Autumn Has Arrived!

Can I say just how happy I am that summer is done, well at least it is on the calendar. I have been excitedly looking at my collection and considering the perfumes I can't wait to wear in the cooler weather. I'll be the first to admit this collection is leaning on the sweet side but I have to say when I have to spend 80% of the year in citruses, florals, and other variations on clean it may mean I go crazy on the olfactory overload of rich Autumn scents.

1. Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens
I have become firmly enthralled by this rosy sandalwood syrup. Sweet and musky with a delicious dollop of sandalwood this scent will be scenting many of my days, I find it melds beautifully, and I love getting wafts of from my clothes. Obvious scarf scent.

2. Wood Violet by Sonoma Scent Studio
This lovely plummy rich violet scent has been calling me recently. I love the combination of roasted plums with violet.

3. Vanille Botanique by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz
Oh the moment I get to wear this sumptuous vanilla outside on a cool day with brisk Autumn wind it is going to be the best.

4. Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka
Yes, I still have the original bottle from when I was 15 and it still smells amazing. It continues to be the perfect mix of vanilla and anise of me with violets and touches of delicious toasty nutty tonka bean. I especially adore wearing this in October around Halloween.

5. Ambre Nue by Atelier Cologne
I really like this juicy chewy amber. The opening of tart delicious mandarins always catches me followed earthier peppier middle with marigold and orchid. I consider this the grown-up version of BBW's Sensual Amber. It is of that school of fruity smooth ambers that are so popular but thankfully it uses more interesting notes and pepper keeps it from being saccharine.

6. Tudor Rose and Amber by Jo Malone
I love this wine-y rose and amber combo. The opening of spices and rose evokes mulled wine the edition of amber and patchouli make it a bit thorn edged.

7. Elie Saab Le Parfum Eau de Parfum Intense by Elie Saab
The original Elie Saab is a favorite spring scent for me with its bright almost neon orange blossom notes. The Intense version is deliciously honeyed and with hints of dried apricots and a base of amber.

8. Nirvana Black by Elizabeth and James
A simple and easy mix of violet, sandalwood, and vanilla a perfect work day scent for me. Its soothing and makes me feel warm without being stiffled.

9. Narciso Rodriguez For Her L'Absolu by Narcisco Rodriguez
I don't usually care for the variations on the original Narciso Rodriguez scent and stick to the original edt. The scents that came after have never really worked on me, but L'Absolu is a different story. It is a powdered richer scent, the woods have been amped up creating incense-like quality in the scent. An ample plum has been added and the osmanthus and orange blossom have been replaced with a rich tuberose, this is without a doubt for me the Autumn/Winter variation on NR edt. At times I am a little bit reminded of Nicolai Parfumeur Createur's Sacrebleu, another Autumn fruit tuberose scent on a bed of woods which has at times reminded others of the ultimate name in intense fruity tuberoses, Poison by Dior. Yet, L'Absolu is not baroque like the previous mentioned scents, it is clearly modern but does have familial to those scents. On the other hand most definitely do not wear this in hot weather.

10. Fifi Chachnil edt and edp by Fifi Chachnil
I am lucky to have in my hands two decently large decants of this perfect femme tobacco scent. This for me is one of the great losses of the perfume world in its discontinuation. From the awesome use of coriander in the opening to the entwining of pink rose, tonka, and delicious tobacco it was a pretty genius blend that got the tobacco note trend before anyone else did.

"Amelia" by Erica Rose Levine

Infusion de The: Eau Parfumee au The Bleu by Bvlgari

I love oolong tea. It is one of my favorite varieties of tea and it can smell like so many things from roasted chestnuts to a lilac, it has a lot of variation. So when Bvlgari announced they were adding Eau Parfumee au The Bleu to their tea lineup of scents and that it was inspired by the scent of oolong I was excited and apprehensive because oolong is a tea that can be so varied. In my imagination I hoped they might approach the beautiful variety of oolong known as Ti Kwan Yin. I then looked at the list of notes and my apprehension of what this perfume would smell like went up considerably: shiso, lavender, iris. These are not notes you find in oolongs, oolongs are not particularily herbal, but rather more often play with florals, stone fruits, and nutty malty notes.

So I finally got to try Eau Parfumee au The Bleu and I had two thoughts 1) this is not an oolong scent and 2) this is quite nice. I think I need to address the first thought which is that  Eau Parfumee au The Bleu is not the scent of oolong, in fact I would say it is more akin to a really good quality earl grey tea with lavender. Yet, here is my number one beef with tea scents they invariably say that they are the scent of "green tea" when in fact most are the scent of black tea and more akin to the lovely and aromatic Darjeeling tea. Go smell a qood quality green tea with no flavors added and what you have is most often a very green vegetal scent maybe some roastiness but not a scent akin to what we call the scent of "tea" in perfume. Bizarrely what happens when a black tea is referenced in a perfume what they actually mean is the scent of smoky lapsang souchong, a Chinese black tea, that is literally smoked.

