Neil Morris for Takashimaya New York : Perfume Review

Regular Fragrance Bouquet readers probably know of my deep admiration and love of Neil Morris’ creations. A whole week of reviews was devoted to a number of Neil Morris’ vault scents back in March, and his sparkling Aegean fragrance was featured in June’s Father’s Day special, soon after its launch at Takashimaya New York. Takashimaya, tasteful, tantalizing, transformative, transcendent, has a heart that beats a rhythm most unique: artisanal creativity and all that’s special, unique and exclusive, makes this the place to be for the sophisticated shopper with a taste for the unusual. What better place then, to bring Neil’s creations a bit closer to the public? And now, Neil has been commissioned to create an exclusive scent just for Takashimaya, a scent that captures the serenity of a Japanese Garden. I am absolutely delighted that Neil’s talent is being recognized and that he has been entrusted to capture the essence of Takashimaya. Having experienced the beauty of his creations, I have to say I am not surprised he was the brand’s choice. Neil is not just talented; he wields a magic brush that makes fantasies and scenes come to life in full color. Every one of his scents is a beautiful story, evocative, three dimensional, alive. Yes, if anyone can capture a scene, a feeling or a memory, it’s him.

Neil’s vision for Takashimaya New York was to showcase the coming together of two utterly different cultures; a seemingly unlikely pairing that turns out fitting together as perfectly as a lovers’ embrace:

“I wanted the fragrance to incorporate the beauty and serenity of the Japanese culture along with the stylish sophistication of Fifth Avenue. It’s my artistic twist on East meets West.”

The top notes of Neil Morris for Takashimaya New York, are incredibly bright and sparkling, an innocent, childlike take on the joys of summer, filled with fizzy drinks, juicy fruit and overflowing, carefree feelings of happiness. Exhilarating mandarin and bergamot are fizzing, utterly effervescent with the kick of aldehydes. They readily bind to the smooth texture of rich cream to create the most vibrant images of long, twister ice cream lollies. Juicy blackcurrant is thrown in the mix, coloring everything brightly with its yummy, tangy flavor. Perhaps it’s my imagination, but I also smell a tiny hint of coconut behind the fruity extravagance, adding smoothness and depth to the fragrance. Hot New York summers and the relief of cooling ice cream... This is the perfect summery opening, bright enough to make any old gray day come to life. The development is wonderfully slow-paced, allowing the wearer to experience every little aspect of this beautiful fragrance in a most leisurely manner. As we enter the heart notes, the trajectory of the scent becomes all the more eclectic, slowly introducing us to more exotic accents and flavors. It is a heady path, quite unexpected for a scent that evokes Japanese sensibilities, but somehow Neil Morris makes it work. The blend is almost dichotomous in nature; at once smooth and acanthoid, like teasing, tickling fingers dressed in velvet. The canvas is rich jasmine tea and from there a myriad of colorful blossoms seem to sprout, awake, dewy, juicy. The scent of narcissi is almost dizzyingly narcotic and yet it is beautifully anchored by the grassy, almost woody smell of bamboo... Once again, the perfume takes me by surprise in its drydown stage. After hours (yes, hours, this is a marvelously tenacious perfume that requires patience to reveal all its secrets...) of lively, jubilant and rather innocent sensory pleasures, this happy, exuberant scent manages to excite my interest yet again as it takes a turn that is decidedly darker and definitively sensual... Earthy, exotic and incredibly sexy, the drydown stage finds me with my nose firmly glued to my arm. I won’t lie: I can’t make head or tail of the notes, especially since what I see in the official press release nowhere near matches my impression of the perfume! All I know is that I get the most marvelously mossy-musky-ambery sense from this perfume, and it roars! There is the most mysterious heart of darkness hidden there, with so much animalic warmth, one can’t believe it is quite the same scent. Consequently, Neil Morris for Takashimaya NY, completely defies classification: It starts as the happiest, joyful innocent fruity fragrance, proceeds into a narcotic floral composition and ends up a smooth black panther.

A two ounce (60ml) spray bottle of Parfum retails for 125$ and is exclusive to Takashimaya on New York's 5th Avenue, as well as their online store.

Images: www.takashimaya-ny.com

She Wood by Dsquared2 : Perfume Review

Last week I reviewed Dsquared2’s first scented offering, the masculine He Wood in quite glowing terms. Being a fan of the design duo, I wish I could be as positive about their second, newest fragrance She Wood – this time a feminine scent – but quite honestly I can’t. Especially true at the time of its European launch, back in 2007, He Wood was a quite unique entrance. Quite the opposite holds for She Wood, which seems uninspired and derivative, albeit truth be told, nowhere near offensive.

