Posts filed under 'Needle In A Haystack'
Today’s Needle In A Haystack is such a fancy perfume that it would never allow any sort of association with needles or hay for that matter - Diamond Water by JAR Parfums. If you’re not familiar with JAR Parfums, it’s founded by an American, Paris-based jewelry designer (Joel Arthur Rosenthal, hence the abbreviation) “who has a stellar client list for jewels that are inspired by nature and render it more beautiful in gems” (iht.com). As far as I know, the fragrances are sold in only two places - a free-standing boutique in Paris and a posh little room downstairs in the Bergdorf Goodman beauty department (which I also had the privilege to visit last fall). I won’t go into too much detail as to in what manner exactly the scents are available for testing, other than saying you don’t get to do a lot of touching and spraying yourself (if any at all!). Instead, it’s all done with the help of a medium (a charming man) who with a masterly sweep of hand, one by one, presents to you the jars filled with perfume-saturated fabric. If you then desire to do what all normal, self-respecting perfume maniacs like to do, that is, to do a skin test, you’re asked which scent in particular you’d like to try which is later on applied by the same hand, once again pretty much leaving you out of the equation. (I guess I have actually gone into detail describing the process - oh well). The presentation and the whole experience is obviously really cool with a certain enchanting flair. My only reservation (and perhaps a partial reason for not taking to JAR fragrances that much) is the air of superiority - you just feel sort of unworthy to not only smell but also wear these perfumes (which is also intensified by the fact no perfume notes are disclosed). Nevertheless, it’s still quite a remarkable experience, and I highly recommend it. Out of all the fragrances available, my favorite are Golconda and today’s pick, Diamond Water.
I’m afraid I have no recollection as to whether there was any explanation of the name and such, and I don’t know the official notes so I have to trust my nose. Diamond Water is a floral oriental with the emphasis on carnation. It starts out somewhat chilly, with a bite of cloves. It’s soon softened by what seems to be coconut (which adds certain creaminess) and nutmeg (which accounts for a gentle, dusty undertone). There’s probably some pepper thrown in for kicks. The scent really warms on skin, turning into an enveloping, fluffy blend. That’s about all I can say as far as the notes and development are concerned. I realize it’s hardly regal and fitting with all things JAR but, hey, you gotta do what you gotta do. Diamond Water to me is a very appealing carnation fragrance, conjuring up deep, golden-purple satin. I’d very much like to own a bottle, if it didn’t have such a prohibitive price tag. Meanwhile, my sample suffices for occasional sniffs and visual effects in my memory.
Please be sure to check Marina’s pick of the day.
June 29th, 2007
This week’s Needle In A Haystack is quite a solemn event - not only did I pick one of my absolute favorite perfumes of all time but it also happened to be one of the Femme Fatale scents (copyright: Marina at Perfume-Smellin’ Things who created this category). In her pick of the day, she talks about serendipity, and it looks like it’s spilled over to Aromascope as my scent is also a dark, extraordinary rose. In addition, we both share the love for each other’s catch which is becoming rather rare these days as Marina’s been drifting farther and farther away into the Land of Lovely Flowers. So I’m truly enjoying both writing this review and my fragrance.
I should also add I’m enjoying Rose Barbare as my pick for yet another reason: its author is my lovely Francis (ah, I’m all a-twitter!) Rose Barbare was created in 2005 as part of the L’Art et la Matiere collection (a project that coincided with the opening of the Guarlain flagship store in Paris, employing outside perfumers to create an ode of sorts to a particular note). Rose Barbare wasn’t my immediate favorite as my first impression was of this concise nature: “sour rose”. Indeed, Rose Barbare might not be as easy to love at first sniff as it is a chypre fragrance, believe it or not. A modern day chypre, no doubt, that’s somewhat reserved but still not particularly politically (olfactory?) correct. The chypre here is achieved by rose drenched in honey and patchouli or perhaps even a little oakmoss (I cannot find the list of notes). It’s hardly barbaric but it is a rose with thorns and proud of it - dark but not brooding, relatively vicious but not crude. It’s a very successful chypre, considering true chypre would hardly fly these days. It’s approachable but only if you’re willing to approach it. If you see the other side of the rose, if you look beyond its conventional pastel, powdery, honeyed appearance, you’ll love Rose Barbare. To me, it’s like the heart of a rose - its true nature, its intimate secrets of living with thorns, open wide for everyone to see.
Rose Barbare can be purchased at the Guerlain flagship store in Paris as well as at Bergdorf Goodman in New York.
