The Sea, The Sea – Review: L’Occitane Mer & Mistral

Posted on July 7, 2015 by Olfactoria

Hi there Olfactoria’s Travellers,

Portia in the OT house from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse (and now writing for My Perfume Samples too).

It must be hotting up in earnest on that side of the world right now while we are gripped in the middle of a very mild winter here in Sydney, seriously there are still people walking around in shorts and flip flops. I thought I’d look at a fragrance I discovered last year through the shower gel. My mate Lesley who works at L’Occitane passed me the shower gel and asked me to try it and though that salty ozonic seashore scent has been off my radar for a while here it hits all the right buttons.

Mer & Mistral by Karine Dubreuil for L’Occitane en Provence

Mer & Mistral L`Occitane FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, tangerine
Heart: Cypress, pine, rosemary
Base: White amber, cedar, musk

I love the opening few heartbeats of Mer & Mistral, imagine a sweet lemon drink that has a salt rim. Not boozy, pure fruit but the salt rim adds this wonderful xing and sizzle to the citrus and they gently fizz against each other as the citrus turns pithy and the woods and greenery make their way majestically into the heart of the fragrance. Imagine crossing a 1990s/2000s ozonic sport fragrance with a really good cologne. Both sides of these two generally masculine genres pulled together to create a simple, elegant and wearable fragrance that feels balanced and much more expensive that these 75ml L’Occitane Collection de Grasse bottles are.

Menton, Aussicht vom Boulevard de GaravanPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

As a body wash I find the scent invigorating and strangely reminiscent of gym changerooms but only as a passing reference, not an exact replica. That cool, fresh, aquatic and ozonic reminder of days gone by that seems to be making a happy resurgence currently in a more sophisticated guise for lovers of the fresh all day salty tang.

While Mer & Mistral does skew towards what we traditionally are told to view as masculine I can imagine a woman wearing it so beautifully on those days when she would like to be reminded of, or pretend to have knowledge of, yachting on the Mediterranean. It has excellent longevity and projection is average to small meaning a fabulous spritz & go daily wear scent perfect for the summer months. I am wearing it in our winter in Sydney and it’s also a perfect foil to the cool.

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Further reading: Beauty & Lifestyle Hunter and Australian Perfume Junkies
L’Occitane has a page where you can find a store or order online anywhere in the world

Have you realised the salty ozonic is coming back? Are you cool with it or running a mile?
Portia xx

Posted in Aquatic, By Portia, Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Cologne Writ Large: Review – Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle Cologne Indélébile

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Olfactoria

By Tara

Eau de Colognes have always seemed rather uninspiring to me. They don’t feel full of promise the way perfumes do.

They are a practical pick-me-up rather than something to make you swoon. Cologne Indélébile (“Permanent Cologne”) may not whisper a tantalising story in my ear, but it is surprisingly luscious.

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Cologne Indélébile was created by one of the most renowned noses in the business: Dominique Ropion. Frederic Malle has worked with him on a number of fragrances for Editions de Parfums including Carnal Flower and Geranium Pour Homme.

Released this past April, the notes for Cologne Indélébile include bergamot, lemon, narcissus, orange blossom, neroli and musks.

It’s in the style of classic colognes in as much as it has a simple, largely linear structure. You really have to like orange blossom to like Cologne Indélébile because it’s orange blossom for 12+ hours. Rich, slightly syrupy and a little heady, it contains all the best parts of that gorgeous material.

It’s top quality stuff and the updating lies in its exceptional radiance and staying power. Don’t expect twists and turns or novel accords – you won’t find them here. Cologne Indélébile was modelled on the traditional cologne and should be approached as such. If you thrive on complexity, you may be left wanting.

In the early stages, the orange sweetness is cut through with slashes of sharp lemon. Cologne Indélébile wouldn’t be very cologne-like if it didn’t start off with that trademark citrus zing.

After an hour or so, it’s orange blossom all the way. There’s neroli and bergamot in the mix but the orange blossom is what gives it body. Unfortunately I don’t get any narcissus.

