Aoud Ambre is undoubtedly one of the most voluptuous fragrances from
Montale Paris. The luxurious layers of warm amber scattered with rose
petals are supported by the intriguing tobacco and honey richness of Oud,
the mystical and highly prized resin. Like a passionate embrace,
the woody notes cradle the radiance of amber, softening it up with
the sweet spicy accord.
I first tested this a year ago; I absolutely
hated this since all I could smell was
tobacco. I re-tested this again recently
and now consider this to be an
incredibly sexy fragrance for women.
Montale Aoud Ambre is perfect for fall and winter especially if you
are in the mood for something other than a “straight amber” scent. "A very old oud combined with a magnificent Eastern Amber for a duo with vitality thanks to the Cystus ladaniferus from the Indies and to 50 other components, the oud is feminine, refined and sensual par excellence." This is a luscious rose floral with amber and the slight hint of tobacco vanishes quickly. Everything about this perfume is perfect.
romance/drama, classic tear-jerker Marlon Brando movie “Sayonara”.
This is not a typical “pink” fragrance; this is not for little girls with sweet tastes as some of the commercial houses seem to be gearing to. Chinatown is for a goddess. It is all women. The opening, heart and dry down are one of the best out of my fragrance collection. A stunning and glorious fragrance, it is also oddly calming and healing, as if I am in beautiful garden.
Chinatown's bottle in plum blossom, pearl-colored on one side, fuchsia on the other - featuring 300 Swarovski crystals studding each floweret is show-stoping in itself. The Juice matches up to the bottle. Chinatown also comes in a bottle without the Swarovski crystals.
Top Notes: Peach Blossom, Bergamot
Middle Notes: Gardenia, Tuberose, Peony and Orange Flower
Base Notes: Patchouli, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Sandalwood, and Cardamom & Guaiac Wood
Coeur de Fleur means “Heart of Flower”. “Heart of Flower”
conjures up so many images I had as a child staring deep
into my grandmother’s prized flowers, looking for answers.
To “go into” the heart of a flower is a heady fantasy.
A beautiful image for a beautiful perfume that is one of the original
fragrances blended for Miller Harris. A base of Florentine iris,
amber and Madagascan vanilla supports a heart of sweet pea,
mimosa, Egyptian Jasmin, raspberry and peach to make a warm,
but intensely feminine impression.
This graceful scent captures the loveliness of a day in late spring -- riotous with flowers, rich with the golden promise of summer just ahead. A beautiful well blended and unusual floral. The EDP is long lasting and the dry down is just as fragrant as a spring day.
Miller Harris is available at Miller Harris and Sak's.
This is said to be a “classy fragrance" recommended for “special occasions”
or "evening wear”; I disregard reading these little quotes on perfume
sites as I will always wear these "type" of fragrances during the day.
1000 is healing, just knowing how hard the perfumer worked at creating this
luscious and gorgeous perfume. It starts out strong and then softens to a
dreamlike and luscious white cloud. Patou 1000 is an exotic fragrance that
is blended with jasmine, Chinese Osmanthus and Bulgarian rose, with
underlying notes of Grasse and Sandalwood, patchouli and violet.
This classic fragrance received its name for being selected as the perfect blend after 999 other blends were rejected. Created in 1972 after ten years by the great Jean Patou perfumer, created by Jean Kerleo. With careful blending and perfecting, "1000" is an exuberant, modern fragrance from the house of Jean Patou. Its name comes from the number of submissions that were rejected before the scent was chosen. Known as "the essence of extravagance," the scent is made from a jasmine essence that takes over seven million flowers to produce a single kilogram. This was first introduced as a true haute couture fragrance; made to order upon request before it was produced for the public.
Montale Blue Amber
By Raphaella Brescia
From the Montale web site: “The main features of the Parfums Montale
are their love of scents from the Orient and Arabia, through its
enchanted history. Perfumers from all around the world have chosen
precious Woods including Frankincense, Balsam, Amber, Cedar and thousand
other wonderful scents to create the MONTALE perfumes.
