SOTD March 2022

Picture: An adorable sight on a walk in early March
 (wearing Putredistance No. 12) -
Shetland Ponies are the cutiest.
Photo: Parfumista (c)

March 2022 - some notes about the SOTD.

1. Chance Eau Tendre Edp (Chanel) Musky light rosy, fruity - pink with lilac nuance

2. Angel Edp (Mugler) The ultimate mulitfacetted gourmand.

3. Sheiduna Extrait (Puredistance) Glowing, golden spicy ambery like sun rays over desert dunes.

4. Sheiduna Extrait (Puredistance) on repeat, one of my top Puredistances.

5. Warszawa Extrait (Puredistance) the dark fresh moss paired with dark plum in such a elegant way.

6. Gucci Oud Edp (Gucci) raspberry and dark pink rose over patchouli and well balanced oud.

7. Puredistance No 12  Extrait (Puredistance) A seamless blend of rose, iris and an accord like cristal clerar water  with a tiny bit of exclusive soap over a velvet smooth patchouli. Blue. Another of my top Puredistances.

8. Puredistance No 12  Extrait (Puredistance) another day in this beauty.

9. Peut Etre Edp (Maison Lancome) Light pink rose over musk, very pleasant and uncomplicated.

10. Lost in the city Edp (Miller Harris) Tangy rhubarb over rose with some zing from blackberry, close to Hermes Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate, which I like better, one of my favorites from the Hermes colognes.

11. Café Tuberosa Edp (Atelier Cologne) Thick tubereuse, dark chocolade and dark coffe in a delicious blend. 

12. Café Tuberosa Edp (Atelier Cologne) Couldn't resist it for another day.

13. Essence de Patchouli Edp (Perris Monte Carlo) Soapy, sort of dusty, musky dark and cold patchouli,  with a touch of something that reminds me of  a burning mosquito coil in a positive way. Unusual.

14. Coromandel Edt (Chanel Les Exclusifs) Earthy and clean patchouli over a balanaced dry dark chocolade amber, less sweet and more structured than the current Edp. The Edp is also very good although I prefer the Edt slightly.

15. Borneo 1834 Edp (Serge Lutens) Earthy fresh slight herbal-menthol dry dark chocolate  patchouli. Not as elegant as Coromandel, outdoorsy, classy - casual 

16. Akkad Edp (Lubin) Warm, sunny, sort of desert amber, delicious, perfect for snuggling.

17 Ambre 114 (Histoires de Parfums) Dark, herbal amber, leaning to the masculine side, classic styled amber, slight "old man" style.

18. Concentre d'Orange Verte (Hermès) I like the Concentre better for colder months with it's thicker texture and a hint of a note that reminds me of licorie which is not present in the  Eau d'Orange Verte. Both variations on a unique intermpretation of the classic colognetheme.

19. After My Own Heart (Ineke) Lovely smooth lilac with fruity notes. Comforting, warmer, sweeter and with more body than En Passant (Fredric Malle).

20. Eau de Soir Edp (Sisley) Elegant and sparkling like Champagne, I think of it as colored in gold and white, cool with beautiful, light, uplifting mossy notes. Have something in common with Puredistance No 12, similar texture and mode. Referring to a batch from mid -00, before the oakmoss regulations.

21. No 5 Eau Première  (Chanel) Smoother, sunnier, warmer not as serious cold and chalky as No 5 Edt. Easier to wear, lighter with the aldehydes. Classy. Referring to the 2008 version.

22. Concentre d'Orange Verte (Hermès) Sunny and early spring outside inspires to wear the green orange again. For the evening  No 5 Eau Première  (Chanel) on repeat.

23. Gabrielle Essence Edp (Chanel) A warm floral heart with a contrasting touch of tart notes probably from the fruity topnotes. Very pleasant, the perfect inoffensive officescent. Just like the greener and colder Gabrielle Edp.

24. Gabrielle Essence Edp (Chanel) Again - It just smells so good and is so easy to wear.

25. Dune Edt (Dior) Late 1990s formula of Dune, dry, salty, sandy, warm, sunny, high blue sky with glimpses of the sea in the horizon. Still so special.

26. Dune Edt (Dior) Couldn't resist another day in Dune, it's perfect to warming up this  cold, windy Saturday.

27. Orchid Leather Edp (Van Cleef  & Arpels) Dark, plummy leather, concentrated, a bit too masculine for me.

28: Nothing sick in flu or something similar.

29:  The same

30:  The same

31: Red Roses Cologne (Jo Malone)  Feels better celebrating with a few spritzes of this wonderful natural clean and calming rose.

It seems as Puredistance and Chanel (again) are the most worn during the month.

Peonies

Picture: A summerview from Stockholm Old City
Photo: Parfumista (c) photo from exactly
 a year ago, 24 June 2018

 

Even if I have no beautiful peonies in the garden I'm now (after the midsummerevening choice of Penhaligon's Peveone) into testing peonyperfumes. There are only two of them in my collection, the other one is Histoires de Parfums Vert Pivoine (VP). I was wearing VP yesterday and just as Peveone VP, at least from the later part of the heartnotes and in the basenotes, is mostly a pink rose perfume. The rose in VP is light, pastel tuned pink, whereas Peveone is dark pink. VP is dry compared to Peveone which is lush, juciy and showing up its beauty in a composition that creates the image of a warm, humid summerevening. VP is dry and chilly, understated, the peonies and roses ar accompanied with a wellbalanced dose of pinkpepper and cedarwood. There is a light touch of fruit which doesn't become sweet. VP is the image of peonies a grey, chilly and windy summerday. There is something, probably the rosewater and the chilly feeling, with VP that reminds me of an easy to wear rosefavorite of mine: Coquillete Tudor.

