And the winner is....

Random.org and spoken, and the winner of the boxed set of Puredistance samples is Stacey Walls! Please hit the "contact us" button on the right and send us your info so we can send you your prize!

Going toward the light: Puredistance White (And a prize draw!)

By Donna The sixth release from Puredistance follows the well received Black which was also authored by Antoine Lie, and White could not be more aptly named; it is very bright, dazzling even, the perfume equivalent of looking into the sun. This particular sub genre of white floral is not everyone's cup of tea, but it happens to be a style that I enjoy very much. I have fond memories of the highly pitched white florals from the Seventies and Eighties as perfumers experimented with the new aroma chemicals that were becoming available, enabling the birth of fragrances that defied gravity like nothing that had come before, such as the original Jessica McClintock, Azzaro 9 and Madeleine by Madeleine Mono. Smelling Puredistance White for the first time brought that era immediately to mind. Yet as always, the hallmarks of a Puredistance perfume are abstraction and refinement, and so it is an entirely modern creation unto itself. The concept behind White is that smelling it should bring an immediate feeling of happiness, lightness, and freedom from everyday cares. Perfume can be a welcome escape from reality, but some have more of an effect on emotions than others; my own immediate response to smelling it was a delighted smile. The opening rides the very edge of brightness, veering perilously close to the precipice of what Luca Turin calls “overexposed white florals” but since this is Puredistance, one can be assured that it will not go over that cliff. As with the others in the line, the composition is extremely well-balanced and I never doubted it for a moment. Rose de Mai, iris, and bergamot fused with abstract white floral notes and modern musks flood the senses with their piercing beauty, and just when it seems that the effect cannot be sustained, the underpinning of sandalwood, tonka, vetiver and a whisper of patchouli appear, shoring up the lilting, feminine high notes like wedding guests carrying the bride on their shoulders. The final result is a floral perfume of impressive lasting power; after all, it a concentrated extrait formulation. It touches on some of the stylistic themes of earlier Puredistance fragrances while remaining distinctive in its own right; it is as abstract as Puredistance I if not even more so; a soft rustle of leafy green recalls Antonia; and its structure is as infallible as Opardu. Puredistance does not launch a new fragrance until it has been perfected, and White is a stellar addition to the line. As with any perfume, testing is advisable before purchasing, but for those who love White, its gorgeous alabaster flaçon will just enhance the experience. Due to the generosity of Puredistance, I am very pleased to offer a beautifully presented boxed sample set of all six perfumes for one lucky reader: Puredistance I, Antonia, Opardu, M, Black, and White. Please leave a comment if you would like to enter to win. (The prize draw is open only to those with a mailing address in the continental U.S.A.; sorry, I am unable to ship internationally.) If you like, please let us know what your favorite Puredistance fragrance is in the comments, or which perfumes of this style you admire. The draw will remain open until Sunday April 19, 2015 at 6:00 Eastern Daylight time. Image credits: Abstract white flowers wallpaper via freehdw.com. Puredistance White flaçon via puredistance.com. Disclosure: I received my free sample of White from Puredistance for testing.