"Its aluminum bottle has been especially developed to guarantee that the
perfume is preserved for a long time in a dark place, the light being the
main enemy of perfumes and rare essences”.
“Italian bergamot and bourbon geranium give Montale Blue Amber dynamic
impressions. The heart-note contains coriander and the warm base is of
ambergris assisted by the sweetness of vanilla. The luxurious Aouds are
fragranced ointments extracted from the oils of the Arabian Oud Tree. Oud
is precious oil from the bark resin of Aquilara - known as Ud (also Ouf or Aoud)
- oil. Only trees of a certain age (50 years) deliver this essence. Aouds are the
sole perfume of kings and sultans since the dawn of time and are believed to possess aphrodisiac properties. Montale fragrances consist of the most precious raw materials in high concentrations”.
This is a magnificent perfume that speaks of warm, golden amber, rolled in rich vanilla, fresh and orangey bergamot and soft earth notes. Mysterious and sultry, Blue Amber is an absolute must lovers of amber.
Blue Amber notes: Italian bergamot, bourbon geranium, coriander, patchouli, vetiver, amber, vanilla.
Bois de Iles is part of the Chanel Rue Cambron Collection.
Bois de Iles was created in 1926 by Ernest Beaux, a
Russian émigré. How lovely to be able to discover this
enticing perfume in the year 2006, and it smells as modern
as the sun rising. I cannot use the word “classic” on Bois de Iles,
but “timeless” and “stunning” will suffice.
What is fascinating about this fragrance to me is the
blending of wood and floral, so beautiful, I am speechless.
Bois de Iles is a woody perfume that unfurls slowly. The hot
and bewitching notes of Sandalwood and Vetiver are enhanced
with the indulgence of the Tonka Bean and Vanilla, between
Bitter Almond and Gingerbread.
Its floral middle note of Ylang-Ylang is refreshed with a hint of
Damask Rose and unified by Royal Jasmine. The ensemble is
lifted by aldehydes that light up each ingredient to bring out its
individual beauty. Both the EDP and EDT are stunning.
BOIS DES ILES is a woody scent with a flowery heart. Notes
include aldehydes, bergamot, neroli, peach; jasmine, rose,
lily of the valley, iris, ylang-ylang; vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin, musk.
Only available at select Chanel fragrance Boutiques.
Call the Chanel Fragrance Boutique at 15 East 57th Street in New York City at (212) 355-5050
Alamut by Lorenzo Villoresi
By Raphaella Brescia
The latest fragrance from perfumer Lorenzo Villoresi.
I find this to be a perfect fall/winter fragrance for walking in the
fall leaves, Christmas shopping, baking cookies or just laying
around feeling luscious. This scent is warm and comforting yet
a tad glamorous and sexy. After reviewing the notes below,
I can see why. Staring at the ruby red bottle, I imagine that a
ruby gem would smell like this fragrance.
The notes are:
Osmanthus, Rose, Jasmin, Rosewood
and exotic flowers, Narcissus, Tuberose,
Ylang Ylang, Orange Blossom, Labdanum,
Amber, Musk, Amyris, Sandalwood, Patchouli,
Benzoin, Leather.
“A warm and sensual fragrance, a journey to the Orient, a fragrant
arabesque. The rich, opulent and velvety flowers of a Thousand
and one night, dreams of secret gardens in the moonlight of the fresh oriental night. The enveloping scent of rare and precious woods, the seducing embrace of Tonkin Musk, the profound and mysterious aroma of Amber”.
“The ancient Persian castle of Alamut inspired Lorenzo Villoresi to create a fragrance capturing the opulence of its fabled gardens. Luxurious like brocaded silk and warm like Middle Eastern nights, Alamut unfolds in layers of jasmine and osmanthus. Made intoxicating by the narcotic richness of narcissus and tuberose, the heart of the composition melds into the sensual base of woods and amber.
