Mona di Orio - Bohea Bohème

Picture: The Yunnu hill, the symbol of the Wuyi Mountains
Photo by Ricky Chow (cc)
Wikimedia commons, some rights reserved

Bohea Bohème is the latest fragrance from the house of Mona di Orio and the second release which is not created by the great, and sadly, late Mona. Bohea Bohème is created by Fredrik Dalman, an unknown perfumer to me, the name sounds suspicious swedish. The fragrance Bohea Bohème is inspired of and will capture (according to a brief from the perfumehouse)  "the smoldering delicacy of the distinctive tea cultivated in the Wuyi Mountains of China. The precious Bohea Tea, fumed with pinewood, is prized for its complex aroma and rich character"

 Bohea Bohème starts with a  smokey, light tea-ish note infused with a note resembeling tar. There also a hint of cardamom and a light, uplifting blond woody impression, as wood in the mountains of a warmer climat, cooled off by the rain. There is also something bright and almost chilly to the first part of the fragrance, probably an effect of the chamomille inteacting with the woody notes. As Bohea dries further down, the fragrance becomes warmer, woodier, rounder and a tad sweeter, even if this is not at sweet fragrance at all.
The fragrane also calms down from the explosion of notes in its first part, it becomes a skinscent, close to the wearer. The basenotes of Bohea is a plesant, light smokey, sort of waxy, balsamic, woody.

Alltogether, the fragrance is loud and somehow refreshing in its first part and then calms down to be intimate and relaxing in its later stages. Bohea as a whole is not the typical tea-fragrance, tea is just one of the co-working ingredients. This make me think of another fragrance in this genre which Bohea may be inspired from, the intriguing  Russian Tea from Masque. The same concept with tea as a co-working note and some similarities in smell, i.e the smoky note. Compared to Bohea Bohème Russian Tea is more distinctive, rougher, tougher with more contrasts during its dry down. Except smoky, black tea, Russian Tea also have notes of mint, leather and raspberry. If roughly translated to seasons of the year, Russian Tea is a winterfragrance and Buhea Bohème is for summer.

Picture: Bohea Bohème
Photo: PR Mona di Orio (c)

Bohea Bohème is a fragrance suitable for daytime wearing, both for work and casual. Silage is big in the topnotes but then becomes a close skinscent in the later stages. Longevity is very good, I can smell unfragmented traces after 24h+. The fragrance is totally unisex.

Bohea Bohème is a good fragrance but to me it lacks the originality, creativity and depts of the creations of late Mona di Orio herself. Compared to Monas compositions Bohea is soulless and could have been released from any nichehouse. The unique style, skills and the bottled passion in the fragrances created by Mona are lost in the releases post Mona. There will be a difficult future for the house of Mona di Orio to stand out from the nichecrowd as the house did during the days of Mona.

Rating: 4

Notes: Bergamot, cardamom, iris, chamomile,  poplar bud, balsam fir, boxtree, geranium, black tea oil, smoked juniper, oakwood, sandalwood, beeswax, bay leaf, benzoin, vanilla absolute

Malbrum - Short impressions

Malbrum is a norwegian perfumehouse which will join the norwegian spirit with french perfumery. The first three fragrances are inspired from asian ingredients, scents and aromas. I have tested two of them, both created by Delphine Thierry.

Picture: Shameless Seducer
Photo: PR Malbrum (c)

Shameless Seducer starts like a citric infused version of Infusion d'Iris combined with non-descript florals. There is some sharp notes, probably wood and vetiver, combined with a cold spicy impression, probably from the musk-cumin combo. The animalic notes described in the notelist are not clear to my nose.
Shameless Seducer has some almost refreshing, cold qualities that reminds me of the late winter just before the first signs of spring arrives which are captivating. Shameless Seducer is a bit messy to start with but then put it self together to a nice, easy to wear, musky, slight spicy, cold, almost airy floral fragrance. Unisex.

Picture: Tigre de Bengale
Photo: PR Malbrum (c)

Tigre de Bengal is a spicy, light leathery, warm oriental with smokey accents, reminding of burned wood in a tropic landscape. The smoke reminds me of a lighter version of the smoke from tropical burnt wood in Maïtre Parfumeurs et Gantier Eau de Iles. The warm spicy notes feels fresh, not as dried spices and the accord, comined with a creamy touch, reminds me of a lighter and paler version of Kenzo Jungle l'Elephant. There are also a boozy note in the basenotes of Tigre de Bengal. A nice contemporary, a bit subdued, representant of the spicy oriental sub category, unisex, leaning slight to the masculine side.

Both fragrances are in  Extrait de Parfum concenration. As a whole, I like Tigre de Bengal the most but Shameless Seducer on the other hand, has passages which are more original than what could be found in Tigre de Bengal. Somehow the fragarances mirroring each other: Some notes/accords have similarities but are interpreted in a cold respective warm version. Taken as a whole: The tested Malbrum fragrances are not groundbraking but easy to like and wear.

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the samples to test.