Whereas last summer’s Eau de Magnolia extended the cologne’s top half with the addition of a chypre base, Cologne Indélébile uses musks – four “technical” musks to be precise.

I was rather apprehensive when I heard this because my musk comfort zone is extremely small. However, to my surprise, the musks fail to make an impact on me. They are apparently mostly of the white variety so perhaps I’m just anosmic to them. Those who do get them, seem to find them extremely voluminous.

Whereas colognes usually feel attenuated, Cologne Indélébile feels substantial. It has great heft but manages to feel weightless. It combines the transparent feel of a cologne with the potency of a parfum.

Of course, this is not a new concept in niche – thik Atelier Cologne or Mugler, but no one has done it with this degree of quality, volume and longevity.

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I can see Cologne Indélébile coming into its own in hot weather. It will mirror the sunshine and keep you beautifully scented from morning well into the night, without ever feeling overwhelmed.

This is supersized cologne for a modern generation.

Have you tried Cologne Indélébile yet?

Posted in By Tara, Citrus, Cologne, Fragrance Reviews, Frederic Malle | Tagged , , , , | 26 Comments

Monday Question – Please Complete This Sentence: When I Travel I Always…

Posted on June 29, 2015 by Olfactoria

Happy Monday!

It is the last week of school here and travel plans come closer and closer, so today I want you to answer a question a bit differently.

Please complete the sentence:

When I travel, I always….

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My Answer:

When I travel, I always…

… freak out an hour before leaving.

… take at least seven different lip balms/glosses etc. with me, one in every bag or pocket.

… dare to wear clothes I would not wear at home (e.g. dresses).

… feel much more grown-up and sophisiticated than usual.

… check my wallet and passport more often than I would anyone want to know.

… can be certain that I forgot at least one crucial item.

… am reluctant to leave and just as reluctant to come back home when it’s over.

… think a lot about which bag to bring beforehand – and I don’t always get it right.

… get giddy with excitement thinking about the great food I’m about to eat every day.

… fret over my selection of perfumes to bring and always end up wearing something unexpected the entire time.

What do you do when you travel?

 

Posted in Monday Question, Travels | Tagged , , , | 39 Comments

Storing (And Travelling With) Hermès Scarves

Posted on June 26, 2015 by Olfactoria

Today I want to show you how I store my scarves and what I use when I take them with me on trips.

I have talked about the fabulous MaiTai Collection several times already in connection with my Hermès scarf hobby and today some of her practical and beautiful items are in the spotlight. I think of MaiTai as an Hermès support shop. 🙂

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The “pochettes” are linen or cotton pouches for silk scarves. Here you see the three pochettes that hold almost my entire collection.

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Above is the Toile de Jouy scarf travel pochette. It can be used for travel or just to keep your scarves safe at home, it saves a lot of space too.

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The inside with Phoenix Mythiques peeking out. There are six “pages” where scarves can be inserted, you can also put scarves in between, taking the capacity up to ten.

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Fully loaded. 🙂

Next up is the carré pochette, seen here in taupe linen. It is designed for carrying in your handbag so you can safely store your silk scarf whenever you need to take it off, or for (very) short trips when you take only one or two scarves. (Yes, scarf people are just as crazy as perfume people!)

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The bigger of the two is the shawl pochette, it does the same for your large sized H goodies, shawls or GM silks.

Inside is an additional zipper pocket for smaller scarves and small compartments to put in your scarf rings – genius!

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The two filled with 45 and 70 silk scarves and my pareo, respectively.

I used to use them for travel only, but the other day, I felt compelled to visually clean up my scarf drawer and put them all into the pochettes, where they are nicely tidied away.

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This is my H silk drawer with the pochettes in place. Shawls, GM silks and my red mousseline stay “unpacked”.

I hope you enjoyed this peek into Scarfland today.

How do you store your scarves?

Posted in Hermès, Scarf Collection, Scarves | Tagged , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Floating Petals: Review – Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola

Posted on June 25, 2015 by Olfactoria

By Tara

Neela Vermeire Creations refract different aspects of India through the prism of French perfumery. The result is a quality collection of striking and evocative fragrances which are equally refined and complex.

