Month: July 2012

Songes by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2005

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Hoya Perfumistas!

Yes, I have spoken about Annick Goutal (1948-99) before. We have done days of the Annick Goutal bio and fragrance story (Bio, Frag#1, Frag#2, Frag #3; <<< jump back) and I have used some of the same words here because they are as true now as then (they are in italics).

Photo Stolen fanpop

Songes EdT was my first Annick Goutal FBW fragrance. When the sample arrived I loved it so much I sprayed it on all and sundry till it ran dry just so they could experience the enormous grand white floral opening. What a fragrance! Designed around a dusk ramble on Camille Goutal’s honeymoon and the frangipani’s nighttime scent song of dreams.

Songes means dreams and I think it is an interesting choice of a name for a fragrance built around the scent of frangipani at dusk. It opens so full and spectacularly, not dreamy at all. White flowers pumping out their glorious, decadent fragrance. White night flowers have something so special and glorious that whenever I put this voluptuous fragrance on I almost swoon with delight. A bold fragrance, with solid strength and sillage, unlike most AG perfumes Songes has excellent lasting power too. From spritz to gone is around 4-6 hours for me depending on my day. Along with the flowers I get lovely inedible vanilla, almost amber-ish, and a soft incense note that I’ve never noticed before but this morning I was burning incense and here it is repeated. Halfway through there is a very human element that comes and goes, like clean mouth breath. The whole time I’ve been wearing this my mind keeps saying, “Oh, this is lovely, why don’t I wear this more often?” It’s now got fridge front and centre.


Photo Stolen from escentual-com

The Annick Goutal website says

The twilight in Tahiti, transcending into a inspiring combination of frangipani and tiare flowers.
Creation date : 2005
Olfactory family : Floral, oriental, amber 
(Frangipani, Tiare flower, Sambac jasmine absolute, ylang-ylang absolute, olibanum, French vanilla absolute, sandalwood, amber)

The Perfume Shrine  and NowSmellThis do excellent reviews and Fragrantica for notes and accords.

I have enjoyed bringing you Songes again, do you have a favourite Annick Goutal fragrance? Which one and why?
Portia xx

Ambre Sultan by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2000

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Hiya Everyone,

Although I have a bottle of Muscs Koublai Khan the Serge Lutens line has remained a mystery to me. Trolling through my sample boxes the other day I found a manufacturers sample in its posh black/white box. It had fallen out of the bag it arrived in, some lovely fumie had sent it to me (Dionne? Undina?) but as it was running free I am unsure. I want to say Thank You.

Photo Stolen indiatimes

Ambre Sultan opens huge and stays that way for nearly an hour on me, then it takes you on a walking trek of itself, there is no need to worry that you’ve been distracted for 15 minutes because large chunks of time are allotted for each section, like a raga made into fragrance. I have now smelled of one perfume for 24 hours, with only 2 spritzes.

Photo Stolen ebay

On my skin I love the crackling, nearly burnt herbs and spices that fly and waft freely as soon as you spray Ambre Sultan, as if you’ve just thrown them on a very hot, dry pan over a campfire. It’s harsh, bitter, green, wood, vanilla and smoke all at the same time and it jumps up and assaults your nostrils, BAM! Through this whirlwind of an opening begins the life of the star of this fragrance, amber; by the time you lose the cacophony of the opening the resinous vanilla has already entered and been playing in with the chorus, unnoticed. As it unfolds it lights the whole composition as if I am suddenly snuggled in my duvet all warm, clean and safe.  Later on Ambre Sultan gets a little bit flesh and sweaty too. Though it doesn’t get gourmand sweet, there are lovely almost flashes of sugar/nectar that weave through, constantly cut off without notice by the greens and spices. I love the way that sometimes I get the smell of religious devotions and others almost a patisserie, there is something new, unexpected and wonderful often.

Photo Stolen wikipewdia

Hours and hours later, about 14 hours later I am surrounded by the still interesting, warm vanilla and wood. The scent is discernible and is good enough to be the opening of a fragrance, even though it has come a long way and changed its smellable components throughout the day countless times. This is an amber oriental done by 2 masters. Even after a good nights sleep I wake up smelling amazing, here is where you get your gourmand, I am now a freshly baked, still warm vanilla brioche, just broken open and buttered.

