Perfume Reviews by fanny

Opus 1144 by Unum

A very comfortable perfume which reminds me of Kismet and Shalimar.
The difference being Kismet is more dense because of the opoponax and Shalimar has a prominent leather note, while the leather in Opus 1144 is buried far in the background .
I must have bought the reformulation, because it does not at all feel dark to me.
Luckily I do not mind, I love this perfume; it could be my go-to for every day, summer to winter and back to summer again.
It feels like an airy lighthearted oriental, caused by the prominent bergamot and the iris.

Highly recommended.

Bracken Woman by Amouage

Aromatic AND Smooth !!

This perfume is amazing...
Although I somehow expected it to be mainly aromatic (which is often Good in my book), Bracken has a lovely creamy side to it.
On skin I do experience a bitter note (probably caused by birch and leather in combination with the chamomile), but the wafts around me are all about the three flowers: Narcissus, Lily and some Chamomile.
Bracken is gorgeous and unique, a fantastic natural -summer- perfume with a little sting.

I am sold, or rather: It's gonna cost me... :p

(August 2017)

Black Saffron by Byredo

A nice perfume, very well made, which may please many.
For me, however, Black Saffron is too sweet.
If the raspberry could be turned down a notch, I feel sure a great perfume would present itself.

Nejma 3 by Nejma

Nejma3 is cold, very very cold.

I would not like to compare N3 to Montale's Aoud Safran, as I have seen mentioned in other reviews.
AS is fresh, yes, but very very charming, lighthearted and warm as well.

N3 is a killer.
A 'no mercy, I am made of steel', seemingly delicate flower.
I like it for sure!
As I like nasty characters in movies.
And ugly truths.

Where would we be without them?

Garofano by Lorenzo Villoresi

Garofano not only opens bitterly, I got the unpleasant idea of entering a sad home for the old and incapacitated, who were neglected far beyond the bearable.
I think the opening has this 'quality' due to loads of geranium and cyclamen together with pepper.

Because of all the positive reviews I had read though, I decided to sit this one out, no matter what. Rest assured, I got rewarded with something so lovely, that I am glad I did.

After three quarters of an hour, a softness appeared, jostling the musty bitterness aside. After an hour I could call this scent creamy even.
Musk, rose, heliotroop, cinnamon and green notes predominate, together with a lovely carnation.

I declare now the following: if, after an hour of dismay (not only mine, but the entire neighbourhoods) one gets rewarded with an outstanding floral green, one ought not to complain but to surrender...
I am going to get the full bottle.

(August 2013 / not any longer in my wardrobe, sold the bottle within a year... :D)

Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal

Well, Divinity has arrived in the building.
Everything else, previously called divine, is looking a bit faint and dusty.

Being not too much in the habit of idolising flowers in a perfume, let alone idolise a 'flowers-only' scent (I'm an overall 'woody oriental' worshipper), I am confused by the fact that this perfume compels me to "throw heaps of praise upon it"..

So I question myself:
Would I want to smell like a goddess?
Would I want to own the stature of an empress?
Would I want heads to bow in awe and recognition?
Hm.

Do I bow for Heure Exquise?
Yes.

(February 2012)

31 rue Cambon Eau de Parfum by Chanel

Ceci n'est pas un parfum

There are perfumes, splendid perfumes, which can be analysed, explained and deduced.
And there are perfumes where something magical happens.
The combination of notes in 31RC causes my senses to purr from excitement.
A semi skinscent with a capital S. A tempting impression of chic elegance, returning again and again. An allusion almost of sweat, but not quite.

This is how I want perfume to be: indescribable.

Aqua Allegoria Flora Nerolia by Guerlain

What a sting you get right after first spray!..
I like it, the way I like most floral orange-y scents: it may not be used very often, but I consider it a Musthave in my wardrobe.

A very close sister of Lutens Fleurs d'Oranger, but this is even more a 'one of a kind' type of perfume. It has a vibe of very old times, of simple white cotton dresses (when, if ever, will I start wearing those?) and of rural surroundings, even stables, which is GOOD in my book.

Louve by Serge Lutens

Almond²

Louve (she-wolf) is a gorgeous name for a perfume; unfortunately too much almond simply doesn't work for me.

I love almond in other scents: in Le Baiser du Dragon and Jasmin Noir, for example, it functions like a necessary co-worker.
In Louve, to me, almond is the only distinctive note together with vanilla, which makes it too too sweet.

Too bad, I was set on loving "Louve".

Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens

I'm a resin lover, a fan of coriander, an angelica glorifier, an admirer of woods and a patchouli supporter..

Ambre Sultan, in two weeks time, became a very loyal companion. Of course I never forgot my other friends, but this scent gives me the warmth when I need it, a uniqueness of character which pleases me and it stays with me for over 12 hours.

There's always an edge in perfume which Serge likes to cross, which is very interesting; in Ambre Sultan the edge has become its subject.
I find that even more interesting.

Sacrebleu Intense by Nicolaï

Prepare yourself to be granted a sweet redemption, to gain a second or third youth, to leave the ground and premises in bliss...

Concentrate on happiness!

Notes:
Olibanum and Peru Balsam control the -harsh- tubereuse. Carnation and Tonka Bean rule over the omnipresent cinnamon. Mandarin, Jasmin and Sandal turn your face to the light!

Sacrebleu Intense has lifted me with joy.

Ambre Nuit by Christian Dior

When dreams come true, Ambre Nuit should be worn.

This is a delightful oriental scent.
The amber is dry and crisp, caused by delicious bergamot, grapefruit and a fine rose. The pepper is rather present too.
I could wish for more sillage. On the other hand, I adore the private world this wonderful concoction creates.
Once again I am smitten with a beautiful contradiction: warmth and zest.

In my top ten.

