Books and Scents: A Mid Year Review

If you were ask me about my other passions, I would tell you one of them is reading. I also really like the idea of scenting the books I have read. Sometimes it will be a perfume or a scent idea. I also wanted to share the best books I have read so far this year. This isn't all that I have read but these are books I recommend wholeheartedly.

January

1. The 6:41 to Paris by Jean-Philippe Blondel

-The scent: a green scent that encompasses regret and reflection with a bitter edge. 

2. The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

-The scent: Dilmun by Lorenzo Villoresi, as much as Dilmun is about creamy gorgeous orange blossom there is also incense and hints of full jasmine green tea. Jasmine and green tea are mentioned through out the book and orange blossom and incense reflect the sense of flight and danger throughout it.

February

3. A Practical Wedding Planner: A Step-by-Step guide to Creating the Wedding You Want With the Budget You've Got (Without Losing Your Mind in the Process) by Meg Keene

-The scent: Le Temps d'une Fete by Nicolai, just as A Practical Wedding  is about the earthier aspects of wedding planning with great direct frankness about the subject and so is Le Temps d'une Fete about the earthier fecund qualities of spring but it is also joyous as a wedding should be. 

March

Nada, I was in the midst of overtime wedding planning, my reading was put aside. 

April

4. Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape by Peggy Orenstein

-The scent: the most popular youthful scent of now combined with an entitled fury over the shit education girls receive about their sexuality. 

May

5. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

-The scent: L'Ete en Douce by L'Artisan, only a perfectly magical summer scent could go with gorgeous graphic novel about the moment right before your tween years. Loved this so hard.

June

6.  Sex Object by Jessica Valenti 

-The scent: Gris Clair by Serge Lutens, something needed for the resigned world weary anger and exhaustion of carrying about psychic pain all the damn time. 

7. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James

-The scent: Trussardi Jeans by Trussardi, Cordelia Gray deserves Trussardi Jeans because it fits her character in that she seems youthful but is world weary in many ways. The violet seemingly youthful but the blue rain like quality of the scent keeping it different from most scents. 

all images from amazon.com

So You Want to Smell Like the Goddess of Spring (extreme bargain edition): Orangers en Fleurs Pure Parfum by Houbigant

Let me first start with the bargain part and just get it out of the way. At fragrancenet.com you can get .33 oz of Houbigant's Orangers en Fleurs pure parfum for $20.00. That is a steal!

I originally tried Houbigant's Orangers en Fleurs years ago when somehow it randomly ended up on my local Nordstrom's counter, I admired it, and recognized immediately that it had a whole lot in common with Serge Luten's Fleurs d'Oranger, a scent that had never quite moved me, but had most definitely required testing as an orange blossom lover. I did note that Orangers en Fleurs worked a tad bit better on my skin when compared to Fleurs d'Oranger, but at its price point acquisition was not going to happen. And now to the present, I was doing that thing of trawling for perfume bargains as so many perfume lovers do when randomly I decided to do a search for Orangers en Fleurs, part of the search was I am simply wanting an orange blossom, when I suddenly spied pure parfum attached to the listing of it. Needless to say I went for it, pure parfum is sort of the unicorn of perfumes, because it is usually supposed to be the concentration of the scent at its best form because you are getting the clearest vision of what the perfumeur is trying to communicate.

Orangers en Fleurs pure parfum opens with a blast of cold root-y crystalline tuberose that is made all the more cooler by a dash of nutmeg, I will admit the opening is a bit scary because it really does not register to my nose as orange blossom, it is a bit like the orchestra is getting situated before everyone is ready to play. The tuberose plays the icy handmaiden of Spring who has come to announce the lady of the house has arrived. What enters is the queen goddess herself of Spring one of the most intense no holds barred heady orange blossoms I have ever encountered. There is nothing wan or pastel about this orange blossom, regal and powerful, this orange blossom sits on the throne. This is basically the Targaryen of orange blossoms and the dragons ridden on are tuberose, jasmine, and ylang ylang. Jasmine adds the radiance note that it can sometimes add and thankfully the indoles are kept in check. Ylang ylang keeps the scent from getting too hot. There is also to my nose a linden blossom like greenery running all through the background it keeps the heady melange of flowers from going into dour territory.

Houbigant Orangers en Fleurs pure parfum smells rich, you can tell that someone was allowed to play with good stuff and basically decided that they wanted an orange blossom queen. Every time I sniff it the commandment running through my head is "Bow to the Queen." I would love to know who the perfumer is behind this.

Try Orangers en Fleurs if you like Fleurs d'Oranger by Serge Lutens, Azahar by Madini, or Dilmun by Lorenzo Villoresi.



First Image aromo.ru
Second Image 'Lady Flora, Goddess of Blossoms and Flowers' Evelyn de Morgan 1880
Third Image Yakovlev and Aleeva

Deep Green: Bella Basura by Haught Perfumes

There is something deliciously modern and vintage about the perfumes created at Haught Perfumes by Jarekhye Covarrubias. They almost always start very fun and modern and yet frequently morph into the lovely tasteful classical. I don't usually encounter this combo in perfumes so it was nice to see someone playing with these ideas.

I am not the sort of person who usually wears green floral fragrances, I most definitely admire the ideas they convey, but frequently when I try to wear them I run into a few issues. Bella Basura joins the very small cadre of green florals I can wear (the others I can wear are Le Temps d'une Fete by Nicolai, Phenomene Verte II by Lalun Naturals, and Climat by Lancome).

