Savvy Thinker » Jasmine

October Launch: Guerlain Boise Torride

Karin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:14:48 +0000

Boise Torride is coming October 15, 2009, unless the launch date changes as has happened with some. And Boise Torride is how the Guerlain paperwork spells it.

According to the paperwork, courtesy of Claire at the Palazzo Las Vegas location, here's the scoop.

Words associated with this fragrance are:

woody, rebellious, provocative, triumphant, bold and beautiful

Sounds good already!

And the notes:

top: bergamot, tangerine, pink berries
middle: marshmallow harmony, orange blossom, jasmine
base: patchouli, white musk, cedar

Marsh mellow makes me think of Mariah Carey's fragrance. Nothing wrong with marshmallow there.

It sounds like a good mix between old and new. Time will tell!

What do you think?
Does this sound like one you will try? I've never really met a Guerlain that wasn't better than others with similar notes. The trick for me will be the orange blossom, as that is something that I usually have difficulties with. I look forward to trying this one just the same.

Karin

Originally posted 2009-07-05 12:09:37.

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Review: Diptyque Olene

Karin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:23:52 +0000

Continuing going through my samples...

Diptyque's Olene is available from Lucky Scent $88 for 50 ml or $3 for .7 ml. It's reasonably priced for its size.

Notes: wisteria, jasmine, narcissus, honeysuckle

Olene is a very interesting fragrance. I can't remember when I've smelled a white floral that is so different. And fiercely strong! But not sharp. There is a sparkle to it that runs like a ribbon through it.

The opening
The opening is strongly green on me, as if I were standing in the cooler of my local florist shop, heady with these fragrances. I pick up a tad of the flowers, but mostly green. At this point I get some wisteria.

Some people say it is all jasmine, and very indolic at that. Others say it is strongly honeysuckle for them.

So it will depend on your chemistry.

The middle
As it settles down, the almost fizzy nature of the beginning tapers off. The green is still there under it all, but the flowers are coming to the front. Now it is more honeysuckle.

The end point
The end point is a softer mix of both greens and florals, still heavily green.

White flowers and me
Generally we don't mix. I find white florals tend to get very sharp and harsh on me. I worried about this when I applied it, but it stays true. It must be the greens.

My take:
You'll love it or hate it. It is one of Diptyque's best sellers. It is huge, so if you are looking for quiet, this won't be it. Even at it's end point, it is dramatic. Then it is gone.

When to wear it
I don't know that I would wear this in the heat of a muggy summer. It would be a nice complement to spring -- and possibly even winter to bring the flowers inside.

Be careful how much you use, unless it softens quickly on you.

Is this one you wear? Have you tried it? Do you do well with white florals?
Try a sample first, since it is so different. It's been described as one that might give you a headache if you are inclined that way.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Originally posted 2009-10-28 07:32:58.

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Review: Just Cavalli Her

Karin — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:29:37 +0000

Just Cavalli Her by Roberto Cavalli was introduced in 2004 for Women. It is considered an oriental floral.

When I wear it, I don't get too much from it except for sweet vanilla -- and the vanilla lasts through the entire fragrance. Getting stronger, if that is possible, which of course it is, because it is one of the base notes, which means it shows up at or through the end.

Top: Sicilian Bergamot, Ceylon Cinnamon, Bamboo Leaves,
Heart: Wild Lily Of The Valley, Apricot Tree Flower, Sambac Jasmine,
Base:Golden Amber, Madagascar Vanilla, Lebanese White Cedarwood, Powdery Musk

It is one of the nicer vanillas out there, but I have to be in the mood for it because it is vanilla.

This is not the sultry vanilla of Shalimar, and it isn't a particularly gourmand vanilla, like white cake.

On the whole, it is sweet. I prefer it not so close to my face. I should have spritzed my leg, not my arm.

As soon as I could, I switched to another fragrance -- to Light Blue -- to get away from the sweetness. I needed a little tart to go with it.

Is this a fragrance that you wear?
When do you wear it? I think it would have served me better on a fall night, not a summer morning. I was engulfed in a vanilla dream. I don't think I'm quite that sweet!

Karin

Originally posted 2009-06-17 07:27:14.

