The Royal Baptism

Picture: The Crown Princess Couple and H.R.H. Princess Estelle with godmothers and godfathers

Photo: Bruno Ehrs, Copyright Kungahuset.se

(The handsome guy to  the left is H.R.H Prince Carl Philip of Sweden, chosen as the most beautiful male  royal person of all times by a major American magazine, don't remember which one)

As reported in February, our lovely Crownprincess couple, H.R.H Crownprincess Victoria and her amazing husband H.R.H Prince Daniel, became parents to a little princess, Estelle, the  future Queen of Sweden. Estelle was baptised on Tuesday this week in the Chapel of the Royal Castle in Stockholm. The little one also was knighted as knight of the Serafimerorder, the most prominent swedish order, gifted with a cute mini-ribbon in the serafimer light blue. One of Princess Estelles godparents is the stylish Crownprincess Mary of Denmark, a very good choice when it comes to instill the little princess into the world of good style, note Marys artful hatlike creation . I remember some years ago,when Crownprincess Mary, in connection with the baptism of her own daughter, Princess Isabel, was wearing an ensamble created by the lituanian designer Josef Statkus. Coincidentally the Josef Statkus Eau de Parfum is one of my favourite incense perfumes.

Picture: Crownprincess Mary of Denmark with her daugther Princess Isabel,

 wearing a Josef Statkus creation. Source press image, don't know the photographer.

The perfume that I worn during the baptismday? A perfume that not fitting a day like this at all, because this week I have been in a patchouli mood and the SOTD was something as simple as Les Nereides Patchouli Antique, a robust, slight herbal patchouli.

To finalize this royal frenzy I will end this post with a more relaxed picture of the Hereditary Princess Estelle and her parents.

Picture: The Swedish Crown Princesscouple with H.R.H Princess Estelle

Photo: Kate Gabor, Copyright: Kungahuset.se

Histoires de Parfums - Tubereuse 3 Animale update May 2012

Picture: strawflower, Helichrysum moeserianum.

Photo: Winfried Bruenken (Amrum) (cc) Wikimedia commons,

 some rights reserved.

Tubereuse 3 Animale is the third installment in the Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse triology, created by the HdP house founder the  ISIPCA-graduated Gérald Ghislain and Magali Senequier ( I think). The Tubereuse triology is a suite of different interpretations of tubereuse or more precise, perfumes with tubey as the common denominator but not necessarily tubereuse as the dominant note of the composition.

When I reviewed (in swedish) T 3 Animale almost two years ago I didn't like it at all. I thought it was an overdose of immortelle and too much tobacco and that the whole blend was unbalanced. But today, I
completely change my opinion, nowadays I just love this immortelle, hay, tobacco, slight honeyed tubereuse creation. Starts with a blond tobacconote, followed by a moderate dose of immortelle, not as heavy as in Annick Goutal Sables. As the notes mingles the tuberose quietly appears in to the blend. It's a tubey at the dark side of the spectrum, a tubey with the honeyed smell of the nectar, an interpretation that I have earlier experienced in Annick Goutals soliflore Tubéreuse (review in swedish) and in Mona di Orios Tubéreuse (also in swedish). The special tobacco-tubereuse mix I have earlier experienced in Liz Zorn (Sohivole) Tobacco & Tulle. As T 3 Animale reaches the basenotes there is something familiar with the blend. Mr Parfumista nails it when he states it has a similar vibe as Estee Lauders Spellbound but adapted to the 2010:s (even if created 2009 to be precise) as softer, more muted and without the bombastic sillage of Spellbound.  And as an old fan of Spellbound it is not surprising that I'm now also an admier of T 3 Animale.

Rating: 5

Notes: Neroli, kumquat, mandarine, bergamot, jasmine, tubereuse, plum, grass, hay, immortelle, tobacco, labdanum, wood

Histoires de Parfums - Tubereuse 2 Virginale

Picture: Prunus Avivum, Vogel-Kirsche im Früling

Photo: Benjamin Gimmel (BenHur), (cc) Wikimedia commons,

some rights reserved

Tubereuse 2 Virginale is the second installment in the Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse triology, created by the HdP house founder the  ISIPCA-graduated Gérald Ghislain and Magali Senequier ( I think). The Tubereuse triology is a suite of different interpretations of tubereuse or more precise, perfumes with tubey as the common denominator but not necessarily tubereuse as the dominant note of the composition.