Now on to my second thought, this scent is quite nice. Eau Parfumee au The Bleu is really quite lovely, this is a scent that no one is going to complain but it also smells interesting. The Bleu starts with an earthy fresh opening of shiso, a scent akin to mint if it were also combined with the mildest hint of patchouli, it's fresh but thankfully does not scream musk. Entering quickly is the powdery herbaceous scent of lavender which is then joined by the earthy fresh citrus note of "tea." At this point you have the combined harmony of shiso, lavender, and tea which creates an aura like a cool misty morning on the wearer. Entering next is the violet, which ups the earthiness and cooling effect that the shiso and lavender have been providing, and adds a hint of sweetness. It should be noted at this point the tea leaves the scent. What then enters next is the iris, an iris that will quite recognizably to a few, the iris you find in Prada's Infusion d'Iris. This iris note makes even more sense when you realize that both The Bleu and Infusion d'Iris share the same creator Daniela Andrier.

The thing about The Bleu's iris is it is a more intense and ample iris, the earthiness of the shiso and violet making it far stronger than Infusion d'Iris. In fact it may be an excellent perfume for lovers of Infusion d'Iris who do not like the current reformulation or have often wanted a more intense iris note. Eau Parfumee au The Bleu  is an easy fresh powdery scent that uses shiso and lavender to elevate the a cooling effect of iris that then lets the wearer move around in serenity, it is no oolong, but it is without a doubt a well made scent.

Try  Eau Parfumee au The Bleu if you like Serge Luten's Gris Clair, Prada's Infusion d'Iris, or Atelier Cologne's Oolong Infini. 

First image from www.nstperfume.com
Second Image Flotsam by Lisa Sorgini

Buy Yourself Sex Appeal: Tobacco Rose by Papillon Artisan Perfumes

This scent makes me feel a bit narcissistic in the most ridiculous way possible. Simply put if I met a guy who smelled like me when I am wearing Tobacco Rose by Papillon Artisan Perfumes I would probably fall hard. Or maybe Tobacco Rose is my sexy dude alter-self.

Simply put: Tobacco Rose is seductive. It's sensuous because it is the perfect mix of ambergris, rose, and tobacco and on my skin it is delicious mix amplified by musk that has been spiced with an incredibly light dry cinnamon. The tobacco and rose play so well together each smoothing the other out and amplifying the sensual appeal those notes have. Top it off with the hazy warm skin goodness that only ambergris can bring to a scent and you have in my opinion bottled sex appeal.

You just want to bury your nose in this scent. It would be the perfect scent to catch waft of from the scarf of your long gone paramour that then sends you into an afternoon of romantic reminiscence about the impossibility of your relationship. But lets be frank these reminiscence would be mainly on the carnal side because that old flame was an excellent seducer.

Tobacco Rose is also a bit of a perfumer engineering feat for me because Perfumer Liz Moores has taken a rather dreaded note for me, oakmoss, and made it sexy and velvety on me. The woman has skill. 

Finally this scent must be tested on the skin to truly smell the notes and layers, it just does not show all its elements on a testing strip. And finally to the men wearing this, you have chosen well, you could probably seduce a lamppost while wearing this. 

Try Tobacco Rose if you like Andy Tauer's PHI Une Rose de Kandahar, Gucci"s L'Arte di Gucci, or Sonoma Scent Studio's Rose Musc.

first image is from www.luckyscent.com
second image from viewfromthemiddle.tumblr.com

Thank You Berry Much: Valentina Pink by Valentino

It was bound to happen someone finally realized the money to be made in bottling the scent of LUSH's Rose Jam and I mean the actual scent of the bath fizzy or body wash*. Valentina Pink takes the scent of LUSH's Rose Jam smooths it out in places and refines it a bit. I should start now by saying I am a rather unabashed lover of Rose Jam that uber girly mix of roses, berries, and jammy goodness. Oh it is sweet and probably most of all appeals to the 14 year old girl in me and you know what that is okay, the 14 year old girl needs an outlet.

Valentina Pink starts of uber-berries, think currents and strawberries crushed in sugar, actually lets say they are macerating. Added to this mix is splash of bright pink rose syrup, think of the syrup used to make falooda. For awhile you have this over the top girlish concoction.

