Tag: perfume

Tauerville Rose Flash

January 9, 2019

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Notes: rose, woody notes, and resins.

When I first started this blog way back in 2012 (yes, all the way back in 2012!) Andy Tauer was *the* perfumer to get into. He had all the buzz, and well-deserved. I wasn’t really drawn to the independent perfumery scene at the time though. I wanted to explore Guerlain, Chanel, and high-end niche houses like Serge Lutens. Now that it’s 2019, I’ve had plenty of time to explore designer scents and I’m ready to embrace independent perfumers. Tauerville is like a fashion diffusion line, in that it’s the more affordable and approachable line of Tauer Perfumes. That doesn’t mean lower quality though, as I discovered with Rose Flash.

Rose Flash opens with a blooming jammy rose. There’s a touch of orange citrus, which feels like orange marmalade to me. It’s textured, it’s pretty, and rose is definitely the star. I haven’t always gotten along with rose soliflores and rose-centric perfumes in general. Part of the reason I chose Rose Flash was to challenge myself to make this scent work. There aren’t many other notes for me to cling to and distract from the rose. Fortunately, I love the rose here, so I don’t mind the lack of distraction!

There are some woody notes that become more apparent as the composition develops. This helps to anchor the rose and balance that huge blooming opening. The resinous notes come through a little stronger than the woods for me, which is lovely. The rose becomes dry as it wears, almost like a dry red wine. This blends beautifully with the resinous notes of the base.

The really remarkable thing about Rose Flash is that it’s an extrait de parfum, and it has the longevity to prove it. I can easily get 12 hours of wear time from this. If I wear it in the evening or to bed, it’s still quite noticeable the next morning. The sillage is heavy here, particularly during the first two hours of wear. And this one is easy to over spray. I apply one spritz on each wrist and that’s it! I personally wouldn’t wear this to work or the doctor’s office. I prefer it for myself in the evenings just because the rose is so rich, but I’m sure there are people who like this as their every day rose scent.

If Andy Tauer can make me finally embrace rose scents, he can probably do pretty much anything! I have more Tauer samples on the way, this time directly from Tauer Perfumes. It’s always nice to support the actual brands and perfumers when possible, and it is one of my 2019 resolutions to support independent artisans! Thankfully, independent perfumers are much more on-board with samples than the mainstream designer brands, so it’s possible to support the indie houses without having to do the dreaded blind buy.

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I ordered a sample of Rose Flash from The Perfumed Court. The Tauerville Flash series is available directly from Tauer Perfumes.

The info on notes is from Fragrantica.

I took the photo of my Rose Flash sample with a print of Botticelli’s Primavera panel painting.

Now Sampling: Hendley Perfumes

January 5, 2019

Hendley Perfumes is an independent, artisanal house based in Brooklyn. Hans Hendley is the perfumer. I actually learned of Hendley through instagram and was intrigued by some of the fragrance names I heard people mentioning. Here is what I’m sampling:

Amora: This is a very interesting jammy red berry mixed with rose. To my nose, it’s strawberry mingled with a wine-esque rose. It reminds me of a yummy summertime rosé. There is also a resinous note that adds some warmth. It all sits on a base of musk and ambergris that melds beautifully with the skin. Amora is a fun and unique fruity floral.

Blond: Surprisingly my favorite of the bunch! I was certain Amora would be the one for me, but Blond just spoke to me right from first spritz. It starts as a powdery orris that develops into a creamy and beautifully textured suede and sandalwood. It’s both smooth and a little spiky in just the right way. There is also a melon note in the composition that I don’t get on my skin, but I shall keep wearing and see! I’ll be purchasing this one, whether it’s the 9 ml travel size or a full bottle.

Rosenthal: This is a rose/patchouli very much in the vein of Portrait of a Lady. I get a camphorous medicinal scent in the opening before the rose really settles into the skin. If you’re a POAL fan, this might be one to check out, as the price point is a little more approachable than the typical Frederic Malle level. Again, this is available in a 9 ml travel size.

There are some shady brands on instagram and social media, who are only in it for the sponsorship and influencer opportunities. (Hello to those annoying skinny detox teas!) I suppose perfumery is not immune to this kind of behavior. Not everything you see on instagram is going to be amazing in person. However, Hendley Perfumes is the real deal. Hans seems very genuine about creating intriguing and high-quality scents.

As I said, I have my eye on Blond. I also want to sample Fume and Bourbon. Look out for a full post on Blond and more details on the other Hendley scents when I do another sample haul!

Have any of you tried Hendley? What are your thoughts?

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Samples are available directly from the Hendley website, which is where I purchased these three samples. Just as a heads up, it looks like Amora is currently out of stock. You can sign up for an email notification when it’s back in stock.

The photo was taken by me.

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.

What I Wore This Week

December 30, 2018

Here’s what I wore over Christmas! I actually didn’t wear Fille en Aiguilles on Christmas Eve this year. I wore Mon Numéro 10 on Christmas Eve and Hypnotic Poison for Christmas Dinner. What can I say, that was just the mood I was in! I also wore some samples from DSH Perfumes, Hendley Perfumes, and Tauerville Rose Flash.

