Quick Lift – Review: Hermès Eau de Pamplemousse Rose

Posted on November 9, 2010 by Olfactoria

I am aware it is November and what I am reviewing today is by no means a classic fall fragrance, but nonetheless, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is what I want to talk about today.

Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is from Hermès’s Eau de Cologne series, created by in-house perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena in 2009. There are three Eaux in this series, Eau de Gentiane Blanche and the classic, thirty-year-old Eau d’Orange Verte being the other two.

Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is a summer fragrance, a bright, airy, happy, sprightly, exuberant little gem of a scent. It is uncomplicated without being simple, fresh and uplifting, but also of a certain depth and profundity (a far as this is possible in an Eau de Cologne).

So why am I getting this out of storage on a rainy, grey November day? Well, exactly because it is a rainy, grey November day. Usually such a day would call for something ambery warm, dark, rich and enveloping like a cashmere blanket, but sometimes all such a day needs is artificial sunshine in the form of a fragrance able to warm me up through its sheer lightness of being.

Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is exactly that.

Starting with a burst of pink grapefruit (synaesthetically this is a light color exactly between pink and yellow for me) along with a whiff of rose and some lemon-orange mix, it is effervescent and joyful.  Sadly this initial burst is gone soon, inevitably, but what is left is still recognizably grapefruity. The aromachemical rhubofix is more noticable now, bringing a fresh rhubarb note into play, that along with the rose reminds me a little of Rose Ikebana, but with the focus on the citrus not the rose.

The drydown is soft and lingering if faint, as is to be expected for a scent of this genre.

It is available in 100ml and 200ml Eau de Cologne.

Eau de Pamplemousse Rose can be trusted to revive the spirits, even if the rain keeps falling.

Picture sources: blotycoon.com, hermes.france.com some rights reserved, thank you!
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Home, sweet Home…How I scent my surroundings

Posted on November 8, 2010 by Olfactoria

Do you scent your home as well as yourself?

In the times before I grew into appreciating fragrance I always had a scented candle at home (mostly vanilla scented ones from Ikea, that admission is a little like a wine connoisseur stating that he used to drink supermarket wine from a carton), but they collected dust without being lit often. And aside from the occasional cheap room spray for the bathroom (which is an absolute necessity when you live with three men, the one in diapers not even counting yet) my home was scent free. Dark times indeed…

Well, now after having developed an appreciation for all things fragrant, things are quite different. Every room sports a diffuser, candles abound and the kitchen even gets special treatment.

Let us start there:

In my kitchen I actually use real scent to give it the ambiance I like, I use Comptoir Sud Pacifique Eau de Voyage Vanille Amande.

It is a wonderful marzipan vanilla scent, that would be way to sweet for me to use on myself, but as a room spray it is amazing, even my olfactorially challenged husband commented favorably on it. And it is quite long-lasting, one spray is sufficient for the day. It gives the kitchen an air of warmth and comfort.

For the other rooms I use reed diffusers, since burning accessories are not a great idea with two small children in the house, candles are only for quiet times in the evenings (and I mean the entire ten minutes, before I fall asleep;)).

There is lavender in the bedrooms, cinnamon in the dining room, lilies in the living room and uplifting bergamotte in the office. The bathroom gets fig leaves. I get my room scents from L´Occitane, they offer a wide range of home fragrances at affordable prices. They are longlasting and do their job nicely, but I can still dream about this, can´t I…

All these fragrances are comforting and make me smile whenever I go by and catch a whiff. I never knew how important scent could be in my life. I draw comfort, or strength, joy or calmness from them. I always knew on a theoretical basis how important and powerful scents can be in evoking feelings or memories, but the experience is something else still.

I am glad having discovered fragrances for myself as an important resource for wellbeing. A great perfume or even home fragrance has the power to calm, restore, uplift or fill me with simple joy, and that works whether I want it or not, whether I am in a good mood or have a bad day, whether I look good or like I haven´t slept through the night in four years. (which, incidentally I haven´t ;))

Smell is such an underrated and underappreciated sense, having “discovered” it now, is like seeing colors for the first time after a lifetime of black and white.

