Téo Cabanel - Early Roses

Picture: Young woman in a rosegarden
Painting by Umberto Veruda (1868-1904)
Source: flickr.com

Early Roses is created by the inhouse perfumer of the venerable perfumehouse Téo Cabanel, Jean-Francois Latty some years ago. The Téo Cabanel house IMO create high quality, very wearable, natural smelling fragrances with timeless character, a house which should be tested by perfumelovers who likes the styles of the houses of Parfums de Nicolaî and Annick Goutal.

Early Roses starts with a perfectly balanced combination of pink dewy, heady roses and an smooth pink pepper which isn't sharp or dominating at all. There are also natural smelling, light woody notes with a smell which reminds me of some fresh cedarwood and most of all; juniperwood. The pink rose is dewy fresh without any tangy or souer nuances. This stage feels very natural and refreshing and also a bit rare as refreshing roseaccords often involves geranium which isn't the case here.

As Early Roses dries further down, a smooth, fluffy creaminess appears, also this accord is perfectly balanced, nor the musk or the touch of berries are overpowering or too sweet. It's like a clean, minimalist cream where high quality roses are melted down. The rosy creaminess is resting on a warming and golden glowing  amberbase with light woody nuances. The amber is also light, delicate and feels sort of natural, there is not the heavy ambroxstyle, which is present in many contemporary rosefragrances. There is also a pleasant, slight salty touch in the later stage of Early Roses, that creates a slight seaside impression, maybe a hint of ambergris.

Picture: Early Roses
Photo: PR Téo Cabanel

Fragrances which reminds me of Early Roses are for example Coquiliete Tudor for the rosy creaminess, where Tudor is not so well balanced and harsh and screachy in comperasion. A fragrance of high quality which comes to, my mind when wearing Early Roses in its later stages is Parfums de Nicolai Rose Oud which also has delicate ambery, woody, rosy basenotes.

Early Roses is a officefriendly fragrance for days when craving a delicate pink rose, regardless season. Sillage is medium and longevity for about a day.

Early Roses is a fragrance in the same transparent, elegant, flowery style as the latest release from the Téo Cabanel brand, the delicate white flower-tubereuse Lace Garden. Both fragrances could be equaled to olfactory Monet gardens.

Rating: 5

Notes: Jasmine, water, rose, pink pepper, musk, amber, wood

Olfactive Studio - Panorama

Picture: Sheats Goldstein House, LA with panorama view
Photo: Miguel Sandinha, PR Olfactive Studio (c)

Panorama is the latest addition to the Olfactive Studio line. The green fragrance is inspired of the "urban jungle" and the amazing view from the famous Sheats Goldstein House, an extraordinary villa in Los Angeles. Panorama is created by perfumer Clement Gavarry.

Panorama starts green but not with the damp and moisty greeness that I associate with jungles. Instead it smells like some green Irish mist perfume, a cold, herbal, clover greeness, man cologne-ish in style. After a while Panorama gets warmer and spicier  and a gourmand note reminding me of the asian gourmand note in Neela Vermiere Creations Ashoka and also in  État Libre d'Orange Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes. Probably this is the wasabi note mantioned, but far away in strength compared to when eaten with sushi. There is also a light incense-pepper note lurking in the background and here there is something (minus some sweetness) that reminds me of Tauer Reveire du Jardin. After a while, cooler, fir-like,  greenery appears and once again Panorama feels very masculine. The basenotes is the most plesant part of Panorama, the blend has smoothing out, some almost flowery and earthy elements have joined the mix and suddenly I recognise an old acquaintance the rough and tough lady Balmain de Balmain which is much more distinct and interesting green blend compared to Panorama. Not much more is happening in Panorama, it's a safe linear, but quite different and a bit weird green blend which is almost refreshing in its apperance.

Picture: The Beautiful green liquid of Panorama
Photo: PR Olfactive Studio

Panorama is good for summer, office friendly. with close sillage and longevity for a day. Even if a unisex fragrance, to me it's more masculine which I also think of Balmain de Balmain which is marketed as a ladys fragrance.

Rating: 3

Notes: Bergamot, lemon, wasabi, violet leaves, fig leaves, galbanum, cardamom, freshly cut gras,  musk, vanilla, tonka beans, myrrh, labdanum, fir, patchouli

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the Panorama sample to test

Arquiste - Quick Impressions 3(3)

My final entry regarding my quick impressions of the Arquiste line.

