Category: reviews

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.

Selperniku by January Scent Project

May 1, 2019

Notes: petitgrain, cypress, lemon, apricot, immortelle, butter, cardamom, chamomile, juniper berries, sandalwood, milk, salt, and tobacco leaf.

Selperniku was the first sample I sprayed when I got my January Scent Project sample kit. Even on the JSP paper test strip, it smelled so strange at first sniff! I was both put off and intrigued at the same time. Just looking at the list of notes, you can tell this is not your typical crowd-pleasing scent. It would never be a mainstream designer release. Scents like Selperniku make me so happy and grateful for the indie perfume scene, because smelling Selperniku is really an experience.

I get that dairy/butter smell right away in the opening. This is not buttery as in creamy (like the way we would describe a buttery Chardonnay). This is real butter. To me, it smells like Kerrygold butter. It’s salty as well, and I can actually visualize the sea salt sitting atop a pat of perfectly yellow butter. I have to say, wearing butter as a scent is extremely odd. It’s distinctly different from wearing a scent with a creamy or milky note (I have Jo Malone’s Sweet Milk cologne, for example). Selperniku is not almondy or powdery, which is the route many milky scents take.

The composition begins to develop on my skin after about an hour into wear time. This is where I feel I can actually wear this scent, rather than feeling as though butter is wearing me! All of a sudden, Selperniku is aromatic. I sense green cypress, zingy cardamom, and a slightly bitter petitgrain. This is where Selperniku radiates a little bit off my skin and I get some projection. This part of the composition really balances out the butter opening, which is rather dense. I appreciate the balance.

The apricot note appears around 3 hours into wear and anchors the composition for the rest of wear time. I also have a sample of Vaporocindro from January Scent Project, and I smell a bit of Vaporocindro here, right at the mid way point. The tipping point from the aromatic green cypress over into the apricot smells like Vaporocindro to me. I’m not sure exactly why, because those notes don’t overlap between the two scents, but I’ve gotten that sensation multiple times now. The main thing is that like picking out connections between different scents from the same perfumer and the same brand. It makes the brand feel cohesive.

Selperniku lasts around 6 hours on my skin. I’ve discovered that it lasts much longer on my clothes and my PJs in particular. Luckily my PJs don’t smell like butter! Rather, the last vestiges of Selperniku smell like faintly sweet apricot and something slightly herbal. Perhaps the chamomile note? It’s strangely comforting. On my skin, a milky dairy note comes back during the dry down, however, it’s not butter. It’s much more like a typical creamy milk note. I have a milky serum from Kypris that I use on my face. The texture of Selperniku’s base is exactly like this serum: milky, substantial, but not too dense. And even though the apricot note is still there, it’s not gourmand at all. It’s such a fascinating composition.

I wouldn’t wear Selperniku every day. I don’t think it’s intended to be that type of eminently wearable scent that you can find at any Macy’s counter. Selperniku is something else. And yet, it is also wearable! With notes of butter and salt, it’s remarkably wearable on the skin. Like haute couture, Selperniku is a piece of art that you can wear. I will say, this scent more than any other scent I’ve tried recently, absolutely must be sampled. Do *not* blind buy! I can imagine the butter note coming across very differently according to skin chemistry. Luckily, John Biebel makes it easy with the sample kit.

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As I’ve stated, my Selperniku sample is part of the JSP sample kit that I ordered a couple of months ago.

The list of notes is via Fragrantica.

The photo of my sample and John Biebel’s Selperniku mini art poster was taken by me.

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.

Smolderose by January Scent Project

April 3, 2019

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Notes: Damask rose, bergamot, saffron, roasted seashells, frankincense, elder flower, patchouli, cade, agarwood, and labdanum.

I feel a bit embarrassed that I’ve been into perfumery for so many years now, yet I’m only now trying January Scent Project. What took me so long?! This is one of the really creative indie houses out there right now. John Biebel is the perfumer. He also creates artwork for each of his scents. You can see the mini retro poster for Smolderose in the photo! I ordered the January Scent Project discovery set back in February and I’ve had such a fun time trying all the different scents. Smolderose is one that stood out to me right away. It’s floral, and yet has so much depth. It was a perfect scent to wear during this past winter.

