Puredistance MV2Q

Picture: Puredistance MV2Q
Photo: Puredistance (c)

Autumn is almost here, and autumn means it is time for a new release from Puredistance. Last autumn Puredistance reached its full number with the beautiful No 12. After that, each new realease in the Collection will casuse the discontinuing or withdrawel to buy after request, of one of the fragrances. No 3 M even if very popular, was the first do go (discontinued) among others due to new restrictions regarding some of the ingredients. To replace the loss of M a new Extrait created around the leather theme is launched in September 2022.

The similarities between the old classic M and the new MV20 are (beside the high quality ingredients, the extrait formula and the pure apperance) that both are very masculine fragrances even if  I think  MV2Q could even pass as unisex despite of it's leaning to the masculine side. Also the fact that both of them are more  (M) or less (MV2Q) leather fragrances, bring them together. Then, the similarities ends, M and MV2Q are IMHO two different fragrances. M is a timeless, high quality leather fragrance in the style of Hermès Bel Ami, a sort of refined Bel Ami in a clean and smooth extrait formula. 

MV2Q to me is a contemporary, modern urban woody oriental fragrances with an accord resembling the leather chypres of the 1980s as a side kick. A bright, full and sunny version of the chyper-ish accord is appearing in the topnotes and also showing up later in a darker, more sensual moonlight version as MV2Q has dried down in to the basenotes. The leather chypre styled accord,  reminds me of a less sweet-flowery version of one of my all time favourites, Montana Parfum de Peau (vintage version). But most of all MV2Q is a modern dry and warm, balsamic spicy woody fragrance with some light traces of something almost boozy, like a deep and rounded cognac.  Among the spicy notes, on my skin, the clean woody pepper note takes the centerstage and could "take over" the composition when MV2Q reaches the middlenotes  if  not applied very light. I've tested MV2Q several times over the summer, in  very warm and also colder tempratures  and my conclusion is that one or one and a half spritz (if hot outside) is maximum for me to apply to avoid the woody pepper note to take over. The positive side is, that very little of MV2Q is enough to create a great silage and a longevity for about 24h. The extrait is very concentrated, it's rich and mellow, full of very fine quality ingredients playing with each other in wellblended accords. When MV2Q reach the basenotes, the accord similar to a modern Parfum de Peau shows up again but this time with a more oriental soft spicy touch which reminds me of  the cozy and comforting Puredistance Sheiduna. Maybe MV2Q is the masculine counterpart to Sheiduna in the Puredistance collection. In the basenotes, there is also a slight dark leather-boozy element which reminds me of MDCI Parfums excellent Cuir Garamante.

Picture: Puredistance MV2Q
Photo: Puredistance (c)

Somehow I imagine, after its sunny opening, MV2Q,  in the middlenotes, as a dry, dark, log of wood lying together with some black, leather in the desert warmed up in the sunlight at midday. When MV2Q reaches the basenotes, the sun sets and the perfume calms down and transforms to a darker, softer and cosier evening fragance. MV2Q is a fragrance that seems to be tailor-made  to accompanying the progress of the day into the night and to emphasize the characteristics of each part to the wearer. As usual with Puredistance, an intriguing, very well made fragrance, which is concentrated and therfore even the smallest 17,5 ml  flacon (pictured above) will last for a very, very long time.

Overall MV2Q will be a perfect match for the coming autumn, although I will mostly go for the more feminine Sheiduna. 

Notes:

Orange blossom, Pink pepper, Lavender,
Cinnamon, Nagarmotha, Jasmine Sambac, Pine Tar,
Indonesian patchouli, Madagascar vanilla, Spanish labdanum, Tonka bean, Texas cedar

Thank you Team Puredistance for the generous sample of  MV2Q 

Histoires de Parfums - 1969 Parfum de Revolte

Picture: "Riverbank of Peach Blossoms (portion)", ink and colors on paper,

1642 - 1707, located at Metropolitan Museum of Art, Wikimedia commons

From a perfume named 1969 Parfum de Revolte one routinely expect a blend with a dominant patchouli, maybe something as Reminiscence Patchouli or the airier Etro-version Patchouly. The 1969 Parfum de Revolte, created by the houses founder the perfumer Gerald Ghislain is anyting but this: Parfume de Revolte is a fruity, slight floral dessert-like gourmand creation, and there is indeed some patchouli very well blended among the ingredients.

1969 Parfum de Revolte starts with a wonderful peachy, rosy accord supported by a note that I percieve as freesia, which is not mentioned among the notes. The peachy note is somehow not especially sweet, it's not jammy instead it's more like the fresh ripe fruit. The peach note is present during the whole dry down but reduces in extent in the middle- and basenotes.There is also an  indefinite almost dense flower-iness which complements the peach very well. In the middle/base a patchouli which highlights the dark chocolate aspect of the note shines through. But the patchoulinote is cleverly interwowen in the blend as it never takes over the fragrance, just supports with it's darkness. In this stage some soft spices and a dark coffenote also appears, perfectly matching the patch. Everything is backed up by a soft musk. In the late middlennotes/early basenotes there is an accord as I percive as true aldehydic, there is something in common, not exactly in smell but in appearance, with Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

1969 Parfum de Revolte is another beautiful and artful composition from the quality house of HdP. This is not the ordinary, screechy, chemical, fruity-floral, this is a delightful, credible fruitiness. It's an unsual blend and I for once have hard to find other scents that I think it resembles. The opening peach have some similarities with Parfums MDCI Peche Cardinal despite PC also has a plumnote in it's top and I percieve 1969 as a cleaner peach but not as airy as the springlike By Kilian Flower of Immortality.

1969 Parfum de Revolte is a good fragrance for evening but I also think it's proper to wear at daytime during the cold and grey months in fall and winter. The fragrance has a great longevity and remains almost unfragmented until the next morning.

