SOTD February 2022

Picture: A soft mossy carpet
Photo: parfumista (c)

Continuing the olfactory discovery trip from January, with a few spontaneuos reflections.

1. Cap Néroli Edt (Parfums Nicolaï) - Sunny high quality néroli.

2. Misia Edt (Chanel Les Exclusifs) - My favourite lipstick iris-rose-violet

3. Misia Edp (Chanel Les Exclusifs) - Also the Edp is perfectly balanced

4. Coco Edt (Chanel) - Reminds me of Krizia Teattro de la Scala.

5. 222 (Le Galion) - Calming sandalwood

6. No 5 Edt (Chanel) - Serious, serene, austere aldehydic, chalky, slight animalic. On my other arm:

    No 22 Edt (Chanel Les Exclusifs) to compare. Joyful and flirty, aldehydic, flowery, chalky, sunny,              trés chic. They are definitly siblings, No 5 the older, takes all responsibility, No 22 the younger              one, carefree, playing around.

7.  No 22 Edt (Chanel Les Exclusifs) Still trés chic.

8. Diorella Edt (Dior) ca 2000 version on my left wrist melon, peach and white flowers over a green       chypre base. An outdoor fragrance. On my other wrist:

    Diorama Edp (Dior Les Creations de Monsieur Dior) 2010s version: A cousin to Diorella, without       melon and with deeper plum and caraway instead of  the greenery. An indoor formal version. A             real wristsniffer.
9.Lady Vengeance ( Juliette Has A Gun) The prototype of a good contemporary rose patchouli, not sweet  with a natural medium pink rose. Still going strong.
10. Midnight Oud (Juliette Has A Gun) Opens with an animalic leathery accord, a dark, sultry rose appears in the dry down . Probably the real Lady Vengeance.
11. Dioressence Edt (Dior) ca 2000 version. Smells like rosewood, orange, smooth cinnamon, rose, violet, iris over patchouli oakmoss. Scent memories from my childhood.
12. Hypnotic Poison Edt (Dior) ca 2000 version dry vanilla milky almond with contrasting subtle flowers and an almost mossy base, balances the blend. So comfortable and warm in grey windy weather.

13. Oud Bouquet Edp (Maison Lancôme) Sweet, dark, milky vanilla and rose ( the typical slight powdery Lancome rose) over a contrasting balanced oud. Delicious and very long lasting

14. No 19 Edt (Chanel) Flawless, cold, clean and dry green iris boquet. 

15. Eau de Ciel Edt (Goutal) The smell of the dry grass of a sundrenched meadow a sunny and hot  slight breezy day in the high summer. The smell of hay. Very special and distinct, light application is needed even if an Edt.
16. Attar Edp (Montale) A quite early batch, pleasant to wear, humble, deep, woody, red rosy , no screachy or peppery notes. 

17. Peut-Être Edp (Maison Lancôme) 2020 version. An uplifting, airy, straight forward pink rose, so easy and uncomplicated to wear. Nice!

18.  L'Autre Oud Edp (Maison Lancôme) 2020 version. More depth than Oud Boquet, boozy, incense, dark red rose supported by a well balanced oud to something almost winey, like a ruby red port.

19. Orchid Leather Edp (Van Cleef & Arpels) The slight boozy, plummy, balsmic aspects are dominating during this wearing, not so much leather more of cold spicy accents.

20. Leather Oud Edp (Maison Christian Dior) The electric smell of dust on a varm bulb (also present in fragrances as Mona di Orio carnation and Tèo Cabanel Kaspar) over a boozy accord almost as soaked in a dry plumliqueur and with a slight animalic touch. 

21. Gucci Oud Edp (Gucci) A darker woodier variation of Gucci by Gucci with the characteristic raspberry/rose combo sweetness  that is present in many contemporary fragrances.

22. Angel Edp (Mugler) The honeyed dark chocolade notes over that special clean, stripped down patchouli are still unique after almost 30 years. My bottle from ca 2007, the liquid  is still bright blue, stored under dark and cool conditions.

23. Angel Edp (Mugler) On repeat today, in a lighter dose, almost aquatic notes emerges and the fractioned patchouli.

24. La Vierge De Fer  Edp (Serge Lutens) The beautiful innocent white lily meets cold steel and incense, an olfactory illustration of this dark day.

25. Boxeuses (Serge Lutens) Subtle leather with dark plum sweet contrasted with some dry spicey notes. Discreet despite its name. 

26.Cristalle Edt (Chanel)  the symbol of true casual chic sunny cold green lemon perfect for a sunny winterday

27. Chance Eau Tendre Edp (Chanel) Light rosy musky cold sort of  D&G Light Blue fresh feeling even if not smelling alike.

28.  Les Eaux Paris - Riviera (Chanel) - Fresh, happy, sparkling and warm neroli/orange/citrus with its own twist, something that reminds me of the smell of orange and citrus hard candy pastilles. A contemporary orangeblossom.

Conclusion: Chanelfragrances seems to be the most worn in February. So glad I re-discovered the original Angel after neglecting it for years.

SOTD January 2022

Picture: A shy rose
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Trying to find out if there is a pattern/ some connection between the fragrances I'm wearing during a period of time. First step is to capture data about it, then analyzing.

Day/Month January 2022
1 L'Ombre Des Merveilles (Hermès) - Worn the Elixir Des Merveiilles on New Years Eve to warm up in the grey weather, wanted a lighter follow up on the first day of the new year.

