my favorites – This Side of Perfume

Io by Chris Rusak

September 11, 2019

Notes: incense, soil tincture, cedar, peat, cypress leaf, labdanum, dried peppers, smoke, and tree resins.

Io is first and foremost an incense composition, but not in your typical way. I am Catholic and grew up going to Catholic school, so my immediate incense association is with attending mass. I think one of the reasons I’m so drawn to Io is that it is decidedly not a church incense. It’s not necessarily a warm and snuggly scent to me either, although it’s very appropriate for Autumn.

I’m describing what Io is not, but what does it actually smell like? On first spray, the soil tincture comes through most prominently to me. It’s the pure smell of nature. You can almost feel the texture of the dirt. It’s very primal. Then, just in case the smell of actual dirt isn’t enough nature for you, the unmistakable smell of forest fire smoke wafts through along with an intense, black cedar wood. Yes, indeed, we are well out of the realm of church incense here! The opening of Io is elemental. It’s earth and fire and blackened wood.

So, where is the incense? Give it some time. Io’s powerful opening takes about 20 minutes to settle down on my skin. The swirling smoke dies down to a more gentle waft of dry incense. The intense earthy soil note also settles, but the composition retains that textural aspect. It’s dry in texture, almost flinty, even. But, what strikes me, is how rich the resins feel. It just goes to show that you don’t always need to amp up creamy vanilla or amber accords to create a richness of depth. Io’s resinous base has an elegance to it because of the balance between richness and texture.

I said that I don’t find Io particularly cuddly or snuggly. It’s not a comfort scent for me. It’s meditative, which is different than pure comfort. I wear Io in the evenings at home. It’s September and it’s Virgo season. I’ve been getting back to my to-do lists and my daily routines. Io serves me well in my nighttime routine when I do evening yoga and my skincare routine. Io has a sense of grounded earthiness, but it also has a spiritual or cerebral component with the resins and incense. Io is a great companion for this transitional time of year, as we all try to ground ourselves and find our footing between the seasons.

*I’m friendly with Chris on social media. I gave him a heads up that I was planning to write this post about Io just so he would be aware of it. This post is not sponsored content. Chris actually has a note on his site stating that he doesn’t do influencer giveaways or content of that nature.

Edited to add: Chris is super friendly to talk to and, best of all, is a perfume junkie. He can be found on twitter @chrisrusak and on instagram @chris.rusak.perfume — if you have any questions for him!

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The photo of my sample was taken by me. The information on raw materials and notes is via Fragrantica and Chris Rusak’s site. As stated, nothing in this post was sponsored or gifted.

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.

Perfume by Neil Chapman

April 17, 2019

I had a post all about Les Eaux de Chanel planned for this week! But then I finished Neil’s book and I figured why not write about it?

The full title is: Perfume: In Search of Your Signature Scent. The art deco cover design is gorgeous. There are even little illustrations of perfume bottles throughout the book, which is such a nice touch. It’s clear that no detail was too small here.

Let’s be honest, Perfumes: The A-Z Guide from Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez, looms over this genre. I own the 2008 paperback and it’s definitive in a way. I almost feel a little bit upset when I disagree with Luca or Tania’s opinion on a fragrance. I appreciate that Neil has made his own entry into this category because his approach is different. The book is littered with personal anecdotes and I feel as though I’m having a conversation with a friend. Whereas, with Luca in particular, I feel like I’m interacting with a professor (Tania comes across as more friendly to me, more like Neil). If you’re intimidated by The Guide, or find yourself disagreeing with Luca (which I often do), give Neil’s Perfume a try. It’s a welcome approach to breaking down this slightly maddening and endlessly fascinating world of fragrance.

I finished reading Perfume on Monday night after an upsetting and emotionally distressing afternoon, during which we all saw Notre Dame de Paris go up in flames. I couldn’t focus on anything that evening, not making dinner, not mindless tv shows. Eventually, I found solace in Neil’s book. It helps that many of the entries are short and easily digestible. When the entries on individual perfumes are longer, it’s for a good reason. It means that Neil has a good story to tell!

I would have enjoyed this book no matter what. But the fact that it helped ground me during an emotional time makes it even better. I’m now in the process of going back through to mark certain chapters and pages with post-its. I don’t want to write in the actual book because it’s such a lovely presentation! I’d hate to mark it up with a highlighter or pen. But making note of certain passages and perfumes I want to try from here is a must. Get your post-its ready while reading this!

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I ordered my copy of the book from Amazon. It’s a super reasonable price for a hardback book, and it’s eligible for Prime shipping!

