Bois Satin Keiko Mecheri

Desirability: Adoption by a more appreciative nose

Source: www.basenotes.net

Syrupy leather.

I get boozed up syrupy sweet fruit followed by the smell of wood which is quickly followed by a smooth sweet leathery smell. Leather in fruit syrup may sound weird but that's what I think of in the drydown of Bois Satin. The wood notes that were present at the opening are nowhere to be found, probably fell victim to deforestation. I enjoy leather scents like Les Exclusifs de Chanel Cuir de Russie, Cuir Mauresque by Serge Lutens and I don't mind gourmand leathers like Dzing! by L`Artisan but Bois Satin doesn't rest easy on my stomach, I find the proportions of leather and fruit syrup too jarring here and frankly it makes me queasy. 

Average projection but longevity isn't the greatest, I clocked a maximum of four hours with two wearings. 

Attar de Roses Keiko Mecheri

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: Luckyscent.com

I've liked a few that I've sampled from Keiko Mercheri, but Attar de Roses is the first to make me sit up and take notice. I feel like I've been sampling the wrong end of the spectrum from the house all this time. 

Leather and roses dominate in Attar de Roses on me at least. The leather is more apparent in the initial part, making the opening rather bitter, dark and animalic. Sweet velvety roses bloom out from the darkness throwing off the leathery shade, beautiful lush roses that create a warm and beguiling drydown with a creamy and woody amber base. The leather persists throughout although the initial bitterness is alleviated by the balmy resins in the drydown. There are quite a number of rose/leather combinations out there in varying proportions of the notes but I really like the balance in Attar de Roses between the romantic roses and the brusque leather. Very Beauty & The Beast. 

Attar de Roses is a little shy so you have to apply with a really liberal hand in order to "get" its true soul. Although Attar de Roses came out five years earlier, I think it is the olfactory interpretation of D&G's 2015 Spring/Summer line-up below. 

Dolce and Gabbana SS 15. Source: imgarcade.com

Paradise Lost Keiko Mecheri

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: Luckyscent.com

Yes I've thought some of the Keiko Mercheri fragrances that I've tried so far are worth buying full bottles of, but I've never really been compelled to go after a full bottle of any until now. Strangely enough, judging by the reactions of fragrant friends, I'm in the minority when it comes to liking Paradise Lost. 

I've heard negative comments ranging from too candy like to too floral like and both bewilder me as I don't smell sweets and yes obviously there are floral notes but Paradise Lost is far from just a floral perfume, on me at least. It starts off very sunny and bright with citruses loaded with greens and life, white floral blooms and sweet sandalwood conveying an image of the first part of its name "Paradise". However the rest is a slightly different tale and makes me think of the consequences after Adam and Eve were too greedy with the apple and got banished from Paradise. Paradise Lost develops into an pungent aroma with a strong smell of musky nether regions or the smell of decay or both mixed together. The white floral notes are still identifiable but the petals have lost their vigour and have begun to wilt quickly. The drydown is like a sweaty animalic musk and the residual perfume left by the faded flowers. Very interesting ride and not something I had anticipated when I first did a quick survey of the listed notes before ordering a sample to try. Perhaps the "Lost" part of the name is represented by the earthiness of the latter part of this fragrance's evolution, after the abrupt departure from its celestial beginnings. That's how I imagine it anyway.  

The projection and longevity are nothing to write home about but I've made peace with that by spraying heavily and frequently i.e. bring bottle around with you all day. I'm actually quite happy that I'm in the minority championing Paradise Lost, means more for me and less chance of smelling it on someone else! 

Loukhoum Eau Poudree Keiko Mecheri

Source: beautyicon.pl

Powdery gourmand, lots and lots of powdery fluff guaranteed to make you sneeze. It smells like a handful of candied rose petals mixed with a handful of jordan almonds, all of this pulverized by some brilliant mind intent on snorting instead of ingesting the candy. 