Radar Love: Puredistance Black

By Donna Let me say right from the start that I am a fan of the Puredistance fragrances. The new one, Puredistance Black, which is being launched in December 2013, was said to be somewhat of a departure from the aesthetic of the preceding scents, and as with the first four, the company is not revealing its major notes, just enticing us with the artistic concept behind it. I decided to do something similar for my take on Black – I did not read any other reviews before writing of my impressions of this imposing perfume, or even all of the company's official publicity, and just went with my own unadorned feelings about it. (I actually try my best to do that most of the time, but in the case of perfumes that have been around for awhile, it's almost impossible to avoid reading others' opinions before actually smelling the fragrance.) The hallmark of Puredistance as a brand is refinement combined with abstraction, using the finest materials, and it's not shy about the judicious use of synthetics to achieve its goals; indeed, Puredistance 1 is as seamless as a watercolor painting and a textbook demonstration of how to use aldehydes, modern musks and other aroma chemicals the right way in contemporary perfumery. Black, the first fragrance from the house composed by the talented Antoine Lie (of Comme des Garçons and Etat Libre d'Orange fame), is just as streamlined but instead of being about diffused light and soft, misty beauty, it is about tone-on-tone warmth and depth, and like its predecessors it is nearly impossible to separate any one note from the overall effect. It wears close to the skin but still emits a steady force field, just enough to create an intimate aura. If I had to make a guess I would say that it will be more popular with men than women, since it has a certain austerity; not severe, but restrained, and the understated sweetness is reined in and never allowed to dominate the whole. That said, I know many women including myself who would wear and love it, as long as the men in our lives agreed to wear it for us too. Its reach is like radar; quiet and unobtrusive, but capable of pinpoint accuracy from which there is no escape once you are within its range. So what does it smell like? I have to say that it reminds me of a smoothed-out, urbane version of L'Artisan's Timbuktu, since I get a good amount of cumin from it along with other “masculine” spice notes, but that is a compliment, since I love Timbuktu. However, it can be a little bit loud at times because of its spicy exuberance, and Black is something that can be worn for any occasion. I also smell notes of incense, labdanum, glove leather and maybe a touch of oud from Black, but only as brief glimpses before they are folded into the whole again. It has no edges other than the briefest glimmer of sharpness from the cumin when first applied to skin, when there is a momentary impression that it is a conventional masculine fragrance, but that goes away very quickly. Its subtle changes during development provide interest, but one must pay close attention, since the sillage is minimal, so much pressing of the nose against skin is required. Longevity is very good, and you will wake up the next morning still smelling of Black if you put it on the night before, although it will have softened somewhat by then. It never ends up with the vanillic/sweet far drydown that is the usual fate of so many fragrances that might be broadly classified as Orientals, but like the rest of the Puredistance family, and I think of Opardu in particular, its structure is impressively stable, allowing for only small variations throughout its life. This means that if you like it on your skin immediately, you will also like it eight hours later, or for as long as you have it on – and I think you will want to wear it as often as possible. The Puredistance line is available at Luckyscent in the USA where Black can be pre-ordered now, and at select boutiques in Europe. The parfum extrait formulation is an extravagance, so testing a sample before purchasing is strongly recommended. Image credit: Abstract Radar art from wallpaperweb.com with added color effects by me. Disclosure: I received my test sample directly from the Puredistance company.

Exclusive Puredistance & Luckyscent Givewaway and Contest. Get Creative! (US Only)

Courtesy of Puredistance and Luckyscent, one lucky reader of Perfume-Smellin' Things can win a bottle of Puredistance scent of their choice (Puredistance I, Antonia or M), in a crystal column (over $1800 value). How to participate. Step 1.Today we are giving away 100 samples of the new Puredistance scent, Antonia, on a first come, first served basis. Leave a comment to sign up. We will stop accepting comments after the limit is reached. The comment must include an email address, for us to contact you for your shipping details. Comments without email addresses will not be counted. For your peace of mind, after this part of the contest is over, I will take comments with emails off the site. At this time, the giveaway is for US residents only. Step 2. Upon receiving your sample, which will be shipped from Luckyscent this week asap, create a description of Antonia. Whoever creates the most beautiful and telling description, will win the crystal column bottle. Not only that, but the winning description will be published on Luckyscent.com. If you have always admired the copy the store uses to sell fragrances, this is your chance to contribute. The description should be no more than 150-200 words. The winning entry will be chosen by Puredistance, Luckyscent and yours truly. To qualify, your entries must be received at pstblog@yahoo.com no later than February 15th. Good luck, everybody!

