Olfactoria's Travels

People In Perfumeland – Christos Of Memory Of Scent

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Olfactoria

Christos, a Greek perfume lover and blogger is a scientist by trade who recently moved across Europe from Athens to Geneva, Switzerland, which is why his blog, Memory of Scent, is seldom updated these days. But when it is, it is always a fantastic read and his archives are well worth exploring. I admire Christos’s approach to perfume as well as his amazing photos.

A good day starts with… a cup of good coffee. And Toupée, my cat waking me up to be fed.

I’d never leave the house without… Perfume, what else? Lately I am making sure I also take an umbrella.

I always feel good when… I have something new to work on and something I expect in the mail.

My favorite thing in the world is… not a thing.

The next thing I want to buy is… Nasomatto Hindu Grass.

The place I always come back to is… having recently moved to a new country I try not to think in these terms.

My personal style is… intuitive.

My favorite perfume… changes according to the situation I am living. Currently, Jacomo Silences.

When I travel I always… feel frustrated. I need to have more 50ml bottles.

To relax I need… time for myself.

When I have a bad day… I need to switch off.

I like to gift people with… things they like but not need.

I find my inspiration… analysing why I feel what I feel.

Something I would never want to miss… moments spent with people I love.

My last mistake was… something I have already forgotten about. Mistakes are only deviations from the original course and sooner or later we are back in track.

In my fridge there is always… Swiss cheese.

On my nightstand I keep… my mobile. It has my music in it.

The perfect weekend starts with… sunshine.

My role model is… I am not very much into roleplaying.

Something I always want to be asked in questionnaires like this is… something I am afraid to be asked (the mistake question was a bit scary…)

I am getting the feeling that being a perfume lover and having cheese in the fridge at all times must be closely related. (A question for our dear Undina perhaps? 😉 )

A cat called Toupée is beyond cute and I can very much relate to the good feeling when something is due in the mail.

Thank you , Christos, for sharing your answers with us.

Do you know Christos’s blog? Do you always have cheese in your fridge too? 😉

Posted in Interview | Tagged Fragrance, Interview, Perfume | 30 Comments

So Much More Than A Rose – Review: Soivohle Perfumes Rosa Sur Reuse

Posted on March 18, 2014 by Olfactoria

G’Day Olfactoria’s Travels.

Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse here with a favourite fragrance in my collection. Sometimes I forget this fabulous beauty but whenever it comes out and gets some skin time I think that if I was a one scent person then this could very well be the one.

Rosa sur Reuse was created by Liz Zorn for SOIVOHLE in 2012.

Photo Stolen SOIVOHLE

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tuberose, red rose, red berries, parma violet, jasmine, lily, lilac, orchid, oakmoss, vanilla, woody notes and musk.

Wanna feel cool? How ’bout a big fat lazy sun drenched smile playing across your lips? Do ever just want to listen to music and dance around your house? These are what I feel whenever I spritz Rosa sur Reuse. A gorgeously full throated jammy red rose with sweet berry and a white flower bouquet playing back up. One spritz and I’m off with the fairies, no matter what else is going on.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The sweetness that opens is the most luscious stylisation of roses ever. Though it’s so much more than a rose smell, that kind of makes Rosa sur Reuse even more photo-realistic. You know when you are smelling roses in the garden? Even roses on the same bush at different times in their bloom or throughout the day will have quite distinctly different fragrances. So in my mind it says, “Maybe there is a moment when a real life rose smells EXACTLY like this.” Intoxicating and beautiful there is no mistaking that you’re wearing a perfume, even one spritz of this EdT is a dense scent, of course when I’m home I give it 2 on the chest and one on each wrist and then I am a WALL OF ROSES! Maybe this is what it smelled like in Sleeping Beauty’s enclosure?

After the initial fireworks burn off, around the one hour mark, I get a green-ness that I’m not quite sure where it comes from and speaks to me of fresh cut rose vegetation and maybe even the woody green scent of stem too. It bolsters the fruity rose and gives a new dimension to Rosa sur Reuse. As we head towards dry down, the woods and vanilla move in to replace the fruit with a soft focus warmth but my skin never lets me lose sight of the fact that this is first and foremost a rose soliflore. I get 5-7 hours of wear depending on the day and Rosa sur Reuse stays heavily fragrant until during its last hour it fades to nothing.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Liz Zorn is famous as an artist as well as a perfumer. Here is a trip that is as emotion, magical and as fun as one of her lovely paintings. I love this Independent Perfume house and there is so much to explore in their range: SOIVOHLE, pronounced SeeVoh, means: Sending Out Inspired Vibrations Of Healthy Loving Energy. I think if we all did that the world would be a better place.