2.Sucre d'Ebene (Pierre Guillaume, Huitieme Art Collection/Black Collection) - Cosy warm woodden sugar with touches of nutty elements. Perfect for a grey and rainy/snowy day (ca 0 C) as today. Beware: Very strong, unfortunately I overdosed a little from the small sample. 

3. Pour Monsieur (Chanel)  - I read somewhere Fragrantica? Basenotes? Bois de Jasmin?  somebody's notice that ladies shouldnt't miss to try this out for themselves. And I totally agree after todays testing from my sons bottle, the light green tinted formula, I think it's reformulated recently and is not longer green. CPM is so very good in a  timeless, casual, elegant way: Starts with a classy Chanel citrus-neroli accord over fresh soft cold spices grounded in okamoss and vetiver. Lasts very well on my skin and unisex IMHO. 

4. Angéliques Sous La Pluie (Frederic Malle) - Today it was sunny and not rainy at all. As ASLP reminds me of spring and I wanted something relaxing but distinctive  and the sample ASLP just appeared, it was the obvious SOTD.  The angelica and juniper are awesome in this timeless Jean Claude Ellena creation in his typical watercolour style. ASLP somehow reminds me of spring.

5. Orangers en Fleurs (Houbigant) - Grey outside today and it's snowing, Orangers en Fleurs is the perfect moodbooster with its sunny apperance. An orangeflower/white flowers in similar style but higher on the notescale than Serge Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger and the cumin of the latter exchanged with a soft note of nutmeg. 

6. Les Eaux Paris - Riviera (Chanel) - Fresh, happy, sparkling and warm neroli/orange/citrus with its own twist, something that reminds me of the smell of orange and citrus hard candy pastilles. A contemporary orangeblossom.

7. Les Eaux Paris - Riviera (Chanel) - Can't resist Riviera.

8. Les Eaux Paris - Édimbourg (Chanel) - The best of them all in the Les Eaux Collection a contomporary interpretation of lavender but most of all; juniper berry and juniper wood.

9.  Les Eaux Paris - Riviera (Chanel) - So sunny and warming during another grey winterday.

10. Une Rose (Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle) - A semidark red rose, polite and subtle, well balanced, natural smelling combined with a slight boozy accord. Calming and a real pleasure to wear.

11. Eau des Merveilles (Hermès) - This woody, salty ambregris reminds me of the sea by spring or early autumn. Versatile and strong, more than a few small spritzes will be too much.

12. 222 (Le Galion) - Elegant sandalwood with smooth leather notes fleeting around contrasted with a balanced note of myrrh and a tiny violet. A quiet and very comfortable skinscent with great longevity.

13. Bois de Violette (Serge Lutens) - a light and transparent version of the characteristic Serge Lutens woody smell  combined with  fresh flowering purple violets. In the basenotes the violets are combined with light powdery notes wich adds a slight vintage touch. Unobtrusive and calming. 

14. Roses Musk (Montale) - A bold fragrance intense as nuclear radiation. A true rosenote combined with a syntetic woody/oud note and white musk. The result is a pepper and rosecombo which is uncomplicated and strange as it may seem, a pleasure to wear once in a while.

15. Rose de Nuit (Serge Lutens) - An vintage styled dark green mossy rose chypre with musky slight animalic notes  and some almost herbal notes which take the fragrance from the feamale boudoir style in the opening of the fragrance in a masculine direction. A demanding and intriguing fragrance.

16. La Belle Le Parfum (Jean Paul Gaultier) - Either particularly sophisticated or elegant fragrance but very delightful and cozy. La Belle Le Parfum appears as a delicsious, luxurious cake with pear infused with liqeur and a fluffy boozy vanilla. Perfect for a grey windy winterday and with great longevity.

17. Rose de Nuit (Serge Lutens) - Tried RdN not as heavy applicated  today (ca 2,5 spritzes) as two days ago (ca six spritzes) and this is the right way to enjoy RdN. The same smell, not as dense when alternated with an airiness as a consequense of the lighter application, RdN qualities comes to the fore.

18. Drôle de Rose (L'Artisan Parfumeur) -  A pink rose, violet and iris paired with  a cold dry, chalky, slight dusty accord. All summon up in some kind of putty structure. Drôle de Rose reminds me of a grey windy day in early spring with some light purple clouds on grey skies. Drôle de Rose was a lipstick, the colour would be a light transperant cold pink-purple. A beautiful fragrance, reportedly discontinued.

19. Iris des Champs (Houbigant) - An unusual iris. No powder or lipsticknotes and the carrots are just glimpsing in the early topnotes. Starts dry and cold with slight peppery notes. Woody notes with the cold freshness of cedar follows and the woody impression remains during the whole dry down. In the basenotes a pleasent musk appears, its a musk somewhere in the middle, not skanky animalic nor clean white musk. A fragrance with many interesting nuances and with excellent longevity.

20. Lux (Mona di Orio) - A  play with light and dark contrasts,  a dark lemon is the main theme through the whole drydown, appears as growing in the shadow side of the lemon tree. A contrast to a  bright citrus in the sun.  Reminds me somehow of pickled lemons. Some fresh earthiness, contrasted with smooth, almost creamy woody slight dirty musky notes. A contemplating perfume, perfect for relaxing at home.

