Maria Candida Gentile - Gershwin

Picture:  Publicity portrait of George Gershwin (1898-1937),
with autograph ca 1935, Wikipedia Commons

Gershwin is inspired of the wide range of music, from jazz to classic and operas, composed by George Gershwin. Maybe it's also inspired of his too short life. It's one of the first releases in the classical Maria Candida Gentile line and is classified as unisex, to my nose leaning a bit more to the masculine side.

Gershwin starts refreshing with excellent citrusnotes, underscored with a fizzy and wellbalanced pepper. The woody elements are soon coming forward and an almost juniperthree-like note appears. In both the top- and the middle stages Gershwin reminds me of a fresh, woody, chilly favorite of mine, The Different Company De Bachmakov. There is also something that slight resembles the chilly aura of Helmut Lang Cuiron.
Even if the overall impression of Gershwin is that of a linear fragrance, there is a notable difference between the top- and middlenotes and the base where Gershwin dries down in a beautiful, rounded almost honey-like incense. The incense is soft and not overpowering or sharp. Even in the basenotes, the impression of the  forest like freshness of the earlier stages of the fragrance are still present but it's not the mainplayer anymore.

Picture: Gershwin in its stylish bottle
Photo: PR Maria Candida Gentile (c)

Gershwin is just as DeBachmakov, the perfect fresh fragrance for spring and summer. It's suitable both for casual and work. The only drawback is the longevity, Gershwin fades away too fast, there are just light traces left after a workingday. Except that, Gershwin is another winner from Maria Candida Gentile.

Those who appreciate Andy Tauers Incense Extreme and Parfumerie Générale L'Eau Guerriere even if these fragrances doesn't smell too close, they are somehow common in style.

Rating: 4

Notes: Winter and Sicilian lemons, bitter orange, grapefruit, pink pepper, sycamore (maple), water flowers, cloves, sandalwood, incense

Parfumerie Générale - Grand Siècle Intense 7.1

Picture: Grand Siècle Intense
Photo: PR Parfumerie Générale (c)

Grand Siècle Intense 7.1 is the just released, fourth fragrance in the Signature Collection of Parfumerie Générale, collection which Pierre Guillaume started to create 2012 to mark the 10th anniversary of Parfumerie Générale that year. The collection will capture Pierres development as a perfumer and offers different interpretations of some of the Parfumerie Générale perfumes from the past. The Signature Collection is only avaible at Parfumerie Générales own website.

Grand Siècle Intense is a follower to the very natural smelling bitter citrus cologne Cologne Grand Siècle in which Pierre Guillaume was inspired by the court of the Sun King Louis XIV in the seventeenth century and the few and pure ingredients which then was avaible to the parfumer. 

Grand Siècle Intense starts with natural smelling bitter citrus and green notes. A realistic and refreshing, slight fizzy note of mint leaves appears after a while. This mint is also present in the original Maroocan Mint tea inspired Harmatan Noir 11, but in this fragrance, blended with smokey, spicy almost metallic notes. The minty note is also present in the easier to wear Noir Marine from the Phaedon line. Grand Siècle Intense goes on with green-woody notes, with the sparkilng green of cypress over light woods, fresh moss and a well intergrated vetiver. The cypress slightly reminds me of the sparkling green in Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien. A slight smokey touch also appears and glimpses of a very fine leather also appears and in the basenotes there is also a light, well rounded sweetness, probably the honey, which prevent the fragrance from beeing too aromatic in style.Just as in Cologne Grand Siècle there are no harsh or artifical smelling notes which seems to be quite common in cheaper aromatic/citrus fragrances. As usual with Parfumerie Générale this is high quality stuff and it's a smooth, delightful and easy to wear fragrance. Grand Siècle Intense is, just as it's forerunner, with its close sillage, perfect both for casual and office wear in spring and summer. The only drawback, just as with the cologneversion, is the longevity. Even if I applied liberally, I have to reapply every two-three hours and 75% of my 2 ml sample was gone after one wearing. On the other hand, I have dry skin so this is probably not a common problem.

