A Little Vanilla With Your Vanillin?

by the Botanically Inclined Nerd Girl, Marla I finally decided to splurge and buy a small bottle of real vanilla absolute from India. Like most Americans, I grew up with vanillin, the synthetic version of a compound that exists in actual vanilla, and its cousins, ethyl vanillin and ethyl maltol. I didn't realize that actual vanilla pods have hundreds of aromatic compounds in addition to vanillin. The waxy absolute surprised me with its complicated, rich, woody scent. It isn't particularly sweet, though vanillin is obviously present. Papery/woody notes similar to sandalwood and amyris, and a very subtle peppery undertone, create a sophisticated, almost ready-to-wear perfume. In fact, vanilla bean absolute could easily be worn on its own, and with hundreds of components, it really is an actual perfume already. To make my acquaintance with vanilla even more complete, I was shown vanilla orchid vines at the American Orchid Society HQ in Florida. The lush, fleshy vines wound themselves all around the ceiling of the greenhouse, and several green pods, each about 8 inches long, were ripening. The botanist-in-residence explained that the orchids bloom for only 24 hours, and during that time, they must be hand-pollinated. Even then, pods may not grow from the flowers. The pods must be protected while they ripen, then dry out to the brown, hard things we see in gourmet shops. I had no idea it was so labor-intensive, and that so much had gone into my tiny bottle of absolute. It feels quite precious to me now. Spaniards brought vanilla orchids back to Europe, along with chocolate, in the early 1500s (smart moves, those!), and Thomas Jefferson brought vanilla beans home to the States in 1789 after his ambassadorship to France. To this day, the French and Americans are the nuttiest people on the planet for vanilla, and consume far more than any other groups. Vanillin was initially extracted from the seed pods of the orchid Vanilla planifolia, but demand far outstripped supply, and several synthetic processes were pioneered, as the French and Americans were growing desperate. Today most vanillin is made from lignin, a byproduct of the paper pulp industry. Ironically, it does not have even a whiff of cardboard, unlike the actual vanilla bean, which does. A glitch in the Matrix, obviously. What is your favorite vanilla perfume, and do you know if it’s vanilla, or vanillin, or both??

Moody Vanillas at Sephora

Sephora (I assume that, at least for starters, this is French Sephora) is launching a new collection of vanilla perfumes. "To each temperament, its own olfactory composition", is the bright idea behind the line of fragrances. If, like me, you think Sephora decided to pay an homage to the four classic temperaments, you'd be mistaken. Apparently Sephora has its own classification, and thus the line will include: Poétique (Vanilla-Orange Blossom) Insoumise (“Untamed”: Vanilla-Caramel) Tentatrice (“Temptress”: Vanilla-Monoi) Capricieuse (Vanilla-Chocolate) Mystérieuse (Vanilla- Patchouli) Insouciante (“Carefree”: Vanilla-Mango) Envoûtante (“Bewitching” – Vanilla-Vanilla). Nothing for the old Melancholic/Choleric me. And fair enough. Vanilla is not the right note not evoke that kind of temperament. The Eaux de Toilette will come in 100 ml bottles and will cost €20.00 . (From Osmoz.com)

There’s A Light...Scented Candles For Cold Winter Nights

By Olfactoria Marina kindly invited me to contribute a weekly post to her lovely blog. I am honored to do so every Saturday, but before I start, let me tell you a few words about me. My name is Birgit aka Olfactoria, I live in Vienna, Austria, the Perfume Capital of the World (just joking ;)). I am a thirtysomething mother of two boys and when I am not writing my own perfume blog Olfactoria's Travels, I am a psychotherapist in Vienna, the Psychotherapy Capital of the World (seriously! We have a lot of shrinks here, but even more neurotics ;)) I will write chiefly about home scents over here on PST and make that sort of my specialty, but if something else in the wonderful world of perfume strikes my fancy or begs to be told, I will do just that :) ____________ I not only love to marinate myself in perfume, but I like to do the same for my surroundings. A well scented room is so much more inviting and makes me and hopefully others feel at home instantly. In my earlier life as a normal person (i.e. before I had children), I loved to light candles around the house. They immediately deliver a sense of wellbeing, their soft light alone is comforting and cosy. Combine that soft light with a great scent and you have a wonderful invention. We just made it through the Holidays, so it is not too late to mention the most Christmas-y candle of them all: Annick Goutal´s Noel. A limited edition, that returns every year around Christmas, it smells like the tree itself (better if your tree is a little mangy) and is a must have for the season. I use it throughout winter; it evokes that feeling of walking through a snowy forest, snow and pine branches crunching underfoot, the air cold and crisp, the promise of warmth and hot cocoa just over the next hill Another seasonal delight is L´Occitane Spicy Cinnamon Candle. It is a pretty straight forward, no-frills cinnamon scent that provides warmth, without turning all out food-y, which I don’t like in any room but the kitchen. Speaking of which: In the kitchen itself, I like a vanilla scent more than anything else. There is nothing more comforting or assuring for me than vanilla. On myself, as a perfume, I prefer my vanilla to be smoky, dark and set off with decidedly non-gourmand notes, but as a kitchen scent, sweetness is more than welcome. I tested many a candle (vanilla is the most ubiquitous of scents when it comes to candles, but also the most abused, there are horrors out there, I would not want anyone to ever encounter). What I found to be the best vanilla yet (I’m not done with my quest, but will I ever ;)) is Tiziana Terenzi Almond Vanilla, a shamelessly expensive candle, handcrafted in Italy that is of a very high quality that may just justify the price though. It features notes of almond, coconut, heliotrope and vanilla. It makes me feel good, the second I smell it. It is a good mood contained in wax. There is one more vanilla candle without which this post would not be complete: Baobab Madagascar Vanilla. It is the most pure, unadulterated vanilla scent possible, it is creamy and sweet, like an off white cloud, languishing in the winter sky, smooth, mellow but radiating out with a considerable strength. Baobab is a brand by a Belgian entrepreneur who designed the collection inspired by African influences gathered on her travels through the continent. The candles and beautiful vessels they come in are all handmade, and easily qualify as luxury items :) The final items I want to write about today are classics that helped define the genre. Diptyque candles where the first ones to seduce me and lead me into the world of terrific smelling rooms. My first love from this brand was Figuier (I love their people version Philosykos as well, but that is a topic for spring). In winter there are several options from Diptyque that I love. Myrrhe, Pomander, Opoponax and Ambre are my favourites. They are nice to combine too; one can create individual home fragrances by simultaneously burning different scents at once. Those four are from the permanent line. Diptyque regularly offers seasonal scents before the Holidays, this year there were Pin, Olibane and Orange Epicée. Sadly I did not get to smell these before they sold out. As I wrote at the beginning, I USED to burn candles regularly, back when I had no children. Of course I still use them, only way more carefully, mostly at night and only very high up ;) But mainly I use diffusers these days, since the accident probability is less high. But that is a story for another day… Most candles featured in this post are available from First in Fragrance, but that is only practical for European readers. In the US Diptyque and L´Occitane are readily available from various sources you probably know better than I do. Tiziana Terenzi candles are available from her own website which also features an online store. Further Information on Baobab candles can be obtained from the website. Image courtesy of Photo8.com