 

The notes of Vert Pivoine are (according to Fragrantica): Peony, ivy leaves, rose water, rose, gardenia, mimosa, red fruit, sandalwood, cedar, musk, vanilla.

 

The notes of Peveone are (according to Fragrantica): Violet leaf,, jasmine, rose, peony, vetiver, musk, chasmeran

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

Etat Libre D'Orange - True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux

Picture: True Lust
Photo: PR Etat Libre dOrange (c)

True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux  (in the following called True Lust) is a creation that unites two earlier editions from Etat Libre dOrange, Putain des Palaces (my favorite powdery violet) and Dangerous Complicity. 

From the very beginning True Lust makes me think of a diluted version of Putain des Palaces with violet, rose, lipstick, ricepowder. Further on there are also notes similar to boozy blond tobacco, probably the rhum and even later hints of leather paired with a coconutnote. As I havn't tested Dangerous Complicity I can't refer to that fragance, only to Putain des Palaces. True Lust to me is like a clean and light version, a bit sweeter and without the intriguing altered character and dirty shades of PdP. True Lust is like a safe and comforting version of the demanding PdP, pale but sort of nice. The nature of the fragrance though, doesn't correspond to its name. It also feels a bit uninspired and messy in character, as it doesn't know which path to choose for its developement. A fragrance that comes to my mind in this sort of airy style of lipstick powder is Histoires de Parfums 1889 Moulin Rouge but that one is a far better interpretation on the theme.

Picture: True Lust
Photo: PR Etat Libre d'Orange (c)

Positive is that True Lust is more versatile than PdP as it's lighter, cleaner and could be worn in most tempratures (not the hottest) and for most occasions. To me, as it  derives from the ultra feminine Pdp, True Lust is a feminine fragrance even if marked as unisex. Sillage is close and longevity not so good, it doesn't last for a day on me. 

As a whole: I don't understand the purpose with True Lust (expect squeezing money out of a proven formula) as ELDO already has the outstanding PdP in their range. To me True Lust is perfectly nice and wearable but forgettable.

Rating: 3

Notes: Rum, ginger, rose, violet, coconut, osmanthus, lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang-ylang, tangerine, rice powder, ambergris, leather, animal notes, sandalwood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Perris Monte Carlo - Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait

Picture: Nosy Be
Photo: from Pinterest 

Patchouli Nosy Be is the most recent patchouli fragrance from Perris Monte Carlo. The Nosy Be part of the name is from the island suitiated on the north west of Madagascar, the island is famous for cultivating ylang-ylang, coffe and vanilla but the climate is suitiable also for other spices and flowers. The Nosy Be Patchouli is a successful experiment where the manager of the ylang-ylang plantation of the well known fragrance ingredients producer Robertet planted patchouli on the Nosy Be Island. Here the patchouli plants could be protected from the sharp sunlight by the foliage of other plants and this favorable cultivation combined with a careful harvesting process creates a high class multifacetted patchouli oil. The Nosy Be fragrances of Perris are as today, also an Edp version of Patchouli Nosy Be, which was released 2014 a year before the extrait, as also an Ylang Ylang Nosy Be in Edp and Extrait. These will be reviewed later on.

Patchouli Nosy Be starts with the herbal, leafy, almost fresh, patchouli which is present in most niche patchouli offerings from the latest years, an early example is Histories de Parfums Noir Patchouli but this one is sharper, rougher and more transaparent in its herbal leafiness. Also Franck Boclet Patchouli comes to my mind in the initial accords. After a while warm spices appears, predominantly pepper, blended with a note of cacao simlar to the combination in for example Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly and Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 even if the latter is darker and denser. The pepper, which I also think is strengthend from the cedarwood in the base, is a bit too distinctive to my nose/taste for a short part of the dry down but is fortunately softened when a beautiful vanilla is sneeking in step by step in this contemporary woody-spicy blend with a patchouli addition. To me  Patchouli Nosy Be is not so much about patch as it is of spices, wood and vanilla, the patch is just one of the well bakanced, interplaying accords.The earlier Perris patchouli Essence de Patchouli, is much more of patchouli, more extreme and uncommon and personally I prefer this over Patchouli Nosy Be when I crave a real patchfrag. The best part of Patchouli Nosy Be is definitliy the comforting base where the spicy mixed patch is contrasted by a beautiful very natural smelling, slight flowery vanilla and discrete woody notes. The base note accords comes and goes like waves with a slight different highlighting of each of the main notes in different waves. It's a true delight wearing this perfume.

Picture: Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Patchouli Nosy Be is a versatile warm fragrance, suitable for autumn, winter and early spring. It's unisex and could be worn both for work and casual. Sillage is medium and longevity good, more then a day, traces are left on skin after a nights sleep.

Rating: 5

Notes: Patchouli, pink pepper; cocoa, labdanum, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood

Peonies

Picture Peonia Suffruticosa
Photo: Aberlin (cc) Wikipedia commons,
some rights reserved

Now it's the time when the wonderful., lush peonies starting to bloom and as a Perfumista I start longing for wearing the note. Peony is not a common soliflore in the world of fragrance and when it appears as the leading part it's almost always (just as most soliflores) backed up with another floral note, most common is rose. Below some peonies I've tested and like very much:

Picture: Vert Pivoine
Photo: PR Histoires de Parfums (c)

Vert Pivoine (Histoires de Parfums): Starts fizzy, dry, green and almost light peppery. Dries down to a lush, fullblown, almost in the first phase of withering, musky peony, supported by a rose and a contrasting  tart wellbalanced, berrynote. There is also an earthy note in the late drydown. Smells very good and feminine.