Comparing the two Grand Siècle versions, Cologne Grand Siècle is more of a cologne in style (even if not fully) with citrusy, lemony notes and also with a for the fragrance characteristic note of a hard citruspastille. In  Grand Siècle Intense the cologne inspired theme is most present in the early stage of the fragrance, later it's more of a citiric, green, light woody aromatic perfume. Both fragrances are unisex even if the cologne IMO is leaning a bit more to the masculine side and the Intense is just neutral.

Rating: 4 (if rating how it smells, its structure and quality of ingredients), 3 (if taken the longevity issues in consideration)

Notes: Bergamot, bitter orange, lemon leaves, mint, cypress, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, tobacco absolute, hay, honey

A reminder about Mohur....

Photo; Mr Parfumista (c)

It seems as when I reviewed the beautiful Mohur Extrait from Neela Vermiere in september last year, it was not yet widely released. The broader launch was some weeks ago at Esxence 2014, information from Lucas on Chemist in a Bottle, read his very well written report from the event here.

Mohur Extrait is my favorite from Neela and I was reminded of its dark, rosy, velvet, golden, purple revelation when trying the airy, silk, silver, purple rose from Parfumerie Générale, Isparta 26 lately. Mohur Extrait could be a perfect companion in the coming Easter, especially on the serene and sad Good Friday as the fragrance is a calming and perfect for the contemplative mood. Here is the link to the full review of  Mohur Extrait.

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

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Explosions D'Émotions 1(2)

The Expolsions D'Émotions trio are fragrances signed Bertrand Duchaufour for L'Artisan Parfumeur that must have been created with the intention to provoke the smell of sense. The fragrances are wellcrafted and unconventional, and seems to be almost a sort of experimental fragrances ie nothing for daily wearing but something to stuck in and analyze a day staying at home. Explosions D'Émotions are bottled in a new stylish design of the L'Artisan bottles.

Picture: Déliria
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

Déliria "exhilaration of the senses" according to L'Artisan marketing blurb and that's true. Déliria starts with a note close to sweet pinapple (BD inspired from Jean Patou Colony?)contrasted with the dry, dirty, unaired ambernote that is present in one of my favorite ambers, L'Ombre Fauve from Parfumerie Générale. After the contrasting opening, Déliria proceeds in a bubblegum note close to the classical pink, swedish bubblegum namned Bugg. Then the sweet notes are more nondescript, its more of a candystore and later the fragrance softens, like the note of candyfloss. The candy notes are darker, deeper and better blended then the regular sweet candy fragrance, a more serious interpretation of this pink-sugary genre.

To be continued in the next post.....

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?

Jardins d'Écrivains - Orlando

Picture: Orlando
Photo: PR Jardins d'Écrivains (c)

Orlando is the latest fragrance in the affordable niche line Jardins d'Érivains where the fragrances are inspired of the world of literature. Orlando is of course inspired from the novel of Virginia Woolf and when testing Orlando the great movie with Tilda Swinton relives.

Orlando starts balsmaic, cool, fizzy-spicy and the balsamic/spicy impression lasts during the whole dry down. Notes appears that reminds me of expensive retro bubblebath + dirt (like in a stable) + the almost plasticlike (vinyl) note that sometimes emerges from shiny new leather is an intriguing accord that conveys an impression of the immortal Orlando, present in so many centuries. This accord is  counterbalanced by the mysterious dark, spicy, balsamic and musky basenotes which creates a sort of timeless impression. Orlando has a dry, powdery-putty-balsamic texture and is comfortable in the same time as it's evocative and fires the imagination as there are new nuances to find at every turn. Orlando is very much it's own fragrance but I find some similarities with another a bit "strange" perfume, Psychotrope from Parfumerie Générale. Psychotrope is flowery where Orlando is spicy but the clean. cold. almost leatherlike note as also the bubblebathy are present in both. The initial spicy, sparkling impression of ginger, also have something in common with Aus Liebe zum Duft No 1 but the gingernote is not as sharp in Orlando as in the latter. As Orlando has developed for some hours in the basenotes, it suddenly becomes stronger in apperance and in this stage, Orlando reminds me of the classic Robert Piguet Bandit.

Orlando, just as its role model is a genuine unisex fragrance despite Mr Parfumista thinks it's leaning more to the masculine side and and I think it's slight more feminine. Orlando is appropriate both for work and casual, it has good stayingpower, about a day at least, and the sillage is medium. Orlando is IMO the most interesting and original fragrance from Jardins d'Écrivains so far.