The photo of my copy was taken by me.

Dark Amber & Ginger Lily by Jo Malone

April 10, 2019

Notes: cardamom, ginger, pink pepper, jasmine, orchid, water lily, rose, leather, sandalwood, Kyara incense, patchouli, and black amber.

Jo Malone was one of the first fragrance houses that I explored in depth back around 2011- 2012 because it’s reasonably accessible and I initially found the scents approachable. Some people swear by Jo Malone. Others dislike the Eau de Cologne formulations and lament the lack of staying power. I truly can see both sides. I’ve explored many other brands and houses by this point, but Jo Malone still has a special place in perfumery for me (even though Jo Malone herself is no longer with the house). Dark Amber & Ginger Lily is part of the Cologne Intense line, and I definitely get more sillage from this than other Jo Malone scents. Dark Amber & Ginger Lily was originally composed by Jo Malone herself, so it holds a special place in my collection.

I sense the opening of Dark Amber & Ginger Lily in color. It’s very green, cut through with dashes of yellow and pink. I also sense water, as in rain drops or dew drops sitting on green leaves and flower petals. I imagine it’s like being in a rainforest. So, what does it actually smell like? I get zingy ginger and fizzy cardamom right away. I also get a floral note, but not heavy. It’s as though the water lily is rendered in watercolor. It’s vivid and yet in the background somehow. The sillage from the opening and through the first hour is great. It’s not too much, but nicely noticeable.

The incense starts to waft in and out as wear time goes on. I know this fragrance is named for amber, but incense is the star for me. The incense is not medicinal here, nor is it dry or cold. It comes across as quite warm to me and has a calming effect. It balances out the watery floral effect from the water lily, but without being too smoky. This is the kind of incense I’d love to burn while doing my at-home yoga practice. Maybe I will simply wear Dark Amber & Ginger Lily while practicing!

There certainly is an amber effect here, but the actual accord comes across like ambergris to me. The base is a slightly sweaty/ambery skin scent. Remember, this is Jo Malone, so it’s not sweaty in an off-putting way. It’s about as refined as you can get for a skin scent, and it’s blended with a dry patchouli. The ginger seems to come back to my nose and spice up the patchouli. There is also a green effect again, which brings the composition full circle. I’ve seen multiple comments on Fragrantica mentioning a coconut note in the dry down. That doesn’t show up on my skin at all, but I’m just putting it out there because it seems to be present for other people. It’s really a beautiful dry down, and extremely elegant.

I have to report that, even though I get quite a nice sillage trail, I don’t get more pronounced longevity from this “Cologne Intense” concentration. I get between 5- 6 hours of wear time (5 hours is average for me with Jo Malone). I don’t mind because I tend to wear this scent at night, so I’m not looking for it to last me a full 8 hour work day. That being said, I think you could pull this off as a daytime scent, depending on the weather and the occasion, etc.

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I purchased my 50 ml bottle from Nordstrom online. I’m happy to see Jo Malone offering a 50 ml size as the regular line is only available in 30 ml or 100 ml. I personally love the 50 ml bottle. It’s the perfect size for both use and storage.

The list of notes is via fragrantica.

The photo of my bottle was taken by me.

Blond by Hendley Perfumes

February 27, 2019

Notes: cantaloupe, jasmine, osmanthus absolute, suede, iris root, sandalwood, musk complex, and ambergris.

I recently did a write-up here about my first experience sampling Hans Hendley’s line, Hendley Perfumes. I mentioned that Blond was my favorite of the bunch, and I finally went ahead and ordered myself a 9ml travel bottle! On the website, Hans uses a few short phrases to communicate what Blond is about: “Panoramic Nostalgia. Disappearing Horizon. Velveteen Drift.” I’m quoting the description here because it’s more accurate than I even realized at first!

Blond opens for me with an intense and nostalgic iris. The iris note by-passes a carroty iris reference and goes right to pencil shaving territory for me. It’s like emptying a pencil sharpener. It reminds me of Meg Ryan’s line in You’ve Got Mail about the beginning of Fall being like “a bouquet of freshly sharpened pencils.” I describe the iris in Blond as nostalgic because the pencil shaving association makes me think of art class in school. I think of a sheaf of loose leaf paper and manual pencil sharpeners. Plus, You’ve Got Mail is one of my favorite movies and it makes me feel nostalgic in general.

The iris note remains present throughout wear time, but the composition begins to develop on the skin pretty quickly after the immediate opening. The suede note comes in and it reminds me of the Hermès leather note in Galop, in that it’s both soft and refined, but also contains quite a bit of depth. The iris is central to Blond, but the suede is what carries the composition for me. It’s the anchor.

