Category: reviews

Nez à Nez; l’Hêtre Révé

May 25, 2012

Notes: Star anise, mandarin, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, plum, wisteria, cedarwood, gaiacwood, jacaranda, leather, musk, port

I’ve been in quite the mood for bold luxurious perfumes lately; first with Chergui and, now, I’ve been living in Nez à Nez’s gorgeous l’Hêtre Révé all week. Nez à Nez is a niche perfume line started by a French couple: Christa Patout and Stephane Humbert Lucas. Fortunately Luckyscent carries the full line for all to try out, and I’ve been greedily devouring my sample.

I liked l’Hêtre Révé immediately, as the opening is quite spicy with the cinnamon and clove coming on strongly. I was reminded of sitting in coffee houses as a college student, lighting up clove cigarettes, and discussing Colette and Simone de Beauvoir.

But don’t worry, this fragrance quickly transitions out of university student territory. A delicious plum note appears, and seems to ripen more and more as long as l’Hêtre Révé lasts on the skin. However, I wouldn’t describe this scent as predominantly fruity, as there are plenty of other elements to balance out the plum. l’Hêtre Révé develops into a smoky leather scent. I hate to admit this, but leather scents can be hit or miss for me. Luckily this one is really, really a hit. There is a slight edginess to this leather–giving off a hint of danger–but it manages to be warm and inviting at the same time.

l’Hêtre Révé reminds me of By Kilian’s Back to Black because of the ripe fruit note and the overall pure indulgence of the fragrance. But the smokiness of Back to Black is more delicate and herbal, while l’Hêtre Révé is some deeply spiced and smokey goodness. This spice isn’t hippie though. It’s elegant, Parisian, grown up. Wear your favorite lipstick with this perfume, and settle into a corner of a dimly lit bar with a champagne cocktail.

And just for fun: l’Hêtre Révé literally means ‘the dreamt Beech tree.’ But it also serves as a play on words, since it sounds like l’Etre Révé which means ‘the dreamt person.’ Interesting to think about!

Nez à Nez; l’Hêtre Révé: $165 for 100 ml. Samples and Full Bottles available from Luckyscent

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Serge Lutens; Chergui

May 18, 2012

Notes: honey, musk, incense, tobacco leaf, hay sugar, amber, iris, rose and sandalwood

Where I live in the US we’ve had a pleasant and warm month of May so far–it was actually warmer here than it was in Paris! Naturally I’ve been contemplating lighter, airier fragrances for spring/summer but, to my surprise, I found myself craving the intense warmth of Chergui. I kept trying to reason with myself, no that will be too heavy for this time of year but then I thought, why deny myself the pleasure of a truly delicious perfume?

I actually didn’t like Chergui the first time I tried it. Luckyscent kindly sent me a sample with another purchase I had made, and I’m ashamed to say that I dabbed some on my wrist, and then proceeded to fall asleep! When I woke up, the fragrance had intensified on my skin and I was completely overwhelmed with the sense of sweet hay. I thought no way. Chergui seemed too sweet and too heavy for me.

Luckily I had the sense to give it another shot when I wasn’t quite so sleepy. Chergui takes its name from the dry wind of Morocco, and this fragrance definitely gives off the warmth of the desert. The honey comes through quite strongly, making this one sweet on me. But, aside from my first sampling, it has never tipped over into sticky and overbearing territory. The herbal tobacco keeps the composition dry and, in this way Chergui conjures an arid desert, not a humid climate. I also detect quite a bit of leather blended with hay, which can’t help but recall a barnyard. So yes, there is a hint of dirtiness here. But, I have to say, I enjoy it! Moreover, the leather adds some depth and balance, ensuring this doesn’t become too dry.

Like many Serge Lutens fragrances, Chergui is difficult to classify. It has a sexiness to it but, is it right for a date? It’s undeniably elegant, but is it right for a party? It radiates warmth, so maybe it’s right for when you need a comfort scent? Chergui is all of these things wrapped up in one bottle, and that’s what makes it so extraordinary.

I’m still not sure what exactly about it prompted my craving. The only thing I’m certain of is that, when I finally gave in, put on Chergui, and inhaled that first sniff, a sense of complete satisfaction came over me. It wasn’t the perfume I expected to be wearing this time of year, but it was the one that I needed.

