The fragrances of Christmas Eve 2019

Picture: From the Christmastree
Photo: Parfumista (c)

The Scent of Christmas Eve 2019 (grey outside but no rain today, and +5C) is the amazing new Puredistance Gold. A suitable scent for Christmas with the beautiful myrrhnote and it´s cold- outdoor -in the wood - impression. Mr Parfumista is wearing  an incense classic, Comme des Garcons Jaisalmer, a perfect match of incense and smooth hot spices which mingels to a very special band-aid note. 
Below is the updated list of the fragrances I've worn for the last sixtheen Christmas Eves:

2018: Rubj Extrait by Vero Kern (warm, glowing orange in spices and elegant white flowers)
2017: Vert de Fleur by Tom Ford (elegant retro but also contemporary austere flowery-green.)
2016: Oud Sublime Parfums de Nicolaï (quality "forest-refreshing" dark green, mossy, woody)
2015: Rose de Taif Extrait Perris Monte Carlo (high class smooth velvety rose petals)
2014: Impossible Iris Ramòn Monegal (an elegant, contempory iris with a delicious rasperrynote)
2013: Quintaesensia Ramòn Monegal, (a special retro styled blend, furry, ambery, herbal/spicy)
2012: Nothing, knocked down by the worst flu in ten years+.
2011: Betrothal, Grossmith (classic, light and exquisite florals)

2010: Cuir Mauresque, Serge Lutens (saddle leather, orangeblossom, jasmine, spices)

2009: Tribute Attar, Amouage (dark leather, smoke, oud, excellent spices)

2008: Incense rosé, Andy Tauer (rose, mandarine, cardamom, myrrh cedar, incense)

2007: Ambre Russe, Parfum d'Empires (boozy amber, the, wood, oriental)

2006: Jil Sander 4, Jil Sander (dark, overripe fruits, white almost withering flowers, oriental spices)

2005: Nuit de Noël, Caron (dusky, retro flowers, moss and a furry note)

2004: Cabochard,  Parfums Grès (leathery chypre, harsh green notes and retro flowers)

2003: Fracas Robert Piguet (the ultimate classic grand tubereuse)

Wish you a Great Fragrant Christmas! 

Anatole Lebreton - Grimoire

Picture: Grimoire
Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

Grimoire is the fifth fragrance in bretonic perfumer Anatole Lebretons robust perfumeline "Parfums de Liberté". For reviews of the earlier releases from the house click here.

Grimoire  starts with distinctive green incense, which is the domiatning note in the whole dry down of the fragrance. The green incense is warm and has a resinous texture. In the backgroumd there is also an accompanying, sharp compact and deep citric note which also is green in appreance, probably the bergamot. In the opening there is also a blast of cummin, which for a while creates an almost sweaty impression but in a nice, horsy way. There are also herbal notes, which are leaning to the dry almost dusty side and conveys the
image of an old half-binding book with its old, dry musty paper and its dry leather.The base also shows some mossy, woody notes.

The overall impression is green, resinious incense, a fragrance with the robust, rual character which is the trademark for the Lebreton style. Grimoire is a fragrance of it's own even if it reminds me to some extent of Parfumerie Générale Bois Blond which lacks the incense but has a similar texture and the rual, natural character. When it comes to the green incense, Grimoire has similarities with Andy Tauers Reverie au Jardin even if the greenery in the Tauer is more sappy and even more outdoor, like resting in the green grass, Grimore is more like reading the old book sitting on the terrace surrounded by the greenery. As a fragrance in the outdoor category,one can perfectly imagine a relaxing stay in the countryside wearing Grimoire. Other fragrances which conveys that relaxed outdoor feeling (even if not smelling alike) are for example Pafumerie Générale Papyrus de Ciane and Parfums de Nicolaï Week End a Deauville.