As the perfume changes the berries tone down a bit. The sugar recedes and the berries take on a musky undertone and the rose becomes much more prominent. There is the slightest hint of lemony tart that keeps the scent from strangling the wearer.

Eventually you have a nice easy jammy rose of scent on a very easy going musk. Yes, this a very expensive dupe of LUSH's Rose Jam but on the other hand if you found yourself disappointed by LUSH's perfume version of the scent this will definitely fill that gap.

Try Valentina Pink if you Montale's Fruits of the Musk, Julietta Has A Gun Miss Charming, and of course LUSH's Rose Jam.

*The perfume version that LUSH put of Rose Jam was a bit of a let down, the beginning very much like the scent of Rose Jam but the dry down was very similar to Pink Sugar, the rose and berries having disappeared.

first image from www.nordstrom.com


second image from www.sbs.com.au

What I Actually Wore This Summer

The funny thing about those pesky summer lists is I am never quite sure that is really will be reaching for, so I thought I would take a look back at what I have actually been wearing this summer.

1. Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens
I acquired this in July and found myself wearing it repeatedly. A reminder that in the heat, a good sandalwood can bring you delight. Love this confection of rose and sandalwood with hints of immortelle syrup and musk. Mainly though it is a creamy delight of rose and sandalwood.

2. Elle L'Aime by Lolita Lempicka
This choice actually proved true in my summer wearing. Such an easy scent and worked great in brutal heat.

3. Ao by MikMoi
Yet, another scent I actually wore from my original summer choices for the season. It really did prove to be "serenity now" on hectic days and had a wonderfully cooling effect in the heat.

4. Lolita Lempicka L'eau en Blanc by Lolita Lempicka
Proving a gourmand can be worn in the heat and not be suffocating. This scent worked beautifully the musk and iris keeping the gourmand elements in check and providing a cool powdery effect.

5. Blush by Marc Jacobs
A cool and fresh floral in the summer heat. Gave off the quality of flowers at the florist in the fridge.

6. Eau de Minimes Cologne by Le Couvent de Minimes
Another one from the list. This was frequently applied after work and before classes. Spritzed with abandon.

7. Rose Flash by Tauerville
I thought it would be too sweet but this beauty bloomed in heat and was grounded by earthy notes of musk and tobacco.

8. Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum D'Empire
Another repeat from the list but then again with all the humid days we had it really proved itself as usual.

9. Un Jardin Apres la Mousson by Hermes
This strange spicy juicy watermelon scent is wonderfully invigorating in the heat.

image from booooooom.com

Fig Season: A History of Fig in My Wardrobe

The two major perfumes of my high school years that would have a major impact on my fragrance choice's are the original Lolita Lempicka and Demeter's Fig Leaf. Oh there are few others that I remember fondly but those are the two scents that really have influenced my taste and frankly seemed to hint at my adult tastes.

 I still have my original bottle of Lolita Lempicka and come Autumn spritz it happily although these days it becomes an almost a nostalgic practice as I watch the bottle get lower and lower.

As for Demeter's Fig Leaf well I have then had a very long affair with the fig note. As a teenager it made me feel different and unique because no other girl or adult woman wore perfumes that smelled like fig, I would still say that scent of fig has kept its bohemian roots even though it can be found more easily in perfume and home scents these days it is still a note that remains unique.

As a teenager I used up my bottle quickly of Demeter's Fig Leaf, which is easy considering it has no longevity.

I then followed that perfume with Fresh's aqueous Apricot Fig scent, a rather green and 90s hinting fig scent with the use of Calone. I wasn't completely in love with it but still it filled my fig needs.

This was followed by my first indie/niche fig scent and one that I will admit I thought utterly sexy but now admit it is kind of garish, Dream by Fresh Scents by Terri, which really is more like the scent of a fig newton. Which is not a bad scent if you smell them but could easily become overbearing.

At this point I was in my early twenties and having my first major relationship and being the perfume lover of course I was going to get him a perfume to wear. The scent was Marc Jacobs for men, one hell of a delicious creamy spicy fig scent for men, don't know how it is now, but in the early 2000s it was divine. I still think of that purchase fondly considering all the men's scents I sniffed at the time and then smelling that one.

At this point I had a decant of  L'Artisan's Premier Figuier and found it far too green on myself and running into my first of many times where galbanum took over. Call it an arch-nemesis sort of relationship, I eventually swapped the decant. I was then gifted by my boyfriend of then with Victoria Secret's Mood: Ripe, a rather fun vanilla citrus fig scent, nothing innovative but it was fig that I could wear and enjoy, unfortunately the damn thing came with a bulb atomizer and quickly evaporated from the bottle.

This was then followed by Body Time's uber green Green Fig oil which frankly suffered the galbanum problem, I eventually used it up as a bedding spray.

