Wednesday, December 28, 2011

EPIC WOMAN

Type: Spicy/Oriental

Top: Cumin, Pink Bay, Cinnamon
Heart: Damascene Rose, Geranium, Jasmine, Tea
Base: Amber, Musk, Frankincense, Oud, Sandalwood, Guaiac Wood, Patchouli, Vanilla, Orris

From Creative Director, Christoper Chong and Perfumer, Daniel Maurel, for The House of Amouage, Epic is the third in a fragrance story. This one, is said to have been inspired by the legends of the ancient Silk Road from China to Arabia. Epic was preceded by Lyric, a warm, creamy, perfect rose.

Epic too, is a perfect rose. It is an earthy rose, surrounded by spices and rich woods. The Damascene Rose is perfectly balanced amid the cumin, cinnamon, pink bay, dry geranium, jasmine and tea. Each note making itself known, but never over powering this fabulous rose. As Epic developes smoothly into the base, amber, powdery with a slight hint of leather, frankincense and oud unfold. These are warmed with powdery, woody, sandalwood, sweetened by the guaiac wood, orris and vanilla. Patchouli continues to add its woody, spicy, fragrance and earthy note to finish and round out this very intriguing fragrance. Throughout this entire perfume is the ever present Damascene Rose. Epic is certainly to be enjoyed for its unique silky, spicy, earthy, woody rose.  I will say, that this perfume, is very addictive, if, you like oriental fragrances and a wonderful earthy rose.  The Damascene Rose, certainly has found its voice and perfect harmony amid the spices and woods. Epic Woman, is yet one more triumph for the Perfume House of Amouage.

This is a very long lasting perfume. A little will go a very long way.

Epic comes in EDP strength only.  In 50ml and 100ml beautiful green Amouage signature bottle, with a gold cap.

May be purchased at: http://www.parfumerienasreen.com/ and http://www.luckyscent.com/shop/detail.asp?itemid=41822

Monday, December 5, 2011

Lyric

Type: Floral Oriental

Top: Bergamot, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger
Heart: Rose, Angelica, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Geranium, Orris
Base: Oakmoss, Musk, Woods, Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Frankincense

From creative director Christopher Chong and perfumer Daniel Maurel for the Perfume House of Amouage comes the rose themed Lyric!

If a perfume meant for a woman to feel as if she were completely ensconced in the most luxurious, deepest red flowing silk, as soft as the pedals of a rose, then Lyric has indeed accomplished just that! This perfume is a beautiful, rich, deep, red rose, made creamy and warmed by the melding of the spicy notes, dry geranium and the sweet, woodiness of orris smoothed further by Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Vanilla and precious Frankincense. Every single note used in the creation of this fragrance are present like the instruments in an orchestra or the colors of the artist's palette used in the perfect painting, all playing their parts, as it married my skin in perfect harmony. This one neither speaks for me, nor of me but in fact became me. The rose always at the heart of this perfume is the star while the other notes fill in the background making her shine just as she should. The most beautiful and deepest of red roses to be sure.

On me this perfume took a total a half an hour to and hour to fully develop into this glorious fragrance.

The house of Amouage describes Lyric as "A poignant song without a beginning and end.  Suspended in time with a mythical melody". Indeed, I agree. This perfume will forever sing its never ending melody to me!

The perfume comes in EDP strength housed in a rich deep red bottle.

Also available are the shower gel, body cream and body lotion.

May be purchased at :
http://www.parfumerienasreen.com/ 

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Eau Du Ciel

Type: Floral

Notes: Linden Tea, Brazilian Rosewood, Iris, Violet Leaves

Created by Perfumer Annick Goutal, in 1985.

Annick Goutal created this fragrance to be the aroma of rain kissed earth on a summers day. For me it was the fragrance given off by the sun on fresh grass and spring flowers such as violets and iris following rain in the spring. A wonderful fragrance would be all around outside my home during these times. This fragrance captures the very essense of the moments immediately following the warm spring rains. Any time I wished to smell that, I would reach for this bottle of Eau Du Ciel and there it was to be enjoy even in the cold of winter. Annick Goutal truely was a master at creating fragrances that bring back memories of fragrant places or times. This one seems as if she captured the air and put it in the pretty bottle to be enjoyed over and over again.

Available in EDT only.

