Sensuous? A Sniff for those in the boondocks.

So, meandering through Saks after another lingerie spree (they laced my lacies with crack.  I needed more!!) I spied a bottle of the much anticipated Estee Lauder Sensuous.  Could I resist?  Of course not! 

Unfortunately, the counter was unattended, so I could not engage an SA about it, but there was a tester both for the EDP and a lotion, I sprayed immediately!  And . . . well, it was nice.  There were definte warm woods, though more tepid than molten, and a good amount of the amber-sandalwood honey thing to give it a creamy undertone.  Definately some mandarine and a touch of florals to give it a slightly juicy tang.  It was light, quite wearable and rather pleasant.  Smelling it on my arm was like rubbing my cheek against a veil of summer weight cashmere.  Probably a bargain at the counter when compared with similar offerings.  Yes, similar. 

Lately, I’ve noticed alot of warm woody-creamy with a little fruit concotions in my sample bowl. (See a future review of Amouages and Fauve, not to mention Bois de Paradis) Frankly, Unless Estee Lauder intensified Sensuous or I decided whatever it’s cost was my spending limit, I don’t think I’d neccesarily spring for a bottle.  I’d rather save my pennies for something that really floors me, though I don’t doubt I’d definately give it a spray everytime I walk by the counter. Hopefully they will put out a parfum strength or a fall flanker to catapult the pleasant ghost into spectacular, warm and living creature.  Otherwise, it could become forgetable. 

notes with the ad-crap – lily accord, magnolia, jasmine petals, molten woods (come on now!), amber, sandalwood, black pepper(out of pink pepper?), juicy mandarine and honey. 

 

Happy Fourth of July, Y’all!  Thanks and thoughts to those who serve our country.

Ormonde Jayne Woman is a far better woman than me

You know that quietly elegant woman, impeccably dressed, says the right thing all the time, and never attends  a party with out a very thoughtful hostess gift? She’s the one with perfect bone structure and slimness that allows her to wear pretty much anything with an Audrey Hepburn like grace.   Yeah, I am not her, but Ormonde Jayne Woman surely is. 

OJW isn’t anything really unusual, except for the fact that it list black hemlock as one of the notes which sounded soo intriguing, bewitching and darkly dangerous.  Gothic poison would be the words I would most associate with the percieved smell of Black Hemlock.  Honestly, I don’t really get any of that from this perfume and feel a bit cheated when I think of what could have been.  Granted, I have no idea what black hemlock smells like.  For all I know it’s more chamomile and cream than it is bubble, bubble, toil and trouble, but listing the note suggests  dark, dangerous black widow style seduction.  But alas, like with my Madragore (Annick Goutal’s Mandrake Perfume in a purple to DIE FOR bottle.  should have been deadly, bot droningly pleasant. ) dreams, it was not to be. 

It begins with dried herbs and greeness.  The first few wears, it was dusty grass and dried, old spices in a dirtyish cabinent that has been unattended to for awhile.  Meaning, the spices had little vibrance left and have been overtaken by a larger canister of parsley.  Just dried green and a tiny trace of unidentifiable wood-spice.   Later it morphs into flowerpetal-flavor - - not the scent of flowers, but the taste in your mouth should you eat some edible flowers–slight silk but vegetal with woods.  Usually, I got bored and forgot to notice I was wearing perfume. 

Lately, I have begun to see a glimmer of what everyone raves about.  Now I get very quiet spice in the opening, though it is still drowned out with the green scent wafting from a window.  The florals have developed into a very soft scent of an elegant bouquet of whites in a tall vase, probably arranged at teh direction of Martha Stewart, elegant and appropriate.  Woods are still present tinged with the tiniest bit of something creamier.

This seems very “just -so” to me.  Well manicured buffed nails, no color.  Shiny straight hair.  Scarves and blazers and chardonnay.  OJW possesses the certain maturity of a woman who is over asserting her sensual side, or just gave up on being bombshell and embraced her graceful and almost annoying perfection.  BTW  she is NEVER seen in a sweat suit or bothering with the PTA, not a suburban girl at all.

