Hiris is one of my favorite hot weather fragrances. Introduced in 1999, I only heard about it a couple of years ago. It is considered a semi-oriental, suitable for a man or a woman. It is iris with an H for Hermes.
Top Notes: Orange blossom, rose, coriander seed
Heart Notes: White iris, black iris, cedarwood
Base Notes: Vanilla, ambrette seed, almond wood
There’s been a lot of iris hitting the market in later years, but Hiris stands the test of time. It is both sophisticated and modern. The scent of iris comes not from the flower, which as I remember has very little scent, but from the root or rhizome. Some iris is as cold as ice (notably Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens — which I cannot wear.)
Prada’s Infusion d’Iris brought out in 2007 was similar to Hiris, but it lacked any punch. It got tiresome after a while, because it was very light, with not much movement. I found myself overwhelmed (underwhelmed?) by its sameness.
Top Notes: mandarin, orange blossom,
Heart notes: iris
Base notes: galbanum, incense, benzoin, cedar, lentisc and vetiver.
By contrast, Hiris is greener and more earthy. Maybe it’s the vanilla that I like, though I don’t particularly smell it. Maybe it’s the woods in it, in contrast to Prada’s. Whatever — I know I like it better.
For a while I swore off Iris, thinking I had grown tired of it and could no longer wear it, but I find I’m enjoying Hiris again. And my kids think I smell good.
It’s a refreshing fragrance, good for this sticky heat we are having. It brings the temps down, if that is possible. Somehow it reminds me of the time I walked along a park in Innsbruck. The park was filled with tulips and smelled earthy and green, along with the scent coming off the water.
Just what I need for a super hot summer day.
Have you ever worn Hiris? do you love it too?
I know a man could wear this well, but it is not so unisex that it leans sharply masculine. I couldn’t wear it if it did. Do you prefer Prada’s? or not?
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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 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.
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How many iris scents can one person own? Judging from Prada Infusion d’Iris, there is always room for one more, even if the bottle is gigantic.
I fell in love with this on the first spritz. My only complaint is that it is very light. Compared to the original Prada, it seems lighter yet, as Prada packs a wallop. I have not tried layering the two yet, but I bet they would work nicely together.
Top Notes: mandarin, orange blossom,
Heart notes: iris,
Base notes: galbanum, incense, benzoin, cedar, lentisc and vetiver.
On me, I don’t smell the orange blossom, which is as well because it doesn’t agree with me. It begins with iris and mandarin, the iris lasting as it gradually comes down to the base notes and ending with a sigh (or a punch, depending on how many times I’ve layered it) of woods and iris. I’ve re-sprayed more than once in a day, which is unusual for me, liking it each time through the stages. Tonight, I think I will layer Prada into it just for kicks.
I don’t notice any sillage after the first few minutes, and when it is finally really settled down, I can catch a whiff only if I sniff where I sprayed. I can see how it is possible to go through the bottle far more quickly than I usually go through a bottle.
I tried it first in a hot, dry climate. I live in a hot, humid climate. The feel I get of it is not a spring fragrance, but one that gives me a hint of autumn in a climate that has no autumn. It is perfect for this beginning of fall period in which we have no true fall. I’m guessing different notes would pull out if it were spring…or the notes would linger differently because of the scent already present in the air.
This perfume does not mimic any current trends in perfumery. It does not follow any olfactory or descriptive stereotypes of what a woman should smell like, but rather expresses itself through its contrast between a great freshness and apparent lightness and a type of tender veil, sensual and strong, that envelops the body and the clothing of the woman who wears [it]. Daniela Andrier, the nose, who worked with Miuccia Prada over a two-year period.
It could as easily be worn by a man as a woman. The bottle is elegant and hefty, even masculine without it looking like it were made exclusively for a man. Really, I hardly think masculine or feminine applies to many fragrances anymore. They are crossing over nicely. If it smells great on you, wear it!
This fragrance has a feel of casual elegance to me. I should dress up a bit and take a tramp in the woods. I definitely would do it, if there were woods near me, as you know I love trees.
Have you tried this? How does it wear on you?