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.

Cheap Thrills and Nostalgia: Villainess’ Jai Mahal and The Girls Love

By Linda Recently I discovered Villainess “Whipped” – a richly emollient, veganesque body cream that I will never be without again. (Veganesque? Well, there is some bugsploitation – peace silk and some honey based fragrances.) You can find them at villainess.net if you want to try them. Two of the three fragrances I tried are heavenly. The fragrances stay on the skin for hours. First, there is Jai Mahal. It’s supposed to be exotic, palatial spices and luxurious vanilla. I must confess that what I get is this: Christmas ribbon candy and buttercream frosting. It is a sweet vanilla spice fragrance that is so seamlessly blended that I cannot really make out individual notes… just feel-good, lighthearted gorgeousness. It’s like a time machine back to childhood, but is elegant enough that you can wear it wherever. I wear it almost every day and it layers well with many of my favorite scents. The other Whipped that I particularly liked was The Girls Love Vanilla – a scent borrowed from Possets, perfumer Fabienne Christenson’s line of fragrances. The “girls” in question are bees, and this is a honey-saturated, vanilla-besotted scent capable of inspiring a diabetic coma. The foody notes are married by a robust and boozy whiff of tobacco. It reminds me of my grandfather’s cherry vanilla pipe tobacco. This lotion smells comforting enough to wear to bed, like footy-pajamas. (My partner is not impressed, so in a way, it’s very much like footy-pajamas. He doesn’t like honey.) I so liked Villainess’ The Girls Love Vanilla Whipped lotion that I went poking around the Possets website itself looking for other tidbits: http://possets.com/ There, I found lots to tempt me. I am a spice and candy lover in my scents, and if you are, too, you will be richly rewarded by a stroll through their scents. Not all of them are sweet, but there are plenty of “toothache perfumes” to play with. The descriptions can be maddeningly brief and vague, but will rarely steer you wrong. And there, I found Gingerbread Whorehouse. I’m a sucker for things that make me giggle. The goofy name managed to wheedle my credit card right out of my purse and into my hand, lickety-split. Everything at Possets’ beautiful site (use the search function if you get lost) is blissfully inexpensive, which was a relief. Fortunately, this was one of those customer experiences that completely rewarded me. Not only did I get my little 6 ml. vial of perfume oil (for $10) and the sample 6-pack I had ordered: I was also sent a few other Possets scent samples. Score! My favorite really is Gingerbread Whorehouse. It smells exactly, and Iam not kidding you, exactly like homemade gingerbread – not the house kind, the soft cake kind! I can smell the ginger, the allspice, the molasses, the butter, the cake, the vanilla… even the raisins, for heaven’s sake! This, too, is a footy-pajama of a perfume: only sexy if you have a gingerbread fetish, but so comforting, homey and warm that it can turn a rotten day wonderful. Here are a few others I love, from the samples: High Tea: you will smell exactly like the steam rising from a cup of Lipton’s black tea. This takes me back to spending the night at my grandmother’s house, where she would bring me a cup of tea in bed every morning (she got up early!) It is plain, gorgeous black tea – not Earl Grey, not white tea with raspberries, not rooibos, but a simple, perfect cuppa. I am buying a bottle. Flossing: meant to evoke the stitching of a corset (or “flossing”), this one is dainty, pretty, and sweet. I can make out sweet orange, a wisp of vanilla, and a hint of spice, but this is not a foody scent – it is delicately floral and immensely ladylike. The Scent of Angels: this one smells like soap to me, in the best and most wholesome of ways. Flowers undergirt with vanilla and musk – again, very soft, clean, and soothing. Angels fresh from the tub. Silver Carnations: I adore carnations – not the powdery character that shows up in scents so often, but the green spiciness of the fresh cut flowers. I don’t know what the “silver” is, here, but I suspect it is a light musk. With it wafting up on the breezes as I took a spring hike, it gave a charming impression of a bouquet of carnations. Even the sappy greenness of the cut stems was there to my nose. In the interests of total disclosure, I will also mention those I didn’t love: Villainess’ Grundy (which I wanted to love): mulch, moss, dandelion sap, daisies, weeds, soil. More or less exactly as advertised, but it really was not as I imagined it. The first blast evoked a hectic and exhausting honey-do Saturday. Eventually it mellowed into something interesting but very Not Me. Possets’ Haute Love: very successfully evokes crystallized ginger dipped in milk chocolate. Unfortunately, Possets’ chocolate scents do not flourish well on my skin and take on unbearable levels of mixed syrup and skank for a bit. Your mileage may vary – I know many people love them. Possets’ Frou-Frou: old-fashioned floral but not in a good way – a maiden aunt’s handbag, or a box-store rose sachet. It’s a performance art piece of a scent, which is fine… but I didn’t find it wearable. Possets’ Id, Ego, and SuperEgo: lavender and chocolate at the heart, with different balances and embellishments. These are interesting, but may be based on too ambitious a contrast for my taste.

Crazylibellule and the Poppies Sniffathon

Crazylibellule and the Poppies is a small French company (said to consist of just three employees) that hit upon a very successful idea of solid perfumes in a stick. The lack of messiness, travel-and-handbag-appropriate size, and a very reasonable price of $16.00 make the scents very appealing. So appealing are the little delights that they won their creators an award, "Beauty Challenger", on the Cosmeeting 2006 Fair in Paris. The line consists of three collections, the Les Divines Alcoves ("Love stories and meetings, scented with the pleasure of divine alcoves"), Poule de Luxe ("Parisian, gourmand, erotic, whimsical"), and Shanghaijava ("Oriental nights, majestic evocations, mysterious tumble of emotions, a scented voyage..."). The scents I am reviewing today are a (random) mix of three collections. Les Divines Alcoves Amoureuse. "Berry", black pepper, rose, tea, jasmine, musk, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla. A vaguely gourmand soft-oriental scent which could have been overwhelmingly sweet and fruity were it not for a delicate spicy note, the quite perceptible smokiness of tea and the earthy woodiness of the base notes. Very pleasant, very wearable, it should be very popular with fans of both Flowerbombs and most other Angel offspring. Aux Anges. Bergamot, tangerine, ylang-ylang, jasmine, "white flowers". My absolute favorite among the Crazylibellule scents, this gentle lily of the valley and jasmine fragrance is very spring-like, airy, and incredibly charming. The beginning is slightly citrusy (truly, just a hint of bergamot, softened by the creamy ylang), seconds after the scent is applied to my skin, lily of the valley and jasmine begin to blossom, they go head to head, neither note dominating the composition. At this point the scent reminds me of a mix of Diorissimo and Jasmal, and I love the combination. The base is a little pale and unexciting, but I suppose one shouldn't expect miracles of perfumery from a $16.00 solid perfume. Aux Anges is adorable, and I have a feeling that I am going to use up my stick in no time at all. Toi Mon Prince. Bergamot, "berry", tangerine, mango, jasmine, apricot, Damasc rose, sandalwood, musk, white peach & patchouli. "Toi Mon Assassin Fruité" would have bnen a more fitting name. This could not be further from what I like, so it is hard for me to be objective about this sugary-fruity number resting on the Angel-esque patchouli base. It is extremely sweet, Angel's, Hot Couture's and Hanae Mori's fruitier descendant. When I am hard pressed for anything nice to say about a fragrance, I quote Lincoln: "For those who like this sort of thing, this is the sort of thing they like." I bet Toi Mon Prince will have many fans. Poule de Luxe Vanilla Fruit Sorbet. Raspberry, rose, iris, vanilla and musk. Having survived the fruity assault by Toi Mon Prince, I am not about to be scared by a little raspberry. Or a lot of raspberry as the case may be. Vanilla Fruit Sorbet is a delightful combo of raspberry, more raspberry, some more raspberry, vanilla and roses. It is pretty and, believe it or not, not particularly sweet. It smells mouthwatering, with the berries being surprisingly life-like. The smell of raspberries invariably transports me to my great-grandma's dacha, the place I love to revisit in my imagination. As far as I am concerned, the combination of raspberries and roses is perhaps one of the most appealing (or the least unappealing) fruity-floral mixes. I am not sure I would actually buy a stick, but I've been enjoying my tiny sample very much. Vanille Sucre Glace. Bergamot, tangerine, jasmine, orange flower, musk, vanilla and caramel. Sugar and vanilla is more or less all I smell in Vanille Sucre Glace, with perhaps just a hint of caramel in the end. It is not unpleasant at all, a warm, not cloyingly sweet fragrance...but it is rather dull. Shanghaijava Ananas Imperial. The notes might say, "orange, lemon, citron, grapefruit, pineapple, blackcurrant, peach, cedarwood and musk", but on me Ananas Imperial is grapefruit, blackcurrant and peach and nothing else. The grapefruit is lovely, and I don't say this often about grapefruit; it is neither harsh nor too "sparkly". The blackcurrant starts by smelling as if it was freshly picked from a bush and ends up creamy and vanillic, as if baked in a pie. The peach is there but not too strong, sort of enhancing the general fruity feel of the composition rather than trying to appear in the forefront. Ananas Imperial has nothing to do whatsoever with pineapples, but it is summery, enjoyable and charming. Litchi Blossom. Litchi, geranium, rose, mint. I have yet to meet a litchi-scented product that smelled attractive. I think that the note really doesn't lend itself well in perfumery. It has a not particularly appealing smoky undertone and a raw aspect that makes it smell like unripe carrots. Pairing litchi with the sharp floral note like geranium is really not a good idea. The blend is heavy, harsh, very forceful...It smells incongruous. Litchi Blossom has an unexpected retro vibe, an almost-powdery, old-fashioned feel, and that is the only good thing about it. Encens Mystic. Clove, cedar, incense, myrrh, benzoin, musk, patchouli and vanilla. My second favorite from the line, Encens Mystic is a surprisingly rich and complex incense blend with a beautiful spicy accord adding the zing to the composition and the no less gorgeous myrrh-vanilla mix softening and enriching the incense note. The scent has piquant sweetness that makes it incredibly comforting. An unexpected and unexpectedly interesting offering from a solid perfume line, Encens Mystic should be sampled by all lovers of incense scents. All these and other Crazylibellule and the Poppies solid perfumes are available at BeautyHabit, $16.00 for 5g.

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

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.

