perfume review

St. Clair Scents is a new indie perfume line located in Vermont.

When I posted my samples of St. Clair Scents on Instagram Stories, someone responded with “It’s Chef Keller’s butter lady’s perfumes!” with a heart emoji. I was completely confused by this. After doing a little more research, it made sense. The perfumer, Diane St. Clair is an owner of a homestead creamery that does supply Chef Thomas Keller (The French Laundry, etc.) as well as other well-known restaurants with butter.¹ Diane says that she approaches fragrance like she does her artisanal creamery. Everything is small batch and she’s inspired by the land.

The brand currently consists of a trio of fragrances:

First Cut

Notes listed include bergamot, yuzu, rosemary, basil, tomato leaf, lavender, rose de mai, rose geranium, immortelle, hay, tobacco, oakmoss and vanilla.

First Cut opens with a freshness from citrus and aromatics. It’s like a lavender glazed in yuzu. It wears crisp and green, reminding me of grass. As it wears, it becomes drier and warmer. The green grass turns into hay. It’s not listed, but the fragrance starts to wear like honey/beeswax mixed with dried tobacco and hay. There’s also a delicate rose in this that doesn’t overwhelm. Essentially this is an aromatic fougère…and it’s a really good one.

Gardener’s Glove

Notes listed include Meyer lemon, tomato leaf, galbanum, bergamot, jasmine sambac, apricot, black currant bud, linden blossom, lily, rose, leather, saffron, patchouli, amber, vetiver, benzoin, castoreum and fir needle.

Gardener’s Glove is a tangy lemon with green vines. It starts to smell like a heady white floral. Underneath all of this is a buttery leather. To my surprise, there’s a fruity blackcurrant and green tomato leaf in Gardener’s Glove. Gardner’s Glove is one of those fragrances I forget I’m wearing and then hours later, I’m always like “What beautiful thing am I wearing?!” and then I remember. It wears as a fresh bouquet of flowers with a hint of stone fruits. But, what is so perfect with it is that buttery leather.

Gardener’s Glove is my favorite from the trio. It has some of my favorite notes (tomato leaf, blackcurrant). It really smells like a well-worn gardener’s glove. It’s leather, flowers, vines and earth. Out of all the indie stuff I’ve tried this year, this has been one of my favorites (this and Providence Perfume Co. Vientiane).

Frost

Notes include bergamot, mandarin, coriander, petigrain blossom, Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, rose geranium, elderflower, petitgrain, cistus, labdanum, vanilla, vetiver, cedar, smoke and clove.

This perfume is inspired by the poet Robert Frost. However, Frost reminds me of the first frost of the year. Frost opens with a cool crispness cutting through a smoldering campfire. The coriander in this comes across as cool and metallic, reminding me of a fire poker. The heart is like roses and elderflower lemonade. it dries down to a smoldering amber. To summarize Frost, I’d say it’s like “cool smoke”.

Projection and longevity for all of these are average.

I don’t like to compare a new line to others, but it can be helpful so I will. Diane appears to already have a cohesive style. The perfumes feel “environmental” in that they remind me of a place and you can tell they are inspired by natural environments (in this case, rural New England). If I had to compare to other brands, I’d say to try this line if you like perfumes from Sonoma Scent Studio or Hiram Green.

13 ml (about .44 oz) bottles retails for $65 at St. Clair Scents. Samples are also available for purchase.

¹It’s called Animal Farm and it’s in Orwell, Vermont. I have complained about the quality of buttermilk since moving to the NYC metro area and can’t wait to go by Saxelby Cheesemonger’s and pick up some of Animal Farm’s non-watered-down buttermilk.

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Kafkaesque

Ça Fleure Bon

*Disclaimer – Samples provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own.

Original article: St. Clair Scents Perfume Review Roundup

Montale Sweet Peony is one of those perfumes that wears nothing like the note list would imply (even though you smell most of what is in the note list). It also doesn’t wear like its name would imply either. Because of both of these factors, that’s why I feel inclined to review it. I feel like I’m doing the public a service.

Sweet Peony is a peach-y, creamy rose. Do you know “wedding almonds”? Because that’s what Sweet Peony reminds me of. It’s like a pink bouquet of roses and peonies with Jordan almonds/koufeta. So, it’s a floral that smells sugar-coated. I’m assuming I’m picking up on almonds and maybe that is what the note list refers to as “coffee”. It goes through a stage that is like rose marshmallows. I have noticed in warmer weather, that the jasmine really blooms. It wears more like a jasmine custard (slightly lactonic, coconut?) with rose marshmallows and peaches in syrup. It dries down to a powdery musky floral. I suspect there is heliotrope in the dry-down. Because it’s sweet, fruity with a little bit of spice.

Sweet Peony is one of those fruity-floral perfumes that aggressively flirts with gourmands. It’s almost like a gourmand (sweet, creamy), but then you get all of the powder and eventually some sandalwood, and that wouldn’t taste so good in a dessert. It’s done in a Montale style. What does that mean? It means it projects and the rose is sharp and if you described it as “brash”, I wouldn’t disagree. But, that’s the sort of Montales I like! I like the burlesque-y ones. The ones that over-the-top “feminine” wearing false lashes and too much costume jewelry.

Notes listed include jasmine, rose, peach, peony, coconut, coffee, clove, sandalwood and vanilla. Launched in 2017.

Give Sweet Peony a try if you like powdery, sweet florals. Or perfumes like Amouage Blossom Love, House of Sillage Hauts Bijoux, Parfums Rosine Ballerina No. 1, Tom Ford Violet Blonde and/or Malle Iris Poudre.

Projection and longevity are above average.

The 3.4 oz bottle retails for $170 at Osswald. Samples are available for purchase.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Powdery pink flowers and wedding almonds. It’s a sweet fruity-floral. It’s not something I see myself wearing that frequently but sometimes I get in the mood to smell like flowers dipped in sugar. When I’m in that mood, something like Sweet Peony would be perfect.

*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from Fragrantica. Valerie Leon as Paula Perkins pic from fanpix.net.

Original article: Montale Sweet Peony Perfume Review

Les Exceptions is the more “luxurious” collection of Mugler fragrances. There’s woods, florals, leather, and of course, there’s a “cologne”. I don’t want to cloud this review with my love of Mugler Cologne, but I feel like I can’t review this without talking about the original Mugler Cologne.¹

One of my favorite “colognes” and fragrances for summer is Mugler Cologne. It’s like a traditional eau de cologne, but a little weird (OK, maybe a lot of weird since the “S note” is rumored to be sperm…or steam…or steamy sperm…idk). I love it because it’s light, fresh and believable mix of synth/natural. When I came across Les Exceptions Hot Cologne, I figured it would be Mugler Cologne with a more expensive price tag since Mugler Cologne, a perfume launched in 2001, still smells niche and modern. I was wrong. Hot Cologne is another take on this classic genre by the folks at Mugler. And in true Mugler fashion, they gave us a cologne with a twist.

The opening of Hot Cologne is basically everything I want from a cologne’s opening. It’s lime zest, a bitter neroli and something that comes across like black licorice (or is that basil?!). As it wears, it’s like a mojito on ice. It’s cool with mint and limes. The heart is a melange of citrus of zest mingling with a fresh, bright orange blossom. This all sounds pleasant but rather predictable, right? Well, let’s get to the rest of Hot Cologne. Hot Cologne has an incredibly realistic green coffee accord. It smells just like unroasted coffee beans and oddly enough like genmaicha (a green tea with puffed rice). In addition, there are both hot and cold spices. It’s like green cardamom and dried ginger. As I wear Hot Cologne, it’s like carrying around an iced chai or iced genmaicha on a really warm summer day. It’s like a mix of spice and coolness with an unusual nuttiness. Eventually this perfume dries down to a faint ground coffee that smells like cold brew.