June 14th, 2007
It’s Neede In A Haystack time! Today Marina from Perfume-Smellin’ Things and myself are writing about samples we blindly picked from our sample boxes. I must say every time I’m about to put my hand into the sample box, I get excited like a little kid in an amusement park at one of those stands where you get to throw a ball in hopes of winning a prize (is there a word for it?). Thing is, most of the time I end up with a sample I’m not that thrilled about, much like I was never lucky at winning anything at those stands (what a rip-off for kids!) OK, perhaps I should clarify: I’m only not too thrilled about obscure samples, although I do welcome the challenge. By the way, the image to the left is, once again, Marina’s concoction. We’re getting more and more scantily clad, and I’m starting to worry. But back to the challenge at hand! Today’s pick is Madame Koko by Yosh.
When Madame Koko came out (about 2 years ago, I believe), it was only available at Luckyscent and SFJazz. It was created by one of my favorite perfumers, Yosh Han, specifically for a jazz festival. I believe the scent has been discontinued as I wasn’t able to find it on either sites. Madame Koko is a perfume oil, with excellent staying power and decent development on skin. It features the notes of gardenia, Casablanca lily, Turkish rose, pink pepper, coconut, coriander, green cognac, and chocolate. One of the reasons I love Yosh Han’s creations is their complexity which is not very common for perfume oils. Madame Koko, while extremely appealing, seems to be a bit more straightforward - it’s a blend of dewy gardenia and lily on my skin. I’d even say it’s a green, almost soapy floral - the dewiness is present all the way evoking images of not just flowers alone but also stems and leaves. For better or worse, my nose detects no coconut, coriander or chocolate, with perhaps some traces of mild spiciness in the very drydown (which also creates a dirty undertone). In my book, Madame Koko stands next to my other favorite Monyette Paris (which could be a distant cousin minus the Nag Champa) and another Yosh creation, Stargazer. While I quite like the scent, I don’t bemoan its disappearance too much for my sample will last me a long time.
Please be sure to check Marina’s catch of the day.
Image source: courtesy Mrs. Colombina, barneys.com
May 3rd, 2007
It’s Needle In A Haystack time! Please note the image on the left: every week Marina provides me with an image for our joint project. I don’t know how she does it but she’s clearly a genius. Today’s sample drawing looked liked this (Mr.Aromascope can attest, if necessary): container with samples was dumped on the bed, vigorously shuffled around, head looked up at the ceiling, hand was stretched in the general direction of samples, and a sample picked out in slow motion. “An easy one!” was what followed. Molinard Habanita in parfum!
Writing about Habanita proved to be simple and complicated at the same time. Simple because the scent instantly transports me back to my childhood. I’m sitting in the kindergarten cafeteria, it’s lunch or dinner time, with about 20 kids around me, all starving and equally ready to throw a tantrum and dump the food about to be served (not another kasha!) when all of a sudden we all behold The Drink. Dried fruit compote! Oh the fuss that occurs (mixed with utter adoration) - the hysteria, practically. That’s what Habanita is to me - the much loved and cherished and never allowed to be shared dried fruit compote. The complicated part consists of actually not getting any associations the scent was inspired by. Havana? Cigars? 1921? I give it complete credit, of course, but to me it’s akin to detachedly admiring an old painting (much like I admire the bottle). Habanita is gutsy, savory, beguiling, charming, and decidedly old-fashioned. Originally created as an accessory to cigarettes, it’s a fleshy mix of pipe tobacco and baby powder. It’s a bit more complex than that (especially in parfum) - a sultry, dusky fruity-floral in top notes with smoky, resinous powder in the drydown. Habanita should be worn with caution - it is potent. I love Habanita as much as I loved my compote, and that’s what it will always be to me.
Habanita features the notes of bergamot, peach, strawberry, orange blossom, rose, ylang-ylang, orris, lilac, heliotrope, leather, vanilla, cedar, benzoin. I highly recommend trying the parfum concentration which is much smoother and more dense. It can be found at various perfume etailers as well as directly from the Molinard online shop.
Please be sure to check Marina’s draw of the day.
Image source: molinard.com
April 19th, 2007
Being a slight organization freak, I store my samples based on their category: vintage, niche/rare, niche/rare in plastic baggies, department store, and miscellaneous. The containers I use are along the lines of these boxes from IKEA, except mine are plain paper appliqued cardboard, of 4 different sizes (the store must be out of them right now). When the Needle In A Haystack project started, I’ve drawn from only one box - the niche/rare one. This time I’ve decided to add more variety and used the niche/rare in plastic baggies box. Yoo-hoo! Are you still awake? Back to the project at hand - a rather funny turn of events this time. Just as the weather got menacingly cold again, I pull out none other but a springlike white floral - Cradle of Light by CB I Hate Perfume.
