Out Of The Box – Mainstream Mini-Reviews Part 4

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Olfactoria

Here comes Part 4 of the fondly received Mainstream series. (Read up on Parts 1, 2 and 3 here.) My sample box has been replenished somewhat in the past months, somehow I never have trouble at all procuring the latest and greatest of the department store treasures flung at us every two weeks, without even trying. Okay, brace yourselves, dear readers, here we go…

CK One Shock for her: Is certainly aptly named… Coming out of my initial shock, I ask myself, isn’t it kind of beside the point to make his’n hers versions out of the first official unisex fragrance??? The idea of these flankers alone, incenses me (word used in a decidedly unfragrant context here). But the recipe is easy: Take a bottle of One and add a generous dollop of vanilla, et voilá, CK Shock for her. (Do the same with a bracingly masculine marine and leather accord and you get “for him”.)

CK One Shock for him: Packaged in fetching black and acid green green graffiti style (Man, I am getting way too old to even be in the demographic any more, is 35 the new senior? Or is this a retro 80s packaging and I am just to dense to get it?), this gem was long overdue on the market. It fills a hole of customer’s needs as vast, as its marketing strategy is thought through.

Marc Jacobs Bang Bang: An incredibly creative name for Bang’s first flanker, isn’t it? I might wait for Bang Bang Bang, but until this comes out in six weeks, I am perfectly happy with Bang Bang to deliver all my non-descript blah-perfume needs. Wait, that is a bit harsh, Bang Bang is actually an acceptably nice pepper heavy, wood scent, I just don’t quite see where the difference to singular Bang comes in, besides the repetition. It is too harsh a review, I seem to be taking my cue from all the pepper pepper.

Diesel Loverdose: My, my we are on a roll namewise… Loverdose clearly has a very witty godfather and like the very same, it makes an offer you cannot refuse: the promise to keep you perfectly blended with the masses, one of a legion of clean and fresh and foody smelling jeans afficionados (nothing against jeans, mind you). Notes include mandarin, star anise, gardenia, jasmine, licorice, vanilla, amber and wood. Loverdose promises to “ignite a passion like never before”. Does it do that? Sure! Why not? It certainly does so loudly and clearly and relentlessly. (L)overdose, alright.

Roberto Cavalli: I won’t even go there. I can’t. Just can’t.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her Musc Edition Intense:I liked this one a lot, less screechy top, more musky bottom (that last doesn’t sound so good, when I put it like that 😉 ) than the original and a beautiful shimmery bottle. Might seek out another sample.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her Eau Delicate Eau de Parfum: A limited edition flanker to the classic For Her, this is as the name aptly states, more delicate. The emphasis is on florals, and not the screechy orange blossom of old, but rather a spring-like bouquet of something or other. It is a tad un-inventive and I have already forgotten what I wanted to say next.

Kenzo Ki Beneficial Water Sensual Rice: This is officially no perfume but a water based skin care spray. Well, the ingredient list states alcohol as it first ingredient. Not so skin caring, but rather lovely smelling. Sensual Rice smells of sweet, steamed rice and holds up for a lot longer than I would have thought. It puts some of the Chanel Exclusifs to shame when it comes to wear time. I am sucker for rice notes in perfume, so this is a lovely discovery.

Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche: I have a hard time giving this a fair chance. (Pun fully intended.) It is to the rest of Chanel, like the round bottle is to the square ones – it does not match. Aside from that, it is a vague, greenish, fresh musky something, I would expect in a shampoo. I would not mind my shampoo to smell like that actually, and I would probably find one that does without searching for very long.

Chanel Chance Eau Tendre: A more floral, pinker, more girly version of the above, this is even worse. Hard to believe, I know…

Agent Provocateur L’Agent: I like this. Davana, pink pepper, ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, patchouli, sandalwood and amber – sounds good, smells good too. Although I perceive L’Agent in two distinct parts, top and base. Both are very nice though. I would wear this if a bottle fell into my lap. There might be a full review of this coming.

