Puredistance - Aenotus

Picture: The visual feeling of Aenotus,
watercolor of Marleen Molenaar
PR Puredistance (c)

Aenotus is the just launched perfume from one of the most exclusive perfumehouses, Dutch  Puredistance. Aenotus is the result from an over three year long creative process where the founder of Puredistance, Jan Ewoud Vos, together with perfumer Antoine Lie, created the signature fragrance for Jan Ewoud. The name Aenotus is made-up by Jan Ewoud, inspired from the greek mythology and more precisely, Aeolus  the god of the winds.  Based from testing performed by both Mr Parfumista and me, I can tell the name definitely is suitable for this airy contemporary  citrus-aromatic creation.

The very first impression when spritzing Aenotus is the high quality and seamless blending of the ingreditents. This is of course the sign of all the Puredistance perfums and becomes obvious in a minimalistic and clean construction as Aenotus. The perfume (Aenotus, like the whole Puredistance line, is close to the skin, extrait formulas) starts with an accord of a very natural smelling lemon, a lemon with depth and a soft roundness, probably a contribution from the complementing orange fruits. There is also a note reminicent of lime. A glimpse of fresh minty leaves appears followed by a very light and well behaved touch of the moist, watery greeness of  one of my  favorite green fragrances Beaufort Fathom V (whereas Fathom V is not well behaved ). I also got a short impression of vintage Eau de Rochas and Mr Parfumista also smells a glimpse of vintage Bowling Green from Geoffrey Beene. Further in the dry down, a shining, white, dry chalky note appears, wrapping Aenotus in a soft rounded aura, not soapy at all, it conjures a similar smooth texture and feeling. There is also a spritzy dry, blond woody, peppery accord, probably from the black currant buds combined with mint and the musks in the base. The peppery effect is quite distinct on Mr Parfumista and Aenotus on his skin becomes reminiscent of a softer luxuary sibling to Hermès Eau de Citron Noir.

In the basenotes Aenotus is stronger on the musks and a sort of dry sunwarmed woody peppery accord amplifies when it comes to Mr Parfumista wheras my skin brings out more of chalky and minimalistic, contemporary mossy notes, even if some of that special woody/peppery accord is also there. Several testings of Aenotus confirms that the performance of the fragrance is very sensitive to the wearers skinchemistry and also to the dosage.  When I'm wearing Aenotus there is an impression in the baseaccord, maybe the mossy note, that reminds me of  the "scenery" (not the scent itself, except fragments of the mossy note) of Pierre Guillaumes beautiful contemporary, mossy Papyrus de Ciane.  Also there is something in common with the mossy musk in Chloé Nomade, even if  Nomade as a fragrance is different, it's floral and sweet compared to Aenotus. When I'm wearing Aenotus glimpses of the citron is still there, also in the base. On Mr Parfumista the base is more onedimensional, like a thicker and smoother, sunwarmed, dry, peppery wood à la Hermès Citron Noir. As I've smelled Aenotus projecting more times from Mr Parfumista than from myself,  Citron Noir is altogether the fragrance that most comes to my mind when evalutating Aenotus.

Picture: Aenouts in its elegant packing
in different sizes, 17,5 ml, 60 ml, 100 ml.
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

Wearing Aenotus is comfortable but still intriguing as the fragrance triggers differnt associations, to other fragrances and also to the context of the fragrance. Imagines like a cooling breeze a sunny spring or early summerday by the sea with sun and a clear blue sky are the first impression. When leaving the direct seaside, scents from the rural landscape appears like greenery, woods and moss.

Aenotus is a versatile fragrance, it's suitable for daytime wearing year around. It's an understated and officefriendly perfume which wears close to skin. If properly applied of course, the rich formula allows only a few tiny spritzes, if overapplied it could  be almost suffocating. Longevity 24h + even if moderate applied. Compared to other aromatic fragrances, which in comparison often seems "thin" in texture, Aenoutus is multifaceted with a full texture, and something as rare as an aromatic fragrance in perfume formula. Even if Aenotus is a unisex fragrance leaning to the masculine side, I'm planning to wear it anyway and I'm certain I'll exploring new facetts and impressions. To be continued.