Serge Lutens; Chergui: $140 for 50 ml. Samples available from The Perfumed Court, full bottles available from Luckyscent.

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Byredo; Bal d’Afrique

April 29, 2012

Notes: bergamot, lemon, neroli, african marigold, bucchu, violet, jasmin petals, cyclamen, black amber, musk, vetiver, and moroccan cedarwood

I added Byredo’s Bal d’Afrique to my to try list immediately after reading this fantastic interview with the house founder and perfumer, Ben Gorham, on Into the Gloss. The way he discussed translating a memory into a scent had me hooked straight away. I noticed many people recommending Bal d’Afrique, so I made it my first Byredo sample.

And I don’t regret it! This opens with some sharp lemon and neroli. The citrus is bright, but not astringent. I don’t see it listed in the notes, but I sense some spice along the lines of cardamom. The floral bouquet is tangible: I can practically touch the jasmine petals. Yet the bouquet is understated; it’s there to support the bright citrus top-notes, but never taking over the composition.

The odd thing about Bal d’Afrique is its edible quality. It makes me think of lemon squares topped with powdered sugar, or even rice pudding with lemon peel. The woody cedar base adds a salty, nutty flavor.  It’s funny, I’m listing all this food and, yet, this is not a gourmand fragrance. It’s not overly sweet, it’s not too citrusy, nor is it obviously salty. Bal d’Afrique is a beautiful blend, perfectly and effortlessly balanced.  The fact that there happens to be an edible quality around the edges here just adds interest.

The only drawback is that, on my skin anyway, it’s a bit lightweight. I have to spray liberally to get it to stick, and consequently I blew through my sample pretty quickly. I would have liked to spend more time with this. I’m not quite ready to shell out for a full bottle, but I’m picking up a second sample. For me, I think Bal d’Afrique was a good introduction to Byredo’s line, as there’s some intrigue here but it’s still extremely wearable. I’m looking forward to trying more from this line.

Byredo; Bal d’Afrique $220 for 100 ml // $145 for 50 ml. Available from Barney’s and Byredo.com. I ordered my sample from The Perfumed Court.

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Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle; Noir Epices

April 22, 2012

Notes: orange, rose, geranium, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, patchouli, pepper

Given my penchant for spicy fragrances, I couldn’t avoid sampling one with the name Noir Epices. But Michel Roudnitska’s composition for Frederic Malle is a tricky one for me personally to parse. While it’s true that I do love spice, Noir Epices is not a boldly spicy Serge Lutens-style creation. Rather, Noir Epices is subtle, dry, and takes its own time to reveal its layers. The really tricky aspect of Noir Epices for me is the rose. Quite frankly, rose usually smells strange on my skin. I enjoy when other people wear rose-centered fragrances but, for some reason, it just doesn’t speak to me.  However, the soft dryness of Noir Epices really pays off, and the rose and geranium notes work for me in this case. Perhaps the orange in the opening helps, adding a spritz of zest to the floral accord.

As I wear this, the rose dies down and gives me the impression of dried crushed rose petals, rather than a living blooming flower. This is where the spice really starts to come into play. I detect clove and some light playful pepper, but I don’t get a sense of the cinnamon or nutmeg. There’s nothing to tip Noir Epices into gourmand territory, and no base of vanilla. In fact, there’s nothing remotely sweet about this fragrance, which is fairly atypical for spicy scents.

I almost hesitate to say this, but I can’t think to describe it any other way: Noir Epices smells soapy to me. I mean that in a good way. This would be the best possible soap. It’s odd, but there’s something about the dry florals and subtle spice here that reads as ‘clean’ to me. This is an intimate scent to be sure, but it’s not dirty or skanky. Maybe I get the soapy sensation simply because the overall effect of Noir Epices is pleasant, without ever becoming overwhelming or overbearing.

Noir Epices is lovely, and it has certainly challenged me. And yet, I don’t feel compelled to get a full bottle of this one. My sample isn’t quite empty, so I’m going to save it and check back in with it in a couple of months. Let’s be honest, this is a Frederic Malle, there is nothing to criticize here. I suppose I’m still uncertain if Noir Epices is really for me.

Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle; Noir Epices: $175 for 50 ml // $255 for 100 ml. Full bottles available from Barney’s. I got my sample from The Perfumed Court.

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Etat Libre d’Orange; Fils de Dieu

April 17, 2012

Notes: Ginger, coriander leaves, lime, shiso, bergamot, Jungle Essence coconut, rice note, Jungle Essence cardamom, jasmine, cinnamon, French May rose, tonka bean, vetiver, musk, amber, leather, castoreum.

Fils de Dieu du Riz et des Agrumes or Son of God of Rice and Citrus is one of Etat Libre d’Orange’s newest fragrances. As you can see, the list of notes reads almost like a recipe, and it blooms into a savory composition on the skin. It opens with a bright spike of lime (there’s that god of citrus!). I also detect the ginger and coriander, but these notes come off as more herbal than truly spicy. The opening is pleasantly aromatic and hesperidic for me.

But this fragrance is named for the god of rice and citrus. The rice accord shines through in a big way, but it takes some time to reveal itself on my skin. I get hints of something milky from the beginning but then, about 30 minutes into wear time, Fils de Dieu just blossoms into a deliciously creamy blend. The rice note is distinctive; it’s almost vanilla, it’s almost milk, but not quite. It seems to have its own texture too. It’s as though a bowl rice pudding is teasing me, it’s that tangible when I sniff my wrist.

The rice note is so interesting and I’d love to experience more of it in the world of scent. I came across this helpful Allure article all about rice in fragrance and including some recommendations. I’m eager to sample L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Bois Farine if it has some similarities to Fils de Dieu.

Fils de Dieu is one of the most distinctive fragrances I’ve sampled recently. Certainly not everyone wants to walk around smelling like rice pudding. In fact, I’m not even sure that I want to. But sampling this one is an experience worth having. The blending of this fragrance is effortless, as the aromatic top notes keep things bright and sparkly while the rice note smooths the composition out. I think this will be appropriate to wear in the summer months since the kicky lime will keep the creamy rice accord from becoming too overbearing.

And I will leave you with a link to The Candy Perfume Boy’s fantastic write-up of Fils de Dieu. I couldn’t hope to out-do his review, but I wanted to share my own experiences with this thought-provoking fragrance.

Etat Libre d’Orange; Fils de Dieu: $80 for 50 ml. Available from Luckyscent.

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By Kilian; Back to Black

April 11, 2012

Notes: Bergamot, raspberry, blue chamomile, cardamom, coriander, saffron, cedarwood, vanilla, almond, vetiver, cistus labdanum, patchouli, oakmoss.

I’ve said in the past that I try to avoid perfumes with fruit notes but, as always, the best fragrances manage to challenge your preconceived preferences. Back to Black taught me that sometimes I really do enjoy fruity fragrances. The fruit in this case is a sumptuous fermented raspberry. It’s not sticky-sweet, just lovely and edible.

Back to Black is a subtle tobacco fragrance. This isn’t the heady blast of something like of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille. The tobacco here is herbal and delicate. It interlaces with the raspberry note like hazy curls of smoke.

The drydown has a boozy feel that gives the impression of having an after-dinner drink at a swanky cigar bar. Almond and vanilla appear, taking things into full-on gourmand territory. Back to Black isn’t the style of sweet/fruity perfume you’d find on the shelf at any Sephora. This is a sweet scent, but the underlying herbal smokiness keeps it in balance. It feels luxurious and rich, but there are still nuances to be found here.

This is already my second write-up of a By Kilian fragrance, can you tell I’ve fallen hard for this brand? I’m saving up for a full bottle of Back to Black. It’s just about as smooth and sophisticated as you can get. It lives up to its aphrodisiac subtitle, and that’s absolutely full bottle-worthy for me!

By Kilian; Back to Black: $225 for 50ml. Samples available from Luckyscent and The Perfumed Court.