Rating: 5

Notes: Peach, rose, white flowers, caramon, clove, patchouli, coffe, chocolate, musk

5 Top Late Summer fragrances 2016

Photo: Late Summer 2016
Mr Parfumista (c)

The summer is in its final stage, after a cold and rainy week in the middle of August, the sun and warmth are back, as often when school and work starts again. When it coming to perfumechoices, this late summer is a bit confusing compared to my earlier middle/late summer cravings which were for dark and dense autumn/winter appropriate perfumes. This year it seems as I havn't any cravings for a particular fragrancecategory at all, everything goes. Wearing fresh and bright fragrances is common this late summer compared to earlier years. Below five choices from the latest weeks, both bright and dark ones.

Vent Vert (Pierre Balmain): The windy-green Vent Vert  is the archetype of a spring/early summer fragrance but even as good in August. I like the new and the older 1990:s version equal, this time I've worn the new version which smells less flowery and more tart and musky than the older version. A fragrance which receives compliments.

Les Colognes Néroli (Annick Goutal): A contemporary reworking of the classic Annick Goutal Néroli Edt. The cologne is a somehow oldfashioned but not dated, sopay, musky, bittergreeen, neroli with an outstanding longevity to be classified as Cologne. Probably this is due to the musk which is present in many contemporary fragrances which aspires as Colognestyled, for example the whole line of Atelier Cologne.

Cuir Garamante (Parfums MDCI): Mr Parfumista goes for some dark stuff and Cuir Garamante is perfect in the glowing, damp heat of the late summer. The late summer conditions are perfect for the intriguing dry down of CG:s dark leathery, boozy, dark woody accords. This fragrance shows different aspects in different wearings and there is still new twists to discover. CG is one of the very best in this genre, from what I have smelled so far, IMO the best.

As Sawira (Penhaligon's): As Sawira is deep and mysterious, featuring dark frutiy, floral and spicy notes over a gentle resin, amber and slight oudy base. Not the standard oud-saffron-rose accord even if all three of them are present. As Sawira blooms a gray day with high humidity and some rain.

Rose Ishtar (Rania J.): A dry, spicy, dark, tart and watery rose with glimpses of a mens cologne and some almost herbal aspects. Even if close to the skin, Rose Ishtar is an intense and very present fragrance. A very special rose.

Les Cocottes de Paris - La Belle Otero

Picture: Agustina Otero Iglesias (1868-1965)
"La Belle Otero"
Photo: PR Les Cocottes de Paris (c)

Les Cocottes de Paris is a brand started by Anaïs Biguine who also started the Jardins d'Ecrivains brand, inspired by litterature and gardens, some years ago. In the new brand, the inspiration comes from some famous nineteenth century courtesans who were active in the french capital. La Belle Otero is the first of three fragrances to be tested, inspired of a spanish artist, Agustina Otero Iglesias, who is said to have "devoted her life to dancing, men, precious stones, gambling, parties and all above freedom". The fragrance is said to be an invitation to misbehave and I can agree with that when testing La Belle Otero.

La Belle Otero starts sharp, fruity, boozy, chemical, almost as something that could be a sweet fruity floral celebrity fragrance but less sugary. Than the fragrance becomes more flowery, the violet accentuated by a crispy narcissus takes the center. There is almost a lipsticknote present but without the characteristic powdery-creamy smell that is the lipstick standard. The fruity note is still present in the basenotes, balanced by sandalwood and with musk which reinforces the blend. There is something vaugly dirty and decadant glimpsing through the floral-fruity facade, like dirty underwear hiding under a brand new amazing haute couture gown.

Picture: La Belle Otero
Photo: PR Les Cocottes de Paris (c)

Strong syntetical violet and narcissus over a light sandalwood infused by fizzy. musky, fruity elements is the synthesis of La Belle Otero. It's a demanding fragrance with rough edeges but in the same time a somehow pleasant fragrance to wear. It's a dangeroues fruity floral, something dark and beastly are lurking in the background. I think the syntetic smell is a bit too much in La Belle Otero but leaving that a aside, this is a intriguing and in the same time happy and taken as a whole, nice to wear fragrance.

Those who likes fragrances as Rober Piguet Jeunesse, Eau d'Italie Graine de Joie, Parfums MDCI Cio Cio San and By Kilian Playing with the Devil (which is much darker) could probably appreciate La Belle Otero.

Rating: 3

Notes: Neroli, pepper, absinthe, ginger, fig, violet, musk, lavender, narcissus, buchu, lavender, iris, frankincense, sandalwood 

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Parfume d'Empire - Musk Tonkin

Picture: Marlene Dietrich, a worthy wearer of Musk Tonkin
Image source: i006.radikal.ru

Musk Tonkin from Parfume d'Empire was first introduced as a limited parfume edition in 2012. In 2014 an Edp version was launched. Musk Tonkin is created by P d'E founder, perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato. The review will cover both the perfume and the Edp versions.

The concept behind Musk Tonkin is an attempt to recreate the smell of the real animalic musk tonkin  which is derived from the musk deer, using vegetal and syntetical musk replacement.

From the beginning until the end Musk Tonkin is vintage in style, as a 1930s diva in a  biascutted velvety evening gown and a grand furstole. The fragrance starts  dark, heavy, musky flowery, the parfume rounder, smoother and more close to the skin. The Edp is lighter, playing in the higher octaves with some almost citric/fruity notes wich gives the fragrance an  almost sparkling radiance in the first accords. The perfume version goes straight to be a skinscent, and even if close, it's a skinscent with quite a detectable sillage. As the topnotes have vanished, the Edp approach to the parfume and becomes quite similar even if I can discern some minor differences, the parfume is still a notch more dark flowery, a bit more velvety and smooth, the Edp still a bit brighter and sharper. In the middlenotes both versions becomes more musky and also a bit spicy, cumin is defenitely involved but in smaller potions than in Parfums d'Empire Aziyade. Indolic, white flowers interacts with the prominent vegetal musky note, a vegetal musk that reminds me of amberette seeds, hay and almost powdery, light touched barnyard notes. This musky setting, and the image the fragrance creates overall, reminds me to some extent to Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin.  Maybe the flower in Musk Tonkin is tubereuse as I'm reminded of Miller Harris Noix de Tubereuse when it comes to the integrated, heavy, seamless, indolic flower, musky accord. Musk Tonkin is quite linear in its development, even if  the musk is slightly more prominent in the basenotes, it's still balanced and is not taking over the composition completely. If I would describe Musk Tonkin in one sentence it's: A vegetal musk soliflore.

