Sample Winner Euterpe

Hey guys! The winner of last week's draw for the sample of Euterpe is Tarleisio! Apologies for not having the time to post a screenshot of the randomizer I always use with the results, or any post this week - it's been CRAZY! I started an assistanship in research next to my master and I have to understand the project. I also started Japanese classes. Will I have time to do everything? I hope so! Anyway, that's a quick note from me this week. Hopefully more next week as I have more things to review waiting in my samples bags!

Tarleisio please mail me your details and I'll get the sample out to you by Wednesday or so!

Euterpe by Herr von Eden : Perfume Review & Sample Draw

I promised you something special for today and I just know you will be as enthusiastic about this amazing perfume as I have been to discover it! Essenza Nobile surprises me with three different samples each month. If I like any of them, I review them, if I don't, I simply don't write about them. So far, since this relationship started, there've been some months when I haven't had anything to write about, once or twice when two of the perfumes grabbed my attention and some months when one of the three was the winner. Never so far however have I been so impressed with all three perfumes. While I hope to find the time to review all three of this month's perfumes soon, I am starting with my absolute favorite of the three, Euterpe by Herr von Eden.

It is easy to get disillusioned as a perfume reviewer: trying to keep up with the countless perfumes out there as well as the legions of new releases each year means that for every rose you dip your nose in, four dozen piles of trash make their way to the same olfactory receptors to get your spirits down. After a while you end up having to think twice even for perfumes that are actually worth something. Every once in a while however something comes your way that is so amazingly good that it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Something that electrifies you, something that makes you think "Yes, this is what perfume is all about, God yes, this is why I love smelling perfumes so much, this is why I chase after that high everywhere I go, every chance I get!". Sound familiar? These are the gems, and let's admit it while we're at it, these are the shining slivers of beauty that drive our addiction. Euterpe is one such beacon of beauty and hope for me.

I'd never heard of Herr von Eden, but a little search revealed that it is the brand of Hamburg-based Bent Angelo Jenson, a German who started his business not with perfume, but with clothes - suits in particular. Originally catering to men, his company has now extended to female clientele with modern women's collections, edgy eyewear and jewelry. The brand now includes three different perfumes in simple, chunky, masculine, slate-grey flacons bearing elegant Greek names: Euterpe, the muse of lyrical poetry, literally meaning "the pleasure giver", Eros, the son of Aphrodite and god of sexual love and beauty, and Eclipse, which aside from the obvious astronomical event it refers to, literally means "absence", a ceasing to exist.

Now, will you also, like me, find it thrilling if I tell you that Euterpe, with the delightfully feminine name smells like an archetypical masculine perfume? Yes, on the Essenza Nobile website it is listed as a unisex fragrance, while the Herr von Eden website itself assumes a Sphinx-like silence and refuses to comment on either a gender or scent description of the perfume. The Essenza Nobile website also lists it as a "true fougere". Believe none of it! Euterpe is the paragon of oriental masculinity and not even a modern one at that: it already smells like a classic. And it does a fantastic job of it too. Intensely, yes, intensely virile from the first moment you spray it courtesy of a strong, naughtily dirty animalic undertone that refuses to subside until the moment the perfume fully expires from the skin, Euterpe smells of retro brashness, hunger for sex and power. It smells of a man that'd make you feel like the world would come to an end (but who cares...) if he locked you in an erotic embrace. In other words, it smells totally unfashionable. And so very me.

The listing of the perfume as a fougere, if not correct, becomes comprehendible when one attends to the top notes: bergamot, lavender, lemongrass, rosemary, coriander and grapefruit, especially in combination with the patchouli in the basenotes draw a typical chypre canvas (even as there is no moss to be found). Yes, this is a strong impression, but not the only one. Let me explain - this side, the masculine side if you will, provides the sharp toothed, sexy bite of the perfume, something you can appreciate entirely when you consider exactly what the combination of rosemary, pissy coriander, dirty patchouli and animalic base do... They are the aggressive seducers. Add to this the oudh (yes!) which plays both fields from the base and you get a pretty good idea. But that's not all... The other side of Euterpe blossoms and seduces with a mouth drenched in sweetness, using orange blossom (honeyed, tender, in this instance) as a driving engine and carnation (a million kudos for respecting the past), ylang ylang (ditto), rose (again) and cinnamon as catalysts. But as powerful a composition as this already is, it would be nothing without its gooey, warm, nay, smoldering center: Tonka bean, sandalwood, Siam benzoin and vanilla kiss the perfume with soft sweetness from the base. As it dries down the now ambery, vanillic Euterpe smells more and more like a comforting cashmere hug. Imagine Ormonde Jayne's Tolu, but more complex and multifaceted. This comparison should also make clear that the intense masculine edge slowly dies down with the dry-down, even as the animalic edge doesn't. Finally, this amazing oriental gains its wings as a unisex. But who gives a damn about gender distinctions when a perfume is this good?