Bella Basura starts with a big bitter blend of lime and bergamot beneath it I get hints of basil and spices enough that for a moment there is a hint of mossy freshness that reminds me of good clean soap scent.

Yet, before anything mundane can happen smoky creamy jasmine incense note enters. This is my favorite stage. I didn't realize I could like a green florals until I realized that they could have green creamy incense notes, Bella Basura is one of those few scents that does that, yet before you go running to the hills thinking that this scent is going to get vanillic it never does. No, Bella Basura reverberates a constant bitter green, it's like a good amaro in the summer.

Bella Basura reminds me of the things I have always wanted to appreciate but never quite could, Jarekhye has tempered the green notes that frequently cause me so many problems, and made a green scent that is wearable for me. I am in fact reminded a bit of the classic Vent Vert by Balmain but made more wearable. The dry down is a consistent bitter green with the citrus and jasmine weaving back and forth there is a smoky blend of olibanum and vetiver that reverberates through out it.

Try Bella Basura if you like Vent Vert by Balmain, A Scent by Issey Miyake, or Jasmine White Moss Private Collection by Estee Lauder. 


Disclaimer: I received the sample from Haught Perfumes.

First image from Haught Perfumes
Second image 'Tropic (Tortuguero)' by Ben Blatt 
Third image 'Dahlia" by Inside A Black Apple

Pop Culture Fun: Rebecca Bunch and Valencia Perez of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

I'm not even half way through Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and I am seriously in love. It's insane, absurdly smart, creative, funny, heartbreaking, cringe inducing, and showcases some obscene talent. It's good.

Rebecca Bunch is about five million contradictions, she is probably best thought out portrait of someone with some serious issues, who is very smart, but also makes so many terrible terrible choices. She is the best example of I can think of right now on television of hilarious and heartbreaking. Can mental illness be funny, yes, but nuance is rarely applied with social commentary in a combination with s much biting madcap humor as depicted in the character of Rebecca Bunch.

Rebecca has the fatal flaw of deeply deeply wanting to impress and please everyone she wants in her life, except for the very few that get her aka Paula or Heather. Her intense desire to be wanted frequently involves her being willing to use all of her advantages to various extremes. So the first scent pick for Rebecca is Lancome's La Vie Est Belle, if there ever was a scent trying so damn hard and trying to have it all this is it. This scent is Rebecca to the ninth, when she is at her most manic in competition and trying to win Josh Chan's heart.

If Rebecca was more honest with herself she might choose something that is not La Vie Est Belle because she might have to admit certain qualities about herself. I rather think she would be far better in the more eccentric gourmand of Carner Barcelona's Tardes.  Tardes, a strange concoction of almond, cream, fresh watery celery, and fluffy musk. The scent is intelligent but charming and has a certain edge of rambunctious just like Rebecca when she isn't flying all over the place trying to be so damn pleasing. I think Rebecca is a gourmand wearer, she need a comforting scent but she doesn't quite get that about herself.

At the other end of the spectrum and Rebecca's nemesis, is Valencia, Josh's girlfriend. Valencia is played as the classic pretty mean girl but is able to be shown as having her own needs and desires that are not to be considered foolish. She does have all the right reasons to be wary of Rebecca and her overtures
towards Josh.

What is perhaps the most amusing thing is that like Rebecca, Valencia has a vision of herself that is not quite reality. In her head she is a zen yoga instructor who is peaceful. Her obvious choice of perfume is Sage Machado's Onyx a "spiritual" mix of tobacco, coconut, and musk. It is the obvious choice of hot chicks who love "spirituality" it is very Southern California. Valencia represents the classic Southern California "hottie" the woman who loves yoga, pilates, juice cleanses, and chia seeds and is perfectly in control of her super-toned body. She is supposed to be easygoing and sweet with hints of health food store.

Valencia is sharper than her scent of choice, she might not be as bookish as Rebecca, but this woman has aspirations and has started her own yoga studio. She also can see through Rebecca's delusions and overtures. Valencia should be wearing Lucy B's Royal Green Fig and Vanilla Woods. Royal Green Fig and Vanilla Woods is a simple but attractive sharp green fig scent, it is bohemian enough to fit Valencia's ideas about herself but sharp enough to show the intelligence beneath her choices.






First image from hulu.com
Second image from Herald Review
Third image from Fragrantica.com
Fourth image from Fragrantica.com
Fifth image from Cxg.wikia.com
Sixth image from Luckyscent.com
Seventh image from Beautycollection.com

Therapy in a Bottle: Izu by MikMoi

I am a person who stresses easily. I am just sensitive edged. So inherently fragrance for me is usually on the peaceful side, lets be honest while I frequently admire "loud" fragrances I'm not one to usually wear them.

MikMoi earlier this year came out with a series of bath products inspired by a recent trip to Japan. The collection features three scents and the one I was most smitten with is Izu. I ended up buying a lovely little bottle of the bath and body oil. As always Mik's perfumes evoke a sense of lightness and yet have excellent tenacity and longevity.

Izu smells like neroli to me at first and yet it does not contain neroli.. Rather the combination of yuzu, ylang ylang, and green tea create the fresh plush dense tart note of neroli in the opening. Eventually the neroli quality takes a step back and what enters is the scent of ylang ylang, for lovers of ylang ylang, Izu is most definitely worth a sniff.

