It’s not often that a perfume brand celebrates the arrival of a reformulation, but that’s exactly what’s happened with MDCI. 2009’s Coeur En Mai recently fell foul of IFRA guidelines, so director Claude Marchal asked its original composer, Patricia De Nicolaï, to try to create a replacement that would successfully jump through the anti-allergen hoops. According to him, the result is even better than CEM Mark 1.
As luck would have it, on this occasion, I was able to carry out a side-by-side comparison of the two versions, and yes, there’s no denying that they are different from each other. Even in their final stages, it’s possible to distinguish the parent from the offspring. Both of them are still floral arrangements with a tea rose heart, but the new effort is considerably happier, sunnier and more welcoming than its predecessor.
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Shall we go for a hat trick of scent pairs? To mark the tenth anniversary of Luckyscent.com (truly an occasion to be cheered with champagne and confetti!), its founders decided to commission a quartet of new perfumes which they’ve released under the brand name Decennial. Three of the scents are by Jerome Epinette (they may be reviewed here in the weeks to come) and the fourth is by everybody’s favourite Swiss wizard, Andy Tauer. In keeping with the spirit of looking back, Lys Du Desert echoes one of his first creations, the perenially popular L’Air Du Désert Marocain. Indeed, the initial burst of LDD – with its lickable coating of vanilla and labdanum – suggests that this may be the first time Andy has done the unthinkable and created a flanker! However, there’s more to it than a mere tweaking of an earlier hit.
Yes, it’s built upon an amber base – fans of the so-called Tauerade will find much to enjoy here – but it also lives up to its name and gives due attention to a floral facet. So whilst the oriental boxes are ticked by bergamot, benzoin and vetivert, the overall effect is pulled towards more Occidental climes by the inclusion of fresh, light petals. The lily note isn’t distinct – it doesn’t conjure images of flower shops in the same way as, say, Lys Mediterranee (Fléchier) or Lys Soleia (Wasser) – but its influence is undeniable. In combination with an ambergris-like facet (probably achieved through the use of Ambroxan) it lifts the base, opens it up and gives it much more room to breathe. Indeed, this effortless languor recalls 2010’s Orange Star, whose spirit is arguably as present in LDD as is that of L’Air.
Most notably, this is a scent that wrong-foots the wearer. As soon as you think you’ve located it in sub-Saharan Africa, it spins you around and drops you onto the Atlantic coast of France. And just when you get used to your new location, you’re off on another journey, perhaps to the Californian landscape from which Andy drew inspiration. As is often the case, the trip is far more enjoyable than any single destination.
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