The Elegance Series, first up Elegant Earthy: L'Inspiratrice by Divine (2006)

So I have had this idea floating in my head for the last month of doing an elegant perfume series. The idea happened when I tried the very interesting Monsillage Vol 870 YUL-CDG and the immediate thought that came to my head was that it was very elegant classic scent. Yet, at the same time it is really interesting and by interesting I mean that plays with notes and isn't stuffy in the least and well it has some quirk. The more I thought about it the more I realized I wanted to do a series on scents that were released fairly recently and embody what I consider classic elegance and yet they must be interesting. Nothing boring or stuffy, they have to have quirk and soul.

I like aldehydes but I inherently find most of the time the composition they come with are not really me, the classic pairing of aldehydes is florals, and as I've mentioned before pure florals and I rarely are on the same footing to get along. It also makes me saddened that aldehydes are rarely used beyond the genre of floral when Chanel's classic Bois des Iles highlights that in fact aldehydes can get along stupendously with wood notes, in this case sandalwood. I should also mention that aldehydes can frequently connote an elegance in perfumes for their brightening and deepening effect.

Have you ever thought I really wish L'Artisan would mosh their Voleur de Roses with Chanel No.5 Sensual Elixir? Yeah, me neither until I tried Divine's L'Inspiratrice and that is what I get on my skin and you know what it really really works.

L'Inspiratrice starts with playful use of aldehydes, it reminds me of the more softened aldehydes used in Chanel No.5 Sensual Elixir or Eau Premiere, yet the base of this scent is the classic combination of patchouli and roses that is akin to L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses. Now what keeps this composition melded and smooth is the use of delicate vanilla and ylang ylang.

I just want to reiterate that the use of vanilla in this composition does not make it a vanilla scent, in fact this is a prime example of vanilla being used as a smoothing agent and just adding a dollop of sweetness it tames the patchouli enough that the camphorous qualities it can have are kept at bay.

If vanilla is used to tame the patchouli then ylang ylang is used to tame the aldehydes. Ylang Ylang can have a deep camphorous narcotic scent, I love it, but recognize the hot cold effect it has can be alien to some. What is interesting is while modern perfumery is not a big fan of it, if you look at the classic aldehydic scents they used it everywhere, I theorize it is because piercing sweetness of ylang ylang balances out the sharp champagne qualities of aldehydes.

But you are probably asking what about the rose? The rose in L'Inspiratrice is a soft velvety skin rose, it melds to the wearer and plays the vital supporting role to the patchouli, it is what I call a cuddly somewhat maternal rose, there is no bite but neither is it virginal. It just exists plushly.

L'Inspiratrice melds beautifully with the wearer, the effect is elegant but warm, it is velvety without being suffocating. The lack of suffocation I give credit to the dry cocoa patchouli that is used and no heavy ambering or syrup notes. After Chanel's Bois des Iles this is the next prime example I can think of that aldehydes can meld beautifully to wood based creations.

Try if you like Chanel's Coromandel, No.5 Sensual Elixir, Bois des Iles or L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses.

First image from fragrantica.com
Second Image Alonzo King

Esther P: Queen of Persia or that jasmine note.

I think Queen of Persia by Esther P is a fine fragrance on others but for me it has this jasmine note. This is the jasmine note found in Vanille Insensee, Nanette Lepore in the pink bottle, and Coco Mademoiselle it is the dry screechy jasmine that never calms down on me. It took me awhile to figure out the note causing the trouble on my skin but I finally realized it with Vanille Insensee where its prominence really shined on my skin.

As the scent calms down on my skin there emerges patchouli and iris with incense they take on a chocolatey quality but overall the jasmine keeps up its prominent role.

I wish I could say more about this scent but for me it is one that truly just does not work on my skin. It is funny I think the more I delve into perfume I am able to recognize the qualities of a perfume that does not work on me and now why. When you first begin smelling perfume it is easy to perceive what smells bad and what smells good but harder to really state what is not working. In this case I can now tell you three notes in perfume that cause major issues on my skin:

-The damp hay patchouli note found in Angel and Prada Amber.
-The acrid candyfloss note found in Angel and L'Artisan Vanilia.
-The dry screechy jasmine found in many of the modern Chanel's most especially Coco Mademoiselle (although I can wear this in pure parfum, I wonder if they use a different jasmine in that), Vanille Insensee, and the original Nanette Lepore in the pink bottle.

Try Esther P. Queen of Persia if you like Coco Mademoiselle, Vanille Insensee, or the original Nanette Lepore in the pink bottle, do not try if you have issues with all three of these.

image provided by fragrantica.com

Tackling the Classics: Angel by Thierry Mugler

Welcome to the first entry in the Tackling the Classics series where I take a look at iconic scents and see if they live up to the hype on myself. Today we take a look at the legendary and groundbreaking Angel.

What has not been said about Angel? It is considered the booming loud opera voice that brought the gourmand genre to the forefront*, it is without a doubt the scent that you will have an opinion on, in fact I would say it is impossible not to have an opinion on Angel.