As I've mentioned before ylang ylang does not get enough love in my book, the scent with the most prominent note of ylang ylang that can now be easily found on the market is Chanel No.5. Unless you know what you are looking for the aldehydes of No.5 can easily cover up the ylang ylang. I'm mentioning No.5 because the ylang ylang of that scent combined with the powderiness of the other notes has always created the image for me of No.5 being the scent of the just bathed. Izu also evokes this bathing quality, yet obviously it evokes none of the formal-ness or extreme architecture of No.5. Rather Mik has highlighted the lovely sensual musky just bathed skin quality of ylang ylang in Izu.

Izu is lovely natural contemplative scent yet the sensuality of ylang ylang has not been scrubbed away. An excellent scent for those of us who have a sensitive edge

As for my tiny bottle of oil, it has excellent longevity, and plenty of sillage. I rubbed a little bit of in my palm and ran it through my hair and floated around in a lovely cloud of ylang ylang therapy all day.

Try if you if like Chanel No. 5, Smell Bent's Pepper Ylang, or the scent of Mustela.

First image from Mikmoi.com
Second image from Ctesthetic
Third image from Chen Bolan

Tackling a Classic, Tackling the 90s: Laguna by Salvador Dali (1991)

Somehow I am continuing the themes of the 90s and summer perfumes. Today I am going to tackle a lesser known classic, one that was created in 1991 and has kept on going even when so many 90s fragrances are gone. I think Laguna came to my attention with a fairly recent review of it on Now Smell This, and looking at the date, not so recent review. So I can't explain why suddenly I was rather determined to get a sample of it. Apparently Luca Turin has good things to say about it,but honestly that wasn't the reason why I wanted to try it, and the legendary perfumer Mark Buxton created it, still not the driving force of why I wanted to try it. No, I think the main reason is it is weird fruit. I have suddenly very much wanted to smell fruity perfumes but not the insipid clean fruity florals of my late teens to present. These weird fruit perfumes do not have to smell natural either, although a plus if they do, but some how in this craving I have been okay with fruit notes that are really just the idea of a fruit.

Putting on Laguna by Salvador Dali is like taking a time travel trip. The scent is basically what  'Groove is in the Heart' by Dee-lite sounds like.

What you are doing at the moment is probably watching Cameron Crow's Singles and wishing you had Jane Fonda's fashion from that film but you are most likely dressing like Clarissa from Clarissa Explains It All. You watch Friends and want Rachel's style. You sit through Real World marathons. Like I said this scent is nostalgia, it's not even necessarily my own nostalgia, but it does make me nostalgic for ridiculous 90s fashion and culture.

Laguna is 90s retro goodness, it is a saturated over the top neon fruit scent that is emblematic of the 90s perfume era. That weird era when 1980s powerhouses was replaced by the hyper color chunky fruity floral orientals before the uber fresh scents took over. The start is rum caramalized pineapple with hints of citrus and a bizarre dose of tonka and below it all some salty goodness. Going forward the tonka walks out and you left with strange concoction of a peppered coconut pineapple vanilla shake with what feels like something like neon lime thrown in. Laguna is like someone decided to blend a pina colada, a daiquiri, a margarita, and salty sea air together. Strangely Buxton makes this work.

For sheer nostalgic purposes I suggest you hunt down this bizarre beach classic, it feels like the last of its kind considering calone would rise up and for a very long time take over the idea of what a beach scent should smell like.

Try if you like Plus Plus Feminine by Diesel, Onyx by Sage Machado, or Womanity by Thierry Mugler.

First image from recommend.ru
Second image from Clarissa Explains It All

Perfumes That Have Caught My Attention

So as we all know perfume releases are constant and frequently well not all that exciting but every once awhile you read a review or you see a release that really catches your eye. These a some that have caught my eye.

Eye, Hatshepsut by Charenton Macerations, I love ancient Egyptian history and for someone to finally go beyond Cleopatra and Nefertiti, is awesome. Notes sound intriguing.

Journey by MikMoi, mentions of apricot and magnolia with incense, yeah this has my nose attention.

Eau de Iceberg Sensual Musk, two people describing it as musky apricot ice cream, that deserves attention.

Flor de Naranjo by Coqui Coqui, heard about this orange blossom years ago, and luckyscent is finally carrying the line.

Orange Blossom and Peony from Dame Perfumery. Ever since I sampled Dame Perfumery's soliflores I have come to one conclusion this is probably one of the most intense soliflore collections I have run into, these are not cutesie wootsie water scents. I'm curious to see what he has done with Orange Blossom and Peony.

Istanbul by Al Faransi, peach, saffron, rose, nuff said.

Prada La Femme by Prada, if its Prada it goes on my must sniff list.

Elegant Fig: Fig Tree by Sonoma Scent Studio

Apparently I am having a moment of rediscovering fig scents. First there was Ninfeo Mio by Annick Goutal and now I have had the pleasure of the smelling Fig Tree by Sonoma Scent Studio.

Fig Tree is one of the most airy elegant figs I have ever come across. Part of me wants to describe it as a fig flower because this fig is supported by an incandescent musk that illuminates the fig in such a way that the first image that pops into my head is a big giant creamy magnolia blossom. Yet, this scent doesn't smell like magnolia it creates that perfect idea of a creamy giant blossom though.

