shopping

Saturday Question: The Case Against Fragrance by Kate Grenville

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Greg Young from AusScents.

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(Ed: Taking an idea from Olfactoria’s Travels. Once a week there used to be a Question. Everyone would chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it would be a generally fun events each week. Taking sides never meant taking offence and everyone kept it respectful and light.
Today we are joined by my mate Greg who has a book review attached to the Saturday Question)

Hi APJ,

As something of a perfume collector, I thought I owed it to myself to read this book and find out more about what is in those fragrances in the cupboard.

Kate Grenville has long known that she has an intolerance for fragrances that give her headaches. When it reached a point where she was almost totally incapacitated during a book tour, she decided to research the matter and wrote this book.

(E)-I-(2,6,6-Trimethyl-I-cyclohexa-I,3-dienyl)but-2-en-I-one
(The Name of the Rose)

Book Review: The Case Against Fragrance, by Kate Grenville

 

Book Depository

 

Grenville points out that, in modern society, fragrance is almost inescapable. It’s not just the perfumes that we wear. It’s also added to every imaginable household product from toilet paper to laundry liquid. Stores, restaurants and hotels spray fragrance in the air. It’s ubiquitous, and that’s a problem for people that are affected by it, like Grenville.

Any attempt to identify what is causing these problems founders on a few issues. First, trade secrets legislation means that the contents of “fragrance” ingredients don’t have to be revealed. Second, there are thousands of ingredients commonly used in fragrance, and only a subset of these have ever been tested for safety. Finally, nearly all the testing and certification is done by the fragrance industry itself, so conflict of interest issues apply. It’s not hard to see why a manufacturer might prefer to declare that a rose fragrance contains “parfum” rather than the chemical formula above.

Even what we do know is somewhat alarming. Grenville provides an extensive list of compounds known or suspected to be carcinogenic that are either used in fragrances or can form when fragrance ingredients interact with the air (as they unavoidably will). Chief among these is formaldehyde, although there are others.

Another concern is the prevalence of synthetic musk compounds that have proven to be almost indestructible. These compounds bioaccumulate so that they become more prevalent the higher up the food chain you go. That means that the very highest levels are seen in the most vulnerable: breastfeeding babies and foetuses in utero. These musk compounds can mimic the action of hormones such as oestrogen, creating over-supply which can lead to birth defects, genetic abnormalities and cancer.

Grenville is quick to point out that it is impossible to pin this on fragrance specifically, because there are so many other potential triggers for such conditions to emerge over a lifetime. Indeed “the case against fragrance” is largely a circumstantial one. Grenville shows that there are potentially harmful chemicals in fragrances, they have reached a point of ubiquity in the environment, and people are having adverse reactions. But there is no smoking gun; it is impossible to say for sure that there is causality here, and no scientific study would draw the kinds of conclusions that Grenville invites us to make here.

So what to do? The author’s solution is a bit simplistic. For one, she advocates embracing fragrance-free versions of products. That’s fine, except she does not apply anything like the same scrutiny to those alternatives. Just as decaffeinated coffee is not necessarily better for you due to the added chemicals, how does one know whether a fragrance-free detergent contains no harmful chemicals either?

More interesting is Grenville’s suggestion that fragrance-free workplaces may become the norm. ¬If a scientific institute such as the US Centres for Disease Control can adopt a policy that says “Fragrance is not appropriate for a professional work environment”, then it’s possible to imagine that this may one day become more widespread particularly if, as in the US, there are OH&S lawsuits decided in favour of people with fragrance intolerances.

Decades ago the idea of passive smoking was seen as cranky, now it is enshrined in law. We do not have the right to deprive others of a healthy and safe work environment; that is a very clear legal precedent. So maybe one day people who wear perfume will be like the smokers of today, skulking out the back giving themselves a shot of Shalimar before washing it off and heading back inside.

Food for thought? What do you think?
Greg x

Ombre de Hyacinth by Calice Becker for Tom Ford 2012

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Portia

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Hiya Designer lovers,

Today we are looking at one of the Private Blend Jardin Noir series. The only one of the group still on the Tom Ford website is Cafe Rose but the others are still available at the discounters including this one.

