Jour d`Hermes Absolu Hermes

Source: www.style.com

Jean-Claude Ellena said “I wanted to express the essence of femininity with flowers and nothing but flowers.”

Well if femininity is delicately classy florals from start to finish, JC Ellena got it down pat. I can't recall the previous versions well enough to comment on similarities or otherwise, but Absolu is like a glass of sparkling wine in the palest shade of gold. Wine of a good standard but nothing to gush over. From beginning to end about four hours later, it stays as a golden subtle glow about oneself, perfect when one wishes to remain unobtrusive.  Light, bright, sweet and dry white florals that would wear well for both the office and casual days, as well as being a safe choice for gifting, the luxurious flacon adding to its charm (as long as she enjoys the lighter scale of things and flowers). While I won't need a full bottle of this anytime soon, I am very pleased with my 15 ml, part of a set of four scents, my departing buy from JFK, along with Caleche, 24 Faubourg and L'Ambre des Merveilles. All in identical minimalist glass bottles, with their own cloth bags...Hermes really knows how to package their goods!

Calligraphy Rose Aramis

I was attracted first by the notes, then the positive reviews it has garnered and the cherry on top would be the reasonable online prices. I bought a split from a perfume friend and it is now on my perfume wish list.

It opens tart and sweet, fresh dewy roses with green notes. This phase lasted a good 15 minutes to half hour on me before the scent shows its oriental nature, introducing sweet resins, a little dark and smoky here and a spicy, dry dustiness from the saffron.

If there is ambergris in Calligraphy Rose it's synthetic, considering how rare and expensive the real stuff is. Here it's emulating the white kind, there's no barnyard funk here, just a marine like salty sweetness that reminds me a little of Hermes' Eau des Merveilles..

The rose remains all the way through, its scent deep and intensive. The scent projects very well and the longevity is superb, it outdoes many of its more expensive competitors. I highly recommend.

Eau de Shalimar Guerlain

I love Shalimar in all concentrations, from vintages to current day and flankers. Why do I love thee? For several reasons.

Firstly the story behind Shalimar, the great love of Shan Jahan for a favorite wife whose title of Mumtaz Mahal meant "The Jewel of the Palace", a love that created the luxuriant Gardens of Shalimar for her and a grief so heartbreaking that he ordered the court into mourning for two years after her death during childbirth complications. The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, was his last tribute to her, the greatest, grandest mausoleum for his beloved.

The bottle: Look at those curves, like a woman's curves, sensual and stirring. The shape of the bottle, designed by Raymond Guerlain in 1925 and which won the first prize at the Paris Decorative Arts Exhibition, was inspired by the fountain basins in the Gardens of Shalimar.The translucent blue cap represents the shape taken by the water springing forth ceaselessly in the fountains. 

The scent: I will focus on my SOTD Eau de Shalimar. The apple does not fall far from the tree. Eau de Shalimar on me is a fresher and lighter take on Shalimar, losing its denseness and focusing more on its powdery gourmand aspects, the vanilla and citrus notes, making it smell like a citrus vanilla cake being eaten under a cool fresh breeze on a sunny day with puffy white clouds of iris dotted above in the clear blue sky. 

Eau de Shalimar does have a sunny nature compared to Shalimar which has a smoky dark effect, which some find leathery and difficult to love. Eau de Shalimar I feel, would be a good stepping stone for those who find the original too intimidating. I felt the same about Shalimar myself when we first met, but the initial misgivings dissipated and I am very much in love with Shalimar and would wear it anywhere and everywhere and however. 

Eau de Shalimar wafts as a pleasant scent cloud about me and lasts about 4-5 hours, starting with a burst of powdery citrus and drying down to a deliciously sweet warm vanilla base. Perfect for floating about in white linen dresses.

Mini raw citrus ice cream cake

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.

Luctor Et Emergo The People Of The Labyrinths

I had to check this out since it's been collecting more accolades than Katharine Hepburn had Oscars (on that topic did you know Meryl Streep had more Oscar nominations but one less award than Hepburn?).

