Luckyscent
Fragrance X
Indiescents
First in Fragrance
99Perfume
ExcelsisUSA
Parfum1
My Photo
Name:
Location: New York, NY
© Copyright 2005-2011 Perfume-Smellin' Things
All rights reserved
Custom Search

Friday, September 30, 2005

New generation: Vine and Helmut Lang

Vine by Strange Invisible Perfumes

It is easy to lure me with the promise of a Greek myth, wine and pomegranates. I am also unable to resist the words like “whispering decadence”, “ambrosial” and “poised”. Vine is all of those things, but what is strangely invisible in the description of the fragrance is a very noticeable animalic accord that is persistently there through the two thirds of the fragrance development and only gets less noticeable (but never disappears completely) in the drydown, where Vine is all sweet fruits and thick dark wine.

To stay in the vein of Greek mythology, that animalic accord is perhaps the smell of Cerberus sent by his master to stealthily follow Persephone; it is hard to believe that she could have stayed oblivious to his musc-y, wet, sweetly repulsive odour. I cannot. This “three headed dog from Hades” note in Vine somewhat obscures all that is ambrosial about it. That is not to say that I don’t like this fragrance; I find it repulsive and irresistible at the same time, just like I cannot get enough of Muscs Koublai Khan, the fragrance that first opened my eyes to the wonders of all things musk and animalic.


Helmut Lang by Helmut Lang

Another relation of Koublai’s, very distant this time. A pale, androgynous cousin many times removed but still somehow reminiscent of that dirty naughty Koublai Khan of Lutens fame. The indescribable nameless animalic note is super light here, but it is still present. There is a “skin accord” among the official notes, and, whatever that may be, I bet you that is what makes this sleek, clean, modern eau de parfum smell on my skin like an unwashed Mongol warrior. Helmut Lang is very wearable, rather discreet, with just a hint of a hungry sexy predator lurking beneath the very contemporary minimalistic surface.

Labels: , , ,

8 Comments:

Blogger katiedid said...

Oh I love Helmut Lang. I have the parfum version - no animal there. It's philosophically a bit monochromatic - layer after layer of skin musk. Maybe a wee tinge of florals, but it's nothing really. Just all that clean tender musk on me. I totally see what you mean about androgynous - I bet it'd make just as nice of a choice on men, too, you're so right.

2:24 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

K, you used such a great word- monochromatic, that's exactly what Helmut Lang is. That is why I am actually glad that, with my skin chemistry, there is something wild lurking under the all the clean paleness.

8:47 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Thank you N! I've tried 3 SIP scents and there were all interesting (pseudo-science of their advertising aside :-)), but Vine especially stood out for me. It is such a rich, "thick" scent.

Have a great weekend too!

8:50 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Unfortunately, I can't really compare...I am also surprised they needed a men's version, this one is so very unisex to me.
I saw some Lang online, can't say where, perhaps perfumebay or perfumemart...not very helpful, am I!

10:42 AM EDT  
Blogger katiedid said...

I *hear* the men's version (the cologne) comes across as acrid and sourly tonic. To me that seems so odd, since the edp and parfum don't communicate those qualities at all. I guess the colognve version is tweaked differently by the compnay. But I've never tried it, and don't understand why men would bother with it either. The other two formulations would wear so nicely on men, too.

2:27 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Oh, so the men's virsion is EDC and women's are EDP and EDT...too complicated, especially considering how unisex the scent is in the first place.

3:00 PM EDT  
Blogger mireille said...

lovely review of Vine and it is so refreshing that you kept your own counsel about SIP ... they are so unusual and I couldn't truly understand the three I've tried ... but I do think she has her own worthwhile, asymmetric artistry. xoxo

11:00 PM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

Thank you M! The other two scents I've tried, Arunima and L'Invisible, I don't really understand them either, they are not "me" anyway. But there is something very appealign about Vine, something "thick", deep, warm and satisfying.

11:48 PM EDT  

Post a Comment

<< Home