Spring Surprise – Review: Serge Lutens Bas De Soie

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Olfactoria

I never would have thought I would like Bas de Soie. But I do, I love it.

Maybe I just don’t know what I want.

Maybe what I want changes all the time.

Maybe I am just really flexible.

Maybe I like extremes.

Maybe I am full of surprises.

Maybe Serge Lutens is too…

Bas de Soie is Lutens latest, but that does not mean it is new, it came out early this year and was created by Christopher Sheldrake. I just never felt the need to smell it, since I had dismissed it before I ever got near it. The notes, the reviews, everything seemed to say, not for you, not worth the time seeking it out.

Well, I got a sample the other day, while treating myself to a bottle of Un Bois Vanille (no surprises here, I just could not keep going on without it) and was curious enough to try it, before fully expecting to toss it into the reject pile. But noooo,…

It bears repeating: I love it.

Bas de Soie starts out cool and icy almost, an iris fit for the Snow Queen of Narnia. That is the image in my mind for the first few moments, the perfect Tilda Swinton in that wonderful costume in the Narnia movie.

But soon, after a tiny, little screechy, metallic phase that goes by in a blink on my skin, a much warmer fragrance develops, softly sweet, a blooming blue hyacinth of exquisite loveliness. It is as if the flowers fight their way through the snow up in to the sunlight – early spring in a bottle. Did I mention that I love it?

Bas de Soie is reminiscent of Chanel Cristalle of course, but I find it softer, not so MUCH.  I like Cristalle in the early stages but it soon turns unwearable on me, because it gets so sweet and opens up enormously on my skin. (It doesn’t do that on a friend whose signature scent it is, but on me I cannot stand it, sadly.)

The other obvious comparison, in-house iris predecessor Iris Silver Mist, which I own and love too, is something else entirely in my opinion. A whole different take on iris, it depicts the flower from earthy root on up, realistically painting a beautiful and convincing iris in all its green and rooty glory.

Bas de Soie on the other hand, is refined, elegant and first and foremost artificial. I don’t mean that in a bad way, just that it is clear that this fragrance is a perfume, in the sense of being composed, constructed, art-ificially made, a piece of abstract art following an idea rather than a replication of something natural.

Bas de Soie got a lot of bad rap for being to hard, cold, metallic, screechy or sharp. That is also why I had no interest in it. Funnily enough, I end up with a warm, comforting and almost cozy scent, that still keeps its innate elegance and sophisticated refinement, with a hazy memory of its former iciness remaining.

Something like this…

Photograph: Murdo Macleod

I am really happy I took a chance on Bas de Soie. This once more teaches me, what you don’t smell for yourself, you can’t judge. Reviews are wonderful, inspiring and helpful, but they cannot do the smelling for you, they can never replace the sensory experience.

And in a side note for my friend Dee, who writes her own insightful reviews here: this is definitely a blonde fragrance 🙂

Picture sources: sergelutens.com, movie still from The Chronicles of Narnia, Photograph of T. Swinton by Murdo MacLeod via guardian.co.uk
Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Serge Lutens | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Coffee Candles By Olivia Giacobetti

Posted on December 30, 2010 by Olfactoria

“La Route du Café is an exclusive collection of scented candles which reveals the very essence of coffee, from its birth to its maturity. The range of delicate fragrances created for Nespresso by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti will fill your senses with the earth of Arabica, the wood and the flower of the coffee tree, the warmth of sun-dried beans, and the flambéed coffee of New Orleans.” (source Nespresso.com)

I love the scent of freshly ground coffee. Unfortunately I cannot drink it. At all. I get palpitations as soon as I look at a cup. So when I chanced upon these candles created by one of my favorite noses Olivia Giacobetti, I was delighted.  Giacobettis signature style is diaphanous, airy and deceptively simple (in the best sense of the word), that is why I adore most of her creations.

These seem to be just what the doctor ordered.

