Entries Tagged 'Perfume review' ↓
July 14th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
When I was asked to be part of the ones who mentioned their 25 all-time favorites today, I was pleased to be a part of it! While bread is the staff of life, perfume is the essence of life. What would bread be, without the scent wafting from the oven or as we eat it!
There are many ways to delineate this, and I’m going to use some of each: houses, notes, personal history to me…
I really couldn’t keep it to 25, not when I consider adding my favorite niche houses and vintage (which we weren’t supposed to include.)
I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed cataloguing them. I tried to include a wide price range, from very inexpensive up to the more pricier ones. Let me know your thoughts!
Karin
See the others here:
Ayala
PerfumeShrine
Gaia, thenonblonde
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
To start off:
For Men (or women — I wear them)
Angel pour homme by Thierry Muglier
L’instant pour homme by Guerlain
Isfahan pour homme by Ormande Jayne
Obsession pour homme
Old Spice
Ormonde Man by Ormande Jayne
Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens
Cedre by Serge Lutens
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Perfumes that have a personal history for me:
Coco (this smells wonderful on my daughter-in-law)
Desert Flower or Intimate (my mother wore these well, may her memory be a blessing)
Rive Gauche (vintage)
Shalimar (vintage) (or parfum today)
Tabu, its headiness for that day
80’s fragrances that smelled great on others, but were way too strong for me.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
By Houses:
If I listed them under notes, for the most part I didn’t list them under Houses.
Bond No 9
Chinatown
Scent of Peace
Caron (gotta mention them)
Chanel
Bois des Iles
Cuir de Russe
Cristalle, No 5, 19, 22 (Though I don’t wear them well, they need to be mentioned as classics.)
Dior
Dioresscence
Dolce Vita (I wore this a lot when it first came out.)
Miss Dior
Guerlain (I could mention more.)
AA Mentafolia
Attrape-Coeur / Guet-Apens
Chamade
Chant d’aromes
Parure
Mitsouko
Vega
Vol de Nuit
Estee Lauder (I like the solids, especially.)
White Linen with Cinnabar (I used to wear this.)
Sensuous (Haven’t bought this yet, but I likely will.)
Youth Dew
Hermes
Caleche Fleurs de Mediteranee (Neiman Marcus only)
Hiris
Eau des Merveilles
Un Jardin sur le Nil
Un Jardin Mediteranee
Vetiver Tonka
L’Artisan
Ananas Fizz
Bois Farine
Fou d’Absinthe
Mure et musc
Timbuktu
YSL
Nu
Opium
Rive Gauche (vintage, I cannot tell a lie)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Notes
I generally put categories here that I don’t wear a lot of or that stand alone, like Lily of the Valley.
almond
Cinema by YSL
Poison Hypnotic by Dior
Rose (Generally I cannot wear rose — there are a few more I could add, if you are interested.)
Bvlgari Rose Essentielle
Elle (modern rose) v. Paris (which I cannot wear) by YSL
Kelly Caleche by Hermes
Stella
T’aif by Ormonde Jayne
Lily of the Valley
Diorissimo
Floral
Bvlgari or Voile de Jasmine by Bvlgari
Cristobal by Balenciaga (beautiful bottle!)
Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal (aldehydic also)
Flower by Kenzo Oriental
Kenzo Flower le parfum (red bottle)
L ‘ i n s p i r a t r i c e by Divine
Madame Rochas by Rochas (aldyhydic also)
Light Blue by Dolce and Gabbana
Gourmand
Angel, when in the mood, esp the extrait
Incense
Angelique Encens by Creed
Iris
Bois d’ Iris The Different Company
Infusion d’Iris by Prada
Iris Ganache by Guerlain (beautiful bottle, a little sweet for me.)
Iris by Molinard
Iris Poudre by Malle
Orange (I could have added a lot more to this as it is one of my favorite notes.)
Bigarade Concentree by Malle
Mandragore by Annick Goutal
Sweet Patchouli (yum!)
