Lavender is a note that is real iffy on me. Sometimes I like it; sometimes not. Sometimes it feels feminine; other times it is just too masculine.

How about you? Do you like and wear lavender?

Lavender supposedly has soothing properties and promotes restfulness and good sleep. I suppose that is true if you like lavender. But for me, it either is or it isn't. There are times when lavender does seem like a good addition for bedtime to aid in sleep, but if the lavender has a negative value to me, then it is more wake-inducing than sleep-inducing.

There are a number of fragrances built around lavender, and lavender is a note in a lot of men's fragrances. I don't even particularly like it in men's fragrances, if it is a lavender note I don't like. Perhaps it is a function of what synthetics are used to mimic lavender or whether it is natural lavender or not, if that even exists. Perhaps real lavender is too fleeting or subject to change. Or it may entirely be a function of where the lavender originates. There are huge fields planted in various places, used in the perfume industry.

One of the blogs I enjoy is French Word a Day. She has shown pictures a couple of times of an aunt making a woven sachet out of lavender. Perhaps she will leave a message here and give me a direct link to it. That's the kind of hand craft that is interesting to learn to do. It looks lovely when finished.

Here are some lavender fragrances that I do like. I'll add others as time goes on or as I have time.

Kilian A Taste of Heaven absinthe verte

Inspired by Absinthe, bittersweet nectar of poets.

This is a men's fragrance, but easily worn by a woman. From The Artificial Paradises for men, the lavender in A Taste of Heaven absinthe verte is lush and sweet; it isn't pungent or artificial. When it softens over hours, the lavender is barely visible under the whole of it. It doesn't become the whole of it.

A little incensy; a little boozy; a lot sexy.

Notes:
Fresh Note: Bergamot Calabria Oil
Floral Notes: Geranium Bourbon Oil, Orange Flower absolute, rose Turkish absolute, green absinthe oil, lavender bareme oil, lavandin abrialis oil, lavandin green absolute oil, lavandin green concrete
Amber Notes: Patchouli Indonesian oil, oakmoss extract, costus oil @ 1%, ambrarome absolute, vanilla beans absolute, tonka beans hyper essence.

Perfumer : Calice Becker

My first impression is Vanilla and Lavender, but much, much smoother and richer than BBW. No comparison. At it's final stages, there is a spiciness to it.

I haven't bought this, but it is a possibility if I find I can wear this lavender as well as I'm wearing it today.

Contact Sergio at SAKs in Las Vegas. He's the Kilian expert there and will take good care of you. (702) 733-8300. Sergio told me where the lavender is from that makes it so special, but I regret to say I have forgotten what he said. I will have to re-ask him and then add it to this post at a later time. If you talk to him and find out, leave a comment!

I just got off the phone with him. Here's what his info says:

The best lavender is from the north of France, and that is where Kilian gets his.

Added late at night: after respritzing the one time, I got busy and didn't layer up to something else or respritz. Now, hours and hours later, I smell no lavender, just an intriquing sort of incensy sweetness. Have you tried this one?

You can see an overview of all Kilian fragrances here.

Tova by Tova
If you've ever watched Tova on TV, you know how persuasive she can be. She is a lovely woman, married to Ernest Borgnine. This is her first of several fragrances. To hear her tell it, people follow her and whoever else is wearing it, whenever and wherever they are wearing it, to find out what it is.

By day, the alluring Tova Signature scent envelops you in an unforgettable blend of bergamot, jasmine, and lavender.

By evening, Tova Nights(R) fragrance enchants with its aromatic combination of lilies, lilacs, subtle spice, and a hint of musk.

I like it, but it isn't me. I'm sure if I loved, loved, loved it, and wore it sufficiently, people would stop me too. It is an intriguing scent, different than anything else on the market.

Lavender Vanilla Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy SLEEP
Just as it says, lavender vanilla. At one time they had it in many formulas: lotion, pillow spray, oil, shower gel. I'm not sure what is available now, or if you can only find it during their big sales.

This is sweet and comforting, whereas Kilian's is lush and sexy.

I don't find it makes any difference in my sleep one way or the other. It is disconcerting to smell it on my pillow. I'd rather smell my own fragrance.