It arrived just in time to coincide with my bitter almond streak, when I was nursing the remnants in my sample of Mazzolari's Alessandro.

Luctor Et Emergo opens with slightly spicy incense and made me wonder if I got a wrongly decanted split. The splitter assured me her eyesight is still 6/6 bilaterally. So it starts with spiced smoke and it stays that way for a few minutes. Then I smell bitter almonds AND...Coca-Cola's Black Cherry Vanilla. Thankfully none of the plastic doll/play dough notes some other fragrant sniffers have gotten. I enjoyed cherry coke back in the day when I had a super metabolism and I relish it here without the calories going to my butt. The wood and smoky notes keep the cherry vanilla in check, I enjoy the contrasting bitterness of the almonds against the sweetness of the cherry vanilla and the interplay of the notes make this a very interesting as well as wearable scent for both sexes.



Luctor Et Emergo isn't a sillage bomb on me but it is perceptible by others around when they get past my personal bubble shield. Longevity is modest, I get about 4-6 hours wear before it becomes a skin scent. Please note that I am testing the EDP version and there is an EDT version available too. 

The cherry wood-smoke broke through the layer of Marks & Spencer's coconut hand cream that I accidentally slathered over my snifting spot...pretty impressive performance.

All this talk of cherries, vanilla and coconut made me think of this:



Raw Cherry Rose bars (with coconut rose cream and fresh cherries)

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. 

Mon Precieux Nectar Guerlain- of Jordan almonds and honeyed white florals.

Desirability: Full bottle and a back up

Source: Fragrantica

Mon Precieux Nectar is all honeyed white flowers and dragées amandes on me. Make that the most luxurious and lush bouquet of white flowers and candied almonds that money can buy. Whilst staying within the realm of tasteful. 

There are many variations available on the honeyed white florals like Ginestat's Botrytis (super super thick almost cloying animalic honey on dried fruit and flowers), The Bodyshop's Honeymania (translucent white honey and wildflowers), Elie Saab's Le Parfum featuring Francis Kurkdjian's work with white honey and orange blossoms, Chanel's Beige (a lovely tender hearted tropical beauty of honey and tiare), La Chasse aux Papillons Extreme by L'Artisan (the most ethereal tuberose on a background of sweet white flowers) and many others I can't think of right now.

Whereas Guerlain's L'Instant is vanilla and white flowers, L'Instant Magic pushes it more to the gourmand side with the almond note. I love the smell of almonds in perfumes from bitter almonds like Mazzolari's Alessandro (bitter powdery almonds but alas it's so short-lived on me), my chilly bitter almond beauty Louve by Serge Lutens and two Jordan almond types that I'm longing to try, Confetto by Profumum Roma and Conaffetto by Hilde Soliani. Some of my fragrant friends put Dior's Hypnotic Poison under the jordan almond label but it's pure creamy almond milk on me with a irritatingly artificial vibe about it(my bottle was bought in the past two years so reformulated, I have not tried the vintage versions).

Loukhoum-wise I prefer L'Artisan's Traversee du Bosphore (smells like pomme d'amour and Turkish delight on me, really yummy) and Keiko Mercheri's Loukhoum Eau Poudree (like having a powder puff of sugary goodness right in the face). 

Mon Precieux Nectar has the ethereal white flowers of La Chasse aux Papillons, the tenderness of Chanel's Beige, more candied than bitter almonds like in L'Instant Magic and the touch of class all Guerlains possess from the indisputable majesties to the new breeds. She's part child part woman. It's a soft scent that plays hide and seek with you for the better part of the day, becoming bolder in the heat and withdrawing again in the cold. 

As ambrosial a nectar as Mon Precieux Nectar undoubtedly is, I am still hesitant to fork out the exorbitant amount of money required for the juice in the exquisite "bee bottle" it comes in(couldn't they sell a version in a less divine bottle for us people who don't mind so much about looks?). However I am very fortunate to have been gifted a bottle and this gorgeous flacon has a place of honor in my perfume closet. Tip: I misguidedly threw out the stopper that came with the flacon and kept the vintage sprayer attached. This however causes the perfume to evaporate (alarmingly) so I would advise to keep it stoppered when not in use. 