Lovely as it is, and LOVELY being the most apt word to describe it, it is definately not me. Perhaps I haven’t reached that level of maturity, or perhaps I am much to innately sensual to fall in love with OJW.  WHatever the case, it’s nice to sniff from time to time as a change of pace.  But, like visiting away from home, you don’t completely belong there and look forward to returning.  It would, however, be more appropriate for other women in my life, and oddly, as discussed on NowSmellThis, Hermione Granger.

I have about half the sample bottle left, which I have decided to put away for awhile revisit when the mood strikes.  It may not be love, but it might be an aspiration.  Though I would never give up my curvy style for the gamine grace of Audrey, my figure would fight that one every step of the way.  Could we be somewhat physically pre disposed to certain perfume types by our body shapes?  Often we choose due to mood or who we want to become, though I do not wonder that certain perfumes appeal to people with certain natural attributes to carry them off.   

notes: cardamom, coriander, grass oil, black hemlock, violet, jasmine absolute, vetiver, cedar, amber and sandalwood

Where is PerfumeQueen?

sorry all out out there looking for new postings!  But I am having terrible allergies which makes me asonimic (unable to smell) several notes.  Thus reviewing perfumes is sort of not going to happen til it goes away or I get a rare day where I can smell things as normal again. 

So a Challenge . . .

 

What perfume to wear to a 10 year reunion?  I used to be the super tiny, bookish, kinda insecure little nobody is school.  The kind ignored or picked on by the popular kids and ran with the intellectuals.  (which, in retrospect was a much better way to go.)  Now…I’m out to conquer!  I’ve blossomed into a full fledged female with fatale leanings…

 

suggestions?  Might post a top ten list on this one later.

 

Til the allergies clear, see you!

amoureuse

Lately I’ve had a case of the snark.  I’ve been mentally composing reviews that tear perfumes to shreds and it makes me feel all black and evil inside.  When such a mood strikes, the best course of action is to wear something you l-o-o-o-o-ve and get up the go to write about it. 

Amoureuse has had many loving mentions in my blog over the  almost year.  It’s one of those perfumes I reach for often, yet have been intimidated to write about how gloriously sultry, heady, feminine wonderful it is.  Seriously.  Delrae Roth should consider paying me to spokeswoman for the stuff I’d sing it’s praises from the highest mountain top my 4 inch heels could climb.  It’s that amazing.

So what does it smell like for the few poor souls huddling on the cold outside of her warm embrace? It is said that Amoureuse’s inspiration drew from the box trees in San Francisco.  I’ve never smelled a box tree and couldn’t tell you if that is the spirit of the perfume.  What I smell instead is a sultry, glamourous, seductive Bollywood vision of India. The perfume unfolds something like a langourous dance of the seven veils….

Around Christmas, citrus fruit, especially tangerines and clementines are at thier peak in Texas.  They are absolutely ripe-juicy and begging to have the just soft enough skin peeled back to release the fruit.  When you dig in your nail to stript the peel off, you notice a fine spray of what seems to be almost a powder of citrus essence released into the air.  Your nostrils fill with the sweet scent of the fruit peppered with a slight bittery tinge of pith.   That is the tangerine opening of Amoureuse.   Cardamon and honey give the sweet tangerine a kick that leaves those in your wake staggering, wondering what exotic thing walked by at the fruit market.  Every so often a bit of moss contrasts the sweet spice, hinting at the dark secrets beneath the gorgeous stranger’s (that’s you, wearer) veil.   Soon, underneath the honey, flowers begin to bloom.  Warm Tuberose, skin like nearly rotting, jasmine and cool lily alternate between heady creaminess and the peppery spice of indolence.  It’s animalic-like a small pile of unwashed lacy under-things still clinging to the last bit of the night’s perfume as well as a more natural aroma. 

Almost indecently, Amoureuse sheds each perfumed veil down to near bare skin and a little sweetly perfumed sweat.  The sheer colored veils are strewn about the floor giving wisps of spice, green and florals.  The dancer (once again you!) shines with beads of sweat and promises of a private performance, somewhere, sandalwood incense burns and heads swim dizzily with pleasure. 

Could the romantic interlude be a karmasutric, Sting-like Tantric affair?  Yes, somedays it is long and drawn out tantalizing you for hours with heady spice and skin.  Other Sunny days it’s making love in a field of flowers.  Madly bright, joyous and ripe with lots of laughter. 