There are five flavors available:

Terre d’Arabica – Reflecting the heat of Ethiopia, the redolent earth of Arabica, a fresh yet powerful coffee growing soil.

Bois de Maragogype – A Nicaraguan Maragogype variety. The light wood of the coffee tree, malted and lightly roasted gives a delicate cereal fragrance.

Fleur de Moka – Evokes images of Yemen, at daybreak, where a field of coffee trees are in bloom, filling the air with the scent of white flowers and a hint of lemon and cocoa.

Grain Emeraude – Drawn from the fertile highlands of Kenya, the perfume captures the warmth and richness of unroasted coffee beans dried in the sun.

Café Flambé – The famous coffee of New Orleans, with its heady scent of spices, flambéed with rum.

Doesn´t that sound good?

The Candles are available from nespresso.com and in Nespresso Boutiques worldwide.

Picture source: nespresso.com, alysonlove.bogspot.com some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , | 14 Comments

My Favorite Things – 2010 Edition

Posted on December 29, 2010 by Olfactoria

As the year comes to an end, I’d like to set down my favorite things during this entire year, based on what I read, listened to or loved the most in the last year. Please bear in mind, that I had a baby in January, so this year was dominated by puke, diapers and lullabies, but also by sweet laughter, lots of cuddling and finding ways to fall asleep for precious minutes during the day.

So, without further ado – here is my “best of” of 2010.

Book: Stephen King “Under the Dome” – I read it in the hospital when I had N., it was also the last book of this length, over a thousand pages, that I managed to finish this year, and this from someone who easily read a hundred books a year, but that was in another lifetime 😉 I am a great King fan, although due to his subject matter he is one of the most under appreciated writers ever. He produces fantastic prose (not to speak of his immense output), but sadly, many are (quite literally) too scared to read him, never knowing what they are missing. Don´t laugh, but I attribute a lot of my English to him, nowhere better to learn american colloquialisms 🙂

The second book I want to mention is Roja Dove’s “The Essence Of Perfume”. It is compulsory reading for perfumistas and was consulted many times this year. Now I look forward to visiting his Haute Parfumerie in the fifth floor of Harrods in London in April of the coming year, yay!

Music: I listened to a lot of sacral music this year, Masses by Mozart, Schubert and Haydn, Oratories by Bach, these are the pieces my baby son appreciated the most, it stopped his crying immediately. Which was fine by me, what he likes to listen to, I like as well.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Art: The art of Mercedes Helnwein keeps me enthralled. She is the daughter of Gottfried Helnwein, emigrated viennese painter extraordinaire. Mercedes has inherited her fathers artist genes obviously, as well as his sense for finding the absurd and shocking in every day situations. I have to be in the right mood for this though, it can get too much, then I have to go and stare at objects of pure beauty for a while, like my children or my perfumes 😉

Perfume: Puredistance I – I love this perfume and it is one of the very few, I don’t see myself getting tired of. It is with me for life. Good Lord, is that a signature scent then?

Frivolous Thing: Edward Bess Cosmetics – Mr Edward Bess, aside from being easy on the eye and allegedly full of southern charm, also makes exceptionally good make up. I have many things of his line (thanks to Zuneta) and those are the products I use each and every day, reliable and extremely chic, they never disappoint. High quality and an image of sophistication and class, what´s not to love?

What have been your favorite things this past year? I´d love to hear about them in the comments!

Picture source: amazon.com, ztix.de, mercedeshelnwein.com, puredistance.com, edwardbess.com, some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Behind The Scenes – Les Coulisses Du Parfum By Osmoz

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Olfactoria

I received the entire five volumes of Les Coulisses du Parfum for Christmas. My dear husband took my hints to heart, but that I would get the entire series was a wonderful and very generous surprise.

Volumes I-V contain individual notes and accords with which perfumers work to create a fragrance.  They are intended for olfactory exploration and training, not to be worn on skin.

