Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Ligne Chapitre II. Part 2.

My enjoyable excurse through the second Parfumerie Generale collection continues. These are the final four scents in the Ligne Chapitre II. Hyperessence Matale. Another tea scent in the line, Hyperessence Matale is a more concentrated version of L’Eau Rare Matale from the first collection. I do not have L’Eau Rare Matale to compare the two, but somehow Hyperessence does not strike me as a significantly “stronger”, richer, deeper fragrance. It is certainly a lovely tea scent, spiced up by pepper, brightened by a little citrus; it also has a faint and pleasant jasmine note and a delightful, dry, woody undertone…It is earthy and spicy and dark... Still, I feel as if it is lacking something…I don’t really know what. Perhaps it needs more sparkle, even more depth? I am not sure. Full bottle worthy? Perhaps not. For a tea scent with oomph and character, I would rather opt for Harmatan Noir. Ilang Ivohibe. Romantic, feminine, vaguely exotic, this fresh fruity floral reminded me a little of Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey. The citrus fruit accord in both fragrances has a delightfully tart, green, under-ripe quality, and the flowers in the top notes of Ilang Ivohibe are as light and transparent as in Malone’s ethereal creation. The similarity ends halfway through the scent, when ylang ylang note gains momentum, becomes headier and sweeter, and when vanilla becomes apparent, bringing a certain ‘thickness” and more sweetness to the composition. The scent never becomes overwhelmingly White Floral and vanilla is never too sweet and overpowering, it is a well blended, very pretty composition…but it just not “me”. Full Bottle Worthy? Probably not, since I would never be able to use up even a 50ml bottle. Iris Taizo. This was the scent that excited me most, when I first heard about the new collection. Iris, wood, cardamom…how can it possibly not be great? It did not disappoint me. Along with Aomassai, Iris Taizo is my favorite fragrance in Ligne Chapitre II and perhaps in the whole line. The first accord in Iris Taizo is a truly magical, intoxicating mix of incense, balm and honey. The cardamom brings that wonderful, sweet, velvety piquancy, for which I adore this note so much, and eventually the star note, iris, appears in all its rooty-earthy-floral-honeyed glory. Enriched by incense, wood and spices, this is perhaps one of the most luxurious, stunning iris scents I have encountered. Full bottle worthy? Oh yes! Jardin de Kerylos. Fresh, dry, summery fig scent accented by sycamore, I assume it might have been named after Villa Grecque Kerylos built in early 20th century on Cote d’Azur by archaeologist Theodore Reinach to resemble an authentic residence from ancient Greece. Jardin de Kerylos most certainly succeeds in making one think about the sea and the sun and the endless blue sky of a summer spent in a beautiful white villa surrounded by the lusciously green trees…It is an enjoyably linear, uncomplicated and uncluttered fig fragrance that evokes all aspects of figs, from the bark of the tree, to the leaves, to the sweet fruits themselves. Full bottle worthy? It is a gorgeous scent and will most probably delight the lovers of figs in perfume, but I am not a big fan of the note and, although I liked the scent, I probably would never need a big bottle. The verdict on the second collection? I liked all, loved two (Brulure de Rose and Harmatan Noir) and absolutely adored two more (Iris Taizo and Aomassai). The fragrances are undeniably well-done; they are satisfyingly rich and most are quite complex and ever so slightly strange, without being hard to wear. Quite honestly, I am once again rather smitten with this very interesting perfume line. The fragrances are available in Parfumerie Generale's online store. Unlike the first eight scents, these are not sold in individual 7ml “micro-flacons”, but it is possible to buy them as a set of 7ml bottles, for €60.00. The full size bottles retail for €75.00-€135.00 depending on the scent and the size. The line is also availabe at The Perfume Shoppe in Canada, they do ship to the US. The images are from parfumerie-generale.com.