reviews – Page 12 – This Side of Perfume

Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Lumiere Noire pour Femme

May 28, 2014

Notes: cumin, pimiento, rose, narcissus, and patchouli.

Skin chemistry and perception are funny things. I’ve never been a fan of floral fragrances, and rose in particular has always been the most difficult for me to pull off. Add rose to a composition, and it just doesn’t seem to sit right on my skin. The only rose I’ve really regretted not being able to wear is Kilian’s Liaisons Dangereuses, which is objectively beautiful and sumptuous, but, again, not quite right for me.

For a long time, I’ve stuck to fragrances that trend more masculine, or to gourmands—anything to avoid a floral explosion! But I’m learning that the really great thing about taste is that it can change.

And who better to change my mind about rose than Francis Kurkdjian? I know that rose-patchouli is not a new theme for him. Quite honestly, I thought I would prefer his Absolue Pour Le Soir, a dark composition with a floral heart. But, again, perception and expectation can play with you, and I ended up falling for the rosy Lumiere Noire instead.

For me, this one plays out as a bit more Lumiere than Noire. The opening is vibrant and sparkling with spice. I’ve seen some comments and reviews where people found the first minute or so unpleasant because of the strong cumin, but it never really shows up on my skin so I can’t speak to that. I do, however, get the pimiento, which adds a nice kind of crackling sensation—you can almost feel it. But the spice is never overwhelming, and it quickly blends in with the composition to create a lively floral.

Lumiere Noire is quite a bit more green than I expected. I wouldn’t say this is a “clean” fragrance, but the rose here is never stifling, perhaps the more astringent narcissus helps to balance it. The entire composition maintains a fresh edge even after the opening wears off, and I would say that even the patchouli here is of the polite variety.

But I don’t want to oversell the Lumiere aspect of this fragrance. It’s true, Lumiere Noire is delicate and romantic, but it’s not insipid. With light comes shadows, and the shadows cast here open up spaces for contemplation, for a little brooding, even. It’s an elegant kind of brooding though, like sitting with a glass of red wine while still wearing your makeup and jewelry after a long day. Lumiere Noire dries down to something quite sensual, quite intimate, like a secret. I found that I liked wearing it to bed, there’s a dreamy quality to it.

I can’t remember now what prompted me to order a sample of this fragrance, but I’m glad that I did. With Lumiere Noire, Mr. Kurkdjian has taught me that there’s no need to be afraid of wearing florals, and that rose can be both dark and light, delicate and tenacious. There’s a kind of gentle perseverance to Lumiere Noire, as it lasts for a good six hours before fading (and I’m wondering if that will increase now in warmer weather).

This version is “Pour Femme” but I could easily see it working fantastically on a man, and I’m eager to try its counterpart, Lumiere Noire Pour Homme. For now, this one is definitely on the list for a full bottle.

Lumiere Noire Pour Femme is available from retailers such as Bergdorf’s. I got my sample from Luckyscent, where both samples and full bottles are available.

Image is from fragrantica while info about fragrance notes is from Luckyscent.

Warm to Cool: Diptyque’s Eau de Lavande

May 15, 2014

Notes: lavender, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg.

As soon as I saw that Diptyque had released a lavender fragrance, I knew I had to try it. I love Diptyque’s Feuille de Lavande candle, and since Guerlain’s Jicky is one of my all-time favorite fragrances, it’s accurate to say that I love a good fougère fragrance. I was eager to see what kind of relationship I could have with Eau de Lavande.

I expected a lavender for summer, something green and herbal that would cut into the heat of the day before drying down to something warm, perhaps with hints of the animalic. I even compared the Eau de Lavande ingredients with those listed on my Jicky box, and saw enough similarities (coumarin notable about them) to confirm my expectations. Note: I did all of this before even trying a single spritz of Eau de Lavande!! If this were a cartoon, warning signs would be flashing red inside my mind. Since this is real life, I sprayed the fragrance on, not expecting to be surprised.

