Savvy Thinker » Citrus http://savvythinker.com thinking about life, playing with makeup Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:15:26 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Review: Comparing India Hicks Island Night with Gucci Flora http://savvythinker.com/review-comparing-india-hicks-island-night-with-gucci-flora/ http://savvythinker.com/review-comparing-india-hicks-island-night-with-gucci-flora/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:34:43 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=1898

Gucci Flora edp and Island Night edt are siblings; they aren't twins. They begin differently and end differently, but at the midpoint they are very much the same on me.

And when I first spritz Island Night, I wonder what made me buy it at the store. It's a whopper. And, in general, I have to be very, very careful with orange blossom in fragrances. It usually goes sharp on me.

The Road Not Taken
TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Crabree and Evelyn sells Island Night. It comes in a beautiful midnight blue flask, with some heft to it. It is a pleasure to hold. It also comes in an evening compact with enhancer, body wash and lotion, a scented candle, and a fragrance diffuser for the home.

Notes: purple and white orchids, night blooming jasmine, orange blossom nectar, green island palms, woods, musk

I chose the edt over the compact as there was more scent to it. After spraying the edt, I could hardly smell the compact. The compact might be an easier way to wear it. I haven't tried either the candle or the diffuser, though the diffuser especially looks lovely.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

Why the two fragrances would be reminiscent of each other, at least at mid-point is a mystery to me:

Gucci Flora notes: citrus, peony, rose, osmanthus, sandalwood and patchouli

Perhaps it is the orange blossom-citrus thing going on.

Island Night starts off with a bang. It is heady and heavy. You are in a garden with a lover, heavy-eyed, under a deep sky with stars low enough to touch.

Gucci Flora begins at a similar place, only it is twilight. The winds have blown through the garden for a bit, and your lover has not yet arrived. It is easier to wear from the get-go.

At the mid-point, there is not a lot of difference. Gucci Flora might be a tad sweeter.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference. Robert Frost 1920

And then, at the end, both fragrances circle back around again. Island Night has the same nuance at the end, as at the beginning but softened, not nearly as strong. Funny that it is gone in the middle. Gucci Flora stays the same through the end. Truly lovely.

And what about several hours later? I can still smell Gucci Flora, though I have to bring my arm up. I could still smell it faintly before I got out of bed from the night before. Whereas, Island Night is gone. No trace. But it sure packs a wallop in the beginning.

Which road will you take?

Karin


Originally posted 2009-03-15 16:26:56.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/review-comparing-india-hicks-island-night-with-gucci-flora/feed/ 0 Review: Anya’s Garden Temple and River Cali http://savvythinker.com/review-anyas-garden-temple-and-river-cali/ http://savvythinker.com/review-anyas-garden-temple-and-river-cali/#comments Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:32:45 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=6714

Anya's Garden is an all natural perfumery, led by Anya McCoy of Miami Shores, FL. She is well respected in her field and knows more about natural perfumery than I would even know to ask. And she teaches classes -- and also offers personal consults and bespoke fragrance.

To my knowledge, except for a couple of forays into what might be other naturals, this is my first exposure to natural perfumes with sophistication. And what beautiful perfumes they are!

Anya sent me a packet of samples so I could wrap myself around her scents and get a feel for them.

To do them justice, over the next few days I will review two at a time, so their essences don't get lost.

Everyday for the last week or so, I've worn two different fragrances of hers, one on each wrist, for at least part of the day. I've worn them, I'm sure, in different combinations, but today's treats are Temple and River Cali.

These are a far cry from the synthetic, sometimes plasticky, scents of many modern perfumes. Granted, many modern perfumes are delightful, but they are still somehow different in nature from these exotic scents of Anya's. If you have only ever tried department store brands, you might want to treat yourself to a couple of her samples. You will be immediately embraced in a difference.

Temple
Fragrance Family: Citrus-Incense-Spiced Wood

The rays of hope focus empower and the steady verdant earth beneath the feet gives faith that the path may be sturdy and firm. Find strength in yourself, be your own Temple. Relax, center yourself and find peace. Anya's Garden

Top notes: distilled orange juice, borneol crystals
Heart Notes: aglaia flower, cassia, Ayurvedic herbs and spices
Base Notes: sustainable Laotian and Vietnamese Oud agarwood, earth tincture

Temple is a rich, exotic, woodsy fragrance, with citrus. If you've been reading my blog, you know I love fragrances with sweet orange, patchouli, and oud. This oud is rich and resiny. Lovely that it is from sustainable wood, and isn't denuding a forest somewhere.

