Scents of Place: The Artisan Advantage

By Donna The debate over natural versus synthetic perfumes is ongoing, and both viewpoints have their proponents. It is generally agreed that mixed media compositions are usually the most successful artistically, while purely synthetic scents can lack character and seem faceless or cheap. Naturals often have issues with longevity and the unavoidable limiting factor of fewer source materials to work with. However, there is one thing that fragrances with a high percentage of natural materials can do that synthetics cannot, in my experience; evoke an actual sense of place, and “three dimensional” impressions of the real world. It is true that any aroma, not just of a perfume, can trigger a memory or an emotion. Fragrances can do it by design, and a skilled perfumer can orchestrate smells to bring forth a complex array of sensations. This is where artisan perfumery displays one of its greatest strengths – without accountants, focus groups and brand managers looking over their collective shoulders, they are free to follow their own ideas to conclusion and draw the rest of us into their world. I am highlighting just a few of these ideas from recent introductions by some of our most talented fragrance artists. Shelley Waddington of En Voyage Perfumes created Rainmaker to celebrate her new hometown of Portland, Oregon (which is also where I live) and its unique cultural vibe. Appropriately, it has an ozonic note, but it also has a grounded feel to it. To me it smells like a wet day in the city when it has just been raining and the evaporating moisture fills the air, amplifying the smells of wet pavement, old trees, muddy earth, bark mulch, grass and crushed flowers under a dramatic sky. Anything with a petrichor note will capture my attention, and this one gets it just right. In other words, it smells very much like an idealized version of my own neighborhood, and if I step out into my garden on such a day I will have a very Rainmaker experience. It has a cologne-like transparency, yet it maintains its fresh appeal for a long time into the drydown, a testament to what a well-judged blend of naturals and synthetics can accomplish. Truly unisex, the appeal of this easy to live with scent is very broad. The opposite of the cool wet Northwest is the desert, a place Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfumes knows well; Red Dodecahedron is the latest in her Burner series based on her annual pilgrimage to the Burning Man festival in Nevada. The immediate sensation from this fragrance for me is sun-baked dust sifting into everything; I have no idea how this was done but it’s very impressive. It does not stop there, but continues to develop into a sensual fragrance that includes black pepper, chamomile and a base of woods and resins including frankincense and sandalwood. It also has an animalic quality, bringing to mind the earthy denizens of Burning Man. After being in the desert sands, a cool beverage is most welcome, and her new Strawberry Sling perfume oil just hits the spot. This is a scent that emerged from the perfumer’s own experience of sipping a cocktail while smelling flowers blooming nearby, and it’s so delicious that it should have a warning label on it that says “do not drink.” A blend of lemon-scented natural essences results in the exhilarating zest of freshly squeezed Meyer lemons, mixed with a spot-on vodka accord accented with rosemary and a strawberry note paired with rose. I really loved this one, and I am hoarding my sample to wear when summer comes around again and it’s too hot for most other kinds of perfume. This is a textbook example of the kind of fun, offbeat work to emerge from the studios of indie perfumers who have free rein over their own work. Sometimes a perfumer chooses to pay homage to Mother Nature in a more specific way; in The Voices of Trees, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes creates a scent that feels like an evergreen forest, with richly balsamic resin perfuming the air as the trees tower overhead, swaying gently in the wind. As narrow as its focus is, it is more than just a “smell” and works perfectly as a fully realized fragrance. I can’t open the vial without thinking of the woods behind my house when I was a child, a place where I spent endless hours among the pine, spruce and hemlock trees. Another recent DSH creation, the limited edition La Belle Saison evokes the sensation of fresh lilacs in the spring. Unlike virtually all other lilac perfumes, which are reconstructions that contain synthetics, this is an all-natural composition that gives the impression of lilacs without the usual photo-realistic aroma found in most of them, and contains no actual lilac. Instead, the effect is of being in a garden that has lilacs blooming but which also encompasses the other aromas of spring – green leaves, wet grass, drifts of scent from other flowers. It is as fresh and delicate as a rain-drenched panicle of white lilac blossoms, its