Search This Blog

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Helmut Lang Cuiron

We all know that guy who's all business and button down at work but then spends his weekends roaring around a track on a motorcycle, or traversing distances with his chrome-enhanced bike.  He's a biker in no sense of the word, but he is a motorcycle enthusiast.  He wears tailored shirts but you get the slightest scent of bad boy from him.

Cuiron opens with a very energizing, bracing bergamot note which is quite strong and actually brings to mind lemon peel.  Bergamot usually strikes me as a more refined citrus, but in this fragrance the note is front and center and there is no denying it.  At the same time, there is a definite whiff of soft leather with an underpinning of motor oil.  It seems masculine leaning, but a leather-scent loving woman would enjoy this as well and the juxtaposition of this phase on a woman could be very sexy.

The leather and oil are prominent notes but I'm very surprised at how the citrus holds it at bay.  There is no struggle for dominance, but an uneasy harmony.  Think lemon oil conditioner on leather.  When this starts becoming disconcerting, the citrus steps a little over and allows a tempering agent to come through.  I believe this is the pink peppercorn as it sweetens the lemon a bit, and at the same time the cassia comes through as well, not in a spicy, cinnamon wave but in the flat bark manner of cassia.  This is not baking cinnamon or big red, but rather the cinnamon stick itself, vaguely woody in nature.  This is never a spicy scent, nor a sweet one....but I enjoy how it never veers into the burn-your-nose leather.  This is how a black motorcycle jacket scents your closet when you open it....even if you can't see it, you know without a doubt that it's in there.

The oil scent/feel of Cuiron fades over time but the citrus always hangs around the edges of leather....the effect almost brings to mind oakmoss during one phase of the fragrance.  The notes listed include 'resins' but I get no sense of the usual suspects in this scent.  Instead, it stays very California-professional-meets-biker/motorcycle-stuntsman....the just-showered guy wearing a leather jacket in a lemon grove.....It would be fabulous on any man, but the right woman could definitely wear it as well. 

Monday, December 29, 2014

Hermes Eau Claire des Merveilles

Eau Des Merveilles was my first blind buy.  I had just really gotten into fragrance, and near my workplace there was an upscale mini-mall (where I sniffed my first Diptyques) and a small fragrance shop that sold standard fragrance fare......I spotted the little orange box and fell in love with the little stars.  I bought it, took it home, and hated it.  Now mind you,  I actually regret getting rid of that mini, if only because of its personal-historical significance for me.  At the time, however, I found it too harsh, too woody, too sharp, too wrong for me.

Over the years I have tried various flankers to Eau Des Merveilles.  Each time, I ended up scrubbing them off, and felt very frustrated because i didn't 'understand' these fragrances.......what was I missing?  After a few years of falling in love with various beautiful fragrances, I gave up trying to understand why and just accepted that I did not like them. 

Then, I had a bottle of something I wanted to swap.....a lovely woman on a swap thread tried offering me everything imaginable but I had everything she had to swap already.  Finally, she offered a mostly-full bottle of L'Ambre des Merveilles.  I got the bottle and braced myself for the sharp notes.  They were there, alright.....but not as strong.

Score.

I went through my box of decants and found a 15 ml bottle of Eau Claire des Merveilles and quickly spritzed it on.  I was immediately thrown back in time to my initial encounter with Eau Des Merveilles.  I held my wrist very far away, with every intention of washing it off, when I got distracted.  In a haze of wrangling through hoops of child diplomacy, I started getting lemony whiffs off my wrist that were rather........nice.

Hmm.

I held on for awhile longer.  Here was the wood.  Here was salt.  It was a cool day walking on the sand.  Here was.....vanilla?  What?  Powder?  Hmm. 

I suddenly found myself sniffing my wrist, intrigued, for the next 2 hours as the scent morphed from a carbonated lemon to a driftwood type of scent to a very dry vanilla.  I found myself, if not loving it, doing something i never do.  I don't know what kind of person would embody the personality of this fragrance, but maybe that's the point.  It's unique enough that the fragrance takes on the personality of its wearer rather than creating a veil that layers over the individual.