Picture: Musk Tonkin
Photo by: PR Parfum  d'Empire (c)

 

Musk Tonkin is sometimes described as an animalic, dirty musk. As I havn't smelled real musk tonkin  can't judge  if this vegetal musky smell is also close to the animalic version. As I remember Serge Lutens Muscs Koublaï Khan it's not as musty, less flowery and with more traces of cumin than Musk Tonkin. It's also more animalic even if a discrete interpretation. For those searching for a hardcore, dirty musk, Les Neréidés Fleur Poudreé de Musc could be recommended, Musk Tonkin and its siblings stand out as shy violets compared to this one.
Musk Tonkin is best for the colder month, especially it's good for cold evenings. Sillage is close and longevity great, for 24h at least. Unisex, leaning to the feminine side.

Those who likes fragrances as Mona di Orio Nuit de Noire and Maison Francis Kurkdijan Absolue Pour Le Soir will probably also like Musk Tonkin.

Rating: 5

Notes: Musk

Thans to Fragrance & Art for the sample of Musk Tonkin Edp to test, the parfume  comes from my own sample

Parfums de Nicolaï - L'Eau Corail

Picture: Thunderstorm over Corfu - Lightning Strikes
Photo: Simon Q (cc)
via Dorieo from Flickr to, Wikimedia.com 

L'Eau Corail is the summerfragrance for 2015 from Parfums de Nicolaï. The summer eaux fraiches are carefree fragrances for lazy (or busy) days. My favorite so far is the creamy but herbal orangeblossom Eau sOleil from 2013.Well balanced floral fruity fragrances seems to be en vogue in niche this summer and L'Eau Corail is a lighter take in the genre. For example Parfums MDCI Cio Cio San is a more intense version and even more so Neela Vermeire Créations Pichola.

L'Eau Corail starts with a juicy, natural smelling mangonote, the mango doesn't appears as chemical at all, even if I suppose it is. There is also a tangy bite, probably from black currant, just in the right dose as to me, heavy doses of that berry often is too much. But L'Eau Corail also has a dark side, just in the very begining of the top accords, there is also an almost electric smelling note, or mini-accord, glimpses by and this moment evokes the image of the dark sky in the beginning of a thunderstorm, with the flashes, before the rain sets in. There is some of the electric vibe still present also in the later stages of the dry down. Back to the main track: The mangonote is light, not the thick varity as in for example Neela Vermeire Créations Bombay Bling or Montale Mango Manga, L'Eau Corail is an Eau Fraiche after all. The texture is somehow creamy as also the smell and after a while a light boozy element apperars creating an intriguing contrast to the smooth creamyness. A fizzy, light and refreshing also non-chemical smelling mintnote appears as also cardamom from the depths of the fragrance. As L'Eau Corail dries further down the flowery elements steps forward and balances the fruityness, the cardamom is still contrasting and adding a sort of dry spicyness to this airy-creamy-moisty blend. I suspect that the teanote in the base is contributing a lot to the airyness of the fragrance, even if an Eau Fraiche and the ingredients are diluted, many of the ingredients by themselves are heavy in character. The rest of the base is a light regular wooden-ambery accord which act as a discrete background for the light fruity-flowery-spicy mainaccords of the fragrance.

Picture: L'Eau Corail in the regular
Parfums de Nicolaï bottle
Photo: PR Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Even if contemporary in the notesetting with the fruits and cardamom,  L'Eau Corail gives me somehow a retro feeling. In expression, apperance and the feeling it gives me, this is very strange as it has completely different notes, L'Eau Corail reminds me of a modern and fruity Hermès Calèche Edt, just as the latter it intermediates a bright, confident, timeless, casual elegance which is present but not disturbing (if light applicated). As I got the same Calèche association to last years Musc Monoï which is aldehydic in style and therefore more obvious to be likened to the Hermès classic, there must be an overall similarity between the two Nicolaïs which I didn't caught immediately.

At first L'Eau Corail seems very feminine in style, at least for the first 80% of the fragrance it not at all feels unisex compared to eaux fraiches L'Eau Mixté or L'Eau Chic. Then apperantly something is happening:
In its later basenotes, Mr Parfumista (who hasn't smelled the earlier stages of L'Eau Corail said "Have you borrowed my Armani *) today"  "it smells as a mens cologne". L'Eau Corail is a lasting companion during warm, humid summerdays but I'm sure it will also be nice to cheer up gloomy days in the colder months. Sillage is big and longevity at least a day, very long lasting for an Eau Fraiche.

*) The first Armani, Armani pour Homme, aromatic-citrus with some moss, at least in Mr Parfumistas "vintage" version.

Rating: 4

Notes: Mango, black currant, lemon leaf, orange, spicy mint, jasmine, rose, osmanthus, cardamom, cedar, sandalwood, mate, musk, amber

Parfums MDCI - Cio Cio San

Picture: Poster for Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini,
Author: Alberto Hohenstein (1854-1928), Wikimedia commons

Cio Cio San is the latest addition to the high quality Parfums MDCI line. Just as the intriguing Nuit de Andalouse from 2013, Cio Cio San is created by one of the brightest shining stars on the perfume heaven in the latest years: Cecile Zarokian. Cecile seems to have good hand (and nose) with oriental styled parfumes, she has created some of my favorites in the genre; Masque Tango, Laboratorio Olfattivo Kashnoir and Amouage Epic Woman.

