Picture: New Opium Edp Photo: PR Yves Saint Laurent (c) |
lördag 27 april 2013
Fragrance of the week (17) 2013 - philosophical thoughts about Opium
torsdag 25 april 2013
Grossmith - Floral Veil
Picture: Queen Victoria in her weddingdress 1847 Painting by Franz Xavier Winterhalter (1805-1873) |
Floral Veil starts with an accord somehow familiar to me, I recognize the scent from some fragrance in the past but haven't sorted out yet which on it could be. There are light and transparent green and citrus-fruity notes, not sweet but refreshing. The delicate flowers joins soon, they are smooth, transparent and seemless blended, the only flower that is detectable as an own note to me is the airy tubereuse, a tubereuse without is regular companion the orangeblossom. The beautiful sheer florals are supported by light, green and fresh notes, the geranium for instance doesn't reach its typical tarty green stage, it's subdued and just there to create an natural, green freshness.The musk is the note in the foreground in the basenotes but it's so well blended with warm amber and silky cashemrean woody notes that I don't think of it as a separate note. One fragrance that comes to my mind when testing Floral Veil is the first Gianfranco Ferré, named Gianfranco Ferré, from the 80s. As a fragrance from that bombastic decade it is of course much stronger and the tubereuse has much more body, even if light for that era. In comparisation Floral Veil is like a translucent fairy.
Floral Veil is really a perfect name for this creation. When wearing the fragrance, I almost feel the smoothness of a chiffong veil in weightless slik and I can image a young, romantic bride wearing this. Floral Veil is also the perfect first fragrane for a young girl, even if the creation is timeless and also could be worn with grace by a 90+ old lady also. Floral Veil is all about understated class and elegance, just perfect which on the other hand in the long run could be a bit dull, but that is certainly no problem for me as I almost never wears the same frag two days in a row. Floral Veil is the fragrance to reach for situations when the wearer needs confidence but when it's not when it is not appropriate to stand out from the context for example when giving a presentation at the boardmeeting.
Rating: 4
Notes: Citruses, green notes, lemon, black currant, geranium, rose, ylang-ylang, tubereuse, vanilla orchid, musk, cashmeran (wood), amber
Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.
måndag 22 april 2013
Grossmith - Amelia
Picture: European peony, Paeonia lactiflora Photo by Frances2000, Wikipedia Commons |
Amelia starts with an accord reminding of an upscale version of Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely and Narciso Rodriguez For Her Edt. Amelia than proceed less musky and sweet than the two other mentioned, there are offsetting neroli, white flowery and green notes detectable which balances the fragrance in a delicate way. I also smell a small fraction of that special tart note which is present in many 2012 cretations, probably compliant with the coming regulations. I like this kind of dry tartness combined in one note, the tart note is more clearly presant in for example Chanel 1932.
The star of the flowery accord is a fresh and dewy peony, a peony that manage to maintain this impression during the whole dry down and doesn't get sour and dull. The base is musky with a counterbalancing typical contemporary chypre accord containing patchouli and vetiver. In the latest stages of the development of the base, the notes seems similar to the baseaccod in Golden Chypre which was reviewed last week. As in all Black Label creation tested so far the notes are well balanced and seamlessy mixed.
Amelia is a perfect fragrance for spring. It is clean without any laudery- or ozonic notes. It fits into most environments and couldn't offend anyone, hence it's the perfect, feminine scent for work. To be a tribute to a woman of the 19th centurary, Amelia feels a bit too contemporary in style. Maybe it is also a bit too perfect, there are absolutely no dangers lurking in the background as in for example the NR For Her Edt mentioned above. Amelia wears close to the skin and the longevity is for a day. The quality is top-notch as with Grossmiths in general.
Those who like fragrances in the classical style of Annick Goutal Quel Amour and Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Pivoine will probably appreciate this modern, musky interpretation of the peony-theme.
Rating: 4
Notes: Neroli, osmanthus, rose, jasmine, peony, amber, patchouli, vetiver, sandalwood, cashmere musks
Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.
Etiketter:
Amelia,
Annick Goutal,
Chanel,
Chanel 1932,
For Her Edt,
Grossmith,
Lovely,
Narcisco Rodriguez,
Parfums de Nicolaï,
peony,
Quel Amour,
Review,
Rose Pivoine,
Sarah Jessica Parker
lördag 20 april 2013
Fragrance(s) of the week (16) 2013 - Perfumed thoughts...
