Richard Luscher Britos 38 N 16 E - Calabria or 38N16E Review

Richard Luscher Britos is a house that focuses of terroir perfumes, which are scents that paint an olfactory landscape of a geographical location (hence the coordinates in the names of the creations).  Each scent uses a single plant native to the area.  Through emphasizing the selected ingredient, they attempt to capture the society, feel, and environment of that location.  I find this very appealing.   In my wanderings I've always tied a scent to a region, and though many are represented over and over again some are forgotten.   I'm looking forward to this line expanding to include future locations and how these areas can be sculpted from regional notes.

I purchased the sample set from Luckyscent and it is adorable!  There are 5 folded squares with the title of each scent, and as you unfold each square you are treated to further description and collage-style art illustrating the notes and feel of the scent.  The backside of the square is like a collage bandana once it's completely unfolded.  I am a sucker for nice packaging and it's very original.

38 N 16 E (and I'm sorry, I was too lazy to dig around on my keyboard combinations to find how to type in degree markings) is the location of Calabria, Italy.  This region is known for bergamot production.  Bergamot has always been a favorite of mine.  I started drinking Earl Grey tea from a young age and the citrus steam cloud that used to waft out of the cup with cause me to inhale deeply over and over again until the tea was lukewarm.  There was a brief period in the 90s when The Body Shop had a bergamot shower gel.  It was amazing, smelling exactly like my cups of childhood tea.  Granted, in perfumery bergamot is usually used as a top note to the same effect, keeping you interested until it allows the heart notes to come through, but I was very excited to try a bergamot centered scent.

On first spray, I get a citrus blast similar to Acqua Di Parma Colonia.  There's a sweet citrus powder effect that I attribute to that scent, and it's lovely and summery.  The bergamot, however, sets this apart from the ADP.  It's a bit more pronounced and smells almost candied, not it a cloying manner but in a hazy heat way.  At first it distracts a bit from the bergamot, making you wonder if it's really bergamot that you're smelling or some other fruits that are combined to give the mere impression.  However, the scent has other plans for you......the bergamot's green exterior rounds out and becomes ripe and heavy on the branch.  A bit of juice and peel establish a permanent hold in the experience and it does remind me of a grove of citrus trees in dry morning sunlight.  The scent and effect of bright puckered fruit intensifies rather than recedes, and becomes slightly powdery again.  A light touch of pure white orange blossom is here,  and this sweetness with the pungency of rind is pleasant and welcoming.  The sugar in the opening has mellowed to honey, capturing the warmth of the region in a single golden drop.  Its addition is very appropriate.  This scent is not necessarily reminiscent of
a cup of tea, but just as in a cup of tea, the honey manages to enhance the flavor of the main note.  Suddenly, the juxtaposition of sweet vs sour allows the citrus tang to be more evident.   

Impressively, the citrus lingers for quite awhile.  My past experiences with bergamot in fragrances is that it can be relatively fleeting, but here, it continues to stand tall in the composition.  The pungency does tone down a bit but it's still very recognizable and makes the orange blossom seem more orange than blossom.  It's a great balance, allowing neither element to dominate in the mid stages.

The presence of sandalwood adds the barest hint of twig and formality and a very light spiced (but not spicey) incense arrives just when your mind starts becoming overly accustomed to the scent and captures your attention yet again.  The sandalwood feels a bit buttoned-up, the citizens are not heading out in shorts and tee shirts....they take the time to find a pressed shirt, which is put on after a cooling shower.  We are now headed to the center of town and through the whirl of activity, the breeze still carries the scent of citrus trees, never letting you forget where you really are.  The steady presence of bergamot remains and the mild zip of sandalwood keeps you energized without crossing the into distraction.  After the heat slowly fades with the sun,  the cooling evening air descends and scent of an airy incense retains the memory of warmth from the day.    

This fragrance took me a bit by surprise.  When I initially read that it was centered around bergamot I figured it would be like any number of short lived summer colognes,  but it's a bit more concentrated than that.   It has a longer life than the majority of these types of scents, and though it has all the right traditional element it also holds a twist of modern life existing in a long-held standard.  It's unisex and I can't think of anyone who couldn't wear it beautifully.

