Musk Warda N.3
If you are a fan of clean rose scents and clean musk scents then this scent is for you. Very much a dewy rose scent with leanings toward the tea rose category, but thankfully nothing overbearing. Definitely of the aldehydic musk variety. Try if you like Serge Luten's Clair de Musc or Sonoma Scent Studio's Velvet Rose.
Hind
Sample this immediately if you love Parfum d'Empire's Ambre Russe or Ava Luxe's now legendary long discontinued Madame X. This has the rich baroque spice and amber of Ambre Russe combined with the slinky animalic labdanum and leather of Madame X. The florals used remind me a bit of Caron's Narcisse Noir, a rather narcotic combination of grape-y orange blossom and jasmine with an herbal rose. Very animalic.
Musk Abiyad Optimum
Ever wanted to smell a white musk of high caliber ingredients, such as when a perfumer is using good quality ambrette? Then this scent is for you. I imagine this is originally what white musk smelled like before the note became overtaken by the laundry detergent note that has over the years taken over white musk. An intensely animalic anise opening that settles into a pure white musk note. If you consider yourself a true white musk aficionado then you need to try this.
Musk Al-Qurtabi
If you want a musk with an intense floral opening a la the grape florals as I like to call them, a combination of orange blossom and jasmine, then this musk is for you. Unfortunately this blend never really settled on me so I really couldn't tell you about the musk. My floral wonky skin didn't really allow me to enjoy this.
Habibati
If you love Jeffrey Dame's New Musk or Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez this scent is worth your time which tells you it is not for me. It has that unique musk on me that goes strangely screechy.
I have often jokingly said that if heaven has a scent it would be the scent of the Italian hazelnut liquor Frangelico. It is one of the most delicious things you will ever smell and over the years I have often wondered why the hazelnut note found in Frangelico is not used more often in perfumery. Well the thing is when hazelnut is used as a note in perfumes most of the time it is in the form of nutella on steroids, overbearing, intensely sweet, and frequently paired with chocolate; not what I want to smell like.
So let us bask for a moment in the genius use of hazelnut, lemon verbena, and lemon used in Musk Tahara Al Faransi. This perfume uses hazelnut in all its perfect nuttiness to create a sublime cuddly musk. Al Faransi has made an excellent argument in Musk Tahara Al Faransi that hazelnut is an underused note to use in musk based scents. Hazelnut combined with a candied lemon verbena followed by delicious zingy creamy lemon makes Musk Tahara Al Faransi have one of the most unique openings I have smelled in a musk in very long time. Musk Tahara Al Faransi is a part of the white musk family, but I have to say this now the white musk used by Al Faransi is clearly above average in comparison to all of the white musks I have encountered. The white musk used by Al Faransi showcases the rose and sandalwood notes of white musk. Yes, this scent is clean but at no point have I been reminded of dryer sheets or anything industrial, what I am mainly reminded of is cashmere, cream, and rosewater.
Musk Tahara Al Faransi smells like luxury comfort with a very friendly opening, there is something very warm and welcoming about this scent. At the heart of this scent is a rosewater vanilla laced white musk which keeps the tiniest reminder of delicious hazelnuts going throughout. The beginning reminds me of an Italian style hazelnut cake with has generous portion of lemon zest in it but as time progresses I am reminded of rosewater scented cream all of this plushly supported by Al Faransi's sweet white musk. Musk Tahara Al Faransi glows perfectly on the skin, this is the sort of scent that should have a cult following because it is just so good smelling. Yes, I do intend to buy a bottle of this.
Try Musk Tahara Al Faransi if you like Pearl by Sage Machado, Perfect Veil by Sarah Horowitz Perfums, Musc by Reminiscence, Opal by Sonoma Scent Studio, Vanilla Musk by Kuumba Made, Loukhoum by Ava Luxe or Montale's Musk to Musk.
First image from alfaransi.com
Second Image Alon Alvissar
Last Image from Pinterest.com
Sometimes someone makes an awesome perfume discovery and shares it. Finding Abdul Karim Al Faransi's perfumes is very much courtesy of the Facebook group Facebook Fragrance Friends.
Kayseri may be the ultimate wallet friendly and interesting Loukhoum scent you have been waiting for. Although, lets take a moment to reminisce about the time when Loukhoum scents were a big fad in the fragrance community, yup it was the early 2000s and everyone was talking about Luten's Rahat Loukhoum, Keiko Mecheri's Loukhoum, and Montale's Mukhallat. For those of us obsessed with gourmands it was like a new frontier because this was a gourmand that featured roses and nuts prominently. Fast forward a few years and well the trend fell to the wayside. There are still those of us who enjoy the idea of a loukhoum inspired fragrance but the thing is most loukhoum scents have a clobber you over the head aspect frequently.
What if someone created a scent that featured the rosewater powder nutty goodness of loukhoum at its heart but instead of blasting you with powder decided to introduce a completely different element at the beginning, in this case the melon almond French sweet, calisson. If you are not put off by this idea then you need to try Kayseri. Kayseri starts with a sweet candied melon note, not overbearing, but most definitely there, it is very unique and somewhat reminds me of the beginning of Providence Perfume's Provanilla, this melon is most definitely of the cantaloupe* variety. It's a clean and sweet and not going to burden you and as time progresses it transforms to delicious rosewater loukhoum scent. Al Faransi's loukhoum note has accents of lemony rose and at moments I could swear it hints at a tiny smidgen of violet in there too. The beauty of Kayseri is instead of pummeling you with sweet powder as can frequently happen with a loukhoum scent Al Faransi has made a loukhoum that is slightly water-colored. The earthy quality of the melon note lightens it and adds a gentle spicy quality and it all sits on a bed of gently sweetened musky woods. Kayseri is easily one of the most wearable loukhoum scents I have encountered. Most interesting is there is a depth of layering to it that I have not really encountered in most loukhoum scents and much less in oil based scents.