In addition to wearing this fragrance on your skin, you can put a drop in a bowl of hot water to scent your room. Perfumeshrine reports that this is lovely. I, however, love it on my skin, and I will just move room to room! Well, perhaps, I will try this drop in hot water later.

3.5 ml parfum extrait is $75.
Temple sample $11

RiverCali
Fragrance Family: Floral-Citrus-Gourmand
If you like rose in a fragrance, this is the one for you! It begins with a lovely green, lime burst, underlaid with rose. It dries down to a warm rose. There's a bit of salt in there somewhere too, like drinking a margarita, salted glass, in a rose garden. When the drink is gone, you are still in the garden.

Anya says that it takes you to a lush desert oasis -- it must be that salt.

It is even better when applied a second time during the day. It jumps the beginning green again, and dries down more complexly. I have not tried applying it heavily the first time, but rather a large drop, then later another large drop. Remember I have samples, not full sizes!

Top notes: African pink peppercorn
Middle notes: Turkish rose otto, lemon, lime and orange leaves
Base notes: Vanuatu sustainable sandalwood, creamy rich African vanilla, sexy musk seed

3.5 ml parfum extrait $60
15 ml edp $125
sample $7

Have you tried any of Anya's fragrances? Have you tried these? Do you have a favorite?
For me, between these two, my favorite is Temple. It is mood-altering for me, being very centered and calming.

You can find more about natural perfumery at Anya's yahoogroup or at Natural Perfumers Guild.

See my review of Fairchild and Pan here.

See my review of MoonDance and StarFlower here.

And see my review of Kaffir here.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com




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Originally posted 2010-05-13 18:25:27.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/review-anyas-garden-temple-and-river-cali/feed/ 0 Review: Guerlain Boisé Torride http://savvythinker.com/review-guerlain-boise-torride/ http://savvythinker.com/review-guerlain-boise-torride/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:45:05 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=4660

Boisé Torride is a powerhouse of a fragrance. In some ways it reminds me of Paloma or of Estee Lauder's Knowing. It starts off with a bang and hours later ends up with a sigh or a whisper.

You have to like patchouli and cedar to love this fragrance. That is where it starts on its journey.

I do.

And this combo takes it a little bit from the sweet patchouli into a more incensy version. The overall effect is not like some of Neil Morris' fragrances, which I also love, but unique to the vision that Guerlain was reaching for.

It also is not like the sweetness of Gucci by Gucci with the added fruits.

It is called an androgynous fragrance, designed for a woman but to me surely suitable for a man, part of Les Elixirs Charnels series, which also includes Chypre Fatale, Gourmand Coquin, and Oriental Brûlant.

It is translated

smoldering wood, a new opus for femininity

though I think torrid or scorching would be easy translations also. Perhaps it begins as scorching and ends up smoldering. Some like it hot!

Guerlain loves women and has always celebrated their sensuality. A new expression of sensuality now completes this collection of Elixirs Charnels.

To me, there are three distinct stops on this voyage. The first is the initial flare. I used a couple of drops on my wrist and arm, passed to the other wrist and arm. Frankly, I can't imagine this one sprayed 10 times in the beginning, as at least two people I know do with some of their fragrances. You might knock someone out with the sillage.

I could see extending the 10 squirts throughout the day to refresh it back to the flare stage.

OTOH, an extremely heavy hit of this fragrance, depending on your chemistry, might soften just as nicely to a richer sigh of an ending. You'll have to try it both ways and get back to me. You would certainly have some serious sillage, at least for that moment. And some would have to be on your legs. After all, fragrance rises.

A couple of hours later, the fragrance hits a midpoint. Patchouli is still evident, it is wafting through the trees. I catch it when I turn or move my hands quickly. It surprises me. It is softer and gentler, but still has presence.

The last stage is about 7-8 hours in, when the fragrance has settled into a sigh.

I like the presence of all three. I like that the fragrance moves and isn't linear, though in some sense it is linear, because patchouli and cedar, less so, are evident throughout.

