Archive for October, 2006
Cardamom Amber body oil is part of the Hammam Red Flower collection, “ritual-based body treatments founded on the principle of stimulating blood flow through the body by blending layers of exceptional ingredients and pure scents deeply into the skin” (Luckyscent.com). It is a body product, not a perfume, meant to be applied to both relax the muscles and scent the body. It’s also said to be high in vitamin E and fatty acids (and can be used as massage oil). All this intro aside, its scent is what appeals to me the most.
In spite of being just a body oil, it’s composed of quite an array of notes: cardamom, bergamot, rose, jasmine, litsea cubeba, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, black pepper, sweet orange, apricot. It starts out very citrusy, with a slight lemongrass accord (litsea cubeba). The jasmine and rose appear gradually, with cardamom in the foreground. The drydown is perked up by black pepper, and there’s a slight “dirty” note that I attribute to ylang-ylang and patchouli, on a soft sandalwood base. The drydown is also my favorite part as not only does it convey my favorite cardamom in a most pleasing way but also fulfills on the promise of having an overall calming effect. Hence, I’d not wear it as perfume, especially considering its lamentable lasting power. I’d reach for it as a bedtime scent, for instance, or perhaps use it to layer with other scents (which I hear works very well).
Cardamom Amber oil is available at Luckyscent, Beautyhabit as well as other retailers.
Image source: www.luckyscent.com
October 17th, 2006
This month Marc Jacobs introduced the Autumn Splash trio that “captures the essence of fall” – Violet, Ivy, and Amber (the same concept was applied to the summer trio – Cotton, Rain, and Grass). These unisex scents are packaged in simple, minimalist style 10 oz bottles, intended to be applied liberally. Just as I prefer autumn to summer (for the most part, anyway), the autumn trio appealed to me quite a bit. In contrast to rather mediocre and characterless summer trio, Violet, Ivy, and Amber are full-bodied and memorable.
Violet – bergamot, peony, orchid, labdanum, orris, cashmere accord, violet, cedar, vanilla, musk, gingerbread. My favorite of the three, Violet starts out with anything but violet – a predominantly gourmand, cashmere-like floral on a soft woody base. A fascinating take on violet as it’s often combined with either rose (Frederic Malle Lipstick Rose, Guerlain Insolence) or cedarwood (Shiseido Feminite du Bois, Serge Lutens Bois de Violette). But violet and gingerbread? It’s actually really good! Perhaps, not quite full-10-ounce good, more like 1-ounce good, simply because I’d only reach for it in cold weather, and would most likely not apply it liberally as it’s quite potent and lasts well.
Ivy – nutmeg, cardamom, mandarin, candy cane accord, orris, suede, tonka bean, vetiver, sandalwood. I typed these notes in utter disbelief – how could this possibly be what I’m smelling? It’s a rather sharp, citrusy-green scent that drifts toward the masculine side of things (as much as I prefer the genderless approach to perfume). Seriously, where’s the nutmeg? Where’s the cardamom? Candy cane, for that matter? I get lots of sort of aquatic, bitter, green vetiver, and that’s pretty much it. What a letdown.
Amber – crystallised ginger, star anise, amber, lily, cassia bark, cashmere wood, benzoin. To my great surprise (considering how much I adore amber), the earth didn’t move here. If all the amber scents in the world had a contest, this would be eligible simply out of pity (or political correctness). OK, maybe I’m being a bit too harsh (when it comes to amber, I’m pretty much merciless). It’s just that amber is totally drowned in this ginger-anise, toothache-inducing syrup a la Pink Sugar. In no way does this Amber evoke anything autumn-like. Not in my world, anyway.
Autumn Splash trio is available at most department stores.
Image source: from the press release.
October 16th, 2006
The winner of the Miller et Bertaux “Close Your Eyes And… ” sample is Houseofstone! Please e-mail me your address to aromascope at gmail dot com. Thanks!
