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

Tango Masque

Desirability: Decant

Source: luckyscent

Phwoar...talk about heady and intoxicating, Tango just blazed its way onto my want list and I want this in a seriously bad way. Fragrantica lists this as an oriental floral but it wears like a spicy oriental on me, where have all the flowers gone? 

Cumin. Cumin. Cumin. Cloves. Cinnamon. Cardamom. Cumin. CUMIN. Cumin in all its wanton sweaty glory, attractive or repulsive depending on whether you like it. Boozy, bold, exotic and rich, Tango has me in a cinch, make that a steaming hot passionate cinch. It continues to smoulder all the way to its drydown, a warm, dense and sweet amber base with resins and dry wood heaped on the molten fire. Monstrous projection and longevity. Sexy beast. 

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! 

Bouquet Ideale Xerjoff

Source: www.coccio.de

Having more perfume than I could finish in several lifetimes, I try to purchase new scents in the smallest size bottles possible. Which is why I'm very pleased that Xerjoff has both the Oud Stars collection as well as the "female" Casamorati scents in discovery boxes at reasonable prices. 

I smell no flowers in Bouquet Ideale. No matter. It's very yummy from beginning to end, if you like all-fattening, no calories spared vanilla that is. The opening is dry, spicy and sweet but the aridness of the festive spices disappears quickly to be replaced by a thick, creamy almond and vanilla combination that cannot fail to conjure up images of sinful desserts. As if one is indulging more than the vice of gluttony, there is a rich and aromatic pipe tobacco scent in the background which adds to the decadence of the scent. There are soft woody notes and warm musky undertones in its drydown and overall it feels quite linear, a tobacco vanilla lightly laced with spices, woods and musk. Beautiful and alluring.

Average projection and good longevity, unless you are a man who adores his sweets and can wear them with aplomb, I find this more suited to women, there's something playful even flirty about Bouquet Ideale, irresistible feminine wiles for every woman's arsenal.

Lulu, Pandora's Box. Source: wn.com

Ambra Lorenzo Villoresi

Source: Fragrantica

I've said it way too many times probably that Ambre Sultan is THE amber in my humble opinion and I've never wanted another amber since meeting that Lutens. Some ambers have been too powdery and many more have been too sweet and not resinous enough for my taste. And then there is Lorenzo Villoresi's Ambra from the Vintage Collection. 

You say amber, I think warm, inviting, smouldering, oriental, resinous etc. The opening of Ambra has none of that. "A misnomer", I thought, wrinkling my nose up at the sharp citrus and heavily peppered opening. Elemi is very evident with its fresh, spicy and citrus-like smell. Exotic spices join the line up like cardamom with its green aromatic sweetness, cloves with their unique minty spiciness and a heavy dusting of black pepper. Potent and commanding it most certainly is, the notes teetering on the edge of dissonance. 

It becomes more "amber like" in the later stages, the rough edges of its earlier self smoothed away. The "marine" salty muskiness I've come to associate with ambergris, accompanied by soft powdery woods and sweet smoky resins all lightly spiced, warm and comforting, as if Ambra has matured from a coltish young one to a graceful and loving swan with a mild temperament. Powerful opening that lightens into moderate projection thereafter and overall good longevity. 

CiocoRosissimo Hilde Soliani

Source: Luckyscent

Quirky rose.

The chocolate is most obvious when the scent is first applied, more of a bitter dark chocolate. Sadly the chocolate note waxes and wanes before disappearing completely. Along with the chocolate at the introduction there are  sweet spicy notes that make me think of pepper and cloves. There is also a strong and dry incense gamboling with the chocolate and spices, overall it doesn't smell bad or good but challenging? So the chocolate wanders off and the spice and incense take it down a few notches, it's the debut of the rose, or rather delicately sweet rosewater. By the drydown most of the spiciness is gone leaving the incense, rosewater and vanilla, subtly sweet and balmy.

I can't decide if I like or dislike CiocoRosissimo. It's a wonky and fun scent with tasty point, average projection and longevity. Something that should be sampled though and not blindly bought. 

1969 Parfum de Revolte Histoires de Parfums

Source: www.ufgrangehall.com

1969 was the first perfume I owned from Histoires de Parfums and it entered my life around the beginning of my entry into the "niche" world of perfumes other than Serge Lutens. In contrast to some of my early buys, I've grown to enjoy and appreciate it more than my inexperienced nose ever did before. 

Where before my green self could only smell a fruity chocolate, I now think of it as alluring and spicy, the gourmand notes still present but intertwined with newly recognised notes, 1969 has grown in attraction, the good projection and longevity being plus points as well. Cloves, cardamom and licorice dominate the opening, spicy, herbal and thoroughly invigorating. A fuzzy soft peach and sweet, fresh roses appear after half an hour of wear, the spiciness abating with their appearance but the scent still retains its oriental nature, warm and sensual. 

After the fruit and floral notes are settled in, a dark semi-sweet chocolate emerges and 1969 becomes smoother and creamy, a spiced chocolate that smells different to Arquiste's Anima Dulcis, another spicy chocolate that I adore. The spice in Anima Dulcis smells like how chili tastes or smells, raw, sharp and fiery whereas the spiciness in 1969 are the unmistakeable cardamom and cloves, aromatic with a slightly peppery tickle to the nostrils, the combination of both spices makes me think of mulled wine and Turkish coffee! 

As 1969 dries further, the spices remain as a lingering pleasant aftertaste and leave a rosy sweet and musky dark chocolate behind. Anima Dulcis on the hand becomes a powdery chili chocolate in its drydown, the makings of a comforting mug of spiced cocoa. Both scents are utterly blissful in their own way but I find 1969 a tad seductive with her sweet bits and spicy muskiness, the earthy patchouli in the drydown adding some darkness to her already interesting nature. Anima Dulcis on the other hand is more like her name, a genuinely "sweet soul" that is relatively uncomplicated chili and chocolate, what you see (on the note list) is what you get. 

PG02 Cozé Parfumerie Generale

Marijuana plants give off a lot A LOT of scent especially when flowering thanks to the aromatic qualities of the plant's terpenoids. Depending on which strain is grown, the smell can vary from green notes like leaves or grass or pine, fruit notes like berries or citrus, musky, skunk-like, spicy like cloves and cinnamon or any combination of the above, creating a smell that is almost indescribable.



So is Cozé almost indescribable. The opening is sharp and astringent, peppery almost and medicinal cloves burning my nostrils. When my head stopped spinning, I could pick up the woody aspect of the scent. The shrillness dries down into a very boozy patchouli with the spices and wood notes still lingering. I get no coffee or chocolate so I assume someone had the munchies and stole mine. Leaning on the masculine side, it is still comfortably unisex but not for the faint-hearted. Spicy woody, unconventional. Not quite chatty or cosy but an interesting trip for sure. This would be as close as I get to weed in this country.

Sillage is good so you might get arrested for possession. Longevity is decent, I clocked half a day.

Verdict: Haight Ashbury minus the incense.



P.S: to whoever stole my Grateful Dead tee, I want it back!

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.

Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle

This smells like Christmas in a bottle. Well parts of Christmas anyway, like logs blazing in the fireplace (the pyromaniac in me enjoyed watching wood burning on the grate), eggnog generously laced repeatedly by forgetful grandmothers and naughty teenagers and spiced christmas pudding with its dark sugar-glazed surface. 

Spiced Eggnog Cupcake

Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle is a delicious not quite dessert but a woody gourmand if that is feasible. The musk is present but not prominent like it is in Musc Ravageur, it's slightly powdery but the main players are the sweet spicy vanilla and the creamy sandalwood with a sweet earthy patchouli presenting itself in the drydown, all the ingredients making this not an unusual scent per se, but an interesting vanilla scent with a definite woody-oriental character.  

Eggnog Latte

Although I don't take seasons/weather into account(how could I when most of the year I spend it on this tropical city island where the weather is hot and humid or hot, humid and wet) when I choose a fragrance to wear, I would suggest that Dries Van Noten par Frederic Malle would be sublime in colder weather where the spices come out and play, rather than on a hot day where I fear the sweetness would be overdoing things and masking the scent's true character. It's perfect for cuddling on a sofa, it's as comforting as Linus' stinky blanket is to him, it's as soothing as the purring of my cat against my skin and totally disarming if wearing to work or play. 

It leaves a gossamer of a scent veil around me and( I don't usually get compliments on my scents not because I stink but well...I just don't. But I do not stink. This is however one of the scents that has garnered compliments) people ask what is that delightful/delectable/yummy smell? The sad part is that it does not last long, I don't get more than four hours each time I wear this and even then it's very much a skin scent. Still I couldn't resist this sumptuous fragrance and sprung for the 3x10ml travel sprays so that it's easier to lug around for touch ups.