Karin
Daniela Andrier fragrances that have won Fifi awards: Lancome Attraction (European Fifi, 2003), Armani Prive Pierre de Lune (2006). See a very brief profile of Daniela Andrier on the Lancome website. Perfumes created by Daniela Andrier include:
Giorgio Armani Emporio Armani He (1997)
Giorgio Armani Prive Pierre de Lune (2004)
Gucci Eau de Parfum (2002)
Gucci Rush for men (with Antoine Maisondieu)
Guerlain Angelique Noire (2005)
Lancome Attraction (2003, with Christian Biecher)
La Perla Io La Perla (1995)
Prada Amber Pour Homme (2006)
Valentino Very Valentino (1998)
Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche (reformulation, 2003) [I will attribute this to the website I got it from when I figure out where it was. I had it in my files.]
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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.
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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.
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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!
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If you are like me, you have accumulated a number of sample vials, sprays and decants that languish like old friends. I felt it was time to dip (or dig) into them again.
But first I’m going to go through the samples sent to me along with an order from a very generous fellow perfumista.
Tobacco Scents
First, maybe you need to know I have never smoked. I don’t particularly like the smell of cigarettes, lingering or fresh, but I have always loved the scent of my uncle’s cherry pipe tobacco. A friend tells me that Shalimar never smelled as good on her as when she was smoking — the mix of Shalimar and smoke was divine.
Jasmine et Cigarette by Etat Libre D’Orange
This is a tobacco scent I could love. I dabbed, not sprayed.
Notes: A ‘smoky’ jasmine with tobacco, hay, turmeric, apricot, cedar, amber and musk
The folded note within the packaging mentions
smoky black and white ambiance…hazy atmosphere.
My take:
This is a lovely jasmine, sweetened with the faint hint of apricot, made less sweet-floral by the tobacco, hay, cedar, amber and musk. I don’t catch any amber but it contributes to the ambiance.
I don’t get any stale smoke smell which is sometimes apparent in other tobacco scents, rather this is an elegant woman (or man) walking into a room with more than a hint of tobacco and woods surrounding.
To me, the jasmine adds clarity. I don’t get the feeling of such tobacco haze that one can’t see to the other side of the room — I’ve been in rooms like that!
Is the tobacco in the room s/he is entering or is it on her/his clothes from the place s/he has been or who s/he has been with?
That is the mystery of the wisps of smoke running through the fragrance. A bit of 1930’s magic. I quite like it in small quantities. I don’t know about spritzing it.
I happen to have an apricot fragrance that I love, and it might be interesting to layer that over this in a while, to bring out more of the apricot. I think I will try that as it continues to soften. (Unfortunately when I tried it, it was an apricot chocolate fragrance, and the chocolate took over.)
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I consider myself very fortunate to have had the opportunity to sample and review Mon Précieux Nectar. It’s no secret that Guerlain is probably my favorite perfume house, though I have others represented in what I wear, as you know if you’ve been reading my blog.
Mon Précieux Nectar, is for the true perfumista, the true collector. It retails for (are you ready!) $9,000 for a 1 liter extrait in an Imperial Fountain, a gorgeous hand-made crystal fountain. This picture hardly does it justice.
It is paired with a silver-plated refillable atomizer, all offered in a black leather presentation box.
For the woman who relishes being unique and strives to set the trends instead of following them, Guerlain has created an extremely limited fragrance offering appropriately titled Mon Précieux Nectar. Only sixty-two women in the world will be privileged to wear this scent, all but ensuring the wearers will never cross paths.
Yes, I truly am unique, and I do tend to set trends rather than follow them…ahem…this is true!
Randa Hammami is the nose who worked with Sylvaine Delacourte on this one. Hammami also collaborated with Delacourt for Guerlain’s Cruel Gardénia and L’Instant Magic, as well as the two limited edition fragrant oils inspired by Delacourte’s trip to the Middle-East.
Here’s a little info: Mon Précieux Nectar is a floral gourmand with notes:
Top: petitgrain and bitter almond,
Heart: jasmine and orange blossom
Base: sensual woods, incense, vanilla and white musk.
