Five-Star Hotel: Eau d’Italie Magnolia Romana - Review

by Olfactoria When I go through my Osmoz kit of floral notes, I always stay the longest with the magnolia note. It is so beautiful, so tender. It is my favorite floral note. Strange that I do not have a single perfume featuring it. Well, no more. Enter Magnolia Romana, one of the perfumes of the Eau d’Italie line by Bertrand Duchaufour. It was created in 2008 and features notes of purple basil, lemon leaves, neroli, nutmeg, cypress, magnolia, Bulgarian rose, tuberose, lotus, ozone, aquatic notes, cedar, hay extract and white musk. Magnolia Romana smells like fresh linen at an expensive hotel, an elegant bed, with crisp and cool, high tread-count sheets. A fresh, clean – freshly laundered even – scent, that should make us hard core Perfumistas wary of what is to come. But somehow it doesn’t, this is clean scent, yes, but one done by the master. The perfume progresses into more floral territory soon, the magnolia, heavy with dew drops or rain, its affinity to water underscored by lotus, sits there, pink and pretty, enveloping me in its soft and tender embrace. Magnolia Romana is very long lasting, the drydown is pleasantly musky with vestiges of magnolia clinging on until the very end. Magnolia Romana is easy to love, a perfectly likeable scent that is pleasing and carefree and simply lovely. It smells good in an expensive way. Like someone dressed casually, but expensively. Only the best fabrics, only the best tailoring even for a jeans and t-shirt kind of day. Magnolia Romana smells like the understated elegance and quiet classiness of a really good hotel that does not approve of flashiness or overt opulence. Like a hotel I would very much like to stay in. I smell the part. Image source: fragrantica.com, capital-calling.com

Kristen Michèle Parfumeur Fleurs Blanches, Notes Fraiche and Épice Orientale

by Olfactoria Kristen Michèle Parfumeur is a line consisting of three scents created by Californian Kristen Michèle. Established in 2008, the line is now available in Europe through First in Fragrance. The fragrances are handcrafted and “inspired by travels and life itself” as Kristen Michèle states. I had the opportunity to try all three, here are my personal impressions. Notes Fraîches: Notes Fraiches was created in 2008 and includes notes of lemon, galbanum, marine notes, honeysuckle, gardenia, lily, musk and white tea. Notes Fraiches is as the name suggests, a fresh, marine scent. Evocative of maritime breezes and freshly laundered white sheets blowing in the wind, Notes Fraiches is not exactly my kind of perfume. It is very pretty and well-made though, and I’m sure it has its fans, my husband first among them. Notes Fraiches is soft and wears close to the skin. Fleurs Blanches: Fleurs Blanches was also released in 2008 and includes notes of blackberry, grapefruit, frangipani, lily, narcissus,tuberose, ambergris, musk and sandalwood. Fleurs Blanches, white flowers are taking up the theme of the first perfume seemlessly. Reminding me of Acqua di Parma Magnolia Nobile, Fleurs Blanche is pretty and happy and cheerful, but thankfully not relentlessly so. It calms down nicely after a few minutes and is a soft and lovely floral on a creamy sandalwood base. A bridal scent if there ever was one. This is no heavy white floral by any means, but a delicate bouquet of freshest, dew-laden blooms. Young and carefree. Épice Orientale: The last of the three, an oriental, includes notes of blood orange, fruity notes, jasmine, tuberose, patchouli, frankincense and ambergris. Èpice Orientale is by nature the heaviest of the three. It is a floral oriental, although for its genre it is quite light and airy, sheer almost and therefore very wearable, even for non-oriental fans. It opens strongly with the accent on the orange, aided by a little spicy kick. The heart is dominated by tuberose that segues smoothly into the broad base of patchouli and amber. This light enough to be worn year-round, although it is lovely now, as temperatures drop. The spicy orange also gives the perfume a christmas-y vibe. If I had to find one word to express the common thread that defines those three perfumes it would be clean. These are very clearly American fragrances, made for American sensibilities. Which is simply a statement, not a judgement! I could imagine these selling like hotcakes in Sephora. Since it is a niche line, I am not sure this is what people who are especially interested in perfume, are looking for. Too clean, too polished, too friendly and sleek . But what sets them apart from usual mainstream fare, is the high quality of the materials and the love that went into them, a love I can smell, even if the perfumes are not to my personal taste. What about you? Did you try the line? What are your thoughts?

L’Artisan Parfumeur Ile Bourbon Candle

by Olfactoria When I look at the name of Île Bourbon, I expect – and so would many, I guess – a vanilla candle. Do we have many vanilla candles already? If you are anything like me, the answer is yes. But Île Bourbon is more than a vanilla scent. Evoking a tropical paradise, after one of which it is named after all, Île Bourbon smells gloriously fresh, floral, spicy and softly sweet with a little darkness added. It is exotic and warm, it smells exactly like the soft, golden light of a candleflame looks. Sit down with a good book, light that candle and start dreaming. It works like a charm. Île Bourbon includes notes of vanilla, orange, citrus and nutmeg and is available at L’Artisan Parfumeur.

The Scent Of Freedom – Review: Lostmarc’h Aod

by Olfactoria Lostmarc’h Aod is the third perfume by Breton niche line Lostmarc’h that captures my heart. The gourmand Lann-Ael and the unique floral Ael-Mat got company by this quintessential beach fragrance. Aod features notes of grapefruit, gardenia, coconut and seashore accord. Starting with sparkling and fresh grapefruit, the gardenia (a light and summery, not very realistic, but lovely gardenia) comes through immediately, bolstered by a coconut that is non-sweet and fresh. The predominantly floral accord is surrounded by sea spray, by salt-water mist. Aod is not the classic tropical beach scent, not like Bobbi Brown Beach for instance, but rougher, the sea here is harsher, no sand but cliffs, not bright sunshine and cloudless skies, but a brisk wind that is blowing the clouds through the sky, tousles your hair and quickly dries your skin leaving the salty residue behind. Aod is meant to evoke beaches in the Bretagne, Lostmarc’h is named after just such a beach after all. And that is exactly what this perfume does. I vastly prefer such beaches to tropical ones. I prefer the harsh windblown Atlantic coast in the Northeast to Floridian mellow sands, I prefer the beaches in the Pacific Northwest to California’s surf paradise. And I prefer the beaches of England or France to those of Turkey or Greece. I prefer the cooler weather, the wind, the rough elements, the visible struggle of water versus land. An endless white sandy beach bores me to death (although I’d be perfectly willing to try one again anytime, for science’s sake!). I feel free when I stand on a rocky outcropping looking out over a lively sea, shivering slightly, my hair blowing every which way in the wind. Smelling the water and the colorful flowers that bloom despite the hardship. Therefore Aod is ideal for me. Aod is the olfactory equivalent of wind-beaten water, ragged cliffs and gnarly vegetation that is braving the elements. You want to close your eyes and inhale deeply. Can you feel the freedom? Image source: luckyscent.com, ruby beach via istock

