Winter Favorites

By Tom Winter is a great time of year for me. Mainly since in the Los Angeles area of California the temps are usually fairly gentle in the day and the worst we get at night will be in the high 30's. (The downside of that is that most buildings here aren't very well insulated, so you're going to have to have quite a few blankets on hand..) One of those "blankets" can be scents. Wearing some of the ones that I really like in Winter in Summer would feel like wearing a down coat and boots. I'm just going to list three, off the top of my head: Rahat Loukoum: Cherries, almonds and musk. Gorgeous, and gorgeous on, but would feel like drowning if I wore it outside in August. Back in the day I wrote: " It opens with a hit of bright, boozy cherries that remind me of (oh god, here he comes with the stories again...) my first job after college. I worked at Dean and Deluca in New York, and one of the things we sold were incredibly boozy fruits in, well, booze. Raspberries in framboise and cherries in cherry marnier. The opening of Rahat Loukoum smells exactly what it smelled like taking the cork out of the wide mouth of that big 8 quart jar. Rich cherries, almond and spikey booze."Yup, and still gorgeous. Available in the US via Barney's on Madison Ave and the Serge Lutens website in the bell jar for $300. Le Labo Patchouli 24: Tarry, smoky, leathery and wholly delightful, this is one that I'd still do on a summer evening when the temps drop, but just the barest touch. I wrote back in the day: "As Le Labo states 'patchouli is not easy to detect in this formula'. That's an understatement. Patchouli is almost nowhere to be detected in this one. I'd be seriously upset by this, but what is there is so wonderful, I don't much care. The patchouli is in fact there, but it's very dry and somewhat dusty, like ancient leaves of the plant combined with sweet smoky birch and bone-dry leather. I only get the merest hint of the vanilla that Colombina gets, which is fine with me." Available at Le Labo's website, Luckyscent, and most Barney's now at various sizes and prices (I love that they will do a beensy baby-sized one that's affordable) Parfumerie Generale Musc Maori: I'd better like this one, we named is one of our top winter scents of a few of years ago. I first smelled it on a trip to LuckyScent with my Scent Twin (an experience I hope to repeat very soon). I subsequently wrote: "It's a divine comfort scent with an edge: scalded cream over dark, coffee infused chocolate with a generous helping of white musk in the drydown. Like Daniel Craig bringing you a nice steaming cup after he.. you get the picture. Gaia recommended it as one that always gets compliments.." Divine, yes, but on a hot summer day cream tends to curdle on me and if even Daniel Craig tried to touch when the temps hit the triple digits I'd brain him with the nearest lamp. $100 for 50ml at Luckyscent. So, Tonstant Weader, what are your favorites in winter? Let us know in the comments, and feel free to discuss! Image: Wikipedia

Chocolate, Greedy.

By Tom I'd be willing to bet that most of us had our first experience with chocolate notes in perfume with Angel.  I'd also be willing to bet that quite a few of us shrank from it.  I know I did.  I convinced myself that I hated it until I smelled it on someone on whom it worked and it was delicious; I also think that the person in question wasn't someone who over-applies, because Angel is one of the big time offenders in the Smell-It-From-Space hall of shame.  I've smelled it on the lowest escalator in the Beverly Center while the offender is up top by Bloomingdales.  Over-apply and it's like chocolate patchouli jet fuel contail. But there are ones that I really love. Serge Lutens Borneo 1834 is a cousin to Angel, but instead of milk chocolate and head shop it's dark, almost burnt cacao and bone-dry pathouli leaves.  This was the first Lutens I ever smelled and I still have a bell jar of it.  Luckily it's in the export range ($140 for 50ML) so it's available where all the others are, for now. Bud Parfums Ugly Bastard seems to bridge the two: not as parched as Borneo but not as, well shall we be polite and call it "lush" as Angel.  It's one of those that's only available as far as I can tell down under, which makes it a reason to visit. Musc Maori is another that comes to mind: like rich, hot, creamy coffee poured over rich chocolate with just enough musc to take it from foodie to feral,  My scent twin says it gets compliments like almost no other. $105 for 50ML at Luckyscent. So, tell me, what are your favorite chocolate scents, and which ones drive you from the room?  Leave a comment.. Image: Wikipedia Commons

Sukhofrukty: Huitieme Art Parfums Fareb & Providence Perfume Co. Osmanthus Oolong

