Perfume lives from its advertising. A smell is invisible, so you have to create something people can see, to make them desire, to ultimately make them buy your product. Hopefully the illusion does not break once the perfume is smelled.
In this case, the perfume is as iconic in smell as this short movie is visually. Enjoy!
This Moulin Rouge rip off is charming and it works – it makes me want to smell N°5 again.
Does it work for you too?
Here are three perfumes I tested in the past few weeks and couldn’t love at all . Sometimes there is no other solution than to scrub (and scrub and scrub, because did you ever try to get rid of a Tauer?)… I don’t want to offend anyone, these are my personal opinions only, and tastes are different…
Tauer Tableau de Parfums Miriam:
This is supposed to be similar in feel to the wonderful SSS Nostalgie, but on me, it is decidedly not. The drydown might be great, I wouldn’t know. I had to scrub it off every time I tried (and I won’t anymore), because the topnotes just make my skin crawl. It is such an unpleasant aldehydic fizz that is so pervasive my nose starts to quiver and tremble. Miriam is not for me and that was a huge disappointment indeed.
Miriam was created by Andy Tauer and includes notes of fresh citrus accord, geranium, violet blossom, rose, jasmine, ylang, violet leaf, lavender, vanilla, orris root and sandalwood.
Guerlain Floral Romantique:
Wow, such a perfume coming from the esteemed House of Guerlain as a part of an exclusive collection, takes some cheek. This is the most generic white floral to ever come from Guerlain, but it can be found by the dozen in other mainstream houses for a tenth of the price. It is one thing whether I like that perfume or not, but another, for Guerlain to sell something so unimaginative and repetitive, as an exclusive offering for a steep price. If I didn’t know and love so many other fragrances from Guerlain that I truly love, I would be very, very concerned about the future of this house. Catering to the masses is not the way to stay on top. Because – hello? this is a luxury business. The price alone does not luxury make.
Floral Romantique includes notes of mandarin, petitgrain, ambrette seeds, yerba mate, carnation, jasmine, lily, tiare flower, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, smoked tea, benzoin, chestnut and was created by Thierry Wasser.
Histoires de Parfums 1969:
Coffee in a perfumes makes me queasy. It was the same with Bond N°9 New Haarlem, and it is the same here. Maybe that is because I am an absolute wimp who never drinks coffee either… 1969 is a mess on me, an overthrown cafeteria cart, where coffee and juices and snacks are all jumbled together and clamor for attention. Wearing it makes me crave a cleanse and a zen meditation session. The spirit of chaos that the year symbolizes has been captured perfectly though.
1969 was created by Gerard Ghislain and includes notes of fruit of the sun, peach, rose, white flowers, cardamom, clove, patchouli, chocolate, coffee and white musk.
What are your recent scrubber discoveries? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
The two perfumes I will review today, Vert Pivoine and Noir Patchouli couldn’t be farther from one another in theme and feel. Like day and night would be a good comparison. Nonetheless I wanted to put them together.
It started out with the simple fact that they are grouped together with my new love Blanc Violette on the Histoires website as The Irreverents. And what Gerard Ghislain saw fit to put together, I shall not divorce.
But then when I started wearing them, they still stayed linked in my mind, I tended to wear Vert Pivoine during the day and Noir Patchouli in the evenings and as a sleep scent and it fit perfectly.
A quick side note: Histoires de Parfums offer 120ml bottles and 60ml bottles, the latter are pictured here, because I adore the half bottles they make. Look, it is half a bottle! That is very cute and goes to show what a bottle geek I am. There are also 14ml sizes available although not through their website and not anywhere in Europe as far as I could establish. Only US retailers seem to carry them for now, for example The Perfume Shoppe and Anthropologie. If you know of a European retailer who carries them I’d be thankful, if you let me know. Aside over.
Vert Pivoine:
Created by Gerard Ghislain, Vert Pivoine includes notes of peony, ivy leaves, rose water, mimosa, gardenia, rose berry, cedar, sandalwood and musk.