Picture sources: loccitane.com, editionsdeparfum.com, bettdirect.de some rights reserved, thank you!

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Cold Comfort – Review: Ormonde Jayne Tolu

Posted on November 6, 2010 by Olfactoria

I used to abhor fall and winter. The cold, the frequent wetness, having to wear tons of clothes…
Since I am interested in perfume though, fall season is great! All those wonderful scents that need the cold to shine, aaahh, bring on the snowstorms, I am ready.


One of these fragrant cashmere shawl equivalents is Tolu by british perfumes house Ormonde Jayne. Its founder and perfumer is Linda Pilkington. Ormonde Jayne have a wonderful store in London, should one be fortunate enough to live there, all the rest of us can visit the very nice online boutique, that offers a great introductory kit with samples of all the available scents. A wonderful thing, I wish every company did that! The feel of the whole line is very luxurious and tasteful, I like the visual presentation, that is worthy of the juice inside.

Tolu belongs to the family of Orientals.
Which is tricky for me, mostly I avoid them, because it is very easy to be overwhelmed and outperformed by them. Since I am blonde, pale and slight, I always get attributes like ethereal, which is nice, I guess, but it doesn’t exactly predispose one to wear something like Ambre Sultan. Usually I am more of the Ellena/Giacobetti school of thought. I don’t relish being worn by my perfume, and this category is notoriously hard to master. Tolu and I, though had a very harmonious relationship from the start. The top notes are orange blossoms, juniper berries and clary sage according to the company. For me the orange blossoms stand out the most, almost from the start though,the resinous base is quite present, tolu, tonka bean, frankincense and amber. Of the flowery heart notes (moroccan rose, muguet and orchid) I do not get much, it is the warm, ambery richness of the base that dominates throughout. The base is well rounded, soft and smooth, with a hint of powder cushioning and mellowing the resins. I don’t detect too much smokiness, that incense notes normally bring (which tends to put me off, I am no big fan of incense), another plus in my book.
Weartime is excellent, 12 hours at least, the extreme drydown is dark, soft and almost chocolatey, without being overly sweet, hmmm, wonderful.
I would love to explore the scented Tolu body products Ormone Jayne offers, especially the oil sounds scrumptious. It may well go on my christmas list.
Ultimately, Tolu is a very wearable, warming, comforting and plush fall scent, even for “anti-orientalists”.

picture sources: nycblogs.com, fragrantica.com, some rights reserved, thank you!

Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Ormonde Jayne | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

One Of Many? – Review: Guerlain Idylle

Posted on November 6, 2010 by Olfactoria

Sometimes the mainstream beckons and I follow.

Idylle is the latest release of the esteemed House of Guerlain, the first by in-house perfumer Thierry Wasser. It was fraught with lots of high expectations, since the last few Guerlain releases were woefully lacking in the opinions of many, especially in comparison to the wonderful classics from Guerlains past.

Despite not really loving the bottle (and I say it here unashamedly, I am a very visual person and a nice bottle – or an ugly one – can make or break it for me, at least it decides whether I want to sniff something, what happens then is a different story.), I tested Idylle recently, since I got a sample at my local fragrance counter.

I was not expecting to like this, that is why it took me months to even bother to break out my sample, but – surprise! – it is good. Not earthshatteringly so, but decidedly good. BUT (yes, big but) unique it is not! It reminds me (and strongly!) of Narciso Rodriguez For Her as well as Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely. Now that isn´t a bad thing, since I like both scents very much, I wore NR For Her for years, before I got into niche fragrances, but one would expect something unique and unmistakable from a Guerlain, wouldn´t one?

