Still winter....

Picture: Winter is still here...
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Last week was snowy and with  tempratures between -10 and - 15 C. In the same time the light is back and there were some sunny days which, even if cold,  indicate that spring really is around the corner. These opposites causes an ambivalence in perfumewearing, I'm craving both warm and heavy fragrances as also lighter and brighter ones. This was reflected in the fragrances worn last week:

Epidor (Lubin): Both Monday and Tuesday was cold, sunny days and Epidors  sunny, hayish and light fruity apperance was both contrasting but also somehow matching as it has something like a cold string in it. This together with a distinct tonka been make me think of the original Dolce&Gabbana pour Homme when wearing Epidor.

Opium Edt (Yves Saint Laurent): The current, more woody version. But still cinnamon is evident as also the overall, varm, velvety and oriental spicy character. Opium warmed the whole cold, windy and snowy Wednesday up.

Prada La Femme Intense (Prada): An elegant, restrained, white and tropical flowers over a well-behaved patchouli is suitable in any climate or season. Added some casual elegance to my Thursday.

Najaf  (Xerjoff): Craved for something dark and woody for Friday and a sample of Najaf caught my interest. Animalic, very woody, with the tangy, bitter but in the same time sort of fresh smell of oud.

Aromatic Elixir (Clinique): This bombastic, dry, rosy and woody chypre requires cold weather. A powerful and demanding fragrance, a classic which has stood the test of time. Unfortunately I was a bit too triggerhappy this time so I was on the verge to having headache on  Saturday. 

Jardin Blanc (Maître Parfumeur et Gantier): A beautiful white flower boquet where tubereuse is the major player flourished my Sunday. Well balanced, dense but not heavy, with chords of green and some animalic glimpses from the dept of the fragrance.

Fragrances for Christmas 2015 1(2) - Designerfragrances/classics

Christmas is upcoming, in a few weeks it's here. Up here in the north the temprature is mild for the season about 6-8 C, and the residues of two storms namend "Gorm" and "Helga" makes it windy outside. Maybe because of this my inspiration is not on top when it comes to Christmasoriented fragrances, anyway here is an attempt when it comes to the designerfragrance/classic category ie the ones that are fairly available in departmentstores, parfumeries and on line. In the next post (on Thursday) there will be some suitable fragrances from the nichesector.

Picture: Burberry London Men
Photo: PR Burberry (c)

Burberry London Men: This is an underappreciated dark gem, with a subdued dark, velvety red sparkle. Highlights warm tobacco and boozy, woody, slight spicy and leathery notes. Very comforting like sipping brandy by the fireplace one of the Christmas evenings. If released today Burberry London probably would appear in niche.

Picture: Opium
Photo: PR Yves Saint Laurent (c)

Opium (Yves Saint Laurent): I like both the vintage and the current very much. The current version is more woody and with less carnation and I think its a good reworking of the original. Warm, thick, woody, spicy and dark flowery Opium is a winner for cold and grey days and dark evenings.

Picture: Decadance
Photo: PR Marc Jacobs (c)

Decadance (Marc Jacobs): This plummy, ambery dark woody floral fragrance is to me somehow the 2010s decade interpretation of 1985 Dior Poison. Thirty years later, Decadance intermediate the same feeling in a contemporary setting.

Picture: Dioressence
Photo: PR Christian Dior (c)

Dioressence (Christian Dior): Like sparkling rosewood with green and spicy elements, especially cinnamon over a base with both balsamic and mossy elements. A classic especially suitable for daytime during Christmas.

Picture: Chanel No 19 Edp
Photo: PR Chanel (c)

No 19 EDP (Chanel): The Edp version of the green, galbanumladen Edt higlights more of the flowery elements. There is a cool, fresh mix of itis and rose resembling a crispy hyacinth  over a green mossy light leathery base. Refreshing stuff relatively the heavy scents of Christmas.

Blog anniversary 9 years today

Picture: Autumn roses
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Time flies, it doesn't feel that long since I wrote the last anniversary post, that for the eight years anniversary of the blog.

At the moment I crave some wonderful fragrances from the house of Perris Monte Carlo, reviews will start soon and are planned to be running during the winter. I have also some intriguing samples waiting for test from one of the very best online nicheperfumeshops Fragrance & Art which carries some unusual fragrancelines. Also a sample of the new By Kilian is on its way from Paris.