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Review: Comparing India Hicks Island Night with Gucci Flora

Karin — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 02:34:43 +0000

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

Crabtree Evelyn INDIA HICKS Island Night EDT nib 100ml

US $74.99

5d 20h 12m

Crabtree & Evelyn INDIA HICKS ISLAND Night EDT 30ml NWOB

US $34.99

19d 21h 31m

FLORA BY GUCCI EAU DE PARFUM 5 ML/ 0.16 OZ MINI PERFUME

US $22.49

9h 37m

GUCCI FLORA 2.5OZ EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY BRAND NEW AND SEALED

11 Bids

US $22.10

11h 4m

GUCCI FLORA 2.5OZ EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY BRAND NEW AND SEALED

12 Bids

US $22.50

11h 15m

* FLORA * by Gucci 2.5 oz EDT Women Perfume NIB *

1 Bid

US $51.40

12h 1m

GUCCI FLORA 2.5OZ EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY BRAND NEW AND SEALED

9 Bids

US $15.50

12h 3m

Gucci FLORA BY GUCCI Eau De Toilette 1.6fl.oz New in Box!!!

US $49.99

12h 27m

Gucci Flora 2.5oz Women's Eau de Toilette Spray*NIB

US $72.99

13h 13m

GUCCI FLORA 2.5OZ EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY BRAND NEW AND SEALED

5 Bids

US $15.50

14h 10m

Gucci Flora 0.16oz Women's Eau de Toilette

US $18.00

14h 59m

Gucci FLORA BY GUCCI EDP Spray 1.6fl.oz New in Box!!! Sealed!!!

US $54.99

15h 9m

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

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Review Boyfriend by Kate Walsh

Karin — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:09:07 +0000

If you like patchouli, you will love Boyfriend. I was able to try it today at Sephora.

Now, go figure, because, supposedly, patchouli does not figure in the notes, but the combination of the notes is definitely sweet patchouli, at least to me. Maybe it is the myrrh and amber together.

Or maybe the idea is not to scare people with the name patchouli. But for those of us who love patchouli, use the name!

To me, it is a young, modern fragrance take on the 60's patchouli. And it may be more wearable than some other patchoulis.

It reminds me a lot of Prada. And it is less sharp than Gucci Gucci.

Yum, yum. I give it 5 *****.

Top notes: Dark plum and myrrh, Benzoin Tears (whatever that is)
Mid notes: lily and night blooming jasmine
Base Notes: amber and musk, vanilla woods.

Boyfriend was developed in collaboration with the Home Shopping Network (HSN) and Givaudan perfumery. The nose is Marypierre Julien.

You ever miss the scent of your boyfriend on your skin? Well, I did. So I created BOYFRIEND, a fragrance inspired by him but made for us. Kate Walsh

I dunno about that, but I do love the smell of it on my skin, and everyone that I've held out my wrist to, has agreed.

Have you tried it?
It is both dry and warm.

Prices range from $20 for a perfume oil pulse point to a kit for $95 that includes it all (- 0.5oz Eau de Parfum,
- 0.16oz Pulse Point Oil Mini, - 1.oz Dry Oil Mini, - 1.6oz Body Crème Mini.) Such a deal!

It is $65 for 1.6 oz edp.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Originally posted 2011-02-17 21:29:50.

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A little perfume tale

Karin — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:15:37 +0000

This is almost a review.

Last week I was out and about. I had put on one squirt of edp about 5 hours earlier.

I couldn't smell it at all.

The woman I had gone to see raved about my perfume, that she just loved it. She wanted to buy it for herself. I asked her if it was too strong?? because usually no one but me can smell my fragrances. I'm very careful because both a friend and a family member are sensitive.

No, it was perfect, she said.

After that, I went to the mall because I was a short distance away. While there, I made a circuit of the perfumes, as usual, and the SA smelled wonderful! When she walked in front of me, the most delicious fragrance wafted toward me. It was lovely, not too strong. I liked it!

I asked her what perfume she was wearing. She said they were no longer carrying it. She had just moved the stock to the back room. (Turns out, all the local stores are not going to carry it. It is discounted at Perfumania, which just opened in our mall.)

She was wearing the same thing I was wearing! No wonder my friend had thought I'd smelled good, if I smelled as good as she did! I thought that was so funny!

We were wearing...YSL Elle.

This is a very good price for it.

· Top Notes: Cedrat, peony, lychee.
· Middle Notes: Pink berries, freesia, jasmine.
· Bottom Notes: Patchouli, vetiver, ambrette.

Here's a great ad for it:

Here's one a little more racy for Elle Shocking, the edt:

My take The bottle is beautiful.
Some days I really like this on me; other days, I'm not sure. It might be the weather. Right now it is moderately hot here.

This is not a sweet rose, nor is it quite a dirty rose either. It is an interesting rose, kept from being too sweet by the patchouli. And the funny thing is, laughing at myself here, there isn't any rose in it!

Maybe it's the color of the juice. Or maybe it's that it's a grownup fragrance, not one that follows the sweet perfume trends.