Memories –Comme Des Garcons Series 3 Incense Avignon

By Olfactoria I used to go o church every Sunday as a child, and on high holidays like Christmas or Easter I went for up to five days in a row. (Easter is a busy time for Catholics.) There were times when I protested, but mostly I just went to avoid strife and because, later on, I found ways to enjoy myself like playing the violin in the church orchestra or singing in the choir. Making music in church was great. Also, I was a Girl Guide and we all had parents who sent us to church regularly, so we teamed up and together it was almost a party, albeit a quiet one of whispered conversations an hushed giggling in the back rows. Catholicism played a huge role in my childhood and the scent of incense is closely bound with those memories. But many incense fragrances I like evoke the outdoors (like Tauer Incense Extreme or Armani Privè Bois d’Encens), are calmly meditative (like CdG Kyoto or Heeley Cardinal) or combined with other interesting materials and thus deflecting my associations away from incense that was used in the church of my youth. Not so Avignon. Avignon is the incense of Sundays past, the direct path into my memories, one spray of Avignon and I see our beloved, old, now passed away, priest standing there and swinging the censer. All the smells, bells and costumes are instantly back with a whiff ofAvignon. Created by none other than Bertrand Duchaufour in 2002, Avignon includes notes of Roman chamomile, cistus oil, elemi, incense, vanilla, patchouli, palisander and ambrette seeds. Avignon opens with incense and myrrh, deep, somber, holy. It widens into a dark resinous heart, rich and smoky, later it calms considerably drying down to a woody incense with a hint of vanilla on the edges. For me it is all there: the old wooden pews, the cool, slightly stale air, the incense of course, the burning candles, the flowers on the altar and the many, many people in their Sunday best avidly listening, thinking of entirely wordly matters or some even silently asleep. What I liked best during a service, when I was still a small child and had not yet grown into my other in-mass occupations, was looking at people. It was very interesting to watch their behavior, watch their faces and imagine their stories. There was “Bear-Man”, a huge older man, with the stature of a boxer and the nose to match, was very fascinating in that he managed to irritate many a pious woman in his vicinity with his incessant and completely unapologetic snoring. He was fast asleep during most of the early eighties, as far as I could see. Then there was a woman I called “Die schöne Helena” in my head, because I thought she was exactly like Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in history. I had read about her and was fascinated with her beauty and power over men. The Helena in my church was standing out of the crowd, when she entered the church, a hush fell over the crowd, men and women alike, although for entirely different reasons, stared at her and followed her down the aisle with their gazes. So did I. One time she sat in the row before me and my family. She was wearing a red coat and a black fur shawl. Her long blonde hair was open and flowed down her back. My mother looked slightly scandalized whenever Helena swung back her mane of golden hair. I remember wanting to touch it and sitting in an undecided agony of tension for the entire service. Every time she swung her hair over her shoulders, I got a whiff of the most delicate scent, soft and flowery. I decided then and there that I wanted to grow my hair long. This was a point of endless discussions with my mother from then on. As soon as she could not object any more I grew my hair long, and wear it long still. I wish I could see Helena now, I bet she grew old in style. I could go on and on, but realizing this is a perfume review (in theory) and not my memoir, I’d better get back to the subject at hand – Avignon. Avignon is cool, deep and dignified. It is not something you apply without second thought, at least I can’t, when I wear it, it is an occasion to be marked. Avignon is an outstanding fragrance, longlasting, well-made, the reference incense, a necessary part of any Perfumistas collection. But that is just my opinion. Image source: luckyscent.com, vintageadbrowser.com

What’s In A Name? Review: The Different Company Sublime Balkiss

By Olfactoria Isn’t that name great? I was always fascinated by the wonderful name of this perfume. Names are important, they give identity, but of course a pretty name, or a great one even, are not enough. With people and with perfume. Balkiss was the name of the Queen of Sheba. I am not sure why this name was given to this particular perfume, I would imagine it would have been a better fit for a sumptuous oriental, or even a regal mega-floral, but not for this soft and unassuming “chypre”. Created by Cèline Ellena, Sublime Balkiss includes notes of bergamot, cassis, blackberries, rose, lily of the valley, violet leaf, lilac, patchouli fraction, patchouli essence, heather. Sublime Balkiss is a so-called modern chypre that has not much to do with the chypre category, maybe another name would be better here as well, since we are on the subject. I already said that the name of this perfume always captured my imagination, but I seem to recall having tried it several times before it entered the review queue, but I had no recollection whatsoever what it smelled like. When I wore it in preparation for reviewing, I promptly forgot what it was, I put on, twice. It is safe to say that sadly, Sublime Balkiss is, unlike its grand name, not a very unique and memorable fragrance. It is soft, shy, quiet and restrained. A berry opening sets the tone to muted purple and green. Patchouli (two kinds of the star of the modern chypre) anchors the scent. And that is about it. It is a fresh and green and violet-tinged berry patchouli. Sorry, that is the best I can do. I have heard it compared to Thierry Mugler Angel, but to me that is like comparing an elephant to a mouse. Both happen to be grey animals, but that’s it with the similarities. But if you are looking for a grey animal that is lighter and smaller than Angel, Sublime Balkiss may be it. Sublime Balkiss is mostly linear, it smells somehow familiar and it smells good. I am not saying this is a bad fragrance, just that it refuses to make a lasting impression on my mind. How about the lasting impression on my skin? Sublime Balkiss stays with me for about three to four hours, if I don’t forget about it before. Somehow I believe, if this perfume didn’t have such an intriguing and imposing name, I wouldn’t feel quite so let down by its fragrant reality now. Image source: thedifferentscent.de, wikipedia.com

