Mon Parfum Cheri, par Camille Annick Goutal, EdT (2011)

Perfumers: Isabelle Doyen and Camille Goutal

Mon Parfum Cheri, par Camille makes my fiance physically ill because he cannot stomach its dense, savory richness. This is only for serious iris lovers. I loved it. I tested the original edt iris-heavy formulation. Many have mentioned that this perfume reminds them of old fashioned glamour. I don’t get that from it at all.

This perfume is so creamy and sour/bitter at the same time it is truly unique. It also contains a large amount of deep dry earthiness, like parched black mud in powdered form combined with candle wax, and dark purple plum skins. The tang of plum balances the fatty orris and the dusty patchouli so expertly, I’m spellbound.

The acid and alkaline components do not blend here. Instead, they remain separate and juxtaposed in an equilibrium that commands respect. I can’t believe someone actually composed it! It’s an olfactory assemblage. Truly perfume as art. Waxy, bitter, powdery, and addictive.

This is not a welcoming smell. It comes off as something you know you shouldn’t be smelling for your own health/safety, but you succumb to it anyway. Like drugs or fumes or magic. Seriously engaging.

This fragrance is now available in both edt and edp formulas, with the former being more dry/iris-heavy, and the latter focusing more on fruity nuances. The edt leans more masculine, though as a true iris lover, I prefer it.

by Kilian Bamboo Harmony (2012)

Perfumer: Calice Becker

Bamboo Harmony starts off with promising hints of citrus and sweet floral notes, but rapidly becomes an unexceptional (dusty) powdery floral tea-centered fragrance. I much prefer Water Calligraphy to this, though with Water Calligraphy, the emphasis is on sparkling sunny florals instead of tea, bergamot, and green grassy notes.

After the delightful opening, Bamboo Harmony quickly morphs into a powdery floral, and then the tea really comes out full force, but still cloaked in this powdery floral veil with a hint of ambiguous spice.

The white tea has a somewhat nose-tingling bitter element as if it has been a little over-steeped, and then cooled/muted to make iced tea, so that the notes go a little flat on my skin.

In the dry down, there is a powdery musk and the tea continues to permeate with its subtle yet persistent bite. The dry down is actually quite pleasant and ends as green as they come, but I would not choose this before any other more vibrant and simultaneously gentle (harmonious?) tea fragrances.

This reminds me of the perfume which “hangs” around a strange rich lady who is placidly looking at the same painting as you at a museum. You can tell that she is not friendly and she doesn’t notice you at all, even though you are no more than inches away. She is in her own calm, insulated and isolated world.

Like warm ice.

 

Cedre Parfums 06130 (2003)

Perfumer: Raphael Haury

Cedre is a wood and flower ghost fragrance.  It reminds me of a Shirley Jackson novel. It is amazing to me how many forms a Cedre fragrance can have. This one surprised me with its ethereal character.

A very light, pretty, powdery cedar with a faint barbershop quality from the violet. Despite its barbershop leanings, Cedre could be worn with ease by a man or a woman, because it is soft and slightly sweet.

It is very light, almost wispy, and well-blended so that the voilet, musk and cedar all weigh in about equally. Its projection is low and it does not last very long, but it would be appropriate for any occasion as a result. Maybe not for a loud party. Then again, who knows?

 

Dolce & Gabbana D&G Anthology: L’Imperatrice 3 (2009)

This fragrance smells like a cross between a Strawberry Kiwi Snapple beverage, and a watermelon Jolly Rancher hard candy. However, it does not possess the kind of sweetness that makes me want to drink it instead of wear it. I also find it to be less cloying than some of the summer Escada scents, so for anyone who enjoys those but feels they are a little “much”, this has a similar tropical fruit candy feel and is a great alternative. It also reminds me of a better executed of the new Ana Sui collection. You know, that one with the peacock cap, etc.

#3 has an ample dose of ozonic “freshness” and though the dry down is less than perfect on my clothes especially with a very slight bitterness and substantial clean muskiness, I do find it to be a very uplifting scent overall. It’s like an ideal summery body spray disguised in a heavy classy looking bottle.