Hot Cologne easily fits within the genre of “eau de cologne” but it isn’t the typical citrus and some herbs. The addition of coffee adds interest, but don’t worry, this isn’t the aggressive coffee note found in the brand’s A*Men. Like the rest of the Les Exceptions line, this is Mugler practicing restraint. The final product is something refined, but still more interesting than the usual designer offerings (even the “luxe” ones).

Notes listed include orange blossom, petitgrain, bergamot, lemon, mandarin orange and coffee. Launched in 2017.

Give Hot Cologne a try if you like “eau de colognes” Or fragrances like Mugler Mugler Cologne, Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, The Different Company Tokyo Bloom, Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Limon Verde and/or Malle Cologne Indélébile. I thought that Mugler Cologne would be a good “dupe” for this, and I guess it could be in a pinch (it is much cheaper). However, they’re different. I do think for a cologne in this price range that Hot Cologne sure beats out stuff like TF Neroli Portofino (and the rest in that Neroli line).

For something so heavy on citrus and inspired by colognes, longevity and projection are above average. But, as an EDP, it’s average.

The 2.7 oz retails for $225 at Nordstrom.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – An “eau de cologne” with iced genmaicha. I love a twist on a classic and Hot Cologne is a twist on a classic.

¹Why have I never reviewed Mugler Cologne on this blog?!

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*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from the brand. Elsa Martinelli circa 1957 from pleasurephotoroom.wordpress.com. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!

Original article: Thierry Mugler Hot Cologne Perfume Review

After a hiatus due to moving and traveling, I have decided to bombard this perfume blog with “weird eau de colognes” this week. It’s hot, humid and gross. I want to smell fresh and clean but with something that is a little more interesting than the usual. Like Mugler Hot Cologne, Diptyque Oyédo is a citrus with a twist.

Oyedo opens as a juicy, fruity orange mingling with a juicy lemon. There’s definitely something cool and mentholated in this that reminds me of a cough drop. I don’t know if it is psychosomatic or what, but I swear it’s so mentholated, that I *can feel* the coolness on my skin. I can’t really explain to you why I like something that smells like citrus on uppers and also like something you’d buy in the “Cold & Flu” aisle of your drugstore, but I do. I think Oyédo is a great fragrance, especially in the summer. It cuts through muggy air with the ease of a knife being sold on an infomercial that is giving me the hard sell and I AM BUYING IT. The dry-down is weird and herbal. The citrus are dialed down and there’s something that smells like moss growing on stones (mineral, green, cool and damp).

If I had to choose one word to describe Oyedo, I wouldn’t go for a word but more of an onomatopoeia: ZING! It’s a zesty, energetic fragrance that zooms on by. I also think of it as a lemon in a snowbank. When it’s hot like this, it’s the sort of thing I want to wear. It’s a real pick-me-up.

Notes listed include lime, mandarin orange, lemon, yuzu, thyme and woods. Launched in 2000.

Give Oyedo a try if you like citrus or yuzu scents. Or perfumes like Smell Bent Tok’yo Mama (or the flanker Fizzzz), Heeley Note de Yuzu, Tom Ford Mandarino di Amalfi, Lili Bermuda Fresh Water and/or Fresh Sugar Lemon.

It’s very much a citrus-centric fragrance so it wears more like a “cologne”. It is an EDT. I think projection and longevity is average for an EDT but it doesn’t last as long as others from the brand (such as Eau Duelle).

Oyédo comes in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retails for $95 at Nordstrom and Saks.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Mentholated citrus. It’s sort of like a Jakeman’s cough drop but so much more juicier. Lemons in snow. It’s what I want when it’s hot and muggy.

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*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from the brand. Esther Williams pic from retrogirly.tumblr.com. Post contains affiliate links. Thanks!

Original article: Diptyque Oyedo Perfume Review

Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular Perfume

I try to review as many Yves Rocher fragrances that I can. Why? Well, overall, I like the brand. I think they’re good for the money. Then, in the U.S. there are no physical Yves Rocher stores. You can order online which means that you are blind-buying fragrances (a practice I typically discourage). And finally, there are few reviews of Yves Rocher fragrances in English. Basically, I review Yves Rocher like it’s a public service announcement.

Naturelle Osmanthus is a flanker to their original Naturelle, a citrus-floral that is very similar to Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Femme. As someone that loves the peachy-floralness of osmanthus, I had to give this flanker a try.

It’s not even a note listed, but I can’t help to think of Naturelle Osmanthus as a rose fragrance. Naturelle Osmanthus opens as a lemon-y rose diffused through cotton. At this stage, it does share some similarities to the original Naturelle (or Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Femme). It’s a breezy lemon and lime paired with gauze-like florals. I also pick up on apple slices. As it wears, a peach becomes more prominent, but not in an osmanthus way, just a peach way. It starts to remind me of a peachy rose-peony. The dry down is a clean musk meets abstract, breezy florals. It has that “sun-bleached woods” thing going on (once again, I’m going to reference Light Blue here). After a few hours, all I really notice is that clean, but astringent cedar.

Naturelle Osmanthus isn’t very osmanthus-y. So, if you are looking for an osmanthus soliflore, this isn’t it. If you are looking for a light, breezy fruity-floral, then this is worth a try. However, I wouldn’t call Naturelle Osmanthus a memorable fragrance. It reminds me of those designer perfumes that have specialized in being so inoffensive that you can’t really tell one from another. Saying that, Naturelle Osmanthus is perfectly pleasant and sometimes we just don’t want to think about what perfume we’re wearing. Naturelle Osmanthus is very much a “breezy summer day in an orchard” sort of perfume that’s tame enough for day-wear or for those that have a tendency to overapply (*cough* *cough* “inexperienced” perfume wearers).

Notes listed include lemon, osmanthus, jasmine and cedar. Launched in 2016. PERFUMER – Michel Girard

Give Naturelle Osmanthus a try if you like the thought of a sheer peachy floral perfume. Or perfumes like Lanvin Me L’eau Lanvin, Dior Addict II, Chloé Fleur, Salvatore Ferragamo Charms, By Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad and/or The Different Company Osmanthus. I highly recommend this to anyone that likes the Chloé franchise or any of the Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue flankers.

Projection and longevity are below average even for an EDT. It wears more like a cologne. I feel like I have to apply a lot of it to even notice that I’m wearing it.

A 2.5 oz bottle retails for $57 at Yves Rocher. My advice is to never pay full-price for Yves Rocher. It is always on sale, eventually. You can usually find this for under $30 and get a free gift!

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Peachy peony. Perfectly pleasant but there are so many others that I prefer over this one from Yves Rocher (like Vanille Noire or Quelques Notes d’Amour).

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*Product purchased by me. Product pic from the brand. Lya de Putti pic from goldenageautographs.com. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!

Original article: Yves Rocher Naturelle Osmanthus Perfume Review

Mainstream Monday – Sniffing Popular Perfumes

This Monday I’m reviewing three flankers. What is a flanker? It’s a perfume that shares some attributes with a perfume that already exists (notes or even as much creative license as only sharing a name or similar bottle).

Miu Miu L’Eau Bleue

Flanker to Miu Miu EDP

Notes listed include lily-of-the-valley, green notes, honeysuckle, Akigalawood and oud. Launched in 2015. PERFUMER – Daniela Andrier

L’Eau Bleue doesn’t open up as blue, but instead peppery and green. There’s so much pepper! And then it’s a rather traditional muguet/lily-of-the-valley. It’s cool, crisp and green. The dry-down is a sharper, clean musk with woods that reminds me vaguely of the dry-down of stuff like Estee Lauder White Linen but with a little bit of spice.If I were to name this flanker, I would have included “green” or “vert” because it’s such a green, verdant floral. And also because I’m not very creative.

How is this one different than Miu Miu? Well, it’s no that different except this one is noticeably more peppery and a tad bit greener. I *actually* think I prefer this version over the original but I like the original’s bottle better. Oh, it’s so difficult to be me!

Give it a try if you like vintage muguets. Or perfumes like Jessica McClintock, Coty Muguet des Bois, Annick Goutal Le Muguet and/or Dior Diorissimo.