Notes: Orange, mandrin, lemon, yuzu, mint, blackcurrant bud, petitgrain, oakmoss, patchouli, musks

Thanks to Puredistance for the sample to test

Anatole Lebreton - Grimoire

Picture: Grimoire
Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

Grimoire is the fifth fragrance in bretonic perfumer Anatole Lebretons robust perfumeline "Parfums de Liberté". For reviews of the earlier releases from the house click here.

Grimoire  starts with distinctive green incense, which is the domiatning note in the whole dry down of the fragrance. The green incense is warm and has a resinous texture. In the backgroumd there is also an accompanying, sharp compact and deep citric note which also is green in appreance, probably the bergamot. In the opening there is also a blast of cummin, which for a while creates an almost sweaty impression but in a nice, horsy way. There are also herbal notes, which are leaning to the dry almost dusty side and conveys the
image of an old half-binding book with its old, dry musty paper and its dry leather.The base also shows some mossy, woody notes.

The overall impression is green, resinious incense, a fragrance with the robust, rual character which is the trademark for the Lebreton style. Grimoire is a fragrance of it's own even if it reminds me to some extent of Parfumerie Générale Bois Blond which lacks the incense but has a similar texture and the rual, natural character. When it comes to the green incense, Grimoire has similarities with Andy Tauers Reverie au Jardin even if the greenery in the Tauer is more sappy and even more outdoor, like resting in the green grass, Grimore is more like reading the old book sitting on the terrace surrounded by the greenery. As a fragrance in the outdoor category,one can perfectly imagine a relaxing stay in the countryside wearing Grimoire. Other fragrances which conveys that relaxed outdoor feeling (even if not smelling alike) are for example Pafumerie Générale Papyrus de Ciane and Parfums de Nicolaï Week End a Deauville.

Grimoire is an intense perfume, it is strong with 24h longevity and should be applied carefully. It's sort of
addictive, the more I try it, the more I like it. Grimoire is a daytime casual, fragrance, unisex, leaning to the
masculine side. It's suitable year around except when warm in summer. For that season there is better to wear the more hayish, flowery, green L'Eau de Merzhin also from Lebreton.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, patchouli, musk, basil, moss, cedar, lavender, elemi, olibanum, cumin

Anatole Lebreton - L'Eau de Merzhin

Anatole Lebreton has founded his own fragrancehouse in his native part of France, Brittany. His perfumes are gathered under the slogan "Parfums de Liberté" and exudes a natural, carefree, sort of rual charm. Anatole is a collector of vintage perfumes, a perfume blogger and has also selling rare teas and fine chocolates.

Picture: L'eau Merzhin

Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

L'Eau de Merzhin is the first composition of Anatole Lebreton and the initial accords of this green, slight dirty perfume are just amazing: Smelling like a well managed, well maintained horsestable with the smell from the horeses themselves, combined by a very true  haynote, all emphasized by a light flowery breeze blowing into the open door of the stable a warm summerday. In the middlenotes the animalic impression decreases and green, grassy, galbanum, leafy and light flowery notes dominates with hints of fresh, humid moss and  tangy green notes in the base.  L'Eau de Merzhin smells like a sunny summerday in the forest, the bewitched forest of Merlin. A fullbodied spring and summer fragrance which make me think of the older version of Pierre Balmain Vent Vert, Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane, and the two Parfums de Nicolaï: Le Temps d'une Fête (for the tangy, green, flowers) crossed with Vie de Chateau (for the breezy haynotes).

Even if it seems to be dedicated for spring and summer, L'Eau de Merzhin is a strong fragrance with a solid texture which also make it appropriate for colder months. It's longevity is very good, unfragmented traces are left on skin after 24h. Sillage is big. L'Eau de Merzhin is unisex but leaning a step to the feminine side IMO.

Rating: 4

Notes: Galbanum, angelica, violet leaf, cassie, hawthorn, flouve, hay, tonka bean, orris, oakmoss.

Parfumerie Générale - Isparta 26

Picture: Pierre Guillaume
Photo: PR Parfumerie Générale (c)

As almost always when reviewing something from Parfumerie Générale it's hard to resist publish a picture of the perfumer Pierre Guillaume himself :-)

But now over to todays subject, Pierres latest release, a beautiful dark rose named Isparta 26. Isparta is named after the turkish province which roses produces superior roseoils, featured in this fragrance and 26 as PG:s numbered collection now has reached that number of fragrances.

