Leather Rose – Review: Juliette Has A Gun Citizen Queen

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Olfactoria

Like Guerlain Insolence, Citizen Queen got its moment in the limelight when I was on the hunt for a rose violet perfume after unintentional exposure (resulting in a small obsession) to Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle.

On the first sniff, it is clear that we are approaching the scene from an entirely different angle here.

But first things first: Juliette Has A Gun is a bit too whimsical for me, although the packaging is lovely, I do not care for the brand image very much. I had success with my very own Marlboro Man though – Calamity J. On the other hand a sniff of the new Vengeance Extreme sent me into the shower faster than you can say patchouli.

So how does Citizen Queen fare?

Citizen Queen was created by Francis Kurkdjian or Romano Ricci (sources vary on that information) in 2008 and includes notes of bergamot, aldehydes, leather, Bulgarian rose, iris, amber, immortelle and labdanum.

The first blast is very animalic, brutish and coarse. An aldehydic, leathery, skanky whiff that is not my favorite thing in the world to tell the truth.

What has this got to do with rose and violet? is the inevitable question here. But patience is of the essence, after a short time violet and iris come to the rescue and soften the leathery rose enough to make the whole thing almost pretty, and decidedly retro in feel. The entire perfume has a vintage vibe to it that I quite enjoy, even if more in theory than in practice.

Citizen Queen dries down to a powdery leather with floral remnants.

Longevity is good, about six hours and sillage is above average as well.

Citizen Queen has not filled its intended purpose of being a Lipstick Rose stand-in, it is leather purse rather than lipstick, but it is a very good perfume that smells naughty and nice.

Did you know that you can order a set of seven samples from the Juliette Has A Gun website? The cost of 6,90€ is refundable if you buy a perfume later. There is free shipping throughout Europe too. I like that kind of service.

Image source: duftarchiv.de
Posted in Amber, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Juliette Has a Gun, Rose | Tagged , , , , , , | 49 Comments

Vetiver In A Summer Dress – Review: Guerlain Vetiver Pour Elle

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Olfactoria

I received a sample of Vétiver pour Elle quite some time ago and, typically for me, ignored it, because I am – to a large degree – influenced by name. To my vindication I have to say, there must be something I go with, because my sample box is so full, I cannot possibly smell everything I get, immediately. And if a perfume has the bad luck to be called a name I don’t care for, well, it gets pushed back. Guerlain or not.

Vétiver pour Elle was initially only made for duty free sale, but has been made a part of the Les Parisiennes collection. The Non-Blonde recently reported that it is discontinued along with Iris Ganache (What? WHAT?)

Notes include bergamot, orange blossom, honeysuckle, muguet, nutmeg, vetiver, and tonka bean. Vétiver Pour Elle was created by Jean-Paul Guerlain in 2004.

The male counterpart, Vétiver, is the more famous part of the two perfumes and rightly so. Vétiver is a classic masculine, I like it a lot on a man, but would not wear it. (Mostly due to the fact that my father in law wears it and it is firmly associated with him in my mind, which is a good thing, but ultimately keeps me from wearing Vétiver.)

Vétiver pour Elle opens fresh and green, a bit soapy at times, at develops into a heart of dominant lily of the valley and subdued orange blossom, with a twist of nutmeg. The vetiver is very prominent to my nose, although I have read (and puzzled over) reviews that do not find the vetiver to be present at all in there. To me Vetiver pour Elle is what it says on the bottle – a vetiver presented in a cute floral dress and a little lipgloss. It never completely loses the clean-soapy feel.

Since I am no great vetiver lover (although there are exceptions), I rather like the “feminized” version presented here, but I suspect true vetiver lovers will find this a bit too cushioned and decorated, too lovely and cute.

Vètiver pour Elle is a perfume for vetiver-shy people with a lot of money on their hands. As a next step on the vetiver ladder, I’d try Hermessence Vétiver Tonka.