Fragrantica gives the notes as coriander, sandalwood, bay leaf, patchouli, angelica, resins, myrrh, amber, oregano, myrtle, benzoin and vanilla.

FragranceNet has 50ml (including 15% discount) under $85
PoshPeasant has decants starting at $6

I hope you’ve enjoyed my day with Ambre Sultan, it has been a ride,
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Pulp by Byredo 2008

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Guest Post By EmmaKate

Hello hello!

First I would like to introduce myself. My name is EmmaKate and I, like you, am obsessed with fragrance. However this isn’t an obsession I realized I had until I started working in the beauty industry. I have been lucky enough to work at Estée Lauder for a little while and Mecca Cosmetica for a much longer time.

Secondly I would like to say a massive thank you to Portia for inviting me to be a part of this wonderful blog.

While working at Mecca I was lucky enough to meet Frederic Malle, Fabrice from Le Labo, Francis Kirkdijan, Ben from Byredo and many more.
I will share with you stories and insights into these perfumers and their brands, and many more in my blogs.

Today I am going to talk about Byredo’s Pulp. Byredo is a fragrance house created by Ben Gorham.

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Photo Stolen Byredo

Ben is a native of Sweden, born to an Indian mother, Canadian father and grew up in Toronto, New York and Stockholm. He studied fine arts at Stockholm Art School and became interested in fragrance as his form of expression. Byredo was born.

The entire Byredo range is something to behold but Pulp moves me.

image.jpeg

Photo Stolen Byredo

This fragrance upon opening smells of a freshly cut fruit salad, fruity, juicy and delicious. It reminds me of fruit punch with a kick of gin to amp up the sauciness. As it dries down green fig comes into the mix to round it out. The fig gives it body and depth, whilst not compromising the sensual and flirty fruitiness.

Fragrantica gives the notes as

Top: Bergamot, cardamon and black currant
Heart: Fig, red apple and tiare flower
Base: Cedar, praline and peach blossom.

When I wear this fragrance I feel happy, excited, serene and a bit juicy myself 😉 As I smell it I can feel a hint of summer, a girlie frock and mango juice running down my chin and arms…bliss.

Mecca Cosmetics has 50ml $158

The Posh Peasant has samples starting at $5.50

See you next month,
EmmaKate X

SUNDAY QUICKSNIFF REVIEWS #9

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Hey Hey Scentsationalists,

Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Every Monday morning the Sunday QuickSniff Review page is opened and each time I spritz and am near the computer I’ll give a 3 sentence review with a rating out of 5 each for, well, see the key after the reviews. Just some sniffs written quickly, it’s Sunday, I’ve been relaxing with my buddies, dogs and partner. I hope you’re having a good one too.

These can be samples I’ve bought or had sent to me by friends, or a FB that I may fully review later, or have done before and want to remind you of its existence.

OUTSPOKEN by FERGIE for AVON. My mate Penny (Thanks Penny, you SUPERMUM!!) gave me this, she is an AVON lady; honesty compels me to tell you that I expected it to be utter crap and it’s nothing new, can’t hold a candle to Chanel, Guerlain or Serge Lutens, but for the price this is AWESOME! As soon as the squeaky opening settles it is a soft aqueous white floral with a very respectable woods and leather dry down; gone in 2-3 hours on me. This is a good scent if you are on a budget, it wont skunk, is wearable at any time and in most situations, you could pay a lot more and get worse. Around $20 for 50ml S=*** L=** D=**

VIVA LA JUICY by JUICY COUTURE 2008. A youth oriented, slightly fizzy, fruity gourmand that is not bad on my skin!! Less irritating than many in its style, has some depth and follows an interesting course from super sweet fruit, through white flowers to soft amber/caramel base over a decent amount of time. Not my thing but I can see where it’s better than many of its peers and will probably use up this sample. A 3ml spray decant from MyPerfumeSamples only $6 S=*** L=**** D=**