When it comes to the fragrances worn during weekdays i.e when not much testing going on I can't see any particular trend. It's everything from the heavy YSL Opium to the light Annick Goutal Les Colognes Eau d'Hadrien, maybe this broad variety mirrors the relatively mild weather this autumn, with only a few colder days until now.

And now, lets go for the decade :-)

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.

Aedes de Venustas - Oeillet Bengale

Picture: Oeillet Bengale
Photo: PR Aedes de Venustas (c)

The latest release from New York based perfumeshop Aedes de Venustas, Oeillet de Bengale is created by perfumer Rodrigues Flores-Roux, a pefumer who created hidden mainstream gems as Donna Karan Gold  (swe) and also hyped niche fragrances as for example for Arquiste.

Oeillet Bengale starts with a true and soft carnation note followed by a light spicy incense focused note. Soon a beautiful rose appears, the rose is tender and natural smelling. As Oeillet Bengale dries further down, the rose and spices blends in a mix that creates an impression of a soft spicy carnation. Further in the development, the rose steps forward and appears in a different form, now in the form of a retro diva, the rose smells balsamic and a bit oldfashioned, deep and dark but without powdery and soapy nuances and reminds me of the rose-saffron accord in Odori Zafferano but in a smoother version. In the basenotes the balsamic, ambery impression deepens and playing beautifully with the spicy, rose-carnation. Taken as a whole, Oeillet Bengale is linear in style but playing in a higher, flowery register in its first part and on the deeper, darker part of the scale in the second part.

Oeillet Bengale is subtle with an obvious, chic-simple elegance, I can imagine the wearer of Oeillet Bengale in a basic uniform consisting of a black chasmere jumper/cardigan, a black light woolen penskirt, contrasted with different decorative silkscarves or pashminas. In its olfactory character, Oeillet Bengale reminds me of a non powdery Chanel 1932 or a Grossmith like Amelia. When it comes to carnations, the current (or just disontinued) Caron Bellodgia Edt is too watered down and not as balsamic in style, Bellodgia Edt in
the older version is in the traditional eugenol carnation style. Compared to another great carnation release from this year, Oriza L. Legrand Royal Oeillet reviwed earlier this week, Oeillet Bengale is a more of a non descript carnation, the fragrance is in fact a spicy rose underscored by balsamic notes which creates the impression of carnation, whereas Royal Carnation is a very true, classical carnation but in a contemporary interpretation. I have also heard from a reaible source that Oeillet Bengale have many similarities with vintage Yves Saint Laurent Opium Extrait, havn't smell the vintage extrait myself.

Oeillet Bengale is soft, elegant and in the same time comforting. It's sillage is close
but fully detectable for those nearby. Appropriate both for casual and the office especially for the colder months. The stayingpower is good, for over a day. And the bottle, like the other Aedas falcons, just marvellous.

Rating: 5

Notes: Turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamon, clove, saffron, rose, white pepper, strawberry, floral notes, vanilla, tolu balsam, benzoin, labdanum

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Top summerfragrances 2014

Picture: One of the Small Towers on Frederiksborg Castle, 
ca 1834-35
Painting by Christen Köbke (1810-1848)
Wikipedia commons

The summer up here in the North was cold from late May and whole June. In July thankfully the warmth appeared and is still present in August with an intensive heat, a very warm, humid weather around 30 degree Celsius. This reflects the list of what I've liked in particular this summer ie very different styles.

Un Bateau pour Capri (Eau d'Italie): This dark, purple, velvety, aldehydic, fruity, flowery creation blooms wonderful  in the ot humid weather. My top find from my sample testing for the blog this summer.

Montecristo (Masque): During the cold first part, the spicy, dirty, animalic Montecristo was a comforting and warming choice. A very big fragrance in the old YSL Opium style. Also tried it when it was quite warm, 20-25 degree Celsius, and its sillage was tremendous and I got positive reactions (belive it or not :-)

Rosamunda (Laboratorio Olfattive) and Rose Anonyme (Atelier Cologne): Both refreshing fragrances in the cool, pink rose-patchouli-oud genre. Very close to each other where Rosamunda is a tad sweeter in its earlier stages and Rose Anonyme a bit woodier. When they have dried down on their scentstrips, I can't tell them apart. Both these fragrances smells much better when worn in the fresh sea-air of the archipelago compared with when worn in the city. Both fragrances shows more notes and another dept by the sea.