As it turns out, Eau de Lavande is an exercise in subverting expectations. This lavender has no interest in verging on the freshly green or cool. From first spray, it’s a noticeably warm and substantial fragrance. The spices are immediately prominent, getting almost equal billing with the lavender. I also get quite a strong impression of musk even though it’s not listed in the notes. All this is to say that the opening of Eau de Lavande is not a green or herbal floral. There are enough spicy and animalic elements at play for this to be a really interesting attention-grabber in the early stages.

Then, like a reverse-engineered fougère, Eau de Lavande’s warmth melts away as the composition cools down during the middle and dry down stages. After about an hour’s wear time, the spices recede and the composition blooms into a full soliflore. Diptyque sourced three different variations of French lavender to achieve this full bloom effect. I sometimes feel overwhelmed by strong florals, but not here. There’s actually a kind of cool relief as this fragrance develops. After the rather heady opening, one has the impression of finding a spot of shade in the middle of a lavender field.

These days Diptyque seems mainly interested in putting out pleasantly wearable fragrances as opposed to creativity-driven releases. There’s nothing wrong with wearability, and Eau de Lavande is highly wearable, for either day or nighttime. But there’s a little more to this composition than mere wearability. I feel like Olivia Giacobetti has done something quite clever here, almost playing the fougère accord backwards from warm to cool. This fragrance isn’t an absolute favorite for me, but I appreciate Eau de Lavande for making me think and challenging my expectations.

Eau de Lavande is part of Diptyque’s Les Florales collection. It is available as a roll-on or in a 100 ml bottle from Diptyque. Full bottles and samples are also available from Luckyscent.

Image and information regarding fragrance notes is from fragrantica.

Dessert Flirt; Guerlain’s Gourmand Coquin

April 30, 2014

Notes: black pepper, rose, smoky tea, rum, chocolate.

I first encountered Gourmand Coquin in person at the Guerlain counter at Saks. Still reeling from a blast of Flowerbomb earlier, I asked the Guerlain rep to recommend me anything as long as it wasn’t overtly floral, and that’s when she handed me a test strip of Gourmand Coquin. When I passed it to my sister for her opinion, she laughed and declared simply: “It’s dessert!”

Dessert is certainly the main talking point of this delicious confection of a fragrance. Gourmand Coquin will be too sweet for some people. However, Guerlain lists black pepper as a top note here, and for good reason. I detect, not necessarily a spiciness, but a stinging quality to this opening (it reads more gingery than peppery to me, but that’s only my perception). This dessert has a bite to it, and it means business.

My initial thought was that this is a linear composition. After the drama of the stinging opening, it settles into a dark chocolate laced with vanilla liqueur that is very enticing, but didn’t seem to evolve on my skin. After more sampling and testing while out and about, I think I was a little short-sighted. Gourmand Coquin has fantastic staying power. I’ve worn it during the day, at night, out to dinner (where, by the way, the foodie smell did not compete in a negative way with the food), and it has lasted enough so that I still detect it faintly on my sheets the next morning.

But I have to revise my opinion that it doesn’t develop or evolve. I’ve found that sometimes, I’ll smell my wrist and get deep, dark chocolate. Other times, it’s iced gingerbread. Then it’s crème brulée. It’s sensual, sometimes deeply sexy, and other times simply delightfully smooth. The coquin of the name is apt, as this fragrance flirts relentlessly with your skin chemistry, and your perceptions and desires. It’s haunting, conjuring phantom ideas in the most real way.

The artistry of Gourmand Coquin is that it gives the impression of sweetness and richness, but in perfectly controlled proportion. In wearing this, you don’t smell like a literal slice of chocolate cake. Rather, it gives the impression of sitting in a bakery, sipping un café au lait, while that chocolate cake and all the other delicious treats you can imagine are cooling from the oven. It is amazing that such a carefully controlled composition can produce something that evokes such imagination.