I love that this scent did indeed transport me mentally to an infinitely more pleasant climate in the middle of winter.  It's an elegant casual fragrance that had me yearning for wine on a patio overlooking a warm and dry landscape, and that always appeals. 

Zoologist Perfumes - Panda review.

Panda is part of a trio of scents from niche house Zoologist Perfumes.  The creative mind behind the house is Victor Wong, a scent enthusiast who decided to take his love of animals and create a line of scents that captured the animals' interesting and sometimes playful behavior.  Panda along with the other scents from the collection Rhinoceros and Beaver,  have all made quite a stir on the perfume scene, and I am really happy to say that they've all made quite an impression on me as well.  It's not very often that a scent feels 'new' to me, but maybe that's the beauty of having a scent created by a working 'mortal'.  There are no hard rules to follow or previous lessons in scent cluttering the creative process, and sometimes that results in the most intriguing and pleasant works of olfactive art.

Panda opens up in a gorgeous blast of a very cold green tea note and the light sweet green of bamboo. There's a plate of a sliced, very cold, fresh from the garden cucumber which may be the zisu leaves.  I usually hate cucumber, so I'm suspecting that this surprisingly beautiful impression is being created by zisu......and I love that it's part of the opening.  Zisu, also knows as perilla, is an herb typically used as a culinary spice or medicinal herb in China, Korea, and Japan.   Here,  it adds a cool, herbal , almost water-like mint tone.  I definitely get the sensation of a dense bamboo thicket by a cool stream, with a light spring breeze blowing through the upper leaves.  Nothing else is visible for awhile through the thick greenery and you sit, calmly waiting while being surrounded by serenity.

In a short while, a citrus notes glows through the stalks.  It's quiet and peaceful and slightly warms the fragrance so that it feels like a delicate aura.  I get the sichuan pepper,  adding its bite to the cool notes.  The feeling is akin to the sharp sensation of biting into a raw green pepper....you're momentarily taken aback until your senses get used to it, then you find it pleasant and return to experience that same small initial rush, until it becomes enough a part of the composition to be a faint reminder of spice.  The florals in this scent start blooming early on,  but are slow to build as they slowly unfurl through the layers of other notes.  They take their time so that when they're fully apparent it takes you a minute to realize they were there all along, seducing you slowly with their fragrant white petals.  A hint of mimosa is apparent and orange blossom adds an ethereally sweet thread.  The osmanthus lends a lovely, bitter black tea feel and the impression of fuzzy apricot skins.  There's no smoke or spices in this teapot, it's an almost perfect rendition of how loose, unadulterated, dry black tea smells, and i'm enjoying the dry cold aspect that it lends to the composition.  It feel cool and put together, yet refreshing and approachable.  It's a beautiful foil to the green and balances the sweeter floral element perfectly. 

Now the tea element increases in intensity while the dirt fades.  The leafy enclosure opens up a bit and invites a mild touch of wood and grassy vetiver to join the notes.  I feel like it adds a buoying effect to the relatively strong top notes which are still very present.  It's a great reflection of the entire bamboo plant itself, and how the root systems of bamboo are so thick that it gives the effect of walking on a system of wooden springs.  There's a slight 'leather' element, I attribute this to the osmanthus.  I"m grateful that the cedar is this scent is relatively subdued.  Cedar can really overtake a scent but here is is a quiet whisper threading through the base.  The extension of this fragrance over the next few hours is a gorgeous swirl of osmanthus, greenery and a soil-like musk that lasts and lasts.

Panda is a great name for this scent.....I feel like it represents the panda perfectly.  And what I love is how I become the panda in this scent rather than someone standing by as an observer.  I want to be in the bamboo grove, chewing on leaves and taking advantage of the shaded haven and the forest lives on outside of my hiding spot. 

I have been looking for a scent like this for awhile.  I love the scent of tea, but most 'tea scents' and spiced and sweetened and made into something I would get as part of a dessert.  Much of the world enjoys their tea at all meals and without spices and sugar.  This scent is exactly that.....a palate-cleanser that cuts through all of the excess perfume noise in my closet.  It's a 'reset' scent, one that is detectable but restrained and takes me back to a beautifully composed center.  It's highly original and absolutely one that I want to purchase.  Thank you, Victor Wong, for created such a beautiful, tangible scent space.