Arbonne Unwind Unwind Rejuvenating Body Mist
I have no idea if there is lavender in this. But I'm reviewing it with lavender because of its relaxation properties. I took it on my trip in case the world got to be too much with me, LOL! I did spritz it a bit in the car. I threatened to spritz my kids if they got too out of hand, but I never had to do it. It comes in a mist, a massaging oil, a shower gel, a lotion...

Notes: Chamomile and ylang ylang
The calming, botanically-based all over mist designed to hydrate the skin while imparting aromatherapeutic benefits of the Unwind essential oil blend. Recommended for all skin types. 4 fl. oz./118 mL ( 4 fl. oz./118 mL ) Price: $16.00

If BBW Lavender Vanilla is a sledge hammer, Unwind is a whisper. There is hardly any scent to it at all.

Does it work? Dunno. But I got there and back all right -- and I wondered before we started. 8 days driving/riding with a full car is a lot! What do you think, did it help?

What's your favorite scent with lavender? Do you like and wear lavender or not?
Karin

Originally posted 2009-07-23 12:25:25.

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Neil Morris spoke to me about this lovely, dark, lush fragrance:

I was walking one October in New York City, which is also called Gotham. It was a particularly warm evening, very dark, almost menacing in an intriguing way ... almost intriguingly menacing, it spoke to me of things hiding in the dark ... there was a kind of Sherlock Holmes feeling. It was a magical night, going to a couple of different clubs. It was intriguing, looking down dark alley ways -- a very unusual night in Gotham City, like a Batman Gotham scent, like a slice of pie, a portion of your life and trying to recapture it.

The notes are:

Top notes: Black Pepper, Yuzu
Mid notes: Rose, Narcissis
Base notes: Amber, Pearl Musk (lovely, creamy as Neil described it), Myrtlewood, Tonka absolute, Labdanum, Russian Leather, Redwood, and Ambergris

This fragrance is as lovely as the notes make it sound. It is creamy and smooth, intriguingly sweet in a dark way. It is not a floral sweetness, but it is rich with the amber and tonka, tempered with leather and woods. The pearl musk is lovely and creamy. It is not a musk that hits you in the face and just keeps on and on.

This fragrance weaves a spell. I left it for last, but it could have been first. Somehow for me, there is even the mingled scent of car exhaust in the air, but this is a good thing. In that respect it reminds me, but lightly, of one of Andy Tauer's scents, Lonestar Memories, but they aren't really alike.

Again, the price is $150 for 2 oz of perfume, not edp or edt.

Karin

Guerlain TONKA IMPERIAL EDP Used

US $175.00

2d 9h 21m

HERMES Hermessence Fragrance EDT 15ML Vétiver Tonka

US $52.00

2d 20h 35m

HERMES Hermessence 2x 4ML EDT vials Vétiver Tonka+ Osmanthe Yunnan NEW

US $19.00

2d 20h 54m

CBD BODY HEAT PERFUME OIL ROLLON SEXY FLORAL WOODSY TONKA BEAN CELEBRITY TYPE

US $10.92

2d 23h 1m

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale Eau de Parfum 75 ml 2.5 oz TESTER perfume 95% FULL

13 Bids

US $135.83

3d 23h 49m

TONKA BEAN PERFUME OIL .5 DRAM BODY FRAGRANCE SWEET SCENT BUT NOT OVERPOWERING

US $2.79

5d 4h 9m

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale by Thierry Wasser 75ml 2.5oz

US $360.00

5d 6h 58m

Hermessence Vetiver Tonka by Hermes

US $39.99

5d 9h 11m

Hermessence Vetiver Tonka Hermes 15ml purse spray edt with pouch - new

US $60.00

6d 10h 46m

HERMES HERMESSENCE VETIVER TONKA - VERY EXCLUSIVE

US $15.00

8d 3h 59m

Originally posted 2008-02-04 10:01:57.

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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.

Originally posted 2008-06-28 18:46:31.

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Spurred on by hearing a description of this on another, I reached for my bottle of Delices de Cartier parfum last night and decided to give it another go.

Generally speaking, I do not like cherry in a fragrance. I bought a bottle of Guerlain's cherry a number of years ago, because I fell in love with the bottle, but it keeps refilling itself, for the few times I reach for it, it doesn't seem to go down. Each year Guerlain has tweaked it a little, but I've only bought it once.