SOIVOHLE has samples but my favourite way to buy is the $25/11ml

So you know SOIVOHLE? Who is your favourite independent crew?
Portia xx

Posted in By Portia | Tagged Fragrance, Perfume, Review | 13 Comments

Monday Question – Who Is Your Favorite Perfumer?

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Olfactoria

Do you have a favorite perfumer?

Someone whose work you follow?

Is there any one perfumer whose style pefectly fits yours?

Who is the one you would commission to make your dream perfume if you could?

My Answer:

It will surprise no one when I say that Jean-Claude Ellena is my favorite perfumer. His work for Hermès (L’Ambre des Merveilles, Rose Ikebana and… well, all of them really), Frédéric Malle (Bigarade Concentrée and L’Eau d’Hiver) and L’Artisan Parfumeur (L’Eau d’Ambre) are firm favorites.

I also always try to smell perfumes made by Vero Kern, Bertrand Duchaufour and Mandy Aftel. Of the new kids on the block, Viktoria Minya really stood out for me last year with her Hedonist, although it is too early to call her a favorite perfumer after only one fragrance, I look eagerly forward to anything she will create in the future.

Whose work speaks to you?

Who is your favorite nose?

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged Fragrance, Monday Question, Perfume | 65 Comments

Sunday, Foodie Sunday With Val – Fridge Cake

Posted on March 16, 2014 by Olfactoria

COOKIE QUEEN’S FRIDGE CAKE – No oven, no scales, no skills necessary!

There is always some eating disorder or another going on in my household. You know, high carb, low carb, no carb and so forth.

My son is a body builder and has spent the winter months “bulking”, which means eating around 5000 calories a day, and lifts heavy weights to build up muscle under the fat layer. As of Monday it is time to start “shredding” or “cutting”, which means an absolute change of diet. Not least of all “no sugar”. So it’s a good time to share a highly calorific, fat laden, sugar laden, no cooking necessary fridge cake.

Because it’s the last one until Christmas in this house. My 19-year-old daughter is naturally on a low fat, low sugar, low carb diet most of the time, but who can say no to this?She even helped me make it for the photoshoot.

INGREDIENTS

around 180 grammes of darkish 50% chocolate chopped into tiny pieces. A machete works well , but a large sharp knife is fine too.
around 110 grammes of butter
2 tubes of condensed milk (170g tubes) or one large can
around 280 grammes of butter biscuits/cookies/keks (Rich Tea, Bahlsen Butter Keks…)
1 loaf pan lined with greaseproof paper (any shaped pan works, but I find this best)

You don’t need to weigh this stuff unless you want to, just work it out roughly from the packets.

The ingredients

Please note if you use cheap and nasty chocolate it won’t magically turn into good chocolate, so always use the best you can afford.

METHOD

Chuck the biscuits into a strong plastic bag or ziploc bag and smash them into crumbs in whatever way is most satisfying to you. I use a wooden rolling pin. Fine crumbs are best. Put finished crumbs into a large mixing bowl.

Throw the chopped chocolate, the butter, (I cut mine into pieces) and all of the condensed milk into a microwaveable bowl. Put it into the microwave on a medium wattage. After thirty seconds take it out. Stir it well and put it back in.

Repeat until the stuff is beautifully liquid. Beat well to make sure there are no hidden bits or lumps.

Pour the whole lot into the crumbs that you have on the side into your large mixing bowl.
Stir it and stir it until everything is completely covered and you have a nice ball like mass.

Put this mass into the prepared loaf pan and flatten down.

Val’s daughter performing a quality check

Bung it in the fridge for about hmmm, four hours maybe.

At this point we need some more chocolate, say about:

100 – 120 grammes of chocolate, perhaps half milk, half dark? As you wish.

Melt this SLOWLY in the microwave in a small dish until totally melted.

Take the cake out of the fridge. Lift it out of the pan using the excess greaseproof paper.
Pour the melted chocolate onto it and spread out nice and neatly, dripping down the sides no problem.

As you can see in the picture I used a potato peeler to scrape a few strips of white chocolate onto the finished cake. ‘Coz it looks cool. Put back into the fridge for a while to set the chocolate. Eat when ready.

I cannot tell you how utterly delicious this is. It slices well because the condensed milk stops it from turning into a hard lump. But be careful, it is addictive. It never fails to impress, despite the über-simple ingredients.

If you keep these few ingredients on hand, you can throw this together so quickly. You need never say no to making a cake again.

