Les Cocottes de Paris - La Castiglione

Picture: Virginia Oldoini
Countess of Castiglione (1837-1899)
Photo from 1865, Wikimedia commons

La Castiglione from Les Cocottes de Paris is inspired from Virginia Oldoini an italian Countess of Castiglione, who was an influential mistress of Emperor Napoleon III. She also supported the art of photography and ordered pictures to immortalizing important phases of her life and became a famous model in early photography. According to the legend, La Castiglione during the last years of her life, lived in a totally blacked apartment without mirrors in the Place Vendome. She refused to be remembered of her bygone beauty and she was just going out when it was dark outside.

The fragrance La Castglione is probably inspired from the later, dark years. It starts interesting, with an accord of pickled citron and the smell from an old attic, the old attic smell is a lighter and not as distinct as the in Parfumerie Générale L'Ombre Fauve. As L'Ombre Fauve is one of my all time favorites, this is a positive remark. Then other dark notes as a soggy patchouli and a well balanced liquorice steps forward founded in woody balsamic notes. Myrrh adds a cold and uplifting counterbalance to the dark and deep mix. There are also herbal elements that brightens which prevent the fragrance from beeing dusty and stuffy. In the basenotes La Castglione reminds me in spirit and appearance of Gucci by Gucci Edp

Picture: La Castiglione
Photo: PR Les Cocottes de Paris (c)

La Castiglione is a fragrance for autumn/winter good for evenings but also as a mysterious daytimefragrance. Sillage is close and longevity for a day. La Castiglione is definitly my favorite of the Cocottes.

Rating: 4

Notes: Mugwort, citron, copaiba, liquorice, patchouli, cedar, ambergris, myrrh, styrax

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try.

Five fab frags for fall 2015

Already in the middle of the autumn, which are probably the best days when it comes to wearing perfume over the whole year. Crisp and chilly days are contrasted with almost summery tempratures, the last traces of the summer. This encourages the use of fragrances representing quite different perfumestyles. Below some favorites for the mid season, excluding the ones I have tried and/or reviewed during the latest weeks.

Picture: Perle de Mousse
Photo: Parfums Ann Gerard (c)

Perle de Mousse (Ann Gerard): Many describes this as a springscent, probably because the Lily of the vally note which is one of the protagonists together with ivy and galbanum. To me it's autumn as I precieve it as golden, glowing, tart and dusky as the moisty forestfloor.

Picture: Eau Soleil
Photo: PR Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Eau sOleil (Parfums de Nicolaï): From the 2013 Nicolaï summercollection of lighter and easy to wear fragrances. To me this warm and golden nerolifragrance where the citric notes are skillfully balanced with herbal notes is like a sunny day in the autumn, a warming sun with some crisp chilliness in the shadow.

Picture: La Religieuse
Photo: PR Serge Lutens (c)

La Religieuse (Serge Lutens): This subdued, slight soapy and animalic jasmine havn't many fans when reading comments and reviews. To me it's sort of contemplating and serene reminding me somehow of an everyday variation emerged from one of my most favorite SL:s ever, De Profundis.

Picture: Gucci by Gucci Edp
Photo: PR Gucci (c)

Gucci by Gucci (Gucci): I very much appreciate this contemporary chypre both in the darker fruitier Edp version as also in the more flowery Edt. It's dark, stripped patchouli with  its earthy freshness adds a contrasting dept to both versions. A modern classic.

Picture: Colonia Oud
Photo: PR Acqua di Parma (c)

Acqua di Parma Colonia Oud (Acqua di Parma): The top and middlenotes of this are fabulous, a flowery oud which reminds me of the slight flowery cambodian oud. In the basenotes it's more of a standard peppery woody (porbably cedar) oud but some of the flowery woody accord glimpses now and then.

Which are your mid-fall favorites?

Leve Mainstream! - 4

Nina (Nina Ricci): Detta röda, fullmogna äpple på ambrerande och lätt karamelliserande träig bas är, är en fullträff på mig. Blandningen uppnår en effekt eller doftillusion som påminner om tuberose (!) på mig, även om den inte doftar tuberose. 
Gucci by Gucci Edp: Faller tyvärr inte ut helt bra på min hud men det är en mycket fin doft i genren fruktig, modern chypre. Vad jag har läst så är den också känslig och kräver rätt hudkemi. Mörk, lite fruktigt tuggummiaktig med päron, guava och patchoulli.
Black Crystal (Versace): Denna genomkemiska mentholiga cocosdominerade men samtidigt mörka doft är egentligen inget för officiella sammanhang. Om man som bärare vill göra ett propert intryck i alla fall. Men den är rolig, mysig och ganska trashig. Dissad i The Guide (1:a) men jag tycker om den.
Rush (Gucci): Denna mycket speciella fruktiga, moderna chypre är en föregångare i just den genren. Enligt flera parfymskribenter luktar den nästen exakt som en svindyr doft från ett nischmärke (Clive Christian) som kom flera år senare än Rush. Har själv inte provat men jag tror dem. Här finns alltså chansen att för en rimlig peng dofta av något banbrytande. Till skillnad från Black Crystal är förstås Rush högt skattad i The Guide: Högsta betyg, 5.