I know that Guerlain’s Elixir Charnel line, with its youthful cotton candy pink and purple juices, has been met with extremely mixed reviews. And the steep price of this line can be difficult to justify, especially if you’d prefer to add more classic Guerlains to your collection instead. But, Gourmand Coquin is uniquely intoxicating and imaginative. It is the ultimate gourmand for me at the moment. If you find it works for you, there is nothing else quite like it.

Gourmand Coquin is part of the exclusive Les Elixirs Charnels collection. It is available at select Guerlain counters, and online from Saks. I obtained my sample from The Posh Peasant.
The image is from fragrantica, while info on fragrance notes is from Guerlain’s official site.

Midnight in London; Black Cedarwood & Juniper

April 17, 2014

Notes: cumin, chili leaves, juniper, cedar.

I’ve only been to London twice, and, if you can believe it, I escaped London downpours both times. So I can’t speak to the exact accuracy of Jo Malone’s London Rain collection. However, like any interesting fragrance, this collection is more about evoking a certain mood rather than reflecting reality.

The London Rain fragrance that immediately jumped out at me as the moodiest is Black Cedarwood & Juniper. When I say “jumped out at me” I mean that literally. The chili leaves make the opening of this fragrance a lively one and, at first spray, this sparkles on the skin. But despite the effervescent opening, this scent isn’t entirely “fresh” smelling. There’s an intriguing savory edge, which is probably due to the unique combination of cumin and chili leaves.

Black Cedarwood really comes to life once the cedar begins to peek through. I get hints of it about half an hour into wear time, and it’s like late afternoon sunlight filtering into the room through the slats of your blinds. Cedar, with its rich distinctive smell, enhances the savory atmosphere of the composition while adding some much needed dimension and depth.

You may be wondering where the rain aspect comes into play in this fragrance. I believe that’s the juniper’s job, as it has a slightly more cool and aquatic feel than the other notes at work here. This composition could easily become overheated and overstuffed with too-rich ingredients, but the juniper heart keeps everything in perfect Jo Malone order.

Still, Black Cedarwood is the least sheer of the London Rain fragrances. There’s something about this scent that feels tangible on the skin, almost edible. This is noticeable in the drydown, where the cedar is balanced out by a creaminess. But this isn’t a typically cozy, creamy vanilla dry down, as something of that intriguing edge from the opening remains.

It’s this edge that gives Black Cedarwood an urban feel and most clearly evokes nighttime London. Because this is a Jo Malone scent, the composition is never going to get too heedlessly dirty and out of control. This isn’t a messy night out. It was a classy affair that maybe got wild for a bit there, but it’s your secret to keep now that you’re home and settled into bed. In the morning, traces of smudged eyeliner will be the only hint of what might have taken place last night.

The sales rep I spoke to at Nordstrom said that Black Cedarwood has been their best-selling fragrance from the London Rain collection, and it’s easy to see why. It’s so strikingly different from the rest of the collection, you can’t help but take notice of it and appreciate it for being so unique. In the end, I found it irresistible and had to go for a full bottle.

Black Cedarwood & Juniper (along with the rest of the London Rain Collection) can be found at Jo Malone, and at retailers like Saks, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom. The London Rain Collection is limited edition and comes in the 100 mls size only.

Image and info on fragrance notes are from fragrantica.

Speaking of Paris; Carven’s Le Parfum

April 7, 2014

Notes: mandarin blossom, white hyacinth, apricot blossom, sweet pea, jasmine, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, osmanthus, and Indonesian patchouli.

I’ve enjoyed seeing the house of Carven’s revival under Guillaume Henry, with successful womenswear and menswear lines. Of course, a fragrance revival must come next, and I was intrigued by the release of a new perfume, and doubly so when I learned that Francis Kurkdjian was the nose behind it.

In looking at some of the promotional material for Le Parfum, I’ve seen emphasis being placed on words like “fresh” and “sparkling.” Looking at the bouquet white floral notes, that seems to make sense. However, on my skin, it’s a little bit of a different story.

