An early Autumn stroll in an amazing fragrance

 

Picture: Royal Castle Ulriksdal ca 1638-45
Photo: Parfumista (c)

This weekend there was sunny weather and with summertempratures. Perfect for a walk combined with capturing the first impressions of a  wonderful perfume. This perfume seems to be created for a royal but at the same time it's somehow relaxing in its performance. 

Picture: The Victoria Tower on the horizon, contemporary
 architecture dedicated to the Crownprincess of Sweden
 Photo: Parfumista (c)

If this multifaceted perfume had a color, it is definitly blue as in the pictures from my walk. The texture is like a dense fluid, as if clean water could be dense like flowing, thick silk. Even though the fluid impression, this perfume is also somehow dry in its texture. 

Picture:  Reminds me of the texture of
the amazing fragrance I was wearing during the walk...
Photo: Parfumista (c)

 

The excellent ingredients of the perfume are combined in different layers and in a a way that gives new experiences with each wearing. Yesterday during the walk the clean fluid character with a smooth patchouli, oakmoss and orris (?) was the dominating impression, today the performance was more on the dry side and  for a moment I could smell a  soft exquisite leathernote in the dry down. 

So much is going on in this beautiful fragrance, it's like a fragrancejourney in itself.  Of course it requires  more evaluation  and  I'm planning to continue with a "proper review" later this autumn. 

Last but not least, Which one is this Master Parfume? Thank you Puredistance for the opportunity to try Nathalie Feisthauer's PUREDISTANCE NO.12

Picture: Puredistance no.12 in its beautiful
blue flacon
photo: puredistance (c)

Rania J. - Cuir Andalou

Picture: Ziryab, one of the most famous musicians in Cordoba
 playing the oud, a musical instrument similar to a lute.
Poster illustrating  Cuir Andalou from Rania J. (c)

Rania Jouaneh is an independent perfumer with her own house Rania J. which has built a collection of wellcrafted fragrances with a high content of natural ingredients and with an oriental vibe. Rania dosen't rush releasing fragrances but now her new creation, Cuir Andalou dedicated to leather and supported by oud is here.

Cuir Andalou starts with a very dry leathernote and a light, slight fizzy, uplifting, clean dry spicy, slight peppery note I suspect it's the saffron. There's also an oudnote, clean and not smokey as often when combined with leather. The composition is like leather and pepper mixed with crisp, cold and clear high mountain air. Neroli is also present and brings the scent a vision of a garden with orangetrees in the palace of Alhambra. The orange, neroli and other flowery elements changes the apperance from slight chilly to golden and glowing, probably the saffron also contributes  to this impression. When Cuir Andalou dries further down, the well balanced clean oud spicy dry leather dominates but now in the warmer texture. In the basenotes there is also a touch of a animalic note, barely noticeable on my skin and a fine, dry, non smokey sort of embedded in golden nuances, vetiver which is prominent on me. The impression of the basenotes is as the fragrance is grounded in the dry, dusty, glowing Andalusian earth.

Picture: Cuir Andalou
Photo: Rania J. (c)

Cuir Andalou is a real wristsniffer, I catch myself constantly sniffing my wrists constantly during a day of wearing. An addictive experience (I'm craving Cuir Andalou in these grey autumn days). The fragrance is in the same genre as some other spicy/peppery-leathery-oud fragrances but Cuir Andalou is made with a feminine touch. It's not the rough, peppery, smokey variety Cuir Andalou is sort of fine cut with noble traits compared to the archetype of the genre. The sillage is medium+ and longevity great, it's still unfragmented after 12h and unfragmented traces are left after 24h. Suitable for year around, unisex but compared to most representatives of the genre, it's leaning more to the feminine side.

Cuir Andalou reminds me at bit of the dry, spicy texture of Robert Piguet Casbah without the smoke and the incense. As mentioned above it has something in common with leathery ouds in general but it's drier and doesen't contain the smokey note. So even if some similarities, Cuir Andalou is a frag of its own.

