Reviews by justfoxie
Oh, ooOoh ...oh by Miller et Bertaux
Perfectly pleasant balsalmic scent. Reminds me a lot of "A Quiet Morning" from the same line but with added depth. It's a very consistent fragrance in that there isn't a noticeable "top, middle, base". It wears as it will wear from the very beginning to the end. Was glad to try it but won't ultimately need a full bottle of this.
Kingdom Botanica by Kingdom Scotland
A beautiful scent that is a really lovely combination of florals and herbal notes. It really does feel a bit like a greenhouse - albeit without a heaviness. Sadly for me where it falls down is that it doesn't last more than 2-3 hours. It doesn't have much in the way of a base. It performs more like a cologne or EdT rather than a parfum. For the price I would have expected performance more in the 4-5 hour range.
Thirty-three by Ex Idolo
This is my ultimate go-to in the rose-oud genre. It's absolutely stunning from the slightly peppery opening through to the slightly metallic heart and into the warm animalic base. But it's rose all the way through and I think an incredible example of using the different facets to their best effect while staying true to the theme.
But where this really shines, especially for me, is on skin. Everything warms up and breathes beautifully. Definitely one that you want to be an "all day" fragrance, this isn't something you'll want to top up or layer with anything else. It has fantastic staying power and is something to savour as it shifts.
In a word, this is sumptuous and worth every penny.
But where this really shines, especially for me, is on skin. Everything warms up and breathes beautifully. Definitely one that you want to be an "all day" fragrance, this isn't something you'll want to top up or layer with anything else. It has fantastic staying power and is something to savour as it shifts.
In a word, this is sumptuous and worth every penny.
Oud de Nil by Penhaligon's
This is a floral oud for people who don't like oud. Quite a light, bright floral and the oud note is more of the hay variety. Well balanced and very wearable. I tend to prefer something a bit more husky so won't buy a larger bottle (I got this as a set of 15 ml mini bottles), but it's nice to have while I do.
Ambrette 9 by Le Labo
Perfectly nice fragrance. Light with a very pronounced pear notes supported by white florals and warmish musks. Would be great in summer. I'm glad I tried it but I prefer something with more of a twist.
Sangre Dulce by Strangers Parfumerie
This is not a scent for the timid or those for whom "animalic" is a turn-off. I'm not a fan of gourmands and almost passed my sample of this over to a friend who is, but I tried it on a whim and wow! This is what happens when you take Mugler's Angel, throw an exquisitely beautiful silk floral scarf around her neck and plonk her in a leather booth in your favourite dive bar. Animalic gourmand to perfection.
Paithani by Penhaligon's
This has turned into my winter go-to scent. It's a creamy peppery oriental that is both very sexy and very comforting.
Shermine by Pierre Guillaume
I don't usually go in for sheer musks, but this one delighted me and has become my go-to skin scent for winter. Like most in it's class, it's understated and sits quite close, but I love the way the layers develop over the course of the day starting with a lemony pepper over a soft cashmere which evolves into a lavender iris root accord with a subtle weaving of cardamom smoke that finally settles into a soft woody musk with the tiniest touch of cola sweetness. It's gentle, it's soft, but it's also surprisingly interesting. Bought a full bottle.
Hermèssence Poivre Samarcande by Hermès
Surprisingly lovely! The burst of pepper with the soft rounded cushion of the oak, but still quite sheer. Shame it seems to be difficult to get a hold of at a decent price.
Charlie Red by Revlon
This was one of my first ever "adult" perfume purchases in the late 1990s. I found it recently again in a shop and tried it again for nostalgia's sake. . .and was pleasantly surprised. It is well balanced floral with an amber-honey base accord. A perfectly pleasant, casual scent. Not sure it has a place in my wardrobe now, but I'm glad it's out there. Would suit someone who is looking for an inexpensive floral that can go with just about anything.