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c) |
Another just great one which is very suitable for the season even if floriental in style is Saffron Rose from Grossmith. Definitly the best one I have tried from the house so far, but I'll have of course not tried them all.
Fearing the coming regulations and realizing I have not much of Guerlain Shalimar I just had to order some more this week. Despite reformulated several times during the decades, I like the formulas now avaible and I dare not take the risk not having enough of this classic if it will be deeply affected from the coming regulations.
torsdag 18 april 2013
Grossmith - Saffron Rose
Picture: Roses in a vase, painting by Auguste Renoir |
Saffron Roses starts with a beautiful, very clean, natural smelling pink, a bit oldfashioned, tearose. It is accuented with smooth, spicy notes of saffron and cinnamon, handled in a manner that creates a smooth, slight creamy impression of soft leather. The creamyness is in the same time dry in its texture and this accord creates a sort of chalky impression. As Saffron Rose progress in its dry down the scent is deepen in a melange of very well balanced darker resin and woody notes such as oud and myrrh. The notes are accompanying and the oud doesn't take over the composition as in most oud-rose fragrances. When Saffron Rose reaches the basenotes an almost animalc quality appears but in a subtle way. During the rest of the dry down Saffron Rose highlights the classical rose which interacting perfectly with the darker, soft spicy and woody-resin notes.
Saffron Rose wears close to the skin, the longevity is about 24h. It's a creation of understaded elegance, not as dominating and rough as many Montale rose-oud creations, Saffron Rose is more finetuned and it is a real pleasure to wear, as also the Montales depending on the mood.
Those who (like me) likes Montale Taif Rose, Highness Rose, Aoud Queen Roses, Aoud Roses Petals, Histoires de Parfum Rosam and Annick Goutal Rose Absolue I suspect also will like Saffron Rose.
Rating: 5
Notes: Rose, saffron, cinnamon, myrrh, oud, tobacco, wood, labdanum, castoreum, sandalwood, amber, guaiac wood
Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.
måndag 15 april 2013
Grossmith - Golden Chypre
Picture: Golden Chypre, a part of the Black Label Collection Photo: PR Grossmith |
Golden Chypre starts spicy airy with a clearly detectable but still transparant cardamom sourronded by smooth spicies and a sparkling citrusnote. The citrusnote could still be recognized when Golden Chypre reaches its middlenotes where light flowery notes appears perfectyl blended with discrete notes of patchouli and vetiver. The patchouli, which is a bearing note in most contemporary so called chypres is not as emphasized as in most of those creations, it's so wellbalanced that it is difficult to discern as a separate note. All this is is resting on an elegant, smooth musky base blended with wood and resins.
Golden Chypre is a wellbehaved fragrance which is a pleasure to wear with its high quality ingredients and its wellbalanced structure. It's not a exciting and challenging fragrance but it creates confidece to the wearer in its less-is-more styled elegance. Perfect for the office and for lunching at an elegant restaurant especially in spring and summer. Sillage is close and longevity is for about 24h.
Golden Chypre is an example that well made fragrances are still possible to create even with the though restrictions coming. A common feature for many of the fragrances created the latest year, just as Golden Chypre, is their fleeting characters which I assume is the result of cutting down the quantity used of many ingredients or having to avoid others.
Those who like fragrances in the elegant style of Chanel No 22, Chanel 1932, Puredistance Opardu and Parfums MDCI Chypre Palatin will probably also appreciate Grossmith Golden Chypre.
Rating: 4
Notes: Cardamom, nutmeg, orange, bergamot, rose, geranium, heliotrophe, vetiver, patchouli, amber, musk, labdanum, wood
Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.
lördag 13 april 2013
Fragrance of the week (15) 2013 - Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M. Micallef
Picture: Marlene Dietrich as Lola Lola in Der Blaue Engel (1930) directed by Josef von Sternberg: |
Rating: 5
Notes: Cinnamon, tangerine,rose, orange blossom, honey, sandalwood, patchouly, amber, white musk
torsdag 11 april 2013
Springfragrances 2013
Picture: Violets Photo: Mr Parfumista (c) |
Rose Splendide (Annick Goutal): The tough, rough and wild pink rose, just as a not trimmed rosebush. Rose Splendide smells as the flowers, leaves and steams are all crushed and extracted into the fragrance.