Final EauPINION – A peppery version of Coty Muguet des Bois. To my surprise I really enjoy this one. It’s vintage but modern. Don’t overlook this one if you are a fan of green florals.

Available in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $94.

Chloé Chloé Fleur

Flanker to Chloé Chloé

Notes listed include verbena, bergamot, grapefruit, pistil rose, cherry blossom, black currant, peach, rice, cedar and white musk. Launched in 2016. PERFUMERS – Michel Almairic and Mylene Alran

At this stage, I can’t tell any of the Chloé perfumes from one another because there have just been too many! Chloé Fleur opens with a sharp grapefruit and something almost minty. And then it starts to remind me of Lemon Pledge because it’s like a chemical, functional lemon mingling with rosewood. The heart introduces a citrus-hued rose with a cool (and arguably synthetic/plastic-y) black currant. For most of the wear, it’s a citrus-y rose until it dries down to a powdery white musk.

Like the other Chloé perfumes, Chloé Fleur is essentially a rose perfume. To me, this flanker smells very much like the original. The difference? Fleur has more citrus and puts more emphasis on the citrus aspect of roses.

Give this a try if you like citrus-roses. Or if you like the entire Chloé franchise and for some reason feel the need to collect them all. Or if you like perfumes like Dior Dior Addict 2, Avon Haiku Kyoto Flower, Yves Rocher Moment de Bonheur and/or Versace Bright Crystal. It basically smells like all the designer rose/floral perfumes that come in hot pink bottles.

Final EauPINION – A sharp citrus rose soliflore. It feels redudant in the line. As a fragrance, it feels redudant too. I recommend checking out Yves Rocher Moment de Bonheur if you want something like this but don’t want to spend as much money.

Available in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $105.

Dior Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming

Flanker to Dior Miss Dior

Notes listed include raspberry, pomegranate, black currant, pink pepper, may rose, peony and white musk. Launched in 2016. PERFUMER – Francois Demachy

Let me just get this out there – I do not like what has happened to Dior Miss Dior. I do not like that Miss Dior Cherié assumed the identify of Miss Dior. It’s identity theft and I’ll never get over it. I also need to tell you that I never liked Dior Cherié, the caramel popcorn and strawberry syrup always made me want to vomit. My rant is not over. After getting people that essentially liked Miss Dior Cherié to buy Miss Dior, Dior did something nasty. They reformulated Miss Dior to make it more floral. What you can buy today at a place like Sephora is something nobody wants. It’s an entirely new and unnecessary perfume. Basically, Dior owes us all an apology and a lot of other people a refund.

OK, now let’s get to this flanker. Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming has a stupid name. The only reason I’m trying it is because I love a fruity-rose. Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming (let’s call it MDAB from now on because I hate typing this name), is a very sweet, candied rose. It opens with pomegranate and generic “red berry” syrup. Raspberries add a needed bitterness to this sweet, syrupy scent. There’s a faint sprinkling of pink pepper. As it wears, it’s like a cotton candy rose and iris. It sort of reminds me of stuff like Lancôme La Vie Est Belle but with an addition of sticky, sweet simple syrup. The dry-down sticks with the sweet theme. It’s like a vanilla custard with the faintest trace of cedar.

It’s hard for me to compare this flanker to the original because Dior won’t leave things alone. In my mind, this smells like the Miss Dior that you could buy a few years ago (the sweet fruitichouli one). The biggest difference? I remember there being a patchouli base in Miss Dior and in MDAB, it’s not there. MDAB is sweeter, stickier and creamier. MDAB is more gourmand.

Give MDAB a try if you like sweet, gourmand fruity-florals. Or if you like perfumes like Lancôme La Vie Est Belle, Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, Yves Rocher Quelques Notes d’Amour, Chanel Coco Mademoiselle and/or Hanae Mori Hanae.

Final EauPINION – Pink petals, cotton candy and pomegranate syrup. On my skin, I much prefer Armani Si over this, but my skin loves patchouli. MDAB is too sweet on my skin. I like sweet but I like my sweets balanced by woods or something. Mileage will obviously vary.

Avialable in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $100.

I think all three of these have average projection and longevity with the “loudest” being Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming.

All of these are available at Sephora. Sometimes these can be found at discount sites such as Perfume.com.

*Samples obtained by me. Product pics from Fragrantica. Post contains affiliate links. Thanks!

Original article: Flankers – Miu Miu, Chloe and Dior Reviews

Parfums de Rosine has an entire collection of Ballerina perfumes and from this title you can probably guess that now the collection consists of four perfumes. And since this Parfums de Rosine, all of the perfumes are centered around roses. From the flowers to its tutu, the entire theme of Parfums de Rosine Ballerina No. 4 is “white”.

Ballerina No. 4 is a white floral that is heavy with the rose. The opening is bergamot with a spiced, peppery rose. Within a few minutes, this rose wears as green, fresh. I said this was a white floral and it is is! This is when the peachy tuberose appears. The tuberose is cool, minty and heady. Underneath I pick up on something warm and nutty paired with fresh peaches. As it dries down, the fragrance becomes more powdery, like a jasmine talcum powder. The rest of the wear is a powdery amber and oak moss.

Ballerina No. 4 smells like the sort of perfume you’d expect from a perfume a bottle wearing a white tutu. That’s a not a bad thing at all! That means that Parfums de Rosine delivered. They delivered a classically pretty white floral with their signature rose. For lack of a better word, it really does come across as “graceful”.

Notes listed include bergamot, cardamom, pink pepper, jasmine, tuberose, peach, incense, tolu balsam, ambroxan, oak moss and sandalwood. Launched in 2018. PERFUMER – Delphine Lebeau

Give Ballerina No. 4 a try if you like white florals. Or perfumes like Diptyque Do Son, Kat Burki Tubéreuse, Malle Carnal Flower, DSH Perfumes Tubereuse and/or Michael Kors Michael.

Projection and longevity are average.

Ballerina No. 4 comes in two sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $125 at Beautyhabit. Samples are also available for purchase.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Powdery white floral. It’s pretty and it fits with the brand’s theme.

*Disclaimer – Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from the brand. Harriet Hoctor pic from wehadfacesthen.tumblr.com.

Original article: Parfums de Rosine Ballerina No. 4 Perfume Review

Atkinsons is one of those newly revived perfume houses. It’s a British perfume house that now offers some classics as well as additional contemporary perfumes. Let me start out with this disclaimer – This perfume has been the only experience that I’ve had with the line and it’s in the Contemporary Collection.

Jasmine in Tangerine opens as the sort of jasmine that reminds me of hairspray. There’s a bit of tangerine peel. Something about this perfume comes across as a “period piece”. It really reminds me of perfumes that were popular in the late 80’s/early 90’s. I wish I could pinpoint what exactly it reminds me of but I can’t! It reminds me of a single part of something that was popular with aunties during that time. The fragrance wears as a bright, wispy jasmine with a slightly sweet, powdery musk. There’s a brightness and warmth from dry peppercorns and citrus oils. It dries down to an adequate powdery musk with what seems like a lot of the sort of cashmeran/blonde woods found in stuff like Mugler Alien (like powder and spiced berries). Overall, because of the associations I have with it reminding me of something from thirty years ago, this fragrance makes me think of an older cousin who’s spent over half of her life in pearly taupe lipstick, carrying in one arm a Havanese pup adorned with glamorous, sparkling hair accessories and on the other arm there was always a handbag that matched her eyeshadow. I love her for this, you don’t know her and I’m sure you love her too, but I also know that she wouldn’t pay niche perfume prices to smell like this. That’s an extra hundred she can spend at Ross “Dress for Less” on at least three purses and something cute for the dog.

