Easter in Guerlain

Picture: Easter Egg, with no resemblance
to the fragrances worn….
Photo: Parfumista (c)

And here are my Guerlain choices for the second part of Easter 2019....

 

Easter Eve: Encens Mythique D'Orient - I know that EMD'O is a high quality and well blended perfume but it doesn't team up well with my skinchemistry, at least not when heavily overapplied, applied five tiny spritzes and even if I tried to wash it off, it lingered like a second skin. I'll try only one spritz to do it justice another day. Starts with an interesting accord of cedar, spices that creates that almost eletrical note or dust on warm a light bulb note that is present in Mona di Orios Carnation and Téo Cabanel Kasar. After that I lost contact with EMD'O, it becomes an unstructured muddle of spice, rose and woody notes. But I don't give up that easy, the notes are just my cup of tea and I'll conquer EMD'O sooner or later.

 

Easter Sunday: Apres l'Ondee Edt - A comforting and calming perfume experience compared with the suffocating experience on Easter Eve. Starts with a beautiful, clean, earthy, slight carrot-y irisaccord, after a while violet, anis and heliotrope joins and Apres l'Ondee smells just like the outdoor precursor to L'HB as it also is. Not as powdery and indoor as L'HB, elegant casual and almost fresh. A happy fragrance unlike L'HB.

 

Easter Monday: L'Heure Bleue Edt - As mentioned above, the more powdery, lipstick, deeper and darker variation along the iris-violet-anis-heliotrope theme which isalso  the core of Apres l'Ondee. In L'HB there is also neroli that combined with carnation and balsamic notes creates a more dramatic and sophisticated style than the cheerful Apres l'Ondee. L'HB is melancholy, beautiful and intriguing, one has to take time with this, it's not an easy fragrance. I tested the Edt version today to compare with Apres l'Ondee which also is in Edt. The Edt (vintage from 1989) has a great radiance and longevity, when it comes to Guerlain the Edt and Edp formulas are different variations of the fragence with some differences in notes/accords. It's not som much about strenght and longevity.
 
Wearing Guerlain for six days is not at all boaring, on the contrary, I'll explore the fragrances further.

Blog Anniversary - 8 years today

Today it's eight years since my first entry (in swedish) on old "Parfumistans dagbok" = "The diary of Parfumista". It was about my long time passion for perfume, my first perfumememories of my mothers signaturefragance Dior Diorissimo etc. Looking back, if I had put all the effort that I put in blogging and the money spend in perfume in managening a stock portfolio instead, I would be halfway to be financially independent by now :-). On the other hand, I  probably would have smell less intricate.

Perfumes I crave and wear at the moment:

Guerlain L'Heure Bleue Edt & Edp (vintage): Both magnificent, Edt airier, drier and with an almost herbal touch, Edp dark and like velvet in texture, sweeter and with more flowery notes.

YSL Opium Edt (current): I love also the current formula, deep, spicy, dark woody. Perfect for fall and winter and with a excellent longevity.

Montale Aoud Red Flowers Edp: A non-oudy oud from Montales oud-line. Lipstick texture, tagets with traces of tobbacco. Sort of vintage feeling.

Farmacia SS Annunziata Gelsorosa Edp: The best jasmine (supported by orangeblossom and tubereuse) I have tested so far. Intensive and musky-animalic.

Chanel Cuir de Russie Edt: Powdery, aldehydic, leather, with a lipstick texture. Like the smell from inside an elegant purse.

Pictures above: PR Guerlain, Yves Saint Laurent, Montale, Farmacia SS Annunziata, Chanel (c)

PS: Out of nostalgia I publish this post at 14:02 PM exactly the same moment as the first entry eight years ago.

Springtime fragrances

Soon they're here!
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

This year spring is very early, or at least the late winter is springlike some of the days. Of course there was almost no winter this year which is a great relief in everyday life. Anyway, this brings out this brings out the craving after springfragrances, such as:

Foin Fraîchement Coupé (Oriza L.Legrand): Starts fizzy, light green over dry haynotes, clover and herbs. Deepens in a sweeter, almost anise-liqueur-like light musky note. Comnines rual, green freshness with a delicate, sweet. light gourmand accord. Excellent longevity, I can smell whiffs from this fragrance from the dept of my skin days after I worn FFC.

