Savvy Thinker » Patchouli 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 October Launch: Guerlain Boise Torride http://savvythinker.com/october-launch-guerlain-boise-torride/ http://savvythinker.com/october-launch-guerlain-boise-torride/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:14:48 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=3931

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.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/october-launch-guerlain-boise-torride/feed/ 1 Comparing incense and patchouli and woods http://savvythinker.com/comparing-incense-and-patchouli-and-woods/ http://savvythinker.com/comparing-incense-and-patchouli-and-woods/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:58:08 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/2007/04/25/comparing-incense-and-patchouli-and-woods/

I promised I'd get to my incense/patchouli fragrances and that's what I've been doing the past few days.

I always recommend trying a fragrance more than once before buying it. And I also recommend comparing it to things that remind you of it that you are either considering buying or already own. That way you know if it is FBW or more or less a duplication, or if in comparison, you either really like it or you really don't. I learned this through trial and error. Sometimes the right combination of scents if you are doing a mini sniffa makes a fragrance smell better than it really does. Ditto for the weather or hormones or whatever. I find if I can't trust a fragrance to smell pretty much the same always, it makes it iffy for me to use it. Because while mostly I might like it, there are days when it can be a scrubber, so it's not one I'd reach for as often as ones that are always beloved.

I compared Le Baiser Du Dragon By Cartier with L’air du désert marocain by Tauer with NEW BLACK ORCHID by TOM FORD .

Notes for Le Baiser Du Dragon, introduced in 2004, a woody oriental:
Amaretto, Neroli Blossom, Gardenia, Cedarwood, Iris, Bulgarian Rose, Vetiver, Patchouli, Amber, Benzoin

Notes for L’air du désert marocain: The elegant head note is based on typical spicy scents of the Maghreb; coriander and cumin, joined with petitgrain. The warm heart note surprises with the fragrance of rock rose and a hint of jasmine. The body note is full of warm woods such as cedar wood, vetiver brilliantly joined with a fine amber background. Tauer Perfumes

Notes for Black Orchid: top notes of Black Truffle, Ylang, fresh Bergamot, Black Currant.
middle notes of dark florals and rich fruit accords, deepened with Lotus Wood.
base notes of Patchouli, Incense and Vetiver, Vanilla Tears, Balsam and Sandalwood.

The first day I compared BdD with DM. I bought BdD when I was on an Alaskan cruise. I probably tried it 25 times before buying it, because it was so different for me. I also wanted to know that those around me liked it. Re-spritzing does not make it too heavy. At the same time I wondered if it was the combination of the sea air and the cold that made it so delightful.

I found that sometimes I can smell it, and other times, I can't smell it as well, but because it is so heady until it dries down a bit, I always go easy on it. Plus, it has good sillage, so others can still smell it. I wear it on days when I want a kick as& fragrance. More recently, it didn't hit me really well, so I set it aside until this trial between fragrances. The two blended together in a nice way in wafting, but if I wanted to smell either separately, I just smelled one arm or the other. I like to do that anyway. It's more interesting. DM is much sweeter, but also drier, as you'd expect with a fragrance that has the word 'desert' in its name.

My husband's first comment to me that day: you smell good! (And I did.) I will likely do some layering with these two, as I prefer DM, but not to waste the BdD.

Yesterday I compared DM to Black Orchid. I've wanted to like Black Orchid. It has many notes that I like in other fragrances. But every time I had tried it, it went odd on me. (Tom Ford, ever crude, has said he put the scent of a man's crotch in it, and perhaps he did. That funky note is either nearly absent or totally present depending on one's chemistry.) Nordstrom's is newly carrying it, and they had samples, which NM did not have when they first debuted it. This is one that I would not buy without making sure, sure, sure. I thought, good! now I can really try it.

I have to say the first time I really liked it was when comparing it to DM. In comparison, Black Orchid (BO to some, pun intended) smells sweeter than it does if I'm not comparing it. I quite liked it. But when I asked my dh which he preferred, he picked DM. So, there you have it. The Black Orchid bottle is elegant. I think I'll get it anyway and wear it with DM.

I have BdD and Black Orchid on this morning. I asked a friend which she preferred. On first sniff, she liked them both. On second sniff she liked BdD better. On third sniff, now that's it's dried down, she said Black Orchid smells better than it did, but she still prefers BdD.

