Rose Etoile de Hollande Mona di Orio

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: pinterest

I've been lucking out with peaches recently. Or rather peach/patchouli combinations. I love Lancome Tresor and of course Guerlain Mitsouko has long been a favourite but Gucci Rush smells horrible on me and I met the first Guerlain I've actively disliked during this past weekend- Chypre Fatal. 

I was given a bottle of Rose Etoile de Hollande during a tumultuous period in my life and didn't have the time or attention to lavish on her as deserved. So it was not until recently when I've been craving roses that I dug out this dazzling rose. 

Peaches are first to greet me and I'm very glad we get along here. Fleshy peaches are followed by lush blooms of red roses that have been gently dusted with powder and spices. The nectar in Rose Etoile de Hollande comes from both the rose and the peach but there are also fragrant spices and just the teeniest bit of tartness present. The rosy powder and brilliant aldehydes give it a classical air but I can't see anyone calling this a "grandma" scent as the spices and fresh piquancy keep it lively and modern. The drydown is a warm woody-amber base with a strong note of aromatic cloves and of course the fruity roses prevail to the very end. 

A truly luxuriant scent to indulge in any time you want to spoil yourself, actually it reminds me of Yves Saint Laurent Champagne/Yvresse with a healthy dose of roses and like Champagne, it's sparkling nature is suitable for all occasions and moods. Sillage is average and longevity is very good. 

Source: pinterest

Amoureuse Parfums DelRae

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: pinterest.com

The perfume community keeps raving about Amoureuse and siblings over the years that I've been part of it. Unfortunately due to several reasons including that samples are not easy to find and full bottles even harder to blind buy, Amoureuse and I never got together until I received a decant from a fellow fragrance lover in a recent swap.

It reminds me of Mona di Orio's Nuit Noire, both share animalic, white floral and spicy accords but Amoureuse is much more tame than Nuit Noire. Where Nuit Noire is a sweat-encrusted, well-loved  and worn leather jacket, intoxicating tuberose and sumptuous orange blossom, Amoureuse is lush, honeyed lilies and narcotic jasmine enhanced by the beauty of the tuberose. Cardomom is present in both, imparting its sweet and special spiciness, made even more fiery by fresh ginger in Nuit Noire. Amoureuse stays sweeter throughout its lifetime whereas in Nuit Noire, the sweetness waxes and wanes throughout the story, yet never quite reaching the honeyed tones of Amoureuse. Both scents mellow over time, Amoureuse turning into a soft and powdery affair of sandalwood and flowers whereas Nuit Noire is the glowing coals of a warm amber base. Classic and traditional, both Amoureuese and Nuit Noire are full bottle worthy in my opinion. Sillage and longevity are both very good in the case of Amoureuse, my SOTD clinging on into the night.

Coincidentally while wearing Amoureuse today and surfing the net for potential buys, I came across a very affordable deal for a bottle of Nuit Noire instead. Plus the website had the travel sizes for Profumum Roma so I got one of Battito d'Ali. The icing on the cake was free international shipping. Guess who's an even happier chick than usual today? :) 

Jicky EDT Guerlain

Desirability: A full bottle

Source: basenotes.net

Jicky EDT (bottle as above) was one of the first classical Guerlain perfumes I got my greedy mitts in the early days of my perfume craze. I didn't appreciate it much back then, my attention instead being focused on all sorts of gourmand and heavy oriental scents. Times and tastes have evolved since then. These days when life gets a bit more challenging, Jicky is one in a special "emergencies only" line-up I reach for to calm and recharge simultaneously. 

Slightly bitter, herbal green and citrusy, the first notes are loud and bracing (with a hangover one would practically think it's shrieking), not quite everyone's cup of tea I would imagine. Patience pays off quite quickly as the opening notes step aside and a gorgeous lavender conjoins with an even more gorgeous creamy vanilla and a touch of bittersweet almond/tonka...all members of the special guerlainade list of ingredients that weaves a linkage between various Guerlain perfumes. Jicky projects well with a couple of sprays but unfortunately doesn't last above the four hour mark on me. Even then, this elegant and timeless beauty is one that deserves leisurely sampling ( a quick spray and sniff won't do it justice really).

24 Faubourg Hermès

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I received my first perfume based insult when the one I was dating at that time told me I smelt like a stable while wearing 24 Faubourg. Of course that wasn't the kiss of death for our relationship but it might have had something to do with it. Love me, love my perfume. 

It starts off very fresh and brisk thanks to the icy steel-like hyacinths that make me think of Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. After acclimatizing to the bracing green-ness, I smell florals but can't pick them out individually. The florals have a classic vibe, elegant like a crisp white shirt, glowing in its tailored luminosity. As it dries, it becomes a sweet and powdery woodsy smell with a tinge of citrus to tickle the nostrils. When first applied, it seems very potent and a little lofty thanks to the hyacinths but the scent becomes more mellow with time, although lasting quite a number of hours, I typically get about 6-8 hours worth each wear. 

It's just me but I tend to save 24 Faubourg for days when I'm feeling more practical and less romantic, i.e Mondays. There's something about her that makes me sit up straight and maintain perfect posture and decorum whilst carrying out my tasks in a brisk and efficient manner. Not a perfume I'll imagine to romp in the fields or chill out on the sofa with. 

Source: huffingtonpost.com

  

Nejma 4, Nejma

Nejma 4 introduces herself with a bright and zingy bergamot, geraniums adding a dash of spicy pepper to the otherwise piquant citrus top notes.

Settling down after the round of introductions which lasted about half an hour or so, she reveals a sweet-herbaceous, slightly powdery aspect of her character accompanied by florals that I am unable to differentiate as they are seamlessly blended together, however Nejma 4 is listed by Fragrantica to contain jasmine, rose, narcissus and ylang ylang.

The herbaceous aspect dissipates, the powder gradually becomes more obvious and the scent remains as a very floral powder till the end. An enjoyable powdery floral bouquet with a classic vibe, reminiscent of Yves Saint Laurent Paris EDP although Paris is more of a pink bouquet and Nejma 4 smells like a pale yellow arrangement.

Nejma 4 has a modest sillage and good longevity on me.