Philtre d’Amour by Guerlain : Perfume Review

Back in October I visited one of the many perfume fairs that take place here in the Netherlands. Even if you don’t end up buying something, these events are well worth visiting, just to be able to look at all the vintage bottles and forgotten or even unknown treasures of the perfume world. The perfume auctions that often take place during the day are also fun to follow and even take part in, since amazing bargains on pure perfume can often be had. I went looking for a couple of things I was eventually unable to find, but still had a lot of fun reconnecting with my favorite vintage perfume dealers, meeting new ones, talking with collectors, looking at fabulous crystal bottles including Guerlain’s limited edition Baccarat turtles and a complete collection of old Nina Ricci Lalique flacons, still sealed and filled with their wonderful juice (The vintage Lalique Coeur Joie still makes me feel like I’m about to faint from its beauty every time I see it). Slightly broke by the end of October during which the fair took place, I didn’t feel the urge to take out my wallet and actually buy something, even as all the little perfume gems felt like they were calling my name. However at my favorite vintage dealer’s table I found a bargain I absolutely couldn’t resist. A full bottle of Guerlain’s Philtre d’Amour with a pre-LVMH acquisition code, which the dear lady I always end up buying from was offering me for just 25euro.

The name is amazingly evocative and beautiful, but as Marina of Perfume Smellin’ Things notes, it is not quite fitting to the juice. Philtre d’Amour is not passionate, but indeed restrained. A light, summery Chypre, it spells sophistication, elegance and grace rather than temptation and ardor. Having said that, it is also warm, rather than chilly. It opens with a blast of spicy freshness allowing one to sniff briefly hints of patchouli before turning up the citrus volume so loud, one would be justified to think this is a perfume that’s all about the lemon. Candied, Guerlinade-infused lemon envelopes the skin in sweet freshness. Soon the scent of freshly-cut greens cuts down the sweetness and allows for a very sophisticated, slightly bitter vein to show through. Buttery iris is the first floral note that I identify and it is a note used with amazing thoughtfulness; just the right amount to add softness and the merest hint of powder to the scent, but not enough to overwhelm, as iris so easily can. Indolic, dirty jasmine has once again been used with the same amount of thoughtfulness and restrain and together with fabulous, soft and slightly bitter neroli these two florals manage to finally make the fragrance exude a wonderful heart of warmth through the elegant citrus freshness that defines this scent throughout. The base notes feature a wonderful, spicy oakmoss-patchouli combination, that together with the florals and bergamot really make Philtre d’Amour smell like a Chypre of a bygone era. Old-fashioned then, yet oh-so contemporary due to its timeless, classic character, this is a fabulous, scent. Its freshness and elegant lightness mean that it is a perfect choice for warm weather and I have the feeling that this will be exceptional in especially warm, humid climes where the slightly dirty heart notes and spicy base notes will be allowed to bloom to perfection. It will also be an excellent replacement for the summer wardrobe of Aromatics Elixir users. Philtre d’Amour is sold at Guerlain Boutiques as part of the Les Parisiennes collection, but Victoria from Bois de Jasmine notes that it has possibly been changed since its re-release in 2000. As I have only tested the original version, I cannot report on how the new formula compares.

If you wish to receive a sample of this original version, please say so in the comment area and I will enter your name in a drawing. Winner to be announced in a week’s time.

Images: www.fragrantica.com and Flickr, originally uploaded by Osbock

L’Instant Magic by Guerlain : Perfume Review

Our body is very clever in telling us what we need to eat to keep healthy: craving a particular food is often our body's way of nudging us to eat that particular something that has been missing from our diet. But what about cravings for a particular perfume? Do you ever get those? Why do they happen? As strange (or indeed as ridiculous a notion) as it may sound, I do often feel that my body lets me know what it 'wants' or needs to smell. My daily perfume choices are not always guided by logic, but often by little pangs of scent-specific hunger: "I need something with patchouli today" or "I need to smell vanilla". Aside from notes and accords, I also find myself craving a certain family (a gourmand, a chypre...) or even a particular perfume, sending me to rummage in my sample bags for the matching little phial.