Reviewed from my own sample which I purchased myself.

The Bargain Bin Monday Series: Eau De Cartier Zeste De Soleil Review

When I started on my perfume journeys, I was haunted by the overspraying and pervasiveness of 'commercial' scents, so when I got 'serious' about perfume (whatever that may mean), I was very insistent on only wearing niche and hard-to-come-by fragrances.  However, there were scents that always lingered on the periphery that I recalled being rather nice, but somehow I felt that to wear them was to fold to commercial pressure.

Wrong.

Over the years I have hit a nice balance of niche, luxury, indie, and department-store scents.  I love that there are scents available for low prices online at many perfume discounters, and in some cases you can get some really good deals on niche lines as well.  So, with the knowledge that many aspiring and exisiting perfumistas are on a limited budget,  I'm embarking on a new little project.  Today I'm going to start a series that will repeat every Monday, covering fragrances that are readily available at prices more suited to a limited budget.  I've purchased these fragrances from either online discounters or brick-and-mortar discount stores like TJ Maxx.  I realized that it's important to wear what you like.  I like fragrances from all types of sources.....I can appreciate the odd or purely artistic, but sometimes I just want to wear something that smells nice, no matter where it came from.  So, onward we go!

A recent acquisition of mine is Eau de Cartier Zeste De Soleil.  I tend to like Cartier fragrances, and when I saw that this scent features a passion fruit note, I decided to blind buy a tester bottle (28.00!  How could I go wrong?).  Additional notes listed are yuzu and mint, which sounded alright to me.....I had a little bit of trepidation with the yuzu.  A few years ago, around 2006, everyone went yuzu crazy and an extremely sharp yuzu fragrance oil was showing up in a myriad of handcrafted bath products.  It used to grate on my nerves and was so strong it made my toes curl.  But, this being Cartier, I had faith that it would be done with a light hand.

The opening of Zeste de Soleil prominently features a very tangy passionfruit, unsweeted, and a dash of yuzu.  Having traveled to the tropics multiple times I've had many experiences with passion fruit, both when ripe and unripe.  This passion fruit is the fruit just before it sweetens.  The white rind is still firm and the pulp is a little hard to remove from the pith, and when you taste it your senses are overwhelmed with a slightly sweaty and sour sensation that is oddly appealing and just this side of sweet.  I'm surprised at the lack of sweetness in the opening.  With all the fruity florals running around the world right now I expected a slap of fruit punch, but instead I got fresh-off-the-tree tropical breakfast.  It feels very much like standing in a sunbeam, slowly warming to your skin and allowing your body to add its own twist to the fragrance.

There is an herbal element that now becomes apparent.  Is it mint?  Not in the traditional sense.  This is the mint leaf that you pick off the plant and chew.  It's a bit more green than cold, and it feels restrained and (should I say this?) spa-like.  The top notes blend with this green creating a wholly unisex scent.  It's a bit like a tropical Cristalle EDT,  dry and balanced.  I can see someone getting off a private jet in the Caribbean and spraying this on to refresh themselves as soon as they were enveloped by the heat and humidity of the tropics. 

The yuzu fades a bit but the passion fruit and mint continue their journey.  No other notes are listed for the scent on any site, but I get the impression of white sand and perhaps a hint of breeze through a palm tree.   There may be a touch of wood at the base but it's faint.  I like the linear quality of this scent for summer, I don't have to worry about the fragrance morphing unexpectedly in the heat.  What I spray on is very close to what will remain a couple of hours later.  This is a quirky, tangy little scent.  I'm really glad that it doesn't incorporate anything floral, sometimes I want my juice freshly squeezed, containing bits of pulp and the slight bitterness of seeds and stem.   Zeste de Soleil achieves this experience.  It's not incredibly long lasting but is does have a bit of staying power, 4 hours or so.  For an Eau, that's not unusual on my skin.  Is it a masterpiece?  Nope.  But it's really a nice fragrance and for the price you really can't lose. 