Picture: Peoneve
Photo: PR Penhaligon's (c)

Peoneve (Penhaligons): Another great smelling, feminine, lush peony, also supported by rose but the blend smells like lily of the valley is the second player. It's the lush peony contrasted with the green tangy, almost poisonous tartness of the LOTV.

Picture: Rose Pivoine
Photo: PR Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Rose Pivoine (Parfums de Nicolaï): Here the rose and peony are acting on more equal themes, the peony doesn't take over the composition. The chamomille freshens and cooling the mix and the fruits smoothen the edges of the protagonists. A lighter and airier composition than the previous two.

Picture: Quel Amour
Photo: PR Annick Goutal (c)

Quel Amour! (Annick Goutal): Uplifting, sparkling, bubbly, slight green, peony/rose smoothed by peach and berries There is also a something contrasting, tart in the fragrance which creates a fresh and almost chilly feeling. Quel Amour is happiness in a bottle. The same lighter style as Rose Pivoine.

Maria Candida Gentile - Finisterre

Picture: Fisterre, Galicia, Spain
Photo: Greta, Wikimedia Commons

Finisterre is one of the latest releases in the classical line of my favorite Italian perfumer, Maria Candida Gentile. Finisterre is a contemporary representative of the, among many (snobbish) perfumistas, not so valued (to be diplomatic) aquatic genre. This genre seems to have a revival recently with Hermès Epice Marine as a forerunner. The aquatics of the 2010s doesent have the traditional melon (calone) note and re-interprete the genre.

Finisterre is inspired by the second (the first is Cabo da Roca outside Lisabon which I've wisited myself) outermost tip of the Iberian Peninsula, Cape Finisterre in Galicia, where the wawes of the atlantic ocaean rolls in over the cliffs with full power. Finisterre really captures what I image as a sunny, windy summerday at the place. The first part has something in common with the original Kenzo pour Homme but without the intriguing aromatic aquatic twisted lily of the valley note that is the characteristic of the Kenzo. Very soon a very well done, not sharp, turpentine note appears and is present during the whole dry down. It's contrasted with a green, non sweet, minty note and when these notes are interacting a sea like note appears. There are also a woody freshness of fir present softened with a discrete sandalwood and immortelle. The immortele is not at all the bombastic proportions of for example Annick Goutal Sables or leathery strong as in Histoires de Parfums 1740 Marquise de Sade. The herbal qualities of Finisterre expresses itself as an soft anise/ licorice-like nuance which discretely accompanies the other notes. A note of crisp green leaves, just like fresh tulip or other bulbflowers crispy leaves i  spring also appears and this part reminds me of the beautiful springfragrance of Oriza L.Legrand Déjà le Printemps.  There is also a relaxing, salty, balsamic aspect of Finisterre, probably the ambregris which lends the composition a true oceanic expression.
Even if no distinguishable incensenote there is also an almost churchy aspect of Finisterre, a nuance of what is much more noticeable in MCG Sideris and Exultat. Maybe this is mirroring the fact that Finisterre is the final destination of the pilgrims of the Way of Saint James, the last 90 km walk from the pilgrim metropole Santiago de Compostela. When reaching Finisterre, the pilgrims following an old tradition, burns their clothes or shoes. Finsterre is a quite linear composition to my nose and one experience most of its features at the same time.

Picture:. The stylish bottle of Finisterre
Photo: PR Maria Candida Gentile (c)

I instantly liked Finisterre for the first time when I tried it and my liking has constantly growing through the wearing from the sample supplied by Fragrance & Art. Finisterre is also drawing compliments, several people have independitly complimented this aquatic wonder. A perfect summerfragrance, both for casual and for office. Not the most complicated MCG fragrance but on the other hand, who wants to analyze the whole time, sometimes at least me, just want to relax in a good fragrance. Finsterre is just great IMO and it has joined my other two most favorite MCG:s  Sideris and Cinabre in the top.

Rating: 5

Notes: Sea notes, immortelle, pine tree, ambergris, sandalwood

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Explosions D'Émotions 2 (2)

Today impressions of the two remaining Explosions D'Emotions.

Picture: Skin on Skin
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

Skin on Skin "a wanton embrace" also for this fragrance the marketing blurb is fitting. Skin on Skin embraces you with an obtrusive, chemical candynote which interplays with a sweet irisnote, passably dimmed with soft saffron somewhere in the middle of the fragrance and moved to a note similar to hairspray. A musky, smoky (probably the Whisky mentioned among the ingredients) suede is lurking in the background, contrasting the hairspray and the sweet  notes. As the fragrance is strong and shrill, one should be careful with application. Skin on Skin seems almost as sort of an experimental mockery of a great iris-suede as Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse 1 Capricieuse which, despite its name, foremost is an iris-suede with gourmand accords of cacao and saffron. Skin on Skin could also be one of the sketches to Duchaufours own L'Artisan creation Traverseé du Bosphore. 

Picture: Amour Nocturne
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

Amour Nocturne "the intimacy of the night" Amour Nocturne shocks with a loud and garish chemical note of cocos + milk chocolate like a liquid Bounty Bar. As it dries down to the middle- and basenotes, the scent softens and a milky accord infused  with some sweet candynotes contrasted with a dry burned (probably hints of the gunpowdernote), plastic slight flowery note (as in Parfumerie Generale Psychotrope but I like the latter much better)  dominates the fragrance until it's fading out about 24h after the initial application. After going through the jarring top notes, Amour Nocturne despite or maybe because of the burned, plastic  is quite pleasant and comforting to wear in a small dose. Just as with Skin on Skin: Beware to overapply this!