Each set contains twelve little flacons filled with 7ml of scent. They come with lots of smelling strips, that you are supposed to dip into the small bottles and thus experience the accords on their own and devise combinations of notes yourself. There are also accompanying booklets in every set, that describe the notes and help setting up tests and experiments for combining notes and accords into basic perfumes.

Volume I is called Mythic Accords and contains one essential accord of each fragrance family (citrus, aromatic, white floral, floral bouquet, woody, oriental, chypre, musky, aquatic, spicy, fruity and gourmand). This is the set one should take if only one is bought, it is the most comprehensive.

The others are more specialized and explore the different scent families in greater depth. Volume II has floral notes and accords, Vol. III woods and resins, Vol. IV covers spices and Vol. V explores the gourmand facet.

It is very helpful and illuminating to be able to smell the notes separately. I had many an epiphany already, using this kit. It helps me to clearly remember what note is what, it confirmed for me what I love and what I cannot stand.

But I was also surprised many times at how some notes are quite different on their own from what I expected them to be from my still limited experience.

I expected to not like cumin, for instance, but found it quite pleasant, not bothering me in the least. Gaiac wood, on the other hand, was fairly neutral in my mind, before I smelled the isolated note. Let´s just say I am more than aware of its presence in a composition now.

There are very interesting comparisons to be made, for instance there are two vanilla notes in the gourmand set, synthetic and natural. There is a world of difference, which was understood of course in theory already, but experiencing this difference in practice is something else entirely. It immediately helps you identify every single fragrance where you ever smelled synthetic vanilla versus the real thing.

There is still a lot for me to explore, I just sniffed into the matter so to speak, so I will write another post with my experiences with the kits at a later date. Many of you inquired so I wanted to let you know my first impressions.

I can highly recommend these sets for perfume lovers, especially beginners, as it is eye opening and extremely helpful to smell the different notes on their own. I use my kits like a dictionary, essential for reference and the basic element of any perfume collection (if you are as obsessed as I am, that is ;)).

Picture source: shop.osmoz.com some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Shopping | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Princess – Review: Chanel N° 5 Eau Première

Posted on December 28, 2010 by Olfactoria

A little while ago I wrote about the Grande Dame of perfume, the most famous, the best-selling fragrance ever. No wonder that such a marketing machine demands to be fed.

So Chanel stepped up to the challenge and produced Chanel N°5‘s first flanker: Eau Première. Jacques Polge created “a silky-smooth harmony of notes that reveals the delicate facet of the world-renowned fragrance” (Source: chanel.com).

Targeted at a younger demographic, it is a Chanel N°5 for aspiring queens, a perfume fit for a princess. And of course, THE princess, the idol of my youth, immediately came to mind. I can imagine her wearing Eau Première, as it is fresh, young, but not too young, not carefree, but stately and elegant, beautiful and radiant, effervescent, but still restrained, always behaving and never taking a wrong step.

(I somehow doubt the Queen would agree ;))

HRH Princess Diana by P. Demarchelier

Eau Première is smoother, rounder, softer, less aldehydic, more citrus-y, very floral, sweeter, but less powdery in the drydown than Chanel N°5.

It has everything I like and it smells really good! Sillage is impressive and it holds its own for about five hours on my skin.

In my eyes this new interpretation of a classic works, the perfect flanker, if you will.

The perfect Princess.

Picture sources: fragrantica.com, picture by Patrick Demarchelier via mainlinetoday.com some rights reserved, thank you!
Posted in Aldehydic, Chanel, Floral, Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

What The Christkindl Brought…

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Olfactoria

The “Christkindl” was very good perfume-wise, this year.

I received the entire set of “Les Coulisses du Parfum” from Osmoz. I will be the master sniffer in no time 😉

Also the discovery set from niche line “By Kilian” found its way into my home, expect reviews in the coming months.