Rating: 5

Notes: Leather, rose, iris, neroli, patchouli, saffron, violet, castoreum, vetiver, sandalwood, oud

Anatole Lebreton - L'Eau Scandaleause

Picture: L'eau Scandaleuse

Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

L'Eau Scandaleause is the second in the interesting perfumeline of Anatole Lebreton. L'Eau Scandaleuse starts with a dry, minimalistic, cold tubereuse not at all the big, lush, tropical varity, this is a windswept tubey of the north. The tubereuse is mingeling with a fresh, just tanned leather, with clear animalic, sort  of tart and tangy smell. The leather has not the rubbery, smokey structure as is common in many niche leathers, the leather in L'Eau Scandaleuse is clear, somehow clean and refreshing despite the animalic touch. On my skin the leather is the dominating note, well supported by the tubereuse. The interpretation of the leather is splendid, one of the most natural smelling leathernote I've experienced in a perfume. Every lover of leather perfumes has to test this one. L'Eau Scandaleuse is an excellent fragrance in the style and expression of Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse 3 Animale even if not smelling similar, the HdP is a warm immortelle tubereuse. The coldness of the leather reminds me of the almost stone-leather note of Etat Libre D'Orange Rien and the fluid coolness of Helmut Lang Cuiron in the old formula, havn't smelled the reissue.

L'Eau Scandaleuse is suitable to wear year around but not in the hottest day of the summer. It's an outdoor perfume, proper for the stable and riding out, with its powerful apperance. One has to be careful in applying before entering office. Longevity is, as all the Lebreton fragrances very good, about 24h and sillage is grand. L'Eau Scandaleuse is an amazing, intriguing perfume which triggers my imagination during the days of testing.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, peach, artemisia, tuberose, ylang-ylang, leather, castoreum, nagarmotha, oakmoss

Etat Libre D'Orange - Rien Intense Incense

Picture: Frau vor untergehender Sonne
(Sonnenuntergang, Sonnenaufgang, Frau in der Morgensonne)
Painting of Caspar Friedrich David, between 1818 and 1820
Wikimedia commons

Rien Intense Incense is a reworking of the powerful Rien which is a favorite of mine from the Etat Libre d'Orange-line. I read at Fragrantica that the old Rien was reformulated in 2014 and now is much softer. There are speculations that the Rien Intense is a replacement for the old powerful formula of Rien as Rien Intense Incense also was released 2014. When refering to Rien below, I refer to the pre-reformulation version which I also reviewed earlier this week.

Rien Intense Incense (RII) starts with a smokey, almost burnt leathernote, similar to the same note in Rien. I can also smell light touches of chilly flowers, probably the iris and cold aspects of rose.There is a lightness and almost sparkle to the accords, probably the aldehydes. This impression is more or less present also in the later stages of the perfume. Further on there is also a rubbery note, as fresh rubber from new tires and a very light, on the verge to powdery (but not at all sweet) quality appears as a veil swirling around the fragrance. The incense is intricatly interwoven as I can't detect it as a singular note but it is somehow present, almost like a shadow. The for some ELDO fragrances typical balsamic accord which has traces of something smelling close to a woody coconut is present in most of the dry down of RII. The same coconut like accord is also apperant in Kerosene Copper Skies which is also the fragrance besides Rien I come to think of when sampling RII. In the basenotes, the flowery facetts re-appears but this time it smells of tubereuse, a note which isn't mentioned in the notelist, it's like it evolves from the coconut accord and mingles beautiful with that and (in this late stage) the slight smokey leathernote.

Picture: Rien Intense Incense
Photo: PR Etat Libre d'Orange (c)

Even if very strong and powerful, RII smells more rounded and less rough than the original, pre-formulation Rien. There is not the same pronunced construction site + wet concrete in RII as in old Rien, RII is also a tad sweeter, warmer and the spices are somehow more apparent. RII is quite linear with some minor variations in the different stages, for example the flowers in the first part of the fragrance. I'm experiencing Rien as the sauvage one and RII as a more refined and well-behaved (everything is relative) but anyway intriuging to wear. There is something dark mysterious and compelling about RII, it's more dreaming in character, just as the painting illustrating this post.