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Parfumerie Generale; Aomassai

April 2, 2012

Notes: caramel, toasted hazelnuts, licorice, bitter orange, spices, wenge wood, vetiver, balsam wood, incense, dried grasses, resins

This write-up is a bit of  a continuation of my previous Parfumerie Generale post but, unlike Coze, Aomassai could never be mistaken for anything other than a gourmand. In fact, Aomassai is the most unabashedly foodie fragrance I’ve yet come across. The opening note is  sweet, sweet caramel. The sweetness isn’t sticky or sickly, but pure sugar. It isn’t heavy, syrupy, or overbearing. Aomassai settles in with toasty cinnamon-y notes, making me dream of fluffy french toast. This definitely isn’t a fragrance to wear on an empty stomach.

I wanted to do this write-up after Coze because there’s an undercurrent of that same bone-dry woodiness here. It’s as though Pierre Guillaume wanted to use Coze as a base and see what new directions he could take it in. The grassy, woody notes weave in and out of the fragrance, adding some depth and intrigue without ever completely taking over. This isn’t a retread of Coze, but a re-imagining.

Aomassai is deliriously sugary, but with a dry edge.  You might think the sweetness means this is a feminine scent, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I’d love to smell this on a man. This isn’t the loudest, strongest perfume out there (indeed, it’s only an EdT), but it’s quite distinctive. This is a must-try if you’re into gourmands. And even if not, even if you’re just in the mood to smell like the most intriguing dessert ever imagined, go ahead and give Aomassai a shot.

Pafumerie Generale; Aomassai: $105 for 50 ml. Samples & full bottles available from Luckyscent.

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Parfumerie Generale; Coze

March 28, 2012

Notes: canapa sativa seed oil, pepper, pimento, coffee, ebony wood, chocolate, bourbon vanilla pods

I’ve spent this entire winter living in dry, woody, smokey fragrances, and Coze is one of the samples I kept returning to again and again. Parfumerie Generale’s Coze is unapologetic about what it is: a dry, dark, carnal scent. The opening is actually a bit harsh on me. It’s like a strong cup of coffee infused with dry dark wood, and I can practically see the smoke swirling in a coffee cup. My first impression was: interesting, but do I want to wear this?

If you’ve looked at the notes you can see there are several food notes in this composition. In addition to coffee, there’s chocolate and some boozy vanilla, but Coze isn’t a foodie fragrance. There is a sweetness here, but it’s not  yummy and sugary. It’s a rather heavy, dark sweetness. A sweetness that feels somehow dangerous. It’s disarming. It’s unexpected, and you wonder if it’s really supposed to be there.

Coze remains dry throughout, but it blooms into a relative richness after a few hours of wear. That initial coffee note gives way to something salty, dry, and animalic. This is the truly dirty, carnal aspect to Coze. There’s a heat to it, but it is not warm and cozy. There’s something about the dryness that keeps Coze at arm’s length. It’s intimate, but, at the same time, there’s something about this fragrance that remains unknowable, unreachable, fleeting, until it finally fades away.

Pierre Guillaume named his fragrance line Parfumerie Generale as a play on his initials, and he’s made these foodie fragrances with a twist into a specialty. Coze is a fragrance that defies classification. It has these gourmand notes but is not something you’d want to eat. It’s dry, but sumptuous. It’s reminiscent of sex, but is not exactly sexy. It has masculine overtones, but I enjoy wearing this and I think it’s an amazing fragrance for a woman.

I wouldn’t wear Coze everyday. In fact, I’m not sure exactly what occasion is appropriate for this perfume. But I’ve found that my original question of do I want to wear this? is almost irrelevant here. Coze is intoxicating. I would recommend getting a sample and letting it speak to you.

Parfumerie Generale, Coze: $120 for 50 ml. Samples and full bottles available from Luckyscent.

And if we’re talking about the Hot Perfumeur Sweepstakes, Pierre Guillaume is definitely in the running:

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Sunny Weather Fragrances

March 22, 2012

I haven’t posted in a week, and it isn’t because I fell off the face of the internet. Rather, a freak change in weather has had me perplexed about what perfume to wear. It reached 85 degrees here yesterday, which is extremely unusual. I’m pretty sure that we were battling snow at this time last year. My clothing wardrobe and my fragrance wardrobe have been completely thrown off by this sudden heat. I’ve been digging around my stash of samples and bottles this week, and this is what I’ve come up with to wear:

L’Artisan Parfumeur; Timbuktu: This opens with a splash of sharp green mango, so sharp that it’s almost limey. I normally don’t go in for anything so evidently fruity, but the fruit is quickly balanced by a warm woodiness coming from the papyrus wood heartnote. I view this fragrance as a version of Un Jardin sur le Nil with a bit more oomph. The fruity green topnotes are sheer enough for warm weather, but the basenotes of wood, myrrh, and vetiver anchor this scent and ensure that it’s long-lasting. The wood gives off a strange kind of sweaty vibe in the drydown but, what can I say? Sweating L’Artisan appeals to me. I loved my sample so much, I sprung for a full bottle of this.