21. Black Afgano (Nasomatto) - Distinctive woody notes with a subdued oud, some glimpses of dark green, in the dry down also some dark, smooth rounded tobacco liqeuer notes. One of the best woody perfumes IMHO, no traces of that screechy woody note that is so common in woody perfumes. Maybe because my BA is well aged, it has rested under dark and cool for 10+ years, maybe it is just as good also in current formulation.

22. Akkad (Lubin) - A comforting, warm, high pitched and radiating light spicy-herbal amberfragrance. It's like the rays of sunshine.  Underneath some darker notes appears, like a well balanced, thick patchoulinote. Perfect for grey  and chilly winterdays.

23. Rubikona (Puredistance) - Such a pleasant and elegant classic chypre made in a contemporary style. A dark moss and patchouli accord, rose and a distict note of varm an bright orangeblossom and a natural sweet fruitiness. A real pleasure to wear.

24. Warszawa (Puredistnce) -  Such an elegant way to start an ordinary week .A darker chypre than Rubikona, dark iris , violet and dark moss, some dark plum liqeur, A classic in  acontemporary interpretation. reminds me  of  elegant dark  fruity chypres as YSL Yvresse, Guerlain Mitsouko and Rochas Femme.

25. Orchid Leather (Van Cleef  & Arpels)- Dark, oppulent, slight boozy, plummy, balsmic with sparkles of  fresh cardamom. Comforting in winter, a strong formula, that lasts for long,  just two or three spritzes is enough.

26. Cristalle Eau Verte (Chanel) - A beautiful and casual chic everyday fragrance not just for summer.
It's energizing glimmering slight green citrus magnolia profile is cheering the most gloomy grey winterday up.

27. Kiss me Intense (Parfums de Nicolaï) - So comforting, clean natural smelling like easter lily and heliotrope. A sweet impression, but not sugary sweet. A sort of natural flowery gourmand. Like sitting the whole day in the yellow, sunny flowerbell on an easter lily Perfect for grey winterdays.

28. Ambre Fétiche (Annick Goutal) -  One of the best ambres ever (IMHO) wearing the original formula  from an early batch. A glowing, close, velvety, tick amber with subtle incense and a dark smooth patchouli and some dry vanilla. The texture  is sort of honeyed, natural that gives it a slight gourmand feeling, A very comforting winterfragrance. 

29. Aomassai 10 (Pierre Guillaume) - To me this is a red wood cologne,. Warm, with natural gourmand notes as nut, caramel, milk, coffee and spices in a mix, offset by contrasting a woody accord which feels like it has a cologne structure. Great and unusual.

30.  Pentachords Auburn (Andy Tauer) - From AT:s earlier exprerimental line, where each fragrance consisting of just five syntetic notes inspired of a color. Auburn is an interpretation of  cinnamon, cold and dry in apperance. Waem, sunny, orangeblossom is contrasting, blended with a blond tobbacconote over some warm sandalwood and amber. A intriguing and challenging winterfragrance in a  strong formula, maximum two - three spritzes, lasts for over a day. A must try for Tauer fans.

31. Rose Pompon Edp (Annick Goutal) - A real rose favorite, so pleasant to wear.  A medium pink rose, it smells just like the color of the juice. A rose balanced with fresh raspberry and violet vanilla, but not lipstick powdery in texture. the 2020 edition.

Conclusion: Any pattern in the fragrance wearing during the wintermonth of january?  Light Chanel fragrances is the most obvious, most worn style. Besides that maybe as a opposite, heavier  oriental-ambery frags, some strong roses and gourmands reflects the season.

Puredistance - Gold

Picture: Gold as visual art, concept by
Jan Ewoud Vos 2019
Photo: Puredistance (c)

WOW! The latest installation in the Puredistance opus Gold is a "constantly sniffing my wrists fragrance". This is of course not unexpected as "True exclusivity", the Puredistance slogan, exactly nails the sprit of this genuine house. When wearing Puredistance perfumes, I'm often get the feeling that I have to throw out a a significant part of  the rest of my fragrance wardrobe.  The Puredistance perfumes all through are blended with high quality ingredients and that creates a higher and more complex dimension of perfumery. There are for example no shortcuts where cheaper substitutes for ingredients are hidden in the Puredistance-creations. Puredistance is probably the most genuine perfumehouse  on the market when it comes to quality and a classy, conceived fragrance concept . As all Puredistances, Gold is in Extrait, for Gold in 36´% perfumeoil concentration. 

Gold is a part of the "sub" colour-line within the Puredistance Collection, all created by masterperfumer Antoine Lie. The colour-line started with Puredistance Black, followed with its contrast Puredistance White, is now completed with the intertwining Gold. Both Black and especially White have strokes of glowing and glimmering gold, and Gold itself is - as the name imply - the matte texture and aura of the material in different alloys interpreted to a scent.  The position of Gold on the fragrance notescale, is between the dark, mysterious Black and the bright, happy, shining White. The tonality of the fragrance is also very well matched by the beautiful golden flacon in the white de luxe box.