To sum it all up: Probably I'm too old school and doesen't understand anything from this avantgarde(?) creating: Probably I also have a too ironic mind because when sampling Explosions D'Émotions I almost suspect Bertrand Duchaufour for making fun of his public and the current exalting of niche, taking it too serious. After all, these fragrances are more expensive than the IMO overall much better L'Artisans in the regular line. Seems like he's taking the concept a famous name (the perfumer and brand) + nice bottle + an OK juice + some "exclusive" marketing chit-chat to the extreme. An interesting concept and the fragrances as such is very well worth sampling (thanks to Fragrance & Art for the samples) as a reflection of the state of niche today or just to find an unconventional and (in some phases of them if applied sparingly) comforting fragrance.

Jardins d'Écrivains - George

Picture: George Sand (1804-1876)
 Portrait by Auguste Charpentier (1838),
Wikimedia Commons

Jardins d'Écrivains is French nichehouse which started with scented candles and bathproducts and lately also added perfumes to their line. Jardins d'Écrivains in its style, is inspired of litterature combined with the interest of gardens. The four perfumes in the line whereof two leaning at the masculine side and therefore (and as "skintime" is rare when it comes to me :-) the testing of these fragrances, George and Wilde is delegated to Mr Parfumista. Below I have summerized his impressions of George while Wilde will follow in the next review.

George is of course inspired of the 19th century cultwoman Aurore Dupin married Dudevant aka George Sand who already have some fragrances named after her: Histoires de Parfums 1804 George Sand and Les Parfums Historique (MPG) Eau de Parfum de George Sand. When applying the reaction was "This smells so similar to something else" and after a short while everything went clear: One of the greatest classic tobacco-leather ever, Knize Ten, but George is smoother and gentler in appearance, adapted to the stripped down  fragranceastetic of the general public of today.  There is also a difference in notes: Where Knize Ten intermediates the scent of the clean woolen cloth of an tailor-made suit and tabacco, George intermediates the scent of fresh,dark, green conifer during a warm and windy summerday and tabacco. The green, coniferaccord is of the same spirit as in Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilèe but deeper and darker and without the smoky note of NE.

George is a year arounder and it's fresher character compared to Knize Ten makes it suitable also for more casual events than the more formal Knize. Mr Parfumista likes George very much but comments: "It's sort of a contemporary Knize but not fully accomplished in the way Knize is".George is classified as unisex but leaning towards the masculine side, for those who cares about such petty details. Sillage is medium and longevity for about 24h.

As the forerunner Knize is the original, George just almost reach the highest rating. If there was no Knize forerunner, George would reach the highest score. George is an exellent alternative for those who thinks Knize Ten is too heavy and oldfashioned, which it's not, as it's timeless, but that's of course just my personal opinion :-). George is also a good example of that very good perfumes could be made today also despite all IFRA-restrictions and it is also, just as the whole Jardins d'Écrivains-line, an axample of that good fragrances could also be reasonable priced SEK 725/USD ca 114/EUR ca 83 for 100 ml.

Rating: 4 or 4+ depending on perspective, with or without comparing to Knize Ten

Notes: Neroli, bergamot, heliotrophe, coffee, tobacco, peru balsam, musk, myrrh

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Guerlain - Cuir Beluga

Picture: Beluga whale, 

Photo: Attribution premier.gov.ru.

(cc) Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved 

Cuir Beluga, created  2005 by Olivier  Polge as one of the first three fragrances for the Guerlain exclusive Les Art et  la Matière line, is the most elegant and polite immortelle dominated fragrance I have tried so far.

Cuir Beluga is an almost linear, gourmand moderatly sweet, composition. A soft and gentle immortelle is the maincharacter complemented with warm  and moderate sweet supporting notes as heliotrophe, vanilla and amber. There is also a slight herbal touch in some stages of Cuir Beluga. The leather, reflected in the name, is a soft, utterly discrete suedenote that unfurls gradually and is most present in the baseaccord. The immortelle of Cuir Beluga is perfectly rounded, smooth and almost on the edge to powdery, it has no rough edges and lacks the syrupy note and loud charachter as the reference imortelle of all times: Annick Goutals predecessor Sables. Also the immortelle in Histoires de Parfumes Tubereuse 3 Animale is rough, tough and loud compared to how the note is presented in Cuir Beluga.The immortelle in Cuir Beluga is complemented with a discrete honey-like note that gives me associations to Serge Lutens tobacco fragrance Fumerie Turque. A more masculine and less subtle (even if also subtle) is Guerlain Tonka Imperiale.  The texture and imaged color of Cuir Beluga is soft suede white, just as the sweet Beluga whale on the picture above. Somewhere (I think it was on Basenotes) I have read that the Beluga in the name of the fragrance refers to this soft whale living in the cold arctic waters and not the russian caviar. Just like the beluga whale is a revelation of smooth comfort in such a harsh environment, Cuir Beluga is a true comfortscent during a cold winterday.

The overall impression of Cuir Beluga is that of an elegant and well balanced skinscent, it's there to comfort the wearer and those who comes close. The sillages is close and the longevity is for almost 24h. At first, Cuir Beluga was a fragrance of growing liking to me. It's a scent that I start to crave after a few days after my latest wearing. Once when I woke up in the middle of the night I could smell a beautiful, soft and calming scent from my pillow, suddenly I realised it was Cuir Beluga. Since that moment this fragrance finally has made me surrender and it's my absolute favorite in the LAelM-line.