The old formula Rien and RII somehow complements each other and I assume that this is also even more the case with the new, softer formula. If owning the old Rien it is questionable whether it's worth owning the RII, it depends on how much one appreciate the fragrance, each formula highlighting different aspects.

Rien Intense Incense is perfect for the colder months but also for rainy days in the summer. Maybe also for a warm day as the above mentioned Copper Skies suprisingly had a great development when I tested it a warm summerday some years ago. RII is perfectly unisex, sillage is grand and longevity for at least 24h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Aldehydes, caraway, bergamot, rose, iris, incense, amber, patchouli, labdanum, moss

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try

Oriza L.Legrand - Cuir de l'Aigle Russe

Picture: Cuir de l'Aigle Russe
Photo: PR Oriza L.Legrand

Following my Oriza theme last week on twitter, here comes my review of their latest one.
Cuir de l'Aigle Russe is the latest creation of the great house of vintagestyled perfumes - Oriza L.Legrand.
Cuir de l'Aigle Russe has a note list longer than the pedrigree of the Tsars, and that combined with leather and the fact there is finally a new Oriza, it's over a year since the latest realeases, sets the hopes high.

Cuir de l'Aigle Russe (CdlAR) starts with a beautiful with soft powdery flowery accord in the comforting vintage, Oriza-style. It is high in the octaves on the notescale and it smells almost angelic. Soon a equally beautiful "blond"leathernote arrives, it is like leather in a very fine pair of gloves, very clear in smell and texture, there are no soft suedenotes. After a while the leather and flowery elements step backwards and a beautiful (every new note/accord arriving presents it self as very beautiful in this blend) bergamot/laveder combo appears taken the lead for a while, then the leather take some steps forward again. Also the balsamic, woody and musky notes later on seems very well.behaved, smooth, no harsh edges and again - beautiful. Some powdery notes in the Oriza tradition is present in almost the whole dry down in a very unobtrusive manner. The clear leathernote is also present in a subtle but clearly detectable way. The notes are so well blended and the accords are swirling around in a behaved but in the same time, intriguing way.

CdlAR is a classical bergamot-leather-lavender fragrance interpreted in a subtle and transparent way, it never becomes dense, cloying or "old fashion" smelling. It's like a very successful contemporary version, but still vintage in style, of this classic genre. The fragrance is classy, discrete and oozes of confidence, a perfect fragrance for negoations and other situations when the wearer needs to an authoritarian and in the same time comfortable, supporting and not disturbing perfume.

CdlAR belongs to a traditional masculine perfume category but in this version, it's lending slightly more to the feminine side. It's wearable year around, for daytime both for work and non-sporting casual. Sillage is medium and longevity for a day.

Those who like polished light leathers with flowery additions as Chanel Cuir de Russe Edt, Cuir de Lancome and Maître Parfumeur et Gantier Cuir Fetiche will certainly also like CdlAR.

Rating: 5

Notes: Coriander, lavender, wormwood, bergamot, juniper, styrax, geranium, rose, immortelle, cardamom, styrax, patchouli leaf, labdanum, incense, musk, tonka bean, sandalwood, amber, benzoin, vetiver

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Le Galion - 222

Picture: The light leather 222
Photo: PR Le Galion (c)

Le Galion 222 is another reissue/reconstruction of an old fragrance from the house of Le Galion. Thomas Fontaine has reworked the old formula of Paul Vacher.

222 starts with a accord  similar to cardamon (not mentioned in the notelist) and leather, first the spicy note appears, than the leather intensifies. In this stege 222 reminds me of the cardamon infused trio Veni, Vidi, Vici by Histoire de Parfum.The leather is a natural smelling, medium strenght leather, like the leather in a pair of gloves, not the rough leather of a black bikers jacket nor the smooth leather inside a fine handbag. The leathery/spicy accord is balanced with a cold, slight nondescript  flowery accord and the fragrance as a whole is cold in texture. The base is sort of clean, contemporary mossy/woody with the leather still apperant. In the basenotes 222 reminds me of a smoother and weaker Helmut Lang Cuiron (vintage version).

222 is a gentle leather, suitable for most daytime occasion, for most season exept the warmest summerdays. Those who like light leathers like Hermès Kelly Caleche, Cuir de Lancome etc, could also appreciate 222.

