Soon Easter....

Picture: In the painting "Die Lebensstufen" (The stages of life)
Caspar David Friedrich (1774-1840) has painted a swedish flag in the hands
of his children Gustav Adolf and Agnes Adelheid (in centrum of the picture). 

Today the traditional "Scents for Easter" post was planned. As I have a bad cold there was no energy nor inspiration for writing. Of course the terrible terror attack here in Stockholm didn't boost the energy either. All thoughts to the victims, among them an eleven year old girl on her way home from school for the Easter Holiday.......it's so sad and terrifying .

A post will probably show up on Thursday or Friday instead.

Carner Barcelona - Rose & Dragon

Picture: Saint George and the Dragon (1432-35)
Painting by Rogier van der Weyden (1399-1464)
Wikiart.com

Rose & Dragon is the third creation in the luxury, well crafted Black Collection from Carner Barcelona. Rose & Dragon is inspired from the legend of Saint George who saved the princess from the dragon. From the dragons blood, a rosebush with dark red roses grew.

And that one can imagine: Rose & Dragon is a thick, dark, rosy, spicy potion, resting over an animalic, soft leathery dept. The fragrance is sweetened with the todays it-note in contrasting leather or other dark, rough notes: Sweet berries as raspberrys and strawberrys, which could also be found in for example Masque Russian Tea, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather and Acqua di Parma Colonia Leather (not mentioned among the notes in the latter but I can smell it). Rose & Dragon has some similarities in style with these fragrance but is rosier, more animalic and spicy. It is also sweeter, has a certain liqueurish vibe, is much more deep and mysterious. When it comes to the latter; Rose & Dragon delivers the same mysticism as another dark and deep rose, Frapin Nevermore, even if that spicy rose interpretation is almost dry and less sweet than Rose & Dragon.
To my note Rose & Dragon is also the most feminine of the three fragrances in the Black Collection and also more feminine than the fragrances mentioned above. A more feminine dark and mysterious rose I come to think of when wearing Rose & Dragon is Parfumerie Générale Isparta.

Picture: Rose & Dragon
PR: Carner Barecelona (c)

As apprehensible from all associations mentioned above, Rose & Dragon isn't anything new or groundbreaking but it's a very well crafted and smooth blended fragance, one of the very best in this genre. With such heavy ingredients there is always a risk that a fragrance becomes cloying, harsh and unstable, especially if cheaper ingredients are used. Rose & Dragon is avoiding all such mistakes, it is top notch.

Wearing Rose & Dragon is a pleasure and the day is filled with constant wrist sniffing. It's wearable also for elegant evening but should'nt be restricted for such occasions. It's a quite linear fragrance and one can enjoy its mysterious and beautiful accords almost all at the same time. Longevity is about 24h and sillage is medium.
Rose & Dragon is my favorite from the Black Collection, an excellent example of the dark, deep, mysterious sort of rosefragrance which I love.

Rating: 5

Notes: Saffron, cumin, wild strawberry, cinnamon, bulgarian rose, turkish rose, honey, incense, castoreum, leather, labdanum, amber

Carner Barcelona - Black Calamus

Picture: Acorus Calamus
Köhler Medizinal Planzen
from Wikipedia

Black Calamus is the second fragrance I'm testing from the intriguing Carner Barcelona Black Collection.
And this one (unfortunately as this is expensive stuff) also turned out to be a winner.

I can read that the Calamus plant is growing in damp conditions and I have probably seen it myself in some fen in the wood unaware of what plant it is. I also read that the root has a very special aromatic, bitter, sharp and spicy taste and I can imagine that when wearing the concentrated and multifacetted fragrance Black Calamus. Black Calamus starts woody and in the same time sort of fresh, like some stiff, crispy, thick leaves growing in a chilly, moisty surrounding paird with the fresh smell of juniper wood. The pepper is (thankfully) very well balanced and adds a natural sparkle to the creation. When Black Calamus dries further on resisns and balsams softening the fragrance and takning it to darker depths, still with a distinct woody background where a touch of oud inteacts and creates an oriental twist. Black Calamus is comforting to wear but still an interesting fragrance, there are new twists on the theme, featuring different accords, during the dry down. It's really a dark fragrance but not sad, thick or cloying. Even if not groundbreaking, this dark woody style is well estabilshed since years, Black Calamus a real pleasure to wear. Compared to some other fragrances from the dark aromatic woody category, Balck Calamus is darker, more balsamic, resinious and a bit sweeter and spicier than: Robert Piguet Bois Noir which has a similar theme but is situated higher on the perfume "octaves scale" and Ramón Monegal Dry Wood which is lighter, brigheter, drier with a bit mossy soap added to the super dry wood. Robert Piguet Oud is another fragrance I come to think of when wearing Black Calamus, RP Oud also starts with a cold impression.

Picture: Black Calamus
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

Black Calamus is an elegant, smooth interpretation of the dark woody style. There are no harsh edges, it is well blended, smooth and comforting. Perfect for colder months but I think it will flourish also in summer evenings. Black Calmus is unisex, longevity is great, traces are left after 24 h and sillage is medium to high, this one shouldn't be applied heavy, it's very concentrated.