During these past 3 weeks of intense exam preparation and endless studying I found myself once again experiencing perfume cravings of unprecedented intensity. It all started out with a generalized craving for a gourmand scent with a hefty dose of vanilla, but nothing I had handy seemed like it would do. Serendipitously, I decided to do a side by side comparison of the original L’Instant which I already knew I hated, with the newer L’Instant Magic, a sample of which I had I recently received with a purchase. Ten minutes later, the original absolutely had to be scrubbed off as usual, but the flanker was pleasant enough to stay, if not immediately interesting enough to grab my attention and hold me in its thrall. Quietly and unassumingly however, it worked its...magic, hitting all the right spots. It was exactly what I needed, what I was craving for and didn’t yet know. I got so hooked on this little beauty, I felt I had to have some on my skin every day while studying. That first sample didn’t make it through the week, and I had to nicely ask the dbf to “Please, please go get me a sample” twice, as if it was laced with crack.

So what’s L’Instant Magic like? Delicious, seductive, comforting and exactly the type of thing I normally wouldn’t give the time of day to, especially since it is most definitely not what I expect from a Guerlain. Even though it is supposed to be a completely different fragrance from the original L’Instant, its lineage is surprisingly easy to discern. It is as if there is this very obvious red thread running through it, unequivocally connecting it to its sister: That powdery floral character that is L’Instant’s signature, threads itself like a precious vein through L’Instant Magic making it instantly recognizable as a member of the family once it is discerned. But whereas it is this very same characteristic I find oppressing and deeply uncomfortable in the original, I find myself being seduced by it in Magic. This time it is rendered lightly, with an air of improbable femininity and has the softness of a caress. The fact that it is only part of the supporting cast and not the star makes a huge difference as well. Finally, I can appreciate it. But truly, the best thing about L’Instant Magic is its incredible almond-vanilla combo that has brought me to the brink of addiction. It manages to do something that very few gourmands can: through its amazing warmth and sweetness, L’Instant Magic still manages to somehow sparkle with bright effervescence. The result is that while it retains all the seductive, mysterious characteristics of an oriental and all the bubblegum-vixen traits of a gourmand, it is also cheery and carefree. Most importantly, even though it is very clearly a comforting, linear scent, its genius lies in the fact that it retains an abstracted quality that makes it veer far away from ever becoming foody. Instead, it remains both feminine and sophisticated in character.

Cocktail : 1 oz vintage, 1 oz modern, 2 oz new, splash of musings

After our healthy serving of ensalada mista a couple of weeks ago, it is now time for another round of perfumed tidbits and thoughts. It might be rather early in the day, but how about a little cocktail?

· Let’s start with some news first: Emerald Dream, Estee Lauder’s 2007 travel retail exclusive, is currently making its way to select beauty counters. Here in the Netherlands, Emerald Dream is being sold exclusively by Douglas boutiques. Is it worth looking for? Umm, no. Don’t make a mad dash for your nearest Douglas just yet: Emerald Dream’s opening is no different than the typical fruity-floral fare, smelling like a soup of notes carelessly thrown together, while the musky-woody base, while not altogether unpleasant, is rather mundane and easily associated with standard, cheap-smelling drugstore scents. The most interesting thing about it is the unusually bright vetiver base note, quite reminiscent of Body Shop’s Oceanus body mist. Forget the word exclusive and give this one a miss.

· Speaking of travel retail exclusives, one that I have been extremely curious about is Cyclades, by Lancome. I had not smelled Tropiques, and last year’s exclusive, Benghal, left me completely cold, but partly due to my Greek heritage and partly due to the fact that the notes sounded quite intriguing, I was really excited about Lancome’s 2008 travel retail exclusive. There are not many fragrances that feature oleander, and I thought it was not only clever, but also really accurate to include this note in Cyclades: oleander is readily found on every single greek island I’ve visited, and on much of the mainland as well. Its bittersweet, almost musky and not-quite-flowery fragrance is one I love, so I really had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, Cyclades turned out to be another disappointment: Not only is this uber-light fragrance bland and boring, not only does it have absolutely zero staying power, but also, it smells nothing like oleander at all. Pity.