After a couple hours of wear, I feel like I’m really in the heart of Blond. I actually sense the cantaloupe note here! It’s a fresh melon note, but it has the cantaloupe-like density of texture. This texture melds together with the soft osmanthus and suede. My nose can’t pick out the jasmine note individually. I do, however, sense the sandalwood kind of peeking out underneath the suede.

I love Blond because it comes across as very pretty and refined at first sniff, but there are so many layers to uncover. I didn’t make the Hermès comparison lightly. Blond is elegant like the best of classic designer scents, but there’s also a lot going on beneath the surface, in true niche fashion. It’s so enjoyable to wear a scent and pick up on different layers and nuances as you wear it.

I want to purchase the full 50 ml Blond flacon at some point, but I’d like to finish one or two in my collection before adding another full bottle. I’m planning a couple of short trips for spring and this 9 ml size will be perfect to bring with me, so I think this was the right choice at the moment. I still have some Hendley scents to explore for myself, but Blond is the stand-out for me.

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I purchased my bottle directly from Hendley Perfumes. The list of notes is also via Hendley.

The photo of my 9 ml bottle was taken by me.

Jicky Revisited

January 23, 2019

I have documented my love for Jicky many times over the years on this blog (here and here) and I like to check back in with my current thoughts on it every now and then. There is something about January and the start of the new year in particular that makes me want to revisit it. So, here are my current thoughts on the Jicky extrait!

I’ve had my extrait bottle since 2011, which means it’s been quite a few years now. The juice is aging in a beautiful manner and is still mostly in tact. The main difference when I smell it now is that the citrus notes are beginning to fade, which is natural. I get a burst of lemon when I open the bottle, but it fades very quickly on the skin. The lavender, however, has become even more bold. I haven’t smelled a lavender quite like this before, even in other concentrations of Jicky. It’s a really full-bodied smell, combined with the spices of the extrait, it’s a rich lavender.

There is definitely civet to my nose in the extrait, although it is not like the huge civet of the EDP. There is no “dirty diaper” smell. I believe the civet here is an animalic note as it would have smelled in the 1890s. It’s a skin sweat smell that mingles with your own body chemistry in a natural way, the way it would have done before indoor plumbing and daily showering became widespread. This civet wouldn’t knock your socks off unless you have never smelled an animalic note before. Rather, it’s smooth and blends effortlessly with my skin chemistry. It’s animalic with a little salt-like sweat note that I actually find really appealing. It goes well with the lavender, which remains the dominant note to my nose even through the heart notes.

Of course, the courmarin and vanilla come in for that Guerlainade base, which is lovely and always a comfort scent for me. The Jicky extrait wears very close to the skin and sometimes I really have to sniff to get the base notes. In this exceptionally cold winter weather we’re having right now, my skin is just devouring fragrance. Especially since the extrait has such a high concentration of oil, my skin is drinking it in. I don’t reach for my Jicky extrait as often in the summer, but it certainly wears longer in humid weather.

It sounds a bit silly, but the extrait has become meditative for me. Maybe it’s the development of the lavender note, but the extrait has taken on an introspective and almost intellectual vibe. It’s suited to bedtime wear and, indeed, I most often wear it as my scent to bed. I don’t wear it out and about in public very often these days. The truth is, my Jicky extrait has become like a companion, a familiar old friend to me. And I sometimes don’t want to share it with other people. Writing this down makes me realize that it should be shared because it’s such a beautiful composition. I will make an effort this year to wear it out and about more often. As Marie Kondo would say, Jicky sparks joy for me. And I want it to do the same for other people, too.

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The photo of my extrait bottle was taken by me. I believe Guerlain has slightly changed the packaging and label of the extrait since I purchased mine in 2011. And, of course, the EDPs are all packaged in the bee bottles now.

Vol de Nuit by Guerlain (vintage EDT)

January 2, 2019

Notes: orange, orange blossom, galbanum, Mandarin orange, bergamot, narcissus, lemon, aldehydes, iris, vanilla, violet, Indonesian carnation, jasmine, rose, spices, sandalwood, musk, orris root, and oakmoss.

Guerlain’s Vol de Nuit famously takes its name from the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry novel of the same name. In English, it’s Night Flight. The novel tells the story of pilots making the night flight from Buenos Aires to various destinations around the world to deliver mail. The Guerlain extrait bottle features an art deco airplane propeller motif and it’s my personal favorite design of the Guerlain extrait bottles. Vol de Nuit was released in 1933, and we have to keep in mind that flying was not common then. People and luggage weren’t packed onto industrial-sized aircrafts the way we are now. Back then, it was usually a solitary and dangerous voyage, a fact which Saint-Exupéry emphasizes in his novel.