Rating: 5

Notes: Orange, pink pepper, ginger; amber, patchouli , cloves, guaiac wood, peru balsam, musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test.

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

Guerlain - Tonka Imperiale

Picture: Roman Emperors

Source: http://vaticanarthistoriantours.com

Tonka Imperiale is one of the later creations in the Guerlian exclusiveline L’Art et la Matière. Tonka Imperiale is a true warm and slight, gourmand sweet oriental, created by the Guerlain houseperfumer Thierry Wasser.

Tonka Imperiale starts with a warm, sweet but in the same time light and subtle, a bit powdery accord of tonka been. After a while a very balanced note that reminds me of a rounded cedarwood note appears, maybe it's one of the woody notes or maybe it's the mix of wood, herbs and spices that induces this impression. An almost liquorlike note of tobacco, balanced with light, almost not detectable flowers appears and contrasts after a while with "fresher" colder, balmy notes of incense and fir. As in all of the L’Art et la Matière fragrances I have tried so far, the ingedients are so well balanced, rounded and fine tuned that there is hard to distinugue them separately from each other. Tonka Imperiale is no exception It's a very well crafted fragrance with gourmand undertones. In the basenotes there is a slight powdery caramelnote, similar to the one in Prada Candy (in swedish) but darker, less sweet and a bit stronger. In Tonka Imperiale the tonkabeen is not combined with vanilla which is common, and that probably tempers the sweetness to a pleasant, moderate level. In the texture Tonka Imperiale has similarities with the elegant immortelledominated Guerlain Cuir Beluga, it's like a pushier, more masculine (even if unisex) interpreation of a similar theme. Both are beautiful fragrances but Cuir Beluga to my nose, is a bit more original.

Tonka Imperiale is perfect for autumn, winter and the chilly early spring. Even if moderatly sweet I suspect it could be overhelming in warm summerdays. Tonka Imperiale is a true comfort fragrance, it's not overpowering if applied with care and therefore a perfect officescent that brings comfort also to other than the wearer. Sillage is medium and longevity for 24h.

Those who likes the fragrances mentioned above as also Carner Barcelona Tardes, Parfumerie Generale Tonkamande, Etro Heliotrophe and Parfums Nicolaï Kiss me tender , even if the two latter is more floral, will also like Tonka Imperiale

Rating: 4

Notes: Bergamot, rosemary, jasmine, almond, tonkabeen, tobacco, incense, cedar, pine

Guerlain – Angelique Noir

Angelique Noir is one of the first fragrances of the Guerlain L’Art et la Matiere Collection. Angelique Noir is created by perfumer Daniela Andrier in 2005.

Angelique Noir starts with a sweet almost almondcake, counterbalanced by a dry fresh hay like note, like newly mown hay. In the background a deep, dark flower is lurking together with a contrasting, almost crispy, flowery note, similar to the note of freesia. The dark, flowery mix is very sweet but not cloying at all. Angelique Noir is very thick in texture, like a viscous, dark liquid or a black, heavy, velvet robe. Indeed, this could be a dark, fallen angel. The angelica note seems to be very concentrated compared with for example the transparent angelicanote in Mona di Orio Les Nombres d’Or Musc where it seems to be used more as a sweet, herbal-spicy, flower accent. A fine vanilla note is counterbalancing the dark, slight herbal-spicy flowery notes and the gourmand accord created seems almost edible.

Angelique Noir is a fragrance of it’s own, there are not many of it’s like. It’s a sweet but balanced with dry notes, floral gourmand oriental and as the skilful composes fragrances Angelique Noir is, it’s never being cloying in spite of it’s dark sweetness.

Angelique Noir is an elegant comfort scent, perfect for the cold and dark autumn and winter. Sillage is medium and longevity about 24h.

As I can remember, I haven’t tried any fragrance that is close to Angelique Noir so far. Even if not smelling the same fragrances in the same spirit as Angelique Noir are:  Dior Addict (old version), Tom Ford Black Orchid, and Guerlain Insolence Edp but also fragrances in the, form the former fragrances different style, as Parfumerie Générale Drama Nuui and The Different Company Jasmin de Nuit.