Ayala and Neil Morris
Prada
Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille
Woods (love ‘em!)
Chypre
Cabochard by Gres (vintage parfum) (Miss Balmain, which I cannot wear, takes this to the limit.)
Knowing by Estee Lauder (A little goes a long way, unless this is your Holy Grail, but don’t knock someone out! Again, I like
the solid.)
Greens
Cialenga by Balenciaga
Oriental/Spicy
Anne Pliska
E. Coudray Nohiba
Euphoria by Calvin Klein
Le Baiser Du Dragon by Cartier
Organza Indecence by Givenchy
Prada
Tolu Ormonde Jayne
XOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Niche Houses
Andy Tauer (He has some fabulous fragrances.)
L’air du desert marocain
Ayala (Let her help you choose what you like in samples. Lovely fragrances!)
Espionage
Film Noir
Finjan
DSH(I love all the ones I’ve chosen to sample. A very deep line of scents.)
MPG (Love these!)
Or des Indes
Secrete Datura
Neil Morris (Each that I sampled was delicious — choose notes you love.)
Dark Earth
Dark Season
Ormonde Jayne (I bought the sample set and liked them all.)
Serge Lutens (Simply choose what you like.)
His Bois series
Sonoma Scent (Reasonably priced, well made. Choose what you love. Laurie is great!)
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO
Strictly for fun
Avon/Mark
Tahitian Holiday
Greek Isles
. . . . .
Any fragranced lotion you like from Make Me Smooth or Bathed and Infused. They are so reasonably priced, you can choose a bunch! Go by notes you like. I’ve only been wrong for me a couple of times. And they’ve been right for someone else.
. . . . .
Pink Sugar by Aquolina, layers well. Takes the harshness off fragrances that may seem too dark. Conversely, they balance the intense sweetness of this.
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July 5th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
I have been remiss in reviewing this scent. I’ve had it now for a couple of weeks because a generous POL’er shared some with me. I have no excuse not to have reviewed it sooner, or expressed my thanks in this way, but it is summer and life is in the way.
I probably have more Guerlain fragrances than any other house. I still remember how vintage Shalimar smelled when I wore it in the dead of winter, snow on the ground, the scent of fireplaces in the air. It was amazing. (A friend told me that it smelled best on her when she was still smoking — the mix of the perfume with tobacco was intoxicating.) I’ve moved past this scent, though I still like it on occasion.
I had high hopes for Sous le Vent!
This is one that I would like to spritz more heavily to see how it really does. I’m being wildly cautious, making my sample last, but giving it more than one try.
The notes are:
Notes: lavender, tarragon, basilic, citrus, carnation, oakmoss, iris, woods, patchouli. [It is said to be a leathery chypre.]
Sous le Vent came out originally in 1933 and was created for (or worn by) Joséphine Baker who would drench herself in the luxury of it. It is easy to see how one could drench oneself, as it is not over powering.
Some say it smells heavily of lavender. I’m very grateful I don’t smell (much) lavender on me, because it isn’t one of my favorites.
On me, the predominant over-all feel is salt or salty leather. This salty-air feeling gives the impression of the trade winds blowing near an ocean getaway. I am ready to go! This contributes to a dry feeling. It’s a place I’d like to visit, compared to my hot and humid area, even if we do get breezes.
The iris is not powdery. The patchouli is a whisper; it is not heavy. I had hoped to smell more of the tarragon, which is a spice I truly love — and I love the smell of tarragon.
The question for me, which has yet to be settled, is if this fragrance on me has too much of a masculine feel to it. Perhaps that is the lavender which I sense only as a periphery, a note that gets me in trouble if it predominates. If this is the scent that wafts its way through the whole, I will have to pass, but if it is dry, salty, and airy it would have a place in my scent lineup. Time will tell!
Karin
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July 5th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
Over the past few weeks I’ve sampled small bits of Sensuous because one of the local store’s SAs was sharing her own small purse size with customers. I liked it well enough to try a larger spritz when the full size bottle came in.
