Olfactoria's Travels

Olfactoria On Perfume Smellin’ Things

Posted on February 19, 2011 by Olfactoria

Saturday is here and with it my post over on PST. This time let me take you to the land where Orchids bloom…

See you over there! 🙂

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged Fragrance, Perfume, Perfume Smellin Things | Leave a comment

Have You Heard Of Bissoumine? – Come In And Find Out!

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Olfactoria

Bissoumine is a relatively new french brand offering seven fragrances created by two perfumers, Kitty Shpirer and Patrice Martin.

Bissoumine means perfume in ancient Aramaic. Read more about the back story of the brand here.

I found out about Bissoumine through a non-perfume involved friend who saw these in a boutique in France and told me about them, a bit later Bissoumine was mentioned in a comment on another blog. Enough for me to inquire…

The Bissoumine website is very informative, and the best thing – they offer a sample set of their first six perfumes for 16€ including shipping. Un Ange Passe, the latest addition to the line, is not yet available as a sample, as far as I know.

Well, for that sum my curiosity could be assuaged.

A week later a neat package arrived containing the samples in a cute, little box. The design is nice, each perfume has its own unique label.

A small point of contention: these labels are stickers that don’t stick to the sample vials very well. Mine arrived with two stickers stuck together and completely lose in the package, off the vials. I had no way of ascertaining which label sticker belonged to which vial. It became clear later upon smelling them, but I still wished the vials were a bit more indelibly marked.

I came to Bissoumine with no expectations whatsoever and my impressions of the six perfumes are mixed, there are some I like, some I don’t and some that just leave me unaffected.

Read on for my preliminary impressions of the different perfumes.

A l’Ombre du Figuier: I love fig scents and I thought this one was a home run. It leans on the masculine side for me, probably through the inclusion of a strong clove note that is a bit jarring. Otherwise it is a nice fragrance conjuring up a fig tree, very green, leafy and woody, the fruit are still green and not yet ripe. It has below average sillage and is relatively linear in its development. Notes include: green woods, cloves, ginger, “floral touch” sandalwood and musk. (according to the website)

Soufflee Sauvage: This is the most interesting and unique of the six sents I tried. Upon the initial spray I smell coffee, not freshly brewed, but coffee grounds. They give way to a mix of hay, peach, dried fruit, and something dry and raspy, a gritty texture that is hard to put into words, but makes this perfumes very interesting indeed. It is described as having a carnal and insistent character. I don’t know about carnal here, but I agree with insistent, it is a scent that sticks with you and piques your curiosity. The site lists the notes for this fragrance as follows: wildflowers, white peach, mandarine, myrrh and white musk.

Rivages de Mediteranée: This is a somewhat unexiting orange blossom, jasmine fragrance that doesn’t offer anything groundbreakingly new. But it is a solid and wearable, which for me means rather subdued, white flower fragrance. The notes are orange, mandarine, spices, orange blossom, jasmine and cedar wood.

Temps de Réves: Notes include cinnamon, pepper,Turkish rose, vanilla, sandal wood and cedar. This one is lovely. I would wear this, should I receive a bottle from somewhere, but I wouldn’t seek it out especially, since it is reminicent of Idylle, Narciso Rodriguez for Her and SJP Lovely . An oriental rose on the other end of the spectrum from Malle’s Portrait of a Lady.

Nuit des Iles: “A feminine perfume, refined and delicate, giving an overwhelming sensation of evasion.” That is what the website has to say about Nuit des Iles, and I absolutely agree, the sensation of evasion is there all right. This was truly disappointing. Starting out nice with a bright citrus top note, I could almost see the lovely and fresh frangipane flowers coming in before the door gets thrown shut in my face and all that is left is a thin plastic smell that is best evaded as well, but fades on its own in a few minutes, and I am left stumped and wondering as to where in the world the fragrance went.

Notes include (or exclude as I cannot for the life of me find them) lemon, bergamot, frangipane, vanilla, cinnamon, Tonka beans and musk.

Soir Ensoleillé: This is a warm, slightly boozy, raspberry-plummy vanilla scent, with spices to make it interesting and a good dose of heliotrope. While most of the others are suitable for men and women this one is decidedly feminine. It reminds me of Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille or Hermessence Ambre Narguilé. Notes include: Indian jasmine, rose, heliotrope, raspberry, pepper, musk, amber, sandalwood and vanilla. A good gourmand scent that walks the fine line between inedible and edible, not quite settling into the one or the other category. I like my gourmands inedible, because I am no cake.

