J'ai Fait un Reve – Elle by Dorothée Piot for Majda Bekkali 2010

February 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

The main thing that I remember about childhood vacations in Florida was the extraordinary scent of orange blossoms. The cottage that we rented was rural at that time, and when I left the house early in the morning I could nearly always smell orange trees blossoming nearby. That extraordinary mix of hypnotic sweetness and underlying spice and indoles is not something that I will ever forget. I love a lot of orange blossom perfumes, but to interest me they have to be fairly complex and have enough sweetness to at least somewhat resemble the real thing. Orange Blossom is a traditional bridal flower both because of its sweet and innocent aspects and its underlying narcotic properties. Drifting along like an angel, it wafts hints of the demonic and the damned. That’s for me.

J’ai Fait un Reve by Dorothée Piot for Majda Bekkali 2010

Photo Stolen LuckyScent

LuckyScent gives these featured accords in one line:
Petitgrain, elemi, cumin, currant leaves, orange blossom, jasmine, lisylang, castoreum, white musk, white cedar, guaiac, leather, labdanum, incense, papyrus

I always become fervently interested in Orange Blossom perfumes in late winter, and this year I am loving J’ai Fait un Reve Elle by Madja Bekkali. The notes are simple enough. There are drifts of orange blossoms, a few fruits hanging in the background, the sweet white musk (on the clean side) underlying the flowers, a bit of petitgrain, with the whole given a sensual undertone by a hint of cumin.I am no fan of cumin in perfumes, but this is very subtle and really well done. It has a quality of movement on the skin that reminds me of the blossoms blowing gently in an early morning breeze. Right now, I can’t get enough of it. My orange blossom addiction usually crashes by late February, so this is a time-limited pleasure, and I use it to the hilt while it lasts.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I suspect that J’ai Fait un Reve will have a difficult time finding its audience, or maybe the audience is rather limited. It isn’t elegant and structured like 24, Faubourg. It isn’t a cuminy skank bomb like Rubj. It isn’t indolic, cumin-laden, and narcotically sweet like the SL Fleurs d’Oranger, and it isn’t a sweet delight like the Houbigant Orangers et Fleurs with its absurdly pretty nutmeg note. I love all of these except Rubj and will be wearing them constantly for the next month. But I reach for J’ai Fait un Reve more often than any of the others, simply because, right now, it smells like my orange grove, the one where I long to be lying, within hearing distance of the sea.

Photo Stolen PlayingWithSpaces

Further reading: Now Smell This (the whole line overview)
LuckyScent has $125/50ml (Currently the 120ml is on special for $125)

Dream with me, gang! What orange grove scent do you long to lounge in right now?
FeralJasmine x

Cédre Atlas by Jerome Epinette for Atelier Cologne 2015

February 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Trésor

It is this time of year when I most like to indulge myself in longing daydreams of summertime sunlight and balmy afternoons passed to combat what seems to be a lifetime sentence within a glacial dimension of never-ending ice and snow, otherwise known as a typical Canadian winter. I imagine myself not far off, lounging in tranquility on the crystalline white sands of the Maldives but within the splendid embrace of an evening’s breeze on a midsummer’s stroll through the forest behind my home. The exquisite fragrance of the trees dancing a gossamer tango with the vapours of an eau de cologne I’d lavishly splashed prior to my departure, unifying in paradisiacal harmony and guiding me so gracefully through my frost-bound reality. It is within the vitreous sapphire flacon of Atelier Cologne’s new Cédre Atlas where perfumer Jerome Epinette has mirrored this dream sequence so effortlessly, an olfactory time machine into one of my most treasured escapes.