Rating: 5

Notes: Aldehydes, mandarine, immortelle, heliotrophe, patchouli, suede, amber, vanilla

Historiae - Violette Imperiale

Picture: Empress Eugénie (1826-1920)
Portrait 1853 by Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873)

Violette Imperiale is the only of the five fragrances released so far from Historiae that is not created by the hyperactive Bertrand Duchaufour. Violette Imperiale is created by a perfumer unknown to me, Constant Michaux. Violette Imperiale is said to be inspired by Empress Eugénie, the spanish wife of Emperor Napoleon III of France. The story says her favoriteflower was violet but as the at least two other fragrances is created for her; Creed Jasmin Impératrice Eugénie /inspired of her; Histoires de Parfums 1826 Eugénie de Montijo, focuses on other flowers/herb plants as jasmin respective patchouli she probably, as a well known perfumista of her time, liked many of the scents in the perfumers palette.

Violette Imperiale starts with an airy, transparent blackcurrant note, first the berries and then followed by the tartness of the buds. After a while, the fragrances deepens as also rich, fresh fruity notes appears followed by sweet flowery notes where the violet is evident but not dominating the others. The violet is of the same sweet type as Violtabletter, a swedish jelly candy pastille which tastes as a sweetened violet flower. The berry, fruity floral theme is intensified by the white musky base but the musk is wellbalanced and counterbalanced by the light woody notes. Violette Imperiale newer goes powdery as for example Blanc Violette by Histoires de Parfums nor crisp and green as for example Annick Goutal La Violette, it stays fruity-violet-flowery during the whole dry down

Picture: Violtabletter swedish violet jelly candy
Photo: PR Fazer (c)

Violette Imperiale is a typical easy to wear fragrance, suitable especially for spring and summer, both for work and casual. I think it's contemporary in style and doesn't see some obvious connection to the era of Napoleon III. The sillage is medium and the longevity for about a day.

Rating: 3

Notes: Orange, blackcurrant, peach, violet, iris, raspberry, ylang ylang, vanilla, musk, amber, vetiver, sandalwood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Grossmith - Saffron Rose

Picture: Roses in a vase,
 painting by Auguste Renoir

I knew instantly when I splashed on Saffron Rose from the small vial that I would just love this stunning oriental styled rosecomposition. And Saffron Rose are just not about flattering topnotes, it is quality all the way out. Saffron Rose, created by Trevor Nicholl is a part of  the Grossmith Black Label Collection.

Saffron Roses starts with a beautiful, very clean, natural smelling pink, a bit oldfashioned, tearose. It is accuented with smooth, spicy notes of saffron and cinnamon, handled in a manner that creates a smooth, slight creamy impression of soft leather. The creamyness is in the same time dry in its texture and this accord creates a sort of chalky impression. As Saffron Rose progress in its dry down the scent is deepen in a melange of very well balanced darker resin and woody notes such as oud and myrrh. The notes are accompanying and the oud doesn't take over the composition as in most oud-rose fragrances. When Saffron Rose reaches the basenotes an almost animalc quality appears but in a subtle way. During the rest of the dry down Saffron Rose highlights the classical rose which interacting perfectly with the darker, soft spicy and woody-resin notes.

Saffron Rose wears close to the skin, the longevity is about 24h. It's a creation of understaded elegance, not as dominating and rough as many Montale rose-oud creations, Saffron Rose is more finetuned and it is a real pleasure to wear, as also the Montales depending on the mood.

Those who (like me) likes Montale Taif Rose, Highness Rose, Aoud Queen Roses, Aoud Roses Petals, Histoires de Parfum Rosam and Annick Goutal Rose Absolue I suspect also will like Saffron Rose.

Rating: 5

Notes: Rose, saffron, cinnamon, myrrh, oud, tobacco, wood, labdanum, castoreum, sandalwood, amber, guaiac wood

Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.

Histoires de Parfums - Vici

Picture: Victory, Bronze quadriga on Wellington Arch, London, England

Photo: Kadellar (cc) Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved.

Vici is the third installment in the Julius Ceasar conquest inspired trio where houseperfumer  Gérald Ghislain examines different facetts of cardamom. The Veni, Vidi, Vici fragrances are a part of the Edition rare line.

As Vici is the scent of victory, my expectations were something powerful. Instead, Vici is a nice and comfortable fragrance with medium projection. The dominating note to me is incense, and here of course we have the connection to victory. In the Roman, as in many anciant cultures, and almost until today, incense is burned to celebrate victory. The incense in Vici is the dry, transparent and white (if I use a color to image the note) incense of one of my favourite incenses, Andy Tauers Incense Extreme. But in Vici the incense is tuned down some notches. The other note that is distinct to me is a iris very similar to the iris that  complements the tubereuse in the terrific Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse I Capricieuse. The cardamom? I can smell the note in the opening accord together with some flowery notes which together creates a herbal touch of the top. The iris and incense then stepping into the front with the incense getting more prodominant as longer the drydown proceeds to the balanced woody-musk base.

As Veni and Vidi, Vici is also a pleasant, wearable but not especially original fragrance, something that maybe could be expected from a Edition rare line. To me, the regular Hdp line is over all better and more original than the two Edtiton Rare lines. I almost get the feeling that the main work is done for the regular line and that some of what is developed during that process is recycled in the Edition rare line. But this is just a speculation.

