BeauFort London - 1805 Tonnerre, Coeur de Noir, Vi et Armis & Lignum Vitae

Picture: PR BeauFort (c)

The house of BeauFort London is inspired from the naval past of Great Britans as also the historical merchant shipping. The fragrances are very special and intriguing, they recreates the scents of the past, exactly as one can imagine, for example the smell from the battle of Trafalger. As mentioned in the review of Fathom V the first three fragrances from BeauFort which constitutes the collection "Come Hell or High Water" are true artistic craftwork, a sort of fragrance installations, to inhale the fumes triggers the fantsy and transforms the wearer to the past. The two latest fragrances, Fathom V and Lignum Vitae are not that extreme, perfectly wearable and also transform the wearer back in time in the seafaring milieu. This is fragrances every Parfumista should try, at least just for the experience of perfume as an art.

Picture: 1805 Tonnerre
Photo: PR BeauFort London (c)

1805 Tonnerre - The scents form a wooden sailing warship twohundred years ago. Inspired of the battle of Trafalger. Dark, salty oak, sharp tar, the scent of smoked Baltic herring (the special one from the swedish north east coast).Salted fish in barrels rotting seaweed, smoke, metallic notes of steel and blood,  gunpowder. Very intriguing and vivid perfume.

Coeur de Noir - Starts very powerful with the fumes from black, heated tar. A short glimpse of the smoked herring of 1805 Tonnere above, and smoke, like the smell of smoke in a moist environment, as from fires on the docks . Later Coeur de Noir calms and a sweet almost minty element joins the composition which now is very indoor with a cold inky note appearing together with a cold tobacco and leather accord.

Vi et Armis - Here is also the BeaFort signum, the smell from tar, dry and salt licorice. The opening is very pungent, almost agressive and very masculine in style. Later the scent of burnt rubber appears together with a very light sweetness, as if the licorice no changed to the sweeter variety. Reminds me a bit of Chamens Party by Honoré de Prés and with the burnt rubber texture of Bulgari Black.

Lignum Vitae - The scent of a crispy cracker or cake contrasted by the light scent of a mixed, airy, flower bouquet composed of flowers in cold light pastel pink-apricot shades. All surrounded by an seaish, slight salty and sandy, airy accord with a sort of acid, citric note.

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the samples for test and review

BeuFort London - Fathom V

Picture: Paiting by Albert Bierstadt
(1830-1902)

Fathom V is one of the (to my nose) two "wearable" fragrances from the line of the niche house BeauFort London, the other is Lignum Vitae. The first three releases ( 1805 Tonnerre, Vi et Armis, Coeur de Noir) from the house are very intriguing but to my nose more of fragrance artworks or scent installations than perfumes which could be worn in public. More about the other BeauForts will follow in next week.

 Fathom V starts chilly, crispy, green with a smell similar to narcissus but a bit more flowery, lily is mentioned among the ingredients. There are also green coniferous elements, like fir and juniper. Soon also a cold, earthy smell emerges, like the just thawed earth in late winter/early spring. This accord is contrasted with a glimpse of an animalic note which slight resembles the smell of cat fur. After a while a windy element appears in Fathom V, it smells like someone is airing out an attic closet in an old house by the seaside during a cold, windy day early in the spring. Something in the concept/texture but not in smell reminds me of a outdoor variation of Parfumerie Generale L'Ombre Fauve. Further on in the drydown, the fog is rolling in over the cost from the open sea. Salty elements together with seaweeds and algaes appears in the blend, and later also a hearbal almost minty note, shows up, clearing the fragrance up from the fog. The salt and mint slightly reminds me of another Perfumerie Generale  Harmatan Noir and for the airy salty vibe also Laboratorio Olfattiva Salina but Salina is warm in texture. The icy cold and dry lily is present during the whole dry down of Fanthom V and as it settles, there is also a moisty, mossy element supporting the green herbal accord sweeping over the scent of  fresh soil.

Picture: Fathom V
Photo: PR BeauFort London (c)

Fathom V, like all the BeauForts, is very intriguing and creates vivid fantasies and pictures for the wearer, in this case more pleasant ones compared to the first fragrance trio. It's my favorite from the house and I really appreciate it's shifts in different moods and nuances. The fragrance is an outdoorfragrance in the same spirit, but not the same smell, as the also earthy, early in the spring/late in the winter, fragrance Onda from Vero Profumo. That even if Onda to my nose is describing this season in the inland and the scents of Fathom V is from the seaside.  Fathom V is unisex, maybe a tad more feminine because of the lily and that the herbal element isn't the typical, harsh aromatic type. Instead it's sort of soft and smooth herbal which is unusual and Fathom V therefore is wearable fougere for woman. The fragrance is perfect for daytime wearing in late winter and early spring but could be worn year around. Sillage is medium and longevity very good about 24h.