Looks like I'll have to get a bottle of DM. My decant is not going to be enough. It will be a nice treat for me. I do love the fragrance.

The SAs at Nordstrom's were really talking about Black Orchid. I agree, in many ways it is a lovely fragrance, especially if it is wearable for you. It would smell great on a man, likely all the time. On me, I'd have to be careful, but that bottle is calling to me.

Do you wear any of these? Which is your favorite? Is one calling to you, but you haven't decided?

Karin

Originally posted 2007-04-25 09:29:34.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/comparing-incense-and-patchouli-and-woods/feed/ 0 Gucci by Gucci http://savvythinker.com/gucci-by-gucci/ http://savvythinker.com/gucci-by-gucci/#comments Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:30:29 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/2008/04/09/gucci-by-gucci/

Gucci By Gucci edp is an interesting new fragrance.

It took me a long time to decide on this one -- and I had bought it. I thought I was going to end up swapping it away.

The first few times, it really didn't strike me -- or maybe the weather was off, who knows. My 12 year old liked it every time I spritzed it -- and I didn't spritz near my face.

But in the last day or so, it is smelling really good. It reminds me of a lighter version of PRADA .

It just goes to show you, don't swap away too soon.

The notes are:

· Top Notes: Pear, guava accord, chamomile.
· Heart Notes: Lily of the valley, Tiare flower, orange blossom.
· Base Notes: Patchouli, musk

For the record, I used to like lily of the valley fragrances and would wear them in the spring. I have never done too well with orange blossom, though I love sweet orange. And I generally love anything with sweet pachouli. Musk can be iffy on me, but usually it is the only-musk that I can't wear. When musk is an ingredient, but not the whole, I do fine.

Today, it is smelling like sweet patchouli with some interest thrown in. I've re-spritzed a couple of times already today, knowing that I don't have to be careful with it today.

The bottle is interesting also, with tiny handcuffs. The ad campaign is just silly, as far as my kids are concerned.

Try it, you might like it. My favorite SA at Nordstrom's said she loved the dry-down. That made me seriously try it again. I think it is one that does better as you use more of it vs. tiny amounts.

There is a new edt version, but I haven't tried it yet, or seen it in my local stores. The notes are supposedly the same, so I don't know if they tweaked any of them to be stronger or lighter in this version than in the edp. The edp isn't too strong, so I'd likely go with it again.

Let me know what you think. Have you tried either? Do you like it/them? Do you own either?

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

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Originally posted 2008-04-09 09:53:17.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/gucci-by-gucci/feed/ 2 Comparing Guerlain Moscow to Chanel Coromandel http://savvythinker.com/comparing-guerlain-moscow-to-chanel-coromandel/ http://savvythinker.com/comparing-guerlain-moscow-to-chanel-coromandel/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:36:53 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=5981

I'm laughing at myself today. Sometimes ya just gotta do what ya gotta do!

I have so many fragrances that sometimes it is hard to choose, and if it's been a while since I've worn something, I need a scent nudge to remember how it smells on me or how it makes me feel or how it enhances my mood. But I don't want to pick the wrong scent for the day, because if it doesn't match what I hoped for, I'd be better off going scentless.

Yesterday I wore Guerlain 68 for a while, but it wasn't doing it for me. It didn't have enough going for it or for me. I'm looking for a deeper fragrance to match the weather, I guess.

I've been thinking of Coromandel for a couple of days, but first I was drawn today to Moscow. Then I thought, why not wear both at the same time, not one later, you might like it!

So I have Moscow on my left arm and Coromandel on my right. I smell good!

And to top it off, I'm burning a scent tart Autumn Fruit by Yankee Candle. That's yummy too. Interesting that they all go together.

The stars have aligned!

Moscow Notes: Musk, fruit, wood...vanilla, bergamot, red currants, absinthe, lemon, plum

Coromandel Notes~ "named for the Chinese lacquered screens Gabrielle Chanel collected, is a spirited oriental with amber and dry notes". Orange peel, frankincense, patchouli, chocolate, vanilla.


Coromandel is much more in your face. It overpowers Moscow on the first spritz, but as it settles down, the two are equals.

Moscow has a little more fruit (plummy) but this is not a teeny-bop fruit, oh no! This is grown up.

