Fidelis Histoires de Parfums

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: Fragrantica.

Not a scent for the fainthearted.

Fidelis is a heavy hitter from the very first spray. I tend to overspray with hefty pumps thanks to my slight anosmia secondary to chronic allergic rhinitis, but with Fidelis I am cautious not to go above two gentle sprays or else I run the risk of engulfing everyone else around me with its monster projection.

Many if not all houses from niche to mainstream seem to have done a rose/oud/patchouli combination by now and we perfume lovers have one if not several favorites from the glut of choice available. Some of us may even be fatigued by it! Enter Fidelis and a break with tradition. 

Unabashedly loud, almost brash, Fidelis is nothing like the smooth, romantic rose/oud combinations I lean towards. THIS is oud. Upon application, this giant of a scent is almost unbearably bitter with a medicinal oud so thick you could imagine cutting the air in front of you with a knife. Saffron, cardamom and cumin are looted from the spice cupboard and applied with a liberal hand. Their spicy harmony provides a dry, crisp respite (a breath of spicily fresh air literally) from the majestic oud. Patchouli enfolds you in its warm familiar vegetal sweetness, somewhat akin to rolling around on damp forest ground. Rose neither delicate nor syrupy blends a floral theme into the bold and earthy mixture and I suspect allows for my more feminine tastes to better enjoy Fidelis. 

An Original in a sea of rose-ouds which takes you on an endless and passionate journey. Fidelis is not a scent I frequently reach for, as truthfully I find it a tad too demanding for my sensibilities for a regular fixture but on the days I want complexity as well as a major case of intensity with my roses, this is a good one. 

Harem Soirée Arte Profumi

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: Fragrantica

I purchased samples of Harem Soirée and Velvet Rouge from First in Fragrance a few months ago and have worn both several times now (although First in Fragrance does use generous sized spray samples, you should still have a good idea as to how far a little spray of either scent goes. Need I add that the staying power is amazing). The scents are complex creatures and take a while to fully appreciate and understand, hence why it's taken me a while to write about either.

Harem Soirée feels like a relative of Amouage's Memoir Woman. That is not to say that they smell the same, but both have a dense, opulent and animalic character. Whereas Memoir boasts the typical lengthy list of notes that characterizes most if not all from the house of Amouage, Harem Soirée has three listed notes on Fragrantica of myrrh, ambergris and rose (First in Fragrance lists only ambergris and rose). Harem Soirée definitely smells more complicated than three let alone two notes. Then again the complexity could be attributed to the main player ambergris, which to my nose is responsible for the headily sweet yet unmistakably animalic (salty and a tad of manure) odour. I'm guessing that for those who shy away from heady/raunchy scents, Harem Soirée would risk being too pungent for their taste. Rose is almost hidden behind the smoke and mirrors effect created by the multi-faceted ambergris. Almost but not quite. I imagine her to be a dark and deep red rose, fleshy and voluptuous, the way I usually enjoy my roses (and wines for that matter). Far from being prettily sweet and more of a burlesque dancer, rose sinuously winds and entwines herself in the smoky swirls of the scent, as it enraptures and captures your attention, then your heart and finally your money. 

A little late but I decide to get a bottle with my soon expiring birthday voucher from First in Fragrance ( the shortlist was between Harem Soirée, Rubj EDP, Ambra Aurea and Bacarrat Rouge 540...it wasn't an easy choice I can tell you but Harem Soirée with its siren call of roses and ambergris won out). I will enjoy wearing it in the unseasonably colder weather we have been experiencing in Singapore of late. I started re reading Bram Stoker's Dracula and can quite imagine a deadly and devastatingly beautiful Un Dead using this beguiling scent to entrance its victim.

Miroir des Envies Thierry Mugler (Mirror Mirror Collection)

Desirability: Full bottle and a back up

Source: Fragrantica

Phoarrrrr! Christine Nagel is a sorceress and Miroir des Envies is her magic potion/drug.

A real shape-shifter it is too! One moment I smell divine white flowers and the next I smell buttered caramel popcorn or warm buttered toast or...oh never mind I just smell like gourmand heaven! I kid you not. I was having the shittiest upon shittiest day imaginable and this gem came in a parcel as part of a swap with a super duper generous fragrance friend. On the way to bed I decided to try this and it put an instant smile on my face (the first of the day too so you can imagine what extraordinary powers this has)! 