Smolderose opens, of course, with the Damask rose. This is a crisp and clear rose. I actually get the frankincense here in the opening as well. It wafts and weaves its way around the rose. The scent is so clear and vibrant that I can practically visualize incense smoke curling in tendrils around a rose in a vase. It’s quite stunning. I also get a hint of bergamot to add more vibrancy. Overall, it’s a well-balanced opening. It has a prettiness to it and there’s enough depth with the incense to really grab your attention.

Smolderose develops in even more interesting ways from here. One note that stood out to me when I first glanced at the list of notes is the roasted seashells. I can’t say that I’ve ever encountered that before! As Smolderose wears and settles into my skin, I smell something a little salty mingling with the rose. It doesn’t smell like a seashell to me, but more like being at a clambake! This sounds quite strange from a rose fragrance, but it somehow works. There’s a texture to this seashell note. I can sense something fleshy, like the meat of clams or mussels. It’s absolutely fascinating and it mixes shockingly well with the rose note. It works for me because the rose remains quite crisp and pretty. It doesn’t develop into a full-bodied floral, which actually works here. In this case, that funny clambake texture adds the full-bodied fleshy aspect. And the salty roasted accord blends into the frankincense, patchouli, and cade of the base.

The dry down is definitely a smoky/earthy accord on me. The patchouli runs very earthy here. I was afraid the cade might turn a little too smoky and birch tar-esque, but it sits just on the edge of wearable for me. I tested Smolderose alongside Tauerville Rose Flash just for a fun little wear test. This really brought the more earthy aspect of Smolderose’s dry down into relief. Smolderose also held up really well in terms of longevity. Rose Flash is one of the longest lasting scents I’ve tried recently, but I still get a very respectable 8-9 hours from Smolderose.

I can’t wait to write about more of the JSP scents from the discovery kit. One of my issues with discovery sets in general is that they can be overwhelming. I usually like to try 3-4 scents at a time. Any more than that and I can’t properly concentrate on the scents! I chose to focus on Smolderose and give it several good wear tests before writing about it. This just means that it will take me more time to write about some of the other scents. But overall, the discovery kit is well worth it if you’re interested in trying out this house! Smolderose stands out for me as a creative way to showcase rose. It’s also a beautifully balanced composition, which I always appreciate when evaluating scents.

What have you all tried from January Scent Project?

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I ordered the JSP discovery set directly from January Scent Project. Smolderose is available as an individual sample, a 30 ml EDP, a 100 ml EDP, and a perfume oil. Personally, I really appreciate the options! There’s truly an option to suit everyone. I’d love to try Smolderose in the oil format.

The info on notes is via January Scent Project.

The photo of my sample + mini artwork was taken by me.

Impossible Iris by Ramon Monegal

March 20, 2019

Notes: iris, mimosa, raspberry, ylang-ylang, jasmine, and Virginia cedar.

It’s mid-March and I think we’re all ready for spring to really make an appearance. Iris is a note that comes to my mind for spring. I wrote a post about spring iris scents here in 2017 where I talk about two very different iris scents: Penhaligon’s Iris Prima and Bruno Fazzolari’s Feu Secret. Likewise, Ramon Monegal’s Impossible Iris is a different twist on the floral, but still eminently appropriate for spring.

This scent opens with a luminous iris. It’s both rich and a touch dry. It’s not overly earthy or powdery though. The iris is the star of the opening for about 15 – 20 minutes or so. The first time I smelled this, I thought what a beautiful iris! I read about the other notes listed, but I wondered if perhaps this was a soliflore. But then, in an interesting twist, I get much more mimosa and ylang-ylang in terms of floral notes. The iris moves to the background to play a supporting role. I can still sniff it out, but it’s quite literally in a supporting role, holding the composition together through the heart.

The raspberry note is an interesting touch here and it really starts to shine a couple of hours into wear time. The heart of Impossible Iris reminds me a little bit of Chanel Cristalle Eau Verte. It has a similar shimmering quality in the heart, and I wonder if similar aroma chemicals were used in both compositions. The raspberry is unmistakably a fruity, red berry note. But I think the real function here is to keep the composition light and shimmering on the skin. The ylang becomes creamier on the skin as wear time progresses and, with the cedar starting to peek through, this could actually become a bit heavy on the skin in warm weather. The raspberry keeps the composition pitched just right.