I don’t tend to try all the Tom Ford fragrances because I think his pricing policy is taking the piss. Yes, they are lovely, some could even be classed as modern masterpieces but the consistent price jumps, bringing out a bunch at a time, the lack of consistent availability due to discontinuations and that it’s really just a jumped up Estee Lauder brand all make me a bit grumpy with them.

Anyway, all that aside, when I was in the USA in 2013 these were relatively new. Tom and I spent a moment sniffing them and I liked a couple but couldn’t remember which. So I bought a set of decants. I don’t know why but the set got put aside unopened and they have just resurfaced.

Ombre de Hyacinth by Tom Ford 2012

Ombre de Hyacinth by Calice Becker

Ombre de Hyacinth Tom Ford fragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum, Magnolia, Violet leaf, Frankincense
Heart: Hyacinth, Jasmine, Pink pepper
Base: Benzoin, Galbanum, Musk

My Google translate says Ombre de Hyacinth means Shadow of Hyacinth.

Bitter, smooth green with a very slight taint of sweetness. Galbanum gives a dark furriness here and is offset by the lightness and crisp snap of violet leaf. Quickly coming in is the hyacinth but to me it’s like running your thumb down the stalk of the flower and smelling the wet sappiness. The frankincense is resinous rather than could stick, woods or smoke and helps the galbanum feel ultra glassy.

Ombre de Hyacinth hyacinth pezibear pixabayPDI

My skin throws only the merest soapiness until well into the heart and the vegetational greenness stays, overriding it and giving the impression of drinking clean, fresh water from a snow melt stream. Yes, Ombre de Hyacinth stays dark for me. The fluting notes of violet & hyacinth are overshadowed by the bitter shade of galbanum. This makes them both more interesting because you have to follow your nose to find them. Also, I’ve never noticed them dealt with in this way before.

Soapy? Not really what I think of as soapy but the scent in deep dry down does seem to lose focus and becomes an amorphous, slightly pea scented wash. Not bad, but not nearly as amazing as the first 3-4 hours. What though do I expect? That’s a pretty good run before boredom sets in. Maybe it’s me and not the scent that has become less excited?

Ombre de Hyacinth lasts exceedingly well. Once the fragrance has died down it stays at that level, fragrant within a 30-ish cm radius and a whisper outside that, for hours and hours.

WikiCommons

Further reading: Non Blonde and Perfume Posse 
Feeling Sexy Australia has AUD$325/50ml FREE Australian delivery
Surrender to Chance has samples starting from $4/0.5ml

What do you think of the Tom Ford Private Blend range? Do you own any? Which is fave?
Portia xx

Modern Muse Le Rouge Gloss by Estée Lauder 2016

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Portia

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Hey Hey Scent Hounds,

So let’s start right away by understanding that this is neither made for nor expected to be a big hit with perfumistas. I love the original Modern Muse, it’s got a really lovely thing going on and I have a couple of mates that now name it their warm weather signature scent. Hugging someone in the original Modern Muse is delightful.

Modern Muse Le Rouge Gloss by Estée Lauder 2016

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Mandarin, Black cherry, Rosa centifolia, Pink pepper, Carrot seed, Vinyl accord, Jasmine absolute, Styrax, Labdanum, Saffron, Patchouli, Vanilla

Firstly, let’s talk about this red & gold bottle with the plastic bow. It’s fun, I love the colour combo and also love that Estee Lauder took a chance on a shape not svelte, luxe or refined. Here we have a silly bottle. Somehow though it works, an irreverent swipe at all the conformity that the big brands and even they themselves have been doing. Bravo for design frippery.

Hefty sheer and sweet. You know how diet drinks have a weird aftertaste that people become addicted to? Modern Muse Le Rouge Gloss is like a cheap diet cherry cola. The freaky thing is that for all this 100% natural feeling scent, it works. It fizzes and has a sticky, glutinous appeal. The vinyl accord is warm and worn. The base ends up a sweet resinous faux-chouli with the diet cola accord and last for AGES, following me around all day and night. It goes so long that I get a little bored.

What Guerlain does with cherries is sweet but still maintains an air of sophistication, Modern Muse Le Rouge Gloss wears a similar fashion but a year later and from Target. YET, worn with such confidence, youth and joy that you hardly notice how crap it looks till you see comparison photos. I will admit to you right here and now that I am madly in love with this frivolous funster. I bought myself 30ml and one of my dear girlfriends 50ml. She loves it too.

