Nouveau Paris Blue Diamond: Perfume Review

Nouveau Paris is a four year old fragrance line which already offers over a dozen scents, divided into the Les Fleurs collection for women and Dumann for men. Wearers are encouraged to layer most of the perfumes "to adjust their scent according to their changing moods and lifestyle." I am not big on layering, being a) too lazy and b) in a possession of too many bottles anyway enough fragrances to be able to capture my moodswings. That is not to say that once in a while it does not happen that no single perfume quite hits the spot; I am very fond of the Messe de Minuit + Yatagan combo upon which I stumbled on a day when nothing in my scent wardrobe fitted the melancholy bloodthirstiness of the moment. To make the long story short, among their fourteen scents, I was most interested to try Nouveau's Blue Diamond, the fragrance advised to be worn on its own. It also includes a plum note, and I adore plum in perfume. If you like it too, then you would be pleased to smell quite a lot of it in Blue Diamond. The honeyed juiciness of ripe plums stays present on my skin from start to finish, its sweetness complimented by a nectarous rose and balanced by a fresher, drier floral accord that might include jasmine. I like the uncomplicated smoothness of the scent; the sweetness of the fruit is not excessive, the floral accord is not overwhelming... "Mellifluous" is the word that comes to mind when I think of Blue Diamond. A good scent match for a mood "to be Grace Kelly", charming, feminine and poised. Which, you might be surprised to hear, visits me almost as often as the murderous mood of MdeM+Yatagan. Do you like to layer fragrances? Any favorite combinations? Do share! Blue Diamond is available at newparisinc.com, $55.00-$85.00.

You Can Stand Under My Amber-ella

This has been a rainy summer. At times, it felt that "all the springs of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened". And having a large vessel built just in case seemed like not a bad idea. I've noticed that of all scents, amber ones seem to flourish in humid and wet weather. For whatever reason, they smell better to me and on me when it rains, and, of course, there are few notes more comforting than the balmy, sweet, slightly powdery amber. I started my perfume obsession with amber-mania, over-ambered myself, and haven't touched an amber "soliflore" or a scent with a pronounced amber accord for a couple of years. It was the great deluge of summer 2009 that revived my affection for the note. Having gone through a number of old amber favorites (for example, the sublime Anne Pliska) and having discovered some new amber fragrances, I narrowed my choice of ambers that I would bring with me on the ark to the following three: Keiko Mecheri's new Crystal d'Ambre. I will say straightaway that I don't think it would satisfy a hardcore amber fanatic, somebody who loves, for instance, the formidable Ambre Precieux by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier. Crystal d'Ambre is much tamer, a softer, somewhat more transparent take on the note (I suppose, thus the "crystal" in the name). Alongside the title ingredient, the almost chocolaty benzoin and vanilla are very apparent on my skin, as is the suede-like, very vaguely animalic accord. Everything is delicately rounded and refined; this is an amber that speaks in hushed tones, an elegant, infintely wearable and comforting creation. (Keikomecheri.com, $115.00 for 75ml) Fiore d'Ambra by Profumum left me underwhelmed in the past. This year, its piquant, honeyed warmth hit the spot. I don't know, if it really contains opium, but I do smell some spice along the lines of cloves, maybe even some cinnamon, and a certain floral piquancy that one finds in carnations. It is simultaneously less proper-perfumey and dressed-up than Crystal d'Ambre and much more sensual. The Mecheri is for rainy evenings out, the Profumum - for seductive nights in. One of my favorite characteristics of Fiori d'Ambra is the tarry, slightly burnt drydown; I find that smoky almost-leatheriness very appealing. (Luckyscent, $240.00 for 100ml) Speaking of smoke, Neil Morris's Burnt Amber is a Guy Fawkes night in a bottle. Amber here is enveloped in the fumes of smoldering oak and oud, spiced up by pepper and sweetened by an addition of plum. Plum is always a plus, in my book. The plummy tarriness of the scent reminds me slightly of Marquis de Sade by Histoires de Parfums, only less leathery, more ambery. Having said that, Burnt Amber offers a unique take on the accord, and lovers of smoke and male readers should make a note of this perfume. Burnt Amber would definitely go with me on the ark, and I would insist on sharing it with my Noah. (Neilmorrisfragrances.com, $70.00 for 30ml) Are there any scents that you enjoy more in wet and humid weather? What amber favorites would you want to save in the Deluge?

Creed Acqua Fiorentina: Perfume Review

Acqua Fiorentina, the new perfume from Creed, may have been inspired by the 15th century Florence, but, for me, it went so wonderfully well with the 21st century East Coast of Atlantic ocean, this American paradise of Colonial and Federal buildings, lighthouses, dunes, windmills and a general feeling of affluent tranquility and refined rusticity. The composition is centered on the aroma of greengage plum. Lovers of plum in fragrance, take note. The slighly sweet, slightly tangy, slightly green and a lot mouthwatering scent of unripe plums is astoundingly true to life. The accord makes appearance right in the beginning and stays throughout the scent's development. In fact, hours and hours into the wearing, the plums is the predominant note in the drydown of this unexpectedly long-lasting fragrance. I say, unexpectedly, because one does not assume such longevity in a scent so ethereal. The perfume is a gentle light-pink gauze of young rose and carnation petals and new fruits, airy, soft and joyful. A perfect balance of honeyed sweetness and dry verdancy, a scent at once sublimely ellegant and charmingy innocent. Acqua Fiorentina will be available in September at Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman, $130.00-$350.00. A portion of proceeds from US sales in October will benefit the National Breats Cancer Coalition Fund.