beauty even further enhanced by its extrait de parfum concentration. It’s not just places that can be conjured up by a fragrance. In the masterful Memento Mori from Aftelier Perfumes, natural perfumer Mandy Aftel has advanced her alchemical art yet again with a stunning creation that is sure to bring to mind not only familiar places, but a human presence. Just inhaling the scent from the vial resulted in a swirl of emotions and half-remembered flickers of the past. I felt as though I had arrived home on a cold winter night and entered a place filled with warmth; standing in the doorway of a comfortable old farmhouse filled with the sweetness of wood smoke and the funky dampness of drying-out wool coats, the lingering aftermath of baking, and most of all the musky, physical embrace of a beloved person. It is remarkable how much this fragrance evokes a living being; if you have ever held a sweater or robe that belonged to someone you loved and missed and breathed deeply of it to bring them closer, you have some idea of what Memento Mori is like. It almost feels too private to wear in public places, being meant for either solitude or closeness; on skin it gradually becomes almost unnervingly intimate, like skin-to-skin contact with a lover, and capable of bringing strong emotions to the surface unbidden. It is powerful and beautiful, but not in the least pretty. It may seem strange to ascribe such power to a perfume, but I think anyone who smells this will fall under the same spell. Image credits: Rainy day wallpaper from crafthubs.com; Vintage strawberry patterned (actual) wallpaper detail from Etsy seller wallpaperyourworld; “Lilac Party” wallpaper from desktopnexus.com; lighted doorway at night wallpaper from desktopimages.com. Disclosure: I received free samples from all the perfumers whose perfumes I reviewed in this post.

Fragrance takes flight as Hummingbird and Bat join the Zoologist Perfumes menagerie – and a prize draw!

By Donna One of the most distinctive new brands in the crowded sea of niche perfumery is Zoologist Perfumes. Creative director Victor Wong had an original idea, cruelty-free fragrances inspired by the animal world, and in 2014 the first three fragrances of his vision were launched. Beaver, Panda and Rhinoceros are wildly divergent in style, but each one has its own charm. Mr. Wong is a fascinating man of many talents who tells the most marvelous stories, and the Zoologist label designs reflect his sense of humor and whimsy. I was sure I would adore Panda when I read the list of notes. It had everything I could ever want in a floral-green scent, but when I finally did try it, there was an obstacle in the way of my full enjoyment; vetiver. This very popular perfumery material can be a nemesis for me, especially in its greener state versus the dark roasted vetiver as exemplified in Bruno Fazzolari's Lampblack. In Panda there is just enough vetiver to overrun the delicacy of such notes as bamboo, osmanthus, green tea, lily, mandarin, orange blossom, moss, and more things that I adore. That said, I can tell that it is a very well-done fragrance, and if my own nose and skin chemistry did not turn fresh green vetiver into old, stale vase water, I would indeed love it. It was composed by talented perfumer Paul Kiler of PK Perfumes. Mr. Kiler also composed Rhinoceros, which could not be more different than Panda, and its aggressively masculine style is both wild and wonderful. I was skeptical of this one, and as sure as I was of liking Panda I “knew” that Rhinoceros was not for me, but what can I say, I do love it. It is a leathery scent with sturdy aspects of rum and tobacco in synergy with the pungency of pine, sage and lavender. This is well-trodden ground (see what I did there?) but the difference in Rhinoceros is that it is not trying to be polite and civilized like so many well-regulated mainstream masculines. It has all the classical elements writ large, but it is not crude or loud by any means, just big and strong and unapologetically so, like its namesake. After the first couple of hours it mellows to an expansive, glowing drydown, a hearth-side feel that is most pleasing. I do not usually wear masculine fragrances (as opposed to unisex) but that is really just a social construct in most cases, and I really enjoy wearing this. It is free of the unfortunate markers of mainstream fragrances meant for men – it is not sporty or fresh and it has none of those huge synthetic woody-amber molecules that tend to wreak havoc on the sinuses of the unsuspecting. Whoever decides to wear this, just do it with confidence and don't worry about labels. Rhinoceros makes me happy whenever I put it on; it's funny that a perfume with the name of a wild animal with a formidable weapon and a reputation for being near-sighted and cranky turns out to be a comfort scent. The most truthful fragrance of the line may very well be Beaver, because it does smell very animalic and more than a little bit funky after an