Carner Barcelona - Latin Lover (Floral Collection)

Picture: Latin Lover
Photo: PR Carner Barcelona (c)

For summer 2017 catalonian nichehouse Carner Barcelona introduces the Floral Collection which is in the opposite style compared to the excellent Black Collection of last year. The Floral Collection presented in stylish white bottles vs the Black Collection in stylish black ones. First out for test from the florals is the wristsniffer Latin Lover created by perfumer Jordy Fernandez.

Latin Lover strats with a burst of beautiful a tad watery flowers, dominated by magnolia sweetened by ylang-ylang. Magnolia usually is a bit tricky note for me as it could be almost harsh and sour to my nose. But balancing with ylang-ylang obviously is the trick, the magnolia blooms beautiful. Later on a clean, flowery jasmine and a detactable also flowery (not powdery lipsticknote), violet steps forward and add a certain elegance to the perfume. The bouquet is grounded in a just enough musky base with some contrasting, almost dark, a bit moisty, earthy elemets, probably the patchouli. The dark of Latin Lover is like sitting in the shadow of a pinetree near the sea a hot summerday. There is something familiar with Latin Lover and after a days wearing I know: It smells similar to Lalique Edp by Lalique but less sweet and fruity. Other fragrances I come to think of (even if not smelling the same but the same feeling/style) when wearing Latin Lover are Puredistance WHITE, By Kilian Water Calligraphy and Amouage Honour Woman.

Latin Lover is a happy fragrance which is a pleasure to wear, perfect for a mediterranean summerevening or just to cheer up a summerday which is spent in the office. The longevity is for at least a day and sillage is medium. Classified as unisex but to my nose lending to the feminine side. After my acquaintance with Latin Lover I have high hopes for the other two in the Floral Collection, Besos and Sweet William. Reviews will follow.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, ylang-ylang, violet, jasmine sambac, narcissus, benzoin, patchouli, musk

5 fragrances for a cold May

May, the month of spring has been very cold so far with tempratures beyond zero in the morning an and just some + degrees Celsius during the days. The crave for sheer and delicate fragrances which normally appears in spring hasn't arrived yet. As my longing for flowers remains unchanged my choices of fragrances are from the stronger and heavier cathegory this May.

Picture: Tubereuse Indiana
Photo: PR Creed (c)

Tubereuse Indiana (Creed): My boss nailed it when entering the room where I was working: "Oh here is the scent of the fine world". That´s Tubereuse Indiana in a nutshell, smooth, velvety, elegant tubereuse and mostly white flowers over the signature Creed ambergrisbase. Retrostyled, yet timeless elegance.

Picture: Honour Woman
Photo: PR Amouage (c)

Honour Woman (Amouage): Another beautiful white floral, this one is on the chillier side, accompanied with watery flowers. Elegant, versatile and comforting, contemporary yet timeless in style. In my book a runner up among the Amouages, it has grown to be one of my top favourites from this house.

Picture: Rose Ishtar
Photo: PR Rania J. (c)

Rose Ishtar (Rania J.): A cold, very dark and dry rose with a herbal/spicy contrast. Gives almost ancient vibes and it's androgynous, sometimes it leans to the masculine side and then suddenly it's strangely feminine. Maybe more of a autumnfragrance but anyway perfect for the moment.

Picture: Marni
Photo: PR Marni (c)

Marni (Marni): Another cold rose, but this time pink and bright with contrasting woody (cedar) and slight peppery notes, just perfect for accompaning a cold, frosty spring like this years. 

Picture: Graine de Joie
Picture: PR Eau d'Italie (c)

Graine de Joie (Eau d'Italie): A lush, fruity, berry floral which has become better the more I have tested it. Nothing chemical or sickenly sweet, just a warm red juicy nectar, giving hope of a coming summer after all. Delicious!

Versace - Vanitas Edt

Picture: Idleness, John William Godward , 1900,
Wikimedia commons

Some days I just want to wear a fragarnce that just smells incredible good and that not distracts with strange twists that urges for a constant analyze. Such a fragrance is Versace Vanitas Edt, created by Dora Baghriche-Arnaud, a fresher interpretation of the Edp which was launched last year.