The bottle seems to be a dumbed down version of the masculine flacon, which I happen to love, once again a perfect square, but this time only utilizing wood on the top part instead of having it luxuriously encasing the tactile material. For She Wood the choice has been for a piece of North American walnut, which sits rather smug (and decidedly brown) on top of the pink juice, not really adding anything to the design, but actually making it look cheaper. I would have really preferred the old design, and most definitely a softer shade of wood as well – perhaps a bleached wood dyed soft grey? No matter, what’s the use of crying over the bottle if the juice inside is hardly worth speaking of? As with the masculine version, the top, middle and base notes are conceptualized as different accords, this time as Light, Sap and Wood respectively. The opening is punchy and energizing, utilizing a rather pretty bitter neroli note, but quite unfortunately not allowing it to reach its full, rather sensuous potential due to the distracting dry zesty notes that keep dancing around it. As the top notes fade, the fragrance becomes all the more compellingly familiar, creating this unsettling sense of déjà vu. It finally hit me today as I was testing this again, and a side by side comparison confirmed my suspicions: She Wood smells like a more intense version of Feerie, minus the dark berries, which as you might remember smells quite a bit like Love in Black (No wonder I am bored). Looking at the official notes, this comes as no surprise after all. They all have similar notes, but most importantly they are all heavy on violet and cedar. She Wood is not as dusty, even though it is still an intensely dry fragrance and it is far greener than the other two. Still even though it is more tenacious and intense, it somehow manages to feel both thinner and cheaper. The woody, musky drydown is insipid and far less smoky than its sisters and makes use of a quite prominent and slightly metallic vetiver note. The middle stage of the development is probably the most interesting with its smooth violet notes, but everything seems to slowly fall apart after that, as if the perfumer lost interest halfway. Not interesting enough to be declared awful, She Wood won’t send me to the sink for a scrub-off. However tolerable though, it can hardly be called a great scent either. It hangs somewhere in the middle: Inoffensive and indifferently likeable is more like it.

Images: http://sito.dsquared2.com

An Evening With Kilian Henessy

I just have to suspend today’s scheduled review of She Wood until Monday, in favor of recounting the events of last night while they are still so fresh in my mind. When it comes to skincare and perfume shopping, there are three stores I would name as favorites here in the Netherlands: My local Douglas, which might not offer too much in the way of niche products but remains the place I feel most at home in due to the absolutely wonderful staff who I have become friends with over the years, Lianne Tio’s beautiful boutique in Rotterdam which sells the entire Goutal line and many, many more goodies you simply can’t find anywhere else in the Netherlands and Skins in Amsterdam which is my absolutely favorite place to be. While I might not be able to find everything I want under one roof, at Skins I can look for hours without being bothered unless I solicit advice (oh, how important this is! How tiresome to be chased around by “friendly” sales associates) and the stuff are extremely knowledgeable, helpful, polite and most importantly, extremely generous. Their wonderful attitude inspires loyalty in customers and fills every customer with a sense of well-being while in the shop. I am very happy to report that after having flirted with the By Kilian line for some months already, Skins has managed to seal the deal and the exclusive perfume collection finally launched yesterday.

To celebrate the launch, Skins organized a VIP evening which I have been eagerly looking forward to ever since I received the invitation. After being stuck in an atrocious traffic jam for about 45 minutes yesterday, I managed to arrive at the shop feeling harassed and completely stressed out thinking I had probably missed Kilian Henessy’s entrance. A quick glanced assured me however that I was on time and I managed to relax in the beautiful atmosphere. The weather outside was wet and cold, but the atmosphere in the shop was as serene and warm as always, and further enhanced by the exuberance of the guests: the beautifully displayed fragrances were being well received to say the least. The drink of the evening was Absinthe, flowing and constantly refilled, but I decided to favor a glass of fizzy Prosecco to avoid getting completely smashed: I hadn’t yet eaten and I almost never drink alcohol so I figured it’d be safer (No such luck, I was rather merry and tipsy by the end of the evening).

We were all busy exploring the perfumes when the gorgeous Mr. Henessy arrived with his lovely wife but their presence was instantly felt. I wish I could be blasé about it, but I simply can’t help myself: this is one of the most charming men I have ever met! The staff of Skins introduced the man of the evening and explained to my surprise that Mr. Henessy is quite shy and prefers to not give speeches, but that he would love to talk to us all in person. His amazingly gracious, beautiful wife blended in the background making conversation with the guests while Kilian himself engaged every willing party in conversation answering questions in detail and with such a warm, friendly and passionate manner that I found absolutely winning. Most importantly, it is the man’s extreme graciousness and openness that will stay with me: he made himself available and approachable in the most warmly polite manner and he seemed genuinely interested in everyone he met. There simply was no barrier, no distance. It was like getting introduced to a potential new friend at a cocktail party. Meeting him personally was extremely pleasurable: he is a man with a disarming smile and a strong handshake. He spoke to us about his perfumes, going into detailed descriptions about the ingredients and his inspiration behind each scent. I found it rather humorous when he started openly talking about certain perfumers whose style he did not appreciate(these will of course remain unnamed) so I had to ask him with a laugh to tell me who he loved instead. His answer was of course Calice Becker which resulted in an inward “D’oh!” moment for me, since she is the nose behind five of the seven scents of the line. I was also interested in whether he is the only one briefing the noses working for him, something I consider quite important. The more marketing execs behind a brief, the more faceless the perfume, in my opinion. Yes, not only is he the only person behind each brief, but this question in fact provided a most passionate response: Kilian views the process much as the making of a movie, and sees himself not only as the storyteller but most importantly as the director. Often, he told me, it all starts out with a name, it being the story. My last question was whether he gives complete freedom to the noses working on his scents or whether they are limited by a budget. The answer, most reassuringly, was that there is no budget limit behind any of the By Kilian perfumes.

