What did you try today? (2022)

[PStoller]

Folkwinds - Cloud Illusions

A day spent dreaming. A hike in the mountains. Blue wind.

I love that Jono doesn't lard his descriptions! The name, for anyone who's been under a rock for 50 years, is a "cloud allusion" to Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," a song so precocious it took her a lifetime to grow into it. (Her original recording is lovely; the later performances, revelatory.) It's too much to hope for that Jono's—or anyone's—early perfumery would parallel the standard set by that song, so I have managed my expectations accordingly.

The good news is, this has surprising depth for a fragrance made with "Maine blueberry/Hubba-Bubba-bubblegum co-fermented absolute." For one thing, I suspect most of the sugars converted in the fermentation, with the gum helping to preserve the sweet character of the berries. For another, the other ingredients, from mint, musk, and woods to orris butter and tincture, are decidedly more grown-up. So, the hike in the mountains is here, if you're lucky enough to know a trail where the wild mountain blueberries haven't all been picked.

For my tastes, a little less "Bubba-berry" would still be preferable so I could get at more of the iris. But I dig the way the mint and cypress evoke mountain greenery, with wisps of cloudy musk floating by. It's quite unlike anything else I've sampled. If you're more enamored of fruit notes than I, you should check this out.

 

[Tea_Lilly]

The awesome @kosui no kaori and I synched samples of Guerlain Fol Arome. Mine was vintage extrait that was quite dark.

At the start I smelled carnation and anise. A few minutes in a lovely Guerlain vanilla joined in. If I concentrated hard, I thought I smelled sage and some mint - but definitely a pleasant, not bitter herbaceous scent. I think the top notes are gone - I smelled no bergamot, and didn't smell jasmine (which is a note I usually recognize quickly). Later on, it smells mostly of a lovely powdery vanilla. But this isn't the vanilla of Shalimar - to me it is more of a powdery book smell vanilla. Slightly less sweet but wonderful. Guerlain does a beautiful vanilla.

Fol Arome seemed to have quite a few similarities to my vintage L'Heure Bleue extrait - which I love very much.

Verdict: I enjoy it - it is really lovely - but it's a unicorn, and L'Heure Bleue extrait will scratch that itch for me.

 

[ChypreInBloom]

I haven't spent much time with YouTube fragrance reviewers, but amongst those I've checked out, Persolaise is in a class by himself, so much so that I hesitate to call him a "YouTube fragrance reviewer."

Indeed you are absolutely right. Actually, he is one of only three people I've ever heard review perfumes, so I wouldn't know, really. But he's the only one I keep watching and listening to. Fantastic interviews, great culture, wonderful English, good sense of humour etc. All his work is amazing.

 

[hednic]

Jardins Humanistes by Anomalia which was yet another home run!

 

[cheapimitation]

Gave a full wearing to Masque Milano Slight Of Fern yesterday. A veryyy interesting take on the fougere accord. I get a lot of lavender with a strong mentholated note. One frangrantica review said "Tiger Balm" and I can see the connection. It is like Serge's Tubereurse Criminelle except swap lavender for the tuberose. It is a mix of green/herbaceous/shaving foam/menthol/resins. I really like it although I'm not sure I want to smell like this. Sillage is close to the skin but I could still easily smell it this morning.

 

[Schubertian]

On one arm, a drop of FB Unspoken Musk. Nice, like a more wearable version of The Lover's Tale. Nothing new, if you know that style, but nice.
On the other arm, a drop of Bogue Douleur. I don't know what I'm smelling but it's really unpleasant. Just growing more unpleasant by the moment. It's also nuclear in strength and all I can smell now is this stuff. Just a drop did this.... I can't stand it anymore, need to wash it off. I hope it will come off.

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Currently trying Tamango by Leonard. Nice aldehydic rose chypre, I would say, which I bought at a bargain following a Fragrantica recommendation by a member whose tastes are very often similar to mine. It's nice but there's nothing to write home about, which makes me think I've written a few lives already so I'll stop for now.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Frangipani EDP by l'Erbolario-oddly not so much dominated (as likely expected) by its titular notes, as much by an almost syrupy oud-incense not of an extreme sweetness, combined with some minimal hints of zesty, astringent yet light citrus

 

[cazaubon]

@Schubertian I felt the same way about Bogue Douleur, I was frantic to get it off me. Quite possibly the worst perfume I’ve ever sampled.

 

[cazaubon]

@Nom de Guerre I do find some similarities with Eyes Closed and Seven Veils. I think Seven Veils is carrotier and doesn’t have the strong cinnamon note.