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.

Cristalle Eau Verte Chanel

Cristalle Eau Verte, Chanel

I find Cristalle Eau Verte friendlier than her older sibling Cristalle. Perhaps due to her youthful nature, she comes across as a breath of fresh air, sweet and relaxing. A perfect scent for a humid, tropical Sunday morning before heading off to yoga (I can't resist sneaking in a spray or two under my yoga top but not when I'm going for hot yoga classes). My "yoga scent" is usually a choice from: Cristalle Eau Verte, the Vagabond Prince's Enchanted Forest, Annick Goutal's La Violette, Calvin Klein's Truth, Annick Goutal's Nuit Etoilee, Guerlain's Apres L'Ondee or Penhaligon's Violetta.

It starts off as a green citrus burst, slowly evolving into a florally sweet perfume, more floral than verte to my nose, whereas Cristalle has always been a more bitter herbal green on me. It's a skin scent pretty much for its short-lived duration on me (spraying on clothes liberally appears to prolong it a little more than the couple of hours it stayed on my skin). 

The "green" DNA affirms that Cristalle and Cristalle Eau Verte are siblings, but where it is amped up in Cristalle, it plays a much smaller role in Eau Verte, allowing the translucent florals and sweet citrus to come forth instead. 

A straightforward and cheerful scent that's elegant and disarming, without any underlying dark complexities to ruffle one's feathers. 

Namaste. 

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

Eau des Merveilles Hermes

Good morning. Today I feel pretty drained out despite it just past the 9 am mark and also being a Friday. To give you a gist, this is what I feel like :)

Cholmondeley Oudry, White Duck

I needed a pick-me-up scent today and reached for Hermes Eau des Merveilles, which I was introduced to this year and am slowly developing a taste for, being more of a dark Oriental lover than a fan of aromatic marines( I know Fragrantica lists this as an Oriental Woody but I don't find it Oriental. Woody I would accept. Maybe Aromatic Woody?).

Perfumes from Hermes are the only reason I step into the store, the coveted silk scarves being out of my financial reach(and seriously what would I do with them anyway? I work with spit and blood, not in Vogue) and the bags I developed a dislike to after seeing them on none too classy reality TV people. 

After much dithering, I left with both Eau des Merveilles and Elixir des Merveilles, just in time for a getaway in Bali. Perfect choices for an island holiday really. The Eau starts off with a citrus blast without smelling like dishwashing liquid, it smells like when you dig your fingernail into an orange. It's a bracing salty sweet scent, not like salted caramel but literally gourmet rock salt and a tad of something that is naturally sweet, I suspect it's a combination of the amber/elemi/fir. 

It's perfect for hot tropical weather and when feeling under the weather. Sillage is good on me but longevity I get about 4 hours tops before it pretty much disappears. Since I have a habit of lugging the SOTD around, that's not much of a problem for me. 

So post liberal spraying of Eau des Merveilles, I will make my foray out today, feeling a little more like this. Enjoy your Friday :)

Certain Uncertainties, Christian Vincent

Coromandel Chanel Les Exclusifs

I love all things patchouli. Headshop, gourmand, earthy, dirty, skanky, whatever else. The dirtier/skankier/headshop the better actually.

My favourite patchouli dominant scents in no particular order would include:

• Psychedelique by Jovoy Paris
• Noir Patchouli by Histoires de Parfums
• C'est la Fete Patchouli by Christian Lacroix
• Lumiere Noire Pour Femme by Francis Kurkdjian
• Patchouli by Reminiscence
• Patchouli 24 by Le Labo
• Calypso Ambre by Calypso Christiane Celle

The unicorn of patchouli scents that I would love to get my hands on is Luten's Borneo 1834. I will update if this ever falls into my lap.