By Marina Russian cuisine is all about preserving, pickling, marinating, fermenting, smoking and drying. I grew up eating dried fruits (sukhofrukty, сухофрукты) and somehow have considered them to be a Russian phenomenon. I now know that it is, of course, not so (hello! Moroccan food, to name just one...or Uzbek, to name one in the former Soviet realm!). My subconscious knee-jerk reaction upon seeing, tasting and smelling prunes (chernosliv, чернослив) and dried apricots (kuraga, курага), my two favorite types of dried fruits, is still, however- it's home! I mentioned numerous times before that I love a prune note in perfume. One doesn't come by it too often. The prune-iest of them all is Histoires des Parfums 1740 Marquis de Sade. I also smell prunes in L'Artisan Al Oudh, Eau d'Italie Bois d'Ombrie, Serge Lutens Arabie and Chene and the old Sonya Rykiel scent, 7e Sense...that might be pretty much it. I was delighted to realize that Pierre Guillaume's new collection, Huitieme Art Parfums, will add another scent to that list. Fareb is an acronym for Frais, Aromatique, Résineux, Epicé, Boisé (Fresh, Aromatic, Resinous, Spicy, Woody), which tells you right there to which olfactory territories its composition is going to lead. Apparently, in Hindi and Urdu, the word also means, delusion. Which might be appropriate in my case, since I have no idea whether there is in fact a prune-like accord in Fareb, whether the mix of the star notes, bois d'immortelle and ginseng extract, creates that effect or whether I am imagining it. Smell it and let me know. In any case, the fragrance starts with a somewhat sweet smell of prunes, with immortelle and a hint of leather in the background. As it develops, the prunes become spicier, even saltier, in other words savory rather than sweet, and the blend as a whole acquires what I will rather primitively call a "curry" smell. Which might not be a far-fetched comparison, since curry powder blends often include fenugreek, and everlasting has a fenugreek-like aroma...(I also detect cumin in the drydown.) The image I see when smelling Fareb is that of curried prunes, served on a leather plate...I don't know about you, but I find that idea irresistible. By the way, while googling bits and pieces for this review, I came upon a recipe of spiced pickled prunes and could not think of anything else ever since... While it is possible to once in a while come upon a chernosliv note in perfume, I haven't smelled a kuraga one until I tried Charna Ethier's Osmanthus Oolong. Now, though kuraga is dried apricots, the smell of the two is not nearly identical. Kuraga smells much more ripe and simultaneously drier (obviously), with an almost leathery undertone. And that is exactly what Osmanthus Oolong smells like, to my nose. Osmathus famously has an apricot-like quality, and the tea note brings a certain smoky leatheriness to the blend. There must be additional fruity and leathery accords that add intensity to the blend, and overall the effect is oddly delicious. The two do not smell alike per se, but the only comparison I can come up with is Daim Blond. Imagine the latter with a more pronounced apricot note, with a smokier, darker leather instead of suede; imagine the composition stripped off any trace of heliotrope, iris and pretense...and you could sort of imagine Osmanthus Oolong....but not really. It is rather unique and a must try for fans of unconventional, non-sparkly fruity fragrances, leather and tea notes, osmanthus and especially for fellow lovers of sukhofrukty in perfume. Surely there are some. Raise your hand! On this culinary note, I would like to invite you to the first post in PST's Foodie Sunday series, which will be curated by Beth and Tom. Please, stop by this Sunday to find out from Beth, Why Sunday Dinner? Tomorrow, Birgit will be discussing reed diffusers. Have a fragrant and delicious weekend, everybody! (Fareb is currently sold at Huitieme Art Parfums website, First in Fragrance, The Perfume Shoppe, €95.00 or CAD$110.00 for 50ml, and will probably be available at Luckyscent along with the rest of Pierre Guillaume's creations. There is also a discovery sample kit for €19.00 or CAD$40.00. Osmanthus Oolong can be found at Providence Perfume Co.'s online shop, $25.00-$112.00, with samples also available.)

Gardenia Grand Soir by Parfumerie Generale

By Marina White floral perfumes blossom in heat. There is nothing more summery than berries. Combine the too, and…the result is either, well, yes, a ubiquitous Sephora variety fruity-floral or, if the blending is masterful and materials top notch, a wonderful summer scent. Pierre Guillaume’s recent limited edition offering, Gardenia Grand Soir, is the latter. On me, it smells of gardenias and blackcurrants. At times, more of blackcurrants than of gardenias. Blackcurrant leaves rubbed in your hands, twigs and not too ripe berries- they are all there, creating a beautifully nostalgic atmosphere of carefree childhood summers. As far as I can see, blackcurrants are not listed among the “official notes”. If you smell them in Gardenia Grand Soir too, let me know. The juiciness and the greenness of the fruity accord lends the florals a bright, somewhat airy quality, which is why I don’t perceive it as a “soir” scent. Because of the very realistic, “just off the branch” quality of the berry smell, I also don’t perceive it as partciularly “grand”. Without a doubt, the scent would dazzle if worn for a dressed up night out, but there is something relaxingly casual and out-doorish about it all the same. A pretty, easy-going gardenia that gardenia-phobic mighty love. Available at Luckyscent and Perfumerie Generale, $95.00 for 50ml. Image source, Flair.

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale PG 21 Felanilla and PG 23 Drama Nuui

