Une Nuit de Bali - Suma Oriental, Mr Vetyver, Fleur des Fleurs

Une Nuit de Bali is a french fragranceline inspired from the plants, flowers, trees and natural substances of southern Asia.

Picture: Suma Oriental
Photo: PR Une Nuit de Bali (c)

Suma Oriental starts a tad too musky but this accord soon fades out in a bright sandalwoody and in the same time slight boozy accord. Later on Suma Oriental becomes darker, induced from a very well balanced patchouli which is supported by woody note and the sweet, powdery notes of tonkabeen. The light boozy impression remains also in the deeper and darker second part of the fragrance, a phase which is very comforting and long lasting. A good, easy to wear, woody oriental with classical vibes, there is something "Shalimar-ish" over it but not as complicated and without the sweet and animalic notes. Suma Oriental is my favorite in the line

Picture: Mr Vetyver
Photo: PR Une Nuit de Bali (c)

Mr Vetyver is a straight forward, masculine but IMO also unisex fragrance. In its first part Mr Vetyver smells like icecold dry vermuth. The chilly impression contiues when cold spicy notes appears, cardamon is dominating supported by herbal notes. There is also the musky note present in Suma Oriental which is more prominent and present duiring the whole dry down in Mr Vetyver. Maybe this musknote is a part of the house´s baseaccord. Worth to try for those who likes cold, white, boozy fragrances as Penhaligons' Juniper Sling and The Different Company De Bachmanov.

Picture: Picture: Fleur de Fleur
Photo: PR Une Nuit de Bali (c)

Fleur des Fleurs starts watery, like a floral light fruity bubble bath. The fruity notes are soft and airy, with a natural sweetness. There is also warm spicy notes, a light saffron is well blended with the flowesr and fruits. Warm, green notes, like tropical leaves balancing the fruits and flowers in a sunny, comforting and relaxing fragrance which is appropriate both for humid days in summer as to enlight during grey winterdays.Even if not smelling the same, Fleur des Fleurs reminds me of a contemporary interpretation of Balenciaga Michelle.

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the samples to test

By Kilian - Smoke for the Soul

Picture: Kilian himself personify
his new line - Addicted State of Mind
Smoke for the Soul
Photo: PR By Kilian (c)

Smoke for the Soul is one of three fragrances that constitutes the start of a new By Kilian subline called "The addicted state of mind.  Smoke for the Soule is created by perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin.

Smoke for the Soul starts cold and slight mentholic, probably from the eucalyptus, soon a bitter citric note appears,  followed by a note close to dry, unsweet liquorice. After a while the smoke appears, a smoke similar to the smell of a forest fire. When the smoke subsides, the cold green mentholic accord comes forward again, accompanied by a natural smelling cardamon note. There is also something that smells similar to wet tobaccoleaves glimpsing in the background. The overall structure is sharp, woody, cold spicy/herbal.

Picture: Smoke for the Soul
Photo: PR By Kilian (c)

Overall Smoke for the Soul is a weird perfume. At first it's easy to be confused and condemn it as a high-end but easy going fragrance, likable for most people. But soon I become aware of my mistake, Smoke of the Soule is alternately repulsive and likeable, feels alternately refreshing and depressing. It has something familiar but overall it's a strange composition. It's lighter and more fleeting than some other fragrances with "drug" elements such as Nasomatto Black Afgano ticker, a bit sweeter and fullbodied compared with SftS and Parfumerie Generale Cozë also sweeter,denser and more spicy/herbal. When the fresher sides of SftS shines through, there is something (the chilly herbal quality) in the overall apperance that reminds med of
De Bachmakow from The Different Company.

Smoke for the Soul is suitable (in small doses) for daytime wear but not in too warm or too cold temperatures, perhaps autumn and spring is the best seasons for this fragrance. Overnight longevity and sillage is close. It's classified as unisex and I agree with that, it's totally genderless.

Not my favorite By Kilian but as always with the Kilians a wellcrafted, high quality fragrance that at least creates a reaction, which is not common among the current releases.

Rating: 4

Notes: Eucalyptus, grapefruit, tobacco, mate, birch, cashmirwood, cannabis, cardamom

Maria Candida Gentile - Gershwin

Picture:  Publicity portrait of George Gershwin (1898-1937),
with autograph ca 1935, Wikipedia Commons

Gershwin is inspired of the wide range of music, from jazz to classic and operas, composed by George Gershwin. Maybe it's also inspired of his too short life. It's one of the first releases in the classical Maria Candida Gentile line and is classified as unisex, to my nose leaning a bit more to the masculine side.

