Blood Orange Chocolat by Danielle Fleming for Note Fragrances 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

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Post by Azar

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Hello APJ,

I tend to shy away from perfume brands that incorporate musical notes (or any reference to music) in their logos and advertising. I suppose this aversion has to do with too many years of teaching piano, too many cute “note” themed gifts, numerous tedious encounters with impossibly cumbersome, experimental notations and a general overdose (year after year) of trendy, interdisciplinary synesthetics involving perfume, performance art and music. Enough of that! Suffice it to say that I would never, on my own, have discovered the Note Fragrances brand, had it not been for my subscription to the sampling service Scent Trunk. (Sampling services are grist for yet another mill!)

Note fragrances logo

Skipping the logo, the romance and the back-story, here are my impressions of Note Fragrances’ Blood Orange Chocolat:

Blood Orange Chocolat by Note Fragrances 2016

Blood Orange Chocolat by Danielle Fleming

Blood-Orange-Chocolat-by-Note-Fragrances

For me, Blood Orange Chocolat is all about the sandalwood, specifically Australian sandalwood (S. spicatum or a very good likeness thereof – but “no quote me, I might be wrong”*). I do get an initial rush of blood orange, followed by a potent, lingering mélange of chocolate, tonka, hazelnut, honey and a short squeeze of lemon! But it is the edgy, spicy, raw and dusty mineral quality of S. spicatum (I doubt it is the buttery S. album or another sandalwood – once again “no quote me, I might be wrong”) that blasts this otherwise pleasant and unremarkable gourmand into an entirely different dimension and category. To my nose, Blood Orange Chocolat, despite its name, is not a gourmand fragrance at all. Instead it contrasts chocolate, hazelnut, honey and citrus against the fragrance profile of Australian Sandalwood.

There are various sandalwood oils around here and I don’t really need a chocolate-y, vanilla-sugared version of any of them. But I just have to have more Blood Orange Chocolat! Why? There is a distinct similarity between the dusty honeyed accord in this perfume and the scent that Gomez, the Pionus parrot, emits when he is happy or excited. How can I resist?

Wikipedia

I have to tell you, though, that not everyone around here shares my opinion. Daughter Lauren recently made the trek from New Hampshire to the PNW. One evening, with granddaughter Allie, we enjoyed a sniffing marathon. For both Allie, Lauren (and Brad too) Blood Orange Chocolat was nothing more than this: Sweet blood orange and chocolate.

From what I understand, Blood Orange Chocolat will not be released until September but you can contact Note Fragrances for more information.

Scent Trunk has $74/60ml

BTW – Happy 4th!

Happy-4th-Of-July-With-Stars

Are you wondering if this perfume would work for you or which sandalwood was really used to make the fragrance? Today you have a chance to find out!

Azar xx

 

*Andy Bumatai from the Daily Pidgin Show

YouTube

Note Fragrances GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x 1.5ml decant of Blood Orange Chocolat by Note Fragrances
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please describe your favorite chocolate-y or gourmand fragrance

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 7th July 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 10th July 2016 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

37 thoughts on “Blood Orange Chocolat by Danielle Fleming for Note Fragrances 2016”

  1. I totally want to win a sample of this perfume, but what I would like even more than that is a chocolate orange!!! I miss those so much. They don’t seem to make them here in France.

    I follow by e-mail! I absolutely LOVE Safran Troublant, which I think this counts as a gourmand fragrance. I am not sure I have a favorite chocolate-y fragrance. I don’t even know what it would be like to go around smelling of chocolate. On another note (pun intended), I rather like the confluence between music and scents. These projects tend to have really stupid copy, but once I get past that, I find them quite fun.

    Like

    • Hi Koyel,

      I suppose I’ve just become “jaded” over years of exposure to interdisciplinary art, some really wonderful and some not so wonderful. Once in awhile its good to take a break, step back and return with a fresh outlook.

      On another note 🙂 – wearing chocolate-y fragrances makes me happy – forces me into a state of happiness!

      Azar xx

      Like

  2. My favourite chocolatey-gourmand perfume would be Death by Chocolate by Perfume by Nature, and I love many gourmands, especially most vanillas. I’d love to try a sample of this, and follow by email.

