Picture: The ESC winner 2015 Photo: K.Joensson Expressen (c) |
söndag 24 maj 2015
Måns did it!
lördag 23 maj 2015
Scented thoughts - May 2015
Picture: Swedens face (and voice :-) in 2015 ESC, Måns Zelmerlöw Photo: TT (c), PR SVT |
* Now I also have a busy summer ahead, sniffwise at least. Yesterday a lovely letter with samples form the best assorted nicheboutique in Sweden, Fragrance & Art. was waiting in the letterbox. As mentioned before, the ovner has an incredible talent for selecting good and unusual perfumelines. In the letter there were samples from a just introduced line, Franck Boclet, which I havn't recoginized until now. From sniffing from some of the samples, these seems very promisíng. And there were other exciting things in that letter too, stay tuned for comming reviews.
* To day is the Evening of the Grand Spectacle, final in Vienna of the Eurovision Song Contest which is very fun to look at (an comment :-) together with friends and family. Sweden has a great chance to win it all with the very professional artist Måns Zelmerlöw, also nick-named Yum-Yum. It not just Måns handsome look and good artistery, the melody Heroes and animated light show are also great. I'll be dissapointed if Måns don't make it, this will be an exciting evening.
* Which fragrances are in rotation when not testing new samples, i.e what has been worn during the workdays lately? In the transition between spring and summer I crave both for lighter fragrances and darker. Favorites lately are some Hermèses as the tangy, fruity, almost composting smelling, slight rosy Un Jardin Sur le Toit. Also the flanker to one of my all time favorites Amazone, Rose Amazone is worn relatively much. Even if I like the original better, at least in my 1990s version, I also like Rose Amazone very much, more easy to wear, not as deep as the original, fruity, rosy, tangy (this one too :-). In the light category, my Puredistance sample of the wonderful flowery WHITE is a great favorite. Elegant but in the same time so comfortable to wear, my vintage Hermès Les Voitures a Transformation (in blue) worn yesterday together with this gem is now soaked in Whites beautiful aura. When passing it, I can't resist to sniff the silk.
* When it comes to the darker ones, I have rediscoverd some great Parfumerie Gènèrales which I was not so found of some years ago but now find are great: The smoky, woody, sweet, caramelized, wheat of Cedre Sandarque is delicious. The vetiver accented, inscrutable, slight soapy, contemporary chypre Querelle is also fab, if lightly applied. If too heavy handed, it appears as a mens Cologne.
Etiketter:
Amazone,
Cedre Sandarque,
famous people,
Fragrance & Art,
Franck Boclet,
Hermès,
Parfumerie Générale,
Puredistance WHITE,
Querelle,
Rose Amazone,
Scented thoughts,
Un Jardin a la Toit
torsdag 21 maj 2015
Ramon Monegal - Mediterranean Memories
Picture: A favourite plant for Chinese New Year Photo: Mokkie (CC), Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved |
Mediterranean Memories (MM) starts with a realistic, sharp tangerine note. Soon a smell of green leaves, which I can imagine as the leaves of the tangerine three, appears. As MM dries further down it becames sweeter, probably the light green yellow lindenblossom note achieves this and in this phase MM reminds me slightly of Carthusia The Essence of Centaral Park. Some accords later, the smell of MM suddenly reminds me of citrus/orange hard candies. More yellow flowers are to come, when the lovely, sunny, nectarious mimosa appears, golden and warm. The fruity vibes still lingers and even if MM not is smelling of pineapple, I find similatities with another contemporary, fruity chypre Jean Patou EnJoy which has a dominating note similar to pineapple, is much bolder but has a resembling expression and aura. Later on an very light, almost peppery impression shows up, probably from the cedarwood in the basenotes. There is also additlional, varm spicy, woody notes combined with a light, white musk, a musk which has been present, highlighten the notes during the whole development of MM. The basenotes is the part I like the best with MM, probably as I'm no great fan of lindenblossom. The base notes retains the chypre-ish expression and MM is here darker than in the exuberant top- and middlenotes.