One of the best fragrances in 2016 IMO, if I had sampled it then, it would be among the top three.

Rating: 5

Notes: Juniper berries, tangerine, black currant, green notes, soil tincture, thyme, lily, jasmine, ylang-ylang, ginger, cumin, black pepper, mimosa, patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, salt, incense, atlas cedar, amber

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to review

Anatole Lebreton - Grimoire

Picture: Grimoire
Photo: PR Anatole Lebreton (c)

Grimoire is the fifth fragrance in bretonic perfumer Anatole Lebretons robust perfumeline "Parfums de Liberté". For reviews of the earlier releases from the house click here.

Grimoire  starts with distinctive green incense, which is the domiatning note in the whole dry down of the fragrance. The green incense is warm and has a resinous texture. In the backgroumd there is also an accompanying, sharp compact and deep citric note which also is green in appreance, probably the bergamot. In the opening there is also a blast of cummin, which for a while creates an almost sweaty impression but in a nice, horsy way. There are also herbal notes, which are leaning to the dry almost dusty side and conveys the
image of an old half-binding book with its old, dry musty paper and its dry leather.The base also shows some mossy, woody notes.

The overall impression is green, resinious incense, a fragrance with the robust, rual character which is the trademark for the Lebreton style. Grimoire is a fragrance of it's own even if it reminds me to some extent of Parfumerie Générale Bois Blond which lacks the incense but has a similar texture and the rual, natural character. When it comes to the green incense, Grimoire has similarities with Andy Tauers Reverie au Jardin even if the greenery in the Tauer is more sappy and even more outdoor, like resting in the green grass, Grimore is more like reading the old book sitting on the terrace surrounded by the greenery. As a fragrance in the outdoor category,one can perfectly imagine a relaxing stay in the countryside wearing Grimoire. Other fragrances which conveys that relaxed outdoor feeling (even if not smelling alike) are for example Pafumerie Générale Papyrus de Ciane and Parfums de Nicolaï Week End a Deauville.

Grimoire is an intense perfume, it is strong with 24h longevity and should be applied carefully. It's sort of
addictive, the more I try it, the more I like it. Grimoire is a daytime casual, fragrance, unisex, leaning to the
masculine side. It's suitable year around except when warm in summer. For that season there is better to wear the more hayish, flowery, green L'Eau de Merzhin also from Lebreton.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, patchouli, musk, basil, moss, cedar, lavender, elemi, olibanum, cumin

Neela Vermeire Creations - Rahele

Picture: India map
Photo: (c) FOTOLIA, MOONRISE /PR Neela Vermeire Creations

The inspiration to the latest Neela Vermeire Creations fragrance is according to the house as follows:            "Rahele (traveller) is an ode to exotic travel, an olfactory journey in the company of 17th Century French visitors to the East. Tavernier...Bernier...Thévenot...the names still resonate in the imagination of armchair travellers today, as each man left a detailed record of his adventures, showing us Mughal-ruled India through a European lens." Rahele is created by Bertrand Duchaufour as rest of the fragrances from Neela Vermeire.

The first accord reminds me of an up scale version of Lalique Flora Bella which is also creation of Bertrand Duchaufour .Then when notes of cedar and cardamom appears, I come to think of a less sweet and much more floral variation of Lubin Inedite. As Rahele dries further down it becomes more bright, floral, rose-violet is prominent at first than round, fruity flowery notes of osmanthus appears. The osmanthus note is luminous even if thick and velvet smooth in texture. Here the impression of Inedite diverges where Inedite takes a woody-spicy-gourmand and darker path. Rahele takes a different direction, it's sunny and warm, lush and juicy and in the same time calming and refreshing, in its floral-fruity glory. Raheles floral-fruity accord smells natural, there are no cloying, syntetic candysmelling sweet fruity notes. Probably most of the frutiy sweetness comes from the osmanthus which in this creation is not dilluted as in most other fragrances featuring osmanthus. As Rahele dries down, the similarities to Inedite reappears in the basenotes when the elements of cedar and cardamom steps forward again. There is also a fresh mossy element which anchors the fragrance.  