Rating: 3

Notes: Violet, myrrh, styrax, lavender, geranium, coumarin, oakmoss, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, leather

Parfum d'Empire - Cuir Ottoman (new & old version)

Picture: Sultan Selim III holding an audience in
front of the Gate of Felicity.
 Oil on canvas, Topkapı Sarayı Müzesi, Istanbul,
Wikipedia commons

Cuir Ottoman is created by ISIPCA perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato for his own perfumehouse, Parfum d'Empire. Parfum d'Empire is a house that produces first class perfumes to decent prices (to be niche) also after the re-packing, and it also seems to, slight revison of the earlier fragrances. When it comes to Cuir Ottoman, revision is definitly the case at least to my nose when comparing the first version launched in 2006 with the new one.

Picture: Cuir Ottoman (old)
Photo: PR Parfum d'Empire (c)

Cuir Ottoman starts leathery-floral, the newer one airier and with more flowers than the older one. After a while the old one becomes a bit smokey, supported by a rubbery note, slight similar to the rubber in Bulgari Black. The rubbernote is intricate and surpringly shifts between the rubber and a note similar to something to a flowery bubblegumnote. When the new version developes, the higher octaves of the scentscale and the more flowery impression remains. Instead of the rubbery note in the old version, I smell a note close to gunpowder balancing the flowerinfused leather. The new version is a tad more feminin in style, more elegant than the more masculine tougher and rougher old version, somewhat like the elegant Chanel Cuir de Russie compared to the masculine Knize Ten even if not smelling the same. As Cuir Ottoman dries down in the still leathery basenotes, I find new and old version becoming more alike than in the earlier stages, even if the old version is a tad more spicy and deeper.

Cuir Ottoman is a very good leather fragrance in the basic classic style that every fragrance wardrobe needs. Not demanding or or particularly innovative but a well made and well balanced leather in a timeless style. When writing this review, a grey autumn Sunday, I slightly prefer the old version, which with its a bit darker facetts is suitable for autumn and winter. But if the testing was performed in spring/summer I maybe would prefer the new version.

Picture: Cuir Ottoman (new)
Photo: PR Parfume d'Empire (c)

Cuir Ottoman is appropriate for most occasions (apart from working out) and seasons (though not in the hottest summer). Longevity is good, for more than a day, and sillage is somewhere between close to medium. To conclude, Cuir Ottoman is definitely a leather to consider when adding a classic "Cuir" to ones wardrobe.

Rating. 5

Notes: Iris, jasmine, leather, vanilla, tonka bean, incense

Thanks to Fragrance & Art  for a sample of the new version

Puredistance - M

Picture: The spirit of Puredistance M, 

Puredistance (c) all rights reserved

M is the masculine (or most masculine) fragrance in the excellent Puredistance line. It's a masculine oriental in the classical style, featuring soft leather notes. Even if classified as masculine, the elegant and smooth construction of the fragrance makes it suitable also for a brave woman, the same situation as with Aramis JHL. M is created by Roja Dove.

M starts with topnotes dominated by a natural leathernote, a leathernote like the scent of an elegant briefcase. After the leathery start, M transforms into a close wellbalanced spicyness with clear notes of carnation and clove. The leather takes a step behind but is still recognizable in the background. In this stage a very light and smooth note that reminds me of a soft, refined curry appears among the other spicy notes. On my skin anyway, this note is not clearly apparent on Mr Parfumista. In the basenotes, M get balsamic-resiny and more leathery again, a deeper and muskier leather than in the topnotes. To conclude it all: On my skin M is a harmonious mix of leather,carnation and spices.

Overall M gives me the association of resting in a wellworn armchair, nestled in a cashmereblanket, sipping an excellent cognac, in front of the fireplace at some old country estate.
M is most of all a masculine fragrance, but is so gentle and refined that it could also be worn comfortably by a women. In that sense M is unisex. M is a wellcrafted, comfortable fragrance made of quality ingredients and it suits both for formal worksituations and for festivite occasions. With its warmth M perfectly suits the colder months of the year, but I suspect it could also be fine for chillier summerevenings.

