Maria Candida Gentile - The Flight of the Bumblebee 2(2) - Leucò, Kitrea and Syconium

Picture:  A sweet bumblebee (bombus pratorum)
is flying in for nectar
Photo: Bernie, Wikimedia commons

Today review of the last one in this delicate, contemporary styled Maria Candida Gentile trio.

Syconium:

Syconium starts with a sweet fignote over a background almost similar to a not too sweet cookie, probably the sandalwood. As Syconium dries further down, it becomes pleasantly, creamy, milky and reminds like that in the rest of its development even if the sandalwood gets even more prominent and is dominating  in the basenotes. In the basenotes there some vibes from the sandalwood which reminds me of  Editions Frederic Malle Dries van Noten. In the late phase of the basenotes, an moisty, dark, earthy accord appears, taking over  from the dry  and warm sandalwood. As a whole, there are no harsh edges in Syconium and it's not the figgy-woody-fresh type as for example Diptyque  Philosykos, Syconium is more of a gourmand fig as for example the much more spicy, and more complicated in construction, Neela Vermiere Creation Ashoka. Both has the gourmand fig concept in common, wheras Ashoka is the main course and Syconium the dessert. As with the other members of the Bumblebee trio, the longevity of Syconium is very good, at least a day. Sillage is medium and the fragrance even if ecpecially suitable for warm, casual summerdays, also fits as a reminder of warmer days, year around. Syconium is also office approved, with its happy and warm character it will not offend anyone.

Rating: 4

Notes: Honey, milk, fig, sandalwood

Picture: Plate 38, Moses Harris:
An exposition of English insects (1782) Moses Harris (1731-1785)

The Flight of the Bumblebee trio is light, easy to wear fragrances, which would please most people. There is nothing of the challenge and sometimes even quirky twists, of the first six MCG fragrance. But sometime one just want something good smelling, non-deamnding and very wearable. For that purpose The Flight of the Bumblebee trio is a splendid alternative, especially for spring and summer. As the trio is avaible also in 15 ml á SEK 288/EUR 30,55 they are excellent choices as a signatures for Summer 2015. 


Thanks to Fragrance & Art of the samples to test

Maria Candida Gentile - The Flight of the Bumblebee 1 (2) - Leucò, Kitrea and Syconium

Picture: The fresh Bumblebee Collection
Photo: PR Maria Candida Gentile (c)

Italian perfumer Maria Candida Gentile "Flight of the Bumblebee" trio, inspired from the beautiful music piece of Nikolaj Andreyevich Rimskij-Korsakov, uses honey as the common theme of the three fragrances. The fragrances are light and natural, ar also inspired from the beauty and simplicity of mother nature. All three parfumes are Edp:s and has a very good longevity but in the same time feels light and transparent in texture.

Leucò: Dominated by light spices, woody and white flowery elemtents over a musky base. It's fleeting without sharp edges. The honey is not dominating, it's a supporting note adding some warmth to the composition. In other words, there is nothing of the challening honey of Serge Lutens Miel de Bois. The more Leucò dries down, the more present is the tubereuse and the light peppery,woody slight musky basenotes, which even if smooth, take some of the natural impression away but this is not at all disturbing. Probably thanks to a skillful handling of the woody musky elements (the latter not mentioned in the notelist), the longevity is tremendous for such a light and transparent fragrance, on a scarf it could be recognized, unfragmented a week after testing. As Leucò is strong but has a light texture, one have to be careful and apply sparingly.

Rating: 4

Notes: Honey, cistus, lily, tubereuse, benzoin, pepper, frankincense

Picture: Porträt des Komponisten Nikolaj Andrejewitsch
Rimskij-Korsakow (1844-1908)
Painting by Valentin Alexandrovich Serov (1865-1911)
Wikimedia 

Kitrea: Kitrea is the most unusual in the trio. Starts light fruity-citrusy with mixed with salty seanotes which are very refreshing. There is a pleasant hint of woody sweetness in the salt, probably the effect of the grey amber which I suppose is the same as (syntetic) ambregris. Kitrea with its seaside, salty vibes reminds me of another MCG gem, the woody-aquatic  Finisterre but Kitera is a sweeter fragrance whit is natural feeling sweetness of honey and fresh fruits. The fresh fruits is nothing like the standard ultra sweet muddled accords of  many fruity-floral fragrances, the fruitiness of Kitrea is transparent, natural and cold-clear. Another salty fragrance which Kitrea reminds me of is Laboratorio Olfattivo Salina.  Just as Leucò,  Kitrea albeit citrusy, is strong in concentration but has a light texture. Therefore  one have to be careful when applying as a little goes for a day.

