Oh, That Way Madness Lies – Review And Giveaway: Serge Lutens Fille En Aiguilles

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Olfactoria

There is almost no Serge Lutens fragrance with which I have an easy relationship. I am not sure whether it is me or whether it is him, but Maitre Serge and I have had our difficulties. I am not sure whether the man ever made or will make something that is a “grab and go” perfume, and most probably, if he did, I wouldn’t want that either (case in point: L’Eau, which is probably the closest to “grab and go” Lutens will ever get and I hate it, so there.)

But in general it is safe to say after a period of grappling and a mutual scuffle to get comfortable many of Serge’s creations have found a place in my heart and perfume cabinet.

Fille En Aiguilles may be the one I grappled with the longest. I bought it unsniffed back in 2009 when it came out, (yeah, I did such stupid things then, haven’t we all?) and we went through periods of intense love and equally intense hate together.

Why? Well, the darn perfume does whatever it wants! Never, not once, does it smell like the time before. Always a subtle (or glaring at times) difference, always a shift in perception, always a different facet presents itself, always a different angle, a different light, a different smell.

Fille En Aiguilles is hell-bent on driving me crazy and making me doubt my nose and sanity.

Fille en Aiguilles (“Girl in Needles”) is an Eau de Parfum Haute Concentré and includes notes of pine needles, vetiver, sugary sap, laurel, fir balsam, frankincense, candied fruit and spice. It was created by Christopher Sheldrake in 2009.

There is a spectrum along which Fille en Aiguilles morphs and I will describe the two extreme opposites of that spectrum for you.

At one end, there is what I call “Heidi’s Perfume”. Heidi, as in the girl from the Swiss Alps, the protagonist of Johanna Spyri‘s children’s book, Heidi the star of my childhood. When on this end of the spectrum, Fille en Aiguilles smells like Ricola, like a walk in the woods with Heidi and her little rucksack full of herbal candy. Sweet, pine-y, yes, but a fruity pine, herbal and spicy like a fruit compote or a chutney, or a cough drop…

On the other end of the spectrum Fille en Aiguilles is the most sober and dignified dark pine resin-y, woody, incense-y perfume ever, I call it the “Scent of Doom”. When I get this aspect, Fille en Aiguilles smells of turpentine, of camphor, harsh, medicinal, rough before mellowing, softening and becoming like a deep, deep forest where no light has ever penetrated the deepest reaches of the age-old trees, where mold and mildew, oakmoss and lichen, pine, laurel and fir reign supreme and no human should dare to venture.

Sound inviting?

Thankfully most of the time Fille en Aiguilles is somewhere in the middle of these two scenarios, never the same place twice though, mind you!

So do I like Fille en Aiguilles? No. But I adore what it does. I admire its chameleon-like facets, that ever so subtly betray the accusation that this is one of Lutens’s simpler creations. Ha, this is how Lutens does simple and straightforward and laughs at our feeble attempts to make head or tail of it.

If I want something to marvel at, something to shake my head at, something to keep me occupied to the point of irritation, this is what I go for. Why do I ever want to be irritated by a perfume you ask? Because it can. It can do it without ever going too far, too far being the point where I say, it is awful, get it away from me. And that is an achievement, I have to applaud.

Looking for something interesting? Look no further.

P.S. A word of warning, that is maybe obvious but I’ll say it anyway: Fille en Aiguille stains like mad, so keep it away from fabric.

Giveaway: Do you want to try Fille en Aiguilles? I am giving away five 1ml samples from my own bottle. To win, please leave a comment stating what keeps your interest or what drives you mad in a perfume. I’ll let random.org decide who wins.

The Giveaway is open for everyone who leaves a comment answering my question, everywhere in the world. The draw closes on Sunday August 14 midnight GMT. The winners will be announced on August 15 here on the blog. Good luck (with both the draw and the perfume 😉 )!

Image source: hotcosmetics.com, ricola.at, wallpaperstock.net
Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Serge Lutens, Woods | Tagged , , , , , , | 75 Comments

Liquid Sunshine – Review: L’Artisan Parfumeur Fleur d’Oranger

Posted on August 8, 2011 by Olfactoria

Fleur d’Oranger was a limited harvest edition in 2005, it came back in 2007 and now once more this year in the very sensible 50ml form and only available in Europe.

