Opus IX Amouage

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: pinterest

"But I, I took the sweet life and never knew I'd be bitter from the sweet

I spent my life exploring the subtle whoring that cost too much to be free

Hey lady, I've been to paradise, but I've never been to me"

 Charlene - I've Never Been To Me (lyrics stolen from MetroLyrics )

Opus IX in a song. 

I've long been in love with Greta Garbo and the dashingly handsome Robert Taylor in the film Camille, based on Alexandre Dumas' La Dame aux Camélias, which  Giuseppe Verdi turned into the opera La Traviata. 

Unlike Hester Prynne forced to don the scarlet letter, Opus IX wears her flaming red cloak with pride and much beauty. I am a big fan of Amouage (more correctly a fan of their dramatic and tempestuous creations that fly in the face of polite crowd-pleasers), a lover of jasmine and "stinky" scents as well as a complete sucker for romance ( I grew up on a diet of Judith McNaught). The animal is much alive in Opus IX but instead of grappling for world domination, it blends beautifully with a honeyed jasmine which provides just the right amount of floral sweetness and does magic up images of the snowy white camellias that Camille was never without, whether splurging on a massive bouquet or a stem tucked into a sash. A light layer of fine pepper breaks the lull created by the blissful union between the flowers and animals but Opus IX comes nowhere near as spicily aromatic as Nuit Noire nor as lusty. Opus IX focuses more on the highs and lows of the romance as compared to the never ending bondage session of Nuit Noire. From the first moment the scent caresses the skin so does the story unfold with bright flashes of vivacity and joy interspersed with shadows of melancholy that weigh heavily on the soul. 

I didn't delve into the story behind the creation of Opus IX before trying it on or writing this but now that I know that the inspiration came from La Traviata, it makes perfect sense . A scent of passionate love and hideous heartache that only too often go hand in hand. Artfully captured in the alluring yet tragic Opus IX. Massive projection and good longevity. This goes on the birthday wish list. 

Source: pinterest

Garofano Lorenzo Villoresi

Desirability: Full bottle

Source: www.lorenzovilloresi.it

I was never blown away by Caron's Bellodgia as loved and lauded as it is. Perhaps my new-ish bottle lacks the magic of previous formulations or perhaps I tried it too soon on my scent journey to truly appreciate it but Bellodgia got swapped away before I gave it another chance to someone else who really loves it. In return I got a sample of Garofano and this is something I can see myself wearing.

To avoid confusion, the sample is from the Vintage Collection from which I've tried and loved both Ylang Ylang and Ambra, the former being the most natural ylang ylang I've smelt and the latter being a unique interpretation of amber that's nothing like most other ambers on the market recently. 

Before I came across the universe of scents I never thought of carnations as fragrant, at least not the ones in the florist shops on my tropical island. The very most I could come up with after sticking my nose into various store bought carnations was the mildest of mild spicy floral and even that's exaggerating. Snooping on gardening forums I came to the conclusion that the ones that I've been sniffing are likely new hybrids that were crossbred for their size and colour with little attention paid to their scent whereas carnations which have not been domesticated smell like well, like carnations are meant to smell. 

So never having smelt an untouched carnation nor carnation absolute, I have to rely on Google which tells me carnations smell as follows: heavy, musky, spicy, clove-like, floral, powdery, sweet as honey, exotic. 

If this is true then Garofano encompasses all these characteristics. It is a rich and deep scent that smells like pepper and other aromatic spices from the kitchen, a dark and thick honey, leaving the kitchen and entering a boudoir whose walls and carpet hold the smells of powder, both the living and the ghosts of glorious floral arrangements as well as a hint of musk from the owner. Garofano doesn't unfold on me chapter by chapter but instead I smell everything together and yet separately, the different notes coming forwards and drifting away again as if the notes are in a free-style dance but sharing the limelight almost equally. I say almost equally because the most distinct on me would be the spicy floral and powdery bits. 

