Carner Barcelona - Palo Santo

Picture: Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens)
Photo by Haplochromis (cc) some rights
reserved, Wikimedia.com 

Palo Santo is the latest creation of Barcelona based perfume house Carner Barcelona. Palo Santo means holy wood, grows in South America, is related to frankincense, myrrh, copal and is burned as incensesticks. Palo Santo in Catalan is also a fruit, persimmons.

I don't know who the perfumer is which has created Palo Santo, anyway the fragrance starts with the comfortable, likable, gourmand, light sweet-spicy accord which characterize the house of Carner. In Palo Santo rum and a sweet, herbal accord, soon complemented with a smoky vetiver opens the fragrance. The opening and to some extent (se below) reminds me of a gentler and smoother version of Parfumerie Générale Querelle. Palo Santo behaves different in the middlenotes in different wearings. The smoky, a bit sweet vetiver is the dominating accord once I wear it, in another wearing the vetiver is gentler and a green, slight herbal, fizzy accord appears and creates an impression of green, burning incense. When Palo Santo reaches the basenotes it becomes sweeter, it's like smoky slight caramelized vetiver. This first stage of the base reminds me of another great Parfumerie Générale creation; Cédre Sandarque but in a lighter and less extreme form. The more Palo Santo dries down in the basenotes, the more vanilla steps forward and it morph to a nice vanilla supported with the smoky vetiver as a contrast.

Picture: Palo Santo
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

Palo Santo is a good everyday perfume for the colder months, it's a bit too heavy and sweet for summer, except cold, rainy summerevenings. Palo Santo is strong and has to be applied sparingly, if not it becomes almost cloying. The sillage is medium and longevity for more than a day.

As mentioned above, Paolo Santo has a special contemporary gourmand aura typical for the houses fragrances at least from Rima XI and El Born. The sweet, spicy gourmand vibe was not as present in the first three fragrances of the house, D600, Tardes and Cuirs. Of the three fragrances of later years, El Born is definitely my favorite not just in smell, I also find it in a better harmony on skin than Palo Santo.

Even if not smelling similar there are some similarities that makes me think that those who like By Kilian Light My Fire  with its sweet vetiver touch also would appreciate Palo Santo.

Rating: 4

Notes: Artemisia, rum, milk, guaiac wood, tonka bean, vetiver, vanilla, sandalwood.

Scented thoughts - May 2015

Picture: Swedens face (and voice :-) in 2015 ESC,
Måns Zelmerlöw
Photo: TT (c), PR SVT

Times flies and even if many fragrant thoughts are going on, there is so short of time to write them down.

* Now I also have a busy summer ahead, sniffwise at least.  Yesterday a lovely letter with samples form the best assorted nicheboutique in Sweden, Fragrance & Art. was waiting in the letterbox. As mentioned before, the ovner has an incredible talent for selecting good and unusual perfumelines. In the letter there were samples from a just introduced line, Franck Boclet, which I havn't recoginized until now. From sniffing from some of the samples, these seems very promisíng. And there were other exciting things in that letter too, stay tuned for comming reviews.
* To day is the Evening of the Grand Spectacle, final in Vienna of the  Eurovision Song Contest which is very fun to look at (an comment :-) together with friends and family. Sweden has a great chance to win it all with the very professional artist Måns Zelmerlöw, also nick-named Yum-Yum. It not just Måns handsome look and good artistery, the melody Heroes and animated light show are also great. I'll be dissapointed if Måns don't make it, this will be an exciting evening.
* Which fragrances are in rotation when not testing new samples, i.e what has been worn during the workdays lately? In the transition between spring and summer I crave both for lighter fragrances and darker. Favorites lately are some Hermèses as the tangy, fruity, almost composting smelling, slight rosy Un Jardin Sur le Toit.  Also the flanker to one of my all time favorites Amazone, Rose Amazone is worn relatively much. Even if I like the original better, at least in my 1990s version, I also like Rose Amazone very much, more easy to wear, not as deep  as the original, fruity, rosy, tangy (this one too :-). In the light category, my Puredistance sample of  the wonderful flowery WHITE is a great favorite. Elegant but in the same time so comfortable to wear, my vintage Hermès  Les Voitures a Transformation  (in blue) worn yesterday together with this gem is now soaked in Whites beautiful aura. When passing it, I can't resist to sniff the silk.
* When it comes to the darker ones, I have rediscoverd some great Parfumerie Gènèrales which I was not so found of some years ago but now find are great: The smoky, woody, sweet, caramelized, wheat of Cedre Sandarque is delicious. The vetiver accented, inscrutable, slight soapy, contemporary chypre Querelle is also fab, if lightly applied. If too heavy handed, it appears as a mens Cologne.

Parfumerie Générale - Cedre Sandarque

Bild: Julbocken av John Bauer, 1912, Wikimedia Commons

Mjuk papparkaka följd av ljust grön, spritsig vetiver landar i en karamelliserad ambra och träbas. Det är den korta versionen av Parfumerie Générales originella Cedre Sandarque. Eller originell förresten, det beror på hur man ser det. Jämfört med "vanliga" dofter är Parfumerie Générales dofter originella men jämför man bara inom PG familjen så är förstås inte alla så originella då de har många gemensamma drag och en typisk, varm, gourmandig PG bas som varieras i flera av dofterna. I känns många spår av PG:s toppdoft Cozë men i CS i en ljusare, sötare och karamelligare variant. Det finns också en lätt behaglig rökighet/brändhet i CS och vetivern är en av de bästa hittils för min hud. Den blir inte kärv och maskulin utan håller sig ljust och spritisgt grön, som om den vore lätt kolsyresatt.

Cedre Sandarque är en verklig unisexdoft, många som anges som unisex har ofta en draging åt det ena eller andra hållet, om jag nu ska vara så konservativ. Den är varm och omhändertagande och pepparkaksnoten gör den perfekt att bära under julen. En doft som en tomte säkert gillar!

Betyg: 4

Noter: Vetiver, afrikanskt cederträ, sandarc kåda, olika sädesslag, karamelliserad ambra