Rating: 5

Notes: Angelica, red berries, pear, caraway, jasmine, vanilla, cedar

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

Robert Piguet - Petit Fracas

 The sparkling and flirtatious spirit of
Petit Fracas (Robert Piguet)
Picture: All Posters.com

Petit Fracas from one of my absolute favouritehouses, Robert Piguet, it seems as the RP fragrances gets very well with my skinchemistry, is created by the housenose Auerlien Guichard 2012. The Petit Fracas is meant to be the entry to the Grand Fracas, the Queen of tubereuses and it is said to be aimed to the younger generation. According to me, it suits all ages of those who likes a well crafted frutiy-floral.

Petit Fracas starts with sparkling fruity notes, dominated by the pear and contrasted by a cacao note. The cacao blended with especially the pear creates an impression of butterscotch. The pearnote is recognizable in another recent Robert Piguet fragrance, the sparkling tubereuse/white floral Douglas Hannant.  The gourmand impression of Petit Fracas is present already from the start and the cacao note is running through the whole fragance. It gently interacts with the notes of each stage, creating different gourmand impressions. As the name of the fragrance indicates, tubereuse is of course the star of Petit Fracas, even if the cacaonote comes close as the most important, contrasting note.

As Petit Fracas reach the heartnotes, the white flowers takes the command with the tubereuse as the leader of the team. The tubereuse is more sparkling and clean than the dark, dense and almost animalic version of it in Fracas The cacaonote in this stage, appears as more dry and less sweet as its performance in the topnotes. Petit Fracas in this stage, to my nose is more close to Douglas Hannant, (but DH lacks the gourmand notes as a clear floral fragance) than to Fracas. At least compared to my 10+ years old version of Fracas, I don't know if the current forumlation is weaker. The flowery gourmand accord developes beautifully when interacting with the warm sandalwood and the smooth, rounded musk of the base. The effect is almost creamy and there is very comfortable to wear Petit Fracas as it performs in its sweet, mouthwatering, delicious greatness for about 24 hours. Something in the texture of Petit Fracas later stages, reminds me of another great Piguet, Mademoiselle Piguet even if that one is centered around orangeblossom and also features some almost decaying vegetable notes, perfectly contrasted to the clean orange. Sillage is contemporary medium, not as bombastic as Fracas. To summerize: Petit Fracas is a real pleasure to wear and a good example that there are indeed good fruity-florals on the market. Something that parfumistas often tend to forget when discussing this taunted category of fragrance :-)

Madonnas Truth or Dare with its mashmallow note comes to my mind when it comes to the cacao - tubereuse combination in Petit Fracas. Both are gourmand tubereuses where Petit Fracas is the well-behaved and subtle, and Truth or Dare the bold and perky one. I also think that those how like the sweet beauty Tubereuse Couture by Parfumerie Generale will like Petit Fracas very much.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, mandarin, pear, tubereuse, jasmine, gardenia, musk, sandalwood, cacao

Ramón Monegal - Ambra di Luna

Picture: Mondaufgang am Meer (Moonrise over the sea)
oil on canvas, 1822 by Caspar David Friedrich

Ambra di Luna is a true oriental (amber) fragrance from the excellent Barcelonean perfumehouse Ramon Monegal. As all the perfumes of the house, Ambra di Luna is created by the founder and owner Ramon Monegal a perfumer with more than thirty years experience from creating perfumes.

Ambra di Luna starts with an accord that resembles the dry, paperlike, amber note in Trouble by Boucheron.After a while Ambra di Luna gets sweeter and the furry, animalic note that have been taken to an extreme (in a very positive way) in one of my all time favourite ambers L’Ombre Fauve by Parfumerie Générale, is lurking in the background. This dark, dirty note is balancing the sweetness. After a while also a decadent, on the verge of withering, jasminenote comes forward and togheter with the furry note and amber it creates an almost vintage part of the fragarance.

As it dries in the later stages an accord emerges which is similar to the bubblegum, amber accord in the sweet, contemporary amber, Jean Paul Gaultier 2 but in Ambra di Luna the pink bubblegum is just an accent in the ambery accord and not at all as strong and sweet as in JPG2. There is also a slight leathery impression when indulging the basenotes.