Grimoire is an intense perfume, it is strong with 24h longevity and should be applied carefully. It's sort of
addictive, the more I try it, the more I like it. Grimoire is a daytime casual, fragrance, unisex, leaning to the
masculine side. It's suitable year around except when warm in summer. For that season there is better to wear the more hayish, flowery, green L'Eau de Merzhin also from Lebreton.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, patchouli, musk, basil, moss, cedar, lavender, elemi, olibanum, cumin

UNUM - LAVS

Picture: A swedish fir in the middle of the long, cold winter
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

LAVS is the first fragrance from the House of UNUM. The house started as an atellier for constructing, maintaining and taking care of  liturgical vestments. The Vatican is an important cuetomer and LAVS has a fascinating backgrund. It started as a roomfragrance which is used in the atelliers and also to scent the robes and vestments when packaged for delivery. The wearer of LAVS in other words has the same olfactory aura around as the Pope himself, at least when he wears his UNUM vestments :-) . The creative director and spirit of UNUM is Filippo Sorcinelli which has many artistic skills, for example he is an a church organist and also expriments with painting. His businesspartner Marcello is a tailor who seeks perfection in the creative process creating the UNUM coustumes. More about the backgorund and inspiration of UNUM look here.

The perfumer is a person very close to UNUM’S world who prefers remain hidden, he translates in fragrances the emotions and the ideas of the creative director.

LAVS opens spectacular with an accord containing fresh and brisk birchtar, a very thick and dense, almost honeyed incense and a rubbery note close to fresh, new, tires. There is also a light, smokey note, like smoke from a campfire made of dry pinewood a cold winterdaym with high, dry air in the coniferous forest. The impression is somehow clean, outdoorsy despite the thick notes. After a while a fresh (fresh seems to be the common factor here) and soft leathernote appears followed by a metallic note that bridges over to the middlenotes. In the middle- and basenotes, LAVS calms down and connects to the ordinary incensetrack, most close to Comme des Garcons Avignon and Montale Full Incense, minus the aldehydes of the latter, but also with traces form other Commes des Garcons incenses such as the cold pine in Kyoto and the note similar to a textile band-aid from Jaisalmer. The putty, almost powdery texture in the basenotes reminds me also of Making of Cannes Rocher Princier.

Picture: The stylish bottle of LAVS
Photo: PR UNUM (c)

Not as churchy as Avignon, LAVS has more of a cold, outdoorsy aura. My sons reaction was "It smells like Finland" probably the birchtar, the smokey, sauna like notes as also the cold, airy vibes of LAVS evokes the association of our beautiful neighboring country. Robert Piguet Oud also has this cold outdoorsy feeling and even if not containing oud, LAVS has a similarity to RP Oud in its texture and expression.

LAVS is unisex, appropriate for all seasons expect in the warm days in the summer. Longevity is for more than a day, sillage is medium in the first stage, then close to skin, LAVS after all is in perfume strength.

LAVS starts incredible, the first on third is the most interesting incensefragrance I've tried so far, (and I have tested many :-). From the middlenotes to the base, LAVS to some extent "dissapoints" in the way that it doesn't live up to the extraordinary first part. But LAVS anyway, even if the originality has disappered, is a very good high quality incensefragrance also in the later stages. As I'm sick and tired of fragrances that starts exciting and then morphs into something common that I've smelled so many times before, LAVS shouldn't deserve  the highest rating. But in this case the first part is so spectacular and the rest just as good as for example Avignon (which is a favorite of mine) and therefore LAVS gets

Rating: 5

Notes: Jasmine, cardamon, black pepper, elemi, coriander, clovs, labdanum, opoponax, palisander, amber, oakmoss, tonka been

Aedes de Venustas - Copal Azur

Picture: Views of the South Seas, a set of four,
HMS Resolution and Discovery in Tahiti
Watercolour by James Cleveley (1747-1786),
Wikipedia commons
 

New York based perfumstore and also perfume house Aedes de Venustas has, like so many others, also accelerated their launch rate the latest year. Copal Azur realeased in late 2014 is their second latest one. Copal Azur is composed by Bertrand Duchaufour.

Copal Azur starts with an accord dominated by a sort of smooth, rounded but in the same time distinct incensenote. The incense is not as heavy or sharp as in the traditional church insence personified by the classic  Commes des Garcons Avignon. Further on an accompanyng accord appears. This accord reminds me of a something woody, coconutty in a airy, humid, salty surrunding, there is also a slight woody-green note present. I get an image of a palm-tree situated on a beach, the weather is becoming worse, grey skies are appearing over the sea and the wind is increasing and with flurries. From the still sunwarmed palm-tree trunk, one can smell the tree resin, balsamic-woody with hints of coconut. As Copal Azur dries down further down, the resin qualities strengthens as also the spicy ones and in the same time the fragrance also becomes  ambery sweet. Maybe, at least when it comes to my nose, a bit too sweet when compared to the intitial airy-incense phase of the fragrance. Even if a different incensesmell, the airy pine-incense Oriza L.Legrand Relique D'Amour comes to my mind as it's also the airy incense concept but sutiated in the North whereas Copal Azur is the airy incense of the shores in the countries around the equator.
Recently I watched a documentary on television about Captain James Cook and I can imagine the smell of Copal Azur when the ship anchored by the islands in the South Pacific.