What is Angel for me? I think first thing I should mention is Angel has always caught me off guard by its name, Angel you think angelic, soft downy cherubs, but Mugler instead decided to go with the idea of the avenging angel Gabriel. In this case Gabriel's sword is patchouli and chocolate and unfortunately if not used right you could easily bludgeon onlookers with this scent. We have all heard the stories of the person who wore too much Angel.

After sampling Angel multiple times I have found it to be patchouli overload and sadly it remains just that on me. Every once in awhile I will get a glimmer of the other notes, but Angel overall for me is a particular patchouli that I have come to realize never melds well on me. It is what I call damp hay patchouli. Damp hay patchouli smells of dry sweet patchouli with the unnerving and not delightful note of hay that has been soaked with water and allowed to sit awhile. The other note that causes issue for me is the candyfloss note, now for many this note is a delightful gourmand note, but for me takes on an acrid limp quality that that just stagnates on my skin. It took me awhile to figure out what was causing this effect but I fully realized it when I tried the discontinued L'Artisan Vanilia which uses the same candyfloss note in a much larger percentage.

Yet, I do know the beauty and proclamation of Angel, just not on me. Years ago I had a colleague who wore it and on her it was swoon worthy sillage, Kuljeet's skin brought out the bittersweet chocolate, and fruit notes. What it ended up smelling like on her was the dark chocolate the kind with wine and berry notes.

As for the type of angel that Angel is, I think it is far more akin to Tilda Swinton's Gabriel in Constantine (the only good thing about that movie).

*Although, it should be noted that there are many fragrances before it that skirted the gourmand territory but never fully bellowed it like Angel.

image provided by http://www.theperfumeshop.com/fcp/product/womens-fragrances/thierry-mugler/angel/1580

Heir to Guerlain's Vetiver: L'Artisan's Timbuktu

The first vetiver I ever enjoyed was Guerlain's Vetiver, I know, not really shocking, it's a classic masterpiece for vetiver fragrances for a reason. Fast forward a decade now and vetiver noted fragrances are everywhere, yet few catch me very much, and why would they when I have Guerlain Vetiver.

Well now enters L'Artisan's Timbuktu, honestly I bought this lovely little fragrance with a coupon and gift card from Sephora having never sniffed it, but it is really hard to pass up the 30 ml size bottle*. So I got it and I am happy that I did. It is an airy vetiver patchouli laden incense that makes me feel cool, collected, and natural. It's the feel of Timbuktu that makes me call it the heir to Guerlain's Vetiver, it is a classy serenity that I rarely encounter in fragrances, it is my scent for frantic work days. The use of vetiver in Timbuktu is prominent but it is also supported by a patchouli incense not and has a tang from green mangoes going through it, it attains the airy quality from the karo karounde note. Guerlain's Vetiver for me is vetiver supported by bergamot and tobacco, creating a rather earth floor quality I love.

Try if you like: Guerlain Vetiver, Montale White Aoud, Montale Musk to Musk, Atelier Cologne Trefle Pur.

*Seriously L'Artisan why can you not offer this size for everyone of your fragrances? Love it.
Image by Laetitia Devernay: The Conductor (Chronicle Books, 2011)

Over the top radiance: Elie Saab Le Parfum eau de parfum

Orange blossom is the note that always catches my interest, it is the giant white floral I love, but then again I think I love it because it is a giant white floral that can be done so delicately. And if I were to be really honest it is also the white floral blossom that marries well to my favorite vanilla notes. Another attraction for me is the edible gourmand quality to it reminding me of exotic flower scented desserts.

So how does Ellie Saab's first fragrance fit into my love of the orange blossom, it is big and radiant, sure there is a honey note, but at no point am I thinking to myself, I would like to take a bite of this. No, this fragrance of modern renaissance princess. She is utterly aglow and has a crown of flowers in her hair. There is a sweetness to the scent but it is not just sweetness underneath is a horned section trumpeting the flowers and the earth with cool patchouli and cedar. The musk and honey creating a buzzing to it that makes the scent radiate, its a garden in late spring in area where summer comes early. It is quite frankly a sort of center of attention scent which sometimes is exactly what you want.

Give it a try if you love the orange blossom note in Narcisco Rodigruez eau de toilette and wish there was more of it.

Image courtesy of Aisle Perfect and is from the Hamda Al Fahim Spring 2013 collection

SOTD: Coco Madamoiselle pure parfum

When you smell the other variation of Coco Madamoiselle the flowers are never what you really smell, rather your attention is on the bergamot laced patchouli, but the pure parfum is another story. The bergamot does not last as long instead you are plunged into a creamy heart of jasmine only slowly does the patchouli vetiver drydown come along. It is beautiful and modern with its rather straight lines, it is a fine tailored suit with a few modern edges. It strangely always reminds me of the color orange.
image provided by artnet.com
image: Jasmine by Natasha Law 2008

SOTD: Coco Madamoiselle pure parfum

Going with the one of modern marvels of fragrances today: Chanel's Coco Madamoiselle. This scent in pure parfum remindes me of orange trees; ironically the notes listed do not feature orange, but the blending of bergamot, vetiver, and patchouli achieves the instant image of orange trees to me.