Underneath The Ashes – Review: Idole de Lubin

By Olfactoria May I just say, to get the pesky things out of the way, how much I do not like that bottle. I refrained from saying “hate with a passion” since that would be putting entirely too much emotion into that essentially irrelevant issue, but just to be clear, I do not enjoy the visual input of that bottle, Serge Mansau creation or not. So, that is that. Idole was released in 2005, the name is borrowed from another Lubin fragrance from the 1960ies, but the juice is not the same. Idole was created by Olivia Giacobetti. The notes include rum absolute, saffron, bitter orange peel, black cumin, Doum palm, smoked ebony, sugar cane, leather and red sandalwood. How does it smell? It sure sounds like a heavyweight from that list of notes. But remember – we are dealing with the Queen of Translucency here. I have yet to encounter a dense and heavy Giacobetti scent. ( I am willing to be corrected of course!) The first thing that comes to mind is some kind of cocktail. Spices swirling in a heady cloud of alcohol, but as soon as the rum note wears off, the orange and spices shine nicely on a backdrop of leathery wood. It is not at all strong, it does not project very far, but stays rather close and is gone after three hours. There is fruity-ness to the top that I do not entirely enjoy. I start to appreciate Idole about an hour into wear-time. It is then that the spices take on a dark, subdued glow, like the remains of a fire, the coals still glowing under a heap of ashes. The drydown is sweeter, making it cozier, something to sink into after the stormier, more exiting ride that it was before. Idole is probably ideal on a man, I would love to smell it on a man, unfortunately my own is of the opinion that he has found his scent of the year, and I am welcome to approach him with perfume wearing requests again in 2012. I’ll update then. Image Credit: flickr

Come On, Cumin – Review: L’Artisan Parfumeur Al Oudh

By Olfactoria I am not the world’s greatest admirer of oud. That is no secret. So you are probably asking yourself: What is she doing reviewing another Oud scent? And I am telling you this is not any old oud scent, but THE oud of the last years, an oud my hero Bertrand Duchaufour created. (And yes, I am a fan, and I won’t stop saying so any time soon, please let me be, I never adored teenie bands, so I am living my hero worship phase now.) So, who am I to go on ignoring this??? Especially since a sample found its way to me thanks to the lovely T. of Fragrant Reviews. His and his congenial co-author N.’s review is quickly cited, since the two boys review perfumes in 140 characters or less – twitter appropriate – I envy such conciseness: Sweet & funky oud with an animalistic vibe, coupled with dry leather & woods. Fairly linear. Barnyard Chic. Al Oudh was created in 2009 by the aforementioned BD and includes notes of cumin, cardamom, pink pepper, neroli, rose, castoreum, civet, leather, musk, oud, sandalwood, Atlas cedar, patchouli, myrrh, incense, vanilla and tonka bean. There is no getting around it – Al Oudh has a certain B.O. vibe for me. Cumin is not my friend as well and when there is too much, I get almost sick. Sadly, therefore glorious perfumes likeJubilation 25 (Amouage) or Absolue pour le Soir (Maison Francois Kurkdjian) are not for me, as much as I get and appreciate the beautiful perfume beneath the cumin, I cannot get past the stink. Al Oudh is treading borderline territory. There is just enough cumin to make me a little nervous, but not enough to all out dismiss it. The beautiful perfume underneath is very present for me here. And, cumin aside, it is a beautiful perfume. The oud is smooth and serene, the spices, the musk, the leather, the woods – all make up a powerful and highly interesting and likeable perfume. I think Al Oudh is one of the most interesting ones in the L’Artisan line up. I would love to smell it on a man (but I have not a chance to try it on my own, cumin is not his favorite either). I can appreciate it, but I will leave it to somebody else. See Tom’s take on this blog here. Image source: lartisanparfumeur.com, vegetariantimes.com

L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore Candle Review

By Olfactoria I never warmed to Traversée du Bosphore, the perfume. It reminded me too much of Loukhoum, the turkish delight that I am fond of to eat, less so to smell like. It was one of the few Bertrand Duchaufour compositions to leave me totally cold. Then I got a candle… I was gifted a mini-candle of Traversée du Bosphore and - ungrateful and picky Perfumista that I am - I took it smiling bravely, trying to suppress a tiny eye-roll. It is the thought that counts, isn’t it? One evening, when I was looking for something else entirely, I happened upon the mini-candle and on a whim, I lighted it. I promptly forgot about it (no need for security alerts though, it was safely out of reach for small hands and far from combustible items) and when I came back into the living room I was struck by the great smell in there. Apparently I am totally fine with my house smelling like loukhoum. Notes, according to Luckyscent included in Traversée du Bosphore, the perfume, are apple, pomegranate, tulip, iris, leather, saffron, Turkish delight accord (rose and pistacchio), vanilla and musks. What turns into an unrelenting sweet-fest on my skin, diffuses into a lovely, fruity-spicy delicacy wrapped in tobacco leaves and softest leather, in my living room. Now I finally got the appeal this perfume has for many. I am happy with my candle and how it transforms my environment into a Byzanthine fantasy. What can we learn from this? Never say never. Now where is that sample of Traversée du Bosphore again…