Just reading about the ingredients of Isparta makes me excited. I have to admit that I'm very fond of the rose-patchouli-ambroxan combination in fragrances such as Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengeance and Frederic Malle Portrait of a Lady, and this accord, in Isparta combined with balsamic and animalic accords, makes me drool.

Isparta starts heavy but in the same time transparent and light, the rose is really purple, and the rosy smell is a bit tart and as a contrast it's surrounded by a not too sweet, jammy note. A clean, cold patchouli is also contrasting with a high and clear darkness, just as the night sky a starry night. As Isparta dries down it becomes a bit warmer, even if it remains in the cold spectrum, with balsamic and woody notes, among them a well balanced oud. The clean amber, the ambroxan is not as evident as in Portrait of a Lady, in Isparta it is handled with a lighter hand. In the basenote there is also a moisty, mossy note thar togeter with the tart, purple rose are contrasting the ambrox-oud combo. The mossy note together with the rose is what is left after 24h. The moss in this stage reminds me of the refreshing and uplifting mossy note of Parfumerie Générale Papyrus de Ciane.

Picture: Isparta, a dramatic, dark, purple rose
Photo: PR Parfumerie Générale (c)
  

I have read some comment that Isparta doesn't add anything new to the rosegenre. I have to strongly disagree as IMHO this is an unusual combination of the strong and intense but in the same time airy and light. In texture Isparta is just as an exquisite, purple silk veil with silverstitches and embroderies. That image makes me think of another beautiful purple rose, Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur Extrait, which seems to be Ispartas antithesis in the purple, rosy spectrum. Mohur is like a dense, smooth, purple silk velvet with golden stiches and embroderies as opposed to the light, transparent, sliver silk veil of Isparta. Even if these purples of course are not smelling the same, Mohur Extrait (which is more spicy and flowery than Isparta) somehow reminds me much more of Isparta than the more obvious (when reading about its notes) ambrox-rose-patchouli Portrait of a Lady. Just as Mohur, Isparta gives me images of a relaxed, life i luxury, somewhere in the East, during the time of Thousand and one nights.

Despite its light texture, Isparta 26  is strong in its concentration and one have to be careful when applying, too much and Isparta transforms to a sillagemonster. About four spritses is enough of Isparta to keep it within the limit of officetolerable. Sillage is great and longevity for days if more than the four spritses is applied :-)

Rating: 5

Notes: Red berries, rose, peru balsam, calamus, patchouli, olibanum, benzoin, oud, ambroxan, moss

Oriza L. Legrand - Chypre Mousse

Picture: The retro styled Oriza bottles are just awesome -
just as their content
Photo: PR Oriza L. Legrand (c)

One of the far best perfumelines I have discovered the latest years (thanks to P. at Fragrance & Art who has a truly refined taste for perfume) is the venerable french house Oriza L.Legrand. It started to produce powder for the whigs in the 18th century and perfumes later become a part of the business. During the 19th and beginning of the 20th century Oriza provided different royal courts with perfume and soaps. During the later years perfumer Hugo Lambert and his parter Franck Beleiche recreated the house, and have started to reconstructing the fragrances and soaps taking contemporary restrictions in to account. And the result is awesome, se my reviews earlier this year, Rêve d'Ossian, Relique d'Amour, Oeillet Louis XV and Déjà le Printemps.