This has been the only fragrance I’ve tried from the brand and not to sound mean, but I really hope the other ones are better than this one. There wasn’t much that stood out to me with this one. If anything, it reminded me of a few more accessible perfumes (that are also cheaper). I’d rather wear (or even buy) Michael Kors Glam Jasmine or Yves Rocher Tendre Jasmin before I’d drop the money on this niche perfume.¹

Notes listed include sambac jasmine, pink pepper, mandarin and tangerine. Launched in 2014.

Give Jasmine in Tangerine a try if you like sharper, cleaner white florals. Or perfumes like Michael Kors Glam Jasmine, Yves Rocher Tendre Jasmin, Aerin Ikat Jasmine, Diana Vreeland Perfectly Jasmine, Calvin Klein Beauty and/or Mugler Alien.

Projection and longevity are average.

The 3.4 oz bottle retails for $225 at Barneys.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Powdery, soapy jasmine. I don’t dislike this fragrance. I just find it redundant and overly familiar. This was my first and only experience with the Atkinsons brand. If you have any suggestions of ones that I should try, please let me know in the comments! I’d like to try more from the brand before having a final “final EauPION”.

¹Both of these are over $100 cheaper and honestly, I think that Glam Jasmine is much better than this (and if you read my review of it, I didn’t really love it either). I feel like Mugler Alien is my fix for all things powdery, warm and white floral.

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*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from the brand. Elizabeth Taylor, who has been canonized by all the women in my family, is from whosafraidofelizabethtaylor.tumblr.com.

Original article: Atkinsons Jasmine in Tangerine Perfume Review

I first “met” Ilsa through Twitter. ¹ Mrs. Scents (Ilsa) impressed me because she was so knowledgeable on top of expressing her love of perfume. It ends up she has professional experience within the fragrance industry. Fast-forward many years and she has launched her own perfume, Ilsa Infinite No. 1.

With the note list of Infinite No. 1, I really didn’t know what to expect. These notes are relatively common but can go in many directions. The perfume opens with a bright, dazzling citrus. To my surprise, the patchouli is rather dominant. It’s a doughy, earthy and rich patchouli but it does not come across like a lot of other patchouli-centric perfumes. There’s an elegance and refinement in Infinite No. 1. As it wears, it’s like a dry patchouli with indolic jasmine blossoms. To me, it smells like if you opened an old steamer trunk to find a collection of fur stoles and an unlabeled crystal bottle with just a few drops of some sort of dark amber-hued perfume. Sometimes I suspect there is vanilla in Infinite No. 1 but then I realize it’s creamy white florals giving an illusion of a custard. It dries down to a patchouli-amber with soft woods.

If you are a patch-head like myself, this is a perfume that should be on your radar. Whenever I wear these sort of patchouli-heavy florientals, I can’t help but to think of French Belle Époque art and fashion. All this patchouli adorned in gold and floral embroidery makes me think of a romanticized perception of Parisian bourgeoisie.

Notes listed include bergamot, jasmine, ylang-ylang, cedarwood, patchouli, sandalwood and amber.

Give Infinite No.1 a try if you like patchouli-heavy florientals. Or perfumes like Tom Ford White Patchouli, Serge Lutens Borneo 1834, Deco London Constance, Rancé Laetitia and/or the “original” Prada.

Projection and longevity are average.

Infinite No. 1 comes in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $110 at Ilsa Fragrance.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – A floriental for patch-heads. Being someone that loves perfumes like the “original” Prada (Amber), I absolutely adore this perfume. What can I say? I’m a patch-head. These sort of things are my jam.

FYI – 5% of net proceeds are donated to Girls on the Run, an Arizona-based non-profit that creates curriculum for girls.

¹Yes, I still use Twitter but that’s mainly because I’m a blogger and words are my sort of platform. I use it to mostly talk about perfume but of course, I use it to complain about local customer service and also share links of infectious diseases or cute pugs because I am a well-rounded person that can’t stay “on brand”.

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Voyage Phoenix – Interview with the founder

*Disclaimer – Product provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Geneviàve Lantelme pic from alchetron.com.

Original article: Ilsa Infinite No. 1 Perfume Review

French fragrance house Initio Parfums isn’t a new brand, but it’s new-to-me. They’ve been around for a few years and have recently been stocked at fancy places in the United States. I did a Quick Sniff of the brand and Rehab, the newest from the brand and in their Hedonist collection, was one that stood out to me.¹ (I’m a Taurus so of course, something in “the Hedonist collection” would stand out to me).

Rehab opens as sweet and fruity with bergamot and something that reminds me of red berries. There’s also a rubberiness to Rehab that vaguely reminds me of Bvlgari Black. Rehab is a rubbery lavender-vanilla. As it wears, it’s like a smoky black tea and creamy coumarin. This makes me think of black tea and cigars. About halfway into the wear, it’s a sweet pipe tobacco that is heavy on the tonka/coumarin. It’s accented by dry spices and a cedar cigar box. It dries down to vanilla pipe tobacco and vapors of sweet smoke.

I’ll be the first to say that the niche perfume world is saturated with tobacco fragrances. There’s so many that I have been driven into the arms a floral’s warm embrace. This over-saturation has burnt me out on tobacco scents, especially those that lean sweet. So, why am I, a person that is tired of tobacco scents talking about a tobacco-heavy perfume? Well, it’s the lavender in Rehab. The lavender is sweet, balsamic and hay-like. This lavender comes across like cigars in a humidor. This lavender keeps me interested.

Notes listed include bergamot, lavender, vetiver, cedar, gaiacwood, sandalwood, vanilla and musks. Launched in 2018.

Give Rehab a try if you like vanilla-tobacco fragrances. Or perfumes like Odin 11 Semma, Dolce & Gabbana Intenso Pour Homme , Tokyomilk Dead Sexy, Histoires de Parfums 1899 Hemingway, MAC Velvet Teddy and/or Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille.

Projection is average with longevity being above average.

The 3.0 oz bottle retails for $330 at Osswald. Samples are also available for purchase. A little story – while wearing this my spouse said I smelled “expensive” and he’s right! I better smell expensive when wearing this.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Lavender cigars. Even as someone burnt out on tobaccos, I’ll allow it.

¹This isn’t usually how I do things but with so many perfumes and so little time, I sort of have to only try what stands out to me initially. I also like Magnetic Blend 7, a truly funky-animalic musk, and may review it later if you’re interested.

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Brooklyn Fragrance Lover – Video review

Looking Feeling Smelling Great – Video review

*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from Fragrantica. Billy Dee Williams pic from the 1972 film “Lady Sings the Blues” that starred our queen Diana Ross.

Original article: Initio Parfums Rehab Perfume Review

A few years ago, well into my 30’s, I decided to go to Waltlty World for the first time in my life. This was a rather impulsive trip with few adults who decided that their parents didn’t really love them because we never went to Disney or got Air Jordans and that now, as adults, we were going to do something about it.¹ It was an OK trip. I suspect there is some sort of critical window in a child’s life that needs to have a “Disney influence” to make Disney have a lasting impact on you. I had missed that window so Epcot and all the other parks didn’t really resonate with me like it did with other adults I observed there. Anyway, I’m not saying it was a negative trip. I had a good time. It was Florida and there was sunshine. I was also surprised by how much fragrance was there. There’s a little Guerlain boutique. I bought cute French soaps. They had all these expensive Bvlgari perfumes I had never seen before.

If you’ve been to Epcot, I’m sure you are familiar with Geir Ness Laila. This Norwegian brand made a smart move and aligned themselves with the Norwegian Pavilion at Epcot. I’m sure there are many people that have a positive scent association with Laila because they associate it with a vacation. When I was there, I was so tired and overwhelmed (I was dumb and went during Spring Break), that I didn’t even try Laila! But, I did smell it around, mostly on other people and little girl’s that love Frozen. It smelled good.