Amouruese is seasonless, blooming in summer heat and warming in the winter’s chill.  I also hold the opinion it will become timeless as well.  In other reviews it has been said that if Patou’s Joy were composed today, we would have gotten Amoureuse.  I think I must agree.  Joy is a lovely jasmine-tuberose work, though composed with a powdery, soapy edge.  This approach is a bit dated these days, though once it was a true treasure–very expensive and worn with abandon and “joy”by those who chose it as thier own.  Amoureuse contains the same jasmine-tuberose base, however the twist of spice, animalics and incense draw a more faceted woman. One who wishes to be and often can be exotic and darkly seductive in her form-fitting pencil skirts or sheer veils, however doesn’t hesitate to thrown on white shorts and a ginham top for an outdoor picnic and love fest.  She’s a bombshell with a multiple personalities. 

Delrae’s Amoureuse can be found at Luckyscent and a few other spots online, along with the coordinating body cream, which is divine as well.  I’ve also had an email from Delrae that reveals there will be three NEW RELEASES for the line later this fall.  The line’s body of work is extraordinary art and I am dying to get my hands on the new releases as soon as they come out as I am sure they will be wonderful too. 

notes: tangerine, cardamom, honey, cedar-moss, tuberose, jasmine, ginger lily and sandalwood

favorite quote found in research Amoureuse is “like Mae West with rabies” (baybe on make-up alley)  hit’s it right on the nail. 

Group Sniff of Sorts

By Monday I will post my long anguished over review of Parfum DelRae’s Amoureuse, one of my great loves and biggest sources of writer’s block.  In fact, I’ve been wearing it so much lately to eek out every last bit of literary love that I’ve managed to block out some of it’s smell.  So, review up on monday.  Until then, If you have smelled it, leave a comment for discussion.  If you haven’t smelled it, get yourself a sample by some means or another, you will not regret it.  Luckyscent has samples, the perfumed court and I also decant it as well. 

Nectarine Blossom and Honey by Jo Malone

You know Oprah is excited about something when she sing/shouts about it and or gives it away.  She “loves anything from Jo Malone!”  which only further proves my theory that to sell lots of something or perhaps take over the world, you must first get to Oprah.  I am thinking Jo Malone must do a few of her perfumes well, if we take the 1000 monkeys 1000 years and Shakepeare equation to heart, but Nectarine Blossom and Honey ain’t one of them.   

The name Nectarine Blossom and Honey conjures summer and fruit orchards and white linen to my mind.  The sort of thing you’d like to wear just out of the shower, playing with kids, outside or casually.  Something lady like and quiet but pleasant.  Kind of like a breakfast with tea and yogurt with Nectarines.  delightful?

Well, I sprayed and got my nectarines.  I was happy and egar for the rest of the compostion to unfold.  Boy was I sorry.  Instead of my summer day/evening I got summer orange juice morning breath.  Yick.  You know when you brush your teeth then have a glass of OJ? You know the after taste you are stuck with?  That’s Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom and Honey.  I felt complused to brush my teeth and swish a gallon of listerine. 

This is an experience not uncommon for me and Ms. Malone’s creation.  I have yet to find one I like despite the usual stop and sniff at Saks.  Maybe I am missing a bottle. 

So, unless you are a looking for a slightly more grown up Bath and Body Works alternative with a hefty price tag, stay away from the Jo Malone line unless you do some heavy sampling to find the monkey’s masterpiece. 

 

Iris Silver Mist and a Versace Bright Crystal Scathe-er

I realize as a blogger I am late in the game.  I rarely review new things that have just been released.  I feel like much of the new release are crap geared towards people who just don’t care about what they wear or haven’t matured thier sense of smell yet.  Don’t get me started on the “brand new versace bright crystal for her” the Saks SA attacked me with.  I can some it up as a shrill, obnoxious, ruffled bright floral dress.  Much like the one worn by one of the guests at the tarts and vicars party in the Bridget Jones movie.  The one Bridget’s mother thought hadn’t recieved notice about the change of dress plans but did.  It does suit Donetella Versace well though, esp if she worre such a dress.  Yikes.

notes for Versace Bright Crystal Iced Accord, Yuzu, Pomegranate, Peony, Magnolia, Lotus Flower, Acajou, Vegetal Amber, Musk

     — I looked at the notes and though oh! Peony, amber and musk!  this could at least be interesting!  but an ICED accord?  Pomengrante??  I swear they looked at what’s the most popular Crystal Light (drink) flavor and thought “oh I bet if I throw in some flowers and pretend to put in an animalic, this will smell great.  Or at least Britney will sub it out for her favorite purple drank.”