Finally my husband got me a set by Jo Malone, containing six small sizes of her colognes, I am curious how they turn out.

I am lucky to have such a generous family.

Aside from that I am still glad the holidays are over. For routine to return though it will still be some time. It is always astounding to experience how much a creature of routine I am, although I am aware of that fact in theory, it is something else in practice 😉

What did you all get for Christmas? Any great new perfume acquisitions? What did Santa bring?

Picture Source: tubman.org some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in By Kilian, Jo Malone, Ramblings | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Monday Question: What Was Your Favorite Perfume In 2010?

Posted on December 27, 2010 by Olfactoria

What perfume did you wear most this past year?

What was your favorite new find?

Is there a perfume you had to say good bye to in the last year (because it was discontinued or reformulated?)

What new release of 2010 impressed you the most?

What do you hope for in 2011, scentwise?

My Answers:

My favorite perfume in 2010 was Puredistance I. It approaches signature scent status quickly, although that does not mean I won´t wear anything else anymore, that is unthinkable as of yet ;), but I reach for it whenever I want something perfect. That is high praise indeed.

What did I wear most? Hard to say with all the blog testing and power sniffing going on 😉 But there are two scents standing out the most, Puredistance I (of course) and Shalimar Ode a la Vanille, this has become an evening standard.

My favorite new discovery: they came to me late in the year, so I am probably being unfair, since the impression is so fresh in my nose and on my brain, but DSH Perfumes have really impressed me this year. A great variety of wonderful, artisanal fragrances by a very nice and talented perfumer.

What I had to say goodbye to this year was a measure of innocence when it comes to perfumes and especially the perfume industry. The many reformulated fragrances, the lies of the perfume houses, it was somewhat disillusioning. But in a positive spirit, not all is lost, some perfumes are still great, even in their reformulated state. And a perfume is no painting or piece of music, it is bound to be changing all the time. That is the fleeting nature of perfume, and that adds to its allure after all.

What I hope for in 2011, is working through all my samples, and bringing to “paper” on this blog, why I love them.

What I hope for is that you all come back in 2011 to join me on my travels through Perfume Land, to join me in an ongoing conversation about what we love and why, and forge friendships along the way.

What I hope for is to find many new fragrances to love, to broaden my horizon and letting my curiosity lead me to new shores, helping my tastes to evolve.

And I hope for a big win in the lottery to facilitate all of the above 😉

I´m looking forward to your answers in the comments!

Picture source: gomonews.de, Rearview Mirror by David McDonald, 2006 via davidmcd.com some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Short But Sweet! – Scent Of The Day

Posted on December 25, 2010 by Olfactoria

Even though I have not been blogging for long, it has quickly grown into an activity I enjoy very much, rather than a chore (that´s how it should be I guess;)), so when I cannot do my usual routine of writing I get a bit cranky. So this is a very short and quick post, before anyone finds me at the computer, since I am supposed to relax 😉

My scent of the evening is Andy Tauer´s Incense Extreme (proper review to come next year). An almost pure incense, simple and wonderful. It is very appropriate for this time of the year, and one blends perfectly in when in church. 😉

I can hear my dear husband sighing loudly already, so I´l better run…

Back on Monday!

Picture source: carloneworld.it

Posted in Ramblings | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Merry Christmas! – Review: Caron Nuit de Noel

Posted on December 24, 2010 by Olfactoria

I wish all of you, who have been kind enough to visit, comment or link to my blog, a very merry Christmas! Whether you celebrate Christmas or another holiday, or just enjoy some downtime, I hope you can relax and spend a wonderful and peaceful time with your loved ones.

I will be taking a short break over the Holidays, with all the goings on I won’t be able to get a minute to blog.

I will be back to everyday business on Monday, though. My older son is out of Kindergarten the next two weeks (God help us all!), so it will be a bit (okay, a lot) harder for me to keep my blogging schedule, but I’ll do my best to post at least once a day, first and foremost to keep sane…

Now, on to the Christmas perfume review.

