Tauerville Stories Collection - Hyacinth and a Mechanic

Picture: Hyacinth and a mechanic
Photo: PR Tauerville (c)

The Tauerville line is perfumer Andy Tauer's vision for a offering inspiring perfumes handcrafted in smaller production batches. Most of the fragrances are interpretations of a special note as for example rose, incense, fruit, patchouli. Some fragrances within the Tauervilles are very rare, the Stories Collection are sold exclusive when Andy himself appears for an event in some of the perfumestores who carries the brand. Hyacinth and a Mechanic is such a fragrance. To celebrate the 15 years anniversery of LA nicheboutique Luckyscent, the three fragrances from the Stories Collection were avaible online for a month last autumn. And I couldn't resist ordering the Hyacinth despite expensive shippingrates and of course customs duty. Anyway it was worth it, this is a very rare, intriguing and beautiful fragrance.n

Hyacinth and a Mechanic (HAM) starts with the most natural smelling hyacinth note that I've smelled so far from a perfum. When applicating the fragrance, a crisp, slight fresh green spicy, sparkling hyacinth appears, is just like entering a christmasdecorated house with hyacinths in the windows, out from the cold and snowy winterlandscape. Soon a oily, petrol and light metallic accord appears, followed by a  rough leathernote, togehter contrasting the crisp hyacinth and green note. It's just like that the one who makes the entrance is coming directly from repairing the car in the garage, still wearing the overalls under a heavy leatherjacket with a curly sheepskin collar. The oily, metallic, leathery intensifies and an animalic vibe appears in the fragrance, the hyacinth is still recognizable as the unexpected contrast to such notes. Later in the drydown, the hyacinth steps forward again and during the whole dry down, the hyacinth alternate with the dirty accord of beeing the most prominent player. In the last aaccords of the basenotes, the hyacinth and the dirty accord finally seems to have blended in sort of an integrated accord.

HAM is fragrance of its own and there are no similar fragrance that I come to think of even if I imagine similar aspects in other fragrances. For example the chilliness of the hyacinth I also recognize in the cold hyacinth-iris accord of Serge Lutens beautiful Bas de Soie and to some extent also Tom Ford Vert de Fleur, the oily/metallic/petrol accord reminds me of some parts of Histoires de Parfums Petroleum but not at all as intense as the latter.

HAM is a complicated beauty, the contrasts are intriguing. In the same time it's a casual, easy to wear fragrance sort of relaxing and with an interesting development which makes one sniff the wrists regulary during the day. The sillage is medium in the first stage, then close to skin. Longevity is for a day. HAM is totally unisex to my nose.

Rating: 5

Notes: Hyacinth, animal notes, leather, woody notes

Top 5 Winterfrgrances 2018

Photo: Parfumista (c)

It seems as the major perfumeblogs have posted the Top10 Winterfragrances 2018 lists. Here five fumes I enjoy during the colder months:

Volutes (Diptyque): Calming, comforting, warm aromatic with resins, spices, honey and tobacco. Close silage and de-stressing, a fragrance that could be worn even when feeling ill. My most worn frag this winter.

Tubéreuse (Maître Parfumeur et Gantier): A very green and dry tubereuse with grassy almost herbal nuances and a glimpse of a dill note in the first accords. A fragrance for sunny winterdays.

Magnolia Pourpre (Maître Parfumeur et Gantier): More of a soft powdery cold orchid than magnolia. Both seemless mixed with iris and rose. An excellent, elegant and retro fragrance.

Shalimar Edp (Guerlain): Current formula. What could be better a cold day than to wrap in the warm veil of vanilla, bergamot, iris, powder, leather and all the other wonderful notes of Shalimar.

Amber Mystique (Esteé Lauder): A balsamic rose with incense, light glimpses of oud, spices and berrys. Like a dark bourdeaux velvet cloak warming a cold winter evening.

A sunny winterwalk

Picture: Sunny fields
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Finally, winter has arrived with some snow and pleasing tempratures, some degrees below 0 C and this weekend the sun also was shining. Perfect for a walk aroumd the small lake nearby. Even if sunny and I took the walk in the middle of the day, some mysterious haze was hanging over the fields and the lake.

Picture: Colder in the wood in the
side of the small lake
Photo: Parfumista (c)

These conditions are the very best for wearing perfume imo, the grand orientals and voluminous  flowers comes to their right when contrasted with the cold. During the walk I come to think of some of my choices during last week, for example Guerlain Shalimar Edp and L'Artisan L'Eau d'Ambre Extreme both warm and comforting orientals suitable for the winter.

Picture: Soon the elves will start to dance ...
Photo: Parfumista (c)

The mystic haze reminded me of elves and of Carner Barcelona Rima XI which is a perfume that I associate with elves.

Picture: Sun and haze over the small lake.
Photo: Parfumista (c)

When walkning on the sunny side of the lake, with the sun glittering over the snow, I instantly come to think of the powdery, soapy icon Lorenzo Villoresi Teint de Neige which is also a fragrance that demands lower tempratures to come to its right. And a big white flower as for example  Estee Lauder Private Collection Tubereuse Gardenia would be great in the sun.