Rating: 5

Notes: Calamus, black pepper, coriander, papyrus, labdanum, osmanthus, turkish rose, vanilla, agarwood (oud), incense, juniper

Carner Barcelona - Sandor 70's

Picture: Sandor 70's
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

Last year, Carner Barcelona launched a luxury sub-line, named Black Collection. There are three fragrances up to day, very well made and they all smell very pleasant. First out for review is the suede-booze-tabbacco Sandor 70's.

Sandor 70's starts with the soft suede character which is characteristic for the whole dry down of the fragrance. First the suede is paired  with an almost caramelized, round boozy accord with tobacco where also dark, dried fruits like in Serge Lutens Boxeuses are hidden. It's like resting in a comfortable leathery clubchair, reading the newspaper in the lounge of a venerable gentlemans club even if Sandor 70's is inspired of one of the most iconic bars of the 70’s in Barcelona so maybe the chair should be a bit more contemporary in style. There are also an intriguing contrast from emerging from the depts of the fragrance, hints of something animalic, furry reminding me of the horsey aspect of Rania J. Oud Assam but the intepretation is more polished and quiet  in Sandor 70's. In the middlenotes there is also a glimps of the pleasant "dust on a lit bulb" which is more prominent in another leather gem of 2016 Téo Cabanel Kasar as also in the opening of Mona di Orios first fragrance Carnation. The basenotes of Sandor 70's is dominated by an extreamly pleasant accord, smooth, balsamic, fresh leathery/tobacco with a balancing note of patchouli. The vanilla is not present as a single note but I can imagine it softens and fills out the other notes.

Picture: Sandor 70's
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

Taken as a whole Sandor 70's is a multifacetted fragrance, mostly linear in construction but still an intriguing compostion. It's very comforting, almost relaxing and very wearable, with absolutely no harsh edges. It's perfect for the colder seasons, for daytime or evening. Sandor 70's is unisex in style, maybe a tad more masculine, Mr Parfumista likes this much. The sillage is somewhere between close and medium and longevity about 12h+.

Those who likes fragrances in the style of for example Puredistance Black, Parfums MDCI Cuir Garamante, By Kilian Back to Black and Huitème Art Liqueur Charnelle should definitly try Sandor 70's.

Rating: 5

Notes: Suede, bergamot, jasmine, osmanthus, rose, tobacco, clary sage, cedar, peru balsam, vanilla, leather, patchouli, vetiver, incense, oakmoss

Parfums de Nicolaï - Rose Royale

Picture: Parfums de Nicolaï Rose Royale,
resting in the snow,
 reminding of the coming Spring
Photo: Parfumista (c)

Rose Royale is a celebration to spring, launched by Parfums de Nicolaï to Valentines Day 2017. This (pink IMO) rose soliflore is inspired of the rosegardens of Palais Royale in the center of Paris.

Rose Royale starts pink rosy with natural smelling fruity accents. The fruity notes are somehow almost dry in appreance and there is nothing too sweet or artifical about it. I especially recoginze the note of passionfruit but lighter and not as prominent as in for example Vero Profumo Rozy Edp or in the tribute to the passionfruit flower from Maître Parfumeur et Ganiter Fraîche Passiflore. In the topnotes also there is also a contrasting glimpse of the fresh, tangy nuance of blackcurrant as also the bergamot which provides the fragrance with a particular chic style. Coriander also brings a light green, refreshing spicy touch to Rose Royale, which togther with the bergamot, provides a slight retro vibe or perhaps it's more appropritate to call it timless.

Picture: Rose Royale
Photo: Parfums de Nicolaï (c)

Rose Royale is all about the rose flower itself, with no interference of stems and greenery. Its about the natural fresh smell of the velvet smooth pink rose petals. It's a bright but not at all shrill rose, it is happy and uplifting when waiting for spring in the last days of the winter. When Rose Royale dries further down, I can also recognize a more severe side of the fragrance, there are snapshots from a darker dept where traces of an accord familiar to the metallic, cold, bloody rose of Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin are hiding. This gives an intresting twist to this over all polite, refreshing, pink, rose. The roses of Rose Royale resting in a elegant, well balanced musky smooth, warm, woody base where also a very light immortelle sparkles..

Beeing an "easy to go" EDT aimed for spring, Rose Royale has a good longevity if liberally applied. I can smell traces on skin after more then 12 hours. It's a very wearble daytime fragrance both for work and casual. The sillage is somewhere between close and medium.

Rose Royale is something to tray for those who like a uncomplicated but still wellconstructed, rose soliflore as for example Annick Goutal Rose Pompon, Maison Francis Kurkdijan À la Rose and Téo Cabanel Early Roses.

