Agonist is a line that's been fascinating me for some time. I
finally managed to get a hold of the entire sample set; these can be
hard to come by, if you order directly from their site you get charged
20 euro for shipping on top of the 23 euro for the samples. However,
each one is individually boxed and you get 6 of them, so you'll get a
lot of use from them if you enjoy the scents. I have now tried all six,
quick impressions:
The Infidels: Very elegant head shop scent, obviously well made
and very unisex. Definitely strong sillage, not a summer scent, but
something that would be worn with heavy clothing while skulking through
city streets at dusk. The patchouli, labdanum and amber base is
lightened by the lavender and blackcurrant, the initial impression is of
dark spiced fruits that give way to a smouldering resinous scent. Very
nice, I bought a bottle.
Onyx Pearl: Upon spraying, reminds me of the men's department at
Nordstrom when they start selling leather jackets. Upscale and very
masculine, the suede and oud are at the forefront for the entire
fragrance, I never get even a hint of floral but eventually get to a
sandalwood and cedar base. This would be a very sexy fragrance on the
right person, however, not for me.
Black Amber: This is a beautiful, smokey labdanum scent, and
reminds me of looking at actual amber. There are shots of light
throughout keeping it from becoming too heavy, a bit like looking at
stained glass in a very dark church. The olibanum and tobacco are quite
pronounced on me for a long period of time and keeps the scent from
becoming your 'typical' amber. I get no sense of powder here, just a
sweet, reverential amber. Lovely.
Liquid Crystal: Lavender opening is gorgeous but quickly becomes
The Infidels Light. Not necessarily a bad thing, but there is a
background spice note that threatens to become men's deodorant, a bit
like Xerjoff Dhofar. Unisex.
Vanille Marble: Oh. My Goodness. I like vanilla. I LOVE
this. I had read reviews already and frankly wasn't all that excited to
try it. I was wrong. WRONG. This is The Goddess Vanilla. It's
creamy yet dark, smoky yet luminous, balanced with the perfect amount of
floral, fig and sandalwood. I did not find it foody, but almost
mysterious and very very sophisticated. Instantly bought a bottle with
absolutely not regrets as to price.
\
Arctic Jade: A
lovely surprise! Opens on a children's aspirin note but quickly
develops into a tart berried floral with an undertone of cedar and
vanilla. Manages to smell fresh, tangy, clean and elegant at the same
time. Very ladylike and versatile. My next FB purchase.
All in all, one of the most interesting lines I've come across
with something for everyone. All are extremely well made and creative.
Currently available at Aedes.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Monday, November 5, 2012
Keiko Mecheri Bespoke: Bal De Roses
Rose is a ubiquitous note in many fragrances, so while I generally say that I'm not a fan of rose scents, that's not necessarily true. I typically don't like scents that feature rose as an almost-soliflore. However, rose and elevate, brighten, and flesh out a fragrance like few florals can, and the different ways rose can be interpreted are myriad.
Bal de Roses is a scent that starts with a blast of floral peppered with a brightness and spice that seems modern, like a huge minimalist vase of roses in a chic, edgy luxury hotel. There are so many florals in this, with the ylang ylang adding a blue edge, the tuberose a slight latex-like scent, and jasmine brightening the core. The overall effect is large and bright and beautiful, very feminine and ethereal. The rose is a support note and the one that is most obvious, filling out any empty spaces left by the other notes, and at each sniff it takes a different turn....here, a little tea rose. There, a lush, red spiced rose. A moment of sunny yellow.
When the oud comes out, it mirrors the latex feel of the tuberose, but develops into that medicinal quality that good oud has, and finally develops and blends with what I think is sandalwood and maybe benzoin? to form a solid foundation to the florals. This scent is never heavy but has wonderful sillage.
Keiko Mecheri has really shown her talents in the Bespoke collection. I've enjoyed KM scents for awhile but I must say that these are by far her best. Each one I have tried so far has been absolutely beautiful.