Gold starts with a light herbal- cold - spicy touch, a fresh hint of something close to a soft scent of Juniper. After a while a candied mandarine appears,  reminding me of the candied orange peel in Serge Lutens Bapteme du Feu, juicier in Gold, just as the mandarine pulp itself is candied. Some bright balsamic facets are also shining through early on, probably the myrrh as the impression is clean and a bit chilly. A slight dirty-clean accord is also present for a while, it's like washing a horse after a ride with a luxury schampoo. There is also a green almost rosy element involved, probably the geranium. In the next stage the balsamic notes steps forward, dominated by the velvety coldness of sappy myrrh. The balsamic notes are thick but not heavy at all, the mix is smooth and very well balanced. Later one there is an unexpected and alluring phase in the development: Just like as the balsamic accord suddenly becomes misty, like transforming to a swirling haze, maybe this expression is coming from the smoothness of tonka beans. In that haze, I can also smell strikes of a contrasting, illuminating freshness of vetiver. In the late stage in the dry down of Gold, a soft slight soapy, clean resinous texture appears.
In the overall impression of Gold there is (to my nose) some resemblance to classic Jean Patou Sublime, even if that one is oriental flowery and Gold is a balsamic oriental  and also a smoother, richer, more accomplished creation.

Picture:  Gold is a perfect glow in the dark
and gloomy November, for me the optimal
season for the Puredistance rich fragrances
Photo: Puredistance (c)

Gold is very well blended and one can smell the high quality of the ingredients, the mix has a sort of a velvety density, without being heavy. The fragrance is very rich and harmonious, it's a relaxing, calming fragrance, when worn in the office, it has an anti-stress impact. I really like the resinous myrrhe-theme, and to me Gold is the other side of the coin of Puredistance Sheiduna - Gold is the cold, balsamic oriental, perfect illustrated by the sapphire in the gold plates in the picture above. Sheiduna is the warm balsamic oriental, it could be illustrated by a ruby, the sibling to the sapphire, in the same golden setting. Gold and Sheiduna are related, even if not too close. Actually they are both needed in the fragrance wardrobe to accompanying different moods/weather/occasions in the autumn/winter. Both are also very appropriate for the coming holidays Christmas and New Year. Just as Sheiduna, Gold has an outstanding longevity (24h +). Silage is close-medium and Gold has a subtle appearance, it has presence but doesn't interfere the personal spaces of others. Gold is unisex leaning to the feminine side.

To sum it all up: Gold really smells amazing and I'm enjoying it very much. It's up in my personal top three of the Puredistances, sitting there together with Sheiduna and Warszawa. Gold is the best launch of 2019 from what I have smelled so far from new releases.

Notes: Mandarine, bergamot, pink pepper, clove, rosemary, jasmine, labdanum, geranium, cinnamon, styrax, benzoin, myrrh, patchouli, vanilla, tonka bean, castoreum, vetiver

 

If I still rated reviewed fragrances, Gold absolutely should be a 5 rated perfume

Thaks to Puredistance Jan Ewoud Vos for the opportunity to try this beauty
 

Parfums de Nicolaï - Néroli Intense

Picture: La Carmencita (1890)
Painting by John Singer Sargent  (1856-1925)
Musée d'Orsay

Néroli Intense (NI) is an elegant nérolicentered fragrance, created by perfumer Patricia de Nicolaï. NI is not a stronger version of Cap Néroli from this summer, it's a variation (just as with the different concentrations of classic Guerlains and Chanels) on the néroli-theme with less higher and lighter citrus notes and more of warm, sweet, dense and dark oriental notes. If NI had a color it's would be like the muted orange color of the dress of La Carmencita above. If it had a texture it would be like bitterorange marmalade

Néroli Intense starts like a massive warm glowing wall of orange néroli and other inteacting sweet and bitter citrus essences with a clever contrast of a dark green, "fat" herbal tarragon note. If Cap Néroli is the sunrise and the scent of a summer morning, NI is the golden sunset of the late afternoon.   There is an almost bloody, metallic accord that seems to rise from the depts of the fragrance and serves as an intriguing contrast to the elegant and well behaved notes of néroli and orange. This accord make me think of a similar twist in Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin. Maybe this impression is created with a combination of the beewax absolue and the herbal tarragon. The musky base with patchouli is not like a separate stage of the fragrance, it's blended in the fragrance to support the other notes in a very well balanced way.  Another PdN fragrance that NI reminds me of is the discontinued dark hebal-néroli  Eau sOleil, an Eau Fraiche with good longevity. Even if I remember that one as creamier, almost soapy, with less néroli, with more other with flowers and a note of fresh mint accompained by other herbs.


NI is dense like velvet in it's structure but not at all cloying. Timeless in appreance, it has a clever retrotouch. NI is a top notch nérolidominated perfume with high quality ingredients, there absolutely no syntetic vibes about it. To me NI is leaning more to the feminine side of unisex, but just as with Cap Néroli, wearable for both. NI is an elegant fragrance and just as with Cap Néroli it goes well in the boardroom but for autumn and winter instead. NI would also be a perfect companion to our

patient, committed and beautiful Queen Silvia when celebrating her 75th birthday today. Long live the Queen!

Go for Néroli Intense if you wan't some glowing, warm, elegance for winter.

Rating: 5

Notes:

Picture: Olfactory pyramid of  Néroli Intense
Photo: PR Parfums de Nicolaï

Thanks to Parfums de Nicolaï for the opportunity to test Néroli Intense. Néroli Intense is also avaible by Fragrance & Art.