My take:
I find myself saying to myself, “What is it that smells so wonderful?” And then I realize it is me — this fragrance that I am wearing. It is just enough different than anything I own that it intrigues and surprises me in equal measure. It reminds me of L’Instant Magic, which should come as no surprise, since it revisits the almond-musk of that fragrance. But it is richer and fuller, not powdery. It is altogether more luxurious, as well it should be. It is certainly a way to cushion oneself from the world’s negative vibes.
I applied it with an atomizer, so there is some sillage. Even so, it lays close to my skin.
I think it smells heavenly. My 23 yo daughter just said it smells delectable. Did I mention that I love it? If you would like to give me this for my upcoming birthday, I would be very appreciative.
Why did I hesitate to try this one, outside of price?
I expected I would be unable to wear it well, because of the white floral in it, but I underestimated the power of almond, which I love. The almond is paired with orange blossom, reminiscent of Middle-Eastern pastries, but the over-all effect is not the sweet gourmand of Iris Ganache which I found unwearable for me. And it isn’t the sharp floral of Jardin de Bagatelle or Champs Elysees.
No, this is a completely lush rendition of floral with just enough sweetness, incense, and Guerlinade accord to balance the various elements, bringing it into a totally modern fragrance with classic inspiration. I’m sure these aspects are what make one think of vintage L’Heure Bleue which is reported to be Ms. Delacourte’s favorite fragrance, though almond notes are reported to be her favorite note. Perhaps MPN is her favorite fragrance now!
How and when should you wear it?
This is a fragrance, that if you are lucky enough to own it, you should drench yourself in day or night. I don’t think you could overdo it.
Then, if someone admires it on you, as they assuredly will, tell them with a twinkle in your eye what it is. If you are feeling especially open that day, you might offer them a spritz — after all, you have plenty more where that came from.
OTOH, if you are not feeling friendly, mention the price, with a dismissive, airy wave of your hand. (Eat your heart out…that will teach them not to be nice to you.)
But by all means enjoy it! After all, you are worth it!
I recommend calling or emailing Claire at the Guerlain boutique at the Palazzo in Las Vegas for all your Guerlain needs, including Mon Précieux Nectar. Be sure to say you heard it from me. (702) 732-7008 or GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com
Did I mention that I love it? and I have a birthday coming up?
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Again, *Sergio Gonzalez is the expert on the line at SAKs in Las Vegas, and he will be happy to help you. Phone 702-967-1266. Be sure to tell him you heard it from me. He will take good care of you!
Kilian says:
A fragrance inspired by the warm, enfolding balsamic notes of Oud, a legendary wood said to be « worth more than its weight in gold ». Perfumer : Sidonie Lancesseur
I’ve heard it said that it gets stronger on some, but on me it just stays softly resinous. I love the scent as it softens, and I love the bit that is on my clothes. I spray my wrist and arm, then transfer to the other arm and wrist. And I spritz my neck.
The notes are:
Fresh notes: Bergamot calabria oil, orange blossom oil,
Floral notes: violet accord, centifolia rose absolute,
Woody notes: agarwood (here is the oud again), Indian papyrus oil, gaiacwood oil, Haiti vetiver oil, sandalwood,
Animalic notes: styrax absolute, castoreum absolute, vanilla absolute, musk.
This is not a sweet vanilla; it is more of a dry vetiver. It is so precisely blended that I cannot really separate the notes. Occasionally I get a glimpse of violets in the woods. Mostly it is a very wearable animalic fragrance. It is soft enough to be worn day or night by both men or women.
Sergio considers it the most complex of Kilian’s fragrances. I don’t know about that, but it is quite, quite lovely. My over all impression includes a leathery dry down, though leather is not listed as one of the notes.
This is a fragrance that has a double meaning in the name: likely if someone is being tempted, there are cruel intentions in that temptation.
But I don’t find this fragrance cruel or cutting. It gets under your skin and becomes an ambiance. The sweetness that is there is not sugary, but resinous. It’s even a little bit boozy, as I find his other fragrances. I find this particularly interesting, as Kilian is heir to the Hennessey cognac family.
Have you tried it? Do you love it? I bought this in the travel set.