I’ve had a love/hate affair with Lauder fragrances through the years. One of the nicest combos, which never fails to get me compliments, is layering Cinnabar with White Linen. They are better together on me, than separate. But it is big and bold.
My late mother-in-law smelled amazing in Estee, which does nothing on me. Another relative used way too much Private Collection for my taste. Rooms where she had been still held her fragrance after she left.
My sister wears Beautiful wonderfully! That is her Lauder signature fragrance.
For the most part Lauder fragrances are too in-your-face for my tastes. They just don’t soften down on me. For example, Knowing, in very small amounts is OK. Unfortunately most people that wear it wear it far too heavily. I know one woman who wears it extremely well, and if it smelled like that on me, it would be my Holy Grail scent.
What I find interesting about Sensuous is that I cannot smell it at first. I have to get right on top of myself to catch even the smallest whiff. (College Girl said she could smell it right away, and she liked it. She feels it is an evening scent.) But the longer I wear it (it’s been on about 5 hours now) the better it smells and the more I can smell it. It stays close to the skin, but if I move quickly I know I’m wearing it. Right now I feel elegantly wrapped in the scent. It is not too strong or sweet. It isn’t cloying or flowery. Classified as woody amber, it is a lush wood, with a hint of amber. Both of which smell real, not artificial or like plastic. In a way, it has a caramel aspect to it, a kind of gourmand. I suspect it is the honey that gives it that richness. But as I said, it is not sweet.
The notes of Sensuous are:
Ghost Lily Accord, Magnolia, Jasmine, Molten Woods, Amber, Black Pepper, Mandarin Pulp and Honey.
Who knows what molten woods are! Perhaps it is giving the impression that it is not woods on a snowy night, nor woods that are burning in your fireplace, but if you could melt them, so that they permeate the recipe you are preparing (or eating), that gives you a sense of it.
Warm, lush, sensuous with an understated elegance. I think it’s a winner. Sensuous was created by perfumer, Annie Buzantian at Firmenich.
I would not purchase a fragrance, if I didn’t like the opening. If I have to hold my breath for the first few minutes to get to a drydown that I like, I have too many perfumes that I like from the get-go to bother. But this fragrance sneaks up on me. I don’t care that I can’t smell the beginning. It doesn’t offend me. And I really, really like the dry down.
I would love to smell this on a man.
There is an upcoming gwp at Neiman Marcus, a perfect time to get it, but you’ll have to wait until August 3. OTOH, you can pre-order and they will throw in something else to the gift.
Karin
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June 28th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
Between L’artisan and Serge Lutens were testers from The Different Company. Since I love Bois d’Iris, I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity to at least try one of them.
Bois d’Iris notes
iris (iris pallida aka “the Fastuous” or iris florentina), vetiver, bergamot, cedar wood, narcissus, geranium, musk
I decided to sample Un Parfum des Sens et Bois as much because I like woodsy notes as that I like several of Serge Lutens ‘Bois’ fragrances.
Un Parfum des Sens et Bois notes
Chinese Cedarwood, White Violet, Black Pepper, Elemi, Ginger, Patchouli, Vervain, Bergamot, and Incense.
Of the ones I tried, this was not on my list of favorites. It was more pungent than it was sweet or spicy. The predominate notes on me were pepper, ginger and incense. It was more masculine than I usually wear, and I would love to smell it on a man.
So there you have it, three companies sampled in one day. At least two that were bottle worthy. I might order decants before I get down to smell these in person again. I wish I had them tonight!
Karin
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June 28th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
Moving on to Serge Lutens from L’artisan:
Ahhhh… Oh my. This is the first time I’ve seen so many Lutens fragrances in one place since I was in Paris. On that trip I was overwhelmed by the choices, didn’t really know the offerings, and felt confused enough not to make a choice. Then a generous POL’er (you know who you are) sent me from Europe a wonderful selection of sample vials so that I could really try them at my leisure. I went on to order several decants and a couple of partial bottles.
