måndag 8 januari 2018

Rediscovering fragrances

Photo: Parfumista (c)

A New Year resolution 2018 is to rediscover fragrances that already are in my wardrobe as samples or fb:s.
From such exercise some short thoughts probably will appear in print over the year, even if I'm still in the writers block.
Here some rediscoveries from the recent holidays:

Rose Royale (Parfums de Nicolaï): This is an amazing pink rose where I now have discovered more of elegant, retro accords which make this beautiful rose intriguing too. It's much more than just a high quality pink rose.

Shanghai Lily (Tom Ford): A beautiful, velvety and in the same time tick and clean lily. The velvety thickness makes like this better than the other niche standard-lillies, Serge Lutens Un Lys and Frederic Malle Lys Mediterrranee, both more transparent and sort of "thinner" in texture.

Gucci Bloom (Gucci): Wet, humid, chilly, crisp, white flowers like a graden with withe flowers after rain. Moderate interpretation of white flowers, not the classic voluminous type, balanced with a tangy accord that I really like. Not a rediscovery as this is new to me but worn quite often in December.

I suppose that my fragrancechoices are reflecting the green and rainy weather during the holidays. Flowers and also greens scents, see the choice of the 2017 Christmas Eve Tom Ford Vert de Fleur.

fredag 5 januari 2018

Best of 2017 part 2

Picture: Gucci Guilty Absloute
Photo: PR Gucci (c)

Looking at the subject "Best of 2017" in a broder perspecitve it's obvious: It's in the "Pour Homme" category I find the unrivaled best fragrance of 2017: Gucci Guilty Absolute (GGA) and that one could be worn by women too, even if now there is also a PF edition of GGA on is way. To me GGA is the Terre d'Hermès of the 2010s, just as good, if not better, a future classic, which just like Terre, will be mentioned as the fragrance of it's decade. When it comes to the "Pour Femme" category, Prada Infusion d'Iris is the fragrance of the -00 decade, havn't found out yet the one which is obvious for the 2010s in the womans section.

Picture: Gucci Bloom
Photo: PR Gucci (c)

When it comes to Gucci, I'll also give their 2017 release for woman Gucci Bloom a very high score, it's one of the very best (from the small part I've smelled) of 2017. I love its tangy, white flowery, over the day precense, a fragrance which I happily wear two or even three days in a row, something that is very rare when it comes to me.

torsdag 28 december 2017

Best of 2017

I have little to say about the 2017 releases as most fragrances I've tested this year was created in 2016 or the years just before. I liked both of the two great releases in 2017 much.Versatile and elegant/playful fragrances: Chanel Gabrielle and Hermès Twilly. This year Carner Barcelona Floral Collection also was nice even if I liked the Black Collection from 2016 better. Puredistance Warzawa, with its muted, dark, green elegance, was released for the entire market 2017 but was actually released in 2016, exclusive for the polish market.

Picture: Best of 2017
Roger & Gallet Extraits de Cologne
Photo: PR Roger & Gallet (c)

My choice of best of 2017 is the classic Colognehouse Roger & Gallet Extraits de Cologne line. The fragrances are created by different, famous or upcoming perfumers. Some of the extraits de Cologne are as an Eau de Toilette (Edt) in radiance and stregnth and other somewhere in between Cologne and Edt. My favorites are Néroli Facètie (Fabrice Pellegrin) and Cassis Frénésie (Elise Benat) even if Tubereuse Hédoine (Anne Flipo) Thé Fantaisie (Alberto Morillas) and Verveine Utopie (Juliette Karagueuzoglou) comes close. The line is very well done and priceworthy given the quality (100 ml GBP 55 ). Lovely fragrances, would be great for Springtime.

söndag 24 december 2017

The Fragrances of Christmas Eve 2017

Picture: Christmas tree 2017
Photo: Parfumista (c)

The Scent of Christmas Eve 2017 is the elegant retro and in the same time contemporary austere flowery-green Vert de Fleur by Tom Ford. Suits a green Christmas very well I think. It's more like a partial sunny autumnday outside.