Dior Hypnotic Poison Eau Sensuelle: a flanker – one of the 37 (or thereabouts) in existence – to Hypnotic Poison, itself a flanker, Eau Sensuelle is a more wearable, softer version of a grand white floral on an almost-gourmand oriental base. Not my thing, but not off-putting either, I get the feeling it has been made for those too intimidated to wear the original these days, as it has a less intrusive sillage and a less challenging personality. Compared to the girly-fruity perfumes for the 12-14 set, it is a roaring, raring to go diva though.

So, another round of mainstream perfumes down. I do not intend to make fun of mainstream perfumes per se, but then I start smelling in earnest and there is nothing I can do… out comes the snark. I don’t want to incense anyone, it is just my personal opinion after all, and your own is just as valid.

But I see how it is hard to make a decent perfume, when most of the budget goes into marketing and the launch party costs more than the perfumer gets, in all probability.

But of course there are some very decent fragrances in the mainstream to be found as well. If you are willing to look long and hard, that is.

Image source: Galerie Lafayette via absolut-paris.com


Posted in Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , | 35 Comments

And The Winner Is – Malle Giveaway Winner Announced

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Olfactoria

I think the participation to win a Carnal Flower decant is testament to the special position this perfume has among connoisseurs. We all know it, most of us love it and many went for the chance to win some.

Not to forget the heavenly Ouris, which I see as the find of the year.

Unfortunately there could be only one winner…

Random.org helped me choose the lucky one, and so a the 5ml decants of Frederic Malle Carnal Flower and SoOud Ouris go to

Madina

Congratulations!

Please contact me with your details within a week, if not, I will draw another name.

The next Bottle of the Month and with it the next giveaway, are not far…

Posted in Frederic Malle, Giveaway, SoOud | Tagged , , | 10 Comments

The Scent Of Innocence – Review: Jo Malone Blackberry And Bay Cologne

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Olfactoria

Am I a great Jo Malone fan? No. Honestly, while I always loved the visuals of the brand, I used to look down on the perfumes from my undeserved, little Perfumista pedestal as cute, but uninspired. My, how arrogant can I be?

I fell for one Jo Malone scent before, and that was Sweet Milk, a part of the discontinued Tea Collection, but other than that, my experience with the line is limited.

I’m still of the (only a bit less snobbish) opinion, that not all perfumes in such an extensive range are great, and from the PR Jo Malone does, it is clear they are positioning themselves more as a lifestyle brand, something beauty editors love, but they don’t look at the niche Perfumista community as their part of the market. But that is just my feeling, I could be wrong of course.

I tried Blackberry and Bay more out of a sense of duty – I was there, the tester was there, a quick spritz and I moved on. I didn’t move very far though, because what was there on the back of my hand was intriguing enough, no, was lovely and enticing enough, for me to go back and purchase a 30ml bottle on the spot. I have not regretted it one bit.

Blackberry and Bay was created by Fabrice Pellegrin and includes notes of blackberry, grapefruit, bay leaf, blossoms, vetiver and cedar wood.

“Inspired by childhood memories of blackberry picking. A burst of deep, tart blackberry juice, blending with the freshness of just-gathered bay and brambly woods. A scent of innocence.”

-from the Jo Malone website

Blackberry and Bay is not the sickly sweet fruity concoction of berries and sugar, you might expect. It is a fresh, green and utterly enchanting perfume.

A sprightly blast of grapefruit starts the show, soon a dark-green coolness spreads, leafy and a bit twiggy, the fruit appear now: succulent blackberries, fresh from the bush, not yet entirely ripe, still more green than fruity-sweet.

Blackberry and Bay smells incredibly natural, not like a roomspray, but like sticking your nose right into a blackberry bush.

Despite being a happy and comforting fragrance, Blackberry and Bay has something darkish.