 

[chad34]

@Schubertian I felt the same way about Bogue Douleur, I was frantic to get it off me. Quite possibly the worst perfume I’ve ever sampled.

I'm the odd man out here, I really love Douleur. I initially thought it was going to be a lot weirder, but it's quite tame to me. Lots of rose oxide flood this one.

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

GUERLAIN Oud Khol

Better than I would've thought!

 

[PStoller]

Folkwinds - Santi Ana

Summer transitions to fall on the East Coast. Smell the flowers; grab a cider donut. A chypre in a minor key.

When a fragrance boasts apple cider and caramel notes and the perfumer references donuts, my gourmand-averse nose worries that I’m taking it to a carnival concession stand. Fortunately, the other notes provided a near camphorous counterbalance to the opening sweetness. Then we wandered off toward the beach, where the mint, hay, and ambergris called the dunes to mind, and the nose and I were happy to leave the candy apples well in the distance.

I can’t say I experienced this as a chypre, but it was the least linear of the initial Folkwinds trio, and intriguing enough to want to wear again. That’s a win in my book.

My favorite from Folkwinds remains American Pharaoh, but the other two scents show range and imagination. Here’s hoping Jono makes many more stops across America and shares his impressions one bottle at a time.

 

[Jono@Folkwinds]

Folkwinds - Santi Ana

Summer transitions to fall on the East Coast. Smell the flowers; grab a cider donut. A chypre in a minor key.

When a fragrance boasts apple cider and caramel notes and the perfumer references donuts, my gourmand-averse nose worries that I’m taking it to a carnival concession stand. Fortunately, the other notes provided a near camphorous counterbalance to the opening sweetness. Then we wandered off toward the beach, where the mint, hay, and ambergris called the dunes to mind, and the nose and I were happy to leave the candy apples well in the distance.

I can’t say I experienced this as a chypre, but it was the least linear of the initial Folkwinds trio, and intriguing enough to want to wear again. That’s a win in my book.

My favorite from Folkwinds remains American Pharaoh, but the other two scents show range and imagination. Here’s hoping Jono makes many more stops across America and shares his impressions one bottle at a time.

Thank you so much for all of your impressions on these.

 

[Nom de Guerre]

@Nom de Guerre I do find some similarities with Eyes Closed and Seven Veils. I think Seven Veils is carrotier and doesn’t have the strong cinnamon note.

Thanks, I had a hunch that they might have some overlap. I should get my hands on the Seven Veils bottle today.

 

[DoctorM81]

Started exploring the Replica line by Maison Margiela. So far have tried Coffee Break and Jazz Club over recent days. Both nice scents, unusual compositions in a way I can't really specify, but the jury is still out at the moment.

Looking forward to trying others in the line in due course.

 

[sakecat]

Last night I tried Unique'e Luxury SoScentific
The notes and the comments on Fragrantica lead me to believe this would be a sweet fruity floral.
What I got was a barely perceptible daffodil stem.
The only change in the drydown was that it turned into a skinscent musk.
I'm either missing something, or I have a bad sample (this is a manufacturer's sample), or people are forcing themselves to smell things that don't exist because they are on the notes list.

I'm going to try this again another day - just to double-check. It's been a long while since I've had such a big disconnect between what I smell and what I "think" I should smell.

 

[kosui no kaori]

Last night I spent hours by myself, sampling and swooning in the quiet stillness of the night.

As of late, I’ve been sampling and (syncing with the beautiful @Tea_Lilly) more than I’ve been writing or logging in my notes. I’ve been overwhelmed for various reasons, and the idea of putting my thoughts into text was more of a chore than enjoyable.

I’ve finally started to feel better, and some lovely, generous samples sent to me by the wonderful and thoughtful @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer was the perfect greeting out of my rut.

I’ve tried (and loved) many samples, but today I will focus on the one I am wearing.

Guerlain’s Spiritueuse Double Vanille is the epitome of an autumnal golden hour. That magical slip of time where sunlight turns to liquid gold, bathing everything in a soft glow, and making even the brownest of eyes a shade of mischievous hazel.

A slightly peppery opening gives way to a rich, sweet, spicy, smoky rose. Bergamot rays peeking through the curtains. Muted florals, woods, a hint of booze. A creamy, tranquil vanilla.

This is a gorgeous, warm scent for the season, when leaves are swirling on the pavement, and the air is clean and crisp.

I love it.