It may be that I end up liking it as well as or more than Love, don’t be shy.
You can see an overview of all his fragrances here.
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I haven’t quite figured out how the typical me fits in with Liaisons Dangereuses.
I was asked if I had ever been in the store when Kilian was there. Unfortunately no, but I would have loved to have met him.
Here’s what Kilian says is the inspiration for this fragrance:
A fragrance inspired by Damascus Plum, a delicate fruit with a smooth note whose scent evokes an oriental lovers’ nest.
According to Sergio, if I understood him correctly, this is the number one Kilian seller in the world. It is a delicious fruity chypre.
What I smell most as it starts out is peach, followed closely by rose and plum with the geranium. I can’t say that I smell the other notes particularly, but I think they keep the fragrance complex and interesting, not fruity.
Some say it is plum over oakmoss; others that it is geranium over cinnamon; or that it has a minty fruit accord…I have a feeling it becomes on you whatever is your best scent. That’s refreshing, isn’t it!
In a way, it reminds me of a modern Femme, with the peach note dominant. But whereas Femme can be decadent in an old-fashioned way, this is modern decadence — or temptation, as you will.
Does this remind me of some of the paintings depicting concubines in luxury, with fresh peaches on offer? Perhaps. Perhaps it is an assignation in a peach grove.
This is not the Kilian that I bought, but it might be the next one. I will wear it all day and see if it calls to me as it is this morning.
Suitable for men or women, the gorgeous black bottle is presented beautifully: a black lacquer box with a key lock and tassle. $225.
The bottle is refillable either in the store or by purchasing a double size refill that you can use at home.
There is also a travel set with four 1/4 oz vials. That spray bottle is gorgeous too, but looks more feminine to me. I had a hard time deciding. You could easily refill these from your larger bottle — or even put another fragrance in if you so desired.
Kilian feels that your perfume is your shield throughout the day — what nice imagery! — thus his bottles have an ornate shield on them.
I don’t know about you, but I can use a shield!
Have you tried this?
Is this the one you bought?
I will add more reviews on other days. Here’s an overview of all his fragrances.
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Updating: I’ve had a chance to sample these. Thanks to Kyler, Claire and Jorganne at Guerlain, Shoppes at the Palazzo, Suite 2848, Las Vegas. They make any trip to Vegas a good time!
It’s no secret that Guerlain is probably my most favorite perfume house. I was very pleased to get a chance to sniff these.
Claire sent me these pictures to share with you:
Called The Voyage Collection, the perfumes celebrate 3 great cities- Moscow, New York and Tokyo. They are $220.00 each.
Here’s what Guerlain has to say about them:
At Guerlain, it is a tradition. Crossing borders. Encountering new places. Discovering unfamiliar, exotic essences. Capturing the soul of a place by uncovering the emotional enchantment of its raw elements.
In 1828, pioneer and visionary Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain already understood the importance of travelling the world in search of new fragrance sensations. More than just innovative scents, he offered an escape, a voyage for the senses.
“A perfumer must go looking for scents,” observes Jean-Paul Guerlain. And today, in the grand Guerlain tradition of exploring the world’s riches, he has created a travel diary of scents, three new fragrances that pay homage to three fascinating cities: Moscow, New York and Tokyo.
They go on to say the following:
Three evocative fragrances that convey the identity and the heartbeat of these electrifying metropolises. Three liquid memories, presented in bottles embellished with drawings by sculptor Serge Mansau and topped with metal caps embossed with the emblematic double G. For each bottle, graphic artist Carla Talopp has devised a log, a scrapbook of cards, images, drawings, iconicphotos and symbols of the spirit of each city.
Here’s the scoop on the three fragrances: Moscow
Have you been there? I’ve not been to Moscow, but I’ve been to St. Petersburg.
Moscow has awakened. Sleeping Beauty has opened her eyes, and her heart is fluttering. Moscow the serious has reinvented itself as Moscow the prosperous. Here and there, a hammer and sickle engraved on a building façade remind passers-by of its recent, restless history. But today, a fresh chapter is beginning. Each month, almost every day, Moscow’s inhabitants write a new paragraph.They celebrate the arrival of a luxury boutique or a lavish restaurant.Women vie with one another in elegance. Businessmen bustle about. All of them are part of the metamorphosis of a capital city that proudly displays its new modernity…
Moscow’s notes:
This one is my favorite! Just yummy!