Biased perhaps by the olfactory hallucinations of canopied four-posters, heavy velvet drapings and plush outfittings a la Dangerous Liaisons, I find Garofano to be more feminine than unisex unless you are John Malkovich. Besides smelling like a historical aristocratic drama filled with intrigue, Garofano has a great projection with a moderate longevity and I would highly recommend this to lovers of carnations and vintage-y scents. 

Rossy de Palma Eau de Protection Etat Libre d`Orange

Desirability: Sample

Source: iperfume.ru

Unless my sample was labelled wrongly, Rossy de Palma has to be the tamest scent that I've tried from Etat Libre d'Orange ever. I kept waiting for a twist in the tale but the lack of shock tactics was notable from the start to its drydown.

Rossy de Palma is a peppery spiced rose, whose place on the "Scoville" score of spiciness lies between Paestum Rose by Eau D'Italie on the milder side and Epic Woman by Amouage on the spicier side. Pasteum Rose is too mild tempered for my liking and Rossy de Palma is more affordable than Amouage, so it is a good in-between scent if you are having problems deciding between them. Rossy de Palma opens with a peppery spiciness tinged with the sharpness of fresh-cut ginger. There is a green rose that appears from behind the spices, a little sour, a little sweet and plenty realistic as if you were leaning in to smell the rose itself perched on its bush, the scent of wet dirt type of patchouli rising from below. Mingling with these smells is a gentle breeze carrying a light incense that completes the picture of Rossy de Palma. 

I've heard the scent termed so many things from sensual to cozy and I believe it encompasses both and everything else in between. It has a moderate projection but a decent longevity and I feel it can be comfortably worn by both males and females. A nicely done spiced patchouli rose that doesn't go screechy or powdery like some roses do but despite singing its praises, my heart and purse still belongs to the opulent, breathtakingly beautiful Epic Woman.

Trivia: The Scoville scale is a measurement of the spiciness of a particular food or chili pepper, measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) which is related to the concentration of capsaicin in the food but is an imprecise method of of measurement in contrast to methods such as high-performance liquid chromatography. 

CiocoSpesizissimo Hilde Soliani

Desirability: Sample

Source: Fragrantica

The opening of CiocoSpesizissimo smells quite similar to CiocoRosissimo except that the rose note is replaced with green aromatic spices. I scrounged around my mother's kitchen searching for basil to do a side by side comparison since basil is listed as a note in CiocoSpesizissimo (seriously where do these names come from?) but I can't honestly say I smell basil but I do smell green herbs( in general) and mixed spices sort of like an all spice blend. Same level of sweetness as in CiocoRosissimo, which is not too sweet at all, the chocolate here being of the bitter dark chocolate variety but whilst in CiocoRosissimo the chocolate does a disappearing act before the drydown, here it stays put throughout, keeping the green spices company. 

CiocoSpesizissimo has a light projection but good longevity and overall is quite natural smelling if unusual (mint chocolate I have tried but aromatic herbal chocolate?). Its piquancy mellows over time and the scent gradually grows cosier and woody, bringing to mind the smell of freshly shaved wood planks. The development from the initial verdant-ness to the woodiness in the drydown makes me think of seasons changing from summer's vivid greens and blues to autumnal reds and golds. 

Rose Poivree The Different Company

Desirability: Decant

Source: kremchik.com.ua

I recoiled the first time I tried Rose Poivree, smelling nothing but spices radiating en masse from the paper I held and blocking out any other notes. It's been three years since that unfortunate introduction and I've learnt to sample on skin and to wait out the opening. 

Opening: a bombardment of eye-watering pepper with coriander chiming in, it's unique multiple personality of zesty yet nutty yet spicy traits adding to the onslaught. It mellows down a little maybe after the first half hour but pepper is a major player all the way to the end. After the spicy blitz there comes a dry, earthy woodiness and rose. The rose is quite exquisite, it truly smells like a real rose blooming out of your skin or clothes. Minimalistic, light and very life-like. 

If you can get past the initial challenging stage, the drydown is a rose musk with an animalic edge albeit on the subtle side. Sophisticated with the slightest hint of naughty. Lightweight in terms of projection after the potency of the opening notes and  has an average longevity.  