Puredistance M: Quiet Strength

By Donna I have already expressed my appreciation for the first two Puredistance fragrances; now there is a third release hot on the heels of Antonia. This one is a stylistic departure from the others, as is it not by Annie Buzantian, and it is most definitely not intended as a feminine perfume. M is the creation of Roja Dove, who is well known for his high quality custom fragrances, so he seems like a good match for the Puredistance brand. According to the Puredistance Web site, he was inspired by the high quality standards of the house when he agreed to make the fragrance, which was in turn inspired by the idea of good quality leather. The description says it's a leather chypre, but to me it's not that obvious. It is certainly not a fierce, dark thing like the old Cabochard, Jolie Madame or Bandit, the holy trinity of leather chypres, and not even leathery in the way of the newer, tamer versions of Jolie Madame. This perfume is a smooth blend of spicy, resinous and woody ingredients with the leathery part seamlessly integrated into the whole. As was the case with the first two scents, Puredistance is not listing the official ingredients in their publicity materials, but this is my impression of the notes after several wearings: Labdanum, patchouli, moss, opoponax, tobacco, honey, cardamom, clove, nutmeg, Tonka bean, balsamic notes, leather and a smidgen of smokiness, maybe birch tar. It sounds like a pretty big, ornate fragrance, no? Well, it's not. In keeping with the Puredistance philosophy, nothing is overdone. I am reminded somewhat of several other fragrances, including Serge Lutens Arabie and Fumerie Turque and Jean Desprez Bal à Versailles, but not because M is overpowering in any way. It kind of simmers on my skin, quietly but persistently, and draws me in again and again. To me its character is more Oriental than chypre, though I certainly do smell and appreciate the resins and leather. In the beginning there is a little pungency, as one would expect from a chypre, with just a scratch of patchouli before it smoothes out and gets warmer and spicier, and it has a fuzzy, comforting feel in the later stages of development that does not say chypre to me. Longevity is excellent but the sillage is surprisingly subtle; it does not shout at all, this one. I would recommend this fragrance for those for whom the huge, sweet, and yes, sometimes raunchy “Orientalist” fragrances are just too much for wearing regularly. It has some of that quality, enough to be intriguing, but it's dry and restrained where they are gleefully excessive. Sometimes I want big and loud, but I also appreciate a perfume I can wear anywhere, and M is just that, while having plenty of its own character. I have a feeling it's going to be very popular with men who like their fragrances elegant and sophisticated while still standing out from the crowd. In Europe it can be found at select boutiques, but in the U.S. it is only available via the Web site. Samples in a pretty little mini “gift box” are $19 each, which is steep, but it includes shipping from The Netherlands. (A set of samples of all three Puredistance scents is $49.) The regular size is $198 for 17.5 ml, but it contains 25% perfume oil so a little goes a long way. Disclosure: I received a free sample from Puredistance for testing purposes. Image credit: Puredistance M in its sleek gray metallic cylinder from puredistance.com.

