Fragrance(s) of the week (19) 2013 - Hurry up!

Picture: Miss Dior
Photo: PR Christian Dior (c)

When I a few days ago was reading  this scary entry on the parfumehistorian/perfumeexpert Octavians blog 1000Fragrances, I can not help feel contended with my perfumecollecting strategy during the latest 6-7 months. I have stocked up and complemented with some classics that I really like or think a "full" perfumecollection should contain.

Of course these classics have been reformulated many times since they first appeared but as I have understand from reading the experts as Octavian and Elena at  Perfumeshrine the new regulations will almost completely ruin many of the greats. So the latest half year I have neglected  investments in current perfumereleases, of course I have tested as many as always from samples, but as FB investments I have given the classics the total priority. And even there are some very nice stuff in the current releases tested, overall I get a greater experience with these by this operation salvaged classics as Dior Miss Dior (orginale but the version before the Orignale was added to the name) back-up bottle and Dolce Vita, back-up bottles of Thierry Mugler Angel, Guerlain Shalimar, Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue and also the 2010 version of Yves Saint Laurent Opium to spare my ca 25 ml left of the vintage Edt-version.

Today, it's only 61 days left, so hurry up if you want to be sure to secure some of the perfumelegacy for your collection.........

Picture: Guerlain Mitsouko
Photo: PR Guerlain (c)

Burberry Body Edt vs Burberry Body Tender Edt

Picture: The Absinthe Drinker, 
painting  by Viktor Oliva 1901, in the Café Slavia, Prague
Wikimedia commons

There is no secret I'm a fan of the original Burberry Body Edp, IMO a very well executed mainstream fragrance with the  tangy absinthenote contrasting the heavy but somehow bright, flourishing, flowers. Since Body was released in 2011 there has been some flankers/formulas/concentrations of the fragrance. In this post I will compare two of them: The Edt version from summer 2012 and the Tendre version from this spring. Both, just as the original Body fragrance, are created by Michel Almairac.

The Burberry Body Edt starts with a sparkling appledominated accord which is fresh and inviting, not too sweet. The typical Body absinth accord is present but very subdued comparing to the original and Tendre.
But soon, on my skin anyway, Edt becomes week and I it's mostly about some pleasant but quite indistinct contemporary musky floral with some crispy applenote. After a while, my favoured absintenote comes back in the game but just as subdued as in the topnotes. In this stage it smells like it's embedded with powder, which is pleasant but not interesting enough to my critical nose. The Edt continues like that, nice and pleasant, during the rest of the dry down, adding some nice chalky notes in the base.

The Burberry Body Tender Edt is another story. It starts up with heavy on my favourite absinthe-flower accord, this time featuring a medium pink rose. There is a pleasant tartness from the absinthe and there is also like the steams and leaves of the rose have been blended with the absinthe and this further strengthens the tartness. As Body Tender dries down some of the appelnote from Body Edt appears as a contrasting, sparkling effect to the rose and absinthe. The by me favoured tart note continues during the whole drydown and deepens and get darker in the moderate musky base.

Overall the Edt version is more polite, fruitier, more powdery, weaker and the absinthenote is much tuned down compared to the Tender-version. I prefer the latter and would happily wear it as a summerBody if a bottle fell from the sky.

Rating: Burberry Body Edt : 3,  Burberry Body Tender: 4

Notes: Burberry Body Edt: Green apple, peach, absinthe, rose, sandalwood, tea, musk, cashmere woods, amber, vanilla

Burberry Body Tender: Lemon, apple, peach, absinthe, rose, tea leaves, jasmine, sandalwood, cashmere woody accords, vanilla, musk, amber

Rosenotes in a haste

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Recently I have been hit by a sort of roseobsession and when reviewing Grossmith Saffron Rose I felt the urge to sniff some fragrances in the same category ie orientel styled or inspired roses and also clean rosesoliflores. Here are the impressions from what I smelled from the teststripes:

Rose Absolue (Annick Goutal): The truest and cleanest rose, mixed of rose absolues from six different rosetypes. This is like diving in an ocean of rosepetals, experience all the different facets of the scent of roses:  Fresh, green and steamy,dewy, smooth, spicy and velvety. Natural, elegant and relaxing. The reference rosesoliflore.