Image source: guerlain.com, myvintagevogue.com
Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Guerlain, Vetiver | Tagged , , , , , | 35 Comments

Close Your Eyes And Follow Me – Review: Neela Vermeire Créations Trayee, Mohur, Bombay Bling!

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Olfactoria

Something has been buzzing around the perfume community for some time now.

A new line, three perfumes, one perfumer, a creator with roots in our very community and an hommage to a country many of us find mythical, inspiring, beautiful and full of contrasts and contradictions. The three perfumes by Neela Vermeire Créations look to India, Paris-based lawyer turned perfume entrepreneur Neela Vermeire’s native country.

By getting Bertrand Duchaufour, perfumer extraordinaire, on board, Neela ascertained not only the fact that three excellent perfumes saw the light of day, but also that many of us who follow M Duchaufour’s work, would be very interested to try the new line.

But it is not only the lure of Bertrand that drew me towards Trayee, Mohur and Bombay Bling!, no, Neela Vermeire also makes it easy for seasoned fumeheads to try her line. She knows what we want, she is one of us after all. On her beautifully designed website, Neela offers not only a sample set of 3x2ml size, but also a discovery set of 3x10ml. The elegant retro bottles of 55ml EdP will be available soon.

But it is not avilability either that is the most compelling reason for me to love the line. It is not even the excellent juice. It is the entire picture.

Neela Vermeire Créations has done what I love to see in a line that I want to try – everything fits. From the logo, to the general aesthetic, the juice itself, the packaging, the marketing, the web presence, it all speaks of quality and most importantly, it speaks of passion.

It is apparent down to the smallest detail that Neela loves what she is doing, that this is her dream and this is what she wants to do and what she wants to be remembered for.

This line is not one where money or status is front and center, where the perfume is an afterthought, where a gimmick of some sort is showcased or where the niche idea is driven ad absurdum (another Duchafour project for Marc Atlan comes to mind here).

Neela Vermeire Créations is about what is most beautiful in perfume, what we love the most about it and what we crave with every new bottle we seek – to be transported, to have our heartstrings tugged, for our emotions and imaginations to run wild.

Trayee, Mohur and Bombay Bling! allow us to dream, no matter how trite our situation, take one whiff, close your eyes and follow them to India…

Trayee

Notes include Blue Ginger from Madagascar, Elemi Oil, Cinnamon Bark, Ganja Effects, Blackcurrant Absolute, Basil, Sambac Jasmine Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Cardamom Absolute, Clove, Saffron, Sandalwood, Javanese Vetiver, Haitian Vetiver, Incense, Mysore Sandalwood Oil, Patchouli, Myrhh, Vanilla, Cedar, Amber Note, Oudh Palao from Laos and Oak Moss.

Trayee is about spices, incense and wood. Well, that is an area of expertise where we know Bertrand Duchaufour to excel (although he seems to be good in almost everything he touches). And out of the three, it is my favorite, though not by far. The other two are just as good, if not quite as original and unique as Trayee.

Starting out with a good dose of cardamom and ginger, a lovely fruit note (blackcurrant) comes out soon and sweetens the spices. Very intricate and multi-layered, Trayee eventually segues into smooth incense assisted by dry woody notes and lingers for a long time. Calming, soothing, meditative almost, but still lively and very much present in the here and now. It doesn’t take you off into some ethereal place, but retains its roots here on earth. Somehow that makes this perfume very charming and likeable. It transports you alright, but not straight into Nirvana, but rather to a palace in India, which is absolutely good enough for me.

Mohur

Notes included are Cardamom Absolute, Coriander Seed Oil, Ambrette Seed, Carrot, Black Pepper, Elemi Oil, Turkish Rose Oil, Moroccan Rose Absolute, Rose Accords (more or less 11%), Jasmine Accord, Orris, Aubepin Flower, Almond Milk Notes, Violet Flower and Orris Effects, Leather Vitessence, Sandalwood, Ambre, White Woods, Patchouli, Oudh Palao from Laos, Benjoin Siam, Vanilla and Tonka Bean.