I find I'm gradually moving into another price range of perfumes. This one I resisted buying because of the price point and because I don't usually care for cherry. (edt is either $75 or $105 and parfum is $160 -- and of course, wouldn't you know, the only one I liked really was the parfum. I'm not surprised that I like the best. I usually don't go for parfums as I prefer sprays and I don't notice a lot of difference, but in this one, the parfum is a spray and there is a difference.) I ended up trading for a partial bottle, which works just fine for me, as it is rare for me to finish a bottle. I'd rather have variety until I know how much I will reach for it.

Cartier's fragrance, which means Delights, is packaged in one of the most beautiful bottles ever designed -- a red and clear, cut-glass bottle topped with a flower centered with a large square crystal. With this fragrance they moved successfully into another fragrance type, that of the fruity/floral gourmand.

It's notes are Iced Cherry (Morello), Sicilian Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Violet, pink, white and yellow Jasmine, Freesia, Amber, Tonka Bean, Musk, Sandalwood.

Last night, I kept coming back to smell my arm, and it was Delight-ful. At the same time, because it is not something I usually wear, it was a bit jarring to me and didn't seem like 'me.' But I liked it well enough to give it a go again today.

I spritzed a small spritz before heading to the movies, transferred it from one arm to the other, and this time, it was lovely, not jarring. Imagine, when I came home, that my house smelled wonderful. (People always tell me it does, but I'm not able to identify what it is particularly.) This time, what I smelled under it all, was the small spritz I had spritzed, then walked down the hallway carrying the sillage with me. (No one remarked about the fragrance on me. I really do wear fragrance for myself. If I wore enough that others would particularly notice, I'd overwhelm myself.)

Because I loved the way the house smelled, I re-spritzed once more for the day. One tiny spritz -- remember this is parfum!

In this fragrance, there is a difference between the edt and the parfum (which is a spray) (there is no edp). I prefer the parfum, as it is richer and deeper. The edt seemed brighter and less 'real' if that makes sense.

I don't know how often I'll reach for this one. Perhaps the constellation of stars must be in proper alignment. But when it works, it is a wonderful addition to their line that includes Must, Panthere, Le Baiser Du Dragon, and Eau de Cartier (Christine Nagle was the nose for that as well as for Délices -- and they are really completely different, but equally compelling.)

I find the cherry neither tart nor sickeningly sweet. If you've ever eaten Rainier cherries, which I particularly love, that is the feeling I get from this fragrance. Rainier cherries are large with sweet flesh and are considered the best of the best. The skin is yellow to red. They sell for $1/each in Japan, but lucky for me, they are about $5 a pint here and are available only once a year. Considering that I don't like cherries and I love these...I wait each year for the season, now that I've found them.

It's no surprise that Cartier which is known for its opulence would choose an opulent cherry as well, for this is not a typical teen cherry...oh no, this is grown up, voluptuous, Delight-ful, complete with spirit and verve. This is a grown up woman, used to the best in life, who loves to experience life. Her gourmand fragrance is not chocolate. You better watch out for her -- she's a little bit saucy and unpredictable, but that only makes her interesting.

I'm with her.

Do you like this one?
Karin

" DELICES DE CARTIER EAU FRUITEE " EDT 3.3 3.4 " NIB "

US $56.95

36m

Cartier Delices De Cartier 3.3oz Spray Women's Eau de Toilette, Tester.

1 Bid

US $19.99

3h 31m

Cartier Delices de Cartier Shower Gel 200ml Perfume Fragrance

US $59.34

3h 33m

DELICES DE CARTIER 1.6 WOMEN EAU FRUITEE SPRAY TESTER

US $44.99

5h 9m

Cartier Delices de Cartier EDT Spray 100ml Perfume Fragrance

US $92.99

5h 40m

Cartier Delices de Cartier Eau Fruitee EDT Spray 50ml Perfume Fragrance

US $74.19

5h 46m

Cartier Delices de Cartier Coffret: EDT Spray 50ml + Solid Perfume 0.35oz 2pcs

US $105.86

6h 22m

DELICES DE CARTIER EAU FRUITEE EDT SPRAY 3.4 OZ WOMEN NEW

US $57.06

6h 51m

Delices De Cartier by Cartier Gift set men

US $90.30

18h 4m

DELICES DE CARTIER EAU FRUITEE EAU DE TOILETTE 5ML MINI

US $12.99

23h 28m

Originally posted 2007-07-17 15:33:44.