I would have really liked to stay and chat a little longer, but mindful of the fact that there were many more people there craving to have a moment with Mr. Henessy I decided to try and be as gracious as he and not monopolize him. Once again, I approached the beautiful display of perfumes to try and make a choice. The staff of Skins have all been very obviously well trained to assist in getting to know the line better and their enthusiasm is nothing if not contagious. They all took an interest in what my final choice would be with very genuine excitement, each sharing their favorites and wondering what mine would be. It was a hard choice between Love and A Taste of Heaven, but I ended up with a bottle of the latter, a fragrance that is officially marketed as a masculine but whose animalic warmth I simply could not resist, even as I was perversely attracted to the toothsome, childlike, yet bizarrely sexy qualities of the former. Kilian was kind enough to sign my bottle and to personalize it with a message written in silver on the back. I almost sprung for Love as well while at the register, but the previous customer’s bill (a whopping 600-something euro slip) brought me back to reality faster than anything else possibly could. I was handed my bottle and complimentary goodie bag of the evening in a cute By Kilian bag that promptly lost its shape in the pouring rain outside, but I was too happy to care. I still am. Buzzing, in love with the line. Look forward to reviews of all the By Kilian perfumes in the next couple of weeks!

He Wood by Dsquared2 : Perfume Review

I was fairly impressed with Dsquared2’s first fragrance, a 2007 masculine release titled He Wood. Despite my good impressions of the scent I never got down to actually reviewing it, but with the brand’s newest release She Wood now out in the shops, I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone. Today we take a look at He Wood, and come Friday we’ll explore its counterpart, the feminine She Wood.

Dean and Dan’s first fragrance, He Wood, reflects their love of their native Canada and draws inspiration from the country’s gorgeous nature, making wood the focal point. I love the bottle, which I find elegant in its unique simplicity and intriguing with its eye-catching asymmetry (the stopper is placed off-center). The square glass container is completely framed by Canadian Red Alder wood, which makes it wonderfully tactile as well as renders every bottle unique due to differences in grain and hue. Now, on to the juice itself: The top, middle and base notes are conceptualized as air, water and wood accords respectively, and each is meant to represent different characteristics. The Air accord is purity and sensuality, the Water accord is freshness and fluid energy, while the Wood accord is seen as pivot, the fragrance’s true personality. Reading this might lead you to think that He Wood goes through very distinct phases, with each of the accords unfolding almost independently over time. This however is not true. The woody base notes, namely light, sweet vetiver and smoky, distinctive cedar run through the composition from start to finish, like the skeleton around which the rest of the fragrance is fleshed out. Around these woody notes we find the presence of velvety, smooth sweetness in the opening. The official notes list Silver Fir, Vegetal Amber and Musk, but I struggle to pick out any of them individually. What I get the beautiful, aforementioned gentle sweetness, a light musky presence like a naked body under an overcast sky ready to pour down. The ambery note is intensified for just a brief moment in time, giving us a taste of resin before subsiding in the moisture that quickly makes its arrival. The watery notes found at the heart of He Wood are subtle and careful. There is enough freshness there to appease the average male shopper, but not quite enough of it to make the more discerning niche-lover turn up his or her nose, so to speak. Most interesting is the way the light watery accord blends so perfectly with the intense powdery scent of violets, effectively translating the relationship between water and air that always seems to be playing around the core of wood. Bizarrely, the smoky, dense character of cedar is silenced in the drydown in favor of an ever-intensifying steely cold vetiver note that smells and feels metallic. This is a very evocative perfume, which is extremely successful in its attempt to match the scent with the ad copy. The wearer will have no trouble ‘seeing’ the images painted by the perfumer, and even finding themselves starring in the fantasy of the Canadian woodland, as lone figures unafraid of the dark and pregnant with rain clouds overhead. The whipping of the hard rain on naked skin, the rich smell of the woods, all have a macho appeal - however the genius of He Wood is that this is always set against the sensitivity of musky sweetness and the clean, feminine comfort of powdery violet.

Images: http://sito.dsquared2.com

Fragrance Bouquet Loves... Silky Soft Skin: Nourishing Body Oil Recipe

Your skin knows it’s fall and worst of all, it shows. Sun exposure in the previous months, the cold winds that are starting to blow ever chillier with each day that passes and the dry indoors climate created by central heating leaves our skin looking... well, slightly reptilian. Not a good look. Left alone to its own devices, the skin of my legs and arms has the propensity to start looking as dry and arid as the Sahara desert and only industrial strength moisturizers of the highest quality manage to produce any sort of results worthy to speak of. Like any beauty junky, I fail to form monogamous, faithful relationships with almost any beauty product, but that is especially true when it comes to body moisturizers: I am always looking for the next best thing, that elusive holy grail product that will transform the surface of my appendages to the baby-soft ideal I have in my head. During the summer however, I concocted a little cocktail of nourishing oils whose results are so impressive I just have to share the recipe with you. Is this my HG of body moisturizers, the one for which I forsake all others now and forever? Well... yes and no. Considering I am rather lazy, the fact that I have to make this product myself every time I run out definitely counts against it. Too, I am not always in the mood for a product with an oily texture (nor do I feel inclined to use an oil when I am about to wear clothes), so for the occasions I need something that sinks in faster I fall back on my regular favorite body butters, lotions and serums. However, there’s nothing else I’ve ever tried that even remotely comes close to matching the results of this little homemade preparation. For the first time in my life I’ve (rather ridiculously perhaps) invited people to touch my skin just to see how incredibly, unbelievably soft it is. For the first time in my life, I’ve caught myself touching my legs each night just to get that little thrill, coupled with the disbelief of one who has suffered dry skin for years and has suddenly found that things needn’t be so. “Is this my skin??? ... This is my skin!!!” The best part? The results are long lasting. Most moisturizers leave the skin supple and soft for some hours but the results are soon reversed as many of us who moisturize at night and find our skin feeling dry in the morning know. Using this oil regularly, I’ve found that even when I skip a night or two my skin retains its elasticity, moisture and softness.