Source: lovethispic.com

Source: pinterest

I can't quite make up my mind if it's caramel buttery popcorn or buttered toast with syrup/honey that I smell as both keep popping up like a short movie on repeat in my head. 

Miror des Envies has been said to resemble Thierry Mugler's Alien and its flanker Taste of Fragrance Alien, but I have to strongly disagree (personal experience and opinion only of course, kudos to those who had fabulous experiences) as Taste of Fragrance Alien (ditto The One Desire by Dolce & Gabbana) had the most nauseous, synthetic-smelling caramel note that I couldn't scrub off fast enough. Needless to say that bottle got swapped away very quickly. Whereas the caramel in Miroir des Envies smells like real caramel and thankfully has no synthetic vibe to put me off. The buttered toast bit reminds me of Jeux de Peau but the Lutens does not have the alluring white flowers that float dreamily in waves, taking turns with the gourmand facet of Miroir des Envies to lull you into an olfactory bliss.  

Jasmine is obviously present but I also detect a delicate, slightly citrusy orange blossom in the floral bouquet. It might sound like a dubious combination-white flowers and buttered/caramel popcorn/toast but 1) neither the gourmand nor the white flowers dominate the scent but are seamlessly layered upon themselves creating an utterly addictive essence and 2) this has to be one of the most unique fragrances I've smelt in a while. Like I said...Phoarrrrrr! It knocks your socks off. Sillage is moderate and longevity is good. I will be guarding my bottle closely. 

P.S: This is possibly the first time I've smelt popcorn in a perfume. The note was lost on me in the pre-reformulated Miss Dior Cherie but I'm happy to report that I'm in the camp of perfumeheads who smell popcorn in Miroir des Envies! 

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

Una Tira l'Altra Hilde Soliani

Desirability: Full Bottle

Source: Fragrantica

Source: www.cookingforkeeps.com

Cherry, more cherry and more cherry.

I enjoy both Bambolina and Doolciiisssimo where lovely dark cherries are to be found, in the former mixed with green and watery notes and in the latter with a warm and sweet tobacco, but if you are looking for cherry without much distractions, you don't have to look further than Una Tira l'Altra.

Source:www.hungrygirlporvida.com

It's like a gazillion ripe and luscious dark cherries tumbling out of the bottle, there is a syrupy tinge at the beginning that makes me think of glazed cherry tarts or Cherries Jubilee but the sugar level adjusts itself over time so that it feels more like you are getting the fresh fruit where it's both sweet and a bit sour rather than a cherry dessert by the drydown. 

There is a noticeable bittersweet almond note and this delicious combination of nuttiness and fruit makes Una Tira l'Altra an awesome gourmand scent with a perky attitude. Sillage and longevity are both very good. 

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? :) 

Divine EDP Divine

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: Fragrantica

I seriously believed I was over my white floral craze having smelt some of the not so great and some of the very best (too smug was I). That is until I met Divine which thoroughly deserves its name and even more. This house was a totally hidden gem for me but no longer. Not after having sampled this gorgeous one and  the siren L`etre Aime Femme (*fans herself), both scents having pushed the competition out of the way to reach the top two spots on my want list. 

Nose-tingling aldehydes make a sweeping entrance. Heady tuberose (the way it should be), milky sweet gardenia and citrus-tinged orange blossom run riot in Divine EDP. Not one flower outshines the others but together create a most glorious symphony. Rose and jasmine are noticeable but my attention was focussed on the white flowers I love best. However the indolic jasmine becomes far more obvious as the scent settles down and develops into a warm, spiced and musky floriental that's sophisticated and sunny. I literally have nothing but praise for Divine EDP. Even from a dab sample, the sillage is huge and longevity is very, very good. 

Bold, bright and beautiful. If you love white flowers, you must try this. MUST. 

Mon Nom Est Rouge Majda Bekkali Sculptures Olfactives

Source: Fragrantica

Spiced rose contenders that I've had the good fortune to sample: Mon Nom Est Rouge, Epic Woman by Amouage, Noir Epices by Frederic Malle/ Michel Roudnitska, Paestum Rose by Eau D'Italie and Rose Poivree by The Different Company. 

The Different Company's Rose Poivree was too peppery for my liking with the barest hint of rose, I didn't get any delicious sweaty animal that some other perfume lovers did but there has been some muttering about batches smelling different so maybe I should revisit Rose Poivree. Eau D'Italie's Paestum Rose is a smoothly blended rose with a touch of incense and spices, feminine and beautiful but I'm looking for more than that. Noir Epices from Frederic Malle/Michel Roudnitska is big and dramatic, spiced roses and citruses as if it's always Christmas time and a finalist that made it to my want list when funds allow. Ditto Amouage's Epic Woman, a luxurious spiced rose and heavy incense affair. 