T 2 Virginale is like it's name indicates a  bright, happy and cheerful white flowery scent with fruity accents. Virginale starts with a fresh, not at all sweet, cloying, cherry note. The note, accented with an almost peppery/insence note, is transparent in style. A hint of the smell of nailpolish whirls thoriug the scent after a while, but not at all in a unpleasent way. Soon thereafter there is also an accord that reminds me of a lip balm of my youth, don't remember it's name. It was american, the container was black with a white cap and the grease was in a pale pink nuance. Later in the middlenotes, bright and quite transparent white flowers intensifies the tubey is there but interwowen with the other white flowers in a boquet. In the background something sweet and almost gourmandy lurks, I almost recognize a tuned down version of the strawberry popcornnote of the original Christine Nagel 2005 composition of Miss Dior Cherie Edp. The basenotes of  T Virginale 2 are slight clean musky but in the right proportion, not the detergent clean musk but a nice white musk. There is also some patchouli in hte base, but in a gentler dose than in MDC Edp.

T 2 Virginale is a nice, inoffensive scent, perfect for officewear in spring and summer but also during the other seasons when longing for summer. Good, wellbalanced and very wearable.

Rating: 3

Notes: Cherry, mandarin, iris, tuberose, tiare flower, frangipani, blond wood, patchouli, vanilla, white musk

Histoires de Parfums - Tubereuse 1 Capricieuse update May 2012

Picture: A cacao tree with fruit pods in various stages of ripening.

Photo: Medicaster, (cc) Wikmedia commons, some rights reserved.

Tubereuse 1 Capricieuse is the first installment in the Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse triology, created by the HdP house founder the  ISIPCA-graduated Gérald Ghislain and Magali Senequier ( I think). The Tubereuse triology is a suite of different interpretations of tubereuse or more precise, perfumes with tubey as the common denominator but not necessarily tubereuse as the dominant note of the composition.

I have tested and reviewed (in swedish) T 1 Capricieuse almost two years ago. At that time I didn't caught its features and rated it as a slight more than good fragrance but it didn't really moved me at that time. Maybe I rushed through the sample too fast, because now I really like this interesting  iris-suede-coca-tubey blend. T 1 Capricieuse starts as a almost pure iris fragrance with the typical metallic, iris rooty note but without almost any nuances of carrot. The opening notes reminds me of Chanel No 19 Poudré and Heeley Iris de Nuit minus the carrot note. Then a note similar to Björnklister "Bear-glue", a white glue for paper that was common in my childhood, tunes in. Nostalgic-pleasant in some way. After a while the gluenote turns into a suede note dusted with coca powder and a muted tubereuse tunes in very discrete. As the blend dries down the flowery, coca, suede blend somehow intensifies in a beautiful, almost gourmand accord. This stage is very pleasant and the stayingpower is superior, it lasts until the next morning. I suspect that I applicated to little when I condemned the stayingpower two years ago. 

As a whole T 1 Capricieuse reminds me of the iris-suede Mythique by Parfums DelRae but the latter is more graceful, transparent and flowing than the more robust T 1  Capricieuse. Mythique is also an iris-suede without the tubeynote that makes T 1  Capricieuse warmer and with an almost mellow vibe.

T 1 Capricieuse is the perfect officeperfume, wearable year around except the hottest summerdays.

Rating: 4+

Notes: Saffron, bergamott, mandarine, iris, ylang-ylang, tubereuse, cacao, musk, suede

Parfumerie Generale - Corps et Ames Eau de Toilette Apaisante

Picture: "Springtime" or "Woman Reading" (Camille Monet)

Claude Monet 1872, oil on canvas, Wikimedia Commons

Handsome Pierre Guillaume is a constant threat to my creditcard, it's hardly that I dare to test a new creation from him. The new (or more precisely revived) Corps et Ames Eau de Toilette Apaisante is an excellent example of such a threat from PG: Floral chypre, built upon one of my top favourite PG:s the bold, flowery, light leathery almost minty geranium green chypre Corps et Ames Edp created in 2006. CeA Edt is a lightened up and  brighter interpretation of the loverly CeA theme. In topnotes vebena leafs are dominating giving CeA Edt an almost tea-like impression (but without the harsh qualities of the teanote), There is also citrusy, minty green aspects and as CeA Edt dries down, the rosiness of geranium and a clean wellblended patchouli enters the stage. The darker and denser leathery, imortelle notes of the original is left out in the Edt version that makes the whole blend sparkling as Champagne as the old Edp-version could be compared to a good Chablis. In the basenotes there is some light woody notes and a bright musk that gives this lovely composition a great longevity, it last more than 24h on my skin.