Vici would be appreciated by those who likes incense fragrances but also some irises as the one mentioned above and also Hermés Kelly Caleche as KC has a flowery-green-vegetal texture that have similarities with the flowery aspects of Vici.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Angelica, cardamom, red fruit, basil, violet leaf, galbanum, aldehydes, iri, osmanthus, incense, celery seed, patchouli, musk, cedar, raspberry

Histoires de Parfums - Vidi

Picture: Mount Ararat, photo by Elegant's, 

Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved

Vidi is the second installment in the Julius Ceasar conquest inspired trio where the houseperfumer/founder  Gérald Ghislain examines different facets of cardamom. The Veni, Vidi, Vici fragrances are a part of the Edition rare line.

Vidi, I saw: When smelling Vidi I could (maybe) image Julius Ceasar looking out from the high mountains over another Asia minor country to conquer. The air in the mountains is high and clear, the sun has just warmed up the flowers, grass and herbs which pleasant smells are carried with the wind. Of course this image appears just because I have read about the inspiration to the cardamom trio, but the image is quite reasonable. Just as Veni, Vidi starts with a true cardamomnote that is present during the whole development of the fragrance. But as Veni is darker, sweeter and almost gourmand, Vidi features smooth ozonic notes ie supporting, ozonic notes of the contemporary style, not the dominating, sharp ones of the 90s. The ozonic notes accentuate the cardamom and fresh flowers with a light herbal touch and Vidi feels brisk and sprightly in character. The flowery, cardamom, ozonic accords are prominent in different variations during the whole dry down. One variation is that somewhere in the middle of the day, saffron suddenly take the center stage for a while. In the basenote  the pleasant "plasternote" appears, the note that is distinct in for example Musst de Cartier Edt 90s version and Comme des Garcons Jaisalmer.

Vidi is a wearable and comforting fragrance that is suitable for both professional and casual, daytime wearing year around. The fresh impression makes Vidi suitable also for summer, unlike Veni which I can image will be a tad to sweet when the weather is warm. Projection is somewhere between low and medium and longevity is good, more than 12h.

Rating: 4

Notes: Cardamom, cucumber, ozonic notes, rose, cyclamen, saffron, immortelle, musk, amber, vanilla, blonde woods

Histoires de Parfums - Veni

Picture: Bust of Gaius Julius Caesar

 Photo by Andreas Wahra, Wikimedia commons

Veni is the first fragrance in the Histoires de Parfums "cardamom trio", fragrances that highlighting different aspects of cardamom. The fragrances are inspirated of the conquests of Julius Ceasar and his celebrated words "Veni, Vidi, Vici!" .Veni is composed by Gérald Ghislain, founder and perfumer of the house Histoires de Parfums and, together with Vidi and Vici, a part of the Editions Rare line of 2012. The theme of Editions Rare 2011 was (of course) oud.

Veni, "I have come" starts with a true smell of cardamom, followed by a light and sweet flowery impression supported by different spicy notes. The caradamom is present during the whole dry down of Veni and the unusual, slight flowery, dark, a bit moisty, spicy accord are resting on a bit peppery, contrasted with sweet and resin basenotes. Even in the basenotes the cardamom note feels as natural and the other spices acts like a wellblended warming background.

To be honest, Veni doesn't induce the picture of Julius Ceasar on expedition in faraway countries. My impression of Veni is drinking a nice cup of  chai tea and eating a soft cardamom cake a cold winterday.

Veni is suitable to wear at daytime, escpecially during the colder months. The sillage is close and the longevity about twelve hours.

Those who likes Phaedon Cendres de The and also Dzhari (even if cardamom here just is a supporting note), just as Hermès Un Jardin Apres la Mousson could, even if different cardamom interpretations, also appreciate Veni (and it's sisterfrags Vidi and Vici).

Rating: 3

Notes: Cardamom, cinnamon, galbanum, lavendel, tagete, saffron, guaiac wood, patchouli, vanilla, caramel, musk, amber, benzoin, oakmoss

By Kilian - Good Girl Gone Bad

Picture: Lü Ji, Birds in Osmanthus and Chrysanthemum,
13th century, Palace Museum, Beijing

Testing the next installment of the In the garden of Good and Evil subline of By Kilian, Good Girl Gone Bad. This almost natural smelling fruity-floral frag is created by Alberto Morillas. The spirit of the fragrance is described as "A woman who is game for anything in the world of love, of desire, of naughtiness"

Starts with fruity-flowery notes, osmanthus  contrubutes with the fruity-floral notes but there is also something similar to a mellow, yellow melon in the opening. Soon a tame tubereuse, some white flowers off-setted by a crisp but smooth narcissusnote appears. A very light creamy touch also appears in the middlenotes. There also some very light traces of cardamom (I think). Cardamom seems to be a it-note by now, Histoires de Parfums cardamomtrio Veni, Vidi, Vici is another example of this trend. The fruity-floral blend continues in the same style, supported by a conventional ambery-woody base.

To me there is nothing "Gone Bad" or naughty with this nice & fresh, totally officefriendly fragrance that could be worn in any season. There is more body to it than the initial perfume of the subline, In the City of Sin, but despite this, I percieve Good Girl Gone Bad as thin and uninteresting (I wonder if this depends on compliance with the new EU-regulations/IFRA selfregulations), but smelling nice. To me also GGGB just as ItCoS doesn't lend any remaining impression. On the other hand, Mr Parfumista think GGGB smells very good, "clean and wellblended not as the strange old-ladys scents you're insist to wear".To summon it all up: A nice smelling, easy to wear perfume that couldn't offend anybody. Taking the pricerange of By Kilian into account (if not buying the refills), I rather go for something mainstream, for example the Versace Vanitas Edt or Vanitas Edp if I wan't something in this uplifting, easy to wear style. The two latter also have a fuller body and are not fleeting.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Jasmine, osmanthus, may rose, tuberose, narcissus, amber, cedar

Histoires de Parfums – L’Olympia Music Hall

Picture: L'Olympia, Paris 9em, France,
Photo: KoS, ref PA00089012, (cc) Wikimedia commons,
some rights reserved

L’Olympia Music Hall is another temptating Histoires de Parfumes fragrance (this house ruins me :-) created by the house founder and owner Gérald Ghislain. As in 1889 Moulin Rouge the parfumer is inspired of a parisan musical establishment: L’Olympia Music Hall.

