Review

Sex and the Sea by + for Francesca Bianchi 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

.

Post by Claire Vukcevic

.

Hello lovely-smelling APJ people!

I’m supposed to be writing an article on ambergris for Basenotes, but instead of finishing up, I keep ordering more samples of stuff I hear has ambergris in it, and so we are already at 6,000 words and counting….But I can’t help myself – I am simply fascinated with ambergris and how different perfumers choose to work with it (or a synthetic replacement).

Sex and the Sea by + for Francesca Bianchi 2016

sex-and-the-sea-francesca-bianchi-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Mimosa, pineapple, coconut, immortelle, rose, iris, sandalwood, myrrh, labdanum, benzoin, ambergris, civet, vanilla

Francesca Bianchi’s Sex and the Sea is a good example of how perfumers can take a material you think you know and find a completely new angle on it. Here, Francesca takes all the usual markers of tropicana (pineapple, coconut, lactones) and twists them into something far less comfortable than the creamy, sweet sun-tan oil smell we expect to smell.

Using a dry, urinous ambergris material (Cetalox, a synthetic replacement for ambergris), the fragrance drags the pineapple through salty sea water until it dries up into a weathered old fruit leather.

Imagine a pile of dried, salted pineapple mixed in with discarded coconut husks and ancient sea tackle, ropes, and flotsam washed up on the shore of an island somewhere. The heap of materials is dry and crusted over with salt, and if you get close enough you will notice a searing smell of old seagull piss, dry and ureic – not honeyed and wet.

sex-and-the-sea-20Francesca Bianchi

Underneath this dry, acid-toned salt-and-fruit-leather tangle, there is a queasily warm mix of milky lactones, fruit, and salt that comes off a little metallic and iodine-like. I’ve never smelled Secretions Magnifiques – not even by accident – but based on what I’ve read, I’d venture a guess to say that they are at least thematically related. Later on, there is a warm, unwashed body funk to this that is appealing.

Early reviews on Fragrantica are rhapsodic, with most pegging it to be a sexy or sensual fragrance. But I think that Sex and the Sea, while a very interesting way to use ambergris and pineapple, is not that easy or pleasant to wear. It contains a similar idea to Slumberhouse’s Sadanne, that is, a schmear of bright fruit over a layer of ambergris marine filth and bilge, but whereas Sadanne is sparkling and sweet, in Sex and the Sea, the result is far too urinous and tinder-dry to be a comfortable wear.

Longevity is everlasting. I would be surprised if cetalox ever truly dies on the skin or just eventually get scrubbed off. The kind of person I see enjoying this would be a fan of challenging perfumes that do animalic/sexy in a metallic, harsh, salty way.

sex-and-the-sea-13Francesca Bianchi

Hats off to Francesca Bianchi, though. She is certainly not playing it safe. Instead, she hands us a pile of salt-encrusted sea tackle and says, here, this is my idea of sex on the beach. It’s as far from the Eau des Merveilles take on ambergris as you can get, but, in my opinion, all takes on this fascinating material are welcome.

Further reading: Pierre de Nishapur
ParfuMaria has €98/30ml

What ambergris perfumes have you guys tried and liked?

Slán libh!

Claire

 

Claire also writes for Take One Thing Off

Sballo Oil by + for Bruno Acampora 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

.

Post by Portia

.

Heya Niche Nerds,

Today I’m looking at the largely ignored piece of the Bruno Acampora line. It’s like no one even noticed it after the success of Blu & Musc. So I never bothered to even try it even though I had a sample here the whole time. Sometimes things have to happen in their own time.

Sballo Oil by + for Bruno Acampora 2012

sballo-bruno-acampora-luckyscentLuckyScent

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Rose, geranium, violet, orange blossom, musk, resins, sandalwood, vetiver, hay, sage

You know I like green right? Here is a green both stark and comfortable. Hay, green grass just mown, dank water, willow leaves trailing in a sluggish stream. Cool shade found under a burning summer sun but the shade is full of ominous shadows.

As Sballo wears it becomes less ferociously green and lightens up, still full of dark the sun is creeping in . Funny thing about the light, the brighter it is the more marked the contrast that is shadow. While Sballo does brighten it never looses it dark underpinnings. Vegetal, humus rich soil so full of life smells like this after a light rain if you dig through the mulch to get to it.

sballo-oil-by-for-bruno-acamporawood-nature-sunny-forest-pexelsPDI

I think vetiver takes charge, dry grass, slightly oily vetiver. Useful in so many situations including leaching running water of toxins in you leave the roots dangling exposed across the river and grow it on the banks. It’s being used in poorer countries to clean up waterways that they though beyond repair.

An hour in and Sballo is a cuddly dry green and softly warming resins, is it galbanum and frankincense. This soft focus woody, creamy green in dry down is my favourite part of a lovely scent. I can’t help wondering now what the EdT is like……

Who could wear Sballo? Someone who wants to be, or give the impression of being, connected with Mother Earth. Someone who needs grounding or strength. I think you need to be slightly unconventional in modern day terms and unafraid to be what you are in front of others.

sballo-oil-by-for-bruno-acampora-mother_earth_by_mariana_ayala_bautista_-wikimediaWikiMedia

Further reading: Non Blonde
LuckyScent has $200/10ml + Samples

could this one be for you?
Portia xx

 

Infini EdT by Gerard Lefortis for Caron 1970

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

.

Post by Portia

.

Hey Fumies,

Recently I found a bottle of Infini on someone’s Sale Doc in one of the FaceBook perfume forums. It was a good price and because I love the parfum so much I thought it a good time to grab the EdT as well. It arrived the other day. WOO HOO!

Infini EdT by Caron 1970

Infini EdT by Gerard Lefortis

Infini Caron FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Jasmine, narcissus, lily of the valley, aldehydes
Heart: Rose, tuberose, lilac, iris
Base: Vetiver, musk, sandalwood, tonka bean, amber

I keep returning to Caron Infini, it’s so easy to wear and though it’s a big sensational powerhouse I never feel like I’m skunking a room in it. The EdT has a bit more throw, a lot more sparkle and feels like a light hearted person of the parfum. Less burnished, less intense but with a more gregarious personality. If Infini Parfum is Helen Lawson from Valley Of The dolls then Infini EdT is Gidget.

infini-edt-by-caron-sally_field_as_gidget-wikipediaWikiMedia

Shrieking narcissus, sparkling and fizzy, tempered by cool lily of the valley. Then infinite becomes a bouquet that is impossible for me to pick out the floral notes. A sweet white floral with noodles of backing ingredients creating a lavish silk sari with beautiful mirror work that sparkles and gives lift.

The heart stays around for ages and its all gorgeous creamy flowers till you realise that underneath the bouquet the amber and sandalwood have been creeping in and unbeknownst to you the are taking over the whole fragrance as we head towards dry down. Much less animal than the Parfum Infini EdT is a friendly and engaging younger sister. I love to wear them together so the deep burnished depths float under the scintillating fun of EdT.

infini-edt-by-caron-summer-still-life-pixabayPDI

Further reading: Yesterday’s Perfume and The Non-Blonde
The Perfumed Court has EdP samples starting at $3.50/ml

Have you tried Infini?
Portia xx

Holiday Perfume Packing Oct 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

.

Post by Portia

.

Hello Fumies,

The eternal holiday question; What Perfumes Should I Take? Every year I try and get myself to pick the perfect scents. You know, weather appropriate, walking, shopping, dinner, drinks, casual, dressy, cool, hot. It’s a very fine line we perfumistas walk and to try and have the right frag for the right time is a really fun experiment in scent.

Obviously if you choose wrong it’s not going to negatively impact your holiday but the sweet feeling of scenting success can definitely add a pleasurable lustre to already fantastic adventures.

Holiday Perfume Packing

Japan & South Korea Oct 2016

So our destinations for this very special Jin & Portia 5 year anniversary jaunt are Tokyo 3 nights and South Korea for 5 nights (I think). We got an insanely good deal to fly with Korean Airlines that takes us to Japan via South Korea for less than it costs to go to South Korea directly. We decided to use the money we save on the fare to stay for a few nights in Tokyo where Jin has never been. AWESOME!

skyscrapers_of_shinjuku-mount-fuji-wikipediaWikipedia

Then we are off to South Korea to see Jin’s parents. His Dad has had some heart problems over the years so Jin likes to make sure everything is OK every year. Something that really impresses me about Jin is that he sends some money home to his parents every month, so does his brother from Slovakia where he works in the car manufacturing industry. It has completely changed their parents life from poor working class to comfortable land and home owners.