I learned to appreciate it.   This is huge.  I have always been the person to say 'I wear it because I like it', but I think this was the first fragrance that i appreciated for its very unique qualities.  I don't wear it often, but when I want something that will interest me or I can't quite figure out my own mood, this shapeshifter gets conjured up from the depths of the mini box.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Review: Antonio Alessandria Noir Obscur

Hommage de La Lune, the new trio of fragrances by Antonio Alessandria first piqued my interest with the pretty frosted glass bottle photos.....I'm a sucker for a pretty bottle.  I kept seeing little snippets about newcomer Antonio Alessandria almost everywhere I looked, perfume-wise, suddenly.  I liked the concept of a poem told in three fragrances.  According to his website, all three fragrances are contrasting, but all contain a leather note.

I have tried all three, but this review will be for Noir Obscur (the black bottle).  Notes as per http://www.antonioalessandria.it :
Top: Orange, Tangerine, Davana, Rum, Spice
Heart:  Bulgarian rose, Jasmine, Iris, Osmanthus
Base:  Leather, Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedarwood, Incense, Amber, Musk

The first spritz of this fragrance immediately informs me that this is, first and foremost, a sweet incense fragrance.  I get mostly sweet spicy citrus steeped in rum, but perhaps enjoyed by a church in winter.  It's very enjoyable and certainly unisex.  It is, however, quite sweet and I'm left wondering if it's going to become just a spice scent.

I need not worry.

The rose and jasmine, when I read the notes, had given me that idea that at some point this fragrance would take on a floral quality.  At one point, these notes become apparent but simply add more structure to the topnotes.  The florals enter as the sparkling citrus departs, the lovely citrus spice of the opening join the rose and jasmine and is supported by them.  Now I am reminded of some of my favorite long-gone floral scents, but only a ghost of them, as this fragrance never becomes floral.  The incense is now started to show itself as a seperate entity from the initial spices.  Though leather is listed in the notes, at no point to I sense it in the fragrance.  The patchouli adds the lightest touch of smoke but overall, in the end, this is a spicy floral incense scent.  It's beautifully done and I find it quite feminine, although men who have a penchant for sweeter scents will find this one worth sampling.

I think that this is going to be my Christmas gift to myself.  It's a very holiday-appropriate scent,  reminding me a bit of pomanders and church and warming Christmas drinks, with everyone dressed up and having a good time.


Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Review: A Lab on Fire Paris LA and Made in Heaven

A Lab on Fire seems to be one of those polarizing perfume houses.  Most seem to either love or really dislike their creations....the only one I have experience with is What We Do In Paris Is A Secret.  Very sweet, but really lovely.

I got samples of their new releases, Made in Heaven and Paris/LA.  I am going to say, right of the bat, that these are not without merit.  The notes, when I initially read them, confused me.  I tried them with some trepidation.

The first one I tried was Made in Heaven.  When reading the notes, this one was the one I thought I would gravitate to.  Notes from Luckyscent are as follows:
Safran, magnolia, mandarin, jasmine sambac, tuberose, orange flower, cereal accord, orris, natural vanilla bean.
It's fair to say that I'm a bit of a saffron freak, and I like sweet scents so this sounded like a win.  When I tried it, I was almost knocked over by the sweetness.  It wasn't positive for me and literally caused me to go 'oh.  oh no.'  However,  I did let it settle down and it was easier to maneuver through.

The first breath is of powder and HUGE white flowers.  Every white flower imaginable.  If you love white flowers, this is a good thing, but the intensity of them actually gave the impression of being able to taste them.  The saffron does hang around the edges giving it a warm aspect but at no point does this become a saffron scent.  The flowers are very, very strong through the life of the fragrance.

About 5 minutes in, a curious cornflakes and warm milk accord comes through.  This may sound off putting, but it actually comes as a relief as it pours over the florals and give you something curious that I find myself seeking out.  The vanilla is quite strong as well, over time the florals, though still evident, fade to the background.

If you found What We Do In Paris to be too sweet, you likely will find this one so as well.  I think it's a nice find if you really like white floral gourmands.  For me, it's a little over the top.

Next up, Paris/LA.  Notes are key lime, ginger, cola accord, neroli, coriander, thyme, macaron accord, amber, and musk.

This one has a more intriguing opening.  The key lime and ginger are evident and add an interesting twist to the cola.  It reminds me of squeezing a lime into a rum and coke.  Very quickly, the bright notes of lime juice fizz out and it becomes a dry, sweet, spicy lime rind.   This part of the development is very enjoyable and pleasantly unisex.  Coriander adds another dimension to the spice and somehow starts leaning the fragrance to what I consider to be a Caribbean spice feel, when all of a sudden is takes a startling turn to sweet pastry.  The drydown on this one has the same feel as the drydown for Made In Heaven.  What surprises me about this fragrance is the name.  I don't feel any urban landscape or experience in connection with this fragrance, unless the former is drinks in NY, and the latter is pastry in Paris.