You are probably thinking at this point that Fig Tree is coconut accented as happens in so many figs, it isn't, it has a creamy quality but at no point do I think of tropics. Rather at times I am reminded just a little bit of the classic peach lactonic chypres such as Femme by Rochas, Champagne by Yves Saint Laurent, or Mitsouko by Guerlain. Yet, Fig Tree is far more wearable than any of those have ever been on me. The support of earthy patchouli and cedar creates a firmly grounded fig, but the use of musk with just the slightest hint of vanilla is used to smooth out any rough edges in this fig.

I am reminded of the gentle sun filled Autumns that happen here in Northern California, they still retain quite a bit of summer but there is an earthy change in them that I can smell in Fig Tree. It's when the oak leaves begin to fall and they crunch beneath your feet and the leaves of the grapevines begin to yellow and redden but the days are still so warm.

What I want to try and convey is that Fig Tree is one of the most sophisticated fig scents I have ever tried. It is so well rounded and polished, I don't want to use the word glamorous to describe it but worldly and intellectual come to mind with this scent. This is a scent that perfectly sits in between autumnal and summery, which is precisely when figs are the best here.

Try Fig Tree if you like Philosykos by Diptyque, Ninfeo Mio by Annick Goutal, or Vol 870 YUL-CDG by Monsillage.


First image from Sonoma Scent Studio
Second image from Life Inspired
Third image from Pierre Mornet

Beyond the Spritz: Sun Bum Sunscreen SPF 50

Here is to age letting me learn to love the beach again. In my twenties I hated going to the beach, overly self-conscious being the culprit but thankfully I entered my thirties and have come to the point of not giving too much thought anymore if I have the perfect "beach body". I don't, I'm pale and my figure is not lean, but fuck it I want to enjoy the beach and that is what I am going to do.

The thing is though with that severe paleness, a token of my Normandy French heritage I have to wear sunscreen, like intense high SPF stuff, and in addition I have sensitive skin so a good amount of my beauty routine is spent finding new sunscreens that don't irritate me. I should add everyone should where sunscreen, Baz Luhrman is correct about that. My everyday sunscreen is scentless yet last weekend I found myself on the way to my future sister-in-laws bachelorette weekend and knew I needed a good sport sunscreen. Enter Sun Bum, I've seen it everywhere, it is the "it" sunscreen at the moment.

Sun Bum will never be an everyday sunscreen for me for one simple reason: it is highly fragranced yet it makes for the perfect beach scent. I feel like Sun Bum must have hired a perfumer and said "Give me the most coconut-ty pina colada scent you can think of. We want people to think "This is BEACH in the Summer."" Sun Bum starts off intensely pina colada, it's caramalized pineapple and coconut cream. That scent remains the same for quite awhile yet as time goes by below all that is a vanilla soft serve scent with just a hint of woods but still very much laced by coconut.

As for the formula of the sunscreen itself. This stuff works. That day I was the only person who did not get a sunburn. Inherently I believe part of the problem was many people opted for spray sunscreens that in studies have been shown to not work nearly as effectively. Also I intensely re-applied. The nice thing about Sun Bum is the formula is not too sticky, it moisturizes well but does not leave me feeling greasy. Other things to consider before applying sunscreen, moisturize well before applying sunscreen it will help with even out distribution of your sunscreen.

As for my beach song today, doesn't seem quite right but I love it:

My other summer jam Mitski's "Your Best American Girl"

The book: American Housewife: Stories by Helen Ellis. Amazing bizarro story lines, surreal biting humor, and satire.

first image from Sun Bum
second image from Amazon.com

Bizarro Fresh: Womanity by Thierry Mugler

I finally get Womanity it just took me 6 years and finally trying it in the middle of a heat spell. Although every time I wear it, I think this will always be my first thought "This is fucking weird."

I want to take a trip down memory lane with this one. The first time I tried Womanity was a total "GET IT OFF!" moment in 2010, fast forward to January 2016 and I buy a random sample of it, it is not "GET IT OFF!" bad but still not doing much for me but there is a glimmer of something interesting. And now lets get to last week, Versus by Versace suddenly awoke a bizarre desire for fruity in me, which frankly you really cannot find in my personal perfume collection. So I rummaged through my samples and found Womanity. I then finally gained clarity on this fragrance, enough clarity that I finally bought a little bottle of it.

The clarity I finally got is that Womanity needs heat. In cold weather the vibrant fruit note gets drowned out by the salty animalic note it makes for something akin to smelling slightly pickled. In the heat though the fruit of Womanity gets to shine. Which is where it gets a little weird for me. Womanity touts a fig note and yet my nose does not read it as fig, instead the first thing that pops into my head when I put it on is salted strawberries and, I mean heavily doused in salt, what follows is the enhancement of the pungency of the fruit note with spicy floral fruit note of pineapple guava (I am actually surprised the scent of this fruit has not been mined by perfumery).

The beginning fruit stage is then followed by the addition of something fresh, green, and spicy. Katie Puckrik compares it to green bell pepper, to my nose it is more akin to bruised coriander leaf and chopped pine needles. Either way this is the stage where the pinkness of the scent starts to take on a salty woodsy aspect. Eventually the fruits give up center stage in Womanity and what happens in the dry down is a glowing musky creamy woodsy thing that somehow retains the neon-ness of the opening fruits yet does not smell inherently fruity.