Ultimately I think Bissoumine is a nice line to encounter but contains no absolute must-haves for me. For a brand that wants to position itself as niche, the fragrances are not “niche” enough, in my opinion. But they are nice enough. There is one disappointment in the bunch (Nuit des Iles) but other than that, the remaining five perfumes are solid, wearable and likeable creations.

I guess, I had hoped for at least one earth shattering or truly unique perfume. Souffle Sauvage qualifies as extremely interesting and different from the others as well as from many scents. It is easy finding smell-alikes for the others, not so for Souffle, but while I appreciate its unique character, it is not exactly my cup of tea.

My favorites are Soir Ensoleillé and Temps de Reves, and though I can find similar scents in my closet, I am charmed by them. Since they are excellent versions of the industry/mass-market-beloved fruity-floral, I guess they will be the line’s best-seller.

I imagine Bissoumine perfumes make great gifts, especially for non-perfumistas.

Each scent comes in Eau de Toilette strength and wears for about three to four hours on me.

Bissoumine perfumes are available from their website as well as several points of sale in France, Israel and the UK.

Image source: all images courtesy of bissoumine.com, thank you!

Posted in Amber, Bissoumine, Citrus, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Gourmand, Musk, Oriental | Tagged Bissoumine, Fragrance, Perfume, Review | 13 Comments

Soapy Iris – Review: Le Labo Iris 39

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Olfactoria

Le Labo, until recently, was a brand I didn’t have much of an opinion about. I knew of it, I was rather indifferent about the branding and positioning of the line and most importantly I hadn’t smelled any of their fragrances. Le Labo is not easy to get here, especially if you want to actually smell it first.

Knowing that I was on a quest for the ultimate Iris, Dee thought I could use a decant of Iris 39 and sent it my way. Thank you again! 🙂

Iris 39 was created by Frank Voelkl in 2006, and as Le Labo fans know, the name of all of their perfumes consists of the dominant ingredient and the number of ingredients in the formula.

The perfume is made up freshly for you at the counter or upon ordering when buying online, the bottle can be customized. I find this whole hoopla to be exactly that – hoopla – that doesn’t serve a purpose other than being a marketing stunt.

Le Labo’s website lists Iris 39’s notes as iris, lime, patchouli, rose, ylang ylang, musk, violet, ginger, cardamom, and civet.

In the beginning Iris 39 smells strangely soapy on me, or maybe aldehydic, in any case there is an artificial touch to it I do not much care for. On some days to the point of really bothering me, on other days I barely register it.

What comes next is a rooty earthiness, a vegetal spiciness, probably the combination of patchouli and cardamom along with the iris. As the scent develops I smell the smooth muskiness of the base and although it is not listed oakmoss is definitely in there according to my nose. (Which doesn’t have any authority whatsoever, it only means that I believe in the existence of oakmoss or what passes for it these days, in the formula ;))

I start to love the fragrance about half an hour into wearing, the harsh top notes are history, smoothness takes its place. Iris 39 balances warm and cool aspects of the iris perfectly, the powdery earthiness of iris and patchouli are warmed by the addition of spices and floral notes. I like the drydown especially, the musk is not too clean, not too bland without being wildly animalic, it strikes the right chord in the middle of my dirtiness scale. (For your orientation: Muscs Kublai Khan is one the one end, Clair de Musc on the other.)

What interests me is that Le Labo offers an alcohol free version of the perfume called Balm, which is a silicone based lotion. Since I sometimes have issues with very dry skin, that is exacerbated by applying perfume, this sounds like an interesting option.

Iris 39 wears well and for a long time, the concentration according to the website for all their scents is a strength ranging from 12-30%. It is available in 15, 50, 100 and 500ml eau de parfum as well as balm, lotion and oil.

Ultimately though, there are too many drawbacks about Iris 39 to get my full approval (it’ll survive ;)). There are many other iris fragrances that I prefer.

Another one off the list, money saved. 🙂

The search continues…

Picture Source: liberty.com, flowerpicturegallery.com, some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Iris, Le Labo, Musk | Tagged Fragrance, Frank Voelkl, Iris, Le Labo, Musk, Patchouli, Perfume, Review | 20 Comments

On Solid Ground – Aftelier Wildflowers Solid Perfume

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Olfactoria

I never quite saw the point of solid perfumes.
I enjoy the sensation of spraying perfume, even dabbing doesn’t really do it for me. I like to drench myself in a fragrant mist of perfume since it feels so luxurious and decadent to me.

