Peachy Powdered Femininity: Bellissima Parfum Intense by Blumarine

I'm not sure why I suddenly really wanted to try Bellissima Parfum Intense by Blumarine, I think it was the peachy uber-feminine packaging. I go through phases of aesthetics through the year at some point I will suddenly want to wear uber-feminine and then suddenly I want minimalist natural. Those are the two variations that happen the most often but this year I have suddenly wanted weird fruit. I think though I am suddenly veering again into the feminine category.

From what I can tell the design house of Blumarine is all about the uber-feminine aesthetic and they seem to be willing to hire very good perfumers for their scents, Sophie Labbe created this one and few others for them but taking a look at their other scents they have also hired Maurice Roucel, Christine Nagel, and more.

Bellissima Parfum Intense starts with tangy grapefruit, it's a watercolor grapefruit, this scent isn't about grapefruit so no need to begin hyper-realistic. Below that is a softly tinted well mannered passion fruit, it adds a sweet tang that then supports a really nice combo of peony and heliotrope. The combination of peony and heliotrope is my favorite part. It is a powdery duet of two rather lilting notes that smell very much like the idea of a gentle ballet in my head.

To me Bellissima Parfum Intense is very much a bedroom/Sunday lounging scent its all about pillows and comfort especially when that powdery cashmere wood note steps in. The thing is cashmere wood notes and I just don't really get along all that well, they just go rather flat on me, the cashmere wood takes over and it becomes rather chalky. If Bellissima Parfum Intense stayed in the middle area with the combo of peony and heliotrope supported by passion fruit I would be happy, in fact I might even consider purchasing a bottle, but in the end the cashmere wood note stops that. I think though if you have no issues with the cashmere wood note this is definitely a scent worth considering if you like powdery scents.

Try Bellissima Parfum Intense if you like Allure by Chanel, What We Do In Paris Is Secret by A Lab on Fire, or Love Chloe.

First image from fragrantica.com
Second image from photo by Nina Leen, 1954

Heliotrope Confection, Tackling A Classic: Farnesiana by Caron

Here is what I can tell you about my decant of Caron's Farnesiana it is from before the era of extreme reformulations but probably not from the era of perfect vintage goodness. On the other hand Caron's Farnesiana is the perfume I have smelled closest to actually capturing the scent of heliotrope. The first time I smelled the heliotrope was years ago while visiting a friend in Chicago and the day before my departure we visited the amazing Chicago Botanical Gardens, where I spied the tiny dark purple flowers of heliotrope. I remember being so shocked by the scent of heliotrope because truly it was almond accented with a cool pungent quality to it. Such a powerful distinct scent wafted from those tiny little violet flowers.

Much has been written about Farnesiana and what I always run across is the emotions it can conjure in the wearer. For me Farnesiana is an unapologetically feminine confection of a scent. It reminds of tea parties, candied flowers, and pastels. You are entering a sunlit sitting room that most definitely has something frilly on the table and there is delicate China. I sort of adore the fact this scent is the unapologetic uber-feminine. It is rare to actually find that in a scent these days, a great deal of the time now it is also paired with sexy, sporty, or fresh. I am reminded a bit of the Gothic Lolita movement and can easily see this scent working perfectly with those fun uber-feminine dark edged little outfits.

Underneath the heliotrope and mimosa of Farnesiana there lurks a balsamic mix of vanilla, anise, and opoponax which gives the scent an unexpected darker depth. Yet, the heliotrope goodness of Farnesiana never leaves even as the dry down comes into view. The powder and balsamic co-mingle and I am reminded just a bit of the French spice bread Pain d'Epice.

Overall, Caron's Farnesiana for me is an opus to Heliotrope. It is a gourmand that plays with the almond-y facets of heliotrope and lets the wearer be in a place of supreme calm and pretty.

Try if you like Guerlain's L'Heure Bleue, L'Artisan's Jour de Fete, Trussardi Jeans for her, or Sonoma Scent Studio's Lieu de Reves.

First image from Caron.
Second image from Cashmere Lover

The Prettiest Girl In The Room: Lolita Lempicka L'Eau En Blanc

Sometimes you forget you like pretty, like the easy pretty, where there is frankly nothing else but pretty going on. As a scent lover this is even easier to forget because most of the time your passions are for the things that are less easy because you are rather sick of the banal. You confuse banal with pretty. This is a sad confusion which I easily blame on the crap that is usually on the mass market perfume counters that is called "pretty." A good deal of the time it is banal, so you frequently pass it by with good reason, but in doing so you end up becoming jaded to the idea of a pretty fragrance. At least I have, maybe others not so much, but I frequently forget I like pretty scents. And then every once in awhile I am wonder struck by one because it makes me remember that pretty can be really good in a scent.

Maybe I should back up for a moment and also mention that pretty is frequently equated with floral perfumes and pure floral perfumes have always been a very small legion I get along with. Other people wear them beautifully but for me screechy can frequently happen, the pretty getting outweighed by whatever off note chose to manifest on my skin, that then causes me discord.