In all of this I had quite a few fig scented candles.

For awhile after this I was using a decant of Miller Harris's Figue Amere, a delightfully bitter woody amaro fig scent. That evokes the Mediterranean coast.

After this came the long slump of not a whole lot of fig. I think I had been rather burned by all the galbanum forward fig perfumes. I eventually though ended up with a bizarrely large batch of samples of Diptyque's Philosykos. That creamy delicious black fig scent. As far as the two classic pillar scents of figs go you know which one is for me. Grand irony these scents were both created by Olivia Giacobetti.

And recently I have been on the fig hunt again. Which began with the acquirement of Olivina's Hand and Body Wash in Fig and their Body Cream in Fig, which is a rather loverly fig scent that clearly takes its heritage from Philosykos. That was followed by South of France's Mediterranean Fig bar soap, a yummy tart take on fig.  I tried Pacifica's Mediterranean Fig which was far too green and harsh on me (although, I have found many of their older perfumes have become this way due to reformulation). I then had high hopes for Atelier Cologne's Figuier Ardent and found it not to work, it was too similar to Marc Jacobs for Men and uses cumin-y cedar base that while works great on others ends up smelling sweaty on me. I then purchased a regret, I Profumi di Firenze Vaniglia e Fichi, an excellent fig opening but then a pure lemon butter cake dry down on me that is far too sweet.  I finally took my cues from another another fig lover Victoria from Eaumg.net and because it was on uber-sale bought a roll-on of Lucy B's Royal Green Fig and Vanilla Wood perfume oil. Oh, this is a green one but thankfully enough smooth vanilla and coconut to keep it in check. Not in the least bit layered but that is okay because this is probably the best fig you can get on the market that won't cost you an arm and a leg.

If you really want to celibrate fig I recommend you make yourself a fig shake.

Fig Shake Recipe:
4-5 figs
ice
milk, at least 1/2 a cup depends on thick you like your shakes.
a splash of vanilla if you like
maybe a date if you have any around.
-Put it all in a blender and blend and get ready for a divine summer drink.

First image is from Eccentricteatime
Second image is from Fragrantica.com
Third image is from Beauty.com

Green Citrus Goodness: Lo Mejor di Mi by Mario Tomas

The beginning of Lo Mejor di Mi immediately makes me think of perfect bittersweet green limes which have been heightened with bittersweet green herbs. It is one of the best and most interesting takes I have smelled on citrus in awhile other than Bruno Fazzolari's Monserrat. It is just so zippy and refreshing. Entering the citrus party is cucumber which amps up the refreshing qualities and reminds me of those lovely cucumber waters you drink in the summer. I could  swear there is an earthy note of really good tequila thrown into the cocktail too along with hints of galbanum. It is a happy green opening worthy of sniffing for awhile, in fact I kept on finding my nose buried in my wrist constantly while wearing this perfume.

Within this perfect summer mix is pomelo* or a mix of blood orange, grapefruit, and bergamot which is all creating the scent of pomelo. The scent of Lo Mejor di Mi is so refreshing, I am a bit dumbfounded, you want to keep smelling it and feeling like you are in a sunnier and happier place.
  I know not very descriptive but Lo Mejor de Mi doesn't necessarily evoke a location for me so much as it really does pull off the great promise of aromatherapy and makes me feel happier. The closest quality I can describe it as is a cafe with a garden and there is a fountain in the courtyard. Birds flutter in the trees and there is lively conversation but it isn't loud. The scent is a combination of chill and happy, an utter rarity to find in a perfume.

As the citrus leaves the stage in walks a dry down of clean creamy musk with hints of earthiness from the violet, iris, patchouli and fig. The musk is deliciously creamy and yet not too sweet and thankfully utterly devoid of detergent qualities.

* If you haven't smelled pomelo I highly suggest in late winter/early spring you get your hands on a pomelo. It will be a pain to eat but the scent of pomelo is one of the most layered citrus scents you will ever come across it frequently reminds me of the scent of jasmine, lime, and grapefruit all rolled up into one. There is a heady floral note in it that I have not smelled in other citrus.

Try Mario Toma's Lo Mejor di Mi if you like Diptyque's Philosykos, Atelier Sud Magnolia, or L'eau de Kenzo Amour by Kenzo.

First image from theguardian.com
Second image from fragrantica.com

Tropics with No Vacation In Sight: Elle L'Aime by Lolita Lempicka

I'm in school this summer. I've been able to chug away easily for the most part in my program since it began last fall but taking classes in the summer is officially a drag.  One of the things making it such a drag is I currently have one of the world's most overly verbose instructors.

