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

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 

Fragrance(s) of the week (12) 2013

Picture: Hermès Elixir des Merveilles
Photo: PR Hermès (c) all rights reserved

Havn't anything perfume-wise to say this week except that my craving for orange and orangeblossom  in the sunny but very cold weather is evident. Robert Piguet Blossom and L'Artisan Seville à l'Aube are my choices. As is it very cold for the season I'm still remains in the oriental wardrobe with frags as Parfum d'Empires  Ambre Russe and Hermès  L'Ambre des Merveilles and Elixir des Merveilles, where the latter is the perfect  formula for the situation as it combines orange and oriental notes.

Oscar de la Renta - Granada

Picture: Patio de los Arrayanes, Alhambra, Granada.

Photo by Jan Zeschky, (cc) Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved.

Granada is a beautiful orange/orangeblossom fragrance which is a part of the 2012 introduced exclusive line of Oscar de la Renta - Essential Luxuries. In Sweden the Essential Luxuries will be introduced in February 2013.

Granada starts with a juicy orangenote, very true to how a fresh cutted orange smells. Inch by inch, Granada settles into a flowery blend where the orangeblossom interacts with jasmine and rose. The flowery blend is creamy in texture and there is a  sort of balsamic note present. Now and then the juicy orange shows up in short glimps, even in the base this tempting note is present. Granada is sort of circular in it's dry down, the some notes appears, disappears and re-appears. Except from the juicy start, Granada is very close to Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM pour Femme, in some stages they are almost equal. To my nose APOM poue Femme is a bit greener, woodier, sharper and with a light detergent note that is not present in Granada. Granada is the nice little sister to the tougher big sister APOM pour Femme. Granada could evoke images of the inner courtyards of the palace of Alhambra during the time of the Moors, the rippling water of the fountains and ponds, the voices and laughter of the girls of the harem.

Even if  not a complicated fragrance (or despite of that), Granada is very plesant to wear and it lightens up a grey and cold winterday with its warm and happy appearance. Perfect for work or pleasure year around, a fragrance to choose when it's hard to decide what to wear. Longevity is very good, about 24h and the sillage is medium.

Granada is highly recommended to those who like L'Artisan Seville à l'Aube, Elie Saab Le Parfum and both MFK APOM pour Femme and APOM pour Homme.

Rating: 4

(As a follower to APOM pour Femme, Granada falls sligthly in points. If Granada has been the first of the two fragrances, the same had happened to APOM pour Femme)

Notes: Jasmine, rose, orange blossom

Robert Piguet - Mademoiselle Piguet

Picture: The Reader, oil on canvas by Jean-Honoré Fragonard ca 1770-1772,
captures the warm and comforting spirit of Mademoiselle Piguet

Mademoiselle Piguet is another fragrance in the great Nouvelle Collection from Robert Piguet created by the "house nose" Aurelien Guichard.

Mademoiselle Piguet could be described as beeing vegetal, combined with orangeflowers with a sweet honeyed texture. The vegetal note is not damp and almost on the verge to rottening (but in a positive way)as in some interpretations for example Guerlain Jardins de Bagatelle Edp and Annick Goutal Passion, the vegetal note is almost fresh and reminds me of a fresh sugar pea. A similar impression is expressed in a Fragrantica review by clover.chen who refers to processed mung beens in desserts, something that I havn't tasted myself but can image when smelling the greenery of Mademoiselle Piguet. The orangeflower I perceive as very natural and fresh, not chemichal at all. The note has a wonderful honeyed nectar texture and smells just sweet delicious, probably the apricot adds this facet. There is something in the orangeflowernote that reminds me of the same note in Fracas, but in Mademoiselle Piguet it is somehow domesticated.

