Anatole Lebreton - L'Eau Scandaleause

Picture: L'eau Scandaleuse

Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

L'Eau Scandaleause is the second in the interesting perfumeline of Anatole Lebreton. L'Eau Scandaleuse starts with a dry, minimalistic, cold tubereuse not at all the big, lush, tropical varity, this is a windswept tubey of the north. The tubereuse is mingeling with a fresh, just tanned leather, with clear animalic, sort  of tart and tangy smell. The leather has not the rubbery, smokey structure as is common in many niche leathers, the leather in L'Eau Scandaleuse is clear, somehow clean and refreshing despite the animalic touch. On my skin the leather is the dominating note, well supported by the tubereuse. The interpretation of the leather is splendid, one of the most natural smelling leathernote I've experienced in a perfume. Every lover of leather perfumes has to test this one. L'Eau Scandaleuse is an excellent fragrance in the style and expression of Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse 3 Animale even if not smelling similar, the HdP is a warm immortelle tubereuse. The coldness of the leather reminds me of the almost stone-leather note of Etat Libre D'Orange Rien and the fluid coolness of Helmut Lang Cuiron in the old formula, havn't smelled the reissue.

L'Eau Scandaleuse is suitable to wear year around but not in the hottest day of the summer. It's an outdoor perfume, proper for the stable and riding out, with its powerful apperance. One has to be careful in applying before entering office. Longevity is, as all the Lebreton fragrances very good, about 24h and sillage is grand. L'Eau Scandaleuse is an amazing, intriguing perfume which triggers my imagination during the days of testing.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, peach, artemisia, tuberose, ylang-ylang, leather, castoreum, nagarmotha, oakmoss

Le Galion - 222

Picture: The light leather 222
Photo: PR Le Galion (c)

Le Galion 222 is another reissue/reconstruction of an old fragrance from the house of Le Galion. Thomas Fontaine has reworked the old formula of Paul Vacher.

222 starts with a accord  similar to cardamon (not mentioned in the notelist) and leather, first the spicy note appears, than the leather intensifies. In this stege 222 reminds me of the cardamon infused trio Veni, Vidi, Vici by Histoire de Parfum.The leather is a natural smelling, medium strenght leather, like the leather in a pair of gloves, not the rough leather of a black bikers jacket nor the smooth leather inside a fine handbag. The leathery/spicy accord is balanced with a cold, slight nondescript  flowery accord and the fragrance as a whole is cold in texture. The base is sort of clean, contemporary mossy/woody with the leather still apperant. In the basenotes 222 reminds me of a smoother and weaker Helmut Lang Cuiron (vintage version).

222 is a gentle leather, suitable for most daytime occasion, for most season exept the warmest summerdays. Those who like light leathers like Hermès Kelly Caleche, Cuir de Lancome etc, could also appreciate 222.

Rating: 3

Notes: Violet, myrrh, styrax, lavender, geranium, coumarin, oakmoss, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, leather

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

Coquillete - Impressions of Herat & Moramanga

Picture: Coquillete minis
Photo: PR Coquillete (c)

My impressions of the fragrances of the Coquillete line is continuing today with short reviews of Herat and Moramanga:

Herat: Sort of well-behaved and fresh ELDO Jasmine & Cigarettes but without the off-putting old-cologne/dirty notes that I percieve from J&C. Herat is cigarettesmoke, jasmine, fresh tobacco-and balsamic notes, the incense and the other fumes are rather quiet to my nose. When Herat dries down it takes an unexpected twist, suddenly it smells like a less distinct and weaker Cuiron  the unfortunately discontinued contemporary Helmut Lang leather. I think Herat is a unisexfragrance but from the four Coquilletes Herat it is the most masculine offering.

Rating: 4

Notes: Tobacco, jasmine, ylang-ylang, amber, cannabis, myrrh, labdanum, incense, moss, vetiver, ambergris

Moramanga: Starts with a beautiful fleshy jasmineaccord which reminds med of the Serge Lutens jasmine classic A la Nuit. As Moramanga dries down other tropical flower appears and underscores the jasmine just as the vanilla/musk and warm resinnotes in the base. If I didn't already owned A la Nuit Moramanga would be a candiate for the lush jasmine in the perfumewardrobe.

Rating: 4

Notes: Jasmine, gardenia, iris, tolu balsam, opoponax, benzoin, tubereuse, ylang-ylang, vanilla, musk

The Coquillete fragrances are all pleasant and easy to wear with good longevity and moderate to medium projection. They are non-offensive and totaly officefriendly. The fragrances are good for summer, these are the type of fragrances that intensifies in warm weather and longevity is good about more or less a day tested in hot weather. The overall impression is that one fragrances is in the same pleasable and wearable track as the By Kilian In The Garden of Good and Evil - line (Sulmona), two gentler, not as edgy, ELD'O-styled releases (Herat, Sumatera) and one in the classic soliflore-genre (Moramanga). The line is well worth trying if searching for a comfortable, not so complicated but in the same time interesting, good smelling fragrance. A set of minibottles of 5 ml each is avaible and provides a good option for extensive testing.

Ramón Monegal - Cuirelle

 The Ramón Monegal testing is continuing....

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Cuirelle is an interesting and beautiful soft suede/leather fragrance from the Barcelonabased parfumer Ramón Monegal whose perfumehouse also bears his name.