La Violette (Annick Goutal): This leafy,crispy green perfectly just a bit candided sweet violet is not of the lipsticky-powdery cosmetic styled type. This is the small violet struggeling in the old grass just before the new fresh and green appears.
Violette in Love (Parfums de Nicolaï): Also a non-cosmetic violet, this time supported by citrus, peppery and slight berry notes. In the same style as AG La Violette but different when it comes to the details. Pretty, feminine and chic.
Vie de Chateau (Parfums de Nicolaï): This citrus-topped, hay-ish, slight leathery chypre is the quintessential of casual chic. Like a stroll on the fields a sunny, day in the late spring/early summer.
I think that Annick Goutal and Parfums de Nicolaï are my ulitmate houses when it comes to springfragrances. Both have several light, sparkling, natural fresh fragrances which are very suitable for spring. And when spring approaches, the craving of fragrances from these houses arises.
As I have been in some sort of Guerlain obsession the latest months there is of course some gems from this house in different facets of blue.
Apres l'Ondee (Guerlain): More iris than violet, some soft spices warms it up a bit but in hte same time there is a moisty cleanness as the smell of earth, grass and fragile springflowers just after a rain.
L'Heure Bleue (Guerlain): After decades of testing, I finally get this more complicated follower to Apres l'Ondee (or have become totally exhausted and have capitulated :-) and also have been almost addicted. I often long for wearing L'Heure Bleue.
Last but not least, the house with the always so wearable, casual chic classics, Hermès.
Amazone (Hermès): My all time favourite fresh flowery fragrance. I have so much appreciated the fresh leaves and bulb- and other crisp flowers of the wild but chic Amazone since we met for the first time twenty years ago. A signature of younger days.
Jour d'Hermès (Hermès): Hermès latest will probably be a floral classic. This green floral is, to my nose, a paler and more polite variation of the extroverted great narcissus, mossy, green Le Temps d'une Fête from (here is the fabulous Patricia again:) Parfums de Nicolaï.
Etiketter:
Amazone,
Annick Goutal,
Apres l'Ondee,
Guerlain,
Hermès,
Jour d'Hermès,
L'Heure Bleue,
La Violette,
Parfums de Nicolaï,
Review-mini,
Rose Splendide,
Vie de Chateau,
Violette in Love
måndag 8 april 2013
Pierre Balmain - Vent Vert (new vs older)
Picture: Vent Vert PR Poster (c) Pierre Balmain, all rights reserved |
Picture: Germaine Cellier (1909-1976), photo found at Basenotes |
Picture: Calice Becker, photo found at Fragrantica |
Picture: Le Mors à la Conétable Photo: PR Hermès (c) all rights reserved |
Picture: Docksides (R) Photo: PR Sebago (c) all rights reserved |
Rating: New 4 and older 4+
Notes:
New version: Galbanum, lemon, lavander, basil, lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, sandal- and cedarwood, moss.
Older version: Lime, orangeblossom, green notes, asafoetida, peach, basil, lemon, bergamot, neroli, violet, freesia, jasmine, hiacynth, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley, rose, galbanum, marigold, spicy notes, iris, sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss, sage, vetiver, styrax, cedar
Etiketter:
Annick Goutal,
Antonia,
Chanel,
Chanel no 19,
Cristalle Eau Verte,
First,
galbanum,
Green,
Heure Exquise,
Pierre Balmain,
Puredistance,
Review,
Van Cleef and Arpels,
Vent Vert
fredag 5 april 2013
Chanel Les Exclusifs – Gardenia
Picture: Gardenia thunbergia, Source:Compton Herbarium, Kirstenbosch Picture by Edith Struben, c 1915 |
Gardenia starts with a blast of the smell of an elegant bath foam, a real bubbly bath. To me Gardenia smells transparent, in between light and dark pink, as a pink a bit viscous liquid. The bubble bath and pink liquid associations leads me to think of the transparent but viscous, pink, bubble bath tubereuse Michelle from Balenciaga but Michelle is stronger and bolder in it’s expression where Gardenia is more polite and unobtrusive. Gardenia, like all gardenia fragrances, is not the scent of gardenia as it can’t be extracted, but a interpretation of the perfumers, and probably also Coco’s, vision of her favourite flower. As the pink texture described, Gardenia to me is most about a delicate, medium sweet tubereuse, some other white flowers, some smooth fruit, some greenery and a contrasting, just a bit dirty, almost dry-furry note among the musky basenotes.