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

Sonoma Scent Studio

Article by Kelley Sonoma Scent Studio is an artisan perfumery based in Healdsburg , California , located among the many vineyards of Sonoma. The owner and in-house perfumer is Laurie Erickson. I have written to her several times and I found her a lovely person. You will find body creams and perfume oils available along with their eau de parfums. According to the website, they don’t add water or isopropyl myristate or propylene glycol to their perfumes—they are simply oils in alcohol. I remember that she used to use a special kind of alcohol somehow associated with grapes but I noticed that the website has been changed and now it’s perfumer’s SD alcohol only. I found this company in a strange way. It all started with a blind internet date. Yes, this is going to be a smutty little story. OK, I met someone on the internet by email and started corresponding. You see, I live in Mexico , in a very small town and so dating is almost out of the question, so, a guy’s got to do what a guy’s got to do! It turns out that this person is a perfume freak (a huge attraction for me!), let’s refer to this person from here on out as PF for perfume freak. I mail ordered about 8 bottles of different perfumes based on PF’s glowing recommendations. After several months of writing steamy emails and talking on Skype (the free internet phone service), we found out we were fragrance opposites and that this couldn’t possibly work out. In fact, I would say that PF’s recommendations were ghastly and some were very expensive! “Fragrance opposites” is a term I made up and I am sure there has to be something better out there for what I am trying to describe. It is when someone hates what you wear and you can’t stand what they like. My point is, why even try to date someone that has such bad taste in fragrance? I called the whole thing off! Well, there were a few other things we had problems with but I will save that for another time. What does this story have to do with Sonoma Scent Studio, you ask? Well, PF loves their products and recommended them to me. When I went to the website, it was down (I think it was due to illness?). My order of samples didn’t come in until this past December, which was almost a year after I was led to the website by PF. The delay wasn’t Laurie’s fault; I had to wait for the website to go active again. I will keep these reviews very brief. Sandal Oud: The listed notes are sandalwood, oud, musk, cedar, with a drop of mandarin. I find this to be extremely oily on my hand. I smell the oud and that’s about it. This isn’t a medicinal oud often found in the oud series by Montale. I am guessing that this is a young oud or maybe a synthetic oud. Overall impression, nice but linear and also stays fairly close to the skin. Would I buy it? Maybe. Sanctuary: Sandalwood, frankincense, amber, orris, musk, and vanilla. The sandalwood here smells like the blond sandalwood. This one is also weak and linear. There is a dill pickle smell to this that is very strange. A definite no. Cashmere : Sandalwood, cinnamon, musk, amber, and vanilla. This is nice but the cinnamon used in this smells artificial. This almost smells like a candle. Yes, this definitely should be a candle. No for Cashmere . Bois Vanilla: Cedar, sandalwood, incense, and vanilla. I smell vanilla but that’s about it. This one would also make a nice candle fragrance. This one is extremely light. I don’t think so. Amber Bois: Cedar, rose, musk, turmeric, saffron, and amber. This is very rosy. I can tell that I have a theme starting. This reminds me of the Virgin Mary candles they sell at the market that are scented with rose. I don’t smell spices but there is a sweet amber accord lurking just under the rose (very artificial to my nose). This is so sweet that it could give me a headache. Fireside: Sandalwood and cedar combined with exotic woods and resins. This is supposed to smell smoky like a fireplace. Fumerie Turque is smoky. Lonestar Memories is smoky. This is just bland. I get sandalwood for sure but I don’t get any of the resins they promised. This is also very linear and stays very close to the skin. This is another definite no. Incense: Frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, cedar, amber, musk, and vanilla. This opens with a strange fruity smell, like pineapple. Of course frankincense has a slight fruity-ness to it but this is odd. It isn’t an offensive fruit accord but it seems a little sweet. Luckily this fades and I smell sandalwood and myrrh. This isn’t very original but it’s one of their best offerings. Chai Latte: Warm chai spices, creamy vanilla, and a light tea note. This smells exactly like a butter-cream candle. There are no spices and definitely no tea notes…anywhere. Where all of the others are extremely light, this is strong. This has killer sillage (literally). This is so artificial and so unexpectedly awful; it should come with a warning! Amber et Encens: Amber, vanilla, incense, and spice. It opens with a nice incense accord but quickly fades to almost nothing. I smell a little amber and incense. Sorry. Oud: Lovely at first. This is a medicinal oud but not as strong as some. It is a single note fragrance that might be used for layering. Would I buy this? I don’t think so. I would prefer a much more expensive bottle of masterfully blended Montale’s Royal Oud, thank you. This faded on me very quickly to a band-aid smell. Definitely a NO! I was very excited about trying these scents because they sounded so promising. Except for the nuclear Chai Latte, I found these fragrances very linear and weak and some of them smell very artificial. These aren’t complicated scents by any stretch of the imagination; in fact, I would say that they are single accords. I love fragrances that are like having complete conversations. I want to start with one thing and then change topics several more times and go from happy to sad and back to happy again. I want layers like an onion. I really don’t want to jump in and read the last line of the book. I guess when most of the ingredients you use are traditionally used as base notes, they will stay very, very close to the skin. I found I would have to touch my arm with my nose to get even a whiff of these fragrances. Of the lot, the only two that I found interesting (this will come as a huge surprise) were Sandal Oud and the plain Oud. They don’t last long on me at all, a couple of hours at most. This was a fun experiment but I didn’t find anything here that I have to have. There are many more scents listed on the website than what I reviewed here at www.sonomascentstudio.com. Prices range from $2 for the 1/32 oz. sample to $25 for the 1 ounce epd spray in the studio line. It’s $35 for 1 ounce of perfume in the boutique line. Photo of the SSS perfume is from their website. The nuclear explosion is courtesy of www.answers.com and the grapes are from www.virtualtourists.com.