Try Kayseri if you like Loukhoum scents, Sonoma Scent Studio's Lieu de Reves, or Rose Absolue by Yves Rocher
*Fun fact many melons in the cantaloupe family are called muskmelons. Considering Al Faransi specializes in musk scents how appropriate is it that use a muskmelon note in their scent?
Let's discuss the musk scents that have not worked for me. The variation of how they have not worked is either I am anosmic/my skin sucked them up or they did something horrendous on my skin. I like to make these lists because well I feel like it gives me an idea of where to pinpoint the issue at hand:
Screech-tastic
Narciso by Narciso Rodriguez (I wanted that gorgeous milky white bottle in my collection but alas that was just not happening.)
Essence by Narciso Rodriguez (Too much laundry detergent in this)
New Musk by Dame Perfumery (I love many of his scents but this definitely turned screechy on me :-( )
Just Kind of Weird
Suaded Musk by GAP (what should have been a safe bet just sort of smelled off on.
Original Musk by Kiehl's (Not uber anything I just did not enjoy the powdery aspect of it)
Disappearing Act
Elephant and Roses by Marie Candide Gentle
Le Parfum by Barbara Bui
Silk Way by Ted Lapidus
As I've mentioned recently I'm on the mission for a new musk. My absurdly long lived Egyptian Goddess roll-on oil by Auric Blends recently turned and I need a new musk to wear. The frank truth is by the end Egyptian Goddess was no longer really me either. We had grown apart. I still consider it one of the best cheap thrills you can get in the perfume world and definitely recommend it to those that love Egyptian musk scents. Still I want a musk back in my collection that I can wear and feel great in. The pleasure of a good musk scent is that they smell like a natural awesome smelling extension of you.
I was recently going through my collection of samples when I stumbled on Musc by Reminiscence. It stuck out even more considering the recent review I read on Chez Pajama for it. Chez Pajama considers it a favorite of her's and that it has a rather intimate quality going on. Well I had to try it with that ringing endorsement and lets be frank if there is one place where mutations of scent on different skin can be smelled it is in the musk category of perfume.
Musc by Reminiscence smells good. It is one of those downy warm sweet creamy musks on me that some people say remind them of babies although I would say Reminiscence sidesteps that issue by keeping a lovely spicy bitter almond note running through out the musk. Musc is all about warm clean skin on me, whatever animalic edge other's encounter in this scent is sucked up on my skin (I can notoriously de-animalic scents that are considered super animalic and I can animalic scents that are considered safe). For me Musc is all comfort and ease with a little bit of spice running through it. I like that Musc is not a white musk or an Egyptian musk, it is closer to the old school 70s musks but a bit sweeter and more interesting.
It's not quite the musk I am looking for but I am most definitely going to enjoy my sample of it while I have it.
Try Musc by Reminiscence if you like Disco Nap by Smell Bent, Clair de Musc by Serge Lutens, or Dana O'Shee by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab.
About two years ago my scalp became hypersensitive and it took me a very long time to figure out the culprit of the issue, I eventually figured it out and realized it was sulfates. I tried many different methods of trying to clean my hair the first being the no-poo method of washing my hair but found over time I didn't like the results (especially when combined with hard water), shampoo bars (once again does not work with hard water), and many different forms of sulfate free forms of shampoo and conditioner and almost all could not handle hard water. I eventually lucked out in my journey in trying the rather new Everyone Balance Shampoo and Conditioner, finally a sulfate free duo that could handle hard water.
Yet, the thing that strikes me every time I used the Everyone Balance Conditioner is that real smoky earthy vetiver essential oil is used in it. If you have ever wondered what vetiver essential oil smells like but don't want to pick up a bottle of it then I recommend going out and smelling the Everyone Balance Conditioner. The funny this is that the Balance Shampoo definitely does not smell of vetiver, in fact it is rather a natural citrus scent, so this draws me to the conclusion that the vetiver actually must play a genuine role in the product.
It is rather refreshing to have a shampoo and conditioner that do not smell of fruits or flowers, I've actually always been a fan of earthier scents when bathing and this definitely fits my earthier scent predilections when bathing.
I'll say it now I love bar soap. I mean shower gels are nice but for some reason bar soap remains my favorite still. On the other hand cheap bar soap is not a favorite of mine and I believe is the number one reason bar soap gets a bad rep. The Cinnamon Orange & Shea Soap by Pamela Soap is the perfect example of why handmade bar soap should be held in esteem. I found Pamela Soap because I went to my very local and very tiny Farmer's Market and saw their stand. I was even more thrilled when I found out that the soap being sold was being made so close to where I live. Well I dithered about and bought one of their soaps as a Christmas present and then I bought two soaps for myself. I spoke to the very nice husband of Pamela, the soap maker, who was the sale's rep for the day, and got to learn about their soap and overall it was a very nice experience. On the other hand the real proof of how good the soap is in the actual use of it.