Mon Nom Est Rouge is regularly compared to Epic Woman and while I agree that there are similarities, I mean they are both spiced roses with the same nose behind them but I find Mon Nom Est Rouge to be lighter and highlighting the rose more than in Epic Woman where the rose shares the limelight and sometimes gets pushed back by the incense and spices. Mon Nom Est Rouge starts out very richly spiced( I smell cardamom and ginger very distinctly) and peppery but not as blindingly so as in Rose Poivree, it stays like this for about an hour or so before gradually fading into a smooth sweet rose and woods, the spices a shadow of their former selves ( I smell cinnamon towards the drydown) and the scent bears more resemblance in its drydown to Paestum Rose than Epic Woman. Mon Nom Est Rouge starts with a resounding opening and shows promise but loses its interesting nature to become a lovely but a been-there-done-that ending. I will stick with Epic Woman instead. 

Captured in Amber En Voyage Perfumes

Source: www.basenotes.net

En Voyage Perfumes was founded by perfumer Shelley Waddington who is also the owner of The Carmel Perfumery ( so far I've tried and enjoyed both Zelda and Peche Noir). Captured in Amber is part of her Souvenir de Chocolat Coffret containing Café Cacoa, Indigo Vanilla, Captured in Amber, each 4ml of parfum extraits according to the website( the label on my bottles state eau de parfum but the scents feel more oily like extraits rather than EDP). The scents were created to be worn alone or layered/combined so that customers can create their own scents. 

Source: www.envoyageperfumes.com

All three are lovely fragrances but Café Cacoa and Captured in Amber are my favorites in that order and I've labelled them fraternal twins as they both share a similar chocolate and ambergris DNA. Captured in Amber is a gourmand amber, built on what smells like a mouthwatering 50% dark chocolate that's so realistic it feels as if I'm really about to sink my teeth into it. The ambergris that played a smaller role in Café Cacoa is more dominant in Captured in Amber, a salty-sweet marine musk is how I would describe it, marine like how washed up seaweed on a beach smells like with a  distinct salty-sweet bodily musk that I've come to attribute to ambergris. 

This animalic, comforting-yet-oddly-sensual musk in Captured in Amber reminds me of Stoned by Solange Azagury-Patridge/Lyn Harris which further reminds me of treasured scents such as  Musc Ravageur from Frederic Malle and L'air de Rien by Miller Harris, all of which share the same vibe of expensive and naughty, carnal but not as dark and dirty like Kiehl's Original Musk or Serge Lutens' Musc Koublai Khan. 

As the scent progresses, the dark chocolate melts into the background and leaves the amber further in the spotlight, now sharing the focus with the musk, balmy resins and a buttery suede. Leaving aside that it's opening notes could trigger hunger pangs and cravings, Captured in Amber is a warm and soothing scent like a purring cat spreading waves of contentment as it snoozes on your lap. 

L'Oiseau de Nuit Parfumerie Generale

L'Oiseau de Nuit. The Night Bird has landed in my hands from a Luckyscent sample. 

Now this is good stuff. 

It opens with a smell similar to lemongrass-herbal, bittersweet and green. The medicinal part abates a bit and I smell the leather that makes me think of really buttery soft leather gloves that you never want to take off but you have to because the SA is staring at you suspiciously and the price-tag is astronomical. 

There's an animal in this scent and I don't mean the name. It smells like an unwashed beast...but I like it...in the scent that is. Not the actual beast up close, I've dated enough of those thank you.


The Odalisque, Aldophe Weisz 1884

I smell sweet smoky resins, which one exactly I can never tell, I get mixed up with the different types of balsams and resins. The official notes list labdanum and benzoin.

The scent twists and turns on me like smoke does in the air, now I get the herbal bitterness, now I get then thick resinous sweetness, then I get the leather and the unwashed beast. 

Sillage is very very good, considering I applied a little bit from a dab sample to my right elbow and I can smell this as clear as if I had my wrist stuck to my nose...that's good in my books. 

My first full bottle worthy PG scent, I may even spring for the 100 ml bottle. Definitely reinvigorated to try more! 

Mon Parfum Cristal M. Micallef

With notes including toffee, vanilla and roses, I was looking forward to this being a feminine gourmand treat. I swapped one of my less-loved perfumes for Mon Parfum Cristal and waited with great anticipation as it has been receiving good reviews on the boards. 