Picture: Ice skaters
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Finally, the ice skaters made me think of drinking hot chocolate when taking a break and of Mancera Roses & Chocolate. One know that one is a fragrance nerd when so many fragrance associations pops up during a regular walk

Sunday shopping at Fragrance & Art

2018 should be my non buying perfume year expect from a few bottles. These bottles are already (almost) consumed. In the mailbox today Fragrance & Art  announced there is a 50% Wintersale on some brands. Even if very priceworthy this Sunday became quite expensive as I bought the following frags:

Picture: Cendres de Thé in the old bottle
Photo: PR Phaedon (c)

Cendres de Thé Phaedon (old bottle): This is a fragrance in the style of Hermès Un Jardin après la Mousson but CdT is more minimalistic and dry in style.

Photo: PR Amorvero (c)

Amorvero (Amorvero): This is a great retrostyled warm and elegant floraloriental with a warm floral heart of tubereuse, jasmin and rose. I have sampled the Edt. which is very good, now I couldn't resist buying the Edp which I hope is even better.

Picture: L'Eau d'Ambre Extreme in the old bottle
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

L'Eau d'Ambre Extreme (L'Artisan Parfumeur) This is a classic amber which is needed in a wellcurated fragrance wardrobe. Blind buy as I havn't tested the Extreme-version.

Photo: PR Coquillete (c)

Sumatera (Coquillete): A special, soft, dry patchouli with discrete flowers and cinnamon. A very comforting and easy to wear.

Photo: PR Coquillete (c)

Tan-Tan (Coquillete): Back up bottle for Mr Parfumista as he really likes the intriguing, green, tart figgyness of Tan-Tan. One of the very best fig frags imho.

Other good options in the sale are for example Coquillete Sulmona, Parfum d'Empire  3Fleurs, Iskander and Yuzu Fou, several fragrances from L'Artisan Parfumeur among them Al Oudh, Noir Exquis,  Dzongkha, Dzing,  Mon Numero 10 and Patchouli Patch.

Rediscovering fragrances

Photo: Parfumista (c)

A New Year resolution 2018 is to rediscover fragrances that already are in my wardrobe as samples or fb:s.
From such exercise some short thoughts probably will appear in print over the year, even if I'm still in the writers block.
Here some rediscoveries from the recent holidays:

Rose Royale (Parfums de Nicolaï): This is an amazing pink rose where I now have discovered more of elegant, retro accords which make this beautiful rose intriguing too. It's much more than just a high quality pink rose.

Shanghai Lily (Tom Ford): A beautiful, velvety and in the same time tick and clean lily. The velvety thickness makes like this better than the other niche standard-lillies, Serge Lutens Un Lys  and Frederic Malle Lys Mediterrranee, both more transparent and sort of "thinner" in texture.

Gucci Bloom (Gucci): Wet, humid, chilly, crisp, white flowers like a graden with withe flowers after rain. Moderate interpretation of white flowers, not the classic voluminous type, balanced with a tangy accord that I really like. Not a rediscovery as this is new to me but worn quite often in December.

I suppose that my fragrancechoices are reflecting the green and rainy weather during the holidays. Flowers and also greens scents, see the choice of the 2017 Christmas Eve Tom Ford Vert de Fleur.

Best of 2017 part 2

Picture: Gucci Guilty Absloute
Photo: PR Gucci (c)

Looking at the subject "Best of 2017" in a broder perspecitve it's obvious: It's in the "Pour Homme" category I find the unrivaled best fragrance of 2017: Gucci Guilty Absolute (GGA) and that one could be worn by women too, even if now there is also a PF edition of GGA on is way. To me GGA is the Terre d'Hermès of the 2010s, just as good, if not better, a future classic, which just like Terre, will be mentioned as the fragrance of it's decade. When it comes to the "Pour Femme" category, Prada Infusion d'Iris is the fragrance of the -00 decade, havn't found out yet the one which is obvious for the 2010s in the womans section.

Picture: Gucci Bloom
Photo: PR Gucci (c)

When it comes to Gucci, I'll also give their 2017 release for woman Gucci Bloom a very high score, it's one of the very best (from the small part I've smelled) of 2017. I love its tangy, white flowery, over the day precense, a fragrance which I happily wear two or even three days in a row, something that is very rare when it comes to me.

Best of 2017

I have little to say about the 2017 releases as most fragrances I've tested this year was created in 2016 or the years just before. I liked both of the two great releases in 2017 much.Versatile and elegant/playful fragrances: Chanel Gabrielle and Hermès Twilly. This year Carner Barcelona Floral Collection also was nice even if I liked the Black Collection from 2016 better. Puredistance Warzawa, with its muted, dark, green elegance, was released for the entire market 2017 but was actually released in 2016, exclusive for the polish market.

Picture: Best of 2017
 Roger & Gallet Extraits de Cologne
Photo: PR Roger & Gallet (c)

My choice of best of 2017 is the classic Colognehouse Roger & Gallet Extraits de Cologne line. The fragrances are created by different, famous or upcoming perfumers. Some of the extraits de Cologne are as an Eau de Toilette (Edt) in radiance and stregnth and other somewhere in between Cologne and Edt. My favorites are Néroli Facètie (Fabrice Pellegrin) and Cassis Frénésie (Elise Benat) even if Tubereuse Hédoine (Anne Flipo) Thé Fantaisie (Alberto Morillas) and Verveine Utopie (Juliette Karagueuzoglou) comes close. The line is very well done and priceworthy given the quality (100 ml GBP 55 ). Lovely fragrances, would be great for Springtime.