Rating: 5

Notes: Blackcurrant buds, passionfruit, bergamot, coriander, rose, ambrette, immortelle, sandalwood, guaiac wood, musk

BeauFort London - 1805 Tonnerre, Coeur de Noir, Vi et Armis & Lignum Vitae

Picture: PR BeauFort (c)

The house of BeauFort London is inspired from the naval past of Great Britans as also the historical merchant shipping. The fragrances are very special and intriguing, they recreates the scents of the past, exactly as one can imagine, for example the smell from the battle of Trafalger. As mentioned in the review of Fathom V the first three fragrances from BeauFort which constitutes the collection "Come Hell or High Water" are true artistic craftwork, a sort of fragrance installations, to inhale the fumes triggers the fantsy and transforms the wearer to the past. The two latest fragrances, Fathom V and Lignum Vitae are not that extreme, perfectly wearable and also transform the wearer back in time in the seafaring milieu. This is fragrances every Parfumista should try, at least just for the experience of perfume as an art.

Picture: 1805 Tonnerre
Photo: PR BeauFort London (c)

1805 Tonnerre - The scents form a wooden sailing warship twohundred years ago. Inspired of the battle of Trafalger. Dark, salty oak, sharp tar, the scent of smoked Baltic herring (the special one from the swedish north east coast).Salted fish in barrels rotting seaweed, smoke, metallic notes of steel and blood,  gunpowder. Very intriguing and vivid perfume.

Coeur de Noir - Starts very powerful with the fumes from black, heated tar. A short glimpse of the smoked herring of 1805 Tonnere above, and smoke, like the smell of smoke in a moist environment, as from fires on the docks . Later Coeur de Noir calms and a sweet almost minty element joins the composition which now is very indoor with a cold inky note appearing together with a cold tobacco and leather accord.

Vi et Armis - Here is also the BeaFort signum, the smell from tar, dry and salt licorice. The opening is very pungent, almost agressive and very masculine in style. Later the scent of burnt rubber appears together with a very light sweetness, as if the licorice no changed to the sweeter variety. Reminds me a bit of Chamens Party by Honoré de Prés and with the burnt rubber texture of Bulgari Black.

Lignum Vitae - The scent of a crispy cracker or cake contrasted by the light scent of a mixed, airy, flower bouquet composed of flowers in cold light pastel pink-apricot shades. All surrounded by an seaish, slight salty and sandy, airy accord with a sort of acid, citric note.

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the samples for test and review

BeuFort London - Fathom V

Picture: Paiting by Albert Bierstadt
(1830-1902)

Fathom V is one of the (to my nose) two "wearable" fragrances from the line of the niche house BeauFort London, the other is Lignum Vitae. The first three releases ( 1805 Tonnerre, Vi et Armis, Coeur de Noir) from the house are very intriguing but to my nose more of fragrance artworks or scent installations than perfumes which could be worn in public. More about the other BeauForts will follow in next week.

 Fathom V starts chilly, crispy, green with a smell similar to narcissus but a bit more flowery, lily is mentioned among the ingredients. There are also green coniferous elements, like fir and juniper. Soon also a cold, earthy smell emerges, like the just thawed earth in late winter/early spring. This accord is contrasted with a glimpse of an animalic note which slight resembles the smell of cat fur. After a while a windy element appears in Fathom V, it smells like someone is airing out an attic closet in an old house by the seaside during a cold, windy day early in the spring. Something in the concept/texture but not in smell reminds me of a outdoor variation of Parfumerie Generale L'Ombre Fauve. Further on in the drydown, the fog is rolling in over the cost from the open sea. Salty elements together with seaweeds and algaes appears in the blend, and later also a hearbal almost minty note, shows up, clearing the fragrance up from the fog. The salt and mint slightly reminds me of another Perfumerie Generale  Harmatan Noir and for the airy salty vibe also Laboratorio Olfattiva Salina but Salina is warm in texture. The icy cold and dry lily is present during the whole dry down of Fanthom V and as it settles, there is also a moisty, mossy element supporting the green herbal accord sweeping over the scent of  fresh soil.

Picture: Fathom V
Photo: PR BeauFort London (c)

Fathom V, like all the BeauForts, is very intriguing and creates vivid fantasies and pictures for the wearer, in this case more pleasant ones compared to the first fragrance trio. It's my favorite from the house and I really appreciate it's shifts in different moods and nuances. The fragrance is an outdoorfragrance in the same spirit, but not the same smell, as the also earthy, early in the spring/late in the winter, fragrance Onda from Vero Profumo. That even if Onda to my nose is describing this season in the inland and the scents of Fathom V is from the seaside.  Fathom V is unisex, maybe a tad more feminine because of the lily and that the herbal element isn't the typical, harsh aromatic type. Instead it's sort of soft and smooth herbal which is unusual and Fathom V therefore is wearable fougere for woman. The fragrance is perfect for daytime wearing in late winter and early spring but could be worn year around. Sillage is medium and longevity very good about 24h.

One of the best fragrances in 2016 IMO, if I had sampled it then, it would be among the top three.

Rating: 5

Notes: Juniper berries, tangerine, black currant, green notes, soil tincture, thyme, lily, jasmine, ylang-ylang, ginger, cumin, black pepper, mimosa, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, salt, incense, atlas cedar, amber

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to review