The Warm & Fuzzies

Well, it's that time of the year.  The overnight lows last night (Tuesday the 6th) were a toasty 41 degrees and the lows will be around that all week.  I know that a lot of you live in places where it's a lot colder, but one of the facts about living in LA is that insulation is practically non-existant on most older places like mine.  So it's get-out-the-bankies time at my house. The plus side of this is that it's also get out the heavy-hitters time.  This sort of weather is perfect for something like Ambre Sultan, which is practically a campfire in and of itself. I've been finding myself reaching for Guerlain Spiriteuse Double Vanille a lot.  I wrote about this time last year: "It's also one of the truest vanillas I have ever experienced in perfume: it is remarkably like a home-made vanilla extract, which is merely a pod and really good vodka that is left to sit. Frankincense, pepper, and rose flavor it and when I wear it I can't help but when I am alone stick my nose under my sweater and breathe deeply. If Nigella Lawson had come up with a perfume, this could well have been it" It's pricey at $225 for 2.5 oz, but that bottle will last all eternity.  It's a Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, where I purchased mine several years ago. Please tell me in the comments what you're reaching for these days. Image credit: Dean & Deluca

Vanille Incensee by Atelier Cologne & a prize draw

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

Sands of Morocco by Infusion Organique

By Marina Infusion Organique believe that "100% organic is not always 100% effective" and are not afraid to actually voice that belief. Good for them. Their company infuses organic with "scientifically derived" ingredients. Which is to say that some of their ingredients are natural (organic) and some come from a lab. I fail to see how that sets them apart from any number of other companies doing just the same thing, unless the secret lies in blending just the right combination of the two types of ingredients, and the Infusion Organique experts are privy to that golden ratio. If I sound sarcastic, I am really not. Organic, lab-created, what matters to me is how good and how interesting is the resulting fragrance. And I am here to tell you that Sands of Morocco is the biggest bargain you'll find when searching for a nice woody vanilla. Comforting, relaxing, season-less due to its lack of the typical vanillic sweetness, the citrus-vanilla-sandalwood-oak moss blend isn't breaking any grounds, but it smells lovely...an understated, delicate vanilla with a slightly piquant, tea-like undertone and a very perceptibly mossy feel in the base. It's not rich and spicy enough to be particularly deserving of its name, in my opinion; it's a nice vanilla, not a "Moroccan" vanilla, let's put it that way...In fact, to me, moss makes it smell "European" more than anything else. It is quite subtle (which is fine with me), and one might need to re-apply to get the vanillic-woody burst of goodness (the mossy base stays for good many hours, however), but hey, at $35.00 per 50ml, it's practically a guilt-free indulgence! Available at Beautycafe and B-glowing. Image source, infusionorganique.net.

The 3 Bears: Note Vanillee, Un Bois Vanille, Spiritueuse Double Vanille

By Tom This is the time of year where vanilla scents are the ones that I reach for. The weather is chilly, the holidays are upon us and the gatherings with friends seem to warrant some comfort scents. For me vanilla is comfort. Of course, the weather in Los Angeles just refuses to cooperate. Somehow I just can't manage Christmas Spirit when it's 85 degrees out. (I know, you all want to slap me) In any case I recently compared the three scents in the title of this review and it really reminded me of the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. To wit: Note Vanillee is the creation of M Micallef, and is decidedly the Bad Girl of the bunch. There's the comfort of vanilla, but it's tarted (literally) up with licorice, honey and quite a bit of booze. This is the secretary who wears sweaters just a little too tight and skirts a little too short and at the office party will end up doing it with the CEO on the Xerox machine. I love it. Un Bois Vanille contrasts with its relative austerity. One of the scents that were fractured off of Feminitè du Bois, it's richer and darker and dryer than the Micallef. There's little that's playful to it and in comparison it can almost seem harsh. But only in comparison. On it's own there's a deep almost burnt caramel lusciousness to it that comes along with the austere woods that's touched with bitter almond. This isn't passing Cinnabon at the mall, this is a witches brew over an open flame in the deep woods. Spiritueuse Double Vanille for me was the one that was just right. It has some of the kick-up-your-heels aspect of the Micallef without having both ankles in the air (if you'll pardon the expression). It has some of the burning wood feeling of the Lutens without some of the "Blair Witch" connotations. It's also one of the truest vanillas I have ever experienced in perfume: it is remarkably like a home-made vanilla extract, which is merely a pod and really good vodka that is left to sit. Frankincense, pepper, and rose flavor it and when I wear it I can't help but when I am alone stick my nose under my sweater and breathe deeply. If Nigella Lawson had come up with a perfume, this could well have been it Now I just have to get it past these darned bears... Note Vanillee is $115 for 30ML at LuckyScent Un Bois Vanille is $120 at the usual Uncle Serge Suspects Spiritueuse Double Vanille is $225 at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman I tested the first two at ScentBar, I tested Double Vanille from the bottle I purchased at Bergdorfs Image source, trovarsinrete.org

