From Russia With Love
Marina at Perfume-Smellin’ Things sent me an e-mail about two weeks ago with a dubious subject From Russia With Love. “James Bond?” thought I in hesitation to open it. Turns out she wanted to share the love through perfume (phew!). She came up with a brilliant idea for us to review some of the Russian perfumes by Novaya Zarya. Now, I’m Russian by heritage but I didn’t grow up with Novaya Zarya (except for occasional colognes). I grew up with Dzintars all around me. So imagine my excitement when the package finally arrived. Here’s what I found in there:
Patchouli Magique: bergamot, lemon, patchouli, incense, labdanum, sandalwood, vanilla, musk. Wow, this is good! Lovely patchouli-labdanum mix with amber undertones. Nothing too complex, just very nice and wearable. Beats such patchouli scents as Les Nereides Patchouli Antigue and L’Artisan Patchouli Patch. Not a dirty, raw patchouli. Rather woody, soft.
Melody of Flowers Iris: iris, you say? I say an artifical mixture of unidentified notes. Wah! Get it off me! A rather pungent white floral of some sort. Ghastly. Try as I might, I get no iris. Neither in top nor in base notes. It’s somehow lost in this Melody of Flowers (and I’d like to know what flowers!)
Green Vetiver: vetiver, orange, mandarine, verbena, cedarwood, oakmoss, amber. This is the first time I smell vetiver combined with verbena. Quite unique! Sparkly, citrusy, slightly sweet. Not sure I could wear this. Not earth-shattering vetiver (and certainly not my favorite) but quite decent for what it’s worth. Would make a nice room fragrance.
Carnation: sharp, dirty carnation but not animalic-dirty - dirty as in dirt. I’m getting cloves, too. Spicy! Dries down to soft cloves - I don’t get much carnation any more. For a cologne, it’s unbelievably impressive. Wow! This could be another winner. Just add a few notches to the lasting power, and it’d be perfect. Well, it does kind of just sit on my skin. I guess I want my carnation with all the fixings.
Arome Musque: definitely a floral musk. I’m getting a slight similarity with Iris Poudre minus the iris. I know, I know, nothing can compare with the magnificent Iris Poudre but I swear I’m getting a similar musk note. I’m not bowled over. Maybe because I’m not a pure musk lover. Unless it’s Musc Ravageur, I don’t want to smell it.
Ambre Dore: violet petals, rose, patchouli, coriander, amber, oakmoss. Now we’re talking! I think I love this one the most. Spicy, not too heavy amber. Once again, my nose does tricks on me. This reminds me of Farnesiana, just a bit. Dries down to a soft and slightly powdery amber. Wow! If you’re looking for nice cheap amber, look no further.
Muguet: huh? Lily of the valley? What lily and what valley? If this is what lily of the valley smells like in Russia, then I’m a ballerina. Where’s my dirty laundry - this smells like cheap Soviet soap. I’m getting major nostalgia - memories of hand-washing my underwear with laundry soap. Yeah, right. No, thank you. Honestly, I wish I could say more here but words just escape me - it’s that boring.
Russian Forest: lemon and fresh woods. Believe it or not, I’ve never been in a Russian forest. But I hope it doesn’t smell like this because I get no forest here. It smells like a typical Soviet after-shave my dad used to wear (and drink on occasion - yeah, I know). The drydown is sort of soapy and musky and not very pleasant on my skin.
If any of these interest you, make sure to click on the images - they’ll take you right to the online shops.
Also, remember to check Perfume-Smellin’ Things, Scentzilla, and Perfume Posse to get their take on these perfumes.
16 comments June 29th, 2006
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