October 15th, 2006
I was a bit unsure what to post about today. I felt a bit blank, in spite of having sniffed quite a few scents this week. So I told my friend about this affliction, and she came up with this idea: why not ask your readers if “they have any tips for drug running or robbing banks to fund their ‘fume addiction?” Brilliant!! So, that’s exactly what I’m going to do today – ask you to brainstorm for ways to fund your perfume hobby addiction! Not necessarily such drastic and quite illegal options as bank robbery or drug trafficking, though. To make it more fun, I’ll throw in a sample giveaway. Let’s see, what shall we give away today. How about the new Miller et Bertaux scent, “Close Your Eyes and… “? Happy weekend, all!
October 12th, 2006
Hilary Duff With Love – mangosteen fruit, exotic spice blend, chai latte, mangosteen blossoms, cocobolo wood, amber milk, amber musk, balsam, incense. Quite a notable addition to the new releases, especially celebrity fragrances. What makes it stand apart is simply the fact it will actually stay in your memory as opposed to sniff and forget (SAF – a new abbreviation to our perfume jargon!) It’s excellently blended, and I particularly enjoy its milky-sweet, slightly bitter woody-ambery accord that’s somewhat reminiscent of woody flour/powder of Bois Farine by L’Artisan Parfumeur.
Paul Smith Story – grapefruit, bergamot, ivy, vetiver, jasmine, green rose, musk, amber, cedar. Marina did an excellent review of Story, and all I can add is the nerdy-looking fella on the perfume ad must be reading his books in some futuristic, open air library. There’s absolutely no way this smells like books, old or new. Instead, it’s a rather linear, airy vetiver-citrus blend that actually reminds me of Cologne by Thierry Mugler.
Jo Malone Napa Leather – napa leather, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, hints of rosemary, cardamom, black pepper. Speaking of libraries, this cologne is supposed to evoke images of an old study and “old-world elegance”. Excuse me, who left all the windows open, and why does it smell like ocean? Sigh. This could have been really, really good had they not ruined it by adding way too much aquaticism (another jargon word – abuse of aquatic/marine notes).
CB I Hate Perfume Musk – not sure on the notes here but if it was up to me, it’d be blue cheese, acetone, and smoke. Stinky (really stinky), and animalic all right. Besides, the scent has been received with a fair bit of controversy on perfume blogs – you either love it or hate it, there’s no in-between. Part of me just really wants to stay in the neutral territory (I haven’t tried layering it with anything else yet which works out great, I hear), and part of me loathes it with a passion. It does, however, sort of calm down on your skin to the point of actually being tolerable and borderline appealing in a weird kind of way.
Lorenzo Villoresi Alamut – osmanthus, rose, jasmin, rosewood, narcissus, tuberose, ylang ylang, orange blossom, labdanum, amber, musk, sandalwood, patchouli, benzoin, leather. A rather dense spicy oriental, along the lines of Guerlain’s Samsara or Hermes Rouge, with a prominent jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, and sandalwood accord. Luxurious and warm like a cashmere shawl. I quite like it and would gladly own a bottle if I had some dollars to spare.
Have you sniffed anything new lately? Please share!
October 11th, 2006
You might have noticed, I like to do Featured Shops posts once in a while as I find it fascinating to get to know the people behind the business, especially fragrance etailers. You might also have noticed, there’s a Shopping page on this blog where you can find listings of beauty/fragrance boutiques nationwide, by state. Part of the reason I decided to create the page was an incident I had once when I lived in Minnesota. One time I was doing an onilne search for Fragonard retailers and quite accidentally came across a shop in the Twin Cities that carried the line. I drove there one sunny May afternoon, unsure of what to expect. Great was my surprise when I discovered an amazing little boutique with tons of niche, hard to find lines. I had no idea such a shop existed, and I can guarantee it’s the only shop in the entire state of Minnesota that carries such assortment. To make a long story short, I hope the Shopping page will help you find shops like that in your area!
