Garofano Lorenzo Villoresi

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: www.lorenzovilloresi.it

I was never blown away by Caron's Bellodgia as loved and lauded as it is. Perhaps my new-ish bottle lacks the magic of previous formulations or perhaps I tried it too soon on my scent journey to truly appreciate it but Bellodgia got swapped away before I gave it another chance to someone else who really loves it. In return I got a sample of Garofano and this is something I can see myself wearing.

To avoid confusion, the sample is from the Vintage Collection from which I've tried and loved both Ylang Ylang and Ambra, the former being the most natural ylang ylang I've smelt and the latter being a unique interpretation of amber that's nothing like most other ambers on the market recently. 

Before I came across the universe of scents I never thought of carnations as fragrant, at least not the ones in the florist shops on my tropical island. The very most I could come up with after sticking my nose into various store bought carnations was the mildest of mild spicy floral and even that's exaggerating. Snooping on gardening forums I came to the conclusion that the ones that I've been sniffing are likely new hybrids that were crossbred for their size and colour with little attention paid to their scent whereas carnations which have not been domesticated smell like well, like carnations are meant to smell. 

So never having smelt an untouched carnation nor carnation absolute, I have to rely on Google which tells me carnations smell as follows: heavy, musky, spicy, clove-like, floral, powdery, sweet as honey, exotic. 

If this is true then Garofano encompasses all these characteristics. It is a rich and deep scent that smells like pepper and other aromatic spices from the kitchen, a dark and thick honey, leaving the kitchen and entering a boudoir whose walls and carpet hold the smells of powder, both the living and the ghosts of glorious floral arrangements as well as a hint of musk from the owner. Garofano doesn't unfold on me chapter by chapter but instead I smell everything together and yet separately, the different notes coming forwards and drifting away again as if the notes are in a free-style dance but sharing the limelight almost equally. I say almost equally because the most distinct on me would be the spicy floral and powdery bits. 

Biased perhaps by the olfactory hallucinations of canopied four-posters, heavy velvet drapings and plush outfittings a la Dangerous Liaisons, I find Garofano to be more feminine than unisex unless you are John Malkovich. Besides smelling like a historical aristocratic drama filled with intrigue, Garofano has a great projection with a moderate longevity and I would highly recommend this to lovers of carnations and vintage-y scents. 

Wisteria Hysteria Comme des Garcons & Stephen Jones

Desirability: Sample

Source: en.colette.fr

Wisteria Hysteria sounds a lot more fun than it actually smells. After the great time I had with the eponymous debut scent, I was awaiting my sample of Wisteria Hysteria with great expectations.

 It smells like a an aquatic fruity-floral that would be perfect for a hot day when you don't want the usual citrus based scents. Fresh, green, sweet and watery. The crispness of the opening slowly fades away and I pick up spicy powdery notes that were also present in Stephen Jones but the powder is much toned down here in comparison. The aromatic spices do a lot in livening up the fragrance for me, I wasn't blown away by the introduction. White musk and a light incense are present in the later part and although the drydown is warmer and deeper than its introduction, Wisteria Hysteria never becomes engaging on my skin. 

The relationship I have with Wisteria Hysteria is like that with colleagues you have worked with for many years and there is mutual goodwill but you never bother to catch up with over the weekend as there is a lack of warmth to push the relationship into the "friends" territory. Overall it is a pleasant scent but I much prefer the unique and quirky Stephen Jones. 

Stephen Jones Comme des Garcons & Stephen Jones

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: www.notenom.com

An interesting and wearable violet.

I may find a scent interesting and original but that does not necessarily mean I would feel comfortable wearing it, instead preferring to treasure it as a piece of art. Comme des Garcons & Stephen Jones combine both the weird and wonderful in Stephen Jones making it wearable olfactory art, which is a trait that is seen in most of the creations from Comme des Garcons that I've had the pleasure to try. Intriguing and creative.

There's something tart and spicy about this violet, breaking away from the traditional mould of candied innocent violet flowers. It is partly airy with the violet flowers and leaves smelling natural and sweetly green but Stephen Jones isn't about a posy of violets. There's a snowstorm of aldehydes like sparkling diamond dust all over the violets, enough to tickle your nose and your fancies if you are into violets and aldehydes as a pair. Oh and back to the tart spiciness...reminiscent of aromatic herbs, they add a piquancy to the dusted violets. I smell incense and woody notes later on but the violet flowers and leaves along with the spiced powdery notes are the main players throughout. 

Original and charming from beginning to end, overall it feels dry, brisk and rather modern but yet there's an old-fashioned vibe from the gentle and sweet violet powder. Unisex and although it might not be everyone's cup of tea, I doubt anyone could say that Stephen Jones is staid or boring! 

Opium Eau D'ete Summer Fragrance 2003 Yves Saint Laurent

Desirability: Sample

Source: Fragrantica

Opium on a diet for super hot and humid days when you don't want to asphyxiate those around you with the original. Most days I don't give a stuff whether people around me mind what I'm wearing but there are occasions where one must be toe the line or suffer horrid non TGIF consequences hence why I'm wearing this today. 

Sweet woody myrrh, refined and oriental-esque, lightened by the presence of sunny yellow-green citrus notes and luminous white flowers. Carnation makes known its presence with its distinct spicy-sweet floral powdered self and a minute amount of rich vanilla in the warm woody base. 

The DNA of Opium is still alive in this 2003 summer edition, a glamorous, well balanced ode to the art of perfumery with excellent longevity and OK projection. Those who found the original too much of a good thing may want to try this version, there are still bottles tinkering around on Ebay so grab while you can. Personally I prefer the original. 