PICHOLA on WHITE

The inspiration for Neela’s latest creation (released in April of this year) is the mesmerising Lake Pichola in the city of Udaipur, Rajasthan. In the centre of this picturesque body of water sits the Lake Palace, which was the summer retreat for a succession of Maharanas.

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Tops notes for Pichola are cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, juniper, magnolia, neroli, clementine and bergamot. The heart contains orange blossom absolute, rose absolute, tuberose absolute, sambac jasmine and ylang-ylang. The base comprises benzoin, sandalwood, driftwood and vetiver.

I generally don’t get on well with white florals and feared I might struggle with Pichola. However it has actually turned out to be the NVC fragrance I’ve found the most enjoyable and wearable. Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour has kept this floral with oriental touches, sheer and airy.

Juicy clementine and dewy flowers laced with soft spice makes for an enticing mix. Pichola combines those three elements with such a light touch; they seem to dance like sunlight bouncing off glassy water. It feels full without being in the least bit heavy.

Pichola possesses both radiance and serenity along with the line’s trademark opulence. It hints at the grandeur within the Palace walls as well as the tranquility of the lake that surrounds it.

Please don’t imagine that Pichola is aquatic and cold because it isn’t. It’s undercut by a warm current rising up from beneath the surface.

Moving into the heart, the seamless blend of tropical flowers are in full bloom. There’s a wonderful creaminess to the petals which lack any indoles or screech. I don’t register tuberose however I do keep thinking I smell coconut which may well be a facet of the natural absolute.

Gentle, pliable woods and vanilla tinged benzoin make up the smooth base. The effect is warm and cushiony but stays soft and elegant. I can still detect lingering fruit, floracy and spice.

There’s something very romantic and almost wistful about Pichola. It is lush and dreamy, like petals floating on still water. It never feels cloying despite having outstanding, all-day longevity.

It possesses a calmness and delicacy that many perfumes in this category lack. So even if you are normally put off by white florals or haven’t yet found a NVC fragrance to suit, it is well worth exploring.

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I can see why Pichola was released in the spring because it has that fresh feeling of renewal which comes after deep reflection. All the same, I’ve no doubt it will flourish in the heat of summer.

What do you think of Neela Vermeire Creations? Have you tried Pichola?

See Olfactoria’s reviews of Bombay Bling, Trayee, Mohur and Ashoka.

Posted in By Tara, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Neela Vermeire Creations, Tuberose | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments

A Perfect Gift – Review: Olympic Orchids Deluxe Set

Posted on June 23, 2015 by Olfactoria

Hi there fellow Olfactoria’s Travelers,

Portia with you all the way from Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse (and now writing for My Perfume Samples too). Today we are looking at one of my all time favourite Independent Perfumers, Ellen Covey, and how she has made Gift Giving so easy. Now the page says Holiday Gift giving but this pack can be given any time and for any reason and it comes with a coupon worth $25 toward the purchase of any 30 ml parfum spray in the new Olympic Orchids packaging. WOW!! Let’s see….

Deluxe Holiday Gift Set Olympic Orchids

Deluxe Holiday Gift Set Olympic OrchidsPhoto Stolen Olympic Orchids

What do you get?

1 x 5ml each of three of Ellen’s best sellers Ballets Rouges, California Chocolate and Olympic Rainforest
1 x full-sized Patchouli Lover’s soap
1 x one-ounce bottle of Amber-Labdanum all-purpose bath/body/hair oil
1 x Coupon worth $25 toward the purchase of any 30 ml parfum spray in the new packaging

How much? $45

Ballets Rouges is one of my all time favourite Olympic Orchid frags a lavish rose chypre that is both green and dark. I have extolled the fabulosity of Patchouli Lovers soap and how it creates an amazing base far any of your fragrances with patchouli or to heighten the depths of poor reformulations, also how smooth and silky it leaves my skin.

Amber/Labdanum bath oil needs only 5-6 drops to scent your bath and to nourish your skin while you soak, I wish Ellen sold these solo in 100ml bottles because it is so freaking good. The most perfect base for anything that has amber/vanilla/resins in the base, unbelievably good, and you can use it through your hair as a nourishment treatment too.