I have a small decant of vintage Vol de Nuit EDT from The Perfumed Court. I don’t know what batch it’s from as I don’t have the full bottle or the batch code. The opening of my decant is green and bitter. It’s definitely galbanum and a hint of bergamot. I don’t get much of the orange citrus notes or the aldehydes. I’m guessing those top notes have faded a bit over the years. The bitter green opening quickly settles down and the composition forms a floral cloud on my skin. There’s still a bitter edge, but it’s significantly softened by jasmine and iris in particular.

For some reason, I get more lemon in the heart notes. About an hour into wear time, I get a lovely lemon mingled with jasmine. It gives me a bit of a Chanel vibe. The iris and that Guerlain violet make an appearance. The soft texture of the florals combined with the violet note makes me think of Guerlain’s iconic météorites powder. But this isn’t really a makeup/cosmetic scent. There’s so much going on, and there’s always that undercurrent of galbanum.

Though not listed in the note pyramid, I smell cocoa powder in the heart and moving into the base. The powdery iris is still there, bolstered by a creamy orris. But there is definitely a dry, cocoa powder note to me. There’s a spiced musk and a weighty, damp oak moss. This will sound strange, but the texture of the dry down, and the oak moss in particular, reminds me of damp cotton balls. You will be familiar with this if you’ve ever soaked a cotton ball to remove eye makeup or nail polish. It’s a weird texture. It’s dense and weighty but still soft.

It’s this texture that is missing from the current EDT formulation. I don’t currently own a bottle of Vol de Nuit but I always test it when I’m near a counter at Saks or Bergdorfs. I still love the scent, but the composition is more sheer. It’s a shame, and I just hope that LVMH doesn’t get the idea to tell Guerlain to completely phase out Vol de Nuit. I think it’s an important piece in Guerlain’s heritage. Vol de Nuit is actually one of my favorite classic Guerlains along with Jicky and Mitsouko. It is my perfume dream to own the Vol de Nuit parfum extrait in the art deco bottle one day.

I’ve seen many comments (on fragrantica and elsewhere) labeling Vol de Nuit as “cold” or “aloof.” I’ve seen similar things written about No. 19 so it may be the galbanum note that people react to. I find this strange because Vol de Nuit is very emotional to me. It’s nostalgic with an undercurrent of sadness. Think of Saint-Exupéry’s novel, which was Jacques Guerlain’s original inspiration for this composition. Of course this fragrance is a challenge, just as the night flight mail delivery was a challenge. Vol de Nuit is not an easy scent to wear or appreciate. It gives off an air of seriousness and of sadness. It is not seductive in a typical way. But, for me, it’s one of the most rewarding scents. You simply need to let Vol de Nuit settle into the skin and pay attention as it tells its own story.

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I ordered my sample/decant from The Perfumed Court.

The info on notes is from Fragrantica.

The photo is my (almost empty!) sample pictured with a painting called: “The Old City Market, Warsaw, at Night” by Jozef Pankiewicz from 1892. I found this painting while leafing through my Taschen book on Impressionism. The nighttime atmosphere reminded me of the nostalgia of Vol de Nuit.

Festive Fragrances

December 1, 2018

Happy December, everyone! We made it to the last month of the year.

Yesterday, I made a post on instagram about my three favorite perfumes to wear this time of year. I think of them as my festive fragrances. As you can see, the scents are:

Mon Numero 10 by L’Artisan Parfumeur
Plum Japonais by Tom Ford Private Blend
Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens

I have previously written about these three here on the blog. They are all within the same genre, and they all bring some sparkle and brightness to a time of year where we don’t have much daylight.

What are your favorite scents to wear around this time of year?

34 boulevard Saint Germain EdP by Diptyque

November 7, 2018

Notes: pink berries, citrus, clove, cinnamon, cassis, tuberose, iris, geranium, rose, violet, sandalwood, vanilla, woody notes, and amber.

Diptyque is one of my favorite houses. I love their candles, scents, and even body products. But, I could never get along with the Eau de Toilette formulation of 34 boulevard Saint Germain. It just did not work with my skin or suit me at all. When I read that Diptyque had released an EdP formulation, I figured it would be more of the same with my skin chemistry. However, Luckyscent included a sample of the EdP with one of my orders and I couldn’t resist testing it. I’m glad that I did because I love the EdP and I’ve drained the tiny original sample.