Perris Monte Carlo - Ylang Ylang Nosy Be Extrait

Picture: Adele Bloch-Bauer's Portrait (1907)
Painting; oil, silver and gold on canvas by Gustav Klimt (1862-1919)Wikimedia commons

Ylang Ylang Nosy Be is the other of the first issued Nosy Be fragrances, see more information in the earlier review of Perris Monte Carlo Patchouli Nosy Be.

Starts with a burst of sweet floral and rounded citrusy fruity notes without any sharpness from the grape/lemon just a juicy, bright cloud. It's a very sunny accord, if the accord had a color it could be imagined as somewhere between glowing orange and yellow with golden elements glittering. The fruity-floral notes are sweet but natural and not at all chemical smelling, the ylang-ylang is just golden flowery delicious without any trace of the almost banana like note that sometimes show up in this floral note. The cardamon provides a soft, spicy green balance but it's hardly detectable as a singular note as it's so well integrated with fruits and flowers. There is a sort of electrical vibe to the fragrance, a very light metallic tinge like the snell in the air when the sun breaks through between two thunderstorms. This is also the case with the jasmine, rose and orangeblossom, they're interacting in perfectly blended accords. The basenotes are calming the flowers with vetiver, soft woods, resin and the same delicate vanilla as in Patchouli Nosy Be.  In the  later stages of the drydown, a juicy rose wich has similarities with thé juicy rose in La Rose from Le Galion steps a forward from the flowery blend even if ylang ylang is still clearly present. Ylang ylang Nosy Be as a whole is a quite linear fragrance and wearing it is like floating around in a warm, comforting, golden flow like Adele Bloch-Bauer on the famous Klimt painting.

Compared to the few other ylang-ylang fragrances Ive tested M.Micallef Ylang in Gold and Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Fleur des Comores the Perris interpretetion is ticker, denser and more concentrated to the ylang-ylang. Ylang in Gold is more creamy and beachy in apperance , Fleur des Comores is more about a classic sweet, flowery vanilla with the typical slight animalic MPG ambery base.

Picture: Ylang Ylang Nosy Be
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Ylang Ylang Nosy Be is lavish and very feminine in style and it suits for daytime wearing year around. It's a natural sweet and strong fragrance which has to be applied carefully to avoid a too sweet apperance. Sillage is medium to big and longevity great, there is unfragmented  traces left on skin after 24h, 24 extremely comforting hours.

Rating: 5

Notes: Ylang-ylang, lemon, grapefruit, cardamom, jasmine, orange blossom, damask rose, labdanum, vetiver, cedar, vanilla, field scabious

5 Early summerfragrances 2016

Picture: Ulriksdal Palace, one of the Royal Castles,
a morning in early May 2016
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Today it's Swedens nationalday! Early June with it's fresh, fragile flowers and greenery is, just as May, the most beautiful time of the year in this northen part of the globe. Flowery and light, sparkling fragrances are comforting and easy to wear. Below five reaible favourites:

Fleurissimo (Creed): This post continues in a royal setting: The wonderful green bouquet with tubereuse, violet, iris over a light ambergrisbase, was according to the storytelling from Creed, the fragrance made for and worn by Grace Kelly on her wedding with Prince Rainer of Monaco. My skin amplifies the violet/iris and the tubereuse here performs as a supporter, not the star of the show as in most fragrances with tubereuse as one of the main notes. Surprisingly there is a pleasant bananalike note contrasting and smoothing the blend, the nuance shows the tropical side of the tubereuse which is present in warm and lush tubereuse fragrances as in Le Galion Tuberéuse

Rose Essentielle Edp (Bvlgari): A sparkling blend of violet and rose in (to my nose) almost equal propotions. The violet is dominating on my skin most wearings, but sometimes the rose comes through more. Sweet, with a texture like hard candy but in the same time sort of fresh. The base is musky, slight earthy. After more then ten years on the market, Rose Essentielle is still an intriguing and very wearable fragrance.

Photo: Parfumista (c)

Jour d'Hermès Gardenia (Hermès): A tart, clean, minimalistic gardenia without the moist, earty smell of mushroom as in the heavier examples in the genre. Elegant, inoffensive and very easy to wear in most daytime ocasions. Not as grassy as the original Jour d'Hermès Edt .

Magnolia Romana (Eau d'Italie): Sharp green with almost rubbery, juicy white and yellow flowers. Sounds strange but smells so good. This is a fragrance for sunny and windy days, as there is sort of a natural flow in Magnolia Romana. An intriguing, contemporary floral.

Cristalle Edt (Chanel): A day in Cristalle is like a day in a cloud of sparkling Champagne, even if a regular workday. Retro bergamot-citrus fresh but at the same time with a distictive green, mossy body with hints of bulbfowers. A timeless creation, allways right to wear, true casual chic.