It’s late afternoon or early evening, nightfall is around the corner. You have been out in the woods for the entire day, you are happy, bone-tired and your skin has that distinct fresh smell of the outdoors. The light is slowly failing and the air is getting cool, the first shivers run down your spine and you start thinking about that sweater your Mom wanted you to take. But before you turn your back on the woods to go home, you deeply inhale for one last time.

Thanks to Jo Malone for bottling that last deep breath of a beautiful day.

Image source: beautesse.at, Mount Kearsarge from Artist’s Brook, 1856 by Benjamin Champney
Posted in Citrus, Cologne, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Fruity, Green, Jo Malone | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 52 Comments

Monday Question – What Is The Best Perfume To Make A Good First Impression?

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Olfactoria

Which perfume would you wear for a job interview?

Which one for a first date?

What perfumes are projecting an ideal version of you?

How would you like to be seen by others and which perfume smells like that?

My Answer:

My “I’m an intelligent and competent person, please hire me!” perfume is Chanel’s 31 Rue Cambon or – a mainstream scent with the same feel – Bottega Veneta.

On a first date, I would go a slightly different route, in addition to being perceived as intelligent, I’d like to add touch of “She’s pretty!” and for that I use Parfums MDCI Rose de Siwa or Guerlain’s Rose Barbare. For the third date (or thereabouts) I’d ditch the pretty and go for sensual, something like Frapin 1697 or Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan worn in moderation, would work just fine.

When I think about idealized versions of myself, when I try to conjure my inner Grace Kelly for instance, I wear Armani Privé La Femme Bleue, my inner Femme Fatale is released by the inimitable Rubj by Vero Profumo.

There is also a perfume that helps when I don’t feel confident, when I’m vulnerable but need to be anything but: this is where my suit of armor comes in – Onda. There is nothing quite like Onda to inspire confidence.

What are the perfumes that bring out your best side? What makes you shine?

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged , , | 56 Comments

Curves – Review: Guerlain Shalimar Ode A La Vanille Sur La Route De Madagascar

Posted on October 5, 2012 by Olfactoria

Guerlain’s ten-word-long flanker to its classic oriental Shalimar, just recently came out as a limited edition. Shalimar is a perfume I like it almost all its many incarnations, and I also own the first Ode a la Vanille, that came out in 2010 and featured “infused” vanilla from the island of Mayotte.

This new edition features Madagascan vanilla and was created by Guerlain’s in-house perfumer Thierry Wasser.

The classic Shalimar features notes of mandarin, cedar, bergamot, lemon, jasmine, rose, iris, patchouli, vanilla, benzoin, peru balsam and leather. All I could find for the new Ode was: spices, balsams and Madacascan Vanilla (via parfumo.net)

Ode a la Vanille sur la route de Madagascar (shall we call it just Madagascar for the sake of brevity?) will surely make every Shalimar lover happy.

Deep, smoky, with a feeling of “noir” (REAL noir, dear Chanel!) and the accent on the basenotes, Madagascar is truly bewitching.

Upon spraying we are hit with the familiar bergamot-lemon-cream opening, which is very sweet and almost reminiscent of Eau de Shalimar, the lighter, summery version of Shalimar. It dissipates after a while to showcase a smoky vanilla-leather in a big way. That is a kind of preview of things to come in the drydown. The sillage is very big at the beginning, but after half an hour it shrinks back (to my relief actually, I will remember to spray this on a good while before I have to leave the house!) to more comfortable levels. Now the floral heart becomes apparent, always with an undercurrent of dry patchouli, smoky leather and sweet benzoin.

Wrapping this arrangement like a soft, but warm cashmere throw, is the vanilla. Dark, spicy and nuanced, this is far from your run of the mill sweet ‘n happy vanilla. It is complex and alluring, it shows depth and sensuality, but it still manages to be roll-your-eyes-back-and-curl-your-toes delicious.

What are the differences to the 2010 edition of Ode a la Vanille?

Ode a la Vanille 2010 on the left and Route de Madagascar on the right.