Vert Pivoine is a very bright and sunny perfume. Fresh (in the best way possible), floral, fabulous. I am not a huge fan of fresh rose perfumes (I like my roses dark and spicy) and despite this being centered on peony, to me it is one of the best rose scents I have ever smelled. Peony and rose together with leafy elements build a wonderfully uplifting and at the same time calming floral scent that is a delight to wear. Often in perfumes of this kind I like the first five minutes and then begin to fret and stamp my foot, wanting the cheeriness to go away, overly happy perfumes make me majorly cranky. (A good example is Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile). Not here. Vert Pivoine is not so upbeat that you think medical assistance must be at work, it is not cheery to the point of setting my teeth on edge, but it rather floats from its happy start into a lovely and interesting base that is still beautiful, but more wistful and contemplative and deep than you would ever give this kind of perfume credit for.
Seeing that is is supposed to be a short review, I’ll conclude by saying – I like it. It is a fresh floral without the endless fake cheer, but a pretty, no, even a beautiful character.
Noir Patchouli:
Noir Patchouli includes notes of patchouli, coriander, cardamom, floral bouquet, berries, musk, leather and vanilla.
Noir Patchouli is characterized as a unisex woody chypre. Patchouli is in the name and patchouli is what this is all about. My favorite patchouli is a very refined chocolaty one – Chanel Coromandel, the harsher, more rugged ones are not so much my thing. And while I would not put a full (or half) bottle on my wishlist, I enjoyed wearing this sample until I had nothing left. Maybe living rough does suit me after all. Because roughness is what this perfume evokes in me. It is raspy and scratchy, dark and rich. It reminds me strongly of another scent in the line, 1740 Marquis de Sade, as well as the interesting Olfactive Studio Chambre Noire (in feel, not smell). As it develops Noir Patchouli becomes sweeter, less harsh and more rounded, I can’t say I get much of the listed florals in the heart, but maybe that is what softens the patchouli and finally the addition of vanilla in the base gives it an almost tender touch, but the leather note holds against that, so it stays a rugged perfume after all and that is good.
Noir Patchouli is one of those perfumes that smell interesting on me and have a slightly disorienting feel for others. It is not a scent people expect on me, I rather enjoy that.
Noir Patchouli is also a perfume I find irrestistible and devastatingly attractive on a man. Just sayin’.
So Day and Night, those two diametrically opposed perfumes are both highly likeable, highly wearable and highly interesting.
So far I am very happy with my choices from this line and will certainly explore it further.
When little ignorant me tried N°22 along with several other members of the Les Exclusifs line a good while back, I thought, well that is just like N°5, so what is the fuss? But when N°22 started to develop into a base full of surprise and incense, I was quickly hooked.
Ernest Beaux created Chanel No. 22 in 1922, a year after N°5 and the same year yet another Chanel, No. 55, was released. The notes are aldehydes, white roses, jasmine, tuberose, lily of the valley, lilac, orange flower, orchid, ylang ylang, vanilla, incense and vetiver.
I don’t care for aldehyde-heavy perfumes most of the time, and also in the case of N°22, I prefer it when the sparkling show of dazzle and glamour the aldehydes bring, is over an hour into weartime. Then the real show begins.
N°22 for me, is a smooth and dignified pas de deux of incense and white flowers. The two dance slowly and with studied perfection, never losing eye contact, always moving in perfect synchronisation.
N°22 symbolizes elegance and refinement, but a considerable amount of warmth and sensuality is added by the incense that N°5 lacks. N°5 remains colder, more aloof and more reserved in contrast to this languid sister.
N°22 is by no means a relaxed perfume though, it demands that you are worthy of wearing it. Straighten up, wear your best dress, put every hair in place and smile. But when the evening is over, N°22 is there to put up its feet along with you. I prefer the drydown of course, but there is a time and a place for the controlled beauty of N°22.Rose Barbare is part of the L’Art et la Matière line, but it stands out, together with Cruel Gardènia as the only floral in the line. My favorites (Angelique Noire, Cuir Beluga and Tonka Imperiale are traditional Guerlainesque gourmand-orientals. Not so Rose Barbare. It is a rose chypre, characterized as “heady and incisive” by Guerlain.
