What did you try today? (2023)

[kosui no kaori]

You are so helpful and knowledgeable - and I really appreciate that. We now have more rose perfumes to try! Thanks so much.

I concur!

 

[kosui no kaori]

Iris Perle by Les Indemodables
Notes: Orris absolute France grand cru, Egyptian violet leaf, Moroccan mimosa absolute, "Sea breeze," Clary sage, Jasminum auriculatum absolute, Madagascan ylang-ylang oil VOP

Gosh, I really like this one. It's difficult to describe. It's fairly linear and very well blended, but overall it just makes me feel *blushes* so pretty.
I'd describe Iris Perle as being kind of like a Barry White song - it's romantic, soft, ivory-hued but with a confident, deep, and strong "voice." The two main players are Mimosa and Iris/Orris. The ylang-ylang is a wonderful accompaniment. It's obviously very powdery, but almost greasy-powdery, like pollen. I detect some mandarin orange as well.

It would be such a beautiful signature scent. Boy, is it expensive though. 4/5

I love the way you describe this scent! ❤️

 

[PStoller]

Nina Ricci - Ricci Club

Ricci Club is a rounded woody citrus that triumphs by not being too much of anything: not too bright or acidic, not too sweet, not too simple or too complex, not a tonka bomb. It’s an easy wear that doesn’t wear out its welcome. Why, yes, please, I will have another, thank you.

 

[BiliousBetil]

Lattafa Qaed Al Fursan. Got this on a whim, and it really does smell like Dole Pineapple chunks right out of the can. I like it. While not much into layering, I'm thinking of possible combinations.

Cheers!

 

[Schubertian]

Les Indémodables - Oriental Velours
A friend sent me this as I'm hunting for a good myrrh-centric perfume.

It's very intriguing! Most myrrh perfumes I've tried are cut with too much frankincense or vanilla to offset the bitterness. It's definitely the main star here! It's paired with mentholated spruce and jasmine which complements it well, but I find the drydown a bit lacking.

Thank you for the description! I wondered about this one, but I'm not a fan of conifer notes or anything mentholated so perhaps it's a pass for me.

Definitely give Knowing and Diva a sniff (preferably vintage). In addition, I think you would probably enjoy Serge Lutens Rose De Nuit and Ex Idolo 33. My nose is as polished as a rusty kettle but I'll keep my fingers crossed for you 🤞

Knowing is one of my favourites! I have some vintage parfum and it's just swoonworthy. ❤️ The current EDP is a bit rough in comparison but still good (and pretty inexpensive). As for Diva, I have a couple of vintage miniatures and I do like them but I get a little something pee-y from them. Not sure if it's the bottles or if it's the honey... Ex Idolo 33 is on my list of things to try. So probably L'Arte will be in my wheelhouse! 😄

 

[Schubertian]

Iris Perle by Les Indemodables
Notes: Orris absolute France grand cru, Egyptian violet leaf, Moroccan mimosa absolute, "Sea breeze," Clary sage, Jasminum auriculatum absolute, Madagascan ylang-ylang oil VOP

Gosh, I really like this one. It's difficult to describe. It's fairly linear and very well blended, but overall it just makes me feel *blushes* so pretty.
I'd describe Iris Perle as being kind of like a Barry White song - it's romantic, soft, ivory-hued but with a confident, deep, and strong "voice." The two main players are Mimosa and Iris/Orris. The ylang-ylang is a wonderful accompaniment. It's obviously very powdery, but almost greasy-powdery, like pollen. I detect some mandarin orange as well.

It would be such a beautiful signature scent. Boy, is it expensive though. 4/5

I like this one, too. I was initially disappointed because I was expecting an iris soliflore - but it is indeed very pretty and softly elegant.

 

[sokeripupu]

I got a free sample of elixirs attar - iris chypre (I'm assuming the extrait) from lucky scent a while back. I tried it last night and it's gorgeous, spicy with a lot of the iris/orris qualities I've read about but not experienced (buttery, rich, powdery in a really beautiful way). It might be the most beautiful modern perfume I've ever smelled and right up my alley.

Then i looked up the price, holy cannolis!

 

[hednic]

Musc Oli by Caron which I thought was a solid release.

 

[cheapimitation]

Joining the Wazamba club with a sample I just reviewed from luckyscent.

