Vanilla Lemon Pie, Vanilla Pom d’Amour & Vanilla Fruit Sorbet by Crazylibellule and the Poppies : Perfume Reviews

Wow, darlings, it’s been two weeks since my last post! Are you still here? I hope so! Me, oh my… You know this has been a super-crazy-busy year for me what with my thesis and everything. Well, it’s all going a little smoother now and by the end of June I should be done. We’ve finished recruiting participants for our experiment and tomorrow we’re going in the lab. I am tremendously excited - my first ever research. The hard part is still to come when I’ll have to statistically analyze the data (tremble, shiver, shake) but more than anything else, I’m excited! Anyway, I’m not going to bore you anymore with talk about the experiment, I’m just gonna dive into this review that I’ve been meaning to write for a while now.

If you’ve read my review of the Garçonnes Collection by Crazy Libellule and the Poppies, then you probably already know how I feel about this brand. I’m not gonna reiterate everything I’ve said before since it’s just a click away with the link above, but for those not in the mood to go back and look, suffice to say that in my opinion this is a super-innovative, super-fun brand that makes me happy. Each collection the brand releases seems to offer a coffret containing three popular solids of the collection, each dubbed “The Classic Set” followed by the collection’s name. At the height of my vanilla obsession last year, I got the Classic Set from the Poule de Luxe Collection, a series devoted to vanilla. Each perfume focuses on vanilla as the main theme, combining the delicious note with various gourmandise delights. The coffret in the Poule de Luxe Collection contains Vanilla Lemon Pie, Vanilla Pom d’Amour and Vanilla Fruit Sorbet. I am not sure if the company uses the same box as they did when I got them, but mine looks amazing: The darling box is decorated simply in black and soft pastel pink and looks utterly boudoir-appropriate - in fact it looks as delightful and sexy as an Agent Provocateur balm coffret. The sticks themselves feature the unabashedly pretty striped pattern that all Poule de Luxe sticks come in. I love this pattern - it makes me think of the awning of a small, treasure-like gelato shop on a sparkling, sunny promenade, which is of course utterly fitting with the gourmand theme of this collection.

But I bet you’re rather more interested in the scents themselves, aren’t you? Well, I have good news and bad news, although I fear the bad outweigh the good. The smell fabulous... In the box. That is, they smell amazing when you sniff the stick itself, but after a short while on the skin, disaster strikes. Let’s check them out one by one.

Vanilla Fruit Sorbet: This one features notes of Vanilla, Rose, Iris, Raspberry and Musk and is my least favorite of the three. Sniffing the stick itself, I get an innocent, soft floral scent (barely-there powdery soft rose, peony) tinged with vanilla. Once on the skin, as if by magic the scent changes completely and becomes full on raspberry on a bed of dry, dusky rose petals. Still not unpleasant, although certainly not me. Half an hour later and I want to scrub the tiny patch where I’d applied this “perfume caress” (as the company likes to call the sticks) raw: Unexpectedly the scent has turned utterly synthetic smelling and any tenderness and innocence is long gone. Despite careful application, it always turns bad and always, always seems penetrating and harsh. Unbelievable, as you wouldn’t expect a perfume solid to have such power!

Pom d’ Amour: The official notes for this one are Red Fruits, Hawthorn, Musk, Rhum, Peach, Tangerine, Vanilla and Liquorice. Smelling the stick the vanilla is almost unapparent: Instead, I get clean, citrusy-crisp apple and plenty of white musk. The scent is very spring-like and calm. On the skin the apple loses its crispness, becoming rounder, while the vanilla intensifies, gaining in warmth. Despite the abundance of notes I can’t say I smell much else other than that, nor do I find it very complex. As time wears on the peach becomes more apparent, but I wouldn’t consider that a good thing (it’s very Body Shop type of peach, if you know what I mean). The longer it stays on the skin the more candy-like it becomes - I can’t imagine wearing this myself unless I was feeling particularly coy and playful (ugh, that is, never): it is the smell of a little girl gorging on candy. It soon suffers almost the same fate as sister Vanilla Fruit Sorbet: the intensity and the chemical, synthetic smell kills all pleasantness.