unexpected opening chord of airy linden blossom and iris with a crystalline, watery feel. This fleetingly lovely overture last for only a few moments before the muskiness emerges, and by this I do not mean those clean “modern” musks which are only so called because of molecular similarities to the real thing. Yet no animal musks, or other animal products, are in the perfume – it is all either synthetics or natural alternatives, and in this composition these accords smells about as close to nature as I have experienced in a contemporary perfume, redolent and rich, persistent and sweet in that peculiar gamey way of the animal world like a beaver's thick, oily coat, all through the magic of skillful perfumery. Beaver is meant to paint a picture of the creature in its natural habitat of secretive woodland pools and wildflower meadows, and it all comes together to do just that. It was composed by Chris Bartlett of the off-kilter Pell Wall Perfumes, a British niche company. Hummingbird, launched late in 2015, is my favorite of the line so far in a close race with Rhinoceros, a soaring, joyous celebration of flight, flowers and sweet nectar, as light as air but as sweet as a summer morning. Shelley Waddington of En Voyage Perfumes lent her skills to this one, and it bears her signature aesthetic of lilting florals and sunny good humor. I have a serious weakness for floral scents of this general style, and no one does them better than Shelley. I had the privilege of smelling some of the original mods for this fragrance, all of which were really pretty, and I wondered which variation would make the cut. When I received my sample, it was even better than I thought it would be; the floral fantasy of honeysuckle, mimosa, lilac, and honey I had smelled before had been heightened by the addition of succulent cherry and plum flesh and delicious sweet cream, a hummingbird's wildest dreams come true. It is as light as air yet long-lasting, sweet without being too sugary, and a triumphant demonstration that there is such a thing as a really great fruity-floral perfume (which I already knew, despite the many disastrous offering in this genre). Hummingbird is simply ecstasy in a bottle and is practically guaranteed to lift the mood of even the most curmudgeonly among us; I dare anyone not to smile with sheer delight when they smell it for the first time.                                                                                                                                                            Continuing with the winged theme, Bat is brand new for 2016 and is already garnering glowing praise. Its author is Dr. Ellen Covey of Olympic Orchids Perfumes, and it is intense and original in accord with her unique bold style. It has a big presence, and it reminds me of something else in the top notes; fans of The Cobra and the Canary by Imaginary Authors (count me among them) will probably find a lot to like in Bat, which evokes initial imagery of a dusty barn to me. It does not have the “old engine oil” vibe of the IA scent, but rather more of a haunted feeling, with lots of wood. The wood is distinctly weird – dry and warm at first, it gradually becomes darker and damp and gets a little bit of “blue cheese” vibe to it; it smells very much like the underside of a board that has been lying out in the garden, and when you turn it over it has a loamy smell and lots of little critters clinging to it. I happen to like that smell so I was intrigued. I also get a strong herbal sense of artemisia, specifically Southernwood, which I used to grow, with its odd blend of medicinal camphor and citrus scent, although it is not listed as a note. Mixed in with these aromas are hints of fruit and something faintly metallic, and earthen dust; banana is listed but it's not sweet and jammy, it's the raspy slide of the inside of the peel. Overall, this perfume reminds me of the cellar in my childhood home where we stored potatoes over winter, and where I did not really like to go because even in summer the gloomy chill of the place permeated everything, and the resident spiders were huge. So yes, it's a very good rendition of a bat cave, or maybe that dusty old barn at the beginning is daylight, and the bats in the belfry only come out in the cool of the evening as the fragrance develops. For me it is more of an artistic statement than a perfume I would wear myself, as it is somewhat unsettled on my skin and smells different every time I put it on, but it is an impressive achievement. Now for the best part - Due to the generosity of Victor Wong, I have an extra carded sample of Hummingbird for one lucky reader – you must have a mailing address in the continental U.S.A. to win. Please leave a comment if you would like to be entered, and good luck! Image credits: Hummingbird tableau and Bat bottle courtesy of Zoologist Perfumes. Rhinoceros at sunset via wall.alphacoders.com. Disclosure: The review samples were sent to me by Zoologist Perfumes and Dr. Ellen Covey.

