Some (Blush Blush) New Friends

Mini Reviews by Marla The perfume gods have been kind this month; I’ve received two superb sample packs, one from Aedes de Venustas, and the other from the generous MiN NewYork. I’ve managed to clothes, paper, skin test a few (no rocks or scissors, yet). Here are my first half-dozen: ELd’O- Putain des Palaces- This made me blush and giggle. If you’ve ever walked down a hotel hall in a “colorful” section of Paris or Berlin and caught of whiff of people engaged in…you know…through a doorway or two, (and I’ve never been in such hallways, never!), you’ll know what this perfume smells like. It’s a powdery floral with…you know, and a tid tad of BO. EL d’O must have some hilarious stories to tell about their Scent Research Program…. I actually quite liked this one and found it kind of cozy and carnal. ELd’O Jasmin et Cigarette- Yes, I know I’m about 5 years late to the ELd’O party here. I was a newbie blogger when this one came out. Never tried it. So sad for me, it’s incredible! I’m a jasmine junkie, true, and I do like my galbanum, but have you ever tried to get the balance right between the two? Very tricky. But they did it. It’s a low-key jasmine, airy and ephemeral, with just the right touch of ashy galbanum. Cool. Perfect.  Aedes de Venustas EdP- That’s right, the new “Violent Green” one. OK, it’s rhubarb, it’s not violent at all unless you’ve never cut up real rhubarb for a pie. Then it might be a bit of a shock. It’s very well done, but there is a celery note wafting around in there, a Duchaufour trademark, that’s a dealbreaker for me. Can’t stand celery notes. I checked on Basenotes to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating it, and indeed, others (though not all), catch a whiff of celery, too. But I’m glad there’s a rhubarb out there, and let’s see more!  By Kilian Amber Oud- I’m turning into a serious Calice Becker Fangirl. I can’t think of a single perfume she’s made that I don’t want to wear. I love real Middle Eastern ouds and have a good collection of Asian oud incense, so I sure don’t need a Frenchified, watered-down Oud For Westerners. But this is just so soft, so gorgeous, so pillowy. I’m hooked. Westernized ouds can be lovely, as it turns out. I am contrite. By Kilian Love and ELd’O Divin’ Enfant—Tweety Bird vs. Godzilla. Love is the ultimate marshmallow, those lovely ones made in Italy for Pasqua, so goooood!! And Divin’ Enfant is Love with a skanky, leather- gloved fist waiting to punch you in the nose! I actually like them both. So, my usual question, do you have a mini review for me? Please, leave a comment!