In my opinion it is neither.
A soft, plush, dark and jammy rose it evokes the word delicious in my mind, and thus fits perfectly in the more gourmand direction of the others in the line.
Rose Barbare was created in 2005 by Francis Kurkdjian and includes notes of honey, rose and spices.
Rose Barbare opens spirited and lively, with a rose that is fresh and dewy. The spices are present, but very discrete and in the background. The longer it is on skin, the more prominent the base of honeyed patchouli becomes, darkening the rose petals. This rose morphs from pastel pink to deep fuchsia over time.
There are not many rose perfumes I love. Most of them are dark and heavily ornamented roses (Ta’if, Lyric, Mohur) no fresh, cute ones for me. Rose Barbare is not as dark and dense as those others, it is the freshest rose I have ever fallen for. If you want to compare, it is closest to another gourmand rose I have in my collection – Brulure de Rose by Parfumerie Générale.
It manages to walk the line between good cheer and thoughtful depth, between carefree sunshine and darkest night. It is a perfume of dusk and dawn, of the the times that bridge night and day.
A perfume that belongs to the space in between sleep and wakefulness. The place where dreams are still palpably near, but their colors are already fading. Where emotions are not yet entirely under rational dominion. A place very close to your true self.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp’d tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.
Prospero, The Tempest. W. Shakespeare
A perfume that makes me not only remember, but cite Shakespeare with abandon in front of toddlers, is by default considered a winner in my book.
What perfumes make you hear poetry in your head?
I was invited to talk at a Perfume Lovers Meet Up in London this spring, organized by the lovely Lila Das Gupta.
I will talk about my favorite fragrant subject – Amber.
So if you happen to live in or around London, I would love to see you there.
Seating is limited, so please sign up early!
On a different note:
I wanted to share this photo with you, this was taken in Vienna a few weeks back, when I met the amazing Neela Vermeire.
I look very weird here, sorry, but Neela looks just as lovely as she is in real life.
The release of her perfume line has impressed me and continues to do so. My only quandary – I have no idea of which of the three perfumes I should buy a full bottle, once my discovery set is empty…
Last week we took a look at my favorite actresses in roles I admire and what perfumes I would give them.
Now it is your turn:
Who is your favorite movie or TV character?
What is his/her signature scent?
Do you own that perfume yourself?
What aspect of this character makes him or her so adorable/admirable/covetable for you?
My Answer:
To refresh your memories, here are my personally perfumed movie idols.
A member of the Facebook Frangrance Friends group posted this video recently (Thank you, Joe!) and I wanted to share it as well. Enjoy!
Lovely! Isn’t it interesting that the application and usage tips are quasi unchanged then and now?
When I was asked to participate in this blogging project with Eyeliner on a Cat, Persolaise and Fragrant Moments, I thought that it would be easy to match perfumes to actresses. Boy, was I wrong!
I had a very hard time perfuming these stars, because I encountered the same difficulties sticking to just one perfume per actress as I have myself. Different moods, different perfumes – that is why I have a whole wardrobe.
But once I concentrated not on the person of the actress, but the role they were playing in a particular movie, things became more easy.
So here we go, here are my five choices for five lovely leading ladies…
Jennifer Grey as Baby in Dirty Dancing:
Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus: Baby is innocent and cute, and despite all the new experiences she makes during her stay at Kellerman’s that summer in the 1960s, she stays innocent and cute (plus she can dance!). OJ Osmanthus is cheery, lovely, cute and pretty, but not vapid in the least. Osmanthus, like Baby, has depth and intelligence (plus it makes you dance!). Baby sure has the time of her life wearing Osmanthus.