Picture: Mediterranean Memories by Ramon Monegal Photo: PR Ramon Monegal (c) |
MM is in the same vein as another Ramon Monegal exclusive Very Private, reviewed earlier. Both are flattering and easy to like by many as they are smelling very good and are versatile in style. But they are not as interesting as the basic Ramon Monegal line. For those who havn't tried Ramon Monegal yet, my recommendation is to start with the basics.showing the versatile but genuine Ramon Monagal style as expressed in the first fifteen fragrances released to the international market in 2012.
Rating: 3+
Notes: Tangerine, green leaves, lindenblossom, mimosa, cinnamon, cinnamonbark, cedarwood, musk (I think as I havn't seen any official notelist, only some mentions in an article)
måndag 18 maj 2015
Ramon Monegal - Very Private
Picture: Beneath the Lilac at Maurecourt, Painting by Berthe Morisot, 1874, Wikiart |
Very Private starts with a sunny burst of what I percieve as yellow-green fruity notes, accompanied by fizzy peppery notes. There is also a hint of alcohol in the beginning, the impression of a fruit cocktail. Soon also rose and a note that reminds me of melon appears. the fizzy, fruity first stages of the perfume reminds me of another joyful Ramon Monegal - Lovely Day. Lovely Day and Very Private also have some common notes; rose and licorice and I can also smell a similarity also in whole accords of the fragrances even if Lovely Day is more peppery and fresher where Very Private is more flowery with a golden, warm, honeyed sweetness. The melonnote is of the Galia varity, not watermelon. The lilacnote, to my nose, is recognizable in the second part of the dry down and I have to smell very close to really sort it out from the seamless blended fruity-flowery mix. The basenotes are a pleasant musky mix with oak moss and licorice adding some dept and contrasting darkness to the this bright and happy fragrance.
Picture: Very Private in its white cap, inkwell bottle Photo: PR Ramon Monegal (c) |
Those who like Hermès Un Jardin apres la Mousson, Ramon Monegal Kiss My Name (which is in a similar style as Lovely Day) and Guerlain Idylle Duet Jasmin-Lilas will probably also like Very Private.
Rating: 3+
Notes: Citrus, fruity notes, tea rose, violet, lilac, orange blossom, oak moss, licorice, vanilla, musk
måndag 11 maj 2015
Ramon Monegal - Dubai Next to Me
Picture: Dubai Next to Me Photo: PR Ramon Monegal (c) |
Dubai Next to Me starts peachy, not the atrificial, chemical peach, but an accord which feels quite natural. The coconut is very smooth and also feels natural in style. Soon the peach is offsetted with smooth spices and later in the dry down also smooth, velvety flowernotes appears as also balsamic and a very smooth leather note. The oud is very soft and acts as a deep woody ingredient in the base, not recognizable as a distinct note. Dubai Next to Me, even if consisting of deep and thick notes, appears as somhow refreshing and transparant, there is an almost cold, metallic vibe to it, probably from the combination of rose and some of the spices. The fragrance is very well blended, made of high quality ingredients and it performs as it is fleeting in circles seamless around the accords, Dubai Next to Me seems not to be built in the traditional pyramid structure of accords, to experience this fragrance gives me associations to the Hermès scarf/shawl De la Mer au Ciel with its eternal circles of life.
Picture: Beautiful Hermès De la Mer du au Ciel, 140x140 cm cashmere/silk, designer Laurence Bourthoumieux Photo: PR Hermès (c) |
Other fragrances that I come to think of wearing Dubai Next to Me is Naomi Goodsir Or du Serail which is similar in style. Also Aqaba Midnight Sun even if stronger and more flowery, has something in common with Dubai Next to Me in the overall expression.