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Today I'm trying Bois d'Ascèse by Naomi Goodsir and I've fallen heads over heels in love with it. It's the scent my elder son took home with him from his pathfinders' camps. It overwhelms me with so many joyful associations, it's just unbelievable. Only scents can do this so powerfully. I'm half laughing half crying for the sheer intensity of the memory, and for the unexpectedness of it. In fact, I think that's precisely why I'm building a collection of perfumes: I'm looking for memories, as I suppose many of you do too. This one takes my breath away, it's instant love. That smoky scent, my 14-year-old coming home from forest camp and the house alive with his experience!

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Last night I spent hours by myself, sampling and swooning in the quiet stillness of the night.

As of late, I’ve been sampling and (syncing with the beautiful @Tea_Lilly) more than I’ve been writing or logging in my notes. I’ve been overwhelmed for various reasons, and the idea of putting my thoughts into text was more of a chore than enjoyable.

I’ve finally started to feel better, and some lovely, generous samples sent to me by the wonderful and thoughtful @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer was the perfect greeting out of my rut.

I’ve tried (and loved) many samples, but today I will focus on the one I am wearing.

Guerlain’s Spiritueuse Double Vanille is the epitome of an autumnal golden hour. That magical slip of time where sunlight turns to liquid gold, bathing everything in a soft glow, and making even the brownest of eyes a shade of mischievous hazel.

A slightly peppery opening gives way to a rich, sweet, spicy, smoky rose. Bergamot rays peeking through the curtains. Muted florals, woods, a hint of booze. A creamy, tranquil vanilla.

This is a gorgeous, warm scent for the season, when leaves are swirling on the pavement, and the air is clean and crisp.

I love it.

Yes, this one is gorgeous! I think I'm going to get hold of it soon because I've kept thinking about it since I tried it a few weeks ago. You've written such a lovely description, well done @kosui no kaori! And I'm so glad you're feeling better 😊. Such a beauty as Spiritueuse Double Vanille can only help!

 

[hednic]

Narcotic Bohemic by Anomalia which was love at first sniff.

 

[kosui no kaori]

Today I'm trying Bois d'Ascèse by Naomi Goodsir and I've fallen heads over heels in love with it. It's the scent my elder son took home with him from his pathfinders' camps. It overwhelms me with so many joyful associations, it's just unbelievable. Only scents can do this so powerfully. I'm half laughing half crying for the sheer intensity of the memory, and for the unexpectedness of it. In fact, I think that's precisely why I'm building a collection of perfumes: I'm looking for memories, as I suppose many of you do too. This one takes my breath away, it's instant love. That smoky scent, my 14-year-old coming home from forest camp and the house alive with his experience!

View attachment 312331

This is beautiful, @ChypreInBloom! One can’t help but smile when reading your description 🙂

 

[kosui no kaori]

Yes, this one is gorgeous! I think I'm going to get hold of it soon because I've kept thinking about it since I tried it a few weeks ago. You've written such a lovely description, well done @kosui no kaori! And I'm so glad you're feeling better 😊. Such a beauty as Spiritueuse Double Vanille can only help!

Thank you so very much, ChypreInBloom! 😊

 

[Schubertian]

ChypreInBloom and Kosui no kaori: you are so good at describing your impressions! It's a pleasure to read.
I tried, again, Arbolé (I believe it used to be called Arbolé Arbolé) by Hiram Green. It's gorgeous. Notes listed are patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean... for me it's a lovely, complex patchouli fragrance with just enough sweetness. I'm not a fan of tonka but it's not a problem here. I have to say it's very recognisably Hiram Green. I'd love a decant, if not quite a full bottle, of this.

 

[Tea_Lilly]

Last night I spent hours by myself, sampling and swooning in the quiet stillness of the night.

As of late, I’ve been sampling and (syncing with the beautiful @Tea_Lilly) more than I’ve been writing or logging in my notes. I’ve been overwhelmed for various reasons, and the idea of putting my thoughts into text was more of a chore than enjoyable.

I’ve finally started to feel better, and some lovely, generous samples sent to me by the wonderful and thoughtful @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer was the perfect greeting out of my rut.

I’ve tried (and loved) many samples, but today I will focus on the one I am wearing.

Guerlain’s Spiritueuse Double Vanille is the epitome of an autumnal golden hour. That magical slip of time where sunlight turns to liquid gold, bathing everything in a soft glow, and making even the brownest of eyes a shade of mischievous hazel.

A slightly peppery opening gives way to a rich, sweet, spicy, smoky rose. Bergamot rays peeking through the curtains. Muted florals, woods, a hint of booze. A creamy, tranquil vanilla.