With its musk, fruit and wood notes,…vanilla and bergamot …red currants..hint of absinthe, a sparkling lemon, a note of plum…pine needles.
And if you’d like a scent description to carry you away:
…ultra-feminine Paris-Moscow perfume echoes the heart beat that pounds through the Russian capital. This city throbs with life! Strolling through the opulent shopping arcades of the GUM, you are intoxicated by the heady fragrance of white musk and tonka bean. A carnal, sensual and elegant trace of vanilla and bergamot stays with you as you cross the Red Square. As you pass the Bosco Café, a sudden aroma of red currants delights your senses. The Moscow locals are enjoying their brunch, sipping their favourite beverage. Your senses stirred, you head off for some refreshment at the Botanical Gardens. A welcome respite. You close your eyes and watch as images from the day parade past. Electrified, you take in the hint of absinthe, a sparkling lemon, a note of plum. In the distance, you glimpse a verdant forest of pine needles. You can still hear the heart of Moscow beating.
How about New York! New York, New York! Woody Oriental
How many films, books and lyrics have sung the praises of the city where anything is possible? A land of dreams and pioneers, the Big Apple welcomes your deepest desires and craziest ambitions. This remarkable city boasts countless styles and atmospheres. A melting pot of communities and personalities, it evokes greatness with its skyscrapers, broad avenues and financial centre. At the same time, it cherishes its ‘villages’: Little Italy, Chinatown, theWestVillage with its tree-lined streets, low-built houses and tiny restaurants crowded with regulars. Day and night,New York is always bustling. Here, a young woman arrives at the gym as the clock strikes midnight. There, a man and his dog share dinner by the first light of dawn. Only in New York…
Notes: I didn’t find this one particularly sweet. It certainly is apt for a man.
Sparkling and sweet…vanilla, cinnamon, cedar, cardamon, bergamot.
A scent description:
A woody oriental fragrance, sparkling and sweet, Paris-New York excites the tastebuds by transporting the senses to the heart of Manhattan on Christmas Eve. From the elegant Uptown to bohemian Downtown, children are dreaming of their Christmas pudding.Their nostrils quiver. Smells of vanilla and cinnamon float out of kitchen windows. A joyful frenzy of holiday anticipation reigns on Broadway, whose lights seem to sparkle with a new radiance. A pause; serious Wall Street goes quiet. The pedestrians on 5th Avenue finish their last errands.The sky is still the luminous, cloudless blue of a New York winter. The celebrations will start in just a few hours. Already, the air is thick with a scent of cedar, cardamom and bergamot.
Tokyo Green and floral, fresh and delicate, subtle
Some say that you must see Tokyo before you die.To them, the capital of the Land of the Rising Sun is a required destination. A ground to tread. An atmosphere to soak in. An experience to live, no matter what. Tokyo fascinates, Tokyo charms, Tokyo intrigues, Tokyo intimidates. Tokyo leaves no one untouched. The surprising, completely alien metropolis embodies ultimate modernity.Tokyo is a dense ant hill, gradually stealing from the sea and sky what it can no longer find on the earth.The most daring architects eagerly orchestrate these extensions into space.
The city is immense; it offers an invitation to lose yourself and discover its contrasting districts, smaller cities within a city, which fit together like the animated pieces of a giant puzzle.
Notes:
This one is definitely a tea scent along the lines of the various teas from several different perfume companies. I like this one better though. If you like tea scents, you will love this one.
green and floral, jasmine, violet, cypress, tea and jasmine
And a scent desription:
Green and floral, fresh and delicate, Paris-Tokyo evokes all the subtlety of the Japanese capital.Willful, yet subtle. Ultra-modern, yet bound to its traditions.The sun is still low in the sky; it is the perfect time to awaken your senses in Hibiya Park, a rare green space designed with a Western aesthetic.Very few people are walking; you pass mainly joggers. As you stroll along a pond, the morning dew gives off a fragrance of jasmine and violet, intertwined with Hinoki cypress.You stop in a teahouse, slipping out of the stream of time into a cocoon of tranquility in the midst of turmoil. In this world apart where green tea and jasmine scent the air, you allow yourself be transported by the legendary, almost magical tea-drinking tradition. It is with regret that you leave the ceremony you wish could last forever. But Ginza, the Champs-Elysées of Tokyo, is already calling your name.”