Further reading: Lady Writes
Estes Lauder counters everywhere, chemists and discounters.

Have you tried any of the Modern Muse line?
Portia xx

 

Sandra’s London Trip June 2017 Photo Essay

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Sandra

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Hey there dear APJ! How is everyone doing? Hopefully comfortably settling in with summer or winter.

It has been a hectic couple of months here in Rotterdam. What with school keeping us busy, family & friends visiting, it was a blessing to be able to get away for my son’s birthday over a long weekend at the beginning of June. He turned 8 this year and one of his greatest wishes was to see London (Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, London Eye, and of course toy stores were all on his wish list). Not only did we manage to see all the sights, but we also had a couple of perfume activities which I would like to share with you today.

London Trip June 2017 Photo Essay

I finally got to meet Neela Vermeire of Neela Vermeire Creations! Wow! What an amazing woman – but I knew that already. It was absolutely fabulous sitting down with her in London and chatting for a while. Thankfully dear son and husband also enjoyed their visit. Thank you Neela!!!

Saturday was reserved for meeting up with Tara from A Bottled Rose. I last saw Tara in Vienna about two years ago and I was thrilled to be able to spend some time with her again. We started out by heading to the Natural History Museum. It was a bribe for my son so that we could go sniffing later! We headed off to Harrods afterwards and had lunch before heading to the toy kingdom which I must admit was exciting for us parents as well. The choice is staggering.

Now it was my turn – yay!! Tara took us upstairs to the beautiful area where many brands have their own small boutiques. I got to sniff perfumes from Xerjoff, Dior, Frederic Malle, Kilian, Ramon Monegal. The new Superstitious by Frederic Malle is gorgeous and powerful. Xerjoff is a brand that I like wearing and I was thrilled to see that the Casamoratti line is now offered in 30 ml bottles. I liked Monegal’s Flamenco quite a bit – the red bottle is eye catching and the perfume was a lot of fun starting off with a blast of raspberry and it stayed a happy joyful perfume.

This summer Dior will be shaking things up a bit. The SA was kind enough and said that I was permitted to write about it. I think that many of us will be super happy with the big news that they will be offering the Privée line in 40 ml bottles in addition to the current bottle line up. Dior will also be launching a new sub line to the Privée consisting of 10 new perfumes which are apparently easier to wear and more appealing to the mass market. I for one cannot wait to see what Dior comes up with and am so excited about the smaller bottles. My husband may have to hold onto my wallet!

When we meandered downstairs to the perfume hall I was taken aback at how bustling it was. One of the first perfumes I spritzed that day was Ormonde Jayne’s Ambre Royal. Truly a beautiful perfume with notes of osmanthus and iris and drying down to a wonderful unsweet amber. What a shame that I did not pick it up.

We then headed towards the Kilian stand where two handsome SAs Niko and Johan greeted us and walked me through the new releases. These two gentlemen were so patient and kind and both had a great sense of humor – here is a picture of us. I just love the box for Black Phantom and decided then and there to buy the perfume. Not necessarily smart to buy a perfume for the packaging – but had to do it this one time. The one perfume that I just adored was Single Malt. I walked around the city with my arm at my nose and had to go back in the evening to buy that one too. Reviews coming up of the two Kilians.

After all of that our noses were exhausted and we decided to head to Big Ben. We took some pictures with Tara and our full on day came to a close. A big shout out to dear Tara for taking time to spend with us. We loved seeing her.

I know that I could have seen and sniffed more, but we jammed as much as possible into the 4 day weekend. It just means that we will have to go back and SOON!

What about ya’ll? Any travels lately? Any fun sniffing lately? I would love to hear about it.

Sending you lots of sunny hugs,
Sandra xoxo

Gatineau Face Basics: Peeling Expert

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AF Beauty

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Hey there Beautiful APJ Peepy-Peepers,

I might be using all my beauty products wrong 😦

Having  recently returned from the UK on some holidays – they have started up this concept of a “beauty box” which is a great way to sample some new products at a really good price. Not all boxes are created equally and it definitely depends what you want to try versus what you’ve used before and importantly, the size of the product you are particularly interested – pay attention to the detail, some of them will show pictures of full size products but send small sizes in the package.

Gatineau Face Basics: Peeling Expert

Am I Doing It Right??

