Sunday 21 February 2016

AB±Cashmere Review


The attempt at translating the soft feel of cashmere fibre into perfume is nothing new: Chopard’s monolithic Casmir (1992), followed by DKNY’s Cashmere Mist (1994) both went down the polycyclic musk route featuring plenty of Galaxolide to achieve a comfy, clean laundry vibe. For his part, Jean Jacques interpreted the theme in a fruity, neo-chypre-oriental fashion that, for me at least, doesn’t really connect with the name, but is pleasant enough.
Initially bright and hesperidic, AB±Cashmere’s osmanthus heart quickly blossoms with its characteristic apricoty-peachiness. As studies of osmanthus go, the one here feels rather basic and were it not for the listed notes swaying me, I would simply describe the core as fruity-floral. Taken together with the moderately musky fond of patchouli, woods and amber, I’m somewhat brought to think of Chanel’s Coco or even 31 Rue Cambon, though, no surprise, I find the latter two much more satisfying and complex.

Nose: Jean Jacques
House: Uèr Mì
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): bergamot, olibanum, jasmine, osmanthus, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla, musk, ambergris.

Saturday 13 February 2016

Palissandre d'Or Review



Never mind the Palissandre (genus Dalbergia, which includes the rosewoods), Alberto Morillas’ fragrance for me is all about patchouli: damp, earthy, forest-floor patchouli that’s only mildly camphorous. The golden adjective can here parhaps be understood as a reference to the honied rose that clasically complements the former and develops off the back of a pink pepper topnote. This sweetness is then carried through to the base, albeit in a much drier form, with a mix of Ambrox and balsamic notes, finally settling into a powdery blend of cedar and musks.

Nose: Alberto Morillas
House: Aedes de Venustas
Release date: 2015
Notes (per Fragrantica): ambrette, pink pepper, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, rosewood, copahu balsam, patchouli, Ambroxan, Virginian, Alaskan, Chinese cedar.

Saturday 6 February 2016

Copal Azur Review



As he demonstrated with works such as Avignon, Bertrand Duchaufour knows a thing or two about creating incense fragrances. Where the latter was singular in its focus, Copal Azur weaves the theme into a spectacularly innovative composition that contrasts the cool with the warm, and the sweet with the salty.
Despite its name, Copal Azur contains no actual resin from the copal tree (Protium copal), its terpy incense complex (which, per the PR release accounts for 30% of the formula) being built around frankincense and myrrh (both also from the Burseraceae family). Cardamom and clove act as warm, spicy counterpoints, while the ambery fond is offset by a pronounced salty, mineralic accord. This effect is largely achieved through a combination of suntan lotiony salicylates and breezy ozonic notes.

Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
House: Aedes de Venustas
Release date: 2014
Notes (per Fragrantica): incense, salt, ozonic notes, patchouli, amber, cardamom, tonka, myrrh.