Cio Cio San is also oriental styled but a floral oriental with intriguing, supporting fruity notes which are lightened up with skillfull handled teanotes which are note sharp or chemical at all. Cio Cio San starts sparkling with pink, lush floral notes, accentuated with fruits, with litchi as the leading star. I can't say that I can distinguish the cherry blossoms but I suppose they are involved in the sparkling, pink flowery opening.
From the very beginning Cio Cio San reminds me of a sort of reversed and less sweet Graine de Joie from Eau d'Italie. Where the fruits are the protagonists, supported by flowers in Graine de Joie, the flowers takes the central position in Cio Cio San even if distinctly supported by the fruits. Soon also deeper nuances appears in Cio Cio San which shows a wider spectrum of accords than in Graine de Joie. After a whlie a dark, rubbery note, similar to the rubber note of rose oil appears and as rose isn't mentioned I guess it comes from the peony. There is also a light glimpse of a fresh almost petrollike note in this stage. Soon also a dark woody note appears, it's similar to a light touch of oud (also not mentioned among the notes) and there is also something almost boozy lurking in the woody musky depths of Cio Cio San. Even in the deeper and darker dimensions of the fragrance, the loveliness of the flowers and fruits are clearly present. The teanote is perfectly intergrated and creates an airy and almost light impression also in the basenotes. There is also a pleasant sort of  tingling (maybe the ginger) tartness present during most of the dry down. The notes of Cio Cio San doesn't smell chemical which could be a problem in some fruity-florals and tea fragrances, respectively.

Picture: The "bust bottle" of Cio Cio San, there
is also a version with a plain cap.
Photo: PR Parfums MDCI (c) 

Just as Cio Cio San herself aka Madame Butterfly, the fragrance Cio Cio San is a fragrance with at least two faces: The happy one just as in the very beginning of the opera, then the melancolic and sad expression just as the way to, and the end of, this tragic drama. Another beautiful flower fragrance which honors Madame Butterfly is Amouage Honour Woman (swe) which is a creamy, well blended, but less original white floral which plays in a less dramatic scale and in higher octaves than Cio Cio San.

Cio Cio San is a intriguing fragrance where different ascpects/facetts are highlighted in different wearings depending for example from how much of the scent is applicated. I'm looking forward to test Cio Cio San also in cold weather as I suspect it will wears nice then too. For summer it's great. Cio Cio San is appropriate for many occasions, both for work and casual, but not for sports, it's too complex for that.
Sillage is somewhere between close to medium, longevity for at least a day with traces on skin the morning after.

Those who like good quality fruity florals as Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling, By Kilian Playing With The Devil and Robert Piguet Jeunesse I suspect will also appreciate Cio Cio San.

Rating: 5

Notes: Yuzu, lemon, ginger, grapefruit, cherry blossom, peony, litchi, tea, guaiac wood, cedar, mus

Maison Nicolas de Barry - Eau du Cardinal

Picture: Cardinal de Richelieu (1585-1642)
Painting by Philippe de Champaigne (1602-1674),
Wikimedia commons

Eau du Cardinal is a creation based on neroli from the house Nicolas de Barry. Nicolas has composed the fragrance and according to productinformation "Nicolas de Barry became perfumer of the Church Princes and wanted to recreate a fresh and delicate Eau de Cologne, paying tribute to the great Cardinals of France." .

Eau du Cardinal starts smooth citrusy, with the neroli and probably also orangeblossom, even if not mentioned in the notelist. A smooth and not harsh at all woody accord appears after a while to balance the citric-flowery notes, which also feels very natural, and it add a ticker texture almot dry to the fragrance, quite different to the usual, fleeting colognes.The sandalwood-neroli combinaton is very pleasant and there is also something almost soapy (probably musk) to Eau du Cardinal despite it never reach into the soapy territory, just touches it. The frankincense in the basenotes doesn't stand out as a singular note, it's so well blended with the woods.

Picture: Eau du Cardinal
Photo: Maison Nicolas de Barry (c)

Eau du Cardinal is a minimalist, unisexfragrance, composed of fine ingredients. It lasts very well to be a Cologne, it is also mentioned as an Edt and I think thats the correct concentration even if one has to applicate it liberally. As it's denser and ticker in texture than a real cologne Eau du Cardinal is suitable to wear year around for daytime. It adds sun an warmth a cold, grey winterday and don't disappears too soon as most colognes during the summerheat.

When wearing Eau du Cardinal I'm reminded of Parfums MDCI Nuit de Andalouse and there is also something from Annick Goutal Néroli. Eau du Cardinal is well worth trying for those who likes well made orangeblossom/neroli dominated fragrances as for example L'Artisan Seville à l'Aube and Oscar de la Renta Granada.

Rating: 4

Notes: Bergamot, lemon, neroli, teakwood, sandalwood, frankincense

Rania J. - T.Habanero

Picture: A close up of an orange Habanero chile pepper
Photo: Ryan Bushby (cc) Wikipedia commons,
some rights reserved

T.Habanero is the latest release from perfumer Rania Jounaeh who has created a collection of perfumes containing a high percentage of naturals. See  my reviews from spring this year.

T.Habanero starts with a blast of barnyard, strong, dark, and intensive. The barnyard accord is similar to tha same accord in Rania J. Oud Assam which is the one of Ranias earlier fragrances that most equals T.Habanero. It also have some traces of Rania J.s Ambre Loup. As T.Habanero dries down to its second half, the dirty notes almost disapperars and a distinct but not too strong tobacconote takes the centerplace. There is also a ligtht spicy impression which is rather cold and not warm in its character, probably it's the cardamom contributing to this. The pepper, is despite the name of the fragrance, not a dominating note, it's well integrated in the fragrance.