Ambra di Luna has both classical, almost old fashioned phases, combined by contemporary, in the topnotes and in the early basenotes with the light bubblegum amber. As always with the Ramon Monegal perfumes, an interesting blend where the wearer could expect interesting twists during the whole dry down. Overall Ambra di Luna conveys the atmosphere that is present in music and paintings from the romantic era in the 19^th century.

Ambra di Luna is not as powerful as most of the Ramón Monegal fragrances, but lasts more than a day anyway. The style is subdued, close to the skin, amber-animalic-resin-powder and Ambra di Luna is most distinctive to the wearer her/himself. This is a fragrance for the colder months, suitable both for daytime and eveningwear. On the unisexscale I think Ambra di Luna is a bit more feminine. Ambra di Luna is a must try for amber lovers!

Rating: 4

Notes: Amber, labdanum, jasmine, castoreum, sandalwood

Carner Barcelona - Rima XI

Picture: Meadow Elves (Ängsälvor), oil on canvas
by Nils Blommér 1850

Rima XI is a transparant spicy, floral, light gourmand perfume created by perfumer Sonia Constant for the Barcelonean nichehouse Carner Barcelona. Sonia Constant also created the powerful Cuirs for the house last year and with Rima XI she explores a quite different, lighter and more delicate style. The appearance of Rima XI lies in between Tardes and D600 by Carner Barcelona and closer to Tardes of the two.

Rima XI starts with an almost gourmand accord, similar to the bread and apricot acccord in Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau or the gourmand sandalaccord of Parfumerie Generale Praline de Santal, which to me is a Jeux de Peau follower. There is an almond, cardamon accord that shows up early in Rima X and which is more and less present during the dry down of the perfum. After a whlie, Rima XI suddenly evokes the olfactory image of a sort of sharper Bois Naufragé by Parfumerie Generale, the wood dried in the sun at the beach by the sea and the woody, sandy, slight salty nuances that emerges from this. After a while the sweet, gourmand, character appears again, like an almondcookie, it’s almost like the smell when sniffing in a cookie jar. There is also a discrete flowernote sneaking in to the blend.  This pastry impression remains during the whole development of Rima XI. There is not a oversweet impression, it’s surprisingly light and transparent and there is absolutly no risk that Rima XI will be overwhelming. The almondcookie seems to be offset by a note similar to spicy tea and this balances the fragrance in a delicate way. This accord reminds me of yet another Parfumerie Generale fragrance, Un Crime Exotique but tuned down multiple levels. As UCE is an extreme when it comes to “spieced beverages” inspirated perfumes, readers that dislike UCE should not fear trying Rima XI. As Rima XI is resting in the basenotes the impression still are flowers, almondcookies, spices and tea supported by woody notes.

Rima XI to me is a very versatile fragrance, contemporary in style despite its inspiration from a poem of the 19th Spanish poet G.A.Bécquer: “I am a dream, an impossible; vain ghost of mist and light; I am bodiless, I am untouchable; I cannot love you. – Oh, come, you come!”. IMHO this poem also could describe a the subtle precense of a beautiful perfume, like for instance Rima XI.

Rima XI is wearable year around and could be described as a comfortable and reliable parfume with a close sillage which makes it very officefriendly. The longevity is good. The spicy character, even if light, makes it suitable for daytime wearing during the upcoming Christmas just like another good fragrance for daytime Christmas fragrance, Aus Liebe Zum Duft No 1 (from the excellent german perfumeshop with the same name) which has similariteis in style with Rima XI but as a stronger and masculine alternative.

Rating: 4

Notes: Cardamom, black pepper, mint, saffron, cinnamon, nutmeg, jasmine, coriander, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla, benzoin, soft amber, musk

Serge Lutens - Une Voix Noire

Picture: Billie Holiday and her dog Mister, backstage dressing room,
probably at the Downbeat, NYC, Juni 1946
Photo: William P. Gottlieb, Wikimedia Commons

Une Voix Noire, the latest exclusive from Serge Lutens is a strange creature, almost as last years exclusive De Profundis. I suppose Une Voix Noire is created by Christopher Sheldrake as almost all the Lutens fragrances. Voix Noire is inspired of, and a homage, to Billie Holiday with her dark, dramatic voice (and life), often wearing a gardenia in her dark hair.