What taking classes in the summer has meant the most though is that I have had no real vacation in awhile. I have had a week off between quarters and that has been since last December/January. Currently serving as one of my vacation getaway scents is Lolita Lempicka's Elle L'Aime. A scent that seems to have not reached the US fragrance counters with much ado. What that has meant is that online you can get an absurdly excellent price.

Elle L'Aime is maybe a perfect beginner scent for those of us leary of tropical scents. It is tropical no doubt but thankfully it is not overly heady or overly sweet. It starts off with a sweet lime and coconut accord that is perfectly blissful, in fact it is gone to soon. Then comes a rather lovely sweet creamy white flower heart with hints of ylang ylang (as you know a favorite of mine) just clean enough that it won't feel heavy in the heat. Finally the scent lands in a mix of creamy florals and woods. It is a shock that Elle L'Aime has  a good and unique dry down, the mixture of florals and woods creates a much more sophisticated scent than expected. Christine Nagel and Serge Majoullier are able to work some serious magic with undoubtedly very synthetic ingredients smelling surprisingly natural in the drydown. Christine Nagel's taming hand of heady florals can be seen in this scent also.

Overall Elle L'Aime suffers from the fact that the marketing of scent seems a bit juvenile and well the bottle leaves something to be desired. It is a polished take on an everyday tropical scent which you would think would have a fairly large audience here in the US considering how popular Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess is or the many other tropical scents that are well loved here. Yet, Lolita Lempicka seems to have at some point given up on the American market.

Try Elle L'Aime if you like Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess, the original Bath and Body Works Coconut Lime Verbena, or Serge Luten's Datura Noir.

First Image From: Argent du Buerre
Second Image: Johanna Burai

Empressa or Penhaligon's Hacks Out Their Own Coco Madamoiselle

I'm going to be honest my reaction's to Penhaligon's Empressa have been rather crass. They have been somewhere along the line of "Victorian my ass!" I know that is rather severe but I have to tell you it is because Empressa is such an utter disappointment in the creativity/new department.

Empressa is Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle with a bit more fruit, a heightened rose, and a better defined woody dry down but let it be clear Empressa is a fraternal twin to Coco Mademoiselle. There is no getting around the fact that the structure and inspiration for Empressa is Coco Mademoiselle. They amped the patchouli and reduced the vetiver and jasmine. They added an inkling of fruitchouli.
The worst part for me may be the damned ad-copy that suggests that this is Victorian era inspired scent that suggests faraway lands. There is nothing Victorian or faraway lands about this unless your idea of a faraway land is the Chanel makeup counter, then land ahoy for you.

So how did this get created? My thought's Penhaligon's looked at their roster of scents and reputation and thought must get that "Young Modern Woman" demographic and looked to the perfumer Christian Provenzo and said "Just make it Coco Mademoiselle, tweek it a bit, and we are set." Apparently they are set because if you go to the Penhaligon's website Empressa is currently being proclaimed as one of their bestsellers.

Does Empressa smell bad? No, but the joke is you can basically get this for cheaper from Chanel. For me Empressa just feels like a gross example of a scent that was utterly created by marketing. On the other hand they way Penhaligon releases perfumes these days as though they throwing out whatever they have to see what will stick maybe they found that gum everyone wants to chew.

Image from Little Movie Nerd

Sweet Roses: 1000 Roses by Andalou Naturals Body Lotion and Body Wash

What can I say with the humidity that suddenly struck the Bay Area the last week I did not want my usual after shower body oil. Instead I reached for the exquisitely scented Andalou Natural's 1000 Roses Body Lotion. I have been meaning to write about this gorgeously scented body care line for awhile because and I stand firmly by this, it is one of the best rose scented body products out there on the market in affordability and scent.

1000 Roses is on the sweeter side, which may be its one major caveat for some, on the other hand to me 1000 Roses is gorgeous take on a rose water scent. But imagine a rose water scent that hints at greenness, ripe sweet apricots, and just the tiniest bit of earthy violet to keep it a little bit grounded. I love it and in the humidity it wonderfully cooling and refreshing. At night it feels especially luxurious and feels a bit dreamy when getting ready for bed. The formula of the body lotion is wonderfully non-greasy and sinks into the skin quickly leaving you feeling moisturized and refreshed. The body wash is just as delightfully aromatic and moisturizing and makes the bathing experience far more lovely. Currently I am tempted to try and get my hands on the Body Cream of 1000 Roses but if I do I am saving that for winter. Either way if you are a rose lover I highly recommend the 1000 Roses body care line by Andalou Naturals. The line features a true rose scent that is far more luxurious than it has any right to be.