Rating. 4
Notes: Coconut, peach, melon, saffron, nutmeg, black pepper, jasmine, rose oil, rose absolute, frankinsence, cistus labdanum, oud, sandalwood, cashmeran, spanish leather, tonka, ambraceme absolute
måndag 4 maj 2015
Maison Nicolas de Barry - L'impératrice Sissi
Picture: Emperess Elisabet of Austria (1837-1898) Painting by Amanda Bergstedt (1841-1918) Wikimedia commons |
L'impératrice Sissi from the historic line of Maison Nicolas de Barry is inspired of the Empress of Austria-Hugary the beautiful redhead Elisabeth of Bavaria. L'impératrice Sissi is create by Nicolas de Barry and Eddie Blanchet.
L'impératrice Sissi starts sparkling, flowery where natural smelling violets blended with iris, the flowery irisinterpretation are featured. Later on the fragrance goes more cosmetic, like the smell of lipstick, a bit putty- powdery, and this impression deepens as the dry down goes further on. The base is slight vanillic, musky powdery in a pleasant way.
L'impératrice Sissi is a well made, not candy sweet pastille smelling violet, the flowery iris blances the violet in a perfect harmony. Simple in notes but well balanced and with good ingredients, L'impératrice Sissi is pleasant to wear year around, this is not the typical transaprent spring violet. It's a comforting but in the same time casual chic fragrance, wearable in most occasions.
Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose and L'Artisan Drole de Rose are fragrances in the same vein as L'impératrice Sissi in its later stages. The flowery opening is more in the style of Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile and Le Galion Iris.
I don't konw why Elisabeth inspired to a violet fragrance, maybe because she liked to wandering in the nature or simply because violets where popular in the romantic era in the 19th century.
Rating:4
Rating: 5 (November 2016)
Re-testing Sissi in November 2016 - its a really great fragance, I like it even better now, the natural vanilla together with an almost herbal facet shines through in a much better way this time.
Notes: Bergamot, violet, iris, vanilla
Thanks to Fragrance and Art for the sample to try
Etiketter:
Acqua di Parma,
Drole de Rose,
Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle,
iris,
Iris Nobile,
L'Artisan Parfumeur,
L'impératrice Sissi,
Le Galion,
Lipstick Rose,
Maison Nicolas de Barry,
Review,
violet
torsdag 30 april 2015
Maison Nicolas de Barry - Louis XV
Picture: Louis XV (1710-1774) Painting from 1730 by Hyacinthe Riguad (1679-1743) Wikipedia commons |
Louis XV starts with a sunny blast of sweet honeyed orangeblossom contrasted with the green and a tad bitter facetts of neroli. The opening is golden, as the rays of the sunset. As the fragrance developes, a classic bouquet of flowers emerges and acts as a solid backgrund to the orange maintheme. The texture of the fragrance is as a smooth, silky golden velvet, suitable for a royal robe, worthy Louis XV himself. From the bouquet there are certain crispy green notes fleeting around in the blend, more or less noticeable as the flowery theme varies. Overall the composition has a citric tingeThe base is warm ambery, slight musky with just a small touch of soap. Louis XV is far from as ambery as Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV is a varitaion of the usual orange-/neroli theme and a much more straight forward white floral.
Louis XV is a very good orangeblossom interpretation, there is no harsh edges or artificial feeling. It's round and warm, very flowery, without the cologne texture common among many orangeblossom fragrances and also not as soapy as many of them. Louis XV to me is unisex and could be worn in most ordianry occasions, this is a fragrancs that adds everyday comfort and casual elegance. It also draws compliments. The sillage of Louis XV is medium and longevity not as great as the Madame P, Louis on my skin lasts for a day reapplied. This is strange as Annick Goutal Les Colognes Nèroli lasts for about a day without reapplication.
Picture: Louis XV Photo: PR Maison Nicolas de Barry (c) |
Rating: 4
Notes: Neroli, orange, roses, jasmine, violet, gardenia, hyacinth, daffodil, tubereuse, amber
Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test
Etiketter:
Annick Goutal,
Eau de Cardinal,
Historiae,
Les Colognes Néroli,
Louis XV,
Madame de Pompadour,
Maison Nicolas de Barry,
neroli,
Néroli,
orange,
Orangerie du Roy,
Review
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