Gardenia is a discrete, elegant, timeless Chanel fragrance, wearable in most situations, the year around. Blooms in summerheat and gives glimpses of a warmer season when worn during the colder months. Gardenia stays close to the skin and lasts for more than 12h.
Those who enjoy abstract, colder, tubereuse fragrances as Mona di Orio Les Nombres d’Or Tubereuse and L’Artisan Parfumeur Nuit de Tubereuse will probably like Chanel Gardenia.
Rating: 4
Notes: Orangeblossom, green notes, tubereuse, jasmine, gardenia, fruits, coconut, sandalwood, musk, vetiver, patchouli, vanilla
tisdag 2 april 2013
Chanel Les Exclusifs - Chanel No 22
Picture: Greta Garbo in a publicity still for Wild Orchids (1929) Photo by Ruth Harriet Louise for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, (this work is in the public domain) Wikimedia commons |
No 22 starts with an elegant, subdued white floral but sparkling aldehydic accord, reminiscent of No 5 but softer and somehow less aggressive even if a huge dose of delicate aldehydes. After a while the dry, gunpowder note that I appreciate so much in different strengths and interpretations, comes through. It’s a smooth and finetuned version of the gunpowder of Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige, Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Ambre and Antonio Visconti Temps d’Hiver. The white flowers, with a note of tubereuse with a light and pleasant almost nailpolishnote coming forward, is still there and now and then a slight tart, orange-citrusy note glimpses by. When No 22 settles down in a slight powdery, soft incense base where a light, fresh vetivernote, balanced some sweetness, is clearly present. In the later stages of the basenotes, the smooth incense becomes clearer as also the dry, almost transparent vanillanote.
Chanel No 22 is a seamless blend with a timeless, sophisticated, elegance, a fragrance for a timeless beauty like Greta Garbo. It’s a fragrance which makes most of the contemporary perfume selection to appear as rude and loud. Even the elegant Chanel No 5 seems a bit unpolished compared to the most refined No 22. It’s like No 5 could be imaged as the pushy, extrovert older sister and No 22 as the quiet, intellectual and refined little sister. Chanel No 22 has an almost regal aura and I can see it be worn by a royalty by some reception. It’s a real pleasure to wear and a fragrance that makes me think of cleaning out considerably in my fragrance collection. Sillage is close and longevity almost for 24h.
Those who like interpretations of aldehydic, powdery, elegant fragrances as for example Puredistance Opardu, MDCI Chypre Palatin, Montale Powder Flowers and Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar will probably also like Chanel No 22.
Rating: 5
Notes: Aldehydes, bergamot, neroli, peach, jasmine, tubereuse, ylang-ylang, rose, iris, vetiver, vanilla, incense
Etiketter:
Antonio Visconti,
Chanel,
Chanel No 22,
Chanel No 5,
Chypre Palatin,
Esprit d'Oscar,
Les Nombres d'Or Ambre,
Lorenzo Villoresi,
Mona di Orio,
Montale,
Opardu,
Powder Flowers,
Review,
Teint de Neige,
Temps d'Hiver
fredag 29 mars 2013
Maria Candida Gentile - Exultat
Picture: Panoramique de Sienne, Italie
Photo: Jean-Christophe Benoist (cc), Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved
Rating: 4+
The MCG fragrances could be bought in 15 ml travelsprays for 25 EUR from the MCG website http://www.mariacandidagentile.com/ . The perfumes are concentrated, a few spritzes goes a long way, this is great value for the money. The frags are also avaible in 100 ml from Aus Libe zum Duft.
Picture: Exultat by Maria Candida Gentile Photo: From promotion Maria Candida Gentile (c) |
Etiketter:
Exultat,
Maria Candida Gentile,
Review,
Sideris,
Vetiver
onsdag 27 mars 2013
Fragrance(s) of the week(s) (13-14) 2013 - Easterfrags
Picture: Madonna mit dem Kaninchen, oil on canvas ca 1530 by Titian (Tiziano Vecelli) |
Picture: L'Heure de Nuit Photo: PR Guerlain (c) all rights reserved |
Picture: Tonka Imperiale Photo: PR Guerlain (c) all rights reserved |
Tonka Imperiale (Guerlain): Almost too sweet, like a powdery almond cake. Delicious and creates the olfactive image of visiting an elegant confectioners.