Laila is a pleasant floral fragrance that caters to the American palate that craves “clean”. Laila opens with laundered florals. It’s like crisp white linen and dewy roses. It then wears as a lily-of-the-valley on ice. Watermelon is a note listed, but this fragrance doesn’t smell fruity. The melon comes across as cool ozone and mixes with abstract florals. I also don’t know if I’m making this up, but I also get something reminiscent of lemongrass or ginger. There’s also that sort of white musk/iris that makes me think of clean towels. And that’s what the dry-down is. It’s white musk, that sort of laundry musk that gives the impression of white towels on a clothesline drying, flipping around in the breeze like ghosts.

I wrote in my review of Chabaud Eau de Source a few months ago that I’m finally appreciating those 90’s style aquatic-florals because enough time has passed. It’s been a long enough time that a clean, fresh fragrance feels novel and new. It’s also been a humid, gross summer and I have appreciated these sort of perfumes that smell like I just took a shower and put on a clean, pressed outfit. Geir Ness Laila is one of these perfumes that gives that impression of “I AM CLEAN AND NEVER GET DIRTY”. Years ago I avoided these, but like going to Epcot as an adult, there’s a time to revisit these sort of things, a time to see if you missed out on anything or be reminded of what you’ve missed out on. With over-oud-saturation and fruitichoulis, I’m ready for aquatics/fresh scents again. Can you believe it?

Notes listed include florals, watermelon and wildflowers. Launched in 1995.

Give Laila a try if you like crisp, clean florals. Or perfumes like Issey L’eau d’Issey, Chabaud Eau de Source, Yves Rocher Ming Shu, Bond No. 9 Chelsea Flowers, Alfred Sung Shi, Calvin Klein Escape for Women and/or Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers.

Projection and longevity are average.

Laila is available in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $59 at Nordstrom. And of course, it’s also available at the Norwegian Pavilion at Epcot.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Florals put through the washer and dryer. I’m in a rare mood where I’m wanting to smell fresh, clean and like “linen”.

¹I say that halfway with sarcasm because if you grew up in the 80’s/90’s you were brainwashed to believe that stuff, just stuff, meant that your family loved you. Have to love America, right?

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For the Love of Perfume

*Disclaimer – Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from the brand. Claudette Colbert pic from fanpix.net. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!

Original article: Geir Ness Laila Perfume Review

Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular Perfume

Years ago, Hermès Sur le Nil was a popular “plot line” in Chandler Burr’s “The Perfect Scent: A Year Inside the Perfume Industry in Paris and New York“. If you like perfume or are curious about this industry, I recommend reading this book. In this book, we really get to experience and go through the entire process that brought this perfume to market. We also get to experience the process of what it took to bring Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely to market. I think it’s interesting to note in 2018 which one I can buy if I were to walk into a mall right now…

Sur le Nil was a perfume that I have always enjoyed (enough to buy a bottle of) despite it being unlike other perfumes that I tend to wear. The opening of Sur le Nil is tart, bitter and green. At the same time, it’s fruity. So, as promised, it’s green mangoes! In addition, I get a bitter, sulfuric grapefruit and tomato leaves. It’s this bitter, green opening that draws me into this fragrance. It’s the reason why I had to have a bottle for myself. As it wears, it’s an abstract fragrance of bitter greens and unidentifiable florals that feels very Ellena-esque (which means it is also going to feel very Hermès-ish). The dry-down of Sur le Nil is like a green, powdery iris with musk. It smells crisp and transparent. It’s an unusual parallel to make, but I have always thought if prasiolite (a pale green quartz) had a smell, it’d smell like Sur le Nil.

Notes listed include green mango, lotus, incense, calamus and sycamore wood. Launched in 2005. PERFUMER – Jean-Claude Ellena

Give Sur le Nil a try if you like citrus-florals. Or perfumes like Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau, Fresh Hesperides Grapefruit, Diptyque Geranium Odorata and/or Chanel 28 La Pausa.

Projection and longevity are average. However, I can see how someone that is used to “heavy hitters” would find this one lighter than average.

Un Jardin Sur le Nil comes in a few sizes with the 1.6 oz retailing for $100 at Sephora and Nordstrom. It can occasionally be found at discounters like Beauty Encounter or Perfume.com.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Green, citrus floral that dazzles like a gemstone. For many years now, this has been one of my regular summer go-to perfumes.

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Perfume Posse

*Bottle purchased by me. Product pic from Fragrantica. Farrah Fawcett pic from moviestore.com. Post contains affiliate links. Thanks!

Original article: Hermes Un Jardin Sur le Nil Perfume Review

Comme des Garçons Amazingreen is one of those perfumes that I knew I would have to revisit one day. I had hyped it up in my head pre-launch. I wanted to smell like gunpowder and pepper. When I tried Amazingreen, I didn’t get any of that. Nor did I get “Amazing” or “Green”. I was mad at Amazingreen. I was mad that it didn’t live up to my expectations. But, I was also mad that I *sort of* liked it too. Here I am in late summer 2018 revisiting this thing in the glossy emerald green bottle…

Amazingreen is a green fragrance, but it’s not what I typically think of when I think of “green”. This was why I was disappointed with it years ago! It opens with aquatic/melons and bitter, peppery greens. There’s juicy oranges and river rocks. If I had to sum up Amazingreen in just a few words, I’d have to say “mineral green”. It’s a mineral, wet green fragrance. As it wears, it’s like damp ivy, cobblestone and a bottomless brunch mimosa. As the fragrance wears, it becomes drier. It’s a green vetiver, calamus and something that smells a bit like caulk. And for some unknown reason, I like this. The dry-down is like white musk and vetiver. It’s not that exciting of a dry-down but it is pleasant. It provides a “sheer green” effect.

In the late 90’s, there was a huge trend of “minimalism” in perfume, which isn’t that different than perfumery today (i.e. Le Labo). However, that execution of these trends vary from the minimalism of today. Then it was all about these green-floral aquatics that promised some sort of zen-like experience, an escape from your stressful Generation X lifestyle. They often had strong overtones of “Asia”, in particular, Japan, and were launched by Asian design houses (usually… there were plenty of copies from all parts of the globe that followed). Amazingreen to me is incredibly retro. It reminds me of being a young adult in the Millennium. It smells like all the perfumes and fashion my cool minimalist friends wore to counteract the aesthetic of Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton, etc. Amazingreen is throwback to those minimalist Japanese designer perfumes (CdG, after all, is a Japanese fashion label).

Notes listed include palm tree leaves, green pepper, dew mist, jungle leaves, ivy, orris, coriander, silex, gunpowder accord, vetiver, smoke and white musk. Launched in 2012. PERFUMER – Jean-Christophe Herault

Give Amazingreen a try if you like “watery” green-florals. Or perfumes like Kenzo L’Eau par Kenzo pour Homme, Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise for Men (RIP), Balenciaga L’Edition Mer, Oriflame Amazonia for Her, House of Sillage HoS N.003 and/or Serge Lutens L’eau Froide.

Projection and longevity are average.

Amazingreen comes in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $103 at Luckyscent. Samples are also available for purchase.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – “Mineral green”. This ins’t one that I see myself wearing, but my spouse loves it as a “day” fragrance. It may not live up to my expectations, but that isn’t the fault of this perfume. It’s the fault of that avant-garde note list. When I think of it as a mineral, vetiver fragrance, I really like it.

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You Smell Marvellous

Alex Loves

*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from the brand. Nadja Auermann pic from fanpix.net

Original article: Comme des Garcons Amazingreen Perfume Review

It’s been a really busy summer for me so I haven’t been posting that many perfume reviews here on the blog. I recently had an oral surgery that forced me to slow down. I thought this would be a good time to catch up on some perfume samples I have that I have yet to sniff. Well, I haven’t. Deep into my malaise, I’ve only been craving a few fragrances. And oddly enough one of those is Byredo Black Saffron.

