L'Artisan Parfumeur - Oeillet Sauvage (new version)

Picture: Dianthus caryophyllus
Photo by 撮影者：カールおじさん (cc)
Wikimedia.com, some rights reserved

L'Artisan Parfumeur Oeillet Sauvage created by Anne Flipo, was first released in year 2000, then discontinued, probably because of the though IFRA restrictions against the substances creating the scent of carnation. Now it's relaunched and the review is of the current version, I have not tested the vintage.

Oeillet Sauvage starts with a crisp, papery, carnation note. It's like the name implies, like wild, intensive red carnations, growing in a field surronded by fresh and dry hay where the smells mingles a windy summerday alternating sun with clouds in the sky. Oeillet Sauvage smells distinct of carantion, no dark or cloying clove seems to be unvolved. It's not as spicy as many traditional carnation, here the flower itself is highlighted even if other flowers and notes are supporting, they not overrides in any stage of the developement of the fragrance. A light powdery finish are persent but not as clear as in Oriza L.Legrand Oeillet Louis XV which ha similariteis in the interpretation of the flower but is much more of a mulitflower powder puff. Compared to the other Oriza L.Legrand carnation fragrance Royal Oeillet and also the great carnation of Aedes de Venustas Oeillet Bengale the two latter are darker, balsamic and overall more complicated. Oeillet Sauvage is not as peppery and diluted as another carnation on the lighter end of the spectra, Etro Dianthus or not as old world smelling as Caron Bellodgia.

Picture: Oeillet Sauvage (current version)
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

Oeillet Sauvage is a cheerful, easy to wear carantion which is suitable for daytime wear year around, Royal Oeillet and Oeillet Bengale is autumn/winterfragrances or for chilly summer evenings. Sillage is medium and longevity for more than a day. Oeillet Sauvage is a well made, uncomplicated, contemporary carnation which is definitely worth trying for those appreciate carnation.

Rating: 4+

Notes: Pink pepper, rose, carnation, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, morning glory, resin, vanilla

Oriza L.Legrand - Royal Oeillet

Picture: Study of Polly Bernard  1885 for
"Carnation, lily, lily, rose"
Painting by John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)

Royal Oeillet is a composition inspired of the rich heritage of the revived french powder and perfumehouse Oriza L.Legrand. The house of Oriza recreates some of the old formulas taken the restrictions of and opportunities in to account and the result is one of the very best nichelines of today. In Royal Oeillet he interpretes the it-note of 2014: Carnation.

Royal Oeillet starts with an traditional, dense carnation note, a full carnation as in Caron Bellodgia pre year 2000. After a while, a contrasting note appears, a glimpse of the, what I call "an old attic" note appears, but much lighter, cleaner and airier than in the "old attic" gold standard L'Ombre Fauve from Parfumerie Générale. The note soon steps back and integrates with the carnationnote. The carnation is dry and papery in structure, I imagine its color as brick red. The clove which is a part of the carnationnote is very balanced and doesn't overpower the composition. Compared to Royal Oeillet, for example M.O.U.S.S.E and M.O.U.S.S.E II from Oliver & Co, spicy clovefragrances and the impression of carantion is subordinated the spices. Royal Oeillet is, despite the light spieces, in a strange way refreshing when worn a warm summerday. It's linear and minimalistic in its apperance but not at all boring. Its a meditative and calming fragrance which triggers the imagination and transports the wearer to the late 19th century and the impressionists era. The atmosphere in John Singer Sargents wonderful painting Carnation, lily, lily rose is similar to the vibes of Royal Oeillet.

Picture: Carnation, lily, lily, rose -
 the finished painting 1885-1886
 John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)

Compared to the other Oriza L.Legrand carnation, Oeillet Louis XV Royal Oeillet gives the impression to be a soliflore carnation, the Louis is more of an aldehydic boquet with carnation as the leading flower. In the Mâitre Parfumer et Gantier carnation Soie Rouge, where fruit and rose are more predominat an its also less spicer. Haven't tried my sample of Aedes de Venustas Oeillet Bengale yet but I'll compare it with Royal Oeillet when I review it.

Royal Oeillet could be worn in many situations when one need a comforting, elegant and easy to wear fragrance. The fragrance is appropriate year around, but especially for late summer/fall, the sillage is medium and longevity for almost a day.

Rating: 5

Notes: Rose, black pepper, myrrh, geranium, cloves, pink pepper, cedar, bitter orange, violet leaf, sandalwood

Favorite Orizas

Picture: The crest of Oriza L.Legrand
Photo: PR Oriza L.Legrand

As mentioned before, as I like retrostyled fragrances, the fragrances of Oriza L.Legrand are among my best findings during the latest years. The Oriza fragrances are all wellblended, of a good quality and which to prefer is not a matter of uneven quality among the fragrances, it's just ones personal preferences. My top three favorite Orizas (so far) are:

Oeillet Louis XV "The Oriza Carnation"; powdery, tart light caranation
Rêve d'Ossian "The Oriza Amber"; balsamic, tender, comforting
Horizon "The Oriza Patchouli"; very well rounded patch, one of the best patchoulis on the market

But I also would be pleased to wear:

Relique D'Amour "The incense Oriza"; incense in the colder, green pine-y, sub-family
Déjà le Printemps "The green Oriza"; crispy, springtime bulbflowers
Jardins D'Armide "The powdery Oriza"; an esteemed member of the elegant ladylike, aldehydic family

For Mr Parfumista

Chypre Mousse "The chypre/fourgé Oriza" The best Oriza so far, very original, no smell alikes (from what I have smelled) expect Kerosene Creature which has some similar notes, but not as balanced as in Chypre Mousse.
Vetiver Royal Bourbon "The vetiver Oriza" One of the very best vetivers on the market.