The first soap I have used so far is the utterly winter perfect Cinnamon Orange & Shea Soap. This is a cinnamon scent supported by lovely soft haze of orange. The cinnamon in this scent smells of real cinnamon not the fake awful stuff that causes headaches and makes me question my whole liking of cinnamon. Nope, this is type of cinnamon that has real layers, it reminds me a bit of my current cinnamon, Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey's, open this cinnamon up, and you smell all the complexity that cinnamon can have from floral notes to herbal notes.. The cinnamon used in the soap has hints of lavender, rosemary, and cedar in it, the scent is very warm and natural. Supported by all of this is light soft orange.
Okay, I said I would not do too much of a review of the actual qualities of the product, but as a long time bar soap user I feel like I can actually bring a little clarification to this discussion. I use all my bar soaps with a Japanese style wash cloth to get the best lather and longevity out of my soap. I highly recommend. On the other hand if you are finding that your soap is leaving a film on you and this includes also your shampoo and body wash it means you have hard water. I have hard water and this is also why I am so in love with Pamela Soap, Pamela is making a artisan natural soap that is able to handle hard water. I am left with with clean, soft, and not overly dried skin with this soap. If you have hard water you will understand that this can be incredibly hard to find in almost any cleansing product and even more so in natural products.
So I thought I would start the new year with a week dedicated to a new column/subject matter idea that I have had floating around in my head for awhile, which is looking at different products that purvey fragrance. I don't necessarily want to call it a body products review because frankly it is just not my area of expertise and there are much better reviewers on that subject matter but I do like the idea of talking about fragrance in different formats. So the perspective I am bringing is first the scent part and then the actual qualities of the product.
I recently took some out of town friends to the Ferry Building in San Francisco. I love the building but admit at times it gets way too crowded but for once I was in the holiday spirit and playing tour guide in the Ferry Building was a lot of fun. As always I had to stop at the McEvoy Ranch shop and taste their olive oils and test out their body products. I feel like it was rather serendipitous that we stopped their that day because they had a new body product line, Bohemian Rose on display. As always rose has a siren call for me and I had to try the new scent out.
What Bohemian Rose reminds me of is
another moment I had a few years ago in the Ferry Building. I was taking myself out once again for my yearly birthday adventure and after visiting the comic museum to see an exhibit on Neil Gaiman's Sandman series I stopped at the Ferry Building to pick up cheese at Cowgirl Creamery. I felt like getting myself a sweet though before tackling the cheese shop so I stopped at Miette Bakery and I got myself a rose geranium macaroon. That little macaroon was a real eyeopener for me in discovering the beautiful flavor rose geranium can have when used properly. The flavor was at once softly rosy with hints of lemon and sweetly softened by the buttercream base. I've thought about that macaroon quite often since I've had it. Bohemian Rose smells a lot like that for me it is at once wonderfully rosy and tart like rose geranium but has a delicately sweetened base that keeps it tempered it is a bit more herbal than the macaroon but it is still a delicate interpretation of rose geranium to my nose.
The formula for body balm is wonderful. It is deeply moisturizing and leaves my skin feeling moisturized without feeling greasy which is a frequent complaint of mine when it comes to body balms. While researching the product it turns out that I found that 80 Acres has only released their Bohemian Rose line at their Ferry Building shop but will be releasing it online in February 2016. It makes me wonder if they are trying to get the Valentine's Day crowd.
First image from Day Spa Magazine
Second Image from Sabrina Ko Photography
2015 was is/was a giant year for me. The first quarter of the year had some serious family issues that at times intensely broke my heart. All of this in the whirlwind of completing my certificate program. The second quarter of the year was the experience of moving in with my fiancee (boyfriend at the time) while continuing the manic pace of my certificate program. The third and fourth quarter of the year was a blur of school, disastrous internship issue that then left me scrambling to find another internship to complete before graduation this December, and the wonderful and intense elation of getting engaged. This year was intensely heady mix of what felt like extreme ups and downs. Somehow I kept this blog going which for me is pretty good :-).
Looking back at my perfume blogging aspirations for the year I did pretty much what I wanted to do. I kept blogging, I focused on California perfumers, and I felt like got to do some fun posts. Did I post every week, nope, but lets be honest I simply did not have the time, nor do I think I ever will have that time or focus to do so.
As I think about the year ahead I realize I will probably do more thematic post series. I love them, I love finding the interconnected-ness of perfumes. I deeply enjoy focusing on a single note and smelling the many variations and interpretations that can be found in perfume when using it. I think I would like to explore more Etsy perfumers, so if you have any suggestions for this please post below. I will probably continue my exploration of California perfumers. I want to continue finding gems that have flown under the radar. Also, I want to explore more notes. I think I may have finally done enough rose sniffing for awhile. I am going to continue to search for a new everyday musk perfume considering my bottle of Egyptian Goddess went bad and I don't want to repeat it.
I hope everyone is ending the year in a better place than where they started at the beginning of 2015, I know for once I am. If you are not I hope soon everything will calm down enough to give you some breathing space and clarity. Best wishes for the New Year, Jen.
These are the scents I found myself enjoying and wearing this year the most. Some are new, many are old, I'm simply not one to keep up with the new Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens
Years later I finally try this fairy tale ode to sandalwood and rose. Romantic and glowing this scent is serenity and sensuality wrapped together. Works equally well in heat and cold, easily a work horse scent for me.
Ninfeo Mio by Annick Goutal
A late find in the year but utterly original in the fig category and I can't wait to write more about it. A creamy tart green.