Picture: White Aoud Photo: PR Montale (c), all rights reserved |
Picture: Loukhoum Photo: PR Ava Luxe (c) all rights reserved |
Picture: Angel Photo: PR Thierry Mugler (c) all rights reserved |
Happy Easter to all Perfumelovers!
måndag 25 mars 2013
Oriza L.Legrand - Relique D'Amour
Picture: Relique D'Amour PR-picture from Oriza L.Legrand (c) |
Relique D'Amour starts with the intriguing smell of the paper in old, antique, dry but in the same time a bit damp and dusty books. It's the best interpretation of that smell that I have smelled so far. The opening is therefore close to an other old book opneing, the opening of the floral oriental Trouble (swe) by Boucheron even if the opening of Trouble is a tad sweeter. As I have understand it, papernotes almost always smells more or less of vanilla as vanillic notes are a natural part of wood, which is used to create the papersmell. In old books this vanillic notes thus are radiating slowly from the paper.
As the development of Relique D'Amour goes further a clear note of a grand, white lily appears. Here Relique D'Amour in its appearance reminds me of a bolder version of L'Artisan Passage d'Enfer, despite much lighter on the incensenote. When drying down further, Relique D'Amour continuing to smell like a less sweet Trouble accompanied with some notes of the forest like a smell of confier and wood. The fragrance never gets sharp as it is embedded in a powdery texture, something that seems to be a common denominator to the Oriza L.Legrand fragrances I have smelled so far and an obvious reflection of the history of the parfumehouse.
Relique D'Amour is as timeless as the olfactory image from the old chapel above. The fragrance conveys the feeling that it could have been created an worn in any century just as Sideris and Exultat from Maria Candida Gentile.
Relique D'Amour is comfortable and pleasant to wear, suitable for the coming Easter with its lily, light vanillic sweetness and of course incense. The incensenote is subdued and not as dominating as in Passage d'Enfer or even Rêve d'Ossian also from Oriza (reviewed last week). Sillage is medium and longevity is 12h+.
Rating: 4
Notes:Herbs, pine, powdery notes, white lily, pepper, oak, incense, myrrh, elemi, musk, moss, waxed wood, woody notes, pepper
Thanks to Fragrances & Art for the sample to test.
lördag 23 mars 2013
Fragrance(s) of the week (12) 2013
Picture: Hermès Elixir des Merveilles Photo: PR Hermès (c) all rights reserved |
Etiketter:
Ambre Russe,
Blossom,
Elixir des Merveilles,
fragrance of the week,
Hermès,
L'Ambre des Merveilles,
L'Artisan Parfumeur,
Parfum d'Empires,
Robert Piguet,
Seville à l'Aube
torsdag 21 mars 2013
Oriza L.Legrand - Rêve d'Ossian
Picture:Rêve d'Ossian (Ossians dream) Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, oil on canvas 1813 Wikimedia commons |
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 |
måndag 18 mars 2013
Robert Piguet - Jeunesse
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)
Jeunesse is the most stirking of the Pacific Collection trio. Jeunesse is, just as the name indicates, a young, sparkling and happy fragrance. And of course, as the sterotype of young girls perfumes of today, it's a pink, fruity-berry floral. The perfumer of Jeunesse is Aurelien Guichard, the housenose of Parfums Robert Piguet.
Jeunesse starts sparkling berry-fruity, after a while some slight creamy notes also appears.There something in the texture of the fragrance that intermediate the impression of meringues. If Jeunesse has a color, it is definitly intensive, medium, pink or cerise. The fruity notes are an interpaly between raspberry, blackberry and I also smell a fresh almost peachy note, even if not mentioned among the notes. Maybe it's the pomegranate. Even if wearing Jeunesse is like swimming in a fruity/berry meringuie dessert it's not overhelming sweet, this is prevented by the interplay between the contrasting sweet and sour fruity notes. When it comes to the flowery notes they are the second players in this fragrance, in Jeunesse the fruits and berries are the stars of the show. Jeunesse is based on a white pleasent musk, not the laudery version. which has taken over many muskbased fragrances the latest year. As Jeunesse mingles in the basenotes, the fragrance deepens and get a bit darker and there is a note similar to mango appearing. In this stage Jeunesse reminds me of a lighter version of Jo Loves....A shot of oud over mango but without the oud.