Mitsouko is homage to the heroine of 'La bataille', the novel by Claude Farrère. It is the story of an impossible passion:
Mitsouko, a beautiful Japanese woman and the wife of Admiral Togo, is secretly loved by a British officer. In 1905, when war
breaks out between Russia and Japan, Mitsouko awaits with dignity the outcome of the battle, nobly overcoming her
feelings. The bottle is identical to that of L'Heure Bleue. It is said that the two bottles open and close the period
between the beginning and the end of the war.
This classic fragrance, created in 1919 with an earthy heart of oakmoss and peach, sets a standard for chypre perfumes
that others have since tried to duplicate. Mitsouko, which means “Mystery” in Japanese, remains utterly unique,
cloaked in a sensuous air.
Guerlain is among the oldest perfume houses in the world. It has a large and loyal customer following, and is held in high esteem in the perfume industry. Perfumes by Guerlain are often said to be inspired by the scent of confections, as a result of a common vanilla and amber accord in many of their fragrances. This unique attribute is often referred to as the "Guerlinade". A perfume by the same name was launched by Guerlain in 1921. I have fallen in love, head over heels, with this mossy, woody Chypre. An incredible blend of fruity aromas combined with woody notes on a subtle amber base. This is another fall/winter scent that is absolutely stunning.
Mitsouko is classified as a refined, woody and mossy Fragrance. This feminine scent possesses a magical blend of exotic fruits and spices. Mitsouko, which means “Mystery” in Japanese, remains utterly unique, cloaked in a sensuous air.
People Of The Labyrinths
By Kathy Patterson
Dutch fashion label People of the Labyrinths released their long-
awaited second perfume, A Maze on January 20th. Their first
fragrance, Luctor et Emergo, apparently named after a Dutch
football (soccer) team, has had a cultish following since its
release in 1997. Not having experienced the earlier scent,
I took advantage of Lucky Scent's great sample program and
ordered myself one of each to test.
Luctor et Emergo
Notes: precious woods, vanilla, fresh grasses, white florals, almond,
cherry
This starts off as a warm fuzzy slightly woodsy vanilla with hints of
cherry or almond, like an ice cream float made with Suburban Almond
Smash (regional Baltimore soda of the past) and vanilla ice cream,
all wafting over a gentle white floral. Some people claim there's a
Play-Doh quality, but I smell only baby powder and marzipan.
A sweet, but not cloying, and gentle fragrance.
Chopard Casmir
By Kathy Patterson
Notes: mango, coconut, peach,
bergamot, jasmine, geranium,
muguet, amber, musk, vanilla,
sandalwood, patchouli
I think this is one of my all-time favorite fragrances--I've just
started my fourth bottle! On me, the opening notes are fruity,
mostly peach with maybe a touch of mango, and the coconut is nonexistant. The drydown is soft and very vanilla, with touches of amber, musk, and sandalwood. There's also a bit of a medicinal twang, somewhat like saffron, which may be the geranium, or the patchouli, however, I detect no floral quality at all. I'm constantly amazed that this fragrance contains so many notes I do not like (coconut, jasmine, muguet, patchouli), yet overall I find it astonishingly lovely.
Although Casmir is an oriental, it's not a heavy or dark one. My preference is to wear it in the cooler months, but really, it's light enough to be worn all year around.
Black Orchid is a provocative potion that is mysterious and sensual, the first fragrance from the deliciously controversial Tom Ford. “I intend to create the first true luxury brand of the 21st century” says Ford. The black orchid, a rare, hybrid bloom, has the most desirable fragrance of all. Black Orchid opens with heady notes of truffle, incense and dark chocolate.
Ford is one of the most successful designers of recent decades, who transformed the ailing Gucci into one of the world's largest and most profitable brands, redesigning Gucci itself, and leading it on a rags-to-riches journey from near-bankruptcy. He has also created Youth Dew Amber Nude for Estee Lauder.