I know you'll want to have a whiff of this amazing, complex, involved gem so I'm holding a draw! Simply leaving a comment means you automatically enter. Winner will be announced in a week's time, next Friday.
Have a good weekend!

Official Notes:
Head: Bergamot, Lavender, Rosemary, Lemongrass, Coriander, Orange Blossom, Grapefruit
Heart: Rose of Palma, Cinnamon, Rose, Carnation, Ylang Ylang, Clyclamen
Base: Sandalwood, Bezoe Siam, Patchouli, Vetiver grass, Cedar wood, Tonkabean, Vanilla, Oud

Price: 119€ for 100ml or 89€ for 50ml via Essenza Nobile's webshop.

Amandes Orientales by Montale : Perfume Review & Decant Draw

Back in summer, I promised you a review of Montale’s Amandes Orientales. Although I never forgot about it, I have sort of been putting off reviewing this amazing fragrance for a silly, yet common (for me) reason: When I love a fragrance this much, I tend to wait for that perfect day to review it, the day that I know will help me do it perfect justice. With an ever more hectic schedule ever since I returned from my vacation, that perfect, calm day seems farther and farther out of reach. At the same time several of you have been mailing me asking for almond recommendations and wondering about this particular Montale, so it seems this review cannot be put off any longer!

Now, if you are expecting a straightforward gourmand, you won’t find it here. And if you are craving after a simple, comforting almond-vanilla combination (as the official note listing on the Montale website might lead you indeed to expect), I’m afraid you won’t find it here either. What is Amandes Orientales then? It is nothing short of a groundbreaking, edgy gourmand that breaks the sweet/comforting mold and one that is far more complex than the simple note listing would have us think.

Even though Amandes Orientales does develop over time, it does not follow the classic top-heart-base pyramid construction.. The opening is tender, a touch of powder on a precious swan’s down puff. The nutty scent of golden-roasted almonds emerges almost immediately, urged forward by a creamy wave of ground-almond paste that is good enough to eat. But what you don’t expect is the improbably realistic, deep floral bloom upon which these nutty, gourmand almond notes rest. Heady and warm, the unfolding floral scent is that of a gorgeous bouquet of grand lilies. I wish I knew enough about lilies to specify the type, but in order to describe the scent I will refer to two different perfumes: Donna Karan’s Gold and Hermès’ Vanille Galante. Despite these two scents both featuring a very intense lily note, this is not the lily scent employed here. Both Gold and Vanille Galante feature a lily scent that is rather unnatural, cold, almost metallic and very obviously aquatic. The lily in Amandes Orientales is instead incredibly warm and carnal, very much the scent of lilies I’ve smelled in gardens and bought from florists. It forms a complete picture: the beautiful, narcotic, improbably beautiful scent, the yellow pollen on the stamens, the dizzying, sticky nectar. Most importantly, it imparts an intense sexually charged vibe to the perfume with its highly indolic nature. This entirely unexpected pervasive eroticism is what renders this perfume the most unique gourmand I’ve ever experienced. Its wanton animalic nature is incredibly provocative, but at the same time, being rendered through an exquisitely feminine floral note, it remains dashingly elegant and tasteful. A beautiful, confusing contradiction, Amandes Orientales is a fervid, lusty, almost pornographic temptress dressed in the most polished, stunningly affluent ensemble. And how can you not fall in love with a contradiction like that? It is simply masterful! The scrumptious almond elements and the voluptuously aphrodisiac floral epicenter are both enfolded in a marvelously dark, highly concentrated vanilla absolute. Its tendrils are almost sticky (but never overly or obviously sweet) and beautifully underscore the toasted nature of the almonds with their lightly smoky, inky character. This is a gourmand like no other.

I am offering a small decant of this stunning, unique eau de parfum to one reader. Anyone who posts a comment in this entry becomes eligible for winning the decant in a draw. Winner to be announced in a week’s time, next Wednesday.

Images: Unripe almonds, Flickr by ReefRaff. Lily via sxc.hu

Win a Free Bottle of Boss Orange...Again

Morning everyone,
It's now been a full week and the winner of the free bottle of Boss Orange has not come forward unfortunately. Now, if it was up to me, I'd wait a full month, but since this contest is sponsored by an outside party, I do not wish to impose further on their time. So the first person to comment on this post gets the bottle. If you comment and you see that you are the first, please send me your details immediately and I will pass them on so that you get your bottle.

Also, due to having to finish a huge paper this week, there will be no post tomorrow. New posts are coming again on Monday though! Thank you for understanding.

