More Than One White Gardenia Petal? – A Correction

Posted on October 15, 2011 by Olfactoria

I felt the need (for quite some time now) to update my take on Illuminum White Gardenia Petals, the famed perfume Kate Middleton allegedly wore to her wedding.

I could write a lot about this issue here, but I won’t, because it is not my first priority or my wish to engage in a conflict with anybody. But I certainly wanted my friends in the perfume community to know about this though.

Therefore, as neutral as is humanely possible, here is the updated link:

Illuminum White Gardenia Petals

I hereby rest my case.

My friend Vanessa of Bonkers About Perfume, who got the ball rolling, updated her review as well.

Posted in Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 17 Comments

Easy Elegance – Review: Chanel Les Exclusifs 31 Rue Cambon

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Olfactoria

By Tara

 31 Rue Cambon is a mass of contradictions; modern yet timeless, spare yet luxurious, elegant yet relaxed, chypre yet without oakmoss. In my capsule Chanel perfume wardrobe, Bois des Iles is the little black dress, Cuir de Russie is the leather jacket and 31 Rue Cambon is the silk slip dress – others may not know I’m wearing it but I do and it feels great.

Part of Chanel’s Les Exclusifs, 31 Rue Cambon contains notes of bergamot, pepper, iris, jasmine, patchouli and labdanum. It is classified as a “modern chypre”, which seems to cover a multitude of very different perfumes now that real oakmoss is verboten. If you are usually wary of traditional chypres I would not let this put you off trying 31 Rue Cambon. It is not at all harsh or bitter. Conversely, if you are partial to the oakmoss-heavy chypres of old, you may be disappointed. The oakmoss “effect” is a soft mossiness which is woven through the composition as a whole.

31 Rue Cambon moves from cool and bright to warm and cozy as it develops. There is a very discernible progression. The opening is fresh and sparkling with citrus, iris and pepper. The heart is lightly floral and the labdanum that rises up from the base lends it an ambery warmth  I quite often have a problem with the dry, earthy, scent of patchouli, but it is very much played down here.

While 31 Rue Cambon is not similar to Dior’s Bois d’Argent in its scent, it has the same diffuse feel. It has some powder and sweetness on my skin, but both are kept in check. Although it is a quiet fragrance that doesn’t project much, longevity is not at all bad. The gentle, floral amber dry down is drop dead gorgeous and it lasts, which is great for an EdT.

There are a few perfumes I can’t imagine being without and would replace if they ever ran out. 31 Rue Cambon is on this short list, because I wear it on a very regular basis. So much so that I think of it as my “default” perfume, the one I turn to when I don’t know what to wear or don’t want anything I have to think about too much. While this may sound like I am damning it with faint praise, it is quite the opposite; I’m saying 31 Rue Cambon is always perfect and never fails me. This is one of the highest compliments I can give.

 31 Rue Cambon is part of Les Exclusifs and is available in 75ml and 200ml Eau de Toilette.
Image source: fragrantica.com, mgm.com
Posted in By Tara, Chanel, Chypre, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Les Exclusifs de Chanel | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 40 Comments

Don Draper’s Secret Weapon – Review: Mona Di Orio Les Nombres d’Or Vétyver

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Olfactoria

Since I had such success with the other perfumes in the line, I wanted to smell Vétyver as, albeit I must say it was – along with Cuir – my lowest priority, as I am not really drawn to vetiver perfumes. Ines’s glowing review, and the excellent Oud, Tubéreuse and Vanille, made me curious though.

Notes of Vétyver include Bourbon vetiver, blue ginger from Madagascar, Virginia cedar, violet, cistus labdanum, clary sage absolute, tonka bean and musk.

Vétyver is beautiful. Simple as that.

Very cooling on top, it unites a very fresh and green aspect with Mona’s signature warm, musky base. Vétyver opens with an unusual top note of blue ginger that introduces a bracing breath of air to the perfume that stays for a long time. Underneath this grassy, smile-inducing facet, warmer sides of vetiver are coming to the fore. A dry woodiness of cedar and a soft sweetness of labdanum and tonka bean, bring out the nutty side of vetiver.

The base has this musky note I have come to associate with Mona di Orio perfumes by now, and it makes Vétyver into a lot more than a fresh, green scent.