Chypre Mousse is the favorite of the very picky Mr Parfumista followed by Royal Vetiver Bourbon.
Looking forward to the coming recontructions/recreations from this quality house.

The Orizia L.Legrand fragrances are available at Fragrance & Art as also the Oriza L.Legrand  webshop.

Seven years of perfumeblogging!

Picture: Maple leaves, end of October 2013.
Photo: Mr Parfumista

Today Parfumistans Blogg is celebrating seven years. Celebrating is of course a slight exaggeration, when becoming of a certain age, one more or less just notice "birthday again" and don't want to realize another year has flying away.

Autumn is IMO the best season for perfume, almost every fragrance family could be considered as some days are warm and in other there are wintertempratures. The latest week has been
predominantly warm but in the same time dark and windy i.e time fore a wide range of fragrances. I suddenly craved Annick Goutal Eau de Ciel despite this one is almost always described as a spring fragrance. To me Eau de Ciel has some floral notes in common with a more proper fragrance for this season, Serge Lutens Miel de Bois, I think it's the linden/hawthorn notes that are the connection. SL Rahat Loukoum was a very positive surprise and if  I havn't got a sample from Fragrantfanatic, I have never got the idea of testing this true comfortscent. Autumn also mean revival of some of my greatest discoveries this year: The perfumes from the incredible house Oriza L. Legrand, the problem is that the four I have tested so far Rêve de Ossian, Relique d'Amour, Oeillet Louis XV and Déjà le Printemps are all so great that I can't decide which one to invest in the day when my samples runs out, which unfortunately will be soon. Which one I like the most changes with each wearing. Now Relique d'Amour, which I liked the least (everything is relative :-) when testing these in the beginning of the year is a runner up with its smooth and refined fir balm and incense notes. And four new fragrances have been/will be launched from this genuine perfumehouse.....will be hard to handle :-)

Fragrance(s) of the week (21) 2013 - That note

Photo: Parfumista (c)

 ....or maybe it's an accord. In perfumes featuring different flowers created during the latest one - two years there is a special scent that is tart, putty (moisty but in the same time powdery) slight musky basenote that I like much. As this note/accord has been increasingly frequent during this time period, I suppose that it's compliant to the coming regulations and just like oud has been a sort of substitute to filling  the void left after the banned oakmoss. I find this note/accord more or less pronounced in for example Chanel 1932 (with jasmine), Oriza L.Legrand Oeillet Louis XV (with carnation) Grossmith Amelia (with peony), Puredistance Opardu (with lilac) and Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin (retro oriental slight spicy contemporary chypre). So there is just to choose what supplementing note one prefers.

Oriza L.Legrand - Oeillet Louis XV

Picture:Portrait of Louis XV of France (1710-1774)
Maurice Ouentin de La Tour 1748

Oeillet Louis XV is a multilayered and fascinating fragrance from the  venerable perfumehouse Oriza L.Legrand,established 1720. Oriza from gold (or) and rice (riz) as the house started as provider of ricepowder to the whigs which were fashionable at that time. Normally I'm no fan of carnation fragrances but Oeillet Louis XV is the fragrance that could change this (or is the exception) because it's by far the best carnation fragrance I have tested.

Oeillet Louis XV starts with a natural smelling carnation. It's the scent of a fresh and crisp carantion, just picked. The spicy facets of carnation are perfectly balanced and also feels very natural. The carnation in the opening I image as bright red  followed by likewise fresh white and pink carnations in the middlenotes. In this part the carnations are counterbalanced of some cold flowers, white lily and iris. In the basenotes the carnation is darker, the spicier clove appears. The notes interacting in the base together creates a light note reminiscent of  licorice which is very pleasant. The texture of  the whole drydown of Oeillet Louis XV
is powdery and smooth silky with a slight tart note that balances the dry, spicy carnations. When smelling Oeillet Louis XV  it is easy to image the dry ricepowder for the hair, whigs and skin as also the colorful costumes of the rocooera. This is the fragrance of Madame de Pompadour, the most famous of Louis XV:s mistresses, a fragrance for daydreams and nostalgia.

Picture: Full-length portrait of the Marquise de Pompadour
Pastelpainting by Maurice Quentin de la Tour between 1748-55

Oeillet Louis XV is all about carantion, an achivement that many fragrances mimicing this flower fails with. For example Vitroil d'Oeillet (in swedish) by Serge Lutens is more about iris-hyacinth-rose and  lacking the natural freshness. Maître Parfumeeur et Gantier  Soie Rouge is fruity and the carnation note is a bit too weak and fleeting. Both the mentioned carnation fragrances also doesn't manage to keep the scent of carnation sufficiently until the end of the development.

It's seems as I'm wearing Oeillet Louis XV very well as I received compliments spontaneously when testing it and I also feel very comforable in this unusual fragrance. Finally I found the carnation for me :-)

Rating: 5

Notes: Pink pepper, mandarin white carnation, carnation absolute, white orchid, iris, rose, spicy clove rice powder, white musk, white honey, woody notes

Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.