My guy friend said I smelled great when I doused myself with this, (and you really can, because the longevity is only body spray length, though the sillage is considerable). If you have body spray you already love (I don’t), then this may be a waste of your time. Otherwise, a light, juicy candy scent for smelling shampoo girly-clean. MMMhmm.

Just watch out for that tart persistent muskiness towards the end of the perfume’s life. It can go a little sour and boozy (and bitter) depending on the weather and God knows what else.

 

By Kilian Water Calligraphy (2012)

Perfumer: Calice Becker

Water Calligraphy is a masterfully blended aquatic floral.

Magnolia and grapefruit pop out right in the opening, giving the composition a glorious sparkling warmth. The cardamom gives it a slightly spicy edge, and the water lily and vetiver give it a lush translucency.
It has a large, rich peachy sillage, good longevity, and the whole thing positively glows, like an expensive married woman on a relaxed afternoon brunch with her grownup daughter. Or maybe it is the expensive grownup daughter who is wearing Water Calligraphy. It is a fragrance they could easily share.

This fragrance is extremely floral and Sunny sweet, so if you shy away from sweet white floral frags, this may not be for you.

The soapy, powdery and aquatic notes really emerge full-force in the dry down, which is admittedly not so exciting as far as dry downs go, but it remains easy to wear, right through to the end.  I see this fragrance as a sparkly fuchsia and tangerine colored aura.  If Pegasuses were real,  luminous trails of Water Calligraphy would probably flow from their butts as they gracefully soared through the clouds.

I tend to dislike aquatic notes in fragrances, but Kilian pulls them off well in this summery feminine composition. I wouldn’t buy it myself but I will probably use my whole sample, which is more that I can say for a lot of perfumes.

M. Micallef Royal Vintage (2013)

Perfumer: Jean-Claude Astier

When testing fragrances with my boyfriend I often refer to them as things that help me contextualize them for both of us, and when I tested M. Micallef’s Royal Vintage, I kept referring to it as, that Aventus one. They are definitely not the same scent, but similar enough that my familiarity with Aventus makes me automatically associate the two fragrances.

For those who are not familiar with either, they are both warm, spicy, woody fragrances rounded out by some acidic fruits with a kind of smoky pineapple quality. However, They are not so similar that one can replace the other, and I feel that each is deserving of individual consideration, even if they are close cousins. To make a designer/female analogy, if that would be helpful to anyone, they are about as similar as Kenzo Amour and Dior Hypnotic Poison are to one another.

If ever leather could be refreshing, this fragrance is a perfect example. Bergamot peel, spicy woodsy notes and smoky sweet fruitiness all revolve around a clean light leather.

This would be a great summer evening vacation scent. It is soothing and romantic, with a very casual facet.

This fragrance is incredibly well rounded and balanced. It smells tropical, masculine, and expensive. Projection and longevity are excellent so apply carefully. It actually has the lasting power of indelible ink, on me it stayed THROUGH a shower, so make sure you’re definitely in the mood to wear it! If you enjoy spicy, warm, complex masculine citrus frags and aren’t adverse to a nicely blended leather, give this one a shot.

If I woke up next to someone who smelled from Royal Vintage, I would be like, “AAAAAA!! WHAT DID YOU DO WITH MY BOYFRIEND!?”
But then I would take a deep breath of his Aventus, er, I mean Royal Vintage, sigh, and think to myself,

“Mhm. Everything’s gonna be alright.”

Yves Saint Laurent Manifesto (2012)

Perfumers: Anne Flipo and Loc Dong

Manifesto smells like synthetic wood, sweet powder, and tangy dark berries. On the exhale, there is a sweet airy vanilla.

Manifesto is a cold weather version of a fruity vanilla akin to Viva la Juicy. It is definitely a contemporary composition. When I first tried it about four months ago, I could not STAND it, but now that I am more familiar with the vast array of generic vanillin, ethyl maltol laden offerings that make up this particular fragrance family, I recognize that it’s a step above a at least a few of them.

There is a syrupy synthetic base in there that cannot be ignored. However, if you decide to embrace Manifesto for what it is, it can be comforting, reassuring, and even sexy if it suits you.

Providence Perfume Co. Divine Noir (2012)

Perfumer: Charna Ethier

Divine Noir is sweet, woody, earthy, balsamic, warm, tangy, and aromatic. It smells like a complex artisan root beer with a spritz of bergamot and a shot of patchouli-infused wheat grass mixed into it. It is such a beautiful offering of naturally sweet and aromatic earthiness, I feel like eating it would make me stronger and more beautiful.