  • Sunday: samples of Blond by Hendley Perfumes and Tauerville Rose Flash
  • Monday: Mon Numéro 10 by L’Artisan Parfumer
  • Tuesday: Hypnotic Poison by Dior
  • Wednesday: Châtaignes du Bois by DSH Perfumes
  • Thursday: Belle de Jour by Dior
  • Friday: Chanel No. 5 L’Eau (the white travel spray packaging)
  • Saturday: Wood Sage & Sea Salt by Jo Malone

What did you all wear over this last week of December?

What I Wore This Week

December 23, 2018

Here is my round-up of what I wore this week!

  • Monday: Woody Mood by Olfactive Studio
  • Tuesday: Lumiere by DSH Perfumes
  • Wednesday: Bas de Soie by Serge Lutens
  • Thursday: Chanel No. 5 EDP
  • Friday & Saturday: Mon Numero 10 by L’Artisan Parfumeur

What are you all wearing in the run up to Christmas?

Comparative Perfumery

December 19, 2018

I posted this photo and a little summary on my instagram, but I wanted to do a more in-depth post here on the blog.

I recently ordered a sample of Casablanca from St. Clair Scents, which is an indie artisanal brand based in Vermont. Diane St. Clair is the perfumer. Casablanca is the newest release for 2018 and it’s definitely a winter-appropriate scent. You can tell just by looking at the juice in the bottle, this scent is a rich and intensive experience.

Soon after first applying and testing Casablanca, I was reminded of Baptême du Feu from Serge Lutens, which I recently wrote about. Both scents have a striking animalic undercurrent. They have a dark vibe, a sort of dark fairy tale. I decided to wear one on each arm and do a little comparison test.

The result is that they are definitely not dupes of each other, but I feel they are in the same family. Baptême du Feu leans more foodie. There is a gingerbread note and the familiar Lutens dried fruit note. It’s not quite gourmand, but it’s a well-rounded composition and feels very festive for this time of year. Casablana is not foodie at all. It opens with some lovely citrus notes that bring a real radiance to the composition. This bright radiance balances out the deep animalic notes, which include civet and hyrax. Casablanca is really an animalic scent for me. There are white floral notes in the heart, including jasmine and tuberose. But the animalic notes are most present on my skin.

The animalic note in Baptême du Feu is castoreum, and it has a dark oily undercurrent for me. The hyrax and civet in Casablanca are also dark and have a black oiliness to them, like oily animal fur. It’s sensual, but it goes even further than that. It’s like an unnamed beast lurking outside the castle grounds. This is the dark fairytale aspect. It’s the theme of a beast that cannot be named but is undeniably present.

My favorite book from 2018, The Essex Serpent, deals with similar themes: the fear of a medieval beast re-appearing to wreak havoc in the present day. Both Baptême du Feu and Casablanca recall these medieval kind of superstitions. Both scents feel appropriate right now, as we come to the winter solstice and the darkest day of the year. But, ultimately, these scents and The Essex Serpent aren’t about fear, but about wonder and awe related to the unknown out in nature.

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I got my sample of Baptême du Feu from Luckyscent (and I have now completely drained it!)

I ordered my sample of Casablanca directly from St. Clair Scents.

The Essex Serpent was published in the US in 2017 but I did not read it until this year. I highly recommend it!

What I Wore This Week

December 16, 2018

Here’s this week’s round-up of What I Wore!

  • Monday: La Religieuse by Serge Lutens
  • Tuesday: Wood Sage and Sea Salt by Jo Malone
  • Wednesday: Misia EDT Les Exclusifs de Chanel
  • Thursday: Serpentine by Roberto Cavalli
  • Friday: Honeysuckle and Davana by Jo Malone
  • Saturday: Dear Polly by Vilhelm Parfumerie

What did you guys wear this week?

Olibanum by Profumum

December 12, 2018

Notes: orange blossom, sandalwood, incense, and myrrh.

I’ve tested several scents from Profumum over the years (and even written about some here and here). I have liked each and every scent I’ve tested. There doesn’t seem to be a dud in the bunch! Olibanum is yet another winner. The only problem is that Profumum Roma is a niche brand from, you guessed it, Rome. It’s not the easiest to find here in the US. It’s fairly pricey as well. The brand now offers an 18 ml travel size for $83 which Luckyscent carries. The 100 ml size is better value for money, but that travel size might be how I acquire my first Profumum scent, and Olibanum is a potential contender.

As you can guess from the name, Olibanum is a resinous, incense-focused fragrance. Indeed, it opens with a very true-to-life incense note. It’s like walking into a yoga studio and recognizing that they’re burning the good incense. It’s not smoky or acrid. It’s not plasticky or synthetic. It’s just true incense. This is a dry, yet well-rounded composition. The other notes come through sparingly, but they do their job in supporting incense as the star of the show.