Summer 19 by Ffern
My initial expectations of this perfume was "something to wear in summer" and when I first applied it, found it rather too heavy for that. After quite a few wears, this has settled into "something evocative of summer" and I've found myself wearing it on rainy, summer days when I'm craving sunshine and holidays. It's very warm in the sense of sunbaked earth, dusty olive trees, and a rich undertone of honey left on the windowsill.
It's not quite the instant hit that their Spring 2019 fragrance was, but a very competent, beautifully crafted, subtle thing.
It's not quite the instant hit that their Spring 2019 fragrance was, but a very competent, beautifully crafted, subtle thing.
Cologne Grand Luxe by Fragonard
Ignore the gender designation on this one - very classic eau de cologne that can be worn by anyone. Light and fresh. Perfect for warm summer days when you want a bit of class. The touch of lavender gives the otherwise spritzy citrus a nice rounded herbaceousness.
Cape Heartache by Imaginary Authors
Strawberries and cream in a pine forest by the sea. Such a unique fragrance - it's rare to find something simultaneously so rich and yet so light and supremely playful.
Eau des Merveilles by Hermès
A perfectly pleasant but not particularly challenging or complex scent. Similar to other reviewers I get a slight soapiness to the orange and the florals are quite muted. A very safe, unobtrusive scent to wear.
Spring 19 by Ffern
Yay! I'm so glad this was added to the directory. I took a big risk and bought this blind, but it has turned into my "go to" scent for spring this year.
The initial scent is very peppery and electric green. As it dries I start to smell more and more petitgrain, bergamot with something quite soft and velvety underneath with a hint of herbaceousness - not quite a lavender or rosemary or a cedar but in that vein. It lasts several hours with good sillage and the end notes are more wheat/alfalfa with a mandarin rind and peppercorns. Simultaneously a unique but still very wearable scent.
The initial scent is very peppery and electric green. As it dries I start to smell more and more petitgrain, bergamot with something quite soft and velvety underneath with a hint of herbaceousness - not quite a lavender or rosemary or a cedar but in that vein. It lasts several hours with good sillage and the end notes are more wheat/alfalfa with a mandarin rind and peppercorns. Simultaneously a unique but still very wearable scent.
Sorong 20.1 by Pierre Guillaume
I've received two samples of this from Bloom Perfumerie in London, and it's quite a subtle, changeling thing, which I've been enjoying wearing quite a lot. Super glad it's finally in the directory.
On first spray it's fruit (blackcurrant, citrus) and sweet rose (even though rose isn't listed!) with hint of something peppery or gingery. As it dries, I get a touch of what I would have called "raw vanilla" but looking at ingredients this must be the tonka along with the saffron and lingering citrus. At the very end you get more woody bits with lingering saffron.
A beautiful perfume and one that I find myself smiling a lot when I wear.
On first spray it's fruit (blackcurrant, citrus) and sweet rose (even though rose isn't listed!) with hint of something peppery or gingery. As it dries, I get a touch of what I would have called "raw vanilla" but looking at ingredients this must be the tonka along with the saffron and lingering citrus. At the very end you get more woody bits with lingering saffron.
A beautiful perfume and one that I find myself smiling a lot when I wear.
Cologne Grand Siècle 07 by Parfumerie Generale
This is not for me at all sadly, though I love some of the other scents by this perfumer. I get virtually none of the spiciness, just a burst of sweet lemon (think lemoncello) that dries into a powdery sweet generic floral. One of the few scents I washed off after a couple of hours.
Cuir Venenum 03 by Parfumerie Generale
This turned much more sweet than leather on my skin. There's an initial puff of smoke (like walking through a cloud of incense) along with a quite tangy citrus. It dries down quite quickly to honey and vanilla with just the slightest hint of leather. Rare for something so intensely sweet to not also go sour on my skin, so that's novel. I was glad to try it and should I ever want to delve more into sweeter fragrances, I'll come back to this.
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