{Timbuktu: $100 for 50 ML, $145 for 100 ml}

HEELEY; Menthe Fraiche: As you might expect, this one begins with a blast of mint that’s so strong, it’s almost medicinal. Menthe Fraiche develops into quite the herbal composition, with notes of green tea and some bergamot creeping in. Again, no surprises, but this is quite a cool, icy scent. Once you know the name of this fragrance, it performs pretty much exactly as you’d expect. This is an incredibly refreshing mint with herbal undertones. Menthe Fraiche gives the sensation of  briefly cracking the freezer open on a warm day. I wore this one on St Patrick’s Day and it served me well all day.

{Menthe Fraiche: $136 for 100 ml}

Parfums de Nicolai; L’Eau Mixte: This offering definitely leans masculine, as the citrus is abrasive and astringent at first sniff, and remains detectible all throughout wear time. However, I love wearing it on truly hot days. Not every office building/shop/restaurant has turned on air conditioning yet, and this is the perfect fragrance to cut right through the humidity. There’s a fizzy effervescence here that’s really appealing. Jasmine and musk anchor this and keep it from smelling too much like a sparkling orange juice cocktail. I get around 6 hours of wear time out of this, which is quite good for a cologne.

{L’Eau Mixte: $45 for 30 ml, $115 for $100 ml}

All three of these fragrances are available from Luckyscent.

Do you change your fragrance wardrobe according to the season? What are some of your warm weather favorites?

Image: The Open Window, Collioure; Henri Matisse; 1905

By Kilian; A Taste of Heaven

March 15, 2012

Notes:  bergamot, orange blossom, absinthe, geranium, lavender, rose, costus, patchouli, oakmoss, amber, tonka bean, and vanilla.

It takes a certain kind of confidence to name a perfume A Taste of Heaven but, if any perfumer could tackle the challenge of bottling heaven, it’s the creative and thoughtful Kilian Hennessy.  According to this fragrance, Hennessy’s vision of heaven is a pleasantly weird absinthe-fueled fantasy. A Taste of Heaven takes you on a journey from the bracing opening note of cool lavender; to a lush and very green herbal garden; to a surprisingly cozy vanilla drydown. There’s a funny sort of fizzy quality to a Taste of Heaven that leaves me with the (not unwelcome) sensation of drinking an absinthe flavored cream soda.

Best of all, this fragrance lasts and lasts (easily 10 hours) on my skin, giving me the opportunity to revel in this weird lavender/absinthe creation for as long as I like. This was the first By Kilian scent I tried (and it was actually the first sample I ever ordered!) and it was a great introduction to the line. This fragrance is an odd one (not everyone wants  to smell like absinthe) but I wouldn’t say it’s an intimidating fragrance. It’s potent, but not a scent that will scare anyone away. I see it as easily unisex–although others may disagree because of that lavender!

I own the travel bottle of A Taste of Heaven, which is not quite as luxurious as the full bottle, but is still lovely. The bottlecap is magnetized so it pops back on in the right place every time. Three refills are included in addition to the travel bottle, so you get quite a lot of juice out of it. I recommend going this route if you’re not quite ready to drop $200+ on a bottle of perfume.

The bottom line is, A Taste of Heaven is a delicious fragrance. It evokes a heavenly fantasy that is utterly unique. If you’ve got some disposable cash and want to indulge yourself, you can hardly do better than By Kilian.

By Kilian; A Taste of Heaven: $225 for 50 ml // $135 travel set.  Samples are available from both Luckyscent and The Perfumed Court.

And I can’t let this write-up go without posting a picture of Kilian Hennessy himself.

No further comment necessary.

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