Usually I don't have opinons about which ages a fragrance fits for but when it comes to Jeunesse it is indeed very young, at least in the top and middlenotes. This should of course not prevent anybody to wear it when longing for a sparkling, juicy, happy and uncomplicated fragrance and in the basenotes, Jeunesse is age-neutral. The sillage of Jeunesse is quite impressie to be a "regulated" 2012 composition and the longevity is very good about 24 h. Finally, Jeunesse as a concept reminds me of Baby Doll Paris by Yves Saint Laurent where Jeunesse is a creamy and Baby Doll a sharper interpretation of the pink fruity theme.
Rating: 4+
Notes: Blackberry, raspberry, pomegranate, different florals, musk
lördag 16 mars 2013
Fragrance(s) of the week (11) 2013
Picture: Good old Mitsi Photo: One of the myriads of the PR pictures of this classic . |
To further enhance this Guerlaineuphoria I just have to hang around at Monsieur Guerlains blog drooling over these beauties
torsdag 14 mars 2013
Robert Piguet - Chai
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)
Chai starts with a burst of the same fresh teanote that is the maintheme of the classic Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert. The fresh teanote quickly enters to the background but emphasizes the sparkling green freshness of the scent of just cutted greenery and a gentle touch of white flowers, probably orangeblossom. A touch of a subdued citrusnote is also present. As Chai reaches the basenotes a wellbalanced smoky teannote joins the light teanote and the pronounced notes of greenery. A waxy note smoothens and warms the texture of Chai. Teafragrances are often cold and bright but Chai is warm and gentle in it's apperance. The smoky note is gentle, it's not the sharp smokiness of Lapsang souchong but a smooth smokiness. The smoky note reminds me somehow of a light version of the pleasant almost cigarette smoky note of my favourite Carner Barcelona, D600 . This smoky note is also present in another favourite, Annick Goutals herbal, smoky Nuit Etoilee. Finally there is (of course) also similarities to the smoky teanotes of L'Artisan Parfumeurs masterpiece Tea for Two but the smoky notes are subdued in Chai compared to Tea for two.
Chai is the perfect daytime spring and summerfragrance, also wearable in the colder month when longing for the summer. This green fragrance is suitable both for work and casual and even if bright and light in texture, Chai is sort of compact and not att all fleeting in its structure. The sillage is medium and the longevity for at least 12h.
Chai is suitable for wearers who likes the two perfumestyles indicated above: "Pure" tea fragrances and fragrances grounded with transparent, fresh lighten cigarette smoky notes. Other tea fragrances that comes to my mind when testing out Chai are Dior Escale à Pondichery (bergamot, jasmin, spices, black tea) and ByKilian Bamboo Harmony (bergamot, neroli, spices, tea).
To me Chai is the star of the Pacific Collection. An uplifting, comfortable fragrance, just in time with the color of 2013: Green.
Rating: 5
Notes: Bergamot leaves, white tea, (white flowers), beewax, mate tea
Etiketter:
Annick Goutal,
Bamboo Harmony,
Bulgari,
By Kilian,
Carner Barcelona,
Chai,
D600,
Dior,
Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert,
Escale à Pondichéry,
L'Artisan Parfumeur,
Nuit Etoilée,
Review,
Robert Piguet,
tea,
Tea for Two
måndag 11 mars 2013
Robert Piguet - Blossom
Picture:Closeup of mandarin tree in the Berkeley Botanical Garden Photo by Allen Timothy Chang (cc) Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved |
Blossom starts with a delicious, almost natural smell of mandarin. After a while notes of orangeblossom appears and the dry down is dominated by the interaction of those in addition with juicy, green leaves of the orangetree. All these different shades of orange is anchored in a pleasant, not detergent smelling, white musk. Blossom gives me the imagination of strolling around a sunny day in a mandarin grove in a garden of The Secret City during the Chinese Empire.
Picture: Blossom from the Robert Piguet Pacific Collection Photo: PR Parfums Robert Piguet (c) |
Those who pronounced orangeblossom perfumes such as Ramon Monegal Entre Naranjos Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM pour Femme, Elie Saab Le Parfum, L'Artisan Parfumeur Seville à l'Aube and Oscar de la Renta Granada will certainly enjoy Blossom
Rating: 4 (Feb 2013) 5 (April 2013)
Update april 2013: The more I test this fragrance the more I like it. Uplifting, happy and a real pleasure to wear. Also comfortables as a " go-to-sleep" frag, calming despite its uplifting character.