Eau Duelle by Diptyque

By Marina Eau Duelle, named so because of the alleged presence of dueling accords, one of vanilla, the other of frankincense, is Dityque's take on what I like to call a "complicated vanilla" genre. As in- vanilla paired with contrasting/unexpected notes to achieve the yin-yang, unisex-ish, oddly attractive, "not for little girls" effect. Examples? L'Artisan's raw, smoky, immortelle laden Havana Vanille, Montale's resinous, patchouly-heavy Boise Vanille, Patricia de Nicolai's Vanille Tonka (name speaks for itself) and even her newer Vanille Intense, also juxtaposing vanilla with the vegetal, sweet fleshiness of immortelle are just a few that come to mind off the top of my head. All of them had done the "complicated vanilla" better than Eau Duelle. The thing is, when you go for an effect, you have to do it to the full or not at all. ...Put enough frankincense in the composition, so it can successfully challenge such a strong duellist as vanilla... As it is, vanilla kills all opposition right from the get go and emerges victorious, strangely perfumey and cake-like. Cardamom and saffron try to throw a gauntlet, and I can smell their pleasant piquancy for a while, but they disappear all too soon. Black tea? Forget it. Overall, there is just no there there, in Eau Duelle. It is probably too muddled for somebody with a hankering for just a nice, rich, proper vanilla. And not muddled enough for a contrast-seeker like me... It would definitely make a nice, if subtle candle... Available wherever Diptyque is sold, $88.00-$120.00. Image, Duel After The Masked Ball by Jean-Léon Gérôme, is from jeanleongerome.org.

Jo Malone Vanilla & Anise: Perfume Review

Let me start with a question: before the creation of the aqueous pastel wonder that is Vanille Galante, has there existed a transparent vanilla perfume? I went through the list of oh so many vanillas, and couldn't come up with another name, except for the new Jo Malone fragrance. Perhaps it is simply the first of some more (hopefully not a thousand) scents, which surely have been launched by the sheer, watery beauty of the last Hermenessence. "Transparent vanilla" is a genre I apparently enjoy. It is especially in the first stage that Vanilla & Anise seems to have been inspired by Jean-Claude Ellena's take on vanille. Something in the citrusy-spicy-fresh accord in the top notes has almost a melon-like effect, to me. A spicy melon effect, to be exact. The Malone creation is somewhat sharper then the Hermessence, and, despite "Vanilla" in the name, seemingly more unisex, at first anyway. As it develops, the scent acquires more substance. Vanilla, tuberose and frangipani in the heart of the composition gives it a certian creaminess, a hint of flesh under the gauzy veil of top notes. Still, this tropical-sounding mix is not what I'd call voluptuous. The spicy characteristic from the start of the fragrance returns in the base, with cloves, and so does the sharp-dry unisex feel, with vetiver. This is an interesting scent, refreshing yet vaguely gourmand, at times obviously feminine, at other times almost masculine. There is something off-kilter in it, as if the balance of freshness and sweetness, of creaminess and spiciness haven't been gotten quite right, but oddly, this slight, quirky imperfection of the blend is what I enjoy about it. Available wherever Jo Malone products are sold, $55.00-$100.00. Image source, jomalone.com