It's nice. That isn't a very big compliment but I'm hard pressed to say anything nicer. The bottle is much more beautiful than the actual juice in my opinion. The scent is a lovely sweet rose with some pepper and cinnamon to spice it up, a nice none too sweet vanilla and clean musk in the background. I smell no toffee...alright who stole the toffee!!! So it's pleasant, inoffensive and will do for blushing brides all over the world or as a very impressive looking gift, but not for me. 

Like Bridget Jones said...I'm still looking for something more extraordinary than that.

Sillage is good, it casts a peachy glow about you (use your romantic sensibilities to imagine this) and it lasts a decent time, I get about six hours. 

Turning Thirty-Three Part Trois and the Finale

Well the celebratory bottle-acquiring had to reach an end, I don't have the financial stamina to fund endless parties for a month unfortunately.. Plus one is going to New York in about two weeks and a little bit, so money has to be set aside for that trip! Osswald, MIN and Aedes deVenustas here I come! ( I got the lists from here: Best NYC fragrance stores, 23 NYC Fragrance Hot Spots and from The Non-Blonde of course.)

My package from First in Fragrance is here! Well in the country that is. The DHL tracking shows that it arrived yesterday but they haven't delivered it. Hopefully it'll arrive today, that would be perfect! That's the one containing my new love... Vero Profumo's Rozy in Voile d'Extrait as well as sample packs of Vero Kern's creations in EDP and VdE. Judging by the notes I think I will wind up liking Rubj, Onda and Kiki. I prefer the official arrangement of the notes for Rubj in the Voile d'Extrait form but according to some fragrant friends who have tried all of the line, they think I will prefer the EDP. I am looking at the EDP versions of Onda and Kiki with great interest (Onda appears to be the least challenging in the EDP and Kiki sounds really fun!).

A second package coming from a lovely fragrant friend in LA is somewhere between the US and here. That one contains a half bottle split of Le Labo's Labdanum 18, ordered and split when I was in a "I need labdanum" period. There's also lots of samples she helped me get from Luckyscent (how lovely it would be to have the equivalent of Luckyscent just down the street). While waiting for that to arrive, I have these labdanum beauties to keep me company: Solange Azagury-Patridge's Stoned (nose is Lyn Harris of Miller Harris, so you already know the quality is good. Labdanum, musk, vanilla and a buttery suede effect...gorgeous) and Habanita L'Espirit by Molinard. It's very affordable on several online stores including Fragrancex. I got mine as a tester bottle in a local store quite by chance. It's all creamy, musky and balmy creation on me, so comforting. I tested and loved Cristina by Hilde Soliani, no science needed there, patchouli, vanilla and labdanum, how could I not fall for it? It's not a well-behaved patchouli so if you like your patchouli tame and toeing the line, Cristina will not be your cup of tea. I've also got a sample of Parfumerie Generale's L'Oiseau de Nuit and I'm hoping that will be the first PG that I will get along with, I haven't had the smoothest relationship with the PG line. 

On a side note when I'm wearing one of the labdanums, I feel like a big fuzzy cat...like a Maine Coon...which kind of looks like David Bowie in Labyrinth. See for yourself...I don't know, it's something about his eye-liner.

So back to the haul...

Last night I got home to a really HUGE surprise. My family has already accepted that this perfume habit of mine isn't disappearing any time soon. I think my dad enjoys finding out where the boxes came from rather than what's in them( he's taken to asking me for the stamps on the boxes, so far I've gotten him stamps from France, Greece, Croatia, Spain, Australia, Russia and Algeria). Anyway back to the HUGE surprise. My sister got me Amouage's Fate for my birthday. How great is that?? Two Amouages in one month! Total windfall! I've wanted Fate since it came out but just like Beloved it's always been too expensive to pull the trigger and I've survived on samples and decants...but now I own not just one but BOTH these beauties! Gorgeous from box down to juice really. 

I adore Google. I just realized that this is showing on my google search screen today.

and when I scroll my mouse over it, a caption with "Happy Birthday Kristine" pops up...such a nice little extra! 

Seville a L'Aube L'Artisan Parfumeur

This is the first L'Artisan that has a monster sillage on me. Incredible. I enjoy the creative scents from this house very much but sadly their longevity and scent veils are very lacking on me. Until now that is. 

