Carner Barcelona - Latin Lover (Floral Collection)

Picture: Latin Lover
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

For summer 2017 catalonian nichehouse Carner Barcelona introduces the Floral Collection which is in the opposite style compared to the excellent Black Collection of last year. The Floral Collection presented in stylish white bottles vs the Black Collection in stylish black ones. First out for test from the florals is the wristsniffer Latin Lover created by perfumer Jordy Fernandez.

Latin Lover strats with a burst of beautiful a tad watery flowers, dominated by magnolia sweetened by ylang-ylang. Magnolia usually is a bit tricky note for me as it could be almost harsh and sour to my nose. But balancing with ylang-ylang obviously is the trick, the magnolia blooms beautiful. Later on a clean, flowery jasmine and a detactable also flowery (not powdery lipsticknote), violet steps forward and add a certain elegance to the perfume. The bouquet is grounded in a just enough musky base with some contrasting, almost dark, a bit moisty, earthy elemets, probably the patchouli. The dark of Latin Lover is like sitting in the shadow of a pinetree near the sea a hot summerday. There is something familiar with Latin Lover and after a days wearing I know: It smells similar to Lalique Edp by Lalique but less sweet and fruity. Other fragrances I come to think of (even if not smelling the same but the same feeling/style) when wearing Latin Lover are Puredistance WHITE, By Kilian Water Calligraphy and Amouage Honour Woman.

Latin Lover is a happy fragrance which is a pleasure to wear, perfect for a mediterranean summerevening or just to cheer up a summerday which is spent in the office. The longevity is for at least a day and sillage is medium. Classified as unisex but to my nose lending to the feminine side. After my acquaintance with Latin Lover I have high hopes for the other two in the Floral Collection, Besos and Sweet William. Reviews will follow.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, ylang-ylang, violet, jasmine sambac, narcissus, benzoin, patchouli, musk

Puredistance - Sheiduna

Picture: Perfumer Cécile Zarokian holds
the first sample flacon of Sheiduna Perfume
Photo: Puredistance (c)

Finally it's here Sheiduna, the long awaited release from Puredistance, the first since the beutiful flowery White early in 2015. White was also my "Best of 2015" .This time there is an oriental theme, the first oriental from the brand, in the spicy subcategory. Perfumer is one of the stars of later years, the talented Cécile Zarokian, creator of favorites of mine as Parfums MDCI Nuit Andalouse, Laboratorio Olfattivo Kashnoir, Masque Tango and of course, her breakthrough creation as one of the perfumers of Amouage Epic Woman. Sheiduna is released in pure perfume.

Puredistance tolds us about the inspiration of Sheiduna "With the creation of Sheiduna we wanted to bridge the sensuality from the Orient with the elegance from Paris. Wearing Sheiduna one wafts sensuality and at the same time feels like being wrapped up in a warm, soft blanket. Deep colours of Persian rugs touch the senses".

Sheiduna starts with a burst of a peppery note, maybe it's the clove/incense. Soon this fizzy intro steps back and a beautiful sort of deep, lush citric accord appears grounded in a light rosy touch. The tangerinenote appears very realistic, the best interpreation of tangerine I have smelled so far. A light gunpowdery dry note (as in Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Ambre) also appears as also something soft and eveloping, slight Asian-kitchen-gourmand, green spicy coconutty note, a soft verision of a similar accord in Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka. This accord is acting as a delightful background also for the rest of Sheidunas drydown. As Sheiduna dries further down, an accord appears dominated by a note of new-laid  vetiver, embedded and sort of glaced in spices and amber/balsamic notes. There is something rooty, green and tart with glimpses of a dry but warm incense, which contrasting the spicy/ambery/balsamic, oriental notes. The gunpowdery element reapperas in the basenotes together with the salty ambery note of ambergris. Blended with other oriental notes, this creates a special, a bit tart, dark, slight orange-y, balsamic, vintage, with a touch of the "old books", smelling accord which maybe is a sort of trademark for Cécile Zarokian as I have smelled it in various degrees in Kashnoir and Tango.A resembling note/accord is also present in Balenciaga Prelude. In the basenotes of Sheiduna I can also smell elements of a deep, soft dark rose.

Picture: The glowing Sheiduna
Photo: Puredistance (c)

When wearing Sheiduna I can understand the Persian inspiration (despite the light Asian-kitchen accord mentioned above), and than not just from the rugs. The fragrance brings forth an impression of spices, dried fruits, dark flowers, the architecture  and most of all the sunset in the desert with the glowing sun over the dunes.

Sheiduna is an intriguing fragrance, the impression shifts with and within each stage of the drydown. Much is going on, like a game where the interaction of the notes/accords quickly turns into contrasts and back again. The fragrance is warm and comforting, perfect for autumn/winter. But the enlighting and contrasting notes doesn't reserve Sheiduna just for the cooler month, the perfume will be a good choice also for humid and warm summer evenings.  The contrasting structure of Sheiduna prevents this contemporary oriental fragrance to become cloying and dense.

