Just in time before it is available on the company´s website (on 17.12.10), I received a sample of Antonia, the new fragrance by Puredistance.
The dutch founder of this elusive and exclusive company, Jan Ewoud Vos, was nice enough to contact me after reading my review of Puredistance I. He was so kind as to offer me samples of the two new fragrances Antonia and M to try.
Let us start with the first one.
That I am in love with Puredistance I, becomes clear pretty quickly, if one reads my review. But what I stated then, I repeat now: I am a cynic at worst, a skeptic at best. Just because one perfume was knee-bendingly great, that doesn´t have to be true for everything they put out, does it?
Antonia has to live up against the enormous shadow of her big sister. A lot of expectations are piled up on this tiny box holding the almost clear liquid that is Antonia.
How does she fare?
Antonia is holding her own, by being her own. By being unique.
She is no Puredistance II.
What I find intriguing about Antonia is the clever way green and warm notes are balanced perfectly, from start to finish many, many hours later. And the interesting thing about that is not, that the perfume starts out green and develops into something warm in the drydown, but from the very beginning it weaves both qualities together, pairing galbanum with soft flowery notes and continuing by juxtaposing vetiver and vanilla in the base.
Antonia blooms and billows slowly, like a dance in slow motion, enveloping the wearer in its cocoon of green velvet. The olive green fabric, maybe it is satin, I can´t tell just judging from the promo pictures, used in the packaging fits perfectly, as for me, Antonia smells exactly like this color. She is wearing a green velvet dress.
She is sweet, sweeter than Puredistance I, but always well balanced by the green notes.
I am wearing her (what is it that compels me into totally anthropomorphizing this perfume?) today in cold and icy winter weather and she feels like a warming velvet shawl. But I can equally see me wearing her in spring or summer, when I imagine the green aspects coming to the foreground exercising their cooling properties.
Antonia is neither modern, nor old-fashioned. She is a timeless perfume, transporting in her feel of innocence, yet feminine and confident. She grabs you with unassuming gentleness and faithfully stays with you, tenacious, but far from overwhelming or intense.
I read about the inflationary use of the word “classic” on Normand´s excellent blog The Perfume Chronicles, the other day (see his article here). In my definition, classic means to be above a distinct trend, or fashion. To be relevant independent of time, location or current preference.
Antonia, for me, fits these criteria, as does Puredistance I.
Jan Ewoud Vos, together with perfumer Annie Buzantian, has suceeded in making his brand the high quality, timeless classic he envisioned it to be. That is a noteworthy endeavour in times like these, where the objective to make money is often the only parameter considered when developing a fragrance.
Puredistance develops pieces of art, that define the word classic and therefore more than deserve being called just that.
Jan Ewoud Vos, Founder of Puredistance
The perfume is available at the Puredistance website, First in Fragrance, Essenza Nobile and Lianne Tio Parfums. The 17.5ml pure perfume costs 165 Euros and can be accessorized with the Swarowsky crystal column, of course.
P.S.: Remember the Puredistance Perfume Lounge in Vienna, I wrote about? I made an appointment for January, when a friend from London is in town. I will keep you posted about our visit!
Picture source: liannetioparfums.nl, “Woman in the green Dress” by Birgit Schnapp via fineartamerica.com, puredistance.com, some rights reserved, thank you!
Olfactoria's Travels 
Looking forward to trying this one. Love green notes in perfume,
I think it is a really great scent.
B, I know that I have samples of this line. Still have not tried them! There is simply not enough time, especially when new releases are coming out at some crazy rate. But I probably harp on this far too much. Maybe, the opposite is even worse–when there is nothing to smell!
Timeless is probably the most elusive quality to attain in fragrance or in any other creative endeavor. I am actually struggling to finish my two Feminite du Bois comparisons (behind schedule today!), and this is exactly what is missing in the new version–an ability to transcend time and trends. It is far too insipid.
On a completely different topic, Vienna during holidays is one of the most beautiful cities! I wish I were there now. 🙂
V, you must try your Puredistance samples, I feel they are really exceptional. I’m very curious what you think about them!
Have you been to Vienna? It is totally snowed in these days, not so much fun, since with the baby I’m pretty much stuck at home, it looks very pretty though 🙂
Looking forward to your FdB review, it is shocking that it is so reduced now. 😦
I have been once, and it was around Christmas. I loved the street of Vienna covered in snow, the bright pastry shop displays, Christmas ornaments and the smell of mulled wine. It was such a magical time for me. I miss Vienna very much. I started thinking about it, because today I am baking a strudel for dinner. Had difficult time deciding on a filling, but at the last moment figured that the classical apple is best!
This is the week for my Christmas baking. I baked stollen this week for the first time. This year I want to try three different kinds–plain, with poppyseed filling and with marzipan filling. And of course, baking different kinds of gingerbread, which is probably my favorite sweet thing to eat! 🙂
Wow, you bake! Impressive! I wish I could have a piece 😉
I’m glad you liked Vienna so much, I feel absurdly proud when someone praises the city.
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Just for fun 😉
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”
The Good (Amazing Grace) = Puredistance I
The Bad (Moody hysterical Girl!) = Antonia
The Ugly (Attractive) = M
So you didn’t like Antonia so much, did you? Well, I AM a moody and hysterical girls sometimes, so perhaps that is why I love it! 😀
Oh no! I think Antonia is the most interesting of the three… it morphs! maybe not my thing at first, but it’s still too soon. I AM a moody and hysterical very often haha!
Good! 😀
If Antonia didn’t exist, I would call the other two “Beauty and the Beast”, but IT EXISTS! 🙂
Antonia has a ginormous personality! On the top/middle notes, it strongly reminded me of a perfume that I only have smelled for once in my life, about 15 years ago or so…, which was memorable enough to keep me hooked and to retain its name forever: it’s Vent Vert by Balmain. I think they have to be very much related, otherwise I’m sure I didn’t recall Vent Vert in memory in the very precise moment I was trying Antonia. Now I’m also thinking in Chanel No 19. They are all scents with a similar “old fashioned” green leaf vibe, maybe due to the galbanum note… or I don’t know why.
Absolutely, Antonia is reminiscent of classic green perfumes, you are right. It was inspired by the mother of J.E.Vos, the founder of Puredistance. I’m sure she wore such perfumes.
I was searching for a perfume to sacrifice to the Goddess of the Southern Sea in Java on my next upcoming trip to Indonesia. Her favourite colour is green. Usually her followers will scatter a combination of rose petals, jasmine, and ilang ilang to her at the coast. Antonia contains all three, and it smells fresh and nice. When I close my eyes, the light green colour came to mind. To carry out the ritual, I will be dressed in traditional batik length tied with a blue sea dragon patterned belt, with this perfume on me, climb down 100 meter down along the cliff to the sea cave and meditate. There, I will ask the Goddess for permission to commence work on my batik designs that feature her image. Batik workers in Java believe if no ritual is done for the Goddess, any work that features her image will bring disaster. There to finish the ritual, I will let the wave carry the perfume bottle along with a breast cloth of white and green out to the sea.
How fascinating! I wish you all the best with your plans!
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