Mohur is very feminine to my nose and sensibility. Starting out with cool spices soon a blood-red rose, voluptuous and rich unfolds and captures my attention. I love my roses spicy (for example Ormonde Jayne Ta’if , By Kilian Rose Oud or Amouage Lyric) and this one certainly fits the bill. This is not a shy flower, this is an all-out, no holds-barred rose, complemented by spicy nuances and a woody backdrop that is simply beautiful.

Mohur is the most quiet of the three, although it is hard to compete with the uniqueness of Trayee and the exuberance of Bombay Bling!, Mohur holds its own. She is the Grand Dame, elegant, smiling and undeniably beautiful, she is still a woman who is not afraid to just take you into her arms and hug you and envelop you in her soft warmth. Wear time and sillage are above average.

Bombay Bling!

Mango, Lychee, Blackcurrant, Cardamom, Cumin, Cistus, Rose Accord, Turkish Rose, Jasmine Sambac Absolute, Madagascar Ylang-Ylang, White Floral Accord of Tuberose, Frangipani and Gardenia, Patchouli, Tabacco, White Woods, Cedar and Vanilla.

Green mango, carefree happiness and all that is great about Bollywood are radiating out of that bottle, infecting you and all around you with a good dose of joy. I could leave it at that. 🙂

But in an effort to be a little more eloquent, I’ll add that Bombay Bling! has the unique ability to influence the weather. You’ll see!

Apply it, and see the sun come out. Spray it on, and don your bathing suit. A little spritz, and you see multiple rainbows in the sky. You’ll have a hard time not breaking into song! (As this might be inappropriate in certain circumstances, be hereby warned!)

Bombay Bling! is fun! But hours after the exuberant beginning has faded, I am still left with an amazingly deep and much darker in tone than before base that offers a depth and profundity you never expected in a perfume so happy go lucky to start with.

I am very happy that Neela offers a discovery set, because I would have a really hard time deciding which one of the three I would want the most, thankfully I don’t have to – one of those sets has my name on it!

So, did you try the line? Which of the three is your favorite?

What do you think about this new brand?

Image source: neelavermeire.com, pixabay.com, boston.com
Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Fruity, Gourmand, Green, Incense, Jasmine, Neela Vermeire Creations, Oriental, Rose, Spicy, Tuberose, Vanilla | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 65 Comments

Monday Question – How Do You Organize Your Samples?

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Olfactoria

How do you store your sample stash?

What system have you found that works for you?

Are you happy with your sample storage?

What would you wish for?

What would you like to change?

Or did you develop the perfect system already?

My Answer:

I am not at all content with my sample storage at the moment.

As happy as I am with the organsation of my full bottle collection, my samples are a sore point that needs attention.

I have many samples and they seem to be multiplying on their own.
For now they are stored in sealable clear plastic bags labeled by house,  and all of those bags are inside a big IKEA cardboard box.

Then there is a wooden teabox containing carded and boxed manufacturer’s samples and miniatures.

Finally there is my in-tray on my desk right next to my laptop, where the to be reviewed queue resides, a line I try to keep at no more than about twenty samples deep at all times.

I love the idea of ammonition boxes that many American bloggers use, but anything to do with weapons is not so easy to get here (I’m quite thankful for that actually, so not that I’m complaining).

I’d like to find boxes with enough compartments so I can stick to the “by house” organisation system and that allows my samples to lie safely and uncrowdedly.

Any ideas?