L'Artisan Parfumeur Havana Vanille: Perfume Review

If I were to come up with a two-word description for Havana Vanille à la Perfumes: The Guide, I would have opted for strange vanilla or raw vanilla or bearded vanilla or thinking person's vanilla (OK, that's three words). Which is to say that I think that Havana Vanille is odd, it smells raw/rooty/earthy, is not girly by any stretch of imagination and, like most Duchaufour's creations, is cerebral. I am not sure to which combination of ingredients to attribute the remarkably raw quality of the composition. My guess is that it is immortelle and narcissus which lend Havana Vanille the haunting aroma of something freshly dug out of clean, moist soil...of something "dirty" in a vegetable-mineral, not animalic sense. This raw component is more predominant, on my skin, then the title note of vanilla. The latter is, of course, present at all times, but isn't quite like its usual self. It's not sweet and it's not even abstractly gourmand. The very slightly tarry leather, the smoky woods, the boozy rum note lead to a sort of androgen excess in the vanilla accord. I would not label the scent as "masculine", but neither is it in any way "feminine". Let's call it androgynous. This might easily be one of the most interesting recent releases and certainly the most unusual vanilla fragrance that I have ever encountered. If I had to compare it to another perfume, I'd say that it vaguely reminds me of Duchaufour's raw masterpiece from last year, Baume du Doge...with a lot of smoky, dirty and drunken vanilla added to the mix. Havana Vanille is available wherever L'Artisan is sold, $115.00-$155.00; the fragrance has been renamed and is now called Vanille Absolument. Image credit, Ellen Von Unwerth

Laurence Dumont Tendre Madeleine: Perfume Review

"I raised to my lips a spoonful of the cake . . . a shudder ran through my whole body and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary changes that were taking place." Marcel Proust, Remembrance of Things Past It doesn't take the strongest taste or smell to stir memories. Nor does it take the most complicated one to delight us. Time and time again, I realize that the best things in life are the most simple; petite madeleines are among such things and so are sweet little scents in Laurence Dumont's Gourmandes collection. Like in food criticism, where, I imagine, it is easier to talk about a complicated haute cuisine creation, describing layers and intricacies of its taste, so in writing about perfume: I talked at length about various complex Lutens fragrances, but I am stumped by an enjoyable straightforwardness of a Dumont. Tendre Madeleine is a soft, delicately sweet vanilla with hints of almond and cinnamon. It starts that way and it does not change. That's it, done with the review. When faced with fragrances like Tendre Madeleine, it is easier to talk in images and emotions: it makes me feel cozy, safe, pleased with the world. It's watching an "aunt dip a little madeleine in the boiling infusion"...it's being cuddled in the arms of someone who won't let anything happen to you...it's cuddling someone small and helpless...it's simple pleasures. Available at lushoasis.com, $59.00 for 100ml. Image source, Tuki on flickr.com.

Vanille Galante by Hermes: Perfume Review

"That time was like never, and like always. So we go there, where nothing is waiting; we find everything waiting there." Pablo Neruda, Sonnet IV When I really love a perfume, I am reluctant to analyze it. Breaking it into details will rob it of its magic. The tops notes of this, the heart accord of that, the hint of the other, perfumer's intention, the concept, the whys and the hows of it all...no, none of that today! Does any of that matter? I never expected to love a vanilla created by Jean-Claude Ellena, and, having fallen in love with it, I don't want to know why. Nor do I believe it is possible to know why we love something or somebody. I don't mean "like", it is always possible to know the reasons of like...I don't love somebody for his brown eyes, sweet smile and sense of humor. I like him for that. I love him for no reason at all. I like the unripe, slightly salty melon of Vanille Galante, the cold lily note, the almost non-existence of vanilla, the pure, calm water in which the ingredients serenely flow, the pastel colorlessness of it all. But these are details. Details don't always add up to love and never explain it. Why do I love the scent like that, which I was not meant to love at all? I am not a fan of vanilla, I am not fond of pared down compositions, I certainly don't appreciate aquatics. Is it quantum physics, molecular attraction, timing...? When there is no reasonable explanation- it's love. Vanille Galante is available at Hermes boutiques, $235.00 for 100ml or $145.00 for a very convenient set of four 15ml bottles.