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Once in a while a really beautiful new perfume comes on the scene. Guerlain Tonka Impériale is one of them. It is destined to be a classic. Part of the L’Art et la Matière collection, it is one of the best in that line.

It's rare for a perfume to hit all the right notes, be neither too sweet nor too dry, to be perfection on all levels. Tonka Impériale is the best of the best. It is poetry and art in a third dimension.

Do I sound too complimentary? Try it, and you will agree.

Notes: rosemary, almond, tobacco, honey, facets of hay and balsamic, tonka bean, of course vanilla, and the famous Guerlain Guerlinade, including rose. Maybe some orange blossom. Described as having almost a gingerbread quality, but I don't catch that.

Thierry Wasser is the genius behind this fragrance, and I have to admit that I cannot wear his Iris Ganache. It is much too sweet and heavy on me. It never softens, but just keeps going. But here, in Tonka Impériale, he has removed the elements that gave me trouble.

Let's talk about some of the notes:
Almond -- this weaves its way through the fragrance, along with vanilla. I happen to love almond in a fragrance.
Honey -- this is a gentle form of honey, not that acrid honey that is in some that is unwearable to me.
Rosemary and hay -- I can't smell it, but I'm guessing it gives it balance and takes away the sweet gourmand and brings it into herbs and essences.
Tonka bean -- one of my favorite notes, a sort of vanilla-y scent, but not as sweet; some feel it adds a chocolate sense, but I feel it is the gourmand sense coming through.
Tobacco -- yummy, even for those of us who do not smoke.

How does it compare to L'Instant Magic?
It has the almond note, but more vanilla and is headier. Think of Magic as a fragrance for the office, and Tonka Impériale as sex in a bottle, but not so earthy that you couldn't wear it in the daytime to work or play.

How does it compare to YSL Cinema?
YSL Cinema is all almond, and it is less sweet. Tonka Impériale has the addition of vanilla, and while it is sweet, it isn't sweet-sweet like Pink Sugar, for example.

How does it compare to Spiritueuse Double Vanille?

Spiritueuse notes: vanilla, benzoin, frankincense, spices, cedar, pink pepper, bergamot, Bulgarian rose and ylang-ylang. A little boozy and smokey.

Tonka Impériale is a little less sweet and a little lighter on the vanilla.

How does it compare to Kilian Back to Black?

B2B notes: bergamot, nutmeg, saffron, cardamom, coriander, raspberry, blue chamomile, honey, olibanum, cedar, oak, tobacco accord, patchouli, vanilla, almond and labdanum.

If you love B2B, you will love Tonka Impériale, which is heady on the tobacco, but less heavy than B2B. You could designate one for day and one for night -- then switch and wear them just the opposite. They are enough different that I would want both.

How does it compare to Parfum de Nicolai Vanille Tonka?
Vanille Tonka is a floral spicy amber -- even though amber is not listed in the notes. It is more spicy than Tonka Impériale and not quite as sweet, but just as luscious.

Vanille Tonka Top notes : Aromatic and citrus : basil, lemon and mandarin oils
Heart : Floral : carnation, orange blossom absolute, pepper oil, cinnamon oil
Bottom notes : Frankincense : frankincense and vanilla absolutes, tonka bean.

Have you tried Tonka Impériale?
Do you love it as much as I do?

How do I buy it? $235 for 2.5 oz.
Contact Claire at the Guerlain store in the Las Vegas Palazzo. Call 702-732-7008 or email GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com . He will take good care of you and get it right out to you.

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale Eau de Parfum 75 ml 2.5 oz TESTER perfume 95% FULL

13 Bids

US $135.83

3d 23h 49m

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale by Thierry Wasser 75ml 2.5oz

US $360.00

5d 6h 58m

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale- 5ml (milliliters) in a new glass travel spray

US $32.00

29d 6h 5m

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Madame Rochas was introduced in 1960. It used to be one of my favorites for spring and summer. It's a floral aldehyde, but it has more zing than Chanel No. 5. The vintage fragrance was potent, but not over-powering. The modern version is different than the vintage -- no wonder that whenever on whatever rare occasions I found it and spritzed it, it wasn't me.