Les Grandes Pretresses Incas

Les Grandes Pretresses Incas, (The Great Inca Priestesses)

Type: Fruity/Floral

Top: Italian Mandarine, Grapefruit, Guinean Orange, Apple, Mango
Heart: Canna Orchid, Sea Bream, Rose-Lily of the Valley, Chinese Magnolia
Base: Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Teak, Vetiver, Nectarine, Dark Chocolate, Caramel, Musk

From perfumer Pierre Bourdon for Romea D' Ameor comes Les Grandes Pretresses Incas, one of seven fragrances. These seven fragrances were created to depict seven types of women. This one is described as fascinating.

This one starts out with a burst of fresh citrus followed by the scent of apple and exotic mango. Then the Canna Orchid waltzes in a floral note along with Sea Bream, Rose Lily of the Valley and Jasmine to mix floral notes with the mouth watering fruits. It warms very subtle as it moves into the base notes with the wondrous scent of dark chocolate, caramel, teak, a burst of citrus from nectarine and finally musk providing richness and depth, silky and smooth.

The Canna Orchid was revered by the great Inca Priestesses for its lightness and whisper of extravagance. The dark chocolate is very smoothly combined with caramel in rounding out the citrus and floral notes to create a silky smooth perfume exotic in every way. This perfume is an enchanting treasure of liquid.

Amouage Memoir

Memoir

Type: Chypre/Animalistic/Leather

Top: Cardamom, Mandarin Orange, Pink pepper, Wormwood
Heart: Clove, Incense, Pepper, Woody notes, Jasmine, Rose, White Flowers
Base: Musk, French Labdanum, Oak Moss, Styrax, Leather, Olibanum, Castoreum, Fenugreek

Created for the House of Amouage by Daniel Maurel & Dorothee Piot,  comes Memoir. A fascinating fragrance, baroque, smoky, fresh and chypre. This one leaves the bottle with a wonderful burst of orange quickly followed by pink pepper and the sweet honey like aroma of wormwood. As it moves, the heart of the fragrance opens up to reveal, clove, incense, pepper, jasmine, rose and white flowers. A lovely perfume indeed. Within a half an hour this fragrance develops and warms further on the skin to fully develop into the base phase of the complete fragrance as subtle as a thief in the night this incense, chypre perfume has yet a surprise as it is now joined by oak moss and leather, which is smoothed nicely by the incense fragrance of Olibanum.

It is rich and enveloping. Never timid, but bold, without being overbearing. The leather is not sharp, but new and clean, smoothed out and sweetened by the fenugreek and Styrax. The Olibanum continues the incense smoky aroma right down through the base dry down of this precious creation. A rare perfume to be sure, this one is very long lasting and can be detected on the skin twenty-four hours after application. It is not a fragrance to be taken lightly. It is a very fine rich perfume and extremely well done. Per the House of Amouage, Memoir is meant to "evoke a woman's past, present and future".

After trying this fragrance, I searched online for the reactions that others have had to it. This one is different from person to person and responses varied greatly in likes and dislikes, as well as what notes were most prominent for each and every person. Some never experienced the leather at all and some too sharp. Some were wanting for more fenugreek or incense. In one case the wearer reported that after a half an hour the fragrance felt put on instead of joined with her skin and that it became chaotic. Others found that it joined their skin and developed into a lovely fragrance and experience. After reading these reports, in spite of what I have experienced, I would strongly suggest trying this one before you buy it, because Amouage is one of the more pricey fragrance houses.

Where to buy: http://www.parfumerienasreen.com/

Thank you Marinela at Parfumes Nasreen for the generous sample.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Just a Little Longer

Thanksgiving has come and gone. I had a trip and wonderful time, as I hope you readers have had as well. Christmas is approaching fast and we all have things to do, places to go and people to see. It's a wonderful time of the year and it is my favorite.

Just the other day, a package arrived in my mailbox and landed on this desk. It was filled with 10 beautiful fragrances. As of late last night, I'd had them all open and sniff tested each one of these wonderful creations in spite of the head cold that I have. I could not resist them sitting there just begging me for one sniff. The thought occurred to me that, just one would not hurt, but only one. So I did. Then I couldn't help myself and I did my first test with each one of them. I enjoyed them and did the best that I could in picking out their notes. I did try two on because, I could not resist them after the sniff test. To be perfectly honest, I love the House that they are from. Yes, one on each arm. It was a sweet challenge to identify the different notes in the two I had on as they came to fullness as they warmed on my skin. I am certain that I don't have the nose right now to enjoy them as fully as I would with a clear nose so now I wait for full recovery. That will be hard for me because they sit on this desk beckoning me to sample one. It will be my absolute pleasure to describe these different beauties on here. One may actually be up this evening but, I do so want to have a clear nose, to be able to do every one of these, the justice that they deserve.

