Perfume

Still Life by Dora Baghriche-Arnaud for Olfactive Studio 2011

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Post by TinaG

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Hi APJ,

One of the many blessings in my life is having whole new landscapes of experience opened up to me through investigation of fragrance. In a lot of respects I still feel very much like a “newbie” and can’t believe how lucky I am when friends drop the topic of perfume into a conversation, or hand me a sample, or take the long way round to lunch through a few shops to try new things. Portia kindly gifted me with a sample set from Olfactive Studio, who are a niche perfume company run by Founder and Creative Director Céline Verleure, with headquarters in Paris. The sample set included Autoportrait, Still Life, Chambre Noir, and Lumière Blanche.

Still Life by Dora Baghriche-Arnaud for Olfactive Studio 2011

Still Life Olfactive Studio FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Yuzu, elémi, pink pepper, black pepper, Sichuan pepper
Heart: Star anise, galbanum
Base: Dark rum, cedarwood, ambrox

Usually when I am looking into new perfumes, I’ll do a bit of research on ingredients and accords and work out what it is that I “should” be finding. This time I decided to take a different approach, and to test cold, to see what story the fragrance was going to tell me. First perfume out of the box was Still Life.

olfactive studio still life FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

On first spray I encounter a bright harmony of sharp and sweet citruses and peppery notes, containing something slightly resiny and green. Although the top notes in Still Life are full of pepper – pink, black and Sichuan, they are balanced as a supportive counterpoint rather than a triple-barrelled shotgun. After half an hour some warmer notes come through, and all of a sudden I have an image in my head of the inside of an old school desk draw, cedarwood with the ink and pencils and paper that it holds.

olfactive studio still life Fruit_and_Champagne Helen Searle WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Traditionally in life drawings, “Still Life” subjects are typically fruit or flowers, but the warmth of the drydown as the citrus fades brings a feeling that the fruit bowl has now been overlooked, gently moved to one side for a subject with softer curves and skin. At four hours, I get a sense of focused calmness. There is a lot of wood and furniture, sunlight falling thick with dusty flecks through a closed window, and a female model posing half reclined on a soft sofa. But there is such an intense presence of that moment in time – she being relaxed, daydreaming but enjoying being observed, and the artist who is showing appreciation of her curves with every stroke of the pencil. However, the purpose of the moment is also its totality, and there is no sense of time passing – there is no before or after, no anticipation of “what next”. Just this rich, warm, sensual atmosphere captured in a bubble of time.

olfactive studio still life Rum Picasso Ben Sutherland FlickrPhoto Stolen Ben Sutherland  Flickr

So, here I am in the middle of the day, overwhelmed and slightly disorientated by the strength of the image that this fragrance has managed to evoke. But how? How has that kind of beautiful false memory been triggered? One of the basenotes in Still Life, ambrox, I’m not at all familiar with so I do some research. Perfume Shrine describes ambrox: “(ambrox)…oscillates between an impression of ambergris (salty, smooth, skin-like), creamy musky & labdanum-like …something that smells warm, oddly mineral and sweetly inviting… approximating a person’s aura rather than a specific component…” Wow. That quite accurately explains how this story unfolded for me with Still Life. What a wonderful ride.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Scentrist
Olfactive Studio has €85/50ml
LuckyScent has $195/100ml
Surrender To Chance has $20/the boxed set of four 1.2ml manufacturers samples

Tina G

CO2 Extracts and Extraction Simplified

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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Hi APJ,

CO2 Extracts and Extraction Simplified

EssentialOils thewellnessdoerPhoto Stolen thewellnessdoer

When we talk about essential oils, it’s often an umbrella term for many different kinds of aromatic liquids.

Essential Oils

These are usually water/steam distilled, and this is the most common way to date that oils are extracted. All the oils you would commonly buy today would be steam and water distilled and this process is simple, traditional and dates back through the past century.