As expected, the EdP is heavier and more rich than the EdT. This heaviness is lifted by a berry note in the opening. When I initially looked at the note pyramid, I thought it was going to be a pink pepper note. But it’s more of a tart pink berry, very similar to a cranberry note. I also get a cassis liquor note, although this is not boozy. It’s probably just my brain associating cassis with drinking creme de cassis in kir royale cocktails. I don’t get much of the citrus notes listed, but I definitely get the cinnamon and clove. The effect of this opening makes 34 boulevard EdP holiday party appropriate. It definitely has a festive feel to it.

The heart notes come in, and it’s fairly linear from here on out on my skin. It’s lots of vanilla, more cinnamon, and a rich sandalwood. This is a composition with a lot of depth. However, the sandalwood and vanilla don’t come off as creamy on my skin. It leans the tiniest bit dry, but still warm and enveloping. It gives off quite a formal air. You can certainly wear this dressed down, but it really calls out to be worn for an occasion. I don’t mind the linear nature here because it settles into the skin nicely. And being the EdP concentration, it lasts forever. This is one I can wear to bed and can still smell traces of it in the morning.

The bad news for us as perfume lovers is that, since this is an EdP, Diptyque is able to set a higher price point. At $190 for 75 mls the 34 boulevard EdP is quite pricey. I’m putting it on my Christmas wish list and am hoping to come by it that way. At this time, The Perfumed Court offers samples and decants of the EdT but I don’t see the Eau de Parfum yet. If you have a Nordstrom or Saks nearby, I recommend trying this in person. It really settles into the skin in a lovely way and it lasts for hours!

Have you tried 34 boulevard Saint Germain as an EdT or EdP? I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts. I love Diptyque and I’m so happy that I can finally embrace something from the 34 collection!

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The 34 boulevard Saint Germain EdP is available from Diptyque and Luckyscent. I received my sample from Luckyscent.

The info on notes is taken from Fragrantica.

The photo is of my 34 boulevard sample vial and my beloved Figuier room spray, which has lasted me two years so far!

Now Sampling: Serge Lutens

October 28, 2018

I’ve been sampling a couple of recent Serge Lutens releases and I thought it would make sense to group them together for a write-up. So here we are!

Le Participe Passé

Notes: artemisia, bergamot, pepper, fruity notes, Egyptian balsam, resins, caramel, cumin, leather, and patchouli.

This one opens green and bitter from the artemisia. It almost smells like celery to my nose. It’s green and vegetal. It’s an odd opening, even by Serge Lutens standards, and yet I keep applying it just to smell that strange, bitter artemisia.

The composition quickly settles into a more typical Lutens dried fruit note and a beautiful resin note. I’ve never smelled this particular Egyptian balsam before, but it’s very smooth and a little bit aromatic. It blends with the vegetal artemisia, creating a harmonious green, balsamic scent.

This scent is named after my least favorite tense to conjugate in French and it seems that Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens purposely composed this one to recall some older Lutens releases. Perfume aficionados will know that Uncle Serge has had some, shall we say, eccentric releases in recent times. (I couldn’t get on with Dent de Lait at all.) Le Participe Passé is more similar to some older Lutens orientals, like Ambre Sultan. But there is the unique artemisia opening here, making Le Participe Passé its own scent and not just a copy of previous classics.

Baptême du Feu

Notes: gingerbread, powdery notes, tangerine, castoreum, osmanthus, woody notes.

This one is right in the Serge Lutens wheelhouse of warm, wintery, festive scents that just call out to be worn around the holidays. It has some similarities to two of my Serge Lutens staples: Five O’Clock au Gingembre and Fille en Aiguilles.

Baptême du Feu opens with a zingy orange citrus note and a warm gingerbread note that draws you in. The osmanthus functions as an undercurrent holding everything up until the castoreum comes in. And we must talk about the castoreum here because it is of course, an animalic, and it’s not subtle. To me, castoreum smells like a rich, black leather with a dank and oily undercurrent, which is really where the animalic nature comes out. If you don’t like animalic notes, steer clear of Baptême du Feu. The castoreum heart lasts for a good three hours on me before fading to a more approachable woody base note.

Baptême du Feu is rich with a lot of depth. It has foody gourmand notes sprinkled throughout the composition without ever turning into a gourmand like Jeux de Peau. It’s very grown-up and contemplative, but also some sensuality. I think this is the type of scent that a lot of people are looking for from Serge Lutens.

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Both Baptême du Feu and Le Participe Passé are available from Serge Lutens. I got my samples from Luckyscent.

The info on notes is from Fragrantica.

Photo taken by me.