Try if you like LUSH's Rose Jam line and Diptyque's Rich Creme Riche.

First Image from andalou.com

Second Image: Irving Penn, 1971

A Flutter of Loveliness: Blush by Marc Jacobs

As I sit here in the doldrums of summer experiencing a humidity rarely felt in California I am feeling the extreme desire for nothing heavy or sweet. When it gets to this point I reach for colognes or a cooling fresh floral. My answer for the cooling fresh floral is Marc Jacob's Blush. Marc Jacob's Blush is one of those forgotten scents of the early 2000s. Once again it was a bit too early for its time. If released now I suspect it would have stayed on the fragrance counters for a bit longer than it did.

Blush is in the family of L'Artisan's La Chasse aux Papillons, in fact they smell very similar in some aspects that I have wanted to call Blush an almost dupe. Yet, I actually think Blush is the edgier scent for the inclusion of one note in particular: star anise. Blush takes the clean musky florist florals of La Chasse and adds a hint of spicy licorice star anise and in addition it then adds a green peach skin note. The scent then takes on an almost animalic cleanness that is furthered by the clean sweet jasmine note that I find so similar to La Chasse. Blush is interesting combo of the cool florals of La Chasse and cool green spiced peach note, it feels like an almost spiced peach oolong tea scent. In hot weather it is absolutely refreshing. The spiciness of the star anise lending exquisite grounding effect to the scent. It also is the rare scent that emphasizes jasmine that I can handle.

Try Marc Jacob's Blush if you like La Chasse aux Papillons by L'Artisan, Jennifer Aniston's original scent, Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia, or Hermes Jour d'Hermes.

Image: Sigrid Hjerten 'Still Life' 1917

The Scents of Summer

Considering Summer is now 2/3 of California's year, I was bound to do this list. Sigh, grand irony I'm not a giant summer scent sort of person so part of this list may come off as one woman's attempt to wear anything that can remind her of another season other than summer. Alright, there are a few utter summer choices on the list, but I hope there are a few that seem little different.

Because Summer is Trying to Roast You Alive

Vetiver by Guerlain, perhaps the best cooling tonic I can think of. Wearing this makes me feel cool, calm, collected, and a bit forest-y. A prime example of why vetiver is popular in countries that are hot and humid, also perfect in hot dry places too. Once I run out of my decant of this will have to explore more vetiver scents.

Eau de Minimes Cologne by Le Couvent des Minimes, everyone needs a some sort of classic cologne in their collection for the summer. I recently used up my Atelier Cologne Oolang Infini and Bois Blonds and don't have a bottle of 4711 on me so Eau de Minimes it is for this summer. I bought heavily discounted from Ulta and it fits my cologne needs. This starts with the classic neroli with lemon, orange, and rosemary. It is fine and easy and finishes on a rather modern clean musk with hints of soap. Genius, not in the least but cologne in a middle of the day when crossing the parking is hell should not be genius it just needs to be refreshing.

Osmanthus Interdite by Parfum d'Empire, this scent blooms best in humidity. While I wear it throughout the summer, loving the tart apricot tea leather notes of the scent, only in humidity does the sweetness of the florals in Osmanthus Interdite come out and develop on the skin.

Because You are an Adult Who Works in the Summer and Vacation is Way Too Damn Short

Ao by MikMoi, what more can be said about this genius non-cliched take on a tropical mystical vacation in the bottle that is all serenity. The serenity of this scent I suspect is going to save me a few times this summer between work and school.

Songes by Annick Goutal, heavy incense, vanilla, and tropical ylang-ylang and frangipani, sounds like too much doesn't? Nope, the factor that makes it swoon worthy on hot nights is that super dry incense note that keeps everything in check. Sure you are in the tropics and the humidity has the flowers blaring but there is a dry edge that keeps it in check.

Elle L'Aime by Lolita Lempicka, perhaps the poster child for tropicals for the girl next door. Elle L'Aime is all about the pretty. There is no jarring note in this lime, coconut, and ylang-ylang fusion its fresh, sweet, and frothy. Yes, it sounds like a tropical drink and at first veers there but the use of ylang-ylang keeps the scent centered and no one will accuse you of just smelling like sunscreen.

Sicily by Dolce and Gabbana, I feel that this is the closest a Mediterranean scent will ever get to monoi notes that frequently define scents inspired by the tropics. In this case it feels like what if monoi was created in Italy. Creamy citrus flowers, jasmine, banana, spice, and sandalwood are what you would get. This scent is languid and suggests nap filled afternoons with barely a sheet on the bed.

I Need Something Different

Coriandre by Jean Courturier, cool mosses with hints of summer dust in the shade, sounds wrong but is oh so right with soapy aldehydes playing their role.