Absolutes

These are usually made flowers or very delicate plants where a chemical extraction process is used (see my article Absolutes? Not Absolutely) but they resemble essential oils in viscosity and are used in the same way as essential oils. They tend to be more concentrated then essential oils.

Oleoresins and Resinoids

These are highly concentrated liquid extracts that are a combination of resins and aromatic oils. The plants they come from have a high resin content so they fall into their own category. Once again they can be used in the same way as essential oils.

Picture 010Photo Stolen Cottonseed Oil Flickr

CO2 Extracts

CO2 Extraction is also called Super-critical CO2 extraction and it produces a couple of plant products – extracts or selects, and totals.

A relative newcomer in the world of extraction, the name makes it sound bad but it’s not! There are lots of good things about this process and I’ll try to sum it up briefly and succinctly.

The extraction process uses carbon dioxide heated to a degree where it has both liquid and gaseous properties- this part is the super-critical part. It’s less hot them steam and water distillation so this is a bonus as it doesn’t change the plant materials as much. It’s this liquid form that extracts the volatile plant material. Aromatic oils, resins and other cellular materials like pigments are extracted by the liquid CO2 which evaporates easily, leaving a substance that more closely resembles the plant.

CO2 extracts more closely aromatically resemble the whole plant, whereas essential oils are specifically the volatile oil component of the plant.

CO2 extracts may be better scent wise, or less attractive. It depends on the plant.

Some CO2 extracts that are now available are –
ambrette, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, clove, nutmeg, caraway, fennel, ginger
sea buckthorn
amaranth
cocoa, coffee, vanilla
pomegranate
evening primrose, rosehip
chamomile, champaka, ginger lily, jasmine, juniper, linden blossom, patchouli
arnica, calendula, lavender, hops, St Johns wort,
angelica root, orris root, kava
agarwood, frankincense, galbanum, myrrh, spikenard

I don’t use CO2 extracts extensively in my practice yet, as many of the extracts are semi-solid and aren’t easy to work with. It seems some of the extracts are better suited to using in creams and lotions. As I move more into the area of natural perfumery I know I’ll use some of the extracts more often. I haven’t actually spent the time looking at the analysis of each oil, which will indicate the therapeutic property of the “oil”.

According to Nature’s Gift, “totals” are a secondary product of the CO2 process: “are usually thick and pasty due to the beneficial fats, resins and waxes they contain that come from the plant material itself. These totals are soluble in essential oils and vegetable oils. …. These potent extracts are wonderful for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The Calendulas extract, for example, in a dosage of 2 grams extract to 1000 grams ointment is effective for it’s anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial activity.”

None of my suppliers in Sydney provide these “totals” and I don’t have first hand knowledge of how they work – but it sounds interesting!

Good luck with the CO2 extracts!

Suzanne R Banks XXX

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

copyright suzannerbanks 2013

Below you’ll find an extremely interesting video.

Supercritical CO2 extraction of cinnamon, coffee, and vanilla with dry ice

Rose Volupté + Winter Woods by Laurie Erickson for Sonoma Scent Studio

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Post by Brie

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Hello APJ,

Here are a couple of my favourite cool weather pairings, yes I know it’s summer in Australia.

Perfume & Tea Musings

Sonoma Scent Studios: Tulsi Tea: Wissotzky Tea

Organic India Tulsi Cinnamon Rose Tea
SSS Rose Volupte

Rose Volupté Sonoma Scent Studio FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Rose, plum, amber, labdanum absolute, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, heliotrope, clove, cinnamon, oakmoss, subtle aldehydes

Holy basil, or tulsi, is a herb renowned in India for its health benefits. Out of all the tulsi teas from this line, Cinnamon Rose is one of my favorites. It combines holy basil with the delicate note of rose and spicy cinnamon and, with a dash of honey, it is so soothing. When I drink it I can instantly feel myself relax. SSS Rose Volupte has that same effect on me.

Organic India - Tulsi Cinnamon Rose Tea VitaminGrocerPhoto Stolen VitaminGrocer

Although I usually do not gravitate towards rose dominant scents, I make exception with Rose Volupte. When I press my nose to my wrist this ambery, honeyed, spicy, rose perfume instantly comforts me.