All Beauty

Caveats aside, I bought this Beauty Box which largely I’m happy with and I’m here to talk to you about the Gatineau Peeling Expert. So, cutting to the chase – this product blows my mind! The instructions are brief and they do not give any indication of the extent to which this product is used and it has really made me question whether I am using the rest of my beauty products correctly.

It says, apply a thin layer and massage gently till it breaks down to an oil. Easy you think. Not so – it takes about 30 seconds for it to start to break down into the oil. The break down to an oil is not like my other favoured (and discontinued) product from the Body Shop (I wrote about replacements here) and in fact it feels a lot thicker and difficult to wield.

The next instruction is to, and I quote, “keep massaging until a fine fluff appears.” So, I have to admit, I was a little confused when I first saw this and wondered what would happen. I wondered if it was like a super acid cleanser that would cause my face to bubble? And then I wondered if it would turn into a powder on my skin? But how from an oil? So, the result is neither. It actually goes from the oil to a peculiar peeling, which I’ve only ever seen before from Clarins, their Doux Peeling.

I’ve used the Clarins one previously, but looking back I think the guidance from the SA was perhaps not the best. She had recommended that I use my entire palm to remove the Doux Peeling and I didn’t enjoy it at all. The Gatineau version is actually a lot better and it does form a sort of fluff – mine is most often like a crumble (haha – gross!) than a fluff. The whole process from application to removal takes a few minutes – and the migration through the stages is something quite unique and successful. I actually really like the Gatineau peel, I use it about twice a week and it does leave my skin feeling lovely and soft.

The problem I have now though is wondering whether, in my haste to use my other products, whether I’m actually missing out some amazing feature of another product?

Do you have any products that have these stages? Do you now wonder if you’re missing a trick with your product?!

See you soon, sexy wexies!
AF Beauty

Horizon by Oriza L. Legrand 1925

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Portia

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Hey Independent Perfume Lovers,

Back in 2014 while travelling with my mate Michael we went and met the guys who recreated the Oriza L Legrand fragrance line. The men were really sweet and seemed to be genuinely involved in trying to create an incredible fragrance house. Their shop in Paris is absolutely gorgeous and they took a couple of hours out of their busy schedule to give us a history lesson and to let us smell the collection. It was a lovely afternoon and we had a ball.

Oriza L Legrand

Horizon by Oriza L. Legrand 1925

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Petitgrain, tangerine, marmalade, rose
Heart: Cognac, amber, tobacco leaf, cacao, almond, oak, patchouli
Base: Benzoin, ambergris, white tobacco, vanilla, honey, leather, peat

OK some clarification, Hugo Lambert is Creative Director at Oriza L Legrand. He oversees the magic. I have erroneously put him down as perfume before. Sorry for the misinformation.

Citrus backed by a boozy amber and honey float straight off my skin. Chocolate and tobacco fold through like marbling on paper. It seems everything, every note, wants me to smell it at once. The opening fireworks are like the overture for a big show, all the major themes are played to give you a taste of what’s to come. Horizon lets all its secrets out in a fabulously symphonic rush and then calms to a sense of fragrance rather than a rush. It’s really fun, like a ride.

PDI

Warmth, dry tobacco and vanilla, dark and dense yet not a huge projection bomb. Horizon is a masculine leaning gourmand that would smell so Katherine Hepburn on a woman. A dark chocolate and patchouli heart with woodsy undertones and boozy tenors. Dry down is a patchouli rich amber with some leathered honey buoying it up. I can imagine wearing it as a go-to scent for someone who wants to smell really good, luxurious and interesting, but who sticks with a couple of scents for ease and through general lack of addiction like us.

Longevity is excellent, Horizon has lasted through a 3 hour vacuuming, floor steaming and bathroom clean.

PDI

Oriza L Legrand has €120/100ml FREE World Shipping
Surrender To Chance has a Sampler Set of Seven Oriza L. Legrand Fragrances from $17

Have you tried any of the Oriza L Legrand fragrances?
Portia xx

Un Jour d’Eté by Keiko Mecheri 2012

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Portia

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Hey there Fumies,

It’s winter here in Australia and while it’s no snow filled wonderland where I am it is grey & cool. My morning and night walks with the dogs have become rugged up affairs and my corduroy jeans are getting loads of wear. Personally I’ve never really followed seasons with my fragrance, though the ambers do get quite a bit more action in the cool. Today I was after a ray of sunshine, a happy, warmth infused scent that would give the day a lift  from the wintery blues and hit me with fond memories of summer.