Picture: Osmanthusflower
Photo: (c) FOTOLIA, CHUNGKING/PR Neela Vermeire Creations

Rahele is not oriental as the previous Neela Vermeire fragrances, it's a beautful floral fragance with some elements of a contemporary interpretation of chypre. Rahele is a terrific fragrance for the coming late winter and early spring when looking forward for the coming brighter days. It's a joyful cretation equally perfect for a day at work or for the weekend. To me it's more but also brave men can wear this. The longevity is good, more then 12h, silage is medium. 

Picture: Rahele
Photo: (c) M. TASSY/PR Neela Vermeire Creations

Rahele is a great choice for those who like joyful, lush, luminous boquets in the style (not the same smell) of Téo Cabanel Lace Garden, Estee Lauder Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia and Le Galion Iris and La Rose.

Rating: 5

Notes: Mandarine, cardamom, cinnamon, violet leaf, oamanthus, rose, magnolia, jasmine, iris, violet, cedarwood, sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli

Jehanne Rigaud - Vanille Blonde

Picture: Milou, here in Tintin au Congo,
a main character in Hergé:s (George Remi)
"Les aventures de Tintin"
Borrowed from Tintinmilou 

Vanille Blonde is the fourth fragrance I've tested from french perfumehouse Jehanne Rigaud. The fragrances from the house are priceworthy, there are other nichehouses with similar quality of their output which charge significantly more.

Vanille Blonde starts gourmand vanillic as a fresh, warm, just from the owen, soft vanilla cake. It's not the boozy type nor the woody type of vanilla, it's just perfectly gourmand and reminds me in its first accords of Annick Goutal Les Absolus Vanillle Charnelle but soon becomes denser and sweeter than the former which is light, fluffy and airy. Vanille Blonde is quite linear but deepens and becomes a bit darker in the basenotes. The musky note in the base is the same as in the other Jehanne Rigauds. It higlights the other notes in the same time as it adds a vintagestyled, on the verge to dirty, musky character to the fragrance. The vanilla in the later stages are like caramel and has left the cake impression from the topnotes. In the middle- and basenotes Vanille Blonde reminds me of Molinard Vanille (old version in the blue bottle).

Picture: Vanille Blonde
Photo: PR Jehanne Rigaud (c)

Vanille Blonde is a good, a bit rough, basic vanilla which I can imagine it's good to layer dry and heavy woody scents with. Not a complex or particularly intriguing fragrance but cosy and easy to wear especially during cold winter days and evenings. Unisex with a close sillage and a longevity for more than a day.

When it comes to the Tintin characters which I have combined to the Jehanne Rigaud fragrances, Vanille Blonde of course is the constant companion to Tintin; the quick, clever and brave foxterrier Milou, though but sweet.

Rating: 3

Notes: Vanilla, sugar, star anise, benzoin, musk

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Jehanne Rigaud - Imperial Poudré

Picture: Bianca Castafiore
"Milanese Nigthingale" apperant in several albums
of  "Les aventures de Tintin" created by Hergé
(Georges Remi)
Picture borrowed from Comicvine

Jehanne Rigaud is perfumehouse based in Grasse. The inspiration comes from the treasure of vintage perfumes. The style of the house reminds me of Les Nereides, which also provides a range of robust, vintagestyled perfumes. There are also connections to the Oriza L.Legrand style even if find that house a bit less loud and maybe a bit more refined. Imperial Poudré is the first Jehanne Rigaud perfume I've tested.

Imperial Poudré starts with a blast of powder, it's dry and gunpowdery in style and applied with a gigant powderpuff with creamcolored fluff. The dry gunpowder smell reminds me of the dry gunpowder in Mona di Orio Les Nombres d'Or Ambre. After a while flowery elements balanced by a delicate, a bit earthy but flowery iris shows up, reminding me of Lorenzo Villoersi Teint de Neige, soon also sweet almond and warm heliotrophe appears. The more Imperial Poudré dries down, the more putty and moist in texture the powder emerges. A big retrostyled musky note supports and creates dept to the other notes during the whole dry down even if more present the longer Imperial Poudré has developed, it dominates in the latest stage. In the basenotes also an intriguing jasmine and rose combo appears which smells clearly vintage, it's a distinct animalic touch in the accord, probably the musk and jasmine contributes to that. In this stage I associate Imperial Poudré to Oriza L.Legrand Jardins d'Armride even if the special accord described is missed in the latter.