Gershwin starts refreshing with excellent citrusnotes, underscored with a fizzy and wellbalanced pepper. The woody elements are soon coming forward and an almost juniperthree-like note appears. In both the top- and the middle stages Gershwin reminds me of a fresh, woody, chilly favorite of mine, The Different Company De Bachmakov. There is also something that slight resembles the chilly aura of Helmut Lang Cuiron.
Even if the overall impression of Gershwin is that of a linear fragrance, there is a notable difference between the top- and middlenotes and the base where Gershwin dries down in a beautiful, rounded almost honey-like incense. The incense is soft and not overpowering or sharp. Even in the basenotes, the impression of the  forest like freshness of the earlier stages of the fragrance are still present but it's not the mainplayer anymore.

Picture: Gershwin in its stylish bottle
Photo: PR Maria Candida Gentile (c)

Gershwin is just as DeBachmakov, the perfect fresh fragrance for spring and summer. It's suitable both for casual and work. The only drawback is the longevity, Gershwin fades away too fast, there are just light traces left after a workingday. Except that, Gershwin is another winner from Maria Candida Gentile.

Those who appreciate Andy Tauers Incense Extreme and Parfumerie Générale L'Eau Guerriere even if these fragrances doesn't smell too close, they are somehow common in style.

Rating: 4

Notes: Winter and Sicilian lemons, bitter orange, grapefruit, pink pepper, sycamore (maple), water flowers, cloves, sandalwood, incense

Teo Cabanel - Méloé

Picture:Hay Harvest at Éragny by Camille Pissarro 1901,
Wikimedia commons, (cc) some rights reserved (PD-1923)

Méloé is created by perfumer Jean-Francois Latty for the perfumehouse Téo Cabanel. This house were originally started in Algiers in 1893 but moved to Paris 1908. The house were re-started 2005 and have launched several new fragrances since then, most famous is the floral-oriental Alahine.

Méloé start with sparkeling citrus-/mandarinenotes, offsetted by a slight bitter (in a good way), powdery bergamotnote. There is also a touch of herbal and spicy notes, nutmeg is appears clearly to me and also a touch of basil. Méloé is fresh but not in a chemical or sweet way and the florals seems equally balanced with herbs and spice and the fragrance feels somehow natural and wellblended. There is also an almost watery-floral touch to Méloé, like in Oscar de la Renta Live in Love and By Kilian Water Calligraphy, but in Méloé the watery impression is much more subdued, even if still there, than in the two related fragrances. In the basenotes there is a white musk supported by mossy and woody notes, which deepens the fragrance in a bit darker nuances of green. All together, Méloé to me is a sort of aromatic-floral, not fruity-floral as I have read somewhere. 

Picture: Méloé in its stylish bottle.
Photo: PR Parfums Téo Cabanel

Méloé is an upliftining, surprisingly longlasting fragrance.The blend is specified as an Eau Légére, which is supposed to be lighter than an Edt, but I can smell whiffs of it after almost 24h on skin and on fabric some days after the day I was wearing it. Méloé is suitable for daytime wear, especially for spring and summer, but also, as lighter fragrances lasts better in autumn/winter, for days when longing for something lighter during the darker and colder.

Even if Méloé bears similarities with other fragrances in the light, refreshing, floral genre it has its own identity, the green herbal tinge and slight bitter (in a positive way) note.

Even if not similar fragrances but similar in expression, those who enjoy De Bachmakov (also herbal notes) from The Different Company, Dior Escale à Pondichéry (the flower and spice) and Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte (the green, slight bitter flowers) also could like Méloé.

Rating: 4

Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, lemon, lavender, basil, neroli, orange blossom, jasmine, nutmeg, musk, moss, amber, woody notes

Annick Goutal - Nuit Etoilée

Picture: Wildweibchen mit Einhorn,

Kissenplatte, Strassburg, October 1500,

Unknown author, Historisches Museum Basel,

Wikimedia commons

The latest creation from Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilée, created by the "house-nose" Isabel Doyen will be released later this spring. NE will capture the feeling of walking in the wild forest at night, the magical feel, the fresh minty herbs, moss and the whirls of dark, woody notes.

