Comfort and Joy: Ombre Rose L'Original by Jean-Charles Brosseau

This is the idea of what a pink rose should smell like. Now if you are a rose lover you know that roses have many differing scents some smell edible, others are lemony, some are very spicy, the scent of roses vary a great deal.

What makes Ombre Rose by Jean-Charles Brosseau so interesting is for myself it is what a pink rose should smell like, it plays with the idea of color and it's coordination with scent.  Ombre Rose is not an intensily rosy scent, there is rose there, but it is not the dominant character, but there is no real dominant character to this scent rather it is a cast of notes that works wonderfully well with others to create in my mind what a pink rose smells like just based on color.

The opening is a ylang-ylang rosewood tinged powder that reminds me of the wonderful original scent of Nivea lotion, this is then followed by a powdery heart that has tinges of the delicious powder used in Keiko Mecheri's Loukhoum but much cleaner and less over the top. Finally it drys down to a warm musky powder with hints of cinnamon, vanilla, honey, and rose. Overall this scent is excellent for powder fans and floral lovers.

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SOTD: Fleurs d'Osmanthus by Keiko Mecheri

When did I become such a floral lover? I have not wanted to touch my orientals or florientals in a long time. I suppose the reality being inside so much while working on schoolwork has left me wanting fresh, light, and springy scents. Still this trend worries me :-P. Damn you osmanthus! (this is screamed Colbert Report style).
Quote of the Day: I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it.-- Garrison Keillor
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The Sakura Bride by Kimiko Yoshida

SOTD: Parfum d'Empire's Osmanthus Interdite, a leathery osmanthus

Continuing the Osmanthus theme is Parfum d'Empire's Osmanthus Interdite aka Forbidden Osmanthus, if Keiko Mecheri's Fleurs d'Osmanthus is the tropical gentle variation of osmanthus, then Osmanthus Interdite is the more forward and strangely tom boyish cousin. Osmanthus Interdite works with the pronounced tang and leather of osmanthus, it juxtaposes a citrusy zingy apricot note with a strangely lactic leather note. There is a masculine edge to it, but at the same time it evokes the perfect presence of a summer dress with the note of citrus and apricot, it is a leather and fruit scent that does not go into chypre territory, but rather straddles the fruity and leather families. I would almost say this is a naughty scent, but because it is so forward there is nothing naughty about it, for it is obvious. It is a the perfect peachy cream colored summer dress belted with with black leather and paired with black stilettos. For those looking for an animalic fruity leather scent that does not go into hiney territory this is for you, strangely kinky and charming.

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Eternal Spring by Adam Booth 2006

SOTD: KM Fleurs d'Osmanthus and Osmanthus Green Tea

There are three florals that I am truly attracted too: rose, orange blossom, and osmanthus. Otherwise as many know my fragrance love is more in the category of incense, gourmands, and spices with the occasional fruit. Osmanthus is a floral chameleon in the sense that it is not really a floral scent but a melange of other scents resulting in a scent that is heady, fruity, creamy, tart, and shockingly leatherly. It has been described as the combination of apricot, orange blossom, and leather. It truly holds my attention though at the apricot note. There is one fruit scent I truly love and sadly apricot is a scent few perfumes ever get right (in fact I have yet to find one, the best rendition of apricot being Burt's Bees Apricot Baby Oil). My first meeting with osmanthus came in the form of Keiko Mecheri's Fleurs d'Osmanthus, this scent is a tropical take on osmanthus, upping the creamy part of osmanthus with the addition of tuberose, still as the fragrance dries down the zing of green apricot cream comes forward, it enchants you. It still holds a place in my heart and remains one of the most easy going florals out there. Although, it does bear some resemblance to Serge Luten's Datura Noir, I would say that two migrate in different directions with the dry down, Datura Noir becoming sweeter with a rasp and Fleurs d'Osmanthus taking on a tang and gentleness. Fleurs d'Osmanthus is a lovely gentle enticing scent, that is striking but never overbearing.

Another way to enjoy the the scent of osmanthus and far more traditional way is through tea. This may be the best way of smelling the true scent of osmanthus without having to find an osmanthus bush. Today I am drinking a blend of osmanthus and green tea. The fruity apricot leather note coming out perfectly. I suggest for those of us who are not lovers of jasmine green tea but want to enjoy a scented floral that you seek out an osmanthus scented tea.

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Spring by Irma Kusiani