M is similar to Hermès great Bel Ami but to my and Mr Parfumistas noses, M is more leathery, darker, boozier and closer than the current version of  Bel Ami, but the style, and apperance is the same. M is even more close to the old Bel Ami-version in the "coctail-shaker-bottle" which is thicker, spicier and somehow boozier in texture. There are also similarities between M and the real leather classic Knize Ten and the contemporary but classic in style Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens. My nose also find some traces (the spicy cinnamon-warmth) of JHL (original formula).

M wears closer to the skin than Bel Ami but then M also is in perfumestrength whereas Bel Ami is in Edt concentration and therefore has a more extensive radiation. Longevity is about the same for both fragrances, they lasts for about 24h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, lemon, jasmine, rose, carnation, vanilla, vetiver, patchouli, wood, labdanum, moss, cinnamon, clove, leather, musk

Frapin - Speakeasy

Picture:This building at 1223 Connecticut Ave, NW, (the MCCXXII Club)
 was known as the Mayflower Club. It was considered the swankiest Prohibition-era speakeasy in DC
Author:dbking, Wikimedia commons (cc) some rights reserved 

Speakeasy was the nickname of more elegant illegal establishments selling alcoholic beverages during the Prohibition era in the United States. What could be more appropriate name for a fragrance from the old congachouse Frapin which since aboust ten years also has perfume as one of its businesslines. Speakeasy is a creation by perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato who usually works for his own perfumehouse Parfum d'Empires.

Speakeasy starts with a clean and pronounced leather accord. The leather smells new and fresh, the image is of light cognaccolored leather of a good quality used in a fine handbag. The leathersmell is very natural to my nose and mot mixed up with so many other notes as it often is. In the opening stages there something similat to the leather in Montale Aoud Leather but the Frapin leather is smoother, better balanced and  lacks the almost aquatic note in the top notes of Aoud Leather. In its texture and appearance, even if different in the leathery smell, Speakeasy reminds me of a masculine Cuir de Lancome. After a whlie a minty note appears and it or something else, adds a metallic vibe to the fragrance which becomes even  more masculine than in the first accords. Here a bold 1989s maco tobacco-leather comes to my mind and will stay there during the whole dry down as the metallic leather will be there more or less also in the coming stages: Gianfranco Ferre Man. Speakeasy is a tuned down, smoother, rounder and contemporary interpretation on a similar theme with GF Man. As Speakeasy reaches the basenotes, suddenly it gets warm and the metallic note steps a bit aside in favor of a round, mouthwatering, boozy, ruhmlike note (which I think is davana) supported by some light tobbacco. A certain tamed sweetness helps to ground the delicious boozy accord, it's almost as a cognac barrel. In this stage there is similarities to the boozy davana of  L'Oiseau de Nuit by Parfumerie Générale but less sweet and subtler in Speakeasy. Somewhere in the middle of the basenotes suddenly a very clean, almost airy immortellenote shows up, it's not the dense syrupy version that sometimes is too dominating in leather/tobacco fragrances. The shift from the clean, light leather over the very masculine metallic stage to the round, delicious ruhm and cognac barrel notes accompanied by fresh tobacco base is very interesting, something happens during the whole dry down. The final accords evokes the picture of well used leather clubchairs in which gentlemen has lighten their cigars and sipped their cognacs for decades.

Even if a bit more on the masculine side in the middlenots of the unisexspectra, I think Speakeasy is genderless and I think it was pleasant to wear on a quite chilly Octoberday. It's a perfect fragrance for autumn- and winterdays as for chilly spring evenings. Sillage is medium and longevity more than 12h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Ruhm, orange, lime, geranium, mint, labdanum, styrax, tobacco, leather, musk, immortelle, tonkabeen

Ramón Monegal - Cuirelle

 The Ramón Monegal testing is continuing....

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Cuirelle is an interesting and beautiful soft suede/leather fragrance from the Barcelonabased parfumer Ramón Monegal whose perfumehouse also bears his name.