This is a gorgeous, warm scent for the season, when leaves are swirling on the pavement, and the air is clean and crisp.

I love it.

I've wanted to try this - I'm definitely gonna get a sample now after that. @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer - thanks for helping us new folks learn more about perfume. I know you've made a lot of great suggestions to me.

Thanks for the post, @kosui no kaori ! A lovely description.

 

[Tea_Lilly]

Today I'm trying Bois d'Ascèse by Naomi Goodsir and I've fallen heads over heels in love with it. It's the scent my elder son took home with him from his pathfinders' camps. It overwhelms me with so many joyful associations, it's just unbelievable. Only scents can do this so powerfully. I'm half laughing half crying for the sheer intensity of the memory, and for the unexpectedness of it. In fact, I think that's precisely why I'm building a collection of perfumes: I'm looking for memories, as I suppose many of you do too. This one takes my breath away, it's instant love. That smoky scent, my 14-year-old coming home from forest camp and the house alive with his experience!

View attachment 312331

Well-written and very true, at least in my case too.

 

[kosui no kaori]

ChypreInBloom and Kosui no kaori: you are so good at describing your impressions! It's a pleasure to read.
I tried, again, Arbolé (I believe it used to be called Arbolé Arbolé) by Hiram Green. It's gorgeous. Notes listed are patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean... for me it's a lovely, complex patchouli fragrance with just enough sweetness. I'm not a fan of tonka but it's not a problem here. I have to say it's very recognisably Hiram Green. I'd love a decant, if not quite a full bottle, of this.

Thank you for such kind words, @Schubertian!

I always look forward to reading your posts and thoughts as well ❤️

 

[kosui no kaori]

I've wanted to try this - I'm definitely gonna get a sample now after that. @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer - thanks for helping us new folks learn more about perfume. I know you've made a lot of great suggestions to me.

Thanks for the post, @kosui no kaori ! A lovely description.

Thank you! ❤️😊

 

[PStoller]

It’s Bernard Lalande week. I’ll go left to right, roughly in order of ascending expectations, starting with…

Bernard Lalande - Muguet

As I posted when I purchased these, "Like those Charles V fragrances, these were sold (perhaps exclusively) to tourists at airports as miniature collections from roughly the 1960s–1990s. Unlike Charles V, these are supposedly pretty good, as was his Bleu de France and a few others sold in full-sized bottles, again at airports and perhaps other sites dedicated to tourists. Beyond that, I can't find any info on who Lalande was."

There's a modestly informative thread here. It summarizes virtually all the web's knowledge of Bernard Lalande, which sadly isn't much. All I can add is that an Etablissements Bernard Lalande that appears to be the same company was based in Cherbourg and closed up shop in 1995.

I have noted two things about muguet in the past: 1) it's not my favorite note, and 2) it's a "fantasy note," as the real thing cannot be extracted. The principle muguet aromachemical has changed over the years due to successive ingredient bans, so it's not always easy to determine which foundational muguet you're going to get, even before an entire fragrance is based on it. I haven't got a date matrix to go by, and I don't know what year this was made, so I'll leave it to those better versed in such matters to work that out, if they care to.

To my memory, Bernard Lalande Muguet is one of the better muguets I've tried. It has that bright, sweet yellow-green aldehydic character that I can find off-putting in high doses, but there's also a lovely woody undertone and overall roundness that saves this from potential soliflore mundanity. Its freshness has held up admirably over the decades, so while it hasn't the earthiness of a Mary Chess, you'll still get a sense of the garden; just not of gardening.

If this is the least of the Lalandes, I will have a pleasant week indeed.

 

[kosui no kaori]

View attachment 312379

It’s Bernard Lalande week. I’ll go left to right, roughly in order of ascending expectations, starting with…

Bernard Lalande - Muguet

Notes forthcoming.

This looks promising!

 

[showpony]

Last night I spent hours by myself, sampling and swooning in the quiet stillness of the night.

As of late, I’ve been sampling and (syncing with the beautiful @Tea_Lilly) more than I’ve been writing or logging in my notes. I’ve been overwhelmed for various reasons, and the idea of putting my thoughts into text was more of a chore than enjoyable.

I’ve finally started to feel better, and some lovely, generous samples sent to me by the wonderful and thoughtful @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer was the perfect greeting out of my rut.

I’ve tried (and loved) many samples, but today I will focus on the one I am wearing.