Taif Roses (Montale):The house of oriental styled roses is of course Montale.There are countless variations where the rose are more or less prominent compared to the other notes, usually oud. Taif Roses is a rosesoliflore, where the rose is supported with some of the leaves and steams which creates a slight rubbery note and a very light lemony note in the top.

Highness Rose (Montale): Dark, velvety, intense, lush and fresh red roses. This is THE rosesoliflore, grand in its "simple" apperance. A regal perfume.

Roses Musk (Montale): A crispy and peppery red rose blended with musk. Radiant and with a great sillage. This one has to be sparely applied.

Aoud Rose Petals (Montale): Saffron and a bright medium pink rose mixed in a delicious creamy combination refreshed by green cool geranium and anchored in a proper dose of oud and other precious woody notes.

Aoud Queen Roses (Montale): The most "perfumery" like rose fragrance in the group. Here there is a red rose which is darker, smoother and the oud  is more pronounced than in Aoud Rose Petals. A slight leathery note is also appearing, almost integrated with the dark rose.

When sniffing side by side on scentstripes there is very evident  how different the scents really are despite the common denominator the rose, and some cases also the oud. And this seems to be a general observation: Fragrances from the same family that seems to be similar when first smelled, mostly appears to be quite different when investigated more in detail.

Fragrance(s) of the week (18) 2013 - Perfumetreasures in the North

Picture: The City of Sundsvall, Sweden,
Engraving ca. 1690-1710, Erik Dahlberg, Svecia Antiqua et Hodierna, Wikimedia Commons

In the City of Sundsvall,a coast town almost in the middle of Sweden, there is a little fragrancetreasure: Fragrance & Art - a niche-perfumeshop with some very rare nichelines carefully selected by the owner who has just an excellent nose snifffng up so many intriguing fragrances. Within niche, even if carrying different styled lines, Fragrance & Art has a special focus on reconstructed historical brands, fragrances inspired by the history and also vintagestyled fragrances.As there are genres that I truly appreciate and find intriguing, combined with the excellent taste of the owner of Fragrance & Art, I always know that samples from there will be a pleasure to test. The first screening consistent with my taste is already done and I can concentrate on the best ones.

Picture: Les Eaux de Toilettes de Historiae
Photo: Historiae (c)

This week,I have started my sniff through a line that I havn't heard of before, a french line called Historiae, focusing on fragrances that intermediate different eras of the French history. This delicate fragrances are light in style Edt:s and despite that, distinct in character and with good longevity, good choices for the coming summer. Four of five fragrances are created by the great nose Bertrand Duchaufour and taken that into account, the line is quite reasonable priced ca EUR 25 for 15 ml and ca EUR 49 for 50 ml. Reviews will follow later.

Luckily for those who want to try some unusual fragrances, Fragrance & Art has a webshop with sampleservice and shipping around the word.

By Kilian - Flower of Immortality

Picture: Peach Blossoms  (1878)
Oil on canvas by Winslow Homer
 Wikimedia commons

Flower of Immortality is the third installment in the By Kilian Asian Tales line. FoI is, like most of the Kilians, created by Calice Becker. The Asian Tales line is aimed to the asian market and features subtle, transparant fragrances as these type of fragrances is said to be preferred there. The first two fragrances of the line were the elegant but in the same time refreshing Water Calligraphy and Bamboo Harmony.

Flower of Immortality starts with mouthwatering topnotes of peach (the fruit) accompanied by a note that feels like peachblossom. The peachnote is very realistic and I havn't smelled peachblossoms but I can image a scent like this. This is the best peachaccord since MDCI Parfums Peche Cardinal even if that one is denser and a bit darker in its peachy loveliness. In the middlenotes the peaches calms down but is still clearly present when the contrasting, cool iris accompanied by a subtle rose appears. There is not the carrotsmelling earthy iris, which surprises me as according to the list of ingredients there is also carrotseeds in the blend, the iris is clean, powdery and polite, just as the texture of FoI in the middle and basenotes. I also think that the tonkabeen mentioned among the ingredients adds a powdery warmth to the fragrance.