Vanilla Lemon Pie: This is my favorite of the three, which is not hard, considering the other two turn so bad in the end. The good news is, this one doesn’t. Official notes are: Neroli, Lemon, Orange, Vanilla, Heliotrope, Almond and Caramel. I’ve been lusting after Laura Mercier’s Tarte au Citron for AGES, but it is impossible to get here and I haven’t had much luck trying to swap a bottle for it either. While this is not a perfect substitute by any stretch of the imagination, it does serve to satisfy my sweet gourmand-lemon cravings from time to time. The stick itself smells absolutely delicious, exactly like lemon cookies, complete with the buttery sweet smell that accompanies them. It makes me want to eat it! Just like the other two perfumes, this one loses part of its charm once on the skin, but unlike the other two, this one remains delightful throughout. The smell doesn’t significantly change - it just becomes slightly less ‘edible’ in terms of smell when on the skin. The only drawback is its longevity: Vanilla Lemon Pie quiets down pretty fast, unlike the other two.

So can one out of three still be considered a success story? You be the judge. The Poule de Luxe collection has two relatively new offerings as well: Vanilla Ganache and Vanilla Orangette. On the flip side however, they seem to have discontinued Vanilla Moka, Vanilla Macarons and Vanilla Pralines - just the ones I wanted to try next. It figures huh? Vanilla Pralines especially with its notes of hazelnuts and pecans sounded very, very interesting. Well, for those of you that got them while they still were around: enjoy them in good health! For the rest of you wanting to have a little vanilla on a stick, I heartily recommend Vanilla Lemon Pie.

And… If you have a bottle of Laura Mercier’s Tarte au Citron you’re interested in swapping or selling, do let me know! That was a desperate plea up there, in case it wasn’t clear! Hahahah!

Pacifica’s Fall Solid Perfumes

Pacifica has a great many fans, which comes as no surprise: Fabulous, high quality and (most importantly) safe candles as well as layer-able, very affordable spray fragrances in extremely visually pleasing presentations and ever since last spring, wonderful little tins of joy – Pacifica’s solid scents – all make the brand not only popular, but also much loved.

As promised, today we take a look at Pacifica’s brand new solids for fall. Let me start by saying that the presentations, in the usual Pacifica style are simply amazing: The only word to describe them is adorable! So adorable in fact, that I promise you, once you have one, it will be impossible to stop there – you’ll want to have more of these beauties handy. The matchbox-sized boxes are gorgeously designed and the attention to detail is evident - each one bears the following quote by writer Stanislas Jean de Bouffler on its side: “Pleasure is the flower that passes remembrance, the lasting perfume”. The darling, wonderfully tactile tins found within, each contain 10 grams of organic coconut and soy wax solid perfume. If you, like me, take pleasure out of finding little things to give as presents to your friends out of the blue, these will make the perfect little gift idea and are sure to delight. Given their compact size, these are also perfect to toss into your bag (or even evening clutch!) to refresh your perfume during the day. Needless to say, their size, weight and solid nature also make them the ideal travel companion. As is most often the case with solid fragrances, the scents stay quite close to the skin; you will be able to enjoy them on yourself for hours, but only those that sit close to you will be able to detect them, which means that these are also perfect for work and other occasions when you do not wish your scent to overpower those around you.

· Avalon Juniper: This one has a juicy, edible, orange-fruit opening, which soon turns fresh and then slowly progresses to an earthy, spicy sweetness as it blends with light cinnamon and juniper. The aromatic scent of juniper berries brings to mind the warming properties of Jenever, the Dutch juniper berry liquor. As such, Avalon Juniper seems like the perfect scent to provide the sweet, warming sensation needed to fight the late Autumn frost.

· Madagascar Spice: Oh my! For those of you of Greek descent, this gorgeous oriental scent is going to strike a chord: It smells exactly like the absolutely yummy delicacies the Greeks favor during Christmas time, called Melomakarona. These are syrupy macaroons that ideally have a crunchy exterior and a soft interior and are sprinkled with crushed walnuts. Their most defining flavor is clove, which is also the star of this fragrance as the name indicates (Madagascar being the major producer of this wonderful spice). Aromatic orange rind, clove and a hint of crushed black pepper make this probably the most evocative fragrance of the quintet for me!

· Spanish Amber: This lovely bittersweet fragrance is inspired by a scent Pacifica co-founder Brook Harvey Taylor discovered in an old apothecary in Madrid. Especially when sniffed straight from the tin, the scent reminds me a good bit of Westwood’s Let it Rock. Once gently massaged into the skin the scent first blooms into a beautiful resinous earthiness with hints of dusty, rosy geranium and subsequently reveals an even warmer core of creamy sandalwood, dry patchouli and if I’m not mistaken, green cardamom.