Un Jardin Apres la Mousson by Hermes
I love this weirdo of a scent. A tart and tangy watermelon scent with vetiver and cardamom.
Lolita Lempicka L'eau en Blanc by Lolita Lempicka
A powder puff of almond, raspberry, iris, and white musk all with hints of the original LL's violet and caramelized anise and vetiver. Perhaps the best flanker find of the year for me.
North by MikMoi
Such a lovely romantic spring promise, crystalline flowers that glow. And look a scent that was actually released in 2015.
No.19 Warm Carrot by Cognoscenti
The best warm embrace scent I have tried in awhile. The scent of warm spices and carrot has never smelled so good.
Ao by MikMoi
Still loving this a year later. I still consider it my favorite genius aquatic tropical scent.
Tudor Rose & Amber by Jo Malone
Hey look another 2015 release. A workhorse wine drenched spicy rose. Romantic and dramatic and has great staying power for a Jo Malone.
Vanille Botanique by DSH
The big diva vanilla that I did not know I needed until I tried it and then well I was completely smitten.
So that's what I wore the most frequently or had immediate utter love for. Some repeats form last year but a whole lot of new in the sense they were not in my wardrobe previously.
The first day of winter. Time to bring out the cold relief brigade.
1. L'Agent by Agent Provocateur
A deep dark incense with hints of leather. Use this with a light hand even in cold weather but when worn properly this is a gorgeous spicy resinous incense on me.
2. Ambre Narguile by Hermes
The most deliciously calorific apple pie tobacco amber out there. I am always reminded of Moroccan pastries when I wear this.
3. Kenzo Amour Le Parfum
A hot cold incense on a bed of warm basmati rice pudding with hints of stewed cherries. Comforting, enveloping, and serene.
4. Burberry Brit Red
A tart opening of bright rhubarb followed by creamy vanilla and hints of spices. An utter party scent.
5. Chanel Bois des Iles
The closest Chanel has ever gotten to gourmand territory and even then that is very little. A sensual classic sandalwood meets sparkling aldehydes and has hints of French pain d'epices. Supporting the act carnations, cloves, and hints of peaches of bergamot. One of the most elegant and femme wood scents ever created.
6. Calligraphy Rose by Aramis
Utterly baroque and sumptuous, Calligraphy Rose is a caramelized rose and amber. Decadent is the game of this one.
7. Oppoponax by Les Nereides
Like the glow of well polished wood. Lovely stuff in cold weather just enough powder and resin to keep you through the day.
8. No. 19 Warm Carrot by Cognoscenti
I adore this mesmerizing spicy carrot scent. Perfect in chilly weather, it is luminous, sensual, and calm.
9. L de Lolita Lempicka pure parfum
The scent of oranges, cinnamon, and vanilla in a nest of immortelle. An instant mood brightener and a delicious gourmand.
10. Traversee du Bosphore by L'Artisan
A lipstick rose scent that meets tobacco and suede.
It you stay perfume enthusiast long enough you will find two things 1) Over time things you bought randomly or cheaply or both will sometimes become perfume treasures and 2) you will go through a few "It" note trends. L de Lolita Lempicka pure parfum encompasses those two experiences easily.
Currently in my perfume stash I have two bottles of L de Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka one in the original eau de parfum strength and the other in the pure parfum strength. These are both the original version before the reformulation and then the eventual discontinuation. I'll be honest I am still in shock that L de Lolita Lempick is not in production, it is excellent gourmand, and yet Lolita Lempicka seems to have never figured out what to do with it. It had only one flanker and then it was gone. Currenlty L is selling for a lot of money on ebay if it is original the pre-reformulated version.
L de Lolita Lempicka is the perfect example of the perfume cycle, originally released in 2006 as the first new perfume from Lolita Lempicka it was never quite marketed right. The visual is a mermaid and the bottle a fun blue ocean hued shaped pebble with an oceanic motif. I love it, but inherently it probably confused many because inside is the ultimate gourmand mixture of vanilla, cinnamon, and orange all on a bed of maple infused immortelle. This is not a typical tropical beach scent but rather a beach scent for craggy coastlines or coasts that know all too well cold winter storms, it is sunny in that it is the bright light with brisk winds. I reminded of French coastline in Normandy and Brittany and you are eating an delicious buttery pastry of some sort.
More confusing to the average perfume buyer is the immortelle note, now this is probably the most likable immortelle you will meet but L has that heaviness of immortelle that probably takes awhile to get used to. Immortelle right around the time L was released enjoyed a brief moment in the spotlight, we in the perfume community were wanting salty maple laced notes and immortelle could provide that. L is the only mainstream release that I can think of and since then that featured immortelle but not much has happened since its release in mainstream perfumery with the note.
The scent was created by Maurice Roucel and is not completely original, it bares quite a bit of resemblance to his other creation Frederic Malle's Musc Ravegeur, the difference of scents was that L was more vanilla forward and used immortelle where as Musc Ravegeur was about musk and vanilla with spices and featured a more fougere quality. The thing is they are both examples of very modern perfumery, neither of them go through many changes on the skin but rather keep a constant reverberation of vanilla and spice going. Nothing wrong in that though because frankly they just smell really good.
L de Lolita Lempicka in the pure parfum version smells a great deal like the eau de parfum variation. the main difference being a tiniest hint of patchouli and hints of cocoa in the drydown. The citrus is more tampered down and thus the vanilla, cinnamon, and immortelle are the main stars. The lasting power is incredible and it is a scent truly meant for cold weather.