Black Orchid’s opening note of truffle is blended with ylang-ylang, bergamot and black currant. The middle note combines orchid, with the intensity of flowers, fruit and lotus wood. The oriental base is dark chocolate, incense, patchouli, balsam, sandalwood, vanilla and vetiver.
Love it or hate it, this is a compelling concoction that demands attention. Black Orchid does, in fact capture the scent of the orchid. The opening of Black Orchid is luscious and heavy, beckoning like a siren. This is an “in–your-face” fragrance, strong like Carnal Flower, but to me without the depth of beauty.
It is not a disappointing fragrance, however, it is a somewhat disturbing one. Maybe it’s the opening truffle note.
According to the New York Post “Page Six”, Tom Ford asked the Estee Lauder executives to make his Black Orchid smell like a “man’s crotch”. I understand that only Tom Ford can get away with saying that.
I understand what he was getting at - but aside from that, how can I find beauty in something that smells like...well, you know. Black Orchid is a "tad" raunchy on me. I also know that Black Orchid will have many fans as well as those who will dislike it.
After having the opportunity of wearing so many beautiful niche fragrances, I wonder if I can be objective about Black Orchid. Perhaps Black Orchid will ultimately win me over and I can be talked into moving back to the mainstream again.
-Raphaella Brescia
(Tom Ford comment confirmed by New York "Post Page" Six Editor Richard Johnson)
Bond No. 9 Bryant Park
Three Member Reviews...
Fragrance Review 1
By Diane Artzberger (Dartz)
A new fragrance is on the horizon from perfume house as Bond No.9
Bryant Park makes it debut on March 1 of this year. The new fragrance
is the 28th in the line and has been created by perfumer Michael Almairac.
Bryant Park is currently well known as the site of the semi- annual fashion
week shows. Bond No. 9 describes it this way: "Imagine an oasis of
unflappably serene greenery, improbably nestled in a canyon of skyscrapers
down the street from Times Square, in the heart of midtown Manhattan.
press, buyers, and, oh yes, racks and racks of next year’s clothes, and
you have the paradox that is today’s Bryant Park."
The fragrance itself contains notes of rose, pink pepper, patchouli and raspberry, among others. The juice opens with a burst of berry, this flashes quickly by and flows into a light slightly sweet rose with the pink pepper peeking out. Bryant Park is a sunny fragrance, zesty without being a citrus. The patchouli comes quietly to the fore and mixes with the rose; this seems to give Bryant Park a somewhat effervescent feeling. This is not a girly fragrance, nor is the rose strong and overt. This is a rose that gently washes across your skin as it unfolds. The other notes mingle throughout to balance it all very nicely.
For those worried about a new rose-based fragrance from Bond No. 9 so soon after the release of the also rose based West Side, they needn’t have. These two couldn’t be more different. The notes here are subtle and tempered by each other. After a couple hours of wear the light touch of berry and pepper seem most prominent. This perfume seems to stay close to the skin, but that may change when a spray is used as opposed to dabbing on. Bryant Park is a light fragrance, a breezy, warm day in a bottle. The lasting power is good, as most Bond No. 9 fragrances seem to be, and the sillage is soft.
Fragrance Review 2:
By Christine Lewandowski (aka RHM)
Bryant Park is the 28th fragrance released by Laurice Rahme's Bond No. 9.
Just as the famous (and would be famous) designers display their collections
at Fashion Week providing a continuous sequence of changing visual
images, Bryant Park possesses a wonderful chameleon-like quality
for our olfactory senses. You will be amazed. However, Bryant Park should
be tested numerous times; both daubed & sprayed, on the skin. Moreover,
it does make a difference.
The notes of Bryant Park are Lily of the Valley, Rhubarb, Pink Pepper, Rose, Patchouli,
Raspberry & Amber. The development is primarily linear but with a “twist”. It lasts so long
you have to revisit your wrist to notice the changes. Bryant Park has amazing longevity,
14 hours after one application. The fragrance does not have a lot of “le sillage”, but instead
remains close to the skin. As always, test on you own skin before making a purchase decision.
