Cuba by Czech & Speake : Perfume Review

Cuba is the first fragrance of British luxury brand Czech & Speake I’ve had the pleasure of sampling. Smelling the beautiful composition for the first time, I realized that it is not just the company’s fittings that have bespoke appeal: this eau is every bit as artisanal and exclusive in feel. Part of their Aromatics line, Cuba was directly inspired by company owner and designer, Frank Sawkin’s trips to the island. The scent was meant to capture his own ‘rich and emotive memories’ of Cuba, and in particular, the rich smell of tobacco that was a constant during his cigar tour trip all over the island. Further inspiration came from a case of 50-year-old rum, bought from Annabel’s nightclub in London. The result is a scent that rejoices in beautiful contradictions: old world charm combined with the cheerfulness of a Cuban street party as well as velvety darkness combined with blinding sun. Considering that the island itself is a world of contradictions, this is a most successful translation.

The opening is joyful and citrusy, bringing to mind a bittersweet Mojito cocktail with its notes of rum, peppermint and lime. I am particularly impressed by the lifelike lime note which instantly evokes images of the fruit being squeezed with gusto by hand over a glass, the citrus oils making the fingers fragrant for hours thereafter. Too, there is a mustiness underlying the citrus fruit scent, lending intelligence and depth to the opening. It is a most gladsome, zesty and energizing opening, causing the heart to beat a little faster to keep up with its rhythm. My nose also identifies traces of jasmine, which help make the top notes rounder and longer lasting. The heart notes take our joyful Cuban fiesta from blindingly bright noon to sundown, with skies of gold and red. Intensely spicy, the clove emerges dark and seducing. Even though it is always a strong, long-lasting note, it is used in perfect proportion in Cuba, making the result sheer and natural. It is combined with highly fragrant bay leaf, which I absolutely adore. Closing my eyes, it takes me back to a time when well-dressed gentlemen still used to place a couple of these most redolent leaves in their wallet to keep it lightly perfumed. The two notes –clove and bay- compliment each other so well, the result is seamless and hazy: It is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. I am left with deep admiration. And the genius of Cuba further becomes evident as the beautiful, rich tobacco note starts rising to the top: Tonka, clove and peppermint were all traditionally used to flavor tobacco and it is revealing of vision and understanding to smell a composition in which all these notes enhance and showcase each other exactly as they were meant to. Aside from augmenting the beauty of the tobacco leaf, the sweet, caramel scent of tonka also pays homage to that old case of rum, whose sumptuous, candied flavor served as direct inspiration for this fragrance. Marvelous! The drydown in turn is soft and warm. Sweet and balsamic, as well as a tad smoky, the result is both cuddly and sensual. The starring note is absolutely gorgeous opoponax: Velvety, dark and comforting.

Cuba is available in 100ml Cologne Spray, as well as 100ml Aftershave. What’s wonderful though, is that it also comes in Bath Oil format. Isn’t that just fabulous? Men need pampering too! Lastly, something which has more to do with the quality of Czech & Speake products in general, rather than Cuba in particular: The spray pump is the best one I’ve ever encountered. It offers complete control – you can spray as lightly or as heavily as you wish. My preferred way is a light mist, which is absolute sensory delight on the skin.

Images: www.czechandspeake.com, www.sxc.hu, commons.wikimedia.org and www.czechandspeake.com

Ma Folie de Noel by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz : Perfume Review

Do you remember how easily reality could change into enchanted playgrounds when you were a child? Do you remember how the air itself in an old cellar could suddenly assume presence, cold and damp, smelling of something far away, possibly touched by wizardry? Creatures would lurk in shadows and treasures untold were waiting to be discovered in long disused drawers. With no adults around to break the spell, nothing was ordinary and everything was potentially magical. The portals to other worlds were there all the time, their smells and textures enhanced tenfold. True magic, better than any novel, better than any dream; Russet velvets and gold coins, smells of dust and dried flowers and furs in the closet, fruits and nuts in a basket that may or may not have been made of wax, spiderwebs sparkling with dew and countless colorful buttons in an intricate box saved by grandma... all magic, all toys, all props for the wondrous worlds only a child’s fantasies could create. Do you remember? I had forgotten... And then my sample packet from DSH arrived and I felt drawn into this time-warp, only to emerge on the other side almost tearful for the witchcraft lost in time. I’ve fallen in love with these scents, so unlike anything else I’ve ever smelled, so unlike every other perfume that fits my adult world perfectly. These are scents that enable the wearer to suspend belief, bend reality, bring back the magic. They are a bit in fact, like wearing a fairytale.