Picture: The beautiful Copal Azur bottle.
Photo: PR Aedes de Venustas (c)

Copal Azur is refreshing and pleasant to wear especially in spring and summer but could also be suitable in autumn and winter when in the right mood for this type of high and airy incense. It's a daytime fragrance, perfect for both work and casual. Silllage is medium and longevity for a day. Copal Azur is totally unisex.

Those who likes different kinds of airy incense fragrances as for example the dry, woody, high Incense Extreme by Andy Tauer, the light slight flowery incense Encens d'Ange by Autour de Parfums as well as the airy-aldehydic "Chanelesque" incense of Montale Full Incense could also like Copal Azur.

Rating: 4

Notes: Incense, salt, ozonic notes, patchouli, cardamom, tonkabeen, amber, myrrh

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try

Serge Lutens - L'orpheline

Picture: L'orpheline
Photo: PR Serge Lutens

L'orpheline is the latest fragrance from Serge Lutens and it's a part of the square (spary) bottles line, sometimes also called the exportline. As the black label indicates, its a stronger concentration, and more expensive than the whitelabeled bottles. Perfumer is Christopher Sheldrake, the former inhouseperfumer of Serge Lutens, now also with Chanel. As with most of Lutens latest creations, there is a backstory to L'orpheline which has it's background in Lutens childhood, the relation to his mother and his analyze of his feelings of the time.

L'orpheline starts with an almost refreshing combination of aldehydes, a cold, woody,almost green incensenote similar to pine. After a while it becomes warmer and light woody, herbaceous and as the fragrance further dries down, a peppery twist of the incensenote similar to the one in Parfumerie Gènèrale L'Eau Guerrière, appears but only with a fraction of the strength of the latter. As the drydown goes furhter on, a comforting, slight soapy note appers, soften the incense without any sweetness. There is also traces of the chilly, fresh pinelike incensenote from the initial blast of L'orpheline, a note which is also present, but stronger, in Robert Piguet Oud and in Oriza L.Legrand Relique D'Amour. The dominating accord in the middle of the fragrance is this simple but beautiful combination of fresh incense and soapy aldehydes.

Reaching the base the special pleasant slight wet, powdery, putty and musky note appears which I like in creations as Chanel 1932 and several other good contemporary fragrances, here is the link to a special post about this basenote. In L'orpheline that special note is combined with incense and creates an alternately chilly and tepid impression. Overall, L'orpheline in its latest stage reminds me very much of Chanel 1932, without jasmine and with more incense. And probably is that not a coincidence taken Sheldrakes role in both houses into account.

L'orpheline is a subtle, lowkey skinscent with low silage. Longevity for a day but a bit weak in the latest stage. Office-appropriate but also casual mostly for intellectual leisures as visiting an art exhibition or a classic concert. L'orpheline is a fragrance for contemplating and situations that require some sort of tranquility. First it not seems very original as there are traces of other fragrances, but  when worn and properly evaluated, this is in my opinion a new way to treat incense, in a low key, comforting way. Anyway L'orpheline is intriguing (triggering the imagination) and pleasant to wear.

Update December 2014: Cold weather makes the best of L'orpheline, it's a awesome fragrance, easy to wear, intriguing, which means that you get compliments. One of the best releases of 2014.

Rating: 4 5 (December 2014)

Notes: Aldehydes, coumarin (fougere accord), woods, ambergris, patchouli, incense, chasmerean
(notelist from Perfumeshrine as Serge Lutens doesn't reveal the notes on the site)

Neela Vermeire Creations - Ashoka

Picture: Ashoka in its sylish, Indian inspired bottle
Photo: PR Neela Vermeire Creations (c) 

Ashoka is the latest of  Neela Vermeires Creations and it will be released later this week. Thanks to Neela I've got the opportunity to test a sample of this intriguing fragrance in advance. Ashoka, as also the first three fragrances in the Neela Vermeire line, is created by the top perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour. The inspiration to the perfume comes from an Indian Emperor Ashoka (304-232 BC) a qruel conquer who transformed to a relativley nice guy when he found Buddha.