Now something completely silly to me and totally unnecessary is the excessive verbiage of the ad copy's stream of consciousness of the imagined wearer. I could do without that. I'd rather have my own imagination, thank you very much, laughing here. I mean, get real! It sounds like drivel. (And this is true for the other elixirs as well.)

...I still can't decide...Too obvious. I have to seduce him in a different way. Take him down paths still unknown to him...Why didn't I see it sooner?...masculine outfit...nothing under the jacket... contrast...ambiguity do the talking. Androgynous? Perhaps. Terribly sexy? But of course...[2 more paragraphs similar except for telling the notes] He will...become intoxicated by my skin and my essence, strangely androgynous yet irresistibly attractive.

Are they trying to reach a young, unseasoned woman, who presumably might not be able to make up her mind? Or the mature, knows-her-mind-and-how-to-get-it woman who would be more apt to choose this fragrance. After all, it is a fragrance for grownups. It certainly is not a fruity, sweet concoction.

How many of us think this way? I sincerely hope not many.

Perhaps it reads and sounds better in French. Everything sounds better in French!

If I were a man, Boisé Torride would lose me right there, without even giving it a try. And this would be a mistake, because this would be a delectable fragrance on a man, maybe even more so than on me. Or, it could be one of those shared fragrances between two lovers, where it develops differently on each one, to be individual, yet complementary, the way life should be.

Top Notes: bergamot and tangerine with pink pepper
Heart: jasmine and orange blossom with white musk, underneath is a mallow note, not sweet like Mariah's M
Base: cedar and patchoui

Have you tried it?

If you like
If you like any of the patchouli fragrances I've mentioned, you would likely like this one.

To me, there is a little bit of second-cousin-twice-removed to the fragrance Narciso Rodriquez for women.
It has some similarities, but ends up in a different place. Maybe it's the woods and orange blossom.

It's a good one for your repertoire. Remember you have to be a grown up. And that isn't a bad thing.

Where to get it:

Guerlain @ Palazzo in Las Vegas. Call (702) 732-7008 or email: GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com. Ask for Claire. Be sure to tell him that you heard it from me.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com
don't steal my posts, you know who you are!

Originally posted 2009-09-04 10:48:16.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/review-guerlain-boise-torride/feed/ 2 Talkin’ about Jolie Madame and Cabochard http://savvythinker.com/talkin-about-jolie-madame-and-cabochard/ http://savvythinker.com/talkin-about-jolie-madame-and-cabochard/#comments Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:42:08 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/2007/01/05/talkin-about-jolie-madame-and-cabochard/

I loved this description:

Jolie Madame is a very intelligent woman who is 100% conscious of her femininity and knows how to charm. She owns 50 lipsticks and always wears stockings. She's got great legs and will cross them to distract you.

Cabochard is female and happens to be irresistable, but never looks in the mirror because she's busy reading physics. Her hair's glossy because she was born that way. When she looks up from her book, your heart nearly stops, her eyes are so beautiful. She doesn't wear makeup. It wouldn't occur to her.

Fulltiltredhead at POL, with permission

Jolie Madame 1953 Chypre-Floral
Top Notes: Gardenia, artemisia, bergamot, coriander, neroli
Heart Notes: Jasmine, tuberose, rose, jonquil, orris
Base Notes: Patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, castoreum, leather, civet

Cabochard by Gres for Women 3 Piece Set Includes: 1.69 oz Eau de Toilette Spray + 0.10 oz Eau de Parfum Miniature + 1.69 oz Perfumed Body Lotion has been one of my favorites for years. (I chose this set to highlight for you vs. the spray alone because I love the perfume. I've sampled the lotion, and it is great too, and often enough to wear alone for the fragrance.) However, I do love and wear makeup. ;p

My comments are on the vintage for both.

I think Jolie Madame by Pierre Balmain for Women 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray is more wearable by more people. It is easier to wear, starts off easier and ends up easier.

Cabochard is a lovely fragrance and one I've worn a lot at various times. I think I'm lucky to be able to wear it. Not everyone can.