Now, for the recipe. It’s simple really. You need to use equal parts of the following oils:

1 part Sweet Almond Oil: Sweet Almond oil is obtained from the edible seed of sweet almond trees (Almond Dulcis), and it has been used as a skin-softening agent for centuries. One of the key words in beauty and health in the past few years is of course Omega-3 fatty acids; Almond oil is indeed extremely rich in those, as well as in a variety of minerals and vitamins including D & E. It is calming, nourishing, balances the loss and absorption of moisture, and is of course, as already mentioned, softening.

1 part Jojoba Oil: Jojoba is a fruiting shrub whose mature seeds produce a liquid wax, Jojoba oil, one of nature’s own miracle cosmetic products. It is an absolutely fantastic moisturizer that is chemically very similar to human sebum meaning it has great affinity with our skin. Jojoba oil reduces the skin’s water loss while still allowing it to breathe and it improves elasticity. It speeds and aids the healing process of the skin and it is also a fungicide.

1 part Avocado Oil: Avocado Oil, yet another miracle worker, is pressed from the flesh of the Avocado fruit. It is rich in vitamins A, B, C and E, amino acids, lecithin, sterolins, potassium, proteins and unsaturated fatty acids. It helps heal sun damage, reduce age spots and heal skin that has been exposed to climate damage. Extremely nourishing, moisturizing, regenerating, collagen increasing and deeply penetrating, this is probably THE best oil for dry skin.

1 part Calendula Oil: Calendula Officinalis is a flowering plant, also known as Pot Marigold. No oil can be obtained from the flowers of course, so the Calendula Oil bought in health stores is a result of maceration of the flower in another oil. I suggest Calendula which has been macerated in Soya Oil, which is itself a great oil for the skin, rich in antioxidants and vitamins and wonderful in its own right for its nourishing and moisturizing properties. (Check the ingredients list and make sure that what you are getting only lists two ingredients: Calendula Officinalis and Clycine Soya, or Soybean Oil). Now on to Calendula, which is yet another all natural magical ingredient. Extremely calming and soothing, Calendula will soothe red, itchy and irritated skin and is a natural anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial and antiseptic. It is absolutely excellent for the skin, acting in a regenerative manner, healing dry and even cracked and wounded skin. I have been using calendula for many years and for various little problems and I simply cannot sing its praises enough!

Okay, so now you know why all these oils work! Is there more to know? Well, while three out of four of these oils have no or almost no scent (jojoba oil has a very light scent even when unrefined), unrefined avocado oil, (the only type which I can find around here) unfortunately really does smell vegetal and it will probably make your skin smell sort of ...er... like a used salad bowl. Yeah, not very pleasant. If you can find refined avocado oil (I’ve no doubt that the North American readers will be able to in their excellent health and food stores) then you’re very lucky indeed. For the rest of us, but also for those that wish to add some scent to this recipe, the solution is a mixture of essential oils that pleases your senses. Please be aware that essential oils have to be used with care and dilution instructions have to be followed. Go for high quality oils (found in dark blue or brown bottles to prevent exposure to light). Most importantly my advice for everyone with not sufficient knowledge of essential oils is to use those that are generally very safe for skin even when dosage is accidentally exceeded. Such very safe, non-skin sensitizing oils are rose, sandalwood, myrrh, patchouli, and ylang ylang. Another good solution is to use perfumed oils of your preference that are already prepared for direct skin use. However, only the pure, non-perfumed preparation is safe for use on areas that are suffering from severe skin conditions such as eczema. Lastly, make sure to scrub well before using this oil mixture for the first time: A clean, free of dead cells canvas will allow you to experience the fastest results.

Container: My favorite containers for this oil mixture are Sephora’s “Express” bottles, sold in threes together with two little jars in a little beauty bag. These are meant to be filled with your cosmetics of choice for travel I believe. They hold a good amount and the product is dispensed through a little hole, which provides me with adequate control.

Warnings: Do not use if you have a nut allergy. Remember to do a skin-patch test before using to test for sensitivity.

Images: Flickr by: guivax, monstershaq2000 and preciouskhyatt, www.sxc.hu

Harry Slatkin’s Home Scents for Fall

You all probably know about my obsession with pumpkin scents (yes, still looking for a pumpkin skin scent, by the way...) by now. A couple of weeks ago I included L’Occitane’s Pumpkin Chestnut candle in the Harvest Moon PFTO feature, the only product I know of from which I get my pumpkin kicks so far. The press release for Harry Slatkin’s brand new fall home scents has me all excited however! Finally pumpkin is getting a lot more attention! I can promise you that if these products come my way there’ll definitely be a review as I am very anxious to smell them, but until then I can at least introduce the line to you.

The product I am most excited about is this one, simply called Pumpkin. The scent sounds absolutely delicious, featuring notes of fresh pumpkin, ground cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla cream. Can I just say YUM? I also love the look of this product and imagine that it would look fantastic in the center of a decorative Fall centerpiece of fruits and nuts. (Yes, in my head I am a domestic goddess who regularly puts together beautiful seasonal centerpieces for her home. Don’t ask about the reality of the situation. Just know that if you actually are that woman, you have my envious respect. D’you hear that, mom?) Retails at 19.50 dollars.