At this point, I'd like to thank, Nasreen and Marinela, from Perfumerie Nasreen for these very generous offerings. I will be in the market for one full size acquisition before this is done. The choice of which one is going to be extremely difficult. I'm already certain of that.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Chloe'

Chloe'
Floral/Fresh

Notes: Pink Peony, Pink Pepper, Lychee, Muguet, Magnolia, Velvet Rose, Cedarwood, Amber, Honey, Tonka Bean

Created by perfumers Michel Almairac & Amandine Marie in 2008 for the designer Chloe'.

Chloe is a fresh, slightly powdery, feminine, bold and natural fragrance. It has been described as having and airy sweetness with woody strength. The bottle was created by Patrick Veillet and was inspired by the sleeve of the Chloe blouse with delicately pleated glass walls of a squre with a silver collar.

This fragrance is for all seasons and wears well in the cold of winter into the heat of summer. It is a long lasting but not overbearing fragrance whos notes come together as sleek and smoothe as a silk blouse.

Available in EDT, EDP and EDP Intense.

The EDT has an Ivory ribbon
The EDP has a Petal colored ribbon
The EDP Intense has a black ribbon

I have been added!

I have to say that, when I was at someone else's place, it was quite a shock to see this place on the blogroll list. Thank you Troopers Gal! This sure was a nice surprise. Excitement abounds here right now. You are the first that I know of.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

L'Heure Fougueuse The Ardent Hour

IVL'Heure Fougueusse The ARdent Hour
Mathilde Laurent for Cartier
Fresh/Chypre

Bergamot, Mate' (herbal South American tea), Karismal (a note taken from Jasmine tea), Evernyl (a synthesized note from oak moss) Vanillin, Magnolia, Mane accord ( thoroughbred horse notes unknown) Magnolia, Oak barrel

This fragrance was created by perfumer Mathilde Laurent for the house of Cartier and is part of the Les Heures de Parfum collection. This is a tribute to the horse. L'Heure Fougueuse, means the fiery, impetuous or spirited hour.

IV signifies the fourth hour of the day and the four legs of the horse. This artful composition initially smells citrusy fresh and then arrives the mate' tea note, quickly followed by the scent of alfalfa hay. I thought, now this is real nice. I love the smell of fresh cut and dried alfalfa hay. I lift my wrist to my nose quickly to experience it again and find, that it's been joined, quickly, by the smell of a horse. Yes, you read correctly, I said horse. Not a dirty horse, but a clean one. Now, this has to be impossible, but there it is and as I lift my wrist again in disbelief, the hay and the horse are not all that I smell. This fragrance has yet another surprise in store for me because, I find that this horse, is wearing my Passier saddle. Yes, leather has joined the composition. Now it dries down very smooth, but I can still smell each of these that I've mentioned. So I see a horse standing clean, dressed in it's saddle, in the warm sun of a spring day, with the smell of bales of alfalfa floating around the air. I have my arms around the neck of this horse with my face buried in it's mane, as I often have, loving the smell of this horse, as it beckons me to mount and ride. Now, this is not a perfumy fragrance. It is a skin scent. I don't leave a perfumed trail in my wake. To smell this one, you need to be close to me. I could wear this comfortably everyday. The magic that this fragrance works has to be experienced. In my opinion, this is a masterpiece and a definitely very well done tribute to the horse in a fragrance. Thank you Mathilde Laurent.

Available in EDT 1.7 ml 2.5 fl. oz.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Stay Tuned!

To all you equine lovers. I'm absolutely smitten by this one. Literally swooning. You are going to want to read this one but, only, after I've gotten done sniffing my wrists....both of them. I mean it. This scent is wonderful! That is all I'm going to say for now. Check back if you will, by tomorrow evening. For now, I'm too busy sniffing.