FLOWERBOMB by VIKTOR & ROLF 2005. OK This is the same stuff but with all the irritants put in that they left out of Viva La Juicy. One of the currently ubiquitous fruit-chouli army, on (and to) me HORRIBLE!! but I know it’s a really big seller so it must work for some. I will be giving this away in our Thursday Giveaway. A 5ml spray decant from MyPerfumeSamples $9 S=* L=*** D=*

OBSESSION MEN by CALVIN KLEIN 1986. This is an ex-tester bought supercheap, Thanks Amanda! The citrus and spice at the top of this old chestnut are like stepping back in time to when I was studying fashion and this was what people wore, the general public went crazy for it and it still sells. Until today I’d never put it on my skin but POW right in the sniffer! I know America has a thing for clean smelling fragrances but Obsession has always had a sexy backdrop of fleshy, aroused manliness to me. FragranceNet has 15ml for under $12 S=**** L=*** D=***


Photo Stolen from shirtsays

Scent, Obviously the number 1 priority here is how does it smell. My reviews are completely subjective and will differ widely from your own experience with the scent but it’s a good starting point. As yet I am not a trained perfumer so any and all descriptions are merely that, descriptions. There are plenty of blogs that offer technical details and chemistry, in 3 sentences I’ll pass.
Longevity, This is a biggie for me because like enfleurage where flower petals are left in fats to steal the scent, my fatty body works the same and eats it up, yum. So for a scent to last well on me, it will probably last a whole day on you and need a radioactive decontamination shower to defuse it from your skin.
Desirabilty, Wrapped up in this is scent, price, house, history, longevity, packaging, availability and a billion other things.

Photo Stolen from bittbox

* in any of these being the, “You couldn’t pay enough to spray this God awful stink on me again, it smells like public toilets in India, long time fridge malfunction while on Summer holiday and the vile stench of poverty all rolled into one.” You are putting innocent people in danger if you wear this.
** means it’s a nothing, wearable, boring, maybe the price is prohibitive for what you get or it’s ubiquitous. You should definitely get a sample of this to stop a buying boo boo.
*** is a perfectly good product that smells good and lasts a while at a decent price. You should definitely think about trying a sample or squirt but should you miss out your life will continue. Sample size worthy.
**** is the one you try, want a lot but can wait for a birthday/Christmas. It’s better than most of the stuff you’ve sniffed and may fill a void in your library. This is also an excellent decant product 5ml will get you through the season and maybe buy it next year.
***** meaning, stop reading this, grab your cash, credit card (or partners), roll the elderly or rob a petrol station and purchase this product. NOW! If you don’t have this fragrance you could die.

Have you sniffed at all this week? What was it and how did it smell?

Portia xx

L’Eau D’Ambre by L’Artisan Parfumeur 1978

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Hello Gorgeous!

This morning as we got out of bed there was a definite chill in the air so I decided that it would be a perfect day to grab the L’Eau D’Ambre from the fragrance fridge and give it a whirl. On writing this I have been wearing it 7 hours and there is still a beautiful warm amber glow whispering from my skivvy. Amber fragrance has nothing to do with the Amber worn in necklaces except that it smells like wearing amber feels; warm and richly exotic. It is a sweetish, resinous and woody accord usually from benzoin, labdanum, and vanilla, then other interesting accords and notes are added to give light and shade to a fragrance.

Photo Stolen Allposters

L’Artisan Parfumeur’s L’Eau D’Ambre is created with an extremely short list of accords, amber, patchouli, vanilla and geranium. On my skin I love the herbal/medicinal opening and think the minty, green geranium, which softens out after the initial rush and swoop, is instrumental in keeping the ambers and vanilla from getting too gourmandy throughout the life of the fragrance, though it does skirt caramel sometimes. I do notice there is a feeling that we are about to get fruit or roses every so often, just a hint, they never arrive but I am kept guessing all day. An oriental that hints at the spice road rather than embraces it and if you are looking for that harsh, burnt, markets in Asia, in your face amber extreme then pass L’Eau D’Ambre by. It is warm and classy, never overbearing, but keeps itself very nice. Often referred to as the amber for non amber fans, I agree, no need to push yourself to love this because it’s just a delightful and elegant amber for any occasion, opera, dinner, shopping or Bar B Q. Sensual rather than sexual, I feel very comfortable, like I’ve put on a comfy pair of jeans that I know look great.