Le Parfum  L'Eau Couture (Elie Saab): From the very moment when the first molecules hit my skin when testing LPL'EC I knew this is a must have. Starts bright and springlike, with an accord reminiscent of an almondy and not so cold Lily of the Valley, even if the notelist says magnolia. The classical Kurkdjian/Saab orangeblossom accord is also there but not as highlighted as in the original Le Perfum. A light vanilla complements the flowers perfectly. This is a reminder: Never underestimate "the mainstreams". Many of them are much better than all of the anxious complicated fragrances which are too many in the tide of nicherealeases.

Forever and Ever Dior (Christian Dior): This is a fragrance which I have neglected to try for a decade because of its silly name. It was displayed when I passed through a perfumestore and I tested it and fell immadiately for its light, bright, pink, rosy and crisp flowery charm. An elegant and very wearable springfragrance for ladies of all ages.

L'Heure Bleue (Guerlain): I think I mentioned L'HB in my list of springfragrances last year too. Every late winter/early spring I long a bit extra for this magic velvet dark blue, dusty, iris-neroli-heliotrophe-tonka elixir in all of its concentrations. L'HB is a fragrance which never loses its interest and which I appreciate even better the more I sniff from the flood of new fragrances.

Onda (Vero Profumo): Like taking a walk over the fields when the snow just has melted. The smell of earth, mud and the grass of yesteryear with light animalic whiffs from the horses on the barnyard nearby. (Onda Extrait & Voile d'Extrait).

Which fragrances do you perfer for spring?

Jardins d'Écrivains - La Dame aux Camélias

Picture: Marie Duplessis (1824-1847)
Watercolor by Camille Roqueplan (1802-1855)

La Dame aux Camélias from french nichhouse Jardins d'Écrivains is something so unusual as a Cologne de Nuit, a cologne to be used for bedtime pleasures. Of course any type of light fragrance could be used if one have the need to be perfumed round the clock but La Dame aux Camélias seems to be perfectly composed for the purpose as it not has the effervescent and uplifting effect as citrusdominated colognes.

La Dame aux Camélias starts with classic orangeblossom cologne notes blended with green and supported with a very smooth cardamom. The impression is that of  freshly laundered high quality linen sheets but without any contemporary detergent note. After a while an accord of delicate, subtle a bit oldfashioned (in a good way) and chilly flowers joins. The scent is clean but underneeth there is something almost on the verge to dirty, light animalic and maybe it's the indolic facet of orangeblossom that makes itself known combined with the musk and powdery tonka of the base. La Dame aux Camélias is a fragrance that triggers the imagination, I can well imagine that this was the scent of the exclusive linen sheets of the real Dame aux Camélias, the courtesan Marie Duplessis who also was the mistress of Alexandre Dumans the younger and the model for Marguerite Gautier in his novel La Dame aux Camélias (1848).

Beeing a colognestyled fragrance, La Dame aux Camélias should be applied liberally and if so, it lasts for a day, anyway if the weather is rainy and the conditions are humid. La Dame aux Camélias is intruiging and in the same time easy and pleasant to wear, entirely officefriendly. And the genereous 250 ml bottle is so beautiful....

Picture: La Dame aux Camélias
Photo: PR Jardins D'Ecrivains

Those who like fragrances such as Prada Infusion de Fleur d'Oranger, Guerlain L'Heure Bleue Edt and Parfumerie Générale Corps et Ames Eau de Toilette Apaisante will probably also appreciate La Dame aux Camélias.

Rating: 4+

Notes: Verbena, cardamom, orange blossom, violet, rose, camellia, tonka bean, musk, juniper wood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample of  La Dame aux Camélias

Fragrance(s) of the week (19) 2013 - Hurry up!

Picture: Miss Dior
Photo: PR Christian Dior (c)

When I a few days ago was reading  this scary entry on the parfumehistorian/perfumeexpert Octavians blog 1000Fragrances, I can not help feel contended with my perfumecollecting strategy during the latest 6-7 months. I have stocked up and complemented with some classics that I really like or think a "full" perfumecollection should contain.