Une Voix Noire starts with a dreamy, almost dusky, putty, gardenia accord or a white flower that could be gardenia as it is somehow indefinable. The abstract gardenia is not fresh, it’s a gardenia that just started to wilting. There is also a green, slight mentholic note following, a note that is also present (but more clearly) in Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle. As Une Voix Noire further developes, a note of strawberry appears. The note is not the syntetic, sickly, sweet strawberry note in candy or bubbelgums, the note is less sweet, darker and as the smell of the whole plant, the strawberries, leaves, steam and root with some dry, sandy earth on the rootlets. Soon thereafter a metallic note emerges, a note of steel but also with facets of blood. This stage is a bit gruesome and there is also a dusky, moist, almost sour and rottening vegetating note in the background, a facet that reminds me of the damp floral water note in Kerosene Whips and Roses. There are no distinct basenotes, of course they are there, some slight woody nuances could be noticed, but overall Une Voix Noire seems to be anchored in subtle dark rummy and tobbacconotes. The booziness is dark and minmalistic as is the tobbacco. There is not the blond, dry and almost fresh tobbaco of, for example Frapin Speakeasy, but a dark, slight moisty pipe tobbacco just taken out from the tobbacco envelope to be stuffed in the pipe. The dusky gardenianote is fleeting in the blend, making Une Voix Noire to a beautiful, dark, mysterious and strange composition that leaves me wanting to try this fragrance repeatedly, just as De Profundis a year ago. After two days of wearing it finally klicked which fragrance Une Voix Noire reminds me of when it has dried down and lingers there on the skin until the morning after: The a bit weird and special creation Psychotrope by Pierre Guillaume for Parfumerie Generale, which I like much. The Psychotrope is lighter in its tonality and there are different flowers but there I something in the texture, in the metallic and in some facets almost syntetic feeling that unite these two fragrances.

Just as the stunning De Profundis, Une Voix Noire is a contemplative fragrance that demands peace and quiet to be properly perceived and to evoke the imagination of the wearer. Une Voix Noire could of course evoke the picture of the dark jazzclubs where Lady Day performed, but I also think it has an almost macabre side, the bloody, metallic accord that also could conjure some unpleasant associations.

As concluded from above, Une Voix Noire is a fragrance for quiet days at home, at least until the wearer is familiar with this strange creature. Then it could be worn anyway, preferably during autumn and winter. The sillage is medium and the longevity is very good. 

Rating: 5

Notes: Gardenia, tobbacco, rum 

Puredistance - I

Picture: Puredistance I, elegant, white soft flowers.
Puredistance (c), all rights reserved.

The first feminine fragrance, properly named I, from Puredistance, is like a summery of the spirit of the fragrances of the house. Puredistance, with long time experienced perfumer Annie Buzantian as housenose (for the femine offerings anymay), is creating timeless elegant, chic and versatile fragrances which in the same time also feels contemprary. I is said to has first beeing created by the perfumer as a personal fragrance for herself and that it remains as one of her own favourites.

I opends up with watery, almost ozonic, mostly white blossom notes. Mr Parfumista says he is getting the olfactory image of a softer, smoother and much more elegant L’Eau d’Issey by Issey Miyake. Probably this is airy, and elegant fresh as the sea aura that surrounds the tamed and polite white blossoms that creates this impression.

As the development of I continues the blend gets light, fluffy, creamy and smells almost as a really exclusive sunscreen. The creamy white and also yellow flowers are fleeting soft and seemless within each other in the Annie Buzantian typical smooth and delicate way in handling flowers. In this stage Puredistance I reminds me of an elegant and smooth variation of Flora Bella from Lalique. Flora Bella also has this warm, almost tropical flowery quality with the clear air from the sea as a refreshing element. But I is rounder, gentler and much more elegant than the flamboyant Flora Bella. In the basenotes I gets less creamy even if some remians and the flowers appears somehow more distinctive, supported by a well balanced white musk combined with the fresh eartyness of vetiver and a hint of ambery depth. Overall there is something in the aura, texture and radiance of I that reminds me of a flowery counterpart to the beautiful airy, sealike, woody Bois Naufragé by Parfumerie Générale. I feels like the image of a beach on a tropical island with almost snowwhite sand on a sunny day with a totally clear, blue sky. Or the image of an elegant lady dressed in white.