Photo Stolen L’Artisan Parfumeur

L’Artisan Parfumeur’s website says Jean-Claude Ellena created this glorious perfume. Fragrantica, on the other hand, quotes it as Jean-Francois Laporte along with Vanilia, Tubereuse and Mure & Musc in the same year. I guess L’Artisan would know? Fragrantica does say Jean-Claude created L’Eau D’Ambre Extreme and L’Artisan doesn’t bother.

eGlobalBeauty has 50ml for $95 including P&H
Annoyingly L’Artisan Parfumeur don’t ship to Australia so I can’t order from their sale. GRRR! But you can.

I hope you’re all having a lovely weekend. Have you tried this house? What is your favourite L’Artisan perfume?

Portia xx

Shalimar EdC by Guerlain 1925

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Hiya Perfumistas,

As some of you already know Jacques Guerlain created Shalimar in 1925, inspired by the legendary love story between Mughal Indian Emperor Shah Jahan and his lowly born wife Mumtaz Mahal. He loved her so much that when she died he nearly bankrupted his empire by building the Taj Mahal as her tomb, when he started work on a matching black granite edifice on the opposite shore of the river in Agra his sons imprisoned him and kept him incarcerated till his death. Having been twice to the Taj Mahal, the second time spontaneously bursting into tears as it came into view and having to take a seat while my BFF Kath photographed, I think Shalimar a fitting tribute to a love that tore a family, a man’s mind and nearly an empire apart when it was done. I have loved it since my Mum and her friends wore it when I was a child.

Shalimar EdC by Guerlain 1925


Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Today I decided it was time to have an opening ceremony for my incredible Vintage Shalimar EdC find, pre 1990’s but after the bar code was introduced because there is a b/c at the bottom and some Arabic writing there too. Anyone? Still in the lovely shiny embossed gold with matte navy and white box.

Photo Stolen Shopping

Oh boy! OH BOY! It goes on with a rush and susurrus of vanilla that took me so completely by surprise that I missed the entrance of the citrus which all of a sudden appeared and became nearly the sole focus; with vanilla still in the background.

About 15 minutes of these lovely citrus notes and then they are overtaken by the base, there seems to be no stopover in the floral department at all, like it’s been quickly and quietly swept under the carpet. Now it’s back to the incredible woodsy inedible vanilla with unpickable stuff lurking around trying to get noticed but being crushed under the jeweled bootlet of vanilla and wood.

Quite a different experience to my vintage or current parfum or my current EdP , still Shalimar but bolder in some ways and less pronounced in others. Even its staying power is quite good at 2 hours so far and no sign of diminution. I am at around 2 hours starting to get a light leather though, newish leather but soft, curling around the vanilla and giving it a fresh depth. I am reading my book and coming back to type every so often when new facets of the fragrance manifest, what a lovely way to spend a winter afternoon.

Interesting, at about 2.5 hours there is a definite floral intrusion over the top of all else and through it, now that the flowers have decided to make their presence known properly it seems they were there all along but just happy to bide their time filling the fragrance out softly. The extremely powdery iris and soft jasmine/rose accords. I am in heaven.

At just over 3 hours I am left with a sweet, woody, maybe patchouli I can’t quite read it because my Shalimar EdC has become so whispery quiet, still there but I have lost the ability to parse its notes. That was so good, so perfect, I think this is my favourite Shalimar incarnation that I own. It has been a satisfying ride and I am replete.

We are at around 4.5 hours and I just got a citrus and vanilla waft as I turned the page of my book. Still there still humming along. EdC! 4.5 hours! Ridiculously wonderful. Thank you Guerlain.

Thanks for coming along on my fragrant mental wanderings, that you do makes me happy. I hope it brings you joy as well.

On the Perfume Posse today my mate David Watson and I have done a LIVE VIDEO SNIFF. So gay it hurts. Go see.

Do you have a Shalimar story to share, I love them.