I had become a little tired of neroli/orange blossom scents and figured I had enough representation of that particular white floral in my wardrobe, from the master of orange blossoms Francis Kurkdjian represented in the entrancing Elie Saab's Le Parfum, his seraphic APOM Pour Femme, the ambergris laced Orange Star from Tauer, the indolic animal that is Serge Lutens' Fleurs d'Oranger and the candied orange blossom in Le Couvent des Minimes' Cologne of Love.

I stand corrected. This is one orange blossom that I might add to my closet after all, despite the self-imposed embargo on the flower. 

Seville a L'Aube leans towards being a rich gourmand rather than a citrus/white floral combination. I find it full-bodied and unreserved, like Titian's Venus, without veering into the smutty zone where Lutens' Fleurs d'Oranger reigns.

Venus Anadyomene, Titian 1520.

A waxy golden nectar that opens with just a tinge of citrus zest. The honeyed sweetness of the florals is tempered by balmy resins and the herbal lavender and although the orange blossom is given free reign, it's prevented from falling into cloying sweetness or soapiness. The scent stays remarkably true to a fresh cutting of the flower with some golden honey without drying down into a heavy cordial like Cologne of Love. 

As I mentioned earlier, the scent projects well and but the longevity could be better, it lasted about three hours on me.

Roses Elixir Montale

I am grateful that I never tried Dior's Miss Dior Cherie (yes the super famous one with strawberries and popcorn notes that sounds utterly delectable) and am therefore not suffering withdrawal symptoms nor handing over my kidneys in exchange for a bottle on Ebay.

So when trawling the perfume forums one day and noticing many people were swearing that Montale's Roses Elixir is a dead ringer for MDC, of course my curiosity was piqued and since there hasn't been any news of a discontinuation, it was safe to indulge my curiousity. Must I add that the girly girl in me was dying to get my hands on that Barbie pink bottle? I sensibly settled for a split on the same perfume forum. 

First spray...orange peel!! Freshly grated and still spitting zest all over you.

Then comes the romance. Roses and strawberries and tart strawberry leaves and roses and strawberries and...you get my drift? Real strawberries too, none of that migraine inducing pink industrial waste pretending to be the fruit. This is like a Valentine's Day in a bottle. Guys save on the flowers and get a bottle of this instead, it's probably cheaper than roses on V-day. 

I like that the sharp citric acid and green tartness of the strawberry leaf keeps this from falling into a syrupy sweet mess. The musk is evident but it smells clean and slightly soapy here and as time goes on, an amber base shows up and keeps the opening notes company by throwing in some cozy warmth into the mixture. Roses Elixir leaves a prettily pink scented trail wafting behind you and stays as a blushing scent cloud for hours on end without wavering.

Ahh L'amour...nothing beats Blane and Andie.

Roses Elixir is living proof that Montale does do other things than oud/rose combinations.

I leave you with my favorite song from the Pretty in Pink soundtrack. I adore John Hughes' movies!

PG04 Musc Maori Parfumerie Generale

Scent of the night: Musc Maori, from a Luckyscent dab sample. My previous forays over a year ago into the PG line left me unmoved and I have been repeatedly urged to try more before dismissing this very popular niche house.

So here I am with the scent applied to both wrist and sleeve. My first thought, sour milk! Oh no what have I done, I just showered! I don't want to sleep with sour milk! Thankfully, the sourness disappeared and left the creamy milk behind (Fragrantica lists green notes in the pyramid for Musc Maori so perhaps that was the culprit, but whatever it is I'm glad it exited quickly).  I smell chocolate, bittersweet and powdery.  A brief image of Muller Corner with cocoa balls flashed through my mind and got my sweet tooth going. 

Just as Musc Maori and I started getting along just fine, something that smells like bergamot shows up? What?! I recheck the label on the sample and it says Musc Maori...where is this citrus zest coming from?-- I'm looking at you "green notes"! So now I have full cream milk+ bittersweet chocolate powder+ citrus rind. Interesting but it's neither a gourmand nor is it a cologne. Nor is it musky on me, no soap nor wild animal present here. It's more Chocolate Powder Maori than Musc Maori on me. Add a dash of citrus too.

Thankfully this has a lowish sillage on me and I can cover it with some powerhouse perfume instead of another shower before I go hunt down my bar of orange dark chocolate which I now smell like. Still not a fan of PG, but not discouraged. There has to be one that I'll fall in love with. Or at least like. 