Mr Parfumista is wearing Incense Extreme by Andy Tauer. A light "white" incense swirling to the sky even if intense in performance. Below is the updated list of the fragrances I've worn the last fourteen Christmas Eves:

2016: Oud Sublime Parfums de Nicolaï (quality "forest-refreshing" dark green, mossy, woody)
2015: Rose de Taif Extrait Perris Monte Carlo (high class smooth velvety rose petals)
2014: Impossible Iris Ramòn Monegal (an elegant, contempory iris with a delicious rasperrynote)
2013: Quintaesensia Ramòn Monegal, (a special retro styled blend, furry, ambery, herbal/spicy)
2012: Nothing, knocked down by the worst flu in ten years+.
2011: Betrothal, Grossmith (classic, light and exquisite florals)

2010: Cuir Mauresque, Serge Lutens (saddle leather, orangeblossom, jasmine, spices)

2009: Tribute Attar, Amouage (dark leather, smoke, oud, excellent spices)

2008: Incense rosé, Andy Tauer (rose, mandarine, cardamom, myrrh cedar, incense)

2007: Ambre Russe, Parfum d'Empires (boozy amber, the, wood, oriental)

2006: Jil Sander 4, Jil Sander (dark, overripe fruits, white almost withering flowers, oriental spices)

2005: Nuit de Noël, Caron (dusky, retro flowers, moss and a furry note)

2004: Cabochard, Parfums Grès (leathery chypre, harsh green notes and retro flowers)

2003: Fracas Robert Piguet (the ultimate classic grand tubereuse)

Let's have a Great Fragrant Christmas!

onsdag 6 december 2017

Independence Day

Picture: Finlands "Blue Cross Flag"
Photo from Facts.co

Today our beautiful neighbour Suomi-Finland is celebrating 100 years as an independent country. Congratulations Finland!

Thinking of Finland, I suddenly remembered there was some entertaining fragrant readings with finnish connection on Fragrantica a year or two ago. And here I found them, written by Eeva-Helena Laurinsalo.

Fragrant Finland: A Fresh Affair

Fragrant Finland: Saunas, Babies and Rive Gauche

Fragrant Finland: An Emerging Scentscape & Tax Free Vikings

Fragrant Finland: Lumene, Beauty Born of Light

And last but not least: Congratulations to my son who is celebrating his 15th birthday today!

måndag 27 november 2017

Fragrantica Perfume Awards

Picture: Fallen falleaves
Photo: Parfumista (c)

An exciting initiative from Fragrantica - " We at Fragrantica decided to organize our own community awards which will be fully driven by your suggestions and votes. You can nominate up to 5 fragrances in each category and vote for or against of each nomination".

The awardcategories, submitted & voted by the Fragrantica community, are:

The voting is open 24 Nov to 1 Dec - Don't miss the chance to have fun and to influence.

måndag 20 november 2017

Further fragrance reading...

Picture: Novemberrose
Photo: Parfumista (c)

I'm in some sort of writer's block but others have interesting perfumrelated things to share. Here some links to articles/posts I've appreciated recently.

Intresting thoughts about the battle between two versatile, very likable, everyday fragrances launched in 2017 Chanel Gabrielle and Hermès Twilly - like them both.

And here comes reviews of them Twilly on Perfume Shrine and Twilly on Now Smell This Twilly on The Scented Salamander, Gabrielle on Bois de Jasmin and Gabrielle on Now Smell This, Gabrielle on The Scented Salamander.

An article about styling the winter wardrobe with perfumes on Fragrantica. The picture of the snowmen is just great :-)

Bois de Jasmin share us some words of wisdom from Christian Dior’s Little Dictionary of Fashion timeless advices about style which of course including perfume.

More vintage, here about vintage perfume bottles

And last but not least - an inteview (with photo) with the mysterious perfumer Pierre Montale who many people doubt exist. Anyway, somebody is interviewed here

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