To me Nuit Etoilée doesn't mediate this impressions, on the contrary I get the image of a warm summernight in the asphalt jungle of a big city. NE starts with a citrusy note that for a very short while reminds of the beginning of The Different Companys chilly DeBachmakov. But very soon NE turns to be a warm fragrance, and stays warm during the whole dry down. A slight dusty jasmine note combined with mint comes forward and at this stage NE reminds me of a gentler version of Etat Libre d'Oranges Jasmin et Cigarettes. There is also a plastic note lurking in the background, but the note is not at all disturbing and fits in with the menthol cigarettes. The mint note is not as distinctive and sharp as in the mint-tea blend of Parfumerie Générale Harmatan Noir. In the basenotes a gentle balsamic firnote appears together with a quiet pine. But there is pine trees in urban surroundings, there is not the wooded, green, sharp- and freshness in the pinenotes as in for example Cacharel pour Homme.

When sampling NE it reminds me of another perfume that I can't identify at first. As NE achieved the middle- and basenotes it's all suddenly clear: NE is close to the transparent, light herbal, light spicy, flowery Turbulences by Révillon, early 2000 Edt-formula. The plastic, minty, cigarettenotes are there in both blends but Turbulences is more flowery, spicy as NE is more herbal, woody in character.

Nuit Etoilée is, according to the picture on the samplewrapper, botteld in beautiful, night dark blue bottles. The mens squarish bottle with it's dark label is the most beautiful. But unfortunately the juice (to me) doesn't quite lives up to the beauty of the blue bottles. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the blend but after the releases of the masterpiece Mon Parfum Cheri, par Camille and the distinctive, sappy green beauty Ninfeo Mio I have far higher expectations than NE can deliver. Of course I'm also affected by the fact that I perceive Turbulences during almost the whole drydown of NE.

To summarize: NE is a good perfume but it doesn't stand out among the Goutals, but compared to most mainstream releases it definitly does.NE is a very wearable perfume, foremost in spring and summer. It is classified as an unisex fragrance and I think it's the right classificationas it seems to fit both genders equal.

Update June 2012: Nuit Etoilée is one of those fragrances that grows over time, sniffed it now and then during the latest months, I have learnt to appreciate NE much more then before. In particular I'm appreciating the minty-cigarette-smoky-note which resembles the cigarette-smoky note in my favorite Carner Barcelona fragrance D600.

Rating: 3+   Updated rating June 2012: 4+ .Rating July 2012: 5 This one just grows better with time :-)

Notes: Citrus, orange, peppermint, angelica, imortelle, fir balsam, pine, tonka.

Thanks to Parfums Annick Goutal for the sample to review.

Spring fragrances - Winter-Spring

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Last week in The Scented Salamander Marie-Helene heralds the spring with eight fragrances. In the post she divides spring into it's different stages: Winter-Spring, Spring-Spring, Spring-Summer and the odd category Spring-Fall as she found the new L.I.LY from Stella McCartney to contains elements from both spring and fall.

As there is still basicly winter here in this nordic country, but with some spring like days in between, I will choose fragrances for the first category Winter-Spring, fragrances that fits the transition between winter and spring. Later on when we reach the Spring-Spring and Spring-Summer stages, I will post about frags which I crave for then.

Picking 10 for Spring-Winter:

Rive Gauche (YSL): Chilly and bright aldehydes is perfectly illustrating this time of the year. There is power in the rosy, metallic, aldehydic scent while it protends the milder days to come.

Chanel No 5 (Chanel): The icy marble of this aldehydic beauty perfectly fits in time of the breakup of the ice.

De Bachmakov (The Different Company): Have to second Marie-Helene in this choice. Bright, icy, herbals and some citrus with booze. Perfectly recalls my image of the defrosting thundra in Siberia.

Hiris (Hermès): This cold and as I image it, dark-blue, flowery iris is perfectly matching the high, bright and chilly air of the winter-spring season.

Chanel No 19 Poudré (Chanel): Another flowery iris but here it is interpreted as a powdery and musky, light green scent.

Donna Karan Gold (Donna Karan): Spicy, a slight metallic and cold lily over damp soil which defrosts in the sun. But it als has a darkness, as the chilly starlit evenings in the late winter.