Of course these classics have been reformulated many times since they first appeared but as I have understand from reading the experts as Octavian and Elena at  Perfumeshrine the new regulations will almost completely ruin many of the greats. So the latest half year I have neglected  investments in current perfumereleases, of course I have tested as many as always from samples, but as FB investments I have given the classics the total priority. And even there are some very nice stuff in the current releases tested, overall I get a greater experience with these by this operation salvaged classics as Dior Miss Dior (orginale but the version before the Orignale was added to the name) back-up bottle and Dolce Vita, back-up bottles of Thierry Mugler Angel, Guerlain Shalimar, Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue and also the 2010 version of Yves Saint Laurent Opium to spare my ca 25 ml left of the vintage Edt-version.

Today, it's only 61 days left, so hurry up if you want to be sure to secure some of the perfumelegacy for your collection.........

Picture: Guerlain Mitsouko
Photo: PR Guerlain (c)

Springfragrances 2013

Picture: Violets
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

The winter has been staying for an exceptional long time this year so the real inspiration of wearing springfragrances has not really appeared. Instead I have been much into fragrances which are suitable year around and  with a renewed appreciation of some of the great classics, particulary the Guerlains. Regardless of this, but of course also with some inspiration from it, here comes a list of fragrances inspiring me this spring:

Rose Splendide (Annick Goutal): The tough, rough and wild pink rose, just as a not trimmed rosebush. Rose Splendide smells as the flowers, leaves and steams are all crushed and extracted into the fragrance.

La Violette (Annick Goutal): This leafy,crispy green perfectly just a bit candided sweet violet is not of the lipsticky-powdery cosmetic styled type. This is the small violet struggeling in the old grass just before the new fresh and green appears.

Violette in Love (Parfums de Nicolaï): Also a non-cosmetic violet, this time supported by citrus, peppery and slight berry notes. In the same style as AG La Violette but different when it comes to the details. Pretty, feminine and chic.

Vie de Chateau (Parfums de Nicolaï): This citrus-topped, hay-ish, slight leathery chypre is the  quintessential of casual chic. Like a stroll on the fields a sunny, day in the late spring/early summer.

I think that Annick Goutal and Parfums de Nicolaï are my ulitmate houses when it comes to springfragrances. Both have several light, sparkling, natural fresh fragrances which are very suitable for spring. And when spring approaches, the craving of fragrances from these houses arises.

As I have been in some sort of Guerlain obsession the latest months there is of course some gems from this house in different facets of blue.

Apres l'Ondee (Guerlain): More iris than violet, some soft spices warms it up a bit but in hte same time there is a moisty cleanness as the smell of earth, grass and fragile springflowers just after a rain.

L'Heure Bleue (Guerlain): After decades of testing, I finally get this more complicated follower to Apres l'Ondee (or have become totally exhausted and have capitulated :-) and also have been almost addicted. I often long for wearing L'Heure Bleue.

Last but not least, the house with the always so wearable, casual chic classics, Hermès.

Amazone (Hermès): My all time favourite fresh flowery fragrance. I have so much appreciated the fresh leaves and bulb- and other crisp flowers of the wild but chic Amazone since we met for the first time twenty years ago. A signature of younger days.

Jour d'Hermès (Hermès): Hermès latest will probably be a floral classic. This green floral is, to my nose, a paler and more polite variation of the extroverted great narcissus, mossy, green Le Temps d'une Fête from (here is the fabulous Patricia again:) Parfums de Nicolaï.

Fragrance(s) of the week (11) 2013

Picture: Good old Mitsi
Photo: One of the myriads of  the PR pictures of this classic .

This week I have been terribly cold and just smell fragments of the frags I'm wearing. Beside my Frederic Malle testing activity, my belated Guerlain obsession is growing. I really appreciate to wear (even if they don't suit me perfectly) the classics like Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue in different strenghts and longing for apring and Apres l'Ondee. Even in the current or almost current versions, this frags are by far more original than most of the niche launched today. And also like several of the current Guerlains, for example Cuir Beluga is caring with its smooth, suedelike texture, which is excellent when having a bad cold. I also have to admit that I like Shalimar Initial with its elegant iris-patchouli accord and Shalimar Initial L'Eau, an interersting bergamot and iris combination, perfect for spring.