CB I Hate Perfume is a New York based niche perfume house established by Christopher Brosius (previously known for Demeter fragrances). If I had to characterize it in one word, I’d say CB I Hate Perfume creations are avant-garde. They’re experiences more than scented commodity, “an art that shows us who we can be if we dare - an invisible portrait of who we are” (in the words of Christopher Brosius himself). Cradle of Light is no exception.
Built around white flower absolutes (Moroccan, Indian, Egyptian, Tunisian jasmine grandiflorum, Indian night blooming jasmine, jonquil, narcissus, tuberose, white lotus), it doesn’t smell like your typical spring white floral. In fact, the initial impression is borderline unpleasant - the flowers are raw and unpolished, with a dirty undertone, as if they’ve just been uprooted from the damp spring soil. Strange as it may seem, in spite of having so much jasmine, what I smell more than anything is daffodils. I absolutely, passionately adore daffodils but have not found a perfect daffodil perfume. Cradle of Light very well might be it. As the scent settles on skin, the flowers grow more and more illuminated, as if blooming right in front of your eyes. The drydown is where everything changes. Based on sumac, tomato, and violet leaves, CBMUSK (a rich, sour-animalic accord), and sandalwood, it sort of smothers the effervescent daffodils. I keep having this image of someone viciously stomping this gorgeous bouquet into the dirt with their rubber boots. The Cradle of Light turns into a cradle of dirt, and the weird thing is - I think I actually like it.
Cradle of Light is available at CB I Hate Perfume online shop as well as Bergdorf Goodman in New York.
Please be sure to check Marina’s lucky draw of the day.
Image source: cbihateperfume.com, corbis.com
April 5th, 2007
Needle In A Haystack, a joint project by Perfume-Smellin’ Things and Aromascope, is back! A reminder - the project involves digging in our sample box completely blindfolded to procure a sample for review. Thank heavens I’ve had more luck this time around - the sample turned out to be not as obscure as the previous one.
Today we have Mirra by I Profumi di Firenze, an Italian artisan line inspired by original 16th century secret formulas commissioned by Caterina de Medici. As the name suggests, the scent is built around myrrh, in this case in its purest form from Harrar, Ethiopia. As a side note, besides being one of my absolutely favorite perfume ingredients, myrrh has also proven extremely useful for my health - every time I get the first symptoms of a bad cough, I take extract of myrrh several times a day (several drops mixed in a glass of water), and it does wonders. As a child, I used to get bad coughs quite often, and my mother tried all sorts of remedies most of which hardly did any good. Extract of myrrh is the first (and only so far) remedy that truly works. But enough playing doctor - we have a more pressing fragrant issue here. Let me just say I really like Mirra. It’s by no means complex, in fact rather linear but its tenacious, aromatic effect puts me in a state of serenity (hence, another health benefit!). Mirra is composed of myrrh, vanilla, incense, and woods. The usually sharp, resinous quality of myrrh is offset by plush vanilla, and that’s pretty much what Mirra is - balmy, sweet, and languid. I’d reach for it on days when I’m most prone to emotional outbreaks of various character as a way to calm down, appreciate life, and smell good.
Mirra is available at Beautyhabit.
P.S. In the drydown, Mirra reminds me quite a bit of Vaniglia by Santa Maria Novella.
Image source: creative work of Mrs Colombina, beautyhabit.com
March 29th, 2007
Marina from Perfume-Smellin’ Things and myself are starting a new joint venture: we’re literally venturing into our sample stash, completely blindfolded, to procure a random sample for review. We figured if we don’t take measures now, the stash will only grow bigger, and many a sample will get neglected. Please be advised of the uttermost honesty on our part - it is indeed done without looking.
That said, I was rather excited about the project until I actually did put my hand in the sample box - ladies and gentlemen, I know nothing of the scent I pulled out of there. It’s Moment Volé by Fragonard (Stolen Moment). First, let me tell you it’s a discontinued Fragonard and very likely quite old as the scent is done in a very classic chypre-aldehydic tradition. The top notes are slightly reminiscent of Chanel No 5 but a bit juicier, more intense. The heart acquires a somewhat animalic jasmine undertone, something meaty that I can’t quite put my finger on. Once again, this meaty note gives away the scent’s age - it brings to mind such scents as Arpege, Joy, even Shalimar minus the vanilla. Further research yielded that Moment Volé was created in the 1940s, so it is indeed a vintage perfume. As for its availability, I’ve seen a couple of bottles on ebay, and Fragonard online shop shows a set of minis that includes Moment Volé.
As always, please do comment if you have more information about the fragrance. Also, please be sure to check Marina’s catch of the day.
P.S. Funny what you can find in your sample box. I had no idea I even had such a scent! Oh, and I groped about, too.
Image source: basenotes.net
March 8th, 2007