Deluxe Holiday Gift Set Olympic Orchids gift-box PIX1861 PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

From the Olympic Orchids site:

What do you get when you cross a neuroscientist and an orchid grower with a perfumer? You get a line of fragrances as unusual and diverse as the trillions of circuits make up the brain or the thousands of orchid species that bloom throughout the world’s jungles. These are perfumes for thinking people who love an intellectual challenge, but they are also perfumes for passionate people who love to exist in the moment, allowing themselves to be swept away by whatever form of beauty captures their emotions. They are extraordinary perfumes for extraordinary people.

What better way to remind someone, or yourself, how special they are? And so reasonably priced too.

Olympic Orchids has the Deluxe Holiday Gift Set for $45

Have you tried any of the Olympic Orchids? Were there any that particularly blew your trumpet?
Portia xx

Posted in By Portia, Floral, Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

Monday Question – (Where) Are You Going On Vacation This Summer?

Posted on June 22, 2015 by Olfactoria

Do you get to travel this summer?

If you can take a break, where will you go?

Stay-cation or far-flung destination?

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My Answer:

I am looking forward to four fabulous things this summer.

First, in three weeks time, we go for a spontaneous – we just decided yesterday – short trip to Italy to the hotel we went to for the past five years with the kids, since this is not our main plan this year, we became nostalgic and decided to go just for a weekend, as a surprise for the boys. So don’t tell them! 😉

Next up is Tara’s visit. She loved Vienna so much that she is coming back, we are sooooo looking forward to that. To make things perfect, we travel to London with Tara on her way back. We’ll show the boys the British capital for the first time.

Then our main vacation is coming in August. Along with another family, we rented a Villa in Tuscany with a huge pool. It will be excellent!

We are really fortunate that we can take all this time off.

What about your plans? Let me know what your summer will be like!

Posted in Monday Question, Travels | Tagged , , , | 25 Comments

From Siberia to Samovar: Review – Masque Milano Russian Tea

Posted on June 18, 2015 by Olfactoria

By Tara

Russian Tea made several bloggers’ Best Perfumes of 2014 lists and having a fondness for tea fragrances myself, I was keen to check it out.

Masque Milano was started by two young Italians, Riccardo Tedeschi and Alessandro Brun. The collection represents “the opera of their lives” with each scent having an Act and a Scene number.

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They launched their first fragrance in 2013 and Russian Tea (Act 1, Scene III) is their fifth.

It includes notes of mint, black pepper, raspberry, black tea, magnolia, everlasting flower, leather accord, incense, birchwood and cistus labdanum.

Russian Tea sets out to tell a story from the 18th Century about camel caravans transporting tea from the East to Europe via Russia. It was said that the cold, dry climate of Siberia imparted a delicacy of flavour to the tea, which was unloaded onto the snow-covered steppes each night. It was also believed that the leaves were infused with smokiness from the campfires.

Perfumer Julien Rasquinet also sought to encompass the warmth and comfort of the Russian tea ritual. The leaves were brewed in a pot and a little of this concentrate was poured into cups. Hot water was then added from a samovar (a traditional metal urn) with sweetness coming from sugar, honey or raspberry jam.

However, these tales are likely to be largely the result of romanticism. In her post In the Search for the Perfect Berry: Raspberry, Undina tells us she has no knowledge of these fables about “Russian tea” despite growing up in that part of the world.

Backstory aside though, what is the fragrance actually like?

Well, for a start, it is actually leather rather than black tea which constitutes the body of the fragrance.

I was apprehensive about the mint and I can’t say I found it an enjoyable experience, although it didn’t last long. The opening stage is bracing spearmint over smoky birch tar.

Russian Tea settles into a gently spiced, soft smoulder with enough sweetness to counteract any bitterness. I find it comfortable to wear however it’s less cosy than Tea for Two. It has that seat-by-the-fireside warmth but it is also evocative of a cold starless night in the hinterlands. It’s quieter and lacks the strong cinnamon overlay of the L’Artisan.

The labdanum comes through in the base and works well with the smoky leather.