Ashoka starts intriguing, there is a note that reminds me of lemon balm, which is not mentioned among the ingredients and there is also something thats reminds me of sandalwood. The fragrance has a slight spicy, green, almost foody character, much like green currypaste smoothed by coconut milk. This early stage of Ashoka reminds me of the context of (even if not smelling close) the gourmand (= Asian food, not sweeties) Etat Libre d'Orange Fils de Dieu du riz et des Agrumes, but Ashoka is more distinct in style. After a while notes of figs, both leaf and fruit, enters. The fignotes are so well blended that they don't stand out separately, they contributes with their different ascpects of green, the smooth, milky fruit and the fizzy green of the leaves. Watery and a tad powdery floral notes adding additional dimensions to the the milky fig greenery and the mix is somehow calming and comforting. It's like resting in the shadow at the side of a pond in an oriental garden a very hot day. When Ashoka is settled in the base, the green balsam fir and the incense is dominating and in this phase Ashoka reminds me of Andy Tauers Reverie au Jardin but smoother and milkier in texture.

My overall impression of Ashoka is an oriental styled interpretation of Un Reverie au Jardin, green notes, incense and balsam fir is mutual and take central roles in both fragrances. When I wear Ashoka I think of it as an warm Un Reverie au Jardin.  Ashoka is spicier, smoother and warmer where Un Reverie au Jardin is dewy, balmy and aromatic with its lavander. Even if providing a mutual impression in style, the differences are are sufficient, Ashoka and Un Reverie au Jardin are sort of Yin & Yang, which complement each other in an excellent way.

Ashoka is a high quality fragrance in which naturals are predominant. Fig, insence and fir balm in a smooth, green context is dominating according to my nose. Ashoka is intriguing and there is always something going on during the whole dry down. The longevity is good 12h+ and the radiance is a bit louder  than most of the first Neela Vermeire trio Mohur, Bombay Bling and Trayee. According to my nose, even if  unisex, Ashoka is the most masculine from the Neela Vermeire Creations so far. Probably thats the reason, even if a very well done fragrance, why Ashoka doesn't click with my chemistry as well as the first three creations and the retro beauty Mohur Extrait which will be reviewed later this week. Ashoka is a must try for admirers of the Neela Vermeire Creations and for fine fragrances in general.

Rating: 4

Notes: Fig leaf, leather, white and pink lotus, mimose, fig tree, osmanthus, rose, water hyacinth, vetiver, styrax, incense, sandalwood, myrrh, tonka bean, balsam fir

Ashoka and the other Neela Vermeire Creations could be bought directly from Neelas E-Boutique
I can recommend the discoveryset.

Oriza L.Legrand - Rêve d'Ossian

Picture:Rêve d'Ossian (Ossians dream)
Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, oil on canvas 1813
Wikimedia commons

Rêve d'Ossian from the old, established 1720 as a producer of hair and whig-powder, Oriza L.Legrand, is a woody oriental with major elements of incense. The house Oriza L.Legrand is conncting to its heritage with newly created fragrances with inspiration from the past. When it comes to Rêve d'Ossian the inspiration is to quote themarketing buzz: "Ossianizm is a romantic poetry style in Europe in the XIX centurary. Ossian is the narrator and purported author of a cycle of celtic and epic poems. Ossian was influent of the developement of the romantic movement of the XVIIIth and the XIXth century. The poems achieved international success (Napoleon Bonaparte was a great fan) and many writers, paniters and artists were influenced by the works, including Ingres, Schubert and Oriza L.Legrand Parfumes. The work also had a timly resonance for those swept away by the romantic movement and the teory of the "noble savage".

How does this romantic perfume that make us dream like Ossian smell? It depends on in which phase as Rêve d'Ossian has different guises in different stages of its dry down. Rêve d'Ossian starts as a fragrance where incense is the prominent but not totally dominant note as in most "straight forward" incensefragrances. The incense is embedded with sweet, woody and tart notes which creates an intriguing and wellbalanced composition. As Rd'O developes the incense emerges back and forward, in different strenghts and positions versus the other woody and resin notes. Even if not mentioned among the notes, to my nose vanilla or a note akin to vanilla is present in the blend. But on the other hand, vanillic notes could also be present as some vanilic substanses are extracted from wood. When Rd'O is resting in the basenotes for many hours, the sweet, woody notes at least are overcoming the incense. Especially in this stage Rd'O reminds me of a gentler and smoother version of Diors Dolce Vita, the 1990s formulation, but Dolce Vita has sharper, cedarwood notes. Also in some earlier stages when sweeter notes are interacting with the woods and incense, the latter not appearant in Dolce Vita, Dolce Vita comes to my mind. There is also a conncetion to Shiseido Feminte du Bois just as in the case of Dolce Vita. Also the beautiful, wellbalanced incensefragrances from Maria Candida Gentile Sideris and Exultat comes to my mind.These fragrances highlighting, just as Rd'O, the incense as a protagonist, but not as a note that overwhelms the other.