It has been a while since I really loved a Parfumerie Generale release. The last one was the darkly beautiful L'Ombre Fauve. Everything after seemed somewhat repetitive, predictably "Generale". I feel that with the two latest scents, Pierre Guillaume is back in splendid shape. Felanilla showcases his skill in making woody scents soft, sensual and vaguely gourmand...but is not nearly as sweet as many of its predecessors. Drama Nuuï is one of the very few (in fact I can only think of two others, Psychotrope and Ether de Lilas Blanc Sur Feuillage) Guillaume scents that are what I would call transparent and fresh. Felanilla, described by the creators as a "feline vanilla", is indeed animalic but not obviously vanilla. Saffron is apparent from start to finish, and its spiciness keeps in check the sweetness of the central note. Orris, combined with woods and hay, creates a powdery-fluffy-downy effect that was also present in Bois Blonde and Aomassai. Felanilla is, however, spicier and therefore, for me, more interesting than Bois Blonde and much less heavy and sweet than Aomassai. This woody-vanillic powderiness is, to me, the best part of the scent. I think that it makes the composition simultaneously chic in a retro, indescribably "French" manner, sensual and very comforting. Which are basically all the qualities I am looking for in a perfume. The scent is a chat noire, languidly relaxing before pouncing...Delicious, sexy and elegant, it is a must have for me. Drama Nuuï, a "bitter jasminade", was not love at first sniff. As I said, it is much more translucent than most of PG's creations, it speaks quietly and reveals its charm slowly. After a couple of wearings, however, I was smitten. The jasmine note here is gorgeously transparent, a delicate white veil with all the innocence that the image implies...A green, indeed a little bitter (a quality I adore in perfumes) note, which might be asbinthe, adds dryness to the composition, enhancing the effect of lightness, or rather weightlessness...Drama Nuuï is an unsual rendition of jasmine in that it interprets the flower as pure, almost angelic and not as heavy-lidded and sensual. This would be a beautiful reminder of summer in the midst of winter...and of paradise lost. Felanilla and Drama Nuuï are available at parfumerie-generale.com, €110.00-€170.00 and €88.00-€120.00 respectively, and soon at luckyscent.com. Update: PG now can be found in Paris at TASK INSTITUT, 17-21 Bd de la Madeleine, 75001

Parfumerie Generale L'eau Guerriere, Cuir d’Iris, L’oiseau de Nuit and L'Ombre Fauve

By Tom Parfumerie Generale is one of the less heralded purveyors of Niche scents out there and I am not quite sure why; we all tend to quiver with an (minor "Rocky Horror" moment) ticipation at the arrival of a new Lutens or a Malle and a new Creed with cause skywriting and rockets red glare. PG tends to just show up with something, usually brilliant even if I can't personally see my way to wearing it. L'eau Guerriere falls into that latter category. Luckyscent describes it as a "full-on woody, blatantly sexy" musk scent and yes, on me it will get there eventually. Sadly, the prequel to that was one that it took me a good deal of time to actually identify, but when I did, it was unmistakable: the smell of really good pot. So much so that the nice girl at ScentBar suggested that it would be best not to wear this and drive; much like Ambre Russe's overt boooziness, the "Dude, Where's My Car" aspect of it could lead to one standing on one foot and touching one's nose while pleading "Really, Officer, it's my COLOGNE!".. Cuir d’Iris is one of the few PG scents that I could accuse of false advertising. Iris is in there but so far down in this particular parade it's the perfume equivalent of Janet Lee in "Psycho": there for the fist 20 minutes but done in by the leather and amber. Incense comes in later to mourn the iris' passing while vetiver adds a bit of a grounding buzz to the whole affair. This would have been my favorite had I not spritzed on: L’Oiseau de Nuit (night bird) lists cistus labdanum, liqueur of davana, benzoin, and leather as it's ingredients, and I think it's the cistus (according tot he description) that gives the leather that earthy but sweet buzz to it that I also find in Knize Ten (yes, that bit of Miel de Bois). It's certainly not enough to scare the horses; it's just enough to make an interestingly sweet and clean contrapuntal interest to the earthy leather. It's like having your bouquet handed to you in the gardeners glove, in the best, most Lady Chatterly-like way. L'Ombre Fauve mentions amber, musk, woods, incense, patchouli as the listed notes. Colombina wrote of it as "'thick' and luscious" later writing that it's "a demanding perfume that scares and excites me". On me it is intense and luscious and somewhat wild, balancing the earthy patch and the feline (the only way to describe it) musk with the smooth woods and incense. It manages the feat of being both feral and incredibly suave: if they had made a werewolf movie starring Bond-era Timothy Dalton, this is what he would have worn. (or, if you wish, Irena in Cat People) All of these are $135 for 50ML, at LuckyScent and the PG website

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Limited Edition - Bois Blond, L’Ombre Fauve, and Ether de Lilas Blanc sur Feuillage Tendre