Puredistance Antonia: Modern Romance That’s Really Novel

By Donna When the first Puredistance fragrance was released, I thought it seemed as though the ad campaign for it was all hype and no substance – but that was before I smelled it. As it turned out, I fell in love with its cool aldehydic abstraction and its family resemblance to Chanel No. 5 minus the part I never liked, the overly powdery aspect that was always the deal-breaker for me. Puredistance I was like the Chanel No. 5 of my dreams and I was definitely an admirer from that moment on. Now a second scent is being introduced by the house, and Puredistance Antonia in turn has an unmistakable kinship with the first perfume. It was composed by master perfumer Annie Buzantian just like the first Puredistance perfume, and they share the hazy composition of abstract florals paired with aroma molecules that were never dreamed of when I first fell in love with perfume. The notes swirl around in tantalizing puffs, never stopping long enough to allow me to figure out what they are, but they all smell good. The opening did a little trick of briefly resembling one of those prim, “safe “cool green/white florals released by high fashion houses, meant to be worn as inoffensive badges of status by the type of woman for whom all the diamonds in her new tennis bracelet are real and whose wardrobe is impeccably tasteful and reliably dull. However, Antonia soon unfolds to reveal a lushness and warmth of heart that would rule out just being worn as a background scent by the ladies who lunch. It keeps its green character throughout its development, remarkably enough, but so much more is going on that it fascinated me for the entire time. Unlike so many light-bodied florals in this general category, Antonia does not fade away after an hour or so; it has more tenacity than most fragrances in its class. The official list of notes for Puredistance Antonia is not being made public prior to its November 2010 release, but I can say that anyone who appreciates a good green floral will find something to love here. The closest comparisons I can make are to Henry Dunay's Sabi, which it resembles in style at least at first, but without the sharpness, and maybe a little bit of the great old Yendi by Capucci, which was very tender for a green scent. It is smooth and cool yet radiant and warm; a magical sleight of hand that I imagine must come from the delicate balance of aldehydes and other quality synthetics with natural materials. It shimmers and changes with a touch of sweetness here, a breath of sunlit meadow there. Is that violet leaf I smell? Maybe, but it's not watery or thin. How about lily? It seems likely, but if so it has been refined until it is but a shining point of white light. Orange blossom? Could be, but it's like a whispered suggestion made before running away, daring you to follow and then darting out of sight again. If you think all green perfumes have a sharp edge, don't be afraid; it's as pillowy and gentle as can be and still be called green. I would also say that it is just a little sweeter than Puredistance I but not markedly so, as it is a subtle, slightly nutty sweetness tempered with the fuzzy and ever present greenness. It’s at times like these that my amateur’s fragrance vocabulary is inadequate; I am sure that a perfumer could tell me which sophisticated molecules are in this to make it as vibrant as the piercing chartreuse of the first leaves in spring, yet somehow solidly grounded and comforting too. Like its predecessor, it is entirely modern without being odd or strange; the makers were obviously aiming high and not looking for a quick hit with a trendy perfume that would soon pass out of fashion. I can see this becoming an enduring favorite in its class, and it's classy all the way. Puredistance Antonia will be available in November 2010 at select European boutiques and by mail directly from the Puredistance Company; check their web site for firm dates, prices and stores. My advance sample was sent to me by the Puredistance Company for review purposes. Image credit: Computer-generated fantasy art from wallcoo.net

Perfume Review: Puredistance I

Before we start, a short list of things to know about Puredistance: it is "one of the world's most exclusive perfumes", created by Annie Buzantian for a Viennese company that sells nothing but this one perfume, in a Lounge especially dedicated to it...and most important of all, the collection includes a Crystal Column, into which the bottle of Puredistance I can be embedded ("a mysterious and complicated perfume set in a clear crystal flacon...") and about which you will read over and over again, if you download Puredistance 2008 book. Out of 107 pages, 2,5 is dedicated to perfume, 1 to the perfumer, and the rest is an ode to the bottle design, pictures of the "Column" and the Lounge. I find it to be unfair to the perfume, which happens to be exquisite. Allegedly first created by Buzantian for herself, Puredistance I is a fresh, green floral scent with subtle fruity overtones and a dry, musky base. A touch of black currant and citrus blossoms in the top notes lends rich juiciness to the cold, breezy aroma of jasmine and mimosa, adding softness but not sweetness to the crisp composition. The subtly fruity leitmotif is carried on in the heart of the scent by magnolia, which puts the palest blush of pink on the otherwise snow-white face of Puredistance. The cool, earthy base of vetiver and musk hides a hint of ambery warmth, which is like a flame embedded (there you go!) deep within a cube of ice...The overall impression is that of an impeccable, classical structure, of elegant coldness and dazzling whiteness...There has never been a perfume more bridal. I see it worn with a pure white gown with long train and cathedral-length veil...and then perhaps never again, like a wedding dress...a perfume purchased for one special occasion, a concept the creators of an exclusive fragrance should heartily approve. Puredistance is available in a Crystal & Gold limited edition Column, 17,5ml for 2750 euro, in a Crystal & Steel limited edition Column, 17,5ml for 1750 euro and in a perfume spray with gold or silver cap, 17.5ml for 165 euro. Of the three, the latter is my favorite, and not because of its bargain price. I find the phial-like simplicity of the bottle much more attractive than the complicated minimalism of the Column.