This week I sampled Rousse, Datura Noir, and Miel de Bois.
Miel de Bois is practically straight honey. I prefer L’Occitane’s Honey and Lemon which has less honey predominating:
Miel de Bois:
Notes of honey and woods with top notes of ebony, gaiac and oak wood, middle notes of honey and bottom notes of beeswax, iris and hawthorn.
Honey and Lemon:
lemon and citrus fruit, golden honey, vanilla and caramel scents.
I liked this Datura Noir quite a bit, but I have Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier’s Secrete Datura* and while not the same, it gave me pause to think of getting this one. I look forward to putting it on skin again, and comparing it to SD.
Datura Noir
Notes of myrrh, bitter almond, tonka bean, and musk, heliotrope, mandarin, lemon flower, and tuberose, vanilla, coconut oil, and apricot.
My favorite of what I tried was Rousse . I fell in love with this one, but I would want to sample it comparing it to Fou d’Absinthe on my next trip, unless I simply decide to bite the bullet and get both. Rousse was created by Chris Sheldrake. Cinnamon is one of my favorite spices, so to have it in a fragrance that is more than gourmand, is a delight.
I expected it to be like Chypre Rouge, which I find masculine, but it is not. Rousse is certainly wearable by a man; it is equally wearable for me.
Rousse
notes of mandarin, cinnamon, cloves, spices, floral & aromatic notes, fruit, cinnamon wood, precious woods, amber, musk and vanilla.
Now, I would be completely happy concerning fragrance if I had one or both of the ones I loved — but then would I be on the hunt for more? Yes, probably, but I’ve resigned myself to the knowledge that there are so many new offerings that it is impossible to test all of them. I must be satisfied with the few.
There were a couple Lutens I didn’t care for, but I didn’t write their names on the cards, and I am having trouble recognizing the names as I look for them, so I will have to have an addendum when I sample them again.
Karin
Secrete Datura’s notes:
Notes: Datura, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Chocolate
Top: intermingles the lily, heliotrope and lemon.
Mid: jasmin, honeysickle, wallflower and orange blossom,
base: iris, vanilla, chocolate, and sandalwood.
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June 28th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
This week when I headed to a major city a few hours away, I thought I’d check out the perfumes at Neiman Marcus, because I knew they had L’Artisan and also Serge Lutens. The last time I was in a NM closer to home, they had neither.
I planned to treat myself, but ended up not choosing anything, because my idea of what I thought I wanted was different from what my sense of smell was telling me. I’ll check them out again, before I decide, and by then, a decant might be enough until I really know that what I want is FBW. The SA was helpful to me without being pushy. She was happy to let me spray cards and give some thought to the selections.
I sampled the following L’Artisan’s: Timbuktu, Passage d’enfer, La Chasse Aux Papillion, and Fou d’Absinthe. They didn’t have Dzing ! or Dzongkha or Poivre Piquant or Ananas Fizz (I love this one and might have bought more) or Navegar in a tester, unless they were in another location.
My favorite of the ones I tested was Fou d’Absinthe, which smelled lush and spicy. I don’t know what I expected, but I didn’t expect this would be my favorite. I have never had Absinthe, so I don’t know how well it compares. I only know it was spicy and delicious, without being heavy or overbearing. It was a delightful surprise.
Fou d’Absinthe
Notes: absinthe, angelica, blackcurrant buds, star anise, four-spices, patchouli, pine needles, labdanum, fir balsam
Perfumer: Olivia Giacobetti
Passage d’enfer is a fragrance well beloved by many, but I can’t smell it on me –or on the card — or it is so light that it operates below my radar. To my knowledge, so far, it is the only fragrance I’ve ever smelled that I can’t smell. I had hoped that in larger quantities, I might be able to smell it. OTOH, if I would have had to use so much in order to smell it that it would have knocked out anyone around me who could smell it, it would not have been good! It is said to be incensy and hypnotic, but you couldn’t prove it by me. Can you smell this one? Do you wear it? What category of fragrance do you usually wear?