Bal de Roses is a scent that starts with a blast of floral peppered with a brightness and spice that seems modern, like a huge minimalist vase of roses in a chic, edgy luxury hotel. There are so many florals in this, with the ylang ylang adding a blue edge, the tuberose a slight latex-like scent, and jasmine brightening the core. The overall effect is large and bright and beautiful, very feminine and ethereal. The rose is a support note and the one that is most obvious, filling out any empty spaces left by the other notes, and at each sniff it takes a different turn....here, a little tea rose. There, a lush, red spiced rose. A moment of sunny yellow.
When the oud comes out, it mirrors the latex feel of the tuberose, but develops into that medicinal quality that good oud has, and finally develops and blends with what I think is sandalwood and maybe benzoin? to form a solid foundation to the florals. This scent is never heavy but has wonderful sillage.
Keiko Mecheri has really shown her talents in the Bespoke collection. I've enjoyed KM scents for awhile but I must say that these are by far her best. Each one I have tried so far has been absolutely beautiful.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Mirage: Atelier Ambre Nue
With the fall comes the annual amber kick. Typically I gravitate toward heavier amber scents but my skin amplifies all the amber-associated components and notes, so sometimes I'm searching for an amber that won't scream my presence across a room.
Today I tried Atelier's Ambre Nue. At first sniff, this smells like a typical, light amber fragrance. It comes across as light and sweet, this is definitely not cold-weather amber but like amber boating on a lake in the summertime with a beer. The mandarin and bergamot make a quick appearance, like a surprisingly candied citrus. I'm almost turned off, but I'm finding it intriguing that my amber is turning into a lemon amber meringue candy drop. It's actually entertaining. Every few minutes I'm sniffing and getting something else: oranges. a flash of sunlight. light amber.
A while later, the citrus melds into a slightly spicy kick with the slightest breath of floral. I love how this entire time, the amber is still just barely perceptible. It quietly dances on the outskirts of the fragrance, like an artist might use a few lines to add structure to an otherwise muted drawing.
Every facet of this scent is a surprise. Although not an 'amber' scent per se in the commonly accepted sense, it's a wonderful translation and feels like a crowd pleaser. I'll definitely be reaching for this one in the spring when I need my amber fix.
Today I tried Atelier's Ambre Nue. At first sniff, this smells like a typical, light amber fragrance. It comes across as light and sweet, this is definitely not cold-weather amber but like amber boating on a lake in the summertime with a beer. The mandarin and bergamot make a quick appearance, like a surprisingly candied citrus. I'm almost turned off, but I'm finding it intriguing that my amber is turning into a lemon amber meringue candy drop. It's actually entertaining. Every few minutes I'm sniffing and getting something else: oranges. a flash of sunlight. light amber.
A while later, the citrus melds into a slightly spicy kick with the slightest breath of floral. I love how this entire time, the amber is still just barely perceptible. It quietly dances on the outskirts of the fragrance, like an artist might use a few lines to add structure to an otherwise muted drawing.
Every facet of this scent is a surprise. Although not an 'amber' scent per se in the commonly accepted sense, it's a wonderful translation and feels like a crowd pleaser. I'll definitely be reaching for this one in the spring when I need my amber fix.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Xerjoff Nio : Review
Notes: Neroli, Calabrian bergamot, cardamom, nutmeg, pink pepper, green
leaves, cedar, gaiac wood, Haitian vetiver, Indian patchouli, amber.
Xerjoff is a house that I find fascinating in that it incites people towards fits of rage or complete ecstasy. I fall into the latter. Of course, not every Xerjoff is perfect but it is clear that the materials used are very high quality, even in the fragrances that don't quite work.
In my Xerjoff quests I have managed to accumulate all of their discovery sets (with the exception of Casamorati, which I am working on :) ). Recently I purchased the Shooting Stars series 2 discovery set: Masculine. I wasn't sure what to expect; I like unisex fragrances but many of the typical ingredients used in men's perfumerie don't work for me. I decided that if I purchased them and they didn't work on me, they would work on my husband, so I went for it.