From the description of Chypre Mousse, re-created by Hugo Lambert: "After the first rainfall in September nature exude scents of humus, peat and wetland. This is the time for a promenade in the woods to enjoy the freshness after the heat of summer." The original version (1914) of Chypre Mousse is said to be launched to the dandies of this world. My impressions are as follows:

Chypre Moussse starts with balmy and brisk green notes, in the first part of the fragrance I perceive more of the forest early in the spring (at least the swedish forest), just when the greenery buds and the moss is light green, young and fresh. The dominating note during the first half of Chypre Mousse is a fresh, natural smelling mint. The minty note is present during the whole dry down, even if it stays in the supporting background in the second half. In the first stages of the fragrance, a retrostyled leathernote is also present, its the dry, antique leather of book-binding. In the early stege the minty and green notes reminds me of Parfumerie Générale PG 11 Harmatan Noir  but without the salty/metallic almost bloody notes which are accompanying the mint in the latter. Chypre Mousse continues green and the green deepens, together with an almost animalic note, a bit in its later stages, and here the early autumn could be recognized. A beautiful note of fern is the protagonist on my skin in this stage. In the later middlenotes and in the base, there is an accord and impression that reminds me of Ava Luxe Chypre Noir if I remember correctly, could be Film Noir but without the cigarette smoke. Something which is striking with Chypre Mousse is the absence of flowers, I can't smell them anywhere. Despite that, Chypre Noir is fresh and balmy as a floral-green fragrance. In it's overall impression, but a tad brighter, Chypre Mousse reminds me of a favorite contemporary chypre, Parfumerie Générale PG 24 Papyrus de Ciane.

Picture: Fresh moss in spring
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

To me Chypre Mousse doesn't reach the dark, velvety, earthy, damp and often dirty depts of the old school chypres. Chypre Mousse to me is more of a ligther and brighter contemporary green/fourgé with some mossy elements which skilfully mixed, creates a retro feeling but in a sort of contemporary frame. An intriguing and fascinating fragrance even if almost linear in my testing.The fragrance is unisex but more masculine than  Déjà le Printemps which is a green, feminine floral fragrance. With Chypre Mousse the dandies and all other men has their own, green Oriza but it has to be clearified that Chypre Mousse (even if better on Mr Parfumista than on me) fits women as good, the fourgé notes are not harsh and masculine in style of traditional fourgé fragrances. Chypre Mousse has good longevity, unfragmented after 12h+, traces after 24h, and good sillage. 

Rating: 5

Notes: Wild mint, clary sage, wild fennel, green shoots, oakmoss, galbanum, angelica, fern, wild clover, mastic, violet leaves, vetiver, pine needles, mushroom, fresh humus, roasted chestnut, leather, labdanum, balms

Parfumerie Generale - Corps et Ames Eau de Toilette Apaisante

Picture: "Springtime" or "Woman Reading" (Camille Monet)

Claude Monet 1872, oil on canvas, Wikimedia Commons

Handsome Pierre Guillaume is a constant threat to my creditcard, it's hardly that I dare to test a new creation from him. The new (or more precisely revived) Corps et Ames Eau de Toilette Apaisante is an excellent example of such a threat from PG: Floral chypre, built upon one of my top favourite PG:s the bold, flowery, light leathery almost minty geranium green chypre Corps et Ames Edp created in 2006. CeA Edt is a lightened up and  brighter interpretation of the loverly CeA theme. In topnotes vebena leafs are dominating giving CeA Edt an almost tea-like impression (but without the harsh qualities of the teanote), There is also citrusy, minty green aspects and as CeA Edt dries down, the rosiness of geranium and a clean wellblended patchouli enters the stage. The darker and denser leathery, imortelle notes of the original is left out in the Edt version that makes the whole blend sparkling as Champagne as the old Edp-version could be compared to a good Chablis. In the basenotes there is some light woody notes and a bright musk that gives this lovely composition a great longevity, it last more than 24h on my skin.

There is similarities in CeA Edt:s style and mediated sensation as in the great Papyrus de Ciane also from PG. Both CeA Edp, CeA Edt and PdC is PG:s elegant, casualstyle frags as opposed to the gourmands that are typical to the PG brand. CeA Edt is perfect for daytime wear and it’s also officefriendly. There is some retro-vibes in the blend that makes me associate to the great 70^th classic Eau de Rochas and also with the great green floral chypres of this era. With CeA Edt (and Edp) Pierre has proved there is still  possible to create a beautiful chypre or chypre-like creation despite of the IFRA restrictions.

The tweaking of the facets of an already introduced scent seems to be popular by now. When Pierre Guillaume highlights the lighter and brighter aspects of Corps et Ames, Daniela Andrier does the opposite when highlights the darker, smoother and denser aspects of Prada Infusion d’Iris Edp in the new Absolute version.