To me the structure of Mademoiselle Piguet is linear, the notes are preseant at the same time even if the vegetal phase is more apparent in the first part of the dry down of the fragrance and later instead is acting as one of the supporting notes in the background. To me the sweet , honeyed,  Mademoiselle Piguet also seems to be the female counterpart to the (to my nose) much more masculine dry, herbal-orangeblossom NoteS which I reviewed earlier this week, they are fragrances of the opposite side of the interpreation of orangeblossom-scale and are interesting to wear as complementary fragrances for different moods and occasions. As NoteS is more complicated, strict and a excellent choice for daytime professional wear, the Mademoiselle is a fragrance both for evening and comforting daytime wear, versatile enough to warming up during cold winterdays and to bloom beautifully in the summerheat. Mademoiselle Piguet, thanks to the interesting and well harmonised vegetal notes, has its own identity even if partly familiar to other fragrances featuring the orangeblossomnote.The longevity of Mademoiselle Piguet is extraordinary for an orangeblossom scent, I can smell the orangeblossom on my skin more then 30h after application.

I think Mademoiselle Piguet would be appreciated by those who like L’Artisan Seville à l’Aube, Maria Candida Gentile Hanbury and Annick Goutal Tubereuse (even if featuring another white blossom note I think Tubereuse and Mademoiselle Piguet have a similar pleasant, honeyed texture).

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, orangeblossom, almond, apricot, tonka been

Top Fall Fragrances 2012

Picture: Maple leaves

Photo: Mr Parfumista 

As I read the toplists of some of the major perfumeblogs yesterday, I was inspired and couldn’t resist putting together an own list. Autumn to me is the best season for wearing perfume, the darker, warmer, heavier ones is suddenly suitable together with the intense or heavy floral fragrancs from the late summer. Here are some fragrances that I’m longing for at the moment (even if they are rarely worn as I’m in a intensive samplingmood):

Coco Noir (Chanel): Contrary to most of the perfume bloggosphere I was instantly fallen for this elegant, dark, slight spicy, musky, patchouli. Chic and wearble at the same time.

Ambre Gris (Balmain): This sweet and in the same time salty gourmand is like slipping in to a smooth and soft cashmerejumper. Perfect for warming up in grey and rainy days.

Lyric Woman (Amouage): Only recently, after years of recurrant testins, I understood this dark, red, cinnamon spicy, resin and incense grounded beauty. Mysterious and eternal. Maybe I will understand this years dissapointment Interlude Woman in a couple of years too.

Cuirelle (Ramón Monegal): This delicate suede with some boozy undertunes is elegant, smooth and with some interesting twists in it’s dry down..

Belle en Rykiel (Sonia Rykiel): This warm and comforting and in the same time interesting lavendel-coffe and milk – incense over a vanillic base, is a recurring favourite for fall.

Rochas Femme Edp (Rochas): Starts almost like a plummy liquer in the top notes, dark, mellow plums and spices over a woody, chypre base. The Edp is velvety, rounder and closer in sillage compared to the more radiant, sharper, heavy upon cummin Edt which is also good.

Seville à l’Aube (L’Artisan Parfumeur): Not as original or sensational as expected after months of hype in Perfumeland. But it’s a very good and wellcrafted very wearble orangeblossom fragrance, warm and comforting, reminding of warm summer evenings.  

Opardu (Puredistance): This elegant, lilac, powdery, slight musky fragrance, transports me hundered years back in time, to the era just before WWI. True elegance and beauty.

Kiki Edp (Vero Profumo): Intense and original passionflower, lavendel blend over a dark, patchouli base. This is just delicious.

Auburn (Andy Tauer): The intense and warm tobbacoaccord is amazing in Auburn. Auburn is like the essence of autumn, sparkling, maple leaves, high chilly air and an intense blue sky on a sunny autumnday.

Poudre de Riz (Huiteme Art): Elegant interpretation of rose combined with some tropical flowers grounded in a powdery, musk-vanillic base. In texture and expression almost like a clean variation of  ELDO Putain des Palaces.

Which fragrances are your favourites for this Fall?