On The Oudification of Perfumanity: Czech & Speake Dark Rose

By Marina I believe it would be fair to call Dark Rose (2003) a cult favorite. At least I remember it being very much loved around 2004-2005-ish, when I first discovered Makeupalley. And at the danger of making swiping generalizations, I am also going to call it, along with Donna Karan Chaos (1996) and YSL M7 (2002), one of the first "oud" scents we wore, before we really knew about ouds. The exact date is hard to pinpoint, but just a little later, Montale suddenly appeared on the scene, and then seemingly all we wore and talked about and lemmed were ouds. Then every brand jumped on the oudwagon. And then we also got to try Real Stuff, non-adapted for "western" liking, and then Montales etc. weren't good enough (oudy enough) anymore...So, anyway, this is my version of how the oudification of perfumanity went down. Dark Rose and its comrades* made us receptive to ouds, prepared the soil of our collective taste, so to say, like, um, Decabrists prepared the soil for Lenin. ...Coming back to Dark Rose... The fragrance has not lost its appeal for me, possibly because it's not really about oud. It is a rose blend in which oud (as well as patchouli, sandalwood and amber) was used to achieve a dry-smoky effect...to paint an image of smoldering and scorched petals...When I first apply the perfume, the rose is fresh, ripe, nectarous...but almost right away it catches on fire lit by saffron and agarwood and starts burning on my skin...the aroma that is released by that flame is incomparable to any other rose perfume I know...it is as if the petals were first caramelized and then torched. That vaguely gourmand quality of the rose is unexpected and appealing in such a dry, nocturnal, brooding composition. Never has a scent been so rightly named; Czech & Speake's creation rules the pantheon of Dark Roses. As an aside, since I am already on the subject of Cz&S and roses, the brand's other rendition of the flower, called simply, Rose (1988), while perhaps not as striking, is also a very elegant blend, which might delight those who don't like their roses sweet. Spiked by the verdant spiciness of geranium in the top notes, Rose softens in the heart, where its angles are smoothed by creamy ylang ylang. The dry, green leitmotif is, however, present throughout the development and even the rich, slightly earthy base retains a hint of geranium. *Some other fragrances that have been sneaking oud in our olfactory wardrobes long before it was all ouds, all the time are: Balenciaga Pour Homme (1990!), Nina Ricci (!) Deci-Dela (1994), Gap Om (1996), Yves Rocher Nature Millenaire (2000) and Rykiel Woman (2003). Have you worn an oud way back then and haven't realised it? Do tell! Dark Rose and Rose can be found at shoplondons.com, $130.00 and $125.00 for 100ml respectively.

Czech & Speake Cuba: Perfume Review

These days I am in a mood for scents whose spiciness is fresh or whose freshness has a dark and piquant depth. The examples would be Piment Brulant, Piper Nigrum and Poivre 23. Cuba by Czech & Speake is my latest discovery in this genre. "Inspired by the old town of Havana, its Latin rhythms, smooth cigars, fine rums and exotic beauties," the scent...lives up to its inspiration. Multi-layered and multi-sided, Cuba is an exciting scent to wear, because it inclines you to pay attention to its development. It is interesting to monitor the change from sutbly sweet and delicately mentholated top notes, with their distinct boozy undertone of rum, to the warmer, spicier middle accord of cloves and roses enveloped in a mellow tobacco mist...to the richer and simultaneously somewhat sharper base notes of frankincense, woods and vetiver. I love it when complexity is rendered so harmoniously. The seamlessness of its blend, the familiar softness of its tobacco, the uplifting quality of its incense, makes Cuba as unexpectedly comforting and calming as it is invigorating. It's muy, muy bien! Available at Cambridge Chemists, Czech & Speake and Luckyscent

Czech & Speake Frankincense and Myrrh: Perfume Review

During a stressful time to which perfumes does a non-believer turn for comfort? Why, it's to incense perfumes! Ironic, huh? When I do, I am not looking for them to remind me of any particular churches or associated experiences, I don't want Orthodox or Catholic incense...I just want that melancholy-uplifting, "this too shall pass" quality that few smells apart form frankincense are able to offer. (Yes, it is also ironic that a non-believer finds comfort in the fatalist words of Ecclesiastes.) Czech & Speake's Frankincense and Myrrh is perfect for times like this. It is completely non-denominational. It is spiritual, not religious. The herbal citrusy-ness of the top notes of lemon, orange and basil is refreshing and airy...an open window into the world...without it the composition could have been too heavy in more ways than one. The fruitiness of orange brings out the sweet side of myrrh, and smooths the sharp angles of the dry, bright, resinous frankincense note. There is a certain tarry quality in the perfume that I like, something almost leathery, smoked. It gives the composition the comforting feel of solidity, stability, safety...It makes me believe that "the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain." Available at Apothia, Czech & Speake and Luckyscent.

Czech & Speake Oxford & Cambridge

"If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by always being immensely over-educated." Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest. By the admission of the creators themselves, this is "a traditional lavender fragrance", "evocative of the English countryside, varsity matches and the great British sporting tradition." Note how the meaning of Oxbridge is thus reduced to sports, therefore proving Ambrose Bierce's statement that academy is a modern school where football is taught. Or rowing, cricket and rugby. The sharp, nose-burning beginning is perhaps meant to put one off, as if saying, this is not the scent for the likes of you. In fact, it is as easy to wear Oxford & Cambridge as it is to be admitted into one or the other. I would know, as somehow I got accepted. Ever since then, as Groucho Marx and Woody Allen have been before me in regards of their clubs, I've been a little suspicious of the university that would have me as a member... But I digress...As the fragrance develops on my skin, it warms up and sweetens. Lavender acquires an almost fruity undertone. I am not sure where the candied note comes from but it counteracts very well the piney coldness of rosemary and the chilly aloofness of mint, making Oxford & Cambridge ever so approachable and lovable. Fresh, but not aggressively so, wearable and versatile, this lavender is a delight even for a lavender-ambivalent person like me. Available at pharmacyny.com for a price that is rather too elitist considering the simplicity of the blend ($115.00 for cologne). But hey, you pay for the name, and I suppose it is worth it.