Royal Water by Creed : Perfume Review

It’s normally hit or miss with me and Creed, but to be honest, I didn’t know what to make of this one at first. I doubt I would have given this the time of day had I just sniffed on a blotter; Royal Water takes its sweet time to unfold to its full splendor and the skin’s warmth makes the perfect catalyst. Still, I’ll tell you it is not an easy perfume to love: Royal Water can’t decide on its gender, daydreams endlessly (not pointlessly however!) before it reaches its destination, can’t make up its mind on whether it is cool or warm and generally teases the wearer endlessly. And yet, instead of finding it insufferable, I find myself inexplicably charmed. Do you know… the feeling is not unlike being manipulated by a talented lover with a sinister touch that knows exactly how to stroke a body while refusing to let it climb over the edge. You understand then, this is a perfume that gets better and better with time. The question is, do you have the patience?

The opening is old fashioned and rather severe, a true eau full of citrus. Along with lemon, the official notes list green mandarins and clementines which would have you expect something altogether juicier and perhaps sweet, however this is an exceptionally dry perfume. After this entirely neutral, unisex blast of clean freshness Royal Water takes a rather unexpected turn, slowly manifesting itself as a beautiful classic fougère, gentlemanly and proper. Undeniably green (yet never aggressively so), the fern theme is interpreted with astute perfection. The perfume’s cool, indifferent character is underscored by a peppermint note which adds superbly to its blasé attitude. I know peppermint is a make-or-break note for many but I will vouch for the fact that here it is rendered very carefully and only serves to add a frosty undercurrent, never once screaming for individual attention. I get not a single whiff of the resinous green warmth from the purported juniper berries in the heart notes: Royal Water continues to be aloof and cool as a cucumber even as it progressively has the completely opposite effect on me - cool and aloof it might be, but it keeps on intensifying, slowly changing and I find myself slightly breathless, awaiting the outcome… Which is mysterious in and of itself, for this is not my type of perfume at all! What is this perfume laced with, anyway?! Again, this strange scent takes me by surprise by suddenly gender-bending its way to femininity as it quiets down to a mysterious softness. From ferny green coolness, Royal Water has transformed to gentle ambers, spices and sexy musks, touched by a whisper of something that smells indistinctly floral and improbably feminine. Despite these warm notes the perfume still somehow manages to retain its exceptionally dry character - how, I don’t know. Regardless, it refuses to show even the slightest sign of sweetness or fullness. This in essence is the theme that ties all the changes Royal Water undergoes together: Despite how different it smells now, its beautiful, haughty dryness disallows it from succumbing to throwing away the mask of cool detachment, despite its obvious climactic arousal. In this respect I can imagine this perfume would be worn beautifully by a woman to compliment a provocative outfit or lustful curves, for it denotes an air of unavailability, thus making it a perfect balancing factor. Having said that, it can just as easily (and beautifully) be worn by a man. One word of warning however: don’t let this one be sprayed on clothes: the cumin note which remains rather quiet (and only apparent in the drydown) on the skin manifests itself fiercely on fabric and lingers, smelling rather sweaty and unpleasant as cumin often tends to do.

Note: I was sent this sample by Essenza Nobile, where it is sold for 125 E (75ml). To visit the Essenza Nobile webshop click here.

Images: Royal Water bottle via www.creedfragrances.co.uk and fern via Flickr by Nick Coombe

Fuel for Life by Diesel : Perfume Reviews

I looove Diesel. I love the brand, the ads, I love the clothes. The jeans are amazing – nothing like a Diesel pair to create, nay, sculpt that perfect derrière that will lift my mood and give me an instant boost of confidence. Oh yes, I swear by them. And lately, I’ve also been rather taken by Diesel accessories, ever since the Boule Bag stole my heart last year. (I am still kicking myself for not buying it the one time when I saw it in lovely, aged cognac brown – the purple didn’t move me in the same way and so I’ve remained Boule-less, *sigh*) Despite my infatuation with the brand, I’d never smelled any of Diesel’s previous perfumed offerings. The new Fuel for Life fragrances are everywhere right now though and dressed as they are in their little outfits, they simply beg to be touched, picked up and inevitably sprayed on the skin. How do they fare? Mighty well in my opinion.

Fuel for Life Pour Homme:

The notes are intriguing, mixing the traditionally masculine along with the unexpectedly playful. What pleases me most about this scent, is that everything is used in what I am tempted to call moderation, but really, is just the perfect dose. To give an example: Both the top and base notes employ an anis element – aniseed in the top notes and immortelle in the base notes. On paper, this might seem as though Fuel for Life Pour Homme delivers an ouzo-like, liquorice punch, but in reality, the result is a continuous, candied and at the same time almost salty, anis veil, not strong enough to pop-out as a stand alone note distracting from the composition, but as a lovely primer on the canvas, a constant upon the rest of the notes bloom. The fragrance is woody and herbal, with accents of lavender and vetiver making it definitively masculine. At the same time the anis and fruity notes give it an unexpected twist, modernizing the fougere base, making it delightfully contemporary. Even though it is not listed as an official note, I could swear there is oudh in the blend as well, leaving a lasting impression throughout the development. It helps along the lovely interplay between coolness and warmth, sharpness and mystery. What I love most about the scent? The vivacious, playful note of raspberry, which is carefully used, once again in just the right amount. It is not tart, overly sweet or chemical, but wonderfully soft instead - as though blended with clotted cream and a sprinkling of sugar. I have no doubt that I would hate this note had I found it in a female fragrance, but in this undoubtedly masculine blend it makes me grin with pleasure - not only because the idea of it in a male fragrance excites me, but also because it fits the composition so very well, giving it that something extra naughty.

Fuel for Life Pour Femme:

Fragrances dominated by patchouli can go either very wrong or very, very right in my book. I have previously elaborated on how previous bad experiences led me to shy away from patchouli and how I learned to love it, once I found the right perfume to ease me into its charms. Well, “ease into” is certainly a euphemism, putting it lightly, when the fragrance in question, the fragrance that opened my eyes to the beauty of this note, was actually L’Inspiratrice, a veritable patchouli queen. A more fitting phrase for that experience would have been “baptême du feu”, baptism of fire! I still consider it a difficult note though, and even houses I love have been found guilty of abusing it. (Matsuri by Annayake comes to mind...) Fuel for Life is another scent built around this ostentatious note, but one that manages to get it right. This is fruity patchouli, with a pleasantly sour opening. Once the top cassis notes fly off, we enter a world of beautiful, jasmine infused patchouli. The jasmine in this case is not overpowering – its allure is transparent, its thin tendrils gently enfolding the patchouli with affection. Even more exciting is the appearance of a green leaf note, which slowly imparts the impression of crushed fresh mint leaves unto the heart of the scent. My only regret is that this fabulous mint note does not have more lasting power, more tenacity. All too soon it disappears, taking the jasmine with it, leaving me with the feeling I didn’t get to enjoy either of them nearly as much as I would have liked to. Fortunately, the drydown is beautiful, and even though it does not manage to erase the memory of the vibrant mint, I find myself enjoying its powdery, dry finish. Befitting Diesel’s image, Fuel for Life Pour Femme is a patchouli most suited for day-wear, sheer and cheerful as it is. It is rare, I think, to find a patchouli that is summery, but this is exactly how I perceive this interpretation of the note to be. Summery and alive as well as feminine and sexy, I find Fuel for Life to be the daytime answer to all the nighttime patchouli vamps.

Images: Author’s own, www.wildoats.com, http://environnement.ecoles.free.fr and www.wildcrafted.com.au