Guerlain’s Spiritueuse Double Vanille is the epitome of an autumnal golden hour. That magical slip of time where sunlight turns to liquid gold, bathing everything in a soft glow, and making even the brownest of eyes a shade of mischievous hazel.

A slightly peppery opening gives way to a rich, sweet, spicy, smoky rose. Bergamot rays peeking through the curtains. Muted florals, woods, a hint of booze. A creamy, tranquil vanilla.

This is a gorgeous, warm scent for the season, when leaves are swirling on the pavement, and the air is clean and crisp.

I love it.

This is so evocactive! I live for the golden hour. If only I enjoyed vanilla 😭😭

 

[kosui no kaori]

This is so evocactive! I live for the golden hour. If only I enjoyed vanilla 😭😭

I thought I hated vanilla up until this year. I never liked it in candles, body sprays, air fresheners. So I figured vanilla-centric fragrances were in that category as well.

Who knows? Maybe you could give a good vanilla a shot one day in the future to see if you’re still adverse to it!

 

[kosui no kaori]

This is so evocactive! I live for the golden hour. If only I enjoyed vanilla 😭😭

And thank you so much for the kind words, showpony! ❤️

 

[cheapimitation]

Tried a bunch of Masque Milano at Scent Bar:
Russian Tea: I see why this is one of the more popular ones, I like how dark and resinous it feels without being gloopy or too much, my favorite of the bunch.

Tango: Amber is a tough genre for me, they often go too sweet or too animalic but this one might be just perfect. I was afraid of the cumin but it never went sweaty or animalic to me, really nice!

White Whale: An interesting fruity ambergris combo, reminds me a tiny bit of Parfum de Therese minus the jasmine plus some ambergris. I like it and think I'll revisit it in warmer weather.

 

[mixerscent]

Celine Bois Dormant from an official sample. Quality materials with the notes clearly layered. Issue is it wears very soft. I don't find this similar to Dior Homme 2005.

Bois Dormant would be a much better proposition at a higher concentration, even if meant raising the price.

 

[Emanuel76]

Tango: Amber is a tough genre for me, they often go too sweet or too animalic but this one might be just perfect. I was afraid of the cumin but it never went sweaty or animalic to me, really nice!

Yeah, it's somehow minty-aromatic.

White Whale: An interesting fruity ambergris combo, reminds me a tiny bit of Parfum de Therese minus the jasmine plus some ambergris. I like it and think I'll revisit it in warmer weather.

Very interesting!

Head Notes - Candles, Ropes, and the Vast Ocean
Olibanum LMR (Eastern Africa), Salty rope accords, Black Pepper Madagascar LMR

Heart notes
Ambergris accord, Osmanthus China LMR, Violet Flower, Orris Concrete Italy LMR

Base notes
Cedarwood Virginia, Patchouli Indonesia MD LMR, Vetiver Haiti MD LMR, Cistus Labdanum

LMR probably means LMR Naturals from IFF.

I know very well the ropes odor - fatty-waxy, salty, woody, hemp, with a warm muskiness.
The early stages of osmanthus are pronounced fatty-waxy.
So, you have candles (fatty-waxy from osmanthus), the Vast Ocean (salty ambergris), cedarwood/patchouli for wood and something close to hemp. Add some musk, and voila - ropes.
I think the vetiver perfectly fits here, too.

I don't like those fatty-waxy early stages of osmanthus at all. They are difficult to mix with something, so that the resulting accord is pleasant, or at least well tolerated by me. But here that might work really well, because I like the way the ropes smell.
Pretty ingenious! So, I have to test it.

Is it smooth and breezy?
Btw, white musk?

​

 

[ImaFedec]

Bel Ami Vetiver by Hermes: Love it
Versace Oud Noir: Love it
Equipage Geranium by Hermes: Love it
Eau d'Hermes: Love it

Hermes might just have become my favourite house, ahead of Guerlain. So easy to wear, never boring, they just make so much sense - harmonious compositions.
Versace Oud Noir was also a nice surprise. Kind of reminds me of Coromandel, but less old school-ish

 

[hednic]

I tried for the first time Aquatic Cinozo by the house of Anomalia which was just wonderful.

 

[lfc1892]

Eau Rihla. Ooooh, another leather/fruit combo. A good one, but another one.

 

[scentless_nameless]

Viktor&Rolf Flowerbob EDP
Nothing original, very generic sweet scent.
But luckily no flowers for me (do not like florals), just a sweet happy feeling of waiting in the airport lounge for my flight to meet people I love. Wish I was traveling