· We perfume bloggers are often guilty of waxing lyrically about the beauty of long lost, discontinued or reformulated scents, lamenting their loss and invariably comparing them to the currently available fare, often finding it lacking. This is a highly frustrating practice, and oftentimes even more so for the readers, who long to smell these so poetically described scents but have no means to do so. It was this realization that drove me to start a practice of offering a sample of any hard-to-find fragrances reviewed here on Fragrance Bouquet whenever I am capable of doing so, but still, I am aware that even this does not eliminate the frustration and disappointment. What doesn’t often get mentioned is that older doesn’t necessarily mean better. Even though the loss of old favorites pains me greatly, and even though their memories linger in my mind like ghosts that often decide to stir trouble and longing so powerful it becomes almost illogical, there’s still so much to love that is available right here, right now. The last year has brought many new fragrant discoveries in my life – new perfumes that have become staples in fragrance wardrobe. But what’s even more surprising and worthy of note is that sometimes, a reformulation is not a bad thing. ...I can’t quite believe I am writing this, actually. But it is true. I’ve had a little revelation of sorts in the last couple of weeks: I bought a vintage bottle of Jicky edt from a collector in Belgium I visit when I am looking for old fragrances. The surprising result? I like the newer version better. The opening of both is lavender, with the vintage being purer, more natural-smelling and slightly camphoric, as you’d expect. It is somehow lighter, fresher and less cloying than the reformulated version. However, as time passes, vintage Jicky becomes powdery and soft, casual and unpretentious, remaining fresh and clean. The modern beast? It roars. Time only makes it deeper, darker. A strange sensuality unfolds, mind-bogglingly, out of the innocence of lavender. There is the most gorgeous balsamic sweetness there, that can’t be found in the vintage. There is the marvelous beauty of opoponax, tinged by leather. When I am lucky, civet comes out to play. It is sad when a fragrance we love changes. It’s heartache. But in this instance... I’m not complaining. I really love this sense of optimism this revelation has given me. Please do let me know if there are more scents that in your opinion are better now than they were before. It’s a hard task, but it is rewarding.

Images: Bottle of Estee Lauder's Emerald Dream, www.perfumesand.com
Oleander shrub, commons.wikimedia.org
Vintage bottle of Jicky, circa 1935 from www.ragoarts.com (Rago Arts and Auction Center). Sold in auction for 2268 $.

Perfume for the Occasion : Winter Holiday Scents

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years Eve ... All sorts of Winter Holidays are fast approaching, and even though it is still early, the beauty world is already busy, with companies like Givenchy already releasing this year’s holiday limited edition products. Alright, I’ll admit, it is a tad early to start contemplating winter holidays, but when TMH of For the Love of Perfume and I started discussing this month’s Perfume for the Occasion feature, we were both taken by the idea of writing about it anyway! And after all, the long, cold winters do seem to gain pace and become bearable when we have the holidays to look forward to! Now, I chose to concentrate on Christmas Holidays and not spread this feature’s focus to the rest of the winter holidays for several reasons. For starters, I have been daydreaming about Christmas for a while now. As the weather gets cold and dreary, planning my yearly Christmas-time trip definitely keeps me going. I can’t wait to see my family and old friends again! Secondly, I felt it would be presumptuous of me to write about Hanukkah or Thanksgiving when these are holidays I’ve never experienced myself and whose atmosphere eludes me. There are few things I know about either of these holidays, and even though I am utterly crazy about apricot filled Sufganiyot, this hardly qualifies me as an expert. So, rather than offend with my lack of knowledge, I found it preferable to write about something I know instead. As for Halloween, I found it hard to get further than typical apple-centered perfumes like Be Delicious and the new Nina – which I happen to hate. I would have loved to have a pumpkin fragrance to suggest, ever since I fell head over heels in love with the scent of last year’s limited edition L’Occitane pumpkin candles, but so far I have been unable to find one. Do you have a pumpkin scented suggestion for me? Please do share if that is the case!

• The One:
  If I were forced to limit my suggestions to only one perfume for the Christmas Holidays, Lolita by Lolita Lempicka would definitely be the one. With notes such as anis, heliotrope, vanilla, licorice and tonka, this beautiful gourmand-oriental scent has no trouble bringing to mind Christmas candy canes and lovely confectionary delights suited to the holidays. This scrumptious scent manages to be at once sweet and deeply sexy, without being sickly. And even though it definitely has a lot of presence, it stops short from being as oppressing as its Angel cousins. It is not just its gourmand qualities that make this perfect for Christmas though: Lolita’s character is exuberant, happy, full of confidence, making it a perfect choice for the season in which all the unlikely, attention grabbing, festive outfits have their day. Even the ornamental flacon seems to match the bauble-studded season, making application a primer for the parties that are sure to follow.