Tonight I tried Nio for the first time. The intial burst of bergamot and neroli felt sweet and the spices added a mild, intriguing aspect. Unisex definitely came to mind......although this would smell incredibly sexy on any man, any woman could wear this comfortably in the heat of summer. The citrus actually increases in strength in the first few minutes. The green leaves add lush freshness to the composition, but it never turns leafy or overtly masculine. In the later stages, interestingly enough, the neroli shows up again (my skin amps neroli) but it's still kept in check by the citrus which has some incredible lasting power. The cedar is quite well-behaved as well, adding balance and a 'dry' element without marching all over the other notes.
I am shocked by how long the citrus lasts in Nio. My typical citrus experience is CITRUS (5 minutes)......sweet (2 hours).......wood or herbs (forever). Nio kept the balance the entire, long, duration of the fragrance, which for a citrus lover like me is a huge benefit.
Though some might find Xerjoff to be too pricey (especially the bottles, which I understand), I find it reasonable in terms of the Discovery Sets. Considering that I paid 212.00 for the set and there were 6 15 ml bottles in it, I only paid 35.00 per bottle, or about 2.25 per ml. I have paid that price for 15 ml decants of fragrances that were much lower quality that didn't have half the longevity.....therefore, I feel that the prices of the sets are fair for what you receive. If you can allow room in your budget for it, you should try these scents.
Xerjoff is a house that I find fascinating in that it incites people towards fits of rage or complete ecstasy. I fall into the latter. Of course, not every Xerjoff is perfect but it is clear that the materials used are very high quality, even in the fragrances that don't quite work.
In my Xerjoff quests I have managed to accumulate all of their discovery sets (with the exception of Casamorati, which I am working on :) ). Recently I purchased the Shooting Stars series 2 discovery set: Masculine. I wasn't sure what to expect; I like unisex fragrances but many of the typical ingredients used in men's perfumerie don't work for me. I decided that if I purchased them and they didn't work on me, they would work on my husband, so I went for it.
Tonight I tried Nio for the first time. The intial burst of bergamot and neroli felt sweet and the spices added a mild, intriguing aspect. Unisex definitely came to mind......although this would smell incredibly sexy on any man, any woman could wear this comfortably in the heat of summer. The citrus actually increases in strength in the first few minutes. The green leaves add lush freshness to the composition, but it never turns leafy or overtly masculine. In the later stages, interestingly enough, the neroli shows up again (my skin amps neroli) but it's still kept in check by the citrus which has some incredible lasting power. The cedar is quite well-behaved as well, adding balance and a 'dry' element without marching all over the other notes.
I am shocked by how long the citrus lasts in Nio. My typical citrus experience is CITRUS (5 minutes)......sweet (2 hours).......wood or herbs (forever). Nio kept the balance the entire, long, duration of the fragrance, which for a citrus lover like me is a huge benefit.
Though some might find Xerjoff to be too pricey (especially the bottles, which I understand), I find it reasonable in terms of the Discovery Sets. Considering that I paid 212.00 for the set and there were 6 15 ml bottles in it, I only paid 35.00 per bottle, or about 2.25 per ml. I have paid that price for 15 ml decants of fragrances that were much lower quality that didn't have half the longevity.....therefore, I feel that the prices of the sets are fair for what you receive. If you can allow room in your budget for it, you should try these scents.
Etat Libre D'Orange Rossy de Palma : Review
It's been quite awhile since I made any posts; I had gotten my soap shop up and running again and then summer hits, and it becomes all about kids and frogs for awhile. The weather the last few days have made a turn toward the cool side and darkness is settling in earlier. It's time to break out the autumn fragrances.
Today, I am wearing Etat Libre d'Orange Rossy de Palma. Notes include Ginger, black pepper, bergamot, Bulgarian rose, jasmine, benzoin, incense, cacao and patchouli (as per http://www.luckyscent.com). It's interesting that I reached for this.......ELDO scents are usually not my favorite, and I rarely find a rose scent that I enjoy, let alone want to own. Rossy has kicked her way through all of my misgivings.