Passage d’Enfer
Notes : white lily, frankincense, aloe, white musk
I was already familiar with Timbuktu, and I like it because it is spicy which I love, but it is similar to others I have, so I would prefer something different; I just wasn’t sure what. I was willing to spritz it again to see if it called my name.
La Chasse aux Papillion is one that is loved by many people, so I wanted to sample it. I have to be careful, because it is mostly white flowers, but it is different enough that I think I can get away with it. I was, however, afraid to try it on my skin because of how this category reacts on me. I might try it on skin the next time, but I likely would buy something spicy.
La Chasse aux Papillons
Chasing Butterflies!
Notes: bergamot, lemon, pink pepper, orange blossom, lemon blossom, linden blossom, tuberose, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Perfumer: Anne Flipo
I was surprised they didn’t have Ananas Fizz, simply because it is a lovely summer time fragrance. I’ve reviewed it before. Perhaps they had it to sell, but not to sample. It is subtle and elegant, not fruity or too sweet.
Notes: Pink Grapefruit, Bitter orange, Rum, Victoria Pineapple, Lychee Sap, Cocoa Milk and Vanilla.
Next I moved to the Serge Lutens counter. That will be my next post.
Karin
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June 25th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
If you like any of the beachy smelling perfumes, such as Estee Lauder’s or Tom Ford’s, then check out Avon’s Tahitian Holiday for a fraction of the cost — while it is being introduced it is only $9.99, later it will be $15, still a bargain.
This scent smells a whole lot richer than the price! One of my daughter’s loves it and would like some of her own.
First, I have to say I’m not a fan of either Estee Lauder’s from last year or this year, but I like Tahitian Holiday. (Not to mention I’d like to go on a real Tahitian holiday!) To me, and on me, Estee Lauder’s grabbed the oiliness of the scents, and I was afraid over time it would smell rancid. Second, when it smells so much like suntan oil, why bother paying for a perfume, just use suntan oil…
The notes of Tahitian Holiday are:
Ginger, tiare, coconut oil, musk, monoi oil (evidently monoi oil is tiare flower and coconut oil.)
There is enough coconut to balance the tiare, and while there is a beachy/oily/coconut smell, it smells like fragrance, not suntan lotion.
I bought the edt spray. I have not tried the body spritz (now $6.99, will be $9) which is dual-phase (it includes moisturizing oil.) They say it cools, moisturizes and refreshes (that’s 3-phase.) (I didn’t notice that it separated in the bottle, so I’m assuming it didn’t and is thus blended well.)
There is also a shimmering body lotion ($5.99, will be $7) and a hair mist ($5.99, will be $7) that is a leave-in treatment with moisturizers and UV filters.
I’ve also ordered Meet Mark’s Instant Vacation Greek Isles. I’ll let you know more about that one when I try it in quantity vs. a small sample. I loved my time in Greece, so this will give me some memories.
Karin
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June 21st, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
I promised yesterday that I would compare these two.
I came across a site where you can compare fragrances. If you like one, what else might you like (or vice versa.) You can see it here.
When I went there, while waiting for my sample of VdNE to arrive, I was surprised to find they listed VdNE like this:
VOL DE NUIT EVASION 2007 (ATTRAPE-COEUR)
I had a bit of AC, so I wondered if I had simply bought the same thing with a new name. But checking further, the answer was no, these are two different fragrances.
However, when I wear them, comparing them, as I did yesterday afternoon and again today, there isn’t enough difference in the two of them on me to warrant having both, unless I wanted one for daytime and one for evening.
The notes for VdNE are [Fragrance Family - oriental woody] : peach, rose, jasmine, amber, iris, woods, vanilla.
The notes for AC/GA are [Fragrance Family - Floral, Amber, Musk]:
Top: a burst of spell binding green notes
Heart: generous, floral/fruity notes (rose, jasmine, peach and tuberose)
Base: leather, powdery and dry wood notes (Amber, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Musk)
or: green, fruity, rose, jasmine, peach, tuberose, amber, sandalwood, vanilla, musk, leather.