L’Olympia Music Hall starts up with a beautiful, sparkling leather accord where the citrus notes are glimmering and makes the very true leathernote uplifting and captivating. The leathery note continues to be present during the whole dry down of L’Olympia even if teken a step to the background in the later parts of the fragrance. There is the scent of fine leather, as from the inside of an elegant handbag, an impression that deepens when the flowers and a quickly glimpsed accord of powder, occours. There is also a distinct, cold flowery, almost, green note that is present from early on and which also remains in the basenotes. Probably this note appers from the crisp “watery” flowers of lilac and freesia that is listed in the middlenotes. This accord, together with some of the peppery peony accord of Histoires de Parfums Vert Pivoine,   counterbalances the wellblended classical rose-saffron accord and adds additional sparkle to L’Olympia even in the later stages of its dry down. When L’Olympia reaches the basenotes the spicy aspect of saffron is reinforced but counterbalanced with dark patchouli and also with sweet, dark notes as licorice. There is also a  hint of a mouthwatering berrynote present. The leather in this part is tuned down and almost like velvet in texture ie like suede. A pleasant but distinctive musk is finally linking the basenotes together.  The musky, flowery facets that still remains in the base, reminds me somehow of the musky basenotes of the Vert Pivoine mentioned above. Also when L’Olympia lingers for multiple hours in the basenotes, it’s a beautiful fragrance, even if not as original as the opening with the leather accord which is so true to the real scent of leather. To me L’Olympia appears to be a successful mix of a good feminine leather fragrance as for example Cuir de Lancome and a dark, spicy, rose patchouli as for example Midnight Oud by Juliette Has A Gun and Agent Provocateur (by Agent Provocateur).

If L’Olympia embodies the establishment as well as 1889 Moulin Rouge captured the fin d’siecle mood of that establishment, I’don’t know as I don’t know anything about L’Olympia. But I trust the perfumer and assume there were rumbling and colorful shows going on there as very much is going on in this fascinating, distinctive and wellcrafted perfume.

L’Olympia is a perfume of high volume which is acting out its energy underscored by all the interesting notes. It’s appearance reminds me vaugly of the aura of the grand perfumes of the 80s, which is a pleasant discovery in the stream of beautiful, wellbehaved, subudued, powdery, musky, florals we are used to at the present. Under these conditions there is necessary to apply L’Olympia sparingly, a spritz too much and it becomes overpowering. L’Olympia is perfect for evening wear but could also be worn daytime during the winter. Great sillage and stayingpower.

Rating: 4 

Notes: Mandarin, lemon, bergamot, orange, pink berries, black pepper, saffron, rose, freesia, lilac, peony, blond wood, patchouli, frankincense, styrax, suede, vanilla, chocolate, licorice, white musk

Scented thoughts – November 2012

Photo: Mr Parfumista

The late autumn is here, the perfect season for staying inside perfumetesting and writing reviews. As readers of this blog are aware of, sampling, evaluating and writing about perfume is my fulltime sparetime hobby. There is a pleasure to test so many new fragrances either new launches or frags that are not new on the market but are not tested by me before. But sometimes when piles of (to exaggerate a bit) untested intriguing samples demands for attention, I can feel a frustrated of the fact that frags from my regular collection get no skintime. Almost always the crave to test an uncharted fragrances wins over the wish to calm down with a favourite. A positive side of a sampeling is that the more I sample, the more similarities I perceive between fragrances from different houses and within a certain category. The similarities together with the fact that I’m almost always is testing some sample leads to less purchases of full bottles, even if there are still too many, I’m still finding too many fragrances to love from the exercise of sampling.

I the latest months I have felt a growing attraction to some of the fragraces I was into when this blog started six years ago, ie the classics. For exemple I feel an urgent need to test and compare the new reinterpreted Molinard Habanita Edp (if I can get my hands on a sample) to the Habanita Edt I own. I also crave some “old ladies” scents as Lanvin Arpége, Rochas Femme and Madame Rochas and even if my skin doesn’t give them justice, they provide a welcome break from the contemporary scent map.

Writing about the contemporary fragrances there are so many interersting to test (here we are againJ). For the moment I’m excited to test the new Histoires de Parfums L’Olympia Music Hall and Veni, Vidi, Vici from the Edition Rare line and have also re-discovered the beautiful perfumline of Frapin. Late to the party when it comes to MDCI Chypre Palatin a beautiful frag I have smelled on my friend Fragrancefanatic from Riktig Parfym. Which make me think of that Riktig parfym carries a varied selection from the Etat Libre d’Orange-line and I hope that the new releases, The Afternoon of a Faun and Dangerous Complicity soon will be there as I want to put them under my nose asap. 

Balmain - Ambre Gris

Picture: Balmain Ambre Gris in it's fancy, heavy bottle

Photo: Balmain all right reserved (c)

After wearing Ambre Gris by Pierre Balmain three days running, I still can't figure out among which fragrances to place this interesting creation of Guillaume Flavigny. Even if somehow familiar Ambre Gris is it's own comforting creature and I enjoy it as such.