Cédre Atlas by Jerome Epinette for Atelier Cologne 2015

Photo Stolen Sephora

BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, Bergamot, Blackcurrant bud
Heart: Atlas cedarwood, Egyptian jasmine, Apricot
Base: White amber, Indian papyrus, Haitian vetiver

Cédre Atlas opens on my skin with the most ebullient note of radiant lemon underscored ever so slightly by a gentle whisper of bitter bergamot. It is not long after the initial burst of lustrous citrine that cedar begins to take centre stage. The cedar in Cédre Atlas has been executed with such visceral clarity and grows increasingly powerful the longer it spends on the skin, pushing my personal boundaries of what I would consider to be “too much” without ever actually crossing the line. I find this bit particularly fascinating and if I am being honest it is quickly becoming my favourite use of cedar I have ever encountered in a fragrance, forceful but delicate; a dichotomy and harmonious synchronicity. After about the sixth hour the cedar begins to ebb and flourishing jasmine petals descend upon the composition and make way for a sweet juxtaposition of juicy apricot painted in empyreal watercolour. The extreme dry down reveals silken tendrils of vetiver enraptured within a sensuous veil of soft, transparent amber. It is within this graceful descent that the composition becomes a skin scent and then finally becomes but a sublime memory.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The sillage with Cédre Atlas is subtle but most certainly present, hovering around you as a soft cloud of aromatic cirrus. Longevity is what I think impressed me most, managing to cling to my skin for upwards of ten hours and finally dissipating entirely around twelve, an attribute I find rather impressive not only with this fragrance but with most of the offerings within the entirety of the Atelier Cologne range. I urge you to give Cédre Atlas a go if you are looking to experience a cedar note executed with both dynamism and grace or simply wish to take an alternative route to reliving a state of summertime bliss.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Now Smell This
Sephora has $125/200ml
PeonyMelbourne doesn’t have it yet but I’m sure they will soon!

Do you have a favourite Atelier Cologne? Which and why?

Until next time, my darlings!
Trésor xx

Shangri La by Hiram Green 2014

February 24, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I run a mile when I hear the word “naturals”. Not only with fragrances, but skin care, shower gels, foodstuffs – you know? Not because I am anti-natural (whatever that means) but because it generally sucks. Just read the backs of anything that claims to be all natural to see what I mean. However there are exceptions to every rule. After the explosive beauty of Hiram Green´s Moon Bloom I was thrilled to get the opportunity to try Shangri La. I do not know the first thing about natural perfumery. Hiram Green obviously does.

Shangri La by Hiram Green 2014

Shangri La, Pinks + Preconceived Ideas

From Hiram Green site: “Hiram Green creates handcrafted fragrances made exclusively from natural materials.
After founding Scent Systems, a perfumery located in central London, Hiram learnt that most perfumes, even the best quality ones,
are manufactured using synthetic materials. Wanting to offer a natural alternative to his customers, he was hard-pressed
to find anything suitable.
After relocating to the Netherlands, Hiram spent several years researching and experimenting with natural fragrant materials. in his
studio in Gouda he develops and produces his natural fragrances in small batches.”

Photo Stolen FreshWetPaint

Shangri La is named after the mythical city in the Kunlan Mountains, from the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Random info –
US President Franklin D Roosevelt named the presidential hideaway in Maryland Shangri La. It has since been renamed Camp David.
(Camp David conjures up an interesting picture as a fragrance name huh?) )

Coty´s Chypre played a role in Hiram Green´s inspiration. I have yet to smell it. One day when Portia takes me to Paris perhaps I will have the chance. Hiram Green is extremely talented. In my limited knowledge I do know the classic chypre, with the countless regulations in force, is an endangered species. Somehow with new technology, knowledge and talent, Hiram Green has found a way to keep it alive.

Shangri La reminds me of Mitsouko.

Hiram Green writes: “Shangri La opens with a sharp burst of citrus, followed by a rich bouquet of peach, jasmine, rose, iris and spices,
all anchored by an early base of vetiver and oakmoss.” And you know what? It really does.

Shangri La is fruity and spicy, and melds perfectly with the body. It doesn’t hover over you announcing its presence. I like that in perfumery. It is a vintage-y perfume but of the moment too. Softer than normal carnation, it smells of old fashioned “pinks”. The gardens of yesteryear. They fill the summer air with the scent of cloves. Soft, natural beauty. In medieval times, pinks were added to wine to give the flavor and smell of cloves. Spices would have been very expensive and this plant was a very good substitute and
would give the impression of mulled wine. Hiram Green has a nose and an eye for beauty, not to mention a nostalgic streak.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Shangri La is gorgeous. The reputation that naturals have of being short lived is not the case here. Shangri La lasts around ten hours.
Musky, peachy, slightly leathery, right up until the end. Office or opera.