It’s only fair to say that those who love AC/GA do not, for the most part, like VdNE. I am testing vials; I am not spraying, so there is very little sillage and I have to smell up close to smell either one.
I asked all 3 of my girls to smell both fragrances on me several times. Without exception, if they smelled AC/GA (or VdNE) first, they could not smell the other one. (I had no problem.)
AC/GA is much richer and deeper. College Girl said it smelled more musky. I don’t notice that at all particularly. I notice the leather and amber in it, especially the amber. The leather is completely wearable. It is not musty. It certainly smells very good. VdNE is lighter and more powdery, though both have some powder essence to them.
I asked CG again just now which she preferred on me. I have not reapplied since this morning.
She smelled VdNE first, then AC/GA. She said she preferred VdNE, “the deeper one.” I said, “No, the other is deeper.” She said, “Then VdNE has lasted longer.” I think it is again, because she smelled the one first. To me, AC/GA is the deeper, fuller, more exotic one, and has lasted longer. But I like them both. Earlier in the day, my younger girls picked VdNE because it was “lighter.”
There you have it. It appears to be a toss up, on me. I would think a man would prefer to wear AC/GA. But hey, give both a try! As I said, I like them both, and I would love to drench myself in spray to get a feeling for when they have heavier sillage.
AC costs EUR 130 for 125 ml. VdNE (edt) is EUR 46 for 50 ml.
Karin
Addendum: the plot thickens! Evidently, according to French Guerlain sources, VdNE is the edt version of AC/GA edp version. Why on earth would they not keep the same name, AC/GA! No wonder they smell so similar, but one is lighter.
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June 20th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
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
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May 10th, 2008 — Perfume review, Perfumes
No one ever accused me of not having expensive tastes. I was able to sample these on my recent trip, and if I had a lot of money burning a hole in my pocket, I would have bought several of them. They are not marketed exclusively for men or women, but all scents could be worn by anyone. I am reminded of the wonderful scents by Neil Morris, Andy Tauer or Ayala Moriel.
There are twelve to choose from and they look quite magnificent on the store counter. [1.7 oz is $165 and 8.3 oz is $450.] The latter is a huge bottle, hefty and dabs with the cap. I didn’t get near as much sillage this way. I preferred the spray. The 1.7 oz bottle has a nice hand to it and is meant to resemble a chess piece.
No matter what I think of Tom Ford and his ubiquitous ad campaigns for other fragrances, he certainly struck the right blend with these. Ahhhhhh…sigh…
Tobacco Vanille is my personal favorite, yummy and just right, not too sweet and not too heavy on the tobacco. It reminds me of a beloved uncle. And it definitely was good on me. It was the favorite of those around me. (As usual, I try a couple at a time on different arms. Then sample again on different days.)
Tobacco Vanille:
A modern take on an old world men’s club. A smooth oriental, Tobacco Vanille opens immediately with opulent essences of tobacco leaf and aromatic spice notes. The heart unfolds with creamy tonka bean, tobacco flower, vanilla and cocoa, and finishes with a dry fruit accord, enriched with sweet wood sap.
Black Violet was an interesting floral, not too sweet, but it became sweeter as it dried down. I quite liked the darker aspects that kept it from being a typical floral.
Black Violet
Crisp citrus surrounds a modern pulpy fruit accord, fused with black violets. Woody accents fold into oakmoss adding the universally comforting sensation of warmth.
Noir de Noir was another of my favorites. I like chypre and patchouli. But this is quite light, at least with my skin. I found over all it blended with my skin and got lost, compared to Japan Noir.
Noir de Noir A dark chypre oriental, this scent opens with an earthy mantle of richly woven saffron, black rose and black truffle, with hints of floralcy. Underneath, vanilla, patchouli, oud wood and tree moss soften the intensity, making the scent a sensual experience.