*****If I don't post for the next few days, I'll be back.  We are currently dealing with the vicious flu in my house and with the way I feel today, looks like I'm next.  If I can't get Tamiflu I'll be out for the count for a few days.  I'll try to put together something from my backlogged notes file, but if not I'll be back in a week or so.  Thanks for reading!

Volnay Fragrances Perlerette

Part 3 of Volnay reviews....you can read part 1 here  and here.  
In my reviews of Volnay scents I saved this one for last because it required a few different wearings to figure it out.  Of the 5, this is the one that gave me the most mental churn.  Did I like it?  At first I didn't know.  When I first applied it, I got a very doughy, almost bitter iris, and ambrette, which I am typically not a fan of.  I like iris but there are some iris fragrances that I have never been able to tolerate.  This immediate note recalled that same unsettling feeling for me.

Powering through, I waited a few minutes and there was my reward.  The dough in the iris faded and allowed a lovely pale purple bloom to come through.  This effect was further enhanced by an airy lilac note that wasn't too sweet, rather recalling the bud instead of the bloom.  Pink pepper and orange blossom further flavored the bouquet and spring suddenly was surrounding my arm.  The dough was a little wisp of memory floating around it but it worked quite well and the ambrette, to me, recalled the sword shaped leaves of the iris.  Very feminine and balanced, this reminded me of a tailored,  lavender colored linen dress. 

As the fragrance progresses we get a hint of a woody violet, and a lovely fluffy vanilla musk comes out.  Not dessert-like in the least, but like a halo of light powder, enhanced by the 4092 base.  It's  a bit like the drydown of Nirmal by Laboratorio Olfattivo.....veil like and long-wearing.  It gives me the impression of walking on a cloud, surrounded by beauty.  I wore this on a day where the weather was turning towards the warm and was aware of little hints of purple-colored spring flowers and vanilla powder all day. A surprising little fragrances, because the opening stage was my least favorite, however, I found it to be a gem.

All in all, I really do love all the Volnay fragrances.  My favorites would be Yapana and Perlerette, simply because I gravitate to a well-done hyper-feminine scent.  However, every single one is beautifully composed.  The lasting power is amazing, some were obvious over 10 hours after application, and was evident still after 10 hours and a shower.  This house is most definitely worth checking out.

Volnay Fragrances: Brume D'Hiver & Yapana Review

Today is part 2 of my Volnay reviews.  You can view part 1 here:

Brume D'Hiver has an absoutely divine, cool opening of tea-like bergamot and a touch of juniper.  The clarity of the top notes in this allows notes of jasmine and rose to come through.  This is an ethereal rose, very light......like the impression of a white rose as opposed to a red.  Fitting, for a perfume meant to give the impression of a winter breeze.   The herbs play with the flower, elevating the sense of freshness and perhaps the first hints of springtime, apparent in the use of violet.  Every winter here we are treated to baskets of violets in early springtime, one of the first blooming spots of color, and the late February air is always redolent of juniper bark and the sharp purple green of early flowers.  This scent captures that impression of lengthening daylight and a clearing of the mind, yet retaining the cool detachment of wind and snow.   The use of heliotrope also serves to temper the violet and for an brief period of time I am mildly reminded of Apres L'Ondee.  However, this is a winter fragrance and the spring-like feel quickly dissipates, as if reminding you that it's still winter.   Oud and incense make their introduction at this point, toning down the bright elements and adding a smooth internal sense of warmth.  Once again, these notes are not obviously recognizable.  It's as if the feeling is one of familiarity but,  if pressed for explanation, the note would be on the tip of your tongue,...however, the recollection of what it was would be just out of reach.  For the duration of the development, we are left with a bed of rich, dry and bright green wood effect.  The powder and spice Volnay base is made definitively unisex here due to the use of a lovely dry green vetiver and touch of labdanum, which adds further depth and definition.   Very enjoyable and would smell great on a man, but a woman could definitely wear it as well.