Tauerville Stories Collection - Hyacinth and a Mechanic

Picture: Hyacinth and a mechanic
Photo: PR Tauerville (c)

The Tauerville line is perfumer Andy Tauer's vision for a offering inspiring perfumes handcrafted in smaller production batches. Most of the fragrances are interpretations of a special note as for example rose, incense, fruit, patchouli. Some fragrances within the Tauervilles are very rare, the Stories Collection are sold exclusive when Andy himself appears for an event in some of the perfumestores who carries the brand. Hyacinth and a Mechanic is such a fragrance. To celebrate the 15 years anniversery of LA nicheboutique Luckyscent, the three fragrances from the Stories Collection were avaible online for a month last autumn. And I couldn't resist ordering the Hyacinth despite expensive shippingrates and of course customs duty. Anyway it was worth it, this is a very rare, intriguing and beautiful fragrance.n

Hyacinth and a Mechanic (HAM) starts with the most natural smelling hyacinth note that I've smelled so far from a perfum. When applicating the fragrance, a crisp, slight fresh green spicy, sparkling hyacinth appears, is just like entering a christmasdecorated house with hyacinths in the windows, out from the cold and snowy winterlandscape. Soon a oily, petrol and light metallic accord appears, followed by a  rough leathernote, togehter contrasting the crisp hyacinth and green note. It's just like that the one who makes the entrance is coming directly from repairing the car in the garage, still wearing the overalls under a heavy leatherjacket with a curly sheepskin collar. The oily, metallic, leathery intensifies and an animalic vibe appears in the fragrance, the hyacinth is still recognizable as the unexpected contrast to such notes. Later in the drydown, the hyacinth steps forward again and during the whole dry down, the hyacinth alternate with the dirty accord of beeing the most prominent player. In the last aaccords of the basenotes, the hyacinth and the dirty accord finally seems to have blended in sort of an integrated accord.

HAM is fragrance of its own and there are no similar fragrance that I come to think of even if I imagine similar aspects in other fragrances. For example the chilliness of the hyacinth I also recognize in the cold hyacinth-iris accord of Serge Lutens beautiful Bas de Soie and to some extent also Tom Ford Vert de Fleur, the oily/metallic/petrol accord reminds me of some parts of Histoires de Parfums Petroleum but not at all as intense as the latter.

HAM is a complicated beauty, the contrasts are intriguing. In the same time it's a casual, easy to wear fragrance sort of relaxing and with an interesting development which makes one sniff the wrists regulary during the day. The sillage is medium in the first stage, then close to skin. Longevity is for a day. HAM is totally unisex to my nose.

Rating: 5

Notes: Hyacinth, animal notes, leather, woody notes

Rediscovering fragrances

Photo: Parfumista (c)

A New Year resolution 2018 is to rediscover fragrances that already are in my wardrobe as samples or fb:s.
From such exercise some short thoughts probably will appear in print over the year, even if I'm still in the writers block.
Here some rediscoveries from the recent holidays:

Rose Royale (Parfums de Nicolaï): This is an amazing pink rose where I now have discovered more of elegant, retro accords which make this beautiful rose intriguing too. It's much more than just a high quality pink rose.

Shanghai Lily (Tom Ford): A beautiful, velvety and in the same time tick and clean lily. The velvety thickness makes like this better than the other niche standard-lillies, Serge Lutens Un Lys  and Frederic Malle Lys Mediterrranee, both more transparent and sort of "thinner" in texture.

Gucci Bloom (Gucci): Wet, humid, chilly, crisp, white flowers like a graden with withe flowers after rain. Moderate interpretation of white flowers, not the classic voluminous type, balanced with a tangy accord that I really like. Not a rediscovery as this is new to me but worn quite often in December.

I suppose that my fragrancechoices are reflecting the green and rainy weather during the holidays. Flowers and also greens scents, see the choice of the 2017 Christmas Eve Tom Ford Vert de Fleur.

Perris Monte Carlo - Santal du Pacifque EDP & Extrait

Picture: Staute of Ganesha in sandalwood
Photo by Ricce
Wikimedia commons 

The Santal du Pacifque duo (Edp & Extrait) was released 2016 together with the Absolue d'Osmanthus duo from monegasque perfumhouse Perris Monte Carlo. Both are a part of a range of perfumes which presents  "singlenotes" in different settings and interpretations. Here is my previous reviews of the line.

Picture: Santal du Pacifique EDP
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Santal du Pacifique starts with a warm, sparkling, transparent sandalwood. with a prominent fignote. I think fig is a part of sandalwood as it's present also in for example By Kilian Sacred Wood  which is the sandalwood fragrance which is most similar to Santal du Pacifique from what I come to think of when wearing Santal du Pacifique especially in the Edp concentration. The Edp concentration is woodier and denser than the Extrait which emphasizes the flowery and light spicy aspects of sandalwood. Both versions lacks the cocoa accent which is present in sandalwoodfragranceas as Sacred Wood and Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule and are therefore lighter in apperance. The Edp is deeper, warm, smooth woody as one can imagine the scent of a piece of polished sandalwood in the sunset, warmed by the sun during the day. There are also darker, a bit pleasant dirty barnyardnotes glimpsing from the depts of the Edp contrasting the fresh sandalwood. In the later stages the SdP Edp reminds me lot of Exclusifs de Chanel Sycomore Edt but less green.As the latter has sandalwood as a prominent note beside the vetiver, that's not surprising especially as both fragrances has the similar tonality on the fragrance notescale. When it comes to the Extrait this version,as mentioned above, is more of a arier, soft woody floral with some warm dry salty, spicy elements. In the middlenotes there are also contrasting notes of a damp vegetation, in the same good way as the barnyardnotes in the Edp. A hint of the figgy note persist duting the whole dry down of the Extrait and contributes to a seaish impression and the overall impression is that the Extrait has some similarities with Hermès Epice Marine even if less spicy.