Vol de Nuit (Guerlain): Even if not expressed as a cold fragrance it's classical aldehydic, iris-flowery, mossy-sandalwoody structure mediate the image of the starlit sky in a late winter evening. Just as Gold but in another way.

Ensence et Lavande (Serge Lutens): Clean lavender interacting with clean incense in a timeless, calming blend. I image the contrasting warmth from incense burning inside an ancient stone church with the chilly late winter wind outside.

Dzongkha (L'Artisan Parfumeur): The coldness and high air in the Himalyan mountins is perfectly captured in this bottle of cardamom, iris, incense, the and vetiver. Bertrand Duchaufour is truly a master, despite of his speed-creating in recent years.

Aoud Rose Petals (Montale):  A little warmth is also needed to balance the cold fragrances out. Since several years I have found that I crave for this distinctive pink, rosy, oud, saffron blend in the Winter-Spring.

Parfymfilosoferande...

Foto: Parfumista (c)

Hinner jag inte med så mycket just nu. Tur att jag var flitig med skrivandet tidigare i år så att det ändå finns reviewer att rulla ut. Mycket på jobbet, går bland annat en utbildning med efterföljande test. I formlernas värld har jag inte varit på allvar sedan det förra årtusendet, så för mig som är mer verbalt inriktad är det i och för sig nyttig hjärngympa.

Skönt att värmen kommit tillbaka, volatiliteten i vädret är minst sagt hög, det snöade ju faktiskt så sent som förra tisdagen! Vilket leder mig över till det tråkiga faktum att jag ännu inte fått någon riktig vår/sommardofts kick. Förra veckan blev istället en excess i orientaler och mörka, djupa rosor som snyggingparfymörerna Pierre Guillaumes Bois de Copaiba och Francis Kurkdjians Lumière de Noire. Visserligen har jag när det var varmt i påskas testat och fallit pladask för TDC:s De Bachmakov (review häromveckan) liksom PdN:s Week End à Deauville (review följer inom ganska kort) men för övrigt alltså inga vårdoftsvibbar. Häromdagen blev jag dessutom, precis som förra året i maj, oudsugen så nu har jag spårat in på Montale.

På tal om snyggingar förresten. I kväll håller jag tummarna för sötisen Eric Saade. Utan att ha hört konkurrerande låtar, förutom en bakgrundkakafoni från TV:n fram till Erics bidrag häromkvällen, så är min betting att Popular slutar inom top 5. Vad tror du? 

The Different Company - De Bachmakov

Bild: The valley basin of Verkhoyansk.

Foto: Becker0804, (cc) some rights reserved, Wikimedia Commons

For an english version, just scroll to the previous post.

De Bachmakov är en olifactorisk skildring av medgrundaren till The Different Company Thierry de Bachmakovs aristrokratiska ryska stamträd. Thierry de Bachmakov är en berömd falkong-designer och har bland annat förstås designat TDC:s parfymflaskor. Den andra grundaren av TDC är som bekant de transparanta dofternas mästare, Jean-Claude Ellena, numera husnäsa hos Hermès. De senaste åren, fram tills helt nyligen, har JCE:s dotter Celine skapat TDC:s dofter i likartad transparant stil, så även De Bachmakov. Men Celine har nu, enligt flera källor, nu (tyvärr) börjat arbeta inom doftämnesindustrin. Säkert en bra fördjupning av kunskaperna men hon gör redan så fina dofter....Celine efterträds enligt uppgift av den vid det här laget snart uttjatade Bertrand Duchaufour.Oj det blev en lång utvikning, nu till parfymen.

Det är nästan så jag ångrar att jag testade De Bachmakov. Har fallit pladask och kommer nog inte att kunna motstå att köpa en flaska - FBW! Jag tror också att DB är doften som kan få mig att äntligen längta efter ljusare dofter som passar årstiden. DB är en kylig parfym som ger associationer till permafrostens Sibirien, eller i allafall som jag kan tänka mig våren på taijgan bortom Ural. DB är också som en Gin & Tonic, citrus, gin och is. Citrus och enbär är tydliga på mig men DB innehåller också en frisk örtighet, ungefär som örter destillierade i sprit, och i bakgrunden finns några mystiska noter som är svåra att definiera, kanske är det shisobladen, japansk ört besläktad med myntafamiljen även kallad japansk basilika. DB känns in det minsta kemisk i karaktären, även om den förstås är det.