The next fragrance is Yapana, which takes us to the completely opposite landscape...... described as "an odyssey of mysterious and captivating notes, a magical and sensual embrace'.  I can immediately tell on the opening that this is one I love.  The impression I get upon spraying is white chocolate and a note mildly reminiscent of licorice, followed immediately by underpinnings of sweet ylang and lashings of vanilla orchids and amber.  It feels vaguely tropical,  and a bit gourmand without being overly sugary or obvious.  I like the use of the base here....it's used as a heart note and mellows the sweetness somewhat but it has a whole different feel and character from the other Volnay scents.   This one is a pleasant diversion from the theme, a bit like a very high-quality Angel (don't yell at me!) without the patchouli punch...there is patchouli here, but it stays in the far back corners of the scent simply providing some strength to the vanilla while simultaneously keeping it from overwhelming.  The powder is turned down, and the whole composition is given a twist with helional, adding a pale white/green freshness, but in no way does it feel aquatic.  It just adds a touch of humidity to the atmosphere,  allowing the florals to exude their scent to maximum effect.  The clove in the base is apparent here, enhanced by the amber, and gives the impression of sweet rum without being boozy.  It's the sugar that is left after the alcohol evaporates from the spirit, leaving you with pleasant associations of evening. 
This is the Islands at their best, beautiful and sweet and holding more than a bit of mystery. 

Tomorrow I will review the last of the Volnay scents,  Perlerette.   So far we're 4 for 4 as far as beauty goes.......looking forward to my last sample!

All samples purchased by me, so to ensure honest reviewing.

Volnay Fragrances : Etoile D'or and Objet Celeste

Volnay is a house that came to my attention about 6 months ago.  Apparently they've been around  since the early 20th century and was created by a couple who met on an ocean crossing.  Rene Leon Jean Duval was the commercial director for Coty, and Germaine Madeline was returning home from living overseas for 8 years.  They created their first series of scents in 1920 for Henry Bendel and 2 for department stored in Paris.  The Volnay fragrances were known for a base created by Duval at the inception of the brand.  Base 4092, as they called in, consisted of a powdery notes combined with  vanilla, rose,  and clove.  The current Volnay lineup consists of 5 fragrances originally created in the early 1920's.  All have been reformulated by Amelie Bourgeois and were reintroduced in 2013.

I started my sampling with Etoile D'Or.  Etoile D'Or is described as a sophisticated scent calling to mind an earlier era in perfumery.  It's described on the website as being a light scent but also 'intoxicating' and 'reassuring'.  It opens with a  very prominent bergamot and fusty lavender opening and its referral back to a previous yet remembered time is obvious....there's a little dusty and vintage feeling right out of the gate.  It's a pale orange scent, a little like a fizzy powdery orange lozenge which leaves a mild aftertaste.   A very soft, dry rose and lavender joins the bergamot and works with a circular effect for awhile......just as the citrus makes itself known, the lavender takes it to the earth and the rose grounds it, but the citrus then elevates the rose and the cycle repeats again.

Jasmine is not very apparent but there is a mild sweetness that I cannot attribute to the rose.  Suede is noted, giving the mental image of the inside of an expensive purse.  The residual scent of high-end cosmetics becomes a part of the bag's personality, and this very strong image takes me to the impression of a 50s style fragrance, all tailored pencil skirt and clutch with a coral-lipstick scent.  The bright citrus fades about a third of a way through the scent's life but leaves the pastille effect with the florals.  It's a scent that you can taste.    The suede asserts itself through the rose once the citrus has worn off, and the lavender leaves an herbal, dry impression that never allows the composition to go completely floral.  Eventually the suede element  sweetens,  emphasizing the entrance of the benzoin and tonka.  The suede makes a seamless transition to oakmoss as they slowly blend together to become indistinguishable.  The allows the suede to continue to add a soft element while the oakmoss slowly intensifies, holding the sweetness of powder, vanilla, and benzoin.  The interplay between a lightly herb-spiced powder, suede, and softly sweet base notes continues for hours.  Nice fragrance, not quite 'me' but I can definitely appreciate it.  Well done and worth trying if you like vintage powder scents.

