Author Archives: Olfactoria

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About Olfactoria

I'm on a journey through the world of fragrance - come with me!

Monday Question – What Is Your Favorite White Floral?

Do you like white floral perfumes? Do you prefer jasmine, tuberose or gardenia, ylang-ylang, orange blossom or muguet? What white floral is a must try in your opinion? Which house does them best? What is your absolute favorite in this … Continue reading

Posted in Floral, Jasmine, Monday Question, Tuberose, Ylang Ylang | Tagged , , , , , , , | 86 Comments

Bottle Of The Month: July – And A Giveaway!

The bottle of July is not very summery, but it has been on my wishlist forever and a day, and when I recently visited the Chanel boutique in Vienna I finally picked it up and I’m very glad I did. … Continue reading

Posted in Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , | 100 Comments

Séville à l’aube Launch – Bertrand Duchaufour and Denyse Beaulieu at L’Artisan Parfumeur, London

By Tara What a wonderful man Bertrand Duchaufour is… If he doesn’t have a fan club already I’ll consider starting one. But before I start gushing let’s set the scene… You will probably have heard of the new L’Artisan Parfumeur … Continue reading

Posted in L'Artisan Parfumeur, Orange Blossom | Tagged , , , , , , | 49 Comments

Coming Up Roses – Review: Juliette Has A Gun Lady Vengeance

A recent Monday Question brought to light a wealth of your suggestions for rose perfumes for me to try and try I did. Dozens of samples later, a few wonderful, many nice, many more not so great, one in particular … Continue reading

Posted in Floral, Juliette Has a Gun, Oriental, Rose | Tagged , , , , , , | 27 Comments

The Power Of Transformation – Review: Serge Lutens Tubéreuse Criminelle

It would be no exaggeration if I said that there was a time when I considered Tubéreuse Criminelle to be my arch enemy. It stood for everything I did not like. Tuberose – that note alone was enough, once upon … Continue reading

Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Serge Lutens, Tuberose | Tagged , , , , , , | 57 Comments

Monday Question – Are You Still Looking For The One?

Are you looking for that one special perfume? The one fragrance that is totally you? A signature scent to grow old with? Or did you give up on that notion, if you ever entertained it? Are you looking for a … Continue reading

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged , , | 88 Comments

Bipolar Bear – Review: Annick Goutal Songes

The following review is from the OT archives, first published on November 2010. I’m happy to report that my relationship with Songes has drastically improved since then. The moral of the story? Revisiting your old fragrant failures, is definitely worth … Continue reading

Posted in Annick Goutal, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Jasmine, Tuberose, Vanilla | Tagged , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

A Trip To Spain – Ramon Monegal Mini-Reviews Part II

After a look at the first seven perfumes from the Spanish niche house of Ramón Monegal (see Part I), here are the seven more feminine leaning perfumes. Apart from being available at First in Fragrance, and through their own website … Continue reading

Posted in Amber, Chypre, Citrus, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Fruity, Gourmand, Honey, Incense, Iris, Jasmine, Leather, Mimosa, Musk, Orange Blossom, Oriental, Patchouli, Ramon Monegal, Resins, Rose, Tuberose, Vanilla, Woods | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

A Trip To Spain – Ramón Monegal Mini-Reviews Part I

Ramón Monegal is a spanish niche house that only recently came to my attention when I saw their beautiful bottles popping up on First in Fragrance. Luckily not long after, the brand contacted me and kindly sent samples of the … Continue reading

Posted in Amber, Chypre, Citrus, Floral, Fruity, Gourmand, Iris, Jasmine, Leather, Musk, Oriental, Patchouli, Ramon Monegal, Resins, Rose, Spicy, Tuberose, Vanilla, Vetiver, Woods | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 60 Comments

In The Lap Of Luxury – Review: Xerjoff XJ17/17 Irisss, Elle, Homme and XXY

The most expensive sub-category in the never-cheap Xerjoff Kingdom is the catchingly named XJ17/17 line. (The name refers to a filing shelf, apparently.) 100ml EdP in the stone label bottle (see below) starts at 500€ depending on the perfume, but … Continue reading

Posted in Amber, Chypre, Citrus, Floral, Gourmand, Iris, Leather, Woods, Xerjoff | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments