June 2019 – This Side of Perfume

What I Wore This Week

June 30, 2019

Hi, everyone! I am here with an all-Chanel week! On Wednesday morning, I noticed that I had unintentionally worn a Chanel scent every day so far. I decided to make it intentional and go the entire week wearing Chanel as my scent of the day.

Monday: No. 5 L’Eau
Tuesday: No. 19 EDT
Wednesday: Paris — Deauville
Thursday: Cristalle EDT
Friday: Cristalle Eau Verte
Saturday: Gabrielle

Have you guys ever worn a specific brand or perfumer on purpose?

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The photo was taken by me. Nothing in this post was gifted by the brand. And, trust me, Chanel is not sponsoring me. (I wish!)

Now Sampling: Chris Rusak

June 29, 2019

I first learned of Chris Rusak’s fragrances through instagram. He’s an indie perfumer based in LA. Chris is pretty open and honest on social media about the challenges of being independent in the fragrance industry. And he shares raw materials he comes across (as in some tree resins he recently gathered from the San Bernardino National Forest). On his website, he states that all of his fragrances are “built for women, men, and non-binary skin” which is fabulous and inclusive! I think his fragrances are still flying a little bit under the radar, but they are well worth seeking out.

Quasi Una Absurdia: This one is the star of the set for me. QUA recalls classic Guerlain compositions like like L’Heure Bleue with the powdered floral accord and Jicky with the civet. Yet, QUA is modern and daring, even. The civet is right up in my face (and my nose) on first spray. I love it, but it’s definitely not for the faint of heart, especially when paired with a huge spiced lily note as it is here. QUA is simultaneously a classic and feels like a breath of fresh air.

Bluer Skies (Whenever You’re Around): This one took some time to click for me. Bluer Skies is subtle on my skin, but it’s not without impact (especially in hot weather like we’re having right now). The main impression I get is a subdued cloud of peppered musk. There’s some coriander and even a salt accord sprinkled in the mix. Depending on your skin chemistry, this one could be much more loud and tenacious. I would recommend Bluer Skies in particular for someone looking for a scent that’s off the beaten path.

Io: This is a gorgeous balsamic and resinous incense and smoky cedar wood scent. Io comes across as elegant to me. And yet, there’s some actual dirt mixed into the composition. Yes, one of the accords is dry soil! I love the contrast, and who says we can’t be both elegant and edgy, anyway? I enjoy wearing Io in the evening when doing some meditation to wind down before bed. The dry down makes for the perfect meditative scent.

33: This is another one that has taken time to click. The vetiver is so smoky on first application on my skin that it’s almost too much. I really have to be patient with 33 and let it settle into my skin. The patience is worth it, though! There’s a crackled, dry orris melded with a funny kind of green vegetal accord. Fragrantica lists angelica as a note, which always manifests as a bitter celery scent on me, which may explain the vegetal note. For me, 33 requires further wearing because there’s a lot to unpack here. It’s much more than a typical vetiver scent.

Timbre: This one is limited edition and I’m not sure if full bottles are still available. Timbre is an EDT concentration and I believe the only EDT from Chris so far. It’s sharp and aromatic. There is something about it that feels very well-tailored and elegant. I think it’s the balance of notes here. The yuzu in the opening is the star for me. I must admit, I have oud fatigue, but the oud is deployed in a clever manner here. It anchors the composition while keeping everything in balance. I appreciate that Timbre is included in the discovery set so that people can experience a limited edition scent!

Overall, I highly recommend the discovery set! The spray vials are a good size to get some quality wearings out of these scents. I’m not sure yet what I would choose for a full bottle simply because each scent gives me so much to think about.

There are times when I’m in the mood for something more effortless and easy to wear (like my Tocca Simone or Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte). Then, there are times when I’m in the mood for an intellectual challenge and Chris Rusak falls into that category. I have to spend time with each individual scent in the discovery set and really get to know it. It brings out the literature student in me — studying the text and subtext! I appreciate Chris’ cerebral and thought-provoking approach to perfumery.

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I purchased the discovery set directly from the Chris Rusak Perfume site. Nothing in this post was gifted.

The photo was taken by me.

All of the Chris Rusak scents have been added to the Fragrantica database, so you can conveniently browse them there!

What I Wore This Week

June 23, 2019

Hi, everyone! I have my weekly round-up of my scents of the day here. In the northern hemisphere, we’ve had the summer solstice, and it finally feels like proper summer weather! I mixed in a few of my favorites this past week, and I’m pretty pleased with this particular round-up.

Monday: Clementine California by Atelier Cologne
Tuesday: La Religieuse by Serge Lutens
Wednesday: Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone
Thursday: Chanel Cristalle EDT
Friday: Simone by Tocca
Saturday: Do Son EDT by Diptyque

What did you all wear this week? Are you guys having summer weather where you live?

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The photo was taken by me. Nothing in this post was gifted or sponsored.

Vaporocindro by January Scent Project

June 19, 2019

Notes: lilac, green leaves, green apple, turmeric, black pepper, narcissus, mahogany, agarwood, black currant, cumin, coffee, sandalwood, and ambergris.

Vaporocindro was the first scent I sniffed out of the January Scent Project discovery set and it’s the one I personally connect with the most. I’ve waited to write about it because I want to do right by this scent. The word “vapor” is in the title and this scent is fittingly airy and fleeting. It can smell a bit amorphous at times, hard to pin down. Other times, the notes come through stark and clear: green leaves and black pepper. Like the other JSP compositions from John Biebel, Vaporocindro is a bit of an oddity, but lovely in its uniqueness.

Vaporocindro opens with a crisp and stark green leaf note. This opening reminds me of two compositions by Olivia Giacobetti: the green fig leaves of Philosykos and the herbaceous green of En Passant. I don’t get a fruity fig from Vaporocindro, but there is a tart fruity note. I wouldn’t have identified it specifically as green apple without looking at the notes, but it’s a pleasant tart accord that rounds out the vibrant green opening.

Then the lilac comes in and brings with it both a heady floral aspect and a black pepper spiced facet. I have not smelled a floral accord done quite like this one. It’s substantial — you can clearly sense it. And yet, it’s fleeting, hard to catch hold of, and hard to define. The sillage at this point is a pleasant cloud, and it seems to reinforce Vaporocindro’s airy-fairy nature.

The base notes soon become apparent to help anchor the composition. The ambergris is subdued on my skin, but it does its job as a fixative to keep the composition going. I sense the mahogany note as a deep woody note, close to cedar. I also get incense-like wisps of a black pepper-spiced smoke. I wish I got the coffee note, but I can’t sense it anywhere on my skin. The sandalwood is truly the dry down and the final traces of Vaporocindro on my skin.

If this is all sounding quite floral and girly, it’s really not. I think Vaporocindro would smell very compelling on a man. (And, remember, fragrance has no gender!) However, there is something fairy tale-esque about it. Maybe it’s the “cindro” in the name that makes me think of Cinderella. And the overall airy quality makes the composition feel quite dreamy. I love to wear Vaporocindro in the evenings, when I’m winding down from the day, and I have the free time to sit down with a book and use my imagination.

Thus far, Vaporocindro is the fragrance from January Scent Project where I can see myself springing for a full bottle. (Although I am on my full bottle low buy!) It’s the one I can see myself wearing often and truly being in the mood for it every single wearing.

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I ordered the JSP discovery kit directly from the brand’s website. Nothing in this post was gifted or sponsored.

The list of notes is via Fragrantica.

The photo of my sample and mini Vaporocindro retro artwork was taken by me.

What I Wore This Week

June 16, 2019

Hi, everyone! Here is my weekly round-up of my scents of the day. The weather continues to unpredictable, but some cooler days have given me the chance to wear old favorites like Wood Sage & Sea Salt, which I don’t normally wear during the hot summer months.

Monday: Bas de Soie by Serge Lutens
Tuesday: Chanel No. 5 L’Eau
Wednesday: Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone
Thursday: Bluer Skies (Whenever You’re Around) by Chris Rusak
Friday: Carven Le Parfum
Saturday: Figue Amère by Miller Harris

The Chris Rusak sample is very intriguing! I’ll have a full post up soon about my discovery set from the brand. For now, I need to figure out what to wear today!

What have you all been wearing?

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The photo was taken by me.

Les Eaux de Chanel (Deauville and more)

June 12, 2019

Chanel initially launched their Les Eaux collection a year ago in May/June of 2018. I thought I’d finally get around to writing about it now that they’ve launched a new addition to the collection: Paris — Riviera. I like the element of travel that is built-in to this collection. Perfume should be transporting. So, the idea of taking the train from Paris to Deauville or the Riviera elevates that idea even further. It’s also perfect for summer, when everyone is dreaming about vacation.

Deauville is my favorite and it was my first Les Eaux purchase. With my love of No. 19 and Cristalle Eau Verte, I know that I can pretty much count on a Chanel green to work for me. Deauville does not let me down. Each time I spray it, it’s always an addictive and gorgeous bust of citrus: lemon, lime, and a touch of bitter petitgrain. The aromatic basil note is really the star for me. It sort of arcs across the entire composition. It’s present through the opening, the heart, and even the base for me.

