Annick Goutal - Les Absolus Vanille Charnelle

Picture: Le Bain
Painting by Alfred Stevens (1823-1906)

Vanille Charnelle is the first one I test from the 2015 introduced Annick Goutal sub-line: Les Absolus. In Les Absolus house perfumer Isabelle Doyen and Camille Goutal "listen to the whispers of their rawmaterials" and creating exclusive fragrances of the best ingredients which are highligthing one rawmaterial at a time. In this case: Vanilla. In coming reviws amber and oud are featured.

Vanille Charnelle starts with a clean, vanillapod note combined with a milky impression, the marketing buzz says: "Imagine a bath of almond milk laced with vanilla beans in which you want to immerse yourself before meeting your lover". There is no chemical-sweet vanilla like in some cheaper fragrances, this smells like high quality stuff. A hint of a well intergrated pepper soon appears and also a soft, very light hint of flowers. The flowery element is just perceptible, it is not as pronounced as in another clean and bright vanilla also from 2015, Eau d'Italie Morn to Dusk. Just as in the latter, there is no boozy, tobbacco or spicy notes in Vanille Charnelle even if it in the next step of its developement becomes gourmand in its character.  Vanille Charnelle than smells like a fine, delicious, glazed vanilla cake, and just as in the earlier stage without smudgy or cloying elements.Just as Morn to Dusk, Vanille Charnelle is a fragrance in the higher octaves of the olfactory notescale. Even in the basenotes Vanille Charnelle retains its sort of light impression, still gourmand and with a musky touch cleaverly counterbalanced by an almost undetectable vetiver, it's just discerned.

Picture: Les Absolus Vanille Charnelle
Photo: PR Annick Goutal (c)

It seems as there  currently is a trend with a sort of fluffy, clean and pristine vanillas which are very comfortable to wear, so far I have tested Vanille Charnelle and Morn to Dusk and I am convinced there already are or will be more fragrances released in this style.Vanille Charnelle has very little in common with the earlier Annick Goutal vanilla Vanille Exquise which is (as I remember it) sharper, greener, fizzy and more distinctive compared to Vanille Charnelle.

Vanille Charnelle is cozy and comforting to wear in the dark seasons and could also be appropriate for cold and rainy summerdays. Labeled as unisex but I find it more feminine. The silage is close, a skinscent, with longevity for a day. Summed up Vanille Charnelle is a very well balanced, skillful crafted fragrance which, not surprisingly, is also priced thereafter. 

Rating: 4

Notes: Ylang-ylang, mandel, pepper, vanilla, tonka bean, white musk, vetiver

Best of 2015

Picture: Lily of the valley
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Last day of 2015 and I don't feel entitled to write this post as I havn't tested a fraction of the many fragrances released this year. I'm also aware of some samples *) of untested 2015s from which I know there will be some I'll like very much.

Regardless my limited testing of 2015 releases, this post optimally should be written in March/April 2016 to catch up, there was a battle between flowers. The winner is Puredistance White with Téo Cabanel Lace Garden as a close contender. White is not only a beautiful, well crafted, high quality fragrance, it's also a very happy fragrance, versatile, elegant and in the same time comforting, easy to wear. A staple for everyday life, as a concept reminding of the also very versatile Jour d'Hermès. Lace Garden is the white floral going contemporary, also happy and elegant, easy to wear but less formal, more casual than White.

Honorable mentions to the lovely, lush, fruity, airy floral Cio Cio San  from Parfums MDCI and in the same vein but a bit spicier; Neela Vermiere Creations Pichola, the creamy non oud - oud 1001 Ouds from Annick Goutal, the spectacular, almost gormand, citric, furry lavender Shermine from Huitème Art and last but not least the cosy, fluffy, lily of the valley vanilla Eau d'Italie Morn to Dusk.

Among designerfragrances releases Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Bleu is the winner in my book. I also like Narciso Rodriguez Narciso Edt and Gucci Bamboo. Havn't smelled the praised Alaïa from Alaïa nor Equipage Geranium by Hermès.

A house I started to explore in 2015 was the (relatively) priceworthy, quality nichehouse Perris Monte Carlo. Their Edp:s are great and now I have just started to explore their wonderful Extraits, released in 2015. So Perris is my house of the year, even if in the fragrance business for decades.

*) Still untested 2015's which I suspect I'll like much are: Cuir L'Aigle Russe from Oriza L.Legrand, UNUM Rosa Nigra and Jehanne Rigaud Imperial Poudré. And I definitly must get my nose on Parfums MDCI Les Indes Galantes a late 2015 release.

By Kilian - Voulez-vous coucher avec Moi ?

Picture: Volez-vous coucher avec Moi? - The Perfume
Photo: PR By Kilian (c)

Voulez-vous coucher avec Moi? (VvcaM?) the latest By Kilian for the new sub line (A Night) In the Garden of Good and Evil, "which draws inspiration from dark nights and exciting game of seduction".The fragrance is created by perfumer Alberto Morillas and described as a gardenia centered perfume over a smooth sandalwood.