Picture: Santal du Pacifique Extrait
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Santal du Pacifique is a versatile, casual elegant and comforting fragrace which could be worn year around. It's unisex even if the Edp probably will attract men more as it's less flowery and more woody. The Edp has medium sillage and the Extrait is close. Longevity for the Edp is over 12h and the Extrait almost for a day.
A clean and pared down contemporary sandalwood which smells natural and not of perfumery.

Rating: 5

Notes: Sandalwood, floral notes

Parfums de Nicolaï - Rose Royale

Picture: Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Royale,
resting in the snow,
 reminding of the coming Spring
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Rose Royale is a celebration to spring, launched by Parfums de Nicolaï to Valentines Day 2017. This (pink IMO) rose soliflore is inspired of the rosegardens of Palais Royale in the center of Paris.

Rose Royale starts pink rosy with natural smelling fruity accents. The fruity notes are somehow almost dry in appreance and there is nothing too sweet or artifical about it. I especially recoginze the note of passionfruit but lighter and not as prominent as in for example Vero Profumo Rozy Edp or in the tribute to the passionfruit flower from Maître Parfumeur et Ganiter Fraîche Passiflore. In the topnotes also there is also a contrasting glimpse of the fresh, tangy nuance of blackcurrant as also the bergamot which provides the fragrance with a particular chic style. Coriander also brings a light green, refreshing spicy touch to Rose Royale, which togther with the bergamot, provides a slight retro vibe or perhaps it's more appropritate to call it timless.

Picture: Rose Royale
Photo: Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Rose Royale is all about the rose flower itself, with no interference of stems and greenery. Its about the natural fresh smell of the velvet smooth pink rose petals. It's a bright but not at all shrill rose, it is happy and uplifting when waiting for spring in the last days of the winter. When Rose Royale dries further down, I can also recognize a more severe side of the fragrance, there are snapshots from a darker dept where traces of an accord familiar to the metallic, cold, bloody rose of Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin are hiding. This gives an intresting twist to this over all polite, refreshing, pink, rose. The roses of Rose Royale resting in a elegant, well balanced musky smooth, warm, woody base where also a very light immortelle sparkles..

Beeing an "easy to go" EDT aimed for spring, Rose Royale has a good longevity if liberally applied. I can smell traces on skin after more then 12 hours. It's a very wearble daytime fragrance both for work and casual. The sillage is somewhere between close and medium.

Rose Royale is something to tray for those who like a uncomplicated but still wellconstructed, rose soliflore as for example Annick Goutal Rose Pompon, Maison Francis Kurkdijan À la Rose and Téo Cabanel Early Roses.

Rating: 5

Notes: Blackcurrant buds, passionfruit, bergamot, coriander, rose, ambrette, immortelle, sandalwood, guaiac wood, musk

5 Top fragrances for fall

Picture: Maple leaves
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Autumn is late this year but finally it has arrived with its glowing colors, fresh chilly air and damp/moisty scents. Below some fragrances I like/like to wear this autumn, whether they are autumnal or not:

Bois Blond (Parfumerie Generale): Now when my sample is drained after years of occasionally wearing, I suddenly realized how much I will miss this dry, hayish, woody beauty. It's not the easiest fragrance to come close to and probably too masculine for me....Anyway a bottle is on its way.

Galop d'Hermès (Hermès): No toplist without a Hermès, their fragrances are versatile and suits me perfect for everyday wearing. Galop exceed my expectations with its juicy, rosy, soft leather with a slight sort of clean, animalic touch. It's now my favorite Hermès together with my all time feminine favorite from the house: Amazone.

No 5 L'Eau (Chanel): I have to confess I didn't want to like this as L'Eau is a far longer step away from the distinct super aldehydic original No 5 than No 5 Eau Première. Even if I tried to resist when tested in store, this flowing light flowery beauty with many the notes from No 5 but in different proportions and with a lighter base is a new classic.

Baume du Doge (Eau d'Italie): It's such a well balanced myrrh dominated fragence. Infused with orange, resins  and spices, BdG warns during grey and rainy days. To be worn with a cashmere sweater/shawl.

Baptême du Feu (Serge Lutens): A bit weired but intrguing fragances with light gourmand, citric, incense and smoky notes. The incense in style with the clean note in L'Orpheline, the citric notes cold as metal, the gourmand licour and spice, the smoke from gunpowder and campfires. Intriguing during it's whole dry down.

Anatole Lebreton - Bois Lumière

Picture: Bois Lumière

Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

Bois Lumière is the third fragrance in the Lebreton line starts very honeyed, sweet and rough animalic, in an almost an unpleasant accord. But as almost always with strange beginnings of a fragrance, the rest is so much better.  Even if still dominating, the honeyed sweetness is toned down in the rest of the dry down, balanced with warm woody/resin notes, immortelle, hay and orange. A warm, glowing, sparkling and cosy fragrance, very special and comforting for grey days. In the base there is also a musky feeling wish sweeps through the overall warm impression as a refreshing, chilly, gust. A friend of mine finds that there is something in Bois Lumière that oddly enough is resembling accords of a fragrance in a quite different style, Chanel Cristalle Edt but with a thicker and denser texture.