And the icing on the cake? Hiram Green do 5ml bottles. No excuse not to try either Moon Bloom or Shangri La.
The 50 ml bottles are stunning and I would love to have one. I think it´s time for another trip to Holland.

Further reading: Scented Hound and Chemist In A Bottle
LuckyScent has $165/50ml
Hiram Green has €25/5ml

All natural bussis.
CQ

Wisteria Hysteria by Nathalie Feisthauer for CdG/Stephen Jones 2014

February 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hi there Niche Nerds,

Sometimes I look at a notes list and an idea of what a fragrance will smell like pops into my head, an olfactory guess. When I first wore Wisteria Hysteria it was a complete surprise. That pretty white bottle, those interesting green/spicy notes, I thought they would be a blind for a modern, sweet, light, slightly green, spicy and creamy composition. BOY was I wrong.

Wisteria Hysteria by Nathalie Feisthauer for CdG/Stephen Jones 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cloves, mate, carnation
Heart: Wisteria, rose, incense
Base: Musk, styrax, benzoin, amber

Wisteria Hysteria opens GREEN, so outrageously green I find it hard to believe this is a mainstream UK designer release, well Stephen Jones is a milliner and hats are part of design right? This is a fabulously edgy green, very Comme des Garcons metallic science fiction and also verging on a natural perfumery style, quite the dichotomy.

Photo Stolen FashionStroke

Sweet green, a funky, gothic, marshland fragrance. There is nothing here of my memory of our enormous wisteria vine that grew over two 30 foot tall tree stumps in our back yard. Spicy green, that only softens slightly with the introduction of the bouquet in the heart yet still has a cool unburned incense mixed with old BarBQ coals. Weird, unusual, interesting and moreish.

Photo Stolen Flickr

After about an hour Wisteria Hysteria calms down considerably, becomes a softer, creamier version of itself but still holds the green tight. At some point through the heart I get a scent that reminds me of Indian spices on some of their packet snack foods, spicy and delicious but HOT!

At this point I am instantly transported to some of my earlier visits to India. I would be there for around 6 weeks and the first 2-3 weeks I would be eating as much Indian food as I could and loving every bite. Then at around the 3 week point I would suddenly get overwhelmingly homesick and turn bitchy. Varun would be waiting for this and produce some Indian snack foods and mandarins or mangoes depending on the season. Those delicious snack foods would tide me over and I would be OK to deal with till the end of the trip. So Wisteria Hysteria brings to mind some incredibly happy reminiscences of some of the best times of my life.

Photo Stolen OpenCage

Then it is softly, softly green to sweet, warm, still green dry down.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Grain de Musc
LuckyScent has $165/55mlSurrender To Chance has samples starting at $4.50/.5ml

Did you get to try this? Is Stephen Jones a milliner that you know?
Portia xx

Creed Aqua Originale Collection: Sydney Launch

February 17, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

My last “perfume mission” for 2014 was when I met with Erwin Creed who was in Sydney in December launching Creed’s Aqua Originale Collection at QT. Erwin is the 7th generation Creed to work in the Creed family business, established in 1760, he will eventually take over from his father and perfumer, Olivier Creed. The packaging states, “From father to son since 1760” which is very touching and amazing because it’s true.

Photo Donated Ainslie Walker

Creed Aqua Originale Collection Launch

Erwin Creed in Sydney at QT

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

There are 5 in the new collection that Erwin guided me through, and here’s my evaluation:

Iris Tubereuse I instantly loved, with its top notes of galbanum, orange and violet leaf; middle notes of tuberose, lily-of-the-valley and lily; base notes of musk, orange blossom and vanilla. I found it a deep and fresh green tuberose (as if tuberose and lily of the valley have just been cut) and only in the drydown did the iris come through for me amongst the reasonably prominent orange blossom. It is strong, but dewy and water drenched. I feel very beautiful wearing this.

Vetiver Geranium has top notes of granny smith apple, bergamot and lemon; middle notes of geranium, cinnamon and rose; base notes of patchouli, cedar, musk and amber. It is marketed towards men, however I have worn this frequently during the hot Australian summer. Best jaunt was an afternoon garden party because on my skin, it starts so fresh -perfect for a hot day. Geranium stays in the forefront, the apple and rose come to play with hinting at amber and cinnamon and the vetiver and patchouli just hang back, which is perfect partying on into the evening.