The tireless Parfumerie Generale have introduced three limited edition scents, Bois Blond, L’Ombre Fauve, and Ether de Lilas Blanc sur Feuillage Tendre. Bois Blond, inspired by an August evening, at the time of the harvest, has notes of cereals, grass, galbanum, cedar, hay, blond tabac, amber and musk. Those who could not wear Aomassai, because of the very sweet, caramel-like note that ran as a leitmotif through the woody-balsamic composition, should be delighted. Apart from not having even a hint of edible sweetness of Aomassai, Bois Blond is also much less balsamic, much less brooding, more light-hearted in feel…but it has the same sumptuous woodiness, which makes me think of a newly built wooden house in the country…The greenness of grasses and galbanum give Bois Blond a drier, brighter feel; the hay smells a little damp and strangely comforting (I love this note!)…All in all, Bois Blond seems to me to be more urbane than Aomassai. She is a city-girl, dressed in fashionable “country” clothes, she is visiting her parents at their big chateau…at night she sneaks around with an old beau (the groundskeeper, rugged but handsome) and spends many pleasant hours with him in a hay shed. L’Ombre Fauve, described as “imperceptibly cat-like” and “bestial”, is the most sumptuous of the three limited edition scents. It smells “thick” and luscious; patchouli, which is strangely absent from the laconic official list of notes (amber, musk, wood) and which is the most prominent note on my skin, brings to mind sweet, soft, pitch-black soil…Yes, we are still in a country, these clearly are Parfumerie Generale’s “bucolic” series, but it isn’t a European countryside anymore, we are transferred to an exotic land, to a nocturnal garden, with the moon shining its ghostly light on two beings in a passionate embrace…Coming back to the scent…the second most prominent note on my skin here is amber, it is a lush, sweet-smelling note with a slight incensey undertone. And really, the two notes, patchouli and amber are all that I smell in L’Ombre Fauve. This is one of those scents that is attractive not because of its complexity but because of the opulent feel and quality of the ingredients. By the way, according to Parfumerie Generale, L'Ombre Fauve contains a high level of natural products, and it is advised, upon receiving it in the post, to let it sit for a while at room temperature and shake lightly before testing. Ether de Lilas Blanc sur Feuillage Tendre, built around a note of white lilac (syringa vulgaris alba), and also featuring the notes of passion-flower, orange blossom, bark, mandarin, lilac, leaves, iris and musk, is perhaps my favorite of the three. To me this is the smell of an early morning in spring…so early, the sky is still dark-grey, the landscape is wrapped in shimmering mist and the dew is glistening on the leaves and the intoxicatingly fragrant white flowers…The scent is gentle and quiet and not overly complicated. I smell mostly lilac, a certain greenness and just a little bit of musk. Ether de Lilas has an uncluttered, elegant feel; it is ethereal, translucent, melancholy and very charming. The three limited edition scents are available at boutique-parfumerie-generale.com. Bois Blond and L’Ombre Fauve cost €75.00-€120.00. Ether de Lilas Blanc sur Feuillage Tendre costs €58.00-€78.00. The third image is The Last Peony by Micheal Parkes, from Piersidegallery.com.

Reflections on "Haute Couture" in Perfume and a Review: Querelle by Parfumerie Generale

There was recently a discussion in the comments to one of the posts whether the term haute couture can be applied to perfume, and if so, how. What haute couture means to me is Fashion as Art, and if we agree that perfume is or in certain instances can be Art as well, then the use of the term haute couture, or rather haute parfumerie, is fitting and justified. Haute Couture creations are expressions of designer’s creativity (almost completely) unrestrained by considerations of wearability and useability in every day life. Very expensive (only the best materials, handmade, etc.), very original, sometimes strange, at times downright bizarre- this is haute couture. Haute couture is where the trends originate in their purest, unrepressed, original form. From there they will be translated into daily fashion, adopted to contemporary lifestyle, tamed and made wearable. An example of a haute couture perfume (and actually produced by a very haute couture designer) that started a trend and launched thousands smell-alikes? Angel! We are so used to it now, perhaps it doesn’t strike us as exceptionally remarkable anymore, but when it was first created, it was truly groundbreaking. A fashion or perfume creation does not have to be odd to be considered haute couture. Originality is not always synonimous with strangeness, often it lies in absolute perfection, harmony and classicism of the lines (or the notes). Older Chanels are haute couture, as are the classic Diors, Guerlains and Carons. They have depth, they are built on unique ideas, they are unlike anything else, but I would not call them bizarre. Other creations achieve that haute couture quality by being utterly strange. Comme des Garcons fashions and perfumes are a perfect example. I feel that here, in the land of quirky, weird and outlandish, perfumes walk a particularly fine line between being bizarre yet full of meaning and soul and just being bizarre for the sake of setting themselves apart from everyone else. As with everything else, judging the one from the other is a very subjective matter. What is soulless, meaningless and pretentious for me, would touch another’s heart. Having said that, a couple of Comme des Garcons creations, for instance Guerilla No 1, had, to me, that shallow feeling of “we are Comme des Garcons and we must be weird no matter what”. There are also some perfume makers that attempt to achieve originality taking a shortcut through the route of not simply strange, but downright Shocking. If it is sordid, obscene and outrageous, it must be unique, think they (I am looking at you, Etat Libre d’Orange). Beloved classical haute couture perfumes like Chanels and Diors aside, my favorite type of a haute couture fragrance is the one that successfully combines the bizarre with the beautiful, the one where strange, unappealing notes are functional and not just there for the shock value. Many Serge Lutens creations are there on the mount Olympus of Couture. The new kids on the block, Parfumerie Generale, have, in my opinion, also already proved themselves able to infuse their fragrances with strangness in a way that does not push them over the edge into the territory of superficial and affected. And that –finally!- brings me to today’s perfume, Querelle. Inspired by Jean Genet’s book of the same name (and, I can only assume, by Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s film as well), Querelle is, to me, most definitely a haute couture scent. It is strange and beautiful (ugly-beautiful would be a better word, perhaps), eccentric and refined. With notes of citruses, black caraway (aka black cumin), myrrh, cinnamon, vetiver, incense, oakmoss, and ambergris, the perfume is a picture of a bleak, deccicated landscape, right out of some violent and surreal dream. It speaks to me about dust, roots, the color grey, the cruelty and the utter loneliness. The beginning is darkly-spicy and a little earthy. From the middle stage forward I start to smell quite a bit of myrrh and I think that it is the one note that brings all the striking ingredients together, softens and sweetens them a little; it is the note that adds “beautiful” to the “strange” and thus elevates the composition to the level of couture. The drydown should delight the fellow vetiver lovers. Combined with incense and moss, vetiver here smells deep and intoxicating, a brutal, witchy, bitter smell, erotic and evil. Querelle is sold at Luckyscent, $80.00 for 50ml. It also available at Parfumerie Generale online boutique, where Querelle can be found in regular and higher concentration. The images of Thierry Mugler and Christian Dior designs are from operagloves.com.