Her scents make me smile, they make me curious, willing to explore like a child. They make me forget about time constraints, they re-introduce me to a world full of enchantments. They evoke memories and feelings. From the moment I started sampling them I have been overwhelmed by my own excitement and I’ve regretted not discovering them sooner. The scents I have sampled so far are not ones I can imagine wearing with a sharp suit, as I would for example something by Sisley. I did mean it when I said that these scents are unlike anything that perfectly fits my adult world. They are softer around the edges; they are moments in time, the part of a cloud where the sun breaks through, a memory, a strange object out of a treasure chest. I cherish them. There are so many things that I can wear with high heels and a crisp white shirt and so few that make my heart feel this long-lost delight with everyday beauty.

The first DSH fragrance I have chosen to review is Ma Folie de Noel, a scent that perfectly describes the wistfulness so many of the samples evoked inside me. In fact, it is a scent that coincidentally also describes Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s own nostalgic childhood experiences, being an amalgam of Holiday scents from her past. I can’t say that it conjures similar Christmassy memories for me too – my own Christmases were filled with very different smells: spice, cinnamon, cloves, icing sugar, almonds, orange rinds and myriads of traditional Greek delights. This fragrance has nevertheless touched me with its beauty, even though the name does not fit my own view of the winter holidays. Ma Folie de Noel opens with a very prominent anis note of remarkable beauty. It does not feel thick or heavy, but transparent and watery, like a mist. Then slowly, it becomes candied, like boiled anis sweets. There is a certain chocolate undertone there, and indeed, every time I wear Ma Folie de Noel, this stage makes me think of eating good dark chocolate with lovely, crunchy, tiny anis-candy fragments in it. As the chocolate disappears, the anis remains for a while still, this time with a peculiar, nutty vein running through it. The scent intensifies, gaining momentum, becoming warmer and spicier as time goes by. Smelling close, I can clearly discern the base on which it is built – a lovingly built tier of resinous musk. It feels as though the base notes are flowing upwards, permeating the ceiling through the mezzanine. The anis note now entirely gone, we enter the most luxurious phase of this perfume. A gentlemen’s club, with the light smell of vanilla-scented cigarette smoke lingering in the air, desks topped with buttery leather and unfinished glasses of Rémy Martin Cognac littering the small round tables. I love how the boozy smell of cognac and vanilla smoke enfolds my skin... There is a certain masculine sense there, that makes me want to bury my nose in my own skin – I find it immensely comforting and sexy at the same time. I also find it strange that in this stage I perceive the opoponax as smelling of wonderful, sweet leather when combined with the cognac and vanilla. Is it just me? But I digress... The anis is resurrected in the drydown, this time very light, understated and tame. It flows seamlessly through as the cognac note dissipates, smelling faintly of the lightly aniseedic flavor raisin pips impart when crushed. It is now that the opoponax note truly shows its beauty. It is dark and sweet and ever so lightly smoky, blending gorgeously with the smell of the skin itself. It positively enhances the skin’s own scent, creating an ultra-seductive musky murmur. It imbues the skin with warmth, a veil of saturated darkness, lit from within with joyous flames. If I could only describe the feeling it gives me, it would be that of a happy winter heart. It is the feel of my skin, finding warmth under a cashmere-silk blend sweater, snug under a soft leather jacket, walking the silent wintry streets in the arms of my loved one. If I could describe the perfect occasion instead, it would be in front of the fireplace on a cold snowy night. This has definitely become my favorite comfort/sexiness blend. I must have it – I don’t think the sample is going to last me through the month, let alone winter.

Images:
Vintage buttons courtesy of www.buttonzjewelry.com
Picture of Anis de Flavigny candy courtesy of www.cadeaux.com
Image of winter night, courtesy of www.worldisround.com, made by Shahram Razavi.