Mistral Patchouli (Atelier Cologne): A lighter, daytime, casual, herbal version of the discontinued Dior Midnight Poison. Almost the same, stripped down, dark, patchoulinote as in Midnight Poison. Fresh in a pleasant, non-laudery way. The grapefruit-anice-patchouli is suprinsingly a very good match.

Philosykos (Diptyque): This creamy, woody, fig is so refreshing and easy to wear. Was my staple during a vacation on Ibiza in June. Philosykos is the mediterranean for me, especially Greece of course, but it mixed suberb with the dry, pine infused Ibizian air.

Ciel (Amouage). I like the old Amouages best, the newer are not as "grand". Even if good fragrances, the newwr seems a bit anxious and flattened, afraid not to please an extended audience compared to some years ago. Ciel is a symphony of watery, white flowers which projects beautiful in warm and sunny weather. Easy to wear, a happy and elegant fragrance

Eau de Cologne d'Orange Verte (Hermès): A summerwardrobe staple, the most versatile of them all. Also the current formula is very good, more emphasis on the oranges than in the old (even better) mossy grounded one.

Horizon (Oriza L.Legrand): I love patch in the summer, the earthy, herbal smell is cool and refreshing. Even if Horizon is a patchouli grounded in honey and amber it developes surprisingly well in hot temparature. A beautiful, natural smelling tobbacco note is particularly present in warm tempratures.

Relique D'Amour (Oriza L.Legrand): A cold, light flowery, pine incense which performs excellent in hot and humid weather. It's refreshing and not as dark, bold and dense as for example the incensestandard Comme des Gracons Avignon which is too much for me in the summer.

Midsummer (and some concerns about Caron)

Picture: Midsummerflower
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

So here we are, already the magic summersolstice with the shortest night of the year i.e not dark at all, just more or less light outside. But when it comes to the temprature one could suspect it's the wintersolstice we are celebrating. Yesterday was the coldest Midsummereve in decades and perfumewise I felt to put on some spicy-woody YSL Opium instead of something traditional midsummer flowery or green grassy. It all came to a compromise, I chose a flower but not at light pretty summerflowery one.

Instead I went for a classical, dramatic, elegant and restrained soliflore, Caron Tubéreuse which has intrigued me lately, inspired from the great review on Suzannes Perfume Journal as well as a post on The Scented Salamander and the fact that I suspect (don't know from any official source) that Tubereuse is discontinued. At least as a fragrance widly avaible in a bottle and not only as an urn/fountain-extrait. Can't find it on the Caron website which is also the case with for example Bellodgia (there is a new release called Più Bellodgia) and I suppose the old, cranation dominated one is replaced with a new interpretation of the fragrance as last years regulations hardly affected the substances which creates the smell of carantion.

Definitly Caron Tubereuse should have more attention. It's not the bombastic, flowery, tuberose as Robert Piguet Fracas, nor the green, crisp, leafy, sunny tuberose as Frederic Malle Carnal Flower. Caron Tubereuse starts with a honeyed nectarnote like in Annick Goutal Tubereuse but not rounded and warm in texture as the latter. Caron Tubereuse on the contrary is cold, slight bitter-green and strangly enough at first dry but later dark-green slight mossy, a bit moisty in texture. It's a dark and restraind fragrance and even if not smelling close, I think Caron Tubereuse expressing a similar mood as Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Tubéreuse which is a lighter in texture tuberose compared to the Caron.

Fragrances for cold winter

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

After a green, rainy and green winter (with tempratures about +5-10 C) which spanned over the year end and nine days into January, the regular snowy and cold winter is now here and seems to be permanented. Even if the white snow is beautiful, everyday life gets much more tedious (all the clothes one have to wear, scraping the car windows, slippery outside, shoveling snow etc). But one thing is very positive, at last I really carve the hard core orientals. Here are some favorites at the moment.

Labdanum 18 (Le Labo): Thanks to Sigrun (Riktig Parfym) I got a sample of this and it was instant liking. Dense, warm, like dark brown, viscous, chocolate, even if not smelling of that. To me it smells of resins, a bit powdery, animalic and balsamic. Reminds me of Shalimar but not as complex and darker. Which leads to:

Shalimar (Guerlain): Cold weather is the right condition for this multifacetted beauty. I get less of the lighter notes as bergamot/citric and more of the dark, balmy, resin and animalic ones. "Shallan" is a true follower which could always be trusted.

