Luckyscent
Fragrance X
Indiescents
First in Fragrance
99Perfume
ExcelsisUSA
Parfum1
My Photo
Name:
Location: New York, NY
© Copyright 2005-2011 Perfume-Smellin' Things
All rights reserved
Custom Search

Monday, February 18, 2008

Perfume Review: Ineke Evening Edged in Gold

I have been a fan of Ineke in theory, i.e. I thought that the perfumes were imaginative and lovely, but not my kind of thing... too fresh, too transparent. Evening Edged in Gold, a decidedly more substantial, floral-oriental, addition to the collection, is done very much to my liking. With notes of osmanthus, plum, angel's trumpet, saffron, cinnamon bark, midnight candy, leather and woods, it is a warm, languid, sweet fragrance that makes me think of the last really warm days of summer. Where I grew up, summer invariably ended on my birthday, in mid-August. The 15th was a cut-off line, after which the weather would become gloomy and rainy till Indian Summer would sometimes return some of the golden glory at the end of September.

The intoxicating sweetness of the apricoty osmanthus and plums (I haven't encountered angel's trumpet or midnight candy, but they are said to have a very sweet smell as well), is evocative of desperate desire to bloom, to breathe, to live, which I always imagine is palpable on those last sultry August nights. Every petal of every flower is eagerly open, absorbing all the warmth it can, releasing as much scent as it can... I don't smell saffron in Evening Edged in Gold, but I do get a lot of cinnamon, which I think goes wonderfully well with the nectarous, ripe quality of the flowers and which enhances the balmy, comforting feel of the woody base. The latter is the soft cashmere shawl one is eventually compelled to pull over one's shoulders sitting outside on a last night of summer, because cold breeze would inevitably appear out of nowhere, making one shiver not so much from the chill as from a vague sense of foreboding... the breeze would ruffle hair and petals, and whisper in the leaves that summer is over, over, over...

Evening Edged in Gold is available at ineke.com, $88.00 for 2.5oz.

32 Comments:

Blogger elle said...

What a beautiful review! Like you, I've been a fan of this line in theory. I really admire the first scents and feel her presentation and marketing is absolutely outstanding, but just hadn't felt compelled to actually own any. This scent changed that. It's simply stunning and very much in sync w/ what I like. I ordered a bottle w/in hours of receiving the free sample she sent out (brilliant strategy).

9:38 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

L,
I agree, great strategy, great marketing, and the presentation is wonderful. I mean, boxed spray samples! One doesn't see that often, or ever.

9:55 PM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I really do have to get my hands on a sample of this. Ever since I heard a description of this and now this review, well it has been a release I have been looking forward too.

10:23 PM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

I don't know that this one is me necessarily, but I loved the review- those last days of summer were more like September in New England, but you captured it perfectly..

11:22 PM EST  
Blogger chayaruchama said...

I couldn't agree more.

Despite the desire to like her line, for so many aestheticand cerebral reasons-
I couldn't.
Until I smelled this one.
It's extremely elegant, and your picture suits it perfectly.

6:54 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Jenavira,
They might still offer a free sample, somewhere on the site. If not, there is as sample set as well.

6:58 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Tom,
Sometimes it comes back in September, a short revival and then certain death till like April.

6:59 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Ida,
we like heavier stuff, don't we :-)

6:59 AM EST  
Blogger lilybp said...

Absolutely beautiful review! I have had the same feelings about the line as you and others, but I guess I need to try this one.

8:00 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Your review confirms this as a must-sniff! Off to see if it's anywhere to be found in the UK. Very reasonable price too though as ever I'm confused about how much 2.5 oz is. I use imperial for just about everything other than perfume, how mixed up is that.

8:41 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You perfectly described the melancholy beauty of the end of summer.

An evening edged in gold would do wonders for the spirit right about now. (Please winter, be gone!)

Thanks for posting such a lovely review to distract me from this cold and gloomy day.

9:18 AM EST  
Blogger NowSmellThis said...

This is my favorite of what she's done so far, but even this had a freshness in the opening that annoyed me. Haven't given up on it yet (have only tried it once) but there is something oddly un-niche-like about this line, isn't there?

11:34 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yum.

And love that line about the desperate blooming...

12:08 PM EST  
Blogger marchlion said...

It IS nice, isn't it? And like Elle, as I already said, somehow I haven't been compelled to own one. This one isn't me but it is different from the others?

I really struggled how to describe that Ineke esthetic. I mean, I want to say "synthetic" but they're all synthetic, and I don't mean it pejoratively, so it's a poor term. But they have this green, crystalline, lightly-floral-fruity ... coldness? What? Do you feel that in the others?

12:46 PM EST  
Blogger marchlion said...

Referencing what Robin said up there -- yeah, I have never *wanted* to like a line more, but ... is that what it is? A fresh note?

12:47 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I haven't sniffed it but, just for Nicola, I know the line is in Liberty, though not sure if this one is.

I grow Angel's trumpets though and man, they scent air like nothing else. More sillage than a diva in Fracas.

12:55 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

J,
Do try this one. I think you will like it.

9:07 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Nicola,
2.5oz is 75ml, if that helps?

9:07 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Suzanne,
I want the winter to be gone too, forever and ever.

9:08 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

R,
I don't get any freshness in this one. Just spicy floral sweetness form start to finish. Funny, huh?

9:09 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

A,
Thank you! :-)

9:09 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

March,
I agree, the previous ones had coldness, airiness, minimalist feel about them. This one is decidedly different.

9:10 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

March,
yeah, fresh, cold, too understated.

9:11 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Lee,
More sillage than a diva in Fracas? I must sniff those trumpets :-)

9:12 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow, I wonder if this is anything like Datura Noir? Angel's Trumpet is a very close relative of Datura, and Midnight Candy (Zaluzianskya) is very sweet in the same slightly dangerous way, with a hint of sugared almond, hence the name. Your description is simply scrumptious, and now I must try!

12:04 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The samples are amazingly packaged, the perfumes are perfect in theory, but although I wanted wildly to identify with one of them, they seem to float above my skin and turn vague and misty, then cold and damp and musty. Your wonderfully evocative description makes me want to try again.

2:04 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Donna,
It did not remind me of Datura Noir at all (luckily for me :-))

6:30 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

quinncreative,
Interesting how we all speak of coldness. But this one is quite different, have you tried it?

6:30 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for the review, March mentioned you'd done this - I agree with all re the previous ones - minimal, coldness are excellent descriptions - I used the word sparse earlier to March. I am eager to try this one, since it seems different!
BBliss

11:41 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice review. I received a sample of this from Ineke a couple of weeks ago, but haven't tried it yet.

12:11 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

BBliss,
Sparse is the perfect word for them.

7:34 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Joy,
let us know what you think of it when you do try it.

7:38 PM EST  

Post a Comment

<< Home