Turning 33- Part Deux (Ambergris Taifi, Sharif LaRoche, Agarscents Bazaar)

So a brown package came through the post today from Sharif LaRoche who owns Agarscents Bazaar (he has stores on both Etsy and Ebay). Postage took slightly under two weeks, shipping was very reasonable to Singapore and service/communication perfect and prompt.

Thanks to a very dear albeit virtual, fragrant friend of mine, I was introduced to this indie/niche house, whose website writes:

Enchanting French Arabian and Oriental perfumes, composed with Oudh, pure Musk, Ambergris oil, Bakhoor and rare Blossoms-Essences of Paradise. 

We specialize in the finest 100% pure, Dhen al Oudh, pure Sandalwood, genuine Ambergris oil, pure Deer Musk and fine Rose Otto (Wardh and Gulab).

I adore oud or at least what I've been introduced to, ambergris is a strong favourite, ditto musk and rose, sandalwood I get along with pretty well. So I definitely had to try this house. My first order was a 1ml of Ambergris Taifi (he sells his oils/attars in 3ml amber bottles but you can contact Sharif which I did through Etsy and he put up a listing for 1ml for me. From what my fragrant enabler told me, you can buy an even smaller fraction than 1ml and such is the potency of the oils, a drop is all that is needed).

Along with my 1ml order of Ambergris Taifi, such is his generosity, I was gifted a neatly wrapped incense stick of Kashimiri Kasthuri Ultimate which is scenting my work drawer as we speak of sweet and spicy musk, as well as samples of:

Ispahan Black which is described on the website as:

"Aro'mantically vivacious-

subtly sweet, slightly spicy, 

nuances-oil of agar and fine musk, an ambient elixir of art and sophistication

enveloping, intoxicating, masterfully composed composition, 

with mid notes of currants, opium and spice

- beans of tonka soften the approach-

which leads to a vanilic heart,

and a path to treasure. "

Misk Tahara is described as:

"the musk of purity, the scent of clean, fresh skin, lightly sweet and musky."

Civet Musk Mukhallat:

"a luxurious Oriental treasure... Sumptuous notes of Eastern splendor... rich, velvety musk draped in warm amber and exotic blossoms… sophisticated and elegant - evocative ."

As for all first time customers, I got a free gift in the form of a pretty 3ml glass flacon of Egyptian Musk Superior. This was a sweet and clean musk on my skin, sort of what Narciso Rodriguez musks have been like on me minus the lingering chemical note that keeps me at odds with the NR line. Soft florals round this musk off nicely into what I find is rather unisex despite the sweetness and florals. Sillage and longevity are awesome considering I basically just swiped the plastic stick on my skin once. This musk is very affordable if you are looking for an alternative to the NR range.

Now on to the real reason why I wrote this piece. Ambergris Taifi. OMG. OMG. This is amazing. No. It's AMAZING!!!!!!! I'm about to book myself more weekend work just to cover a purchase of a 3ml bottle of this in case it's discontinued or some other similar tragedy ensues.

Taif Roses.

I have a precious 15ml bottle of Tauer's Phi Une Rose de Kandahar, which is a gorgeous salty and musky rose on my skin. Amp up the salty and musky tones, some sweet animalic notes (not quite up to barnyard level), amp up the decibels on the rose, add a smidgen of vintage face powder and you have Ambergris Taifi. Part skank part rose and the salty sweetness just continues undulating and swirling about me for hours without abating. The salt is not so much sea-salt like in Merveilles but I find it more akin to the saltiness of sweat on skin. The sweetness(not talking about the rose here) is harder to describe without causing nausea amongst the more delicate palates. I will borrow from the agarscentsbazaar page to do it justice.

"...the subtle, sweet addictive aroma that beach combing dreams are made of."

I am far from being able to describe the distinctiveness of the Taifi rose note, except to say that I raided the rose section of my wardrobe from Malle's Une Rose to Caron's Rose, JHAG's entire line to the Rosines I have and came up with, it just smells different. Deeper, more intensely rose. On a fragrant friend of mine, it is more vintage powdery rose so perhaps chemistry plays a role again. I highly recommend trying Sharif LaRoche's Ambergris Taifi, for any and all rose lovers.