Spectacular Success? Prends Moi Tested

By Olfactoria If you have missed last Saturday’s post, you missed getting introduced to the world’s first slimming fragrance – Prends Moi (Take me!) by Veld’s. I selflessly and under severe personal hardship, tested this scent over the past week. Why the hardship you ask? Well, it is not easy to be restricted to just one perfume if you are a card-carrying Perfumista, but being restricted to one aquatic floral that broadcasts grinning and mindless happiness to the world at considerable volume, is especially hard for this misanthropic grinch here. So knowing I would be ready to severely harm somebody before the week was out, I agreed with myself to modify the test situation a bit. I would wear Prends Moi during the day, when its advertised appetite-suppressing abilities were most needed anyway, and come evening I was free to wear whatever I pleased. Wisely I got my heaviest ambers out of my closet in advance to be able to counteract the relentless good cheer of Prends Moi the minute the sun went down (or my children went down, whatever happened first). So I struggled my way through my days, teeth set on edge whenever I caught a whiff of myself. I can say one thing about Prends Moi, it really lasts. As every perfume we do not particularly love, this one proved to be the master of tenacity. (An aside: Does that mean that anyone hating Chanel 28 La Pausa for instance, is able to make it last for 24 hours?) But what about its slimming abilities? I did eat less. I swear, I really did. I lost 1.5 kilograms this week. But to tell you the truth, I think it was because Prends Moi distracted me so much, I forgot about eating, my appetite went down as my blood pressure went up. I did not eat, but I certainly did not feel healthier because of it. I’ll happily stay as I am, if I am allowed to not take Take me! any more. The feeling of well-being and contentment Prends Moi is said to induce, only arrived for me when I showered it off and delighted and indulged in the options of my perfume closet at night. Long live the heavy amber!

Veld’s Prends Moi Slimming Fragrance

By Olfactoria I found something curious this week at my local perfumery. Prends Moi (Take me!) is an Eau de Minceur, a slimming scent. Yes, you read that correctly, this fragrance says it helps you to slim down and reduce weight. Here is what the company says about Prends Moi: “Spring 2011, Veld’s once again turns beauty codes upside-down and launches the very first Parfum de Minceur. A new fragrance-gesture, combining the pleasure of a real fragrance with the desire for a beautiful silhouette, the dream of every woman when spring arrives…” The brand Veld’s, known for their innovative (or gimmicky, if you are less gracious) skincare products, launched this scent in Europe recently. Prends Moi is based on aromatherapeutic and “neurocosmetic” research. It claims to work by inducing a sense of well-being and contentment that apparently leads to a reduced need for bodily sustenance. In addition to smelling slim, it contains caffeine, carnitin, spirulina algae and a substance called betaphroline, all of which are meant to be massaged into the skin and help reduce fat tissue. Betaphroline works, so the company’s claim, by “triggering the release of Beta-Endorphins at the skin’s Keratocyte level, allowing transmission of the slimming message from one neuron to the next”. (I can see a Noble Prize for these people in the near future!) Okay, so let’s see: it works by inducing well-being and contentment, okay I am with them so far. Perfume can induce such a state of mind, we all know that, it is how many of us use perfume, to feel good, as well as smell good. Further, the feeling of well-being and contentment can reduce appetite, as in when you are happy, you tend to eat less. But I fear I need a lot more happiness that this little bottle can possibly hold, to stop me from craving chocolate or pasta. Like falling in love, landing a coveted new job, delivering a baby, these kinds of life events have the ability to stop me eating whatever strikes my fancy. Anything less – not a chance. A perfume that has such power? *watch my eyebrows shooting up* But skepticism aside, how does it smell? It is purported to be a “real fragrance” after all. The scent includes notes of bergamot, mandarin, grapefruit, jasmine, ylang-ylang, lilac, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and white musks. Sounds pretty straightforward, smells pretty much as expected. It is a lovely, non-threatening spring-y scent that forces me to use the dreaded descriptors “light” and “fresh”. It is upbeat and happy to the core. I am tempted to add “irritating”, but let’s not judge too early here. After an effervescent top of aquatic and citrus notes that keep up their thing for a long time, a softly floral heart centered on ylang-ylang segues into a lightly sweet vanilla-sandalwood drydown that almost avoids clean musks, but smells oddly fruity. There is certainly more fruit to this scent than the notes want to make us believe… I am up for a lot when it comes to perfume, and I feel adventurous, so therefore I will selflessly start an experiment. I happen to have a week’s supply of this miracle of science on hand. That means one week of spraying and rubbing Prends Moi regularly all over my body as recommended on the packaging, and a close monitoring of my eating behavior. I will report my findings next week. Prends Moi is available for 56€ for 100ml through their website, I saw it in store for 67€.

Technique Indiscrete “For Them” – A Fragrant Effort To Help Japan

By Olfactoria I wrote about this perfume on my blog when it was first announced. Now that I received my bottle (the Number Three of 1000, I am proud to say) I want to review it here, for I hope to reach a larger audience that way. And “For Them” certainly deserves a large audience. Technique Indiscrete is a Parisian niche-brand founded by Belgian perfumer Libertin Louison. Louison started out in Fashion and then found his true calling in Perfume; he was trained at Cinqiéme Sens in Paris. His line includes perfumes, candles and cosmetics. Soon after the catastrophe in Japan, Libertin decided to dedicate 1000 bottles of perfume, originally created for another cause that fell through, to the financial aid of Japan. 100% of profits from those bottles go to the survivors of the coastal town of Minami Sanriku that disappeared in the Tsunami. For Them is a lavender cologne done in a classic, old-style way. It opens with a strong blast of lavender that is not harsh like lavender can sometimes be, but smooth and well-rounded. It soon softens considerably into a comforting, calming scent that reminds me of vintage lavender water. One whiff of it transports me to visions of fresh air billowing white curtains, lavender-fields in the sun, fresh linen, and elegant fin-de-siècle parties in the countryside. For Them provides a short, but intense trip into a delightful past. It is a romantic perfume for me, very sophisticated in its simplicity, elegant and refined. Perfect for men and women For Them is a lovely surprise. I bought it unsniffed of course, since the fragrance itself was not my first concern here, but I couldn’t be happier with how it smells. I would promote this here in any case, since I believe it is a great idea worth supporting, but I can honestly say, I like this perfume a lot and would wear it even if it did not have the added benefit of being a way to show help and support to the people of Japan. I have nothing like it in my (extensive) collection, and so I think it is a lovely and worthwhile addition. Of the thousand bottles 927 are still unsold, let us change that! On the Technique Indiscrete website there is a counter, I’d love to see it go down further with the help of PST readers. At 35€ for 50 ml it is not expensive at all, but this is money truly well spent! Libertin Louison said “On est un seul peuple.” – We are one people! We live this truth in the perfume community, where we have formed friendships and relationships regardless of geographical realities. Please step up and support this cause Libertin Louison initated. It feels great being able to help while smelling gorgeous!