I generally don’t get along very well with caramel notes, but if the fruity notes of this candle manage to cut the sweetness of the caramel, this should be very beautiful indeed. Caramel Pumpkin combines whipped pumpkin puree, buttery caramel and a succulent seasonal fruit medley of ripe plum, crisp apple and juicy nectarine. I love the look of this product as well, imagining it would sit just perfectly in a country-style kitchen. Retails at 12.50 dollars.

May I just re-assert for the third time that Harry Slatkin has done a beautiful job with the appearance of these new products? How cute and adorable as well as perfect for autumn is this acorn shaped candle jar? This one features notes of golden nectar, juicy mandarin and red delicious apple are paired with toasted cinnamon stick, mulled cider spices and freshly harvested red berries and retails for 12.50 dollars.

Harry Slatkin’s new fall line also includes autumnal leaf-scented bars of soaps and in anticipation of Halloween, a number of whimsical votives and wallflowers. If you are planning to decorate the house for the children, my favorite product is probably this Snow Globe, featuring a naughty light-up pumpkin and “snowflakes” shaped like bats! I tend to find many of the Halloween decorations out there pretty tacky, but this little object is truly delightful instead!

PS: If you hadn’t noticed, the first sentence of this post includes a cry for help. No, seriously. If you know of a fragrance featuring pumpkin, you have to tell me.

Feerie by Van Cleef & Arpels : Perfume Review

Feerie (pronounced “FAYrie” and meaning Fairy in Flemish as well as Fairyhood in French) is Van Cleef & Arpels’ newest fragrance. The flacon’s marvelous design echoes the theme of their Midsummer Night’s Dream jewelry collection, which even though too archetypically girly for my tastes, is so breathtakingly beautiful it makes your heart break a little just looking at it. Now, even though I am not a girly jewelry type of girl, anything whimsical, fanciful, capricious and extraordinary in the perfume bottle department catches my eye and attracts me in the same manner a magpie is attracted to anything that glimmers. When I saw pictures of this bottle I couldn’t help but feel compelled to buy it. Surely this looks like something that one just has to own? If this isn’t a perfume bottle meant to sit on a dresser, then what is? Well, call me finicky, but unfortunately the bottle doesn’t quite live up to expectations ‘in the flesh’. Don’t get me wrong; it is beautiful, just not as stunning as the pictures originally led me to think. Whatever could be my problem with it, you ask? I am afraid it is the faceted blue glass part of the flacon that I find disappointing. In the pictures it appears to be delicate enough to allow light to permeate through, allowing one to gaze upon the perfume within as though it were a starlit blue lagoon over which Titania, Queen of Fairies was ever present. In reality, it is a thick, hefty, almost opaque and rather dull-colored blue hand grenade that does nothing to excite the imagination. And if I’m allowed to complain just a little bit more, I’ll just have to say that I really wanted Van Cleef & Arpels to pull a Lolita Lempicka on us and let us spray through the fairy, instead of making her just a cap. Well all right. It’s still rather pretty, I guess.

I am just as surprised at rather liking the juice within as I am at not falling in love with the bottle. The opening is briefly gentle and light – a tiny bit of buttery iris, a smidgen of green freshness and slightly sugary violet leaves. After the subtle, pretty intro, the intensity suddenly picks up: the aroma of dark cassis berres, appropriately and quite realistically sweet and sour fills the air. At first their edible aroma is briefly touched by sparkling citrus fruit, subsequently is it rounded beautifully with a certain nutty flavor and when that too (all too soon!) disappears the fragrance settles into its longest stage: berries strewn over dusty yet effusive rose. At once sweet and dry, this interplay should normally hold my interest, but unfortunately I find the intense rose scent very, very disagreeable and I cannot detect the promised jasmine at all. A great disappointment, since I found the first ten minutes of Feerie’s development extremely promising. The drydown is simple, gently floral in an abstract way, greenish and quite delicate, with hints of musk. For my tastes it lacks warmth and depth and I have to say that this is the most generic and insipid stage of a quite well done perfume, which is a shame. All in all I found the top and middle of the development quite interesting; they resemble, as Abigail astutely pointed out Creed’s Love in Black “minus the edginess”.


Images: Folie des Pres Fairy Clip, Envole Bracelet, Feerie bottle and Feerie Timepiece images, all www.vancleef-arpels.com

Power by Kenzo & 1 Million by Paco Rabanne : Perfume Reviews

Kenzo’s Power and Paco Rabanne’s 1 Million are undoubtedly two of the most highly anticipated masculine commercial fragrance releases for fall 2008. Based on their notes, I had high hopes for both: Flirting with floral notes and incorporating some re-introduced, rather more avant-garde notes, both seemed to belong to this new wave of mainstream masculine perfume offerings determined to break the boring mold set in the last two decades. I was prepared to love both, but how did they really measure up after the skin test? Well... Let’s just begin by saying that Power did not disappoint...