Rêve d'Ossian is a beautiful, a bit sweet, woody, incense perfume, the perfect comfortblanket for chilly days. A very interesting and versatile fragrance that enjoys the wearer during the whole dry down. Longevity is very good and the sillage is close to the wearer. In some stages a bit too close but strangly enough, it recovers in strange in a later phase and this "phenomen" is appearing several times during the dry down.

Rating:  5

Notes: Incense, Aldehydes, Maritime Pine, Cinnamon, Benzoin, Elemi, Tonka Bean, Guaiac Wood, Opoponax, Balsamic notes, Sandalwood, Leather, Labdanum, Amber, Musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample used to test this beautiful fragrance. F&A has, among others, a exquisite selection of some unusual, quality fragrances.

Rêve d'Ossian Oriza L.Legrand
Photo from Fragrance & Art 

Histoires de Parfums - Vici

Picture: Victory, Bronze quadriga on Wellington Arch, London, England

Photo: Kadellar (cc) Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved.

Vici is the third installment in the Julius Ceasar conquest inspired trio where houseperfumer  Gérald Ghislain examines different facetts of cardamom. The Veni, Vidi, Vici fragrances are a part of the Edition rare line.

As Vici is the scent of victory, my expectations were something powerful. Instead, Vici is a nice and comfortable fragrance with medium projection. The dominating note to me is incense, and here of course we have the connection to victory. In the Roman, as in many anciant cultures, and almost until today, incense is burned to celebrate victory. The incense in Vici is the dry, transparent and white (if I use a color to image the note) incense of one of my favourite incenses, Andy Tauers Incense Extreme. But in Vici the incense is tuned down some notches. The other note that is distinct to me is a iris very similar to the iris that  complements the tubereuse in the terrific Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse I Capricieuse. The cardamom? I can smell the note in the opening accord together with some flowery notes which together creates a herbal touch of the top. The iris and incense then stepping into the front with the incense getting more prodominant as longer the drydown proceeds to the balanced woody-musk base.

As Veni and Vidi, Vici is also a pleasant, wearable but not especially original fragrance, something that maybe could be expected from a Edition rare line. To me, the regular Hdp line is over all better and more original than the two Edtiton Rare lines. I almost get the feeling that the main work is done for the regular line and that some of what is developed during that process is recycled in the Edition rare line. But this is just a speculation.

Vici would be appreciated by those who likes incense fragrances but also some irises as the one mentioned above and also Hermés Kelly Caleche as KC has a flowery-green-vegetal texture that have similarities with the flowery aspects of Vici.

Rating: 3+

Notes: Angelica, cardamom, red fruit, basil, violet leaf, galbanum, aldehydes, iri, osmanthus, incense, celery seed, patchouli, musk, cedar, raspberry

Place des Lices – Pepper/Poivre

Picture: Piperaceae - Piper nigrum, Curtis’s botanical magazine,

 London 1832, Wikimedia Commons

My favourite from the house of Place des Lieces from what I have tested so far is the light and clean incensefragrance Pepper/Poivre which I reviewed in Swedish a year ago. Despite its name, to my nose Poivre is first of all an incense frgrance and second a pepperfragrance, but of course I’m no expert. Below is an extract in English of what I wrote about Poivre a year ago:

The Incense of Poivre

is high and clear, it’s not a heavy, dense church incense but more of the incense sticks burned outdoors in Asisa, perhaps outside a Buddhist temple high up in the Himalya. I think the incense note is reminiscent of a more modest and subdued version of the high and clean incense in Andy Tauers wonderful Incense Extreme. When it comes to Pepper / Poivre there is no risk of overdosing, which may occur in case Incense Extreme Pepper / Poivre also gives me associations to the wonderful interpretation of the air and surroundings in Bhutan, the wonderful Dzongkha by L’Artisan Parfumeur.