This is my favorite stage because it smells like the best rendition of Northern California coastline at certain part of the day, its right as the fog is rolling in on sunny afternoon, you can smell the sea, and coastal scrub brush heated by the sun, intermingling. There is one type scrub brush that at the right time of day has a spicy fruity scent, I still don't know what it is, but over the years I have known it well from all my visits and hikes near the beach. I find this scent in Womanity. Womanity is also like that scrub brush in that it needs the heat to be understood properly.

Thierry Mugler discontinued Womanity, you can still find it at online discounters, but this is considered his big flop, it is also the only fragrance of his to this date that has caught my fancy. The thing is I am pretty sure released now it might have done better with the prevalence of niche now being found at the fragrance counter. Still this is a weird one, it is definitely a part of the solar family of fragrances. It is one of those ground breakers that tried incorporating savory for the first time, which is now that salty aspect that is now found in many scents currently. I would also like to mention that the tenacity on this scent is amazing and it smells great on clothes.

Try if you like MikMoi's Ao or Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt.

First imageThe Scent of Self
Second image Miho Hirano
Third image Travel & Leisure

It's the 90s Yo But In The Future! (Basically Imagine Andy Samberg as Connor4Real saying this): Versus by Versace (2010)

I know it's been too long. Long story short: Wedding planning is an insane hobby that will take over your life and after you are done you have to recuperate. That's right I am married person now and thus I must go to Lowe's all the time and talk about scheduling maintenance (at least that is what t.v. has taught me). Yet, I finally have the time and energy to take care of this little blog.

Between the resurgence of brown lipstick and pants that don't cut off your circulation I think we can all officially say that 90s fashion is back. The funny thing is the iconic perfume styles of the 90s stayed around a lot longer than the fashion, remember this is the era that gave us aquatic, fruity florals, and the gourmand patchouli bombs aka Angel. The grand irony is and never did I think I would think this with a nostalgic gaze but lets face it once you have your nose assaulted by the upteenth "praline" sugar bomb of the current era you sort of end up missing the fresher fruity florals that used to populate the landscape known as the perfume counter. Yeah, I still can't believe I just typed that. So on to the perfume.

Supposedly Versus by Versace (2010) is based on the beloved Versus from 1992, from what I can tell the notes have nothing in common. The joke on this perfume though is if they released it now with the mention of the 90s connection I sort of wonder if the sales would be better. You're getting two different perfumes from the 90s with Versus, the first is the creamy fruity bubblgum musk thing you find in Herve Leger and the opus to that genre Light Blue by Dolce Gabbana what follows is a switcheroo into the Calvin Klein's CK One territory with a dry down of clean peppery unisex slightly mineral cologne.  It is bizarre yet intriguing, you want to keep smelling it just to try and decipher what the hell is going on in this scent.

In the end all I can think is this is what I always imagined the Spice Girls to smelt like. A lot of rambunctious pink and neon lime with cologne thrown in. A bizarrely nostalgic scent that decided to cover all the bases of what the "cool" kids were wearing.

First Image from NST


Second Image Chronicle Live

Five Indie Roses Worth Your Attention

It's Spring and I haven't posted anything about Spring perfumes and I have decided to not do that particular list. Instead I decided to do something in the vein of my Five Indie Vanillas post. I know I started the year saying I was maybe done with so much roses, but who am I kidding, I love rose scents. On the other hand rose scents are easily the scents that frequently end up in the breaking the bank category of perfume. So like my Five Indie Vanillas post I decided I wanted to make some suggestions for roses that won't break the bank, are indie, and most of all smell really good. What I love about this particular list is the diversity of the rose scents. None of these smell like the other and they all work with a different concept of the rose.

1. Musk Warda N.3 by Abdul Karim Al Faransi
I don't think I gave Musk Warda N.3 a fair chance when I reviewed it the first time or maybe the weather wasn't quite right for it. This last week I wore it twice and found myself happily in the presence in what made me think this is a Middle Eastern take on the tea rose category of rose scents. For me wearing Musk Warda N.3 is like wearing tea rose scent with splashes of saffron and rose water.  Tea rose scents have the reputation of getting screechy at times Musk Warda N.3 turns into a creamy rosy musk on me with hints of saffron. I am reminded of rose water scented desserts at times, but please understand this is in no way a gourmand scent. Try if you like Sonoma Scent Studio's Velvet Rose or Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose. 

2. Cassis, Rose, & Sandalwood by Dame Perfumery
In some ways this scent makes me think of Cacherel's classic Noa, that creamy musk scent, I suppose it is the peony note. On the other hand Cassis, Rose, & Sandalwood is a far more fun scent. As much as there is a peony note in this perfume there is also a rather delightfully fruity rose going on. The addition of cassis gives a green zing to the scent. To my nose this is a perfectly pink perfume. It is fun, easygoing, and romantic. I wore this last year for a friends wedding weekend and it brings me happy memories every time I wear it. Try if you like Cacherel's Noa or Hermes's Jour d'Hermes. 