Ambre Doré (Maître Parfumeur et Gantier): This is a dark, velvety, slight dirty amber with oud deepening the creation and givning it an interesting twist. The oud is very discrete, one doesn't think of it as oud. The dirtyness is also discrete, not as much as in another amber favorite L'Ombre Fauve from Parfumerie Générale.

Rêve d'Ossian (Oriza L.Legrand): Ossians dream has emerged to be my favorite Oriza in very hard competition as they are all so good. Amber, incense, pines, resins and some spieces are creating a comforting, warm and snuggly texture which warming up the coldest of days.

Opium (Yves Saint Laurent): As I'm saving on the little which is left of my vintage version, I'm mostly wearing the current version which I think is a very good woody-spicy oriental on its own merits. Can't understand all the complaints about it.

What is your comfort cold, winter scents?

Perfumeshopping for Christmas 2013

Picture: Julbocken (The Yule Goat) 1912
Drawing by John Bauer (1882-1918)

Soon Christmas is here and below are some ideas when it comes to perfumeshopping not just for the holidays but also looking in the long term.

• First of all I'll recommend the beautiful perfumes I have sniffed and reviewed this year. Remember: All are good regardless rating. The rating reflects my personal impression when testing the fragrance,  my 3 rated could be your 5.
• For the moment, from the perfumes reviewed 2013, I'm specially craving: Puredistance Black eternal beauty, Robert Piguet Alameda contemporary but in the same time retro, oriental styled chypre, a sophisticated fragrance, the dark and dirty beauty of Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M.Micallef and the fascinating, age-, gender- and timeless Orlando from Jardins d'Écrivains.
• Another perfume grabbing my attention at the moment is Andy Tauers fantastic rosecentered PHI Une Rose de Kandahar which is built around a rare afghan roseoil of very high quality. As the roseoil is avaible just for limited time periods, Rose de Kandahar will also be avaible in limited quantities and periods. Therefore true roselovers should test this beautiful rose now.
• Samples of Patricia de Nicolaïs Amber Oud and Rose Oud just arrived. Have just sniffing outside the vials but my impression is I'll not be dissapointed, on the  contrary, they smell delicious. Reviews will follow.
• In the current niche-hype: Don't forget all the good perfumes within "mainstream" such great classics (despite more or less reformulated) as Chanel Coco, YSL Opium, Guerlain Shalimar, Estee Lauder Youth Dew and Thierry Mugler Angel are perfect for warming up in dark and cold winterevenings (and days).
• Rumors on Basenotes says Chanel No 5 Eau Premiere will be repacked in the squared Coco Mademoiselle bottle and that some minor adjustments will be done in the formula. As tweaking with formulas when changing bottledesign is very common, it could be time to stock up with the current version for frequent users of Eau Premiere.
• When it comes to repacking: Parfums Annick Goutal has changed the bottle design (don't know about the formulas) during the year and discontinued some gems: Mon Parfum Cheri, par Camille which is the best Goutal ever IMO, the perfect springfragrances Eau de Camille, Eau de Ciel and the cosy Le Mimosa. For Goutal fans it's time to stock up as the old (and cheaper) bottles soon are gone.
• A package of samples is an intriguing Christmas gift to most. Luckily Fragrance & Art and Riktig Parfym could support in such matters.

Fragrances of the week (36) 2013 - Fragrant thoughts

Picture: Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodphur,
the Maharaja resides in a part of it
Photo: Ss2107 (cc) Wikimedia Commons

Penhaglion's Vaara has received mixed reviews and some reviewers seems to be quite reserved when having an opinion about it, emphasize that it's a well made fragrance but on the other hand to mainstream-ordinary and not enough indian in style. Despite the doubts of others: I really like Vaara, it's a sort of airy and balmy oriental-floral, with a light rose-saffron combination which is pleasant and very wearable. I also don't find Vaara especially ordinary as the note of quince gives the fragrane an own character. Coriander also gives a sort of fresh, oriental vibe. I can imagine a scent like this wafting through a Maharajas palace and as the perfume is a tribute to the granddaugther of the Maharaja of  Marwar Jodphur, named Vaara, I find the creation credible. On the other hand, I havn't visited a Palace of a Maharaja so of course I don't know, just speculating.