After about 3 tries, I have decided that Bryant Park is indeed full bottle worthy.
If you, unlike most of the folks I hang out with, want just one or two perfumes, Bryant Park would be an excellent choice for your daytime fragrance. Just as we have one or two items as staples in our wardrobe, Bryant Park fills the very same role in perfume.
If Bryant Park was a runway model & I was a sports type announcer, here is what I would say: Que the music: The Girl from Ipanema “And next we have Bryant Park, latest from the House of Bond. She sparkles, full of life, bouncy-step (lily of the valley) with a twinkle in her eye (rhubarb). She crinkles her perfectly sculpted & freckled nose (the pink pepper) as the most glorious of smiles envelopes her beautiful face (a soft rose).
Reaching the end of the walkway, she stops makes eye contact with some lucky member of the audience and gives them an almost unperceivable wink of her long lashes. (The patchouli, which believe me, IS unperceivable) As she turns to retrace her steps, a small breeze lifts the scent of sensual summer berries over the crowd (raspberries & amber) and everyone says “Aaaahhh”.
I Profumi di Firenze
Miele Rosa
by Kathy Patterson
Notes: Sicilian wild orange blossom, honey, Damascus red rose
This is a very evocative scent for me. Every spring during my Catholic childhood I
participated in a ceremony known as the May procession. This involved a solemn
parade of parishioners following a statue of the Virgin Mary, crowned in roses and
borne on a flower-decked bier. I am also reminded of the scent of hundreds of lit offertory
candles that fill the front of the church on this day of celebration.
Miele Rosa starts off with a very strong somewhat powdery rose with a delicate honeyed undertone more like beeswax than honey itself. I also detect an incense-like quality and a slight scent of woods. In the drydown, the rose softens quite a bit to meld with the soft honeyed quality of this fragrance.
According to the I Profumi press materials, Miele Rosa is the first collaboration between Los Angeles artist and beauty entrepreneur Miryana Babic and the Florentine perfumer Alessandro Morsiani. Inspired by the bathing rituals of the ancients, Miryana sought to create an all-natural aromatherapy-type of perfume that conveyed the sensuality and luxury of a honey, milk and rose petal bath. Miele Rosa pays homage to this royal feminine tradition, slipping one back into time as the perfume soothes, allures, and heightens the senses.
Miele Rosa is a limited edition perfume sold exclusively at Barneys New York.
($98 for eau de parfum, 50 ml.)
Click Play for "Girl From Ipanema" to go with review!
60's MOD DRESS
KATE MOSS GETS HER OWN FRAGRANCE
CELEBRITY SALES ON THE DECLINE
Women’s Wear Daily has reported that supermodel Kate
Moss is signing up for her own fragrance contract with
Coty. This was announced shortly after Gwen Stefani
announced her deal with Coty to market her own line
of fragrances.
From the WWD site Steve Mormoris, senior vice
president of global marketing for Coty Beauty, in
describing the fragrance concept, said it was "a mix
of elegant and risqué," with smoky rose and black
undertones and a vintage English feel. He added that
the "complicated floral" scent reflected the duality of
Moss. "It captures the two sides of Kate:
the good Kate and the bad Kate," said Mormoris.
The fragrance, which has yet to be named, is slated to be
launched in Europe, the Middle East and Australia in
September, followed by an introduction to North America and
Latin America one year later.
A week later after this announcment, WWD also reported a story
on the decreased sales for "celerbartiy fragrances".
During the holiday season of 2006, the growing supply of
celebrity scents lost luster as sales for fragrances such as
Vera Wang Princess and Juicy Couture emerged in the forefront.
I can't wait to see what "black undertones" are in a fragrance. -RB
Bond No. 9 Bryant Park
Kathy Patterson (The Minx)
Bryant Park is the latest fragrance from New York-based perfumer Bond No. 9.