I imagine myself on a rainy day, curled up on the couch reading Bronte, wearing Rose Volupte and sipping Tulsi Cinnamon rose tea: aahhhh…….

Wissotzky Bedouin Chai Tea
SSS Winter Woods

Winter Woods Sonoma Scent Studio FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Guaiac wood, cedar, sandalwood, birch tar, cade, oakmoss absolute, castoreum, amber, labdanum absolute, vetiver, ambergris, musk.

Bedouin Chai tea was gifted to me and after the first sip I immediately purchased four boxes. As a blend of black tea, sage leaves and cardamom one would imagine this to be a loud, herbaceous monstrosity. Although it is bold at the onset (I brew it for a full five minutes) when combined with a dollop of organic raw honey and fresh cream it becomes utterly smooth and mellow. Bedouin Chai is quickly becoming my favorite tea, the one I want to drink daily.

Wissotzky Bedouin Chai Tea worldofjudaicaPhoto Stolen worldofjudaica

Similarly, when I first read the perfume notes in SSS Winter Woods I envisioned an over the top smoky, tarlike, animalistic cacophony. Au contraire! On my skin, Winter Woods is a complex, richly satisfying dry vanilla with wood notes (there is no vanilla listed but Laurie tells me that the amber may be imparting that vanilla-esque quality).

Sitting in front of a roaring fire with my hubby on a snowy Winter night drinking Bedouin Chai and scented in Winter Woods- now that is heavenly!

Sonoma Scent Studios Site<<<JUMP

Brie X

Brie wrote this post ahead of time and will not be responding to comments, it is her last. I am sad. I (Portia) will pick up the slack though so please leave a message in the comments if you’d like to continue the conversation. Be Well and Happy Brie, wherever you are. You are loved. XXX

24 Faubourg by Maurice Roucel for Hermès 1995

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Hi to you Lovers of Fine Fragrance,

My mate Birgit (Olfactoria’s Travels) sometimes has amazing clearances from her Frag Wardrobe and last year I snaffled this little beauty from her. I think she grabbed the Limited edition bottle and knew two was more than she’d ever use. COOL! I have often nearly bought 24 Faubourg but there seemed to be something more pressing at each near buy and it was deferred, now it’s mine (Cue evil laugh and gratuitous hand wringing Mwa HA haaaaa HAAAAAAAaaaa)

24 Faubourg by Maurice Roucel for Hermès 1995

24 Faubourg HermesPhoto Stolen Hermès

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, peach, bergamot, yalan ylang, hyacinth
Heart: Black elder, iris, jasmine, gardenia, orange blossom
Base: Sandalwood, amber, patchouli, vanilla

What I get in the opening is ylang, peach and sweat, like a beautifully perfumed person has gone a little bit long without a shower and they’ve added more fragrance instead of a bath. Maybe 24 Faubourg even smells like the smell of perfume on a scarf the next morning, beautiful, elegant, memorable and a little tired. It is so good, without being totally in your face, that tiny hint of bed head, that après un rapport sexuel (probably a terrible translation by google).

Hermes 24 Faubourg Hermes Lautrec_in_bed WikiPediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

The berries/citrus doesn’t really appear on me till well into the heart and seems woven through the white floral accord so beautifully that it’s hard to separate anything. Currently I am sitting in 31C (88F) inside the house! The fan is doing a lovely job and 24 Faubourg is sublime. I sit in a fragrant cloud of what feels like big money, old money. There’s a dry rustle of patchouli and amber towards the end that I feel is missing some of its buttery goodness from a cool temp wearing.

In this heat I’m lucky to get two hours of fragrant wear before 24 Faubourg becomes a sheer patina of woodsy vanilla that will then stay around another two to three hours and slowly fade away to nothing.