I like this fragrance, even to the point of contemplating to get the small size, but still…

It is somehow dissapointing that Guerlain played it safe and made something sure to be appreciated, because it has been done before, because it has been successful before. The house has so many extremely outstanding perfumes in its past, that to go the safe and unimaginative path instead of blazing a trail of excellence as it would behove a big player like Guerlain, is just sad.

Picture sources: eisen.huettenstadt.de, guerlain.com, bristografitti.blogspot.com, some rights reserved, thank you!

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Scents of Horror – Review: Serge Lutens Miel de Bois

Posted on November 5, 2010 by Olfactoria

This is going to be a series of posts about my not so successful forays into the land of perfumes. Scent is individual, of course, we can’t all like the same things, and that is fine. So, hopefully offending no one, these are my personal foes.

The honor of being the object of Part 1 should go to the Master, the great Serge Lutens, revered by many (including me) for his prolific work of excellence, but in such extensive a universe there ought to be a few sour apples. Which one am I talking about?
Miel de Bois!
My God, on me that is a scrubber if there ever was one.

I read a lot of negative reviews about it, nary a good one, but I had to try for myself, obviously. Well, sometimes the majority can be trusted. It is a sweet, cloying, urine-yellow (synaesthetically speaking) mess on me. The overdose of honey is such a strong presence, only one spray dominates the room instantly. Even my nine-month-old was visibly startled and began sniffing the air. I could only stand it for a few minutes, than had to scrub it off (and you need something strong, too!), so I’m sorry that I cannot say anything about the scents development. But that would defeat the title of this post anyway!

Notes include ebony, gaiac and oak wood, honey, beeswax, iris and hawthorn (according to Now smell this). It was created by Christopher Sheldrake in 2005, and is available only in the bell jar at the Palais Royal Shiseido in Paris (it was included in the export range for a limited time a few years back, it is still available at most resources that feature Serge Lutens export line, I wonder why).

 

With this post I do not want to trash any perfume, nor do I want to criticize anyone’s tastes, it is just my opinion (this being my blog after all). I just feel it is a more rounded picture to also write about fragrances I did not love, than only about the winners. Because we all encounter those we would like to love, but can’t, don’t we?

See you tomorrow!

image source: fragrantica.com, galleriemarianne.de some rights reserved, thank you!
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One Rose – Review: Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle Une Rose

Posted on November 4, 2010 by Olfactoria

My husband discovered a third response to fragrance yesterday evening, just as I was accusing him of having only two in yesterdays post. Upon being asked for his opinion (what was I thinking anyway?!) he stated “All these perfumes are totally similar, one is just like the other, and that is probably because they are from the same range!”. And all that with the unwavering conviction of someone who knows what he is saying. Okay. (Just so you know, I let him smell Une Rose and L´Artisan Parfumeur´s Bois Farine!)

On to more serious pursuits:

Une Rose was created by Eduard Flechier for Les Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle in 2003. For me this is the reference rose I compare all others against (even Demi-God Serge´s Sa Majeste la Rose). Why? Because it is the perfect rose, one single perfect flower, from the softest, dew-covered petals down to the dirt still clinging to the roots, bottled for eternity (well, almost when stored properly).

Une Rose starts with a bright, fresh burst of “happy” rose, a little geranium for freshness and a tinge of green, a little citrus, all innocently enough. But soon it starts to develop and that is no wallflower, it is UNE ROSE, so now one would start to regret overspraying. One spritz is sufficient to last the work day. It smells like a rose in full boom, in bright sunlight, you smell the green of the rosebush, the earth, slightly damp, dark and cool. It smells alive. Divine. Une Rose is not a rose fragrance of the sweet, feminine kind, no prissy english maiden in sight, but more of a robust, self-confident french woman over thirtyfive, with an awareness of her dark side.

The drydown is ambery, darkish, with remnants of rose lingering for a very long time.

Une Rose is a perfume for days when I need strength, it anchors me, without weighing me down. It is outstanding, beautiful and unique.