I’m always surprised by how fruity Black Saffron is. It opens with something that is like raspberries and ripe bananas. It’s a tart, sour fruit salad. And then, it’s BAM roses. It’s also peppery and green, like violet leaves and gin. There’s an ozonic quality as well but it’s somehow dry at the same time. This is all over something leather-y. I think of Black Saffron as a “soapy leather”. It manages to smell like bar soap wrapped in leather. I’ve noticed on warmer days, I’m reminded of “leather gin”. It’s more dry, green and peppery. On cooler days, I notice more florals. The dry-down is a vetiver that I sniff frequently in Byredo perfumes (for those that are familiar, think Bal d’Afrique). Their vetiver is dry but somehow manages to come across as creamy but it’s always contrasted by something dry/stale. It sounds odd, but it always reminds me of a vetiver soufflé sitting next to an ashtray.

All I can tell you is how this is on my skin. If you are looking for saffron, then don’t be deceived by the name. Basically this is a fruity leather. If you want saffron, there are better examples out there. But, if you want something leathery that manages to give the illusion of “freshness”, then this is worth sampling. I’ve been trying to figure out why I’m attracted to this one right now, years after its launch, and I think I may have it figured out. Black Saffron smells like a party and not just any party, but like a cocktail party with entertaining people. Fruity leathers like Tom Ford Tuscan Leather seem more pretentious, like a bunch of people trying to convince all the other people of how smart and clever they are. Black Saffron could also be labeled as pretentious but at least the people are fun. Black Saffron reminds me of gin cocktails, cigarettes, leather club chairs and laughter.

Notes listed include pomelo, juniper berries, saffron, black violet, leather, cashmeran, vetiver and raspberry. Launched in 2012.

Give Black Saffron a try if you like fruity leathers. Or perfumes like Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, Amouroud Safran Rare, MAC Ruby Woo, Montale Aoud Leather, Nishane Suede et Safran and/or Shay & Blue Framboise Noire. Slightly off topic, but I feel like I’ve sniffed so many fruity leathers these days that I need to make a guide of them!

Projection and longevity are average. In comparison to something like Tom Ford Tuscan Leather or Amouroud Safran Rare, it’s much “lighter”.

Black Saffron comes in a few sizes with the 1.7 oz retailing for $165 at Nordstrom and Saks.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Gin, fruits and leather. Compared to other “fruity leathers”, I think Black Saffron is more playful and lighthearted. I like that.

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The Black Narcissus

*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from the brand. Edie Sedgwick pic by Jerry Schatzberg 1966 from revolverwarholgallery.com. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!

Original article: Byredo Black Saffron Perfume Review

OK, OK, so the inspiration of Blackbird Ophir is a fictional trade planet and some pulp paperback storylines. I’m fine with all of that. I’m not here to debate what I think a fictional trade planet should smell like, but I’ll say this. This fictional trade planet smells a lot like what is in this Seattle-based brand’s backyard.

If it were up to me to classify Ophir, I’d have to say it’s a woods fragrance. It smells like a forest floor in the Pacific Northwest. There’s damp earth, moss, cedar and fir needles. There’s a smoldering campfire in the distance. Primarily on my skin, I pick up on a bitter sandalwood, lots of cedar and a slightly smoky gaiacwood. As the fragrance progresses, I notice more spices and nutty notes. The forest accord is accented by dry pepper, earthy saffron and hazelnuts. This doesn’t make the perfume more “gourmand” but instead emphasizes the environmental aspect of this perfume. It’s like spiced evergreen needles and a forest floor sprinkled with nutty shells abandoned by the critters. The dry-down reminds me of sandalwood, dried rose petals and a pocket knife. It has a metallic meets wood thing going on. My guess is the vegetal musk ambrette is coming across like a knife blade.

I love living in the NYC metro area. It’s a good “fit” for me. But, I admit that smelling something like Ophir on a mild, rainy day where the fog drapes between the buildings like some sort of sanctimonious cloak, I start to miss life in the Pacific Northwest. I miss damp October weekends foraging for mushrooms in the Olympic peninsula. The air is crisp and fragrant. There’s the feel and sounds of damp biomass underneath your boots. Anyway, Ophir is so realistic that it gives me those bittersweet feelings.

Notes listed include sandalwood, tonka bean, amyris, Siam wood, muhuhu, rose hip seed, cedar, gaiacwood, myrtle, cyrpress leaf, rosewood leaf, frankincense, saffron, pistachio, hazelnut, opopanax, lavender, ambrette, bay, rose, black pepper and nutmeg. Launched in 2016. PERFUMER – Aaron Way

Give Ophir a try if you like woodsy, natural-ish fragrances, especially if you like cedar or sandalwood. Or perfumes like Olympic Orchids Kingston Ferry, any of the Juniper Ridge scents, Sonoma Scent Studio Forest Walk, Raw Spirit Wild Fire and/or Slumberhouse Norne.

Projection and longevity are average.

The 1 oz bottle retails for $88 at Blackbird. Samples are also available for purchase.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Forest floor. I don’t wear perfumes like this that often (“environmental scents”) but it does give me a feeling and puts me in a place that I’m not…that’s a sign of a good perfume in my opinion.

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Joshua-S

StyleZeitgeist – Overview of the brand.

*Disclaimer – Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from the brand. Olive Borden pic from fanpix.net.

Original article: Blackbird Ophir Perfume Review

Civet is my absolute favorite from the niche brand Zoologist. So, I feel horrible that I’m just now reviewing it! I said in 2016 in my yearly list,

If I were to choose a perfume of the woman I wish to become, it’d be Civet.

It’s been two years and this still hold true. Civet is the sort of aromatic meets oriental-style perfume that I’ve gravitated to since I started wearing perfume. It brings to mind vintage, classic perfumes and style, but in comparison to its predecessors, it’s a much easier to wear perfume. What do I mean by that? Well, you know how some clothes or designs are breathtakingly beautiful but feel out of place in the modern world even if their appeal is that they don’t fit in the modern world? Imagine living in a house surrounded by brocade and velvet. It seems nice at first but after while it could start to feel oppressive.. Or yes, someone like Dita von Teese has a wardrobe that many of us lust for, but geez, sometimes you just want to bum it up in sweats. So, with perfumes, it’s like there are things that are gorgeous but start to feel like period pieces, things that don’t work with my life at all. I save them for special occasions, etc. But, what I really like are things that pull from the best of the old and mix it with the new. Imagine that house with all its brocade, but it has HVAC and Bosch dishwasher. That’s what I want in a perfume. Civet is opulent and glamorous in a way that merges the past and present. It’s just one of those perfumes that’s really put together well.

Civet opens with a champagne-like effervescence with dry, brut citrus and peach. It’s then spice market spices and spicy florals like carnation. It has a heady, indolic white floral in its opening but it’s paired with a licorice-like note (AKA tarragon) that I find to be a genius addition to this composition. This is tuberose which becomes a star player as the fragrance wears. This tuberose is lactonic (creamy). There’s a genius coffee accord in this fragrance that perfectly accentuates the almost tropical florals. As the perfume wears, it becomes more balsamic and smoky. It’s smoldering incense, musk perfume on a vintage fur stole and a balsamic, tobacco-hued amber. At this stage, it reminds me of one of my favorite but discontinued perfumes that was a modern take on a classic from the 1950’s, Estee Lauder (by Tom Ford) Youth Dew Amber Nude. The spices and the vanilla remind me of cola. The leather, the musk and the incense just adds a sensuality that you don’t get in a lot of modern oriental perfumes. The coffee beans make it feel more modern than all those old perfumes.

There’s a lot happening in Civet, you can see that from the note list. I’m sure mileage will vary on everyone. Personally, on me it’s like a balsamic, spicy and smoky floral with the perfect amount of animalic musk. I don’t find it overly civet-y or skanky. In fact, I think it could benefit from a smidgen more funk than it has. But, I’m not that sensitive to skank. Anyway, it’s been two years since this was launched and I still think it’s excellent. If you like vintage-style perfumes, you need to try this one. It’s one of those “perfume-perfumes”.

