Wednesday 29 July 2015

Mojito Chypre Review


There’s a palpable sense of fun and adventure surrounding Pierre Guillaume’s La Croisière collection; here’s a perfumer who is not only willing to explore unlikely combinations of smells, but has the technical mastery over his palette to successfully do so.
Mojito Chypre is, as its name suggests, a tale of two accords and opens with a mint note so mentholated one can quite literally taste it (try it and see!). The introduction is startling and, thanks to mint oil’s effectiveness in covering the scent of ethanol, immediate. By the time one realises this might just be a virgin Mojito - there being little in the way of rum, the perfume has transitioned to its fruity chypre phase. Whilst many of the genre’s greats feature fruits: Mitsouko did peach, Colony pineapple, Parure plum, Guillaume’s use of the ester Ethyl Methylphenylglycidate to give an intensely sweet (straw-)berry character is novel. This tutti-frutti berry note extends quite deep into the composition and is anchored by  patchouli - here clean and slightly ambery, and some starchy, hot iron musks. 

Nose: Pierre Guillaume
House: Pierre Guillaume La Collection Croisière
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): lime, aldehydes, strawberry, mint, mojito, rum, patchouli, vetiver, moss, labdanum, vanilla. 

Friday 24 July 2015

Kanat Review


Angela Ciampagna certainly has a knack for coming up with inventive openings. 
Kanat’s grippingly gourmand introduction pits the medicinal leather tones of saffron against a sweet, and slightly powdery almond and cherry complex. The latter is principally constructed around benzaldehyde whose relatively high volatility is here problematic: once it’s gone, so is Kanat’s character, and what remains is the vaguest of musky floral accords with very low impact. 

House: Angela Ciampagna
Nose: Angela Ciampagna
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): bergamot, peach, apricot, blackcurrant, saffron, salt, magnolia, lily, cyclamen, ylang-ylang, mimosa, musk, vanilla, patchouli. 

Saturday 18 July 2015

Rosarium Review


The name ‘rosarium’ is here intended in its Medieval, figurative sense ‘a garland; string of prayers’ rather than its primary meaning ‘rose garden’ and what we’re presented with is, in essence, an incense-centric fragrance. 
So far as olibanum accords go, Rosarium’s is fairly typical: the basic theme is elaborated with some woody-ambers and 2-methyl undecanal (the most sparkly aldehyde in No.5 and the starting material for Givaudan’s incense-like captive Mystikal), softened by some vanilla and powdery musks. Its innovation however, lies in linking this to an intensely carroty top. On a technical level, this oddball combo works far better than it ought to. But that doesn’t alter the fact you’re still going to smell like a carrot for some time. 

Nose: Angela Ciampagna
House: Angela Ciampagna
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): honey, carrot seeds, juniper berries, woody notes, violet and celery seeds, musk, vanilla, cedar, vetiver, incense.

Tuesday 14 July 2015

Liquo Review


Hay perfumes rely on a basic accord comprised of three elements: coumarin, lavender and linalol. In Liquo, the lavender component is distorted by a heavy anise/liquorice accent while the woodsy tobacco facet is presented in a more natural tone. 
Dry, rustic and herbaceous. 

Nose: Angela Ciampagna
House: Angela Ciampagna
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): lavender, violet, lemon, anise, liquorice, hay, coumarin, incense, vetiver, tonka.

Friday 10 July 2015

Hatria Review


As a rose/oud combo launched in 2015, Hatria obviously isn’t going to win any prizes for originality. 
The rose here is red and fruity, backed by a pronounced, decanal-type waxy greenness. This aldehydic opening serves to introduce a soapy theme that ultimately wins out. 

Nose: Angela Ciampagna
House: Angela Ciampagna
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): saffron, cloves, jasmine, rose, caramel, oud, gurjun balsam, patchouli, sandalwood, cypriol oil, guaiac wood, labdanum, musk.

Sunday 5 July 2015

Ducalis Review


Ducalis is a woody-floral perfume with the emphasis firmly on the woody aspect. It opens with a powdery, pink rose accord that quickly submits to an overdose of Timberol/Norlimbanol (vel.sim.), giving the fragrance a dessicated, scorched timber character with animalic-steroidal overtones. As Firmenich (who manufacture Norlimbanol) advise, the material requires ‘careful blending and dosing’ to avoid it running roughshod over the entire composition which here also includes a fresh, laundry-powder citation.

Nose: Angela Ciampagna
House: Angela Ciampagna
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): nutmeg, geranium, salt, rose, lily, cyclamen, ylang-ylang, mimosa, cedar, sandalwood, palisander rosewood, leather, amber, musk, vanilla.

Saturday 4 July 2015

Aer Review


Aer is a clean, none-too-smoky vetiver scent top-loaded with green notes showing weedy, absinthe/anisic, minty, herbal and banana-like facets. There is some citrus for freshness too and this idea is extended with elemi, adding a slight peppery edge.
As arresting as the opening is, the vetiver dominated drydown feels overly pared and simplistic to sustain interest.

Nose: Angela Ciampagna
House: Angela Ciampagna
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): lemon, mint, grapefruit, juniper berries, elemi, vetiver, patchouli.