· Tibetan Mountain Temple: Smoky vetiver and dark patchouli snake around the glowing core of exhilarating ginger and cloved orange like incense smoke before stained glass. This beautiful scent juxtaposes darkness against the intricate play of light in a rhythmic, absolutely comforting manner. After a while, we’re left with a smooth, velvety sweetness that is the scented equivalent of a cashmere sweater.

· Mexican Cocoa: This absolutely scrumptious gourmand is my favorite of the new Pacifica solids, and the only one with a traditional (albeit rather rapid) development. The opening is a blast of warm bitter almond that combines the delicious smooth sweetness of the paste with the intense bitter fragrance of the essence. It literarily makes me want to nibble on my arm! In the heart notes the warmth becomes spicy, fusing nutmeg with cinnamon and delightful, pearlescent hints of coconut cream. Finally, the delicious base notes are filled with the luscious darkness of chocolate smoothed over with the comforting sweetness of vanilla. I absolutely love this scent – it’s pure goodness!

Pacifica’s Fall Solid Perfumes retail for 8.95$ each and can be purchased directly from the official website, Anthropologie stores as well as select department stores and boutiques which carry the line.

Images: www.pacificacandles.com

Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Have you already done your Father’s Day gift shopping? Judging by the hordes of last minute shoppers I encounter every year right before Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, most will be rushing out in panic to try and find something just a day or two before the holiday. This year, this sometimes forgotten –in comparison to the widely advertised Mother’s Day, that is- holiday falls on the 15th of July in most parts of the world. What will you be giving your dad this year? You’re probably expecting me to say that I will be gifting my father with a fragrance, and truth be told, he is a man that has worn cologne every single day of his life, ever since I’ve known him. He has gone through bottles of Jazz, Eau Sauvage, Fahrenheit, Photo, Jacomo, as well as a short, awful spell of Obsession, but for me the one perfume most closely associated with him will always be the utterly Mediterranean Paco Rabanne pour Homme, the perfume my dearest dad used to wear when my hand was still so tiny that he used to offer me his pinky finger to hold, instead of his whole hand. A simple memory, yet one so heart-wrenchingly moving for me, my tiny hand, trustingly wrapped around his finger. He’d offer it with a smile. Our secret handshake. But no, I won’t be giving my dad perfume this year, even though I still miss the way Paco smelled sweetly metallic, fresh and at the same time warm on his skin. I will be giving him beautifully smelling pipe tobacco, from the esteemed House of Hajenius, because I know this is what he really wants. Tobacco blended with flowers, tobacco tasting like malt whiskey. Even though he doesn’t look like the archetypical pipe-smoker - he’s slim, dresses in Lacoste sweaters and Italian jeans, never sports the merest shadow of a beard- great quality pipe tobacco is what he’d really like. Whatever it is I am giving him this year or the next, nothing can ever come close to showing him what I feel for him: Endless love and appreciation, love so warm and deep that makes my heart spill over. Admiration, for he is the most wonderful man I know: Accomplished, intelligent, funny, talented, caring, loving, loyal and faithful. He has always been there for me, like the strongest mountain that always shields me from bad weather. I don’t know what I’d do without him.

Many people see these types of holidays with the eye of a cynic. I say, life is too short for that. Let’s be honest, most of us live rushed lives that don’t allow us to show our deep appreciation as often as we’d like. These days are there to remind us to pay some extra attention to the ones we love. And they deserve it! Go on, get out there, buy your dad something. Wrap it up beautifully. Most importantly, write him a card. And if you’re not feeling too old for it, draw him a heart. Make him smile!
For those of you still looking for a gift, here are some ideas to help you narrow down your search:

· Every Man Jack’s Beginner’s Luck Kit: This is probably one of my favorite gift options this year, a perfect selection of grooming essentials you can get both easily and for a great price to boot! The kit contains Every Man Jack’s Body Wash, Body Bars, Face Wash/Face Scrub, Shave Gel and Face Lotion and includes a toiletry bag. I love the smart, masculine packaging of the products and I can’t help but gush over the price: $24.95 for the whole kit! You can find EMJ’s Beginner’s Luck Kit in Target stores all over the states.