Notes listed include bergamot, black pepper, spices, tarragon, lemon, orange, carnation, frangipani, heliotrope, hyacinth, linden blossom, tuberose, ylang-ylang, musk, civet, coffee, incense, Russian leather, vanilla, vetiver and more. Launched in 2016. PERFUMER – Shelley Waddington

Give Civet a try if you like spicy orientals, vintage or balsamic/aromatic perfumes. Or perfumes like Chanel Coco, Caron Bellodgia, Cartier Les Heures de Cartier L’Heure Convoiteé, Estee Lauder Cinnabar, YSL Opium, Estee Lauder Youth Dew Amber Nude and/or CREED Vanisia.

Projection and longevity are above average. I prefer this one in cooler weather/winter.

Civet comes in a few sizes with the 2 oz bottle retailing for $145 at Zoologist. Samples are also available for purchase.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Spicy, balsamic floriental funk. It’s absolutely gorgeous, timeless and elegant. So, why don’t I have a bottle yet? Why am I not this women yet?

BTW – This perfume is named after an animal but there are no animal ingredients in the perfume. Just wanted to clarify that.

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*Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from the brand. Hedy LaMarr (my favorite) from fanpix.net.

Original article: Zoologist Civet Perfume Review

Mojo Magique is a Louisiana-based brand¹ with perfumes that really are under-the-radar and shouldn’t be! I’ve tried them all and highly recommend each of them (absinthe rose, yes, please!). And I’m reviewing Seer ² today to remind you that this is a good (and more affordable) niche brand that Perfume People should be trying.

Seer is an aromatic fragrance that reminds me of vintage masculines from the 1960’s and 1970’s. It opens with a cool blast of pine needles and licorice-like tarragon. It’s incredibly green with grasses and fresh herbs. I pick up on basil and tomato leaves, two notes that I adore in fragrance and wish there was more of. This sounds so corny, but Seer smells like sipping absinthe in a cottage garden. As it wears, it becomes warmer, but not in a traditional spicy way. It smells like cayenne ripening on the plant. As the fragrance dries down, it goes from garden to an evergreen forest at midnight. It’s pine needles and acrid incense/frankincense. It’s drier, darker but illuminated by moonlight. There’s woods and spiced leather (think like a leather with steamed saffron). There’s a nice dose of dried ginger, nutmeg and clove (like gingerbread/honey cake/lekach spices). Seer covers a lot of bases: aromatics, woods, leather and spice. But, it’s all seamless; a balance of coolness/warmth. It all works together and the final result reminds me of dancing in moonlight.

Overall, I highly recommend Seer to anyone that likes green fragrances or wants a “green incense”. All fragrances are for everyone, but I do think that Seer leans more traditionally masculine. I enjoy wearing it (and have worn a lot of it, mind you), but I do think this is a great fragrance for anyone wanting a “daily” perfume that leans more traditionally masculine. I also recommend it to both novices and perfume experts. It’s approachable for newbies but it’s also complex enough to keep Perfume People interested.

Notes listed include pine needles, herbal notes, woody notes, leather, osmanthus and saffron. Launched in 2015. PERFUMER – Pascal Gaurin

Give Seer at try if you like green, aromatic scents. Or perfumes like Sisley Eau de Campagne, Parfums d’Empire Corsica Furiosa, Apoteker Tepe Anabasis, Maria Candida Gentile Barry Lyndon, L’Artisan Fou d’Absinthe, Antonio Puig Agua Brava and/or Laboratorio Olfactivo Esverdra. The closest scent that I can compare it to has to be L’Artisan Fou d’Absinthe mixed with L’Artisan Timbuktu.

Projection and longevity are average.

Seer comes in a few sizes with the 3.4 oz retailing for $125 at Mojo Magique.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Green incense and smooth woods. I love how this is an acrid incense but goes through difference “Acts” with greens then absinthe and then gingerbread spice.

¹As a displaced Southerner, I’m a delighted to see niche perfumes being born on my ancestral grounds.

²When I first started wearing this fragrance, I loved the name because it made me think of prophetess in moonlight, draped in cloaks giving us vague prophetic predictions. Now after a few years of school and a new career, it makes me think of cancer stats in the United States and that is much less fun (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program).

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Country Roads – More info on the brand

*Disclaimer – Sample provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Product pic from Neiman Marcus. Alicia Alonso in “Giselle” pic from a Youtube still.

Original article: Mojo Magique Seer Perfume Review

Chris Rusak is a Los Angeles-based indie perfume brand (oh, and a person that is an artist and teaches at The Institute of Art and Olfaction too) that has launched a trio of new perfumes.

Unfortunately, I’ve been sitting on these for most of the summer. The “little” move across town, graduation, job hunting and travel really ate up my life. Long story short, I misplaced the samples but they weren’t ever misplaced (moving is so much fun). They were in a totally logical place, a box of “to try” perfume samples. In fact, this box was even labeled “2 Try Perfumes”. Moving is so much fun!

I unwrapped these one Sunday when the light was coming through the apartment in a really strange way. The walls had their own shadow cityscape of stacked boxes that contained all the stuff I owned, the stuff that you wonder, “How did this make the cut?”. Perhaps I was feeling especially nostalgic that day, I don’t know, but when I tried each of these, I was reminded of different places, all those places that I lived before. Frankly, the places I didn’t choose to live but these places have shaped the person that I’ve become:

Io – frankincense, dirt, cedar, peat, cypress leaves, labdanum, dried peppers, forest-fire smoke and tree resins. (91% natural composition)

Io smells like longleaf pine tree forests and dry earth. And kudzu. Fire ants. Incense.

Io opens with pine cones and balsamic pine needles with a hint of dried orange peel. There’s a turpentine quality to the evergreens as well. It mostly wears as a warm, balsamic evergreen fragrance. In contrast to a perfume I talked about recently, Blackbird Ophir, which smells like wet, damp forests of a place I chose to live, Io smells like a dry, warm forest. There’s red clay, wild vines and entire evergreen tress (bark, needles and sap). It’s like a stroll through the woods. The dry-down is like raw incense resins -primarily a labdanum that smells a heck of a lot like a funky, salty ambergris. In this dry-down, we’ve apparently worked up a sweat after our hike in the woods.

Io is a perfume inspired by hikes on Californian trails but it reminds me of the coats of South Carolina/South Georgia/Northern Florida. And honestly, I have more experience with that than I do Southern California. It makes me think of pine needles and sap sticking to my bare soles. These are some of my first (scent) memories so I have a fondness for Io because of this.

Final EauPINION – Dry, balsamic evergreen forest. It’s one to try if you like realistic woodsy or incense resins scents. BTW – My spouse stole this sample from me.

33 – fennel, cypriol, Haitian vetiver, orris, angelica and hyraceum. (89% natural composition)

I’m really sorry to keep with the Southern themes, but when I sprayed 33, it smells like boiled peanuts. I mean, exactly like boiled peanuts (this is the vetiver). Within a few minutes, it smells like beeswax and cola. There are plenty of places throughout the U.S. that are hollow shells of once thriving industry (that was usually based on the struggles and grinds of others). When I wear 33, I think about every time I go back to visit family in places with fertile soil that has now been forsaken; penitentiaries are more profitable than produce now. 33 smells like vacant lots with decaying cinderblock structures overrun by weeds and vines. It’s hot sun and delta. I wear this and I can hear cicadas and I swat at mosquitoes. 33 smells nutty, straw-like, earthy, brackish marsh grasses and with a musky leather that smells like a barn barren of livestock. It’s like a barn with a rusty tractor that hasn’t worked as long as you’ve been alive. It dries down to something more like musk, clay and overgrown pastures.

Anyway, in summary, this smells like vetiver, hay, clay and musk. Despite being reminded of a part of myself that has taken a long time for me to go to terms with, I like 33. Also, it has reminded me to call my ma.

Final EauPINION – Rustic vetiver. It’s Southern Gothic in a bottle for me, but of course, results will vary. But, it is pretty amazing that something as simple as vetiver-themed perfume can make you think of entire scenes and plots. It’s like a little mini screenplay in my head.