I is a very feminine fragrance that adds pleasure and luxury to everyday. In the same time it is easy to wear and adds comfort and security to the wearer without beeing aggressive as a one of the “powerperfumes”. I have to admit hat it has taken some time for me to “get” I, 1,5 years to be exact (review in swedish from spring 2011 here). Not pleasing directly is often a sign of a complicated quality fragrance with many facets and the following indivdual interpretations of the scent. Even if, or probably because, I is not grundbreaking in style it’s a contemporary classic (despite the slight aquatic vibes that could be associated with the 1990s) that could easily qualify as a signature fragrance for a wearer that perfers a limited numbers of perfumes in her wardrobe. I is suitable for office, receptions but also an example of the perfect bridal perfume. A very versatile fragrance!

As all Puredistance fragrances, I is a perfume extrait and as such offer a discrete but definitly detectable sillage. A discreete trail is, under the right conditions, appearing after the wearer of I has left the room and when smelling this, one wonders from where this beautiful scent comes. The longevity is very good, about 24 h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Tangerine blossom, cassis, neroli bigarade, watery nuances,  

magnolia, rose, jasmine, parmenthia, mimosa, amber, vetiver, white musk.

Huitième Art - Poudre de Riz

Picture: Pierre Guillaume celebrates ten years as perfumer

with his own house Parfumerie Generale.

Couldn't resist borrowing this picture from Fragrantica

Photo: Fragrantica (c)

I said it before and had to repeat it again: Pierre Guillaume is too tough for my creditcard. This autumn he  seduces me with two beautiful fragrances, the Djhenné as I reviewed earlier this week and now Poudre de Riz, a totally different beast from his “showcasing one special note surrounded by other high quality ingredients collection”; Huitième Art.

Poudre de Riz is instant love, opposed to Djhenne which was growing on me during the testing. Poudre de Riz is a warm and very comforting slight powdery floral woody musky blend with oriental vibes. Poudre de Riz is dominated by tropical flowers blended with coconut and vanilla, which create a warm and very comfortable feeling. To me there is something in the top and middlenotes that smells like blond, fresh tobaccoleaves (even if tobbaco is not mentioned) mingled with vanilla and a dry coconut and later on with a subdued rose-iris accord accompaning in the background. These flowery notes fleets in and out during the rest of the dry down, it creates a depth and a certain elegence to the fragrance. Poudre de Riz gives me retro vibes, I image a fragrance created about hundred years ago, in the era before WWI. In the basnotes, besides the flowery, slight wet musky impression, powdery notes from tonka and benzoin appears. There is also an almost balsamic warmth present. A fragrance that reminds me of Poudre de Riz is Kèora by Jean Couturier with it’s warm, tropical flower blended in vanilla. Also Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Fleur des Comores has something similar in style even if Fleurs de Comores is sweeter, more flowery and a bit dirty compared to Poudre de Riz. There is also a dry vanillanote that is close to L’Artisan Parfumeur Havana Vanille which also contains the tobacconote. Maybe the note similar to tobacco is a facet of vanilla, I don’t know. In texture and expression there something in Poudre de Riz that reminds me of a clean variation of the slight dirty Etat Libre de Orange Putain des Palaces, maybe the powdery, dense feeling.

Poudre de Riz is first of all the true comfortscent for the colder months. I also think it will fit also for warm summerevenings as the sweetness is subdued and the powdery musk creates an almost cool impression under the right conditions.

Rating: 5

Notes: Tiare, coconut milk, vanilla, rice, maple sap, rice, caramel, iris, sandal- and cedarwood, rose, tonka been, benzoin, tolu balsam

Parfumerie Générale - Djhenné

Picture: Great Mosque of Djenné

Photo: Andy Gilham (cc) Wikimedia Commons,

some rights reserved

This year the house of Parfumerie Générale, founded by perfumer Pierre Guillaume, celebrating ten successful years with a fragrance that fills the vacant number 22 in the numberd collection, Djhenné. Maybe the number was left to unite the “2:s” of the founding year respective the year of Jubilee.