Talking of Orientals: When I visited one of the major departmentstores the other day, some stylish spanishspeaking touristing ladies in their (I guess) sixties, passes by me. And what a wonderful scent trail they wafted: Deep and full spicy orientals, far away from the pale, fresh, meeky fragrances the swedish women wears, if not wearing shrill and overly sweet fruitchoulis of course. These ladies wore distinct, classy perfumes and I have to confess that I turned around and went after them for a short while just to inhale. This experience made me crave for wearing YSL Opium.

Last but definitly not least: One of the most intriguing releases this autumn is IMO Puredistance Black. For this fragrance no notes or fragrancefamily is disclosed, Puredistance just want us to enjoy and relax without so much analysis. As I love the Puredistance fragrances I really looking forward to test this and try to do at least some analysis, an interesting challenge.

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)

Fragrance of the week (17) 2013 - philosophical thoughts about Opium

Picture: New Opium Edp
Photo: PR Yves Saint Laurent (c)

This week has been a week in Guerlain, except Tuesday when I wore Yves Saint Laurent Opium Edp in the current version.To me it was a pleasant experience despite all complaints I have read in different blogs and forums. Yes, of course it isn't the same as earlier formulas, compared to my Y2K Opium Edt formula the new Opium is woodier, darker, less spicy-floral and for a short while it has a slight artifical vibe. But most important is that the special Opium style and aura is still there, I don't think it has lost its soul which is what is important to me. It's just an Opium adapted to a new decade, just as much older classics as Guerlain Shalimar and Chanel No 5 have done multiple times. Of course a fragrance could not smell as before as the circumstances are changing over the years and maybe also it should not as it's, at least from a Parfumista viewpoint, interesting to investigate the development of a certain fragrance between different decades and formulas. This exercise is almost as exploring different but similar in style fragrances.

Frapin - Caravelle Epicée

Picture: The Noord-Nieuwland in Table Bay, 1762, oil on canvas
by anonymous artist, Cape Town, South Africa

Caravelle Epicée is a fragance that I tried some years ago and liked very much but than went on sampling other frags and havn’t come to test it again than recently. And I have to say that like this beautiful spicy creation at least as much this time. Caravelle Epicée is a unisexfragrance in my book and its created for the perfumehouse of Frapin, not for the beveragesdivision J by Jeanne-Marie Faugier.

Caravelle Epicée starts with a gentle, very true, spicy accord. I can smell different shades of pepper, cummin, saffron, nutmeg and other spices in a wellblended mix where the spices are interacting and none is dominating over the rest. The accord is in the same time soft in character. After a while CE:s spicyness becomes creamy in texture, there are also woody notes which balances the spices. There are also notes of dry coconut, as the smell from the coconut shell from a unopend nut. When Caravelle Epicée reaches the basenotes there is a slight sweet woody note, putty in character, probably from sandalwood. In this stage, Caravelle Epicée reminds me of an unsweet Bois de Paradis by Parfum DelRae, without the sweetened berry and plummy notes of the latter. There is also smilarities with the basenotes of Yves Saint Laurent NU Edp and also something similar to the base of Donna Karan Black Cashmere. Caravelle Epicée has a dark, rich and vevety dept in the basenotes that triggers the imagination. Caravelle Epicée mediates something vintage. Not exactly a vintage smelling perfume but the images of times that have gone. More exactly the image of an elegant lady from the Jugendera (Art Noveau) dressed for the winter season in silkvelvet in muted colors and fur. Or the image an old sailingship “Caravelle” carrying the valuable spices over the oceans on the old spice route.

Caravelle Epicée is one of the best spicy fragrances I have tried, if not the best. It’s wellcrafted and balanced, comfortable, feels very natural, as the percieved notes where the real spices and wood. Caravelle Epicée is a fragrance which creates images and makes the wearer daydreaming of sailing ships carrying its precious cargo over the oceans or about elegant art noveau ladies. There is something in the overall impresson that reminds me of a sort of soft Opium by Yves Saint Laurent but with much more spices and without carantion and cloves. Also Idole by Lubin comes to my mind but that one is airier and somehow lighter, more of a sommer spicy fragrance.

As indicated above, Caravelle Epicée is perfect for winter, and espceially as a Christmas fragrance, with its delicious, spicy apperance. Sillage is close and longevity good, for a day at least.