South Korea 2015 #37

We are also going to steal Mum & Dad away for a night in a fancy hotel somewhere. Last year we took them to a 5 star spa hotel for the first time in their lives and there was a wildflower garden and bonsai place that Mum had long wanted to visit nearby. They would only let us take them for one night but it was really fun to spend that time with them. It got to the point though that we had to take menus and stuff away from them because they were getting upset by how much everything cost. Even though they have almost no English and I zero Korean we manage to communicate and Jin does double time as interpreter as well.

Anyway, on to fragrant choices. Here are my list:

ambre-narguile-hermes-fragranticaFragrantica

Ambre Narguilé by Hermès 15ml Travel: Warm & crunchy amber.

eau-des-merveilles-hermes-fragranticaFragrantica

Eau des Merveilles by Hermès Rollerball Decant: An easy wear, softly salted, resinous wood.

niki-de-saint-phalle-niki-de-saint-phalle-fragranticaFragrantica

Niki de Saint Phalle 10ml Travel: Comfortable floral green chypre.

oe-bogue-parfumoParfumo

O/E by Bogue Profumo Decant: Freaky citrus and skank drilled over woods, resins and tobacco.

salome-papillon-artisan-perfumes-fragranticaFragrantica

Salome by Papillon Artisan Perfumes Decant: Naughty animalic leather chypre.

neela-vermeire-creations TrayeeFragrantica

Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations 8ml Travel: I feel that this spicy floral incense will fit the bill this holiday

chanel-n22-chanel-fragranticaFragrantica

Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdT Decant: ALL the aldehydes and a bunch of creamy white flowers with a tropical lilt.

By the time you read this we are already in South Korea, probably getting ready to come home.

Are you going on holidays this year or next? Where to? What fragrances would you take?
Portia xxx

 

Christian Dior: Little Dictionary of Fashion

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

.

Post by Anne-Marie

.

In my tiny collection of fashion and perfume books, my greatest treasure is a tattered copy of Christian Dior’s Little Dictionary of Fashion: a guide to dress sense for every woman, published by Cassell & Co in 1954. A friend gave it to me and it seems to be a first edition, which is rather special. It’s written in English. If there was an earlier French edition I’m not aware of it.

The book is arranged alphabetically: A for Accessories … Afternoon Frock … Armholes … – through to Z for … Zest (‘There is no beauty which is attractive without Zest’).

Christian Dior: Little Dictionary of Fashion

Book Review

the-little-dictionary-of-fashion-a-guide-to-dress-sense-for-every-woman-book-depositoryBook Depository

Of course on first opening the book I skipped straight to P for Perfume. Here’s the entry in full.
“Since the beginning of civilisation perfume has always been used and has been considered an essential part of woman’s attraction.
“When I was young, women used much more perfume than they do now and I think that was wonderful and I regret that more women don’t use it lavishly now.
“Perfume, like your clothes, can so much express your personality; and you can change your perfume with your mood.
“I think it as important for a woman to have beautiful perfume as it is for her to have beautiful clothes. And do not think that you need have perfume only on yourself; your whole house can smell of it, and especially your own room.”

The entry is accompanied by a photograph of – of course! – Miss Dior in the amphora bottle in which it had been presented on its release in 1947.

miss-dior-amphora-fragranticaFragrantica

It’s intriguing that Dior thought that women of that time wore less perfume than when he was young (Dior was born in 1905). Was that true, I wonder? Perhaps the women in Dior’s (rather privileged) early life happened to be great lovers of perfume? Or perhaps Dior the salesman was he just being sly, encouraging women to buy more perfume? Preferably his own, of course

The book is sheer delight. Dated, of course, in some of its advice. “In town you cannot be dressed without gloves any more than you can be dressed without a hat.” But whimsical too. “I never get tired of dots.” And sensible. “Too high heels are vulgar and hideous.” I could not agree more.

My favourite is the entry for Elegance: “Elegance must be the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care and simplicity. Outside this, believe me, there is no elegance. Only pretension.” I do believe you M. Dior, indeed I do.

This charming book has been republished under a slightly rearranged title, and is widely available online.
By the way, want some Miss Dior bottle porn? Go here.

Are you a lover of Dior style, in dress and perfume? Do comment!
Until next time everyone, stay elegant!
Anne-Marie

Cookie Queen: Perfumes I Have Worn In 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

.

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

.

Good Day APJ.

What is a REAL blogger anyway?