Aberdeen Lavander with it’s strange spelling mistake and top notes of bergamot, rosemary, lemon and artemisia; middle notes of lavender, lily, tuberose and rose; base notes of patchouli, leather and vetiver, is unusual yet beautiful, perhaps the most interesting of the collection. Rounded notes of tuberose. Sweet gourmand coumarin make the sweetest rosemary notes I have ever smelt, and these all peak through gentle citrus wafts. A distinct nod to the classic Guerlain Jicky here- I would love to compare them. The leather and shy lavender fascinates and is kind of soapy…my father used to use Imperial Leather’s soap in the 80s – perhaps that’s why. Dry down is gorgeous.

Cedre Blanc is more robust citrus woods and herbs, and to me, more traditionally masculine than feminine. It has top notes of bergamot, cardamom, galbanum and bay leaf; middle notes of geranium, lily and jasmine; base notes of cedar, vetiver and sandalwood. I immediately experience the galbanum and citrus sewn together with bay, but something, almost oakmoss is lurking…I am guessing a big dash of Calone. The geranium is crisp and natural but I am not getting the normally dry scent of cedar. Overall I expect it to become super strong, but it would actually be a good office scent, with all the nuances of the fragrances men often cannot wear in offices without overwhelming their colleagues – and definitely more natural smelling. I would love to smell this on a man.

Asian Green Tea Erwin says, was released for the Asian market being light, fresh and sweet citrus with top notes of bergamot, mandarin orange, lemon and neroli; middle notes of violet, green tea, heliotrope, rose and black currant; base notes of sandalwood, musk and amber. It has the freshness of citrus without the bitterness, perhaps from mandarin. I pick up a rock melon scent and with the heliotrope/vanilla it’s like tropical icecream in parts. My skin then pumps out the tarty blackcurrant atop of an amber and heliotrope cocktail. The drydown brings more green notes; I think it’s the neroli and finally the green tea rearing its head. Fresh and gourmand, no woods and definitely not linear – do try!

Photo Donated Ainslie Walker

Surrender To Chance has the Creed Aqua Originale sample set $24/5 x .5ml

Overall I find the collection to be uncomplicated with ingredients being of high quality. Scents feel very natural, asides from the tubereuse and Aberdeen lavender, which are more surreal and hypernatural. What’s your favorite?

Ainslie Walker x

All I Do Is Beach: Natalie: Another Perfume Blog

February 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by Natalie APB

Friends, it’s confession time! My name is Natalie, and I am no longer a perfume junkie. Since I closed Another Perfume Blog last year, my perfume consumption is down by approximately 1000%. So why am I writing a post for APJ? Well, first because Portia asked me to, and no one can say no to Portia. And second, because I do have a little area of specialization to share with you all: beach fragrances! Today I’m going to share my personal categories of beach perfumes, and my top favorite in each category.

Photo Stolen ManlyAustralia

Beach Fragrances 2015: All I Do is Beach

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 1: The Hawaiian Tropic

Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil is the iconic coconut oil beach smell. Unbelievably rich and full of creamy, coconutty lactones. This category of beach fragrances is also creamy and coconutty, but the best ones invoke some sourness to call up the smell of skin rather than dessert. My favorite in this category is from DSH’s Essence Studios: Hippie Chic. It’s heavy on black coconut and clove, and the longer I have my bottle, the more present the ambergris is. Longevity is excellent, and the heaviness of this scent does well on the beach (naturally) and on a hot summer night when you don’t plan to get home until dawn. If you can’t find Hippie Chic, try anything from Comptoir Sud Pacifique or Indian Coconut Nectar from Pacifica.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 2: The Bain de Soleil

Ban de Soleil is the sun cream that says “I’m European, bitch,” and so do the perfumes in this category. Less about coconut and less accessible than some other beach perfumes, they are all about solar notes. They can read as space-age takes on sunscreen (MiN New York’s Long Board is an amazing, wearable example) or simply as very chic. I go for the Guerlain’s Terracotta Le Parfum, where the solar notes are matched with spice and white flowers. The scent is elusive, but ce est les francais, non? Bobbi Brown’s Beach and CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966 are a few others in this group.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 3: The Bronzer

