Suravi Shop and Jean Pascal
I’ve added a new category to my blog called Featured Shops. I plan to do short write-ups about perfume shops I find worth visiting and/or buying from. Today’s featured shop is Suravi, an exclusive fragrance boutique in Riverview, FL. It features such lines as Miller Harris, Amouage, Montale, Jean Pascal, Creative Universe, and more. The shop’s owner, Vijay Wadehra, has informed me that he has one of the biggest collections of Montale fragrances in the U.S. Currently, the products can be purchased directly from their temporary web site (created specifically for Basenotes members and Perfume Critic readers). A full e-commerce site is to be launched in the near future.
The shop carries three fragrances by Jean Pascal, a famous Colombian fashion designer. Quimbaya pour Homme, with notes of citrus, rosemary, thyme, violet, clove, lavender, and musk. It’s a very wearable scent that starts out with a blast of citrus and herbal notes and softens up in the drydown, with a non-offensive mix of violet, clove, and lavender. Quimbaya pour Femme has notes of tangerine, blackcurrant, pear, mango, magnolia, jasmine, and mimosa. An exotic fruity floral that starts out tangy and juicy and dries down to a tropical floral. Both Quimbayas would be perfect for someone who likes light, fresh scents. A great alternative for hot summer days, and the prices won’t break your wallet ($45 for a 3.4 oz bottle).
Image source: www.suravionline.com
4 comments June 13th, 2006
Gothic I candle accompanies Gothic I perfume oil and is a creation of Loree Rodkin, a well-known jewelry designer. Her web site says, “Known for her non-conformist, visionary approach to jewelry making, Loree Rodkin blurs the distinction between modern and medieval.” With that in mind, it’s no wonder the candle has an antique feel to it as well. It’s a predominantly patchouli scent but the typical earthiness is softened by balmy vanilla. There’s nothing bitter or sharp about it. It’s a very cozy, cushy scent. There’re candles that saturate the entire room allowing anybody to enjoy their aroma, and there’re those that I’d call intimate candles – their aroma is perceivable only to those that are in the immediate vicinity. Gothic I falls into the latter category. It warms you up with its nice even, burn.
Today I’m wearing Nuit Noire by Mona di Orio. It features the top notes of orange flower, cardamom, ginger, orange guinee; heart notes of oliban, cinnamon, tuberose, sandalwood, clove, cedarwood, and base notes of amber, leather, musk, and tonka bean. Now let me tell you what it smells like when I first srpay it on. It smells like rotting oranges. This is the most diplomatic description I was able to come up with. My husband, however, once flat out said it smelled like dirty diapers. Now, why would anybody in their right mind want to wear a perfume of such inappropriate nature? For me, it was the luxurious drydown. Yes, I’m willing to put up with the first thirty minutes or so of this indecency for the sake of a knockout drydown.