Recently a season of The Great British Bake Off showed up on Netflix and I am in heaven. This is the first reality show in a very very long time to catch my attention (the last was the very early seasons of Project Runway). And I'm not alone, suddenly in the US we are mad* for it and with good reason, if this is what reality competitions were all the time then I would watch a whole lot more of them. There is no giant prize, there is camaraderie, everyone is exceptionally civil, and it is all about being creative. The point is to prove you can bake and that is it. Plus, I love Sue Perkins ever since I watched the whole Supersizers series.
So as I have been watching the series I have been thinking of all the inventive and delicious combinations the bakers have been coming up with and have been feeling rather inspired myself (pain d'epice may be happening today). This then all led to me having a sudden Pop Culture Fun Series inspiration. I wanted to do a list of scents with qualities that lend themselves the most to describing baked goods.
The original Lolita Lempicka by Lolita Lempicka, the perfect note of sweet caramelized anise with vanilla, cherry, vetiver, and tobacco. I can't help but think French confection with this one, the love of anise is strong in French culture, and gourmand use of it is the signature of Lolita Lempicka . I like to think of Lolita Lempicka as anise flavored Kouig-Amann. The deeply dark caramelized buttery goodness of Kouig-Amann offset by the dark bittersweet notes of anise, doesn't that sound a bit like Lolita Lempicka?
Next up PHI Une Rose de Kandahar by Tauer Perfumes, the beginning of PHI has one of the most phenomenally delicious beginnings I have ever smelled. Perfectly tart sweet apricot, sweet bitter, almond, and delicious cinnamon pastry. It makes me think of apricot turnovers that have met the Moroccan dish B'Steeya. I can totally see someone trying to pull that off on The Great British Bake Off.
Tarte Tatin meets One Thousand and One Nights, that is how I would describe Hermes Hermessence Ambre Narguile. Supposedly this is inspired by the scent of a hookah, but many perfume lovers will attest that this reminds them the most of sweet caramelized apples. I can attest to the apple connection to the time I did make sweet caramelized apples in the oven and the scent that permeated my home at the time was intoxicating and very very reminiscent of Ambre Narguile. Ambre Narguile takes Tarte Tatin and laces it with cinnamon and sesame and the scent becomes one of the most intensely glorious gourmands you will smell.
Subtly sweet bread, Bois Farine by L'Artisan. I wish I had kept my sample longer of this one because indeed it smelled like bread, sweet bread, think challah or brioche. This is a scent way to ahead of its time. This scent is the love song to the scent of flour and the wondrous things it does when it becomes bread. I suspect Paul Hollywood would dig it.
*Please excuse the sudden use of British lingo, can't help it, happens every time I get into a good UK import.
image from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/great-british-bake-off/11844710/Where-the-Great-British-Bake-Off-goes-we-follow-but-should-we.html
Must de Cartier is a bizarrely maligned classic, the maligning mainly stemming from Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez's perfume guide which sums it up as smelling like cheap Russian chocolates. To this day that is the one review I truly and utterly disagree with them on. If you can love Angel then really in my head you have no ground to stand on. But let's actually get onto the perfume.
Must de Cartier has a complicated history, when Cartier released they also had a day version to go with it, the day version wasn't popular, but the evening version lived on. I remember reading somewhere that this was supposed to be Cartier's response to Calvin Klein's Obsession. Obsession is a scent that Must gets frequently compared too but to my nose they don't share a whole lot other than being in the Oriental family. For me Obsession is heavily dank spicy musk where as Must is well a composition of a different sort.
Must de Cartier is combination of green and elegant galbanum and narcissus and rich caramelized ambered woods with a whole lot of delicious tonka bean. There are hints of leather in the scent and to my nose also hints of delicious cherry pipe tobacco. I suspect that is the tonka bean playing with another note.
For me the genius of this scent is the use of galbanum and narcissus, this pairing of intense green notes with the caramelized woods creates the effect of making sure the heavier notes don't get out of hand. Must is no doubt an intense scent but those green notes give it an air of earthiness that lets it go beyond the usual sexy vavavoom-ness that we associate with the Oriental family. It is a cerebral oriental, it's not understated, but their is brain behind it.
What I find interesting is that to my nose it is the clear predecessor of two fairly well-loved scents. Dior's Addict before the reformulation and Fifi Chachnil's Fifi Chachnil. The likeness of Addict and Must de Cartier are found in the drydown where there is a definitely resemblance with the accord of amber, tonka bean, and vetiver being used but where as Must uses leather to anchor the notes, Addict uses heavy calorie vanilla to anchor the scent. The resemblance to Fifi Chachnil is also with the accord of amber, tonka bean, and vetiver yet I would also add I think Fifi gets some inspiration of using coriander in the beginning from the galbanum used in Must, the use of coriander provides that fresh green citrus note that lets the scent not get drowned out by the heavier notes. Ultimately, the divergence of Fifi is the much more prominent use of tobacco and rose in the scent.
Let's take a moment to also talk about reformulation. My Must de Cartier was bought somewhere in the mid 2000s at this point I know many spoke of it being reformulated yet it had not been reformulated to the point of being another perfume considering I have decant of the vintage parfum which it most definitely is akin too. The vintage parfum is gorgeous and a beloved for good reason, the notes richer, and more brocade like.
Try Must de Cartier if you like Dior's Addict, Fifi Chachnil, and Nicolai's Le Temps d'Une Fete.
