Nin-Shar Jul et Mad Paris

Desirability: Full bottle and a back up

Source: pinterest

I have heard/read of instances in which people observe a moment's silence when opening a rare fine wine or brandy, out of respect or perhaps silent awe. "Dear God!" was my first thought when sniffing the opened bottle of Nin-Shar (in the cute Love Dose 5ml size as was a semi-blind buy, I say semi-blind because I had a very pleasant encounter with Néa and therefore was confident that I would love its sibling too. With rose, oud and incense listed in its notes, it's a safe bet for me). After a deliriously happy albeit silent moment during which my olfactory nerves imbibed greedily on this glorious juice, my second thought was "I need a bigger bottle! STAT!" 

It seems like almost every house whether niche or mainstream has a rose/oud combination and the huge selection is quite fatiguing after the initial excitement wore off. Nin-Shar stands out from the competition because of its luscious rose jam note that is dripping with berries in syrup and packed with dark red roses in full bloom. This dessert rose shares some similarities with other jammy roses like Parfumerie Generale's PG13 Brulure de Rose or Sådanne . However the patchouli, incense and oud pull the fragrance away from the gourmand territory and the result is a sophisticated broody rose indulging in a glass of burgundy, surrounded by opulent trappings. Everything about Nin-Shar is rich and rooted in quality ingredients, projection is *moderate and longevity is very good on me. 

*my fellow colleagues beg to differ and insist that projection is enormous as apparently they can smell me down the hall which is no small feat. They have further claimed that anyone spending more than five minutes in my room comes out smelling of boozy roses. I leave you to be your own judge! :)

Parisienne Yves Saint Laurent

Source: vogue.fr

Parisienne was there at the beginning of my perfume fetish, together with my first Serge Lutens...Ambre Sultan, Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle, Thierry Mugler's Angel, Dior's Forever and Ever and the whichever was the current summer edition from Escada ( my favourites were Ibiza Hippie and Rockin' Rio). 

Feminine and versatile, it's perfect for daily use. Not too sweet with the teeniest bit of something tangy, it's a delightful cocktail of juicy berries and delicate flowers mainly roses and violets. Lively and flirty this feels and smells as if I'm diving into my make-up bag between the powders and lipsticks, it has that make-up effect also seen in Guerlain Insolence and Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose, minus the powder.

Its longevity and projection puts some pricier perfumes to shame. All in all a great subtle fruity floral for any occasion. 

Sådanne Slumberhouse

Source: Luckyscent

My boss just told me I smell like a Yankee candle and that he won't mind smelling like one too. It does smell like an upmarket candle, one that has forest fruits in its name and comes either purple or red usually. Considering I applied a little from a Luckyscent dab sample to my right forearm, I would say the projection is pretty damn good. 

I have mentally placed Sådanne in the same broad catergory as Tauer's 10 Une Rose Vermeille and Parfumerie Generale's PG13 Brulure de Rose. Fruity roses that smell like real roses and real fruit. As opposed to car air-fresheners posing as perfumes. 

Like the Tauer and PG, Sådanne is more than just a fruity rose. Syrupy sweet fruit-bushels of ripe blackberries, strawberries, raspberries some more berries, possibly a fuzzy peach or two and of course bunches of roses. The general effect is similar to drinking a thick dessert wine like Inniskillin or another ice wine. In stark contrast to the nectar, there is a heavy leather that combats the dessert for attention. As if watching the swordplay in saber fencing, the leather and sweet notes perform a repertoire of lunges and parrys so fluid it is more a dance than merely tactical maneuvering. Weaving everything together are warm resins and dark woody notes and there you have Sådanne. 

Sådanne could also have been named Rose Rebelle or Whips and Roses or Good Girl Gone Bad, yes I know these names have already been taken but just to give a clearer picture of what Sådanne is like. 

Vent de Folie Annick Goutal

Vent de Folie. Wave of madness. Do they mean impulsive? I don't find Vent de Folie either mad nor impulsive but she is a sunny character.

Most of the Annick Goutal scents that I've tried are on the lighter side of life, apart from standouts like the seductive Ce Soir Ou Jamais and the voluptuous Grand Amour, which are two of my favourites from this house. 

Vent de Folie is a carefree sprite, a fresh and pretty fruity-floral on a background of clean musk, with a soft scent trail but a very good longevity, I got over 12 hours but only on clothes, on skin it disappeared after about two hours wear.

Anyway back to what it smells like, which is very appealing especially if you are into sheer, joyful beauties. I smell a basket of freshly picked, sweet and tart berries with a bunch of long stemmed pink roses on the bed of berries. It stays this way for a while, a happy-go-lucky scent before the berries and rosiness are joined by notes of white musk and powder, giving the impression of fluffy white clouds in a clear blue sky above a huge rambling garden bursting with blooms. I wore Vent de Folie to sleep and woke up to a lovely rose and woody musk, the fruit having vanished in the night.

An enjoyable experience, Vent de Folie is all joie de vivre and cannot fail to rub some happy dust on her wearer. 

Collection Rouge No. 2 M. Micallef

Source: boutique.osswaldnyc.com

A Micallef that I really enjoy, Rouge No. 2 was a bit of a surprise find. I was on the hunt for labdanum based scents and this opulent red bottle caught my eye. To put it simply Rouge No. 2 is a fancy mix of an oriental and fruity-floral, that's sweet enough in its initial stages to be ranked as a gourmand oriental but not tooth-achingly so. 

It starts with bushels of luscious ripe berries that are turned into a mouth-watering fruit and caramel dessert, the sweetness held in check by a tangy cassis. The scent leaves the gourmand territory as it dries and goes down a darker resinous path, ending as a powdery warm amber with a tinge of dark musk, that is suggestive without reeking of sex. 

Rouge No. 2 has a very potent opening which wanes to become a skin scent by around the fifth hour wearing it. After having sampled it a few times (and finally succumbing to a full bottle), I feel its aptly named, from the succulent berry opening, the intensely dark creme de cassis and its ending with a hint of carnal pleasures awaiting.