The opening is sparkling for sure, a burst of florals and apricot that is nearly effervescent. But this scent doesn’t stay completely fresh and clean on me for very long. If the opening is bursting with fresh ripeness, the next stage is a flirtation with turning sour. (I wonder if it’s the apricot blossom and osmanthus working in tandem?)

This composition is meant to be a pretty one, so the sourness remains restrained. It never develops into anything truly dirty. However, something like cigarette smoke appears a little over an hour into wear time. I haven’t seen any other reviews mention this facet, and the first time I detected it myself, I thought it was a fluke. But the smoke is determined to stay on my skin, reminding me irresistibly of a lighter version of Etat Libre d’Orange’s Jasmin et Cigarette.

The smoke disappears in the drydown stages and here I am left with the neutral, clean, soapy impression that I’ve seen the reviews and promo pieces mention. By this stage, it’s an intimate skin scent. The projection is extremely minimal, like a pleasant secret to enjoy all on your own.

I like this fragrance, I like the sparkling opening and the quietness of the drydown. Moreover, I’m intrigued by that hint of sourness and by that elusive smoke note. Le Parfum is a Parisian fragrance precisely because of this mixture of prettiness with slightly unexpected aspects. It evokes the strange intimacy of the city, that oddly personal moment when crowding onto the metro, you happen to catch the scent of someone else’s fragrance laced with cigarette smoke.

Like Paris, Carven Le Parfum isn’t as wholly pretty as it (and the very appealing packaging) would have you believe. Yet, at the same time, it’s utterly classic.

Carven; Le Parfum is available from retailers such as Saks and Nordstrom. It comes in 30, 50, and 100 mls. I asked for a sample to take home while shopping at Nordstrom.

Byredo; Gypsy Water

July 15, 2012

Notes: bergamot, lemon, pepper, juniper; incense, pine needles, orris root, amber, vanilla and sandalwood.

At first sniff, Gypsy Water is somewhat similar to Bal d’Afrique. I get that same sensation of fresh baked lemon squares. To me, Gypsy Water is a delicious, but elegant gourmand. The top notes here aren’t all citrus-based, and I quickly sense the spicy pepper. This leads me think that this gourmand isn’t just about dessert, it’s about an entire meal. Ultimately, I get the sense of a kitchen from this fragrance. Gypsy Water is about touches of spice mixed with a fresh green quality (the pine needles). The base of vanilla and sandalwood bring a sense of coziness. This kitchen is a lovely place to spend time, full of warmth and love.

And yet, I’m afraid of being misleading when using words like ‘warmth’ and ‘spicy’ to describe this scent. Gypsy Water is composed with the lightest of touches. The spice is delicate, never overpowering. I’ve described this as a gourmand, but it’s a refreshing gourmand. Don’t worry, this delicacy doesn’t translate to a short wear time. I lamented that Bal d’Afrique didn’t have as much staying power as I would have liked. Gypsy Water does, but it’s subtle.

I recently wore this out to dinner with family. It survived the long family dinner and messing around with little cousins afterwards. As I was walking home, I thought something smells great out here tonight! and even said it out loud. My cousins said they didn’t smell anything. When I got home and still sensed it, I realized that great smell was Gypsy Water, still wafting up from wrist.

By the way, I just realized that Byredo is now offering travel sized refills of their perfumes. The travel set comes as a set of three, and you even choose a leather travel case. It’s a fun and slightly more affordable option. I don’t think I will ever go for one the 100 ml bottles. The price isn’t worth it for me, as I just don’t think I need that much, as delicious as Gypsy Water is. But I am absolutely contemplating the travel set.

Byredo; Gypsy Water $220 for 100 ml // $145 for 50 ml // $110 for three 12 ml travel refills. Byredo is available at Barney’s or at Byredo.com. I got my sample from The Perfumed Court.

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Farmacia SS. Annunziata; Isos

June 23, 2012

Notes: Ceylon cloves, Tunisian mint, myrrh, Madagascar pepper, guaiac wood, vetiver, cedar.