The richness of the composition reminds me of L’Artisan Parfumeur Coeur de Vétiver Sacré, but there the fruity side is played up, whereas with Vétyver it is more the green and fresh aspect of vetiver, as well as the warm and furry underbelly that are emphasized.

Some time ago Another Perfume Blog posed the question what perfume Don Draper of Mad Men would wear. I did not find an answer that was completely satisfying then, but as soon as I sprayed Vétyver for the first time, I had my answer. That is what Don Draper, this elegant, complicated, brooding, devastatingly attractive and intelligent man would wear.

Vétyver stands for well-tailored elegance hiding a deep, dark secret. I could loose myself in that smell.

Image source: fragrantica.com, seriestv.blog.com
Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Mona di Orio, Vetiver | Tagged , , , , | 39 Comments

Tom Times Three – Review: Tom Ford Santal Blush, Jasmine Rouge And Violet Blonde

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Olfactoria

Tom Ford generously showers us with three new release this fall. Two in his Private Blend range and one in the wide distribution signature line.

Let’s get going then:

Tom Ford Private Blend Santal Blush:

Don’t you love this image? I do. The clear bottle and nude color of Santal Blush drew me in from the start. But superficiality aside, how does Santal Blush smell?

Not so long ago I tested the new Le Labo release, Santal 33, and I found it a bit too butch for my liking. Thanks to Tom Ford, here is a sandalwood that, while still being a bit rough and definitely loud and strong, is also feminine, smoother, minus the menthol and a lot easier to wear for me.

Santal Blush was created by Yann Vasnier and includes notes of ylang ylang, cumin, cinnamon bark, carrot seed, jasmine, rose, cedarwood, Australian sandalwood, oud, musk and benzoin.

Santal Blush starts out a little sharp and rough, but smooths out over the first few minutes, it has the typical Tom Ford volume only in the beginning, then it recedes a little and stays close, but wear for hours upon hours. I find Santal Blush elegant and highly wearable. It is milky and soft, like the best sandalwoods should be. My favorite of the three, by far.

Tom Ford Private Blend Jasmine Rouge:

Jasmine Rouge was created by Rodrigo Flores-Roux and includes notes of bergamot, mandarin, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, white pepper, broom flower, jasmine sambac, neroli, ylang ylang, clary sage, Mexican vanilla, leather, woody notes, amber and labdanum.

While Jasmine Rouge starts out very promising, with indolic jasmine, spices and creamy ylang-ylang layered with red fruity notes, I can’t help but feel let down by the base. The drydown could have been amazing here, but somehow it doesn’t deliver.

After the first hour, the first half of which is very Tom Fordian in volume and presence, Jasmine Rouge steeply declines into non-descript scent territory and that is not what you would expect from a perfume in this price range. Jasmine Rouge feels like a broken promise.

Tom Ford Violet Blonde:

Violet Blonde is part of the regular line along with White Patchouli and Black Orchid and more widely available.

Violet Blonde includes notes of violet leaf, mandarin, pink pepper, orris, jasmine, benzoin, cedar, vetiver, musk and suede.

Of the three Tom Ford signature scents, this is the only one I would consider wearing. While the Private Blends offer many a coveted fragrance for me, I never quite got the appeal of Black Orchid and White Patchouli, their “put in everything you have, then shake” attitude is not compatible with my preferences.

All this rambling serves a purpose – namely to state the profound difference between Violet Blonde and the two previous perfumes. While the first two are dark, heavy, intricate, baroque and sexy perfumes, Violet Blonde is almost light in contrast. It is a lot more delicate and more sheer, more modern in feel, but still retains a certain loudness, sometimes almost to the point of bothering me. If you are anything like me, apply sparingly.

Violet Blonde opens with violets – green leaves and fruity, slightly peppery violets. I am reminded a bit of the candied variety. The opening is rich and plush, a sweet jasmine peeks through and the fragrance turns more an more powdery over time as orris makes itself felt. I’m not a huge violet fan, but this is nice enough. The base turns woody and a bit musky, the benzoin sweetening it, while a whiff of leather keeps it from being too girly at any point.