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged , , | 55 Comments

A Little Something For The Eye – A Sneak Peek Into My Perfume Closet Part IV

Posted on January 28, 2012 by Olfactoria

Here we go again, Part IV of my collection posts is here. (Parts I-III are here.) This time, let us see why some call me the Queen of Amber, there is a good reason for that, I believe…

Left to right: Annick Goutal Ambre Fetiche, Tom Ford Amber Absolute, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, Téo Cabanel Alahine, Christian Dior Mitzah, Armani Privé Ambre Orient, Juliette Has A Gun Calamity J, Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe, L'Artisan Parfumeur L'Eau d'Ambre

All my amber perfumes in one picture. I realize that I forgot an important one though – Frapin 1697, I don’t know how that could have happened (actually, I do, it was in my office for decanting off samples to send to friends, so that is why it missed its photo opportunity, but it sounds more dramatic if I say I don’t know why it was left out). Amber is said to be the new trend note for the coming year, it is nice to know I am way ahead of times. 😉

If you want to read up on one or the other here are the reviews of Goutal Ambre Fetiche, Armani Privé Ambre Orient, Tom Ford Amber Absolute, Dior Mitzah, Teo Cabanel Alahine, Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan, JHAG Calamity J, Parfum d’Empire Ambre Russe and L’Artisan L’Eau d’Ambre.

Next up is my Serge Lutens collection. I have a love/hate relationship with Lutens. Therefore this collection is very much in flux, bottles have been bought and sold, bought and sold over the years (yes, that is quite stupid, I absolutely agree.) This is what constitutes my current loves and I guess I’ll stick with those bottles for now, although Douce Amère is on a somewhat precarious position, because at the moment I hate it for being way too sweet. But experience shows that this opinion is subject to change.

Left to right: Serge Lutens Douce Amère, Ambre Sultan, Un Bois Vanille, Feminité de Bois, Jeux de Peau and Iris Silver Mist Bell Jar

Iris Silver Mist was my favorite iris for a long time, but has recently been overthrown by Armani Privé La Femme Bleue (review coming soon).

Those bottles are all very full still, because commiting myself all day to wearing just one perfume (and that is what happens when you apply a Lutens in most cases) is a hard thing to do for a blogger. But I still wouldn’t want to miss my Un Bois Vanille, Jeux de Peau or Feminité du Bois, even if it is not the Shiseido original.

Another week went by in a flash and the weekend is here.

It was the baptism of my young nephew N°2 on Saturday afternoon, but unfortunately I couldn’t attend, because I came down with stomach flu or something. In any case, it keeps me bed-ridden and near a bathroom since Friday afternoon.
My husband says the baptism was a very nice gathering of extended family and friends. I’d love to have seen my older son carrying out his very important role of holding the chrisam and Holy Water during the ceremony (he was so proud) but I’m glad I did not see my younger one trying to set the congregation on fire by wielding his lit candle like a light sabre. I would have loved to see my young nephew in his white dress. And of course I would have liked to eat lots of delicious food at the party afterwards…

I’d love to hear about your weeks again. What is new with you? How are you doing?

A wonderful weekend to all!

Posted in Amber, Annick Goutal, Armani Privé, Collection Photos, Dior, Frapin, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Parfum d'Empire, Ramblings, Serge Lutens, Teo Cabanel, Tom Ford | Tagged , , , , | 44 Comments

“Whoever Loves Me Will Follow!” – Review: Guerlain Insolence

Posted on January 27, 2012 by Olfactoria

I never even bothered with Insolence. Truth be told, I roundly dismissed it as not worthy to be smelled. How snobbish is that? But to my defense, it comes in a highly questionable bottle (by Serge Mansau – he and I will never see eye to eye), it is pink, it is called Insolence, it really asks to be ignored, Guerlain or not.

Dee on Beauty on the Outside had written a damning review and sent me a vial, and going from her review, I was in no hurry indeed to apply the pink juice.

But it seems there is a time and place for everything. I recently applied a spritz of Frederic Malle’s Lipstick Rose, more out of a sense of duty, since it was the only Malle I had no sample of and never tested on skin. Promptly, I fell in love in the hours afterwards, such a lovely perfume. But budget and circumstances did not allow for more Lipstick Rose at the moment so I branched out and took a sniff through my sample box on the hunt for something similar.