It is spicy, smooth, rich and deep, but its vibrant botanical quality lends the ingredients a translucency, which prevents it from ever becoming too much. In the dead of summer I could see it being a little too heavy, but on the right person, Divine Noir is so balanced and unique that it could easily be dressed up or down. The juice is dark (obviously) so be careful when applying because if you spray directly to a small area, it can temporarily stain skin the color of sunless tanner, until your next shower. Don’t let this deter you. Just spray over a larger area so the color isn’t concentrated like a splotch, and always apply before you dress, and you’ll be fine.

Divine Noir is an invisible door you can open into a private exotic environment. It’s like chocolate and wine-colored velvet curtains draped behind antique paned-glass windows. It’s a fragrance for feeling centered and confident while at the same time welcoming and alluring.  That said, it’s definitely not a perfume  for everyone, and probably not for most, which could be a good or bad thing depending on what you are looking for.

The bergamot and patchouli are prevalent in the opening, as well as the sarsaparilla and well, countless other things! Ahhh! It’s blowing my mind!

It honestly took me a while to find my footing in Divine Noir (as it is VERY strong and bold with good sillage and excellent longevity), but once I did, I could not stop sniffing the part of my arm I had sprayed. The most gorgeous vanilla emerges in the dry down; what a stunning finish to an incredible journey.

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse: Vanille & Narcisse (2013)

Perfumer: Karine Dubreuil

Vanilla & Narcisse is a very unpredictable fragrance on my skin. Each time I wear it, it goes in one of two directions..

1. Soft, feminine, and lovely.

The first one is light, warm, powdery vanilla like a marshmallow (though less sweet), with an abstract floral element which possesses a tinge of what I would equate to wintergreen, though it’s really more like wintergreen gum or candy than the essential oil. It’s like a powdery vanilla-mint without any bite. Projection and lasting power are moderate.

2. Totally gross.

The second direction is sweet powdery vanilla changing to body odor. This is the smell of body odor on the back of my freshly washed hand, and when it goes this way, I want nothing more than to wash my hand again immediately.

Could my body chemistry be fluctuating THAT much? My first experience with this fragrance was so enjoyable, and I walked around wearing it in the warm late afternoon, planning to go back the following day and ask for a sample. However the next time I tested it, I thought “YUCK! It’s baby powder mixed with grown-up stink!”

Do not blind buy this or gift it to anyone based on the notes. You really must sample it several times to make a determination about it. Though this is true of many if not most fragrances, it holds especially true with ones like Vanilla & Narcisse.

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse: The Vert & Bigarade (2013)

Perfumer: Karine Dubreuil

The Vert & Bigarade is my favorite Green Tea centered fragrance to date. The tea is crisp and smooth, never bitter.

The bitter orange is not strong at all, and merely acts as a stage hand to round out the fullness of the refreshing green tea. I hardly notice it. This one is more of a single note fragrance than the original The Vert which has a very prominent lemon especially in the opening. I strongly prefer The Vert & Bigarade to the original. It is what The Vert should have been.

I don’t know how it compares to Elizabeth Arden’s green tea collection, but as far as tea fragrances go, I think I actually also prefer TV&B to L’Artisan’s The Pour un Ete, though it is lovely in its own right, and also features a green tea accented by citrus. The Pour un Ete starts off with a sweeter and more gentle lemon than the lemon tea combo in The Vert, and the dry down of The Pour un Ete is a more prominently jasmine-green tea.

The Vert & Bigarade stays pretty linear on my skin: Straight smooth and sparkling green tea all the way. I might drink it. It has very good longevity for a green tea fragrance. Applied in early evening, I can still smell it on my skin the following morning. It’s projection is average. The dry down is a rich matcha green tea. So beautiful! Well done, L’Occitane!

I love to layer this translucent light green scent with Pacifica’s Island Vanilla to make a matcha green tea ice cream fragrance. Wonderfully simple and well done. Great for casual daily wear as with most green tea fragrances (and L’Occitane fragrances for that matter). Do not say that green tea has been done to death before trying this one out.