Perfume Review: Bond No 9 West Side

West Side, a new fragrance by Bond No 9, pays homage to the musical side of New York. Created by Michel Almairac (Fire Island, Scent of Peace, Bois d'Encens, Cuir Amethyste), it is described as “an ultra-melodious eau de parfum that finds the scent equivalent for the sounds of music in its full-bodied, mellow composition, its undulating rhythms, its harmonies, its pitch - and yes, its notes”. I must say that the rich colors of the bottle, the list of notes (rose, ylang ylang, peony, sandalwood, amber, vanilla), and the inspiration behind the scent lead me to expect a fragrance more vivid, more forceful, more loud. In fact, when I tested West Side on a scent strip, it was indeed bright, pink-red in feel, pretty and girly; it was disco, it was salsa, it was reggae. On my skin, however, the scent turned out to be soft and subtle, a soulful jazz melody played very quietly … and that is how I prefer it. On me, West Side is all about sandalwood and vanilla, with the flowers being just ornaments, colorful specks on the light-brown, cashmere fabric of the composition. The rose is the most prominent floral note here; combined with peony, in the top notes, it smells fresh and dewy. As the scent develops and the wood and vanilla come into play, the rose grows simultaneously warmer and less apparent. The sandalwood note is beautiful, velvety-soft, vanilla is at its best behavior, which means that it adds softness and warmth but isn’t too sweet. The drydown is mostly musk, which, mixed with vanilla, appears to be clean and cuddly at the same time, a skin scent in the best possible way. If I had to find examples of similar scent, I would have said that West Side smells to me like an offspring of a union between Tocade (roses and vanilla) and Organza Indecence (wood and vanilla), although this lovely offspring is much, much more delicate, gentle and introspective than its rather robust "parents". West Side is easy to wear; it’s comfortable, comforting and very versatile. It can be “taken” anywhere, to Carnegie Hall, to a small jazz café, and to one’s comfortable sofa, to cuddle under a warm blanket. I would love to have a bottle for the upcoming holiday parties and miserably cold days ahead. West Side is available at Bondno9.com, Bond No 9 boutiques, Saks, Beautycafe and wherever Bond No 9 fragrances are sold, $125.00 for 1.7oz or $185.00 for 3.4oz.

Perfume Review. Roses and Vanilla: Rochas Tocade and Bond No. 9 Broadway Nite

Today’s review is for two scents blending rose and vanilla, a combination I adore. Obviously, rose and vanilla are not the only notes in either of these fragrances; Tocade has a very noticeable magnolia note and Broadway Nite is quite heavy on violet and what I perceive to be geranium. Still, to my nose and on my skin, rose and vanilla are the core ingredients of Tocade and Broadway Nite. However, despite the shared notes and despite the fact that both were created by Maurice Roucel (the nose behind Musc Ravageur, 24 Faubourg and many others), Tocade and Broadway Nite could not be more different. It is as if, having been given the task of creating a rose scent for Bond No.9, Monsieur Roucel went back to Tocade and made it more heady and generally glammed it up, creating a gorgeous, capricious, pampered diva out of a sweet, lovely, pretty house-maker. Tocade is a soft comfort scent, unobtrusive enough to be worn in any environment, lovely before bedtime. It starts with a blend of rose, magnolia and vanilla on my skin, the magnolia note wears off quite soon and, till the drydown comes, Tocade is mostly rose and vanilla on me. In the drydown, rose becomes much less evident and amber joins the mix, adding its sweet warmth to the scent and bringing it up a notch on the comfort scale. This is not a glamorous fragrance, it stays very close to the skin and, unless you really over-spray, is likely to go more or less unnoticed by others. It is however guaranteed to bring a smile of contentment on your face whenever you catch its floral-gourmand aroma. Broadway Nite is a different story altogether. It is a bombshell, glamorous, heady, with a luxurious trail of sillage. It would not tolerate being worn with your coziest sweater, wrapped up in a favorite old blanket, reading a book. Broadway Nite demands to be taken out on the town; don’t dare to put it on unless you are dressed très chic, with your heels very high. I heard Broadway Nite being compared to Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle and I can see the similarity in that both mix rose and violet, however where Lipstick Rose is powdery, soft, and warm, Broadway Nite is aldehydic and dazzling, and, despite the fact that it has vanilla and amber in the drydown, it strikes me as a “cold” scent. To compare it to Tocade, the rose note is much more loud and prominent in Broadway Nite and stays very noticeable in the drydown. There is a certain green-ish quality to this scent that is probably due to the mentioned violet note, honeysuckle and iris. I could have sworn there was geranium in the blend as well, Broadway Nite has that sharpness I associate with this note, but, for what it’s worth, it is not on the official list of ingredients. Broadway Nite is a heady, demanding scent and does not always work on my skin; once in a while it throws a tantrum and becomes very harsh and cloying; it is not full bottle worthy for me. Tocade, on the other hand, gets worn often and is always even-tempered, soft and comforting; I will be definitely buying a bottle. Broadway Nite can be found in Bond No. 9 boutiques or online, for example at Beautycafe.com, and costs $110.00- $178.00. Tocade retails for as little as $21.69, at Scentiments.com *The photo of Maurice Roucel is from Editions de Parfums, and is here mainly because, on this particular picture, the perfumer looks remarkably like my father, only with a more luxurious moustache :-)