Both of these are interesting and I'm sure they will have their share of fans.  They are definitely worth testing even if they're not your thing, they definitely are worth the experience of trying.


Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Shalimar Eau Legere - Shalimar Light

Up front, in all honesty, I cannot wear Shalimar.  The traditional one, anyway.  I have been gifted bottles of it.  I've been trying it on since I was a child.  The scent to me is of my grandmother.....this is not to say that it is an 'old lady scent'....I really don't believe in such a thing.  But the lush backdrop of vanilla and tonka and oppoponax was always overwhelming to me and became a distraction rather than an addition to any situation.  I don't shy away from Guerlain fragrances....I love Shalimar, from a distance, but just couldn't find a way to wear it.

Over the years I've felt like I'm missing out somewhere.

I've tried other Shalimar flankers, and found that they make Shalimar more tolerable to me.  I don't know if it's the ingredients used, but all of the flankers are also just so powerful on my skin!  I finally decided to try Shalimar: Eau Legere and I'm truly glad I did.  It holds the same intense lushness as Shalimar, but the composition is kept in check and somehow brighter with a lovely lemon sorbet-like top note that never fades but becomes a sophisticated lemon bar which lingers for quite awhile.  Soon, however, the lemon bar gets taken over by a luscious, slightly smoky rich vanilla, which remains creamy.  My biggest issues with most vanillas are that they smell rather 'thin'....Guerlain has always managed to stay away from that issue.  It may be the tonka that I am experiencing but if it is, is has a truly rich quality whereas usually I find tonka to scream TONKA!.

Though this scent is becoming rather difficult to find, I recommend that those who have a push/pull relationship with Shalimar to try this one.  It truly is worth the money and I'm sure I will be loving the 2 bottles that I have since purchased. 

 

Monday, October 20, 2014

Oriza LeGrand Jardins D'Armide

Notes from Fragrantica.

Top: Rose, orris, powdery notes, orange blossom; Mid: Iris, violet, carnation, wisteria; Base: Honey, almond, tonka bean, musk

You must like sweet powder scents to like this fragrance.

The minute I applied it to my skin I got ROSE, powder, orris, and honey.  It's sweet, almost like you could chew it.  It has a lovely vintage feel, but not it the overly old fashioned sense....it has the vintage feel of a beautiful fabric, softened and worn with time.  The rose and the honey put me in mind of pink velvet.....you want to touch it and the very femininity of it is what makes it so appealing.

The rose backs off, just a little bit, to allow some of the other florals to peek through.  I get a touch of the spice of the carnation, a bit of orange blossom, a tiptoe of violet, but the powder remains strong.
After about 30 minutes of me, the honey and almond come to the forefront and linger for hours.

What I am most struck by in this fragrance is how I find it so similar to scents like Loukhoum, but a better-constructed, fuller, blousier version.  Fun for a day that needs some sweetness.

Ormonde Jayne Four Corners- Tsarina

Tsarina is quite a name.  For me, it invokes decadence and luxury, heavy velvet and gold....and perhaps a touch of the austere with a bite of frost.

Tsarina's notes include mandarin, bergamot, coriander, cassis, hedione, freesia, jasmine sambac, iris, suede, sandalwood, cedarwood, vanilla bean base, labdanum, musk.

I've come to expect Ormonde Fragrances to have a jumble of notes.  This is not to say that they are not done well......every Ormonde Jayne I've ever tried (and I think I've tried most) have been perfectly balanced and have brought me through a meandering journey of a clear top, heart, and base.  Tsarina is no exception.

The opening is an immediate pop of citrus with a warming touch of coriander.  I could swear there is a touch of fennel or anise in here as well, which allows the citrus to gradually melt into the florals.  Interestingly enough, the freesia is apparent, along with the hedione, which keep the whole composition afloat, giving it an airy feel and lightness.  It's juxtaposed during the development into the final stages, where the amber and musk give the fragrance some warmth on the skin.