Let me know how you get on. I just proof-read this to my husband who says he can make it blindfolded by now.

But I won’t hold my breath.

See you next month, where I will feature a vitamin or two.

Bussi
CQ

Posted in Food | Tagged Cake, Cookie Queen, Food, Fridge Cake, Recipe | 47 Comments

What The Husband Smells Like – Review: Hermès Bel Ami Vétiver

Posted on March 14, 2014 by Olfactoria

I cunningly managed to get the husband inside the Vienna Hermès boutique recently, because I needed him to try the new re-orchestration by Jean-Claude Ellena of Hermès’s classic men’s scent, Bel Ami (created in 1986 by Jean-Louis Sieuzac) called Bel Ami Vétiver.

Luckily the husband was -quite predictibly, I know the man – enamoured enough to buy himself an bottle and obviously befuddled enough from all the sniffing that he wanted to buy me a new scarf. Well, who am I to deny him his wish? 🙂 Both of us strolled out happily half an hour later, clutching our respective orange bags in our respective hands, buoyed by a feeling of happiness and lightness (the latter obviously thanks to the considerably lighter wallet).

Bel Ami Vétiver was created by Jean-Claude Ellena in 2014 and includes notes of cardamom, elemi, basil, carnation, iris, patchouli, Russian leather, vetiver, amber, civet, styrax and vanilla.

Bel Ami Vétiver is a beautiful leather scent, starting out spicy. rolling into a gorgeous floral bouquet and ending in an ambered leather lightened and freshened throughout by a smooth vetiver note.

The perfume reminds me very much of a sadly discontinued gem, Cuir de Lancome. That I compare Bel Ami Vétiver to a “women’s” scent, only goes to show that both are perfectly genderless and to be worn equally by men and women (see, how that makes my Hermès scoop even more cunning? This is a bottle for both of us, hehehehe.)

Longevity is very good, Bel Ami Vétiver stays with me for at least eight hours before fading slowly out of existence.

I was reluctant to wear my bottle of Cuir de Lancome regularly although it is my favorite leather scent, always painfully aware of its staturs of irreplacability. I worry no more. Bel Ami Vétiver is a very adequate, if less sweet, replacement and it comes in a gorgeous bottle to boot.

The New Scarf – Carré Cube by Henry d’Origny

I can say once more: Jean -Claude to the rescue!

Posted in Amber, Fragrance Reviews, Hermès, Leather, Spicy, Vetiver | Tagged Bel Ami, Fragrance, Hermes, Jean-Claude Ellena, Perfume, Review, Vetiver | 36 Comments

Getting to Know Arquiste – Reviews: Arquiste Infanta en Flor, Fleur de Louis and Anima Dulcis

Posted on March 13, 2014 by Olfactoria

By Tara

Until a recent bloggers’ jaunt that included Bloom Perfumery in East London, Arquiste was a hole in my far from complete perfume knowledge. I have since learnt that there are currently seven perfumes in the line which are all eau de parfum strength and come in 55ml bottles with a nifty invisible spray tube (current price £125). Established by Carlos Huber, a former architect specialising in historic preservation, Arquiste seeks to use fragrance to transport us back in time to a specific time and place in history.

I obtained samples of the following three perfumes:

Infanta en Flor

The time and place: June 1660, Isle of Pheasants on the Spanish-French border.

The moment in history: “Maria Teresa, the Infanta of Spain, is offered to Louis XIV in exchange for peace between the two nations.”

Notes include orange flower, bergamot, rose, jasmine, Spanish leather, cistus, immortelle, tonka bean, musk and benzoin.

First of all I get an incredibly top quality orange blossom accord which is positively swoon-inducing. Sunny, slightly soapy and natural smelling, a good orange blossom like this can be a thing of beauty. However, all too quickly the freshness fades and it turns to orange scented powder. Although it still smells good, I can’t help missing that radiant opening.

Even in the late dry down, I can’t detect the normally strident notes of immortelle and leather (although some others notice a very soft suede). I would have liked these two notes to be much more present and therefore act as a contrast to the powdered orange blossom. Infanta en Flor is an elegant and romantic perfume but not as striking and complex as I had hoped given the materials listed.

Fleur de Louis

The time and place: June 1660, Isle of Pheasants on the Spanish-French border.

The moment in history: “…in a golden aura of Iris, Rose and Jasmine, emerges a young Louis XIV, all starched and composed, eager to catch a glimpse of his new bride, the Infanta Maria Teresa.”