Eau de Camille

Eau de Camille
Perfumer Annick Goutal
Green/Floral

Notes: Ivy, Seringa, Cut Grass, Privet, Honeysuckle

This lovely fragrance was created in 1983 by perfumer Annick Goutal for her daughter Camille, who was 8 years old at the time. Camille, has since taken over the Annick Goutal line upon the death of her mother along with, Isabelle Doyen and have continued her work, adding to this fine line of fragrances.

I purchased this wonderful fragrance for my oldest daughter when she was 13 years old. I thought that it fit her perfectly and it did. This scent attracted me when I first sampled it at a Nordstrom counter. It reminded me of a evening of play, just as the fireflies came out, in my yard, long ago when I was a young girl. The grass had been freshly cut and the privet hedge had just been trimmed. The honeysuckle was in bloom and my cousin and I were sampling the sweet nector of those delicate flowers. This fragrance, as fragrances can, transported me back to that childhood memory. A memory of tasting that, surprising, sweet, little, droplet, from those flowers on my tongue and chasing fireflies around the grassy yard. That night was like magic to me and this fragrance brought that memory to mind immediately. Now, I'm not saying that this fragrance is only for young girls. This is a fragrance which is perfect for the young and mature alike.

Available in EDT only.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

CREED Silver Mountain Water

SILVER MOUNTAIN WATER
Marine, Green/Fresh

Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Greentea, Black Current, Galbanum, Musk, Sandalwood, Petit grain

Master perfumer Olivier Creed, a championship skier, created Silver Mountain Water, with streams of sparkling water and the Swiss snow capped alps in mind.

The flask which holds this juice, is white with a silver cap. 75 ml. 2.50 fl. oz.

Both men and women can enjoy this creation from CREED.

CREED, Himalaya

Creed 1760
De Pere en Fils Depuis 1760
Master perfumer Olivier Creed and Erwin Creed  (Olivier's son)
Himalaya
Woody Oriental/ Fresh

Notes: Fresh Grapefruit, bergamot (Calabria), Lemon (Sicily), Sandalwood, Musk, Ambergris, Cedar wood

Himalaya mists from the bottle in a fresh, fruity, watery burst. It is quickly followed by the woody notes rounded out and smoothed with Musk and Ambergris. It is a simple easy to wear fragrance for both men and women alike. Indeed when I'm wearing this I think of a quiet walk in the woods or sitting by a fire relaxing and enjoying life.

The signature Creed Falcon for this one is a matte silver finish. 75ml 2.5 fl. oz.

This line has been around for a very long time. Their fragrances are hand mixed. Their line, to me, is amazing. Some in this line can be mixed with each other as well, to create a whole other fragrance which I find to be a bit of fun sometimes.

I need to sample this!

Another creation from perfumer Mathilde Laurent, Cartier Baiser Vole' is classified as a  fresh, powdery floral.

This fragrance was created imagining what the whole lily would smell like, according to Mathilde Laurent. That is correct, leaves, stem, pedals and pistil. The bottle is lovely and smoothe in appearance with it's rounded edges and was fashioned after a Cartier cigarette lighter. How interesting, because the top appears to flip up to reveal the spray mechanizum.

It is one of those newer modern creations of, light on the floral and more on the powdery easy scents or so I've read. Doesn't it sound intriguing? It does to me so, now this is on my must sample list as well. I'll let you know when I've tried it.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Amouage Gold

From renowned perfumer Guy Robert, who was commissioned by the Arabian perfume house of Amouage in the country of Oman came, Amouage Gold.

Notes: Consists of over One Hundred natural oils and essences.

If gold had a fragrance, this would be it! At the time perfumer Guy Robert was commissioned, he was instructed that "no expense be spared". A few of these ingredients are as follows:

jasmine, ambergris, rock rose, orris, sandalwood, cedar wood, silver frankincense, myrrh, patchouli, civet and musk

There are many words that come to my mind with which I could use to describe this precious golden liquid. Opulent, somewhat powdery, sophisticated, rich, but never overbearing, just to name a few.

Personally, I find it very hard to discern the three phases of this fragrance, which is so easily done with countless others. However, I will say that it is a perfectly orchestrated symphony for the senses which is virtually unchanging throughout the day as it continues into the evening.

This is not a fragrance to be worn hiking in the woods, nor walking along a sun drenched beach on a hot summer day. Rather it should be worn to the theatre, opera or ballet. Or in your wedding dress on "that special day".