Ambre Gris starts very sweet, almost to sweet for my liking but in the same time it's a somehow delicious sweet-spicy smell and I can't stop sniffing my wrists. In the earlier stages Ambre Gris is gourmand-oriental in style. When Ambre Gris has dried down for a few hours it becomes drier and shows off a soft, slight flowery side. The imortelle is the flower that is most detectable and I can't say that I detect the tubereuse as a separate note but I think it's so well blended with the immortelle that these two together creates a subdued immortellenote, the imortelle in the "immortellestandard" Sables is relatively loud and sypury, here it's smoother and almost putty in texture. In this stage Ambre Gris reminds me a bit of Histoires d'Parfums Tubereuse 3 Animale but Ambre Gris is smoother, sweeter and subdued compared to T3. The tubereuse is not the loud, fleshy one, it's the putty, subdued style which is also present in Mona di Orios Les Nombres d'Or Tubereuse. When Ambre Gris reaches the basenotes it mediates an almost salty quality that evokes the picture of real ambergris, the drived ashore dried whalevomit that was (and sometimes is) a precious perfumeingredient. The basenotes is pleasant almost slight smoky-woody-musky in character.

Ambre Gris is the ultimate comfortscent for autumn and winter. Even if gourmand, spicy, woody, oriental with distinct, concentrated notes, it's soft and subdued. Ambre Gris has to be applied sparingly because the sweetness may otherwise be overhelming. For each wearing, the more I appreciate Ambre Gris and I think it's well worth tryning when passing NK or Åhlens City (in Sweden). The beautiful  heavy bottle is with the funny golfball or discoball of the top is well worth watching.

Besides the fragrances mentioned above I think admirer of Belle en Rykiel by Sonia Rykiel (louder and more vanillic + incense -lavendel) and Prada Candy (more powdery resins) will appreciate Ambre Gris.

Rating: 4 (but may increase as it seems to be a growing liking)

Notes: Myrrh, cinnamon, pink pepper, immortal flower, benzoin, tuberose, benzoin, ambergris, musk, amber, guaiac wood

Puredistance - Opardu

Photo: Opardu by Puredistance, all rights reserved (c)

It's hard to find the right words to describe Opardu, the new creation (will be released in November 2012) by masterperfumer Annie Buzantian for the Austrian/Netherlands nichehouse Puredistance founded by Jan Ewoud Vos. Even if Opardu is classical in it's texture and gives a familiar impression, it's hard to find obvious perfume references. Opardu is one of it's own kind. Opardu is said to be inspired of the vibrant nightlife of Paris in the 1920s. It is classical but not at all dated in style, and it express the feeling of the nostalgic looking back of years gone by.

Opardu starts with soft green floral notes, emphasizing floral. The greenery is more of the violet leaf type, not the rougher (but in a surprisingly gentle way) galbanum that is present in my favourite of this classy line so far, Antonia. Already from the start I percieve the same level of elegance as is present in Antoina, but Antonia is more of a pronounced daytime elegance where Opardu is the contrasting, mysterious and graceful night bird.

The flowery notes confuses me, a note similar to violet is present and something that reminds me of hints of orris but without the famous carrotnote.The mysterious flower is lilac and Opardu in color and texture is just as a bale of exclusive lilac silk velvet. Good lilac scents is not very common, After My Own Heart by Ineke is a well crafted example from the genre but AMOH is fresher and more outdoor in style.

Opardu also presents a pleasent almost slight creamy powdery accord that has some similarities with a subdued lipsticknote. The powder probably emerges from the heliotrophe but I also think aldehydes is included as Opardu (despite differences in flowery notes and scent) has some of the texture and expression of Esprit d'Oscar by Oscar de la Renta but Opardu is more polite and polished in style.

In the basenotes the lilac accompanied by an pleasant slight almondy heliotrophe, supported by a light handed white musk together with a beautiful soft cedarwood that blended with the heliotrophe smells close to sandalwood. Opardu ends as a soft, woody, lilac.

Opardu is an example of a wellcrafted, quality fragrance that unfold it's secrets in different very well blended layers, just as a budding flower.It's a relaxing fragrance that gives a calming almost sad/biitersweet pleasure during the whole drydown. Regarding the vibrant 1920s inspiration of Opardu, my impression is it's a perfume created for the sofisticated nightlife, visiting the Opera and dining at an elegant restaurant instead of dancing wild on a jazz-club. Personally I feel a connction between Opardu and the decade before, the early 1910s and the fashion of Paul Poiret with it's peacock feathers, muted velvet silk, sweeping, comfortable silk dresses with sophisticated oriental patterns, something I think is intermediated by the Puredistance advertesing picture above, just as the original below.

Picture: Poiret model 1914

No known restrictions on publication, Wikimedia commons

Opardu is avaible in perfumeconcentration and therefore it wear close to the skin. The stayingpower is good, Opardu lasts good for a day. To compare, Antonia (also pure perfume) is more radiant and has a 24h+ stayingpower. Opardu is also suitable to wear in daytime and I can image it will be particularly appealing duirng the chilly but bright, early winter-spring days.

I think fans of (among themselves as different scents) Chanel No 5 Parfume, Amouage Gold (in swedish) and Dia, but also Histoire d'Parfums Blanc Violette, and Guerlain L'Heure Bleue will appreciate the beautiful Opardu. And of course; every true admirer of a wellcrafted perfume.

Rating: 5

Notes: Tubereuse, gardenia, rose, lilac, carnation, jasmine, heliotrope, cedarwood, musk