Impressions of Genius: DSH Perfumes Giverny in Bloom Collection

By Donna Perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes has recently released the results of yet another collaboration with the Denver Art Museum – her eighth! - and once again she has demonstrated why she is one of the finest perfumers in America – and the world. The Giverny In Bloom Collection that accompanies the museum's major Impressionism exhibit is a perfect rendition of the artist's vision. There are four fragrances in the collection, three of which are actually the component accords for the final finished result named Giverny In Bloom. Each one has its own special character and is color-keyed to reflect its relationship to Impressionist art and gardens. Let's walk down the paths of Claude Monet's famous garden and see what we find. La Danse des Bleus et Des Violettes is an homage to blue and violet blossoms, and its shy and wistful character is guaranteed to charm. Rich in violets, iris and heliotrope with a touch of lilac, it is ever so soft and slightly powdery; it reminded me of the delicate paintings on bone china teacups, yet it is no relic consigned to a display cabinet; a a breath of green and true to life floral notes keep it firmly in the garden. The violet is quite prominent here but everything is swirled together and so well-balanced that nothing is at the forefront for too long as all the notes have a turn in the limelight. For those who find most violet soliflores to be too melancholy, this would be a good one to try. It is not rain-washed and sad but restful, evocative of a shady corner where one stops to sit on a bench and contemplate the surrounding garden's beauty.                                                                               The more extroverted L'Opera des Rouges et des Roses is a celebration of reds and pinks, with plump roses and peonies jostling for attention with warm, spicy carnations and almost being upstaged by a sublime note of jasmine. This is a cheerful scent, rich and sweet, spilling over with abundance and joie de vivre, a garden party in a bottle. I love these “old-fashioned” style florals and I mean that in the best possible way; perfumes with exotic woods and spices are all the rage these days, but the skill required to create a mixed media floral perfume that is both original and interesting cannot be denied.                                                                          My favorite of the three individual accord scents and the one that to me stands alone best as a finished perfume is Le Jardin Vert. Perhaps this is because it has one of my favorite notes in it – I just can't get enough galbanum, and there is enough of it here for my “green fix” and more; oakmoss, “dirt” accord, bergamot, pine needles – you name it, my favorite green and mossy things are all included, along with the ethereal breath of linden blossoms. This is a liquid vision of all those paintings of the bridge over the pond at Giverny, with weeping willows trailing in the water and lily pads covering its surface. The cool freshness of this perfume has been most welcome during this sweltering summer, and I have reached for it several times when the mercury rose to unbearable heights.                                                                                So, you may be wondering, what happens when all three of the base accords are combined to make the perfume called Giverny in Bloom? I really only need one word to describe it: magical. This is where the perfumer's genius reveals itself, in a thrilling symphony of scent and color that is worthy of a tribute to the master of Impressionism. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and the many superb florals combined with the green, mineral, earthy and woody materials create the uncannily three-dimensional effect of a living place. Its overall character is that of a green floral, with the galbanum of Le Jardin Vert still glimmering through. I can close my eyes and imagine I am there in Monet's overflowing garden, surrounded by the sensory feast of aromas and colors, not knowing where to look next, the dizzying jumble of grass, leaves and flower scents rising in the warmth of the sun and my skin caressed by cool breezes. The alchemy of this fragrance is such that when I walked back into the room where I had sprayed it I few minutes before, I smelled strong echoes of the two grandest green florals in perfume history – Balmain's Vent Vert and Jean Patou's Vacances, the latter one being my favorite perfume of all time. The originals of those two masterpieces are sadly no more, but now Giverny In Bloom is here to bring those lost gardens back to life. Image credits: Water-lily Pond and Weeping Willow; The Rose Walk, Giverny; and Branch of the Seine Near Giverny by Claude Monet via Wikipedia.org, all in the public domain. Disclosure: My testing samples of the perfumes in this review were given t me by DSH Perfumes.