Rating: 5

Notes: Honey, lemon, bergamot, fresh fruit, grey amber


Thanks to Fragrance & Art of the samples to test

Ramon Monegal - Moonbloom

Picture: Moonflower before opening for the nightblooming
Photo: The Moonlight garden circle com (c)

Moonbloom  is created by spansh perfumer Ramon Monegal. Moonbloom is another Ramon Monegal exclusive for Bloomingdales in Dubai, see also Dubai Next To Me  for Bloomingdales in Dubai.

Moonbloom starts starts with sweet, creamy, white flowers where tuberose supported by orangeblossom dominates in a delicate mix,I don't know if there is any moonbloom within as I don't know how it's smelling. The opeing reminds me slightly of the old gem Versace Blonde, but more bright, clean and innocent. Moonbloom is quite linear in its construction and when Moonbloom has settled, it smells of sweet, honeyed white flowers inteacting with an light ambery smooth woody base during rest of its lifespan. The ambery, flowery aura of the fragrance, reminds me of the similar, but more classic in style, impression of Maison Nicolas de Barry Madame de Pompadour. Some darker passages are swirling up to the surface in the second part of the dry down, this passages remins me of the special almost inky rose, spieces, sandalwoody combination in Vero Profumos beautiful Rozy Edp. Another fragrance that comes to my mind is Robert Piguet Mademoiselle Piguet but without the pleasant slight decaying greenery accord of the latter

To summon up Moonbloom, it's not an original fragrance as there are many in the same thick, almost tropical white flower style.The archetype for this style is to me a fragrance as Annick Goutal Songes even if there of course where other before that one in this group. On the other hand Moonbloom is very beautiful  and very pleasant to wear, smells wonderful. Even the picky Mr Parfumista commented in a very postive way on Moonbloom, and thats not happen very often when I'm testing new fragrances.

Moonbloom is an easy to wear fragrance, perfect for most occasions and is the type of fragrance which blooms and unfolds as best a very warm summerday. Longevity is for a day when tested under spring conditions ca 10+ C, silage is medium.

Rating: 5

Notes: Havn't found any notepyramid but I guess tubereuse, orangeblossom, rose, sandalwood, amber, vanilla. musk  are involved

Måns did it!

Picture: The ESC winner 2015
Photo: K.Joensson Expressen (c)

The wonderful Måns "Yum-Yum" Zelmerlöw of course  did it. He is the winner of ESC 2015 in Vienna  after the most exciting voting in years :-) A well deserved victory for this well excperiensed artist. Congratulations!!!

Scented thoughts - May 2015

Picture: Swedens face (and voice :-) in 2015 ESC,
Måns Zelmerlöw
Photo: TT (c), PR SVT

Times flies and even if many fragrant thoughts are going on, there is so short of time to write them down.

* 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.

Ramon Monegal - Mediterranean Memories

Picture: A favourite plant for Chinese New Year
Photo: Mokkie (CC),
Wikimedia Commons, some rights reserved

Mediterranean Memories by Ramon Monegal is created for and available exclusively at the famed hotel Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona. 

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)

Mediterranean Memories is an easy to wear, elegant, albeit a tad to sweet for my taste in the middlennotes, everyday fragrance suitable for work or daytime pleasure in spring and summer. Sillage is close and longevity good, for approximatly a day.

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)

Ramon Monegal - Very Private

Picture: Beneath the Lilac at Maurecourt,
Painting by Berthe Morisot, 1874,
Wikiart

Very Private is an exclusive composition created by Ramon Monegal for Bergdorf Goodman, New York. The fragrance is said to capture the hypnotic and magical impression of the Bergdorf Goodman flagship store as well as Central Park in springtime.
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)

Very Private I can imagine (the test is done in cold springweather) is a durable fragrance for warm, summerdays. Also suitable for spring and wearable in most occassions, very good to cheer up in the office. Perfumesnons should not fear away as this is a genuine fruity-floral fragrance, it's not the sickingly artificial smelling sweet fruity-floral, Very Private smells almost natural in its interpreation of florals and frutis. Sílage is medium and longevity good, for a day.

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