It has to be said that Les Eaux are eau de toilettes and, for me anyway, they really function like eau de cologne concentrations. They last on my skin about the same length of time as an average Jo Malone. I apply Deauville *very* liberally and I’m usually an under-sprayer! You simply can’t hold back with these compositions though. I say all of this to explain how the basil note functionally lasts the entirety of wear time. It’s because wear time just isn’t that long! I do get some shimmering jasmine in the heart notes of Deauville and an interesting spiced patchouli dry down, but it’s really all about that aromatic opening.

I ended up purchasing a bottle of Venise last Fall. It’s also a lovely composition and has a bit more staying power than Deauville because of its tonka base. I have not yet added Biarritz to my collection. I’ve just seen that Chanel has released the original three Les Eaux in 50 ml bottles. I think I’ll eventually purchase Biarritz in that size because I simply don’t see myself using it often enough to justify the 125 ml bottle.

Overall, I enjoy Chanel’s efforts with Les Eaux, and I think there’s a place for this sort of light and more easy-going collection within Chanel’s fragrance universe. It makes sense, especially since Chanel chose to switch all of the Exclusifs to EdP concentrations across the board. And I have to wonder if that decision was motivated in part by Les Eaux already being in development?

What do you all think of Les Eaux? I’ll have to give Riviera a try when I can. Please leave a comment if you’ve been lucky enough to sniff it already! I’ll likely have to wait until my next visit to New York.

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The photo was taken by me. I purchased my bottle of Deauville at the Chanel boutique on 57th Street in Manhattan. Nothing in this post is gifted or sponsored.

What I Wore This Week

June 9, 2019

Hi, everyone! I’m back with another round-up of my scents of the day. The weather here continues to be all over the place: sometimes sunny and beautiful, other times cool and rainy. Often all in the same day! I think I got some good fragrances in this week though.

Monday: Chanel Les Eaux Paris — Deauville
Tuesday: Carven Le Parfum
Wednesday: YSL Cinéma
Thursday: L’Eau Chic by Parfums de Nicolai
Friday: French Grey by Elizabeth & James
Saturday: Honeysuckle & Davana by Jo Malone

What did you all wear this past week?

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The photo was taken by me.

Nothing in this post is gifted or sponsored.

Secret Garden by Aftelier Perfumes

June 5, 2019

This afternoon, I picked up a bouquet of peonies for my apartment from Trader Joe’s, but that’s about as far as I go in terms of taking care of flowers or plants. I’ve never been into gardening. However, I loved the book The Secret Garden as a child, and the story has stuck with me. The 1993 film with Maggie Smith as Mrs. Medlock is also a gem. You don’t need to have a green thumb to appreciate Aftelier’s Secret Garden. You don’t need to have read the book either, but I’m a literature student at heart. I’ll never pass up the opportunity to make a connection to a book!

The first thing I smell when applying Secret Garden is damp soil. I do not smell lively greens or blooming florals. For me, the opening is earth and just a touch of damp green moss. It makes sense, if you think of the story, Mary and Dickon begin by clearing out the garden and nurturing it back to life (they do the same with Colin, nurturing him into being a healthy child). Damp soil is one of the first things you need for new life to grow.

The florals come in during the heart notes for me. I can sense rose, jasmine, and even a hint of carnation. The floral accords are full-bodied, but not in your face. Everything is very carefully balanced here. We’re at the stage where the garden is being carefully tended and maintained. The jasmine is most prominent to my nose and it’s a jasmine with depth: creamy, spicy and rich. I believe the touch of spice is what’s making me think of carnation. I don’t think it’s actually an intended note here, but, when I close my eyes and smell my wrist, I picture carnation blooming in my mind’s eye.

Secret Garden has great staying power for a natural because the base is so dense. The earthiness persists, less damp but more rich. It has been enriched now by the spice and the blooming florals. There’s a bit of a civet animalic presence, and I also get a touch of minerality. The mineral aspect makes me think of the key to the garden, which Mary finds buried in the earth. Secret Garden begins to fade away for me around the 5 hour mark. After 6 hours, I have to re-apply or perhaps move on to another scent.

I really appreciate the sense of realism I get from Secret Garden. Gardening is hard work! It’s sweaty and dirty. It’s dirt, it’s mud, it’s dampness, and manure. You get a sense of all of that here. However, don’t be fooled! Secret Garden is a grounded and earthy scent, but that doesn’t mean it’s not dreamy. It’s a Romantic composition. The jasmine really adds a sensuality and the unexpected touch of spice adds so much depth. I highly recommend trying Secret Garden, especially if you don’t typically like florals. This one might surprise you! There is nothing typical about it.

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I purchased a sample of Secret Garden from Aftelier online. I originally wrote about my first impressions here. Nothing in this post was gifted or sponsored.

The photo was taken by me. The background picture is a detail of a painting by Claude Monet, Villas à Bordighera. I own the Monet book by Taschen.