It was created by perfumer Michel Almairac, and is described as "a rose-patchouli
concoction with pink pepper added for dissonance." Although their last new
fragrance, West Side also has notes of rose and amber, the two scents are
quite different. Notes: rose, patchouli, pink pepper, lily of the valley, rhubarb,
raspberry, amber.
The opening is of tart rhubarb and tingly pink pepper with a floral background
note. The patchouli, combined with the pepper, gives Bryant Park a sexy
earthiness, and the raspberry is dry, not sweet.
After a few minutes, the floral background notes surge forward, causing
the overall scent to become more "perfumy," then fade back down again
to let the amber peek through. The drydown--the best part and definitely
worth waiting for--is a lovely amber floral that still carries the tang of rhubarb
and raspberry.
Dig that groovilicious Pucci-esque bottle!
NEW RELEASE OF KAI EDP
I love gardenia fragrances in the summer, The Yves Rocher, the Molinard, Sarah Horowitz Thran’s Gardenia, as well as the cult classic favorite, Kai perfume. Who knew that such a modestly priced perfume could pack such a punch?
The new release of Kai perfume spray at the new niche fragrance store
I should make myself write these three words a hundred times on
a chalkboard, "I will never again commit to a fragrance on a first
perfume date." Until we have spent enough time together to
assure compatibility, no marriage should occur. It's a lesson
I learned years ago when it comes to men, so why-oh-why did I
succumb to the first wink of handsome Czech & Speake No. 88?
Sunspots, hormones, biorhythms...who knows?
Over at Basenotes. a long string of bloggers wax rhapsodic about
the rosy sandalwood concoction But my appreciation is limited
by a childhood scent memory. A rainy-day activity centered
around a boxful of pins, beads and sequins, which I used to
stud a bar of white soap -Sweetheart soap, I think. The laboriously
bejeweled oval then sat on the back of the toilet, a shrine to my
six-year-old creativity, filling the room with clean scent.
No. 88 is truly beautiful. It's balanced, it's gorgeous, it's timeless and it's soap.
I know, I know, it's me; I'm the problem in this relationship. I'm damaged goods. It's C&S's signature fragrance, but, for me, this old-world juice is the quintessential bathroom smell. Clean and fresh, indeed, but not modern.
Alas, MasterCard had already consummated this star-crossed union; so I'm willing to give it another try. Perhaps in a few months, on a hot, dry summer afternoon, elegant No. 88 will be at his best and we can share another quiet afternoon- to see how things develop.
Two reviews
by Kathy Patterson
Demeter
Sweet Delights Vanilla Ice Cream
“Demeter’s Vanilla Ice Cream is sinfully rich, but also bright, warm and inviting,
like the summer’s day that inspired it. ”It took 200 years and the determination
of Demeter Fragrance Library, however, to turn ice cream into wearable fragrance.”
Thanks to the jolt of alcohol in my too-soon first whiff, Vanilla Ice Cream
smelled quite a bit like a vanilla liquor or even vanilla extract at first.
Then a slightly burnt sugar aroma of cooking caramel came forth, sweet and
delicious, with creamy undertones, like a crème brulee. My husband swore he
detected coconut in it as well, and when I thought about it, I decided he was right.
In the drydown, this caramelly-vanilla reminds me of Goetzes’ Caramel Creams
or, completely inexplicably, like Licorice Allsorts, particularly the ones that are
mostly coconut cream with just a thin strip of licorice (not that it smells like licorice,
it’s just the overall impression I am getting).
So while I can’t say this smells like vanilla ice cream (personally, I don’t think vanilla ice cream—or any other flavor, for that matter—has much of a scent), Sweet Delights Vanilla Ice Cream is pretty delicious. It’s a sweet, but not cloying, vanilla that has enough going on to make it interesting, and will be a pleasant addition to my vanilla collection.
Baby Powder
By Kathy Patterson
“As clean and as fresh as it gets, just like the proverbial freshly powdered
baby’s behind. But nothing ever comes to be exactly as you expect it to.”