Very coniferous and resinous, smells like a lot of labdanum as it reminds me of ELDO Marquis de Sade which is a labdanum bomb. I don't really love it, it smells too much like a bunch of essential oils and reminds me of some natural perfume concoctions I've smelled and not enjoyed. It is well done though and very interesting how they find a common thread from apple to pine to resins. Very outdoorsy and natural smelling but just not a scent profile I really enjoy.

 

[Schubertian]

Today I tried two rose-ouds.
Tiziano Terenzi Rose gold oudh. The notes list is very long, but to me it’s a rose-oud. Nice balance between elements in my view, and the rose is lush and realistic (rather than sugar-coated, like in MFK Oud Satin Mood). This rose actually reminded me a bit of Jo Malone’s Velvet Rose & Oud, which has barely any oud but a lovely lush, dark rose. This is definitely oudier than the Jo Malone but also definitely softer, more polite than say Oud Ispahan. I like it, but it didn’t quite wow me the way it did first time when I tried it; a good lesson not to rush a purchase.

Angela Ciampagnia Hatria. Different from the usual rose-oud profile: I got more saffron than oud, the latter is a bit hidden. The rose is neither sharp nor too sweet. The beginning was borderline unpleasant to me (not sure, perhaps the saffron and clove?) but it smoothed down into something much nicer. Drydown is a lovely rose-amber, there’s supposedly sandalwood in the base but I can’t pick it apart. Whatever, my skin smells very good. I didn’t get a gourmand aspect to this like one or two reviewers did. It’s likeable, and I’d like to have a decant to try it a few more times. I'd never heard of this brand before.

Tomorrow: 500 Years and Rosam.

 

[PStoller]

Sergio Tacchini - Sergio Tacchini

I won’t bother with the history of Sergio Tacchini: if you’re interested, by all means read @Varanis Ridari ’s fine and meticulous account in the directory. The predominant notes to my nose are lime, herbs (esp. rosemary), and patchouli, all in light and dry renditions, but there are plenty of other notes as well, from some aldehydic support for the lime to a mossy underpinning for the patchouli.

That it never gets heavy is a plus. Numerous reviewers talk about this as an excellent warm weather fragrance—I’ll have to try it again in a few months to test that assertion. The downside, at least in the current chilly gloom, is that it doesn’t project much, as @Poboijosh notes. But, not everything has to perform like a clubbing frag, and what Sergio Tacchini might lack in sillage, it makes up for in longevity. That, and smelling darned good.

I dunno. Might have to get a bottle.

 

[hednic]

Divin Mensonge by Godet which I loved.

 

[Schubertian]

Today I tried: ELDO 500 years.
ELDO is not a brand I know well. This, I like. 500 years one doesn’t really smell to me like a straightforwards rose-oud. It's definitely less rosey and more woody-ambery. It’s also “perfumey”: I can't very well pick out individual notes. It's okay, I like that. Some people seem to find gourmand elements, but to me it's more woody and quite dry. It’s a pretty strong fragrance, but not beastly. It creates a pleasant perfume bubble around me and scented my office. I wouldn’t actually cluster 500 years together with the more straightforward rouse-ouds, it smells more like a rose-amber with some oud. 500 years makes the “at least decant-worthy” list.

 

[PStoller]

OK, this is going to take some time.



Starting today/tonight, I dig into my ample stash of Soivohle/Liz Zorn samples. My wardrobe says I have 32, but probably more because some may not be in the directory, and I also have a couple of bottles. Zorn is both a highly prolific (over 120 entries on BN) and highly regarded perfumer. I look forward to a month or so of scratching the surface.

First up: Pink Praline (because it sounds awful, and I prefer to start from the likely bottom and work toward to the likely top)

Inspired by the southern candy treat, our Pink Praline opens with a twist on tradition with a shot of pink grapefruit, followed by an accord of chocolate, caramel and vanilla. Notes include fenugreek and a maple tincture (for the pecan note), cinnamon, coffee and honey absolutes. Sweet but not cloying.

To be fair to Liz Zorn, anything described as an “amber/gourmand” is virtually guaranteed not to work for me. I can smell the money in the ingredients: this isn’t the candy you impulse-buy at the cash register. But, it is candy, more or less, so Zorn’s assessment that it’s “not cloying” should be scaled to your personal threshold.