L'Ombre Dans L'Eau Diptyque

I said, meet me in the garden.
You know the one--
it is called Smiling Spring.
There are nightingales chirping away,
wine and candle lights,
and companions as soft as
pomegranate blossoms.
You think this all would sound so perfect!
But without you by my side,
what use is the Smiling Spring?
And when you are with me,
what use are pomegranate blossoms?
Meet Me in the Garden, Rumi.(taken from Shahram Shiva's Hush Don't Say Anything To God)

L'Ombre Dans L'Eau, translated "The Shadow in the Water" , the EDT version which I am wearing today, is described as following on the Diptyque website:

Poetically named L’Ombre dans l’Eau, “The Shadow in the Water,” it is a fragrance that recalls a lush garden at water’s edge and a brief glimpse of life, captured in the memory of a friend of the three founders. One day, this dear one was gathering roses and blackcurrant; stretching her hand out to Desmond Knox-Leet, she suggested that he work on this accord, one of potent originality.

Desmond Knox-Leet being one of the three friends who created Diptyque, the other two being Christiane Gautrot and Yves Coueslant.

The Rose Path Giverny, Claude Monet 1922.

L'Ombre Dans L'Eau is a deliciously crisp and sparkling Kir Royale on my skin with the freshest roses possible. The roses here I imagine to be pink petaled and lush, the leaves still green and robust. I imagine a good quality Creme de Cassis, darkly coloured and intensely flavoured black currants, tangy and sweet, a cross between blackberries and pomegranates. 

I am not a fan of alcohol or rather it's wasted on me, I am a cheap drunk with a regretful headache and rhinitis in the morning and unless someone is opening another bottle of Gaja, certain Rosés or a Syrah from the Rhone , I can pass on it without regret. From what I understand, it is practically criminal to waste a good champagne for a Kir Royale and likewise if the champagne is crap, the cassis will not help much. However a Kir Royale with it's lusty red colour has always been a celebratory drink in my mind and I will continue to ignore the daggers from the wine snobs. 

Water Lily Pond and Weeping Willow, Claude Monet, 1919

L'Ombre Dans L'Eau channels positive energy, a dappled shade under a brilliant blue sky, lounging on a picnic blanket, watching even lazier ducks and swans paddle in the lake just out of your reach. The smell of earth, grass and flowers instilling peace and serenity into your frazzled mind, an escape after a demanding work week. Santé!

Recette du Kir Royal

Roses Greedy Mancera

Desirability: Sample

Thanks to a generous fellow fragrance traveller, I am wearing a huge sample of this to bed tonight. Despite it's name, I am getting equal shares of jasmine and roses. It opens with a bright burst of citrus before the sweet rose and intoxicating jasmine appear. The vanilla and sugar are dominant players in this scent. 

For the longest time I've been trying to figure out why this smells so familiar and finally I realised it smells like bandung! Bandung is a popular drink in Singapore made of condensed milk and rose syrup which gives the drink it's rosy pink colour and a what is meant to be a rose flavour? Artificial and full of calories, it's still a tasty local treat. 

picture of Bandung drinks, taken from soshiok.com

Other desserts that Roses Greedy brings to mind are the delicately flavoured Laduree Petale de Rose macarons. 

Rose macarons, Laduree, taken from Paris Patisseries.

So overall Roses Greedy is a delicious gourmand scent on my skin. The rose does not smell like a natural rose on me so if that is what you are looking for, I would not suggest this. However if you enjoy sweet rose-water in drink and food, this might be right up your alley. 

Turning Thirty-Three Part Une (Amouage Beloved & Vero Parfumo Rozy Voile d'Extrait)

October has always been a favorite month of mine. Leaves turning to shades of ambers, the smell of fall in the air, the knee-high boots coming out of the closet...and my birthday! I've never needed an excuse for adding to my perfume trove but I think I might have overdone it this year. Still, how many times does one turn 33?
Anyway, on the OFFICIAL list ( ahem, there may be splits/decants/samples that I have forgotten and that are somewhere in the mail to me), these are what I got for me, myself and I.

Love is reckless; not reason.
Reason seeks a profit.
Love comes on strong,
consuming herself, unabashed.

Yet, in the midst of suffering,
Love proceeds like a millstone,
hard surfaced and straightforward.

Having died of self-interest,
she risks everything and asks for nothing.
Love gambles away every gift God bestows.

Without cause God gave us Being;
without cause, give it back again.
Rumi: Love is Reckless.  Mathnawi VI, 1967-1974


Gustav Klimt, Love 1895.

Rumi, Klimt and Amouage Beloved go well together. I've wanted this Amouage since I heard it was being released. Roses+ musky+spicy+animal? Who called my name! However the near 600 SGD price-tag dissuaded me over and over again. I fully blame my sister for wanting her own birthday dinner at a restaurant in the same building as the niche store where I feed my addiction. It's obviously all her fault that in the 15 minutes I had to wait around for the family, I forked over the 600 in a heartbeat and this pretty pink box with the champagne juice was mine. 