Looking at the notes, I expected to smell orange blossom first. I expected a clean white floral scent. However, this orange blossom is actually very citrus-driven and more like true petitgrain from the leaves rather than the orange blossom itself. It’s a zesty yet dry orange citrus note that blends with the incense to give a bit of life, a bit of vivacity to the composition. It’s not floral at all though. I find that this citrus note comes through more on the skin rather than testing on paper. And it comes through as you wear it, rather than as a top note.

Sandalwood is also listed, and this is not your typical creamy sandalwood. This is not Santal Blush. Again, it’s as dry as can be. My nose reads it more as cedar than sandalwood. But then, I love cedar so much, my brain could wish it into any composition! Regardless, this piece of the composition serves as a dry woody anchor for the resinous incense to play off of. Just today, I tried layering Olibanum with Jo Malone’s Wood Sage and Sea Salt, and it is delicious! The woody notes are intensified and the grapefruit note in WS&SS plays well with the bitter orange blossom of Olibanum.

Of course, you don’t need to layer Olibanum. It’s a stunning fragrance on its own. However, it’s very somber and contemplative. This is incense, after all, the scent of sitting in quiet meditation or prayer. I do get church vibes, but I grew up Catholic. I will always get Catholic mass vibes from incense. If you don’t want to project Catholic mass vibes, layering Olibanum with a more floral or fruity composition is probably a good idea. On its own, Olibanum is a stark but beautiful fragrance. It makes an impression with few notes. It’s meant for reflection, and it’s gorgeous at this time of year. It’s definitely worth testing, as are so many scents from this line.

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Profumum is available from Luckyscent in the US, which is where I ordered my sample of Olibanum.

The info on notes is from Fragrantica.

The photo is of St. Patrick’s Cathedral. I took it on a rainy morning when I was in New York in September.

What I Wore This Week

December 8, 2018

I’ve been trying to track my scents of the day recently to take stock of what I’m actually wearing. I’m trying to cycle through my collection a bit more. I say “trying” because I inevitably forgot this past Monday, so you only see four scents here!

  • Tuesday: Woody Mood by Olfactive Studio
  • Wednesday: Honeysuckle & Davana by Jo Malone London
  • Thursday: Terre d’Iris by Miller Harris
  • Friday: Mon Numéro 10 by L’Artisan Parfumeur

This doesn’t include any samples that I tested because those samples will be featured in upcoming posts of their own! What did you wear this past week?

(And, today I am wearing Burberry Brit for a bit of classic coziness.)

Au Delà by Bruno Fazzolari

December 5, 2018

Notes: coriander, neroli, jasmine, orange blossom, amber, resins, and oakmoss.

The original version of Au Delà was released in 2013. It is now Au Delà Narcisse, which is a different composition, and one that I have not yet tried. I’m currently working my way through Bruno Fazzolari creations, including his most recent one, Vetiverissimo. I debated whether to even write about the original Au Delà at this point, since it’s no longer available from Bruno Fazzolari in this formulation. I decided to write about it anyway because, if we’re not writing about discontinued or reformulated compositions, that leaves very little perfume left to talk about! I got my sample of Au Delà in the original formulations from The Perfumed Court, where it is still available.

As soon as I apply this to the skin, it’s like a rush of notes just blooming in front of me. I definitely get a tangy coriander in the opening. This coriander is green and sharp. It bites at your nose and your attempts to sniff it. I also get a heady neroli. It takes several minutes for this composition really settle into my skin.

The jasmine and orange blossom in particular feel a bit soapy. Not soapy as in clean, but rather, a literal bar of soap. I can sense those tiny decorative soaps that my Grandma still keeps in the soap dish in her powder room to this day. Au Delà conjures up all sort of memories like this. It has a distinctive old fashioned chypre smell, which many people might call “old lady” or “grandma.” For me, Au Delà is “grandma” in a good way, bringing up memories and associations that I have with my own Grandma.

It’s also warm, sensual, and animalic. The amber in particular stands out for me as Au Delà deepens and heads toward the dry down. This amber is incredibly warm and enveloping. I wish it were a blanket that I could just sink into. The oakmoss adds to that feeling, since it really has a texture here. It reminds me of a sponge — and not a beauty blender sponge, but a sea sponge! There is a touch of saltiness here which is giving me that sea salt association. This oakmoss also has a damp earthiness, like it has recently rained. It’s not a cool or refreshing rain though. It’s like we’re in the heart of a forest, where it’s still warm (from that amber) and a little bit decadent from the jasmine petals still unfurling in the background. Au Delà is simultaneously heady and deep, luminous and dense.

It has taken me two weeks to finish this write-up and I’m still not sure that I’ve really done Au Delà justice. It’s the kind of fragrance that can’t be easily summed up. It’s a throwback to the glorious chypres that have now been discontinued or reformulated. And now Au Delà itself has been reconfigured as Au Delà Narcisse, which I am curious to try! And yet, it doesn’t feel old fashioned or dated. Bruno Fazzolari can’t help but be modern. I may order a larger sample of Au Delà from The Perfumed Court just to savor it for awhile. This is one of those special fragrances that isn’t just something to smell, but a full experience.

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I got my sample of Au Delà from The Perfumed Court. The photo of my sample was taken by me.

The info on notes is taken from Fragrantica.