Fortunately, the “pink” is a brief bit of zesty grapefruit rather than some Barbie-pink kiddie thing. Past that, I think I smell less like a praline than an upscale hot cocoa. I’d love to drink some, but if I spilled it on myself, I’d wash it off. If you’re a fan of gourmands, though, Pink Praline is certainly worth sampling.

 

[hednic]

Joi De Vie by Godet which I loved.

 

[Schubertian]

Today I tried VC&A Moonlight patchouli. So there’s no oud note listed in this, but rather it's rose with patchouli, leather, suede and woody notes. On my skin it smells like a dark woody rose, soft, not harsh. But surprisingly the sillage in the air is different: there is a marked sweetness here that makes this almost a gourmand fragrance to my nose. I applied some in my office, and when I came back a few moments later I smelled a sweet almost chocolate vanilla scent in the air…. pleasant but very different from what I thought I had applied. I had to check the notes list and in fact it includes cacao, no vanilla but there is definitely something vanillic sweet here. I like this fragrance and it’s really wearable and likeable, but it wouldn’t group it with the others I’ve tried so far. It definitely reads more mainstream and crowdpleasing to me (nothing wrong with that).

Yesterday evening I wore Histoires de Parfums Rosam. Rosam is a bit stanky, I was trying to figure it out what it is but it seems to be the kind of medicinal or petrol-y aspect of the oud,* not so much animalic. It's not "pretty", but I find it attractive. Not sure how often I’d actually wear it on myself though. It's squarely unisex, I’d say, possibly leaning a bit masculine but a woman can absolutely wear it. I'll have to compare it with Oud Ispahan, and of course there's Oud Palao which I enjoyed when I tried in a store. I’m getting the feeling that I won’t really need more than one perfume with the rose-oud scent profile in my collection because any of them (that I enjoy) will give me pretty much the same feeling. Just trying to work out which one I like the best.

* by this time of course I've found out what I already suspected, namely that no commercial "oud" perfume is likely to have any real oud in it, or perhaps just a drop of some wood chips or the like. I'm not sure that matters to me, actually - how it smells matters. Still, I'd love to smell some of the real stuff some time to see what the fuss is about.

 

[PStoller]

Soivohle - Honeysuckle Bird

Honeysuckle Bird was first created as a bespoke wedding day scent. It has well surpassed this description and become one of our most beloved floral scents. With this perfume, it is all about the flowers. The honeysuckle is more of a suggestion, as several essences blend together to create this interpretation.

As Zorn says, Honeysuckle Bird is “all about the flowers.” The impression of honeysuckle is just in the opening. Then, it transitions to a sweet, slightly powdery/white-musky floral, with a hint of vanilla: very much a virgin bride. Pleasant and naturalistic, but not much in the way of performance, and either way not for me. (I guess I prefer MILFier feminines.)

 

[cheapimitation]

Profumum Roma Patchouly
A deep earthy patchouli, really smells like cold wet soil but it's balanced beautifully with a warm slightly sweet ambery base. This is really good and really strong, I'd like to get my hands on the travel size because at this concentration I don't think I could use 100ml in a lifetime.

 

[ChypreInBloom]

Today I tried L’Arte di Gucci, in a sync with the lovely @Tea_Lilly.

This gorgeous scent was recommended to me by @JON RODGERS , and then subsequently by @N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer - so I was chomping at the bit in anticipation to crack her open.

I’m always looking for a good rose, and I was not disappointed.

L’Arte di Gucci is a gorgeous, dark, fleshy rose. Velvety and deep, the kind that turns black when it’s hung to dry. Slightly animalic, fingertips dipped in honey. She has round, patchouli hips and a soft, mossy kiss. Her tongue tastes green, but she exudes a warm musk. There’s hardly a whisper of leather - just as soon as you’ve felt it, it’s gone. I’m absolutely seduced. I love a dirty rose, and this one is both sophisticated and rude.

She’s unabashedly sexy - dark and slightly mysterious - elegant, yet completely unapologetic. Her strap is always falling off of her shoulder, a wisp of hair is always in her eye - but she is always put together. Slips them back onto her collarbone, behind her ear. You wait for both to fall again.

She says very little, but her actions are always deliberate and bold. When she gets sad, she laughs. When she’s angry, she breaks things. You kicked her out last night, but somehow this morning she’s holding the French press in nothing but your shirt. She smiles.

“Coffee?”

You want to marry her, consume her, save her.