Nuit de Noel was created by Ernest Daltroff in 1922, allegedly for his business partner and lover Felicie Vanpouille (also the bottle’s designer), who was enchanted by Christmas and all its attendant trappings.

Legend also has it that Karl Lagerfeld uses nothing else around Christmas, to get into a holiday mood. It has been said that Caron always loved eccentrics and the other way around.

Notes include ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, sandalwood, oak moss, musk and amber.

For me, Nuit de Noel smells like a sophisticated woman in a fur coat (don’t shoot me, I am not wearing it, only writing about it), wearing Chanel N° 5, beautifully made up with dark lipstick and face powder, going to Midnight Mass, where the incense is heavy in the cold air. All these aspects unite to make up Nuit de Noel.

The aldehydic start, the bouquet of classical flowers followed by this amazing, dark, dry, incense-y and animalic drydown (the vintage version is bound to be that much more intense, but sadly that is something I can only assume, given the notes of musk and oak moss listed), that lasts for a long time. It is capable of rendering even reluctant holiday revelers like me, into a festive mood. But it is a festive mood with a decidedly black edge, it is not happy all the way, all Caron perfumes I have tried, retain that slight melancholic, darkish aspect, that I find incredibly attractive.

It is that woman, in the fur coat, sitting in the dark, candle-lit church, shivering a little, happy for now, but always aware of her reality, not all is good, all the time.

Tonight she can smile, despite the darkness waiting behind the lit candles.

Picture sources: bostonherald.com, perfumeprojects.com, some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Aldehydic, Caron, Floral, Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Heaven Scent – Review: Caron Parfum Sacré

Posted on December 23, 2010 by Olfactoria

Parfum Sacré by Caron makes winter livable.

Ever since I am a perfume aficionado (phew, thank Goodness, I thought of a word in time: freak, nerd, addict and many more came to mind first ;)) I love the cold, the snow, the ice, but only for the one reason: It enables me to wear the most gorgeous fragrances, that I could not imagine wearing in summer. I only ever lived in a place that has seasons, so I can not say how it would be for me in sunny California. If, over there I would only wear summery perfumes, but here and now, winter makes the most wonderful scents possible for me.

Not that Parfum Sacré is a heavy scent, it is a dark, spicy oriental, that initially smells like mulled wine to me. Its fruitiness is more pronounced indoors, although some days I get more of it, some days less (I prefer less), in the cold outside the drier aspects of the spices dominate.

It opens with a bright symphony of pepper, mace and citrus notes, instantly warming, but still bracing, and then develops into a smoky-sweet drydown, where myrrh and vanilla on a woody bed serve as a soft, sweetish but also a little dirty base. Orange blossom, Rose and Jasmine add a fullness in between, padding out the dry spices and woods.

Parfum Sacré gives me a certain calm, a quietness, but with an edge.

It has a festive and noble character. I wore it to church last Sunday and its quiet dignity combined with just a little non-church appropriate ideation, courtesy of the civet, I suppose, was a delight, cheering me up all the while. It is rich and full-bodied without being overbearing or ostentatious.

Notes include vanilla, myrrh, civet, cedarwood, lemon, pepper, mace, cardamom, orange blossom, rose, jasmine, rosewood. The Eau de Parfum was created in 1990 by Jean-Pierre Bethouart, but it smells a lot older. I mean that in the sense, that it fits perfectly in Caron´s line up of perfumes hailing from as early as the 1920ies.

This is a heavenly scent, with both feet firmly planted on the earth. Its sacredness is not ethereal and floating, but grounded in humanity. Flesh and spirit.

What could be more appropriate around Christmas time?

Picture sources: daddyo.typepad.com, preisvergleich.org, some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Caron, Fragrance Reviews, Oriental | Tagged , , , , , , , | 31 Comments