Coromandel gets so much love on the perfume forums, I had to get it. While I don't regret it per se, I could have lived without this blind buy quite happily. Actually point to note here, avoid blind buying if you can, sample, sample, SAMPLE! 

Coco Chanel and coromandel screen, taken from habituallychic

Coromandel is a classy patchouli. Too classy for me. Any visits to headshops in her history have been carefully erased and she is now a very proper and conservative lady. The patchouli here is of the creamy and smooth kind, well-behaved and non-dominating. I smell the orris root very clearly, a note I became familiar with in Tauer's Pentachord White. The incense like the patchouli is muted here, none of firework displays seen in Amouages or Tauer's L'Air du Desert Marocain or Serge Luten's Ambre Sultan. 

Albert von Keller Chopin 1873

Coromandel screens are darkly lacquered wooden screens with vivid characters and landscapes carved out of ivory or mother-of-pearl, or painstakingly pieced with tiny precious gems, or painted in rich reds and golds. They are rich, passionate pieces of art depicting Asian culture, history and folklore. 

Coromandel the scent is beautiful but it lacks character for me and does not do justice to its name. The sillage and longevity however are excellent. 

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. 

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.

online fragrance shopping for Singaporeans

Hello Everyone!

I have decided for the first blog post, to make a list of online shops (that will be updated as according to new finds and with time) for getting perfumes to Singapore.

Now we know that it's getting increasingly harder to ship perfumes from the US and the UK because they are categorized as "flammable". Trying to get around that restriction by using a 3rd party/courier is getting more difficult as many 3rd parties are not permitting perfumes to be shipped either.

Next, I don't know how many of you have also noticed that shipping prices on Ebay are getting astronomical! I'm referring to the US website, where insured shipping costs are hitting the 40USD mark in many cases I've seen.

Shipping from smaller commercial websites from Europe is still possible.Many of these smaller websites carry the harder to find niche brands and may be your only avenue to get them.

So here's a list of places that I have successfully ordered from or have heard good reviews about from trustworthy sources (other perfume-heads naturally). Note that this list is not exhaustive and will be continually updated as my bread and butter job allows. It is also most definitely not ranked in any way:

1) perfumestoresg 
I chanced upon this Singapore based website somewhere in the middle to 3rd quarter of 2012. They offer free delivery within Singapore, or you can choose to arrange a pick-up( one place being Queenstown MRT station) if you can't wait for your goodies to be delivered to you. They are expanding their online store quite quickly with many new lines added on a regular basis. Offering from mainstream to some more well-known niche brands such as Bond No. 9, Creed, JHAG, the prices are definitely competitive to buying off the shelves in town.
Their customer service is excellent I must say and have always received prompt replies to each query.
They can help you source for items that are not shown on their website (whether due to a lag in updating their goods I wouldn't know), within their means i.e if their suppliers have the said item you are looking for.
They have on occasion, older formulations of perfumes, so it's good to check with them if you are looking for a previous formulation.
Although cheaper than buying in a shop on this island city, compared to other international websites, the prices are still relatively higher. 

2) strawberrynet 
One of the more established online stores for perfumes and other beauty items, this Hong Kong based company offers free shipping worldwide and cheaper prices than retail. It also features brands ranging from mainstream to some niche brands.
Lots of goodies for one to trawl through, you never know when you'll chance upon a bargain in the pages of offers that strawberrynet always has.
They have daily flash deals that are hard to beat. 
As with perfumestoresg, I find that although the prices are cheaper than retail in Singapore, many brands are still much more expensive than on comparable US websites.
Although not from personal experience, some of my online friends have reported a lengthy time waiting for their orders to arrive. From my own experience, it's always taken less than a week to get to Singapore.

3) Luckyscent
Lots of niche brands available on this website, pricing is comparable to other websites and sometimes, much cheaper.
Customer service is great, they are prompt at responding to queries and they send out parcels quickly.
They have a sample program, where you can buy small (about 0.7ml which is sufficient for at least 2 wears-note that the samples are dab-ons not sprays) samples for about 3-4 USD each, to give you an idea about a particular perfume you've only read about, as opposed to blind buying something and making an expensive mistake!samples@ luckyscent
Shipping to Singapore isn't cheap, the last I checked it was 40 USD for 2 bottles and it goes higher with more bottles added.