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

So Montale Walks Into a Tiki Bar: Chypré Fruité, Mango Manga and Vanille Absolu

By Donna The house of Montale is so well known for its arsenal of oud-heavy fragrances that some of their other offerings don't get much attention. They don't always get it right when they stray too far from their tried and true formula of oud, roses, spices and woods, but many of their other fragrances are really very good, although they are rarely subtle. Let it be said that I love their approach to fragrance marketing; it's go big or go home with them, no shy or delicate perfumes (or timid customers) need apply. Chypré Fruité has been around for a while, but it's not one that gets talked about very much. It should be, because it's not one of the sillage monsters of the line. I was expecting something brash and maybe a little crude before I first smelled it, but it's very civilized and far less obvious than Badgley Mischka, which I love and think of as the gold standard for modern fruity chypres. It does go on with an emphatic fruity beginning, but it's well embedded in a structure of bergamot, white florals, rose, moss, and patchouli. Including “tropical” fruit notes in a chypre scent could easily translate into disaster, but this works nicely. I can't say exactly which fruits are implied here; it's an abstract mélange of the kind of ideas that are usually found in the Escada annual summer launches, but with a spine this time. With some Montales, one spritz or dab is more than enough, but I can spray myself down liberally with Chypré Fruité and still go out in public. (Truth be told, I would not mind at all if it were a little more assertive, but I have Badgley Mischka for that.) After a couple of hours it settles in as a musky skin scent that lasts for hours and reveals a balmy warmth once the fruits finally fade away. The rather strange Mango Manga is a 2010 launch that takes the fruity theme to the next level with a weird and wonderful mango reconstruction that has some of the raspiness you get when you eat a fresh mango and it stings your lips a little bit; did you know that mangoes are in the same family as poison ivy and other plants with irritating chemicals in their leaves and fruits? I think that little tingle is part of the reason I love mango so much. (Anyone who knows me well is aware that I am virtually obsessed with all things mango, edible or not.) Mango Manga has that plus the peculiar sweetness of mango and a damp, rubbery undertone that really brings to mind tropical jungle undergrowth, steamy and close. It's probably a deal-breaker for a lot of people, but I can't get enough of this oddball of a perfume. It smells like a Malaysian rubber tree plantation, or somebody's basement party room in the early Sixties with fake vinyl palm trees, music by The Ventures on the sound system, and both umbrella drinks and polyester Hawaiian shirts flowing freely. If I had a bottle of this, I would douse myself with it liberally on hot days, then put on a gaudily printed sundress and go stick my feet in an inflatable kiddie pool for the perfect summer experience. One of Montale's stalwarts is Vanille Absolu, a heavy, boozy vanilla scent with a touch of woods and spice. I say a touch, because this is one of the most unapologetically vanilla-centric perfumes I have ever smelled, on a par with the offerings of Comptoir Sud Pacifique. It really doesn't matter what else might be in here, because it's all about the rich, dark vanilla, foody indeed, yet it's apparent that the materials are of the best quality. If it smells a lot like a freshly opened bottle of vanilla extract at first, well, it's the best vanilla extract around. There is also a distinct whiff of Captain Morgan® spiced rum because of the cinnamon and clove, and the sensory link between dark rums made from molasses and the aromatic compounds in vanilla is made clear. This type of fragrance could have been trashy and tiresome in the wrong hands, but thankfully it is an excellent composition that has legendary longevity and dries down to a creamy sweetness that's well-nigh irresistible. Of course, after a while you might end up mysteriously craving one of Trader Vic's® rum cocktails. Don't say I didn't warn you. Montale perfumes are available at selected boutiques and department stores. Online, Chypré Fruité and Vanille Absolu are available at Luckyscent, while Mango Manga can be found at Parfums Raffy along with others in the line. Image credit: Tropical cocktails wallpaper from wallcoo.net Disclosure: The perfumes reviewed in this blog post are from my own collection and from samples traded with friends.

Good Enough to Eat: En Voyage Perfumes Souvenir de Chocolat Trio

By Donna Shelley Waddington of En Voyage Perfumes is well known for putting her own spin on traditional perfume styles, and now she has taken on the gourmand family with great success. This much anticipated (and now multiple award-winning) trio of scents lives up to it billing, evoking the sweetness of classic favorites with an original twist. I love vanilla in perfumes, from light and airy to dark and boozy, it's all good. Indigo Vanilla brings out an aspect of it that is new to me; thanks to the inclusion of sugared violets and a creamy, buttery musk, the vanilla has a cool, milky character that is very appealing and different. One of the great pleasures of baking is mixing the ingredients, and smelling this is like making my favorite cream cheese and butter shortbread cookie recipe, and topping them with violet frosting. Even so, it is not sticky-sweet like all those candyfloss vanillas, so it is very wearable even in warmer weather. Something fruity peeks out as it develops perhaps thanks to the hint of milk chocolate in the mix, which only adds to the hedonistic experience and gradually becomes more apparent in the long drydown. If I could make a dessert that tastes like Indigo Vanilla smells, I would soon need a new larger size wardrobe. I have been waiting for Shelley to do an amber perfume, knowing it would have the warmth and radiance that is so characteristic of her work, and Captured in Amber is indeed marvelous - dreamy and hypnotic, so rich and deep that it's downright indecent. My immediate impression was that this fragrance was composed with a very high percentage of natural ingredients. Labdanum, tonka bean, vanilla, resins and spices form the “ancient” smelling amber accord, which is combined with silken dark chocolate, bitter orange and yes, real ambergris, the latter of which is extremely rare in today's fragrances, even the high end luxury scents. It's hard to describe what effect this magical ingredient does for a perfume, but everything is smoother, rounder, more finished somehow, like a stone that's been tumbled in a river and becomes as polished as a jewel. I will compare it very favorably to the hard to find Chocolate Amber from the Italian natural fragrance company La Via de Profumo; if you have ever tried that one, Captured in Amber is akin to it but spicier, more complex and not as sweet, and they are both wonderful. The ultimate combination of coffee and chocolate for this mocha lover is Café Cacao, which combines top shelf perfumery materials to make what is perhaps the most decadent fragrance in the group. Along with the real ambergris also found in Captured in Amber, it flaunts a parade of sensuality; in fact, there is not a single note in this perfume that I don't adore. Vanilla, rose, cardamom, bergamot peel, espresso, dark chocolate, steamed milk and whipped cream, amber accord, musk, ambergris – who could ask for more? It all comes together seamlessly and even though it has all those gourmand notes, it is not too sweet or cloying, so the rich bitterness of the coffee and chocolate can be enjoyed as a counterpoint to the dessert ingredients. I prefer a gourmand fragrance that leaves room to breathe, and Café Cacao is a great example. The only problem with it is prying my nose off my arm when I wear it. Apparently Marie Antoinette liked to have ambergris in her hot chocolate; that is not an option for most of us, but with this fragrance we can get an idea of what that must have been like. These three fragrances are also recommended for blending with each other to make your own delectable “recipes.” For me, Captured in Amber tends to overpower anything else, and its longevity is incredible, but the other two make a perfect combination. No matter how you wear them, the result is the same – pure pleasure! Image credit: Candied violet and chocolate eclairs via Pinterest, original source unknown. Disclosure: I received samples for testing purposes from En Voyage Perfumes.

