Peoneve

Picture: The pink rosebud of yesterday
has unfolded during the midsummernight
Photo: Parfumista (c)

For the evening yesterday I switched fragrance to Penhaligon's Peoneve and it tangy, bitter peony (i a good way)combined with the pink rosy smell was great for Midsummer. This time the scent of peony dominated over the rose, usually it is the opposite.

Midsummer 2019



Picture: Midsummerroses with some sage
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Midsummer 2019 is warmer then last year, about 20 C + and cooling windy after the heat followed by tunder and (sadly just) a little rain, of yesterday. Have not still decided what to wear, last year midsummer I was wearing the quite heavy Halfeti   from Penhaligon's, this year I hesitate between wearing something light, slight woody and fresh or something matching a garden in full bloom.


When it comes to the former theme I think about  Yuzu Ab Irato from Parfumerie Generale, I'm having a PG crush for the latest weeks. Yuzu Ab Irato is refreshing with a damp, wet, slight woody, herbal accord suported by citric and restrained cold flowers. The dampness reminds me of something that could be an easy to wear, casual, bright and summery sibling to the dramatic wintery/early spring BeauFort Fathom V. 


The fragrance for the latter theme, the blooming garden, is depitched by Penhaligon's lush (mostly) dark pink rosy, peonyfragrance Peoneve, which of course, in a traditional view, is more appropriate for THE summerday of summerdays.


During the writing of this entry I started to really crave for Yuzu Ab Irato and had to apply some.
The choice is now obvious. Sometimes some structuring of thoughts has to be done to reveal the real craving of the day.


Happy Midsommer!

Picture: A pink Queen Elizabeth
Photo: Parfumista (c)

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Midsummer 2018

Picture: Midsummerroses 2018
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Midsummereve was yesterday. The summer solstice up here in the north is much celebrated and a national holiday. This year the weather (always a big question in Sweden) was quite good, rainy and cold (+9  C in the morning) and mostly sunny and quite warm in the afternoon followed by a chilly evening. The day was without rain, except in the morning.

This year (again) I didn't feel to wear florals to match the occasion. I couldn't think of any light high pitched flowery fragrance that was right for me. Instead I wanted something heavy, dark and dense so I went for Penhaligon's Halfeti, a dark rosy, dry spicy oud based fragrance inspried from the  black shaded roses which is/was grown in the turkish town named Halfeti.


Picture: The black rose of Halfeti
Photo: PR Penhaligon's

Halfeti is a fragrance that intriguing me. When I blindbought it about two years ago I was a bit disappointed, to much of the screaming, peppery type of oud. But still there was something that fascinated me with Halfeti and I went back testing it multiple times, I didn't want do give it up. Yesterday I finally find out the trick to avoid the overload of pepper/spice and how to hold Halfeti in check: One has to be very careful when  applying it, just using tiny half sprays at four to five points on skin. Full sprays is much too much. Applied in this way the dark, deep and spicy rose appears in a beautiful way, there are also a warm, dry and in the same time creamy sandalwoodaccord. Halfeti is difficult to understand and to tame, but it was certainly worth all the experimentering. The long process to evalute and to finally understand a complex fragrance is definitly some of the features of this fascinating hobby. Midsummer 2018 will be remembered as when I finally understand Halfeti.

Let's have a great summer 2018, combining the holidays with evaluation of the fragrance wardrobe!

Midsummer

Picture: Midsummerrose
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Midsummer again, or just passed. The summer solstice here in the north is celebrated the weekend after the occurrence with Friday as a national holiday. This year the weather (always a big question in Sweden) is quite good, mostly sunny and warm. For exemple two years ago it was almost as cold as on Christmas Eve (which was warm) with only 8 C daytime and rain.

For Midsummer one should (?) of course, if warm weather anyway, wear florals to match the occasion. I couldn't think of any flowery fragrance that I wan't to wear today, strangely I crave for spices today, and yeserday too to be honset, So I'm smelling as an oriental spicemarket of Les Néréides Oriental Lumpur which is a robust, dry, warm, spicy, patchoulileaves fragrance, in the higher ocataves of the fragrance notescale. If it had a color it is a light green/grey nuance. There also a dry, grassy element, here there is actually a connection to a swedish meadow when the grass is dry in the late summer. But overall Oriental Lumpur is dry spices, contrasted by the fresh earthy patchoulileaves. A good niche fragrance to the fraction of the price of others in the dry spicy segement such as Tauer L'Air du Desert Marocain, Frederic Malle Noir Epices and Tom Ford Sahara Noir. A strong fragrance with distinct silage which should be applied in small doses. My vesion of  Oriental Lumpur is from the old anglesbottle.

Summer

Picture: The entry of Gustav Vasa,
the future king Gustav I of Sweden
to Stockholm in Midsummer Eve 1523
Painting by Johan Gustav Sandberg (1782-1854)

This year I'm taking a break for summer. June is the the brightest month up here in the North with the cresendo in Midsummer. Even if vacation is far away, one really have to take care of these rare summerevenings when coming home from work. Of course I'll chime in with one or another entry, but it will not be on a regular basis.

I wish you a great summer!

SOTD Midsummer Eve is....

Mona di Orios gentle orange-bread-with myrrh Jabu. Not a perfume associated with the brightest and lightest day of the year, for a day like this a lighter and more sparkling orangeblossom perfume is more appropriate but today I felt I needed something interesting and artful like a Mona creation. I'm so looking forward to her postum rose the Les Nombres d'Or Rose Etoile d’Hollande, Mona and rose - the Queen of Perfumery and the Queen of flowers - I know that the outcome will be majestic.