· Hand-Made Naturals Calendula & Aloe Vera After Shave Balm for Men: This is the perfect addition to any Father’s Day gift basket. Both my father and my boyfriend are men with sensitive skin that needs conditioning after shaving, and a good calendula balm is the only thing that works wonders to eliminate redness, dryness and to provide a cooling, calming effect. I can definitely recommend this one, by Hand-Made Naturals, a great balm which is free of synthetic ingredients, and contains, along with calendula, also aloe vera, palmarosa, shea butter, rosehip seed oil and vitamin E. A yummy treat for the skin, filled with goodness!

· Aegean by Neil Morris: Summer is here, and even though I am most probably biased, summer for me means the endless azure of the beautiful Aegean sea. If you really want to pamper your dad, why not buy him a truly luxurious summer perfume? Neil’s Aegean evokes the summery Greek coastline with mouthwatering notes of mandarin oranges, fragrant basil and aromatic quince. I feel a little guilty for including this, for the only way to quickly get this is to actually live in New York, where it is available at Takashimaya. But as I said... I am biased. I dream of the Aegean more and more every day as the date of my holidays in July draws closer. So forgive me for teasing you a bit as well. For most of us not living in New York, Neil’s perfumes are available through his webiste, Neil Morris Fragrances.

· Acqua di Parma Shaving Cream: Most of us fragrance fanatics know and love Acqua di Parma for its fragrances, but the niche Italian brand actually includes the wonderful collezione barbiere, which is rarely talked about. Part of this luxurious shaving products and accoutrements collection, is the Acqua di Parma Shaving Cream, a rich, thick product which turns into creamy foam when used with a shaving brush and promises to tame even the roughest beards. Soothing and refreshing, it contains hydrolyzed wheat protein, almond oil and extracts of mallow, lemon balm and water mint.

Enchanted Orchid & Blushing Cherry Blossom by Bath & Body Works : Scented Reviews

The weather has been absolutely lovely the last few days: the sky a gorgeous blue without a cloud in sight, the chestnut trees blossoming, the central heating turned off (hopefully) for good and the French doors leading to my balcony left open all day long in order to let the light breeze caress my skin as I work. The days are lasting longer, and all I can think about as evening approaches, is how nice it would be to go out with my friends to sit on a terrace and lazily enjoy tapas, good wine and their smiles under the setting sun. Alas, the fact that my last midterms are only five days away means that I am once again confined in the house, conscientiously studying instead of indulging. But one has to keep thinking positively, right? I might not be able to go out, but I can still bring plenty of the atmosphere I am so craving in my own home. My ritual starts with a long, warm shower around 7 in the evening to relax, before I have to go back to the books. I spritz Enchanted Orchid Body Splash all over my still slightly dump legs and arms and slip into a summery shift. I then pour myself a tiny glass of wine and take my books to the balcony to enjoy the sunset, using an extra chair to rest my legs on. It might not be quite the experience of a buzzing terrace filled with people, and Multivariate Data Analysis is not quite as pleasant company as my friends, but hey, it is a slice of summer. And it makes me smile. The combination of the last couple of hours of warming sunlight with the light breeze and the scent of the Enchanted Orchid splash make me feel like I am transported to a summer resort, worries left behind. This deep, sultry fragrance is truly exotic and perfectly suited to the summer months. The opening smells strongly of apple and vanilla, but soon the scent blooms to reveal a lighter floral bouquet of gardenias surrounded by juicy greens. It is a long lasting, lingering fragrance that makes me feel feminine and refreshed. Its sultriness further makes me feel ready for a real summer evening filled with fun, evoking images of beach parties under the starlight. There’s also something in there that brings a positively tropical atmosphere to mind, even though I am not immediately able to detect any of the typical fruity notes that usually fit the description. The plastic spritzer bottle is going to be the perfect addition to my gym bag this summer. A light misting after the shower and I’ll be ready to enjoy the summer evenings after my workout!

Another Bath & Body Works product I’ve been enjoying lately is the Blushing Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilet. This utterly fresh, ethereal scent is perfect for sunny spring days, adding a touch of femininity to a casual daytime look. Despite the name, this is actually a scent built around a beautiful rose accord, which starts out very light and sparkling and gets progressively warmer and more complex as it warms on the skin. Supporting the rose but not distracting from its role as the star of the fragrance, a note of succulent pear adds playfulness, greens add freshness, while a touch of something dry, like a sprinkiling of dust, adds a realistic dimension to the flower. The drydown is warmer: a woody musk, which comfortably hugs the lingering rose scent. This happy, girly fragrance is great for those who want to add a springtime rose scent to their fragrance rotation without breaking the bank.