Picture: By Kilian Flower of Immortality
Photo: PR By Kilian

Flower of Immortality is a polite, elegant, refreshing, officefriendly and easy to wear fragrance, perfect for spring and summer especially for days when the only wish perfumewise is to be ensured smelling very good. In some way FoI is almost too perfect, it smells so good, is so wellconstructed and is so wellbehaved that I suspect the wearer could be a bit bored if wearing this to often. The only drawback is that FoI fades away quickly and is just a too faint trail of the scent after a few hours.

Rating: 4

Notes: White peach, carrot seeds, iris, black currant, rose, tonka bean

Kerosense - Unknown Pleasures

Picture: Strand (beach) at Skagen (ca 1900)
Painting by  Peder Severin Kröyer, Wikimedia commons

Unknown Pleasures is one of the latest fragrance from the indieperfumer John Pegg, creating frags for his own brand Kerosene. Before John started to create pefumes, he worked in the Detroit automobileindustry which have inspired to the unique, by John himself, handlacquered bottles.

Unknown Pleasures starts with an accord very close to a waffle cone filled with lemon sorbet paired with vanilla icecream. Just in the beginning a citrus, slight woody classical cologne note appears creating an almost necessary contrast to the sweetness, probably this is the Earl Grey tea note mentioned in the notelist. After a while the teanote steps back and is not recognizable as a separate note but it's present as a part of the blend. When drying down to the base, the lemonsorbet-vanilla ice creme-waffle cone impression persist and the fragrance is becoming just slightly powdery. In the whole drydown but particulary in the basenotes, I can smell a sort of almost refreshing, green coconutty note which seems to be present to a greater or lesser extent in most Kerosene fragrances, probably a part of the "Kerosenade" base. This particular green coconutty accord is also present in another favourite of mine: Etat Libre d'Orange Tom of Finland which Unknown Pleasures reminds me a bit of in the basenotes.

Picture: Unknown Pleasures
Photo: PR Kerosene (c) all rights reserved

Unknown Pleasures is not the elegant, complicated and serious fragrance. Instead it is friendly, funny, sunny, warm and happy just like the pleasant feeling of eating icecream a warm and sunny summerday during the holiday. The fragrance is a great gourmand, truly delicious and it's the perfect replacement for a dessert and could therefore act as a substitute for a diet product :-). Unknown Pleaures, just as its name indicates, brings pure joy and comfort. The sillage is medium and longevity for more than a day. IMHO Unknown Pleasures is the second best fragrance of the Kerosene-line so far, and the best for me. The number one Kerosene over all is still (not for wearing myself but its suits great for Mr Parfumista) the multifaceted, boozy, dark and rough Copper Skies.

I think those who like vanillic gourmands in general and fragrances in the style of Estee Lauder Bronze Godess/Azureé Soleil would also like Unknown Pleasures.

Rating: 5

Notes: Earl Grey tea, lemon, honey, bergamot, tonka, caramel, vanilla, waffle cone

Thanks to  Fragrancefanatic at Riktig Parfym for the sample to test.

Fragrance of the week (17) 2013 - philosophical thoughts about Opium

Picture: New Opium Edp
Photo: PR Yves Saint Laurent (c)

This week has been a week in Guerlain, except Tuesday when I wore Yves Saint Laurent Opium Edp in the current version.To me it was a pleasant experience despite all complaints I have read in different blogs and forums. Yes, of course it isn't the same as earlier formulas, compared to my Y2K Opium Edt formula the new Opium is woodier, darker, less spicy-floral and for a short while it has a slight artifical vibe. But most important is that the special Opium style and aura is still there, I don't think it has lost its soul which is what is important to me. It's just an Opium adapted to a new decade, just as much older classics as Guerlain Shalimar and Chanel No 5 have done multiple times. Of course a fragrance could not smell as before as the circumstances are changing over the years and maybe also it should not as it's, at least from a Parfumista viewpoint, interesting to investigate the development of a certain fragrance between different decades and formulas. This exercise is almost as exploring different but similar in style fragrances.

Grossmith - Floral Veil

Picture: Queen Victoria in her weddingdress 1847
Painting by Franz Xavier Winterhalter (1805-1873)

Floral Veil is one of the four classy fragrances released in the Grossmith Black Label Collection so far. Floral Veil is created by another perfumer than the other three: Jean-Marie Santantonio.