As Cuirelle starts it’s a bit sweet and almost fruity with a rounding delicate suede accord. In the topnotes, Cuirelle reminds me of a smoother and less sweet and flowery In Leather Woman by Etienne Aigner (in swedish). As Ramón Monegal has created some fragrances for Etienne Aigner (don’t know if In Leather Woman in on of them) there is maybe a connection between the two fragrances. Another fragrance that comes to my mind in this stage is Ava Luxe Film Noir even if Film Noirs slight fruity suede note is tougher, rougher and more than a bit dirty.

When Cuirelle reaches the middlenotes it takes another direction than In Leather Woman. Where the latter highlighten fruity notes almost like applepie the former transforms to an almost chalky soapy accord, reminiscent to the accord in Vanille Tonka by Parfums de Nicolaï but less green and less distinctive. Later on a slight spicy, warm, honeyd  boozy note appears, similar to the interpretation in Mon Patchouly but without the cocoapowder feeling. In Cuirelle there are some light woody-patchouli notes that accompanying the delicate suedenote that depens as more the fragrance dries down. 

The basenotes is a beautiful accord of gentle and delicate, honeyed, clean leathery booziness with traces of cinnamon. The natural sweetness is just right balanced to create an aura of comfortable smothness. In this stage Cuirelle reminds me of a softer, warmer and sweeter relative to the discontinued contemporary cult leather Cuiron by Helmut Lang. In the base Cuirelle almost has transformed it’s suede to a smooth elegant leathernote, but just almost as the fragrances seems to be fleeting between soft sude and soft leather.

Just as most of the other Monegal perfumes I have tested, Cuirelle takes the wearer on an interesting journey during a day of wearing. Cuirelle is very well balanced, the notes mixes in each other in a very subtle way. It’s also like many of the other from the house of Ramón Monegal a thrilling blend where you can’t predict how the fragrance will end from just smelling the initial topnotes. That’s something that I really appreciate from a fragrance and one of all aspects that makes the perfumehobby so exiting.

Cuirelle is great to wear during the colder months, suitable both for daytime and eveningwear. The sillage is medium and the longevity is at least for 12h.

Rating: 5

Notes: Olibanum, patchouli, honey, cinnamon, vetiver, cedarwood, incense

Ramón Monegal - Mon Cuir

Picture: La Debacle by Theodore Robinson (1892)
Wikimedia commons

Mon Cuir is one of two leather inspired creations in the spanish perfumeline who bears the name of it's founder the very long experienced (over thirty years) perfurmer Ramón Monegal.

Mon Cuir starts with one of the most realistic leather accords that I have experienced in perfume. It's far away from the rough and tough, smoky leather of for example Mona di Orio Cuir but it's also a bit away from the smooth, elegant leather of a a pair of long evening gloves as the light leather in such different frags as the contemporary Hermès Kelly Caleché or the classic Chanel Cuir de Russie. Instead the leather of Mon Cuir is somewhere in between, the opening gives the impression of a well-kept two coloured ( brown and mossy green) weekendbag in leather. Just as the leathery accord mellows into the middlenotes with the traditional orangeblossom accord, a glimpse of an almost minty note appears for a short while. This intermidiates a streak of something chilly in a otherwise warm and comforting fragrance and it reminds me a bit of Parfum d'Empires Cuir Ottoman. This is an example of one of those unexpected moments which are typical for the perfumes of Ramón Monegal. In the rest of the middlestage the flowery-leather accord becomes almost creamy and at the same time cocoapowdery.

Mon Cuir dries down in a tonka been powdery,slight musky, resin base with a light flowery impression still lingering. In the this stage Mon Cuir reminds me of a smoother and gentler version of one of the floral oriental icons of the 80s, the ingenious Joop Femme.

My impression of Mon Cuir is that of a soft and a bit sweet "feminine leather" (for someone who cares about division in gender when it comes to perfume) unobtrusive and "officeproper". Mon Cuir lingering close to the skin but giving away some inscrutable whiffs now and then. Mon Cuir is great for the autumn and winter months but also for chilly summerevenings. And of course for a relaxing weekend at the countryside, with the luggage carried in that perfect leather, weekend bag.

Rating: 4

Notes: Leather, orange blossom, labdanum, musk, sandalwood, patchouli, nutmeg