To further enhance this Guerlaineuphoria I just have to hang around at Monsieur Guerlains blog drooling over these beauties

Royal happiness

 

Picture: H.R.H Crownprincess Victoria and H.R.H Prince Daniel

Photo and Copyright: Kungahuset.se  (Royal Court)

 

Today is a day of joy and happiness here in Sweden. Our beloved Crown Princess Couple HRH Crownprincess Victoria and HRH Prince Daniel became parents to a little princess, the futhure heir of the throne. I had already put Burberry Body on when Mr Parfumista called and told me that Prince Daniel *)  hade something to announce at 7.00 am. If I had known I would have applied something more royal to celebrate the little Princess but I think Body is quite ok as it reminds me of pink roses in a smooth and fluffy creaminess. This happening made me recapitulate which fragrances I have worn the other special days of this nice couple:

The  engagement day February 24, 2009: Guerlain L'Heure Bleue, if I had known that morning what happy news that would be delivered I would definitly chosen something else. But on the other hand, that was the first time something really happy occured when wearing L'HB, two times when I have worn it (and I don't wear it often) sad things had happen.

The wedding day June 19, 2010: As the event was well-known (to say at least :-) in advance I could prepare for a royal spritz with Montales Highness Rose.

Now we (the royalists at least) are looking forward to the baptism of the little one later this spring. And of course I'm planning to report about this event from the same olfactory perspective :-)

*) The Prince Daniel story is the Cinderella-story of the 2000s: A young energetic man raised in a middle class family in a small municipality, moves to the capital of Sweden, get educated to be a Personal Trainer, starts an exclusive gym, becomes the PT of the Crownprincess, the business grows to a several gyms, the couple have to hide from the press and in the same time try to convince the King about their love and Daniels suitability as the consort to the future queen. After eight years, 2009, they finally got the permission to marry and where engaged. But at that time Daniel was seriously ill as he from his youth had an nonfunctional kidney and the other one was deteriorated. Luckily Daniels father Olle donated a kidney and everything went well. The wedding 2010 was like a fairytale and Daniel became HRH Prince Daniel. Today he is performing very well in this very special role. Almost all (at least the roylistic) women in Sweden loves Prince D as he seems to be the most perfect, caring, secure in himself, natural, polite, chivalrous guy one can image.  

Grossmith - Shem-el-Nessim

Kronprinsessan Margareta av Sverige  (Princess Margaret of Connaught)

Foto från Bernadottebiblioteket

Grossmith är ett av de äldsta brittiska parfymhus som startade 1835 men som lades ned någon gång under mitten av nittonhundratalet. Nu är huset åter i grundarfamiljens ägo och 2009 återutgav man tre av sina dofter: Hasu-no-Hana, Phul-Nana och Shem-el-Nessim. Det som gjort mig så nyfiken att testa Grossmiths dofter är att jag genom dem kan få en känsla för hur parfymerna doftade före första världskriget. Det får jag i och för sig när jag sniffar tidiga Guerlain, för trots att de reformulerats många gånger så finns ändå tidsandan kvar i till exempel L'Heure Bleue.

Just L'Heure Bleue är den perfekta entrèn till reviewen av Shem-el-Nessim som betyder ungefär "doft i brisen". Shem-el-Nessim är den yngsta av de tre återutgivna dofterna, den kom 1906 och är inspirerad av Egypten, av en vattenfestival på Nilen. Jag tycker att fotot av kungens farmor kronprinsessan Margareta (född brittisk prinsessa) passar utmärkt eftersom hon träffade den dåvarande arvprinsen och långt senare kungen Gustaf VI Adolf under en arkeologisk expedition i Egypten några år tidigare.

Shem-el-Nessim är en varm, pudrig och fint balanserad floriental. De på mig dominerande noterna är den klassiska bergamotten i starten, bergamott är en av de noter som ger den där riktigt klassiska lite "tantiga" tonen i en parfym. Några andra kommer sedan: Iris kombinerad med heliotrophe som dominerar med en väl avvägd vanilj i basen. Ingredienserna är av hög kvalitet, inget skarpt och kantigt utan pudriga och avrundade som flyter i varandra. Irisen är själva blomman, inte roten, och en av de bästa iris-blomme noter jag doftat, skymtar fram då och då ett tag i mellanregistret. Jag riktigt känner blomman och lite av de gröna bladen. Heliotrophen är mjuk och pudrig i sin karaktär och de båda noterna interagerar på ett sätt som de kanske ursprungligen gjorde i L'Heure Bleue men som förstörts av alla förbilligande reformuleringar. Kort sagt Shem-el-Nessim doftar ungefär som jag inbillar mig att L'HB gjorde.