Ambra Lorenzo Villoresi

Source: Fragrantica

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

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

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

CiocoRosissimo Hilde Soliani

Source: Luckyscent

Quirky rose.

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

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

Le Voluttuose La Vaniglia Bois 1920

Source: www.basenotes.net

I will fully admit that my girly girl side fell for the blush pink and gold bottle BUT what tipped me into blind buying a bottle of La Vaniglia was that it has quite a number of detractors despite being a vanilla scent. Oriental vanilla that is. Very oriental indeed. 

Vanilla usually out shouts its accompanying notes and vanilla scents can get a bit boring and repetitive after a while. Standout vanillas like Mona di Orio's Vanille and La Vaniglia break out of the gourmand category and present challenging compositions that will have their equal share of fans and critics. Mona di Orio's Vanille is an acrid woody vanilla that I enjoy sniffing but cannot wear as I find it too dry to be comfortable and I do like some sugar with my vanilla. L`Erbolario Dolcelisir is a boozy gourmand vanilla that's loaded with cinnamon and other spices which makes it feel drier than other gourmand vanilla perfumes that I've tried. 

Where Dolcelisir is laden with cinnamon, La Vaniglia my third encounter with a dry vanilla, is liberally peppered especially in the opening where the smell of freshly grated ginger and pepper is almost overwhelming and there's no sign of vanilla at this time. The initial spiciness dissipates over time but spice remains a prominent note even to the drydown and this dry spiciness gives a feeling of antiquity to La Vaniglia. Under the spice, living beneath a thick fog of darkest patchouli and smoky incense that is so intense it is as if someone sucked up the incense of several cathedrals and stuck it in this creation, there is a creamy vanilla but La Vaniglia is not just vanilla as she claims to be nor is she the innocent cotton candy pink of the bottle. Yes there is sugar but just enough to be noticed so in comparison I will say much less sweet than Dolcelisir but sweeter than Vanille. She is very much a sophisticated, audacious take on vanilla that is both wildly weird and wonderful. Potent and promiscuous this is definitely not for little girls. AMAZING longevity and good projection. Blind buy success! 

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. 

PG02 Cozé Parfumerie Generale

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



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

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

Verdict: Haight Ashbury minus the incense.



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

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. 

Archives 69 Etat Libre d'Orange

I will confess that I pretended to like ELDO's fragrances when I blind bought my first five (they were on sale and I am enough of a Singaporean woman to appreciate sales), namely, Putain des Palaces (who won't want to be a hotel slut in their dirty BDSM type fantasies right?), Don't get me Wrong Baby, I don't swallow ( another that I got for the name, won't you?), Bendelirious ( I was an amateur to the perfume world and the sales blurb sold it for me), Encens et Bubblegum and Noel au Balcon( the only one of the five that I wear on a semi-regular basis).

It's not that any of the 5 were bad scents. They are however more modern art and I am stuck in the Impressionist period, I can appreciate their artistry but they don't wear well on me.

The selling points for 69 were: it's name (when will I ever learn?), it's nose (Christine Nagel), it's not very popular ( usually these black sheep types work for me) and it's ingredients: musk and spices, hell yes!

So it doesn't smell like the 69 I had in mind ( actually it's named after ELDO's address in Paris, not for kinky stuff but I'm sure they thought of it too in marketing!), It starts off peppery but not unbearably so ( not like Rose Poivree by TDC which was a total scrubber on me), then the sweet incense (think CDG's incense range) and musk (more white than MKK but not as clean as TBS's White Musk). It stays relatively linear for the rest of the duration on me.

There's a mentholated note that reminds me of Tuberose Criminelle although in here it's not as prominent. This may be a factor as to why 69 is quite divisive according to the online perfume forums. The good thing about that is a bottle can be found quite inexpensively on flea bay as compared to the more popular ELDOs.

The sillage is about an arm's width and the longevity medium to good, I'm getting wafts of the scent past 6 hours now.