Picture: Imperial Poudré
Photo: PR Jehanne Rigaud (c)

Imperial Poudré is a "grand" fragrance, a perfume that makes a statement. It's an evening perfume, a perfume for a ball or the Opera, I can imagine an opera diva wearing this, Bianca Castafiore is the incarnation of Imperial Poudré. Of course one can wear it during daytime but than has to be very careful in application, a litte goes for long. It's a fragrance for the cold months, I suspect it could be cloying in the summer, except for a really cold early summer evening of the swedish type. Sillage is big and the longevity for over 24h. Its a very feminine perfume.

Imperial Poudré is an extreme fragrance of a type which almost isn't produced today. It's as Imperial Poudré originates from another century, a batch was forgotten in some warehouse and now showing up on the market. It's pushy on the verge to vulgar, not in the trashy but more in the nouveau riche way. Imperial Poudré definitly has its own personality and stands out from the crowd, which I really appreciate. Unfortunately Imperial Poudré dosen't mix well with my chemisty and therefore doesn't reach the highest score in my subjective rating.

Rating: 4

Notes: Ylang-ylang, iris, vanille, almond, powder, florals, musk, jasmine, rose, heliotrope

Thanks to Fragrance & Art for the sample to test

Jehanne Rigaud - Ambre Obscure

Picture: Captain Haddock,
from "Les Aventures de Tintin"
Author: Hergé (George Remi),
picture borrowed from pinterest

Ambre Obscure is a fragrance from the relatively unknown and a bit under cover perfume house Jehanne Rigaud from Grasse. As I understand it, the house had a range of fine fragrances during the 1920s-1930s and the following decades but then focused on to produce essences, ambiences, basic colognes and eaux as also producing for other perfumehouses. In one website I can recognize bottles with the same shape and labels as some editions from the house of Les Nereides. As mentioned in the earlier post about Imperial Poudré, I smell similarities in style between Les Nereides and Jehanne Rigaud. maybe this is not a coincidence. Jehanne Rigaud, just as Les Nereides, issues really priceworthy perfumes, compared both to mainstream and niche releases. The whole Jehanne Rigaud line is avaible here at top notch niche shop Fragrance & Art.

Ambre Obscur starts and proceeds very familiar to me: I can smell an old favorite, the early 1980s oriental Prelude from Balenciaga. It's almost the same vintage smelling amber, deep and multifacetted containing notes  similar to old sherry oakbarrels.It's like looking in a caledeoscope with changing patterns in brown and ruby red nuances. As Ambre Obscur dries further down, a fine jasmine blends delicately with the dark, deep amber and balsamic notes from the basenotes. Patchouli is also present as a supporting note, well balanced and it doesn't take over the composition, the patchouli just enhances the vintage feeling. Ambre Obscur is slight powdery in texture but not at all as powdery as the powder bomb from Jehanne Rigaud Imperial Poudré. In its later stage, Amber Obscur reminds me of the discontinued gem from Estée Lauder Youth Dew Amber Nude and there is also similarities with Aramis JHL at least the vintage version I have on hand.

To me who is a bit tired of all the light and airy contemporary ambers released in later years, Ambre Obscur is a very pleasant surprise, dark, deep and vintage in style. This is a fragrance for those who wants more body in their ambers and I think those who like fragrances as Rania J. Ambre Loup and Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Ambre Doré (with patchouli in Ambre Obscur instead of oud as in Ambre Loup and Ambre Doré), also will appreciate Ambre Obscur.

Picture: Ambre Obscur
Photo: PR Jehanne Rigaud (c)

Ambre Obscur is perfect for autumn, winter and early, chilly spring. It's also a good eveningfragrance and it's very comforting to wear for example by the fireplace a dark, snowy winterevening, Ambre Obscur is unisex even if leaning slight to the feminine side IMO. Despite that I couldn't resist to continue using a Tintin character, in this case Captain Haddock, to illustrate Ambre Obscur. I think he fits the bill as the fragrance has some dark, boozy elements..

Taken as a whole: Ambre Obscur is a very well blended, genuine, a bit wild and untamed, dark amber. Dark as its namn implies but it could, and not the new Annick Goutal amber, also be named Ambre Sauvage.

Rating: 5

Notes: Bergamot, orange, jasmine, amber, labdanum, vanilla, vetiver, patchouli, musk