Rating: 5

Notes: Nutmeg, coriander; chili pepper, pepper, caraway, guaiac wood, sandalwood, amber, patchouli, tobacco.

Spridda parfymtankar - februari 2011

Foto: Herr Parfumista (c)

Det cirkulerar mycket parfymerade tankar i en parfumistas vardag. Som:

*Särskilt kul när jag läser parfymbloggar tycker jag är andras reviewer och intryck av dofter som jag själv också har testat eller funderar på att testa. Ju fler reviewer av en doft, desto roligare. Alltid  framkommer någon ny infallsvinkel.

*Undrar om jag är på väg att få en släng av anosmi (doftbilndhet) för jag tycker att fler och fler dofter inte gör något större intryck på mig och att de inte riktigt känns ordentligt. Att de liksom inte har någon kropp. Gäller både niche och designerdofter. Fast det kan ju vara en följd av IFRA-restriktionerna där de numera tillåtna substanserna i allmänhet verkar vara mer bleka än sina föregångare.

*Kanske har jag nått en punkt där jag totalt sett sniffat på "för många" dofter. För så myckat av sådant jag provar ger direkt associationer till en annan doft, vilket i sig är roligt. Men problemet är att i majoriteten av fallen så tappar jag entusiasmen för doften och den får kanske inte den review den är värd pga bristande wow-känsla.

* Något som ger wow-känsla är när en kollega bär den banbrytande herr-irisen Dior Homme. Den minglar så perfekt med hans hudkemi att doften liksom höjer sig till en ytterligare nivå. Klart det bästa uppbärandet av DH som jag känt hittills.

*Förra året var januari och februari de klassiska orientalernas månader. Opium, Mecca Balsam, JHL, Prelude och Imperial Opopnax gick varma. I år har det varit en mer blandad kompott, kanske beror det på att jag började längta efter gröna blomdofter redan innan jul. Längtan efter våren och allt provande av prover bidrar nog till att parfymanvändningen just nu saknar en fast inriktning.

*Doftutgivningen verkar nästan ha spårat ur. Verkar som om alla möjliga varumärken (inte bara inom mode och skönhet) ska manifestra sig genom en doft. Många av dem som redan är etablerade dofthus formligen sprutar dessutom ur sig nya (ofärdiga) kreationer.

*Gäller alltså att begränsa sig i vad som ska provas. Det dyker hela tiden upp så många nya dofthus som vill kommersialisera på framförallt niche-trenden. Har nästan blivit så att jag knappt vill prova nytt för det är inget kul att få ytterligare en "jaha"-upplevelse (=besvikelse).Det får alltså främst bli de gamla beprövade dofthusen som jag gillar, och så Andy förstås. För ärligt talat så känns det som det räcker med dem som visat vad de går för en längre tid.

* Så till det skrivtekniska: Har märkt att mina inlägg blivit längre och längre. Räcker med hälften till en tredjedel av texten i ett inlägg för att läsaren ska orka med.

Juldofter - Orientaler

Först några smakprov ur doftfamiljen som man mest associerar med julen, orientalerna:

Coco (Chanel): Denna klassiska, barocka Jacques Polge oriental från 1984 står sig. Den ger associationer till guldbroderad, djupröd sammet, päls och rysk vinternatt.

Alahine (Teo Cabanel): Att denna klassiska, otroligt välgjorda doft kom så sent som 2007 är svårt att tro. Varm, med blyertspennenot på mig iallafall har inte sett någon annan nämna denna cedertränot, ylang-ylang och ambra. En lite blommigare Shalimar.

Shalimar (Guerlain): Jag älskar Shalimar i alla dess olika former, den skarpare mer bergamott dominerade Edt och den mjukare, rundare och dovare parfymen. Garanterat minst en Shali-dag i jul.

Nuit Noire (Mona di Orio): Denna lortiga, animaliska, dunkelt blommigt, farliga oriental kanske inte är hekt comme il fâut för julen. Men och andra sidan, det är så det luktar i stall.

Så till den kryddiga avdelningen:

Opium (YSL): Först något riktigt, stort och klassiskt kryddigt: Opium. Passar perfekt när det är mörkt och kallt. En verklig klassiker och förebild för många dofter i den genre. Och glöm inte: Ju äldre formula desto bättre.