When I was growing up, there were some things that were just part of our home. There was always a bottle of 4711 laying around somewhere, lots of ivory soap, and a 3 piece set of Maja soap in my mother's drawer. The Maja box always fascinated me with its beautiful flamenco dancer, and the scent, though a bit intense for me when I was young, was a spicy floral blend that fit the image perfectly. The description that I read for RdP flashed me back to finding that soap box, so I was happy that it was included in the ELDO prestige coffret.
Initial impressions of Rossy de Palma include a blast of pepper and rose, but not an off-putting vintage rose. This rose is red, and alive, and surrounding you with little wisps of floral. For an hour, my arm smells of warmth and rose and smoke. The incense increases in intensity but never becomes overwhelming and tames the rose into a suggestion.
When it hits the drydown stage, Rossy turns around completely and you are left with a rich, sweet amber/musk/wood with a light overlay of rose liqeur.
I have never in my life wanted to purchase a rose-centered scent. This one has made itself sorely tempting.
Today, I am wearing Etat Libre d'Orange Rossy de Palma. Notes include Ginger, black pepper, bergamot, Bulgarian rose, jasmine, benzoin, incense, cacao and patchouli (as per http://www.luckyscent.com). It's interesting that I reached for this.......ELDO scents are usually not my favorite, and I rarely find a rose scent that I enjoy, let alone want to own. Rossy has kicked her way through all of my misgivings.
When I was growing up, there were some things that were just part of our home. There was always a bottle of 4711 laying around somewhere, lots of ivory soap, and a 3 piece set of Maja soap in my mother's drawer. The Maja box always fascinated me with its beautiful flamenco dancer, and the scent, though a bit intense for me when I was young, was a spicy floral blend that fit the image perfectly. The description that I read for RdP flashed me back to finding that soap box, so I was happy that it was included in the ELDO prestige coffret.
Initial impressions of Rossy de Palma include a blast of pepper and rose, but not an off-putting vintage rose. This rose is red, and alive, and surrounding you with little wisps of floral. For an hour, my arm smells of warmth and rose and smoke. The incense increases in intensity but never becomes overwhelming and tames the rose into a suggestion.
When it hits the drydown stage, Rossy turns around completely and you are left with a rich, sweet amber/musk/wood with a light overlay of rose liqeur.
I have never in my life wanted to purchase a rose-centered scent. This one has made itself sorely tempting.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
I'm a huge candle lover. I have all kinds, from Slatkin and Yankee to Lafco, D.L. Company and Aquiesse. I have to say that I've found that, in general, the higher the price point the better the scent....not necessarily in terms of throw, but in general ambience.
One that I'm burning right now is Votivo Sea Blue Sky. The description from the Votivo.com website describes the scent as:
"The sensory delight of wide open spaces, dancing kites, foggy blue-gray seashores and the souls of dew-drench lavender buds and moistened, softened amber remnants- romance on the eve of spring.".
The first time I experienced this scent, cold-sniffed, I found it to be very heavy on the wood and woody-musk. I reached for it one day when the sun was just starting to warm up the ground outside and wanted something that didn't scream 'winter'. I let it burn for awhile,ignored it, and went into another room for an hour to do some work. Somewhere in the interim, a magical transformation occured with the scent of the candle.
When I came back into the kitchen, my living area, dining area and kitchen all smelled wonderful. You could finally make out the lavender buds, but just lightly, over the woodsy scent. It definitely gave the impression of an early spring day outside, when the leaves haven't peeked out yet but the earth is starting to generate that lovely spring, slightly damp, woodsy scent.
My favorite thing about Votivo candles is that as long as the wick is trimmed properly, they don't soot much, although sometimes the wax doesn't melt completely. For the most part, though, they make a reliable and consistently lovely-scented product. A- on this scent!!!!
One that I'm burning right now is Votivo Sea Blue Sky. The description from the Votivo.com website describes the scent as:
"The sensory delight of wide open spaces, dancing kites, foggy blue-gray seashores and the souls of dew-drench lavender buds and moistened, softened amber remnants- romance on the eve of spring.".