4) theperfumeshoppe
This website's signature is comforting: We Specialize in building your Fragrance wardrobe.
With the impressive brands that it features (mostly niche brands from well-known to the less known but still wonderful), I am confident that they live up to what they say.
Besides offering perfumes in full bottles for sale, they like luckscent offer a sample program (also dab-on vials in <1ml sizes). If you want something in between a full bottle and a sample, they also offer travelos filled with the scent of your choice, 5ml or the equivalent of 65 sprays as offered on their website. under Travel and Trial Size Perfume.
One service that I have not taken advantage of but looks very promising is the Perfume Profile, where a perfume specialist selects some fragrances according to your personality and lifestyle. Its' very simple, just tick off a row of boxes and away the form goes to the perfume fairy and you get your list of recommended perfumes-if only all life's choices were so simple and wonderful smelling!
Reliable and reasonable international shipping costs, once again it takes about 2 weeks to arrive to this island city.
I love the idea of their Travel and Trial Size Perfume, it takes the costs out of buying a full bottle when there are so many perfumes that one wishes to have and to hold.


5) fragrancex
I would have to admit that this is where I have gotten most of my perfumes (mainstream ones and a few niche brands like Serge Lutens and L'artisan being some of those that pop up on the website). A US based website that offers fragrances at inexpensive prices and free international shipping (when you spend above 69 USD) is my idea of a godsend.
Pros: as with strawberrynet, I like to while away time by going through the entire website for treasures. From minis to testers to full, unopened bottles, this website is a treasure trove for bargain hunters. On occasion, I've even had the good luck of finding discontinued or hard to find fragrances.
Cons: Not from personal experience but some of my online friends have grouched that the customer service is cranky and unhelpful when it comes to tracking missing packages. Luckily, I haven't had any such contact with them and would like to keep it that way.

6) First in Fragrance
Otherwise known as Ausliebezumduft, there's a ton of niche available here, the only exceptions being Hilde Soliani and Profumum Roma(well those that I am interested in), It's tax free so the prices get adjusted when you change the shipping country to Singapore (duh) but the shipping fee is about 25 Euro so make it worthwhile. They sell samples but none too cheaply and allow up to a maximum of 10 samples per order. The good news is you get up to 3 free samples with each order of a full bottle of perfume.

7) Parfumaria
Shipping to Singapore is stated as 55 Euro on the website but according to an email from the company, it's actually 45 Euro, still not cheap though. They however have great service and communication which is a good sales point. They too carry harder to find niche brands including Hilde Soliani and Mazzolari. I notice that they update the new perfumes faster than some of the online perfume forums. They sell samples that are slightly cheaper than FiF (5 samples for 15 Euro) .
They have a sale section with good deals for perfumes undergoing bottle changes etc, so go trawl that area!

8) Premiere avenue
Shipping to Singapore is 43 Euros, they don't charge VAT so the prices are adjusted when you check out your cart. PA carries the Profumum Roma line as well as harder to find niches such as Naomi Goodsir and Isabey. They sell 5ml samples which is a great way of trying a fragrance you are unsure about having a full bottle of.

9) Escentual
A UK website but the shipments seem to come from within Europe. Nevertheless the shipping charge is fantastically low for us perfumeheads, less than 10 pounds (seriously can't be beaten by the other websites). They carry mainstream as well as niche brands, including CB I hate perfume, Jovoy and Miller Harris.

10) Indiescents
If you are into indie niche, this is a great website for samples as well as full bottles and reasonable shipping charges. The site states WW shipping of 12 USD for unlimited number of samples and bottles from 25 USD. They also have an Indie-Cents Rewards systems that lets you earn points for future discounts.