The Painterly Palette of PK Perfumes (Part two)

By Donna Last time I reviewed the first half of the PK Perfumes line, and now I am wrapping it up with the rest of the bunch. I have really enjoyed testing the various styles of fragrance so well crafted by Paul Kiler. One that I keep coming back to experience is Velvet Curaçao, so intriguing is its dark and delicious take on orange and orange blossom. It does indeed feel like an opulent tapestry, or perhaps a heavy curtain in an opera box behind which all the grand ladies and gentlemen sit in their silken finery and flirt with slinky gloves, feathered fans and sidelong glances. It is almost candied it is so rich, but it is kept from being too sweet by its deeply burnished base of oakmoss, labdanum, ambrette seed, woods and musks. This would be a wonderful fragrance for special occasions, especially the kind where the lamps are turned down low, soft music is playing and candles are lit... Carissa is a very bright, happy and extroverted floral. It is a classic bouquet scent with rose, tuberose, green notes, jasmine, orange blossom and and the unusual and rarely used Carissa flower, an Australian bloom with which I am not familiar but which has a gardenia-like scent. (Its fruit is quite poisonous when unripe; typical for a white floral, they always seem to have something sinister in their family tree and that's one of the things I love about them.) It is entirely unapologetic about its nature so those who shun floral perfumes like this for being “old-fashioned” will miss out on its effusive charm. Carissa would be right at home in the kind of American style mid-century perfumery that produced so many overtly feminine fragrances (think of White Shoulders, for example) but that is exactly why I like it so much. It's the kind of thing I splash on with abandon when I don't have to go to the office and I can just revel in excessive girly indulgence all I want. I am always on the lookout for a good green scent, and Ere is a welcome addition to the genre. It's just grassy enough from the judicious use of galbanum but it's not chewy and dense like some fragrances that have an overdose of the stuff – mind you, I adore galbanum, but sometimes you just want to enjoy a nice soft green fragrance that reminds you of walking on dewy lawns, and this is one that fills that niche to the letter. It has a resinous (but not heavy) base that makes it linger much longer than most of its kind, and a juiciness that lets you know this grass is stemmy and freshly cut, ready for your bare feet to tread upon. I am saving the rest of my sample and I plan to trot it out the next time it's too hot to wear anything but a soothing, cooling green. After reading the description of Pentecost, how it actually smells was quite a surprise. I was expecting a fresh spring floral with roses, but how about grapes? Yes, the aroma of grape must and wine dregs, intense and pervasive, is what hit my nose first with this one. I am particularly fond of the foxy pucker of grape skin so I enjoyed this immensely. The florals and exhilarating green notes chime in shortly thereafter, and it turns out that the initial impression was an illusion, simply another facet of rose, fresh and fruity yet rich, the immediate and vivid breath of a highly scented living flower. The other surprise of Pentecost is how long it lingers; I could still smell it on my skin the next morning after applying it the day before. It's flat-out gorgeous and I recommend it highly for any fan of rose perfumes. Speaking of rose, the name says it all with Dirty Rose, a sultry black-red rose with a hefty punch of patchouli, made distinctive from others of its kind by the inclusion of just enough oud a great wallop of muskiness. If you want the overall structure of a rose/oud scent but the extreme versions from the likes of Montale are too much, this would be a great choice. Patchouli can be problematic for me, and sometimes it refuses to cooperate with my skin chemistry, but on a good day I can rock a perfume like this and feel like a femme fatale, and when that happens Dirty Rose works perfectly. On the flip side, this is easily a man's rose for those who dare. Prisoners will not be taken in either case. The final fragrance I tested was a preliminary version of a pending launch intended for men only, and it's easy to see why – Kairos is devoid of any softness or sweetness, yet it is elegantly constructed, not rough or coarse. It is a vetiver-heavy scent with an earthy muscularity which is still restrained enough for polite company. I don't know what the final product will be like but I think it's safe to say that it will require men with strong personalities to carry it off, and I eagerly await its debut. Image credit: Red rose wallpaper via wondrouspics.com. Pink roses on branch wallpaper from 4hotos.com. Disclaimer: I requested and received a sample set from PK perfumes for testing purposes.