The first time I experienced this scent, cold-sniffed, I found it to be very heavy on the wood and woody-musk. I reached for it one day when the sun was just starting to warm up the ground outside and wanted something that didn't scream 'winter'. I let it burn for awhile,ignored it, and went into another room for an hour to do some work. Somewhere in the interim, a magical transformation occured with the scent of the candle.
When I came back into the kitchen, my living area, dining area and kitchen all smelled wonderful. You could finally make out the lavender buds, but just lightly, over the woodsy scent. It definitely gave the impression of an early spring day outside, when the leaves haven't peeked out yet but the earth is starting to generate that lovely spring, slightly damp, woodsy scent.
My favorite thing about Votivo candles is that as long as the wick is trimmed properly, they don't soot much, although sometimes the wax doesn't melt completely. For the most part, though, they make a reliable and consistently lovely-scented product. A- on this scent!!!!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Bois 1920 La Vaniglia : Review
bergamot, mandarin, mint, pepper, ginger, frankincense, patchouli and vanilla.
Every so often there comes a fragrance unlike any you've experienced. When I was searching for a new vanilla fragrance, I came across this one and couldn't find many reviews on it. The notes sounded intriguing and a little bit confusing. I ended up buying a bottle unsniffed.
I wore it for the first time a few days ago. The initial blast was one of heat and a lovely, creamy (read: creamy, not bakery) vanilla. Almost like someone had made a weird condensed milk sorbet with a hot ginger, mint and fruit. In a few minutes the ginger, citrus, pepper and frankincense combines to create a delicious, sweet yet hot melange of yumminess. You can sense the heat through the fragrance, which is so interesting, as I find that spicy usually doesn't really translate into anything but nutmeg or cinnamon, but in this fragrance the heat is almost tangible and I am reminded of incense and Christmas at church. The vanilla becomes more like extract lingering on the edges of the dancing spices and fruit, but it's definitely still there. This phase lasts about an hour and I love every minute of it. Finally, a spiced scent that I can wrap my head (or nose) around.
When the scent finally settles, a lovely, sweet, vaguely creamy vanilla is lingering, with the vaguest touch of patchouli. The frankincense is still there leaving a vaguely incense-like trace.
This is a truly beautiful fragrance, and I feel that as more people try it it's going to be very popular. I'm surprised that I haven't seen it mentioned more but it's definitely worth a try, and in my case I am thrilled to own a full size bottle. Gorgeous!!!!!!
Every so often there comes a fragrance unlike any you've experienced. When I was searching for a new vanilla fragrance, I came across this one and couldn't find many reviews on it. The notes sounded intriguing and a little bit confusing. I ended up buying a bottle unsniffed.
I wore it for the first time a few days ago. The initial blast was one of heat and a lovely, creamy (read: creamy, not bakery) vanilla. Almost like someone had made a weird condensed milk sorbet with a hot ginger, mint and fruit. In a few minutes the ginger, citrus, pepper and frankincense combines to create a delicious, sweet yet hot melange of yumminess. You can sense the heat through the fragrance, which is so interesting, as I find that spicy usually doesn't really translate into anything but nutmeg or cinnamon, but in this fragrance the heat is almost tangible and I am reminded of incense and Christmas at church. The vanilla becomes more like extract lingering on the edges of the dancing spices and fruit, but it's definitely still there. This phase lasts about an hour and I love every minute of it. Finally, a spiced scent that I can wrap my head (or nose) around.
When the scent finally settles, a lovely, sweet, vaguely creamy vanilla is lingering, with the vaguest touch of patchouli. The frankincense is still there leaving a vaguely incense-like trace.
This is a truly beautiful fragrance, and I feel that as more people try it it's going to be very popular. I'm surprised that I haven't seen it mentioned more but it's definitely worth a try, and in my case I am thrilled to own a full size bottle. Gorgeous!!!!!!
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