Over the years I have thoroughly enjoyed bloggers’ roundups of best perfumes including what have they have been wearing. Not considering myself a proper blogger it did not occur me that I could do my own list. However, it will be four years with APJ for me next year so bloody hell, I will award myself the status of “blogger”

Cookie Queen: Perfumes I Have Worn In 2016

I do not wear samples. I try samples out on my left wrist, and if I get over excited perhaps on both wrists. I only wear perfumes that I have full bottles of. (All perfumistas have idiosyncratic behaviours – don´t you?)

kiki-eau-de-parfum-vero-profumo-fragranticaFragrantica

VERO PROFUMO. All of them of course! Most worn this year would be the Kikis, I nearly finished a bottle of the juicy, delicious, erotic, sadly under-rated Kiki EdP. The Kiki Extrait is laced with ambergris and is so divine I worked my way through at least 15 mls of it. The Kiki Voile a Prozac of a perfume. 🙂

HERMÈS. I received a bottle of Hermès Doblis as a gift at the beginning of the year, a belated birthday present. Probably the most exquisite perfume I have ever been given. Also in heavy rotation was the Muguet Porcelaine. This stunning lily-of-the-valley is wonderful in cool weather. Cuir d’Ange, a favourite for the last couple of years, was worn as much ever. And more recently Osmanthe Yunnan also fab in cold weather, although if you believe all you read you would be forgiven for assuming it is a summer scent.

bois-des-iles-eau-de-parfum-chanel-fragranticaFragrantica

CHANEL. Bois des Iles Parfum and EdT. Cuir de Russie Parfum and EdT. Misia EdT. Coromandel EdT. And the heliotrope heavy Boy EdP.

GUERLAIN. Shalimar Extrait Vintage, Shalimar Extrait current. Shalimar Eau de Cologne.

geisha-noire-aroma-m-fragranticaFragrantica

AROMA M. Geisha Noire EdP and Oil. Vanilla Hinoki EdP and Oil.

LANCÔME. Cuir de Lancôme.

winner getentrepreneurial

BEST PERFUME AWARD 2017

Hermès Galop d’Hermès Parfum

I don´t want to get carried away with my newfound status as a real blogger so I will only select one. Without a second thought it goes to Hermès Galop d’Hermès Parfum. A poised and elegant perfume. The rose, the quince, the saffron and leather. It´s a work of art.

There are a number of new fragrances that I did try and enjoy, but they did not make the full bottle grade. I love the scene, the people, the perfume shows, and the vibe of the fragrant world. But the many hundred of new launches have me running for cover. I do own other perfumes, including a number of Lutens but this was not their year.

What perfumes do you REALLY wear huh? I am über-interested.

Real Blogger Bussis
CQ

Office Friendly Fragrances Snapshot 22.10.16

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

.

Post by TinaG

.

Hi APJ!

I realised something this week – that my occasional slumps in fragrance enthusiasm could be linked to changes in season. I had been wearing Borneo 1834 and Cuir Ottoman (thanks, Val!), but then haven’t felt like anything & gone fragrance free for a week. Today, something clicked back in to place and I felt like something floral & airy. I’d never really put 2:2 together, but it makes sense.

office-friendly-fragrances-trollback__company_office-wikipediaWikipedia

So I grabbed something ultimately office-friendly, then I thought – I wonder what my colleagues are wearing today? I cheekily snuck around the office, asking the question, and found I was greeted with a big smile & loads of enthusiasm! Yay! Here’s today’s snapshot:

Office Friendly Fragrances Snapshot 22.10.16

Mandarine L`Artisan Parfumeur FragranticaFragrantica

C0 (me) – Mandarine by L’Artisan Parfumeur

I’m wearing this like lolly-water today, re-spritzing with abandon.

C1 – Pink Grapefruit – The Body Shop

This is the fragrance which triggered the conversation as I could smell it walking into the work area. It was not sprayed in the office, had been wearing from home. Beautiful.

ck-one-calvin-klein-fragranticaFragrantica

C2 – CK One – Calvin Klein

I used to wear CK One, and can smell it in public at 60 paces, but this didn’t strike me so hard. It had settled a bit & had a predominant peppery note. Great stuff.

C3 – NIL

But yesterday was: Bel Respiro (EdT) – Chanel. I gave C3 this sample and this was its first wearing. Jury is out, it’s a bit intense compared to other fragrances she wears but she’ll give it a few more try’s to see if it might work.