To Dream by Sonoma Scent Studio was the first violet rose contender and it was a resounding success. L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Drole de Rose -well, not so much. It is too thin and rosy and altogether inconsequential to me. The more violet-leaning perfumes I tried at the time like Tom Ford Violet Blonde and good old Aprés L’Ondée are great, but did not exactly satisfy my Lipstick Rose craving.

Enter Insolence…

Created in 2006 by Maurice Roucel (a good sign!), Insolence includes notes of violet, raspberry, red fruit pulp, rose, orange blossom, iris, tonka bean, musk and sandalwood.

The rather florid ad copy treads this fine line between irritating and amusing me, here are a few choice bites:

“L’Insolence is a spark in the eyes, an intrepid smile that knows no fear and fears no one, an amused silence. It’s a bearing; a careless grace; an ironic elegance. She is bold, with style to boot! To top it off, for nothing in the world would she be like everyone else. Her motto: “Whoever loves me will follow!”. “

-from the Guerlain website

Insolence’s opening is not pretty. Sharp, PINK and very fruity-berry-unimaginative, I was ready to dismiss this out of hand. But after the first ten to fifteen minutes, I got rewarded by the appearance of violet, some rose and a lovely iris. This actually started to smell like a Guerlain now. Like Après l’Ondée actually. Although less complex than its famous predecessor, Insolence is not really bad. It is a soft, warm iris-violet on a sandalwood and tonka base.

Insolence won’t see me racing out the door to get a bottle, but it won’t see me scrubbing it off either. It did appease my appetite for that cosmetic accord of rose and violet that Lipstick Rose awakened in me, at least for the moment.

But guess which perfume is on the very top of my wishlist now…

Image source: guerlain.com, laurenstriblog.com
Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Fruity, Gourmand, Guerlain, Iris, Powdery, Rose, Violet | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 68 Comments

The Good Old Days Are Here Again – Review: Sonoma Scent Studio Nostalgie

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Olfactoria

For some time now, I have debated with myself whether to go down the vintage road to heartbreak or not. I feel the need to expand my fragrant knowledge and smelling tiny samples of vintage classics is a necessary part of acquiring a scented “education” in my opinion, and I do that whenever the opportunity arises. But what if I fall in love with one of those old, beautiful perfumes?

I own a few vintage minis, but am afraid of actually wearing them, because I am painfully aware of the value of every single, irreplacable drop.

Enter Laurie Erickson (and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz too, see my review of Pandora here).

Laurie heard us fumeheads whine and lament and in more than a year of hard work, developed a beautiful floral with the name of Nostalgie. Harking back to better days, Nostalgie is all I wish for in a perfume. Rich, nuanced, deep, high quality naturals, powerful and longwearing and, most importantly, very, very beautiful.

“This fragrance, inspired by the classic scents of the past, features aldehydic topnotes, a heart of precious jasmine, rose, and mimosa absolutes, and a base of Mysore sandalwood, natural oakmoss, violet leaf absolute, tonka, amber, vanilla, orris, and musk. Nostalgie dries down to a warm, lightly spiced amber and sandalwood base with soft floral accents. Fragrances today are rarely composed with so many fine naturals; the ingredients and the style rekindle memories of vintage perfumes.”

– from the Sonoma Scent Studio website

Nostalgie includes notes of aldehydes, jasmine, rose, mimosa absolutes, mysore sandalwood, violet leaf, orris, amber, oakmoss and musk.