Orange Blossom is a beautiful note, but one that can go badly wrong for me. It can be loud overbearing and soapy. It can also be smooth, honeyed and sweet, soft, caressing, calming and uplifting. Orange Blossom done right, smells like liquid sunshine.

What about L’Artisan’s version? Let us take a closer look.

Fleur d’Oranger was created by Anne Flipo and includes notes of orange bigarade, petitgrain, neroli, honey, beeswax and orange blossom.

Fleur d’Oranger opens green and fresh, the orange blossoms are not open yet, we smell the tree, the leaves. Soon the flowers open and the fragrance becomes sweeter, rounder, it starts to glow almost, the orange blossoms are lush and creamy and wonderfully honeyed and smooth. Fleur d’Oranger deepens until it is almost unbearably beautiful, then slowly recedes into a warm honey-tinged base that is very long-wearing.

Fleur d’Oranger makes me feel very feminine, it rises in lazy tendrils from my skin and makes me smile and almost purr like a cat. It makes me feel contented.

I recently fell very hard for an orange blossom perfume that is hard (read: expensive) to obtain, the L’Artisan more than compensates my craving for this genre. It is not exactly like Xerjoff Oesel, but it comes close enough for me to be happy and content.

As for other orange blossoms – it is way smoother, less soapy and less loud than Serge Lutens Fleurs d’Oranger, more natural and lusher than Gaultier Fleur du Mâle. It is sweeter and less effervescent than Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli, another favorite.

I am particularly impressed with the sillage and longevity of this Eau de Parfum, both are above average.

Currently the L’Artisan website is out of stock, but if you are an orange blossom lover and come across Fleur d’Oranger, don’t hesitate to pick it up. You won’t be disappointed.

Image source: artisanparfumeur.com, dianemorganpaints.blogspot.com
Posted in Citrus, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, L'Artisan Parfumeur | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Italian Journey – Review: DSH The Italian Splendor Collection Part III

Posted on August 5, 2011 by Olfactoria

The third and last part (see Part I and Part II here) of our Italian Journey takes us to Venice, La Serenissima – the most serene, where we explore the perfume of courtesans and to Siena in the heart of Tuscany, where the ancient Roman Gods themselves are evoked in all their debauchery, sensuality and decadence.

Secreti di Belle Donne (Venice) inspired by the courtesans of Venice with notes of exotic oranges, saffron, spices, rich florals and a base of honied musk;

Secreti di Belle Donne – Secrets of Beautiful Women – includes notes of melon, bitter and blood orange, cured fruit, cardamom, orange blossom, damask rose, jasmine sambac, osmanthus, orris, ylang, ylang, clove, cinnamon, benzoin, honey, amber, vanilla, musk and civet.

Secreti di Belle Donne comes at me right out from the vial like a wild cat. The civet is there from the start and it means business!

After a few minutes the perfumes begins to settle and the dirtiness recedes and perfectly melds the spicy and fruity notes that are now apparent to my skin. I was horrified at first (I am a wimp when it comes to civet, castoreum and company), but then fell for Secreti di Belle Donne with a vengeance. Reading the notes list, smelling the first blast of skank, one is tempted to run, run fast, but this perfume only smiles and waits because it knows you’ll be back in a minute purring and ready to submit to its many charms. This is one aptly named scent! I don’t smell much of the fruity-floral top and heart, this is all about the base. A warm, honeyed, dirty to the end musk that will delight lovers of this kind of perfume.

Secreti di Belle Donne is a classic perfume, a “human” perfume. I can’t stop thinking about Jean-Baptiste Grenouille when wearing it, I have a feeling he would have loved it.

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Venus and Cupid (Siena) a luscious fruity floral inspired by the intense sensuality of the ancients; notes of vine and fig leaves, wisteria, jasmine, sandalwood and acacia honey.

Venus and Cupid includes notes of grape vine, neroli, cassis bud, fig leaves, acacia honey, centifolia rose, wisteria, essenza dell’ ibisco (hibiscus), sandalwood, amber and oakmoss.