While I liked Violet Blonde the first few times, I did not expect to really love it. But the more I wore it, the more I liked it. Will there be a bottle in my future? Well, budget allowing, there will.

Of the Private Blend fall releases by the house of Tom Ford, I prefer Santal Blush, although probably not to the point of purchasing a bottle. I am waiting for the new Hermessence featuring sandalwood. Jean-Claude Ellena’s Santal Massoia is in all probability a world or two apart, but I want to compare the two takes anyway.

What is your favorite of the three?

Tom Ford Fragrances are available in Europe online through www.parfuma.com (this is not an affiliate links, I don’t have those, ever btw! )
Image source: fragrantica.com
Posted in Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Jasmine, Powdery, Spicy, Tom Ford, Violet, Woods | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 39 Comments

This Is My Suit Of Armour – Review: Vero Profumo Onda Extrait de Parfum

Posted on October 11, 2011 by Olfactoria

I have had this tiny sample of Onda in extrait form, for at least six months. I looked at it everytime I opened my sample box, which is quite often as you can imagine, but whenever I wanted to try it, I thought: not today.

I thought this is the one out of the three Vero Profumo scents that interests me the least (it is the only sample I have, the wonderful Ines sent it to me) and besides, there was always something else screaming louder and getting my attention first.

Then one morning I felt extremely frazzled, my nerves lay blank, my stress levels were soaring, and an early morning spritz of Chanel N°19, my tried and tested “nerves of steel” perfume of choice, had already evaporated, when Onda, tiny, unassuming and banned to the outer reaches on the sample box, suddenly beckoned me. I knew it was a vetiver perfume, but not much else. Before I thought more about it, I applied a drop to the back of my hand, my prime sniffing spot.

The rest as they say, is history…

Onda is one of three perfumes by Swiss aromatologist turned perfumer at 60, Vero Kern. Onda was launched in 2007 together with her sisters Rubj and Kiki, a white floral and a lavender scent respectively.

Those three extraits along with matching Eaux de Parfums are Vero Kern’s only offerings to date. A fact I admire immensely. I think it is excellent, in these days of overexposure and oversaturation of the market, to stick with a small range of incredible perfumes, and let those sink in, let those get indispensable, instead of taking away attention from them by launching more and newer fragrances all the time.

Bergamot, lemon, tangerine, ginger, coriander, basil, iris, ylang-ylang, honey, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, musk and ambergris are on the notes-list First in Fragrance provides, Luckyscent keeps it simple with vetiver, ginger, mace and coriander.

Vero Kern

Onda is a surprise. Usually I’m not shy with words, I usually know how to articulate my perfumed shenanigans, this blog is testament to my verbose side after all.

But Onda took her time. Onda refused to be put in words quickly. Onda wouldn’t let go of her secret for a long time. Onda ignored my attempts to get an angle on her, just as I had ignored her presence in my sample box. Onda made me wear her over and over again, until my small sample was entirely gone.

Then Onda was missed, sorely missed. And through missing her, I knew what she has been for me. Sometimes we have to let go of something, to know how and why we love it.

Onda is powerful. Onda is different. Onda speaks to a side of me that does not talk much, that is not used to expressing itself, that goes about its business in my head quietly and unappreciatedly.

Onda smells rough, free, heath-en – like the windswept meadow and the non-believer. Onda smells of  earth and grass and hay, incredibly warm and alive. There is warm skin rolling around in the hay. There is a human body underneath the earth and dirt.

Onda is not what the people looking for fresh and clean will go for, Onda is old-fashioned, but timeless. It is a presence, it is a statement, it is a smellable extension of myself.

A PERFUME.

Onda is like an amour, making me invincible, but it is not hard, it is pliable and soft, like the leather I smell in the drydown. It is tough, rough, uncouth and warm, soft and adaptable to me like a second skin.

Green, spicy, dark, leathery, musky, salty, complex.

Love. Desire. Intelligence. Onda.

Image source: basenotes.net, lenoma.ru, Hampstead Heath by John Constable via hampstead.org.uk
Posted in Fragrance Reviews, Spicy, Vero Profumo, Vetiver | Tagged , , , , , , | 63 Comments

A Stroll Around the Department Store – Mini Reviews

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Olfactoria

I sniffed my way through a bunch of new releases the other day and thought I’d share my impressions.