Inte oväntat faller De Bachmakov herr Parfumista i smaken, den är en doft av samma karaktär som en av hans absoluta favoriter Terre d'Hermès, Jean-Claude Ellenas moderna, i mitt tycke redan, klassiker: "Den där klassar ut det mesta av det du har provat på sista tiden, varför slösa tid på en massa annat som inte faller ut ordentligt. Den där faller verkligen ut". En del som tycker till om DB anser att den liknar en mix av JCE:s Hermèskreationer Terre d'Hermès och Kelly Caleche. Den transparanta stilen och kalkigheten från Terre håller jag med om överensstämmer. De Bachmakov är sin egen. Irisdoften Kelly Caleche är i mitt tycke mycket mer vegeterande och söt. I min lilla olifactoriska värld är DB snarare en fortsättning på Chanels Cristalle EDT och en mer sportig/casual motpart till Chanels No 5 Eau Premiére.

De Bachmakov sitter bra på mig hela dagen. Det är en doft som böljar fram i vågor, ibland starkare och ibland är det som att jag knappt känner den. Den är linjär men samtidigt intressant hela tiden då den liksom snurrar runt i sitt isiga, örtiga, citrustema. DB passar utmärkt nu på våren och jag är övertygad om att den är en lika perfekt sommardoft. A must have!

Betyg: 5

Noter: Bergamott, shisoblad, coriander, freesia, cederträ, muskot, kalk/krita

The Different Company - De Bachmakov (english version)

The Bachmakov is a olifactory depiction of the co-founder of The Different Company Thierry de Bachmakovs noble Russian pedigree. Thierry de Bachmakov is a famous falcon-designer and have also designed the perfume bottles of TDC. The second founder of the TDC is, the master of transparent fragrances, Jean-Claude Ellena, now inhouse nose of Hermès. In recent years, until recently, JCE's daughter Celine has created the TDC's scents in a similar transparent style, so even the Bachmakov. But Celine has now, according to several sources, (unfortunately) started working in the "flavour and scent industry". Certainly a great deepening of knowledge but Celine is already doing such great fragrances .... Celine is, according to different sources, succeeded by the now hackneyed Bertrand Duchaufour. This was a long introduction, now for the perfume.It's almost as if I regret that I tested De Bachmakov. Has fallen head over heels and will probably not be able to resist buying a bottle - FBW! I also believe that DB is the smell that can get me to finally crave lighter fragrances that suit the spring/summer season. DB is a cool fragrance that evokes associations to Siberia permafrost, or at least that I can think of spring in taiga beyond the mountains of Ural. DB is also similar to a Gin & Tonic, lemon, gin and ice. Citrus and juniper is clear to me but DB also includes a healthy herbal quality, much like herbs destilited in spirit. In the background there is some mysterious notes that are hard to define, perhaps the shisoleaves, a Japanese herb related to the mint family, itcontemporary is also called Japanese basil. DB feels not at all chemical in its nature, although of course it is.Not unexpectedly De Bachmakov falls Mr Parfumista in taste.It'is a perfume of the same character as one of his all time favorites Terre d'Hermès, Jean-Claude Ellena contemporary, in my opinion already, classic fragrance: "That outperforms the most of the scents you've tried recently, why waste time on a lot of other things that not completely is you. This one really mis perfect with your chemistry. "

Some of the reviewers who have opinions about DB considers that it resembles a mix of  the JCE's creations Hermès Terre d'Hermès and Kelly Caleche. The transparent style and the chalky notes from Terre I agree are similar. The iris-leather inspired Kelly Caleche is, in my opinion much more vegetate and sweet. In my little world of olifactory  DB is rather a continuation of Chanel's Cristalle EDT and a more sporty /casual counterpart to the elegant officefriendly Chanel No. 5 Eau Premiere.The Bachmakov sits well on skin during the day. DB is a fragrance that billows out in waves, sometimes stronger and sometimes it's like I hardly know it. It is linear but interesting all the time.DB spins around its icy, herbal, citrus theme. DB is great now in the spring and I am convinced that it is an equally perfect summer fragrance. A Must Have!Rating: 5Notes: Bergamot, shisleaf, coriander, freesia, cedar, nutmeg, chalky notes