Notes include neroli, bergamot, cypress, galbanum, cloves, orange blossom, jasmine, rose, Florentine orris, amber, labdanum, cedar and vetiver.

Fleur de Louis is groom to the bride of Infanta en Flor. It starts with a brief splash of tart neroli and then a bouquet of fresh spring flowers (most notably hyacinth though not listed) with green foliage. It settles into a delicate white floral on a bed of powdery iris and pretty much stays that way. Fleur de Louis is refined, feminine and very spring-like.

Louis XIV was known as “the sweetest smelling monarch” because of his great love for orange blossom, but to my nose it is actually Infanta en Flor which showcases the note. Up close I can pick up a thread of floral sweetness in Fleur de Louis that is probably orange blossom, but it’s not distinct. It may not be ground-breaking but to be fair it is trying to re-imagine the fragrance of a by-gone era. Like the other two fragrances I tested, it is extremely long-lasting and very good quality.

Anima Dulcis

The time and place: November 1695, Mexico City.

The moment in history: “Deep inside the halls of the Royal Convent of Jesus Maria, a group of reverent nuns prepares a Baroque recipe of spiced cocoa.”

Notes include cinnamon, oregano, sesame, clove, cumin, jasmine, cocoa absolute, Mexican vanilla and chilli.

When we tried this at Bloom a couple of the others found it rather too light for their tastes and expressed a preference for the similarly chocolatey Parfumerie Générale perfume Musc Maori. Personally I find Anima Dulcis quite rich and more complex than the offering by Pierre Guillaume.

The first hit is savoury with soft spices and a scattering of dried herbs which remind me of the start of Ambre Sultan. The cinnamon isn’t of the jarring, spiky variety but a soft, sweet dusting which along with the chilli, clove and cumin gives you an overall impression of foodie spice.

The cocoa becomes more apparent as the spices settle. It is unsweetened, raw and powdered. A tender jasmine note works really well and doesn’t feel out of place at all. A smoky vanilla comes through more and more the longer you wear it. Perfect for warming you up on a cold day, Anima Dulcis is an interesting spiced gourmand which doesn’t give you toothache. I admire it a lot.

Have you tried any fragrances from Arquiste? What has been your experience?

Posted in Arquiste, By Tara, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Orange Blossom, Oriental, Resins, Spicy, Vanilla | Tagged Arquiste, Carlos Huber, floral, Fragrance, Perfume, Review | 28 Comments

People In Perfumeland – Carlos Huber Of Arquiste

Posted on March 12, 2014 by Olfactoria

Carlos Huber, born in Mexico City and settled in New York, is the creator of niche perfume line Arquiste that was launched in 2011. He is an architect, he designed interiors for luxury retail companies and turned to perfume in a bid to “recapture the olfactive notes of historical moments.”

You can read about his interesting journey in Jordan’s interview with Carlos on The Fragrant Man.

Today we want to take a closer look at the person behind the brand, away from the usual perfume talk. Let’s see what Carlos keeps on his nightstand!

A good day starts with... a good coffee, a good song, and a good splash of cologne.

I’d never leave the house without… putting perfume on.

I always feel good when… when the person I love smiles.

My favorite thing in the world is… a hug.

The next thing I want to buy is... a new swimsuit! I miss the sun!

The place I always come back to is… Mexico.

My personal style is… classic, with a twist.

My favorite perfume… is also classic, with a twist too. My current favorite is a new perfume I’ve created with perfumer Yann Vasnier.

When I travel I always… love exploring restaurants and trying the local fare.

To relax I need… an hour of jogging.

When I have a bad day… I get together with my friends, and I give them lots of hugs.

I like to gift people with… perfume of course- and books.

I find my inspiration… in history and architecture.

Something I would never want to miss… date night with my partner.

My last mistake was… embarrassing.

In my fridge there is always… champagne and hot sauces from Mexico. Strange- but they both coexist without ever coming close.

On my nightstand I keep… a Cire Trudon Merida candle.

The perfect weekend starts with… an early morning run!

My role model is… Perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux.

Something I always want to be asked in questionnaires like this is… What is the best thing about perfume? That it’s fun.

Photo by Kevin Tachman

Perfume is fun! So true! Thank you, Carlos for reminding us!

I cannot stand those long-winding, deadly earnest discussions about the doom and gloom that has befallen perfume and how it all goes downhill from here. Yes, I know the situation is dire, but there are so many great lines out there and so many people honestly caring for perfume and creating fabulous stuff despite all restrictions and regulations. We just have to go looking for them. Carlos Huber has created such a line with Arquiste.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for Tara’s mini-reviews of her favorite Arquiste perfumes.