The latter opens with a sharper, brighter lemon note, it is a tad sweeter as it develops, creamier, a bit more gourmand, it is softer, less smoky and less leathery. But we are talking nuances here. The differences are not dramatic, but noticeable.

I think Ode a la Vanille, in either version, is a very well done perfume and a splendid addition to the Guerlain line. It reworks and updates a classic in a respectful way and thereby helps to keep the legacy of such a venerable house intact.

I wrote in my review of the 2010 edition that Ode a la Vanille made me feel like a real woman, two years on I’d like to specify that a little:

Shalimar Ode a la Vanille sur la route de Madagascar adds curves where there are none and replaces a frown with a smile. It makes me feel like Joan Holloway, and that – at least certain times – is not a bad feeling at all.

Ode a la Vanille sur la route de Madagascar is available in 50ml Eau de Parfum in a special box (oh, I wish all Guerlains came in those!) I believe distribution is limited, similarly to the first edition (which is broader than the exclusive line though, at least here in Europe). It is available at Place Vendome for 96€.

Image source: allure.ru, my own, bestwallpaper.com
Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Guerlain, Oriental, Vanilla | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 56 Comments

My Favorite Colour – Review: Chanel Les Exclusifs Beige

Posted on October 4, 2012 by Olfactoria

My recent run-in with springy white florals in general and Chanel Gardénia in particular, brought my attention to another (off-)white floral in the Les Exclusifs line – Beige.

Named after one of Coco Chanel’s (and my) favorite colors, Beige manages to be elegant and very Chanel, while at the same time being young, carefree and – yes, people, I’m saying it – a fruity floral.

Beige was created by Jacques Polge in 2008 and includes notes of hawthorn, freesia, frangipani and honey.

Beige opens almost loud, definitely present and very perfume-y. It shinks back over time, but don’t underestimate that opening, or you could get quite uncomfortable in the morning commute.

A sweet floral bouquet at first, with decidedly fruity aspects, Beige dries down to a soft, musky skin scent that sweetens your skin and seemingly melds into it, making what is left of Beige after a few hours, almost good enough to eat, definitely good enough to wanting to get close to.

I won’t speculate about the price-value issue here, because if you love it you will buy it anyway and if you don’t, you won’t. I have stopped discounting something because of price, if I want it I’ll save for it (I do draw the line at 500 GBP for the latest Armani Privé though).

I won’t be buying Beige, but I will enjoy wearing my mini now and again and if I run out, we’ll see…

Beige is easy to wear and doesn’t require any kind of effort, but smells very put together and refined, just like the most comfortable garments do.

Coco knew about the power of beige – there is a lot of elegance to be found in understatement.

Image source: chanel.com, myvintagevogue.com
Posted in Chanel, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Fruity, Honey, Jasmine, Les Exclusifs de Chanel, Musk | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

Happy Cologne Day – Jo Loves Giveaway Winner Announced!

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Olfactoria

Lady Jane Grey not only gave us a great, informative post about Jo Loves perfumes last week, but also was so generous to hold a giveaway.

Among the many entrants, random.org has chosen one lucky winner who will receive 5ml decants of Jo Loves Pomelo, Green Orange and Coriander and Shot of Thai Lime over Mango.

Congratulations to

SonomaVelvet

Please contact me at olfactoria at gmail dot com and I’ll pass the winners details on to Lady Jane Grey who will send the decants after October 8, since she is now on vacation (the lucky woman!)

Thank you all for participating, the next chance to win something will come soon. (Don’t forget to enter the Bottle of the Month Giveaway, if you haven’t already).

Posted in Giveaway, Jo Malone | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Oh Happy Day! – Review: Roja Parfums Scandal Eau de Parfum

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Olfactoria

A perfume called Scandal, a big white floral – that does sound like everything I don’t want. Loud, in your face, scandalous, I can’t help but associate these thoughts with Scandal.