Anatole Lebreton - Incarnata

Picture: Incarnata
Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

Incarnata which is the latest Anatole Lebreton creation starts with a very true, dry, dusty,  powdery, not so sweet lipsticknote, that sort of vintage lipstcknote, a scent I'm remember since childhood. Cosmetic notes is also the theme for this intriguing, retroinspired perfume. It has a putty lipstick texture but is not as violet-rosy as Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose or sweet and dirty as Etat Libre D'Orange Putain des Palaces. After a while, there is a note appearing which smells close to cummin, but not the sharp varity, this is sort of a smooth versio. There is also hints of something similar to cough syrup but in a positive way. As Incarnata dries down, a smell that resembling the image of the texture of a thick, transparent, cold fluid appears: A splendid, deep myrrh, not as dark as in Huitième Art Myrrhiad but also not as airy as in Serge Lutens La Myrrhe, here it's almost the myrrh from Guerlain Myrrhe et Delires. The result of the myhrr mingling with the powdery notes is brilliant; the cosmetic notes becomes enlighted and almost refreshing.

Incarnata is a suitable perfume for a evening out in the opera or in the theatre. It's sort of sophisticated, robust with hidden secrets, like an untidy apartment hiding behind the perfect facade of a buildning on a posh street. It's an intriguing perfume which shifts during its development and evokes different images. The sillage is medium and longevity is very good with clear traces remaining after 24h. To me Incarnata is a very feminine perfume.

Like the other Anatole Lebreton fragrances I have tested, Incaranta is intriguing, well made and stands out in the flood of niche releases. I would like to own a bottle of each and thankfully those fragrances are quite reasonable priced to be niche, 90 EUR/50 ml.

Rating: 4

Notes: Raspberry, violet, rhododendron, orris root, myrrh, rose, powdery notes, amber, suede, benzoin vanilla

Anatole Lebreton - Bois Lumière

Picture: Bois Lumière

Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

Bois Lumière is the third fragrance in the Lebreton line starts very honeyed, sweet and rough animalic, in an almost an unpleasant accord. But as almost always with strange beginnings of a fragrance, the rest is so much better.  Even if still dominating, the honeyed sweetness is toned down in the rest of the dry down, balanced with warm woody/resin notes, immortelle, hay and orange. A warm, glowing, sparkling and cosy fragrance, very special and comforting for grey days. In the base there is also a musky feeling wish sweeps through the overall warm impression as a refreshing, chilly, gust. A friend of mine finds that there is something in Bois Lumière that oddly enough is resembling accords of a fragrance in a quite different style, Chanel Cristalle Edt but with a thicker and denser texture.

Honey dominated perfumes are not common and the one I think of when wearing Bois Lumière is (of course) Serge Lutens Miel de Bois which I precieve as a more elegant alternative. Bois Lumiere is rougher and sort of rual in appearance, the bewitched forest shows another dimension. Bois Lumière is a fragrance which attracts compliments.

Bois Lumière is the perfect autumn, winter and early springfragrance. The sillage is medium and longevity outstanding, 24h. It's neutral unisex.

Rating: 5

Notes: Juniper, clary sage, mandarin orange, fir balsam, honey, rose, carnation, immortelle, beeswax, cedar, benzoin

Anatole Lebreton - L'Eau Scandaleause

Picture: L'eau Scandaleuse

Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

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

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

Rating: 5

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

Anatole Lebreton - L'Eau de Merzhin

Anatole Lebreton has founded his own fragrancehouse in his native part of France, Brittany. His perfumes are gathered under the slogan "Parfums de Liberté" and exudes a natural, carefree, sort of rual charm. Anatole is a collector of vintage perfumes, a perfume blogger and has also selling rare teas and fine chocolates.

Picture: L'eau Merzhin

Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

L'Eau de Merzhin is the first composition of Anatole Lebreton and the initial accords of this green, slight dirty perfume are just amazing: Smelling like a well managed, well maintained horsestable with the smell from the horeses themselves, combined by a very true  haynote, all emphasized by a light flowery breeze blowing into the open door of the stable a warm summerday. In the middlenotes the animalic impression decreases and green, grassy, galbanum, leafy and light flowery notes dominates with hints of fresh, humid moss and  tangy green notes in the base.  L'Eau de Merzhin smells like a sunny summerday in the forest, the bewitched forest of Merlin. A fullbodied spring and summer fragrance which make me think of the older version of Pierre Balmain Vent Vert, Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane, and the two Parfums de Nicolaï: Le Temps d'une Fête (for the tangy, green, flowers) crossed with Vie de Chateau (for the breezy haynotes).

Even if it seems to be dedicated for spring and summer, L'Eau de Merzhin is a strong fragrance with a solid texture which also make it appropriate for colder months. It's longevity is very good, unfragmented traces are left on skin after 24h. Sillage is big. L'Eau de Merzhin is unisex but leaning a step to the feminine side IMO.

Rating: 4

Notes: Galbanum, angelica, violet leaf, cassie, hawthorn, flouve, hay, tonka bean, orris, oakmoss.

5 favorites for spring 2016

Picture: Springtime, the first anemones
Painting of H.A Brendekilde (1857-1942)
Source: Blog of an art admier

It's May and full spring at last. This time of the year I always come to think about the romantic Heinrich Heine poem (from Dichterliebe) when I have to stay inside the office during the beautiful, ephemeral May days.

"Im wunderschönen Monat Mai,
Als alle Knospen sprangen,
Da ist in meinem Herzen
Die Liebe aufgegangen.