I couldn’t stop sniffing myself all day. The dry down is lovely. I’m grateful that I’m enamored with her, because I had already committed to a bottle. I’m in love.

L’Arte di Gucci is indeed, art.

A sexy description, love it. You want to go to the movies to watch that woman, or read about her in a novel. And also to try that fragrance...

 

[hollywoodforever]

Tihota by Indult

Airy, electric, sweet, intriguing, flirty. It's got Francis Kurkdjian's signature all over it. It reminds me making Rice Krispies treats - with the sticky mini-marshmallows melting/metastasizing against the metal sides of the pot, and the crackle/crunch of the puffed rice... It kind of gives me a headrush!

This sort of loud, crowd-pleasing, sweet, expensive fragrance is really not my bag. But like so many of Kurkdjian's fragrances, I can't help but to like it! The price is abhorrent.

 

[PStoller]

Soivohle - Sinti

From the original launch, Sinti has remained in the collection due to its popularity and because we love it. With a green pine needle and galbanum opening that transitions quickly to a heart of Roses, with an ambery vanilla finish.

Well, I said I would start with those least likely to please me, and just going by names, I did so with my first two selections. Sinti is my third, and what a difference. The opening is indeed mixed shades of green, but it wasn’t just that from the jump, nor does that green bouquet ever fully recede. The rose is rich but restrained, sitting back into the mix rather than overwhelming it, and the “ambery vanilla finish” is likewise an undertone that fades in, rather than a fragrance-defining drydown.

The net result is something unique in my experience, and wonderful. The one thing I’d wish for is a bit more presence: like my prior Soivohle samples, Sinti sits fairly close to the skin. But that’s not so uncommon with an extrait, and in any case it’s something I can forgive for a scent this singular.

(Note: Bought some.)

 

[kosui no kaori]

A sexy description, love it. You want to go to the movies to watch that woman, or read about her in a novel. And also to try that fragrance...

Thank you, @ChypreInBloom ❤️

 

[Toxicon]

You are so helpful and knowledgeable - and I really appreciate that. We now have more rose perfumes to try! Thanks so much.

Another you might want to sample is Serge Lutens' La Fille de Berlin. It smells an awful lot like the blood red juice looks, somehow cool and warm, spicy and bright and very much focused on a luscious, ripened rose. It wears like a rose soliflore but there's a good hit of geranium, palmarosa, and patchouli swirled in to round things out and give it some legs. Reasonably unisex (I wear it as a guy), but I'd say it leans feminine (my wife and mom both love it). Currently going for good prices at the discounters...

 

[hednic]

Ambre Millenaire by Parfums Maissa which I loved.

 

[Knimstep]

Testing the travel spray of Phlur Missing Person that I got from Influenster earlier this week.
Smells exactly like suffocatingly fresh laundry, straight from the dryer. Which is a good thing for me, because I adore that smell, but can't stand the heat from the dryer in my face! It simmers down fairly quickly into an aquatic, fresh-floral musk which is very pleasing. If I didn't already know the notes, I'd say there's a lot of lotus.

 

[PStoller]

Soivohle - Calcutta (discontinued)

Calcutta is inspired by the open air spice market and the rich cultures where they still exist. It is exotic, warm and sensual. Calcutta is of an parfum concentration, set into a carrier of organic esprit de sucre.

Perhaps because there was so little remaining in my sample vial—I used it up—Calcutta is the weakest yet of the Soivohles I’ve tried. Up close, it’s a nice spicy scent, but not a standout in its genre. Maybe that’s why it got the axe, or maybe my sample was too small and/or degraded. Given that you can’t find it, anyway, it’s all moot. Onward and upward!

 

[Schubertian]

Today I tried Carner's Rose & Dragon. Oh dear. It did not agree with me at all... so there's not much to say. I found an unpleasant, synthetic strawberry note upfront that really spoiled things. I hoped it might get better as it settled, but when I had worn it for an hour and a bit I still did not find the scent particularly pleasant so I resorted to my office desk drawer and found a decant of Ta'if, which I proceeded to spray liberally. Too bad. I've little patience for suffering through perfumes that I just don't like. Carner doesn't seem to be my cup of tea as a brand.