As Cuirelle starts it’s a bit sweet and almost fruity with a rounding delicate suede accord. In the topnotes, Cuirelle reminds me of a smoother and less sweet and flowery In Leather Woman by Etienne Aigner (in swedish). As Ramón Monegal has created some fragrances for Etienne Aigner (don’t know if In Leather Woman in on of them) there is maybe a connection between the two fragrances. Another fragrance that comes to my mind in this stage is Ava Luxe Film Noir even if Film Noirs slight fruity suede note is tougher, rougher and more than a bit dirty.

When Cuirelle reaches the middlenotes it takes another direction than In Leather Woman. Where the latter highlighten fruity notes almost like applepie the former transforms to an almost chalky soapy accord, reminiscent to the accord in Vanille Tonka by Parfums de Nicolaï but less green and less distinctive. Later on a slight spicy, warm, honeyd  boozy note appears, similar to the interpretation in Mon Patchouly but without the cocoapowder feeling. In Cuirelle there are some light woody-patchouli notes that accompanying the delicate suedenote that depens as more the fragrance dries down. 

The basenotes is a beautiful accord of gentle and delicate, honeyed, clean leathery booziness with traces of cinnamon. The natural sweetness is just right balanced to create an aura of comfortable smothness. In this stage Cuirelle reminds me of a softer, warmer and sweeter relative to the discontinued contemporary cult leather Cuiron by Helmut Lang. In the base Cuirelle almost has transformed it’s suede to a smooth elegant leathernote, but just almost as the fragrances seems to be fleeting between soft sude and soft leather.

Just as most of the other Monegal perfumes I have tested, Cuirelle takes the wearer on an interesting journey during a day of wearing. Cuirelle is very well balanced, the notes mixes in each other in a very subtle way. It’s also like many of the other from the house of Ramón Monegal a thrilling blend where you can’t predict how the fragrance will end from just smelling the initial topnotes. That’s something that I really appreciate from a fragrance and one of all aspects that makes the perfumehobby so exiting.

Cuirelle is great to wear during the colder months, suitable both for daytime and eveningwear. The sillage is medium and the longevity is at least for 12h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Olibanum, patchouli, honey, cinnamon, vetiver, cedarwood, incense

Mysk(o) vecka...

Under en arbetsvecka har jag provat myskdominerade dofter i den lättare, ljusa till mellanljusa kategorin. Alltså inte tyngre bygder som min mörka amberettebaserade myskolja eller herr Parfumistas Oud Musk. Nedan några korta, spontana kommentarer.

Provningen inleddes med:

Les Nombres d'Or Musc (Mona di Orio): Som Mona O-fantast blev jag förstås förtjust i denna även om den inte når upp till Cuir i samma serie. Pudrig och varm mysk, troligen på grund av heliotropen och tonkabönan, elegant damig (på gränsen till tant enligt herr P), inget kemiskt tonårskatigt. En lätt blommighet av angelica och lite ros och neroli. En lätt floriental klassad som unisex men enligt min mening är den mer feminin och kan klassas som damdoft (om man nu bryr sig om sådant).

...och följdes av:

Musc Nomade (Annick Goutal): Påminner en hel del om Monas mysk men den här är helt unisex i sin karaktär. Träigare, mörkare och kallare trots vissa gemensamma ingredienser förutom ljus mysk extraherad från angelicarot, även amberette frön, tonka böna och labandum. Blommorna saknas här och doften känns kargare än Monas mysk på något vis.

Narciso Rodriguez for Her EDT (NR): En tillbakahållet blommig mysk som ger mig associationen varm bilklädesel i konstläder i en gammal amerikanare. En modern, träig, myskig oriental som inte skäms över sin kemiskhet. Det finns en lätt fruktig blommighet av osmanthus och apelsinblomma som balanserar mysken på ett bra sätt. Doften var stilbildande när den kom och den har fått flera efterföljare, mest känd är kanske Sarah Jessica Parkers Lovely som är en mer blommig variant.

Helmut Lang Woman EDP (HL): En mycket bra skalad ljus mysk som också var avantgarde när den kom 2000. Inleds med tillbakahållna vita blommor som jasmin och konvalj över en myskigt, träig bas kombinerad med en tydlig, varm vanilj. Diskret doft om den appliceras i lagom mängd. En perfekt svart/grå kostym/dräkt doft.

...och avslutades med...

Musc Samarkand (Les Nereides): Den ljusaste mysken sist. Den ger en fräsch men inte tonårskladdig känsla. På mig påminner den mig väldigt mycket om min version av Miss Dior EDT (ca tio år gammal version) även om den senare är grönare, stramare och skapare. När jag känner likheten förstår jag hur mycket Miss Dior förvanskats, en massa ljus mysk in och det mesta av ekmossan ut, även om jag tycker mycket om min version i alla fall. Där Miss Dior är effektivt kontorselegant är Musc Samarkand en vit, mjuk och ullig angorajumper att krypa in i en mulen dag. Jag tycker mycket om denna rena, enkla och okomplicerade doft. Svalkar även bra på sommaren.

Summering av den mysk(o) veckan: Mysk har fått en dålig klang på grund av alla likartat kemiskt fruktigt alternativt träigt myskiga dofter som vräks ut på marknaden. Men det finns många fina myskdominerade dofter och ser man till att applicera dem i lagom dos och ge dem tid för utvärdering så hittar man pärlor.