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.

Grossmith - Amelia

Picture: European peony, Paeonia lactiflora
Photo by Frances2000, Wikipedia Commons

Amelia, a part of the Grossmith Black Label Collection released in late 2012, is created in honour of the daughter of the founder of the house (originally established in 1835), Amelia. The fragrance is created by Trevor Nicholl.

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.

Fragrance(s) of the week (16) 2013 - Perfumed thoughts...

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Spring ha finally arrived but the mood for springfragrances has not yet appeared even if I tried with the soooo spring-/summerlike Eau de Ciel by Annick Goutal earlier this week. Overall I still want heavier and darker stuff such as my new lemming Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M.Micallef. I'm glad to have, even if late, tested something from the house of M.Micallef. It has not gotten around to testing them earlier, maybe because there is such a large range of perfumes that I havn't know where to start. My first experience is so promising that I'll definitly test more from M.Micallef.

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.

Grossmith - Saffron Rose

Picture: Roses in a vase,
 painting by Auguste Renoir

I knew instantly when I splashed on Saffron Rose from the small vial that I would just love this stunning oriental styled rosecomposition. And Saffron Rose are just not about flattering topnotes, it is quality all the way out. Saffron Rose, created by Trevor Nicholl is a part of  the Grossmith Black Label Collection.

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.

Grossmith - Golden Chypre

Picture: Golden Chypre,
a part of the Black  Label  Collection
Photo: PR Grossmith

Golden Chypre is one of the four initial releases in the new Black Label line from the venerable British house of Grossmith. Earlier Grossmith (among others) has released contemporary interpretations of the old classics of the house, such beautiful frags as Shem-el-Nessim,  Phul-Nana, Hasu-no-Hana and Betrothal. Golden Chypre is created by Trevor Nicholl.

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.

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: 

Thanks to a generous sample from Fragrantfanatic I now have, to say at least, a new lemming: Le Parfum Couture Denis Durand for M. Micallef. This frag is a incredible, dark, animalic, almost deep cosmetic smelling purple rose (even if the rose is subdued) topped by something similar to the note of bayleaves. Elegant, with some subtle dirtyness, a fragrance that perfectly would fit Marlene Dietrich portraying Lola Lola in Der Blaue Engel. To my nose Parfume Couture is like a mix of Andy Tauers Une Rose Chypré and Montale Aoud Ambre. So beware lovers of dark and dirty frags!

Rating: 5

Notes: Cinnamon, tangerine,rose, orange blossom, honey, sandalwood, patchouly, amber, white musk

Springfragrances 2013

Picture: Violets
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

The winter has been staying for an exceptional long time this year so the real inspiration of wearing springfragrances has not really appeared. Instead I have been much into fragrances which are suitable year around and  with a renewed appreciation of some of the great classics, particulary the Guerlains. Regardless of this, but of course also with some inspiration from it, here comes a list of fragrances inspiring me this spring:

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.

Pierre Balmain - Vent Vert (new vs older)

Picture: Vent Vert
PR  Poster (c) Pierre Balmain, all rights reserved

The first green fragrance (at least famous one) for woman Vent Vert originally created by one of the pioneer female noses, Germaine Cellier for Pierre Balmain 1947, is the epitome of spring and early summer. Leafy and grassy notes supported by the scent of bulbflowers creates a sunny and warm green fragrance, just as the feeling of the summer breeze a warm day at the countryside in the early summer. As all great classics, Vent Vert is reformulated severel times. The first major change was in 1990 conducted by another great female perfumer, Calice Becker. After that it has been some changes in the early 2000:s and most reacent, some years ago when Balmain repackaged in the current cube scaped bottles with the golfball cap, the current version was introduced.