Perfume Review: Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain

Review by Tom Thanks to the incredible generosity of Robin, I now have a quite large decant of this fragrance. This is not a fragrance that I should love at all- I pretty much dislike vanilla in scents as a rule, perhaps because they usually smell to me like Vanillin (that god-awful stuff that substitutes for real vanilla in commercial baked goods). Foody snob that I am, I only like the real stuff; one year a good friend of mine hooked me up with home-made vanilla extract, which apparently is the easiest thing in the world to make. Split vanilla pods lengthwise Put in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid Pour on good vodka to cover. Put on lid and walk away for a couple months The opening of Spiritueuse Double Vanille is just that smell: sweet, slightly earthy vanilla pods and that slightly cold slap of spikey booze. There's a touch of the fenugreek here that deepens it from being totally cocktail, then I start to smell immortelle (I know, so did Colombina) as the scent loses the boozy edge and becomes more rounded, very full and, well, cushy is the word that comes to mind. Colombina described it as "softer than soft, a gentle, fluffy skin scent with just a touch of dry piquancy" and it is: there's an pillowy quality to it's drydown that borders on being almost doughy. I do smell a touch of the Guerlinade in there, or perhaps I am just imagining it. There's also a touch of incense, and a bare whiff of uncured tobacco. I have a feeling that there's also some pretty fierce sillage going on there; I put one teensy spritz on my chest before going to work and I was smelling it strongly throughout the day. While this is a very soft scent that would be divine on a woman, there's really nothing in there that would make it something a man could not easily wear. Just go steadily in the application, boys. Double Vanille is apparently going to be a limited edition, which is too bad. It's lovely, and deserves to be kept around far more than some of the snoozes that have come out of that venerated house recently (cough) Aqua Allegoria (cough). It's a perfect comfort scent for fall/winter: the gourmand thrice-risenness of the vanilla is cashmere-blankie level comforting, while not being overpoweringly foody or too literal in Cinnabon sweetness. It's a perfect midnight snack of a perfume, and if you'll excuse me I am going to go bury my nose in my chest for a while and enjoy. Ahhhh, my happy place.... $200 for 75ml, at Bergdorf Goodman

Juozas Statkevicius Eau de Parfum, Philadelphia Cheesesteak Syndrome, and a Prize Draw

I first heard about POTL when I lived in the UK. I suffered terribly from a burning desire to try that miraculous potion, that wonder of wonders, the scent that has been Makeupalley’s No 1 for what seems like an eternity. The way it was described, the official list of notes (the wood! the incense! the vanilla!), everything promised that it would be my Holy Grail. It sounded so hip, so stylish, so niche…Why am I talking about POTL, you might ask. It is because Juozas Statkevicius Eau de Parfum smells EXACTLY like what in my feverish, niche-scents-starved mind of a couple of years ago I imagined POTL to be. Let me do a little side note here and say that I have never been able to figure out why I dislike POTL so much. There are no notes there that I hate, the blend is smooth, everything seems so right…and yet is so wrong. Sometimes I think that perhaps a big part of the reason for my hate for POTL lies in the Great Expectations I had for it. I call it the Philadelphia Cheesesteak Syndrome. Mr. Colombina is a Philly boy, born and bred, and, whilst living in the UK, he was longing for the foods he loved back home. The dish he missed the most was Philly Cheesesteak. The way he described it…he made me feel it was a slice of heaven. A Holy Grail of foods, if you will. Next day after we moved to the States, I got to try this Steak of Paradise...It was oily diced beef mixed with lots of sticky, runny stuff that they call cheese, in a roll- a heavy, cholesterol-leaden thing with no flavor…You see, Mr. C. hyped it up so much, it could not possibly live up to my expectations. And the same probably happened with POTL. Coming back to Juozas…Created for Juozas Statkevičius (Josef Statkus), a Lithuanian fashion designer, by Fabrice Pellegrin (the perfumer I know as The One Who Made The Only Good Scent in NelliRody Scent Factory), Juozas has notes of jasmine, patchouli, coriander, incense, amber, cashmere wood, vanilla, benzoin and musk. This is a perfect example of a scent that manages to be very hip and unusual without being bizarre and unwearable. This is a niche scent done absolutely right; in a dictionary under the entry for Niche Fragrances, should be the picture of Juozas’ elegant bottle. It is soft and striking, deep and enveloping…I think it is perfection. If I had to describe it in one word, I would call it an incense scent, but that really wouldn’t do Juozas the justice it deserves. Other notes, most prominently woods, amber and vanilla, add complexity and depth to the blend. They take incense by the hand and lead it from the old, musty church into the sophisticated world of chic modernity. They, especially the sweet amber and vanilla, also make Juozas exceptionally soft, a soulful, enveloping comfort fragrance. Still, incense IS the star note in the composition, and the hefty amount of incense is, for me, what prevents the vanilla and the amber from doing “the POTL thing” on my skin and becoming cloyingly sweet. Because I myself often find such comparisons helpful in figuring out what a scent would be like, I would say that if you like incense genre in general and fragrances like Miyako, Messe de Minuit (imagine it velvety-soft and sweetened by vanilla...hard to do, I know) and -OK!OK!- Luctor et Emergo in particular, you would most probably love Juozas. I would like to use this opportunity and urge our lovely stores like Luckyscent to find a way to bring Juozas to us. I have no doubt whatsoever that it has every potential of becoming a bestseller (even outselling the POTL maybe, much to my childish delight). Right now, Juozas Statkevicius is sold in its native Lithuania and in Germany, in Berlin and (maybe) Munich, €70.00 for 50ml. If you would like to be entered in the draw for a sample of Juozas, please say so in your comment. One name will be chosen at random and the winner will be announced on Monday morning. The images are from statkevicius.com and hollyeats.com. The draw is now closed