• Family Lunches:
  Be it is ham, game or turkey that is on the menu, many, if not most, families follow the tradition of coming together for a Christmas Day lunch. And even those not bound by family obligations on the day are often invited to festal lunches organized by their close friends. Whether you are the guest or the host in this occasion, the choice of perfume is a delicate one in this instance. The spread on offer is likely to be elaborate and the cook will have labored long and hard in the kitchen to make sure everything goes according to plan. The focus is meant to be the warm atmosphere, the interpersonal relations and the delicious meal prepared for this special event. It is not the time to draw attention to oneself with an heavy, intricate sillage monster. The often-overlooked Fleurs de Citronnier by Serge Lutens is perfect for the occasion. Artfully moving and at the same time subtle, Fleurs de Citronnier opens with a very realistic rendition of a lemon tree with focus on the beautiful scent of the blossoms. In the drydown, this gorgeous fragrance turns into a beautiful skin-scent, softly reminiscent of creamy lemon-cookies, icing sugar and powder. It truly is a wonderful creation that will perfectly accompany a meal from starter to desert.



• Christmas Shopping:
  No, no, no, I am not talking about hideously rushed, last-minute Christmas shopping. This is not about shopping with a list, or with a definite purpose. This is about going downtown, visiting the beautifully decorated shops during the holiday season. This is about indulgent, leisurely shopping, when every moment is savored and enjoyed. Don’t you just love seeing the city streets filled with well-dressed men and women enjoying the holiday spirits? Do you also love seeing everyone’s happiness reflected in their faces? Isn’t the hustle and bustle of the shops exciting in that time of the year? Isn’t it easy to picture, even now, how everyone quickly rushes into warmly lit cafes for an indulgent cup of chocolate viennoise as it gets dark? I dare you to forget about how tiring Christmas shopping can be this year. Do it early, then use the holiday shopping excursions for much more leisurely pursuits. Yes, go out there, see and be seen! Wear your winter city-best, wrap yourself in a luxurious cashmere pashmina stole and exchange your flats for heels. The perfume that fits the occasion best? It has to be Shalimar, true queen of luxury when it comes to ambery orientals. Its vanillic, slightly animalic amber character will keep you warm and safe, protected from the cold winds. You will be in your own bubble of comfort while at once exuding charm and sophistication. I love opoponax in wintry weather and Guerlain’s Shalimar makes wonderful use of this delightful note. I know it is a difficult perfume, but even those who can’t love it will surely agree, there’s no other like it for the occasion. Allow yourself to be a lady of leisure even for a day and I know Shalimar will hug you for it.



• The Office Party:
  This is one occasion where you are required to be festive and controlled at the same time. Choosing an outfit is hard enough already and most women fall back to the safety provided by their favorite Little Black Dress. The equivalent of “festive yet controlled” perfume-wise for me is Burberry Classic, which is at once spicy, effervescent and joyful without compromising maturity and sobriety. It is as safe, as versatile and also as sexy as a Little Black Dress. It is a skin scent with unique appeal. It will be good enough for the office party and it will be great for an evening in front of the fireplace too. It will do for coffee or tea with friends in a little cafe whose windows are misted over and it will do great for informal seasonal visits to family and friends. It will set you apart, but it will not draw unwanted attention. In other words, it is perfect. You can read a full review of Burberry Classic here.



• New Year’s Eve:
  Giving a definite pick for this one night would be unfair. New Year’s Eve is already riddled with enough too-high expectations and oftentimes subsequent disappointments to risk wearing a perfume you are not entirely sure about. So even though you might be tempted to bring out everything that’s new out on that night, including your scent, my advice is to stick with your one of your established, dearest, most treasured perfumes. Ideally, you have a number of those! If so, choose the one that sparkles, the one that makes you feel confident and optimistic, and of course, sexy. Lasting power is of great importance too, as you will likely be busy until very late. A last piece of advice: Don’t be afraid of big scents for this special evening. Go all out, indulge, make your heart be glad with whatever it desires!