Honey dominated perfumes are not common and the one I think of when wearing Bois Lumière is (of course) Serge Lutens Miel de Bois which I precieve as a more elegant alternative. Bois Lumiere is rougher and sort of rual in appearance, the bewitched forest shows another dimension. Bois Lumière is a fragrance which attracts compliments.

Bois Lumière is the perfect autumn, winter and early springfragrance. The sillage is medium and longevity outstanding, 24h. It's neutral unisex.

Rating: 5

Notes: Juniper, clary sage, mandarin orange, fir balsam, honey, rose, carnation, immortelle, beeswax, cedar, benzoin

5 favorites for spring 2016

Picture: Springtime, the first anemones
Painting of H.A Brendekilde (1857-1942)
Source: Blog of an art admier

It's May and full spring at last. This time of the year I always come to think about the romantic Heinrich Heine poem (from Dichterliebe) when I have to stay inside the office during the beautiful, ephemeral May days.

"Im wunderschönen Monat Mai,
Als alle Knospen sprangen,
Da ist in meinem Herzen
Die Liebe aufgegangen.

Im wunderschönen Monat Mai,
Als alle Vögel sangen,
Da hab' ich ihr gestanden
Mein Sehnen und Verlangen."

And now to the serious stuff: What to wear in this intense season:

Fleurs d'Oranger (Serge Lutens): The spring nights are often chilly and the days sunny and (quite) warm. Warm and sunny as the fullbodied Serge Lutens classic Fleurs d'Oranger. It's a staple neroli with deep, rounded flowers, some spices contrasted by a pleasant tnagy note.

Eau de Néroli Doré (Hermès): A splendid, neroli in the cologne style. Retro nostalgic but somehow contemporary, a touch of soapy with a very light metallic touch. I think it's inspiration from the first Hermès fragrance Eau d'Hermès. I can detect traces of the characteristic cumminnote but soft and wrapped in neroli. Maybe this is Jean Claude Ellenas tribute to the great Edmond Roudnitska, which I read somewhere was a mentor to JCE and also created Eau d'Hermès. Good longevity and sillage to be a cologne.

Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate (Hermès):  Good longevity and sillage to be a cologne. Tart, green/red like the steam of the rhubarb combined with a sort of fresh, wet, slight earthy note. I also sense a touch of what I think is a pink, crisp, light musky rose, but I'm not sure. This fragrance mingles very well with my skin and I recieve compliments. As with the neroli, good longevity and sillage to be a cologne.

Week End à Deauville (Parfums de Nicolaï): The salty sea meat the windswept forests near the coast. Green, mossy, minty, herbal and airy/watery/sandy with a crispy, white carillon of the small but sturdy Lily of the Valley. A wonderful interpretation of spring.

Déjè le Printemps (Oriza L.Legrand): The ulitmate springfragrance with crispy bulbflowers and galbanum. There is also a very light nectar-powder like note interacting with the sharper green notes which makes this to a delicous, sparkling, green almost springtime fragrance, a perfume for hte green fairy. A perfume for Tinkerbell.

Perris Monte Carlo - Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait

Picture: Nosy Be
Photo: from Pinterest 

Patchouli Nosy Be is the most recent patchouli fragrance from Perris Monte Carlo. The Nosy Be part of the name is from the island suitiated on the north west of Madagascar, the island is famous for cultivating ylang-ylang, coffe and vanilla but the climate is suitiable also for other spices and flowers. The Nosy Be Patchouli is a successful experiment where the manager of the ylang-ylang plantation of the well known fragrance ingredients producer Robertet planted patchouli on the Nosy Be Island. Here the patchouli plants could be protected from the sharp sunlight by the foliage of other plants and this favorable cultivation combined with a careful harvesting process creates a high class multifacetted patchouli oil. The Nosy Be fragrances of Perris are as today, also an Edp version of Patchouli Nosy Be, which was released 2014 a year before the extrait, as also an Ylang Ylang Nosy Be in Edp and Extrait. These will be reviewed later on.

Patchouli Nosy Be starts with the herbal, leafy, almost fresh, patchouli which is present in most niche patchouli offerings from the latest years, an early example is Histories de Parfums Noir Patchouli but this one is sharper, rougher and more transaparent in its herbal leafiness. Also Franck Boclet Patchouli comes to my mind in the initial accords. After a while warm spices appears, predominantly pepper, blended with a note of cacao simlar to the combination in for example Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly and Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 even if the latter is darker and denser. The pepper, which I also think is strengthend from the cedarwood in the base, is a bit too distinctive to my nose/taste for a short part of the dry down but is fortunately softened when a beautiful vanilla is sneeking in step by step in this contemporary woody-spicy blend with a patchouli addition. To me  Patchouli Nosy Be is not so much about patch as it is of spices, wood and vanilla, the patch is just one of the well bakanced, interplaying accords.The earlier Perris patchouli Essence de Patchouli, is much more of patchouli, more extreme and uncommon and personally I prefer this over Patchouli Nosy Be when I crave a real patchfrag. The best part of Patchouli Nosy Be is definitliy the comforting base where the spicy mixed patch is contrasted by a beautiful very natural smelling, slight flowery vanilla and discrete woody notes. The base note accords comes and goes like waves with a slight different highlighting of each of the main notes in different waves. It's a true delight wearing this perfume.

Picture: Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Patchouli Nosy Be is a versatile warm fragrance, suitable for autumn, winter and early spring. It's unisex and could be worn both for work and casual. Sillage is medium and longevity good, more then a day, traces are left on skin after a nights sleep.