Although it doesn't smell very sweet, one can't wear Loukhoum Eau Poudree and expect to be taken seriously, there's as much powder here as on a baby's bottom. From the pink bottle to its equally girly contents, this could be worn on Wednesdays in Mean Girls or claim a spot on Elle Woods' dresser top or on her ample décolletage in the bunny outfit. 

Excellent sillage and longevity and thanks to its more gentle demeanour despite having a loukoum DNA, this can be worn in humid tropical weather without suffocating yourself or those around you within a metre's radius. 

Paname Keiko Mecheri

Source: Fragrantica

I was interested in procuring a sample if not a bottle of Douce Amere from Serge Lutens as it is another polarizing scent from this house whose online reviews make for good reading. I got a sample of Paname as it is supposed to closely resemble the hard-to-find-if-not-impossible Douce Amere. 

According to Wikipedia, Paname is a nickname given by Parisians to their city and in the book "I remember Paris" by journalist and historian Claude Dubois who writes about his childhood memories of Paname, the origin of the nickname has contributions from the Panama hat that was a fashion trend in the city, the hat itself having been worn by workers building the Panama canal and possibly having links with the Panama Affair which is regarded as the largest corruption scandal of the 19th century.

" ...Paname...la ville du chatoiement, des illusions et des désillusions..."

Sweet and interesting. Upon application the smell immediately reminded me of black licorice, something I prefer smelling than eating with its distinct herbal and spicy sweetness like the spiciness of cardamom seeds or anise. The licorice smell is more herbal than in Lolita Lempicka which is much, much sweeter than this scent. Paname is invigorating and aromatic like a bottled walk in a conifer forest, I can imagine it being sold as an aromatherapy potion labelled "Vitality". The balance between herbal and sweetness shifts more towards the latter in the drydown when a creamy vanilla note shows up and the scent is deepened with musk and wood notes. My only gripe with Paname is that it disappears far too quickly, I barely smell anything left after two hours. Full marks for its refreshing individuality but it lags behind in the sillage and longevity departments.

Umé Keiko Mecheri

Source: www.supermama.lt

 Keiko Mercheri Umé is incredibly yummy and realistic especially if you enjoy the taste of small Japanese pickled plums known as umeboshi. Being Asian and exposed to all sorts of pickled fruit and vegetables from an early age, umeboshi posed no problem for the palate no matter how salty (the level of sweet/saltiness can vary quite a bit) and although I don't like eating it on its own, it adds a lovely salty and sweet tartness to whatever you choose to eat it with, be it plain rice or in a salad. 

Even without knowing what Umé or umeboshi is, it is easy to recognise the plums in Keiko Mercheri's Umé immediately that are sweet with a piquant edge to their taste. As the scent settles down, there appears a very light boozy note reminiscent of Umeshu or Japanese plum liqueur but the scent remains quite sheer despite the booze. In the dry down it becomes more balmy with earthy and woody notes but the tartly sweet and salted plum remains front and center of the scent.  

Source: shizuokagourmet.com

Having met Umé I much prefer its delicate freshness over Tom Ford's syrupy and boozy Plum Japonais. If you wish to try your hand at making Umeboshi at home, I found what is possibly the most detailed and helpful recipe at Just Hungry.

Embruns Keiko Mecheri

Source:  www.allaviolettaboutique.com

Embruns. Sea spray.

Probably not the most attractive description of Embruns but it smells like salted orange peels that were dipped in water in an attempt to wash off some of the salt and preservatives. Embruns has peppery opening overlaying the citrus and salt water notes, the pepper doesn't tickle the nostrils and perks up the other two notes but does not last for long, leaving the salt and citrus to be joined in the drydown by smoky woody notes.

It's unisex but not my cup of tea (which I prefer rich and thick) and I agree with those who think this aromatic aquatic composition would work better on a man, being so fresh and lightweight it feels more like a eau de cologne than an eau de parfum.

My grumble about Embruns would be that it is barely a skin scent on me even after smearing on most of my sample from Luckyscent. Another fragrance lover suggested it might project better if sprayed on as opposed to dabbing but I'll have to get another sample to test that hypothesis.