Picture: Aleksandr Pushkin (1799-2837)
Author: V.A.Tropinin (cc) Wikimedia commons

Aleksandr: Inspired by Aleksandr Pushkins last duel in St.Petersburg  January 1837 Aleksandr highlights fresh green notes in a cold context, notes as fir,neroli, violet leaves and leather. The fragrance is elegant and subtle but to md the mixed ingredients almost smells like a smooth anise over soft suede and a fine vanillanote. An easy to wear everyday scent, classified as masculine but could also be worn by women IMO. Sillage is close and longevity for almost a day.

Picture: Still life with lemons, oranges and rose, 1633
Painting by Francisco de Zurbarán (1598-1664)
Wikimedia commons

L'Etrog: Inspired by Medieval Calabria, October 1175, where a family gathers to celebrate a good harvest. Starts with a sunny, yellow true smelling lemon, followed by a light, fresh in the same time a bit dark, ripe, fruity sweet note which ends up in a scent similar to fresh tobacco. Then L'Etrog softens in the lemony impression and get green and woodier during the drydown. A pleasant lemony, green-leafy-woody scent but unfortunately with a bad stayingpower. 

Overall the fragrances in the Arquiste line are well made and very wearable.My favorites are 1) Fleur de Louis, 2) Infanta en Flor followed by 3)Flor y Canto, 4) Anima Dulcis, 5) L'Etrog, 6) Aleksandr.
The fragrances are composed by perfumers Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Yann Vasnier who in a earlier colaboration has created (with Calice Becker) the much underappreciated Donna Karan Gold. Taken as a whole, the Arquistes have almost something of a polite and dimmed down Parfume Generale style, which make them wearable to a wider audience than the more distinctive Parfumerie Generale line. The latter is also more affordable than the Arquistes. Arquiste (samples and bottles) are aviable on Aus Liebe zum Duft

Arquiste - Quick Impressions 2(3)

Picture:  Infanta Maria Teresa is handed over
for the wedding with Louis XIV on  l'Île des Faisans in 1659
Painting by Laumosnier

The Arquiste quick impression session continues, in this entry with a complementing duo inspired of the marriage between Louis XIV the "Sun King" and his first wife Maria Teresa of Spain.

Infanta en Flor: The Infanta starts surprisingly a bit dirty, orangeblossom supported by a barnyardnote. But soon the Infanta smells freshly baded, the fragrances turns to a soapy, transparent, bubblebath orangeblossomsmell, the same bubblebath effect as the tubereuse in Flor y Canto but in Infanta en Flor the effect lasts during the whole dry down. Even if the bubblebath effect is evident, the orangeblossom deepens and get denser in the later part of Infanta en Flor and the dirty notes thankfully also returns.

Fleur de Louis: Sharper and more masculine in style than the Infanta, there is deeper, greener and woody notes accompaniying the orangeflower and iris in Louis. There is a wiff of conifers and the note of cedarwood is evident but it's not sharp or peppery at all. It is of a smooth, balsamic varity that induces the wowen patch smell that I like in fragrances as Comme de Garcons Jaisalmer and Musst de Cartier Edt vintage version.

Both Infanta en Flor and Fleur de Louis have medium sillage and longevity for about 24h. These two I like best of the Arquistes I have tried and of the two I find Fleur de Louis to be the most original.

Arquiste - Quick Impressions 1(3)

Picture: Mendoza Codex depicting the mexican coat of arms16^th century, Wikimedia Commons

The samples I ordered of some fragrances from the (at least five years ago) hyped Arquiste-line has somehow been forgotten. I start with some quick impressions of two fragrances inspired of Mexico, the homecountry of Carlos Huber the founder of the house of Arquiste.

Anima Dulcis: Inspired of the scent of exotic spices which floats throughout the halls of the Royal Convent of Jesus Maria, Mexico City in November 1695, where a group of nuns prepares a Baroque recipe of Cocoa infused with an assortment of chilies. Starts with an intersting, dirty, animalc blast of cumminlike notes over butterscotch follwed by a gentler soft, woody peppery phase in the style of Yves Saint Laurent Nu Edp and also with elements from Parfumerie Generale Cadjmere. Then it softens into a dark, almost slight minty, choco and nice vanilla with some polite notes of fiery pepper popping up from time to time. The longer in the dry down, the more the vanilla appears. An easy to wear contemporary gourmand-oriental with close sillage and longevity for about 24 h..

Flor y Canto: Inspired of the flowers offered on the temple altars of the Aztecs in August 1400 in Tenochtitlan, Flor y Canto starts heavy with the almost burnt butterscotch accord present. The butterscotch is blended with a tubereuse which is bubblebath-soapy at first but than deepens into a creamier one, in texture just as mediumpink velvet. As a tuberoselover this butterscotch-tuby version attracts me into half of its dry down but then it strangly weekens, blends with a lighter mangnolia note and after that does not regain the dense, velvety, buttery tubey from the heart. The silage is close and the longevity, just as when it comes to Anima Dulcis for about 24h. Even if the scent weakens, it's very pleasant to wear and it growes with each wearing. Wearing Flor y Canto is also a great way  to receive compliments.