What is your favorite?

Posted in Arquiste, Interview | Tagged Arquiste, Carlos Huber, Fragrance, Interview, Perfume | 30 Comments

Lemons To Lemonade – Review: Vero Profumo Rubj Voile d’Extrait

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Olfactoria

By Sandra

Sometimes life throws us lemons. My answer to that is always try to laugh at it not just make lemonade. But sometimes that does not work very well. I have to improvise at times and also lay off the chocolate so I turn to perfume. Neroli and orange blossom scents are known to evoke a happier place. I on the other hand have always turned to tuberose or jasmin to lift my spirits. Now I have a perfume that is so utterly perfect it is almost genius.

I have said it before and I will say it again – Vero Kern from Vero Profumo has perfectly stunning perfumes and now they are in the concentration of Voile d’Extrait.

A couple of years ago I read Birgit’s reviews of Vero Profumo perfumes in extrait. I immediately ordered the sample set of all three (at the time) extraits and fell madly and deeply in love with Rubj. The only problem was that after I ordered the bottle of extrait, I left it standing on my dresser for fear of running out of the beautiful perfume.

Here comes the Voile! I was thrilled to learn of the new launch and immediately bought a decant to see if it lives up to the extrait version. On first spray I was immediately transported to the first time I tried the extrait and have been wearing this quite regularly. It lifts my spirits instantly and centers me.

Notes include:
Bergamot, mandarin, neroli, orange flower absolute, tuberose, jasmin, cedar, mousse de chène and musk. (as noted on Cafleurebon and on Bois de Jasmin.)

Rubj is perhaps the most perfect happy perfume for me. It is an orange blossom scent with swirls of tuberose and jasmine. Rubj makes me feel all dressed up and ready for a night on the town. This is a hypnotically luscious perfume which brings an instant smile to my face.

If I think about it, I believe that Rubj is aptly named. Ruby the precious stone is available in all facets of the red spectrum. Red is such a warm and inviting color – it also means luck and good fortune to many. This is a red perfume as best as it comes. It is voluptuous and warm. But what is so wonderful is that this perfume does not screech in its wake. It warms on my skin and in the later dry down stage, it is more of a skin scent.

When I first spray Rubj Voile d’Extrait I get mostly neroli and orange blossom. It is almost – can I say – delicious. The tuberose and jasmin are beautifully blended and it becomes a red bouquet of tropical flowers. A few hours in the bouquet is still lush but quieter, closer to the skin. There is a very soft hint of musk intertwined with the orange blossom and tuberose.

Sublime.

Posted in By Sandra, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Musk, Orange Blossom, Tuberose, Vero Profumo | Tagged Fragrance, Musk, Orange Blossom, Perfume, Review, Tuberose, Vero Kern, Vero Profumo | 23 Comments

Monday Question – What Is Your Fragrant Spring Fling This Year?

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Olfactoria

What new or new to you perfume has captured your attention for spring?

What kind of perfume do you crave once the sun comes out?

What is this season’s spring fling?

My Answer:

Mine is Hermès Eau de Narcisse Bleu as you heard last week, but I also find Jo Loves N°42 The Flower Shop (take a look here) an ideal spring addition (thank you Lady Jane Grey!). A lovely scent evoking the fresh smells of a flower shop (yes, the name is a dead giveaway), fresh, green, watery, delicate – all the things Jo Malone knows how to do well.

What do you like to smell in springtime?

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged floral, Fragrance, Hermes, Jo Loves, Monday Question, Perfume | 61 Comments

Blog Sale! Guerlain, Dior And More!

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Olfactoria

I am once again streamlining my collection and hope to find a good home for the following perfumes:

Sale List March 2014

all with box, only a few sprays missing unless otherwise noted.

Parfums de Nicolai Juste un Rêve 100ml EdT < 90% full 70€

Juliette Has A Gun Lady Vengeance 50ml EdP only 2 sprays missing 50€

Penhaligon’s Amaranthine EdP 50ml, only a few sprays missing. 50€

Please email me under olfactoria at gmail dot com with your wishes. First come (and pay), first serve, I cannot reserve perfumes, sorry.

Shipping (insured, with tracking) is 15€ per package, no matter how many perfumes you buy. These are the minimum actual costs I pay at the post office, most of the time it is higher, but I’ll cover that. Unfortunately it is not cheap to ship anything larger than a piece of paper these days. 😉

The list will also be posted as a page – Perfume Sale.

Posted in Ramblings, Shopping | Tagged Fragrance, Perfume, sale | 4 Comments