So I love reading about perfume as much as the next fumehead and I thought why not share the reviews or ideas that throughout the week catch my interest.
First up Tresor Prijs lovely and personal review of Serge Luten's Bas des Soie at Fragrance Daily. I've never thought to try to locate a sample of this one by Tresor has me very intrigued.
The continuation of a great animalics series over at Fragrantica Part 1 and Part 2.
Shout out to Chez Pajama because she is the one really willing to go out on a limb and try it all. Her reviews are fun, short, sweet, and to the point but with plenty of experience behind them.
Sometimes I forget what a good elegant scent can do, for me it has the power to make me feel put together, not ostentatious, but like your own skin is perfectly fine and everything is clicking together. The thing about an elegant scent to me is that it must like feel like a melange of notes, no note is above the others, and yet there is a defined story. I know that is a lot to require out of a scent for it to be considered elegant and I admit there is a lot of Chanel influence in that assertion but that is how I define elegant scents.
On the other hand it is even harder to find an elegant scent with quirk, quirk is rather hard to describe but for me it has to be that note that strikes out and brings something new to the conversation but at the same time is utterly smooth in its compelling addition. Well if you are looking for a sort of unique contrarian elegance then I think you probably should seek out Monsillage's Vol 870 YUL-CDG. Vol 870 YUL-CDG is a bit of a wonder because perfumer Isabelle Michaud created a classic elegant scent that I would feel comfortable wearing at an elegant soiree or a bohemian retreat.
The beginning of Vol 870 YUL-CDG is all about the the osmanthus absolute for me. I adore osmanthus so I am always excited when I see a perfumer take the note and go in a different direction with it. Frequently osmanthus is paired with tea or used as a supporting player, but in Vol 870 YUL-CDG Michaud chooses to let osmanthus star. This is an osmanthus full of dried apricots and hinting at the resinous note that you smell in osmanthus absolute it is lovely and warm so different from other floral notes that once again I am reminded that I find shocking that it is not used more often in perfumery. There is a tannic quality to osmanthus that keeps the sweeter wine like qualities of it in check, it is the sort of scent that balances out the cold sweet of ylang ylang with tannins of black tea and the delicious tartness of dried apricots, it is one of the most naturally layered and complex notes you will ever run across.
What enters next is a rather genius pairing for osmanthus, the notes of balsams. I grew up on a ranch that was high enough in elevation that we had a variety of fir and pine trees and one of my favorite things to go do as a child was to play with the sticky fragrant sap of those trees much to the annoyance of family. Vol 870 YUL-CDG pairs osmanthus with pines and firs, the resinous and balsamic notes play beautifully with the osmanthus creating an elegant but frankly adventurous scent. The mingling of forest and ripe fruit is sensuous yet clever. The woven pairing of osmanthus and balsams play for hours on the skin, the fruit receding with time, and the drydown containing hints of musk, amber, and vetiver. It is a smooth blending that creates warm woods quality on the wearer.
Try if you like Ormonde Jayne Woman, Sonoma Scent Studio's Jour Ensolielle, or Le Temps d'Une Fete by Nicolai.
first image from fragrantica.com
second image Moki Mioke
Recently MikMoi released five accords and the perfume Ideasthesia. I was lucky enough to be gifted by the perfumer with a sample pack, and as of the last month I have been wearing and thinking about the Ideasthesia project. Recently this last weekend I was able to sit down with Mik and discuss the scents and here is the funny thing as much as we talked about notes and scents, I still came away from our conversation having the exact same feeling and thoughts about the scents that I had before going into the conversation. There was a few clarifying notes, but otherwise one of the nice qualities about Mik and his perfumes is he simply allows the wearer to bring their own experiences to the perfume. Diversity is one of the cornerstones in his perfume philosophy. As I have worn and smelled the accords that make up Ideasthesia and I should mention that these accords are in their own right fully made perfumes, there is nothing missing from these scents when you wear them.
There are stages to life and sometimes they do not necessarily come in the order most known but they do happen.I have been struck with how much these accords remind me of these life stages
The first accord and probably the most on the nose one for me is Birth. Birth is a scent that lovingly references the Southern European and Middle Eastern tradition of scenting babies with orange blossom water and it should also be mentioned that this scent is frequently used for brides. This is probably one of the best orange blossom scents I have smelled in awhile, while it is definitely supported by citrus, and juicy citrus at that the scent reads to me deliciously of rich fresh orange blossom. It is a full orange blossom scent, in the likes of L'Artisan's long gone harvest series. At certain stages I almost read an earthy incense note in Birth that reminds me of the ceremonies involved in blessing children. The final drydown for me is a lovely honeyed orange blossom, it's not sweet, but hints are true orange blossom honey that contains frequently just a hint of branch. The depth and tenacity of Birth are excellent for citrus orange blossom scent and it remained with me all day. It is a wonderfully uplifting scent.