Original:
Top Notes: Hyacinth, neroli, aldehydes, greens, lemon
Heart Notes: Bulgarian rose, jasmine, iris, lily of the valley, violet, orris, narcissus, tuberose
Base Notes: Amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, moss, vetiver, musk, tonka bean

Well, I didn't think it was me for a long time. I gave it a couple of decades long break. It had been one of the bottles I had felt I'd had to use up before I could buy another one. Doing that, I always really tired of it. Ha! if I hadn't done that, I'd have my own vintage bottle, and it would still be in good scent condition.

Sometime in the last year I found vintage spray parfum on ebay, minus the decorative outer case/bottle. Never having worn the perfume, only the edt (I think) version which was as strong as edp, I thought I'd spring for it, if it were inexpensive enough, which it turned out to be. It certainly smelled fine, but again it wasn't me. I hated to use it up as room spray! So, I decided to wait...and try again.

Today with spring in the offing, loads of wind and plenty of sun, it just felt like a Mme Rochas kind of day. Plus it conjures up plenty of happy memories and moments. No sense whatsoever wearing anything with bad vibes, LOL!

Yep, I was right. Given the right atmosphere, it is just as beautiful, rich and full-bodied as it ever was, complete with lovely woods.

How to describe it....similar to Chamade in some respects, but brighter. Heavy on rose and jasmine but blended into the woods and iris so it has a green aspect to it. There is more moss in the base than there is musk, which is a good thing for me. I picture myself walking through the woods towards a companion seeing bits of bright green spring grass and moss, with sunlight dappling through the trees, after a rain or with dew or mist on the ground. Each of those things bring me joy; having them together is a bonus.

It is long lasting and makes you happy. What more could you want! I'm glad it worked today.

Do you wear it? have you ever worn it? Why, oh why, do they tweak with perfection!

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

VINTAGE MADAME ROCHAS EAU DE TOILETTE 1.7 OZ SPRAY

US $14.99

17m

MADAME ROCHAS Mini Perfume New Rare Collectible

US $9.95

3h 53m

RARE LOT 2 VINTAGE ROCHAS FRAGRANCE Madame (gift set) & Tocade Parfum

3 Bids

US $14.51

6h 21m

Madame Rochas by Rochas

US $60.00

6h 55m

Vintage Madame Rochas - Parfums Rochas Perfume Purse Spray (Naturel) 1/5 oz

US $75.00

22h 30m

New MADAME ROCHAS Perfume for Women EDT SPRAY 3.4 oz

US $44.99

1d 34m

Madame Rochas Parfum De Toilette Splash 50ml. Unbox

US $99.99

1d 3h 37m

MADAME ROCHAS 50 ML EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY ViNTAGE NIB

US $33.00

1d 6h 26m

New MADAME ROCHAS Perfume for Women EDT Spray + Body Lotion GIFT SET

US $53.99

2d 2h

Madame Rochas spray perfume 3.3 fl. oz from Paris New in unopened box. A Classic

US $35.00

2d 3h 28m

Originally posted 2007-04-16 11:54:13.

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It's hard to pick a favorite Divine fragrance, but L'inspiratrice, her newest fragrance at the time I first tried it, is mine. I received another sample of this from a generous POLer, so it spurred me to re-try all the Divine fragrances.

L ' i n s p i r a t r i c e (the inspirer)
Notes: patchouli and the rose; ylang from the Comoros and bergamot from Calabria, peony and white musk, vetiver blended with vanilla and tonka bean.

What about the notes?
As you know, if you've been reading my blog, I like patchouli, and I have to be very careful with rose and musk. I love vetiver, bergamot, vanilla, and tonka bean. So, this fragrance seemed a good bet for me, if I could wear the rose.

How to describe this
...it is not like other patchouli and rose fragrances you might have tried.

What is the rose like?
It is not a dirty rose as some rose and patchouli fragrances are.

No, this is the rose in the midst of the garden with dew on its petals. But the addition of the other notes brings a sort of gourmand touch, without it being sweet. It is interesting and spell binding. It starts out with a bit of a punch, then quickly settles down to lovely time out of time moments.

Indeed, the house asks:

Will L ' i n s p i r a t r i c e cast a spell on you too ?

Yes it did. Tres cordialement. I even like the red bottle.

How about you?
Do you wear this one? or any other Divine fragrance? Do you have a fave?

Karin
www.savvythinker.com

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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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