Have you tried these?
Did you buy (any of) them? Which is your favorite?
How can you order them?
Phone: (702) 732-7008 (ask for Claire) or
Email: GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com
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What a surprise to run into this at CVS tonight. And it was a lot better price than one place I found it for online. And then I used my CVS coupons…even better!
Quelle surprise! I liked this fragrance enough to buy it on the first try. Oh no! Will I still like it in the morning? It’s been a few hours now, and I still like it.
It’s warm and oriental, but not sickly sweet. It seems to be well balanced in that nothing is predominately strong in it. Halle is said to like to layer her own fragrances, thought to be two L’artisan’s of fig and mimosa. Whatever! The notes work together beautifully.
Top notes are: bergamot, fig leaves and pear blossom;
heart notes are: freesia petals, hibiscus flower and a new-sounding accord or molecule, “Ultra Mimosa”;
base notes are: sandalwood, driftwood, cashmere musk, olibanum absolute, and sensual amber.
On me, the fragrance doesn’t particularly move, but it softens. I don’t notice anything distinct between the top notes to the base notes. It has gourmand elements. It reminds me a bit of Yves Rocher’s Cocoon, but it is less heavy.
The structure of the fragrance is supposed to have both
transparency and texture, freshness and sensuality.
This is exactly what is missing in Cocoon for me. It is neither transparent nor fresh, but rich and heady.
Halle takes this richness, but adds a lightness to it. Perhaps it is the mimosa. I smell some dark chocolate, even though it isn’t listed in the notes.
I picture myself enjoying a cafe au lait or a cup of chocolat along a street in Paris, people watching, just as I enjoyed watching the audio slide shows of Bill Cunningham’s Paris fashion updates. I am warmed by the spring sun, as well as my fragrance that is wrapping me around. The breeze is cool. The day is lovely.
Have you tried this yet?
What do you think?
My take:
Well, I bought it. I think she has a winner. So far, I love it. C’est vrai!
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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!
Here’s one a little more racy for Elle Shocking, the edt:
My take The bottle is beautiful.
Some days I really like this on me; other days, I’m not sure. It might be the weather. Right now it is moderately hot here.
This is not a sweet rose, nor is it quite a dirty rose either. It is an interesting rose, kept from being too sweet by the patchouli. And the funny thing is, laughing at myself here, there isn’t any rose in it!
Maybe it’s the color of the juice. Or maybe it’s that it’s a grownup fragrance, not one that follows the sweet perfume trends.
This compliment makes me want to search out the flankers: Elle Summer and Elle Intense, if they can even be found. Those both have raspberry in them.
Found them:
The notes include ginger, tangerine, pink pepper, peony, freesia, raspberry, musk, patchouli and vetiver.
~~~~
The fragrance notes include raspberry, litschi, jasmine, iris, benzoin, patchouli and amber.
~~~~ What do you think?
Have you tried this one? Do you wear it? Have you worn or smelled the flankers? Can you enable me, or not?
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Sometimes the sum of two perfumes is greater than its parts. Such is the wonderful new mix that Claire Young from the Guerlain store in the Palazzo in Las Vegas came up with, when he was looking for a fragrance suitable for a woman who really doesn’t care for flowers.
I’d like to think that our trying to layer something with Iris Ganache sparked him to think of various combos. But that might be wrong.
He hit upon a winner: Bois D’Armenie mixed with (or layered with) and Cuir Beluga.
Here’s his description:
In my little fragrance lab of a boutique, I’ve found a new concoction I’m now adoring. It’s a combo of Cuir Beluga and Bois D’armiene…a mix of Chinese incense with vanilla notes…I’ve been wearing it a week now and adore.
