Easter fragrances 2016

Picture: Imperial Coronation Egg (Fabergé),
photographed at an exhibition in Rome
Photo: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta (cc)
Wikimedia Commons some rights reserved

This year I'll skip to find something to the usual Easter fragrance categories (gourmand-sweet, churchy-incense, green-crispy- leafy-bulbflowery) from which I pick fragrances suitable for Easter. Instead I'll pay attention to some fragrances which pleases me extra right now.

Heliotrope Blanc (Oriza L.Legrand): Ok this one suits perfectly in my traditional gourmand sweet category. Fluffy, alamonds, powder and vanilla, this is cosiness and comfort at it's best. The smell recalls  the sweetest of Easterbunnis.

Black Opium Edp (Yves Saint Laurent): I know I'm taken the risk to be written of as a serious perfumista by admitting that I feel very comfortable in Black Opium and I think it smells quite good. And so does also Mr Parfumista "This one smells better on you than many of the niche fregrances you're testing". Another one in the sweet territory.

Rosarium (Angela Ciampagna): A calming and contemplating, smooth rose incense, like taking a break sitting down in a small italian medival rual chapel a warm summerday.

Shermine (Huiteme Art): This furry iris/lavender with its very special almost chalky citrus note attracts compliments from those around. Perfect for the early wintery Easter of this year.

Marions Nous (Oriza L.Legrand): Recently I've been in an Oriza circle, I just can't get enough of the fragrances from this house. Marions Nous is a successful intepreation of an 1920s aldehyde fragrance. Sparkling, almost refreshing and in the same time with animalic notes lurking from it's depts. A fragrance which becomes better with each wearing.

Allure Sensuelle Edp (Chanel): A incrediable comforting fragrance in the Coco Mademoiselle - Coco Noir style but more fruity and with less patchouli  Smoother and rounded compared to the former two, a forgotten gem in the Chanelline.

Ylang-Ylang Nosy Be Extrait (Perris Monte Carlo): Last but not least the beautiful, intense, glowing, sweet, flowery, vanillic interpretation of one of the most faithful flowery teammates of "parfums de femme" the ylang-ylang.

Happy Easter!

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

Best of 2015

Picture: Lily of the valley
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Last day of 2015 and I don't feel entitled to write this post as I havn't tested a fraction of the many fragrances released this year. I'm also aware of some samples *) of untested 2015s from which I know there will be some I'll like very much.

Regardless my limited testing of 2015 releases, this post optimally should be written in March/April 2016 to catch up, there was a battle between flowers. The winner is Puredistance White with Téo Cabanel Lace Garden as a close contender. White is not only a beautiful, well crafted, high quality fragrance, it's also a very happy fragrance, versatile, elegant and in the same time comforting, easy to wear. A staple for everyday life, as a concept reminding of the also very versatile Jour d'Hermès. Lace Garden is the white floral going contemporary, also happy and elegant, easy to wear but less formal, more casual than White.

Honorable mentions to the lovely, lush, fruity, airy floral Cio Cio San  from Parfums MDCI and in the same vein but a bit spicier; Neela Vermiere Creations Pichola, the creamy non oud - oud 1001 Ouds from Annick Goutal, the spectacular, almost gormand, citric, furry lavender Shermine from Huitème Art and last but not least the cosy, fluffy, lily of the valley vanilla Eau d'Italie Morn to Dusk.

Among designerfragrances releases Bulgari Eau Parfumée au Thé Bleu is the winner in my book. I also like Narciso Rodriguez Narciso Edt and Gucci Bamboo. Havn't smelled the praised Alaïa from Alaïa nor Equipage Geranium by Hermès.

A house I started to explore in 2015 was the (relatively) priceworthy, quality nichehouse Perris Monte Carlo. Their Edp:s are great and now I have just started to explore their wonderful Extraits, released in 2015. So Perris is my house of the year, even if in the fragrance business for decades.

*) Still untested 2015's which I suspect I'll like much are: Cuir L'Aigle Russe from Oriza L.Legrand, UNUM Rosa Nigra and Jehanne Rigaud Imperial Poudré. And I definitly must get my nose on Parfums MDCI Les Indes Galantes a late 2015 release.