Sheiduna is classified as unisex which I agree with even if I think it lends a little bit more to the feminine side. The longevity is very good, traces are left after 24h, sillage is significant.

Rating: 5

Notes: Lemon, tangerine, geranium, rose oil, incense, myrrh, vetiver, patchouli, labdanum, ambergris, benzoin, tonka absolute, vanilla absolute,

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.

Scented thoughts - March 2015

Picture: PR Puredistance (c)

Two years ago I regulary posted my general thoughts about fragrances in the "Fragrance(s) of the week". Today I'll start this up again but on a more random basis.

* Kudos to Puredistance, LOWERING their prices, going completely the opposite from the mainsstream movement of niche rising the prices to sometimes outrageous and ridiculous levels. That's what I call customer care. For more information, read here.

* On Twitter I have a SOTD-project going on for about a month. The aim is to find out if there is some pattern in my fragrance wearing. The project is planned to recur a month per each quarter 2015. Until today there is no clue besides when I was a little sick I prefered light Goutals like Les Colognes (Néroli, L'Eau d'Hadrien, Vétiver) and Le Mimosa.

* A general observation linked to what is written about the light Goutals: The longer I'm "in perfume" the more I appreciate the chic, simple, wearable, good quality stuff, frags which are sort of basics in the perfume wardrobe. It doesn't matter if it's niche, mainsteam or in between. Of course it's fun to wear, analyze and review complicated stuff, but for everyday wear I observe an increasing wearing of the basics.

Puredistance - WHITE

Picture: Puredistance WHITE
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

The idea of the new perfume WHITE  from the house of Puredistance is to create at perfume so Beautiful and positive that it gives the wearer an instant flow of happiness.  IMO Perfumer Antoine Lie and house founder/creative director Jan Ewoud Vos  have indeed succeeded in their mission to fullfill this idea. The process to create WHITE took over one year and probably this is a big part of the sucess, Puredistance never stresses new perfumes into the market, the creators take the time needed. Therefore the Puredistance line is one of the most solid lines in the market, there are no misses (so far) just solid, sophisticated, very high quality perfumes and I'm very fond of them all, can't choose a favorite as each fragrance suits different moods, styling and occassion. See my reviews of Black, Opardu, I, M and Antonia.

WHITE starts bright, transaprent and happy. My instant thought is the image of a daisy, a dried specimen of that little sunny flower was also included with the sample from Puredistance, a very good illustration to this scent. As WHITE dries down, flawless like an exquisite brilliant it becames thicker but never heavy in its texture. An excellent creamy smoothness appears and stays during the rest of the drydown, making WHITE very comforting to wear despite its elegant aura. WHITE is 
seamless blended and it's hard to pick up where on note start dominating and another take a step backwards. The notes are interacting, shaping a flowery veil anchored in a smooth top notch sandalwood, whitout any harsh or sharp edges, it's like the sandalwood is a part of the bouquet. There is a tonality of musk  wafting from the base of WHITE, a white, non-dirty musk which has no traces of  chemical,laundry. Instead it's deepens the accords and gives  bodies to the flowers. The musk also, together with the pleasant sweetness of tonka been and a minimalist patchouli, creates that special tart note which I  appreciate so much in complex floral compositions, in WHITE without the powdery aspect which the tart note also could be combined with. On my skin the tart musky accord especially highlighing the airy rose, pale yellow or pale pink if imagining a color, supported by some dry, slight fizzy, light earthy orris elements but without the orris carrotnote.



Picture: Picture: Puredistance full Collection
spring 2015
Photo: PR Puredistance (c)

WHITE is a sophisticated fragrance, surprisingly easy to wear taken its elegance and the expensive, high quality ingredients in to account. It would the perfect pefume for the bride of the coming swedish royal wedding in June, Sofia read this :-). WHITE is comforting and conveys a  happy mood and sunshine. Even if in style a spring/summer perfume WHITE has enough dept and genuine texture for pleasant  wearing year around. It's as timeless and versatile as for example Chanel No 22. The longevity is very good, 12h+ and a few small spritses from the samples is enough. WHITE is in perfume (extrait) strenght and therefore quite close to the wearer, even if distinct traces are recognizable for people around.

WHITE is so wellcrafted that it makes me considering selling off my less well crafted florals. Even if I like them as such, when compard to a fragrance as WHITE the chemical, harsh and laundry notes of especially some mainstream perfumes becomes quite obvious.

WHITE is for everyone who likes a delicate, flower boquet and will please those who like the  style of fragrances as for example Grossmith Amelia and  Floral Veil or the new Teo Cabanel Lace Garden.

Maybe a bit boring but the fact is that I already know WHITE will be one of my most liked pefumes of 2015. And it definitly has the potential to be THE number one of 2015. Beware Chanel Misia.

Rating: 5

Notes: May rose, tonka absolute, orris root, sandalwood, bergamot, musk, vetiver, patchouli.