Venus and Cupid opens stringently green, I could swear I smelled galbanum, but it is not listed, maybe the grape vine note provides this similar GREEEEN feeling that galbanum usually gives me. But soon the green softens and sweetens, like unripe fruit taking on color in the sun smelled in fast forward. Honey, rose and something fig-like come out to play now. The entire perfume has a light and playful feel, a happiness, an unfettered, not a care in the world feel that is infectious. The drydown is smooth, sandalwood and sweet amber smooth.

If that was the perfume of ancient roman Gods, I long for a little immortality myself.

All six perfumes of The Italian Splendor Collection are incredibly good. It is unheard of that I like every perfume in a collection, but here I cannot find one I don’t like and admire. There are some I like more than others – my favorites are Medici and Alba – but there is not one scent in the bunch I curl my nose at.

Available at Dawn’s website artscent.com, a 5ml flask of pure perfume is 45$ and a 10ml bottle of EdP is 60$. My reviews are based on samples of the EdP graciously provided by the perfumer.

Image source: Titian Venus of Urbino, Venus and Cupid by Allessandro Allori
Posted in DSH, DSH Italian Splendor, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Fruity, Gourmand, Musk, Oriental | Tagged , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

Olfactoria On The Road – Italy Part 2

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Olfactoria

A few impressions from our hotel. The boys are enjoying themselves enormously. They are in the water all day. Pauli has learned how to swim in two hours, and Niki is fearlessly exploring everything from deep waters to other people’s beach bags, leaving us not a lot of breathing space, but it is fun seeing him discovering the world.


I enjoy the fact that there is so much shade, I would enjoy it even more if I had a minute to actually read my book not only look at it longingly, but my dear husband is being very supportive, allowing me the time to update my blog, so I am not complaining.


Perfume-wise I am very happy to act like a normal person for once and mostly using one for day-wear and one for evenings. I planned to only take two bottles with me, but panicked at the last moment and added a couple (or bagful) of samples and decants, but just having them for emergencies seems to suffice. 😉


I love to wear Eau de Shalimar at night these days, smells like lemon custard, hmmm. Also SL Feminité de Bois works great on warm evenings, I had it pegged as a classic winter scent – not so.
We are going to Milan on Sunday, see you there… xo

Posted in Ramblings, Travels | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Italian Journey – Review: DSH The Italian Splendor Collection Part II

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Olfactoria

The second installment (Part I, Part III) of the Italian Journey brings us two more scents of DSH’s inspired Italian Splendor Collection. Divine Gardens was inspired by the city of Mantua and its exquisite homes and gardens of the rich and powerful. Medici takes us to Florence of course, and its most influential family at the time, the Medicis. The perfume was inspired by a painting by Botticelli,  “Portrait of A Young Man In A Red Cap”.

Divine Gardens (Mantua) a fascinating green garden, floral chypre with notes of tomato leaf, mint, Mediterranean herbs and marigold;

Divine Gardens includes notes of bitter orange, tomato leaf, basil, thyme, mint, taggettes, mandarin, sylvestre pine, violet, rose otto, jasmine, lily of the valley, sandalwood, balsam fir, vetiver, patchouli, orris and musk.

Divine Gardens starts crisply green and fresh, the tomato leaf sets the tone of green that is upheld throughout the perfume’s development, bolstered by pine, balsam fir and vetiver. On this bed of green, shy flowers bloom, soft jasmine and lily of the valley, a hint of violet. Divine Gardens brings to mind open air and freshly mown grass, flower beds in the shade of a big pine. Peace and quiet in a shady garden in the springtime. It lasts not very long on my skin, like many of life’s pleasures, Divine Gardens is fleeting.

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Medici (Florence) a spiced leather oriental perfect for a young man but lovely on a woman;

Medici includes notes of bergamot, rosewood, sweet orange, citron, oregano, thyme, olibanum, green and black pepper, cinnamon, clove bud, carnation, red rose, artichoke, peru balsam, cedarwood, tobacco, leather, amber and oakmoss.

Medici smells wonderful. Thank Goodness, for that, since I managed to upend half my vial over my keyboard which now smells wonderfully rich, dark and leathery. Medici is balm on my amber loving heart. A complex, slightly masculine leaning oriental, Medici opens with a prominent orange note that quickly morphs into a rich spicy, incense-accented amber. The drydown is leathery and soft, the resinous and woody notes building a substantial base that lasts for hours. Medici would certainly be wonderful in winter, but the cool incense note that sweeps through it like a ghost, makes it also very wearable in summer.