And I´m sure this is the first review ever where Une Rose is mentioned in one sentence with Bois Farine. (Thank you, Honey!)

Picture sources: fragrantica.com, Wet Rose by Giiid some rights reserved, thank you!
Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Frederic Malle | Tagged , , , , , , | 12 Comments

On the Fence: Do I love thee? – Review: Annick Goutal Vanille Exquise

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Olfactoria

There are lots of fragrances I like, they are loved and cherished, talked to (yeah, well…) and nowadays blogged about; there are those I do not like at all, that leave me a bit disappointed, as I might have had high hopes for them but are easily dismissed, and have the added benefit of money saved.

But then there are fragrances that don’t easily fit in the love/hate category, the ones I can’t seem to make up my mind about.
My husband has only two responses to a scent: “Get that away from me now!” or “Hmm, it’s good. I guess”. That philosophy works for him and lets him be loyal to one scent (appointed by me) for years. That being no option for a bona fide perfume nut like me – I experiment.

Those “on the fence” scents draw me in time and again. I sniff them, wear them, try to form some kind of opinion, come to some conclusion, get frustrated and throw them in the back of my samples drawer, then, a few days later, I start over. They have aspects I love and aspects I can’t stand, neither being enough to firmly settle the fragrance in one category.
One such perfume is Annick Goutal’s Vanille Exquise. It is named innocently enough, one expects a straightforward gourmand fragrance, but that is is not.

From the beginning two notes fight for supremacy, angelica (together with smoky, incensy benzoin) and vanilla.

That is where the dilemma starts, vanilla I love, angelica – well, not so much (there are exceptions, F. Malle’s Angeliques sous la Pluies comes to mind or Guerlain’s Angelique Noire). Vanille Exquise shifts those two notes around forever. Angelica as a fleeting topnote I could take, if the vanilla gets a chance to shine later, but it never goes away completely, at times vanilla seems to win, then it is gone again, angelica and benzoin still omnipresent.

These notes keep me from getting my comforting, warm vanilla fix, they are a constant jarring presence, like a draft in a cozy room or a badly tuned instrument in an ensemble. So why not just let it go, giving in to not liking it, writing it off and moving on? Because it holds me in thrall! It challenges me, it is not quite what I want it to be and does not apologize for it. Ultimately it turns out to be much more interesting, than plain, old vanilla could ever be, if left to its own devices.

In the end I’d rather be challenged by a scent, than have something that is “Hmm, good. I guess.”

Picture sources: vt-fiddle.com, picasaweb.google.com, my-opera.com some rights reserved, thank you!
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Plum Wine? – Review: Hermessence Ambre Narguilé

Posted on November 3, 2010 by Olfactoria

I always associate scents with colors. It happens every time, I synaesthetically assign a smell to a color. I already reviewed a pink fragrance (Rose Ikebana), an orange one (ELdO Like This) and today I am in the mood for purple!

Interestingly, I expected Ambre Narguilé, realeased as one of the first four Hermessences by Jean-Claude Ellena, to be totally different. I´ve read lots of reviews and articles about it, I thought I had it down pat (from the notes and descriptions) as a BROWN scent. All this talk about cinnamon, apples, cloves, foody associations galore, I was sure I could imagine exactly how it would smell, and that I would love it. I finally obtained a small travel bottle and – surprise! – the first sniff instantly revealed a different color for me, PURPLE. This scent was purple to the core. No apples for me, almost no cinnamon, what I smell is chinese plum wine. I´m sorry if this is heresy, but I do. And I still love it.

Ambre Narguilé is very different from my expectations, but it is a beautiful scent none the less. It opens with a boozy burst of (I racked my brain, but I can´t come up with any better impression than) plum wine. Soon a darker, almost chocolatey note steals in and expands, warming the scent and deepening it. Whiffs of cinnamon float around the edges. Finally the drydown, lasting the entire day on me, is a more dry amber, less gourmand. It feels soft, and warm and cozy, I constantly want to rub my nose in it. It is supposed to represent cashmere and that is a perfect simile, one could cuddle up in front of a fire with a good book with this scent blanket, this purple scent blanket.