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Psychotrope

Psychotrope is a perfume created by Parfumerie Generale exclusively for a store in Moscow, called Aromateka. It is described as a leather-jasmine scent and has notes of cyclamen, violet, “dark jasmine”, lilac wood, black leather and musk... The inspiration for a fragrance came from a vision of a flower with leather petals, dark, strange, intoxicating. Although I do not perceive Psychotrope as dark, I think that the image is very fitting. If a leather flower existed in some odd and elegant parallel universe, that’s how it would smell. The color of that flower would be silver (think the color of Chloe’s silver Paddington bag)… The beginning of Psychotrope is green, or rather floral-green (unopened white flowers and grass on a cold spring morning, dew glistening on the leaves) and fairly aquatic. Those familiar with Creed Cuir de Russie and S-Perfume S-ex would recognize the salty-watery smell that I loosely called “aquatic” and that, in Psychotrope, heralds the arrival of the leather. Just like there are no flowers with leather petals, there is no transparent leather, but in the strange world of Psychotrope anything is possible, and so I will say that the leather note in this fragrance smells transparent. Shimmering, silvery-grey transparent leather perfumed with the honeyed aroma of virginal-white jasmine. The scent grows somewhat sweeter and darker as it progresses, the flowers become more apparent and the leather acquires a cold kind of smokiness. The salty-watery accord that was distinct in the beginning becomes fainter, but it is still there, still enhancing the illusion of transparency and freshness. I am sure you know by now that I am NOT a fan of marine scents, but here the note is actually enjoyable, not to mention functional. Apart from creating the effect of translucency, it also provides a twist, an unexpected little something that I always love in perfumes. Often, in Pierre Guillaume’s creations, this twist is achieved by adding a surprisingly gourmand undertone to the composition. Psychotrope is one of the few Parfumerie Generale scents that completely lack even a slightest hint of gourmand. It is an elegant perfume, edgy (just the right amount of "edgy", not too much) and aloof, enigmatic in a cold rather than sultry sort of way. I think of it as “Grace Kelly for the 2000s”, dressed in Comme des Garcons rather than Dior garments. I liked Psychotrope very much and would love to own a bottle. If I understand correctly, Psychotrope will be available starting in February, in Aromateka in Moscow. Ароматека Москва, Галерея ZAR, Рублевское шоссе, д. 42, стр. 1 тел.: +7 (495) 509-7287 Aromateka Moscow, Gallery ZAR, Rublyovskoe Avenue, 42/1 I am not sure whether it is possible to buy this scent directly from Parfumerie Generale. If you find out more, please share the info!

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Bois de Copaiba

A profound magic spell, with which the past, restored in the present, intoxicates us. (Baudelaire, The Perfume) Bois de Copaiba does not come in a bottle pictured on the right (the bottle is actually Le Balcon, a long-gone, 1925, perfume by Parfums de Rosine). But it smells like it could only belong in an ancient, dark vessel…in a bottle accidentally discovered in some small antique shop, on a shelf where nobody ever looks, covered with dust…You open it and somehow, miraculously, it smells undamaged by time…It smells extraordinarily rich, dense, it smells of glamorous, politically incorrect bygone era of perfumes with an enveloping, impossibly sophisticated sillage. It smells like it has the kinds of ingredients that would make The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Cosmetic Products and Non-food Products faint in horror. I don’t know whether the retro quality of Bois de Copaiba was intended by the maker, but to me this is the most successful modern homage to the opulent scents of the past. Bois de Copaiba has notes of crystallized orange pulp, red ginger, amaretto, copahu balm, mahogany wood, myrrh and sandalwood. It is decadent, creamy, subtly spicy and pleasantly inebriated. The effect of the first accord of candied citrus, piquant ginger and almondy liqueur, while not even remotely foody, is exquisitely delicious. The resinous warmth of copaiba (the balm or oleoresin obtained from the bark of Copaifera Officinalis) in the heart of Bois de Copaiba provides a smooth and luxurious transition to the plush base of sweet myrrh and creamy sandalwood. This slightly powdery, darkly-luscious drydown makes Bois de Copaiba smell almost Guerlain-like…as if that bottle discovered in a curio store contained some obscure, long-forgotten, older sibling of Mitsouko and L’Heure Bleue. I also believe that those who, like me, love the comforting and elegant feel of opoponax-sandalwood blend in Or des Indes, would most probably adore Bois de Copaiba. Bois de Copaiba is available at theperfumeshoppe.com, CAD $ 100.00 for 50ml or CAD $150.00 for 100ml. It can also be purchased at boutique-parfumerie-generale.com, as part of a Discovery Set Collection Privee No 47, which also includes Cedar Sandaraque, Corps et Ames, Querelle and Tubereuse Couture, €52.00 for five 7ml spray bottles. The image is from Osmotheque.fr.