Hermes 24 Faubourg Hermes Versailles snow WikiMediaPhoto Stolen Wikimedia

By the time you read this I will be in frozen Europe, Paris by now and I have lunch at Guerlain, 68 Champs Elysees booked with Neela, a catch up with Denyse Beaulieu, off to do a private English class at the Osmotheque and stomp around Versailles and hopefully two full mornings in the Louvre. YAY! Sometimes I can’t believe my good fortune.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and The Perfume Magazine
You can buy 24 Faubourg online at Hermès Hermès World Site Page<<<JUMP
Surrender To Chance starts at $3/ml

Is 24 Fauberg in your collection? When do you wear it? What magical fantasies does it give you?

Portia xx

I know this is late but I love it. Hermès shoes! YES PLEASE!!!

Hermès Women’s 2013 Fall/Winter Shoe Collection

Fou d’Absinthe by Olivia Giacobetti for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2006

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

Recently there was a sale here in Sydney on the L’Artisan range, I grabbed a few for a great price. Fou d’Absinthe was a one spritz buy for me, the green on the box had already sealed its coming home to live status and I love the L’Artisan aesthetic, ease of wearability and quite like the short lifespan of most of their fragrances because it means I can wear more then one fragrance in a day and top up if my choice is to continue with the L’Artisan.

Fou d’Absinthe by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2006

Fou d`Absinthe L`Artisan Parfumeur FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Black currant, angelica, wormwood
Heart: Ginger, patchouli, pepper, nutmeg, star anise, cloves
Base: Balsam fir, incense, pine tree needles

Can I be perfectly honest, I’ve never tasted or smelled Absinthe. Never followed the green fairy and never wanted to.

On my skin the sweet green woodsy, non urinous opening is so enjoyable. By the name I was expecting a searing alcoholic rush to open like Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling or Lubin’s Gin Fizz, Olivia Giacobetti has created Fou d’Absinthe in a much more stately vein, a calmer, cooler and more elegant ride. Though you can tell the herbs and spices are there it’s all about the opening woods, black current is backing player for me but it rounds out the initial rush by sweetening but not in a modern department store sweet way but a subtle crisp sparkle over the top.

When the herbs and spices take center stage they are never free of woody undertones and I read them as a Bouquet Garni rather than their individual players. Some times I think, oh there’s pepper or that feels anise-ish but really the feeling is a blending, a composition of these accords to create a seamless whole.

'Fou d`Absinthe L`Artisan Parfumeur Absinthe_Rosinette WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Later the composition skews pine/patchouli and this is my favourite part of the ride, it’s green and crackly, slightly earthy but also dusty and here is where I get a little of the booze I expected in the opening. Not in your face but a subtle growl of alcohol like you’ve just had a shot of something and that grrrrrr you make in the back of your throat at the dry, sharp whoosh that remains.

One of the things I like about Fou d’Absinthe is my own ability to dream that I am a part of the Moulin Rouge crew in Paris at a time when magic was happening. Fou d’Absinthe takes me into the  brilliant lives of the Parisian underworld towards the end of the 1800s which Baz Luhrmann so fabulously captured on film.

'Fou d`Absinthe L`Artisan Parfumeur Playingwithbrushes' FlickrPhoto Stolen Playingwithbrushes’ Flickr

My personal life expectancy for Fou d’Absinthe is around 4 hours when the soft woodsy incense trails off into nothing. An absolutely unisex offering perfect for most occasions, sillage is soft and projection slow but insistent. Sit down for about a minute with your friends and they will start to notice how lovely you smell. Fou d’Absinthe is not a huge compliment getter but every now and then someone will say you smell good when you give them a hello peck or hug.

Further reading: Perfume Smellin’ Things and The Non-Blonde
Neroli Budapest has €96/50ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/ml

Have you tried Fou d’Absinthe? What were your thoughts?
We hope you have a great 24 hours till we see you tomorrow,
Portia xx

 

Vetiver Carven by Edouard Hache for Carven 1957

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Hi There Fume Friends,

Recently I was looking at vetivers and up came a sample of a modern version of a fragrance that I had blurred memories of smelling as a kid on Jim, my Grandma’s second husband. We may even have bought it for him for a birthday or Christmas. Really blurred memory. Anyway My Perfume Samples was having a sale on it, sold out now, and I wanted to see if the modern one bore any resemblance to my poor memories.