That sensations falls by the wayside when using a solid of course, what’s more I was never wild for that waxy or sticky feel of most solids I have previously encountered, and I was afraid of leaving greasy stains at the wrists and neck of my clothes. Not a beautiful idea.

But I learned many lessons already in the world of perfume and that Mandy Aftels products are in a league of their own is undoubtedly one of them. I had the good fortune to test three of her solid scents, Wildflowers, Orchid and Boronia.

Only judging from the name at first, I was attracted most to Wildflowers, so that is the one I started with.

As a solid perfume virgin I was unsure of how much to apply, it turns out a little goes a long way with Aftelier Solids. And after that first application I was immediately converted to solids – at least to these solids.
The texture is soft, incredibly smooth and feels like a caress on skin. There is no stickiness or waxy feel whatsoever, I get the feeling of caring for my skin while scenting it. What a pleasant sensation!

Aftelier Solids are made of organic beeswax and jojoba oil. As someone who has very dry and sensitive skin that often reacts with redness and itching to the onslaught of alcohol from perfumes, Aftelier’s solids seem like a much-needed respite.

Sillage is minimal of course, but that can be a good thing in many situations when you want to keep your fragrance to yourself. I watched my wrist go to my nose many, many times when wearing Wildflowers, it is quite addictive.

So what about the scent, what does it smell like?

Wildflowers is a calming, true to nature rendition of a summer’s day spent lying in a meadow, watching the clouds go by. Hay, dry grass, the eponymous wildflowers, this fragrance is uncomplicated and simple in the best sense of the word. It delivers the lightness of being on a carefree summer day, unencumbered by life’s harsher facets, I am free to enjoy the view over rolling hills and softly sloping meadows losing themselves in the hazy blue sky in the distance.

Aftelier solid perfumes are available in beautiful silver tins that the perfumer obtains in Mexico, to be kept in a silk pouch. There is also the option of having your solid perfume of choice filled (and re-filled) into a one-of-a-kind antique silver tin, an old watch case, for example, or a powder compact. I would love to own Wildflowers in such a unique vessel.

Perfect for traveling, solid perfumes are a wonderful fragrant option that I am happy to use from now on (saving up already for a full size) whenever my skin needs a respite from alcohol-based perfume or when I crave to escape to my lovely summer meadow courtesy of Mandy Aftel.

Review of Aftelier Orchid solid

Image source: aftelier.com, Rolling Hills by Renato Lopes via renatolopesblog.com, some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Aftelier, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Oriental | Tagged Aftelier Perfumes, floral, Fragrance, Mandy Aftel, Perfume, Review, solid perfume, Wildflowers | 31 Comments

Prim And Proper- Review: Balenciaga Paris

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Olfactoria

Balenciaga Paris, a floral chypre, is the first Balenciaga perfume launched under the creative direction of Nicolas Ghesquiere (whose style and design I personally admire), it was created by perfumer Olivier Polge in 2010. Notes include bergamot, spices, pepper, violet, carnation, oakmoss, cedar, vetiver, patchouli and labdanum.

It smells like a soft, slightly powdery violet over musky woods (or woody musks ;)). In its ancestry there is undoubtedly Aprés L’Ondée.

Balenciaga Paris is relatively linear, no great developmental surprises, I do not like the late drydown so much, though, it gets a bit too soapy-musky then.
Balenciaga has a surprising presence when I wear it, which I love, without leaving too much of a trail. It is nice and round and thoroughly dependable in its conservative elegance and loveliness.

It is understated but not invisible, elegant but not boring, conservative but not old-fashioned. Designer fragrance but no fruitchouli.

It smells very different from what we expect a designer fragrance to smell like, from the experience of the last years, that is a refreshing change.

It reminds me of Prada Infusion d’Iris or L’Eau Ambrée, not in smell but in style. All three are discrete and elegant with a presence that belies their gossamer lightness.

In smell I am reminded of the already mentioned Aprés L’Ondée as well as Malle’s Dans tes Bras. It is a cleaned up, prim and proper version of the latter.

For some reason (it is probably the cleanliness of the scent, which I mean in feel, not that it smells like laundry detergent!) I imagine those violets to be white not purple, almost translucent and somehow crystallized, like under a thin layer of ice.

I like this perfume, it doesn’t floor me, but it is nice and that is more than many other department store releases can say for themselves.