The next accord is Breath, Breath is easily for me the stage of childhood. Tt is a wondrous green happy scent that suggests exploration and a sense of curiosity in the world that I think at times is the most strong in our childhood. There is a wonderful opening of spearmint and grass, I sort of forget that spearmint is a note that can be used in perfume, but there it is naturally sweet and bright in Breath. The combination of spearmint and grass reminds me of getting up early in the morning when I was child and exploring the world in the summer while everyone was asleep. Breath for me is that sort of bright shiny exploration of the natural world, it is lolling in the grass, and really looking at the greenery around you. There is a lovely fig note that runs through Breath that provides a green milky backdrop to the scent along with a fresh dose of petitgrain that I feel references Birth. The stage that follows birth and childhood is a I think one that is far more universal in our older years but definitely only comes to us with puberty and that is the state of romantic awakening. I'll say it now I fell in love with North. I fell in love with it enough that I bought a bottle on the spot. North is romantic radiance, a crystalline melange of floral notes that I usually run away from, but in Mik's hands are exquisitely rendered. There is just no getting around the romantic beauty of North the use of jasmine, tuberose, and rose is a bit of a trifecta of culturally considered romantic notes. Yet, the thing that makes this so utterly wearable and perfect for me is the use of geranium. Geranium doesn't get enough love, but when used provides that bright luminous quality that I frequently associate with aldehydes but geranium does it more kindly, gently, and with just a hint of stemmy crushed greenery. There is a luminous quality to North that suggests glow of when you first fall in love, the one that everyone comments on because frankly you are obscenely happy. North is about as close as I have ever gotten to finding the olfactory equivalent of romantic awakening in a bottle.
The next stage of life is a bit blurrier to understand but we all go through it. I think at times it is one of the longest stages, the age of getting to really know yourself. This is the part I think is the most varied for everyone for some it is the finding of true identity, for others coming to peace with your actual inclinations, or for some a recognition of how you are a singular creature no matter all our connections. I find this stage in the Known accord. Known is a smoky pinon sort of scent, it suggests incense and arid landscapes. It is philosophically pushing to that area in our lives where we learn to make choices on our own. I think the smokiness of Known suggests the birth of identity aka the phoenix from the flames, this is not necessarily a painful process but is none the less a process of fulling recognizing who we are beyond the boundaries of our childhood. The incense and woods also suggest spiritual growth but on our own terms, it is the passage of one stage of life to the next, I want to say adulthood, but I feel that doesn't full encapsulate the process of knowing yourself because it is a continuing process. Known is the scent of independence of thought.
The final accord is Found. Found is the scent of finding the familial in our lives as adults. It is an earthy spicy comforting scent that at the beginning reminds me of quite frankly of cinnamon oatmeal cookies, but this is not a gourmand. The spices in this are hot and strong it is akin to grinding your own spices at home when making spice breads. As Found mellows the scent takes on hint of almond and a deliciously warm slightly furry musk. The musk is utterly comforting, not clean, nor funky but familial. Found is ultimately the scent of getting a hug from a loved one, it is that moment in our adult lives where stability and community intersect, it is deliciously kind and strong..
We finally come to Ideasthesia a scent meant to be an accord of the accords. This is obviously the most layered and complex of the scents and I think in a way represents a life well lived. It is a scent meant to draw on all the aspects of the accords. What it becomes is a scent to my nose akin to the classic Nuit de Noel by Caron. They don't smell alike but in Ideasthesia Mik is able to get that grand layering of floral, gourmand, and incense that I smell in Nuit de Noel. The scent of Ideasthesia is the clear fresh white florals of Birth and North punctuated by the smoky incense of Known at least that is what the scent was on me most of the time. On other days Ideasthesia was a sweeter scent with Found playing a greater role with the floral notes adding a bit of spicy sweetness to the florals, At other times Breath would up the fresh notes and make the opening a bit galbanum tinged giving the scent an even more classic quality. Ideasthesia has proven to be a bit of a chameleon scent depending on the temperature of the day you can get so many different qualities, each wearing seeming to play upon one facet being stronger than the other.
Ultimately the art that reminded of the most of Ideasthesia is David Bowie's song Thursday's Child, a song about life and experience through the lens of age.
Sometimes a perfumer highlights a note so well you are kind of dumbfounded that it doesn't get used more. This is one of the feelings I have for Cognoscenti's No.19 Warm Carrot. My other feelings and thoughts are: this is the the perfect mashup of French pain d'epice and Indian gajar halwa, this has one hell of a spicy cold opening, the drydown is magnificent, this is so perfectly fall, and I feel like this the baby of Guerlain's L'Heure Bleu and Chanel's Bois des Iles. As you can see No.19 is incredibly layered and yet utterly wonderful.
No.19 starts out with a magnificent dramatic entrance that smells like cardamom, cold ylang-ylang, and earthy carrots the effect reminds me of the grinding of spices for pain d'epice. There is a slight quieting and the earthy powder of lavender enters, it softens the spice just enough that the carrot seed at this point is the most potent. Cognoscenti gives you operatic dramatic carrot, the perfumer draws out the leathery or as I think the furrier aspects of carrot. This is the moment where the carrot seed gets to be the star and in my head this is the color combo of intense rich orange against a rather soft dove grey.
After about 15 minutes we then enter the longest stage, the pain d'epice and gajar halwa stage. This stage is utterly lovely and will scent your scarf through out the day. At this point the tiniest drops of amber and vanilla enter the mix and they play utterly supporting roles mainly to gentle the spices and bring out the fruitier aspects of carrot. What you get is combination of creamy gajar halwa, that delicious Indian dessert pudding, that is lightly spiced with cardamom, and the anise laced gingerbread of France, pain d'epice. This sounds gourmand but really it isn't, it is just the perfect distillation of autumnal spices and it all sits gently with earthy carrot seed jam.
Eventually the spice takes a backseat and a mellow animalic mix of carrot jam, amber, and labdanum sit of the skin. The effect is deliciously cozy and elegant, it has the cider-ed quality of Bois des Iles on the skin.