• Home Scent:
  If you are lucky enough to be a domestic goddess who will spend a lot of time baking wonderful goodies and regularly throwing orange and mandarin peels in the fireplace, there is no need to read this section! Your house will already smell delicious due to your efforts, you admirable creature! For those of us who are more...domestically challenged (or, aherm...lazy...) though, some solution has to be found to make the house smell Christmassy. I swear by Marks & Spencer’s yearly limited edition Frankincense & Myrrh burner oil. The smell is gorgeous – everyone who steps into the house immediately exclaims how wonderful the house smells. The scent is spicy, with orange-glazed cinnamon and cloves overtones, which give the house a beautiful, warm atmosphere. I love this so much, I stockpile during the holidays just so that I can use it throughout winter.

Images Courtesy of: www.freefoto.com and http://commons.wikimedia.org

Paris, Je t' aime!

Paris, what can be said about this wondrous city that has not already become a cliché? I left for Paris with a clear purpose, a tight schedule to visit all the perfumeries I had been planning to visit for so long in order to experience fragrances I would otherwise be unable to. With only three days at my disposal, it truly was impossible to get acquainted with all the magnificent fragrant creations each house has to offer; my time there was clearly too short. It would not only be unjust but also presumptuous to write conclusively about most of the perfume houses after such limited and fragmented exposure. Nevertheless, there is much to tell already and I can’t help but feel privileged to have experienced so much and to be able to share these beautiful memories with you.

Walking the streets of Paris might sound like a daunting task for one who has not mastered the French language, but the metro and RER system were extremely easy to learn and not once did my traveling companion and I find ourselves lost. We took to Paris like ducks to water. I was very, very impressed by the French people too, who could not have been more friendly, polite and helpful. Each time we needed help, all we had to do was ask and found to our surprise that even in such a bustling, busy metropolis, people would take time of their busy schedule to help us and even show us around, walking with us, talking with us and even running after us to correct us if we took a wrong turn. I was humbled by their kindness and my heart has truly been moved by their gregariousness and helpful disposition. I simply cannot stress enough how out their way they went in order to help us.

We started our homage to the perfume boutiques of Paris at the left bank, with a visit to the flagship House of Guerlain, located at 68 avenue de Champs-Elysees. There is probably only one word that can adequately describe the interior of La Maison Guerlain: Opulence. From the beautiful marble ground floor we followed Guerlain’s golden ribbon to the second floor to find ourselves in a sparkling vestibule with mosaic walls that seemed to be made of liquid gold, cascading around us and catching the light softly, like a whisper. From there we walked in to the most pristine creamy white room, where Guerlain’s bottled treasures were waiting to be explored. A helpful assistant guided me through all the fragrances I’d been longing to smell and was discreet enough to stay behind when it was obvious that I wished some time alone to contemplate the choice and to marvel at the beautiful displays. I loved finally being able to sample the exclusive L’Art et la Matière collection, and fell in love with Angelique Noire, Cuir Beluga and Iris Ganache. Interestingly, the fragrances of the L’Art et la Matière collection are not presented on paper strips, but are instead sprayed on lacy black fans which the assistant then uses a short distance from the face in order to allow the scent of the fragrance to gently waft towards you in the form of a soft gust of air. I would be hard-pressed to choose between Angelique Noire, Cuir Beluga and Iris Ganache, for all three were absolutely wonderful, but my choice was made easier by the fact that I fell head over heels in love with Metalys. Being told that Metalys is going to be discontinued in a couple of months made this choice even easier – I had to have it. Unfortunately, Metalys is not the only fragrance that is getting the proverbial axe: Guerlinade and Philtre d’Amour are also being withdrawn come September. It seemed strange to me that Philtre d’Amour would be withdrawn so soon after its re-release, but when I inquired about it I was told that the issue is (of course...) money. All in all my experience at La Maison Guerlain was wonderful and I will definitely be going back when I visit Paris next. Surprisingly though, this, considered –rightfully- by many to be the veritable shrine to perfumery was not the highlight of my trip...

I visited many, many fragrance boutiques and fashion houses while in Paris. So many that by the end of the day my body was protesting so much that not even the comfort of my bed could ease me to sleep. But out of all of them, three places emerge as the true winners of my heart: Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Montale and JAR. Why is that, you may ask? How can anything, after all, compare to the opulence and heritage of Guerlain, how can anything compare to the exclusivity of Les Salons du Palais Royal Shisheido or how can anything live up to the anticipation I was feeling when visiting Parfums Caron to see the Bacarat fountains with my own eyes? Well, for me, personally, there were some very important details that made these three perfumeries etch their signature deep in my heart, making them unforgettable and unique: Expertise, superb training of the staff, personality along with very personal, specialized attention to the customer and lastly, this very elusive quality that I almost dare not describe but I will do my best to... A certain aura that reverberates around you once you walk in, a warm positive feeling that is almost palpable. I am not talking about cheerfulness and enthusiasm, no. I am talking about a profound sense of wellbeing, serenity and comfort you are made to feel once walking into any of these three houses. Other places I visited were cheery and welcoming, but quite impersonal... Others had the cool neutrality of any store... Some even verged into negativity. These three were positively glowing with a positivism that was immediately obvious and felt by both my companion and myself. Visiting Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Montale and JAR has made this trip simply unforgettable.