Also, I like the bottle quite a bit. 😉

Picture sources: balenciaga.com, White Violets by Tiger Lilly Shop on Etsy via HandmadeFinds.blogspot.com

Posted in Balenciaga, Chypre, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Woods | Tagged Apres L'Ondee, Balenciaga, Dans Tes Bras, Fragrance, Frederic Malle, Nicolas Ghesquière, Olivier Polge, Perfume, Review, Violets | 12 Comments

Pastoral – Review: Guerlain Aprés L’Ondée

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Olfactoria

Aprés l’Ondée was my very first Guerlain. For a long time I also thought it would be my only one (insert hearty laughter here), because I thought all the others were not my style, I couldn’t imagine myself in something as challenging and grown-up as Shalimar or Vol de Nuit.

As my dear, constant readers know, times have changed and Guerlain is my favorite (if I absolutely had to pick!) perfume house. I have tried most of the classics and many of the exclusives by now and it turned out I can wear many of them.

But Aprés l’Ondée still has a place in my heart (and my perfume closet) as my first Guerlain, and arguably the loveliest.

Aprés l’Ondée was launched in 1906 and created by Jacques Guerlain. Notes include bergamot, neroli, aniseed, hawthorn, violet, heliotrope, iris and musk; there may also be carnation, rose, jasmine, vetiver and sandalwood. (notes info borrowed from Now Smell This)

Aprés L’Ondée starts with top notes of bergamot and neroli as well as violet together with spicy anise. It smells like a garden in spring-time after a torrential rain. There is the smell of wet leaves and flowers warmed by sunshine. As the perfume develops spicy carnation, violet and heliotrope take a prominent place, luckily for me, without getting overly sweet. The drydown lets the iris shine in concert with a soft musky-vanilla note.

Aprés l’Ondée is markedly different to the other classic Guerlains. It needs no getting used to, no fear of being called an old lady when wearing it, a lady maybe, but definitely not old. Aprés l’Ondée is soft, sweet, natural, the equivalent of Beethoven’s 6th, the Pastoral Symphony – programme music.

It is all there, the lovely flowers, the wetness after a rain shower, the bitter-sweet mood, it all unfolds before our very noses. Aprés l’Ondée is not hard to get, it is all right there for the taking, one only needs to appreciate the loveliness. And that can be harder than one might think, sometimes.

I need to be in the right mood for Aprés L’Ondée.

Not too cynical, or I get overwhelmed by its loveliness. Not too exuberant or I get dragged down by its wistfulness. Not too mad or I smell only its sweetness.

But when I am feeling fragile and a bit overwhelmed with the day ahead of me, nothing is better than Aprés L’Ondée.

Picture Source: johnlewis.com, Purple Flower Courtesy of Photo8.com, some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Guerlain, Heliotrope, Vanilla, Violet | Tagged Apres L'Ondee, Beethoven, Fragrance, Guerlain, Pastoral, Perfume, Review, Shalimar, Violet | 32 Comments

I Can See You – Review: Edition de Parfums Frederic Malle Iris Poudre

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Olfactoria

When I wore Iris Poudre for the first time a few months ago, it was a bitterly cold day and I was taking my son to his English class. I had just put a single spray on the back of my hand before we walked out the door, just for fun and forgot about it almost immediately.

As we walked briskly (as briskly as a small child will walk) and I moved my hand around gesticulating wildly to hurry my son along, all of a sudden I almost saw a thin curl of blue smoke rising from my hand, it was an exquisite synaesthetic experience.

Iris Poudre was visible before me and smelling so lovely, pure and innocent, sparkling, light and elegant. I had to laugh out loud in delight. I had never before experienced such a thing of beauty.

And I have never since. Once we got back home I immediately applied more Iris Poudre, but the sensation did not come again, now I smelled the more pedestrian, nose only version of the fragrance, which is still wonderful and another of Malle’s winners in my book, but I still hanker after that moment of pure pleasure of the visible beauty of a scent.

Iris Poudre was created by Pierre Bourdon in 2000 and features notes of bergamot, orange, rosewood, ylang-ylang, carnation, magnolia, jasmine, muguet, violetta-rose, aldehydes, iris, musk, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, ebony, tonka bean and vetiver.

I do not think Iris Poudre is ideally named, since I don’t think it is a very powdery scent. I like powder, but I can’t find it here in such a prominent place as to name the perfume after it. What is prominent though is a blast of aldehydes in the top notes. For me that makes Iris Poudre very Chanel-esque.