Picture: Germaine Cellier (1909-1976),
photo found at Basenotes

Picture: Calice Becker,
photo found at Fragrantica

Vent Vert starts with the sharp and a bit bitter green note of galbanum. In the older version the bitterness and greenness is much more pronounced and much more is going on. In the new version the galbanum is tuned down and a lemon note is evident. As Vent Vert dries down, in the new version, galbanum just wispers soft in the background when clearly preasent in the older version even if it takes a step back here also. In the new version an indistinct, a bit too sweet, floral heart appears and as it dries further down, it goes more and more soapy in character. The soapiness, even if a bit sweet, is fresh in the same time, image the smell of washing off in the sea after enjoying a woodheated sauna in the archipelago. The older Vent Vert on the other hand, is continuing in its characteristic manner, in the middle crispy flowers combined with a delicate spicyness takes the centerstage, underscored by the galbanum. Also when reaching the basenotes the older version has more character, more dept with its mossy and woody notes blended with some warm notes of amber and resins. The current version anchors in a bright and light woodiness which counterplays the sweet soapiness.

Picture: Le Mors à la Conétable
Photo: PR Hermès (c) all rights reserved

To summon up: The new Vent Vert is a bit tame, onedimensional and without dept compared with the older version. The older version is rougher, sharper and distinct in its grassy galbanum and leafy greeness balanced with the scent of the crispy flowers. The older version is the elegant, Hermèsscarf wearing, casual chic lady whereas the current version is classicalstyled, sporty teenager in a navy-striped  woolen Busnel sweater, jeans and Docksides. Even if i personally prefers the older version, I really think the new version should be considered by those who want's a new green scent for the coming, warmer season. The new Vent Vert is  better then most of the mainstream, floral stuff.

Picture: Docksides (R)
Photo: PR Sebago (c) all rights reserved

Vent Vert older version will attract those who like fragrances as Chanel No 19 especially in Edt, Annick Goutal Heure Exquise, Van Cleef & Arpèls First and Puredistance Antonia. I think the new Vent Vert will be appreciated by those who like Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte.

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

Chanel Les Exclusifs – Gardenia

Picture: Gardenia thunbergia,
Source:Compton Herbarium, Kirstenbosch
Picture by Edith Struben, c 1915

Gardenia is another of the reinterpreted/reformulated Ernst Beaux classics from the 1920s in the Les Exclusifs Collection. The first version of gardenia was created in 1925. The Exclusives version is an Edt like all fragrances in the collection.

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

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

A softer, more flowery version of the icecold, aldehydic, marbel beauty Chanel No 5 that was released 1921, a year before Chanel No 22. Both these classics were created of Ernest Beaux (as usual when it comes to the oldest Chanels). The No 22 I have tested is the Edt-version from the Les Exclusifs Collection and it’s of course just in the case with No 5 reformulated since 1922.

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

Maria Candida Gentile - Exultat

Picture: Panoramique de Sienne, Italie

Photo: Jean-Christophe Benoist (cc), Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved

This time I don't have to be wordy as usual. especially when it come to perfums that I highly appreciate or sometimes even love. Exultat by independent perfumer Maria Candida Gentile, whose somehow ethereal perfumline has moved me, is the inverse version of Sideris reviewed in May 2012. Where Sideris is manily warm but with cooler elements (the medivial stonechurch at the townsquare in the mediterrian heat of the summer) Exultat is the same square and church but in the winter. Where Sideris performs some obscure, almost decaying sweet elements, the impression of Exultat is cleaner, cooler and much drier. Exultat emphasize the dry, woody aspects of incense at some stage the wood in Exultat smells as it's just sawn. A light supporting violetnote is also distinguish Exultat from Sideris and there is also an obvious note of vetiver in the woody base that contributes to the green, woody, dryness of Exultat. To me Exultat from the later part of the middlenotes and further during the dry down could count as an vetiver fragrance. It's a really green and brisk vetiver, not smoky or plate-powderish in character. On the masculine - feminine spectra (if someone cares), Exultat is the masculine and Sideris the feminine one, even if they both are unisex. Personally I prefer Sideris a little over Exultat as I find it a bit more interesting with it's "obscure notes" lurking in the backgrund, but both are excellent, inspiring fragrances, far away from the mainstream boredom. As the perfumer was inspired by a certain stonechurch when created Exultat, this is a perfect fragrance for celebrating the Good Friday.