I honestly don’t get a lot of cedar out of the base. It’s essentially a skin scent by this point into wear time. The cedar is dry in a way that recalls the iris of the opening. Being the cedar fanatic that I am, I wish I could coax a little more substantial woodiness out of this dry down. But rationally, I think the light and dry approach suits the composition. The raspberry has faded by this point, while the last of the ylang clings on, and then fades. I get six hours of wear time overall, which is decent.

I find it interesting that this composition is named Impossible Iris when the iris really serves as a supporting player for nearly all of wear time, but maybe that’s the point. That’s what makes it impossible! I find the raspberry most prominent overall. It’s something to be aware of, if you’re looking for an iris-forward composition, this may not be your first choice. Still, Impossible Iris is extremely pretty. It has a delicate shimmering quality to it, and yet, it has some body and substance as well. I think this balance is what makes it appropriately springy.  Over the past week, the weather here has been trying (and sometimes struggling) to make the changeover to spring. Impossible Iris has kept me in a good mood, despite the changeable weather, and sometimes that’s what I need out of a fragrance.

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I purchased my sample from Luckyscent. However, when I check the site now, Impossible Iris is no longer available. It is still available directly from Ramon Monegal. (It looks like Luckyscent only has a handful of Ramon Monegal scents now. I wonder if they are phasing out the brand. Making room for newness?)

The list of notes is via fragrantica.

The photo of my sample was taken by me. The flower is a white rose, not an iris because that’s what Trader Joe’s had when I stopped by for flowers!

Blackpepper by Comme des Garçons

March 13, 2019

Notes: black pepper, cedar, patchouli, oud, tonka bean, and musk.

Black pepper is one of my favorite smells, so I’m actually surprised that it has taken me this long to sniff the Comme des Garçons offering in this genre, but here I am. All I can say is: it was worth the wait. Some of my other favorite black pepper scents, including Poivre Electrique from Atelier Cologne and Isos from Farmacia SS Annunziata both blend black pepper with uplifting notes like citrus and mint to evoke a Mediterranean feel. Antoine Masiondieu, who composed Blackpepper for CdG, takes an entirely different approach. As you can see from the list above, the notes here include woody and animalic notes without any citrus or lighter notes. And yet, this composition is balanced. It never feels heavy or overdone.

Blackpepper opens up right away with the main note. The spice is there from first sniff. The Comme des Garçons description of this scent includes some typically pretentious marketing copy, describing Blackpepper as “an electric collision of molecules: the crash of spicy pepper seeds suspended within infinite darkness.” And yet, this rings true of the composition. It does come across as quite “black” at first sniff. It’s not dark in a somber kind of way though. I detect something slightly metallic with the interaction between the pepper spice and the cedar. There is an edginess here that makes the composition appropriate for Comme des Garçons.

That metallic edge doesn’t last long and is really only present in the opening. As this composition develops, two things are notable: the black pepper note has real longevity here, and the base of the composition is artfully constructed around the pepper. I find it interesting that the CdG description also presents this fragrance as a scent in which “spice is deconstructed, destabilized, decoded.” In terms of the composition, I find this scent notable precisely for the construction and stability, not deconstruction. I realize that probably doesn’t sound as snazzy when trying to sell this fragrance. But black pepper as a spice is notorious for fading quickly. My main issue with Poivre Électrique was the weak staying power, especially for that price point. I would think it’s a positive thing to promote the stability of the black pepper spice here.

More than any other fragrance I’ve worn recently, each note in Blackpepper feels very specific and necessary to this composition. Nothing feels extraneous. The dry cedar, the earthy patchouli, the camphorous oud, the tonka that rounds everything out, and the animalic musk base: it’s all so specific and works so harmoniously. My nose wouldn’t necessarily pick out the oud here, if not for that slight camphor/medicine cabinet type smell. It suits the fragrance in a funny way, and ties into that edgy pop of black pepper in the opening.