Oriental Lounge (The Different Company): Celine Ellenas (just det JCE:s dotter) moderna, mjuka, djupa originellt kryddiga (curryblad) ambrerande oriental. Som att krypa in i en cashmeresjal. En av de absolut bästa jag sniffat in under 2010, sen som jag är, doften är från 2009.

No 1 (Aus Liebe zum Duft): Den förträffiliga butiken/nätbutiken ALzD:s jubileumsdoft när man fyllde tio år voriges Jahr. Transparant-kryddig men hållbar, torr med mycket peppar, ingefära och kardemumma på läder, trä och skalad modern ambra. Egentligen i första hand en herrdoft, men vem bryr sig.

Vårofobi

Så är Påsken här! En av årets trevligaste helger tycker jag, våren i antågande, några extra dagar ledigt och allt det där....Men i år är det lite annorlunda, hade inte gjort så mycket om kylan hängt kvar ett tag till eftersom jag inte känner den minsta längtan efter vårdofter än. Nej, jag hänger fortfarande till stor del kvar i orientalerna som jag blivit så förälskad i igen under de kalla och snöiga månader som varit. Jag som trodde att jag tröttnat på orientaler efter i alla fall två vintrar då jag just inte känt någon draging till dem. Men i början av januari "tvingade" jag mig att börja använda dem igen och efter ett par dagar var jag helt fångad. Nu kan jag bara inte släppa varmt, mjukt, torrt, träigt, pudrigt, kådiga Imperial Opoponax eller den så meditativa medeltidsdoften Mecca Balsam. Och ska erkännas, i förrgår bar jag Opium. Men nu blir jag väl tvungen att släppa den för säsongen - eller kanske ska jag hoppas på ett litet snöoväder i april?

Dagens doft - Cinnabar

Hade lätt ont i halsen i morse varför en, mjuk, varm, omhändertagande doft var en nödvändighet. Valet föll på Estee Lauders Cinnabar från 1978. En underbar, kryddig oriental som ofta jämförs med YSL:s Opium. Själv tycker jag att den har mycket större likheter med Kenzos Jungle l´Elephant som är lite av en kopia introducerad nästan tjugo år efter Cinnabar. Opium upplever jag som lite blommigare än Cinnabar. Cinnabar liknar också sin manliga pedang JHL från Aramis (ägs av Estee Lauder). Spår finns också av Estee´s första doft, Youth Dew.
Cinnabar ger associationer till congac framför en stockvedsbrasa i en Ski lodge i Rocky Mountains mitt i mörkaste vintern. I toppnoterna finns mandarin, bergamot, kryddnejlika persika ock kryddor. I hjärtat jamin, ros, ylang-ylang och nejlika. I basen slutligen vetvier, rökelseträ, ambra, vanilj, patchoulli, benzoin- och tolukådor.
En mycket komplex och väl komponerad doft som står sig. En tiopoängare på mig. Vill återigen slå ett slag för Estee´s dofter. Där finns så många pärlor.

Rugguggla/Dagens doft

Idag känner jag mig som en riktig rugguggla. Vaknade i natt med en lätt förkylning och kände direkt att i morgon blir det en "omhändertagande doft". Inte läge för någon powerdoft som gårdagens Diva. Jag kände direkt att det är Opium, YSL:s klassiker från 1977 som skulle få stå för omhändertagandet. På detta en varm paketering i mjuk cashmere. Opium är en kreation av Jean-Louis Sieuzac, dvs samma näsa som lyckats ställa till katastrofen Oscar. Stackars Oscar, det är fritt fall i betygsskalan för närvarande. Till skillnad mot Oscar är Opium en fullträff. Det är en gåta hur samma kreatör inom en så kort tidsrymd lyckats med både ett riktigt bottennapp som Oscar och en hit som Opium.
Opium är en varm och kryddig oriental, utan sötma. I Opium finns kryddnejlika, mandarin, nejlka, ros, myrra, bävergäll (syntetiskt), oppoponax, sandel- och cederträ. Opium har god hållbarhet under dagen och på mig förenas den fint med huden. Enligt vissa är det en tantdoft men det beror nog främst på att den är snart trettio år gammal. Hade den lanserats idag hade få gjort tant associationen.
Mmmm, näsan dras hela tiden till armvecket för att sniffa Opium (oj det där lät nästan olämpligt).