Nostalgie opens with that typical Laurie Erickson touch of tiny champagne bubbly aldehydes, no big nose-blasting screechy aldehyde whack that some perfumes (cough, Chanel cough) have and that I don’t care for so much, but just an effervescent sparkle lifting the jasmine-rose-mimosa bouquet up towards the sunlight. (After writing this review, I read Dee’s and saw she says almost the same thing about the aldehydes, great minds thing alike, I did not copy that. 😉 )

The base is what I love the most about this fragrance, and it is what makes me crave this perfume (and it is dead certain that I will buy a bottle eventually!). After the initial florals fade out a little, what remains and remains for hours, is a perfect blend of mysore sandalwood (the real thing, ahhh!), amber and oakmoss. Soft, powdery, silky, woody, a bit dank and mossy, sweet and ambery smooth, this base pushes all my buttons and is toe-curlingly lovely.

Nostalgie wears softly, but tenaciously, its creamy sillage is undeniably there but never overpowering or dominating, I would absolutely wear this to the office. I received four compliments from absolute strangers on Nostalgie every time I wore it, which makes it an absolute winner in my book.

And those compliments made me think…

Isn’t it maybe the case that people, and I mean regular, non-fumehead, just going about their daily business people, do like a real perfume more than, say, the L’Eau d’Issey style non-entities or the newest Paris Hilton super-fruit cookie dough concoctions we are sold today?

Maybe people are not as dumb, as the industry relying on mall rat focus groups, wants them to be. Maybe the tides are turning, with a global crisis going on, we need more substance than the pinkest cotton candy could ever deliver.

Look here for more SSS reviews!

Image source: sonomascentstudio.com, myvintagevogue.com
Posted in Chypre, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Jasmine, Mimosa, Rose, Sonoma Scent Studio | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 53 Comments

Perfume’s Little Helpers – What To Wear With Your Scent

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Olfactoria

For fragrance fanatics deciding what perfume to wear is an important question every day. We decide according to our moods, our schedules, our desires, our dress even.

But what about the other things we apply to keep ourselves healthy and pretty? Aren’t they all scented in some way or another as well?

What about the shower gel, body lotion, deodorant, hairspray etc we use daily? Are those scented? Fragrance-free? Coordinated with our perfume?

Here is a little guide to what I use, that is not perfume.

In The Shower: My regular shower gel is La Roche Posay Lipikar Syndet, a very mild and irritant-free cleansing gel. But the shower for me is also the one place where I now and again permit scent that is not perfume. I enjoy trying various products, and since they are washed off again after a very short time, I figure they don’t do too much damage. From time to time (mostly around the Holiday season) I use Lush bath products, primarily because they are fun. But I grow tired of them and their pervading smells soon. Kiehl’s bath products are also very nice, the same goes for Bliss, on which I stocked up in new York in November. Occasionally I indulge in a shower or bath with Amouage Epic shower and bath gel, of which I have a mini and mete it out in tiny doses to make it last. A true luxury…

On My Body: Generally I use unscented body lotion. My favorite is La Roche Posay Lipikar Baume AP, but Kiehl’s Creme de Corps is also nice. If I plan to wear a citrus fragrance later, I might use Bliss Lemon & Sage Body Butter. Mostly unscented is the way to go though, because I can’t limit my options that drastically now, can I?

On My Hair: I feel lucky that my hair is relatively low maintenance. It is healthy, still has its natural color and I pretty much can wash with whatever I like, as long as I don’t forget to put in conditioner and lots of it, otherwise I won’t ever be able to untangle it, since it is very long. So I don’t have a shampoo I swear by, but try what catches my fancy at the drugstore and when it is used up, I’ll buy something else. At the moment I use the Bliss Spa shampoo and conditioner and I like them a lot. I only make sure to smell the shampoo before I buy, because there is one thing I can’t abide, but that seems to be prevalent among shampoos – the smell of apples. Aaargh, I am not an apple, why would I try to smell like one? Unless the apple is made by Jean-Claude Ellena, I’ll abstain, thank you.

The part I look forward to the most in my daily routine is this one, anyway…

What are your tried and tested body and hair care favorites? Scented or not?