Fresh ground pepper is one of my favorite things in the world, and asking the server to bring out the pepper grinder is truly one of my favorite moments of eating out at a restaurant. Now that I’ve discovered Isos, I can get that same heady sensation just by sniffing my wrist. And that’s what I’ve been doing obsessively for the past week: inhaling Isos. Other perfume samples have been left untouched while I’ve been greedily splashing on my Isos sample.

This is partly due to the current weather here. It was in mid-90s all this past week and the bone-dry peppery spice was the only thing that could cut through the melt-worthy heat. Because, despite the spice, Isos doesn’t give off a ‘dirty’ vibe. This pepper is clean and invigorating. I have a feeling the mint note plays a role here. And, even though I only detect the lightest touch of mint, it lifts the composition. I don’t see citrus listed anywhere in the notes, but it’s all over the drydown for me. I get a softly intoxicating pepper/cedar/citrus mix in the end before Isos finally fades away.

Farmacia SS (full name: Farmacis SS. Annunziata dal 1561, quite the mouthful!) is a completely new brand to me. I stumbled upon it on Luckyscent, and their description of this unique fragrance line is worth reading. Apparently it was originally associated with a monastery in the 16th century, and it is one of the oldest brands in Italy. For those of us not fortunate enough to live in Italy, Luckyscent currently carries 15 of Farmacia’s fragrances for us to sample, including Isos of course.

I realize that not everyone is similarly crazy about pepper as I am, but I would say: don’t be alarmed by a pepper-centric fragrance. Isos is strong in the beginning, but it’s not something that would scare anyone away. Like I said, the drydown is actually quite soft, while still retaining a dry spiced edge. I cannot emphasize enough how pleasant this perfume is. It conjures up dreams of a leisurely lunch at a trattoria where I’ve got a fresh salad, a crisp glass of wine and I’m watching the Italian summer roll on. Somehow, nothing else seems necessary.

Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561; Isos: $120 for 100 ml. Samples and full bottles available from Luckyscent.

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Parfums de Nicolai; L’Eau Chic

June 16, 2012

Notes: Bourbon geranium, peppermint, spearmint, lavender, sandalwood, Roman chamomile, iris, clove, pimiento, white musks

It is impossible to have a better pedigree than Patricia de Nicolai. The grand-daughter of Pierre Guerlain, was trained by Jean-Paul Guerlain, she was the first woman to be awarded ‘best international perfumer’ from the Society of French Perfumers in 1988. She is now the current president of the Osmothèque, the perfume museum at Versailles. Quite an impressive resume! She also owns her own small company, Parfums de Nicolai, where she has complete control to realize her own vision. And how lucky for us because her vision is quite striking.

The inspiration for L’Eau Chic is the geranium-scented soap Madame de Nicolai recalls from her childhood home. This is definitely a soapy/fresh fragrance and, at the same time, it’s so much more than that. L’Eau Chic manages to be refreshing without giving off cleaning product or air freshener vibes. Nor would I really refer to it as a ‘green’ fragrance, despite the freshness (and the green tint).

Geranium is at the center of this composition, yet I don’t think of this as floral. Lavender adds a cool herbal quality, dialing down the floral. The pimiento and clove open up the spicy, peppery facets of geranium, and the spice enlivens L’Eau Chic so that it feels almost effervescent. It positively jumps off the skin, radiating a piquant freshness. But the mint is the star note to me. It is present throughout wear-time, blending well with the lavender, and off-setting the spices so that L’Eau Chic never veers off-balance into something too spicy or overbearing.

This is a perfect composition, delicate but surprisingly tenacious; the fresh factor never wears off throughout wear time. I could see L’Eau Chic working all year round, but it’s especially perfect for keeping you refreshed on those sticky, humid summer days. I will never think of ‘soapy’ fragrances in the same way again after trying L’Eau Chic. This is a standout.

I couldn’t resist snagging a full bottle of this. Chic to death.

