Sabbia Bianca Profumum Roma

Desirability: Decant

Source: www.travelviaitaly.com

Sabbia Bianca or White Sand had a limited release of 500 bottles (rumour or rather Google claims) in 2011 and there's so little about it on the internet that I couldn't even find a photograph, hence the white sandy beach above. I was very lucky to have been gifted a sample of Sabbia Bianca by a kind fellow fragrance traveller who knows well my love of white florals. 

Sabbia Bianca is a Big Fat White Floral (BFWF) born on a tropical beach. If there was a checklist for the perfect tropical white floral, Sabbia Bianca would have ticked off all the qualities on that list. Creamy as coconut milk, lush narcotic florals- tuberose, gardenia, ylang ylang, tiare, a little sweet vanilla and just a touch of green leaves- somehow the green bit makes me think of waxy banana leaves. Not complicated, linear and it's been done before but a sunny and joyful scent that smells natural and has some serious lasting power. 

I am quite relieved to say that although I adore BFWFs and am a fan of Profumum despite their prices, I do not crave a full bottle of this rarity. It's undoubtedly beautiful and would appeal to those who adore white floral scents or tropical island beauties, but there are alternatives and cheaper ones at that, even if they may not match up to the phenomenal longevity of Sabbia Bianca. I'm thinking Guerlain's Terracotta Le Parfum though there isn't tuberose in it but the tropical white florals more than make up for that loss, or maybe Isles Lointaines by Keiko Mercheri. 

Happy New Year- Hello 2015!

Source: iledebeaute.ru

My friends and I headed to a beach club to ring in the new year last night. Of course that meant I had to pick a scent that would be suitable for a beach setting in tropical weather as well as being festive enough for New Year's Eve. Which isn't that easy as my picky mind has mentally separated "beach scents" as casual scents and "festive scents" as well festive, spices, rich resins and balms- totally unsuitable in this case. 

In the end I picked Terracotta Le Parfum, the limited release from Guerlain earlier in 2014 ( although if rumours are to be believed, a re-release that is possibly permanent too is due soon). 

"Allure of the sun in a bottle" 

It does smell like bottled warm glow. You get a burst of zingy citrus zest, a milky sweet coconut less creamy than in Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanille Coco but more creamy than Estee Lauder's Sensuous Nude then a jaw-dropping beautiful and lush bouquet of white florals, creamy and musky, heady frangipani and jasmine as well as ylang ylang with its mild spicy floral note. I notice too the orange blossom which is more subdued amongst the other flowers here. In the drydown the citrus laced vanilla and musk become stronger than the white floral notes but the coconut cream stays intact throughout. Not so much a beach scent that makes you think of the sea and sand but tropical island it surely is reminiscent of, of sun-kissed warm skin, frangipani trees releasing their fragrance in the gentle breeze that makes music of the leaves on the trees and long grass that tugs gently on your bohemian chic peasant dress as you hold hands with your lover, as picture perfect as a photo shoot for a glossy magazine.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm a fan of tropical flowers done right and with Terracotta Le Parfum, Thierry Wasser has done it gorgeously. The true scent of the tropical flowers are captured in this rose gold liquid, heady and luscious but not cloying, in fact the sillage is rather discreet for a white floral perfume. 

After comparing it with Annick Goutal's Songes EDT and L'Erbolario's Tiare, I would say this wins over Tiare which has a artificial saccharine note that spoils it for me. I prefer this to Songes EDT which is a lovely concoction of white flowers but did not last at all on my skin. The longevity of Terracotta Le Parfum despite being an EDT is about 6-7 hours on me although faint by that time.  

Happy New Year everyone! 

Lys Méditerranée Frederic Malle

Source: parfumglamour.com

Fresh, peppery and green with a squeeze of citrus is what I would call the opening of Lys Méditerranée that is airy and bright, reminiscent of cool breezes blowing in from seas shaded various hues of blue and sunny skies on a deserted beach far away from the humdrum of city life, the only noises coming from the music of the waves and pesky seagulls.

The lilies that were shyly hiding behind the spicy opening become bolder as the scent warms up over time, losing most of the peppery opening notes and turning more musky like sun-kissed skin. Lilies can be potent powerhouses like tuberose but Lys Méditerranée is not a big fat white floral, being more of a mellow scent that would go perfectly with big floppy sun hats and lounging by the poolside with a glass of something chilled in hand- the perfect beach scent. Speaking of beach scents I need to pull out Guerlain's Terracotta Le Parfum to wear again having neglected it in favour of my gourmand orientals for a few months. I've been recommended a long list of beach scents to sample that include the Barneys New York exclusive Irene Neuwirth, Bond No. 9 Fire Island and Bobbi Brown's Beach are those that I can remember right now. What scents remind you of the beach or are your favourite beach scents?

Lys Méditerranée and Serge Lutens' Un Lys are the most realistic of lily scents that I've tried so far, as if the scent of Casablanca blooms have been bottled and sprayed on but for once I prefer the other option to a Serge Lutens and would say the breezy attitude of Lys Méditerranée attracts me more than the creamier, sweeter Un Lys.

Source: flickr.com