Earthy violets wrapped in plastic and tied
with a leather bow. Weird and cruel in equal measure
****
Saturday, 22 September 2012
Ulrich Lang NY Lightspace
Sometimes you just need something light,
uncomplicated and beautiful. This iris based perfume is it!
Wonderful
****
****
Balmain Carbone
Very pleasant masculine: fresh violet leaf, translucent
woody, rich incense & resin notes. Wouldn't kick him out of bed
****
****
Sunday, 16 September 2012
4160Tuesdays Above The Chocolate Shop
Rum-like, pastry, chocolate chips
and lots of buttery sweetness. So delicious it hurts.
*****
*****
Christian Dior Patchouli Imperial
A fuzzy, snuggly patchouli with an
almost luxurious texture. Not a hippie in sight, unfortunately
***
***
Tauer Parfums Loretta
Tuberose is a central note , but it doesn't smell
obviously of that: deep, rich, mysterious and disquietning
****
****
Clinique Aromatics Elixir
Spicy patchouli wonder, diffuses like a nuke, but utterly fabulous stuff.
*****
*****
Dita Von Teese Eau de Parfum
A classic old-school floral patchouli
that's as heartbreakingly glam as its namesake. A truly classy bird
****
****
Ramon Monegal Cuirelle
A soft, velvety leather, gently boozy with
vanilla. Wraps you in a cosy cocoon for autumn. Just add cashmere!
****
****
Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Pour Homme
Glorious orange blossom on
steroids, awash with lavender, cedar and amber. Amazing stuff
*****
*****
Miller Harris Fleurs de Sel
Salty, green, vaguely medicinal, outdoorsy,
other worldly cologne - subtle spice and wood at the end. Fab
*****
*****
Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Pour Femme
Seems unfair to restrict this
beautiful orange blossom to the ladies. Cedar & musks extend
it.
****
****
Lady Gaga Fame
Bogstandard syrupy, fruity floral mess of no real
significance. “Black soul of fame” - my arse. Oh Gaga, we trusted you
**
**
Chanel Eau de Cologne
All the usual cologne ingredients mixed in
perfect balance. Expensive and fleeting but a beautiful experience.
*****
*****
Serge Lutens Sa Majesté La Rose
A must for rose lovers : sparkling and
crisp with hints of green, veering into tea rose territory.
*****
*****
Lancôme La Vie Est Belle
A delicious edible iris: powdery florals,
vanilla and praline. Refined, well executed and feminine.
****
****
Hermes L'Ambre des Merveilles
Deliciously sweet, translucent
benzoin-vanilla heavy amber accord on the dry salty ambergris base.
Oooh!
****
****
Justin Bieber Girlfriend
If my ‘girlfriend’ smelled like this she would be dumped quicker than she could say “Baby, baby oh”
*
*
Escentric Molecules Molecule 03
Soft, clear, transparent &
fascinating: vetiveryl acetate sure smells wonderful. Still, it ain't
perfume.
**
**
Thierry Mugler Womanity Les Parfums de Cuir
Velvet soft rendition of the mad
breaded fig scent. Luxurious with hints of leather & labdanum
*****
*****
Le Labo Iris 39
Earthy, 'in your face' iris: deep, diffusive, haunting
rather than pretty. Becomes lavatorial (civet) after 3 hrs. Fab
****
****
Monday, 13 August 2012
Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum
Rhubarb and custards, for hours. Drydown
is earthier & drier, but still calls to mind boiled sweets.
***
***
Christian Dior Oud Ispahan
Deliciously fruity and jammy rose woven into
a sinful, skank-filled oud with less than polite intentions.
****
****
L'Artisan Parfumeur Dzonghka
Vegetal capsicum note surrounded by smoky
tea and dry, cold incense and woods. Crisp. Bemusing.
****
****
Chanel Coco Noir
Perfumes, like wives, suffer when they are compared!
Misnamed, but if you don't think of the original a good floriental
***
***
Czech & Speake Cuba
Starts as a mojito, transforms to bay rum, then
to smoky cigars. Is the idea a holiday in a bottle? Good fun.
***
***
Chanel Nº22
Aldehyde H-bomb releases a cocktail of syrupy white
flowers, incense & soft, velvety vanilla. Refined yet audacious
*****
*****
Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon
Little known gem that would smell great
on a man or woman: geranium then rose then soft wood. Tres chic.
****
****
Marc Jacobs Dot
Another unexciting fruity floral with somewhat creamy
base. Bright, fizzy pear-coconut-somethingorother. "Kitsch" bottle.
**
**
Salvador Dalà Laguna
Fizzy fruit and powdery flowers drenched in
plastic, coconutty aquatic oddness. I find it compelling. Weird Beach
****
****
Roberto Cavalli Eau de Parfum
Momentary fizz leads into a thick creamy
vanilla-white floral. Nice texture but ultimately very same-y.
***
***
Mona Di Orio Rose Etoile de Hollande
A raspberry-sweet opening then
seems to lose its way. Pity, rest of Les Nombres d'Or line phenomenal
**
**
Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis
Brilliant white light:
sparkling, effervescent citrus over muguet-white florals.
Resplendent
*****
*****
Sunday, 22 July 2012
Donna Karan Cashmere Mist Pearl Essence
Bottle looks like it may hold
children's glue. Juice smells faintly of musk. Really, why bother?
*
*
D'Orsay Tilleul
A beautiful, transient, hyper real linden blossom on the
breeze. Giacobetti has distant blossoms down perfectly.
****
****
Thierry Mugler Alien Essence Absolue
The ultimate version of Alien with
extra flowers, some powder & an awesome velvety vanilla base
*****
*****
Juliette Has A Gun Mad Madame
Over reliance on ambroxan is a bit like
putting ketchup on everything you eat; tasty but drowns out all else.
***
***
Tuesday, 17 July 2012
Parfumerie Generale Psychotrope
A lemon submerged in a swimming pool,
inside a very expensive leather handbag. Batshit crazy.
*****
*****
Salvador Dali Dali
Pretty decent 80s aldehydic floral with a rich
golden quality. Lacks that certain something to make it distinct
***
***
Amouage Interlude Woman
A whole new kind of chypre with coffee, woods,
honeyed flowers, benzoin & a neon streak of kiwi. Fascinating
*****
*****
Sunday, 8 July 2012
Amouage Interlude Man
A bonfire-and-a-half worth of smoke. Burning tar,
vanilla & amber, disturbing yet quite delicious. Edible Smoke
*****
*****
Serge Lutens Santal Majuscule
Curiously, not sandalwood writ large (or
small). Reminiscent of ginger cake: comforting but not compelling.
***
***
Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil
Fizzy green-mandarin & mango softens to
floaty floral-honey, into a woody incense trail. Summer bottled.
****
****
Tom Ford Santal Blush
Mmmmmm...a gorgeous summer sandalwood - manages to
be sheer and ephemeral whilst also sweet and coconutty.
*****
*****
Ralph Lauren Big Pony Collection for her 4
I have smelled more
interesting shampoos and body lotions. Avoid focus group scents like
these.
*
*
Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore
Huge, spicy, warm and coconutty: the
sandalwood fades in and out. Smells equally good sprayed on clothes.
****
****
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