Power by Kenzo: While the scent will probably seem rather demure at first and this discrepancy between the juice and the name is bound to cause some bafflement, Power’s forcefulness does manifest itself, albeit in less expected ways, the most salient of which is its powerhouse sillage! And this is cause for surprise once again, for one hardly expects such a gentle-smelling perfume to have such an intense projection even when applied with the lightest hand. Already, the seasoned perfumista’s interest is piqued due to the contradiction. Add to this the fact that it is extremely long-lasting and one begins to really appreciate the strength of Power. One of the most distinctive characteristics of this perfume is its strange, unorthodox development; Even though I can’t in good conscience describe it as linear, it certainly doesn’t follow the conventional top-middle-base pyramid development and its changes are very subtle. The best way to describe it would be to say that it is like listening to the same music piece, with different instruments amplified over time so that the attention is drawn to each one separately in different time intervals. Throughout, Power remains marvelously bittersweet and keeps the same floral component constant – a floral note that is synthesized and actually supposed to be abstract, but is however translated very distinctly by my senses as blue lotus, the same bittersweet, slightly banana-scented flower used in copious amounts in Annayake’s Pour Elle. The different impressions, the aforementioned ‘amplified instruments’ that slowly make their appearance one after the other are iris butter (used much more discreetly than it has been in Polge’s past genius creations), powder, cardamom, tolu, soft abstract woods and a grassy accord that brings to mind images of ponds and marshes and all the flora that favors these environs, like calamus and water lilies. I just love this.

1 Million by Paco Rabanne: Unlike the minimalist chic, esthetically pleasing presentation of Kenzo’s Power, 1 Million’s flacon is in your face, gauche, trashy and unappealing. Unfortunately, my problems with this perfume don’t stop at the bottle. In fact, I have been struggling with the thought of having to apply this once more on my skin for the purposes of this review. Borderline headache inducing and pervasive, this one is definitely a scrubber for me. There is a truly beautiful sweet mint note in the opening which seems to mingle with smoky dark vetiver, producing a fantastic chilly metallic effect surrounded by smoke and this is just about the only thing I love about 1 Million. In hindsight, I realize this is because this is the exact same lovely metallic mint scent found in my beloved Fahrenheit 32. Unfortunately, the effect is spoiled by a rather cheap citrus fruit and strong berries combo that is impossible to ignore. Too, almost immediately I become aware of an ever intensifying, cloying sweetness that will persist throughout the development. Imagine this: Minty coolness and heavy sweetness clashing... What do you get? Yes, a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. And truly, everything about 1 Million is felt there, deep down in the belly; It produces the sort of scent that the body instinctively rejects, as though it has just consumed something that didn’t seem right. The heart notes seal the disaster for me, with soft, fresh, dewy rose being smothered by tobacco flower and leaves and bland synthetic leather. Blessedly, 1 Million gives up the fight about half an hour after application and fades into a rather less inoffensive drydown. The sweetness calms down becoming tolerable, nice even, and the spicy tobacco flower is allowed to blend with the innocent woody/ambery basenotes. My strongest and probably most defining impressions of this perfume is that it is very heavy, smells dated and lacks even the merest hint of youthfulness.

Love in Black by Creed : Perfume Review

Although I am by no means acquainted with their entire line, which means that what I am about to say should be taken with a grain of salt, Creed perfumes have left me underwhelmed for the most part – something that is probably reflected in the fact that I have not reviewed any of them so far. However, their newest offering has taken me by surprise. Love in Black, also briefly mentioned in this month’s Perfume for the Occasion is the first Creed perfume that has really grabbed my interest. As it is absolutely perfect for fall, I believe this is the best time for a more extended review.

Okay, lets start with the good news: Love in Black has an absolutely breathtaking opening! A couple of seconds of bracing, almost fruity sharpness shocks the nose into attention. What follows is pure indulgence: a delicious (and I mean mouthwateringly so) blend of nutty notes that unfolds ever so gently while still presenting the wearer with full-bodied appeal. If I absolutely had to be more specific, I’d have to name hazelnuts, fresh, sweet almonds and hints of chocolaty nougat, but in all honesty, the full effect is quite abstract. Aside from delicious, this nutty blend is also extremely comforting. As it is soon joined by the most marvelously creamy, whipped and oh-so buttery iris and sweet violet, the scent’s embrace becomes all the more satiny and luxurious. Slowly, the scent starts changing, first by becoming earthier and then by acquiring beautiful dry/dusty quality that reminds me a bit of pomegranate skin. About an hour later, the wonderful, warm buttery scent shows the first signs of freshness (uh-oh) and the woody scent of cedar also becomes more obvious, although it will still remain quite mild for a while. Now for the bad news: (I sort of tipped you off at the beginning there, didn’t I?) About an hour and a half or so after application you will notice some extreme changes. The nutty flavor is by now completely gone and the lovely iris-violet is hiding somewhere in the background, requiring deep inhalations to be detected. Having detected the biggest crime, lets move on to what we’re left with, shall we? Dusty pomegranate and berries, cedar (which has by now acquired a good bit of the smokiness one expects from good essential cedar oil), and conventional rose. I am not trying to say that Love in Black falls apart in the drydown; that would be unfair. It does however pull an extreme transformation, which I am most definitely not happy with. The drydown is completely incongruent with the beautiful, dark, comforting top and heart notes that I have admittedly fallen in love with. This leaves me feeling a bit cheated out of a fragrance-love and I can’t help but lament the disappearance of all that goodness. I would have honestly preferred a more linear scent; I’d have sacrificed the full development for the very special, luxurious and warm scent this could have been. Having said this, I definitely recommend you try this yourself. Not only so that you can experience the full glory of the top and heart notes, but also because you just might be able to tolerate the drydown better than me. I still believe this is one of the best releases for this fall. As for me? Well, I won’t be buying this one but having almost fallen in love with it I am once again motivated to explore the Creed line better.