This compliment makes me want to search out the flankers: Elle Summer and Elle Intense, if they can even be found. Those both have raspberry in them.

Found them:

The notes include ginger, tangerine, pink pepper, peony, freesia, raspberry, musk, patchouli and vetiver.

~~~~

The fragrance notes include raspberry, litschi, jasmine, iris, benzoin, patchouli and amber.

~~~~
What do you think?
Have you tried this one? Do you wear it? Have you worn or smelled the flankers? Can you enable me, or not?

Karin

Originally posted 2009-04-04 13:46:29.

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Review: Guerlain Boisé Torride

Karin — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 14:45:05 +0000

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.

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Talkin’ about Jolie Madame and Cabochard

Karin — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:42:08 +0000

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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Bond No 9 for Saks 5th Avenue

Karin — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:02:56 +0000

Bond No 9 has created its first non-specific NYC fragrances for Saks 5th Ave. Both are worthy creations -- modern, elegant and large, said to

capture the fashion-forward essence of 21st century Saks, while at the same time expressing the eclectic downtown spirit of NoHo-based Bond No. 9.

DNA for women is a classic, large gardenia scent. If you love gardenia, you will love this fragrance. A little goes a long ways, because it is long-lasting. On me, the dominant note is gardenia. Anything else is hidden among the petals.

DNA For Her
Gardenia, sparkling jasmine, vetiver and vanilla.

I love the scent of gardenias, brought into the house. I float them in bowls.

This scent is true to real gardenia. So many perfumes are not.

DNA for men is an elegant aqua scent, with a classic masculine ambiance, through the notes that are generally thought to be part of men's fragrances.

DNA For Him
Sicilian bergamot, cardamom, amber and cedarwood.

Of interest are these notes:

What makes this eau de parfum metro-modernity is the addition of notes that are new to luxury perfumes: a marine accord, fiery chilies, seductive incense and soothing guaiac wood from South America.

While it is said to be for both men and women, it leans more masculine to me. I would like to smell it on a man. It is perfectly wearable for a woman, once the top notes develop into the lower notes. But the top notes are decidedly masculine. If you are a woman who wears it, tell me how it develops for you.

If you are a bottle collector, the bottles are quite, quite lovely, dramatic black and white, echoed in the new SAKs shopping bags. The women's is white with black; the men's is black with white. They rank up right up there with the Chinatown bottle, which is red and white. You won't be sorry to add either of these bottles to your collection, and if the man in your life wears it, it will be an added plus.

Karin

Originally posted 2007-10-29 07:47:22.

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Guerlain Vol de Nuit Evasion

Karin — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:55:33 +0000

I must have been sleeping whenever this fragrance was discussed, because I only happened upon mention of it the other day when I was surfing for decants and samples. It seems to be one that is either liked or not -- there's no happy medium.

And it's important to know that there is nothing remotely like Vol de Nuit in this fragrance except for borrowing the name.

What I've noticed over time is that if you can wear Mitsouko or Vol de Nuit -- and like them -- then you might not like L'Heure Bleu or vice versa. That might be a way you could determine if you would like this or not, short of ordering a small sample.

I like Vol De Nuit a lot, and often layer it up as the notes soften during the day, starting with Chant d'Aromes, passing through Chamade or Mitsouko or both, and ending with Vol de Nuit at night, so I thought I'd like to give this a shot.

LHB is definitely not one of my faves, but I wear it occasionally.

I received my sample in today's mail and immediately sniffed and put some on my wrist.

The notes are peach, rose, jasmine, amber, iris, woods, vanilla.

And while these notes are common to a lot of Guerlain fragrances, they are put together in a different way in this one. I don't get any peach at all -- it isn't a bit like Femme by Rochas, for example. And it isn't a chypre at all.

On me, it starts out aldehydic with lots of powdery overtures. As that softens, it moves into a more animalic phase which has been described as smelling of sweat (which I do not get) or marine (salty, I'm guessing -- I do get a bit of salt in it). Underneath it all is iris, almost as sweet as in Iris Ganache, without the chocolate that puts it into the too sweet category for me. It reminds me of the iris in Prada Infusion d'Iris. In the drydown I get amber and woods, but no vanilla. It's there, but so minute as not to be particularly discernible.

So, there you have it. I will try it in a heavier dose a bit later today to see how that develops and compare it to Guet-Apens/Attrape-Coeur, which I have a bit of. It has also been compared to 31 Rue Cambon by Chanel, which I have never smelled. If you have that one, you might try comparing and let me know.

Vol de Nuit Evasion has been available in airport stores. You can also find it at ThePerfumedCourt.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

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Originally posted 2008-06-20 13:30:42.

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