Perfume Review: Lolita Lempicka L de Lolita Lempicka

Nine years after the launch of the first Lolita Lempicka fragrance, the second scent, L, was created for the company by perfumer Maurice Roucel (Musc Ravageur, Shalini, Tocade). The perfume was built around an idea of a mermaid; this concept is quite evident in the aqua-blue pebble-shaped bottle created by designer Sylvie de France, embossed with a starfish and decorated with a sparkling letter L. The key ingredient of the scent itself is also suggestive of the sea. It is the coastal-growing gomphrena flower, which allegedly has never been used in the perfumery before. Apart from gomphrena, the notes also include bergamot, bitter orange, cinnamon, vanilla and musk. I must admit that my expectations of L were very low, despite the fact that it was created by Maurice Roucel, one of my favorite perfumers. The first reason is the fact that the original Lolita Lempicka, with its incredibly sweet licorice accord, tops the list of my most-disliked fragrances. The second (a little less irrational) reason is that, based on the marine theme of the packaging and the concept, I expected the scent to fall into the scent category I abhor, the aquatic. As it turns out, Lolita Lempicka L is in no way similar to Lolita Lempicka the original and does not have a single aquatic accord in its “fresh oriental” composition. It starts with a citrus burst of bergamot and orange, sweetly spiced by cinnamon. A greener, fresher, almost earthy note enters the scene, reminding me vaguely of an immortelle note in Dior’s Eau Noire (one of the lists of notes for L does mention immortelle), but before one can assume that the scent might go in the cologne direction, it suddenly changes its course. The sweetness returns and a soft floral accord appears, with jasmine, perhaps some orange blossom and something vaguely tropical (frangipane?) being the flowers I smell the most. Along with the delicately spicy, citrusy beginning, this, to me, is the best part of the scent. At this point, I can only describe L as smelling of candied flowers. The gentle, sweet floral accord with a hint of vanilla is absolutely delectable. As the scent progresses, vanilla becomes more apparent, somewhat overtaking the scent. The drydown is practically all vanilla with just a smidgen of woods. This vanilla-heavy drydown is my only gripe with the scent. L by Lolita Lempicka is not earth-shatteringly original. The fans of Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb Extreme might recognize the sugared floral accord. Those who like Susanne Lang’s Black Orchid might also smell some resemblance, especially in the earlier stages of drydown, when flowers are still there and vanilla is already gaining prominence. Both groups are practically guaranteed to enjoy this scent. I, for one, definitely see this incredible blue bottle in my future. L is pleasurable, pretty, subtly gourmand and very well blended. My humble prediction is that, when it is finally launched, it will be as popular as (perhaps even more popular than) its purple predecessor. The scent will officially launch in most European countries and the Middle East in March; it is expected to arrive in the US in the later half of 2006. *The review is for Eau de Parfum. According to Cosmeticnews, the Parfum will feature the additional notes of neroli and patchouli. **The first and second images are from aeroportsdeparis.fr. The third image is from cosmeticnews.com. Tomorrow – Nuit Noire by Mona di Orio.

Perfume Review: Susanne Lang Black Orchid

Black Orchid is a part of Susanne Lang’s Made to Measure collection, subcategory Decadent Spice. I would not describe it as either decadent, or spicy, or indeed black. According to Susanne Lang herself, “beauty is most alluring when it is subtle”, and that sentiment defines Black Orchid perfectly; it is a delicate, pretty scent, subtly seductive and eminently wearable. For the life of me I could not find the official list of notes; Black Orchid is described as a lush vanilla floral, and as far as my nose can tell, it is a blend of vanilla and what I percieve to be jasmine. The two notes exist side by side throughout the whole fragrance development. At no point is one note louder than the other, and not even in the drydown does vanilla overwhelm the jasmine. I consider that a very good and rare thing, because so very often in Vanilla and Something fragrances, vanilla takes over right after the top notes stage. Black Orchid is not exactly original, in fact it reminds me of a much gentler and much more floral Trouble by Boucheron, but, just like Trouble, it is an extremely enjoyable, beautiful scent that is very easy to wear anytime, anywhere. It is available at LuckyScent either as a part of Decadent Trio set of three 30ml bottles ($120.00), or as a part of Ultimate Vanilla Collection of nine 4ml bottles ($95.00). I think, or rather I hope, that it is possible to purchase Black Orchid on its own, in some other stores. Please comment if you know where! Edited to Add: Black Orchid has been renamed and is now called Midnight Orchid. *The photo of Decadent Trio set is from LuckyScent.com.

Zenzero by i Profumi di Firenze

Florentine perfumer and founder of i Profumi di Firenze, Dr. Giovanni di Massimo allegedly discovered Medici perfume formulas in 1966, in his apothecary’s basement, in the aftermath of a flood. The fragrances in the i Profumi di Firenze collection are therefore based on actual Medici formulations or on blends popular among the Renaissance nobility. Zenzero (Ginger) is the latest scent in the i Profumi di Firenze fragrance line. According to Isabella Imports, the distributor of i Profumi di Firenze in the US, ginger was a favorite spice ingredient of the Medici family. In Zenzero, white ginger is paired with vanilla to create a perfume that is “as luxurious as the finest cashmere wrap and captures the sensual glamour of a beautiful fall evening.” Ginger is a spice whose flavor is a combination of sweet and peppery. In the beginning of Zenzero’s development on my skin, ginger shows its peppery side. Zenzero starts rather spicy and dry, almost harsh; however this piquancy subsides within seconds and the ginger note become sweeter as vanilla comes into play. At this point it smells the way crystallized ginger tastes, like ginger that has been cooked in sugar syrup. Unfortunately, in no time at all, ginger practically disappears on my skin, and Zenzero becomes practically a vanilla-only scent. It is pleasant, warm, comforting, not overly foody, in fact a very nice vanilla fragrance. However, Zenzero is the name of this perfume, not Vaniglia, so I would have liked for the title note to stay around longer. I wouldn’t argue with the official description that likens Zenzero to a cashmere wrap, but I would respectfully disagree that there is anything glamorous in this fragrance. Zenzero is a very enjoyable scent, it is comforting, warm, and pretty, but nothing in it suggests glamour. It is a mystery to me, why this simple two-note comfort scent was described in these terms, but marketing people do move in mysterious ways and anyway the lack of glamour was not the reason of my disappointment with Zenzero. I cannot get over the fact that ginger note disappears completely on my skin; there already exists a very nice vanilla scent in the i Profumi di Firenze Collection, Vaniglia del Madagascar and this is what I would rather buy, should the vanilla mood strike me. For now, Talco Delicato remains my favorite in the line, a fine example of a subtly gourmand comfort scent. As for ginger, for now I will stick with my Mandragore by Annick Goutal. Any suggestions of scents with the prominent (and lasting) ginger note are most welcome! Zenzero is available exclusively at Barneys and retails for $79.00 for 1,7oz. Samples of all I Profumi di Firenze scents can be purchased from Isabella Imports for $1.50 each. *The photo of iPdF scents is from isabellaimports.com. The photo of crystallized ginger is from the wonderful site templespice.com