Images: www.creedperfumes.co.uk and www.nougat.co.za

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

Fragrance Bouquet: Back on Monday

Dear Readers,

As you probably noticed there's only been one post this week. The new term has begun at the university and I am suddenly swamped with work. I am trying to get everything organized and smoothly-flowing this weekend, so you can expect to see Fragrance Bouquet back on Monday with a post on Pacifica's new fall beauties.

See you then!

Perfume for the Occasion: Harvest Moon

“Won’t you light the fire darling? I don’t think the summer is coming back...”


The last two weeks of August hid behind a silvery curtain of rain, but still I held hope that the blissful warmth of summer would make a comeback, allowing me to get a little more wear out of my sandals and chiffon shifts. But even as the sun shone the last couple of days, painting the university campus with colorful dots of students studying, smoking and laughing outside the buildings, the wind had carried a chill that sent shivers down our spines. We wore boots instead of sandals, thick jackets instead of light fabrics. The leaves are falling, producing a satisfying crunch under our footsteps. The first mushrooms can already be seen growing next to the thick trunks of trees. It’s Fall.

September must truly be the prince of Fall, full of promise for the year to come, full of novelty for business, academics and a social life that is warming up again and starting to roll as friends come together again after their summer vacations. Swathed in autumn’s new, deeply hued fabrics, it’s out with the old and in with the new for fashion. And the riches keep coming in: September’s knee deep in grapes, making wine. The Harvest Moon brings with it an abundance of grains, nuts and mushrooms. It’s the time of plenty. All this richness has inspired me to suggest that this month we not only embrace, but also pay homage to the season’s prince with perfumes befitting his precious gifts.

Rice: My favorite rice-scented perfume is Kenzo’s Amour, which just induces me to keep sniffing my wrist whenever I have it on. Its opening might seem slightly off-putting to some, since there is a strange heliotrope-plastic accord there, but if you wait just a bit you will be rewarded with a beautiful milky rice-scented heart with all the goodness of rice pudding. YUM! Kenzoki Rice Steam (Sensuel), also by Kenzo, is a fragrant mist meant to be sprayed all over the body, which perfumes and moisturizes the skin at the same time. Its steamed rice accord smells warm, gentle and comforting. It slowly fades into a soft skin-scent smelling vaguely of musk and clean skin. Ormonde Jayne’s Champaca is a gorgeous creation that will perfectly complement this Fall’s richly hued floral dresses but will also comfort the senses with its fragrant, basmati rice accord.

Nuts: I love perfumes with a distinct nutty accord and to my pleasant surprise many recent releases seem to be taking full advantage of the nuts’ autumnal appeal. Bond No. 9’s newest, Lexington Avenue, reveals an intense, beautiful roasted almond paste scent in its opening that is absolutely delicious. Even though the scent thins to reveal a blooming heart as time progresses, this nutty aspect remains a constant in this gourmand’s development. Secret Obsession’s heart in turn, is filled with the earthy nuttiness of a freshly cracked walnut. This beautiful walnut note is rich, buttery and very sexy indeed. Lastly, Creed’s brand new Love in Black, includes the most delicious, mouthwatering blend of nuts whipped with iris butter and cacao. Mmmmm!

Fruit: Burberry is the line I most readily turn to for my dose of Fall fruit. Burberry Brit, with its crystalline note of pear is sure to bring cheerfulness to any dreary old day, and even though I must admit I favor it in warm weather, I’ve lately found that it is perfect for early fall. Burberry Classic on the other hand, is an excellent example of apple rendered perfectly in a dry sophisticated composition, instead of the usual cinnamon laden wintry offerings (nothing wrong with those), or in an awful saccharine juice (the latter however are very wrong indeed!). I love Burberry Classic, which transforms into one of the most glorious fuse-with-my-own-skin-scents I know of in its drydown. It never fails to garner compliments and I always feel wonderful when I wear it.

Celebration: Are you familiar with the Harvest Moon Festival? Why not wear I am a Dandelion by CB I Hate Perfume on the day of the full moon, in honor of the traditional dandelion leaf custom of the day?

...and one for the house: It has to be my beloved Pumpkin Chestnuts candle by L’Occitane of course. Don’t be fooled by the way! Pumpkin might be more associated with October, but the truth is they make their appearance in September, along with squash, waiting to be made into delicious soup. This candle smells deliciously buttery, earthy, nutty and vanillic and will make the room smell oh-so-delightfully cozy.

The end of summer is always difficult to accept, but I hope this month’s Perfume for the Occasion has not only given you many ideas, but has also inspired you to embrace September with a smile and of course, the appropriate scent.

Images: www.imageafter.com, Flickr by Surplusparts, Visualpanic and Spiralz, www.sxc.hu

Fragrance Bouquet Loves... Sniffapalooza

Today I want to give a shout-out to all the people involved in the wonderful effort that is the Sniffapalooza online magazine! As a registered reader of the magazine, I received an email two days ago from editor in chief Raphaella Brescia Barkley, to let us know that Michelyn Camen’s wonderful recent article proved to be not only intriguing for readers, but for perfumers as well. Following the publication, master perfumer Michel Roudnitska signed the Sniffapalooza guestbook, making all of us readers feel just a little bit starstruck and very much closer to the people whose wonderful creations we admire. Raphaella’s email touched me with its gladsome passion: I want to thank her and all the contributing writers for raising awareness to the fact that there is indeed a group of people that consider perfumery to be an art form they deeply care about, and slowly making the world take note. Too, doors previously seeming hermetically closed are opening for the regular Sniffapalooza trips, which I hope to someday join, to meet all the Sniffa members that are as passionate about the world of scent as I am. Until then, I blow kisses to all of you, readers, writers and Sniffa perfume pilgrims alike.