3. Brune Melancolia by Sabe Masson
A good dramatic spicy rose is always worth having in your collection, well at least it is for me. Brune Melancolia is just that, it has the freshness of roses with the hinting of greenery of from cassis but after that the story is mainly rose accented by pepper and plum. It is dusky and fresh. Try if you like Diptyque's L'Ombre Dans L'Eau or Serge Luten's La Fille de Berlin.

4. Summer Afternoon by A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes
This really should be far better known in the rose perfume loving community. Summer Afternoon is one of the most vintage-y rose perfumes I have smelled in a long time. It is akin to Guerlain's Mitsouko with the use of peach and clove, but where as Mitsouko never goes beyond the top notes on me Summer Afternoon turns into a joyous lush combination of rose, peach, and spices on me. The rose used in this is sweet and fruity yet not cloying or jammy, the combination of it with the peach and apricot notes makes it ambrosial but it is kept grounded with the addition of patchouli and clove. Try if you Like Guerlain's Mitsouko, DSH Perfume's La Reine des Fleurs, or Ann Gerard's Rose Cut. 

5. Rose Musc by Sonoma Scent Studio
For dusky sensuality I am going to recommend you get your hands on Rose Musc. Rose Musc is the perfect combination for me of deep rose with labdanum animalic musk. It blends into the wearer and creates that alluring indigo halo effect that I associate with really good musks. The rose here is soft and plush there is no green or spice notes, the combination of the scent is all about the rose and the musk. Try if you like Ava Luxe's Rasa or Lancome's Mille & Une Roses. 

image from Behance.net

Musk Quest, the Best White Musk You Haven't Tried: Royal White Musk by Abdul Karim Al Faransi Maison de Parfum

Except for Narciso Rodriguez I can't think of any other mainstream perfume house obsessed with musk. Go to niche and indie there is a definite love of musk there with quite a few specializing or putting out their magnum opus scents based on a beloved type of musk. If you were to take a survey of these magnum opus musks I would say probably 80% would be their idea of the perfect white musk. White musk may be the most known and liked of the musks, with good reason, it is easy, likable, and usually melds perfectly with wearers. There is a reason why people will devote time and effort to finding the best variation of it. It is the reason that when you look at mainstream releases of the last ten years a good chunk of them list white musk as a note. White musk has also been degraded to a screechy hot mess in many mainstream perfume releases. In niche and indie white musk is usually not all that innovative and especially in some large niche houses it is put out as a money making offering that really you are paying for the name of the house, not the perfume because if you really had smelled it you would have realized you could have probably gotten this perfume at your local health food store for about $15. My point is white musk is a ubiquitous, much maligned note. Finding a perfumer who elevates it to something more is rare.

Royal White Musk by Al Faransi is for me one of those rare elevated white musks. This is the musk for those that have been looking for an erudite, intellectual, refined, and tasteful white musk. There will be no accusation of cheap white musk with this scent.

Instead wearing this is finding yourself surrounded by the perfect melange of clean florals, creamy but pristine musk, and refined sandalwood. There is no laundrette quality to this musk rather the suggestion is the immaculately recently bathed. Yet, before you go on thinking that this scent is cold and unapproachable it isn't, no this is quiet tasteful serenity. This is clearly a scent meant to be worn anywhere, the point is the wearer will simply be known for smelling very good.  Royal White Musk is the other Al Faransi offering that I think deserves a following. It wouldn't surprise me if some sort of fashion maker found this offering and made it the "it" cult musk. Royal White Musk is a scent that is waiting to be discovered by a larger audience.

Try if you like white musk, Clair de Musc by Serge Lutens, Musk to Musk by Montale, or Essence by Narciso Rodriguez.

First image from alfaransi.com
Second image from http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/rainbow-clouds-united-kingdom
Third image from http://artistaday.com/?p=25737

Musk Quest, Smooth Operator: Dark Horse by Dame Perfumery

Sometimes you want to kick yourself for not trying something sooner. Dark Horse by Dame Perfumery is definitely one of those scents that I should have tried awhile ago because it is definitely worth your perfume loving time. Dark Horse is a scent on par with Frederic Malle's Musc Ravegeur for across the board sex appeal, man or woman you will smell very alluring wearing this scent. Yet, Dark Horse is a bit more on the the tasteful side, easier to wear. You can wear this in the office and no one is going to accuse you of being showy.

Sometimes a good non-suffocating warm musky scent is hard to come by. Frequently they can veer into a heavy stifling zone with no complexity. They smell good the first hour and then hours later you realize there is no letup. It's a bit like if the Hans Zimmer's trombone section from the Inception music kept going on and on. Sure it sounds cool and then after awhile you are exhausted from the never ending drone. Thankfully, Dark Horse is not that. Nope instead what you get is a lovely woody cider of a musk.

Dark Horse has one of the loveliest clove notes I have smelled in awhile. In fact I would say Dark Horse has one of the loveliest use of spices I have smelled in awhile there is no veering into the medicinal esoteric territory nor into the cupcake land of fake spice. No this is spices with clarity and warmth. Clove is coupled with sweet tangy citrus with hints of cinnamon. All of it is wrapped in cozy wood and musk with hints of sweet vanilla.

You will get wafts of Dark Horse through out the day. At times you will catch hints of roses and carnation, others will hint at the entwining of musky golden amber and lemon. Frequently you will get a spiced woods note that will leave you feeling embraced.