Gris Clair by Serge Lutens, cool lavender with incense and tonka like surrounding yourself in a cool grey mist. Clarity through the haze of heat.

L'Eau de Kenzo Amour by Kenzo, milky sweet oolang tea. Sounds wrong but somehow the rice pudding vanilla and tart dry tea note work it out.

Image by Jodi Cobb from National Geographic

The Summer Slump and Moving

No, I have not stopped thinking about scent. Unfortunately, I have hit the summer slump. For me the summer slump is simply it is too hot for the perfumes I find really interesting and it has been summer here in the Bay Area for awhile. Currently I am reassessing my collection and trying to find fresh scents I find compelling for my wardrobe.

Also on the table has been the fact I have recently moved and currently we are settling down so my perfumes are all over the place in boxes and of course are not necessarily the high priority as much as finding our coffee mugs.

So right now trying to figure out what would make me happy in a summer scent.

My New Favorite Diva Orange Blossom: Elie Saab Le Parfum Intense

Once you love a note, you start to see the holes in your collection for that note, and you start to search for the variation you want. You become obsessed with finding the perfect "fresh", "gourmand", "woody", etc., for a particular note. Of late as you know I have been in love with jammy/gourmand roses. Before that I was basically looking for a marshmallow/gourmand orange blossom which I found in Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Neroli Blanc Intense Eau de Parfum. As for my everyday radiant orange blossom, it has been Elie Saab's Le Parfum. For an excellent take on a creamy incense orange blossom I pick up Lorenzo Villoresi's Dilmun. Anyways, my point is I like orange blossom and it has occurred to me that I don't have a big voluptuous orange blossom scent in my collection. Well, it actually didn't occur to me until I sampled Elie Saab's Le Parfum Intense* and boom there it was hole in my collection I was made aware of. I don't have a shoulder pad wearing diva orange blossom that is for the evening or being the center of the party.

We should back up a moment though and discuss Elie Saab's Le Parfum, which is a modern vibrant orange blossom that has Francis Kurkdjian's signature smooth musk and crystalline glow all around it. It is orange blossom on hyper-drive and is utterly modern, I love it, and always feel put together when I wear it. What I also love is the cedar basenote that Kurkdjian implements in its drydown it keeps the scent away from the ever overused modern patchouli drydown you can find everywhere these days. The cedar also makes the scent never go into the territory of over sweet. It is bright and modern but at the same time no slouch, on the other hand it is pretty ladylike.

Elie Saab Le Parfum Intense is the less ladylike variation, it is frankly the variation of Le Parfum on the prowl. Elie Saab Le Parfum Intense is about going into the sweet territory thankfully Kurkdjian recognizes is what he wants from the use of sweet, it is heady and drenched. This is a not a gourmand sweet but rather Kurkdjian has dunked his orange blossoms in honey and liquid amber and thrown a few chewy dried apricots in. What you get is a heady narcotic white blossom variation on the original Elie Saab Le Parfum, Intense is still radiant but the cedar has been toned down, and role of honey has been heightened and amber has warmed up the scent. The scent is no longer about silk but instead velvet and brocade.

Try Elie Saab Le Parfum Intense if you like Elie Saab Le Parfum, Au Pays de la Fleur d'Oranger Neroli Blanc Intense Eau de Parfum, or Serge Luten's Fleurs d'Oranger.

*Can we all be honest that Francis Kurkdjian is great perfume creator but good god, his creations no matter the designer or himself for that matter, have some of the most confusing names for their flankers.

first image from fragrantica.com
second image Guy Aroch

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

Serenity and Spring and Tackling A Classic: Climat by Lancome

It took me about 8 years to appreciate this scent and yet yesterday I had one of those total zen moments when your perfume is exactly what you need for the day and matches the beauty you see in the day. This does not happen often. Climat, I finally get you. I couldn't get you in my mid-twenties and maybe I needed a terrible drought to appreciate you but damn yesterday you were the perfect embodiment of what my heart needed to get through the day.

Climat is an example of family of perfumes that has taken me a very long time to appreciate, a green floral emphasized with aldehydes. This scent smells classic and it is very classic in the sense that it has no sweetness. Climat probably works for me because it does not feature the signature green note that most green perfumes use: galbanum. Yet, there is no mistaking Climat for being anything else than a green floral scent.