There is similarities in CeA Edt:s style and mediated sensation as in the great Papyrus de Ciane also from PG. Both CeA Edp, CeA Edt and PdC is PG:s elegant, casualstyle frags as opposed to the gourmands that are typical to the PG brand. CeA Edt is perfect for daytime wear and it’s also officefriendly. There is some retro-vibes in the blend that makes me associate to the great 70^th classic Eau de Rochas and also with the great green floral chypres of this era. With CeA Edt (and Edp) Pierre has proved there is still  possible to create a beautiful chypre or chypre-like creation despite of the IFRA restrictions.

The tweaking of the facets of an already introduced scent seems to be popular by now. When Pierre Guillaume highlights the lighter and brighter aspects of Corps et Ames, Daniela Andrier does the opposite when highlights the darker, smoother and denser aspects of Prada Infusion d’Iris Edp in the new Absolute version.

CeA Edt is particulary sutiable for spring and summer but would also be a nice reminder of the warmer months during the could season.

Rating: 5 (the same as CeA Edp)

Notes: Geranium leaves, verbena, jasmine, patchouli, sandalwood, musk

Thanks to Parfumerie Générale for providing the sample to test.

Histoires de Parfums - 1876 Mata Hari

Photo: Margaretha Geertruida "Grietje" Zelle, known as Mata Hari (1876-1917)

Unidentified photographer, public domain, Wikimedia commons

I have hard to belive that a famous femme fatale as the first world war suspected spy Mata Hari was smelling like a sweet, almost caramelized, rose on a base of cookies. But what do I know? The HdP fragrance 1876 Mata Hari is tribute to or just inspired of Mata (or both). 1876 Mata Hari is as almost all HdP:s created by the HdP founder, perfumer Gérald Ghislain in colloboration with perfumer Magali Senequie.

The pink sweet, rose is present from start to end in 1876. In the topnotes it has a slight transparent vibe and something that is similar to a green tea-note passing by. Then the blend sweetens in the cookie notes. I recoginze these kind of dry buttery notes from the backgroundnotes of perfumes such as Agent Provocateur aldehydic Maitresse and the jasmine/honeysuckle Burberry London for Woman. To me this note is similar to the smell when opening an enclosed cookie jar. There is also the smell of pink rose as in Parfums MDCI Rose de Siwa but the RdS rose is fresh and dewy compared to the gourmand rose in 1876 Mata Hari.  As a whole the Mata Hari blend also reminds me of Andy Tauers Une Rose Vermeille, maybe 1876 Mata Hari was one of the scents that has influented Andy when he created URV? But 1876 Mata Hari is paler and not as distinctint in character as URV and 1876 also lacks the jam and incense notes of URV. As Mata Hari reaches the basenotes the blend is almost creamy and fleeting, supported by a well balanced sandalwood. An gentle and calm earthy note also apperars  among the basenotes and makes the end of Marta Hari less sweet and more serious. Ironically just as the tragic story of her life.

1876 Mata Hari is a nice variation of the sweet-rose theme and it is as well as URV, Rose de Siwa and so on. Which fragrance to choose is of course up to the personal references when it coming to details. Personally I have hard to choose between URV and 1876 Mata Hari as both speeks to me in different ways despite the same theme: URV joyful and happy and 1876 Mata Hari dramatic and mysterious.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, mandarine, litchi, rose, iris, violet, carnation, caraway, cinnamon, vetiver, sandalwood, guaiac wood.

MDCI Parfums - Rose de Siwa

Photo: Mr Parfumista (c)

Rose de Siwa is created in 2006 by Francis Kurkdjian for MDCI Parfums. Rose de Siwa is a classical rose fragrance in the light and bright genre. It's a medium pink colored rose underscored with a sweet fruitiness from the litchi. There is also hints of other flowers to smooth out the rose and the whole composition rests on a distinct musky base.

Even if Rose de Siwa clearly is a rosefragrance, the rose is not heavy or predominant at all. It's a well blended fragrance and the notes are floating in a seamless manner. Rose de Siwa is a fragrance in the elegant, classical style, composed of high quality ingredients and there are no traces of detergent, plastic or sharp notes. Rose de Siwa first of all reminds me of the original Paris of YSL, in it's original formulation from the eightis, they have the violets and the pink roses in common. Other clean, bright, pink roses in the same style as Rose de Siwa is Rose Pivone by Parfums de Nicolaï and Quel Amour by Annick Goutal. In both of them the peony is more pronounced than in Rose de Siwa and they are also less sweet and fresher than the latter.

Even if not groundbreaking, Rose de Siwa is an elegant and at the same time versatile daytime fragrance.
As YSL Paris was a favorite of mine in my youth, I also have a ceartian weakness for Rose de Siwa.

Rating: 4

Notes: Litchi, peony, hawthorn, rose, violet, cedar, vetiver, musk