Where was I?  Right . . . slow to the blogging game.  So typically, I like to review things that are new to me that you probably have read about before, which isn’t really a bad thing.  I loved to have millions of opinions on the perfumes I obsessively googled in the begining of my perfumista awakening.  I focused on the list in the Bombshell Manual of Style, but now I am coming around to things I ignored before.  Such as the Iris. 

I first began to appreciate the Iris after finally “getting” Apres L’Ondee, the Iris baby head concotion of Guerlain that rocks my mama world.  Next I tired Ormonde Jayne Orris Noir which wasn’t really Noir as I think of it, but nice most of the time and deserves a revisit. 

 Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens starts as agressive cloves and dirt.  In cooking it is suggested you toast your spices before you grind them to bring out thier flavor.  The opening is as though I slightly over toasted cloves and then dropped them into a pot of dirt in the garden to compost. You smell the cloves, the dark, slightly moist earth and the green leaves of teh plant in the pot.  This is dark and strange for me, alludes to the oncoming of rain.  Every so often a glimpse of pale lilac buttery mist creeps along  through the earthiness and around the Cristalle-like green.  Although most people find this a cool perfume, I find a little warmth in a slight animalic musk interlude.  In the end I get woods and more Chanel Cristalle green, though muted. 

If this perfume were a commercial, I’d set it in the woods.  Green trees, dark earth and thunder.  Cue the music and a pale Brunette Goddess glides through the woods dripping with rain, nude save  for a pale lilac veil of fabric clinging to her wet skin and trailing behind her.

Like the commerical, the glorious iris only lasts about a minute on me, but it is a beautiful minute and unforgotten.  Maybe a superbowl commercial?  Not my favorite Iris, which title is currently held by Apres L’Ondee.  I like to refer to Iris Poudre in Fredric Malle, as it stands up to my skin and emits a lady like, juicy leather tone. A very interesting addition to my decant collection. And for all purposes Yea Serge. 

The King says : “nice but subtle” I think my skin devours Iris Only real issue is the look during this conversation.

Stranger “you smell nice”

me “thanks.  I’m wearing Iris Silver Mist”

Stranger “Isn’t that a cheap soap brand.  I didn’t think it would smell that interesting”

So this is the second official Iris Quest posting, look for more in the future.  I have Fath Iris Gris in the drawer as well as Le Labo.  Any other suggestions?

Look for a picture after the next computer restart.

Pink Room No 1 by Carol

Many times in the last few years I have said that I don’t get along with roses anymore . My signature fragrance from the moment it was released in the early 80’s was YSL Paris . After almost 8 years I got tired of it . Don’t laugh. That was 20 years ago . After searching and smelling many fragrances , I realized I wasn’t looking for a signature scent anymore , the ONE . I wanted to smell EVERYTHING ..  The last thing I went looking for was a new rose fragrance , and yet that is what I found.

  The Pink Room No. 1 has held my attention since I first noticed it on Luckyscent . Not for the jus , for the packaging ! Yes the description sounded nice , but roses and I you know ..

   And then , an adorable roll on came along and *bam* that was it , I. HAD . TO . HAVE . IT . As fate would work , Sarah Barton-King was to be at Sniffa Spring Fling so my plan was to buy her pink creation straight from her hand . Maybe sniff it first .

   And I did ..

   Can I say I love roses again ?

   A rose petal is a very erotic thing. When you close your eyes and feel it , there is an aliveness that mimics human skin ; silky , cool , and soft. Much different than the rosebud , or the rose bush,  the petals reveal no dirt , no green , just creamy softness . Leave them to dry a bit , and they become dusky , almost powdery, but retain that pearlescent quality . This is The Pink Room No 1 when applied to skin , cool and soft like cream on peaches….then a whole bouquet of violets joins in along with the rest of the meadow flowers , a romp in the sun with Bambi nuzzling your cheek .