C4 – Rose The One – D&G

This fragrance is now discontinued and it’s a fav of C4. She keeps it close by, bottle & box in her desk draw.

C5 – Oscar – Oscar de la Renta

This is C5’s signature office scent, wears it all the time. Cool!

Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker FragranticaFragrantica

C6 – Lovely – Sara Jessica Parker

Yay! SJP getting some air time. This made me happy.

C7 – NIL

Nil today, but I know Trèsor by Lancôme is a fav of hers, a mini is close at hand. I had sent her an article on Isabella Rossellini & the fragrance’s history back in June.

C8 – NIL

C8 said he used to have time to wear cologne to work, but since his son came along priorities have changed in the morning routine. Colognes come out now for special occasions only.

orchid-soleil-tom-ford-fragranticaFragrantica

C9 – Orchid Soleil – Tom Ford

I didn’t actually have the conversation today with C9, but I’m adding her in because we discuss perfume often. Before this she wore Black Orchid, both are fab on her but I do know when she walks into a room without me looking! Hehe.

I’m so glad I asked! Made for some fun conversations and I got to know my workmates just that little bit better. We’ve got a great crew.

What is the fragrance you reach for the most in a professional environment?

Have a fantastic start to the week.
Tina G xx

Celadon: A Velvet Green by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2007

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

.

Post by Portia

.

Hey Hey APJ,

It’s no secret that my favourite colour is green and for Dawn to have chosen Celadon, a colour I’ve always associated with the inside of our family home through the 1990s, seemed so coincidental that I was immediately drawn to it. Here’s an edited version of the sites take on The Chroma Collection: Created through a synesthetic approach, this series explores distinct “artist colors” (color pigments or paint that an artist would buy for their work) and a rather obscure textile color (that was all the rage with the 17th Century Paris – Versailles crowd). The CHROMA Collection was a top 5 Finalist for the 2015 Sadakichi (Experimental Use of Scent) Award given by the Institute for Art and Olfaction.

Celadon: A Velvet Green by DSH Perfumes 2007

Celadon: A Velvet Green by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

The Chroma Collection

celadon-a-velvet-green-dsh-perfumesDSH Perfumes

DSH Perfumes gives these featured accords:
Balsam Fir, Clover Leaf, Cucumber, Green Grass, Hay Absolute, Liatrix, Lime Peel, Narcissus Absolute, Orris, Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Violet Leaf Absolute

A soft focus green fragrance that is refreshing, smooth as the pale green pottery it’s named for, delicious as freshly laundered sheets and as comfortable as your favourite hoodie/jumper. A barely there whisper of spring that sings around you as ethereal as air, yet you are quite fragrant. I also smell some very low level ripe humanity down the back end of Celadon and I’m not sure where it comes from, maybe the Liatrix whose scent profile is said to run like tobacco, hay, coumarin and the narcissus absolute?

Dawn has a way with green fragrances, she works from Celadon which feels like the smoothest, lightest touch of green, like cutting hydrangea heads for the house to Giverny In Bloom which basically blasts the back of your head off with florists air-conditioned fridges.

Celadon is prim, elegant and refined. Imagine arriving at CHANEL No 19 after the top notes have burned off but before the oakmoss dry down appears.

celadon-a-velvet-green-by-dsh-perfumes-gres_chinois_guimet-wikipediaWikiMedia

 

From Wikipedia: Celadon is a term for ceramics denoting both wares glazed in the jade green celadon color, also known as greenware (the term specialists tend to use) and a type of transparent glaze, often with small cracks, that was first used on greenware, but later used on other porcelains.

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Fragrant Journey
DSH Perfumes starts at $6

Could you imagine yourself in the softest Eau de Nil green fragrance?
Portia xxx

Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash by Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

.

Post by Portia

.

Hey the bubblicious APJers,

I like to have bubble baths. For anyone who reads this blog regularly this is hardly news, but for newbies I thought it best you be told. I have bubble baths when I’m getting ready for work or if I’m stressed. Sometimes drawing myself a half bath when I just want to feel clean. In the summer it’s cool baths and in the other seasons as hot as I can stand it. There is something so energising and calming about being submerged and surrounded by bubbles. After my bath it’s a quick sluice under a cool to cold shower, no matter what the temp or season.

Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy

aromatherapy-body-wash-foam-bath-black-currant-vanilla-bbwB&BW

Obviously my mates are on board with this great love of mine and recently AF Beauty bought me a bottle of Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash by Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy. They call it Sensual but I beg to differ, ain’t nothing sensual about this zingy little player. We are talking Ethyl Maltol heaven here: sugary, fizzy, zesty and fun.