Nostalgia - Wiener Blut Klubwasser

By Olfactoria As PST’s resident Viennese I am predestined to write about an exclusive perfume by Viennese niche perfume line Wiener Blut called Klubwasser. Klubwasser is German for Club Water, it is a classic fougére in the manner of 19th century perfumes that were worn on handkerchiefs, so called “Taschentuchparfums” or the french translation that should be more familiar – Eaux de Toilette. Wiener Blut is a small company founded by Alexander Lauber, who made it his goal to bring back several scents based on popular bouquets of 19th century Vienna, he researched extensively and experimented with an Austrian perfumer Yogesh Kumar. The first fragrance of the line (it is to be expanded soon), Klubwasser, was introduced in 2009. Wiener Blut, which means Viennese Blood, is purportedly full of zest, full of power, full of courage, if I am allowed to cite, and butcher in translation, the text of a waltz by the same name by Johann Strauss. The company obviously sets big stock in history and the accurate rendering of historical fragrances, an approach I find charming and interesting. And Klubwasser is an interesting scent. The Eau de Parfum has a strong sillage and lasts for hours on me. I have tested it on skin as well as in the traditional way, as it was (or at least historically was) intended – on a cotton handkerchief. On fabric, Klubwasser lasts a week. I much prefer Klubwasser on fabric or a paper blotter than on my skin, where the harsher aspects are more prominent, whereas on fabric it smells softer and smoother, rounder and the floral notes are allowed to shine. Due to the style popular then, as well as technical reasons (perfumery techniques were rather different in the 19th century), Klubwasser is a dense, well-blended mix, where no particular note stands out, nor is there a lot of development. It is very interesting to smell such a scent, because there are not many reference points to compare it too, if you are not a perfume historian or have regular access to the Osmotheque in Versailles, I suppose. Klubwasser smells rather masculine at first, probably due to Indian cumin and lavender, as well as the intense green of galbanum and a little peppery spiciness. It is bolstered by an abstract floral bouquet, which rests on a rich, mossy base. Thanks to IFRA regulations it is a rare occasion one smells real oakmoss these days, and I don’t know how it is done here, but Klubwasser smells very much like the real thing. The drydown is herbal, hay-like, aromatic – gorgeous. I fell in love then. Klubwasser is a classic fougére fragrance that feels very traditional and almost nostalgic. It evokes images of the Wiener Kongress, the Kaiser, the times of grand Soirées and Balls at the Hofburg and Sunday afternoon strolls through the Prater. I rather enjoyed the almost arcane routine of carrying my Grandmother’s beautiful, monogrammed handkerchief in my bag and regularly taking it out to sniff. Klubwasser made me smell my lovely handkerchief compulsively and I have to admit, I have a new obsession. Although certainly genderless, I personally would prefer smelling Klubwasser on a man (and believe me, I am working hard on getting my dear husband, the great perfume adventurer, to try it.) Klubwasser is available in 100ml Eau de Parfum at very few, select stores, Colette in Paris, Campomarzio in Rome, Breathe in Berlin as well as in Vienna. Interestingly though, not in a perfume store, but at Lobmeyr’s, the famous crystal glass maker. (They have fabulous customer service by the way. A warm Thank you to the lovely lady who went out of her way to help me getting a sample of Klubwasser). The reason for this venue is that there is a limited crystal glass flacon designed by Lobmeyr filled with Klubwasser. I am looking forward to the new perfumes Wiener Blut will launch soon. Watch this space!

Great Balls Of Fire – Reunited With Le Feu d’Issey

By Olfactoria On Valentine’s Day here on PST we all wrote a post together, about the first perfume we ever loved. Mine was Le Feu d’Issey, a sadly discontinued masterpiece by Issey Miyake, that I wore from 1998, when it was launched, until I couldn’t find it anymore and moved on to other things. That was before my perfume infatuation began, but nonetheless Le Feu d’Issey always had a place in my heart and well as my olfactory memory. It is a unique scent, unlike anything I have smelled since and that is saying something. Since perfume turned into a way of life for me, I was always on the lookout for Le Feu. I regularly searched online, had my eyes open at flea markets and in perfume stores that seemed like they had stock from the fifties still on their shelves. But no Le Feu. It remained elusive or when it popped up now and then, it was not affordable. I was not willing to pay over 200$ to a questionable seller on eBay. Last week my luck changed. I was in a perfume store sniffing my way through some old classics, when I saw a glimpse of the familiar red behind a yellow-striped army of Giorgio Beverly Hills boxes. I started to hyperventilate – could that be what I thought it was? I started to burrow my way through the Giorgios and unearthed the top – Issey Miyake it said. Yessss!!! I would have paid 200$ or more that minute. With not much help of the supremely bored SA I managed to extricate Le Feu from its Beverly Hills prison where it had languished for the last ten years probably. A perfect, sealed 75ml specimen was mine for a retail price from ten years ago. Sometimes when it is good, it is really good! Many say Le Feu was ahead of its time and I agree. It failed massively on the market and was discontinued not long after its launch. A different perfume called Le Feu d’Issey Light was released in its stead, but that is a mere shadow, or a very distant relative to the original and not worth much discussion in my opinion. Of course this one is still available. Le Feu was created in 1998 by Jacques Cavallier and there are several notes lists out there. Basenotes lists Bulgarian Rose, Coriander, Sichuan Pepper, Golden Japanese Lily, Gauaic wood and milky Amber. Osmoz lists Bergamot, Coconut, Rosewood, Anise, Jasmine, Rose, Milk, Caramel, Cedar, Sandal, Vanilla and Musk. What ever is really in there – Le Feu smells simply intriguing. If you ever smelled Le Feu you know what I mean and you won’t have forgotten what it smells like. I write a perfume review a day, but I am at a loss for words when it comes to describing Le Feu. If pressed (which I undoubtedly am, since I chose to write about it!) I would say I smell a spicy, rosy, bready mix with hints of woody and lactonic notes, drying down to a musky vanilla-rose base. But I am far from satisfied with that description. Maybe I am also a little reticent to deconstruct it. I feel the same with a perfect poem, awe and respect, happy to enjoy it in its entirety but unwilling to poke at it and make it yield its secrets. In this case, I am not the type who needs to know how a magician does his tricks, but I am delighting in the sense of wonder watching that trick fills me with. Le Feu is strange and wonderful. Odd and beautiful. Weird and delectable. Maybe its brilliance is in the creation of a scent that is not resembling anything in nature, being something utterly new and original, unique and inimitable. Le Feu makes me jubilant, I delight in its sweet and sour jolt to my nose. Every time I smell it, I am glad I found it again and sad that such a marvel is not for everyone to have. Please bring back Le Feu d’Issey! Call it Le Terre d’Issey or L’Air d’Issey by all means. I think the world is ready for a new run with this extraordinary perfume. Image source: Coloribus.com