Un Jour d’Eté by Keiko Mecheri 2012

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, jasmine, coconut, ambergris, woodsy notes, lemon, petitgrain, tangerine, white musk, green notes, floral notes

Take a selection of citrus and give it the shimmering snap of pettigrain (and maybe some aldehydes). Fold in a thick, creamy, fluffed with musks coconut. Lightly salt it with the marine overtones of ambergris and driftwood. Whip it up into an uncooked meringue mixture, light, airy and sweet. Spritz yourself liberally and waft summer scented waves of fragrant air for hours and hours.

Un Jour d’Eté is French for A Summer Day and the name is not hype. Perfect to wear on a summer day or to reminisce about them in the depths of winter. Not nearly as in your face as Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess, here everything is less about the suntan lotion (though it does not to it) and more about wandering tropical beach side gardens. This is a swanky holiday floating around in gossamer thin silk caftans on the grass by the pool with a view of the ocean rather than rollicking around in the surf in a sand encrusted bikini. Here we drink some fabulous creation that the clever barman has made especially for you of white & dark rum, curaçao, cream, coconut and lime zest.

Un Jour d’Eté goesa on smooth and continues that way to dry down. No screaming huge event but a soft focus beauty I think it perfect for both sexes who want something casual but unusual. I could also imagine Un Jour d’Eté be an excellent choice for weddings.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin
Libertine Parfumerie has AUD$279/75ml with FREE Australian Delivery

What are you currently wearing that goes against the seasonal regulations, and why?
Portia xx

 

 

Dama Koupa by Spyros Drosopoulos for Baruti 2016

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Portia

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Hey Independent Perfume Peeps,

I got a bunch of stuff a while back from a split group I’m in. For some reason todays fragrance didn’t get sniffed. I’m not quite sure why. Anyway, in the words of Pretty Woman, Big Mistake.

Baruti

Spyros the Baruti perfumer and (I think) owner writes:

THIS IS WHAT MY DREAMS SMELL LIKE
I MAKE PERSONAL AND IMMEDIATE PERFUMES
DECEPTIVELY PLAYFUL
ROOTED IN THE UNCONSCIOUS
PERPLEXING THE SENSES
LIKE KALEIDOSCOPIC EXPLOSIONS OF BEAUTY
THEY CAN BLOW YOU AWAY

SPYROS (AMSTERDAM 2014)

Dama Koupa by Baruti 2016

Dama Koupa by Spyros Drosopoulos

Fragrantica

Baruti gives these featured accords:
Bitter almonds, Grappa, Tonka bean, Vanilla, Cocoa, Iris, Osmanthus, Musk, Amber, White woods, Beeswax, Fir Balsam Absolute.

Before we even start this review I want to tell you that I have already been in touch with Spyros at Baruti and bought at full retail a bottle of Dama Koupa. The website was playing silly buggers so I wrote to him direct and got a response within hours, he offered to send me a PayPal invoice and get my fragrance out to me ASAP. YAY! On its way.

Dry, nutty, boozy, sprinkled with sugar that seems to accentuate the lack of sweetness rather than lightening Dama Koupa up. Woodsy, like sawdust with this completely unexpected feeling of desiccated florals. You know those almond biscuits? Like the first unsweet bite into one of those….. but not. Actually, through the heart I get something grain-ish, like barley broth.

Dama Koupa by Baruti Cabin-Summer MaxPixelPDI

I know other people are getting the scent of Macaroons, the original coconut meringue confection, but my nose is getting something much more masculine, outdoorsy and mountainous.

Longevity is excellent and I smell Dama Koupa almost exactly as it went on hours later. Who could wear it? I think anyone with a sense of olfactory adventure because where I am getting manliness others get this bakery style gourmand.

WikiCommons

Further reading: Persefume and Fragrance Daily
Baruti has €92,56/30ml and ships worldwide

Are gourmands in general enticing or repulsive to you? Do you know another gourmand that skews dry and masculine?
Portia xx

Vanille Orient by Jean-Claude Astier + Geoffrey Nejman for M. Micallef 2012

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Portia

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Hey there Frag Heads,

You may remember a few weeks ago I bought a bottle of M Micallef Vanille Marine? Well looking through my decants this week I discovered 5ml of another in the line. Because I loved the other so much I’d basically ignored todays and so I thought we could look at it together today.

