Parfum d'Ida:
Parfum d’Ida is a gorgeous, sparkling aldehydic composition, elegant and effervescent. Smelling it for the first time, I was instantly reminded of another favorite: L’Infante, by Divine. Looking at the notes of both scents, the similarities are not that many: yes, they are both aldehydic scents and they both have a berry note as well as white florals and ylang ylang. Smelling the two side by side though, I sense a kinship – not perhaps in the smell itself, but certainly in feel. In the end, Parfum d’Ida wins my favor, being both sheer and deep at the same time – a wonderful feat. Too, the scent of civet, unmistakably present already from the opening, is too seductive for me to resist. I home in on it and it never leaves my conscience. Aldehydic, floral, green and animalic all at once, yet perfectly blended and balanced, Parfum d’Ida opens with deceptive innocence and transparency, but goes on to become all the more warm and effusive as it warms on the skin. It speaks of femininity and generosity to the point that it makes you wish to be hugged and comforted by the creature that wears it.
Is this really the scent of Ida? It would be very presumptuous of me to give a definite opinion on the matter, considering I have never met her in real life. However, I can’t help but feel that this is just an aspect of Ida’s scent: The part that is capable woman, the part that is feminine, generous and comforting, gently protective and loving. I missed the darkness though, I missed the spice. I missed the part of Ida that is absolutely otherworldly and bewitching. I missed the part that is midnight gowns studded with all the stars in the sky and pure, unadulterated mystery. I missed the Diva I so long to meet. But that is alright - it is to be expected that no single fragrance can capture every aspect of this complex woman. Parfum d’Ida is Ida’s hug and loving embrace. And right now, that’s exactly what I needed. Spectral Violet:
Spectral Violet, the second of Neil Morris’ perfumes I sampled had a profound impact on me – something I never would have expected from a floral composition. The moment I brought my wrist to my nose for that first whiff, I felt like my body started floating upwards, as though I was suddenly weightless and ethereal. My first thought, literally, was “Oh... I am in heaven...” How could I possibly do this fragrance justice by writing about it? I want to roll around in this scent forever and ever. I want to have it as a bath oil and submerge myself in its pool of dark mystery, a pool of violet waters, a pool that transforms into a majestic lake in a time of kings and princesses and I’ll be the lady, yes, the lady of the lake, with eyes of green and clothes of purple and indigo and lilac, that float around me by gusts of wind unfelt by others.
The violet petals are candied, like medieval court delicacies meant to be fed by hand to a loved one, in order to make them forget about all that’s wrong in the world. The feel of the fragrance is velvety and soft, like the most extravagantly expensive cocoon made for a fairy. Despite the name, I cannot describe this fragrance as cool, chilly or metallic. To me, it is absolutely warm and sensual. And even though all my memories of violets were made in sunny gardens, this one is a violet I’ve never encountered. It is a violet of the night, its scent utterly hypnotic. It is seduction in a moonlit forest. Images: The artwork accompanying Parfum d’Ida in this post is a sculpture titled “Divine Embrace” by Taiwanese artist Gaylord Ho.
The image accompanying Spectral Violet in this post is from www.eastcoastkitty.com, a company that specializes in clothes, accessories and gifts. The particular image is called “Purple Fairy with Moonlight” and can be bought as a shirt. It can be found under their women fairy items.