Portia xx

Siren by Paris Hilton 2009 Elton John meets Pnau

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Hey Gang,

Photo Stolen marieclaireuk parishiltonsite

HA HA HA, I know. You are all incredulous. Why would Portia review a Paris Hilton fragrance? It’s not niche or expensive or fashionable! Well, you are right, it’s none of these things. Paris probably never even smelt this. Who knows? There are reasons though that I’ve given Paris Hilton Siren a try…

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The main reason is that recently it was reported in reputable places that Paris Hilton had sold US$1.5 billion worth of perfume. 1.5 BILLION DOLLARS! So I am intrigued by anyone who can generate that many sales for something that everyone is panning. OK, if you are Paris Hilton and you’re a great sales person, businesswoman and advertisement for your product, you are constantly in the media for better and worse keeping the product that you have become alive. I get that part, she does an excellent job at that. Yes, she is kind of pretty (sometimes gorgeous) and articulate, that helps too………..BUT! that means people will buy your product once. Right? If all these people buy the products and they are utter crap then how is there any return custom? How do you sell 1.5 billion dollars worth of perfume when 100ml is around $40, that is a shitload of juice. So I am agog to see what the hell everyone is buying, aren’t you? Honestly, if people are buying and rebuying the celebrity dream, it has to be kind of good.

Photo Stolen songonlyrics

So, what do I smell when I put on Paris Hilton’s Siren? It has been compared to Viva La Juicy, I have one on each hand. On my skin Viva La Juicy is similar, and nice, but not as interesting, though it ends way more gourmand. Siren, on the other hand (literally), starts out with a citrus softened by a delicious buttery frangipani, maybe it is partly the orchid which seems very night blooming and rich. The sandalwood, lotus and musk are apparent but I don’t get even a hint of the honeysuckle. This is a full-throated floral, surprisingly quite big and unashamed. Maybe I have a thing for drugstore scents but I like Siren, it’s a very good name for the scent that is cool, delicious and exotic with hints of warmth, especially as it dries down to a shimmery vanilla/musk accord that lasts well, in barely there status, before it too is gone. Somewhere between 4 & 5 hours, which is great on my scent hungry skin.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

I am as surprised as you that this isn’t instant scrub. There are much better respected and more expensive brands doing a far worse job on their fragrances than Paris Hilton did on Siren. It just goes to show, doesn’t it.

CheapSmells has 100ml for $22

Portia xx

PS I also thought you might like this. Apparently, Elton John has made a compilation of mash ups with Australian musicians’s Pnau called Good Morning To The Night, here is a taste. I am LOVING it. I stole it from another blogger lechehelsinki. Thanks.

Salvador Dali EdT 1983/1985/2011 Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Welcome Heaven Scented People,

One of my great art loves is Salvador Dali. Even his sketches seem finished and perfect. It seems to me that he was obsessed with producing the feeling, MORE. As if choosing canvases that were not big enough to hold all his ideas. His perfect sense of placement and storyline make some of his works transcendental, whole body experiences rather than mere visions.


Photo Stolen znanje


Photo Stolen znanje


Photo Stolen znanje

He and beloved wife Gala thought that an obvious extension of his visual medium would be fragrance. Salvador once said “Of the five senses, the sense of smell is incontestably the one that best conveys a sense of immortality” from Fragrantica. The original fragrance “Salvador Dali Le Parfum” was released for a limited run in 1983, the year after Gala’s death, and was such an instant iconic hit that it was reformulated for the mass market and released in 1985. All reformulations from Le Parfum to now have been created by Alberto Morillas.


Photo Stolen xtimeline

Pierre Dinand designed the bottle after Dali’s death, “We spent probably three years on the project…. Dali had absolutely no idea of what could realistically be done in glass. He thought you could do anything in glass, but no, glass is a very different material to use ….After his death the secretary signed a contract, and the famous bottle with the nose and lips was created, but that was not really what Dali would have wanted.” Stolen interview from Phaidon

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the notes
Top: Tangerine, bergamot, orange blossom
Heart: Rose, jasmine, magnolia
Base: White musks, vanilla, woods