Today’s featured shop is B-glowing, an online boutique for skincare/beauty/fragrance. A brief interview with its founder, Lisa James:
1. How did B-glowing come about? What was your career before that?
I worked in television advertising helping produce tv ads for advertisers like Nike, Coke for about 15 years. I always knew I wanted to work for myself. I’ve been a beauty junkie my entire life and it made sense to do what I love while sharing my passion. On-line was the obvious because I wanted to start the company while I still worked in advertising. I managed both jobs for about 2 years before resigning and working for b-glowing full time this past January.
2. How do you select the lines you carry?
I look for superior performance and great packaging helps. Mostly it is just a gut feeling that tells me whether it fits into the b-glowing portfolio. It should compliment a beauty catalog that is fun and hip, yet still sophisticated.
3. What are your favorite products?
At the moment, Yosh Ginger Ciao, Crazylibellule & The Poppies Blue Orchidee, LaLicious (I love every product and scent!) and of course Apivita is a great staple.
4. What are your hobbies/interests?
I love traveling! My favorite trip was a few years ago when I spent 2 weeks in Fiji . I love to get away as much as possible, even if it’s just a 3 day weekend down in Sun River , Oregon . When I’m not traveling I love hanging out with my boyfriend, dog and friends eating great food and drinking great wine! Oregon has a bounty of amazing restaurants and wineries.
5. Does B-glowing have a brick & mortar store?
Not at the moment. We’re undecided whether we want to move in that direction. We’ll decide in the next couple years. If we do build a brick and mortar, of course Portland will have to be our flagship store.
6. What are your current best-selling perfumes?
Kai, La Maison de la Vanille, Crazylibellule and L’Aromarine.
7. What lines that you carry are under-appreciated, in your opinion?
Tisserand Aromatherapy from the UK . It’s super affordable and intensely rich in essential oils. Also, Belli. Their eye gel and body lotion are some of the best I’ve used. The bonus is they are 100% natural, but you’d never know it because they are super effective beauty products.
8. Do you have favorite perfumes besides the ones you carry? What are they?
Yes, Jo Malone! I can’t get enough of them. My absolute favorite is French Lime & Blossom. The scent is intoxicating to me.
October 11th, 2006
Cuir Ottoman is the new addition to the Parfum d’Empire line (previous ones being Ambre Russe, Eau Suave, and Eau de Gloire). It’s said to have been inspired by the Ottoman empire and is supposed to evoke the charm and eroticism of the Orient (Osmoz.com) I’m a bit doubtful it evokes such things for me as I view Cuir Ottoman as a predominantly leather scent (and that’s all that matters).
With the notes of iris, jasmine, styrax, leather, Tolu balsam, benzoin, incense, it rocked my world before application on skin. It starts out as bitter, tar-like leather that I initially associated with burnt rubber or car tire smell. At this stage, it very much reminds me of Kolnisch Juchten, minus the citrusy-smoky note. As it develops, it’s not as much about the leather any more – it’s more about a milky, resinous balsam, with just a touch of what seems like incense and powdery softness of iris. Cuir Ottoman undergoes quite a transformation – from astringent, barbaric leather to yielding, velvety suede. It’s amazingly wearable, and I can see it being favored by those who don’t usually fall for leather scents.
For other excellent impressions, please read Victoria’s review and Marina’s review.
Cuir Ottoman should be available at Aedes within the next couple of weeks. For more retailer information, please check the Parfum d’Empire site.
Image source: www.osmoz.com
October 10th, 2006
Here I am again, running slightly behind, so no review today. Meanwhile, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite perfume notes. I didn’t used to pay attention to notes, so the process of discovering what I like/dislike as well as learning more about the notes has been really fascinating. Here’s what rocks my world (or has potential to do so):
- Amber
- Incense
- Myrrh
- Benzoin
- Iris/Orris
- Ylang-Ylang
- Leather
- Tolu balsam
- Cardamom/Coriander/Nutmeg/Cinnamon/Clove/Saffron
- Labdanum
- Honey
- Rum
- Agarwood
- Opoponax
- Tobacco
- Plum
- Vetiver
Oops! Didn’t realize the list would be this long! What are your favorite notes or what notes have you discovered recently?