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)

Fragrance(s) of the week(s) (13-14) 2013 - Easterfrags

Picture: Madonna mit dem Kaninchen,
oil on canvas ca 1530 by Titian (Tiziano Vecelli)

Easter is somehow a fragrance feast to me. Probably not only because of the scents connected to it from bulbflowers and sweets, as also the sacral connection. Probably the mainreason is that Easter offers two extra holidays and therefore the opportunity to dive deeper in the fragrance hobby :-) than during regular weekends. Different years I'm into different fragrancethemes during the Easter, which theme I think has to do with when Easter occours. Late Easter = the green floral bulb theme is tempting, an early Easter = the gourmand or the incense theme. This year I think the gourmands will win, it is still cold winter and recently I have been drawn to sweet and comforting fragrances. From this gourmand view I think the following will suit well for Easter:

Picture: L'Heure de Nuit
Photo: PR Guerlain (c) all rights reserved

L'Heure de Nuit (Guerlain): The house of Guerlain celebration of the hundred years anniversery of  classic (to say at least) L'Heure Bleue. A contemporary interpretation that captures the classic in a edible way. The classic iris-helitrophe-neroli accord is lands in an almost mashmallow and amaretto like accord.

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

White Aoud (Montale): Here the mashmallow note is present again, but combined with oud, saffron and cardamom in a well balanced creamy mix. soft as white angora but in the same time distinctive, it is Montale after all.

Picture: Loukhoum
Photo: PR Ava Luxe (c) all rights reserved

Loukhoum (Ava Luxe): Just enough but not too sweet to be a Loukhoum. Powdery notes, almond and honey moistened with rosewater, this is a delicious.

Picture: Angel
Photo: PR Thierry Mugler (c) all  rights reserved

Angel (Thierry Mugler): Last but not least maybe the most obvious choice in this Easter gourmand parade: Angel and sweets :-). The notes of dark chocolate, caramel, fruits, tonka and patchouli is still iconic and sadly, as I have understand it, severely threatened by the coming regulations later this year.

Happy Easter to all Perfumelovers!

Oriza L.Legrand - Relique D'Amour

Picture: Relique D'Amour
PR-picture from Oriza  L.Legrand (c)

Relique D'Amour from the venerable  ricepowderhouse Oriza L.Legrand founded 1720 is said to be inspired from the old chapel of a cisterian abbey. Moss on cold stonewalls, waxed wood of altar and pews, incense and myrrh in the air. Fresh lilies on the altar and the smell of fresh green-woody, herbal notes from the outside.

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.

Fragrance(s) of the week (12) 2013

Picture: Hermès Elixir des Merveilles
Photo: PR Hermès (c) all rights reserved

Havn't anything perfume-wise to say this week except that my craving for orange and orangeblossom  in the sunny but very cold weather is evident. Robert Piguet Blossom and L'Artisan Seville à l'Aube are my choices. As is it very cold for the season I'm still remains in the oriental wardrobe with frags as Parfum d'Empires  Ambre Russe and Hermès  L'Ambre des Merveilles and Elixir des Merveilles, where the latter is the perfect  formula for the situation as it combines orange and oriental notes.

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 

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

Fragrance(s) of the week (11) 2013

Picture: Good old Mitsi
Photo: One of the myriads of  the PR pictures of this classic .

This week I have been terribly cold and just smell fragments of the frags I'm wearing. Beside my Frederic Malle testing activity, my belated Guerlain obsession is growing. I really appreciate to wear (even if they don't suit me perfectly) the classics like Mitsouko and L'Heure Bleue in different strenghts and longing for apring and Apres l'Ondee. Even in the current or almost current versions, this frags are by far more original than most of the niche launched today. And also like several of the current Guerlains, for example Cuir Beluga is caring with its smooth, suedelike texture, which is excellent when having a bad cold. I also have to admit that I like Shalimar Initial with its elegant iris-patchouli accord and Shalimar Initial L'Eau, an interersting bergamot and iris combination, perfect for spring.

To further enhance this Guerlaineuphoria I just have to hang around at Monsieur Guerlains blog drooling over these beauties

Robert Piguet - Chai

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Chai is a green fragrance accentuated by  flowery notes grounded in subtle and smooth, lingering teanotes. Chai is a part of the Robert Piguet Pacific Collection which is created by Aurelien Guichard.

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