Vetiver Carven by Edouard Hache for Carven 1957

Vetiver Carven FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender, mandarin orange, clary sage, petitgrain, lemon
Heart: Carnation, sandalwood, orris root, jasmine, vetiver, cedar, bergamot
Base: Amber, musk, oakmoss, myrrh

Righto! So I spritzed about 1ml on my chest and hand. I am now sitting in a lavender fugue with lovely citrus sparkles. It doesn’t smell terribly expensive but it does smell nice and clean. It stays citric through the heart with a little earthy vetiver but by this time it is quiet and unremarkable unless you are sniffing very close. Just a very muted fragrance that is nicer than nothing, really it is quite sweet and not aggressive or in your face. I miss most of the bouquet, there’s some nondescript woods and maybe a nod to oakmoss or it may still be some vetiver, there is a vegetal green that doesn’t smell like a stand out note but is there.

Vetiver Carven Water_drops_green_leaf WikipediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

If you respritz over your initial ones at the 2 hour mark it’s extraordinary how much fuller and more lavish the whole fragrance becomes. Now I get a definite vetiver and the woods are differentiated though I still couldn’t tell if they were cedar or sandalwood but they are woodsier.

Vetiver Carven smells nothing like what I remember Jim wearing, this is a soft scent, a hint, and would be an excellent choice for someone on a budget who may be working in very close quarters, needs something barely there for after the gym or wants to keep a fragrance in their bag that can give them a quick pick me up. Unless the people around you really know their stuff this is not decidedly different from many WAY more expensive options that could cost up to 20 times more. I won’t name names but you know some of the ones I’m talking about….

Vetiver Carven Perlmutter Grandfather WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Perfume Shrine
FragranceX has $23/50ml
The Perfumed Court has the VINTAGE from $6/.5ml

Do you have olfactory memories of Grandparents? Are they as blurry as mine?
Portia x

Vanilla Faves: Notes in Fragrance

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Post by FeralJasmine

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I’m given to understand that fetishists refer to ordinary sex as “vanilla sex.” I will not waste time in commenting about how I come to know this, except that it reflects on the peculiar nature of the people I encounter in the course of my work. To me it seems like an incongruous association in several ways. For one thing, vanilla is said to be a note that men almost invariably find sexy, making it a bit fetishistic to begin with. Then there is the nature of vanilla itself. Dark, deep, rich, complex, delicious… How did this come to be conflated with “ordinary?”

VanillaWood 123rfPhoto Stolen 123rf

Vanilla scents are anything but ordinary to me. Of all the perfume bottles in my collection, at least half contain vanilla in some form and to some degree. And never mind just how many I have; probably not as many as Portia, so go check up on her instead ;-). But even if I limit myself to the vanilla-centric scents, there are lots of options. There is probably no note that lends itself to so many different approaches. I can’t do more than list a few of my favorites, but I will try to spread them across the vanilla spectrum.

Vanilla: Notes in Fragrance

Fifty Shades of Vanilla

Tihota Indult FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

First, Indult Tihota. This one was created by Francis Kurkdjian and was recently reissued in what is supposed to be its original form, although he is no longer connected with the company. Listed notes are vanilla, florals, and spices. As an aficionado of good vanilla beans, I do not see how floral and spice notes could possibly be disconnected from vanilla. They are there naturally. This one is like rich, creamy, pure vanilla extract of the highest quality that lasts for hours. This is the one for those of us who would stuff vanilla beans in our bras if we could get away with it. (Gentle reader, kindly do not try this. Over the course of a few hours the seeds tend to end up in your cleavage, where they look very disconcerting.) When you want a shot of vanilla in all its glory, straight up, Tihota is the one to reach for.

Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille is a perfume that I used to criticize at every opportunity. I called it heavy, cloying, and unbalanced. Then I tried it on a cold winter day and had to eat my words, and also had to eat the bill for a large decant. Now, instead of heavy, I find it rich and satisfying. I suspect that, when the weather warms up, it will begin to seem cloying again and will be put away for next winter.

7 BILLION HEARTS CB I Hate PerfumePhoto Stolen CB I Hate Perfume

A profound vanilla favorite of mine is the gorgeous 7 Billion Hearts, by CB I Hate Perfume. I tried this one in late fall, bought a bottle without reckoning the cost, and wore it happily all winter. I loved the vanilla on a bed of cedar, with a smoky resiny fire in the background, and others loved it on me. Then on the first really warm day of spring, it turned on me. In fact, it drove harsh cedary fingernails right into my skin and refused to let go. I could barely smell vanilla in the pile of partially burnt pencil shavings that it turned into. Now that cold weather is back, it is cuddling up against me again, purring softly. Next spring I will put it aside without regret, knowing that come fall, all will be well between us.

Les Nombres d`Or Vanille Mona di Orio FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Finally, there is the exquisite Mona di Orio Vanille. I will not go into the famous shipwreck story that goes with it, because I don’t feel that you should need to hear a story to know whether you like the perfume or not. Bales of spices and woods, eventually giving way to as lovely a spiced vanilla as I can imagine. It also contains a subtle but highly effective use of nutmeg, a note that can be tricky to manage. Try this one, if you haven’t already.

Now, what are your favorites? I need to know what to add to my wish list.

01/n°03 Down In One 14 by Cécile Matton for Fragrance Republ!c 2013

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Hi APJ,

From Fragrance Republic site: FRAGRANCE REPUBL!C 01/03 was inspired by the deliciously complex yet accessible mojito, the sunny, potent, Cuban drink. Marrying the fresh, exuberant aspect of mint and lemon to the darkly sweet and powerful Rhum Pure Jungle Essence creates a sparkling effervescent fusion.

APJ readers please check out the website. I cannot possible do it justice. There is so much fascinating information on it, including a conversation between Denyse Beaulieu (of Grain de Musc) and the perfumer Cécile Matton.

FRAGRANCE REPUBL!C is a club of fragrance enthusiasts that gives exclusive access to original fine fragrances as created by world class perfumers ……….. you may read on yourselves.

FRAGRANCE REPUBL!C 01/n°03 by Cécile Matton 2013

01 03 Down In One 14 Fragrance Republic FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Gurjum (a resin that flows naturally from the trees of the dipterocarpus species); Mojito Accord (Rhum Pure Jungle Essence, Mint, Lemon)

So onto the 01/03 juice. I have a 21 year old son. He works with the deaf. He is a body builder. (He is also extremely sick of me shoving various parts of my body under his nose and telling him to sniff.) I sprayed a hefty amount of n°03 onto paper as he walked into the room. Let´s just say I don´t own the bottle any more.

01 03 Down In One 14 Fragrance Republic Muscle Boy FlickrPhoto Stolen Hammerin Man Flickr

It smells very resiny in the beginning and quite peppery. It sweetens up as time goes on, but the lemony overtones stop it from being cloying. It is bright and exhilarating and exuberant. It veers towards the masculine side of the spectrum to my nose, but that could be because my son has been wearing it for month. He said one of the reasons he likes it so much is because no one else has it! Ah ha.
Perhaps he has inherited some of my snobby perfume habits after all!

So Perfumista Mums and Dads. You all have an advantage over me. When your kids start to reach that age of totally covering themselves in Axe (aaaaargh, scream, ) you have a great option. Treat them, and in turn yourselves to FR!´s 01/03. You cannot go wrong. They´ll thank you for it.

I can only say bring on 01/04 … these are fab and we want more.

Love from Austria, where I am sat with Portia and Michael. Well, someone´s gotta do it.