Grace Kelly in High Society:
There is a perfect choice for Traci Lord, cool and aloof heroine of this 1956 gem starring Grace Kelly alongside Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra: Armani Privé La Femme Bleue.
A rare beauty, expensive, elegant, cool and a bit remote, but warm and loving underneath, both Traci and La Femme Bleue are beautiful inside and out.
Audrey Hepburn in Sabrina:
Audrey in Paris, Audrey between two men, Audrey finding her way in the world, Audrey being as charming as only Audrey can be. In her role as the chauffeur’s daughter Sabrina, who goes up in the world and whirls through the hearts of those who took little notice of her before, nothing fits her better that the wonderfully quirky and cheeky Vero Profumo Kiki extrait. Sabrina is Kiki. Nuff said.
Nicole Kidman in Moulin Rouge:
Satine – courtesan in the famous Parisian establishment at the turn of the previous century, is not only a glamorous and over the top character. She is at the height of her beauty, she is in love, and she is dying of tuberculosis. Histoires de Parfums Moulin Rouge 1889 showcases the moments after the show, the feelings behind the curtains, the reality rather than the fiction. Satine wears 1889 with grace and glamour, with the bitter-sweet first-hand knowledge that all things must and will end. Come what may, we will love her until the end of time.
Lauren Bacall in How To Marry A Millionaire:
Lauren Bacall is known for starring in dramas, mysteries and thrillers, but I love her most in a comedy. How to Marry a Millionaire (1953) was the first comedy she played in and I love her stern and no nonsense character, divorcée Schatze Page, who tries to steer her more hapless friends played by Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe, towards marrying sensibly and rich, but ends up finding true love instead. The abrasive, world-weary and highly intelligent Schatze Page wears Vero Profumo Onda Extrait of course. Page cultivates an armor and Onda provides that, but underneath the veneer of snark and abrasiveness, a warm heart lies buried, just like with Onda. The sensuality is contained, but barely.
This excursion into old movies and beloved characters has turned out to be a lot of fun.
Take a look at my co-blogger’s fragrant movie tips:
Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh was what the three wise men brought to the baby Jesus in his manger. They were the most precious gifts of the time and although that may have changed over the centuries, I still would be happy to be offered either. A bit of Gold by Amouage for example, Frankincense I’ll take from Laurie Erickson and I’d welcome a little myrrh out of the capable hands of Pierre Guillaume any day. (Or anything he’d care to give me, really…)
Myrrhiad was created by Pierre Guillaume in 2011 and includes notes of myrrh, black tea absolute, vanilla and licorice.
Myrrhiad is the ninth perfume in his new line that launched earlier in 2011. Huitieme Art features eight other perfumes with very short notes lists. Expect reviews of the entire line in the coming weeks.
I was expecting a lot from Myrrhiad. It is known that I like resins a lot, and admire PG as a perfumer, so I wanted to be bowled over by Myrrhiad’s beauty.
I was not bowled over. Myrrhiad had a hard time living up to my expectations, I guess. But what got to me the most, was that Myrrhiad, from the very first whiff, is so very familiar. I know this perfume and it holds no surprises, that is what my brains wants to tell me.
That is not to say that Myrrhiad is not pretty, because it is. It smells something like this… (Please listen to the video below, while reading on!)
If you never before smelled a perfume of this kind before, you will be excited and probably fall in love. For those of us familiar with one or another myrrh, labdanum, amber, vanilla centered perfume, Myrrhiad doesn’t add much that is new and different to the genre.
It smells warm, cosy, comforting, comfortable, is highly wearable and lasts for a long time with slightly lower than average sillage.
Other than that it leaves me slightly at a loss. Nothing inspiring comes to mind, I don’t mind wearing it, but I don’t crave it and I didn’t miss it, once my sample was empty.
Myrrhiad is beautiful, like a swan gliding over still waters – a single swan, mind you! I happen to live near a lake where there are dozens, even hundreds of swans. That does slightly take away from appreciating their beauty.
If you don’t know many swans, Myrrhiad might make you very happy.
Olfactoria's Travels 