What do I get when I wear Salvador Dali? In the opening the citrus and orange blossom is so good and disgusting that it smells like bad breath or about to turn milk, this lasts only momentarily but it does set you up for how naughty the undercurrent of the fragrance will be. No sooner have you left the opening rush behind when the jasmine and magnolia collude/collide to give an extremely come here and do that again fragrance, have they left out some cumin or caraway in the notes here? SEXY! Magnolia is supposed to smell citric so that’s there but I don’t get rose at all. The vanilla and woods keep a low profile, into the second hour and they are not starring. Maybe the musk is pushing the sexy button?
FragranceNet has 100ml EdT $25
eGlobalBeauty has 100ml PdT for $44 including P&H

Thank you for coming along, has Dali moved you too? How?
Portia xx

Eau Sauvage by DIOR 1966 and Secret Garden Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Hiya Perfume Junkies,

Firstly, HAPPY JULY 4 USA! Photo Stolen Chiquero


Photo Stolen perfumeshrine

Recently I was lucky enough to grab a sample of Eau Sauvage but gave it to a mate instead of sniffing it myself. Since then it has played on my mind, trying to remember it because I used to wear it back in the late 1980’s and loved it. I happened to grab a SurrenderToChance: Perfumer Guy Robert Selects Perfume Masterpieces 24-Sample Pack and guess what, there it is! Guy Robert (Caleche, Madame Rochas, Dioressence, Amouage Gold) felt Edmond Roudnitska, the perfume genius responsible for Eau Sauvage, had created a masterpiece. Even 46 years later, after IFRA prohibitions and reformulations, it still bears solid traces of its magic and majesty.

Photo Stolen onlyfornow


Belonging to the Citrus Chypre family it opens fresh, bright  herbalcitrus on me, then the flowers which are kept surprisingly cool by carnation and iris root yet buttery warm through the sandalwood & patchouli, it’s interesting the way the flowers work against the green against the woods and herbs before the deep base comes plodding from below giving us the dank river bank near a produce market. This scent is surprisingly country and rural, considering that it’s been the epitome of masculine scent for a cool and classy city slicker.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the notes/accords as
Top: lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit
Heart: Jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood
Base: Oak moss, vetiver, musk, amber

NowSmelllThis and BoisDeJasmine do great reviews, both much more in depth with great historical data included.

As a special treat I’ll leave you with the DIOR Secret Garden movie. Glorious! Raf Simons stamping his modern nod to the houses history quite firmly over his predecessors kooky, often disconnected flamboyance. BAM! Yesterday’s fashion is again today’s news.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our look at Eau Sauvage, I really just wanted an excuse to play that video.

Is there a DIOR in your sights? Are you craving?
Portia xx

AMOUAGE Awesome Foursome

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Gabriella

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Hello Everyone,
This is my first Guest Post for AustralianPerfumeJunkies and I will be back regularly.

AWESOME FOURSOME: A QUARTET OF AMOUAGE

For many years, the beauty of this wondrous Amouage line eluded me, not through a deliberate choice mind you, but because I initially dismissed it as more about marketing than lovely juice (how wrong I was!) and because I was having other adventures in perfume land, it never really registered on my radar. Even an eager SA at Selfridges when I was living in London last year couldn’t tempt me by waving a scented card of Ciel – one of the line’s white florals –under my nose. I was determined to discover things that weren’t available to sniff in Sydney – Balmains, Dior’s La Collection Privée etc – that it barely registered. Thankfully, things didn’t remain the same, Amouage finally came to my nose by virtue of a happy accident. In order to round out a sample order some months ago, at the last minute, I added one of their samples. I haven’t looked back since.

Created in 1983 by the Sultan of Oman, Amouage was to revive the ancient art of Omani perfumery. The house uses the traditional materials of Middle Eastern perfumery, such as frankincense and myrrh, to create traditional Middle Eastern- style scents but with a decidedly French vibe and very luxurious feel.

But what about the reviews?

DIA POUR FEMME

Photo stolen from Fragrantica

Dia was created to be the daytime companion to one of Amouage’s most revered and popular scents, the aldehyde-laden white floral, Gold. While certainly a lot softer and gentler than her bigger sister, Dia is no less sophisticated or elegant. If Gold is all silk ball gowns, diamonds and killer heels, then Dia is all about a refined wool sheath dress, pearls and leather ballet flats.