Climat is stepping into a cool green spring forest. There are lush green hills, a creek in the background, cool dark damp earth, and lily of the valley and narcissus blooming. Below all that is a warm civet accented musk, on me this is all very clean and warm, but for others I can see this is either where the scent plays nice on you or becomes something else. The beginning of Climat is aldehydes, thankfully not too pungent or nose searing, in fact they are fairly gentle. You then enter a perfect melange of woods, narcissus, and lily of the valley. This melange stays around for quite awhile with the florals slowly leaving, what then enters the dry down is a mossy mix of musk and woods with a good dose of vetiver. It is an incredibly clean and earthy scent, I want to say soapy, but this is not the traditional soapy, this violet earthy soapy, there is a very mineral like quality to the dry down which I attribute to the mix of earthy and clean.

The variation of Climat I am reviewing today is from Lancome's La Collection release from my understanding there is a great deal of variation in the releases of Climat so try with caution. This one is by many considered the best of the recent releases because it is especially close to the original offering.

Try Climat if you like Trefle Pur by Atelier Cologne, Balenciaga Paris by Balenciaga, or Au Dela - Narcisse des Montagnes by Bruno Fazolarri (I actually have a theory that Climat Inspired this scent).

First image from Fragrantica.com
Second image 'Dreaming of Pomegranates' by Felice Casorati

Fuzzy, Warm, Fresh, and Golden: Onde Extase by Giorgio Armani

Isn't that bottle mysterious and attractive? I love it but I must say I don't think it actually represents the juice inside it. The color of that bottle should have been a variation on warm golden yellows with hints of green because that is what Armani's Onde Extase smells like as far as color is concerned. On the other hand I sort of adore that the bottle is not a "traditional" feminine color.

Onde Extase is a scent that was a bit ahead of its time. It came along in the era of fruity florals and niche scents exploring incense and woods. If it were released now with woodier and more floral scents being the trendier scents on the market I suspect it would have been a different story. Onde Extase is a soothing and pretty blend of florals and woods.

The floral aspect of Onde Extase is of two lesser loved floral notes a fluffy effusive mimosa and a gentle narcissus note that adds a hint of elegant greenery supporting these floral notes is a creamy jasmine which frequently hints at jasmine green tea. The mimosa is the most prominent of the floral notes, it is happy and resplendent, it's golden sunlight in late afternoon.

What supports the florals is cedar, sesame, musk, and a tiny hint of vanilla. The most interesting aspect for me is the gentle use of cedar it is not the patchouli so frequently used now or the smooth liquor wood accord found in Estee Lauder's Sensuous, but cedar, a note rarely these days emphasized in feminine perfumes. Combined with the sesame note it creates a warm nutty fuzzy base for the florals.

Overall the effect of Onde Extase is lightness, smoothness, powder, and tranquility. I am reminded of tea and incense in a mountain garden fully blooming with butterflies fluttering.

Try if you like: Yves Saint Laurent's Cinema, Bvlgari's Bvlgari Pour Femme, Lorenzo Villoresi's Dilmun, or Donna Karan's Gold.



First image from fragrantica.com
second image from thekimonogallery.tumblr.com

Roses and Pomelo: Sud Magnolia by Atelier Cologne

Don't let the ad-copy fool Sud Magnolia is neither a southern scent nor a opulent magnolia scent on the other hand it is a very pretty fresh scent with a few tricks up its sleeve.

I'll say it now the best part of Sud Magnolia for me is the opening. It is a wonderful mix of the cool bubblegum note you can get from magnolia with orange and a vibrant note of saffron. The saffron is a fun addition that you don't usually see in fresh floral fragrances and after smelling it in Sud Magnolia I think someone needs to run with the idea. The saffron highlights the spicy coolness of the scent and keeps the orange in check.

As the saffron and orange retreat out comes a fresh rose, which is very peony-esque, and it is coupled with a gorgeous pomelo note. I happen to love the scent of pomelo finding it to be a combination of grapefruit, jasmine, and lime it is wonderfully heady, sweet, and tart all at the same time. The rose and pomelo combination create a cheery and fresh floral scent that cheerfully sticks around. Every once in awhile you catch a hint of cedar but the scent is mainly anchored by musk, the usual clean musk, but one of the trademarks of Atelier Cologne is they are able to keep the citrus around also.

Sud Magnolia has good longevity and should definitely appeal to fans of spritely fresh florals.

Try if you like Dame Perfumery's Cassis, Rose, and Sandalwood, Cacharel's Noa Fleur, Atelier Cologne's Orange Sanguine, Keiko Mecheri's Sanguine, or Kenzo' s Eau de Fleur de Magnolia.

first image from ateliercologne.com
Second image from fashionbombdaily.com

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

Next Week Is All About The Pretty

Next week I will be celebrating "pretty" perfumes. You know the ones that have no hard edges and don't require a thesis on why they are brilliant but rather you sniff them and immediately thing "Mmm, that smells good."

image from kinfolk.com