Maître Parfumeur et Gantier is situated at number 84 of bis rue de Grenelle. Walking inside this jewel of a boutique, I could not help but take note of the care that has gone into making the interior be at once luxurious while avoiding to be oppressing. From the walls, dressed in sumptuous, embossed leather, to the beautiful marble floor and decorated ceiling, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier exudes beautiful elegance, while the carefully chosen color scheme and harmonious arrangement, all conspire to guide the focus where it should be, on the perfumes themselves. There is nothing garish inside to detract from the value of the main attraction, the wonderful scents on display. We were greeted and assisted by the utterly charming Typhaine, who couldn’t have been better in helping me get acquainted with this fantastic line of fragrances. I really appreciated her gentle guidance in experiencing the scents best suited to my tastes – a quest that would have been quite difficult to accomplish on my own, considering the wide range on offer. She instinctively seemed to know that I would not shy away from the masculine fragrances and the first fragrance she proffered for me to try was Ambre Précieux, an instant hit with me. Its creamy, lusciously indulgent texture is truly erotic. I dare say I am in love! Fleur d’Iris charmed me with its cool sophistication and Garrigue sung to me the beautiful song of the Mediterranean landscape, making my heart recognize it as a true, shining emerald. And of course, how could I not fall prey to the charm of Soie Rouge when I adore carnation so? Not only were the fragrances themselves exquisite, but the service was the best I have had in my whole life. I left the boutique serene and happy, knowing that from now on I am a customer of this house and will always be, with devotion. I left feeling rejuvenated from the copious amounts of positive energy I received and I honestly can’t wait to return there soon. I will be reviewing these fabulous fragrances in the near future, so look forward to reading more about Maître Parfumeur et Gantier soon!

Montale, found at number 26 of the breathtaking Place Vendome, is a modern boutique with minimalist design. Rows upon rows of the signature aluminium bottles, housed in square alcoves lit from within, line the walls, shining like futuristic jewels in silver, gold, blue and black. Being made from aluminium, the bottles are not only perfect for preserving the fragrance within, but are also lightweight enough to carry with you anywhere, and the simple, yet decorative lock will keep accidental spills at bay. Having said that, there simply would not be a need to keep a Montale in your purse, unless you were traveling. The fragrances of this line have such amazing longevity, that they completely eliminate any need for reapplication throughout the day. A single spray on my wrist at night does not only last till the morning, but also manages to gently perfume my duvet, painting a happy little smile on my face as I wake up to the wonderful scent. Such a joy! And if for some unfathomable reason the jus is not already strong enough for you, you can always ask for extra essence to be added to your own bottle before buying it... Divine, no? Inside the boutique, the devilishly charismatic sales associate, Pierre, took one look at me and knew immediately what I was about and what fragrance would suit me. I only had to say a few words and he elaborated on them expertly, leaving me to nod in amazed agreement as he proffered the best choices, matching not only my preferences but my personality as well. He knew exactly what I would and would not like – an experience I found at once gratifying and exhilarating. Laughing and chatting with ease, time simply flew as I made my purchases. I left Montale feeling high as a kite, with that curious, thankful and happy feeling of being understood.