Objet Celeste gives an entirely different experience.  Opening with a pulpy splash of pure yellow grapefruit,  it makes itself immediately known as a bright, almost vibrating presence.   Meant to represent nighttime fireworks in Paris, it definitely starts with the impression of bright sparks on a deeper nocturnal element.  I like the use of clary sage in this scent.....clary sage is used now and again in perfumery, usually falling seamlessly into the mix.   However,  in this scent I can actually pick the note out.  It's wonderful with the grapefruit and the effect it gives is almost that of violet.  It feels like a muted magenta scent, a little vibrant but not overdone.  Once again, jasmine comes into the picture and makes it seem spring-like and further enhances the sense of violets without grabbing the majority of the attention, and the Volnay base (that they refer to as base 4092) is the board onto which all the notes are pinned.  The base truly acts as a scaffold, continuously coming through any gaps that exist in the upper notes.  However, whereas in Etoile D'Or there is a suede effect that gives the base a vintage feel, here it lends a (very) vaguely gourmand effect due to the use of almond.  It's not a pastry or cherry like almond but just lends an interesting twist to the bottom of the scent, not taking away but enhancing the mild grapefruit rind present throughout the life of the perfume.  The light use of patchouli is perfect in this.  I have always found patchouli to be a wonderful counterpoint to grapefruit and here it is used to elevate the citrus by giving it a slight woodsy accord to anchor into.  I appreciate Etoile D'Or......but I like Objet Celeste better because it seems more versatile.  It's not a light scent, but can be used in a casual space.  It's not a formal scent but could be warm for a formal evening event in warmer months. 

The remaining 3 will be reviewed tomorrow with conclusions!

Isabey La Route d'Emeraude Review

The Emerald Route refers to and area across southeast Asia containing a multitude of gem mines, and I believe this scent was created to recapture the travels made by early explorers and the many discoveries and sensations that they would have experienced during the journey.  That's all I'm saying about that because frankly I have no idea what the scent has to do with the description, except that it's opulent and extravagant.

The opening of this fragrance screams 'very big floral' with a touch of grape candy.  I've gotten this grape element before both from fragrances containing Moroccan jasmine and orange blossom, so the presence of both of these leaves me with 10 minutes of purple sugar before it stops completely filling my nose and I can focus on the rest of the scent.  I can already tell that the one dab I applied to my wrist is enough to fill the immediate area with scent, treading carefully, I continue with my assessment.

There is a very apparent burst of orange blossom after the fruity effect disappears.  I find it more that a bit mind blowing when combined with the sambac and absolute.  It's very very feminine, and feels like one of those 'in your face' perfumes.  If this were earlier on in my love-of-perfume life, I would be running to scrub it off, but if I've learned anything in this journey of fragrance discovery it is that patience can really pay off.  Luckily, it's pretty, so I don't mind it too much.  I wait about ten minutes or so in a bit of discomfort in it as the unrelenting linear feel of the opening marches on.

Thankfully, the floral explorers finally come to a halt.  A wonderfully creamy tuberose decides to start parting the jasmine waters and opens, full bloom, surrounding itself with a mere drizzle of the delicate white petals of the previous ambrosia-filled tenants.  It adds heft to the fragrance, supporting the swirling cloud of floral syrup.   It continues in a steady hum of tuberose and I get the same sense of calm dignity and underlying sensuality that I get from many vintage scents.  It's a style that I don't see much nowadays and I find myself appreciating the obvious nature of it.  

The heat and humid feel of the tuberose eventually leads the remaining jasmine and orange blossoms upwards into the stratosphere,  leaving them to float above the surface.  There is a languid pace to this fragrance and its takes its time as it blossoms on the skin.  Slowly,  layers of floral start peeling back.  A glimmer of amber is revealed, and an essence of cinnamon is mildly apparent in the distance.  There is a solidity here,  encouraging the base to to develop further.  It's very rich and I finally find the benzoin weaving through the base and giving a boost to a veil of vanilla.  It's a welcome relief and adds depth to the flowers, adding fullness and acting as a touchstone for all the other notes to gravitate towards a central point of focus.

This is a very pretty, elegant fragrance.  It definitely holds a vintage appeal and I can't imagine that it can avoid the 'old lady fragrance' stigma, if only because it holds that sense of traditional perfumery and the lavish sense of the riches of the East.  However, I am at an age where I can wear anything without worrying about age perceptions.  If I can pull off a 'mature' fragrance, it's because I've earned it, and if I wear this fragrance I will do so proudly, because it means that my character has the strength to carry it.