11) Zahras
If you like to dabble in Arabian oils, this is a great website with a lot of choice. The trouble is you can't click on a perfume and add to cart. You have to go through the entire brand's listings, jot down the ones you want and email them for the total including shipping (which was decent for Singapore, if I recall correctly I bought two oils that came in massive boxes, for about 25 USD).

12) Universal perfumes and cosmetics
Located in Kuwait and with an ebay store, they carry mainstream, niche as well as arabian oils. The fantastic perk is they have a stash of discontinued/hard to find scents so if you are looking for your long lost love, you might find it here. According to the website, shipping is flat rate at 6.99 USD for the first item and 1.75 USD for the second. I haven't bought from them myself but fragrance-heads that I know are pleased with their service, the only small grouches being about messy packaging and slightly long delivery time (bear in mind where they are based and where you are!).

13) Luscious Cargo
An aptly named store that carries a whole lot of niche from A-T, including People of the Labyrinth, Fifi Chachnil and Rich Hippie to name but a few. According to the website, you get free samples when you spend a minimum of 30 USD, They do sell a sample pack of 7 samples but currently do not offer international shipping for sample-only orders. I simulated a purchase and shipping to Singapore would cost 45 USD.

14) Perfume Raffy
They carry mainstream as well as niche and offer samples for sale too. As per their website, international shipping appears to be a reasonable 16.95 USD. They offer custom tailored perfumes as well, something exciting to check out if you are looking to make your personal scent.

15) Beauty Bridge
If you are searching for Les Couvent des Minimes at a very decent price, look no further. They carry some mainstream as well as niche brands too, I found Fekkai and Hayari here. Shipping charges are reasonable. A great website for cosmetics too!

16) Essenza Nobile
Sample only orders have a shipping charge of 5 Euro. For full bottle purchases, it starts at 24 Euro for purchases under a 100 Euro and above 250 Euro, shipping is free, as per the website. I know of happy customers who were looking for harder to find niche brands but personally I find the prices a little on the high side. Still if one is desperately hunting an elusive brand...


Perfume Samples only

1) theperfumedcourt 
A US based company that ships internationally, offering decants of almost any and every perfume under the sun, from vintages to the most recent releases, the common and popular to the rare and discontinued.
TPC offers decants of 1ml and above, from dab-ons to roll-ons and sprays. The decants can be bought in singles or as part of a "group" i.e if one were wishing to venture into the beginner/intermediate/advance level of "chypre" for instance, TPC offers sample packages to cater for olfactory pleasure and education. Besides samples, also for sale are manufacturer's carded samples, minis, various beauty products, decanting supplies, empty/partial/full bottles etc.
TPC also has a buyer rewards program, with discount at increasing percentages according to how much you spend. To take advantage of the program, just sign up for their monthly newsletter which contains the codes for the month.

2) surrendertochance
A breakaway website from TPC, they also offer single decants and sets for sale. Besides decants, STC sells various accompanying lotions and creams, soaps and artisan jewellery. For those wishing to start decanting to share with friends or to sell, pipettes and other decanting supplies are available for sale on the website. STC also offers minature sized perfumes, carded samples and full bottles on occasion.
STC has a Daily Chance special offer program, where as they put it, everyday, sometimes several times a day for varying periods of time, chosen samples are put on offer at a markedly discounted price.

3) The Posh Peasant
Such a cool name for a website isn't it? Like STC and TPC, this is another decant/sample website where you can get samples for mainstream as well as niche lines.

Other noteworthy places and tips for samples, bits and bobs:
- Best buy
Singapore based website that offers official carded samples, minis as well as full bottles at discounted prices. They have good deals for cosmetics and skin care too.
- I'm learning that the cheaper way to sample is to do a split with other perfumistas. Becoming a member and making friends on the various perfume forums online is a good option for buying into a split of a bottle. Some members online sell used/partial bottles and decants from their own collection, at no or little profit.
- Ebay has some good deals now and again for samples, just be mindful of the shipping costs.


* Disclaimer: I am NOT affiliated to any of the above websites and/or stores. I am merely a happy and sometimes repeat customer who wishes to share her good luck with the rest of the world! Good things and news should always be shared!