And Coromandel has that patchouli-chocolate thang going for it. I'm a sucker for both, unless the chocolate is fake smelling or the patchouli is too dry. This is just perfect.

Often if I layer a fragrance, I just spritz one on top of the other, but this I believe I would do exactly the same again. Each is more interesting with the other, but I would not want them blended. I like the distinctness of them both, and I get to enjoy two fragrances, not one.

If you like plum
Another plum is Rochas Femme, but I don't wear it as well.

Notes for Femme
Top Notes: Peach, plum, bergamot, lemon, rosewood
Heart Notes: Ylang-ylang, jasmine, May rose, clove, orris
Base Notes: Musk, amber, oakmoss, vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, leather

You might also like
Ghost (deep night) (pretty bottle too, it looks like the moon.)

top: hibiscus, rose petals and ambrette grains.
mid: Jasmine, spicy sandalwood and warm frankincense tones
base: vanilla, musk, ambergris and apricots

Notes: Rose, apricot, peach, vanilla, musk

So, asking a friend which she prefers, she likes them both, but Moscow might have the edge. But I love what Coromandel is bringing to it, having the edginess of the patchouli-chocolate along with it. I actually like them both together better than I've liked either one of them alone.

Do you wear either of these?
Do you have a favorite chocolate? patchouli? plum or fruit?

And I'm listening to Christmas music on my iPod -- jazz at the moment. I hope you are having a great day!

Karin

Originally posted 2009-12-10 12:18:03.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/comparing-guerlain-moscow-to-chanel-coromandel/feed/ 0 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 Boyfriend by Kate Walsh http://savvythinker.com/review-boyfriend-by-kate-walsh/ http://savvythinker.com/review-boyfriend-by-kate-walsh/#comments Sun, 23 Oct 2011 04:09:07 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=7573

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.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/review-boyfriend-by-kate-walsh/feed/ 1 A sweet patchouli kind of day http://savvythinker.com/a-sweet-patchouli-kind-of-day/ http://savvythinker.com/a-sweet-patchouli-kind-of-day/#comments Fri, 16 Sep 2011 03:32:37 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/2007/05/16/a-sweet-patchouli-kind-of-day/

Sometimes only patchouli will do, but not the strong, sour kind of headshop patchouli left over from the 60's. I'm talkin' about sweet patchouli.

I've already been sidetracked a couple of times today trying to write up my impressions, so this might be the short version just to get it on the table, and then I may expand it.

For the past two days I've been trying out Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 on one arm and Prada on the other. The '1834' of the name supposedly refers to the year when patchouli leaves were first wrapped to ward off moths in bales of silk shipped to Europe.

At any rate, I think I smell quite good!

Borneo 1834 has notes of “florals”, galbanum, Indonesian patchouli, cacao, camphor, cardamom, cistus, and labdanum.

Prada: Italian Bergamot Oil, Orange Oil, Bitter Orange Oil, Mandarin Flower, Mimosa India, Rose Absolute ABS, Schinus Molle ABS LMR, Peru Balsam, Patchouli Oil LMR, Raspberry Flower, Labdanum Resinoide LMR, Tonka Bean , Musk, Sandalwood Oil. Amber fragrance with 4 dimensions.

A while back I tried Borneo on one arm and Yves Rocher's Cocoon on the other. I have to be careful with Cocoon as it is so strong on me. Or, perhaps it is that I want to change during the day, and it is still very present. I get tired of its strength. YR's Cocoon has more chocolate and even a vanilla presence, whereas Borneo is much stronger with patchouli. Of course Borneo is a lot more money! Of the two, Cocoon is stronger on me and more one-dimensional. Borneo (which I am not spraying, as I only have a sample) is quite gentle. Of the two, I liked Borneo better. I would wear Cocoon if I diluted it with unscented lotion, for example. Borneo I would wear just by itself.

Cocoon notes: vanilla, chocolate, sandalwood, and patchouli. Spicy, woody, oriental notes.

The first year Prada came out, I wore it a lot. It had everything going for it. It was strong, but not too strong. It went through various stages, and it was just different. Then I stopped wearing it, as I explored other fragrances and families of fragrance.

As I wore Borneo, it reminded me of Prada. That's why I decided to test them out against each other. If I were to say, Borneo transports me to another time and place, and it isn't the 60s. Prada is a modern rendition, and I stay in this time and place.