Some vanilla and some warm furry moss make this so demure and so delicate that a tear runs down Bambi’s face when I leave…

   Needless to say this will be my go-to scent this summer in Florida , and it lasts long enough to satisfy me . I would love to have the body powder and she also offers a rich light body cream .

   Created by famous nose Guy Robert ,  Sarah told us at sniffa she asked him to become Marcel Proust having tea with his aunt in the garden.

 

   ” That was my total brief and we worked very closely on that and it somehow embodied identically the very thing that I wanted to achieve, The Pink Room in London.” she told me in a recent e-mail.

   Sarah has just released No 2. Parfum Pour Toi  .This creation was based upon a very deep brief to Cyrille Carles whose family works with Guy but Guy was too ill to work with Sarah on her second fragrance. 

   At lunch on Sunday during Spring sniffa , I was able to sniff a secret vial of  No 3 , which is also a symbiotic relationship with Cyrille.This fragrance has yet to be released , I loved it . It reminded me of marshmallow patchouli , and I very  much look forward to it’s release ..

photo credit :http://www.bridalwave.tv/2007/01/institute_of_co.html

That ain’t “rien”! Miller Harris L’air de Rien

Miller Harris produced one of the most interesting bits of perfumery in awhile.  It’s tobacco and a little leather and a while lot of unwashed.  Rien means nothing in french.  I guess that is supposed to be a little joke for the following reasons

1.  the air of nothing — should smell like nothing.  The absence of smell?  the absence of a perfume and the presence of the enviromental smells?  LdR captures leather, tobacco and smoke, all enviormental smells to create an intellectual, warm ambience.

2.  To cut short a lengthy explanation, I will get to the point — Shakespeare often used the word nothing or nil as a name for a vagina.  If I had lots of time ans space and audience I would expand on the proof, but I don’t so just take my word here.  So the perfume would be the air of vagina, which the animalics certainly give the juice.  It’s very very naughty, yet it is still very cerbral.  Much like a sexy scientist or librarian. 

We start with the comforting smell of pipe smoke.  swirling around a leather chair in your father’s library and then, two seconds later a whiff of dirty underwear and powder.  The animalic in this smoky red flannel blanket is almost overwhelming.  It is the musk of very dirty underpants.  The kind worn while performing an intense workout, left on the body to dry and then worn out to dinner.  Very Bold stuff.  So bold that my tiny little decant needs a home away from it’s decant friends inside two plastic bags to tone down it’s siren’s call.  It’s really that pungent. 

While the opening is daring and danger with a slight bit of red flannel blanket thrown in to fool you with comfort, the rest of the composition is a wonder.  Green velvety oakmoss tinged with vanilla dances with a bit of amber to creat a sultry Oriental that is best worn when it is either cool outside or on a rainy afternoon in your library spent discussing Russian Literature naked.  Wear a sweater or loll about on a tiger skin.  This perfume is clothing enough.

Kings thoughts: “smells like red velvet.  kind of dirty too”

LdR is a modern perfume done in a classical style.  Sooner or later it’s tobacco-musk-oriental base will seduce me into a full bottle. In the spirit of the perfume guide, if there were only two words to describe L’air de Rien, they would be skanky librarian.

Other things that smell

It’s been kind of busy here with the King’s return from travel, so I’ve been soaking up the family time.  Not much time to post.

So here’s some thoughts to tide my three readers over

Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez’s Perfume Guide — I read it cover to cover.  Everyone is entitled to thier opinions, but leave my house of Caron alone!!!  Nuit de Noel is magic y’all.   I’ve ear marked many pages  for new things to try.  It was definately a fun read. 

Eminence Stone crop Wash– inspiration for the post title.  This stuff is made by a Hungarian organic skin care company.  It’s doing wonders for my skin and, I can’t get over the smell.  Juicy, Green, Clean and Fresh.   Just a whiff gets me ready for the day as I wash my face.  Love it!  The rest of the line is wonderful too.  Get a sample of the chocolate souffle mask–smells and looks like chocolate pudding but gives you a mini face lift. 

Kerastase Chrome deep conditioner — smells EXACTLY like Bulgari Pour Femme.  Good for those of you who love it.  Bad for me who hates it.  But it does condition really really well.

Dior Dune-  mini review– nothing too unusual, very nice.  However what grabbed me was the drydown, which smelled exactly like Le Labo Patchouli.  mmm.