Bussis from us all
CQ

With thanks to FR! for giving me the opportunity to sniff!!

L’Eau d’Hiver by Jean Claude Ellena for Frederic Malle 2003

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Post by Gabriella

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Hello perfumed Peeps!

I’ve loved the Frederic Malle range ever since it launched here in Sydney years ago but Jean Claude Ellena’s pared down aesthetic has never really been my cup of tea. It therefore took me some time to first appreciate and then fall in love with his masterpiece for the Malle line. And it’s been well worth the wait.

L’Eau d’Hiver by Jean Claude Ellena for Frederic Malle 2003

Picture 308Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Bergamot, heliotrope, jasmine, iris, honey, angelica, white musk.

The real beauty of this scent is its enigmatic quality. It manages to feel both cool and warm at the same time and the gentle unfolding of these polar opposites is what makes L’Eau d’Hiver so magical. There’s the slight cool tang of the bergamot in the opening underscored with the piquant pepperiness of angelica.

The addition of iris exacerbates the detached coolness and earthiness before the soft powderiness of heliotrope is joined by sweetness of honey. Even as the scent warms up, the angelica and iris continue to peek through the layers like soft droplets of snow or sparkling white ice.

L'Eau d'Hiver Frederic Malle angel_desnudo_ DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

L’Eau d’Hiver is somewhat of a mesmerising drug of a fragrance. Under its spell, I manage to detach from my normal frazzled self and become a calm, serene, contemplative being. It also makes me feel completely elegant. It is the olfactory equivalent of a white silk blouse, fluid and graceful and something that just makes you feel “put together”.

And as Dionne noted in her much more comprehensive APJ L’Eau d’Hiver review, despite its name, L’Eau d’Hiver works in all sorts of temperatures and seasons. I’ve been enjoying wearing it recently on temperate summer’s days.

L'Eau d'Hiver Frederic Malle Harkness_Tower WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Chemist in the Bottle and Olfactoria’s Travels
Mecca Cosmetica starts at $124/3 x 10ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $6/ml

Have you tried L’Eau D’Hiver? What are your I-just-feel-complete fragrances?

With much love till next time!

M x

Lovely by Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry for Sarah Jessica Parker 2005

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Post by Katrina

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Lovely from Sarah Jessica Parker is the perfume I reach for when I have a stressful day ahead. When I’m feeling a little worried about something I need to face in my day like a meeting or doctors appointment I will normally choose to wear Lovely. I spray on Lovely, inhale deeply and feel myself relax a little. I feel a bit more confident to face the day. Lovely is elegant and understated and I wouldn’t hesitate to wear this perfume for these types of meetings.

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker 2005

Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry

Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following notes.
Top: Nectarine, bergamot, rosewood and lavender.
Heart: Apple martini, white daffodil and orchid.
Base: White amber, cedar, woody notes and white musk

I mostly smell lavender and rosewood when I first spray on Lovely with a hint of zest and sweetness from the light citrus and fruit notes.

I find lavender so relaxing and use a few drops of essential oil if I’m having trouble sleeping. I also have lavender growing in my garden and can’t help but pick some to smell as I walk past. It’s not that I love the smell of lavender; it can be strong and sharp. It’s the feeling of well-being I get from lavender’s scent that draws me in. It has a soothing effect.

Lovely-Sarah-jessica-parker Lavender WikimediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

The heart of the perfume leads to beautiful, feminine florals and the calming lavender lingers. The rosewood leads to a solid base with wood and musk. The lasting power of Lovely is excellent and at the end of the day I’m left with a gentle amber scent on my skin.

SJP Lovely is often compared to the more expensive Narciso Rodriguez for Her and has received favourable reviews from many perfume bloggers.

Lovely-Sarah-jessica-parker WikimediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading at Bois de Jasmin and Katie Puckrik Smells
FragranceNet has $19/50ml
My Perfume Samples starts from $2/ml

If you are interested in more Celebrity Perfumes, check out my website at Celebrity Perfume Store

Katrina x