Djhenné is a town in Mali, famous for the big mosque constructed by clay in 1907. To me, Djhenné the perfume also smells as I can image the smell of the dry, hot, earth blended with some sand from Sahara mingled with spieces, cacao from the market, and some herbal green whiffs from the scores of the river nearby. According to an interview on Fragrantica Pierres inspiraton to Djhenné was “a fresh accord surrounded by hot sand. Oasis, a lazy hot atmosphere, and a little bit of freshness in a hot desert”

Djhenné starts with sparkling, almost spritzy light spicy notes that mingles with an uplifting green light flowery herbal note, probably the mint and flowers combined. The pepper from cedarwood comes forward in a quite early stage and after a while Djhenné reminds me of some sparkling woody-peppery fragrances for example the bolder L`Eau Guerriere which is bright and luminous but at the same time heavy in it’s notes and therefore has to be applied very sparingly. But after this short phase Djhenné turns to a softer, warmer spicy stage supported by some delicate and almost dry and powdery, sweet notes supported by an almost rounded, strawlike note which mingles and balances with a light resin-sweetness. The last accord is probably highlighten the original wheatnote and the myrrh, but a sort of stripped down, light myrrhm not the dark, warm myrrh of Myrrhiad from one of Pierres other perfumelines, Huitieme Art. In the Fragrantica interview the interviewer find similarties with another beautiful PG fragrance, Bois Naufrage. Even if not quite obvious to me, both have the same relaxing aura and Bois Naufrage is the wet woody version and Djhenné the warm, dry and spicy version of the theme

Except the short, cedar-pepper phase, Djhenné is a very relaxing fragrance with a comfortable dry, warm, light flowery, spicy and well balanced sweetness. It’s easy, but in the same time interesting, to wear as it repeatedly unfolds new discrete twists, especially in it’s later stages. The longevity, despite it’s perceived lightness, is 12h+. Djhenné is a fragrance that grows on me from the initial impression of a good but not especially distinctive fragrance, I can’t stop sniffing my wrists in the later stages of this beautiful and a bit mysterious fragrance that induces such exotic images to me, just as Pierres intention.

Djhenné is perfect for daytime wear year around, and as said above, a fragance for calming down .

Rating: 5

Notes: Mint, seringa, lavendel, cedarwood, cacao pod, myrrh, wheat

Parfumerie Générale - Cologne Grand Siècle

Photo: André Karwath, CC - some rights reserved,

Wikipedia commons

For an english version, scroll down
Parfumerie Générales (PG:s) citruscologne Cologne Grand Siècle är gjord av en hög andel naturliga råvaror. Pierre Guilleme, husets grundare och näsa, säger sig vara inspirerad av solkungens hov (Ludvig XIV) på 1600-talet och de få och rena råvaror som då stod till parfymörernas förfogande.

CGS är en fin, om jag ska tänka mig en färg, djupgul, citrus. Den är lite söt, påminner om smaken av en hård citruspastill. Det påminner i stilen om kultklassikern Eau de Rochas men den senare är mer tvålig, har en mossig bas och är stramare i stilen. CGS är med sin trä och vetiverbas mer publiktillvänd och lättsam. En fin sommardoft som tyvärr har en stor nackdel: Den försvinner på en halvtimme, visserligen testad under tuffa soliga sommarförhållanden. CGS är något mer maskulin än feminin, även om man tycks framhäva doften något olika: På herr Parfumista framhävs de träiga noterna mer den korta stund det varar, på mig citrusnoterna.

Parfumerie Générale (PG) citrusy cologne Cologne Grand Siecle is made of a high proportion of natural ingredients. Pierre Guilleme, the house's founder and nose, says he is inspired by the court of the Sun King Louis XIV in the  seventeenth century and the few and pure ingredients which then was avaible to the  parfumer.

CGS is a nice, if I have to think of a color, deep yellow, citrus. It's a little sweet, reminiscent of the taste of a hard citruspastille. It's reminiscent of the style of the cult classic Eau de Rochas, but the latter is soapy, has a mossy base and is stricter in style. CGS, with its base of wood and vetiver is more oriented  towards the general public and more easygoing. A nice summer fragrance which unfortunately has a major drawback: It disappears in half an hour, although tested under harsh sunny conditions. CGS is a bit more masculine than feminine, even if it seems to enhance the smell somewhat different: Mr Parfumista highlights the woody notes the short time it lasts,  and for me, the citrus notes dominates.

Rating: 3

Noters Tangerine, bitter orange, cardamom, vetiver