I will say this now if you are a fan of Fendi's now legendary and long discontinued Theorema then I must implore you to try Dark Horse. Is it a dupe no, but they are clearly of the same family of delicious easy going wooded musk scents.

Try Dark Horse if you like Frederic Malle's Musc Ravegeur, Lolita Lempicka's L de Lolita Lempicka, Fendi's Theorema, and Nicolai's Ambre Cashmere Intense. 

First image from Dameperfumery.com
Second image: Viggo Mortensen by Norman Jean Roy

Big Baroque Caramelized Rose Amber: Calligraphy Rose by Aramis

Once again I have Facebook Fragrance Friends to thank for drawing my attention to a scent that I would have never tried if not for them. If you like dewy fresh garden roses this scent is not for you. On the other hand if you love a good calorie rich rose and amber combination then this rose amber creation is for you and then some. There is no way of getting around it this scent is loud and meant for cold weather wear one too many spritzs and this scent is wearing you.

Calligraphy Rose is all about decadence. It has been a long time since I came across such a rich scent and I mean buttercream rich. It makes me think cold nights, everyone is wearing amber and rubies, gold leafed creme brulee, the plushest cashmere, furs, and velvet. This is essentially Russian fairy tale if it met Angela Carter's reworking.

Calligraphy Rose starts with a lush velvety rose, there is no greenery to this rose. No, this is the sweet velvety rose that has just a hint of lemon, but otherwise it is is pure velvet. It is a rose that blends very well with others, it is a velvety sort of rose that begs to be combined with musk and amber. It is the sort of rose that announces it presence for a bit and then plays the role of key supporter. It remains through out the scent but this scent is no rose soliflore.

What then enters the scent is the sonorous combination of amber and ambergris. The amber used in the scent is the intensely caloric amber found in Ambre Sultan and Ambre Russe. There is the slightest use of the herbal with a note of oregano in the scent which reminds me of Ambre Sultan but the animalic dense vanillic nature of the amber then reminds me of Ambre Russe and plushly sitting with them is the rose. The rose brings the vanillic lacing of the scent to the forefront. The ambergris of course brings its legendary warm musky diffusive quality to the whole scent. As the scent proceeds the amber becomes darker with labdanum becoming as I like to say a little bit more growl-y around the edges.

Aramis's Calligraphy Rose is the the sort of scent that is meant for making statements. If you want to go unnoticed or be unobtrusive this is not the scent for achieving that effect. On the other hand if you want to be the statement maker at the ball this will do it and then some.
   
Try if you like PHI Une Rose de Kandahar by Tauer Perfumes, Rose Flash by Tauerville, Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens, or Ambre Russe by Parfum d'Empire

First image from Profumo.dp.ua
Second image from Kate Baylay
Third image from Elie Saab

Pop Culture Fun Series: Dev, Master of None

So I recently finished the new Netflix comedy Master of None created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang. I've been a fan of Ansari's for awhile beginning with Human Giant, loved him on Parks and Recreation as the absurd Tom Haverford, and last year read his book Modern Love a surprisingly smart and funny book. I say surprisingly smart because I am a fan of comedy writer books but frequently have found many actually can't write a book and Ansari actually wrote a decent book about modern dating that was funny and shockingly backed up by real research. So to say I was excited for Master of None is an understatement. I like an Ansari he is funny, his humor can be dirty, and yet he seems to be genuinely not an asshole. After reading Modern Love I knew he could tackle issues with an excellent humor perspective that could be smart and sharp and what I think makes Ansari so great is the guy has a clear sense of empathy. I mean the guy can tell dirty jokes with the rest of them but he is not a derogatory asshole.

So as I expected Master of None definitely is about modern romantic relationships, it tackles lots of other issues as well such as race representation, but the main underlying theme of this show is modern romance. That is okay, especially when it is done well. Dev is a romantic, Aziz Ansari is a romantic, and Tom Haverford is a romantic, hell Ansari wrote a book about modern dating this is clearly a zone he likes to be in.

So as I watched Master of None it also became apparent to me that this show has a clear sense of style. Dev is a stylish guy, he is a guy who is into sensory experiences, especially food, his apartment (however unrealistic for New York) is clearly been decorated with care and a sense of intellectual romanticism. His first date with Rachel involves taking her all the way to Nashville. Dev of course wears perfume, in fact as I watched more I clearly knew that this character would have spent time making sure these perfumes represented his character well. They would be stylish but definitely romantic, in fact they would probably classic and yet not run of the mill. In fact I have a scene in my head of him and Arnold roaming around Sephora while Dev tries to find the perfect perfume and he is making Arnold smell all this stuff.

Dev's everyday scent is Atelier Cologne's Vetiver Fatal it has that plum note that appeals to the gourmand in him and yet the fresh earthy citrus aspects of vetiver wears excellent in New York. The scent is neither too fresh nor too off-kilter, it just smells really good and makes for an excellent everyday wear without smelling like everyone else. The scent is unobtrusive but has character, excellent if you are constantly interacting with people like an actor does.

The scent though that represents Dev to me the most is Guerlain's L'Instant pour homme. This is Dev's going out scent. It is combination of romance, gourmand, and intelligence all of the things Dev wants to represent. it is a extremely likable never aggressive scent. The cocoa note of course speaks to Dev's love of food and the sandalwood is an excellent all around smell but not intense and overbearing. It's romantic but never tries to be a lothario.