Pepper / Poivre, has a refreshing and almost cleansing effect. It is subtle and close to skin and fits perfectly in most settings during the day all year round. Can imagine that it is perfect in summer just as it feels like a welcome relief from all the spicy, sweet and mulled wine scents of the coming Christmas. Despite Pepper / Poivres lightness and transparency, it remains, although weakened, but unfragmented until the evening. Another plus with Pepper / Poivre is that it is a nichefragrance which is reasonable priced.

Rating: 4

Notes: Pepper, pink pepper, cummin, sage, leather, patchouli, musk, amber

Robert Piguet - Casbah

Picture: Kasbahs in Aït Benhaddou, southern Morocco
Photo: Donar Reiskoffer (cc) Wikkimedia Commons, some rights reserved

Casbah is an oriental spicy perfume, dominated by incense, created by Aurelien Guichard for Robert Piguet
as a part of the Nouvelle Collection.

Casbah starts with an accord that reminds me of grated orange peel that has absorbed a spicy mix dominated by incense. As there is no orange peel in the note description, I guess there is a note that emerges from the incense combined with some other note/notes. Because incense is the most dominating note in this well balanced fragrance. The incense is there together with the orangepeel and spicy smell troughout the whole composition. The cedar and the vetiver of the base is detectable in the later stages of Casbah and adds an almost tart aspect to this composition that overall seems to be a linear fragrance in construction.

To me Casbah is most of all an incensefragence that is embedded by spices and tobbacco which makes the incensenote rounder and smoother, in some stages almost balmy. Casbah evokes the picture of an oriental spice market to me or maybe the smells from inside the casbah, from the kitchen and from the Hammmam. But there is also, an in this context strange trace of catholisism in the fragrance, as I think the incense in Casbah is like a gentler version of the note as presented in Commes de Garcons Avignon. There are also similarities with Montales Full Incense but the latter has more of resin-ambery notes where Casbah has its spices instead.

Even if note the most imigative incensefregrance on the market, Casbah is a very wellconstructed, wellblended incense fragrance of high quality that causes compliments from surrounding people. It's definitly easier to wear than Avignon but it's no less characterful. The blend is very powerful and has to be applied with caution. The sillage is medium and the longevity is 24h+. Casbah is the perfect fragrance for the cold and dark winter and will be the perfect match for Christmas, drinking mulled wine in front of a fireplace with icy winds wining outside the doorstep.

Rating: 5

Notes:  Angelica, nutmeg, pepper, iris, incense, tobacco, vetiver, cedar

Maria Candida Gentile – Sideris

Picture: Piazza del Campo, Siena,

Photo by Ricardo André Frantz (Tetraktys), (cc),

Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved

Sideris by Maria Candida Gentile transports me to a small, Italian town, uncertain what century. Sideris to me is an ongoing exhange between the heat outside on the town square and the coolness in the medival church at the center by the square. But in the cool church there is also an almost sweet warmth, from the myrrh and incense burned as from the wax candles lighted during the mass. There is also some obscure, almost decaying notes lurking in the background, maybe deriving from what’s hiding below the stone floor of the church.

Sideris is all about a warm and fullbodied almost sweet incense. It starts spicy and with sweetness from the myrrh. In this stage, strangely enough I get an impression that is partly similar to Jean Claude Ellenas tropical-night blend Flora Bella from Lalique, probably due to the sweet myrrh and the dark, velvety feeling. As the dry down proceeds, the incense gets more pronounced. The incense and the whole fragrance stays warm, thick and dense during its whole dry down.The color of Sideris to me is dark, velvety blue, as the sky with twinkling stars during a mediterrian night.

Sideris is to me eternal and represent a scent in style that I can image have been used during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Sideris also reminds me of the impressions of another eternal scent, Etros Messe de Minuit even if that one is much more flowery, light and transparent in style, it also have some of this both pleasant and unpleasent churchy notes described above.

Sideris warms up a grey and rainy day and as with all MCG I think of Sideris as officefriendly.Unisex in style. Great longevity, at least 24 hours and a distinct but not intruding sillage.