The links in this post are included for your convenience only, I’m not affiliated with any of these retailers and am not compensated in any way for linking to them.
Image source: preferableplumbing.com, jameshymanfineart.com, buenasalud.net
Posted in Ramblings | Tagged , , | 56 Comments

Down Comforter – Review: Parfums de Nicolai Sacrebleu

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Olfactoria

A year-round comforter that is both easy and intricate, rich and wearable, Sacrebleu is one of the long-time friends in my perfume closet. It has its place there, but the awful bottle has kept me from getting more than a decant.

(I know, I am shallow to the bone, but wouldn’t you say that Parfums de Nicolai could profit immensely from an image overhaul? Many brands invest too much in presentation and marketing, Nicolai does too little. Those great perfumes deserve fitting surroundings to thrive. Side rant over.)

Sacrebleu was created by the line’s founder Patricia de Nicolai (great-granddaughter of Pierre Guerlain, niece of Jean-Paul Guerlain, by the way) in 1993 and includes notes of black currant bud, peach blossom, jasmine, tuberose, vanilla, tonka bean and incense, as Luckyscent informs us. The Parfums de Nicolaï website has a slightly different notes list: mandarin oil and red fruits in the top, carnation, tuberose, jasmine and cinnamon oil in the heart and a base of frankincense, patchouli, sandalwood, peru balsam, and tonka bean absolute.

Sacrebleu is an expression of surprise or wonderment in french, something like “Good Lord!” or “Holy Smokes!” (one of my personal favorite American expressions btw).

Sacrebleu starts extremely loud and tuberose-y on me, so much so, that I almost hated it on contact, but then it changes, rapidly. This first unfriendly blast only lasts a minute or two and then Sacrebleu‘s true character comes to the fore. A sweet, softly fruity warm oriental, plushly done with a broad and comfortable base of incense and balsams and tonka bean. It could be mistaken for a Guerlain any day.

As I said the top notes of Sacrebleu are strange on me, I get mostly tuberose (and we know how I “love” that!) and not a lot of the alleged fruit, but as soon as it calms and settles on my skin within minutes, I am smack in the middle of that lovely broad-backed base already, full of yummy tonka, smoky incense and creamy sandalwood. There is a hint of spicy, clove-y carnation and cinnamon to keep things interesting, but Sacrebleu is all about the base.

Sacrebleu is a grand perfume, a rich and satisfying composition, but it is not terribly heavy or overpowering. It reminds me of several Guerlain’s, like Shalimar Ode à la Vanille or L’Heure Bleue, but it is easier to wear than the others. Maybe a bit more relaxed, less dressed up and elegant and well-mannered.

Maybe because the legacy it has to carry is not as heavy.

Sacrebleu is warm and fluffy, cozy, but light, it is a down comforter of a perfume. I want to snuggle in and take a nap and forget the world for a while. Sweet dreams included.

Image source: parfuma.de, downcomforterworld.com
Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Oriental, Parfums Nicolai, Spicy | Tagged , , , , , | 48 Comments

Monday Question – Who Influences You In Your Perfume Decisions?

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Olfactoria

Do you have a perfume role model?

Is there someone whose opinions you respect and whose tastes you admire?

Are you influenced by someone’s fragrant loves?

My Answer:

There are several bloggers whose opinion I value highly, first of all The Non-Blonde, Victoria of Bois de Jasmin, Marina and Marla of Perfume-Smellin’ Things and the great Robin of Now Smell This.

But aside from the usual suspects, there is someone who profoundly influenced my perfume loves and purchases even, because not only do I love this person’s reviews and writing style, but her taste is very close to mine. I have come to adore most of what she has reviewed and thankfully I don’t have to go far to find her.

Bois d’Argent, 31 Rue Cambon, Cuir de Russie, Botrytis, Bois d’Armenie and Diorella – all perfumes I fell very much in love with over the past months, and all have been reviewed right here on OT by the lovely Tara.

I’m lucky having found someone whose taste is so close to mine and whose opinion I can implicitly trust.

Who are your influencers?

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged , , | 49 Comments