommer att vara idag, troligen krönt av kamédiademet som blivit något av en tradition bland kungliga brudar. Det här ska bli så roligt och romatiskt!
Vilken doft kan då passa kronprinsessan denna dag? Ett säkert kort att hålla hela dagen och som passar vitt är Editions Frederic Malles grönt krispiga tuberosedoft Carnal Flower. Den är elegant och passar på sommaren, håller bra en maratondag som denna. Ett lite varmare, mörkare alternativ är Montales Highness Rose som förutom att namnet passar superbt är en ren rosenoljeparfym, det är som om den röda rosens blad destillierats helt utan tillsatser av annat. Den är så ren och elegant, undrar om jag inte själv ska fira i HR idag.