Quasi una absurdia – fresh mint, bergamot, orange blossom, ylang ylang, rose, jasmine, benzoin, clove, civet and lily pollen.

Quasi Una Absurdia smells like funeral lilies, Certs mints and Murphy oil soap. My mind immediately went to a funeral parlor as morbid as it sounds. As it wears, it’s a really pollen-heavy floral. With the notes, you’d expect a white floral, but this is a “yellow floral”. It’s lilies and carnation. Vermillion-hued pollen scattered on the floor. As the fragrance dries down, it’s like night-blooming jasmine making its way through an open window. These florals eventually fade into musk and church incense. It’s gorgeous.

These reviews have went in a more Southern “scent memory” direction than I expected, but QUA reminds me of a funeral parlor used by my bayou family. The place is like something out of a corny murder mystery written by a writer that has only read Mark Twain and Anne Rice. A place with squeaky steps and wobbly floors, no A/C but in a subtropical climate and gives out branded paper fans that you can use or you can convincingly act out a heat stroke for extra drama. The parlor is surrounded by Spanish moss and I’m sure you’ll see some tourist-y steamboat in the distance. It’s just that kind of place. Luckily, I’m from a death-positive culture. Thinking of this place doesn’t bring up bad memories. Aside from the grief you’d expect from being in such a place, I actually associate it with celebration.

Final EauPINION – Pollen-y, yellow floral. Really, all I could ask additionally of this is that there be a chrysanthemum added to complete my scent memories. Otherwise it’s perfect and just the sort of thing that I adore (says the person who lives for stuff like Caron Narcisse Blanc).

Other stuff:

Studio Series Sets – These are limited edition subscription sets that basically walk you through a perfume itself. You experience it in different stages and/or experience raw ingredients. In a way, it “trains” the nose and tells the story of a perfume’s progression. I was sent some rad incense-focused perfumes and “ingredients”.

I know this has been more personal than a lot of my reviews but I think that also says a lot about them even if “results will vary”. I appreciate any perfume that gets the memories or imagination going. I recommend this brand to those that like perfumes from Slumberhouse, January Scent Project, Beaufort London, Bruno Fazzolari, etc. You know, indie stuff that tells a story or invokes a place in time.

The 1.7 oz bottle of Io and 33 retail for $175 while Quasi una Absurdia retails for $190 (of course, my favorite is the most expensive). A sample set and samples are also available for purchase at Chris Rusak.

*Disclaimer – Samples provided by the brand. I am not financially compensated for my reviews. My opinions are my own. Marlon Brando costume tests for “A Streetcar Named Desire” from a-closet-of-errors.com. Also, schwing.

Original article: Chris Rusak Perfumes – Reviews of Io, 33 & Quasi Una Absurdia

Mainstream Monday – Sniffing a Popular Perfume

If you followed by Instagram Stories this past summer, you already know that I wore Chanel Venise a lot. There’s a few reasons for this. The first reason was I moved and didn’t have access to all my perfumes. The second reason is because I genuinely love it. This is the sort of thing I wanted to wear all summer.

Chanel launched three EDTs in their Les Eaux de Cologne collection this past summer. I went by a Chanel boutique after they were launched. As someone that is boring and likes boring Chanel perfumes, I was more than pleased with the trio. However, I left with one that day, the one that I was immediately smitten with, and that one was Venise.

So, there really isn’t much to Paris – Venise other than it’s really “Chanel-ish”. It’s a powdery fragrance that brings to mind makeup. For those familiar with Les Exclusifs Misia, Venise which is also inspired by pianist Misia Sert, is basically Misia Lite. The opening has some bright Chanel-y aldehydes mixed with a type of neroli that reminds me of French “baby perfumes”. Most of the wear of this perfume is a powdery vanilla with a gorgeous iris and a hint of lipstick and violets. I find it really peculiar that Chanel doesn’t list iris as a note when there is so much iris in this! Overall, this wears as a sweeter, powdery floriental that is sheer. It was marketed as a “summer oriental” and that it is.

Notes listed include neroli, amber, vanilla and tonka. Launched in 2018.

Give Venise a try if you like powdery scents or sweet iris perfumes. Or perfumes like Chanel Les Exclusifs Misia, Malle Lipstick Rose, Guerlain Meteorites, Guerlain Insolence, Chanel No. 5 L’Eau…basically anything Chanel. Or if you like the idea of a cosmetic-y sort of perfume to wear in warmer weather/day wear.

This is an EDT. I think for an EDT that projection is average and longevity is above average. It’s light on sillage but staying power is about 8-10 hours on me. It’s in a big bottle so I basically bathe in it anyway because I can. It makes me feel decadent.

The 4.2 oz bottle retails for $130 at Nordstrom.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Powdery iris and neroli. It’s a sheer oriental, powdery and sweet and soooo Chanel. I recommend it to anyone that basically like perfumes that bring to mind a vanity table. It may not be the best thing to be launched in 2018, but it’s the thing that I have worn the most in 2018. It’s something that I’m always going to associate with the Summer of 2018.

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*Product purchased by me. Product pic from the brand. Sandra Milo in Venice pic from Wikipedia. Post contains an affiliate link. Thanks!

Original article: Chanel Les Eaux de Cologne Paris – Venise Perfume Review

One of my many character flaws is that I love the Hermès Hermèssence collection. I live for sheer, ephemeral things that are basically non-existent. According to online perfume platforms and other perfume-related reviews, this is a problem. But, it’s not for me. I think things that last forever on the skin are a nightmare; they’re oppressive. My attention span and patience aren’t equipped for marathon perfumes.

This year Hermès has launched additional perfumes in the Hermèssence collection. The names suggested “heavier” perfumes, but I’m a true fan girl. I knew these wouldn’t be, so I couldn’t wait to try them. I like the idea of seeing Hermès tackle traditionally “heavy” notes or a style of perfumery but make it their own (cohesive with the rest of the line-up).

Cèdre Sambac may not be the best name for this fragrance. I think most of us that have worn it will agree. To me, it’s a sandalwood and sheer, cool and silky jasmine. The jasmine is sheer, inky and mineral. I also get something that is like button mushrooms and white florals, so it makes me think of gardenia. As it wears, it becomes a dry sandalwood, like sandalwood shavings, and the white florals become more abstract. I’m reminded of jasmine and a creamy tuberose. Overall, Cedre Sambac is a sheer, creamy white floral with woods. It reminds me of living gardenia on a tree and natural, unlit Japanese incense (sandalwood). But, it’s texture is like silk, so I imagine a floral gardenia print on silk.

Cedre Sambac was love at first sniff for me. The more I wear it, the more I love it. I think its first impression is a “pretty white floral with woods”, but the more time I spend with it, the more I pick up on nuances like the mineral/ink and mushrooms. This makes me love it even more. It’s gorgeous but it has some subversive notes that (frankly) make it art.

Notes listed include cedar and jasmine sambac. Launched in 2018. PERFUMER – Christine Nagel

Give Cèdre Sambac a try if you like the thought of an airy, woodsy white floral. I also think it’s worth trying if you are looking for a gardenia that is still on the tree or even if you want a really good sandalwood.

I think projection and longevity are average, actually above average in comparison to others in the line. It’s something that I forget I’m wearing but hours later in the day someone is always like “What are you wearing? You smell so good”. Yes, the Hermès and I will take credit for that.

The 3.4 oz bottle retails for $260 at Hermès. Travel sizes are also available.

Victoria’s Final EauPINION – Creamy gardenia and sandalwood…but make it Hermèssence. I hate to say this because even though liking this line is my character flaw, I can also admit that they seem to be really overpriced, but I want a small bottle of this. It’s easy-to-wear and it smells good. Plus, I’m always looking for a gardenia that doesn’t smell like a public restroom.

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*Sample obtained by me. Product pic from the brand. Pat Cleveland pic from shrimptoncouture.com.

Original article: Hermes Hermessence Cedre Sambac Perfume Review