The Painterly Palette of PK Perfumes (Part one)

By Donna The one-man show known as PK Perfumes has been quietly making inroads into the American indie perfume scene, and the small company has gained wider recognition with several prestigious industry nominations and awards in an impressively short span of time. Perfumer Paul Kiler has a unique and somewhat quirky viewpoint, and after testing the full range of fragrances and a draft of an upcoming launch, it is easy to see why this brand is gaining a loyal following. These fragrances are composed in the classic manner with a high percentage of natural materials, but the results can be quite unexpected. One of the most talked-about perfumes in the lineup is Red Leather, and when I first tried it, I really thought I hated it. The opening is blunt and tarry, and it seemed as though it was going to be one of those coarse, greasy leather and patchouli scents that only the bravest men would ever wear. Much to my surprise, this effect did not last very long, and after the smoke cleared a different animal appeared. I have never smelled leather paired with the astringency of buchu leaves, rhubarb and pink grapefruit before but this is a genius move that turns Red Leather into a streamlined modern leather like no other. Civet and castoreum in the base keep it anchored and some florals peek through on occasion, but this one is all about the contract between funk and zing, and it works wonderfully. I ended up liking it a lot with its sporty vibe that brings to mind Italian leathers such as Trussardi, and it is ideal for men (and women) who want to make a memorable impression. Gold Leather is very different from its sibling, but it also gets its character from an unusual combination of notes. To my nose the dominant impression is of “pocketbook” leather overlaid with a bitter cherry/almond accord, which happens to be one of my favorite things in perfumery (see DSH Perfumes Antiu), and softened with fruits and sumptuous white flowers – lily, tuberose, gardenia, honeysuckle, jasmine and more. It is sweet but not overly so, and the leather is always in the forefront. Herbal notes and oakmoss make for an earthy yet sunny drydown that seems to last forever. This is my kind of leather scent; since I am an ardent fan of vintage Balmain Jolie Madame, who hides a huge bouquet of creamy white florals under her leather catsuit, I appreciate that Gold Leather fills a need for today's perfume lovers seeking a wearable feminine leather that will also appeal to men. This one goes on my wish list for sure. We are still not done with leather, and Zaffran is yet another original take on the theme – leather with saffron, and lots of saffron at that. Zaffran is quite somber, with no discernible sweetness, and even cardamom, clove bud, cinnamon and kaffir lime can't brighten the mood created by the leather embellished with tobacco, patchouli and costus root. It has a distinctly masculine aura, and although many women might like it I would rather smell it on a man than wear it myself. It is actually too subdued for my taste and I wish it had a little more brightness, but it's as smooth as one could want and elegantly understated. Another fragrance in the line that has a unisex appeal is Ginger Zest de Citron, which was inspired by the idea of cooling summer drinks. The concept is deceptively simple; sure, just throw in some citrus and add ginger, how hard could it be? Not so fast – this is a well composed and interesting scent that hides an undercurrent of curry spice, musk and a hint of leather, with a dry, cool and rooty character that feels just like sitting in the shade of a tree on a hot day. It also lasts a lot longer on skin than one would expect for something in this style. Guys, please oh please wear this in summertime instead of those dreadful, faceless “bug spray” sporty masculines. You will be doing yourselves and the rest of us a huge favor. Switching gears, the delightful duet of chocolate and violets provides an olfactory treat in Violet Chocolatier. It would be easy to dismiss it as a novelty but don't make that mistake. An initial burst of dew-dappled violets is quickly joined by a warm accord of gently spiced chocolate and a deliciously tangy fruit note of apricots. I can take all the apricot you can throw at me and more, and the fact that it is combined with so many of my other favorite perfume ingredients – violet, chocolate, rose, nutmeg, honey, gardenia, benzoin, jasmine and more – pretty much guarantees my thumbs-up vote on this one. As it dries down the round, juicy fruitiness sticks around accompanied by an earthy iris effect as the violet subsides, with lingering echoes of chocolate and amber, and it turns out to be a surprisingly sophisticated composition. Highly recommended. While we are in gourmand territory, let's talk about Café Diem. This is another idea that could have gone wrong in less capable hands but it really works here in a boozy, smoky blend of coffee, absinthe, whiskey, warm spices, incense and vetiver. It's less foody than it sounds and one reason for that could be because of what's not in it; Mr. Kiler dislikes vanilla and does not use it in his perfumes. (Did I mention his quirky viewpoint? I believe I did.) One of the most popular materials in all perfumery is off the menu, and it's exactly one of the ingredients most perfumers would use in this kind of fragrance, but it suffers not all from its absence. Café Diem brings back memories of my younger self and good times spent at a local French bistro that had live jazz bands playing late into the evening. Liquor flowed freely, and the bar specialized in steaming hot coffee drinks featuring the addition of Drambuie, Bailey's Irish Cream and other cozy libations. Just one of those would keep me warm all the way home on a rainy winter night, and this comforting coffee scent would make a perfect winter perfume. Next time I will review the rest of the PK Perfumes roster, so come back soon! Image credits: Gold tooled floral pattern leather via kaneva.com . Rose and Violet chocolate creams via lakeland.co.uk Disclaimer: I requested and received a sample set from PK perfumes for testing purposes.