Cabochard 1953 citrus, leather, and tobacco; a refined, woody, arid fragrance.
Top Notes¦Citrus with spice accents
Middle Notes¦Jasmine, rose, orris, geranium, Ylang-Ylang
Base Notes¦Amber, Castoreum, Moss, Musk, Patchouli

”Cabochard” is French for “charmingly persistent”, or “stubborn” perfect for the individualist…
I recently read that it takes 6400 jasmine flowers and 240 roses to create one ounce of Cabochard…

It starts off with a bang...and ends up, on me, delightfully softened, a sweet floralish note comes out (and I don't usually wear any white florals well) and sits, not demurely, with the leather in harmony.

It's a kick-a&^ fragrance, one to wear if you want to make a mark on the world that day. And go really light with it, unless it hits the soften point fast. It might overwhelm you otherwise.

It's not at all like Knowing, but it has that hugeness to it.

Jolie Madame is a little sweeter from the get-go. I've only just begun to wear it. It's interesting to me that they both were created in 1953. I wear the parfum of Cabochard.

How about you?
Do you wear either of these?

Karin

Originally posted 2007-01-05 14:24:20.

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Flora Gucci is a wonderful new fragrance, consisting of

notes of citrus, peony, rose, osmanthus, sandalwood and patchouli.

When it first came out, it was exclusive to a particular store, but now it can be found more locally.

To me, it is a sort of cross between The One and Elle.
It is softer than The One, and a little less patchouli than Elle. But the patchouli in it, I'm sure, cuts the sweetness of the other floral accents, as does the citrus.

On me, the notes that are predominate are rose and citrus. The citrus puts it squarely in the younger group of consumers that Gucci is hoping to entice. It also makes it wearable for me, as I have trouble with roses being scrubbers.

Frida Giannini, Gucci's creative director, says that

Flora is lighter, the floral scent of course evokes a younger consumer, and she has a hedonistic, daring side. I don't want to say that Flora is the daughter of Gucci by Gucci but maybe the younger sister.

Flora is probably a second cousin twice removed from Gucci by Gucci, which is far more straight up sweet patchouli.

I even get a subtle memory of Bulgari Femme.

Meantime, in the midst of cold weather, wearing this fragrance, it feels as if a cool breeze is bringing the scents of spring. The fragrance is perfectly balanced. It stays true all day, though it is nice to refresh it. It doesn't have a lot of movement. Rather, the notes appear together in soft brightness, just as a spring day.

Have you tried it? Do you like it?

Karin
www.savvythinker.com





Originally posted 2009-03-02 21:13:26.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/flora-gucci-by-gucci/feed/ 2 Review: Guerlain Tiaré Mimosa http://savvythinker.com/review-guerlain-tiare-mimosa/ http://savvythinker.com/review-guerlain-tiare-mimosa/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 18:49:34 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=3148

I'm doing my best to review Tiaré Mimosa but have yet to be able to put any on my skin. The samples leaked out before they arrived.

It does smell good, however!

And again, it is from the Aqua Allegoria line so it is reasonably priced and perhaps less potent than gardenia sometimes can be. Tahitian gardenia is a bit less pungent than the ones from the garden that I love to have in bowls in my house.

It also smells less strongly of Tiare than the Avon one from last summer, Tahitian Holiday, which I also reviewed, and I do like.

notes of citrus, pink pepper, mimosa, tiare (Tahitian gardenia), vanilla, vetiver, and musks

I'm glad it has some vanilla in it, as well as the vetiver and musks -- that moves it from a strictly tiare fragrance into another realm. And this is what I smell in the remnants of the sample. If that is the dry down, I know I would like it.

I thought I had some Cruel Gardenia around here to compare it to, but I do not. I know that as I stood in the store, a woman bought Cruel Gardenia on the spot. I had gone on a search for something else, so it flew under my radar at the time. I can compare it to Mayotte, which is a lovely creamy gardenia, the second generation from Mahora which did not have the rich, creaminess and was strident until it settled down.

In either case, this is an AA, so it is less rich and opulent, plus there is no creamy aspect.

What do you think?
Do you have this one? Do you have Cruel Gardenia or Mayotte?

Where you can buy it
Call or email Claire (702-732-7008) (GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com) at the Guerlain boutique in Las Vegas. There is no sales tax and no shipping charge for mailing in the US. (I think you'd pay tax if you lived in Nevada.) (I can't speak for international shipping.)

Let me know if you try it, and tell Claire you heard it from me.

Karin

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