October 8th, 2006
It’s been on my mind for a while to do a post on perfume fanatic jargon because, let’s face it, we speak our own language, only understood by the fellow afflicted and/or others in the know. I love perfume jargon, for obvious reasons, but also for the fact it’s so easy to learn and extremely exciting to teach. Today I’ll mostly talk about the jargon adopted at certain online perfume communities (Makeupalley, mostly). I realize I cannot mention everything in one post, so please feel free to add your own ideas in comments.
Abbreviations
FBW – the obvious one, one of the first questions that usually pops in your head when you smell a new scent. Is it Full Bottle Worthy?
HG – the never ending, often futile quest for the Holy Grail perfume.
WUFS – this one is my personal concoction (copyrighted – ha!). Wow Upon First Sniff.
WUFT – same as above, except Wow Upon Further Testing.
YSBB – I threw this one in here to add some variety. Your Skin But Better. I personally don’t use it much.
PO – yes, it’s part of the perfume jargon and an integral one, might I add! No, not Pathetically Obsessed. Simply, Post Office.
Needless to say, a vast array of abbreviations is used for perfume names/houses – from the proverbial MKK (Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens), POTL (Luctor et Emergo by People of the Labyrinths) to such commonly loved perfume houses as SL (Serge Lutens), FM (Frederic Malle), CdG (Comme des Garcons), and the like. Basically, if it can be abbreviated, it certainly will be.
Terminology
Sillage – a trail of scent a person leaves behind or is followed by. Not all perfumes have sillage, and sillage is not necessarily an attribute of a good quality perfume. In fact, I could name a few with devastatingly awful sillage. But not today.
Lemming – the word “is often used in slang to denote those who mindlessly follow the crowd, even if destruction is the result”, based on the Wild Wilderness film that “popularized, using staged footage, the myth that during population booms Norway lemmings [rodents] become suicidal and leap en masse off cliffs into the sea.” (Wikipedia.org) The word has been adopted amongst perfume aficionados not as much for its tragic connotation as for following the crowd aspect, usually after reading about a certain fragrance. Can be used both as a noun and a verb. I quite like the adverb version of it, lemmingly, so you might see me using it in the future. As in, “I sniffed it lemmingly.”
Decant – perfume poured or sprayed into a certain size bottle, usually smaller than the original bottle. Typical decant sizes are 2 ml, 5 ml, 6 ml, and 10 ml. A decant is something you want to get if you don’t want to/cannot buy a whole bottle or just want to sample a scent.
That’s about it for today. I’m looking forward to reading your ideas! Happy weekend, all!
Image source: www.store.perspicuity.com
October 5th, 2006
Santa Maria Novella is one of the world’s oldest pharmacies, located in Florence, Italy. Its products are marked by the use of the highest quality natural ingredients in the tradition of its founders. (For more information on the line, please watch this fascinating video). I must say I’m only superficially familiar with the line, and just recently have become more interested in giving their fragrances a proper test. Initially, the ones I tried fell into the category of scents I appreciate for composition only as opposed to both composition and wearibility. As is often the case with me, I come back to the dismissed ones with completely new perception and end up falling head over heels. Such fate befell Vaniglia.
A few weeks ago I wrote about my personal classification of vanilla fragrances. Based on that, Vaniglia falls into the complex vanilla category. It’s not really vanilla the way you know it. Before I go into a more detailed description (short as it may be), I’ll just say it reminds me a lot of Latvian made liqueur – by that I mean these drinks. They’re characterized by a syrupy consistency and rich, dessert-like flavor. Oddly enough, I don’t find Vaniglia particularly gourmand. It does, however, possess this syrupy, boozy quality that immediately makes me think of liqueur. As for the smell, I don’t know the official notes, unfortunately. What I get is a lush, aromatic vanilla with a slight resinous/smoky undertone. It lasts for hours and is ideal for this gloomy fall weather. I simply adore and highly recommend it!
Vaniglia is available at Aedes and Lafcony.
Image source: www.aedes.com
October 4th, 2006
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