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Thursday, March 29, 2007

Perfume Review: 40º à l’Ombre, A la Figue!, Corrida and Ipanema by Satellite


Review by Tom

Satellite came onto the scene perfume-wise about a year and a half ago with Padparadscha (at least that's when they hit my radar). Colombina was a rather indifferent to it, I liked it enough to get a full bottle. I have to say that I have not made as many inroads on that bottle as I have with others in my cupboard, but I find it a wonderful circus-of-cedar that brightens up a winter day.

After an 18 month or so silence, Satellite has landed not one or two new ones but four new scents, all in gorgeous jewel-tones (which I would hesitate to spritz on while wearing a white silk shirt for fear of staining) and in bottles updated with caps that have amusing little dependant charms on chains. It should be silly, but it's really charming.

40º à l’Ombre

40º à l’Ombre (100º in the Shade) is described as a "bright, zippy fragrance poured over crushed ice and served in a frosted glass". I personally think that's the perfect description for Eau d'Hadrien, and I dare say I would find Hadrien more refreshing. Not that this is bad, it's a nice orangy-grapefruit fizz with lots of peel, but fairly fleeting. It's lasting power is my only caveat: I spritzed it on at about 5 and it was a distant memory by 6:30.

A la figue!

Desribed as being not overly green for a fig scent and I suppose that is a literal truth. It's not as green as say, salad, but it's still fairly green. I like green so it's not an issue. It does have a wonderfully rounded fruitiness and a quality that they refer to as "creamy" but for me is more like the particular unctuousness of actual figs: California is a big fig producer and there are even fig festivals. This creaminess reminds me of the fig shakes you get at the festivals; milk, ice and that glottal figginess. On a blasting hot day, trust me nothing could be yummier. I can just imagine this would have the same effect.

Corrida

Corrida is a fruity floral. Did I scare you? Good. It IS a fruity floral, but nothing like one you'll find in a department store. It starts out rich and heady with a boozy shot of black currant, eventually softening and supplanted by sandalwood and white flowers. A bit like being served a vermouth cassis on a deck in the evening with the night-blooming jasmine just starting to be discernible. It wouldn't be the first thing I'd reach for, but I didn't run screaming either, and for me that's saying something. Now I want a Vermouth Cassis. Great.

Ipanema

This one surprised me by being by far the one that I liked the best. Surprised me because of the description (coconut, beach, blah, blah, blah) made me think of about five other scents from CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966 to Bond No. 9 Fire Island. What I got was a very nicely blended skin scent with a hint of suntan lotion, and just enough grapefruit and orange peel to make you feel like vacation in Rio. On me this one is also the most long lasting, and oddly enough, not the first thing I'd reach for on a hot summer day (that's Hadrien; this would be on the list, but rather further down it). However, on a day like you east coasters are having (I got IM's from NY friends complaining about the "winter mix" of snow and sleet this March 16th) I would happily grab this screaming tourqouise vial of liquid happy and spritz away the seasonal affective disorder.

These are available at LuckyScent, at $75 for a nicely sized 100 ml bottle.

18 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tom, WHERE in California are those fig festivals held? I love figs, and I have never had a fig shake. I must correct this situation.

I'm totally with you on not wanting to spritz anything colored that way on something one does not want to stain.

1:33 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ipanema sounds wonderful for those dreary winter days, as you say. As for the others, I can't say my interest is particularly piqued.

3:21 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I want to go to a fig festival and slurp a fig shake too! Waaaah!

4:04 AM EDT  
Blogger Marina said...

I liked Iphanema the best too. "Poor" person's Virgin Island Water, that's how it smelled to me. :-)

7:33 AM EDT  
Blogger elle said...

These actually sound better than I would have thought. Ipanema sounds like something I will definitely have to try, but maybe not till next fall. I really don't wear scents like that in summer - as you said, they're perfect for bleak days and when I think winter will never end, I reach for them to remind myself that summer *does* exist.
You've also given me a great idea for my Halloween costume this year - I think I'm going to go as a fruity floral because, yes, that *is* a scary thought in most cases.

8:10 AM EDT  
Blogger marchlion said...

These sound like total fun! I do love the bottles. I skipped the original because I was scared of the cedar.

I really want that Creed Virgin Island Water, and the fact that I want it is scaring me.

8:56 AM EDT  
Blogger lilybp said...

I don't know that any of these sounds like my type, especially since I'm not a citrus fan (my skin often magnifies it, so that the lovely Hadrien smells like Lemon Pledge on me). Still, it sounds as if I should try the fig one and Ipanema (though I probably should try Virgin Island Water first).

9:12 AM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

Tom, I live CA, too and you officially now have described two drinks I want to try in your post. I think this summer I'm making myself a figue shake.

11:01 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Maria-

Around the Palm Springs area, I believe. That's where I had one of those fig shakes, when it was about 100 degrees in the shade..

11:45 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

newproducts-

They were nice, but they did not rock my world.

11:45 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Lee-

Maybe they don't even do it anymore. I can find no mention of it on the internet. Date shakes, yes. But I know I had a fig one. I've made them for myself.

11:49 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Columbina-

It's a bit like that, but I think VI Water is something I'd reach for in summer while Ipanema I'd reach for in winter.

11:51 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Elle-

Great idea for a costume!

11:52 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

March-

Don't let it scare you. VI Water is very nice. For me, the initial coconut was a bit much, but after that it settled in nicely,

11:53 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Jennifer-

Go for it, but use a food processor on the fig shake. I remember the person who made me one saying that a blender doesn't have enough power. It's also better believe it or not with skim milk.

A vermouth cassis on a hot day is wonderous..

11:55 AM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Lily-

You might like the figgy one. VI Water is just not me. The coconut is too much in the beginning. Oh well.

12:23 PM EDT  
Blogger Unknown said...

Thanks for your impressions that also remind me to give these a proper sniff test. The samples are still on my dresser, completely ignored. I'm afraid I won't have a lot of good things to say about them, though.

1:33 PM EDT  
Blogger tmp00 said...

Ina-

I'll look forward to reading your impressions, good or bad.

1:42 PM EDT  

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