Im wunderschönen Monat Mai,
Als alle Vögel sangen,
Da hab' ich ihr gestanden
Mein Sehnen und Verlangen."

And now to the serious stuff: What to wear in this intense season:

Fleurs d'Oranger (Serge Lutens): The spring nights are often chilly and the days sunny and (quite) warm. Warm and sunny as the fullbodied Serge Lutens classic Fleurs d'Oranger. It's a staple neroli with deep, rounded flowers, some spices contrasted by a pleasant tnagy note.

Eau de Néroli Doré (Hermès): A splendid, neroli in the cologne style. Retro nostalgic but somehow contemporary, a touch of soapy with a very light metallic touch. I think it's inspiration from the first Hermès fragrance Eau d'Hermès. I can detect traces of the characteristic cumminnote but soft and wrapped in neroli. Maybe this is Jean Claude Ellenas tribute to the great Edmond Roudnitska, which I read somewhere was a mentor to JCE and also created Eau d'Hermès. Good longevity and sillage to be a cologne.

Eau de Rhubarbe Ecarlate (Hermès):  Good longevity and sillage to be a cologne. Tart, green/red like the steam of the rhubarb combined with a sort of fresh, wet, slight earthy note. I also sense a touch of what I think is a pink, crisp, light musky rose, but I'm not sure. This fragrance mingles very well with my skin and I recieve compliments. As with the neroli, good longevity and sillage to be a cologne.

Week End à Deauville (Parfums de Nicolaï): The salty sea meat the windswept forests near the coast. Green, mossy, minty, herbal and airy/watery/sandy with a crispy, white carillon of the small but sturdy Lily of the Valley. A wonderful interpretation of spring.

Déjè le Printemps (Oriza L.Legrand): The ulitmate springfragrance with crispy bulbflowers and galbanum. There is also a very light nectar-powder like note interacting with the sharper green notes which makes this to a delicous, sparkling, green almost springtime fragrance, a perfume for hte green fairy. A perfume for Tinkerbell.

Making of Cannes - Quick reviews

Picture: A chic bottle of Rocher Princier
Photo: PR Making of Cannes (c)

Making of Cannes is a perfumebrand based in Grasse which creations are inspired of the Cannes Film Festival and the movie industry. Founder of the brand is Audrey Courbier who worked for Estee Lauder form many years, I havn't found who the perfumer is. Technically the fragrances are wellcrafted of a good quality and contains at least 20% perfumeoil, from a creative point of view even if beautiful nothing new or innovative. The fragrances are comforting, elegant and easy to wear.
Below some short thoughts of the five first releases from 2014:

Premier Role: This light oriental amber has a lovely vintage aura, especially in the start with something as unusual as a soft galbanum, this note often tend to appear as sharp. Taken as a whole Premier Role is a mix between two interesting perfumes from the past. Dior Dune and Balenciaga Prelude with an extra dose of smooth, restrained, moderate sweet white and yellow flowers. The first one-third is the most interesting then the fragrance get linear and smells almost the same for the rest of the dry down. Very feminine, warm, soft and comfortable to wear.

L'Amour la Monde: This is Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose crossed with a finetuned, realistic smelling leather like for example Acqua di Parma Colonia Leather. The leathernote vanishes after the topnotes and intergrates with the musky, powdery, creamy lipstick rose/violet accord. The more L'Amour la Monde dries down, the more of the powdery, musky, aldehydic character steps forward in a comfortable way. Just as with Permier Role the first one-third is the most interesting, than the fragrance stays almost the same, even if intensifying.

Invalouable: Starts very feminine as a flowery light powdery vanilla with fruity accents. The vanillic flower in its texture, not in the actual smell, is similar to the style of the angelic, powdery, flowery vanilla from Eau d'Italie Morn to Dusk. As Invalouable dries down to the middlenotes it settles in a light peppery, white flower accord  and the fragrance is close to the sparkling Ramon Monegal duo Kiss My Name and Lovely Day. As Invalouable reaches its warm and musky basenotes, the peppery sparkle steps back and the fragrance reminds of the beautiful summery white flower of Gianfranco Ferré which bears the same name as the designer.

Amazing Shooting: Listed as unisex but to my nose it's lending more to the feminine side. Starts fruity in a air of chypre. The fruits are fresh, not the spicy Mitsouko style, but combined with slight boozy notes, it becomes darker, almost creamy and much more sophisticated in apperance. Something which smells like a wellbalanced, not harsh teanote also glimpses, probably this is the metallicnote mentioned in the notelist. Amazing Shooting reminds me in style and expression of a more balanced EnJoy by Jean Patou made of much better ingredients.

Rocher Princier:  Listed as masculine or unisex the woody-spicy, to my nose dominantly incense-oudy Rocher Princier goes for both. Starts with a cold aldehydic chalky incensy which is close to Montale Full Incense. As Rocher Princier dries further down, a light smokey, confier, cold oudy aura appears and the fragrance in this stage has similaritues with Robert Piguet Oud Some light sweet spicy elements combined with balsamic notes deepens the fragrance in the basenotes. A rounded, well constructed incense-oud without any sharp edges or annoying pepper, very pleasent to wear. The smooth incense interpretation in texture is similar to the sweeter and gourmandy cosy incense Juozas Statkevicius (Josef Statkus). The favorite from the line both for me and Mr Parfumista.