But on the other hand, I know Roja Dove’s work. His Unspoken is in my all-time favorite Top Ten list, his Danger is indeed dangerous for your wallet and my husband wears his Puredistance M every day. So Scandal sure deserves a trial, no matter my unfounded preconceptions.

Scandal was created by Roja Dove and includes notes of bergamot, muguet, orange blossom, freesia, rose, jasmine from Grasse and tuberose, sandalwood, orris, balsams and musk. It is available at Harrods, London, at the Paris Galleries in Dubai or at the Roja Parfums website.

Scandal is misnamed. It is neither scandalous, nor is it loud, big, brash, blatant, booming, intense, heavy, strident, cloying, in your face or particularly strong. I could go on with the adjectives of things it is not, but you get the idea.

So what is Scandal then, if not scandalous?

I concede that Scandal opens a bit flashy with a sparkle of bergamot and muguet, but that recedes soon. A soft orange blossom and a gorgeously cuddly tuberose make up the heart, mixing and mingling with rose and that gorgeous inimitable Grassois jasmine Dove uses, and stay with you for the day almost, supported and enhanced by a soft base of sandalwood and musk.

To my nose and sensibilities, Scandal is a happy perfume. Warm and embracing, soft and enticing, a bit seductive and surely smiling, a thoroughly happy perfume. It never fails to imbue my day with a smile from the first spray. It manages to convey its friendly disposition onto me and those around me.

It may sound like an overstatement, but my days are better when I wear Scandal. I’m more relaxed in the mornings, I cut my boys a bit more slack, I am more able to see the funny side of things, I let things go, that I would otherwise raise my ire. I go with a swing in my step and my smile comes more easily.

But whenever I’m asked what I wear, which is surprisingly often with this one, I say it is Roja Dove’s white floral.

I just do everything to avoid the Scandal.

Image source: rojaparfums.com, knowyourmeme.com
Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Roja Dove, Roja Parfums, Rose, Tuberose | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Monday Question – What Is Your Favorite Leather Perfume?

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Olfactoria

Do you like leather perfumes?

Do you enjoy the slightly rough and tough image of many leather perfumes?

Which one is a must try in your opinion?

Which house does leather best?

What is your absolute favorite in this category?

My Answer:

I used to be afraid of leather, since I associate it with cars and cars used to make me motion sick, it is better since I drive myself, but still, the smell of cars (leather, plastic, exhaust fumes and gasoline) makes me cringe. But I managed to separate leather as a note from that unfortunate conglomerate and really enjoy it on perfume by now.

My favorites are Chanel Cuir de Russie, Cuir de Lancome for elegant floral leather compositions, Armani Privé Cuir Noir as an almost-gourmand leather, Bottega Veneta and Guerlain Cuir Beluga for their suede softness, and Guerlain Songe d’un Bois d’Eté for days when I feel brave and fearless, but not courageous enough for Mona di Orio Cuir.

What are your leather choices?

Posted in Chanel, Lancome, Leather, Monday Question | Tagged , , , , , | 106 Comments

Bottle Of The Month: September – And a Giveaway!

Posted on September 29, 2012 by Olfactoria

The bottle of the month for September was technically bought in August, but we won’t be sticklers for detail here, since I believe a 5ml decant of Carnal Flower is hopefully still interesting for many.

I bought my bottle at the lovely store of Profumeria Sacro Cuore in Bologna (see my account plus photos here) and now you have the chance to win a bit.

But since I also bought SoOud Ouris this month and can’t stop raving about it, I’ll throw in a 5ml decant of that as well.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment letting me know what your favorite flower is and/or your favorite perfume featuring it.

Tweeting or sharing this post on Facebook gets you an additional entry. The giveaway is open worldwide until October 4, Midnight GMT, and the winner will be announced on the blog on October 5.

Please be aware that I cannot be responsible for the doings of the post office and can’t replace lost packages.

Good luck everyone!

Posted in Giveaway | Tagged , , , | 98 Comments