There’s something comforting about tea in the breadth of its types; its taste; its medicinal values; and its olfactory pleasures. Factored into this is the entire idea encompassing tea: a bit of a ceremony; setting aside the time for tea (and conversation); the additions of pastries and other goodies for high tea; and etc.

Bvlgari has led the field in its presentations of tea as perfume. Each can be worn by men or women; some are marketed as unisex; others as women’s fragrances. Each fragrance includes notes of the tea it represents. Each has a distinct Bvlgari feel to it, as if they riff off each other, somewhat like jazz, coming back to the original idea, but including elements of each other, while being sufficiently different to warrant fragrances of their own.

Bulgari Au The Vert was introduced in 1993 with extracts of green tea blended with jasmine, rose and citrus. I became aware of it at that time. Ultimately it began to feel too masculine on me. It is very clean and fresh.

Bvlgari Black was introduced in 1998. It is a powerful Chypre with a burnt rubber note to it which makes it unique in its field. While marketed to women, it is definitely a scent that can be worn by a man. The black bottle itself is very rich and masculine looking. A little goes a long way with this one. It is one that gets stronger on me, instead of softening through the day.

Top Notes: black tea, rosewood, and bergamot
Heart Notes: cedar, oakmoss, and vanilla
Base Notes: amber, sandalwood, and musk

Bvlgari Au The Blancwas introduced in 2003, with notes of Artemisia Leaves, Ambrette, White Pepper, White Tea, Musk, and Woody Amber. To me, the pepper is predominant at one point, then the blandness of white tea. It’s not sufficiently different than the Green Tea for me to need two bottles.

Au The Rouge is my favorite of the line. It was created by perfumer Olivier Polge.

Top notes: Pink pepper, orange, bergamot
Heart notes: Red tea accord [Roiboos red tea, Yunnan red tea], fig pulp
Base notes: Walnut, musk

If you’ve had Rooibos tea, you know it has a unique flavor and aroma with a deep rich red color. It is sweet and fruity with a bit of a woody or nutty taste. The perfume captures this well. The top notes are so light and fleeting that while they tickle your palate, they are gone before you know it. Perhaps the pink pepper lingers longer. They are like a memory that colors your experience, but you no longer have any precise details.

The predominate note that lingers over all is the middle note of red tea accord. I find it mixed with a black tea feel, though that it not mentioned in the notes. I do not catch the fig, certainly not to the extent it is found in various fig fragrances. The musk is very weak, if at all, which is just as well, as I have to be careful with musk. The walnut is caught up in the tea accord and is not distinct.

I find it lasts very well. I’m ready to add something to it after a few hours, as it is very single minded in its approach. I like that it is a bit spicier and sweeter than the other teas that Bvlgari presents.

It has a beautiful bottle, shaped like the bottle for Green Tea, but it has accents of red that reflect into the juice.

Which is your favorite in the line, if you wear it?

Karin

Originally posted 2007-03-03 12:27:34.

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Lonestar Memories is a rich leather scent, intense and multilayered, with a lasting, soft and gentle woody accord. Andy Tauer Perfumes

I was so happy to get a chance to try this fragrance, thanks to a POL’er. Descriptions of it made me wonder how it would do on me. I figured it would either be love-hate. It turns out it is love.

I love the leather of Cabochard by Gres, but Lonestar is completely different. How to describe the difference: Cabochard ultimately comes down to a leathered floral on me, but stays very heady. Lonestar comes down to smokey leather (no floral) on me, that purrs rather than stomps.

So far, it is two for two. I’ve tried two of Tauer’s fragrances and love them both. He is very talented.

Lonestar is supposed to evoke the land, the smoke, the leather of Texas. Along with that is a very strong initial note of gasoline, though not listed in any notes. It reminds me of what I smelled like when I accidentally spilled gas on myself while filling the car.

And it reminds me of the smells around my late father-in-law’s gas station/car dealership. Happy memories for me.

Just now, when spraying it for the second time today, I had the sprayer aimed wrong and got my hand. Memories of mis-filling the gas.

But very shortly on me, within the first few minutes, this high-tech gas scent leaves and underneath are the combined scents of a wood fire and plenty of soft leather.

The little bit I sprayed this morning was still going strong this evening. I had to press my nose to my skin to smell it for a bit of private olfactory jolt, similar to a good cup of coffee. I wasn’t overpowering anyone else. But it is one that would appeal to others, I believe, if I had worn enough to carry out into the room.

I’m going to go hit myself with some more even though I sprized my hand, as I said, about five minutes ago.

The scent grows on you. I’m almost getting a kind of licorice from it. I love it when a fragrance moves like this.

I wondered at first if it would remind me of Bvlgari Black. But Bvlgari Black is not a scent I can wear — it is too brash on me. All burnt rubber, tea and leather — mostly burnt rubber. I picture a woman with a whip.

Lonestar can be worn by either a man or a woman, but I wouldn’t call it unisex. It is much too sensual for that. It is either the sueded leather of a cowboy hat or the smooth and buttery leather of a leather outfit. This scent would be at home wherever you took it.

“… it’s the scent of a lonesome rider, wearing old jeans and leather jacket, after a long day on the horse in the dry woods, preparing his coffee on the open, smoky fire. I want it to be fresh and light, yet lasting and powerful….”

He got it exactly right.

Karin

Green and spicy head notes: Geranium, Carrot seed, Clary sage.
Smokey leathery Heart notes: Birchtar, Cistus, Jasmine, Cedar wood.
Fine woody body notes: Myrrh, Tonka, Vetiver, Sandalwood. Thanks to Prince Barry at POL

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