T.Habanero isn´t something new or especially orginal despite some challenging accords in the first part of the fragrance. Overall it's a nice and comforting perfume, perfect for the cold autumn and winterdays which are approaching. It's a strong fragrance so one has to apply sparingly to avoid overdoing. So handled it could be worn also in the workplace even if the style and character in my opinion is more casual, perfect for a walk in the woods in crispy autumn leaves.

The style is in the contemporary dark-resin-oudy with representatives as for example Puredistance Black, Parfums MDCI Cuir Garamante and Stephan Humbert Lucas 777  Black Gemstone. When comparing T.Habanero to Oud Assam, I think the latter is a better and more challenging composition.

Rating: 4

Notes: Cardamom, black pepper, sandalwood, olibanum, myrrh, oud, tobacco

Parfums MDCI - Nuit Andalouse

Picture: Innenhof der Alhambra, 1892Painting by Adolf Seel (1829-1907)
Wikimedia commons

Nuit Andalouse is the other of the two latest launches from Parfums MDCI, Cuir Garamante was reviewed in the prior post. Nuit Andalouse is created by the risning star in the perfumers Pantheon: ISIPCA graduated perfumer Cecile Zarokian which created (together with Daniel Maurel) the epic Epic Woman for Amouage when she still was a trainee at Robertet!

Nuit Andalouse starts with a sort of stripped down, elegant gardenia and cool violet, green notes contrasted with a zesty orange. This is not the usual big white floral burst which is the start of  most orange, this is more elegant and muted. As Nuit Andalouse developes, the flowery notes gets sweeter and deeper, but not as sweet and liqueur-ish as in By Kilian Sweet Redemption, this is a natural, floral, nectar sweetness. A restrained and almost dry in texture musk is present in during the whole drydown, contributing with a slight hay-ish impression. The whole impression of Nuit Andalouse is that of a transparant but not at all cologne-ish orangeblossom fragrance.

Picture: The Deluxe falcons of Parfums MDCI,
there is also a plain version
Photo: PR Parfums MDCI (c)

Nuit Andalouse is a beautiful, well-made, elegant and very wearable orangeblossom fragrance. Maybe not that innovative or avantgarde but a high-quality, classic fragrance in a style that is timeless. Perfect to wear year around, both for office and dressed up. This is a fragrance that really cheers up a grey, chilly winterday and blooms a hot summerday. Sillage is medium and longevity for 12h+.

Those who like lovely and uplifting orangeblossoms such as L'Artisan Parfumeurs Seville à l'Aube, Robert Piguet Blossom, Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Femme and Oscar de la Renta Granada will probably also like Nuit Anadalouse.

Rating: 4

Updated rating November 2015: 5 

After more wearings since the review this one has grown and I have to adjust the rating as it's a very versatile and beautiful orangeblossom with excellent longevity, on fabric for weeks.

Notes: Orange, violet, green notes, gardenia, ylang-ylang, rose, orange blossom, vanilla, sandalwood, musk, amyl salicylate (light flower/cutted gras musk note)

PS: Parfums MDCI offers generous 12 ml bottles in the samplesets on their website 

Parfums MDCI - Cuir Garamante

Picture: Foggara (water chanell) in the
old Garamantes territory in Libya
Photo: Tagelmoust (cc) Wikipedia,
some rights reserved 

Parfums MDCI is a french niche house, founded by Claude Marchal, which offers high quality fragrances in collaboration with both experienced established perfumers and the coming perfumer generation.Cuir Garamante is one of the two latest launches from the house. The fragrance is created by Richard Ibanez, an experinted senior perfumer, creator of for example the special, before its time, dark, woody Sonia Rykiel Le Parfum.

Cuir Garamante is inspired by the ancient saharian berbers who was constructors of water channels for irrigaton and therefore dominated the traderoute from Tchad to the Mediterranean ca 500 B.C. As inspired from the desert, Cuir Garamante starts very dry, hot and spicy. Pepper, saffron and the likes creates a fizzy almost transparant, warm, desert-windy impression.As CG deepens there is also a pleasant slight sweaty note, like a soft touch of cummin glimpsing through. The oud is of the smoother variation and it's contributing with a dark, luxury, boozy, woody impression in the same way as in Puredistance Black.On my skin the rose in Cuir Gramante is not detectable as it is when testing it on the scentstripe, probably as the rose is light.On the teststripe the oud-rose (medium pink rose) smells very balanced and restrained, this is not the traditional rose-saffran-oud combo of  Montale and the crowd of followers of this, in those days avantgarde house. The Cuir Garamante rose-oud combo is more of (even if the fragrances are different in style) the gentle second oud genaration rose-oud accord, as in Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Oud. In the basenotes the boozy quality is still present, but in a slighter sweeter context than earlier, probably the resins, smooth sandalwood and discrete, dry vanilla (pod) notes, absolutely not the gourmand, dessert vanilla. In the basenotes there is also a fine leather, which interacts seamless with the other notes.

Picture: Cuir Garamante in Parfums MDCI Deluxe Falcon
There is also a plain version bottle
Photo: PR Parfums MDCI (c) 

Cuir Garamante is marketed towards men but I think it's an unisex creation which leans to the masculine side, contrary to Puredistance Black which is a more feminine unisex IMO. But this is just nuances, one have to test on oneself. Cuir Garamante is suitable both for office and dressed up occasions, for all seasons except for the warmest summerdays. The longevity is about a day.

Cuir Garamante is a well crafted fragence, well balanced and made of high quality ingredients. It's not original or avantgarde, an increasing number of niche lines includes a fragrance of this dark-woody- spicy- oud- booze-leather character (even if emphasizing a bit different among the notes) in their catalouge. Beside a spicier version of Puredistance Black, Cuir Garamante also resembles Robert Piguet Casbah (the dry spices) and partly Huitième Art Monsieur (the niche standard woody impression).