Parfums de Nicolai; L’Eau Chic: $45 for 30ml // $115 for 100 ml. Samples and full bottles available from Luckyscent.

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Love & Toast; Pomme Poivre

June 8, 2012

Notes: vanilla orchid, white musk, jasmine, ebony woods

I first came across Love & Toast while browsing for shampoo at Whole Foods. I couldn’t help noticing the brand’s adorable packaging, so cute that it even prompted a discussion about the brand with the cashier at check-out. She suggested I check out Love & Toast’s fragrances, and so I soon found myself hurrying back to Whole Foods not for groceries, but for perfume.

As you can guess by now, anything with ‘poivre’ in the name immediately catches my eye. As it turns out, I wouldn’t say Pomme Poivre is overly piquant, (certainly not comparable to L’Artisan’s Poivre Piquant!) but the musk and ebony add a subtle depth to the composition. There’s a quiet warmth and spiciness to be found here. The jasmine, even though clearly floral, actually does a decent job of mimicking the smell of an apple. There’s a texture here too, it smells tangible somehow. In this way, Pomme Poivre conjures the idea of spiced fruit without directly containing those notes.

The impressive thing is the staying power. Just a couple of test sprays have lasted me throughout some very long and humid days. And don’t get me wrong, despite the tangibility factor, this isn’t a heavy or weighty scent. It’s perfectly appropriate for summer. It’s a linear composition, there is little intrigue here. But it’s lovely, and I even picked up a full bottle for myself. I plan to wear it to work often this summer.

At an inexpensive price point, Love & Toast is worth checking out if you happen to see it in stores. I also use their shampoo, and I’m crazy about their Salt n Sea shower creme. So fresh and delicious!

Love & Toast; Pomme Poivre $28 for 3.4 oz. Available from Whole Foods or online.

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Parfumerie Generale; Papyrus de Ciane

June 1, 2012

Notes: bergamot, galbanum, neroli, broom, solar notes, lavender, mugwort, clove, incense, cistus labadanum, hedione, vetiver, Mousse de Saxe, Silvanone, white musk

My obsession with Parfumerie Generale continues with Pierre Guillaume’s 24th entry in this line, Papyrus de Ciane. And I even think I’ve found my perfect summer scent in this one! It reached 90 degrees plus humidity here last weekend, but this miracle-working fragrance made the heat slightly bearable.

Papyrus de Ciane opens with a harsh, severe blast of grassy green notes and cool lavender. This sharp greenness was very welcome in the unrelenting humidity–the cool severity was exactly what I wanted! Very quickly though, a floral note appears to soften the composition, I’m guessing this is the broom note (I’m unfamiliar with broom flowers). The fragrance remains lovely, green and floral until the drydown, when things get really interesting.

The clove and the musk come through for me, adding a welcome soft spiciness. The composition takes on a subtle powdery texture, which I found nice rather than ‘old-lady.’ I also sense some licorice in there, which seems to be the Mousse de Saxe. I have never sampled Caron’s Nuit de Noel, so this has been my first experience with this iconic base and, I have to say, I like it. From reading, I gather that Mousse de Saxe is a mossy leather with some licorice in there. It’s the perfect soft, elegant drydown for this unusual green scent.

The contrast between the sharp opening and the soft drydown is compelling, and it somehow doesn’t feel disjointed. Though there is some spice in there, the drydown isn’t heavily spicy. It still manages to project that same cooling effect as the top notes. But there’s a surprising sensuality and sexiness to it that I don’t often find in ‘green’ fragrances.

Reading other reviews of Papyrus de Ciane, it seems this is a love it or hate it fragrance with very little middle ground (some people get air freshener or cleaning product vibes from it). Definitely sample this one to see where you fall, but I obviously fell for it hard. I couldn’t help ordering a full bottle to keep me cool all summer.

Parfumerie Generale; Papyrus de Ciane: $95 for 50 ml. Full bottles and samples available from Luckyscent.

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