Rating: 5

Notes: Labdanum, saffran, myrrh, pepper, incense, rose, sandalwood, benzoin, woody notes

Amouage - Opus VI

Picture: Sichuan pepper. Photo: Chameleon (cc)

Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved

For a later impression of Opus VI, scroll down.
Opus VI is the latest creation (haven't found out by who it's created) in the fast expanding Library Collection of Amouage. Regarding Amouage, my preferences so far is by the main Amouage perfumeline, even if I  really appreciate Opus I and Opus III from the Library Collection.

Opus VI is said to be an ambre, leather, woody compositon and although these notes are present in the composition, they are overall far surpassed by other notes. Not surprising Opus VI opens with a beautiful almost airy ambery note supported by the typical Amouage frankincense-housenote. The incense note advances rapidly supported by strong sichuan pepper at the expense of the pleasant amber and the incense/pepper are soon the stars of the show. The intense incense stage is continuing for hours, supported by pepper and other distinctive spicy/woody notes. When Opus VI reaches the basenotes the pepper/incense calms down, but are still clearly present when hints of the subtle amber comes thorugh  together with wiffs of a well modulated patchouli and sandalwood. The ambernote becomes more distinctive ande the incense/pepper balanced the more the basenotes developes. There is also an almost paperlike, very dry note which probably derives from the vanillanote that I can also detect during the latest stages of the drydown. The latest stages are my favourite parts of Opus VI.

Overall Opus VI is a good fragrance, by superior ingredients. That despite of that Opus VI to my untrained nose maybe is a bit unbalanced as the incense and peppernotes are allowed to dominate the composition almost compleatly. To the price of EUR 275 I also expect something more original. I have already smelled a bunch of similar perfumes as: Montale Dark Oud (peppery with sandalwood), Carner Barcelona Cuirs (peppery spicy leather), Montale Aoud Musk (peppery with musk) and also within the Opus line Opus II (peppery aromatic) and the most similar of all, Amouages Epic Man which bears some greener notes. The peppery anorectic amber Opus VI  definitely provides a good alternative in this genre of fragrances and it's of course up to the wearer to find out which one that best suits the personal taste.

Opus VI is wearable, both for business and pleasure, year around expect in the warmest summertemperatures. It's a unisex fragrance that to my nose slightly lends towards the masculine territory.

Rating: 3+ (March 2012) Rating  5 (May 2012) Reassessment - A few months later I suddenly adore Opus VI. I think the dosage is the key to Opus VI. With only one spritz applied a lovely, almost soapy, oudy, spicy, ambery quality appears. I also smell a note similar to dark and dry choclate and the sandalwood note is obvious but anyway doesn't take the center. Very well blended and so beautiful even if not the most original creation.

Notes: Bay, frankincense, sichuan pepper, nagarmotha, silk wine, patchouli, sandalwood, labdanum, amber

Thanks to Amouage for providing a sample to test.

Erik Kormann – Eau de Fröliche

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Eau de Fröliche by the Berliner soaptrader Erik Kormann is a sweet and happy little perfume, just as it’s name reveals. Little in the meaning that it conveys the feeling of the image of the little quite Pug that is featured on the bottle.  The name perfectly matches this blend.

Eau de Fröliche is perfume that could be classified as a light gourmand. It starts with notes of a bath foam that contains sweet, but not too sweet, berry notes. Despite this, Eau de Fröliche never develops to be cloying, it avoids cross the border of smelling, too sweet, berry and chemical as for exemple Vichy Tiel’s Sirène, a fragrance that come to my mind when testing Eau de Fröliche. According to the description of Eau de Fröliche there is inscense in the brew, but I can only smell diminutive traces of it, probably because I know it’s there.

Eau de Fröliche is a straight forward composition, pretty linear and by no means a complicated blend, wearable during daytime for most occasions. It’s the a typical NICE and non-offensive fragrance that doesn’t make a statement, it’s just comfortably there. Taken in consideration that there is something that reminds me of a more tuned down and polished  LUSH-product I think the price 65 EUR/50 ml is a little too high. This compared with the fact that you can receive a quality blend as for example a 100 ml Mona di Orio to the price of 125 EUR.

Rating: 2+

Notes: Raspberry, fruity notes, cardamom, frankincense, iris, tonka bean, tolu balsam, vanilla, patchouli, rosewood

By Kilian - Incense Oud

Bild: Frankincense from Yemen,

Foto: snotch, some rights reserved, Wikimedia Commons

Det blir en sakral inledning på Påsken. Incense Oud är den tredje i By Kilians orientaliskt inspirerade serie Arabian Nights. Incense Oud är enligt de flesta källor skapad av Sidonie Lancesseur, enligt andra av Calice Becker som skapat de flesta av By Kilians och så även de första två dofterna i Arabian Nights.