Further down the road from the Montale boutique and across from the fabulous Westin hotel, on 14, Rue de Castiglione I found one of the best-kept secrets of Paris, JAR Parfums. Behind the dark verre fumé window, the only telltale sign that I have reached my destination is a luminous, incandescent flacon, lighting up the display like a gorgeous jewel. I opened the door carefully to find myself in a small dimly lit space, intimate as a boudoir. Everything was covered in viscous violet velvet, giving me the feeling that I was cradled inside the plush folds of a dark rose’s petals. The ceiling bares the drawing of a huge thunderbolt, which is at once imposing, ominous and exciting. I could almost feel the static on my skin. “Bonjour!” I called out, even though it was almost six in the afternoon. A door opened and out came a smiling, elegant gentleman, who invited me to sit down. I took a seat in one of the two comfortable bergère armchairs and embarked on one of the most fabulous experiences of my life. I sat there, in an almost dream-like state as his long, delicate fingers carefully opened one glass jar after the other, allowing me to smell each magnificent essence. Softly, slowly we talked, myself with eyes almost always closed with pleasure as every one of my senses awakened, my mind titillated. My charming Hungarian guide through this fantasy world was patient and gentle when my senses failed me and clearly pleased when they were alert, allowing me to perceive the fragrance correctly, rewarding me with his own input as we smiled and talked softly. I was astonished to find he spoke Dutch, which made me feel right at home, even though our exchange was mostly in English, with few exceptions. At some point we were interrupted by another potential customer that walked in. He was asked to wait, and he did, standing up in a corner. The gentleman’s attention was so focused on me, that I, normally stressful in such instances out of consideration, managed to completely forget that there was anyone else but us inside the plush, dim room. I felt like a princess... In the end I was asked which fragrance I liked best. I pointed at two different jars and asked for their names. “This one is Diamond Water,” he said. “And this one has no name, its name is the symbol” and with that he pointed to the beautiful clouded ceiling, with its striking thunderbolt. “Which one will you try?” I chose the Diamond Water, possibly for all the wrong reasons, as the name was so evocative. As he applied the scent with repeated feathery strokes on my inner arm, my skin reacted as though small fireworks were erupting inside, tingling with joy. The almost mystical prelude, the dimness of the light, the way only my sense of smell mattered and the way the essence so strong wafted to my nose... How can I ever describe the joy I felt? I can only say that it was a joy my whole body experienced. I am glad JAR fragrances are not sold in department stores... If they were, I would have probably never experienced these feelings as I did. Yes, sometimes it can be forgiven to be as exclusive as they get. It does make me sad that I cannot smell the line as often as I’d like...But truly, this is the way it should be experienced. The whole package, the whole adventure. And yes, the perfumes are pricey. But are they worth it? In my opinion, yes, they most definitely are.

Do I have any regrets now that I am back home? Unfortunately I do... One of them is that I did not manage to visit IUNX, Olivia Giacobetti’s own boutique. There is only so much one can do in three days after all. My other regret is that I visited JAR so late in the afternoon, with my senses so overwhelmed by all the fragrances I had been smelling all day long, and so very tired from walking the streets of Paris without even a break for coffee or lunch, that I feel I did not experience them the way they should be experienced. I could feel my senses were tired and overwhelmed while I was sampling them but nevertheless the experience was a magical one, one I will never, ever forget. I just wonder how it would have been if that was the first place I had visited that day, instead of the one before last. I left Paris with a promise to myself, to come back with more time at my disposal and with a more discerning schedule. That way, I can give these perfume houses the attention they deserve. And this has assuredly been a courtesy they extended to me. For this, I am ever so thankful. I love you, Paris. I’ll be back soon.

Images courtesy of: www.exibart.com, www.museesdegrasse.com, www.isetan.co.jp, www.arman.kz
Image of rose by Jane Nassano courtesy of www.allposters.com

Perfume Randomness and Unrelated Excitement

Good evening! Today I am writing another little personal update, along with some random perfume thoughts and questions. Many of you have asked about the event I was organizing... Your inquiries warmed my heart :) The event itself was the first annual Cultural Festival... Considering it was the first, there was so much anticipation in the air: the outcome would determine whether the festival would become a tradition to be continued for years to come, or something to be left behind in sadness. My nerves were shattered on the days leading to the event and on the day itself I was a livewire. But I needn’t have worried! The event was not just extremely successful – it was amazing! I do not mean to bore you with non-perfume related details, but I guess I am still so drunk on the success I felt the need to share. I do not know whether any of my board members or committee members ever visit my blog, but if you do: thank you for all your extremely hard work! We did it! I will never forget this day as long as I live. For those of you wondering: I wore Opium FdS on the day... It’s not what my mind would have chosen – that would have been L’Eau Trois – but it is what my heart commanded and I had to obey, gladly I might add.

