Cédrat Envirant by Atelier Cologne

By Tom Atelier Cologne popped up a few years ago with several fragrances that I really liked, but never got around to purchasing. For a "cologne" they are rather strong and relatively long-lasting (which is in no way a negative). This one is supposed to be built around lemon and gin notes. Now gin and lemon are something I love- in a glass filled with shaved on a hot summer day, preferably served poolside. I'm not sure that I really need to smell like gin and lemon though, if only to avoid breathalyzer tests.. However, Cédrat Envirant manages to spare me that because at least on me it smells more like grapefuit that lemon and I don't get the gin. I get a really pretty grapefruit complete with peel and pith, then the mint and bergamot come in, then the tonka and vetiver. As with other Atelier Colognes, the lasting power is very good, especially for a "cologne" and the prices are even reasonable. Will I buy? Maybe when summer comes around- I like to be wearing heavier stuff in winter, even if it's about 80º in LA today. Hey, I'm in an air conditioned office.. Notes (from LuckyScent): Moroccan cedrat, Mexican lime, Calabrian bergamot, Chinese mint, Egyptian basilica, Macedonian juniper, Brazilian tonka bean, Haitian vetiver, and Phillipine elemi. Cédrat Envirant comes in three sizes: 30ML for $65, 100ML for $105 and the massive 200ML for $170. I assume at Neiman Marcus and Barney's as well as Aedes and LuckyScent. My sample was asked for and given at ScentBar. Image Credit: LuckyScent

Orange Sanguine by Atelier Cologne

By Marina This seemingly simple composition of Orange Sanguine makes me want to take an orange and to brutally bite into it, cutting the zesty armor with teeth, tearing the soft flesh, forcing the juice to burst out...Because that is how realistic the orange here smells to me. The composition took into the account all of the fruit, from the sharp-tasting peel to the tangy, luscious sweetness of the edible part...to the leaves still sticking to it. It must be geranium that contributes that green, acidic characteristic to the blend and keeps the dulcitude of orange at the slightly sour level of the live fruit, not at the ubiquitous in today's perfumery level of cheap creamsicle. Orange Sanguine is not a loud perfume, but it stays (longevity is the schtick of Cologne Absolute). L'Artisan's Mandaraine Tout Simplement is the one scent, the initial wow-inducing realism of which somewhat reminds me of Orange Sanguine. I say intitial, because the mandarine there disappears as soon as you get ready to think your teeth into it. The other scent that somewhat reminds me of OS is Malle's Bigarade Concentree. The latter one is, however, outwardly more complex and evokes a reaction less primitive than the wonderful I Need To Eat This Now impulse of Atelier Cologne's creation. Available at Atelier Cologne, Bergdrof etc, $50.00-$145.00. Image source, unknown.

Vanille Incensee by Atelier Cologne & a prize draw

By Marina For the sake of disclosure, I have to preface the review by saying that I won the Vanille Incensee collection of products in a giveaway on facebook. Winning a huge amount of an unsniffed fragrance and especially, for me, a vanilla fragrance, makes one, yes, all atwitter, but also a little anxious. But it might be that there really is no randomness in the Universe, and Vanille Incensee and moi were meant to be. By the power of luck and facebook, we will live happily ever after, dear reader. A modern kind of romance. From above ramblings, you can gather that Vanille Incensee turned out to be my kind of vanilla. It is a "complicated vanilla", as in, and I quote myself, "vanilla paired with contrasting/unexpected notes to achieve the yin-yang, unisex-ish, oddly attractive, 'not for little girls' effect." The official copy tells us of how He wore it first, and then She stole it, and then He encounters that scent in a crowd (probably in Manhattan, because I spy with my little eye a yellow NYC cab on the image accompanying Vanilla Incensee), and there she is in front of him...it's an open ending, but let's believe they live happily ever after too. What? It might happen! Even in Manhattan. So anyway, the composition is unisex and "yin/yang", thanks to a generous amount of wood and moss, a darker accord which contrasts the creamy vanilla. There is also an incredibly appealing, delicate jasmine note woven into the composition, which, in my opinion, adds another, floral, dimension without stealing the attention away from the vanilla and woods. A citrus dimension is here too, which both gives a nod to the "cologne" concept and lifts the composition, again, without taking over the scent. And finally, the dry spiciness of coriander is yet another layer, which enhances the gently smoky effect of woods. So yes, it is a complex vanilla, when you start analyzing it layer by layer, but it wears effortlessly and has a spacious, uncluttered, airy feel. It also, despite the presence of fairly heavy notes, seems light. Not in a sense of short staying power, the latter is actually quite formidable, about 8 hours on my skin. It is light in a sense of translucency of the composition; there are many layers, but they seem transparent. For lovers of the woody vanilla genre, in particular a very contemporary take on it, this is a must-sniff and probably a must-have. Available at ateliercologne.com, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus, $60.00-$170.00. It also comes in a soap and a candle. The latter is stronger on jasmine, woods and spice, to my nose, and has a great throw. With the combined total of 260ml, it really will be forever after for me and VI, so I would love to share. Tell me in your comment what was the most exciting thing you have ever won. Two commenters will be randomly chosen to each receive a 5ml decant of the scent. The draw is now closed.

Grab Bag: Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine

By Tom This week is the Neiman Marcus Beauty Event, which means that I make my semi-annual trek to buy Kiehl's. While always telling myself that I'm not going to bother to try to get to the magic number N-M wants to to plunk down for a bag with samples, I always seem to get within $5 of the price and end up tossing a lip balm in to make the grade. Back when Clinton was president, the N-M freebie was pretty good; with large sized pots of gook and those legendary 25ML bottles of Goutal Hadrien. Now it's chock full of samples that they should be giving out for the asking. The fragrance samples were the headache-inducing Van Cleef and Arpels Oriens and Atelier Cologne Orange Sanguine. Atelier Cologne has others at Neiman's (where it's a new exclusive line) like Bois Blonde and Oolong Infini, both very nice. Orange Sanguine was one of those openings that elicits a squeal of delight: if you walk into your local market, grab a satsuma and give it a twist you will basically have the first 15 minutes. I love that smell so it made me very happy. You might feel that it's too Tropicana literal. Even though it does add depth later with woods, geranium and jasmine I can't see popping $165 for this. Isn't Demeter Orange Juice $20?