The tonka in the base here is not gourmand. Don’t expect it to smell like Fève Délicieuse or Tonka Impériale. I think the role of the tonka here is primarily to smooth out any remaining edges from the opening and heart. The musk here is very soft. It’s sort of a cushion hovering right on the skin. By the seven hour mark, Blackpepper is definitely a skin scent and this is when it starts to completely fade. That’s pretty decent longevity for a black pepper scent, and I’m personally satisfied with it.

Blackpepper is a composition that I really admire. It smells interesting and intriguing to my nose. It’s pleasant to wear and, best of all, it has some decent longevity! It smells more traditionally masculine, but I believe anyone could wear this and pull it off. I would love to wear this with a black cocktail dress and black heels, just to play off the dark “black” smell here.

I’d like to add Blackpepper to my collection one day but, I have to confess, I don’t like the CdG pebble bottles! They seem a little annoying to store. I prefer the blocky bottles they do for the Odeur scents or Serpentine. But I’m just one person and, judging by instagram, plenty of people seem to be into the aesthetic of the line. If you enjoy CdG and haven’t yet tried Blackpepper, it’s a must-sniff! Antoine Maisondieu has composed a whole slew of scents for CdG, so chances are that you’ll like at least one of his. And even if you are not into this line, and you’re just a fragrance lover, this is a good composition to sniff just for the experience of it.

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I purchased my Blackpepper sample from Luckyscent.

You can read about Blackpepper here from Comme des Garçons.

The list of notes is via Fragrantica.

The photo of my sample was taken by me. I’m currently reading (and enjoying!) Chandler Burr’s book. I don’t know why I didn’t read this sooner, it’s fascinating!

Blond by Hendley Perfumes

February 27, 2019

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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.

Honey Oud by Floris

February 19, 2019

Notes: honey, bergamot, patchouli, rose, oud, amber, labdanum, musk, and vanilla.

I have to confess that I’ve been growing tired of oud as a trendy note in fragrance for several years now. There are some great oud scents (I love Diptyque’s Oud Palao) but Western fragrance houses acting as though oud is some sort of new raw material — when it has been used for centuries in various different Eastern cultures — is problematic and tedious. I begin my write-up this way because it needs to be addressed, and also to say that I was not at all prepared to fall for Honey Oud.

Honey is truly the star of the show here. The honey is distinctive, pretty, and smooth. It’s edible but does not cross over into gourmand territory for me, not even with the vanilla present here. I have not smelled a honey note quite like this before: so true to honey and yet so pretty to wear. I don’t want to eat this honey but I do want to wear it as much as possible.

The oud is really a supporting player here. It supports the rose in the heart notes. The patchouli is more present to my nose. It’s dry and spiced, giving the rose a spiced edge. The honey lends the rose a smooth, almost velvety texture. I can picture drops of honey on a rose petal here, it’s so artfully done.

The dry down is mainly vanilla to my nose. It’s a smooth vanilla, with a little bolstering from the musk and amber. Again, I can’t pick out much oud by itself here. This may be a con of this fragrance to some people. If you’re really mad about oud, you may find yourself seeking more of it in this composition.

Honey Oud is definitely full bottle worthy, although perhaps not at full price. I would purchase a decant or a full bottle of this at a discount, if I could track it down reliably on ebay or fragrancenet. I find the name very “trendy” but the actual fragrance less so. Honey and vanilla? It doesn’t sound terribly exciting and, yet, the resulting composition is just plain delectable.

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I ordered my sample of Honey Oud from Indigo along with my Sylvaine Delacourte and Jardins d’Ecrivains samples.

The info on notes is via fragrantica.

The photo of my sample is mine.

George by Jardins d’Ecrivains

February 4, 2019

Notes: neroli, bergamot, heliotrope, coffee, tobacco, Peru balsam, musk, and myrrh.

George by Jardins d’Ecrivains is named for George Sand, or Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin. She published her first novel, Indiana, in 1832 under her nom de plume, George Sand. In addition to writing, she was also famous for wearing men’s clothing and smoking tobacco, both of which were forbidden for women at the time. How to go about making a fragrance that would encapsulate this whirlwind of a woman? Where to even begin?