We are still missing the last two perfumes of Dawn’s inspired collection, so stay tuned for Part III.

Image source: turismo-mantova.it

Posted in Amber, Chypre, Citrus, DSH, DSH Italian Splendor, Fragrance Reviews, Oriental, Spicy, Woods | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Olfactoria On The Road – Italy Part One

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Olfactoria

After one night in a spa in Styria, to get into a vacation mood, we drove on to Italy and stayed in the lovely city of Udine for one night.


In Udine I parked my family in an ice café and went exploring the local fragrance scene.
Sephora was my first port of call, but this particular branch is not exactly like the one on Times Square. There was a rather small collection of mainstream scents, and none of the releases I am looking forward to, like Shalimar Parfum Initial or Chanel 19 Poudre. The one interesting exception was the Van Cleef&Arpels Collection, I had never smelled these. I tried Bois d'Iris and Vanille Orchidée, both nice, but ultimately nothing to write home about, so I'll stop doing just that. 😉
Next I went into a small store called Aqua&Sapone, a drugstore, in the back there was a considerable fragrance collection, but of the discounter variety. There would have been some great bargains, like the Hermes Jardins or Dior perfumes, but there was nothing I was interested in.
I was looking forward to go into a real (read high end and niche) profumeria next, but rain was threatening and for the safety of the boys we had to make a mad dash for the car before the storm struck, which it did minutes after we were safely ensconced in our car and on the way to the hotel.
I am looking forward to Milan for more effective perfumed explorations.


Now here in our hotel I enjoy wearing one and the same perfume for two days straight, Maison Martin Margiela Untitled L’Eau.
We are still getting up at 5.30 am since Niki thinks that is a fun thing to do, but at least there is great food three times a day to look forward too and a nap after lunch! 😉
I’ll be back with an update next week from Milan!
Meanwhile enjoy the DSH series!

Posted in Ramblings, Travels | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments

Italian Journey – Review: DSH The Italian Splendor Collection Part I

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Olfactoria

Ideally timed before my travels to Italy, I received samples of The Italian Splendor Collection by the talented and prolific perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz.

Comprising six perfumes, each inspired by one Italian city, this collection had my heart and nose from the start. I love Italy after all. And so does DSH obviously, because she managed to capture its essence in liquid form.

Dawn created these six scents for the Denver Art Museum’s “Cities of Splendor: A journey through Renaissance Italy” Exhibit in 2011.

“The ITALIAN SPLENDOR collection brings the glory and richness of the greatest cities and art of Italian Renaissance to life in fragrant form. “– DSH

The first two perfumes of the collection take us over the Alps into northern Italy with Alba and to the city of Milan with Adoration.

Alba (from Across the Alps) is a creamy delight of white alpine flowers, orange blossoms, olive flower and white truffle;

Alba includes notes of lemon, bitter almond, bergamot, elderflower, bigarade, orange blossom, olive flower, jasmine, white rose, jonquil, sandalwood, heliotrope, cedarwood and white truffle.

Alba smells lovely. Starting citrus-y and a little bitter, the intensely sweet and rich base comes through almost immediately. An opulent heart of innocent white flowers (the jonquil note comes through very beautifully at first, later jasmine is dominant) sits on a sumptuous base of heliotrope-sweetened wood. The white truffle note interested me as soon as I read about it, but I can’t say I can identify it. The base is a very well-rounded and smooth whole, where nothing stands out particularly.

Alba is a delightful mix of bitter and sweet. Especially in the early stages this is not a shy scent, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming either. Alba, like a globe, seems to slowly revolve on an axis, presenting slightly different facets every time I smell my hand.

Alba was inspired by woven tapestries of Belguim, France and Renaissance Italy and the texture and multi-colored intricacies of those works of art are very well represented in the perfume. I really like it. Alba is an EdP and lasts very well on me, sillage is minimal, but though close to the skin Alba is powerful and beautiful.