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Tubereuse Couture

Recently I got to try Parfumerie Generale’s “private” scents, Bois de Copaiba, Cèdre Sandaraque, Corps et Ames, Querelle and Tubereuse Couture. I am going to review all five in the course of the coming weeks, starting today with Tubereuse Couture. Having been created originally for Parfumerie Generale’s Russian distributor in Moscow, the scent might join the main line in 2007; if it does, it will be number 17 in the collection. With notes of kalamanzi oil, green jasmine shoots, ylang-ylang, sugar cane, Indian tuberose, Sumatra benzoin and papyrus, Tubereuse Couture is a spellbinding and elegant potion, which portrays the creamy tuberose note on the mouthwatering background of green sweetness. The first accord sets the scene by juxtaposing the brisk citrusy fruitiness with the languid softness of ylang-ylang. The latter is apparent during the whole course of the scent’s development, enhancing the rich, velvety, enveloping effect of the tuberose. Little by little the tuberose note becomes more apparent, it gains momentum, grows stronger, headier…at times it is so rich, so thick, one feels that a knife would cut through the note like through yellow, yielding butter. I am not a fan of dewy and fresh tuberose; the kind of creamy denseness displayed in Tubereuse Couture is the quality I adore in tuberose scents. Being also a big fan of olfactory contrasts, I love the way the sugar cane note counteracts with tuberose, its fresh sweetness cutting through the floral opulence like that very knife. The drydown of Tubereuse Couture is balsamic and slightly powdery; not as intense as the rest of the scent, it has an almost comforting, cuddly quality. Tubereuse Couture, lavish as it is, is not a “carnal” tuberose; it does not have the come-hither, heady voluptuousness of Fracas or Carnal Flower. Its sensuality is indolent, not aggressive. The originality here does not stem from an initial borderline unpleasant accord encasing the beauty of tuberose in a striking, odd sort of frame, like in Tubereuse Criminelle. The couture, i.e. slightly bizarre, effect is achieved by pairing the star note with an almost-gourmand greenness of kalamanzi and sugar cane. Cuir Venenum and Aomassai are two other Pierre Guillaume creations, which feature the same unexpected “edible” feel in compositions that theoretically should have been anything but gourmand. The subtle, elegant strangeness of Tubereuse Couture is enchanting. If and when it becomes widely available, its bottle will join other Parfumerie Generale favorites in my collection. The image is from hawaiiflowersleis.com. Edited to add: thanks to the lovely J., we have been able to confirm that Tubereuse Couture is available as a part of a "discovery set" called Creation Privee No 47 at Parfumerie Generale online store, the set consists of five 7ml sprays (Bois de Copaiba, Cèdre Sandaraque, Corps et Ames, Querelle and Tubereuse Couture) and costs €52.00.

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Ligne Chapitre II. Part 2.

My enjoyable excurse through the second Parfumerie Generale collection continues. These are the final four scents in the Ligne Chapitre II. Hyperessence Matale. Another tea scent in the line, Hyperessence Matale is a more concentrated version of L’Eau Rare Matale from the first collection. I do not have L’Eau Rare Matale to compare the two, but somehow Hyperessence does not strike me as a significantly “stronger”, richer, deeper fragrance. It is certainly a lovely tea scent, spiced up by pepper, brightened by a little citrus; it also has a faint and pleasant jasmine note and a delightful, dry, woody undertone…It is earthy and spicy and dark... Still, I feel as if it is lacking something…I don’t really know what. Perhaps it needs more sparkle, even more depth? I am not sure. Full bottle worthy? Perhaps not. For a tea scent with oomph and character, I would rather opt for Harmatan Noir. Ilang Ivohibe. Romantic, feminine, vaguely exotic, this fresh fruity floral reminded me a little of Jo Malone’s Nectarine Blossom & Honey. The citrus fruit accord in both fragrances has a delightfully tart, green, under-ripe quality, and the flowers in the top notes of Ilang Ivohibe are as light and transparent as in Malone’s ethereal creation. The similarity ends halfway through the scent, when ylang ylang note gains momentum, becomes headier and sweeter, and when vanilla becomes apparent, bringing a certain ‘thickness” and more sweetness to the composition. The scent never becomes overwhelmingly White Floral and vanilla is never too sweet and overpowering, it is a well blended, very pretty composition…but it just not “me”. Full Bottle Worthy? Probably not, since I would never be able to use up even a 50ml bottle. Iris Taizo. This was the scent that excited me most, when I first heard about the new collection. Iris, wood, cardamom…how can it possibly not be great? It did not disappoint me. Along with Aomassai, Iris Taizo is my favorite fragrance in Ligne Chapitre II and perhaps in the whole line. The first accord in Iris Taizo is a truly magical, intoxicating mix of incense, balm and honey. The cardamom brings that wonderful, sweet, velvety piquancy, for which I adore this note so much, and eventually the star note, iris, appears in all its rooty-earthy-floral-honeyed glory. Enriched by incense, wood and spices, this is perhaps one of the most luxurious, stunning iris scents I have encountered. Full bottle worthy? Oh yes! Jardin de Kerylos. Fresh, dry, summery fig scent accented by sycamore, I assume it might have been named after Villa Grecque Kerylos built in early 20th century on Cote d’Azur by archaeologist Theodore Reinach to resemble an authentic residence from ancient Greece. Jardin de Kerylos most certainly succeeds in making one think about the sea and the sun and the endless blue sky of a summer spent in a beautiful white villa surrounded by the lusciously green trees…It is an enjoyably linear, uncomplicated and uncluttered fig fragrance that evokes all aspects of figs, from the bark of the tree, to the leaves, to the sweet fruits themselves. Full bottle worthy? It is a gorgeous scent and will most probably delight the lovers of figs in perfume, but I am not a big fan of the note and, although I liked the scent, I probably would never need a big bottle. The verdict on the second collection? I liked all, loved two (Brulure de Rose and Harmatan Noir) and absolutely adored two more (Iris Taizo and Aomassai). The fragrances are undeniably well-done; they are satisfyingly rich and most are quite complex and ever so slightly strange, without being hard to wear. Quite honestly, I am once again rather smitten with this very interesting perfume line. The fragrances are available in Parfumerie Generale's online store. Unlike the first eight scents, these are not sold in individual 7ml “micro-flacons”, but it is possible to buy them as a set of 7ml bottles, for €60.00. The full size bottles retail for €75.00-€135.00 depending on the scent and the size. The line is also availabe at The Perfume Shoppe in Canada, they do ship to the US. The images are from parfumerie-generale.com.