Vanille Orient by M. Micallef 2012

Vanille Orient by Jean-Claude Astier + Geoffrey Nejman

Vanille Orient M. Micallef FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Spices, vanilla, sandalwood, amber, musk

Opening is vanilla, quickly tempered by sweet citrus and warm resins. There is some cardamom or something equally green/smooth floating around and a smokiness on a low level. A simple creamy amber, very easy wear, is the heart. Nothing ground breaking or distinctive but it does smell very luxurious.

I keep smelling myself and thinking that Vanille Orient transports me to an expensive European hotel lobby in winter. Resinous, woody, balsams and a clean musk with a faint reminder of long dead cigarettes and coffee. It’s a clean, warm, comfortable scent that would make a terrific candle.

Vanille Orient M. Micallef istanbul tpsdave pixabayPDI

I don’t know if you ever go to art galleries but there is a certain slim line 40+ woman who wears a black wool polo neck jumper, boot cut jeans or a tailored skirt and comfortable boyishly styled shoes. Often her greying and kept natural hair is cut in a modern super short bob and she accessorises with white gold. I have come a ross these wonderful women and they will chat about the art sometimes. They LOVE this kind of amber. A happy middle ground between the sweet, bakery style and the bitch tar leather ambers.

This wears resinous rather than sweet, is dry and warm with no animalics or darkness. A 100% comfortable amber that smells very good. Excellent for wafting in the cool halls of galleries.

Vanille Orient M. Micallef the-louvre unsplash pixabayPDI

Further reading: Notable Scents and Muse In Wooden Shoes
Feeling Sexy Australia has $245/100ml with FREE Australian Shipping

What do you wear to go to the gallery?
Portia xx

Giovanna Antonelli: New Perfume House

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Olá APJ!

Let me give you a brief introduction to a trio of new perfumes. Giovanna Antonelli is a household name in Brazil, a superstar. I think 3.6 million Twitter and more than 5 million Instagram followers probably indicates indicates that. She is an actress and probably best known in South America and in Portugal for her soap operas success. Now at this point in any advertising blurb I would already be turning the page. Had it not been for The Silver Fox suggesting that I try them I would be long gone. And let´s be honest here, Giovanna Antonelli does
sound so much more attractive than our Anglo-Saxon names!

After creating a line of nail polishes, jewellery, and being involved in some cosmetics, Giovanna turned her thoughts to a perfume line. Being into perfume herself she decided against a straightforward celeb brand and had three more specialised perfumes created for her, under her name. Giovanna Antonelli harbour no lofty ideas of revolutionising the perfume industry. Nor are their fragrances full of the typical eau de niche notes, you know – generic base note chemicals, ISO E etc, etc, etc. (These evolve, top notes, heart notes and base notes!) Three years were spent in the preparation and refining of these absolutely lovely perfumes.

Giovanna Antonelli: New Perfume House

I have been wearing the three perfumes over for the last few weeks. Proper full body applications! Many thanks to Lionel from Courtois/Mourot Perfumes for the travel bottles. It makes such a difference to be able to wear perfume as intended.

 

411 INTENSO A chypre floral.

Top: Bulgarian Rose, bergamot, pepper, cammomile.
Middle: Jasmin sambac, ylang ylang, peony.
Base: Patchouli, Amber, Vetiver, sandalwood

611 EXTREMO A floral oriental.

Top: Rhubarb, pear, bergamot
Middle: Tubereuse, Egyptian jasmine, hawthorn
Base: Liquorice, iris, benzoin, vanilla

 

 

811 ABSOLUTO A spicy oriental.

Top: Bergamot, pepper, cloves, lavender
Middle: Green, jasmine, honey, tolu
Base: Patchouli, amber, musk, vanilla

I am sat here at my desk, wearing all three. Each one is rich, full-bodied, rounded, and absolutely lovely. Exuberant, vivacious, heated, and absolutely lovely. In these days of so many things smelling the same, lovely is indeed the highest praise. And I will wear every single drop, not something I say very often.

Around 150 Euros for a 100 mls. Take a look at Giovanna Antonelli. You can practice your French and Portuguese, the English site is up and coming.

Obrigada Giovanna Antonelli.

Beijos
CQ