Then the iris arrives, surrounded most prominently by ylang-ylang and carnation, the other floral components give a well-blended impression of soft and sweet rosiness, warming the cool iris. The drydown is warm, comforting but not for a moment during the considerable lifespan of Iris Poudre, does it lose its elegance and refinement. It never gets overly familiar, there is a certain distance that is upheld throughout.

For several reasons better left unexplored in this post, as a girl I dreamed of being “unnahbar”, that is German for aloof, remote, inapproachable, inaccessible. The translation does not capture the meaning exactly, especially my personal connotation, which was extremely positive.

My best friends mother was a real lady. She was beautiful, elegant, expensively dressed, coiffed and made up, even at the crack of dawn or after a long day. I have never seen her anything less than perfect. She was my hero. I wanted to be just like her.

Elegant and aloof, just a little cold, but brilliantly intelligent, with a scathing humour and great outer beauty. I was so fascinated by that woman. It was not easy to come near her, but if I managed to be accepted by her, I imagined, she would take me under her wing and initiate me into her world, show me all her secrets of elegance and refinement that I so longed for. She never did. I wanted exactly the one thing she was not prepared to give.

By the way, her daughter, my friend, turned into a real tomboy, she hasn’t worn a dress in her life, or perfume at that.

Iris Poudre smells like this woman, that is why I am drawn to it still, although my idea of an ideal self has moved away quite a bit from being “unnahbar”.

Also, I hope to re-experience that wondrous sight of a beautiful perfume transcending the confines of just one sense.

Picture Sources: liberty.co.uk, blue smoke courtesy of Photo8.com, myvintagevogue.com, some rights reserved, thank you very much!

Posted in Aldehydic, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Frederic Malle | Tagged Chanel, Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle, Fragrance, Frederic Malle, Iris, Perfume, Pierre Bourdon, Review | 33 Comments

Monday Question – What Are Your Favorite Mood-Altering Perfumes?

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Olfactoria

What perfumes make you happy?

Which ones make you sad?

Are there any calming scents for you?

Anything infuriating?

Do you think perfume has the power to change the course of a day through their mood altering properties?

My Answers:

I believe in the powers of perfume to influence me and my mood. This is the resource I use to determine what perfume to wear, if I let my subconcious decide and grab what it compells me to grab I am always fine and happy with my choice.

Warning: Blog related testing of non-mood conforming fragrances can lead to major crankiness. 😉

My happy fragrance is Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne. Its major orange overdose leaves me no choice but to smile.

In a sad or contemplative mood my fragrance of choice is L’Heure Bleue, it takes the edge of and adds a little light and warmth to the blues.

To calm me in situations where I am angry or overwhelmed, I most often reach for incense perfumes, Andy Tauer’s Incense Extreme wrestles successfully even with extremely pressured situations.

And are there perfumes that manage to be infuriating by themselves?

Oh yes, there are such perfumes too. Lately I encountered Delrae Panache, L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore, By Kilian Back to Black, Serge Lutens Louve. Do you see a pattern here? I shoud stay away from too much sugar, I seem to be a fragrance diabetic. 🙂

I can’t wait to hear about your mood-altering ~~drugs~~ perfumes!

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged Atelier Cologne, By Kilian, Fragrance, Guerlain, Monday Question, Perfume, Serge Lutens, Tauer Perfumes | 24 Comments

Last Week In Perfumeland – Weekend Link Love

Posted on February 13, 2011 by Olfactoria

How are you spending your Sunday?

I look forward to Sunday dinner at the Grandparent’s house, great food and instant baby sitters, what’s not to love? 😉

But first, let us take a look at last weeks posts from some of my favorite (small, I am sure you find the big ones on your own ;)) blogs.

On Beauty on the Outside Dee takes us back to her charming youth and the perfume perfect to accompany the trip.

Olenska’s reviews are always a treat, head on over to parfümieren to read about basements and childhood memories brought about by Histoires de Parfums.

It is Rose Week at EauMG, every day, a new rose. Annick Goutal’s Quel Amour is as lovely as its review.

Tarleisio of Scentless Sensibilites left me speechless after reading her beautiful short story motivated by Amouage Ubar – a great readl!

A wonderful review of Cartier L’Heure Fougueuse can be found at Suzanne’s Perfume Journal. We seem to have similar tastes as well as timing schedules. 😉 Here is my review of that perfume, should you want a different take too.

Have a great Sunday, and a good start into the next week! See you soon!

Posted in Weekend Link Love | Tagged Cartier, Fragrance, Perfume, Weekend Link Love | 18 Comments