The bottle comes housed in a navy and cream colored box for keeping, nestled beautifully in ivory silk. The bottle itself is a superb work of Ancient Omani art, consisting of 24 karat gold plating and French lead crystal.

Available in EDT, EDP and Perfume.

I have described this fragrance wearing the EDT strength.

Note: My bottle, purchased circa 1997 or 1998 had a phamplet tucked inside which listed every oil and essence which was used to make Gold. I would have, for the future reference of anyone who would be interested to know this, listed every single one of those ingredient here but after moving three times, sadly, I have lost it.

Where to find it:

http://www.amazon.com/Amouage-Gold-Woman-Eau-Parfum/dp/B001MWCYA4
http://www.parfumsraffy.com/amouagegold.html
http://www.parfumerienasreen.com/fragrances/rarefinds/index.php

Just Talking

As I sit here procrastinating over the task of locating the fragrance I wish to write about today, I'm browsing around the fragrance world, dreaming of the samples coming my way. I'm very anxiously awaiting the arrival of  these samples. One is from the house of Cartier and the others are from Micallef.

Sometimes, I do love mysteries, and today I have three up my sleeve.

I would like to thank Marinela at Parfumerie Nasreen for samples of the latter.  As always, it was a pleasure to speak with you.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Chanel No. 19

Floral - Green

Top Notes: Greens, Galbanum, Bergamot
Heart Notes: Jasmine, May rose, Iris, Ylang-Ylang
Base Notes: Sandalwood, Oakmoss, Vetiver

This lovely liquid bursts from the bottle onto your skin, crisp, fresh and green. It is followed in minutes, as its character developes and moves, into the heart notes of florals so artfully composed. Not at all very flowery as one would normally expect from a floral. Still green and fresh its woody base joins in and is perfectly smoothed out by the wonderful trio of sandalwood oakmoss and vetiver.

Available in EDT and EDP strengths.

This was Mlle Coco Chanel's own signature fragrance, named in honor of her birthday, August 19th, 1883, and was released for sale to the public, after her death in 1971.

I would like to say, that the description above, is based on the fragrance I wore today and I wore the EDT. I applied it at 10:00 a.m. and now at 11:58 p.m. it is still very detectable. I find that it reminds me of walking around in the lush green woods just after a rain in the summer or perhaps early fall. This fragrance is classic, classy and green.

I do know that there is a newer version No. 19 Poudre and I have not yet had the opportunity to try it.

A Place of Interest

There are many perfumes which are hard to find and others that some of us don't even know about. Maybe, just for curiosity you enjoy trying different perfumes that you have never heard of or are looking for something that not everyone else is wearing. Well, let me tell you about a site you can go to find such fragrances. Yes, there is one and it's in Seattle Washington. It's Parfumes Nasreen. After finding something of interest you can call them and speak with them about the different fragrances. When last I called there, the staff was extremely helpful and they are very good at what they do. There is a list of hard to find fragrances and if you don't see the one you are looking for, it doesn't hurt to call and ask if they can possibly get it for you. Who knows, you may be lucky enough to speak with Nasreen herself. I remember years ago she answered the phone when I called and was extremely knowledgable. I enjoyed our conversation. She carries names such as CREED, Crown, Caron and many more. The link is pasted below if you'd like to shop or just take a peek. I hope that you enjoy what you see and are please with what you will find there. I know I was.


http://www.parfumerienasreen.com/

Friday, November 4, 2011

Eau d' Hadrien By Annick Goutal

Scent Type: Chypre - Fresh
Composition: Sicilian Lemon, grapefruit, citron, cypress

My personal description: Juicy sparkling lemon on a bed of cypress.

This is my go to scent. I have loved it for many years now. It is one that I wear when I want a pick me up or don't know what else I want to wear. It's great for anytime or any occasion. Especially if you suffer from migraines or don't like floral or heavy scents.  I have never had a negative comment about my fragrance when I wear this. As simple as its composition is, it is classy. A feel good fragrance to wear comfortably.

Annick Goutal recommended the layering of other fragrances of her collection right over it. There are others in her line that were created to be mixed and layered together. One example would be to layer together, Eau De Camille and Eau d' Hadrien.

Eau d' Hadrien can be purchased in two strengths, EDT and EDP.

Its staying power depends on your own body chemistry and the season. It tends to last longer in warmer weather.