Caveat: these are no reviews, just my thoughts upon first smelling a perfume, we all know how that first impression can change. I tried those on my skin as well as paper.

Tom Ford Violet Blonde: Upon first impression this is the easiest to like Tom Ford (I’m only talking about the signature line, not the Private Blends). It is loud in typical Fordian fashion, but it is also very gentle. It smells of violets and soapy powder. Nice, full review to follow.

Balenciaga L’Essence: the allegedly more intense version of Balenciaga Paris, L’Essence is not intense in any way, shape, fashion of form. But it is lovely in a quiet, considerate way. It is more masculine leaning than the original, less sweetly-violet-y (a good thing in my book) and more woody. It is less prim than Balenciaga Paris, more relaxed and cooler (in attitude not smell). I like it better that the first one, the bottle is truly beautiful and an improvement as well, cap-wise.

Cartier Baiser Volé: A very fresh lily, stems and all. I did not follow the entire development of Baiser Volé, though I’m not sure whether I lost track of it somehow, or whether it just disappeared on me. Very green and light and fresh, probably great in spring, when I will revisit it for sure. Now I’m just not in the mood for it. (That is a fine example of how long it takes for some scents to be launched in good, old Vienna).

Parfums Chloé Love Chloé, Eau Intense: A (first) flanker of last year’s Love, Chloé, this is a darker juice in the same bottle, it smells different at first though. Not necessarily more intense in the sense of louder or stonger, Eau Intense is nice, but bores me to tears after about fifteen minutes. After unimpressive top notes, my interest is piqued by a lovely floral accord a few minutes in, but then it ends up just the same as Love, Chloé the First. Booooorrrrrrring.

Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial: I tested this for the umpteenth time and I just can’t seem to make up my mind about it. I love the bottle, I don’t particularly mind the idea of a pink Shalimar or other flankers of the great legend, like Ode a la Vanille or Eau de Shalimar (*ducks for the stones and tomatoes flying*), but somehow it doesn’t grab me at all. I like it, it is pretty and it is recognizably Shalimar, but I am not exited, not moved, not anything. Unlike the real Shalimar, Parfum Initial leaves me cold. I’m not ready to stop testing either, though.

Guerlain Idylle Eau Sublime: Idylle Eau de Parfum is not very old yet, but there are already two flankers on the market. Idylle Duet and now Eau Sublime as well as an Eau de Toilette version. It seems this one is a fruiter variant, a light and dainty floral, nice but so utterly not what I am looking for right now (or ever). But what irks me once more, is this flanker overload, give people the time to attach themselves to Idylle! Or are we all so fickle, we can’t be trusted to love a perfume for more than six months? (Perfume-Maniacs excepted, of course!)

Chanel N°19 Poudré: I left the best for last… no, sorry, I’m joking. Sadly Poudré is not at all what I had hoped it would be. A tame opening that is still nice and which I could get on board with, but the disappearance or disintegration of the perfume after about fifteen minutes is not what I expected and not what should happen, I suppose. I tried to blame it on myself and my musk-molecule handicapped nose, but first of all, a perfume should be a bit more than big musks, and secondly, I have heard many tell the same story. So I would say stick with the original!!!

Posted in Fragrance Reviews | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Monday Question – What Is Your Favorite New Release This Fall?

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Olfactoria

Which perfume have you anticipated the most?

Did it fulfill your expectations?

Have you been disappointed?

What upcoming perfume launch interests you the most?

My Answer:

I was looking forward the most to Guerlain Shalimar Parfum Initial and Chanel N°19 Poudré, both did not deliver what I expected.

I did not expect anything from Bottega Veneta, but it turned out to be a lovely addition to my collection, I’m smitten. Prada Candy (review upcoming) is also nice, lovely for fall and thankfully misnamed.

I had hoped to love Annick Goutal Mon Parfum Chèrie par Camille, and while the jury is still out, it does not look good unfortunately.

The three new Tom Fords are fine and will be reviewed soon, Balenciaga L’Essence is really nice, Love, Chloé Eau Intense is really and I mean really, boring.

I am very much looking forward to the newest Hermès release, Santal Massoia, the tenth of the Hermessences.