Etat Libre D'Orange - Rien Intense Incense

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5

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

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try

Etat Libre D'Orange - Rien

Picture: Medival construction site.

Villard de Honnecourt, drawing of a buttress at Reims,

in his album of drawings, ca 1230 - 35. Bibliotheque Nationale

The name of Etat Libre D'Oranges Rien is an understatement to said at least. But that is on the other hand not surprising as it comes to this controventional perfumhouse, at least when it comes to the it's earlier releases. Rien is on of those earlier creations and it is executed by the famous Givaudan perfumer Antoine Lie. About the story behind and the perfumers inspiration of retro perfumes blended in a contemporary style and taken all the restrictions of rawmaterial in consideration that has ruined many of the great classics when reformulated, read the initiated review of Rien at Bois de Jasmin. Rien is one of these "complicated" cult fragrances, analyzed in almost it's every part in different parfumeblogs and forum and here is my version of it: The formula of Rien reviewed is the original, it's said to has been reworked to a softer version in 2014.

The perfume Rien is anything but "rien", instead it is very "très" as very much is going on in this blend. It starts by a very strong and almost overly harsh construction site note that I genreally like. But in Rien it's on the verge of being too much of that particular wet, putty, gritty and slight sweaty note. This note is also present but in a subtler and more pleasant way in Etros Messe de Minuit. There also a note of a tick, almost smokey and dry leather, as in a rough and heavy leather coat. As Rien is a very strong and potent blend one have to be very careful upon application. When sampling and wore a full sprits from the sample on the right arm and a half sprits on the left, I felt a difference in the scent. It smelled much better on the left, lower dose, hand, not as sharp and compact as on the right. But in the stronger concentration there on the other hand are some interesting animalic notes glimpse. As the first, strong blast tunes down, the fragrance turns into a pale pink almost withering rose backed up by a gentle cumminnote, musk and cold green whiffs that resembles geranium. This stage is slight powdery. The blend for a while gets even more dry to my nose and in this stage there is traces that reminds me of Aromatics Elixir by Clinique. But AE is a louder interpretation of the rose, geranium, moss and also distinguish the individual notes more apparently than in Rien, which notes seems to be more mixed together. In the basenotes there are also aimalic notes that is not as distinct in AE. There is an almost animalic furry note among the basenotes together with a distinct musknote and the powdery pale rose that remains subtle. In the middle and basenotes there are many similarities with the beautiful rose-musk combo in Musc Nomade by Annick Goutal and sometimes I'm almost thinking I'm wearing the latter even if MN is more refined and elegant in it's appearance. In the latest stage of the basenotes the rough leather from the earlier stages of Rien returns, but now it seems to be better in balance with the sourrunding notes than in the beginning.

Expect from the almost off-putting opening and topnotes of Rien, the perfume evokes just the right feeling of retroperfumes foremost in the leathery chypre style as Robert Piguet Bandit, Estee Lauder Azureé and Parfumes Grès Cabochard. But also as mentioned above, of a modern musky classic as Musc Nomade.

Rien is an interesting frag where a lot is going on during it's dry down and there is no risk of losing interest. Even the picky Mr Parfumista gives compliments when I wear Rien, which is strange as he often complians about strong aldehydic scents beeing too "old man/womanlike"on me. But Rien is dry, with almost no sweetness in it and Mr Parfumista is appreciating dry-wood perfumes for himself.  Rien is a must try for retro perfumelovers. I can't say it's officefriendly, not in it's initial stage anyway. This "offending" stage on the other hand dries down during the journy to work and when entering the office, the more pleasant middlenotes have appeared.

Rating: 5

Notes: Aldehydes, cummin, leather, iris, amber, patchouli, moss, incense, rose, pepper, styrax

Etat Libre D'Orange - True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux

Picture: True Lust
Photo: PR Etat Libre dOrange (c)

True Lust Rayon Violet De Ses Yeux  (in the following called True Lust) is a creation that unites two earlier editions from Etat Libre dOrange, Putain des Palaces (my favorite powdery violet) and Dangerous Complicity. 

From the very beginning True Lust makes me think of a diluted version of Putain des Palaces with violet, rose, lipstick, ricepowder. Further on there are also notes similar to boozy blond tobacco, probably the rhum and even later hints of leather paired with a coconutnote. As I havn't tested Dangerous Complicity I can't refer to that fragance, only to Putain des Palaces. True Lust to me is like a clean and light version, a bit sweeter and without the intriguing altered character and dirty shades of PdP. True Lust is like a safe and comforting version of the demanding PdP, pale but sort of nice. The nature of the fragrance though, doesn't correspond to its name. It also feels a bit uninspired and messy in character, as it doesn't know which path to choose for its developement. A fragrance that comes to my mind in this sort of airy style of lipstick powder is Histoires de Parfums 1889 Moulin Rouge but that one is a far better interpretation on the theme.