At various times today, I asked several people which of my two fragrances they liked the best. They all picked Prada. By comparison, one said Borneo smelled sour. I don't think they would have thought that, if I had been wearing only Borneo. Surprisingly, Prada did not smell heavy to me today, perhaps since I've been away from it so long, and also because I did not spray it, since I wasn't spraying Borneo.

To me, they are both sweet. And I liked them both. I want to buy Borneo. Unfortunately for us Americans, it is in Serge Lutens non-export line, so available only in Les Salons du Palais Royal in Paris, where it retails for 100 Euros for 75ml. They will not ship it to the US, but they will ship it to other places in Europe, where if you have a friend, they will ship it to you. I was fortunate that a perfume friend sent me part of her sample, thinking she didn't like it. But when she divided it up to send, she realized she liked it more than she thought so she began to wear it again.

Have I said I want to go back to Paris?

Do you wear any of these? Which is your favorite? Do you wear them all, just depending on the day or your mood or the weather?

You know, when you want patchouli, then only patchouli will do. And it is nice that it is not going back to the 60s, but forward to the 2010's.

Karin

I wrote about Borneo and Cocoon earlier, if you go here.

Originally posted 2007-05-16 21:21:07.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/a-sweet-patchouli-kind-of-day/feed/ 0 Review: CB Patchouli Empire http://savvythinker.com/review-cb-patchouli-empire/ http://savvythinker.com/review-cb-patchouli-empire/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 12:05:45 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=4923

Continuing to work through the many samples gifted to or bought by me. I don't think I'm exaggerating by much to say close to 1000...

Say what you will about Christopher Brosius and his spot on renditions of common, every day scents such as Dirt or Sex on the Beach for Demeter, the fragrance line he founded then left, when he hits a fragrance right, he hits it out of the ball park.

His CB I Hate Perfume comes in two formulations: Absolute and Water Perfume.

What is water perfume?

I have never been happy with specially denatured alcohol as a base for fragrance; it evaporates quickly, dries the skin & hair and is highly flammable. Oil & water are what the skin naturally needs to hold fragrance the longest – I use those as the bases for all my perfumes instead. From an esthetic view, alcohol always interferes with the true nature of the scent and you need to wait for it to “burn off” before you can truly appreciate perfume. Without alcohol, my scents are presented immediately exactly as I designed them. Christopher Brosius

Certainly it is a form of magic to be able to enjoy a fragrance immediately without waiting for the burn off. Such is his Patchouli Empire.

CB Patchouli Empire $75 for 100 ml or for 15 ml of Absolute. Both at Lucky Scent which carries 16 of his fragrances.

Notes: A natural blend of five patchoulis, with warm, rare woods and the faintest hint of Indian Black Pepper.

What makes it so good?

Depending upon its age, variety and origin, patchouli can run the gamut of strengths and intensities, and the finest is subtle, rich and warm but always subtle and ever-changing. Christopher has blended five different patchoulis, both sweet and dark, with vibrant and rich woods and a twist of Indian black pepper to create a drop-dead gorgeous patchouli scent worthy of building an empire around. Lucky Scent

My take:
This is rich and woody. I smell the Patchouli if I get up close and personal, otherwise what I first smell are the woods and black pepper. I do not know which formula I am testing, as it is not written on the sample. But it is lush, yet soft and gentle. It is neither sweet nor dry. It is evocative and lovely. It is me, only better. A walk in the woods hardly does it justice. It is transporting.

How does it manage to do all this and remain muted? It is magic. This is not your 70s patchouli. You won't find yourself in a prior time. This is patchouli for the moment.

And the price is right!

Do you wear this one?

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

$75 100ml
Absolute - Patchouli Empire
$75 15ml


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Originally posted 2009-09-29 08:19:02.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/review-cb-patchouli-empire/feed/ 0 A little perfume tale http://savvythinker.com/a-little-perfume-tale/ http://savvythinker.com/a-little-perfume-tale/#comments Mon, 15 Aug 2011 17:15:37 +0000 Karin http://savvythinker.com/?p=2750

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.

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

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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.

Online Stores ]]> http://savvythinker.com/a-little-perfume-tale/feed/ 1 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.

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