Sunday 29 March 2015

Ciel d'Opale Review



A citrus-floral, Ciel d’Opale’s opening is all about the idea of bergamot with bright citrus atop an anisic lavender/herbal complex. This is freshened by a very pronounced ozonic note (towards Floralozone) that, together with cassis introduces a vague, semi-sweet floral heart. It all feels a bit mundane, right down to the fond that consist of a very standard musk/coumarin/vanilla/light woods arrangement. 

House: Ann Gerard
Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
Release date: 2012
Notes (per Fragrantica): quince, bergamot, lemon, galbanum, pepper, lily of the valley, cassia, jasmine, honeysuckle, amber, cedar, guaiac, vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla. 

Wednesday 25 March 2015

Berlin im Winter and Indigo Review


Berlin im Winter is strongly redolent of Erik Kormann’s Eau de Fröhlich No.3 (2013) which introduced an innovative incense-and-cassis-over-woody-ambers theme. There, the central blackcurrant character was provided by a big dose of Givaudan’s Cassyrane, whose dusty rosemary associations created a dry, herbal contrast. A green, shiso leaf note in the top meanwhile, added to the dynamic feeling. Berlin im Winter presents a slightly juicier cassis that’s a tad more spicy/balsamic, but is quite linear and has rather less to say. Also, Berlin im Winter is somewhat marred by an unattractive dill pickle scent. It’s nothing however, compared to Indigo where the cornichon note quite overpowers the rose and musky woods. 

Nose: Spyros Drosopoulos
House: Baruit 
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): Berlin im Winter: Lavender, mastic, rose, iris, cassis, plum, myrrh, frankincense, Irish Coffee, NOOUD, amber, leather. Indigo: Mastic, hyacinth, rose, frankincense, sandalwood, cedar, NOOUD, amber. 

Saturday 21 March 2015

Melkmeisje Review


Named after the famously broad-shouldered, thick-armed subject of Vermeer’s homonymous painting, Baruti’s Melkmeisje consists principally of a sweet, vanillic take on a Grojsman style ‘hug me’ accord, being all powder, clean musks and light woods. A dusty, Farnesol driven linden/lilac/angelica floral ensemble adds pastel coloured accents, while a juicy pear note in the top brings a small degree of dynamism to an otherwise fairly linear perfume. 
For a more refined, grown-up lilac, try Guerlain’s Guerlinade. 

Nose: Spyros Drosopoulos
House: Baruti
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): Pear, lilac, linden blossom, honey, orris root, vanilla, sandalwood, musk, vetiver. 

Monday 16 March 2015

Voyance Review




The opening of Voyance consist in roughly equal measures of nutty, rope-like vetiver and a tropical, white floral accord hinting at green bananas. The effect is more dissonant than contrasting and as the vetiver wanes, the tuberosey flowers being to distort over the sandalwood and musk base that pulls dusty sweet (toward Javanol) and hot iron starch. For me, the composition fails to fully cohere; it feels blocky and the transitions abrupt.


Nose: Spyros Drosopoulos
House: Baruti
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): tuberose, guiac wood, vetiver, sandalwood.

Monday 2 March 2015

Misia Review


Misia is the first perfume for Chanel signed by Olivier Polge and, if what I was told is correct, will be the last in the ‘Exclusifs’ line.
The fragrance revolves around a central theme of iris and violet, meaning irones/ionones galore. Inevitably, the slightly powdery texture will lead to associations with ladies’ cosmetics; it’s something, in fact, Chanel is positively encouraging. However, as with O. Polge’s Homme (Dior, 2005) which also drew a volley of ‘lipstick / makeup bag’ comparisons, I find the connection only slight.
Misia opens then with a cool, rooty/doughy iris. The record for orris butter content in a Chanel perfume is almost certainly held by 28 La Pausa (a reported 6,6%, per Kraft et al), but Misia feels like it can more than hold its own. There’s a convincing dampness too which is accentuated with a watery, green floral wash of hydroxycitronellal. As the fragrance waxes in coumarin and light amber-type sweetness, so too does the scent of violets and red, iononey raspberries which, in turn, bring out a rosier character in the composition. The process of transformation is wonderfully smooth and the result surprisingly persistent.

Nose: Olivier Polge
House: Chanel
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): violets, iris, rose, benzoin, tonka bean. 

Sunday 1 March 2015

Daimiris Review


For Daimiris, Pierre Guillaume revisits his citrus and chocolate gourmand accord from Cadjméré (Parfumerie Générale, 2007). Where in the latter, it is blended with a sweetly sensual lactonic complex, here the deserty theme is married to a saffron/hot pleather note with additional tobacco and phenolic nuances. As unions go, I find it unconvincing.

Nose: Pierre Guillaume
House: Laboratorio Olfattivo
Release date: 2009
Notes (per Fragrantica): saffron, cardamom, rum, iris, ‘daim’ candy accord, amber, musk.