Picture: True Lust
Photo: PR Etat Libre d'Orange (c)

Positive is that True Lust is more versatile than PdP as it's lighter, cleaner and could be worn in most tempratures (not the hottest) and for most occasions. To me, as it  derives from the ultra feminine Pdp, True Lust is a feminine fragrance even if marked as unisex. Sillage is close and longevity not so good, it doesn't last for a day on me. 

As a whole: I don't understand the purpose with True Lust (expect squeezing money out of a proven formula) as ELDO already has the outstanding PdP in their range. To me True Lust is perfectly nice and wearable but forgettable.

Rating: 3

Notes: Rum, ginger, rose, violet, coconut, osmanthus, lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang-ylang, tangerine, rice powder, ambergris, leather, animal notes, sandalwood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

UNUM - Rosa Nigra

Picture: From the medevial Källa church
on the island of Öland, Sweden
Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Rosa Nigra is the latest installation in the UNUM perfume line. Rosa Nigra is as the other UNUM fragrances LAVS and Opus 1144 created by Filippo Sorcinelli. Rosa Nigra is created as a variation of the retro powdery smelling Opus 1144.

Rosa Nigra starts with an very intriguing accord which reminds me of a windy, chilly, grey, cloudy day, cold stone, chalk, earth, tangy greenery, like the steem and leafs of a rose. There are some traces from the flower of the rose too, it's a rose from a wild rosebush, not tamed to perfection, I can imagine the rose growing outside an abandoned small medieval countryside church. The tangy, green, dark spirit note of absinth is clearly present, blended with the rose and the chillyness of freesia, balanced with a pleasant peach. This is a combination thet could also be found in Burberry Body but in that one the accord is in a higher octave of the scented notescale and also a bit sweeter. In the topnotes I also find a note that reminds me of honeyed incense and I suspect someincense is involved even if not mentioned in the notelist.

Picture: Rosa Nigra
Photo: PR Unum (c)

As Rosa Nigra dries further down the blend is clearing up after the initial storm and the flowers, peach, absinth are shining also as individual notes interacting in an intricate pattern. One can recognize Opus 1144 but without the thick powdery and dusty lemony smell. The peach is the mainplayer in the second part of Rosa Nigra, the peach has a vintage vibe which make me think of a brighter and cleaner version of the peach in Guerlain Mitsouko. Later on Rosa Nigras also reminds me of the contemporary fruity chypre EnJoy from Jean Patou.The floral-fruity accords are highlighted by the well balanced woody, muksy base. The longer Rosa Nigra dries down the more rosy it becomes, once again. This time there is much more of the rose petals and the perform in a pleasant, pink, creamy version but it's well contratsted with the tangy greenery but in a smaller dose than on the topnotes. Once again the similarity of something that could be a luxury variation of Burberry Body is obvious.

Just as the incensebomb  UNUM LAVS, Rosa Nigra goes from a dramatic, imaginative opening to a much more polished and orderly second part. In the case of Rosa Nigra the fragrance goes from a medivial feeling to a polished contemporary version of a 1920s/1930s fragrance and in its latest stages to a contemporary musky rose.

I find the opening most interesting but in the second part, Rosa Nigra transforms to a very wearable (around the year), really good smelling (at least in the rosy part) and elegant fragrance. Rosa Nigra is classified as an unisex scent but to my nose that applies to the first dramatic part of the fragrance. The elegant second part is more feminine. Sillage is medium and longevity good, for 24h at least.

Rating: 5

Notes: Anise, absinth, freesia, sandalwood, peach, vanilla, cashmere wood, musk, ambra

Easter fragrances 2016

Picture: Imperial Coronation Egg (Fabergé),
photographed at an exhibition in Rome
Photo: Miguel Hermoso Cuesta (cc)
Wikimedia Commons some rights reserved

This year I'll skip to find something to the usual Easter fragrance categories (gourmand-sweet, churchy-incense, green-crispy- leafy-bulbflowery) from which I pick fragrances suitable for Easter. Instead I'll pay attention to some fragrances which pleases me extra right now.

Heliotrope Blanc (Oriza L.Legrand): Ok this one suits perfectly in my traditional gourmand sweet category. Fluffy, alamonds, powder and vanilla, this is cosiness and comfort at it's best. The smell recalls  the sweetest of Easterbunnis.

Black Opium Edp (Yves Saint Laurent): I know I'm taken the risk to be written of as a serious perfumista by admitting that I feel very comfortable in Black Opium and I think it smells quite good. And so does also Mr Parfumista "This one smells better on you than many of the niche fregrances you're testing". Another one in the sweet territory.

Rosarium (Angela Ciampagna): A calming and contemplating, smooth rose incense, like taking a break sitting down in a small italian medival rual chapel a warm summerday.

Shermine (Huiteme Art): This furry iris/lavender with its very special almost chalky citrus note attracts compliments from those around. Perfect for the early wintery Easter of this year.

Marions Nous (Oriza L.Legrand): Recently I've been in an Oriza circle, I just can't get enough of the fragrances from this house. Marions Nous is a successful intepreation of an 1920s aldehyde fragrance. Sparkling, almost refreshing and in the same time with animalic notes lurking from it's depts. A fragrance which becomes better with each wearing.