More excitement: I have a visitor from another country as a guest at the moment, a very special person who came to visit me especially for the festival and together we are traveling to Paris this Monday for three days. Visiting Paris was something of a promise I had made to myself – a little luxury, a little gift for all the hard work that has gone in this year. I do not know whether it will be relaxing as I am planning to visit all the perfumeries I have been longing to see with my own eyes for so long... I have to admit my top two destinations are probably the House of Guerlain and Parfums Caron. (Thank you Christine for your guide, it is invaluable to a first-time Paris visitor with little time on their hands and an ambitious sniffing agenda!) If you have any requests, like things you would like me to investigate while there, please post as a comment here or email me and I will do my best to comply. I am excited, but also slightly stressed. Do you ever have that? Stress before a trip? I always do, it is ridiculous.

So what else has been going on these days? Or rather, what has been going on perfume-wise? Well, first of all I’ve had a disappointment... I think the original Jean-Louis Scherrer perfume has been reformulated - for what I have found in a shop recently smells like a shadow of what I remember it to be. (and I do have a very good fragrance memory...) I am planning to telephone some kindly family member to see if I still have any of the good old stuff back home. I would love to review it, and if I am lucky enough to still have some dregs of the original, I’ll have it sent over and then I can do a side-by-side comparison. Furthermore, following Jenavira’s suggestion, I went to the Yves-Rocher store to sniff Neonatura Cocoon. I did not manage to find it and the SA was unfriendly enough to put me off asking for further information unfortunately. But what I did find was the Elixir de Parfum of Comme une Evidence which is absolutely fabulous. If you happen upon Comme une Evidence please, bypass the EdT concentration completely (it is horrible, really no relation at all between the two) and head for the Elixir, which is to die for. I am buying this as soon as possible – the only reason why it is not in my loving arms already is the fact that the SA really was rather obnoxious and I was not going to give her the pleasure of handing her any money. Finally, I have a request: Do any of you have some information on Les Beaux Arts by Christian Peschke? There are two fragrances, La Dolce and La Vita and their bottles can be seen here. I am afraid that the picture does not do them justice, they are very impressive in real life. I hope one of you has more information on them than I do, but if I get no responses on them I promise to investigate further and report back to you in a couple of weeks time, when I have time to revisit the boutique where I found them. They are quite expensive at around 240 euro each and I am very, very curious about the jus inside.

Pictures of Cultural Festival 2007, personal collection, thanks to J.J.S

Nahema by Guerlain : Perfume Review

Have you ever buried your nose in a fabulous rose? Imagine the experience magnified a hundred times...Take away the musty, earthy odor, for this is a new, waxy rose, its petals still tightly wrapped together, yet the godly scent is flowing unfaltering, unstoppable out of its calyx. Yes, Nahema starts out with a triple dose of rose, heady and determined, but the top notes are soon joined by bergamot and tangerine. In no way does my mind’s eye leave the mystical rose garden yet though. Their citrusy scent, instead of making the mental imagery diverge, consolidates the grandeur of the flower. The notes blend so well I am instead left imagining dried rosehip, with its distinctive citrusy tang. The base notes of sandalwood and vetiver are not far behind, making an early appearance, somehow preceding the middle notes, helping the image complete itself as my nose follows the shape of the plant to its woody base. It is not an outline of a rose; it is no plain sketch. This is the living bush, three-dimensional and glorious. In the drydown, any freshness our rose had is strangled, dying the sweetest death in the enveloping embrace of the narcotic, oily passion of ylang-ylang; a passion enhanced by the fragrance of overripe, juicy peach. And this is the only thing that rouses me from my focus on the rose... It makes me rise to my feet in my imaginary rose garden with eyes half-closed, beckoned by the heavy trail that somehow manages to refrain from being either oppressing, or cloying. It is an intense, sweet but never saccharine, inebriating trail I just have to follow. All I know when I am conscious of my thoughts again is that I am left in liquid, dangerous darkness. It is then I realize that the rose garden was never set in dusk; it was all an illusion. Darkness all around, Nahema operates in the night. I had been blind. There are no flowers around, just the lingering scent of a mysterious woman. A woman with red lipstick and dark clothes, layers upon layers of beautifully cut, couturier clothes and silk stockings. It will take a man precious time to undress her, precious time relishing the peeling of every single garment, every string of pearls. The only thing he will not be able to strip her of is her savage perfume, a scent that’ll haunt him.

Picture courtesy of www.johnswoodcraft.com