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Ligne Chapitre II. Part 1.

Having been favorably impressed by the first eight Parfumerie Generale scents, I was excited to learn about their new collection. I am happy to report that the seven new scents are just as wonderful. They are sumptuous, smoothly-blended, interesting and supremely wearable. Aomassai. I have noted in my review of the first Parfumerie Generale collection, that I loved the fact that most scent seemed to have a “twist”, a little unexpected something that made them fascinating and unique (for example, a sweetly gourmand Musc Maori had a surprisingly animalic quality that I found captivating). Aomassai’s twist is in the very beginning. Parfumerie Generale describes the scent as Oriental Woody Bitter, inspired by Southern Africa and the art of Baoule tribe…after reading this, the delicious, edible caramel-like top notes came to me as a shock. Before I could catch my breath, however, the luscious sweet dessert was gone and the promised wood accord started to unfold. Apparently Wengue (Wenge) wood is the core of this scent, a note I am familiar with from Karan’s Wenge and Black Cashmere, but to me the wood in Aomassai smells more like pine. Not pine needles; there is nothing redolent of a Christmas tree here, but of pine bark and of the pungent, thick and wonderful pine balsam. Add to that a hint of incense, subtle hints of bitter orange and even subtler traces of that gloriously gourmand beginning, and you can understand why I was immediately smitten with Aomassai. Full bottle worthy? Absolutely and urgently! Brulure de Rose. I must admit that straightforward rose scents do not excite me. My mind is capable of appreciating a beautiful soliflore, but my nose is bored. For me to fall in love with and to wear a rose scent, it has to have additional and just as prominent notes (that is the reason why I adore most scents in Les Parfums de Rosine line). Brulure de Rose is a wonderful example of how a rose scent must be executed to suit my taste. This is an opulent, darkly-sweet fragrance, in which the rose appears as if surrounded by fragrant, smoky fumes of a fire made of aromatic wood and amber, of sugar, vanilla and spice. In a way, the scent makes me think of Turkish Delight with its honeyed, rosy smokiness …however Brulure de Rose is less sweet, more smoky and dark than Lutens’s Rahat Loukoum or the powdery-saccharine Keiko Mecheri’s version of the delicacy. Full bottle worthy? Definitely! Harmatan Noir. Inspired by the Sahara, this is a dry, dry, dry and spicy mint tea scent. Complex and rich, it starts with the woody note that has a slight incense undertone and is accompanied by stunningly austere patchouli. The aromatic, pitch-black tea accord becomes apparent in a short while; it has a smoky aspect somewhat reminiscent of Lapsang Souchong, but is actually darker and smokier than Lapsang. This is the kind of tea that is brewed for hours, till it is darker than the Sahara night…it does have a very perceptible mint note, but, to my delight, the mint-ness is not overwhelming, it does not take over the scent as is so often the case with many mint tea fragrances. Full bottle worthy? Certainly! Tomorrow, the other four scent in the second Parfumerie Generale collection. As for the question of where to find these fragrances, they are available on Parfumerie Generale site. Unlike the first eight scents, these are not sold in individual 7ml “micro-flacons”, but it is possible to buy them as a set of 7ml bottles, for €60.00. The full size bottles retail for €75.00-€135.00 depending on the scent and the size. The line is also available at The Perfume Shoppe in Canada, they do ship to the US. * The images are from parfumerie-generale.com.

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Yuzu Ab Irato

Yuzu Ab Irato is the newest addition to Parfumerie Generale’s collection of attractive, versatile, interesting fragrances created by (very handsome) Pierre Guillaume. Like the other seven scents, Yuzu Ab Irato feels both contemporary and classic, wearable and out of the ordinary. With notes of yuzu, spearmint, pepper, magnolia, jasmine, hyacinth, thyme, hyssop, myrtle and bamboo, this is a bracing, deliciously sour, green fragrance that is absolutely delightful on a hot day. If I could afford to fill a pool with Yuzu Ab Irato … ah, my skin tingles when I imagine how wonderful it would be to dive in and to luxuriate in this refreshing, cooling, dry, not even a tiny bit sweet brew. The scent starts with the tangy, tart yuzu note; the note has the kind of bright, delectable sourness that makes one’s mouth fill with saliva and one’s nose die a tiny little pleasurable death. From the appetizingly bitter greenness of yuzu, the perfume moves on to the chilly verdancy of mint spiced with a little pepper before developing into an herbal-green blend of thyme and hyssop. Citrus-green, minty-green and herbaceous-green, Yuzu Ab Irato is a delight for a fan of green scents. I realize that I used in this review some words (“bitter”, “sour”) that might make the scent sound harsher and more pungent than it really is. It is a gloriously green and fresh perfume but it is also quite soft. Perfumerie Generale calls Yuzu Ab Irato “a delicate show of force”, and that is a perfect description for this fragrance that is subtle rather than intense but that is still full of zest and character. Yuzu Ab Irato is available at Perfumerie Generale online store, €58.00 for 50ml. It is also availabe at The Perfume Shoppe in Canada, they do ship to the US. *The image is from Parfumerie-Generale.com.