Allure Sensuelle Edp (Chanel): A incrediable comforting fragrance in the Coco Mademoiselle - Coco Noir style but more fruity and with less patchouli  Smoother and rounded compared to the former two, a forgotten gem in the Chanelline.

Ylang-Ylang Nosy Be Extrait (Perris Monte Carlo): Last but not least the beautiful, intense, glowing, sweet, flowery, vanillic interpretation of one of the most faithful flowery teammates of "parfums de femme" the ylang-ylang.

Happy Easter!

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Oeillet Sauvage (new version)

Picture: Dianthus caryophyllus
Photo by 撮影者：カールおじさん (cc)
Wikimedia.com, some rights reserved

L'Artisan Parfumeur Oeillet Sauvage created by Anne Flipo, was first released in year 2000, then discontinued, probably because of the though IFRA restrictions against the substances creating the scent of carnation. Now it's relaunched and the review is of the current version, I have not tested the vintage.

Oeillet Sauvage starts with a crisp, papery, carnation note. It's like the name implies, like wild, intensive red carnations, growing in a field surronded by fresh and dry hay where the smells mingles a windy summerday alternating sun with clouds in the sky. Oeillet Sauvage smells distinct of carantion, no dark or cloying clove seems to be unvolved. It's not as spicy as many traditional carnation, here the flower itself is highlighted even if other flowers and notes are supporting, they not overrides in any stage of the developement of the fragrance. A light powdery finish are persent but not as clear as in Oriza L.Legrand Oeillet Louis XV which ha similariteis in the interpretation of the flower but is much more of a mulitflower powder puff. Compared to the other Oriza L.Legrand carnation fragrance Royal Oeillet and also the great carnation of Aedes de Venustas Oeillet Bengale the two latter are darker, balsamic and overall more complicated. Oeillet Sauvage is not as peppery and diluted as another carnation on the lighter end of the spectra, Etro Dianthus or not as old world smelling as Caron Bellodgia.

Picture: Oeillet Sauvage (current version)
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

Oeillet Sauvage is a cheerful, easy to wear carantion which is suitable for daytime wear year around, Royal Oeillet and Oeillet Bengale is autumn/winterfragrances or for chilly summer evenings. Sillage is medium and longevity for more than a day. Oeillet Sauvage is a well made, uncomplicated, contemporary carnation which is definitely worth trying for those appreciate carnation.

Rating: 4+

Notes: Pink pepper, rose, carnation, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, morning glory, resin, vanilla

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Noir Exquis

Picture: Terrace of the café on the Place du Forum in Arles
in the evening,ca 16 September 1888
Painting by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890)
Wikimedia commons

Noir Exquis is a fragrance in the gourmand style created by Bertrand Duchaufour, as most of the latest fragrances of L'Artisan Parfumeur.

Noir Exquis starts with dark vanillic, nutty slight flowery and soft spicy notes enlighted by a green, fizzy spicyness. The first section of the accord described reminds me of a paler version of the almond-vanilla bomb Montale Amandes Orientales. The second spicy part with soft spices brightened by the fizzy, a bit sharp green, spicyness reminds me of two fragrances from Carner Barcelona, most of Rima XI, the soft spices and comfortaura and Palo Santo especially when it comes to the green, spicy notes. As Noir Exquis dries down the pleasant, comforting spiciness remian as also the green fizzy vibe as a balance. The vanilla is pleasant and not too sweet, it's a fizzy vanilla in the style of Annick Goutal Vanille Exquise, maybe the Noir Exquis name isn't a coincident. Noir Exquis is overall quite linear in style, even if it also becomes woodier in the basenotes with a warm sandalwoodnote of the australian type, a bit herbal, not as smooth as the indian. Heliotrope also adds a cozy, familliar, very pleasant flowery, sweetness in the second part of the fragrance.

Picture: Noir Exquis
Photo: PR L'Artisan Parfumeur (c)

Noir Exquis is a moderate sweet gourmand in the contemporary caféstyle as Rima XI mentioned above and also Frederic Malle Dries van Noten, Noir Exquis just seems to be some years delayed. Just as the other Dries van Noten and Rima XI it is somehow light in texture despite it's gourmand character, the gourmands of later years are not as heavy and dense as the gourmands of the 90s-00s. Noir Exquis is a unisex comfortfragrance, easy to wear and appropriate for autumn, winter and early spring. Sillage is medium and longevity for more than a day.

Rating: 4
Update January 2018: Rating 5 This is a really good gourmand fragrance, the more I'm wearing it, the more I'm appreciating it.

Notes: Chestnut, orange, orange blossom, coffee, maple sap, ebony, heliotrope, vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Perris Monte Carlo - Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait

Picture: Nosy Be
Photo: from Pinterest 

Patchouli Nosy Be is the most recent patchouli fragrance from Perris Monte Carlo. The Nosy Be part of the name is from the island suitiated on the north west of Madagascar, the island is famous for cultivating ylang-ylang, coffe and vanilla but the climate is suitiable also for other spices and flowers. The Nosy Be Patchouli is a successful experiment where the manager of the ylang-ylang plantation of the well known fragrance ingredients producer Robertet planted patchouli on the Nosy Be Island. Here the patchouli plants could be protected from the sharp sunlight by the foliage of other plants and this favorable cultivation combined with a careful harvesting process creates a high class multifacetted patchouli oil. The Nosy Be fragrances of Perris are as today, also an Edp version of Patchouli Nosy Be, which was released 2014 a year before the extrait, as also an Ylang Ylang Nosy Be in Edp and Extrait. These will be reviewed later on.