That description bothered me a little. What did it mean by “nothing
comes to be exactly as you expect?” Especially following the phrase,
“powdered baby’s behind.” It’s a clean behind, right?
Demeter’s Baby Powder scent is not quite Johnson & Johnson; the top notes
are somewhat plastic-y and slightly astringent. It is oddly not at all powdery,
but more crisp and fresh. Putting aside the obvious – it’s supposed to smell
like baby powder, and it does have that effect – I can also detect an almost
almond/cherry smell in the drydown, with another note that’s faintly wintergreen.
It actually reminds me more of the Love’s Baby Soft that I wore as a teenager
than something I’d put on a baby’s bottom. Overall, Baby Powder is a pleasing
soft and gentle scent, that although does not smell exactly like baby powder,
it is evocative of baby toys and other reminiscences of youth/childhood.
Since Easter is right around the corner, my thoughts are already gearing towards spring and summer fragrances. It’s time to pack away the ambers, spices and all the scents of winter. Right about this time of year I start craving the white flowers, the florals and roses. I start dreaming of Do-Son, White Tuberose, A la Nuit, Joy, the Fleur de Oranger’s, Yosh White Flowers, Fiori di Capri, Coeur de Fleur, Chinatown, Chelsea Flowers, my list is almost endless. It goes on to Tonatto’s Ambrosia, Parfums de Nicolai Just un Reve, Carnal Flower, and Jardin Blanc. I dream of carnations, lilacs, of iris, jasmine, frangipani and gardenias. You can see how this equates into fragrances for me. Since I collect just as many spring and summer fragrances as I do fall/winter, I am going to start with two on my spring-summer list and work my way down each week.
Beautiful Lemmings...
The Perfumers Box
Le Labo
"Le Labo aims to have perfume enthusiasts better
understand the time-honored art of perfume making,
to hone their sense of smell and develop their olfactory
“palette” so that they too can distinguish what makes
up a fine perfume. Knowledge, in perfumery as in
everything else, is essential to free choice. Otherwise,
we’re condemned to remain in the herd of consumers
manipulated by the latest in advertising, fashion trends
and gadgetry…
Le Labo’s exclusive training tools will help you to learn
more, refine your olfactory “buds” and enable you to
choose your perfumes with a true expert’s savoir-faire
and discernment.
Our main goal is to help you “open your nostrils” in the
same way good books open their readers’ eyes to life.
Philosophers speak about “men with stitched-up eyelids”
when referring to people who are blind to the basics of
existence. Most of us live with stitched-up nostrils, having
grown up in a world where smells are hidden away, and
our olfactory senses left to wither.
Le Labo believes that it is about time that we open our eyes, breathe in deeply and take in all that life has to offer.
A translation in miniature of the Perfumers’ pipe organ, THE OLFACTIONARY is presented as a box with the 40
fundamental natural essences used in perfumery. This remarkable tool has served as a guide to perfume-makers around the world. Forty 2.5 ml bottles containing natural essences suspended in an alcohol-based solution, representing the principal scents you find in perfumes. The box also includes a pack of olfactory keys or “blotters“ for sampling the scent of these essences.
At first sniff this was a “ perfect rose” to my nose. Ecume de Rose smells so like the fragrance you get when you stick your nose into a large tea rose bush that is growing outside your home. I get a tiny touch of powder, and find the fragrance a bit old fashioned but only a little. Ecume is a really refreshing perfume, and one that has become a favorite. Despite the many notes listed, I really smell mainly rose with a slight tang of something else, the something that makes it an outside rose instead of an inside rose bouquet, but not something sweet. I found it to stay fairly linear, even though it is not really a linear fragrance.
The Rosine line in general is very nice, but this one, to me, is a standout, more so than La Rose or Rose d‘Ete. The sillage is light and it is fairly long lasting.
Notes include : blackcurrant leaves, water lilies, dune roses, vetiver, white musk.
mermaid artwork courtesy of Karen J. Hatzigeorgiou