First image from Complimentarycritic.com
Second image from cimg.tvgcdn.net
Third image from ateliercologne.com
Fourth image from makeupalley.com

Snippet Review: Part 2 Abdul Karim Al Faransi Maison de Parfum

Bakhoor Hindi
If you are fan of blackberry musks then Bakhoor Hindi is definitely worth your attention. For me Bakhoor Hindi is a bit like if Narciso Rodriguez had used a blackberry musk instead of an Egyptian musk for his original scent. Bakhoor Hindi is smooth and luminous, it takes away the vanilla note used so often in blackberry musks ex. Falling In Love by Philosophy or Bath and Body Work's
Black Raspberry Vanilla and instead creates a sleek stylish take on the blackberry musk genre. It's not citrus forward like L'Artisan's Mure et Musc, but rather keeps the berries smooth but supports them with a rather chic supple jasmine note, below all of that is a sweet luminous musk with a hint of woods. Try if you like berry musks or Narciso Rodriguez.

Dulcedinis Moschus
If you are a fan of Egyptian musks this probably the closest in the Al Faransi collection to that type of musk. This has a sweet tangy clean floral quality I associate with Egyptian musks going through it. I did find it had a bit of animalic note going through it that caught me off guard but eventually Dulcedinis Moschus softened into a very clean sweet soft scent on me. Try if you like Auric Blend's Egyptian Goddess.

Musk Massilia N.2
I would say that Musk Massilia N.2 is Al Faransi's other take on the blackberry musk genre. Instead of going sweet and smooth though, Al Faransi takes blackberry musk into a whole new direction, the fougere direction. The fougere quality is created with a high quality high altitude lavender, the smooth fluffy quality of the lavender tells me it is high altitude lavender. Complimenting the berries is a spicy woody note that makes me feel that Musk Massilia N.2 does best in cooler weather. Below this is a rather luminous salt tinged musk that amplifies the spiced berry quality of the scent. Try if you like Guerlain's Jicky, Montale's Fruits of the Musk, or Bois de Paradise by Parfums DelRae.

Sundus
I'm calling this the night cousin of Lancome's Mille and Une Roses. Now here is the thing Lancome's Mille and Une Roses has always struck me as a warm ambery rose musk. Sundus takes that same damask rose found in Mille and Une Roses and layers in animalic honey, jasmine, musk, and amber. Overall the effect is heady and intense, the rose is sweet and velvety. Sundus is probably the most animalic of Al Faransi's offerings I have tried. Try if you like Calligraphy Rose by Aramis, Velvet Rose & Oud by Jo Malone, or Magie by Lancome.

Image by Olaf Hajek

A Summer Garden: Ninfeo Mio by Annick Goutal

Last year I was bemoaning the lack of fig and then I found a very true to form fig in Lucy B's Apothecary Royal Green Fig and Vanilla . Somehow in my years I had never gotten around to sniffing Annick Goutal's Ninfeo Mio, I regret it, because Goutal released one of the most interesting fig scents I have ever smelled.

Ninfeo Mio is the scent of a summer garden for me. All the ad-copy will suggest watery spring garden in Rome but for me Ninfeo Mio is an early summer garden with the last remnants of spring holding on. Ninfeo Mio starts with a buzzing candied citrus note combined with the friendliest galbanum note you have ever met. I can't help but think of bees buzzing around in a grove of citrus trees with blossoms and ripe fruit at once. There is a sweetness in the scent that suggests the imagery of candied citrus or lemon peel in honey and yet not an ounce of this is cloying because Isabelle Doyen is keeping it all in check with an easygoing galbanum. The green herbacious note of galbanum is the perfect balance note to the buzzing sweetness of the citron and lemon. It also plays the chauffeur to the next stage of the scent.

Fig is frequently paired with galbanum, galbanum playing well with fig's green notes, yet sometimes they can be an overly harsh pairing on me. Not in Ninfeo Mio, the fig of Ninfeo Mio is all creamy goodness, this is the afternoon of the garden. The buzzing of the bees is gone because everyone is taking a nap in the heat, the citrus keeps going combined with the figs and galbanum, the effect is a milky green quality. It reminds me of the color of celadon.

The third stage of Ninfeo Mio is perhaps the one that catches everyone off guard the most. I like to think of it as the early evening stage. Everyone is awaking from their naps there is a tinge of clean sweat, you can smell the evergreen trees giving off the their resinous scent with the coming of a cooling evening. The animalic note of sweat is utterly there but instead of being off-putting Doyen is genius because it is balanced with resinous note of mastic and creamy fig. One thing I noticed about this clean sweat note is that it is far more pronounced if you spray the perfume but if you dab Ninfeo Mio on it is relatively mild.

Finally Ninfeo Mio settles into creamy resinous combination of fig and mastic there are still hints of citrus but the overall effect is milky green. The effect of Ninfeo Mio feels like going through a full day in a garden on the first warm day of summer, the green is still there, in fact it is peaked at its most lush levels but dry summer heat is edging in.

Try Ninfeo Mio if you like Miller Harris's Figue Amere, Coriandre by Jean Couturier, Lo Mejor di Mi by Mario Tomas, or Le Temps d'une Fete by Nicolai.

First Image from Basenotes.net
Second Image from Frances Benjamin Johnston
Third Image from Hellen Van Meene
Fourth Image from Tom Killion