Notes: Neroli, mandarin, orangeblossom, orangeleaves, musc
lördag 9 mars 2013
Fragrance(s) of the week (10) 2013
Picture:Lilac Syringa Vulgaris in bloom Photo: Author Marisa deMeglio from NYC, USA (cc) Wikimedia Commons |
These three light Malles are well constructed and very easy to wear. Nothing extreme but timeless and minimalistic, the archetypes of spring staplefragrances.
torsdag 7 mars 2013
Mona di Orio - Eau Absolue
Picture: Eau Absolue by Mona di Orio Photo: PR Parfums Mona di Orio, all rights reserved (c) |
Eau de Absolue starts with an intriguing accord that reminds me of the bombastic opening barnyard accord of Homme de Grès but dimmed to a tenth in strength. This accord in Eau Absolue is also rounded and finetuned compared to the though and rough notes in the opening of Homme de Grès. In Eau Absolue soon a note that creates a texture close to smooth suede appears, this texture is also present in Mona di Orio Lux despite these two fragrances smells different. This suedenote tempers the herbal/spicy, citrus notes of the fragrance and seems to create more body and dept than in a regular cologne. Eau Absolue is a Edp version of a colognestyled fragrance. When Eau Absolue calms down, the pleasant barnyardaccord gives way to a balanced green slight herbal, fresh spicy accord where the note of bayleaf is in the center. The bayleaf is crisp and the fresh leathernote that bayleaves sometimes induce is clearly present and creates a wellbalanced contrast. This stage is like citrus and greenery are wrapped in smooth leather. In the basenotes the green, citrus and bayleaf-leathery impression remains, warmed up and deepened by musk and labdanum. In the base I also smell similarities with Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Vétyver especially a certain pleasant tartness from that fragrance. The longer I wear Eau Absolue, the more of LNd'OV I smell.
Overall Eau Absolue is an elegant, casual fragrance which is also very appropriate for officewear. It's werable year around even if spring and summer comes first in mind. Longevity on my skin is about a day which is quite good when it comes to citrus/aromatic fragrances. Eau Absolue is less citrusy and more smooth, herbal green than most offerings in this genre. Despite this, this fine, wellcarfted, highquality fragrance somehow feels as I have smelled it before, probably because of the similarities to LNd'O Vétyver which I experience in the basenotes. This slightly affects the rating of the fragrance.
Those who likes Eau de Rochas, Eau de Sisley 3, Annick Goutal Eau d'Hadrien and Hermès Eau de Cologne Orange Verte will probably also appreciate Eau Absolue.
Rating: 4
Notes: Bergamot, clementine, petitgrain, citron, Litsea Cubeba, geranium, vetiver,
bay leaf, pink peppercorn, cedarwood, musk, cistus labdanum
Thanks to Parfums Mona di Orio for a sample to try.
Etiketter:
Annick Goutal,
Eau Absolue,
Eau d'Hadrien,
Eau de Cologne Orange Verte,
Eau de Rochas,
Eau de Sisley 3,
Hermès,
Les Nombres d'Or Rose Etoile de Hollande,
Mona di Orio,
Review
måndag 4 mars 2013
Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle - Dries van Noten
Picture: Caffè latte as being served in Oslo Photo by Jazzbobrown (cc), Wikimedia commons |
The Belgian fashiondesigner Dries van Noten has released the first fragrance of the house (bearing the houses name) in collaboration with wellknown nichehouse Editions de Parfumes Frederic Malle. This instead of taking the "regular" massmarket channel as most fashionhouses when release their fragrances. The perfumer of Dries van Noten is Bruno Jovanovic.
Dries van Noten smells like almost unsweet pastry, the sweetness is at least subdued.The whole impression of the perfume is like sitting in a café a grey, snowy and chilly day (exactly the weather when I write this review :-) consuming a croissant together with a giant latte. As Dries van Noten dries :-) down the croissant-note becomes apparent. The texture of DvN is somehow like the feeling of smooth, lightcolored suede, even if there is no suedenote recognizable in the blend. There is also a beautiful, smooth sandalwood in DvN, the finest I have smelled in a contemporary fragrance for a long time. As I understand it there is some "substitute" for Santal from Mysore that has been introduced to the market latly. Probably this has been used instead of the rougher australian sandalwood that is common in woody perfumes released in the latest years. In the basenotes there are smooth, powdery and a bit sweet woody notes, also almond is detectable as later also a clean, a bit almost sweet herbal note. To my nose DvN is sweeter in the basenotes than in it's earlier stages.