The perfumer, Anais Biguine, figured that a good place to start would be with George’s famous tobacco. The scent actually opens for me with neroli and tobacco. It’s kind of a sharp, stinging opening. I honestly didn’t like it at first sniff. However, it settles into my skin nicely after a few moments. I get just a hint of coffee blended with the tobacco. Coffee is one of my favorite smells and notes, so I really wish there was more to it here. If you’re not a coffee fan, you’ll be able to wear this scent because it’s blended so well.

The heart of the composition is actually where I detect some lovely heliotrope. A couple hours into wear time, the tobacco backs off and makes room for a delicate heliotrope note. George is very pretty at this stage. It really surprised me after the challenging opening. But it’s fitting that this composition would feature so much transformation and development, as George herself did.

The dry down is mainly musk on my skin. I can’t make out any resinous notes of myrrh, but that’s fine. The interesting part is that the dry down is not sweet. There’s no vanilla or creamy sandalwood soften the composition or make it more likeable. The musk here is definitely a substantial animalic note. It’s not trying to play nice. And yet, there is still a touch of delicacy left from the heliotrope.

The only let-down is the longevity. By hour 5, George is gone from my skin. I hear that this is a reoccurring theme with the Jardins d’Ecrivains line, so it’s something to take into consideration when sampling or purchasing this line. George is well worth smelling and owning. It’s an intriguing, challenging, and thought-provoking composition. It’s not on my full bottle list right now simply because of practicality. I need to better organize my collection before purchasing new full bottles!

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I ordered my sample of George from Indigo along with my Sylvaine Delacourte samples.

The info on notes is from Fragrantica.

I took the photo of my sample with the painting “An Elegant Tea Party in the Artist’s Studio” by Madeleine Jeanne Lemaire. I like to imagine George Sand making her way through this refined party, the scent of tobacco trailing behind her.

Dear Polly by Vilhelm Parfumerie

January 30, 2019

Notes: bergamot, green apple, black tea, oakmoss, black amber, and musk.

I first came across Vilhelm Parfumerie at Barneys in New York. I had never even read about the house online before. It’s interesting when your first experience is in person without any preconceived ideas about what scents you might enjoy or not. The Sales Associate was helpful and not pushy. She let me test a couple on the skin, and Dear Polly was my favorite. It stuck in my mind for a few months and I ended up purchasing this travel size in October of 2018.

Dear Polly opens with green notes, in bergamot and a green apple that grabs my attention every time I spritz this. The green apple is tart but bright. It really adds dimension to the composition. I think the other Vilhelm Parfumerie scent I tested on the skin was Room Service and it just couldn’t compete with this yummy green apple note.

The other signifiant note is the black tea note at the heart of the composition. I did not sense much of when I first tested Dear Polly. However, it’s one of the dominant notes now. It’s probably due to the cold weather we’re currently having. The black tea is coming across as extra smoky, and almost recalls the opening of Tea for Two. I absolutely love this aspect of the composition, and the way in which the bright apple transitions into a smoky tea note.

The one surprise is that the base is really not present on my skin right now. Again, I’m chalking this up to the exceptionally cold weather we’re having. My skin is absorbing fragrance like crazy and there just isn’t much of the musky base by hour 6 on my skin. I first tested this in humid weather while walking around Manhattan, so the oakmoss and musk were definitely more present then.

One upside is that I think Dear Polly is appropriate for year-round wear. If you’re a seasonal perfume person like me, you’ll appreciate something that wears well all year round. Of course, you’ll get different aspects of the composition depending on the time of year. As I’ve detailed here, winter will bring out a smoky, almost incense-like black tea. Summer will bring out that sharp bergamot and textured oakmoss in the base. All of these notes are yummy and work well in conjunction with each other. The green apple gives Dear Polly that unique twist to make it stand out. This one is worth sampling for sure. I have a hard time seeing anyone dislike it, unless one of the notes really plays havoc with your body chemistry. Dear Polly is the best kind of crowd-pleaser in that it’s appealing and manages to be thought-provoking, too.

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I purchased the travel sized bottle from Barneys. I personally don’t like the shape of the full size bottles. If I purchase something else from this line, I’d stick with the travel bottle again.

The information on notes is from fragrantica.

The photo of my travel bottle was taken by me.