Brand Spotlight - The Organic Pharmacy

By Olfactoria I was lucky enough recently to receive generous samples of four of the five perfumes of the Organic Glam line the all-natural brand The Organic Pharmacy offers. There is a lovely boutique in Vienna that carries the line. I will write more about this boutique on Olfactoria’s Travels next week. The inspiration behind our fragrances was to create a 100% natural and organic fragrance line that matched the strict ethos of the organic pharmacy: No artificial fragrances, No artificial colours, No phalates, No animal ingredients. But at the same time gave the sophisticated woman a range of luxury fine fragrances in beautiful packaging that she would wear firstly as a fragrance she loved and secondly as an organic fragrance. Three years in the making our five fragrances use the finest and rarest extracts, expertly blended to create unique scents that are modern classics.- from the website of The Organic Pharmacy All five perfumes are available in 100ml bottles of Eau de Parfum for 220$. I wish they would make smaller sizes. I don’t need 100ml of anything. Give me a 30ml bottle or even smaller and I will be way more interested. That particular rant bears repeating, maybe some day it’ll go through. Citron: This is my least favorite of the four I got to test. It is said to be inspired by the Southern Italian Riviera. Unfortunately it reminds me more of air freshener, insect repellent and Citronella candles. Notes include Sicilian Lemon and Bergamot, Moroccan Orange Blossom, Ylang Ylang, Patchouli and Neroli. From the start there is a very artificial (ironic in a 100% natural fragrance) and sharp lemon note that dominates everything else into the ground. It relents a little later in the development and the orange blossom makes a short, sweet and rather lovely appearance, but the fragrance soon veers off again into a metallic and grating patchouli base that – again – smells strangely artificial. I know natural fragrances like Aftelier, DSH and Anya’s Garden, so I am really perplexed at the artifice of this one. But maybe that is just my perception. Oriental Blossom: The second scent I tested was more to my liking. Oriental Blossom is touted as a journey through the Orient. Notes of Sicilian Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin, Cinnamon, Clove, Rose, Neroli, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Pepper, Vanilla and Ylang Ylang. After a few minutes the dense citrus top notes give way to a heart of spicy rose. The cinnamon and clove give a lot of heat to the rose-ylang-ylang accord that dominates the perfume. It finally gives way to a softly sweet and mossy dry down. It smells more like a chypre than an oriental. This is not a light fragrance; it seems rather dense and opaque. It would be well suited for the cold season and would certainly be too much in the heat of summer. Also a little goes a loooong way with these. One more point in case for smaller bottles! Jasmin: The name says it all – Jasmin smells of jasmine. A fairly naturalistic rendition too, this soliflore segues from the freshly dew covered blossoms to the fully opened flowers at night. Notes include Egyptian Jasmine and Ylang Ylang, Sicilian Bergamot and Sandalwood. The fresh top notes are lovely and depict the not yet fully opened jasmine blossoms nicely. The perfume moves on to open up to a heady, a little indolic jasmine in full bloom and settles into a comfortable sandalwood base. It has greater than average sillage and impressive staying power. For jasmine lovers this is as close as you get to the actual flower. For me it is a bit overwhelming, since I am not a huge jasmine fan on the best of days, and this makes me feel like I am wearing a whole tree full of it on my back. Oud: Saved the best for last…wait a minute: Oud turns out to be my favorite? Sign and miracles! I had yet to find an oud I like and the proliferation of that note to appearing in every second new release did nothing to endear it to me. Oud depicts the “journey through the Arabian Souk”. Notes include Moroccan Cedarwood, Indian Oud , Black Pepper, Cardamon, Rose, Sandalwood,Vetiver and Tonka Bean. What I love about this fragrance is its mildness. The oud note is clearly there, but it is soft, balanced, smooth, round and has a wonderful depth and multi-faceted richness. Neither harsh nor sharp, not medicinal or screechy, this oud is singing in lovely harmony with the other spices present (I smell cardamom, pepper and a teeny bit of saffron). The woody backdrop is there from the beginning to provide solid scaffolding upon which the rose can climb safely and shine. The late dry down is warm and sweet thanks to the tonka bean. Oud is the most balanced and interesting perfume of the four. It is perfectly gender neutral, lasts for six hours on me and projects well, without being intimidating. The bottles the Organic Glam scents come in look very well-made and beautiful. The perfumes are available from the Organic Pharmacy website and several brick and mortar stores, a list of which can be found here.