Images: Calypso Orchid & Rose Damascena, commons.wikimedia.org

Top 5 this Spring

Shapeless see-through shifts, 80’s inspired man-jackets that make me think of Don Johnson circa Miami Vice, garish combinations of colors, high-waisted trousers of tent-like proportions we’d need stilts to make work, hand painted silks noone but a fashion victim would want to wear (why, Dries?), matronly full-skirts and florals, florals, florals - the only one of the aforementioned spring trends the high-street has decided to put its money on, resulting in racks upon racks of yellow-black-white floral print dresses. (I blame YOU Gucci!) .... Clearly, our wallets are safe this season.





...Not so fast.
There’s still the spring scent wardrobe to consider!
The weather is getting warmer and warmer, but have you brought out your spring scents yet? Looking for a couple of things to sniff? Fragrance Bouquet and For the Love of Perfume offer suggestions! Here’s what I’m wearing this spring.

5. Antonia’s Flowers by Antonia’s Flowers:

This is my chase-away-the-blues go-to scent. One of the few perfumes I only wear inside the house, it is the perfect antidote to grey weather, which unfortunately, we get a lot of here in Holland even in Spring. When the weather is gray while it should have been blue, Antonia’s Flowers is sure to bring back all the joyous feelings I associate with spring in my mind. Green lush grass and light, watery freesias make for an uplifting combo that never fails to make me smile. It gets extra points for its dissonant, musty, mildewy note that reminds me of the smell of the actual bulb. (full review here)

4. Laura by Laura Biagiotti

Last year I wrote a little tribute to Laura, a fragrance that has been part of my collection for many, many years. At the time, it felt like a farewell, since I thought I had grown out of it. This spring, however, finds me with a brand new bottle. What happened, you ask? Well, it often happens that I get even more enamored with a fragrance after I write about it. In the case of Laura, my love was rekindled after my original review. If you haven’t smelled this one yet, do so, at least for reference: It is a great example of a wonderful aquatic perfume. It is a genre that gets a lot of bashing in the perfume-blogging circle, but it should not be forgotten that it too, has its gems. Ethereal, romantic, beautiful, feminine, it is a perfect springtime scent. What gets me every time though, is its unique musky finish. I’ll keep returning for that. (full review here)

3. Hanami by Annayake

Truly, the scent of spring. Early morning dewdrops and showers of swirling petals. The process of countless buds blooming, right there on your skin. Whenever I think about this scent, I have to go and wear it immediately, because the promise of its absolutely marvelous trail following me around all day is just impossible to resist. This ultra feminine scent carries well from morning to evening, but somehow feels better in less formal dresses and natural fabric clothes, like linen suits. It is an absolute delight. One word of warning: Unlike the autumn and winter Annayake scents, this needs extra care when applying. A very little goes a long way. (full review here)

2. A la Nuit by Serge Lutens

Serge Luten’s A la Nuit is my favorite nighttime spring scent. Not only is its narcotic scent absolutely lethally sexy, but also the associations I have with the bloom in question mean that whenever I wear it I get a mood-boost, in anticipation of the summer holidays that are not too far away. It is simply perfect for those nights when it is still chilly enough to throw something light on my shoulders, yet warm enough to enjoy drinking wine outside on a terrace with my friends. (full review here)

1. Tigresse by Nicole Lenzen & Yosh

The most stunning, mouthwatering fruity-floral scent I’ve smelled all year as well as one of the best and most memorable scents I’ve smelled all year, period. I have upgraded from a tiny sample to a tiny, precious bottle and I am loving every single drop. I wore this one lately with a fabulous spring silk dress with bold colors of turquoise and fuchsia and it seemed like the colors of the outfit were becoming saturated and brighter themselves. That’s how bright and impressive this is. My whole world becomes brighter when I wear it. Lillies, figs and gorgeously fresh peppermint make for a glorious combo that goes beyond the call of duty and creates a fantastic impression of pristine waterfalls, lush trees, flower nectar, singing birds, fruit sap and everything else that says ‘paradise on earth’ to me. (full review here)

PS: I just might buy one of those Don Johnson mannish jackets.

Images: www1.odn.ne.jp, http://harbingergallery.net, www.search.com and commons.wikimedia.org

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