This fragrance sounded as if I would find it extremely overwhelming, but true to OJ form it remained light while not losing any of the richness I would expect from a perfume named Tsarina.  I don't think I need a full bottle of this, but the experience was fun and I would definitely go through a decant.

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Ormonde Jayne Four Corners Qi - Green Tea appreciation

Ormonde Jayne is a house that I am finally starting to appreciate.  This was the first summer that I was able to appreciate Sampaquita, and got my hands on a bottle of Frangipani Parfum.  The latter was a transformative experience.   My newfound admiration for Ormonde Jayne coupled with my recent desire for good quality green tea perfumes that don't smell like lemonade let to my curiosity about Qi.  I recently purchased a bottle of Guerlain's Tokyo, which, though it doesn't seem to get much recognition other than an occasional 'meh', leads me to believe that any fragrance with green tea is typically immediately viewed with suspicion after the great Green Tea Market Saturation of 2000-2010. 

When I brew a cup of green tea at home, I am always fascinated by the scent.  Green tea, in its basic form, is green, somewhat mossy, dry, woody, and slightly toast-scented.  It's the addition of jasmine, lemon or mint that skews the scent, and most perfumers have played on that theme.  What I love about Qi (and, by extension, Tokyo) is that it plays with the green tea scent.  Granted, it does open with that lemony blast that most green tea scents have, but it's immediately made more interesting by the sweetness of freesia and the (to me) jarring vibration of violet.  It's enough to make me hold out to see if Qi is more that just another citrus green tea.

About 10 minutes in, I start getting more fascinated.  The scent becomes a light, citrus tinged velvety floral.  Osmanthus adds some energy to the violet and it's all smoothed out by rose.  The green tea is now that green tea that I recognize from my cup.  It's hovering in the background and for the first time I feel like it's a grounding, solid base.  Very wearable, and with strength that I usually find lacking, again, in a green tea fragrance.

The dry down is where I am truly impressed by this fragrance, and what I tend to see in most Ormonde Jaynes......the scent does a complete turnaround.  What has started bright has become very filtered,  like a forest right when the sun is starting to go down.  The shadows become deeper, but the light is still apparent.  Myrrh starts peeking its head out, and there is moss!  Lovely, deep dark green moss.  At this point, I am reminded strongly of Les Exclusifs Sycomore without the vetiver.  The scent becomes smoky and lingers for hours on my skin.

I like this because it conjures up images of the Far East as a place where simplicity is presented, but there are many complex, stratified layers beneath the surface that must be discovered to be appreciated.   Definitely one that I will keep around, with my lovely Tokyo, as my favorite green tea fragrances.


Saturday, August 2, 2014

Guerlain Spiriteuese Double Vanille

The first time I heard of this fragrance, I was all "I must have it".  As in, without even trying it I wanted it.  Badly.  I stalked reviews of it online and every time I would agonize about how I would come up with the necessary funding for a bottle.  Back when this was going on it wasn't in production.....so trying to find a bottle on ebay or a decant was difficult and cost an arm and a leg.

When it was finally re-released a couple of years ago, I thought..."ah.  my chance".  But suddenly I had cold feet.  What if it wasn't the vanilla I had created in my mind?  What if it was too sweet?  To smokey?  Too cold?  Too warm?  To make up for my fickle thoughts I went out and purchased a ton of vanilla decants:  Vanille 44.  Vanille Orchidee.  Santa Maria Novella Vaniglia.  Monda Di Orio Vanilla.  Vanille Exquise.  Un Bois Vanille.  Vaniglia.  Havane Vanille.  Vanille Galante.  Kiehl's vanilla.  CO Bigelow vanilla.  You get the picture.  Anywho, I finally found a SDV decant....which then sat in my drawer for months because I had so many vanillas.

Finally, I am wearing it.

And it's okay.

As a whole, it is a nice scent.  The vanilla is solid.  It doesn't have a sugary sweet vibe but it's not overly dry either.   I do get the rum.  I get a slight burnt butter quality on my skin that lingers and develops further over time.  But that's it.  This scent feels like when I've tried to make desserts without a recipe and though they are ok and smell great, they are missing some vital piece to make it really worth my time.  I sometimes wonder if my apathy towards this scent is directly related to how much I built it up in my head beforehand.

Would I snag a bottle if I could get it at a screaming deal?  OK, Sure.  Would I use the whole bottle?  Probably not.   I would grab my bottle of Vanille 44 first on any winter day, and my Vanille Galante any summer day.