Overall a pleasant and very comfortable fragrance in the transparant gourmand style of Carner Barcelona Rima XI. I like the latter equal to Dries van Noten Rima XI is, even if also transparant and smooth in texture, more pronounced in its gourmand style, more distinctive with its smooth spices and maybe more intriguing as composition. On the other hand Dries van Noten is almost seamless in its development so very delicious and cosy and I think it appeals to a broader group of perfumewearers, it could also have been released as an "highend mainstream". Dries van Noten is very officefriendly, a fragrance that gives the wearer compliments. Perfect for the colder months. I have read complaints about the longevity of DvN but this is not a problem for me, I can smell sufficient traces of it almost 24h after applying it. Sillage is medium in its earlier accords, then close.
Those who likes fragrances in the style of Carner Barcelona Tardes, Parfumerie Generale Praline de Santal, Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau and Etro Heliotrophe (mini review in swedish) could also appreciate Dries van Noten.
Update late April 2013: The more I wear/test/sniff DvN the more I like its subtle and comforting character and the fact that its longevity is great despite its transparency. The sandalwood note is smooth and has no harsh edges which is sometime the case with the australian sandalwood used as a substitute to the Mysore in many fragrances during the latest years. Overall DvN is a very wearable fragrance.
Rating: 4, Update April 2013: 5
Notes: Citron, sandalwood, guaiac wood, cashmeran, tonka bean, vanilla, saffron, jasmine, musk
Thanks to Alla Violetta for a sample to review.
lördag 2 mars 2013
Fragrance of the week (9) 2013
Is the reworked Habanita Edp from Molinard. Vetiver, geranium and tobacconotes, dark flowers over the deep mossy, ambery, patchouli base. True to the Edt version but smoother and somehow more contemporary in style even if the vintage 1920s Flappers impression is still there. And the retrostyled bottle is just gorgeous.....
Picture: Molinard Habanita Edp Photo: PR Molinard (c) |
torsdag 28 februari 2013
Tableau de Parfums (Andy Tauer) - Loretta
Picture: Loretta, the protagonist from the Brian Pera "Womans Picture" movie Loretta |
The story of the film is described as: "Loretta is a young woman who works as a maid at a motel. She is shy and withdrawn, but creates her own life in a fantasy world where she danced and falls in love with a man. She is sensual, sexy and seductive, but she has a secretive dark side."
Loretta starts with an accord dominated by sweet, almost jammy, dark ripe fruits where the plum is the prominent note. There are also notes that reminds me of the scent of warm, dry and dusty leather accuented with a dry, dark and dusty touch of rose. As drying down, the dark plum takes even more the centerstage and further into the middlenotes the white flowers kicks in. First the orangeblossom dominates alterned by the tubereuse. The farther in the dry down, the more the tubereuse becomes prominent to my nose. The tubereuse in Loretta is velvety, dark and thick, not transparent and light as a veil as in Jimmy Choo Flash reviewed earlier this week, the two fragrances are on the opposite sides on the scale. The tubereuse and the white flowers are sweetened by resins and by the dark jammy overripe plum even in the basenotes. There is also a hint of the typical Andy Tauer labdanum-resin accord.
Picture:Loretta in its unusual bottle. Photo: PR picture Tableau de Parfums |
Loretta is the perfect fragrance for those who like dark, mysterious and challenging flowers and as I'm among those, wearing Loretta was a real pleasure for me.
Rating: 5
Notes: Dark plum, fruit, aldehydes, rose, tubereuse, jasmine, orangeblossom, carnation, cinnamon, patchouli, ambergris, leather, sweetened orris root , woody/resinous notes, labdanum
Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample of Loretta.
Etiketter:
Andy Tauer,
Carnation,
Dark Passage,
Les Nombres d'Or Rose Etoile de Hollande,
Loretta,
Miriam,
Mona di Orio,
Review,
Rochas Femme,
Tableau de Parfums,
tubereuse,
Une Rose Vermeille
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