Cologne du 68 by Guerlain

A modest beauty, but a beauty it is.

Being an eau de cologne it is not strong and I regret that, but the scent itself is a wonder and a gem.
Soft and fresh this EdC presents itself, with a unique combination of flowers and quite some fruit. No sharpness from citruses, iris or frangipani: a sweet temperance is achieved by linden blossom, jasmin and vanilla. Towards the drydown a subtle herbal concoction of sage and rosemary accompanies this sweetheart home.

I, for one, am very impressed.

Parfum Sacré by Caron

Smooth indeed. This is a very physical perfume, which is maybe in contrast with its name.
The myrhh with cardamom, pepper and cynnamon make Parfum Sacré voluptuous, woody and almost spicy.

A warm body scent, like a temple for "matter" an sich.

Shalimar Parfum Initial by Guerlain

Skin coloured velvet

For a long long time I have been strolling in the woods, adoring them in the company of spices, amber, incense, benzoin, etc.

Recently I have been gifted a decant of SPI and I find myself in grave danger of becoming ladylike at last.
Soft, intoxicating, alluring and very sweet.
Not too sweet, just adorable.

Along the day it reminded me of Le Bain de Joop!... SPI is more refined of course: no cedar, no sandalwood, no aldehydes.
Matching notes are: vanilla, tonka, patchouli, rose, musk, bergamot and jasmin.
Iris, caramel, vetiver, orange, and green notes round this baby up.
The drydown gives soft wafts of vanille and beautiful iris.

I love it.

Panthère de Cartier by Cartier

As time goes by

Time to dress up and sail off to the opera. No other perfume will do on a Grand Night Out.

Whoever decided to discontinue this Queen of all perfumes, must have had a lousy reason for doing so (a very undignified work in relation to Prominent Perfumes... The reformulated version is nice, but only a shadow of the original).

All we can do is treasure our last bottles and keep searching the net for more.

Fate Man by Amouage

Good lord, what a mess...

Being an avid user of the most heavy spicy orientals, male and all, I expected Fate to be exceptional.

One has to be a cumin addict to appreciate this.
The stuff which usually makes me sick are suffocatingly indolic flowers.
I have entered new territory here, where cumin, with slight immortelle, incense and licorice added, gave me a splitting headache within 5 minutes to be followed by a nausea which threw all previously experienced nausea overboard.

Kudos to those who love it.

Into the Void by Juliette Has a Gun

No Title, whatsoever...

An OK perfume, quite likeable when the licorice shows up.

It has a slight similarity with Bvlgari's Jasmin Noir L' Essence, which I already own and definitely prefer over Into The Void.

L'Essence has no patchouli and no papyrus (which does Into The Void no good, it makes it too impervious); instead we have jasmin, almond, myrrhe and LOTS of tonka, creating a more wafty, creamy and deep perfume.

ITV has that typical JHAG vibe (clean patchouli), especially in the drydown, which makes it rather un-unique.

Sillage: moderate
Longevity: good

Une Fleur de Cassie by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle

A cold salon at dawn in New York.
Melancholy wafts of flowers right before their wilting sets in. Used stockings thrown on a chair, a short sleep has set off their wearer. All windows are closed.
Within an hour a maid will enter the building, very softly.

Times Square by Masque

This is overly sweet and too nutty for me.
The sweetness is quite synthetic and the hazelnut is so powerful, it makes my stomach turn.

Times Square feels like an odd sort of candy, something I do not seek in perfume.
Of course the projection is enormous.

Nice house, gruesome perfume.

1969 Parfum de Révolte by Histoires de Parfums

Usually I do not like prominent peach nor chocolate in perfume.
Also, I'm not very much a gourmand fan, nor a fruitchouli one.
But... jtd is right: here is a lesson to be learned.

This is a contemporary classic with a merry and defiant character: playful, sweet and spicy.
If only all revolutions were so beautifully balanced.

Carnation by Mona di Orio

The opening, to me, is quite disconcerting: both a heavy metal note and the memory of kindergarten glue dominate.
In about 10 minutes the carnation, which I think causes this, subsides more to the background. Then a luscious yet stingy ylang-violet-jasmin-amber opens up.

Carnation immedialetely reminded me of Amouage Jubilation for women (because of the ylang), so I sprayed this on my other arm for comparison.
If I had to choose, Jubilation (obviously to me) wins. It is lovely right from the start and much, much more refined, with a sillage and drydown which are as desirable as they are rare in perfume, so good.

But I can appreciate the raw vibe of Carnation. It is more brusque and pushy and I believe we do need those characteristics at times in perfume.
A happy and bold summer perfume, which may need a new category: Oriental Green.

Une Voix Noire by Serge Lutens

If I would have to choose between Beyond Love by Kilian et Une Voix Noire, as they are not unlike each other, the choice is easy:
Une Voix Noire.
UVN is more profound in its darkness and in its light tones and has better projection. Although being a rather subdued kind of perfume, it stands out, proud of its own character.
In comparison BL stays quite muffled, which I consider very inconsistent with its name, besides being an unwanted quality in any perfume.
UVN, to me, leaves "Beyond Love" behind and enters the stage to act a more vibrant part: "Because of Love".

Miyako by Annayaké

Amber, incense and myhrre; holy smoke, this is sweet.

I regard Miyako Annayake as my second hippie perfume, next to Goutal Ambre Fétiche. Miyako Annayake feels much much softer though, and more refined.
In my Lutens' drenched brain Ambre Sultan also immediately knocks at the door, being a more vigorous and spicy amber scent.

I absolutely like Miyako Annayake, but I feel that (m a y b e) I miss something here.
A little edge, or scar, a counterbalance note (gin?) could make it more of an enigma, or even better: a Sin.. Less like a one way loop in an Arabian desert.
A beautiful desert though.