Lolita Lempicka L'Eau En Blanc is pretty, it's not banal, but you know what neither is it going to cause argument. What it is a springtime variation of Lolita Lempicka the original scent. Take the notes down that could be too much in warm weather and instead heighten the violet and iris note, let a little greenery enter the scent. Accent the almond note with more heliotrope then heighten it just a little with the tint of raspberry, the raspberry is used with a perfect hand never overwhelming the fragrance but rather it flutters around the edges of the almond meringue scent in L'Eau En Blanc. The raspberry also tones down the white musk note giving it a fruity edge that allows for the powder of the scent to mingle easily with sweet notes of the perfume. Finally keep that delicious tonka, vanilla, and vetiver mix of the original but let it be lightened up by the musk and iris.

What you end up having is a very pretty scent that is still interesting but allows the wearer to feel a little more at ease in the heat of Spring and Summer, the iris and violet are allowed to show their cooling properties but the gourmand qualities of Lolita Lempicka are still allowed to play.

Try if you Falling In Love by Philosophy, Trussardi Jeans for her, Lieu de Reves by Sonoma Scent Studio, or Apres L'Ondee by Guerlain.

first image from punmiris.com
Second image from metmuseum.org

Perfume Review: Trussardi Jeans for Women

If you were to tell me one of my favorite fragrances was going to be called Jeans I would have laughed. I'm short and larger hipped, jeans and I for the most part do not get along, it is usually a once a year excursion into body dysmorphia of "Why won't these jeans f*&!ing jeans fit properly!?" At my plumpest and my thinnest jeans have not fit properly. On the other hand Trussardi Jeans is my go to anytime perfect fitting fragrance.

First off this fragrance is not necessarily original, in fact is smells like a very high end bit of a cult status fragrance, L'Artisan Jour de Fete, in fact nearly identical, except that Trussardi Jeans is in my estimation a better fragrance. Nor is my comparison original I learned of this fragrance and comparison through Aromascope.

Now what it means to me: rain water, violets, lovely clean diaphonous heliotrope, sweet milk, blanched almonds, and hints of peppery white musk (luckily not laundry detergent), and incredible calm. This is such a perfect calm space scent that caters to the comforting side but does not veer off into bakery land. It has excellent lasting power but is never overwhelming. When I don't know what to wear I reach for this. It is never offending but also never dull, for me it is my Guerlain Apres L'Ondee except it works on me.

Try if you like: Caron Farnesiana, L'Artisan Jour de Fete, Guerlain Apres L'Ondee, Black Phoenix Alchemy Dana O'Shee.

image by Tatiana Plakhova

SOTD: Angelique Encens

I really did not think I would like Creed's Angelique Encens that much considering the first fragrance I ever tried of theirs was rather hellacious on me (Fleurs de Bulgare), but last night I received my swap sample of it and I was blown away. This is what I wanted Frederic Malle's L'eau d'Hiver to be, this is strangely beautiful comforting cool incense, it is white marble with blue veins come to life, in a way it reminds me of L'Heure Bleue, but this actually works on me. Really if I were to describe it, it is a combination of L'eau d'Hiver and L'Heure Bleue, but ironically timeline wise, L'Heure Bleue is the grandmother-Angelique Encens the mother-L'eau d'Hiver the grandchild, what is strange though is this scent seems to straddle luminously feminine and yet I can't help but want to say it is androgynous. What I adore is it keeps the beautiful delicate green note of angelica through out, surrounding it with wonderfullying dry incense and cashmere like heliotrope tinged vanilla. I suppose I expected the cold Commes des Garcon's Avignon, instead this is somehow this is unearthly and comforting. Thank you Marlene Dietrich.

image provided by artnet.com

image: Illusion by Louis Icart

SOTD: Caron's Pour Un Homme

A few years ago I had craving for the scent of lavender, which came as quite the schocker, considering in my years of fragrance adoration I had never desired lavender. So as any good perfume addict will do you immediately post the question to other fragrance addicts "What are you favorite lavender scents?" The resounding answer among many was Caron's Pour Un Homme. Well my perfume craving left me before I ever got to the point of sampling Pour Un Homme, but finally I have a sample of it (received with my purchase of the lovely Infusion d'Iris). The fragrance has so far begun with a blast of pungent lavender, then moved to a stage of doughy heliotrope and vanilla, and now has become a wonderful delicate fresh lavender lacing around slightly doughy heliotrope vanilla blend. This was also inspired by the news that Caron is releasing a new lavender scent for the summer. Excitement!

Quote of the Day: Fashion is something that goes in one year and out the other.-- Unknown

image provided by artnet.com

Lavender Field by Nataly Kimmel

SOTD: Kuumba Made Vanilla Musk

My mondays are spent studying so I often go with comforting scents (those that blend in with my own scent) or scents that I perceive to be intelligent (Infusion d'Iris) or scents that I perceive to intellectually stimulating because of their energy (citrus scents). Today I am going with comfort and a scent I have not worn in ages: Kuumba Made Vanilla Musk. This one has a great deal of similarity to Lea St. Barth and Sage Machado's Pearl, the musk is light and delicate, the vanilla also light with hints of cherried heliotrope and almond, yet the drydown also has hints of civet and amber. Truthfully this scent really should get much more attention but I suspect because it is cheap and usually found at health food stores it is dismissed.

Quote of the Day: The most erroneous stories are those we think we know best - and therefore never scrutinize or question.-- Stephen Jay Gould

image provided by artnet.com

Implicate Order by Eleanor Miller