I was really looking forward to the raspberry note but sadly I fail to pick it up.

I find the lasting power is excellent while it has a fairly moderate level of projection. I would say it leans towards masculine, particularly in the beginning.

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Russian Tea possesses a mysterious mood and is distinctive without being loud or showy. I would have preferred to get raspberry infused tea but it is sophisticated in its mellow, enigmatic way.

Have you tried this or any of the other Masque Milano fragrances?

Posted in By Tara, Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , , | 29 Comments

A Cosmopolitan Woman – Review: The Different Company I Miss Violet

Posted on June 16, 2015 by Olfactoria

By Sandra

Bertrand Duchaufour is one of my favourite perfumers of all time. Whenever a new perfume is released that he has created, I scramble to the computer and order a sample as quickly as possible. In fact when I started down this perfume rabbit hole I was initially concentrating on Duchaufour creations.

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A few years ago I discovered the world of leather fragrances and have fallen deeper down the hole than I ever thought possible. Taking into account the sheer number of perfume releases in any given year year and that 2015 is bringing a couple of leather perfumes on the market it is such a pleasure to find a beautiful creation like The Different Company’s I miss Violet which is quickly turning into one of my favourite fragrances of the year.

I have always dreamed of living the jet-setting life – haven’t we all? Well, Violet is a world traveller – jetting from Paris, to Venice and on to Hong Kong with a signature fragrance. Does Violet have lovers scattered throughout the world – dreaming of her and her scent trail? What kind of a perfume would somebody like this wear? It has to be elegant, classy, not too sweet and memorable.

Bertrand Duchaufour wanted to create a modern violet (floral leather) perfume and he certainly succeeded in doing so with I miss Violet.

The notes list is long and complex and I will leave it out so I don’t get tempted to pick apart each note and so you, dear reader, won’t be swayed one way or another. I will however cue you in on some of the notes but not all of them.This is a perfume worthy of trying so if you will allow me please let me explain to you my experience.

On first spray I am noticing that I miss Violet goes on chilly – not smell but temperature. This has the comforting effect of cooling my skin (which by the way works beautifully in 30+ degree weather with no AC). The perfume opens up slightly floral and fizzy – imagine a champagne vibe to it like sipping a glass of Bollinger where the bubbles provide a taste of subtle fruit and florals. There is an undertone of earthy notes (no fruit) so that it is not an over the top fizzy opening. This phase lasts a good 45 minutes and then some florals arrive on the scene.

The florals are not as the name suggests violet centric, in fact I do not get much of violet at all. There are several florals intertwined which makes this a winner for me. I get a dash of iris and some fresh notes but most importantly for me I get osmanthus which I adore. It is a waxy osmanthus feeling that I experience. The osmanthus intertwined with iris and the champagne accord are swirling intoxicatingly and the perfume then starts to feel like suede – the most supple suede you can imagine.

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I miss Violet is a beautiful floral leather perfume and when I have my pennies saved I will be purchasing a full bottle.

Please do chime in and let me know if you have tried I miss Violet or if you would like to. Also I would love to hear what new leather fragrances you have recently tried which I should explore as I cannot seem to get enough of them.

Posted in By Sandra, Fragrance Reviews, The Different Company, Violet | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Monday Question – Which Perfume, If Any, Do You Use When It Is Really (Really!) Hot Outside?

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Olfactoria

In the heat of summer, do you still wear perfume?

Which perfume(s) are ideal for hot and muggy weather?

Do you have tips for cooling fragrances?

Or do you go for blooming sillage in the heat and use your “big” perfumes?

  
My Answer:

I love orange blossom when it is warm, but when the heat really hits, as it has over the past week here in Austria, I go for refreshing citrus scents, Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is a favorite as is the perennially great Chanel Eau de Cologne. My best way to smell lastingly of orange blossoms is to apply Diptyque’s Lait Frais bodymilk in the evening, it lasts beautifully until morning.

It seems like the heat has broken this morning and I am happy, as I am not a great fan of heat… 😉

How is the weather in your part of the world?

How do you cope with great heat?

Posted in Monday Question | 48 Comments