Eftersom Shem-el-Nessim kom ut hela sex år innan L'HB antar jag att den här typen av floriental var ganska vanlig på den tiden och att L'HB när den kom alltså inte var särskilt originell. Det är bara det att L'HB är den enda (?) av dofterna som överlevt och funnits på marknaden alla år sedan den kom ut, troligen för att den tillhör det stora och så berömda huset Guerlain.

Tyvärr så fungerar Shem-el-Nessim precis som i fallet L'Heure Bleue inte med min hudkemi så det är inte rättvist att betygsätta den efter hur den luktar på mig, dvs så kallad "tant-doft" men det färgar förstås betyget en hel del. När det gäller kvalitet och stämning är betyget fem, när det gäller hur den passar mig och originalitet så är det tre.

Sammanfattningsvis en högkvalitativ, elegant men inte så originell doft i det som herr Parfumista kallar "tant-genren". EDP:n. Sitter bra under dagen ända in på natten.

Betyg:: 3+

Apropå klassiker...

....så bär jag idag den melankoliska L'Heure Bleue från Guerlain. Visserligen i den dissade EDT-versionen men jag måste säga att med åren har jag lärt mig att uppskatta den alltmer. Den kräver mycket träning att uppskatta och den är mycket känslig när det gäller doseringen.
Och, upptäckte jag i våras, en ny formula har kommit. Den har den nya kartongen (beigeaktig och matt kartong) och den luktar annorlunda på sticka jämfört med min version som är i den svarta och guldiga kartongen. Så där har jag en flaska på väg att bli lite mer unik.

Dagens doft - L´Heure Bleue

Nu har Guerlains L´Heure Bleue skapad av Jaques Guerlain 1912 vandrat igenom registret ned till basnoterna. Min association till L´HB har alltid kunnat sammanfattas i mandel. Det är inte förvånande då estern heliotrope finns bland basnoterna. Heliotrope ska efterlikna mandel/vanilj och har också toner av blommor som lilja, nejlika och mimosa. L´HB är en ambrerad/pudrig blomoriental som man ska akta sig för att överdosera eller att bära i för varmt väder. I toppnoterna finns bergamott och på den tiden det djärva inslaget av anis. I hjärtat finner man bla nejlika, ros och apelsinblomma. I basen vid sidan av heliotrope, iris, viol, vanilj och mysk.
L´HB är föregångaren till den än mer legendariska Mitsouko (1919) och dofterna har vissa likheter utöver den karaktäristiska Guerlainbasen. Flaskorna är likadana för båda dofterna och med sina kommatecknade hörn, säges de markera början och slutet på första världskriget. Namnet L´Heure Bleue har parfymören inspirerats av från den stund efter solnedgången då himlen färgats mörkblå men stjärnorna ännu inte börjat synas.

Melankoli

Idag på luciadagen är det precis ett år sedan en till oss närstående hund med ålderns och sjukdomens rätt, trädde in i de sälla jaktmarkerna.  På morgonen visste vi inget men vid lunch ringde mannen som engagerats i frågan. Men även om det är obehagligt så får man tänka på all glädje man haft av hunden under alla år, man måste löpa linan ut och skapa trygga förhållanden in i det sista. Lätt för mig att säga som slapp vara med men självklart hade jag ställt upp om det varit nödvändigt.
Det konstiga var att jag på morgonen hade satt på mig den parfym som anses vara väldigt melankolisk och som vissa tom känner sig nedstämda av: L'Heure Bleue. Idag ett år senare bär jag också L´HB som en tribut till B och hennes kamrat A som vilar sida vid sida på sin kära jaktmark där de haft så mycket skoj tillsammans!
Återkommer med kommentarer om L´HB när den fått falla ut lite mer.