For fall and winter it is a perfect match to keep out the cold, just like plum wine is, actually. 😉

Hermessences are exclusive to Hermes boutiques.  Ambre Narguilé is available in 100ml and 4x15ml Travel Set.

picture sources: fragrantica.com, commons.wikimedia.org, dailyasiaessen.de some rights reserved, thank you!

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Book Review: Quintessentially Perfume

Posted on November 2, 2010 by Olfactoria

Perfume interests me in all its incarnations, even if it is unsniffable in the form of a book.

Quintessentially Perfume is a recent publication from British Quintessentially Publishing and can be obtained through their website. www.quintessentiallypublishing.com

It is edited by perfume afficionado Nicole Grainger and contains a foreword by the inimitable Roja Dove and articles by various journalists (including Chandler Burr!) about almost everything pertaining to perfume. History of the art of perfumery, bottle design, how to create a fragrance wardrobe, a wonderful article about the language of perfume, etc. The book doesn’t reveal lots of facts that a perfume fiend doesn’t already know, but it is still nice to have it all in one place, and set up visually nice to boot.

The middle section comprises of an introduction to various perfume houses, mostly niche but some quite mainstream (Estee Lauder is a big presence with many labels). And here is what I don’t like so much about the book: This section reads like the pure PR storytelling it in all likelihood is. One gets the feeling of reading a company sponsored marketing leaflet, not a well edited book with a unique viewpoint. I can almost see the financial subsidizing the various represented houses gave to the publisher in return of unaltered blurb. But that is only my personal opinion of course.

The rest of the book is again very rewarding to read, interviews with many perfumers like Olivia Giacobetti, Geza Schoen and others that reveal interesting facts about them and their wonderful creations.

The book is well made and aesthetically pleasing, so if you don’t mind the hard sell in the perfume house chapter, it is a great addition to the perfume lover’s library.

picture sources: quintessentially publishing, cooperativeindividualism.org; some rights reserved, thank you!

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A Hint Of Pink – Review: Hermès Hermessence Rose Ikebana

Posted on November 1, 2010 by Olfactoria

Today the weather has taken a turn for the better. It is warmer and the sun is out, so I am in an entirely different mood for fragrance than yesterday when I was enjoying Like This.
I am wearing Hermes’s Rose Ikebana, one of the boutique-exclusive Hermessences. There are currently nine fragrances in this line that are created by Hermes in-house nose Jean-Claude Ellena. He is one of my favorite perfumers, most of his creations, especially the recent ones are of an ethereal, soft and minimalistic quality, that I enjoy immensely. His perfumes are the equivalent of elegant and simple garments, that are comfortable, elegant and expensive, but let me feel like myself.

Rose Ikebana is a light and airy rose. Starting with a citrus burst, the rose emerges softly and weightlessly, I also smell fresh rhubarb and a tea note. It is easy to wear, undemanding, uplifting, a pink rose on a day in spring.
I love it for it’s lightness and unpretentiousness, for me it smells like the color pink, a soft, light pink, like ballet shoes.

A line like the Hermessences invariably entices me to want them all. Imagine them, all the identical bottles lined up prettily in my perfume closet, just belonging together, it would be unfair to separate them. I dream of a leather coffret with all the scents united in small sizes, sigh.

Well, wouldn’t that be a great idea as soon as there are 10 different ones, that is a nice, round number. (A box set to celebrate, Hermes, a good idea, no? Think about it, pretty please?)
For now, I really look forward to smell Number 9, Iris Ukoiye soon. When I do, you’ll be the first to know.

Hermessences are available in 100ml or 4x15ml Travel set exclusively in Hermes boutiques.

picture sources: panathinaeos.wordpress.com, fragrantica.com, some rights reserved, thank you!
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