After confessing my guilt over Facetime with "The Organisation", I tore off the plastic wrapper(and almost the box) and spritzed cautiously in view of the ever looming humidity. Damn Amouage. Damn Christopher Chong. Where did Bernard Ellena come from, besides being the brother of JC Ellena?? This stuff is GORGEOUS. Smells like nothing else and is as BIG a scent as Amouage gets without apologies. 

I don't find this dated as some online reviewers have mentioned as well as far from the usual offerings of today. I would describe Beloved simply as a classic scent like my beloved Shalimar. Timeless. Suitable in all kinds of weather (this actually blooms deliciously in tropical heat and performs with great warmth in air-conditoning). A scent both classy and sensual at the same time, never approaching trampy nor frigid.

The 1000 odd ingredients as per your regular Amouage, starts off rosy floral and bright before evolving into a warm, spicy and musky affair on my skin with tremendous sillage and longevity. It's beyond me to tell you which note shows up before the other and in what proportions. Suffice to say the official notes are pretty much all in attendance.  

I would buy this over and over again. And again. As Robert Palmer said...

I can't recall what brought Vero Profumo to my attention but my bank account is none too pleased. The rest of me however was in olfactory orgasm over the sample I bought from Luckyscent. In the space of 24 hours from wearing the sample, I bought a bottle of the Voile d'extrait as well as sample packs of the EDP versions and the other VdE versions from First in Fragrance. If I had thought it would be possible for me to ever afford the extrait versions in this lifetime, I would have gotten samples of those too. Better not fall in love when one can't afford to pay the price.

Rozy VdE despite the name, is more of a tuberose scent with a suggestion of roses. It is an olfactory kaleidoscope with a vintage air on my skin. A complex of jammy sweetness, woods and lots of bright tuberose to my nose, slowly very slowly drying down to become a darker, slightly melancholic animal. The sillage is explosive, this is coming from a tiny spray sample, applied to the crook of my arm. It lasted the whole day and into the night. I find Rozy to be a multi-faceted personality with a bit of sparkle and a bit of darkness, like any woman who has smelt the roses and felt their thorns.

Sergio Lopez, Painted Roses .

Specializing in oil painting and charcoal drawings of landscapes and (mainly)women in his art, his mind-blowing spectacular artwork can be viewed at The Main Loop.

I will need to moonlight more if I fall in lust with her other siblings, which if the multitude of loving reviews and blogs are correct, I will. 

Nuit Etoilee Annick Goutal

Annick Goutal Nuit Etoilee

" There is no wifi in the forest but I promise you will find a better connection."- author unknown. 

I'm more into heavy Orientals but I reach for Annick Goutal when I want something lighter and fresher, a perk-me-up, Nuit Etoilee and La Violette being my favourites from the house. Likewise when I'm feeling jaded with the world I enjoy delving into Gibran or Rumi or zen-type quotes such as the above "to lift my spirits and regain my strength" a la Cher in Clueless.

Nuit Etoilee is a breath of fresh air for me in this polluted island city where forests full of pine trees are at least 12 hours by plane away. A breath of sweet, cool air, filled with mint and pine trees reminiscent of autumns in France spent walking in leaf-laden forest grounds and a pleasant cool mist all around. It is described as a woody aromatic on Fragrantica but I find that description to be misleading. Woody aromatic brings to mind men's aftershave. Nuit Etoilee is unisex leaning to the fairer side of the scale thanks to the sweetness of the mint and the citrus fruit.

"Fresh" scents are usually boring to me ( I am thinking of Light Blue and the like that I tried over and over but could not get along with, such dull characters despite the "fresh and friendly" notes) but Nuit Etoilee is far from boring. It's airy and transparent but the sillage and longevity are above average when sprayed on my clothes. I am referring to the EDT version in this review. Next on my Annick Goutal want list: Un Matin d'Orage and Ninfeo Mio. 

Starry Night by Alex Ruiz. A homage to Van Gogh's Starry Night where the massively talented Ruiz brings to us the beauty of the night sky that Van Gogh painted. Alex Ruiz offers digital painting tutorials on his blog and has prints/cards for sale at Fine Art America. 

I leave you here with my favorite version of Starry Starry Night (Vincent) by Vonda Shepard.