Rating:. 5

Notes: Pink pepper, nutmeg, saffron, rose, oud, papyrus, leather, vanilla, labdanum, frankincense, sandalwood

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

Photo: Parfumista (c)

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

By Kilian - Flower of Immortality

Picture: Peach Blossoms  (1878)
Oil on canvas by Winslow Homer
 Wikimedia commons

Flower of Immortality is the third installment in the By Kilian Asian Tales line. FoI is, like most of the Kilians, created by Calice Becker. The Asian Tales line is aimed to the asian market and features subtle, transparant fragrances as these type of fragrances is said to be preferred there. The first two fragrances of the line were the elegant but in the same time refreshing Water Calligraphy and Bamboo Harmony.

Flower of Immortality starts with mouthwatering topnotes of peach (the fruit) accompanied by a note that feels like peachblossom. The peachnote is very realistic and I havn't smelled peachblossoms but I can image a scent like this. This is the best peachaccord since MDCI Parfums Peche Cardinal even if that one is denser and a bit darker in its peachy loveliness. In the middlenotes the peaches calms down but is still clearly present when the contrasting, cool iris accompanied by a subtle rose appears. There is not the carrotsmelling earthy iris, which surprises me as according to the list of ingredients there is also carrotseeds in the blend, the iris is clean, powdery and polite, just as the texture of FoI in the middle and basenotes. I also think that the tonkabeen mentioned among the ingredients adds a powdery warmth to the fragrance.

Picture: By Kilian Flower of Immortality
Photo: PR By Kilian

Flower of Immortality is a polite, elegant, refreshing, officefriendly and easy to wear fragrance, perfect for spring and summer especially for days when the only wish perfumewise is to be ensured smelling very good. In some way FoI is almost too perfect, it smells so good, is so wellconstructed and is so wellbehaved that I suspect the wearer could be a bit bored if wearing this to often. The only drawback is that FoI fades away quickly and is just a too faint trail of the scent after a few hours.

Rating: 4

Notes: White peach, carrot seeds, iris, black currant, rose, tonka bean

Grossmith - Golden Chypre

Picture: Golden Chypre,
a part of the Black  Label  Collection
Photo: PR Grossmith

Golden Chypre is one of the four initial releases in the new Black Label line from the venerable British house of Grossmith. Earlier Grossmith (among others) has released contemporary interpretations of the old classics of the house, such beautiful frags as Shem-el-Nessim,  Phul-Nana, Hasu-no-Hana and Betrothal. Golden Chypre is created by Trevor Nicholl.

Golden Chypre starts spicy airy with a clearly detectable but still transparant cardamom sourronded by smooth spicies and a sparkling citrusnote. The citrusnote could still be recognized when Golden Chypre reaches its middlenotes where light flowery notes appears perfectyl blended with discrete notes of patchouli and vetiver. The patchouli, which is a bearing note in most contemporary so called chypres is not as emphasized as in most of those creations, it's so wellbalanced that it is difficult to discern as a separate note. All this is is resting on an elegant, smooth musky base blended with wood and resins.

Golden Chypre is a wellbehaved fragrance which is a pleasure to wear with its high quality ingredients and its wellbalanced structure. It's not a exciting and challenging fragrance but it creates confidece to the wearer in its less-is-more styled elegance. Perfect for the office and for lunching at an elegant restaurant especially in spring and summer. Sillage is close and longevity is for about 24h.

Golden Chypre is an example that well made fragrances are still possible to create even with the though restrictions coming. A common feature for many of the fragrances created the latest year, just as Golden Chypre, is their fleeting characters which I assume is the result of cutting down the quantity used of many ingredients or having to avoid others.

Those who like fragrances in the elegant style of Chanel No 22, Chanel 1932, Puredistance Opardu and Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin will probably also appreciate Grossmith Golden Chypre.

Rating: 4

Notes: Cardamom, nutmeg, orange, bergamot, rose, geranium, heliotrophe, vetiver, patchouli, amber, musk, labdanum, wood

Thanks to Fragrances & Art  for the sample to test.

Fragrance(s) of the week (1) 2013

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Almost every week there is a fragrance or fragrancestyle that I particulary crave. Maybe I wear the fragrance some day that particular week, just sniff it, tray it or just let the longing persist as I'm often totally off-season when it comes to what I crave and the season current. To examplify: The week before Christmas I suddenly started to long after the sparkling, grassy and green springlike Chanel No 19 Edt, this in the middle of the cold and darkest winter, with lot of snowing. The same phenomena, but in the opposite fragrancedirection, is happening in the middle of the summer, some years as early as around Midsummers Eve. Than in the warmth and brightness of the Nordic summer, I start longing for dark and deep fragrances as ambers, dark roses, ouds, patchouli. Another observation when it comes to my perfumecraving during the latest half year is an increasing need and appreciation for the classics as the classic Chanels, Guerlains, Rochas or Diors. When it comes tocontemporary perfumes, I prefer perfumes created in the classic style as the offerings of Puredistance, Parfums de Nicolï and Parfums MDCI or more complicated contemporary perfumes with many dimensions as the perfumes of Ramón Monegal, Amouage or Mona di Orio.

To conclude this philosophising: 1) Fragrancewise I'm often in the reverse season 2) Fragrancestylish the circle is completed, I'm back where it all started, with the classics or  classic styled, well-crafted fragrances.

For 2013 I will start to notice (and post) if there is a/some special weekly cravings. Here are my observations for the first week of January 2013:

- The longing for springfragrances has intensified. Today (chilly and grey outside) I'm wearing  the Guerlain iris/violet/mimosa/guerlinade classic Apres l'Ondee Edt and I'm constantly sniffing my wrists.

- The other perfume that influenced me this week and I really liked to wear at New Years Eve was a perfume that not belongs to any of the categories mentioned above: Miss Dior Le Parfum which IMHO is a well crafted, contemporary mainstream with some dept and body to it. Features that is becoming more and more rare these days,  both within mainstream and niche.