Patchouli Nosy Be starts with the herbal, leafy, almost fresh, patchouli which is present in most niche patchouli offerings from the latest years, an early example is Histories de Parfums Noir Patchouli but this one is sharper, rougher and more transaparent in its herbal leafiness. Also Franck Boclet Patchouli comes to my mind in the initial accords. After a while warm spices appears, predominantly pepper, blended with a note of cacao simlar to the combination in for example Ramon Monegal Mon Patchouly and Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 even if the latter is darker and denser. The pepper, which I also think is strengthend from the cedarwood in the base, is a bit too distinctive to my nose/taste for a short part of the dry down but is fortunately softened when a beautiful vanilla is sneeking in step by step in this contemporary woody-spicy blend with a patchouli addition. To me  Patchouli Nosy Be is not so much about patch as it is of spices, wood and vanilla, the patch is just one of the well bakanced, interplaying accords.The earlier Perris patchouli Essence de Patchouli, is much more of patchouli, more extreme and uncommon and personally I prefer this over Patchouli Nosy Be when I crave a real patchfrag. The best part of Patchouli Nosy Be is definitliy the comforting base where the spicy mixed patch is contrasted by a beautiful very natural smelling, slight flowery vanilla and discrete woody notes. The base note accords comes and goes like waves with a slight different highlighting of each of the main notes in different waves. It's a true delight wearing this perfume.

Picture: Patchouli Nosy Be Extrait
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Patchouli Nosy Be is a versatile warm fragrance, suitable for autumn, winter and early spring. It's unisex and could be worn both for work and casual. Sillage is medium and longevity good, more then a day, traces are left on skin after a nights sleep.

Rating: 5

Notes: Patchouli, pink pepper; cocoa, labdanum, vanilla, cedarwood, sandalwood

Perris Monte Carlo - Oud Imperial Edp & Extrait

Picture: Illustration from Persian version of
"One Thousand and One Nights" (1849-56)
Painter: Sani ol molk (1814-66)

Perris Monte Carlo Oud Imperial  is another, to my nose much more masculine take, on the oud theme than the earlier reviewed Bois d'Oud. As the other Perris fragrances,  Oud Imperial  is created by Luca Maffei. The first issue of Oud Imperial Edp was avaible in a golden bottle, after that there was some improvements in the raw materials and today Oud Imperial Edp is avaible in the black Perris bottle.

Starts cold, with a fresh woody character which reminds me of confier and has some similarities to accords in Robert Piguet Oud. Some wearings highlighets a note similar to petroleum which glimpses by, other wearings it's not that present. The same happens with a turphentine like note, similar to the one in Lorenzo Villoresi Piper Nigrum. When Oud Imperial dries further down it turns darker and warmer, with an oily texture and some light, smooth smoke. There is also something leathery to it. The oud becomes more present in this stage and it smells very autentic woody and it's lightly infused with a smooth almost nutty note which I think is present in sandalwood. Somehow Oud Imperial evokes the color of black, maybe the patchouli which is lightly present in the fragrance contributes to that. For most of it's dry down, Oud Imperial reminds me of a denser and darker interpretation of the excellent, dry Montale Original Aouds. Taken as a whole Imperial Oud is a dark and classy very masculine oud. It smells authentic, exotic woody and it's a quite complicated fragrance as it's highlighting different accords, notes and nuances in different wearings depending on dosage, season, weather etc.

The Oud Imperial Extrait is even more oily, darker and has more smoke to it. The leathery note is also more present. As an extrait it has not such radiance as the Edp, it'is a close skinscent, ticker and denser than the Edp. The versions complementing each other and to generalize the Edp is for daytime wearing and the Extrait for the evening.

Picture: Oud Imperial
Photo: PR Perris Monte Carlo (c)

Oud Imperial is very strong and has to be applied sparingly. It's a fragrance suitable for autumn and winter but could also be worn in dark, humid summernights. Sillage is strong and longevity for more then 24h for the Edp. The extrait has a close sillage and a lonegvity for 12h+, not as long as the Edp. As said above, this is a very masculine fragrance and frankly I don't feel comfortable to wear it even if I appreciate it's quality and good smell. On the other hand, Bois d'Oud is definitly my cup of tea.

Rating: 5 (on Mr Parfumista who enjoys this very much, especially the Edp and the impression in this post is                 just as much or even more his observations)
              Ratings are the same for both  Edp and Extrait.

Notes: Jasmine, caraway, incense, patchouli, saffron, oud, sandalwood, blackwood, cedar, labdanum, vetiver

Oriza L.Legrand - Cuir de l'Aigle Russe

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5

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

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test