The elegance of No.19 is rather operatic to me and yet it is not loud, there is such a gorgeous layering of notes in this scent that I reminded of classical perfumes and yet the used of carrot seed is distinctly unique and modern. Honestly I plan to get myself a small bottle of this for Autumn/Winter although I can see it playing perfectly on cold grey Spring days.
Try if you like Chanel Bois des Iles, Guerlain L'Heure Bleu, Sonoma Scent Studio Champagne des Bois, and Prada Infusion de Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue.
For the last 8 years I have worn some sort of iteration of Prada's Infusion d'Iris, the first being the original version of Infusion d'Iris, after that there was Candy (yup I consider it just another spin-off of the Infusion series), and currently I am now on a bottle of Infusion d'Irs Eau de Parfum Absolue.
The original Infusion d'Iris could easily be a part of this series. Here is the thing I have not worn the current version which was definitely reformulated but what I can do is tell you about the Absolue version.
Infusion d'Iris Eau de Parfum Absolue and from here on out referred to as simply Absolue is sort of the perfect marriage of Infusion d'Iris with Candy and with a few tricks up its sleeve. Absolue takes that perfect cloudy sweetness of Candy and marries it to the wonderfully approachable and urbane iris found in Infusion d'Iris. It ends up just being this perfect puff of bittersweet in Absolue, it amplifies the powder and adds a sensual skin note that had not originally been there.
Yet, what makes Absolue so elegant and far more adult is the use of incense in the scent. There is a definite far more earthier note in Absolue than in the original Infusion d'Iris. At times on my skin it can read as patchouli or sometimes it shows itself as incense, it is a fun trick.
What I love also about Absolue is the earthy powder that pervades it. Obviously that is partly iris doing its work but there is just a hint of rice in it that suggests makeup. It gives Absolue just a hint of glamour.
The elegance of Absolue is that for me it takes the aloof iris and makes it far more approachable yet keeps iris's erudite qualities. The addition of benzoin and richer incense notes gives it a greater depth and sensuality than the original Infusion d'Iris, letting the wearer have a far richer scent which thankfully though does not ever enter the burdensome territory. As always the Infusion series remains seasonless and all occasion ready, it is probably as close to a signature scent as I have come.
Try if you like Prada's original Infusion d'Iris or Candy, Parfumerie Generale's Iris Taizo, Chanel No.19 Poudre, Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au The Bleu, or Cognoscenti No. 19 Warm Carrot.
So I have had this idea floating in my head for the last month of doing an elegant perfume series. The idea happened when I tried the very interesting Monsillage Vol 870 YUL-CDG and the immediate thought that came to my head was that it was very elegant classic scent. Yet, at the same time it is really interesting and by interesting I mean that plays with notes and isn't stuffy in the least and well it has some quirk. The more I thought about it the more I realized I wanted to do a series on scents that were released fairly recently and embody what I consider classic elegance and yet they must be interesting. Nothing boring or stuffy, they have to have quirk and soul.
I like aldehydes but I inherently find most of the time the composition they come with are not really me, the classic pairing of aldehydes is florals, and as I've mentioned before pure florals and I rarely are on the same footing to get along. It also makes me saddened that aldehydes are rarely used beyond the genre of floral when Chanel's classic Bois des Iles highlights that in fact aldehydes can get along stupendously with wood notes, in this case sandalwood. I should also mention that aldehydes can frequently connote an elegance in perfumes for their brightening and deepening effect.
Have you ever thought I really wish L'Artisan would mosh their Voleur de Roses with Chanel No.5 Sensual Elixir? Yeah, me neither until I tried Divine's L'Inspiratrice and that is what I get on my skin and you know what it really really works.
L'Inspiratrice starts with playful use of aldehydes, it reminds me of the more softened aldehydes used in Chanel No.5 Sensual Elixir or Eau Premiere, yet the base of this scent is the classic combination of patchouli and roses that is akin to L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses. Now what keeps this composition melded and smooth is the use of delicate vanilla and ylang ylang.
I just want to reiterate that the use of vanilla in this composition does not make it a vanilla scent, in fact this is a prime example of vanilla being used as a smoothing agent and just adding a dollop of sweetness it tames the patchouli enough that the camphorous qualities it can have are kept at bay.
If vanilla is used to tame the patchouli then ylang ylang is used to tame the aldehydes. Ylang Ylang can have a deep camphorous narcotic scent, I love it, but recognize the hot cold effect it has can be alien to some. What is interesting is while modern perfumery is not a big fan of it, if you look at the classic aldehydic scents they used it everywhere, I theorize it is because piercing sweetness of ylang ylang balances out the sharp champagne qualities of aldehydes.
But you are probably asking what about the rose? The rose in L'Inspiratrice is a soft velvety skin rose, it melds to the wearer and plays the vital supporting role to the patchouli, it is what I call a cuddly somewhat maternal rose, there is no bite but neither is it virginal. It just exists plushly.
L'Inspiratrice melds beautifully with the wearer, the effect is elegant but warm, it is velvety without being suffocating. The lack of suffocation I give credit to the dry cocoa patchouli that is used and no heavy ambering or syrup notes. After Chanel's Bois des Iles this is the next prime example I can think of that aldehydes can meld beautifully to wood based creations.
Try if you like Chanel's Coromandel, No.5 Sensual Elixir, Bois des Iles or L'Artisan's Voleur de Roses.