L'Artisan Parfumeur - Mon Numéro 9

Picture: Citrus x limon,
Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen (1897)
Wikimedia commons

Mon Numéro 9 is a contempoary styled but in the same time classic cologne in one of the sub-lines of L'Artisan, the numbered Collection. See also my earlier review of the directe opposite to Mon Numéro 9, the boozy oriental Mon Numéro 10.  Both No 9 and No 10 are composed of superperfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, nowadays active in most wellestablished, older nichhouses and of courese also in some newcomers as BD seems to be a safe bet.

Mon Numéro 9 starts with a smooth, juicy and round lemon over green notes, on a light flowery carpet. The lemon is not sharp like the smell of chemical detergent which sometimes is present when lemon is dominating nor harsh-herbal as in some old styled mens colognes. The lemon-green-flowery accords are grounded in and contrasted by a typical contemporary vetiver, patchouli, woody, musky base. The musk is quite present but is not taking over the composition but assure that the longevity is very good for a citrus cologne. As described above, Mon Numéro No 9 goes on until it last traces fades away about twelve hours after application.

Mon Numéro 9 is a perfect, safe officefragence, fresh without the ordinary annoying, chemical freshness. Even if colognes traditionally are imagined as summerfragrances I think No 9 has enough body and tenacity to be worn also to bring some sunshine into autumn and winter. An versatile and well made fragrance even if nothing new in style.

Mon Numéro 9 reminds me to some extent of Sisleys Eau de Sisley 3 despite the latter is more uncommon and a bit more interesting as it also features a fizzy gingernote. Also Parfums de Nicolaï Cedrat Intense comes to my mind even if that one is heavier on the woody/patchouli notes.

Rating: 4

Notes: Citron, lime, petitgrain, lavender, coriander, rhubarb, cyclamen, shiso, rose, myrrh, vetiver, musk, patchouli, amber, wood

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try.

Aedes de Venustas - Copal Azur

Picture: Views of the South Seas, a set of four,
HMS Resolution and Discovery in Tahiti
Watercolour by James Cleveley (1747-1786),
Wikipedia commons
 

New York based perfumstore and also perfume house Aedes de Venustas has, like so many others, also accelerated their launch rate the latest year. Copal Azur realeased in late 2014 is their second latest one. Copal Azur is composed by Bertrand Duchaufour.

Copal Azur starts with an accord dominated by a sort of smooth, rounded but in the same time distinct incensenote. The incense is not as heavy or sharp as in the traditional church insence personified by the classic  Commes des Garcons Avignon. Further on an accompanyng accord appears. This accord reminds me of a something woody, coconutty in a airy, humid, salty surrunding, there is also a slight woody-green note present. I get an image of a palm-tree situated on a beach, the weather is becoming worse, grey skies are appearing over the sea and the wind is increasing and with flurries. From the still sunwarmed palm-tree trunk, one can smell the tree resin, balsamic-woody with hints of coconut. As Copal Azur dries down further down, the resin qualities strengthens as also the spicy ones and in the same time the fragrance also becomes  ambery sweet. Maybe, at least when it comes to my nose, a bit too sweet when compared to the intitial airy-incense phase of the fragrance. Even if a different incensesmell, the airy pine-incense Oriza L.Legrand Relique D'Amour comes to my mind as it's also the airy incense concept but sutiated in the North whereas Copal Azur is the airy incense of the shores in the countries around the equator.
Recently I watched a documentary on television about Captain James Cook and I can imagine the smell of Copal Azur when the ship anchored by the islands in the South Pacific.

Picture: The beautiful Copal Azur bottle.
Photo: PR Aedes de Venustas (c)

Copal Azur is refreshing and pleasant to wear especially in spring and summer but could also be suitable in autumn and winter when in the right mood for this type of high and airy incense. It's a daytime fragrance, perfect for both work and casual. Silllage is medium and longevity for a day. Copal Azur is totally unisex.

Those who likes different kinds of airy incense fragrances as for example the dry, woody, high Incense Extreme by Andy Tauer, the light slight flowery incense Encens d'Ange by Autour de Parfums as well as the airy-aldehydic "Chanelesque" incense of Montale Full Incense could also like Copal Azur.

Rating: 4

Notes: Incense, salt, ozonic notes, patchouli, cardamom, tonkabeen, amber, myrrh

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to try