Parfums MDCI - Chypre Palatin

Picture: The bias cut look of Madeleine Vionnet
from the 1930s evokes the spirit
and texture of Chypre Palatin



Chypre Palatin is a beautiful fragrance with a strong retro vibe from the french nichehouse Parfums MDCI. Chypre Palatin is created by the, to said the least, very active perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. Chypre Palatin is presented as a masculine fragrance by the perfumehouse but when it comes to my nose, it’s unisex leaning a bit to the feminine side.

Chypre Palatin starts powdery dry, with that almost gunpowdery note that is present in Les Nombres d’Or Ambre by Mona di Orio. A multiple grades stronger interpretation of the gunpowdernote is the classical beginning of Teint de Neige by Lorenzo Villoresi. As the dry down continues, some soft, very wellblended flowery notes (particular from bulbous plants) shows up, supported by smooth tonka and different resins that creates a warm and delightful oriental-chypre (more oriental than chypre) fragrance in the style of Dior Dioressence, but smoother and without the rosy effect of Dioressence. But beneath all the wellbalanced pleasure of Chypre Palatin there is a slight, animalic note (probably the costus) lurking that gives this beautiful fragrance an interesting contrast. Also a sublime, dark, plummy, note is present in the later stages of the dry down.Chypre Palatin to me evokes the image of a fragrance from the 1930s worn by an elegant lady also wearing a bias cut dress by Madeleine Vionnet, but Chypre Palatin is interpreted in a contemporary style ie in a smoother and officefriendly shape. The oakmoss is invisable compared to the fragrances of the former era but probably there in the small IFRA restriced dose that is allowed today.

Chypre Palatin is a fragrance in the ongoing trend of retro inspired, elegant, powdery, fragrances that seems to be en vogue at the moment. Other representatives, even if featuring different notes besides the powdery notes, are Puredistance Opardu (lilac), Huiteme Art Poudre de Riz (tobbacco and tropical flowers) and Parfums de Nicolaï Musc Intense (powdery rose).

Chypre Palatin is a pleasant, versatile, elegant and very wearable fragance that could be worn in daytime for office or formal events year around except during warm summerdays. The sillage is very close and the longevity is almost a day. My only objection to this classy blend is that I which it was a bit more radiant, now it is almost a bit weak on my (dry) skin. As a fragrance of high quality, it’s still there, unfragmented at the end of the day. Maybe this is not  an issue for wearers with moistier skin.

Rating: 5

Notes: Lavender, labdanum, hyacinth, galbanum, sage, clementine, aldehydes, iris, jasmine, gardenia, rose, plum, styrax, benzoin, tolu balsam, vanilla, castoreum, leather, costus, oakmoss, immortelle

PS: Parfums MDCI has an affordable sampleset sold from the website that could be highly recommended. For EUR 90 (within Europe) 5x12 ml of their fragrances will be sent by the mail.

Histoires de Parfums - 1876 Mata Hari

Photo: Margaretha Geertruida "Grietje" Zelle, known as Mata Hari (1876-1917)

Unidentified photographer, public domain, Wikimedia commons

I have hard to belive that a famous femme fatale as the first world war suspected spy Mata Hari was smelling like a sweet, almost caramelized, rose on a base of cookies. But what do I know? The HdP fragrance 1876 Mata Hari is tribute to or just inspired of Mata (or both). 1876 Mata Hari is as almost all HdP:s created by the HdP founder, perfumer Gérald Ghislain in colloboration with perfumer Magali Senequie.

The pink sweet, rose is present from start to end in 1876. In the topnotes it has a slight transparent vibe and something that is similar to a green tea-note passing by. Then the blend sweetens in the cookie notes. I recoginze these kind of dry buttery notes from the backgroundnotes of perfumes such as Agent Provocateur aldehydic Maitresse and the jasmine/honeysuckle Burberry London for Woman. To me this note is similar to the smell when opening an enclosed cookie jar. There is also the smell of pink rose as in Parfums MDCI Rose de Siwa but the RdS rose is fresh and dewy compared to the gourmand rose in 1876 Mata Hari.  As a whole the Mata Hari blend also reminds me of Andy Tauers Une Rose Vermeille, maybe 1876 Mata Hari was one of the scents that has influented Andy when he created URV? But 1876 Mata Hari is paler and not as distinctint in character as URV and 1876 also lacks the jam and incense notes of URV. As Mata Hari reaches the basenotes the blend is almost creamy and fleeting, supported by a well balanced sandalwood. An gentle and calm earthy note also apperars  among the basenotes and makes the end of Marta Hari less sweet and more serious. Ironically just as the tragic story of her life.

1876 Mata Hari is a nice variation of the sweet-rose theme and it is as well as URV, Rose de Siwa and so on. Which fragrance to choose is of course up to the personal references when it coming to details. Personally I have hard to choose between URV and 1876 Mata Hari as both speeks to me in different ways despite the same theme: URV joyful and happy and 1876 Mata Hari dramatic and mysterious.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, mandarine, litchi, rose, iris, violet, carnation, caraway, cinnamon, vetiver, sandalwood, guaiac wood.

MDCI Parfums - Rose de Siwa

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Rose de Siwa is created in 2006 by Francis Kurkdjian for MDCI Parfums. Rose de Siwa is a classical rose fragrance in the light and bright genre. It's a medium pink colored rose underscored with a sweet fruitiness from the litchi. There is also hints of other flowers to smooth out the rose and the whole composition rests on a distinct musky base.

Even if Rose de Siwa clearly is a rosefragrance, the rose is not heavy or predominant at all. It's a well blended fragrance and the notes are floating in a seamless manner. Rose de Siwa is a fragrance in the elegant, classical style, composed of high quality ingredients and there are no traces of detergent, plastic or sharp notes. Rose de Siwa first of all reminds me of the original Paris of YSL, in it's original formulation from the eightis, they have the violets and the pink roses in common. Other clean, bright, pink roses in the same style as Rose de Siwa is Rose Pivone by Parfums de Nicolaï and Quel Amour by Annick Goutal. In both of them the peony is more pronounced than in Rose de Siwa and they are also less sweet and fresher than the latter.