Incense Oud inleds med milda och runda rökelseträ noter, de är inte så starka, skarpa och offensiva som i exempelvis Montales Full Incense eller Comme des Garcons Avignon. Men mitt allra första intryck är för några microsekunder faktiskt något från öppningen i Teo Cabanels Alahine !. Jag känner också en lagerbärsliknande ton bland rökelseträet och en mjuk kådighet. I den andra delen av Incense Oud är det trä och patchoulli som dominerar balanserad med ros på ett så subtilt sätt att den bara anas som en stödjande not. Visst har Incense Oud likheter med sina föregångare i Arabian Night serien Pure Oud och Rose Oud, även om dessa faktiskt som namnen äger innehåller oud. Basen i Incense oud har likheter med den i Pure Oud, minus oud, läder och gummiartade "tuffa"noter. Till exempel den lagerbärsliknande noten känner jag igen från Pure Oud. Kan tänka mig att Pure Oud utgör basen i serien runt man varierar övriga dofter. Reviewer av Pure Oud och Rose Oud kommer längre fram.

För mig är Incense Oud en sofistikerad rökelseträdoft men ingen ouddoft. En sådan där mörk, hemilghetsfull parfym i genren incense-patchoulli-mörk ros-oud-kådor-ambra-musk som är min absoluta favoritgenre av doft och som gör att jag inte kommer igång med vår och sommardofter hur mycket jag än vill!

Vad jag hänger upp mig på i Incense Oud är att man kallar den oud även om jag inte känner någon oud och ingrediensen heller inte finns angiven i notförteckningen. Kanske är det som Elena på bloggen Perfume Shrine spekulerar: Att man lagt in ordet oud av rent marknadstekniska skäl, för rida på slutfasen(?) av oudtrenden se http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/2011/02/by-kilian-incense-oud-fragrance-review.html. I min värld är Incense Oud istället en typisk mukhallat dvs en blandning, som kan innehålla oud men inte behöver göra det. Så den borde alltså heta Mukhallat Incense.

Sammanfattningsvis är Incense Oud en mild, rund, sammetsmjuk och diskret doft med liten projektion. Det är en doft som bäraren njuter av för sig själv. Passar utmärkt både i formella och informella sammanhang, helt enkelt en mycket användbar doft. Värd att prova även om man redan har en typisk rökelseträdoft, Incense Oud har sin egen tvist på temat. Enda negativa är att Incense Oud har en, i mitt tycke, för liten projektion.

Betyg: 4

Noter: Kardemumma, peppar, ros, geranium, grapefrukt, papyrus, cederträ, patchoulli, rökelseträ (incense), sandelträ, ekmossa, labdanum, mysk,

Påskdofter

Foto: Herr Parfumista (c)

Nästan varje år har jag skrivit om påskdofter precis innan påsk. Påskdofter finns i olika doftfamiljer och olika år, känner jag för olika typer. Vissa år är det gröna och lökiga dofter som ger associationer till påskens blommor, andra år tar den sakrala känslan över med rökelsedofter och vissa år dominerar dofter med draging åt godishållet. Förra året var det den senare kategorin som gällde för mig med Montales White Oud som paradnummer, det finns en mashmallowsliknande not i WO. För att variera påsktemat något lämnar jag i år förslag på passande dofter i respektive kategori.

Sakrala dofter (incense)

Incense Extreme (Andy Tauer): Hög, ljus, kall och klar rökelse.
Messe de Minuit (Etro): Rökelse med smått abnorma undertoner.
Avignon (Comme des Garcons): Katolsk mässa, en masse.

Grönt, krispigt, lökiga dofter

Chamade (Guerlain): Hyacint och krispiga lökväxtblad.
Vent Vert (Pierre Balmain): Grön, stram galbanum.
Parfum Subtil (Salvatore Ferragamo): Krispiga, kyliga, tulpaner.

Dofter med godisnoter

Havana Vanille (L'Artisan Parfumeur): Romindränkt vanilj.
Angel (Thierry Mugler): Mörk choklad tillsammans med patchoulli.
Nina (Nina Ricci): Kanderat äpple.

Vilka dofter känner du för inför Påsken?

Glad Påsk till alla Parfumistor!