Addiction Or Love Affair – Why We Can’t Get Enough Of Perfume

By Olfactoria There was a time when I did not care for perfume. As inconceivable as this seems to me now, whether I remembered to apply a spritz or two of whatever happened to grace my vanity at the time, or not, was not a matter of concern. I always had a bottle or two in my possession since it was like getting dressed or brushing my hair, just a gesture that was necessary to make myself presentable to the world. If I forgot, well, it would have been worse had I forgotten to put on trousers, wouldn’t it? Then, sometime – I bet you all have a story of how it happened for you – I saw things differently. All of a sudden perfume took on a new meaning, a new importance and a new, almost magical pull. My sense of smell awakened, smells all around got a new and vastly enlarged priority in my conscious mind. It was as if I had grown a new nose over night. Perfume became a way of living. It started to seep into everything, permeate my life with its wonderful sillage. What am I wearing today? Why am I wearing it? How does that make me feel? When can I try this new perfume? When can I buy a bottle of this old classic? Do I need this? Should I save up for that? Do I start a collection of vintage perfumes as long as I have the chance? Do I get a decant or a full bottle? Do I need a backup of this beloved limited edition? As time progresses, the questions get more and more complicated. More and more details have to be considered. As our collections grow along with our tastes and experiences, perfume rules a part of our lives. We spend significant amounts of time researching it, we spend time testing and experiencing it in stores and we spend time trying to imagine it. We seek out opinions of others, we talk about it, we connect with other like minded individuals about it - we have a hobby. Do we? Or is what we experience an addiction? Of course it can be. But not necessarily so. The hallmark of addiction is the abuse of something (or someone) to fill an emptiness that is otherwise unbearable. In most cases this addiction is detrimental to the person having it. The abused substance can be bad for you in itself, like drugs and alcohol or it can be turned into something bad, like food or shopping. All addictions have the loss of a correct idea of the right measure in common. The urge to fill the emptiness is stronger than any other, healthier impulse. This is a serious disease, a severe disturbance affecting the whole personality. There are certainly instances where this passion we all share can get out of hand. When it is abused for something else. When we use buying and acquiring more and more of the beloved item, to fill the emptiness, when we lose control and spend more than we can afford and still not stop, when we prioritize it above all else, even something as beautiful as perfume can become a drug of sorts. So why am I writing this? I have been asked several times by a lot of people whether such a passionate affection for what is essentially just a thing, is normal. Whether it is healthy to feel delighted or frustrated, happy or sad all because of perfume. Whether it is normal to spend so much time and effort on it. Whether it is normal to take such satisfaction out of an inanimate object. Everything is a question of the degree, the extent of involvement as well as the intended purpose, to what end the “substance” is used or abused. We all have a deep connection to perfume as a way of self-expression. We use perfumes, we appreciate them, we do not abuse them generally. Of course there can be exceptions; every lust can turn into a must, but only on the ground of an underlying problem. I do not believe perfume is ever the first problem. Addiction is always an attempt to self-medicate, to regulate what is perceived as wrong or missing. Even perfume can be instrumentalized for that effort, but to collect and wear more than twenty, fifty or five hundred perfumes is certainly not in and of itself a sign of addiction. It is okay to be passionate about something. It enriches our lives, it helps us in all kinds of situations, it helps us deal with life’s vagaries, it enriches our sensual perceptions, it broadens our horizons, it makes us appreciate art and artisanal craftsmanship, it delights, saddens, angers, empowers, calms, brings us down or lifts us up. Perfume is a mood altering device at worst and at best. Let us use it as such and be happy we have found it. Image Credit, Chanel.com

Slow Blogging – A Labor Of Love

By Olfactoria We have all heard about the ideas behind the Slow Food movement. Back to fresh, unprocessed food, ingredients you know and can pronounce, knowing where your food comes from and knowing it earns a decent wage for the people producing it. The focus is on quality, on ingredients, preparation, provenance and love for the subject in preparation as well as consumption. Putting something healthy and pure inside your body, taking care of yourself and nature, as was intended by nature. I am pretty sure trans-fatty acids came as a surprise even to Mother Nature. A few weeks back, Marina and I were talking about blogging and its pitfalls, when the phrase Slow Blogging came up. I used it as a metaphor for blogging with your heart, rather than acting like a news paper. Slow blogging is the art of infusing what you write with emotion. Writing with your heart in it makes for a different quality than reporting. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with reporting, and I am not comparing news blogging to fast food in any way, the last thing I intend here, is to anger anybody. My point is merely to make a case for Slow Blogging as a distinct discipline of blogging, one where the love for what you write about shines through. Where the unique voice and personality of the blogger is as important as the subject he/she writes about. I love Slow Blogging and I love to read blogs written that way. You quickly get a sense of the style, the purpose and the objective behind a post. If it feels like PR copy, I move on. In the early stages there was only Slow Blogging, just as there was only slow food to be had. No McDonalds, no Burger King, but a kitchen, a cook, ingredients and a certain amount of time between the craving for a burger and its consumption. In between lay a labor of love or at least of skill. With this post I want to celebrate the labor of love that is blogging. No body pays you to do it, nobody even asks you to. In the beginning nobody cares, aside from your spouse or friends, maybe. But you persist. You do it because you love it. Because you feel the compulsion to do it, to share what you know, or what you feel. To find others who share your feelings and thoughts. Eventually you find kindred souls, like-minded people you learn to appreciate for their knowledge, respect for their skills and begin to love for their personalities. They become friends. Slow Blogging, the art of blogging with your heart, is more than a new medium (but don’t forget its power too!), it is a way to forge friendships, to broaden your horizon in the subject you are passionate about, as well as in the social dimension of it all. The world gets smaller through thousands of friendships that start over a shared passion, thousands of random acts of kindness that keep the community going, be it an encouraging email, a shared sample or even a meeting in real life of complete strangers, who feel like they have known each other forever. When I am hungry and pressed for time, I have been known to go to a fast food restaurant and even enjoy what I get there. But it is not what I would want to sustain myself with every day. I love a good home cooked meal (especially when someone else cooks it, I am no genius in the kitchen, but I try). The difference is enormous. Similarly if I am looking for something specific, I quickly google it, take the fact wherever I find it and be done with it. But when I want to enjoy reading, when I want to feel enriched, enlightened or entertained, I go to my favorite blogs, written by people who care for what they do and know what they are talking about. This combination is irresistible. I am so glad that there is a wealth of such blogs out there, many different voices expressing their unique points of view, their personal takes, but nonetheless manage to sing like a perfectly trained choir about the thing we all love so much – perfume. Image source: bg.wikipedia.org