FREE Bottle of Boss Orange

Well, Debbie, the "perfume fairy" of DMfragrances loved Fragrance Bouquet's review of Boss Orange and she emailed me last night to say that she would like to offer Fragrance Bouquet readers a full bottle of Boss Orange! Sooo, we're taking up Debbie on her generous offer! Please leave a comment if you're interested and I will put you in a draw. The winner will be announced in a week's time. I will be mailing the winner's details to Debbie and she will take care of shipping. Please take this chance to visit Debbie's store as well by clicking here. The selection is not huge, but I checked it all out and there are certain cult perfumes there that are hard to find in brick and mortar stores (such as certain Ghost fragrances, KL's Sun Moon and Stars etc). The prices are good too.

Lastly, please allow me to state that Debbie did not ask me to advertise her site, but I love her gesture of generously offering Fragrance Bouquet readers a free full bottle of perfume, so I thought I'd send some people that way. So go ahead and visit!

Hugs from me and I'll see you tomorrow, here on FB!

Fragrance Bouquet Featured in Sniffapalooza Mag & Free Bottle of Perfume!

Goodmorning dears! I am really happy to announce my collaboration with the wonderful Sniffapalooza Magazine starting from this month. The current issue devotes a huge section featuring my London trip memoires and I couldn't be prouder! Even if you've already read my travelogues here, be sure to read this juicy issue which contains not only fabulous perfume reviews, but also a fascinating interview with Marian Bendeth, Global Fragrance Expert and owner of Sixth Scents. Last but not least, be sure to sign the Guestbook (scroll all the way down to find it): Sniffapalooza Magazine is offering a free bottle of perfume for one of the first 100 readers that leave a comment! Don't miss out! Click here to be directed to the current issue.

Havana Vanille by L'Artisan Parfumeur Sample Winners!

Goodmorning! I just ran the names through the list randomizer function of random.org and the draw results for the two samples of Havana Vanille are in! The winners are Nina Z. and Violetnoir. Congratulations! Please send me your contact details and I will send you packets with your Havana Vanille samples and as always, a few more goodies thrown in :) Please don't delay sending me your details as I am leaving for a summer vacation on the 31st of July and I'd like to get your packets out before that.

Fifi Finalist Facebook Gift Bag Give-Away!

As any perfume-lover worth his/her salt knows, the biggest annual industry event is of course the FiFi Awards & Celebration®, attended by nearly 1000 industry executives and hosted by the The Fragrance Foundation.

This very morning, April 24th, at the 2009 FIFI FINALIST BREAKFAST, those nominated for a FIFI in their category will be told if they have made it into the TOP 5 and on May 27, 2009, at The FIFI Awards Gala, The Fragrance Foundation will announce the Best Fragrances of the Year and other supporting categories.

This year The Fragrance Foundation is inviting fragrance enthusiasts to take part in the Fifi Awards celebration by offering a Facebook Gift Bag Give-Away! Simply log-on to Facebook and then follow this link in order to become a fan of the FIFI Awards on Facebook and your name will be submitted to win the best fragrances of 2009!

You can start becoming a Facebook fan of the FIFI AWARDS right away. However you must be fans of the FIFI AWARDS PAGE before 4 PM EST April 29, 2009 in order to be eligible for the Top 10 Sampler and by 4 PM EST May 1, 2009 in order to be eligible for the Grand Prize give-away. Current fans are automatically eligible.

Friday, April 29, 2009:

Two FIFI Awards Facebook friends will be randomly selected to win:
A FIFI TOP 10 SAMPLER GIFT BAG – with almost 100 perfumes represented!

Friday, May 1, 2009:

One FIFI Facebook friend will be randomly selected to win:

GRAND PRIZE: Full size bottles of TOP 5 NOMINEES.
Retail Value: $700-1000


Lastly, here are the Official Rules & Regulations:

• To enter you must become a fan of the FIFI Awards Page
(http://www.facebook.com/pages/FiFi-Awards/13957130842)
• Winners will be announced via Facebook.
• You may enter only once.
• Winners will be selected in a random drawing.
• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia who are 18 years of age and over.
• Alternatively, those not wishing to join Facebook can submit their name for consideration by sending their name, address, and age to:
Facebook Give-Away
c/o The Fragrance Foundation
545 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900
New York, NY 10017
• No purchase is necessary
• Odds of winning will depend on the number of entries received
• Any applicable taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner
• Void where prohibited
• The Fragrance Foundation reserves the right to cancel, suspend, modify, or terminate the give-away in the event of any technical malfunction, including any unauthorized tampering or anything beyond the control of The Fragrance Foundation

Images: The image accompanying this post is property of The Fragrance Foundation.