For the beach bunny who could care less about sunscreen, and just wants to look (and smell) sexy, we look no further than Bronze Goddess. The Bronzers are the beach fragrances that makes everyone smell like a supermodel, and Bronze Goddess is the queen of them all. A perfectly balanced, sexy mix of coconut, white flowers, citrus, balsamic, and suntan oil notes. The poor longevity is actually a benefit, since it’s an excuse to re-mist yourself every few hours. I could recommend other “Bronzer” perfumes, but why would I? This category is owned by Bronze Goddess, folks.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Category 4: The Skinnydipper

These fragrances are all about summer nights. Nuxe’s Le Prodigiuex has an introspective feeling, spotlighting white flowers. Its longevity is incredible, especially if you buy the oil and use it in your hair. Or try the less subtle (but more fleeting) Guerlain Lys Soleia. And don’t miss the extra glam Michael by Michael Kors.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Which category of beach fragrances appeals to you, or do you not agree with my categories at all? Be sure to share your favorite beach frags, too (I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection, even if I’m not a real perfume junkie anymore)!

Natalie xx

Libertine Sydney Perfume Masterclass

February 15, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Hello fellow fumies,

Nick Smart (of Libertine), Ainslie Walker and I have a special invitation for you to join us and attend a master class at the new Sydney Libertine store.

We are arranging for a small group to go together on the Wednesday 4th March and see the new Libertine Sydney premises.

Nick is Australia’s most knowledgeable importer of niche perfumery, Ainslie is one of APJ’s contributors, perfumer and scent/product designer. They will take us through the Libertine ranges and show things still unavailable in Australian stores. We get to have some fun with the Michael Edwards Fragrance Wheel, sniff, laugh, mingle and shop. What better way to spend a Wednesday evening?

Please come and join us for this FAB event. Hopefully you’ll get to spend some quality time with fragrances you’ve only ever read about on blogs, this is the time you can really smell them on your skin.

Also, selfishly I love to see you all and hang out. Afterwards we can go grab a drink.

HURRY UP, BOOK NOW! 8002 4488
Portia xxox

Australian Perfume Junkies Niche Perfumery Masterclass

Hosts: Nick Smart + Ainslie Walker

Date: Wednesday 4th March 2015

Price: $49 (redeemable against purchases on the night)

Time: 6pm for a 6:30 start

To Book call Libertine Sydney on 8002 4488. Payment is required to secure your booking

Alibi by Perfume & Skincare Company: Australia 2015

February 14, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey hey Crew,

You know how much I love Australian independent Perfumers. We are getting quite a few and I am always excited when they send me their newest releases. Recently I replenished my Gardenia by the Perfume & Skincare Company. I bought fragrance, soap and a candle. As you can tell I really love it a dirty blue cheese gardenia that combines all the creamy and fatty white flower gorgeousness with the rank and fecal. It smell exactly like gardenias off the bush, beautiful.

With it I got two new samples and today we will talk about the first….

Alibi by Perfume & Skincare Company: Australia 2015

Alibi by Sheila Massetti

There is no note list or picture on the site yet, just two sizes to buy, that’s how new and exciting Alibi is. So we will be walking blind together on my second wearing of Alibi.

Obviously I have no idea what this is supposed to smell like but imagine burying your face in a mink coat just out of cold storage while being dusted in baby powder by a naked, slightly sweaty man. Ha Ha Ha! It most reminds me of a softer version of M/Mink by Byredo, kind of gorgeous and disgusting. It’s true and real arm sniffing compulsion walking a knife edge between amazingly beautiful and stomach turningly gross. I am kind of hooked. To be honest I’m unsure whether I’d wear Alibi outside the house, it’s just too intense. In fairness, though I love M/Mink I would not wear it outside the front door either.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Remember too that all Perfume & Skincare Company fragrances are extrait strength with over 40% ingredients before the alcohol is added. You get a really beautiful and intense ride and the fragrances are spritzed. PERFECT!! It’s heady and hefty, great projection and has excellent longevity, I’m at around the 4-5 hour mark and still Alibi is as outrageous as when I first spritzed.