CeA Edt is particulary sutiable for spring and summer but would also be a nice reminder of the warmer months during the could season.

Rating: 5 (the same as CeA Edp)

Notes: Geranium leaves, verbena, jasmine, patchouli, sandalwood, musk

Thanks to Parfumerie Générale for providing the sample to test.

Romeo di Romeo Gigli

Det blev en grön doft idag, även om det inte är fråga om en riktigt grön chypre eller gräsdoft. Romeo di Romeo Gigli är en gammal favorit som jag faktiskt lyckades använda upp en 100 ml flaska av under vårar och somrar på 90-talet och under tidigt 2000-tal. När man återgår till en doft efter många års uppehåll så blir man ofta besviken därför att man "växt ifrån" doften eller att den reformuletats eller en kombination av detta. Men Romeo tycker jag fortfarande mycket om med sin speciella blommiga grönhet. Doften skapades av Sophie Labbe 1989 men den är ändå inte en typisk stor åttiotalsdoft utan den känns tidlöst modern.
Romeo inleds ganska skarpt med bland annat olika sorters citrusnoter, bergamott, basilka, magnolia, ringblomma och något så ovanligt som galbanum släktingen ferula asafoetida (dyvelsträck). Jag tror att det är den sistnämnda som bidrar till den skarpa öppningen, som en lite kryddigare, pudrigare galbanumnot (ungefär). Denna not finns kvar genom hela parfymens utveckling som går genom ett mellanregister av iris, apelsinblomma, ros, nejlika, freesia, liljekonvalj, jasmin och svartvinbärsblad. I denna fas är särskilt freesian tydlig för mig och konvaljnoten lurar i bakgrunden. Allt vilar på en bas av benzoin, sandelträ, irisrot och rökelsträ.

Grå-grön som vädret idag är precis den association som Romeo ger mig. Gröna blad mot en grå himmel och ett urbant inslag av grå asfalt. Romeo är definitivt en stadsdoft, det är inte den pastorala, lantliga grönskan man upplever i Romeo, utan det av staden kuvade gröna som tillåts blomma ut in park.
Sammanfattningsvis en ovanlig doft som passar utmärkt dagtid särskilt vår och sommar men även året om.

Betyg: 4

Kommentar maj 2011: Romeo är verkligen sin egen doft men den påminner i stil, ton och struktur en del om gröna dofter som Parfumerie Générales Papyrus de Ciane, Pierre Balmains Balmain de Balmain

Dagens doft - Miss Dior EDT

Foto: Parfumista (c)
Eller inte precis dagens, men dagens doft för några dagar sedan i det gråmulna, kalla vårvädret. Vädret gjorde att jag tyckte att jag borde försöka locka fram våren med en grön chypre även om jag helst hade krupit in i en värmande oriental.

Miss Dior är som många vet en av de tidiga gröna chyprerna som kom året efter (1947) banbrytaren i genren Balmains Vent Vert. De senare versionerna är förstås inte vad originalet var pga reforumleringarna och även min mamma minns något annat från 60 och 70-talen. Min Miss Dior EDT är snart tio år så troligen har den åtminstone lite ekmossa i sig, eller är det kanske ett önsketänkande. Dagen när jag bar den blev det gröna gräset galbanum tydligt för mig, även om det är inbäddat i den typiska kalkiga, pudrighet som är så typisk för Miss Dior. Galbanumet är här diskret, inte så framträdande och lite skarpt som i Vent Vert eller Papyrus de Ciane.
En elegant lite av typen out-door doft, men från än annan tid. Den personifierar det hundtandsmönster som Dior tidigare hade på sina flaskor. Miss Dior är en fin klassiker som står sig, perfekt dagtid. Sticker ut från mängden men är diskret. På ett sätt tidlös (ingen aldehydisk sk tantdoft) men ändå en representant för sin tid. Den har många sidor och fortsätter att fascinera.

En varning bör ändå utfärdas för Miss Dior är svår, minsta förkylning så luktar den inte alls lika bra. Chypres överhuvudtaget är känsliga på det viset, men i synnerhet Miss Dior, något som fler än jag har upplevt.

Betyg: 4