Dia includes notes of fig, cyclamen, bergamot, tarragon, sage, violet leaves, bush peach blossoms, rose oil, orange flower, peony, orris, white musk, incense, vanilla, heliotrope, cedarwood, sandalwood and gaiac wood.
It opens with a rush of warm fig and herbs before quickly developing into a luscious heady floral bouquet of peony and orange and then settles into soft gauzy woods. Dia’s great beauty is its duality: it manages to be both cool and warm, both chic and comforting at the same time. My only complaint is that it lasts barely two hours on me. Longer lasting and a full bottle would indeed grace my perfume collection.
For more reviews of Dia Pour Femme please see I Smell Therefore I Am and Suzanne’s Perfume Journal

MEMOIR WOMAN

Photo stolen from Fragrantica

The lovechild of YSL Opium and Serge Lutens Arabie is what I first thought upon sniffing Memoir Woman. The perfume is rich and heavy in feel with such a cacophony of notes that it took me a few subsequent wearings to get my head around it.

Memoir Woman features notes of absinth, cardamom, mandarin orange, pink pepper, wormwood, clove, incense, pepper, jasmine, rose, white flowers, musk, french labdanum, oak moss, styrax and leather.
Memoir is classified as chypre but has a decidedly oriental feel due to its heady mix of spices. It opens with a medicinal blast of absinth and pink pepper before the other spices slowly come to the fore, folding over and over in a billowing wave. The richness of spices segues into a warm panorama of rose, frankincense and white flowers.
For me, Memoir Woman is the epitome of Amouage’s heritage and markedly opulent vibe. Wearing this takes me one on of the strongest olfactory journeys ever: I’m wandering round a Middle-Eastern market at twilight all swathed in rich fabrics, kohl rimmed and mysterious.
For more reviews of Memoir Woman please see Now Smell This and Olfactoria’s Travels

HONOUR WOMAN

Photo stolen from Fragrantica

Being a white floral lover, I was pretty sure I’d love Honour Woman and be whacking down the credit card to buy one of those pretty white bottles quick smart.

 It features notes of pepper, rhubarb, coriander, jasmine, tuberose, gardenia, lily of the valley, carnation, vetiver, frankincense, amber, opoponax and leather.
On first whiff, I was a little worried this was going to be an upscale version of a department store fruity floral. Honour Woman opens with a tart rhubarb note but thankfully the presence of pepper and coriander prevent it from becoming too mainstream in vibe. As the fragrance develops, the rhubarb is joined by a creamy soft gardenia note to create a very warm composition before soft incense and amber join the fray. Don’t get me wrong, Honour Woman is well executed and sophisticated like the other Amouages, but I’ve yet to fall completely under its spell.
 For more reviews of Honour Woman please see Olfactoria’s Travels and The Candy Perfume Boy

JUBILATION XXV WOMAN

Photo stolen from Fragrantica

That lucky sample I acquired all those months ago and my overall love of the line is the divine Jubilation 25, created in 2007 to celebrate Amouage’s 25thanniversary. Not only is it aptly named for that occasion, but because it literally had me jumping for joy at first sniff.

 Jubilation 25 features notes of tarragon, lemon, ylang ylang, rock rose, frankincense, davana, labdanum ciste, patchouli, amber, vetiver, musk and, myrrh.
It is such an impressive chypre produced at a time when pretty much everything in this genre is dead and buried. The beauty of the scent is that it manages to combine all the classic elements of chypres past, paying homage to their memories in a thoroughly modern way. It opens with a beautiful rich accord of tarragon, lemon and ylang ylang before segueing to a symphonic rose note that’s achingly bright. The herbal rose goodness wafts and whispers before the composition moves seamlessly to a classic woody and herbal chypre drydown.
Like all good chypres, Jubilation 25 made me sit a little straighter, pull my shoulders back and hold my head higher. Even when sampling in my PJs over a coffee or after a long day’s work over a glass of wine, I am suddenly terribly chic and sophisticated. Jubilation 25 makes me feel like the woman I aspire to be.
For more reviews of Jubilation 25 please see Now Smell This and Perfume Shrine

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you’ve enjoyed my thoughts on four of the Amouage line.

What Amouage scents have you tried? Have your experiences been similar or different to mine? I’d love to read what your thoughts are.
M XOX