Vanitas Edt starts with a blast of sparkling yellow and white flowers grounded on an mellow, tropical, almosfruity accord that is not overly sweet and accentuating the flowers and gives them a depth. In the earlier stages of Vanitas Edt there is a bit of, but not fully developed, watery-flowery accord in the lotus flower style, like in Water Calligraphy by ByKilian and Gala de Dia by Loewe. As the fragrance dries down the watery texture gradually softens but doesn’t disappear completely. Also in the base the flowers is the most distinguished notes even if grounded on woody and teanotes according to the notelist.

Vanitas Edt is a sophisticated floral fragance with notes that feels almost fruity in the background. It’s a grown up floral, far away from the sweet, pink, young-girlish style.There is also no shrillness as in some Versace creations, neither it reflects the sometimes almost vulguar noveau riche style of the Versace couture. The almost fruity light sweetness, I think it’s the freesia that dominates the blend, smells almost natural, like mango and papaya, and there is no chemical vibes that could be prominent in some fragrances in this style.

Vanitas Edt is suitable for those who enjoy Amouage Honour Woman, Ormonde Jayne Tiare, Dior Pure Poison and First by Van Cleef & Arpels even if the latter is a grand, soapy 70s aldehydic, the lustre and elegance in apparance is similar.

Vanitas Edt is elegant but also relaxing and comfortable, perfect for daytime wear year around and it really blooms in humid weather which was the curicumstances when I tested it. I also think it would be a terrific fragrance to wear during lazy summerdays and warm summerevenings. Longevity is very good, at least 12h and the sillage is medium.

Rate: 4

Notes: Freesia, rose, osmanthus, tiareflower, cedarwood, black tea

Amouage - Honour Woman

Bild: Madama Butterfly, poster by Adolfo Hohenstein,

Wikimedia Commons

Lyxhuset Amouages senaste damdoft Honour Woman, den har som vanligt en manlig pedang Honour Man, är enligt Amouages storytellers en hyllning till Mme Butterfly utifrån hennes sons minne av henne. Honour Man ska för övrigt tolkas som sonens parfym. Honour Woman är skapad av två för mig okända parfymörer, Alexandra Carlin och Violaine Collas, kanske några näsor på g.

Honour Woman är en fint balanserad vit, mjuk, fruktig och krämig blombukett. Den ger känslan av mjukt, vitt silkessammet. Som vanligt när det gäller Amouages är ingredienserna av god kvalitet och jag får ingen kemisk eller skarp känsla som jag kan få av vissa andra vita blom dofter som tex Diors Pure Poison om den inte är helt rätt doserad. Honour Woman påminner i stilen mycket om åttio- och det tidiga nittiotalets stora blommor men inte lika kompakt och på något sätt mer transparant i uttrycket. Den doft som jag främst förknippar Honour Woman med är Laliques signaturdoft Lalique. Honour Woman är tämligen linjär, håller hela dagen, har en bra projektion utan att bli skrikig eller stötande för omgivningen som vissa stora vita blomdofter kan bli. Det är inte en doft som sticker ut eller är särskilt originell som exempelvis Amouages Gold (både dam och herrversionen), Ubar eller Epic Woman. Honour Woman är istället en riktigt behaglig komfortdoft som jag längtar efter att få använda om och om igen, en doft som inte kräver så mycket när jag bär den.

Bristande originalitet men av hög kvalitet kombinerat med min dragning till stora vita blommor, den höga trivselfaktorn och bärbarheten blir sammanvägt:

Betyg: 4 (2011)
Rating: 5 (2017)
Update in May 2017: Honour Woman is a beautiful, comforting, elegant, cool, crisp, versatile white floral which is a pleasure to wear.

Noter: Koriander, peppar, rabarber, nejlika, jasmin, tuberose, gardenia, liljekonvalj, vetiver, opoponax, ambra, rökelseträ, läder