VvcaM? starts light flowery, and is a bit tart. The flowers are white with shades of purple, the petals are cold and crispy. The first fragrance I come to think of when testing VvcaM? is Lanvin Eclat d'Arpege even if that one has a lilac themre. A light, smooth, woody accord balances the flower and as also a discrete almost fluffy vanilla. The vanilla is the earlier stages is of the down light, angelic kind as in Eau d'Italie Morn to Dusk but not at all as present as in the latter. In the basenotes the vanilla is combined with cedarwood.and I can trace similarities with the base of Chanel Allure Edp. These darker nuances creates dept and character to the fragrance. VvcaM? is not especially sweet and it's also not powdery. It's a fine, clean (but not at all chemical clean) unobtrusive floral which, has little in common with the daring name of the creation. Maybe Kilian follows in the fotsteps of the latest Serge Lutens fragrances with challening namnes which are more or less the opposite to the real impression from the fragrance. Speaking of Lutens, VvcaM? has similarities to Serge Lutens La Religieuse in its smooth, dark, discrete, flowery image.

Picture: Volez-vous coucher avec Moi? - The clutch
Photo: PR By Kilian (c)

VvcaM? is quite linear even if it gets darker and even if not exactly warm it's absolutely no longer cold in the basenotes. It's a very pleasant, sort of calming fragrance to wear, nothing loud, shrilly or extreme. The more I wear VvcaM?, the more I like it. Just as with La Religiuese this is a fragrance which doesn't unfolds directly, one has to be patient to tune in with this one. A contemporary, floral classic which IMO is very feminine in style.

VvcaM? despite its elegant aura, is easy and comforting to wear. It could be worn anytime of the year and for most occassions except for exercise and similar activites. Sillage is close and longevity almost for a day.

Those who appreciate Puredistance Opardu, even if that one is a bit powdery and with a lilac note, as also Ann Gerard Perle de Mousse with its almost shadowy impression with tart and moisty notes

Rating: 4

Notes: Neroli, gardenia, tuberose, ylang ylang, petalia, rose, sandalwood, cedarwood,  vanilla

Eau d'Italie - Morn to Dusk

Picture: Amor and Psyche, children 
Painting 1890 by
William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905)
Wikimedia Commons

Morn to Dusk is the latest release from italian nichehouse Eau d'Italie. Morn to Dusk is created by Annick Menardo, the nose behind many sucesses around Y2K for example Dior Hypnotic Poison, Bulgari Black and Lolita Lempicka.As I like Annicks bold style, it's a bit exciting testing a new vanilla from her.

Morn to Dusk starts vanillic, just like fresh baked vanilla bread, right out from the oven. Soon a light, crispy lilylike flowernote appears, similar to an airy lily of the valley. A smooth musky base, not chemical or loud but fluffy like light clouds in the summer sky, anchors the smooth, flowery.vanilla.The fragrance which I'm thinking of when wearing Morn to Dusk is Elie Saab L'Eau Couture  but Morn to Dusk is a smoother and not loud version and without the orangeblossom and characteristic almond of L'Eau Couture. Morn to Dusk is going on like this in a linear and very pleasant drydown and one think this is all. Until in the very late dry down, when I thought the Morn to Dusk had vanished and I suddenly smelled a finetuned oriental, very light gunpowdery, vanillic accord, tinged with the withw flower  but in a deeper and muskier way than before. The fragrance had turned to be almost retro in style in its last phase, something reminding of a smooth and easy version of Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige. The sillage when this beautiful accord appears seems to be wider, and whiffs are diffusing in the room and remaining for some moments in fluffy, angelic clouds.

Morn to Dusk is a very pleasant, straight forward vanilla with floral notes. It's not the thick, boozy vanilla of for example Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Vanille or L'Artisan Parfumeur Havna Vanille (Vanille Absolument), Morn to Dusk is very easy to wear, smooth, angelic, fluffy without no sharp edges. My nine years old daugther just loves Morn to Dusk, with it's soft, vanillic, fluffy, cloudy aura. Thankfully she has'nt approached the Victoria Secrets, which seems to be the regular type of fragrances worn (if/when someone wears something) in her agegroup.

Picture: Morn to Dusk
Photo: PR Eau d'Italie (c)

Morn to Dusk is a very pleasant fragrance when searcing for something cosy but in the same time light and non-offending. It's clean, non-cluttered, seems to be simple in construction and could therefore be misjudged if not worn for several times, taking the time to sniff carefully and evaluating. Morn to Dusk suitable for daytime wear autumn, winter, spring and for grey, rainy summerdays. Sillage is close and longevity for at least a day.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, freesia, lily of the valley, vanilla, cedarwood, musk