It’s like bathing in a cross between Mugler’s Angel & Guerlain La Petit Robe Noire, very fizzy sugar, berries and praline. I like it. It creates a perfect base for any of the Angel line or its gazillion copy cats. I particularly like original Lolita Lempicka, Liberté by Cacharel, Miss Dior Cherie or even Truth or Dare over it. There’s not a huge difference made in their fragrant wear but a little extra zip and sizzle never hurt anyone.

black-currant-vanilla-body-wash-bath-body-works-aromatherapy-portia-bath

As you can see the Aussie back is darker and more lavish looking than its overseas counterpart above. This is taken from my bathtub with me inside, so it’s practically porn. He He he.

B&BW has this for a song, you don’t have to use it as bubble bath because it’s a shower gel too. There are also a wide range of extra products in the same fragrance range to choose from. All at that deliciously bargain B&BW price. NICE!

Do you like to have a bath?
What are your rituals?
Portia xx

Maria Candida Gentile: Flight of the Bumblebee Series 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

.

Post by Portia

.

Hello Niche Nerds,

One of the names that is revered yet rarely spoken of on blogs or FaceBook is Maria Candida Gentile. Whenever I post her soft focus incense and woods creation Exultat as my SOTD it gets a round of applause and people always note how much they love her work and then it’s back to radio silence. Sideris is the crowd pleaser that is most often referred to and though I’ve had these decants here for a while they had become lost in the crowd. During a week of Shop My Samples recently, where I tried to use up or rediscover unloved samples & decants, they popped into my hand and I card spritzed the three of them. They seem like they need a closer look, you can have a first on skin experience with me today, come on….

Maria Candida Gentile

Flight of the Bumblebee Series 2014

Kitrea Maria Candida Gentile FragranticaFragrantica

Kitrea by Maria Candida Gentile

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Honey, lemon and bergamot
Heart: Fruity notes
Base: Amber, beeswax

Cool citrus, sparkling and bittersweet. Like home made lemonade. Kitrea even has that sticky feeling you get on a hot afternoon when you’ve drunk too much fizzy. Imagine if a Guerlain Aqua Allegoria had a backbone and thorns, that’s how Kitrea wears for me. It smells grapefruit-esque and a tiny little but pissy but with a warm, calming, grounding base of animalic amber. This is by far the most Idie smelling of the three.

Leucò Maria Candida Gentile FragranticaFragrantica

Leccò by Maria Candida Gentile

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Honey, labdanum
Heart: Lily, tuberose
Base: Siam benzoin, pepper, beeswax

Leccò opens a little hair spray and greenery, it’s weird, awkward, like the notes are attacking each other and don’t quite want to be in the same fragrance. I think it’s the lily against the pepper . Interestingly after about 2 minutes it segues into a dreamy, smooth, plush fragrance, quite retro feeling but done with sharp modernity. The feeling is like walking through a large, well manicured garden in the drizzling rain but you are rugged up cozy and warm. Funnily I am reminded of tomato leaves and compost with this creamy underlay. Intriguing but weird.

Syconium Maria Candida Gentile fragranticaFragrantica

Syconium by Maria Candida Gentile

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Honey, milk
Heart: Fig
Base: Sandalwood, beeswax

Honey and milk open as resinous woods, if you told me this was frankincense or labdanum I’d agree. Not the sweet or feral honey that niche often presents Syconium is sweet warm honey milk before bed. Restful, comforting and calming, the fruit comes across as a little sugared porridge. Totally wearable, unchallenging and it smells great.  After a while Syconium becomes a sheer skin scent, like a layer of gossamer glamour over my own scent. Very nice.

From Maria Candida Gentile site: In the music piece “Flight of the bumblebee” by Nikolaj Andreevic Rimskij-Korsakov the main character is magically transformed into an insect in order to reach, unseen, his father the king and declare that the news of his death were not true. It is a flight that expresses the desire to live and opens the door to hope for a brighter future. This collection of three new perfumes takes its name from that flight and shows the bumblebee as a bearer of a message.

Further reading: Colognoisseur
Maria Candida Gentile has €32/15ml or €14/7ml

Do any of these read tempting to you? Do you like any of Maria Candida Gentile’s work?
Portia xx