Watch for this afternoon’s post of mini-reviews of recent fall department store releases!

For now I am curious to hear about your new fall faves!

Posted in Monday Question | Tagged , , | 26 Comments

Last Week In Perfume Land – Weekend Link Love

Posted on October 9, 2011 by Olfactoria

This week has been an extraordinary good week in terms of perfumed surprises.

I received many packages from all over the world from kind, lovely, generous and like-minded friends. Thank you so much, you know who you are!

So I have so many things to smell right now, I can’t help but feel a bit overwhelmed. I would need a perfume-cation – that is a few free days devoted solely to smelling new things. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Who else wants a perfume-cation? Thought so! 😉

Last week in Perfumeland the following posts drew me in especially:

Suzanne’s moving piece about Caron Aimez Moi touched me deeply.

Tommy’s intergalactic sillage had me running for my space suit, but The Candy Perfume Boy is adorable whatever he wafts…

Tarleisio’s take on one of my dearest amber perfumes, once more confirms her mastery of the written word.

Ines of All I Am – A Redhead is one of Perfumeland’s loveliest inhabitants, here is proof, although no one should need it.

Carrie of Eyeliner on a Cat reviewed a perfume I wanted to smell for a long time, if only it weren’t so expensive… Aftelier Parfum Privé, Mandy’s personal scent.

Dee of Beauty On The Outside shares another of her favorite things – frankincense.

Vanessa of Bonkers about Perfume shares her journey through the Slovenian postal system in a dedicated bid to mail my parcels.

Have a great Sunday everybody!

Posted in Weekend Link Love | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

An Interesting Interview About Perfume

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Olfactoria

The Browser is an online magazine dedicated to writing. In their daily feature Five Books, interviews with different people of interest are discussed.

This week writer Denise Hamilton chooses five books about Perfume.

I found this to be an interesting article, even if the books are no big surprise for the hardened Perfumista, but the feeling of kinship, of “Look, she is just like me!” is always lovely to experience.

Posted in Fragrance Reviews | Tagged | 15 Comments

How To Dream – Review: Sonoma Scent Studio To Dream

Posted on October 7, 2011 by Olfactoria

To Dream is the first Sonoma Scent Studio perfume I am reviewing. I tried a few, but always got distracted, something else came up, it was just not the right timing for me and SSS.

But then To Dream arrived (courtesy of the lovely Undina), and this little gem refused to be deferred, to get in line, to wait patiently in the “to be reviewed eventually” queue. No, To Dream came, saw and won me over.

To Dream was created in 2011 by Laurie Erickson and includes notes of violet, rose, heliotrope, cedar, amber, frankincense, oakwood absolute, vetiver,tonka, orris, vanilla, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss absolute, subtle suede, cocoa and aldehydes.

To Dream opens slightly sharpish, but in a few seconds the soft, cosmetic-powdery familiar accord of rose and violet takes over, sweetened by heliotrope, it is a classic take on a familiar theme. But then the dramatic and unusal base begins to peak through. A woody, incensey darkness, dominated by the unusual oak wood note, cast the seemingly sweet floral perfume in shadow and takes it into the depths of the forest. Aldehydes crackle over the whole scene, illuminating it at times, like lighting.

Despite all that dramatic sounding imagery, To Dream is a warm and soft perfume, dreamy and feminine, its being anchored to the ground so heavily, seems contradictory, but it works perfectly.

To Dream has lower than average sillage and stays for about four hours on me. I wish I could spray it though, I think the sillage would be significantly improved.

To Dream makes me feel very grown up, it is not a girl’s perfume, like many such rose-violet scents can feel like. The dark and mysterious base (I smell oakmoss and it makes me truly happy!) makes sure, the powdery heart doesn’t take off in flights of fancy.

This is a perfume of a woman who has seen it all, she knows that life is more than roses and violets, but she still sees and appreciates their beauty, and is able to let them stand pretty, alongside the inevitable darkness.

Despite throwbacks and failures, she still knows how to dream.

Image source: sonomascentstudio.com, nonprints.com
Posted in Chypre, Floral, Fragrance Reviews, Rose, Sonoma Scent Studio, Violet, Woods | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 44 Comments