Even if not groundbreaking, Rose de Siwa is an elegant and at the same time versatile daytime fragrance.
As YSL Paris was a favorite of mine in my youth, I also have a ceartian weakness for Rose de Siwa.

Rating: 4

Notes: Litchi, peony, hawthorn, rose, violet, cedar, vetiver, musk

Parfums MDCI - La Belle Hélène

Bild: Pears, Wikimedia Commons,

(some rights reserved)

For an english version, scroll down to the previous post.

Högkvalitetshuset Parfums MDCI har anlitat för närvarande till syns nästan överproduktive supernäsan Bertrand Duchaufour för att ta fram sin subtila päron-gourmand doft La Belle Hélène. Inspirerad av en klassisk fransk artonhundratals pärondessert Poire La Belle-Hélène som i sin tur inspirerats av Offenbachs operett La Belle Hélène från 1864. Desserten består av päron poucherade i sirap som serveras med chokladsirap, vaniljglass och kanderade violer.

Ungefär det intrycket ger den söta, men inte sliskigt söta doften LBH. Den är mycket väl blandad och päronet är tydligast i starten men finns med hela tiden medan övriga noter flyter i varandra. Det finns en liksom kittig, pudrig, grönblommig känsla som jag vagt känner igen i Patricia de Nicolaïs Le Temps d'une Fête även om dofterna i övrigt inte är särskilt lika och inte har särskilt många gemensamma noter heller. Det konstiga med LBH är att när toppnoterna klingar ned så känner jag en fas med rökelseträ behandlat á la Andy Tauer. Det är som om Douchaufour tagit ett Andy ackord, och visserligen putsat ned det ordentligt, och lagt in i LBH. Någon rökelseingrediens nämns inte i innehållet så den här fasen förbryllar. Därefter fortsätter LBH i en pärondessert men med det kittigt, pudriga inslaget som håller emot att det ska bli sliskigt. Tyvärr är hållbarheten på huden inte så bra och på kvällen återstår endast fragment. I och för sig kan det bero på att LBH kanske kräver en högre dos och den kanske gör sig bättre sprayad än från ett splashprov. Och andra sidan finns många dofter som håller mer än hela dagen applicerade med precis samma förutsättningar. Med tanke på att LBH är så pass dyr tycker jag att man kan kräva mer.

På mig är LBH en "jaha" doft. Kul att ha provat men inget som väcker mersmak. Dessutom tycker herr Parfumista att den känns tantig och inte passar på mig och att det är en sådan där "svår"doft som kräver en person med exakt rätt hudkemi för kompositionen. Många recencenter finner likheter med den i vintras mycket aktuella Traversee du Bosphore som Duchaufour skapat för L'Artisan. Vissa men få likheter finner jag i frukttemat fast TdB har äpple som not, att det är söta men inte översöta gourmander och att de är vaga med en för dålig hållbarhet under dagen. Dessutom har TdB en krutig kontrast ganska tidigt i doften, ungefär där LBH har sitt rökelseträinslag.

Sammanfattningsvis: Hög kvalitet och välblandad, passar dagtid. Men för dålig hållbarhet på huden och ska hitta rätt bärare.

Betyg: 3

Parfums MDCI - La Belle Hélène (english version)

La Belle Hélene is created for the high end niche house Parfums MDCI by the famous and almost too productive nose Bertrand Duchaufour. Seems like he is creating almost every fragrance at the moment. Inspired by Offenbachs operetto La Belle Hélene and the french ninteenth century dessert Poire La Belle-Hélène. The dessert consists of pears in syrup, chocolade syrup, vanilla icecream and candided violets.

The pear is most evident in the topnotes but it is there, fleeting in and out during the developement of LBH. LBH is sweet but not overly sweet. There is a powdery, putty, green floral accord that I could recognize from Parfums de Nicolaïs Le Temps d'une Fête although those two fragrances almost not have any notes in common. As the topnotes in LBH subsides a strange note accours: I can feel some incense treated in the Andy Tauer way. It's as Duchaufour had taken an Andy accord, tuned it down and then put it in LBH. This phase of LBH puzzles me as incense is not among the ingredienses of the fragrance. After that LBH continue in it's pear dessert developement, but with this putty, powdery accord that resist to much sweetness.

Unfortunately, the longivity of my skin is not so good. In the evening there is only fragments of LBH left. Maybe LBH require a higher dose and it may do better if sprayed than tested from a small splash vial. But given that the LBH is so expensive, I think one can demand more longivity.

Glad to have tasted LBH but this perfume is nothing that I need. Mr. Parfumista thinks that LBH is an "old lady scent" on me. He also thinks that LBH is one of those "complicated" scents that requires a person with exactly the right skin chemistry to wear the composition.

Many reviewers of LBH find similarities with one of this winters real hypes, Traversée du Bosphore as Duchaufour created for L'Artisan.There are some, but in my opinion, few similarities. TDB:s fruity note is apple instead of pear, both fragrances are sweet but not too sweet light gourmands and they are in some way vauge and fleeting with lack of durability. Furthermore, the TDB has a gunpowder contrast quite early in the development, in the same stage as the mystical incense-note reveals in LBH.

In summary: LBH is a wellblended, high quality fragrance that suits well for officewear. But it's a complicated fragrance that has to find the right wearer. And the longivity asks for more.

Rating: 3

Notes: Pear, aldehydes, tangerine, lime, rose, osmanthus, ylang-ylang, orris butter, plum, hawthorn, myrrh, vetiver, patchouli, cedar, oak moss, white musk, sandalwood,  licoricewood