Last night it was Montale Oud edition. Here I did not smell much rose at all. More leather and woods. There’s musk in it, and I can never work out what exactly musk smells like… the rose was pretty much hidden but it must have been there in the drydown just to lend a hint of sweetness. I actually loved how the drydown smelled on my skin. This is good (and I say it as someone who’s absolutely hated the couple of feminine roses from Montale I’ve tried so far). I liked it, but I wouldn’t get it for myself as it’s a bit too masculine for me to wear regularly. If my man wore this, though, I might happily steal some from him from time to time. It was strong enough but not monstrous in strength, thank god.

At this point I've really started craving vintage chypres... but no, I'll carry on to honour the experiment.

 

[Tea_Lilly]

Another you might want to sample is Serge Lutens' La Fille de Berlin. It smells an awful lot like the blood red juice looks, somehow cool and warm, spicy and bright and very much focused on a luscious, ripened rose. It wears like a rose soliflore but there's a good hit of geranium, palmarosa, and patchouli swirled in to round things out and give it some legs. Reasonably unisex (I wear it as a guy), but I'd say it leans feminine (my wife and mom both love it). Currently going for good prices at the discounters...

I will definitely check this out. Thanks!

 

[DonBos]

Hermes Paprika Brazil

 

[cheapimitation]

Hermes Paprika Brazil

What did you think of it? It's a weird one, spicy pepper and then.. iris! Somewhat addictive though.

 

[Pheusinger]

 

[hednic]

Black Smocking by Parfums Maissa which was a beautiful woody spicy scent.

 

[Schubertian]

Bulgari Eau parfumée au thé noir. No rose that I can tell, it’s more about leather and black tea, light oud. It’s overall a light fragrance, as one might expect from the Bulgari “tea” series. Unisex. Nice, but not something I need to obsess over since it’s discontinued. (Thanks to the kind basenoter who sent me a sample!)

 

[PStoller]

Soivohle - Rivertowne (aka Rivertown Road) EdP

A bridge between two worlds. Rivertown Road is a cross between a classic fougere and a bay rum cologne. Just earthy enough to please the purist and bright enough for those who like a lighter application.

"I live in a small river town, and can be at the river in less than five minutes. I was inspired to create a scent that captures this essence as well as the larger Ohio river just a few miles away.”

French lavender, bergamot, bay rum, rose, spice accord, Omani frankincense, cedar, sandalwood, amber, patchouli, iris, tonka bean, beach harvested ambergris.

The first couple of hours of Rivertowne (by whatever variation of the name, so far as I know) are a stunning blend of many of my favorite notes in perfumery, balanced to a unique perfection. Alas, it soon thereafter dries down to little more than a powdery tonka, before vanishing into the ether.

This would be miraculous if only it had a fixative to keep it’s main accord grounded. Rivertowne is apparently discontinued, so that makes its duration disappointing on two counts. Those first couple of hours, though…I could be tempted to buy it even so.

 

[hollywoodforever]

Ormonde Man by Ormonde Jayne
I was going to say "an elevated designer blue fragrance" but I think it's probably more accurate to say "a subdued designer blue fragrance." My immediate reaction is sort of Abercrombie & Fitch 'Fierce' + powder. It's VERY light, and I'm not even one of those performance freaks. It smells good! But it's not for me. I wouldn't rule out trying some other things from the House.

 

[nosey74]

I tried Estée Lauder Cinnabar - the new stuff at Macy’s today and it smells great! Deep, dark, rich, dry, opulent, heady, intoxicating, resinous, ambery, spicy, patchouli goodness. This sort of has a JHL vibe. Now I must find a vintage bottle!

 

[exquisitecrops]

Philosykos EDT vs EDP
I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I never compared them side by side.

EDT: New growth with tender leaves. The jovial naivete of picking figs only to realize that they're unripe - somewhat sweet but mostly astringent-bitter.
EDP: Large tree with gigantic leaves. Blissfulness that comes with maturity. A bit too cut-grassy/crushed stems for my liking, but I love woodiness here, it reminds me of napping under a tree as a child.

Both are beautiful, although I prefer wearing the EDT more. I know that they're both tragically short-lived, but I can always spray on clothes.

 

[DeathArrow]

Ajmal Verde. A great one. Green and fresh.

When they hear fresh some people think of sweetness or shower gel or chemical bombs. This one is green. As green as you can get.

 

[hednic]

Djanet Sunset by Maissa Parfums - another love from the house.

 

[DeathArrow]

Basile Uomo, simply wonderful. I can't wait for the summer to come and wear it.