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

Perfume Review: Micallef Vanille Aoud

I am rarely in a mood for vanilla. I am always in a mood for a fragrance that is masterfully built on an interesting contrast. In Micallef's Vanille Aoud, the contrast is announced right in the name. The sweet, milky innocence of vanilla is juxtaposed with the dry, dark sensuality of aoud. Vanilla turns aoud into a mouthwatering delicacy, while aoud turns vanilla into "the little deadly demon among the wholesome" vanillas. It is a very simple scent, all there is to it are two accords intertwining: one toffee-like, creamy and childish, the other slightly spicy, woody and the very opposite of innocent. A touch of citrus adds fresh tangyness to the blend that otherwise could have been too sweet. I would compare Vanille Aoud to a less saccharine and much lighter Matin Calin mixed with oud. It is a "not a girl not yet a woman" kind of perfume, the kind to which one feels almost ashamed to be attracted and yet can't help but be enthralled. This Dolores Haze of a scent seems to be one of the newest Micallef creations and will be available at Luckyscent in the near future. Image source is unknown, and I would be grateful if somebody could tell me who is the author of this photo of Natalya Vodyanova.

Perfume Review: Micallef Note Vanillee

Note Vanillee had to struggle against all sorts of odds to even be tested by the jaded little me. I don't like vanilla and I have been previously underwhelmed by Micallef's creations. But test it I did, and - you guessed it - loved it! Typically vanilla scents smell of mum's cooking, chidlhood memories, of cuddles and smiles and all things nice. Note Vanillee is not that innocent. In fact, she is a dirty little thing and doesn't feel sorry about it. What it smells like...it smells like Etat Libre d'Orange Jasmin et Cigarette with a generous dose of vanilla, rum and cognac added it to to make the brooding juice a lot more fun. Indolic flowers, cigarettes, booze and sweets... does it get any better? I adore the smoky, cheap-tobaccoey undertone Note Vanillee has on my skin. It smells like the morning after a very enjoyable night, the kind of night the memories of which make one blush and smile ear to ear as one struggles to get through the serious and mundane obligations of one's day... A very naughty vanilla for those who don't do vanilla. Available at First in Fragrance and soon Luckyscent.

Amber Vanilla by Regina Harris

Amber Vanilla has the richness of a Pre-Raphaelite painting, reminiscent of a jewel-encrusted medieval fabric, dark golden heavy velvet. According to various sites, the notes here are just those in the name, amber and vanilla, but I don’t believe that for a second, this is a complex albeit very smooth blend. Amber opens the composition and it is dark, warm and intense; there is a depth to it that is very incense-like to my nose and I suspect there is an incense note in Amber Vanilla. The fragrance becomes darker and more resinous as it settles on my skin, and even when the vanilla drydown comes, bringing some sweet softness to the blend, the perfume does not lose the vague churchy feel that, to me, is the essence of its uniqueness. Like the first Regina Harris perfume oil, Amber Vanilla has a certain religious atmosphere yet it is an incredibly sensual fragrance. This scent reminded me of the story of St. Theresa of Avila, Roman Catholic mystic, who entered states of ecstasy while studying religious texts in a Carmelite cloister, and of Bernini’s sculpture, The Ecstasy of St Theresa. “I saw in his [angel’s] hand a long golden arrow, its metal point tipped with fire. With this he appeared to pierce my heart again and again, reaching into my insides and ripping them from me, leaving me embracing in the great love of God." Just like in the story of St Theresa and in Bernini’s magnificent work, in Amber Vanilla divinity interacts with matter and spiritual merges with corporal. Amber Vanilla Perfume Oil can be found at Beautyhabit, $125.00 for 15ml