Quote of the day: This is one of those views which are so absolutely absurd that only very learned men could possibly adopt them. -- Bertrand Russell

SOTD: Allure Sensuelle pure parfum

The lovely sunny spring weather has turned to rainy spring weather. Going through my scent wardrobe I was tempted to bring out my heavy oriental hitters: Organza Indecence, Must, or Un Bois Vanille. But the reality is I simply have come to that time of the year that even when it is cold outside spring is still very visibly here and no autumnal/winter scents are what I want to wear. So instead I am going with Allure Sensualle pure parfum (the only strength of Allure Sensualle I wear), which is very much a floriental scent yet the patchouli used in it has a cool earthy quality to it that makes it appropiate for spring weather. I almost dismissed this image as being to much in the mode of bodice-ripper, but I love the fact that the model is short haired, that is she not the "ideal" of beauty, but she has contemplative alluring quality on her face that well the more I look at the image the more I am drawn to it.

And a quote:

The only reason I made a commercial for American Express was to pay for my American Express bill.-- Peter Ustinov

In these days of craptastic economy I thought this one was highly fitting and appropiate.

image provided by artnet.com

Sensual by Royo

SOTD: Coco Madamoiselle pure parfum

Today I am going with the highly stylish, modern, and very tasteful scent of Coco Madamoiselle. It is one of those rare fragrances that was designed for the younger set, but was not dumbed down with sugary sweets and fruit salad, but rather its youthfulness is in the transparency of the the fragrance and the overall energy of the notes. It starts of with one of my favorite citrus openings, goes into a heart of creamy jasmine, and eventually settles with the uniquely airy combination of patchouli and vetiver.

image provided by artnet.com http://www.artnet.com/artwork/424892959/3276078/sophie-prive-eveline-dans-son-atelier.html
Eveline dans son atelier by Sophie Prive

Scent of The Day: Burberry Brit Red

My Crystal Bowl by Lin Caijun

So my fragrance for today Burberry Brit Red. Each year I like to pick a fragrance for around the holiday time to wear to celebrations this year I chose Burberry Brit Red (last year was Burberry Brit Gold). Burberry Brit Red is a wonderful melange of gingerbread, rhubarb, candied citrus, patchouli, and a lovely fluffy vanilla.

And the celebration for today is: Happy Birthday Renee!

The above art was provided from artnet.com

The scent of intelligence

What makes a scent intelligent? As usual it really does rely on the nose of the one who is smelling. Still there are few fragrances that I own or have sniffed that scream intelligence too me. And also there is one note that if I smell in on a woman it always makes me think she might be intelligent: vetiver. And now a fun little scent list:

Balmain Ivoire- it's dry, unique, earthy, yet resplendently soapy that it screams high class. It is scent of beauty but beauty with sardonic intelligence with the raised tilt of a brow.

Guerlain Vetiver- Yes, it's in the men's section of the fragrance counter but trust me this has easily got to be one of the most wearable scents. It's clean but earthy with that zest from the citrus. The nutmeg and the tobacco give it a subtle unique dry down that is inviting but does not scream I am trying to seduce you but rather, I smell incredible and I bet you wonder what the hell it is? It is the scent I wear when I want a confident easy going quality.

Cartier Le Baiser du Dragon- What this ultimately dries down to on me is a powdery iris vetiver concoction both scents of intelligence yet when used correctly have cool deeply sensual quality. This is the Femme Fatale of intelligent fragrances, this is the "going out" scent of an intellligent woman.

Chanel Chance- I admit this one does not work on me. Yet, when I have smelled it on women it works it becomes a brite citrusy laden patchouli vetiver concoction, almost having an eau de cologne quality but with definite sillage. The ad campaign was flirty and girly but the scents dry down is anything but that.

Chanel Coco Madamoiselle- This may have one of the most wonderfully smooth openings but the patchouli dry down screams pure wit.

In a luminous grey haze..scent of the day

I'm wearing Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely today, it is hard to rhaps poetic about a celebrity perfume without delving into sounding fangirlish or sounding like you bought it only because they put their name on it, and too often the scent is mediocre or worse. But with Lovely it is another story this is a scent that immediately evokes a color to me and a texture, it is misty grey silk with just a hint of velvet at the edges. It starts often with a clean medicinal note that immediately awakens the nose with quality a winter breeze has on a sunny day, yet as the fragrance begins to change it takes on the character of grey haze that you often see before sunset in fall around the mountains. It is a clean hazy scent that is both enveloping crisp.
The notes are: patchouli, paper whites, orchid, cedar, musk, woods, manderin, bergamot, rosewood, lavender, apple martini