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Adoration (Milan) a classic golden incense with a heart of rose and a touch of smoke;

Adoration includes notes of angelica, rosewood, immortelle, galbanum resin, frankincese, myrrh gum, sandalwood, cedarwood, madonna lily, red rose, Bulgarian rose, labdanum, vanilla and exotic woods.

Adoration – representing the city of Milan – was inspired by Bonifacio Bembo’s work Adoration of the Magi (ca. 1455-1460) and the city’s great wealth and influence.

Adoration smells of incense and myrrh, the gifts of the Magi to the baby Jesus. A smooth, cool incense lies over the entire fragrance like a veil through which we smell a heart of rose and lily. The base is resinous and balsam-y, woody and a little sweet.

Adoration evokes images of old churches, the smell of burning candles, air thick with incense, flowers on the altar, old wooden pews worn smooth with time. Adoration is comforting to me, a safe place, a familiar place, thanks to my catholic upbringing.

Adoration is meditative, slow, calm and deep. It offers sanctuary.

Both perfumes are rich, multi-layered and opulent. They convey the spirit of the renaissance, the awakening, the broadening of horizons, the appreciation of knowledge and beauty very well. I am impressed with these creations as well as emotionally touched. Those first two perfumes come highly recommended.

Watch out for the other four perfumes in the collection, in Part II and Part III this week.


Image source: Cassone Panel via kimbellart.org, www.llph.co.uk/flemish-tapestry-wall-hangings,elogedelart.canalblog.com
Posted in Amber, Chypre, Citrus, DSH, DSH Italian Splendor, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Fruity, Gourmand, Green, Leather, Musk, Oriental, Powdery, Spicy, Woods | Tagged , , , , , | 27 Comments

Last Week In Perfume Land – Weekend Link Love

Posted on July 31, 2011 by Olfactoria

When you are reading this, I am either building a sand castle, hunting for sea shells or loading my plate with delicious antipasti. 🙂

See that caption?

This last week warrants one more look back, since several great posts made Perfumeland the wonderful place it is – a place full of creativity, adorable and intelligent people, excellent writing, caring relationships and of course lots and lots of gorgeous juice!

Dee of Beauty on the Outside takes a look at Mandy Aftel’s creations.

Tarleisio on Scentless Sensibilities reviews an old faithful (and favorite) of mine, Ormonde Jayne Tolu.

Ines of All I Am- A Redhead really is whetting my appetite for Mona di Orio perfumes, one of these days, I’m going to succumb to the temptation and order some samples. Until then I’ll stick with her enticing reviews, this time it is Vetyver.

Undina on Undina’s Looking Glass reminisces about childhood memories of Miss Dior and a great find.

Persolaise published a London Shopping Guide, I will certainly take that with me on my next trip! A Perfumista must-read (and must-print and must-take with!).

Suzanne’s Perfume Journal reviews and gives away a bottle of Sharif, Abdes Al Salaams newest fragrance that makes me shiver with anticipation!

Should you have missed my Summer Favorite Things – here they are again, don’t forget to read the comments, it is so interesting to read about everybody’s favorites. I’d love to hear yours!

I hope you all have a great Sunday, looking forward to “seeing” you again soon!

I wanted to thank all of you who read Olfactoria’s Travels regularly, or even take the time to comment and make this blogging venture into an interesting dialogue and a really comfortable place to be. It means so much to me that what I am doing finds an audience. I appreciate your loyalty. I wish I could hug you all! xoxo, B

Posted in Weekend Link Love | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

Olfactoria On Perfume Smellin’ Things

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Olfactoria

I am posting again on PST today. This week I take a look back at my childhood…

I hope to see you over there!

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Off To Italy…

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Olfactoria

Today we are driving to Udine to stay for one night, and then on to the Adriatic coast for a week of swimming and sunbathing (or rather sitting in the shade in my case, I am as white as a wall after all and prefer to stay that way, the only alternative for me is bright red, which is both unhealthy and unattractive).

Then we go on to Milan, where some serious perfume exploring will take place. All for the good of the blog after all… 😉

I will report on my fragrant findings in Udine, Milan and in between, during the next two weeks. There are also regular posts scheduled, so please stay tuned.

Have a wonderful time, dear readers! I know I will do my best to make the most of these coming two weeks.

xoxo

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged , , , , | 12 Comments