The Scent Of A City

By Olfactoria It is New York week on PST and that is just fine with me. I love New York. From the tender age of four I was known to proclaim my intention of going to “the Broadway” (the exact definition of which remained shrouded in mystery to me and my friends for a long time), when I was old enough to start my career as a musical star. Every ballet class from then on was transferred to the big city in my mind; I imagined accepting a Tony award on a regular basis, my speech and tearful smile being honed to perfection through dogged daily repetition. My poor mother and my childhood friends became so used to my constant prattling about New York, about my American dream, it barely registered anymore. I was so determined, I clearly remember saying in Kindergarten that I would move to New York soon and the unsuspecting teacher believed our family would really move and asked my mother about it. I was forbidden to talk about it in public from then on. I did as I was told, but I never stopped dreaming. Sadly reality interfered. I turned out not to be musical star material, and accordingly my dreams changed, but New York remained an integral part of every future I envisioned. I wanted to attend university in NY, after that did not materialize either, I consoled myself with the thought of looking for a job there later. Suddenly grown up and stuck in Austria with a business and a family, I have progressed to dreaming of spending my old age over there, the kids grown up, M and I stinking rich (ha!) and we retire in a Manhattan apartment with a view of the park and a doorman. I am not giving up on this one, People! (I would settle for a nice loft in Brooklyn too though, if need be.) One day I am going to go to New York to live, you just watch me! When I first set foot into New York City, I was driving a car coming from Boston. My delight of the ease of finding my way around, because of the practical grid system of the streets was diminished by the many, many, many cars honking and hooting their way through the crowded intersections and the hordes of seemingly traffic-unaware pedestrians streaming through the streets. A hysterical breakdown only closely averted, we (a friend and I) arrived at the Pennsylvania Hotel in Midtown and gladly handed the key with a shaking hand to the valet, who stowed our car on some roof far, far away. New York is best discovered on foot. I immediately saw with great delight the close proximity of our hotel to Macy’s on 34th. So this was my first point of call, because I’ll have you know, even then, twenty years old, I was keen to get my nose near a bottle of perfume as fast as I could. And Macy’s did not disappoint. I remember clearly the first perfume I ever smelled on American soil – Burberry for Women, it was 1995, what can I say. The next day we went for the big guns - museums, parks, sights, they all had to wait - I wanted to go to Bergdorf Goodman. Who needs the Empire state building when there is the beauty department of Bergdorf’s? Exactly. To cut short what could fill a book: I loved it. I was overwhelmed, but in a good way. The luxury, the beautiful people, the never-ending variety of exotic and unknown brands and lines and products, so foreign and so much better than what I was used to. The sales assistants were intimidating and I felt like a little girl playing dress up and afraid of being discovered in the world of the grown ups. My first destination was the Chanel counter. And I knew what I wanted from the get go. After timidly sniffing my around a little I bought what I came for: a bottle of Chanel N° 5. Not because I really thought it smelled good, it was way too harsh and “perfume-y” for me then, but because I perceived it to be my ticket into the world of adult sophistication, of elegance and maturity, of attractiveness and womanhood. New York City smells like Chanel N°5 for this girl. Fifteen years later I have grown into N° 5, I have learned to appreciate and love it for its scent not only for all its ramifications and attached images. But I also love it for the memories of my first trip to the city of my dreams, the epitome of what I thought America was (totally not the case as I discovered later), the essence of my dreams of what I would like to be. Life seldom turns out the way we imagine it as children. It takes turns, some good, some bad, all surprising. The trick is arranging yourself with what you get and never to stop striving for the things that lie in the realm of the possible. New York is still in my spectrum of possibilites. (Only Broadway is not, I guess.) Until then there is always Chanel N°5. Image source: es.wiki.com

Getting Ready For Spring with L’Occitane En Provence

By Olfactoria When spring is around the corner, at least in our minds, my home cries out for a good spring time cleaning as well as new scents. Out with winter favorites of Cinnamon and Fir Tree, in with the soft floral and fresh green scents. Since providing the latter is way easier and comes more natural to me the the first, I always start spring with a new round of scents in my home. Apart from regular trips to the florist to provide me with the real deal, L’Occitane is my first port of call when it comes to affordable but reliably good quality home scents. I like that the line has an elegant and cohesive look, their products are good quality, they offer a large variety and frequently release new products to keep up the interest without permanently discontinuing old favorites. L’Occitane’s products look high end, but are priced at a comfortable middle range. In their home scents line L’Occitane offers Candles, Diffusers, Room Sprays, Linen Waters and scented sachets. Let us start with the candles: There are two types, candles in a thick glass and ones great for traveling in a hexagonal tin that comes with a lid. The glass candles are usually released to accompany new fragrances. At the moment I am enjoying a Fleur Cherie scented one. A perennial favorite is the Lavender candle, great for spring is also the invigorating Verbena scented candle that lifts a room’s atmosphere as well as my mood with its light-hearted, fresh citrus-herbal scent. The travel tins are really practical and easily taken on short trips. I like that they come in the same range of scents as the diffusers. Spring time favorites are Fig Tree Leaf and Provencal Landscape, both fresh, green fragrances that are uplifting and invoking rolling meadows and trees in bloom. A diffuser in my bedroom is a must. For the time until it gets actually warm outside, I will try White Flowers, a lovely not too heady but present bouquet of white florals to bring a little spring air into the home. What is more spring-like than a soft rose fragrance? Roses 4 Reines is a lovely room spray to make you feel like taking a walk in a rose garden, tender, green and dewy, this rose scent is long-lasting but never cloying. And finally, to promote good sleep (something I perennially get not enough of) I like to use a relaxing linen spray. L’Occitane offers a line called Aromachologie, where the properties of essential oils are harnessed to several effects. The Relaxing Pillow Mist features lime, lavender, tea tree and geranium to achieve a calming and soothing combination. Both my boys get a spray of this on their beds every evening (the older one demanding it by now!) and I must say the last few nights were not bad at all. What are your favorite scents to invoke the arrival of spring at home? Image courtesy of Vintage Ad Browser.