    Like

  3. Micallef’s Note Vanillee is sinfully yummy. And I’m a fan of Australian sandalwood, naturally, being Aussie! Follow by email. 🙂

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    • Hi Jaybee,
      Micallef has a number of lovely vanillas. I really like Note Vanille for its warmth. I think my favorite Micallef vanilla is Vanille Cuir (not a gourmand by any stretch of the imagination).
      Azar xx

      Like

    • Hi Angela!
      Thanks for joining today’s draw. I think I have a sample of this and must go track it down.
      Azar xx

      Like

    • Hello Anabel C.
      All this talk of chocolate and gourmand fragrances sent me into the kitchen for some edible chocolate – a blood orange and chocolate piece of candy! You are so IN!
      Azar xx

      Like

  7. I follow by email. I really don’t have a favorite chocolate fragrance, but I LOVE blood orange, especially blood orange marmalade, so this is exciting.

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    • Hi Ellen M.
      I love all kinds citrus fruits and blood oranges are a favorite of mine too. I have a blood orange drink in the fridge right now called “Italian Volcano”, 100% blood orange juice.
      Azar xx

      Like

    • Hello rickyrebarco,
      It just makes sense that the Belgians would know how to make a great chocolate fragrance! 🙂
      Azar xx

      Like

  9. Hi, this scent sounds interesting! I love all the S Lutens gourmands though I don’t think of them that way. ..: Gigembre, Louve, Rahat, Douce Amere, un bois Vanille, Jeux de peau, even Mandarine, but I think of his most chocolate, it would be Borneo. I follow via email through WordPress.

    Like

    • Hello Pamela,
      The other day I was wondering which would be my next Lutens. I will check out Borneo! Thanks for the tip.
      azar xx

      Like

  10. I love California Chocolate by Olympic Orchids. Equal parts bright citrus and sweet milk chocolate, just really wonderful. Following via email! 🙂

    Like

    • Hello Tarena,
      I love California Chocolate but my favorite Olympic Orchids chocolate is Seattle Chocolate – so cool and refreshing without resorting to mint.
      Azar xx

      Like

  11. I LOVE blood oranges. I actually always hated citrus and gourmand scents. My nose has started changing, and I have made the leap. I started with a few vanillas: Eau des Missions Botanical and L’Instant de Guerlain. Perfumes by Terri does a few gourmands that I like, as well. A friend sent me a 7.5 ml decant of Elegance Sombre that is very interesting with some chocolate.

    email and Facebook

    Like

    • Hi Gina,
      I have got to try Perfume by Terri! I’ve heard and read a lot of good things. Thanks for joining today’s draw!
      Azar xx

      Like

  12. Hi Azar! DNEM and happy 4th! This one sounds yummy! I own and adore Jo Malone’s Bitter Chocolate and Orange, and also PG’s Un Crime Exotique. They’re my go-to’s for the holiday seasons. Also Perfumes By Terri (now Kyphi Perfumes) has some amazing gourmands. Totally worth checking out. Oh, and Keiko’s original Lokhoum! Xoxo

    Like

    • Hello Robert,
      Thank you for your list of delicious fragrances! I hope you are enjoying this perfect 4th of July weather. I am so happy we are back to the drizzly, cold 4th of July that we all know (and love?).
      Azar xxx

      Like

  15. I love elixir des merveilles – I wonder if it is similar to this one – it has an orangey, cocoa base, wrapped up in amber and sandalwood.I would love to try this and compare them!

    I follow via email.

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    • Hi Bec,
      I think you will not find much, if any, amber in Blood Orange Chocolat but it might be similar to, if less complex, than the Hermes??
      Azar xx

      Like

  16. I honestly havent tried any gourmand fragrance before (unless some cheap vanilla/lemon fragrances count as gourmand) but I would love to give Blood Orange Chocolate a try as all of these notes together make an intriguing composition. Also, thank you for the giveaway, and good luck to everyone else!

    Like

      • Hi Ben,
        Thank you for stopping by and for joining the draw! The big problem with gourmands for me is that, more often than not, the wonderful smells will initiate a craving for something sweet to eat. Until just last year I was able to use gourmand fragrances to satisfy a sweet tooth – but no more…
        Azar xx

        Like

  17. Hi Mom – This post really makes me want to buy you music note stuff as a joke LOL! But no I definitely wouldn’t want to wear the chocolate perfume. I like fruity perfume, but for some reason not chocolaty perfume.

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    • Hi Lauren,
      Please, NO more notey things, thank you! As it is l have a big box full of them, ready to re-gift. Want one?
      Love,
      Mommy Azar xx and X

      Like

  18. I don’t know if it ‘officially’ actually has chocolate as a note in it, but Christos by Christopher Chronis (an Oz fashion designer) has always been a favourite chocolatey scent for me!

    Thanks for the draw, Azar; I follow by email.

    Like

    • Hi lena,
      You are IN the draw! BTW – I know a Chris Chronis, but he is not a fashion designer…
      Azar xx

      Like

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