He sent it off to me to see what I thought. It’s terrific!
Here are the notes:
Bois D’Armenie, an oriental woody fragrance for men:
Top notes are iris, pink pepper and incense;
middle notes are coriander, benzoin and guaiac wood;
base notes are patchouli, white musk.
He tells me he’s sold several of them (which, of course, involves two bottles.)
If you are lucky enough to have both on hand, try them. Or, if you own one and try the combo, you only have to buy the other one.
The one I have is an equal mix of both in one container. (I have done this with Chanel # 5 and Coco.)
What I think
This is a match made in heaven. Let me know if you try it — and how you like it. It certainly works for a man or a woman. And let me know if you love it! I am steeping in it now and enjoying every breath.
Where to buy it?
Call (702-732-7008) or email Claire (GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com) at the Guerlain boutique in Las Vegas. He’s the man. He’ll take good care of you. And if he’s not there, the others will treat you right too. Even better, stop in when you are in Las Vegas. You’ll see I’m right.
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I often layer my scents, as anyone who knows me will find out. I prefer, if possible, not to wear a scent that is so heavy or long-lasting that I have to wear only it for the entire day. I don’t mind changing every couple of hours or morning, afternoon, evening, when a fragrance winds down.
Recently I was looking for something to cut the strength of the never-ending Iris Ganache from Guerlain. Guerlain is probably one of my favorite houses.
I like Iris and I like Chocolate, but something about this fragrance was not working for me. I don’t care for the chocolate note in this one, because it doesn’t smell rich enough, and it makes the Iris unbearably sweet on me — and to top it off, on me anyway, the Iris just keeps on trucking and never softening down.
So I sold some decants to make me feel better about a bad buy. (I bought it on the strength of recs from folks who dearly loved it. I do not have a Guerlain store near me in which to smell it before I bought it.) I like spicy, oriental fragrances, but while this one has cinnamon and patchouli, it only smells like sweet Iris. It wasn’t oriental at all.
The Charnels Elixirs collection includes another chocolate, Gourmand Coquin, that is definitely better on me, but I didn’t need two so close to each other. And frankly I was worried that it might be too reminiscent of the IG.
Gourmand Coquin notes: black pepper, rose, rum, chocolate.
black peppercorns and a trickle of chocolate. A dash of rum, and the spice and cocoa bean
When I was at the Guerlain store in the Palazzo in Las Vegas, all of us had fun trying to figure out something that would work to cut the Iris in Iris Ganache. Anything that seemed to work, worked only for about 90 seconds before the Iris came through with a bang and overwhelmed anything else that was with it.
After I was home, Claire Young (who had waited on me) shared a couple of other things he had tried, but when I tried it, the Iris was still overwhelming.
When I layer, with a few exceptions, but especially with Guerlains, I generally stay with the house. (Though I might not with a few exclusive Chanels. They might layer with a different house.) I thought, hmmmm, what do I have on hand that might possibly work?
And I thought what about L’Instant for men? Bingo, it was a go!
FRAGRANCE NOTES – Citrus, Star Anise Crystals, Peppery Elemi from the Philippines, Jasmine petals, Mysore Sandalwood, Lapsang Tea, Bitter Cocoa beans, Hibiscus seeds, Indonesian Patchouli flowers.
It was really exciting to find something that would make this fragrance wearable for me. And the two together are better than they are apart. Even though it was long wearing, it had some extra panache, so I didn’t tire of it.
I shared this with Claire. He tried it the next day, and agreed that it worked very well for him too.
If you have one or the other, or both, you might try layering the two, especially if you are near a store that carries both, and you only have one. You might have another find in your repertoire. And if you have both in your stash, you now have a third.
Let me know what you think!
I can’t stress enough how helpful the Palazzo Guerlain store is. They are top notch in customer service and follow up. They ship for free and keep in touch after you are gone. Make them your store of choice.
You can reach them at (702) 732-7008 or email them at GuerlainPalazzo.STORE@lvmhuspc.com. Ask for Claire (he’s on vacation right now) and tell them that Karin sent you. Kyle was also a help with layering this one — and Jorganne is the manager.
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