Perfume Review: Parfumerie Generale Collection of Fragrances

Pierre Guillaume, creator of Parfumerie Generale describes his philosophy this way: “Luxury is not a question of being excessive and the quest for a modern note must not result in overly intellectual perfumes that are impossible to wear.” I could not agree more and I believe that the seven scents in Parfumerie Generale collection follow that principle to perfection. These are contemporary and complex fragarnces, most of them with a little twist, with a little unexpected note making them stand out, but, just as their creator claims, they are very wearable, intimate scents, meant to rouse emotions. Cologne Grand Siecle With notes of lemon, tangerine, wheat, vetiver, cardamom, and bitter orange, this is fresh, sparkling cologne, which would be wonderful worn in summer, but which is not too light and transparent and thus is quite attractive in cold weather as well. The piercing lemon note is sweetened by fruitiness of tangerine; the drydown is quite “substantial” and earthy thanks to vetiver and ever so slightly sweet and spicy, because of the cardamom note. Coze Parfumerie Generale intended this scent for men but I would urge the ladies to pay no attention to that; there is nothing overly masculine about this fragrance. It is my favorite of the line; with notes of Canapa Sativa seed oil, pepper, pimento, coffee, ebony, chocolate, and bourbon vanilla, this is a rich, sumptuous composition, with luxurious accords smoothly blended into a dark, spicy harmony. This is a “pitch black” perfume with woody and (very black) coffee notes being most prominent on my skin. Those, who, like me, are wary of chocolate in perfume, should not worry, the accord is very subtle and elegant here. This was without a doubt "full bottle worthy" for me. Cuir Venenum My second favorite of the seven scents, and also very much "full bottle worthy", this “reinterpreted, modernized, feminized” leather perfume has notes of orange blossom absolute, citrus, myrrh, and “polyalcohols of coconut and musk”. This leather fragrance is both fresh due to the citrus notes and softly animalic due to the musk accord. I really like the musk Pierre Guillaume uses in his scents (and it is present in many if not most of Parfumerie Generale perfumes), it is sensual bordering on “dirty” but is not overwhelming. Cuir Venenum starts just a little too harshly green to my taste, but as it dries down, the scent sweetens and develops into an unusual gourmand leather fragrance with animalic base. Intrigant Patchouli This is one of very few pacthouli scents that I would not mind wearing. With notes of ginger, patchouli, Mysore sandalwood, benzoin, amber, and musk, it is a little spicy and a little animalic (yet again); patchouli is of course evident but not overwhelming. I especially love the ginger note in Intrigant Patchouli, it adds a lovely kick to the composition. L’Eau de Circe Damask rose, jasmine, osmanthus, orchid, ylang ylang, white peach leaves, tangerine, patchouli, wood, amber and honey balm combine in this sweet yet quite green floral blend with fruity undertone. This is my least favorite of the line; it is neither too heady, nor too sweet…it is just rather uninteresting. I doubt that Circe the Enchantress would have worn this light, inoffensive scent. I think she would have opted for Cuir Venenum or Coze instead. L’Eau Rare Matale With notes of Matale black tea, woods and spices, this is a spicy, earthy and dark tea scent that somehow manages to be rather unremarkable. How can a “spicy, earthy and dark” fragrance be unremarkable you might ask. I don’t know the answer. I can only tell you that, despite being very well blended and very wearable, L’Eau Rare Matale lacks certain “oomph”. Please click here to read Robin’s much more favorable review. Musc Maori Musc Maori is an unusual gourmand scent that manages to be both almost-foody and animalic. It has notes of Cumaru wood, coffee tree blossom, white musk, cocoa bean, amber, and Tonka bean; according to Robin (Now Smell This), it smells like New York Egg Cream. Uunfortunately I have never tasted that delicious sounding concoction and I can only describe Musc Maori as a creamy, dessert-like scent with chocolate and coffee undertones, with generous helpings of that very appealing Parfumerie Generale musk. It is just a tad too sweet for me but it is still one of my favorite scents in the line and I predict that fans of gourmand perfumes would love Musc Maori. The seven scents are right now only available on Parfumerie Generale website. Miniature 7ml bottles cost EUR 8.00. Full size bottles retail for EUR 65.00- 135.00. I would recommend everyone to fill in their Malle-esque questionnaire; Parfumerie Generale does not offer to send free samples, but they will get back to you straightaway and will analyze your perfume tastes in great detail, at least that was my experience; I thought that part of their customer service was quite remarkable. The line is also availabe at The Perfume Shoppe in Canada, they do ship to the US. *Images are from boutique-parfumerie-generale.com.