Sarrasins Serge Lutens

Source: www.scentsate.com

I dabbed a little of this exotic purple coloured scent on my arm and it looks like a faded bruise when it dries off so be careful!

Sweet indolic jasmine on a base of powdery musk. I wish it stopped there but I smell something that makes me think of hyacinths and aldehydes or what I associate with them. There's a cold and metallic element in Sarrasins devoid of emotions and that keeps you at a distance, never really warming up even after hours on skin. Austere, aloof. Two words I won't want to associate with jasmine, a much loved flower from my childhood, bringing to mind balmy tropical evenings not the slate grey skies of Sarrasins where the warmth of jasmine is held captive by the coldness of its accompanying notes. 

I find it to have a good projection and longevity on me but then I've not really had a problem with either department when it comes to Serge Lutens. Personally I prefer A La Nuit which to me is a true jasmine lover's dream, honeyed, luminous, fragrant jasmine petals, happier and less haughty than Sarrasins. 

1876 Histoires de Parfums

Source: Fragrantica

Spicy. Woody. Floral. Powdery. 

In 1876 the spices and powdery are the most prominent on me with the rose and woody notes playing supporting roles in this complex and interesting creation. 

In 1876 the spicy notes are contributed by caraway, cinnamon and carnation which also provides the powdery aspect of it.1876 gives off a vintage air as if stepping back into time or opening an antique chest that had not been opened for the past century and would be more fitting amongst rich brocades and plush velvets rather than the stark white modernity of my office. Once past the strong spicy opening, I pick out the sweet rose amongst other floral notes that I cannot tell apart but which lend some fresh air to the perfume. In the later stage the scent feels dry and dusty like being in the old and infrequently used section of an ancient library, with smoky and woody notes of sandalwood and vetiver adding to the air of mystery around 1876 like being in a hallowed place of worship filled with poor lighting, spirals of smoke and whispered prayer. Overall I find the effect similar to what opium smokers might have felt, a haziness creeps over and fogs out everything leaving behind a sense of serenity and security. 

Supposedly inspired by Mata Hari, 1876 is a unique and captivating scent that is worthy of its namesake. However I personally feel the scent is more snuggle-worthy than femme fatale but in any case I do like it and would probably enjoy it even more if the scent were on the "deeper" side instead of the current "lite" version. 

Une Fleur de Cassie Frederic Malle

Desirability: Full bottle and a back up

I was too caught up in my obsession with Carnal Flower and Dans Tes Bras to give Une Fleur de Cassie the attention she deserved but I'm glad she gave me a second chance. A friend recently asked to swap for 10 ml of it and fired up my curiosity, I have always liked it but never appreciated its real magic. Till now that is. Thank you Emilija :)

Time-lapse image of a suntrail. Pekka Parviainen. 

Une Fleur de Cassie is like watching the sunrise to sunset.

 She opens bright, yellow and clear, like the sun shining through the windows in the morning. The initial sharpness gradually turns into a musty golden pollen, sour sweet and woody, like romping in scented fields of flowers and hay, rays of the afternoon sun beaming down, far far away from the any jaded, polluted city.

Magnificent mimosa in a vase. FRAGAL.

Like the soothing calm watching a sunset brings, so does the mellow powdery dry down of Une Fleur de Cassie bring feelings of contentment and happiness shaded by a light melancholy.



You kiss the last rays goodbye and give your loved ones a hug, breathing in the heated musk of skin tinged with sweat from playing under the sun all day.

Just as the happy memories stay with you forever, so does the warm glow of Une Fleur de Cassie stay on your clothes for what seems forever, keeping you in a perfumed personal bubble all day.  

Une Fleur de Cassie is a scent you need to have time for, not something to spray on in a rush. Like a fine wine that you let breathe and sit with to fully appreciate its bouquet, so it is with Une Fleur de Cassie. 

The emotional joyride Une Fleur de Cassie takes you on is magical. Quite the epitome of a perfect fragrance.

Eau Eternelle S Poncet

I received a sample of this from a fragrant friend recently, thank you! S Poncet is owned by Sabine Poncet Hernandez, a perfumer from France who after having spent a decade working for other perfume houses, decided to showcase her own work.

Eau Eternelle is described as follows on S Poncet's Etsy store: 

The garden of Claude Monet in a stunning crystal bottle.

To transcribe Monet's Japanese garden, I picked the most exquisite pink lotus absolute, and grapefruit oil.

To share his Clos Normand, I choose lavender, rosemary, clove, jasmin, carnation, mandarin, and lemon oils.

The fragrance is completed with an exquisite wood base of guaiacwood, sandalwood, patchouli, and moss.

Eau Eternelle feels and smells like a lady of good breeding, young or old, who behaves with the proper decorum in every situation. She's like Scarlett O'Hara's mother after her marriage. There is nothing loud or brash here, nothing that calls for attention. 

The scent opens as a burst of bright citrus notes, I can clearly pick out the grapefruit here. To be honest I wasn't too keen on the opening, there was something about it that made me think of dryer sheets.

Eau Eternelle smells like a perfectly manicured garden, of aromatic shrubbery and subtly sweet flowers. There's a warm spiciness from the cloves and carnations, my introduction to carnation was a vintage sample of Caron's Bellodgia and I enjoy its spicy floral accent which lends a certain gravitas. I smell a white tea similar to jasmine tea and just the barest hint of a powdery musk underneath. The sillage is as pleasantly inoffensive as the dry down and the scent lasts a long time. 

There's no doubt that it's a nice scent for a lady of any age but I am otherwise unmoved by it. It's pleasant but unremarkable and I much rather be Scarlett.