Rating: 5

Notes: Patchouli, pink pepper; cocoa, labdanum, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood

Huitème Art - Shermine

Picture: Greta Garbo as Ivana Ivanova
in a gigantic foxfur in the 1930s movie
The Battle for House Burlesque
Sourse: Furglam.com

Shermine is the latest launch from the Pierre Guillaume subline Huitième Art. Perfumer is as always Pierre himself.

Shermine starts citric with a distinct element of the typical carrot irisnnote, which highlights the roty aspect of iris. Cold, spicy, herbal notes which are somehow enveloped in a warm, furry, setting, soon appears. The citric accord remains during the whole dry down but deepens, in an accord reminding of pickled lemons. The lavender which appears as a flowery element interacting with the cold iris, is concentrated and clean but not bright,. it's not as herbal or sharp that mostly is the case with lavender. Shermine in this part reminds me in style and apperance with Houbignant Iris de Champs. I don't know what the magic mix is which creates the furry, slight animalic impression, no animalic notes are mentioned in the notelist. Only the olfactory magican Pierre Guillaume knows. There is also a touch of a gourmand in Shermine but not as much as in the fruity lavender Vero Profumo Kiki.The base of Shermine is clearly woody-musky at the beginning, then it transforms to be sweeter and with a more powdery texture. Just as Kiki, Shermine is an intriguing and also slight demanding fragrance to wear. It never becomes boring and it's a pleasure to be wrapped in, one can imagine an exclusive furstole, lined with cool silk and warm fur on the outside.

Picture: Shermine, the picture tells all about its appearance.
Photo: PR Huitème Art (c)

Even if retro in style, Shermine is sort of a 2015s version of the legendary fougère Guerlain Jicky. Shermine hasn't almost any similarities, expect the lavender, with for example Serge Lutens Gris Clair which  features incense and is overall more contemporary in style.

Despite containing fougère accords, lavender and woods, I find Shermine quite feminine, maybe the furry and slight gourmand accord is responsible for that. Shermine is suitable for the colder months or as a evening fragrance. The silage is medium and longevity more then a day.

Shermine is definitly another winner from Pierre Guillaume, one of the very best releases in last year.

Rating: 5

Notes: Pepper, lemon, cardamom, rosewood, iris, lavender, vanilla, musk, vetiver, patchouli, guaiac wood.

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Perris Monte Carlo - Essence de Patchouli

Picture: Moon over the Mediterranean sea  (Greece)
Photo: Mr Parfumista

Essence de Patchouli is the first patchouli fragrance in the Perris Monte Carlo line. Essence de Patchouli is one of the five first fragrances which were released in 2012, the other four starters are Bois d'Oud (reviewed a few weeks ago), Oud Imperial, Ambre Gris and Musk Extrême. In 2014 a second patchouli fragrance was released, Patchouli Nosy Be which I have not smelled when writing this review but plan to test and review the coming winter. Update March 2016 - review of Patchouli Nosy Be.

Essence de Patchouli starts with a very dark, balck or dark purple if imagine a color, velvety patchouli which is silky in texture. There are also some offsetting almost "ugly" notes that could be associated with mosquito repellent but in a non sharp, again velvety texture. The repellent accord steps backward as Essence de Patchouli dries down but is present in the background to prevent the fragrance to be too polite. The patchouli in this fragrance is not of the ambery type nor the herbal, which are the two cathegories that constitutes 90% of all patchfrags. The patchouli of Essence de Patchouli is instead as the patchouli leaves have been pickled in a musky, dark flowery a tad sweet souse. As Essence de Patchouli dries further down, the dark iris/rose combo becomes more apparent even if they are intergrated to such extent that they are hard to separate from each other. The sliky, light powdery patchouli impression prevail and the powdery note reminds me slightly of the cocapowdernote of Mon Patchouly from Ramon Monegal which is also a patchouli fragrance which is not ambery nor herbal but almost gourmand, which Essence de Patchouli is not. As with some other Perris Fragrances, Essence de Patchouli is grounded in a beautiful, either not chemical nor animalic smelling musk. The musk creates an intense, long-lived fragrance and it pronounces and highlights the other ingredients. Woody notes warmed up with a light touch of resin deepens the fragrance.

Essence de Patchouli mediates the picture and feeling of dining outside on a terrace by the sea a warm mediterranean summereveing with the dark velvettextured sky dark lighted by the silver full moon.
In darkness, texture, mood and apperance Essence de Patchouli reminds me of a forgotten gem which is based on a completely different note (incense) Juozas Statkevicius/Josef Statkus from the designer of the same name.

Picture: Essence de Patchouli
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Essence de Patchouli is appropriate to wear in most seasons, in summer one has to be extra careful when applying, a little goes ong and too much could be totally overwhelming especially when warm weather outside. To me Essence de Patchouli is a feminine creation even if it definitly could be worn by brave men. The silage is moderate to big and longevity for 24h.

Essence de Patchouli is another winner from Perris Monte Carlo, it's not happen often that the releases from house have a hit rate like this house when it comes to fragrances that I think is memorable and longing to wear even after the tests for the review is over.

Those who like Sergel Lutens Borneo 1834, Chanel Coromandel  and Prada Intense will probably also appreciate Essence de Patchouli even if the former three are more gourmand and the latter more floral in style.

Rating: 5

Notes: Rose, geranium, iris, cedar, guaiac wood, patchouli, musk, labdanum, coumarin