Japan Noir was another of my favorites. It had more sillage on me than Noir de Noir. An excellent choice.
Japan Noir: spices, purple patchouli, porto noir, night blooming jasmine, leather, amber, vetiver.
Tuscan Leather was sprayed on a card, by mistake, and handed to me as if it were Tobacco Vanille. All I could smell was leather! I thought, where is the tobacco?! (We realized our mistake.) Well, it isn’t in this fragrance, but if you like leather, this is a good one for you. I do like leather, but it is not my favorite note for me when it is dominant. I would like this on a man — or on a woman where the leather note is perfect for her chemistry.
Tuscan Leather: A chypre blend of notes brings a raw, yet reserved sensuality to Tuscan Leather for an original take on a classic leather scent. Saffron, raspberry and thyme, open to olibanum and night blooming jasmine. Leather, black suede and amberwood add an intricate richness.
I quite liked Oud Wood. It is lovely and soft. I believe it could be layered with other fragrances to add a woody accord. It is not heavy on rose, at least on me, and that is a good thing. [I also sampled Lancome's Mille et Rose -- and it was just a typical rose scent which got stronger on me and quite unpleasant. I have this trouble with rose scents and generally with Lancome scents, so don't let this put you off. I liked the bottle.]
Oud Wood: An exotic rose wood and cardamom, blended with exuberant Chinese pepper, envelope the wearer in warmth. Eventually, the center exposes a smokey blend of rare oud wood, sandalwood and vetiver. Finally, the creamy scents of tonka bean, vanilla and amber are revealed.
Purple Patchouli was not what I expected. I expected it to be heavy like the 60s — and heady. Instead, it was quite mild and more floral. I didn’t catch much spice or leather. Naming it Purple Pachouli gives the right idea.
Purple Patchouli: This 60’s inspired floral woody fragrance opens with an elegant orchid accord and wet, succulent citrus notes. The heart blends noir leather and a signature purple patchouli accord with exotic spices, supported by the intense depth of amber, Peru balsam and vetiver.
Amber, on the other hand is exactly what Amber is. You would have to try this on your skin, but it was rich and glorious. If you are looking for an amber, this is one to try, for sure.
Amber: A honey colored scent infused with the purest form of amber, joined by a tenacious refrain of African incense, labdanum, rich woods and a touch of vanilla bean.
Since I had already found a couple of favorites and did not want to wear out my welcome with the SA, I did not try the following. There will have to be another day.
Velvet Gardenia: I wish I’d seen how this differed from other gardenias. It sounds far more interesting.
Velvet Gardenia: A heady floral blend of ripened black gardenia and succulent orange deepens into a heart of jasmine, rose and muguet. Tuberose blends with dark plum, honey and beeswax, finishing with a smooth accord of incense and labdanum.
Bois Rouge: The notes sure sound like something I’d love.
Bois Rouge: This woody oriental opens with a blend of elegant citrus and spice. The luxurious heart reveals cedarwood, patchouli, jasmine and muguet. Sandalwood, vetiver, amber and refined leather are warmed by vanilla and tonka, adding lasting depth and texture.
Neroli Portofino: I don’t usually do well with orange blossom, but this might be different entirely, not to mention it has amber.
Neroli Portofino: A modern intercontinental version of an iconic fragrance theme, Neroli Portofino balances luminous citrus oils and floral notes with amber undertones that awaken the senses and leave a splashy yet substantive impression.
Moss Breches I think I did try this one. It is quite green, which I often love. I was on over load with the ones I liked. I’ll have to try this again first, rather than in the middle.
Moss Breches Dark and complex, this mystical chypre combines fresh wood and warm spice notes with the delicate essence of beeswax absolute. The scent intensifies with the addition of ingredients, such as Moroccan clary sage, Hungarian tarragon, Corsican rosemary and labdanum, patchouli and benzoin.
So there you have it. If you get a chance to try these, by all means do. I found them at Neiman Marcus. Perhaps they are in other places too.
Have you sampled these — or bought any of them?
Karin
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