You can view Michel Roudnitska's guestbook entry by clicking on the first link and scrolling all the way down to reach the guestbook link. From there, click on entries.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Image: Flickr, originally uploaded by Roland Tanglao

Secret Obsession by Calvin Klein : Perfume Review

We should definitely try to coin a new term for those fragrances that manage to produce an instant smile on our faces upon first sniff. The best I can come up with right now is “perfume smiles”, which is not as clever as I would like, but nevertheless is an adequate description. Secret Obsession is a perfume smile for me, a smile upon first sniff, complete with eyes closed and head thrown back for maximum visual effect. As you probably already know, Secret Obsession is Calvin Klein’s newest fragrance, and one that already has significant buzz surrounding its name: a banned commercial, a tasteful advertising campaign with the absolutely glorious, sensual Eva Mendez, as well as having not only its own webpage, but a fan-page on Facebook as well.

Secret Obsession’s opening is just beautiful, with the sweet, mellow, honeyed scent of dried plums and dates. It manages to leave an impression of a well-rounded alcoholic drink, like a dark, luxurious fruity wine, or a viscous aged liqueur spiced with the warm, resinous aroma of mace. Delicate accents of rose petals add a whole new dimension to the fragrance, but they make only a brief appearance and are soon missed. I find it quite hard to describe what comes next, not only because there is so much going on in the middle stage of Secret Obsession’s development, but also because the elements sound contrasting when put into words. I will do my best however, and you will have to trust me when I say that the result is indeed not only harmonious but also very beautiful. Right in the middle, we have a core that’s comforting, yummy and earthy, smelling like a freshly cracked walnut. It is surrounded by the sensuous scent of amber, which in turn is flecked with orange blossom petals and traced by the mere hint of jasmine’s warmth. The topmost layer can only be described as a contradiction, an ebb and flow that reveal a green soapy scent and a deep, sexy animalic one alternatively. And... Does Calvin Klein have a secret? Cause the drydown smells so distinctly mossy I am baffled! I’ve always resisted the idea of the “Modern Chypre”, even as so many others embraced it in their terminology. Finally, having smelled this, I am ready to lay down my guns. Well, not all of them, but still. This could be it. Musky, earthy, green and sensuous, the drydown of Secret Obsession is not at all what I expected from the official notes. It is the creaminess of what a modern chypre should be, if there is such a thing. And I hope there is...

Images: www.secretobsessioncalvinklein.com

Eau de Merveilles by Hermès : A Question of Concentrations

“May I see the extrait?”

“But of course”

The tiny flacon is beautiful but strange, echoing the shape of the original but done completely in metal. It hangs from a saddle tan colored strap so that it may be hung from the neck like a pendant.

The sales associate turns to face me with a smile. “Would you wear it?” he asks. His mascara-ed, intelligent blue eyes shine with genuine interest.

“No, but I would love to have it hanging from my bag, like a charm.”

“But what if it spills? You wouldn’t want your beautiful crocodile bag to be destroyed!”

I can’t help but steal a glance at my bag in disbelief, just in case it has somehow magically reinvented itself and is now posing as a reptile. No, still the same calfskin Cavalli I walked in with. Moo.

I carefully smell the extrait. It is beautiful. Deep, dark and rich... Amazing. Extremely far removed from my beloved Eau de Merveilles however, only paying it a cursory nod in passing, it’s not what I came for; Perhaps another time. (Make that probably another time, its just beautiful)And no, I would certainly not wear the pendant around my neck – it would make me feel as though I am about to join a Live Action Role Playing weekend dressed as a hobbit or elf, equipped with magic potions and all. Nope. I leave instead with the Eau, a bottle of Ambre Narguilé (stunning) and a happy load of other generous 4 ml Hermessence samples, packed in pairs in pretty orange packets.

So why the Eau? And why should it matter? Well, in the case of this particular fragrance, choosing the right strength certainly does seem to matter. The parfum is, as already mentioned, a different beast altogether. The Elixir (read: EdP) whose release came third, after the original EdT and parfum, is meant to be a re-worked version of the original and the official notes differ significantly. I have to confess however, that to my nose at least, the end result is incredibly similar and the main (and quite noticeable, I might add) difference is the intensity. Herein lies the problem. The Elixir feels so concentrated in fact, that its development in turn seems disturbed. Gone is the sparkling effusiveness of the original, which made it so congruent to its commercials, comparing a single spray to a beautiful, magical firework. The Elixir packs a wallop so intense, the nose finds itself too overwhelmed to discover the lovely nuances that make the Eau such a marvel. However pretty, the fact that the Elixir once sprayed on the skin becomes an aporia with its stunted development makes it immediately inferior to the Eau, which kindly lets you travel with it. There are tickets, there’s a road, a finishing line and a reward. Creamy, salty, ambery, woody.... Yummy, strange, warm and cold, sexy and aloof, sophisticated and fun loving all at once... Eau de Merveilles has it all. Why try and fix it?

Are your experiences similar to mine with the Merveilles family?

Images: www.hermes.com