OK, so Jin came home and he told me I had to shower. It was too intense and slightly stomach churning for him, in our three years together the only other time this happened was with a Slumberhouse frag. Goodbye Alibi.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Skincare And Perfume Company starts a $15/5ml

Sheila Massetti the perfumer sent me through this after I asked: “soft and powdery with a touch of musk and light floral”. Any more and I’d have to give you the recipe.

If you are a serious, boundary pushing perfumista who likes to be fabulously outraged then Alibi could be for you. It could also be my skin chemistry and there may be a single note inclusion that doesn’t work for me. Try Alibi, it’s a ride and a half.

Portia xx

SmellBent GIVEAWAY WINNER!

February 14, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Woo Hoo! Great response crew.

Thanks for joining in the fun. Let’s see who our lucky WINNER is. You can go to SmellBent and check out their stuff too. It’s AWESOME!

SmellBent GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Till Valentines Day Feb 14 you can get FREE SHIPPING with SmellBent orders over $30. You have only a day to get in there.

Go to it crew,
Portia xx

SmellBent GIVEAWAY!

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Winner who will receive:
5 x SmellBent 4ml samples: slightly used (FrankenSmellie s13#916, Gimme A Break!, Ice Station Zebra, Pere Noel Coward, Winter Vixen)
P&H

HOW DID 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

Go to SmellBent and find me a fragrance and one of its notes. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3C9 SmellBent GIVEAWAY! #Perfume #Giveaway @smellbent

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Friday 13th February 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen HighestSelf

Elia

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winner will have till Monday 16th February 2015 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.

Manto di Rugiada by i Profumi di Firenze 2011

February 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Hey HeyGorgeous APJ!

Back in 2013 when I went on the Perfume Posse ScentSation Bus tour of Los Angeles we were introduced to the American importer of i Profumi di Firenze. She was extremely knowledgeable and I really loved her passion for the products. I really wanted to buy two fragrances on the spot but they were out of Ambra del Nepal at the time (they were also out of it in Barney’s Chicago and NYC in 2014) so I grabbed their Dolce Patchouly, a very refined fragrance that I adore. So I always get excited when I grab a new decant or sample from the line and this one I got in the 5ml Fridays at Surrender To Chance..

Manto di Rugiada by i Profumi di Firenze 2011

Photo Stolen BaseNotes

BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Verbena, Basil, Bergamot
Heart: Amber, Sandalwood
Base: Opoponax, Musk

From Beauty Habit: An i Profumi di Firenze bestseller in Italy, now available stateside, this delicately sensual fragrance quietly mesmerizes with its duality of lightness and ambery depth. Top notes of verbena, basil and bergamot flow effortlessly onto a base of sandalwood, amber, opoponax and musk. Opoponax (“sweet myrrh”) is renowned for its protective qualities by increasing awareness and intuition, hence the poetic name, Cloak of Dewy Mist.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Opening with a fabulously fun hairspray sizzle that quickly calms to a herbaceous sweet creamy green, a bit like Matcha Tea Powder. It’s not long before lovely soft balmy resins, beautiful resins, sweet and cuddly and some floral action but it’s all so beautifully blended I am finding it hard to parse stuff out. I can see why Manto di Rugiada is cloakish but I get very little of the dew or any coolness at all. Maybe the cloak is warmth against dewy mist? I see it as a warm red cloak with soft velour inside. MMMMM. Doesn’t matter.

As the heart warms up the word amber perfectly equates, like light shining through a beautiful clear piece of amber and as balmy and smooth as the feel of vintage body warmed opaque amber beads. Really, though the notes are there all I want to do with Manto di Rugiada is lie back and float away on the lovely fragrance, the combination that works so beautifully together. Interestingly, the green comes back through the heart, it’s a dry raspy green, quite nice as a layer through the soft cuddly balms.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Manto di Rugiada will be my bedtime scent tonight. I can imagine myself floating away on it to the isle of nod.

This is not a BIG fragrance, I think it would be wearable even in an office. Very pretty, good longevity but not overpowering in any way.

Further reading: Now Smell This
Beauty Habit have $110/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Have you spent any time with the i Profumi di Firenze brand? Do you have a favourite?
Portia xx