Here’s part 2 of my digest of mini-reviews from Twitter, spanning January to March 2015. For part 1, please click here.
À La Rose from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (Francis Kurkdjian; 2014)*
Give this one plenty of skin time! You think it’s going to be a simple soliflore, but it keeps surprising. It’s like a tour through all sorts of different rose perfumes: green, jammy, airy, honeyed, musky. Both light and substantial. A real treat.
La Petite Robe Noire – Ma Robe Pétales from Guerlain (Thierry Wasser; 2015)*
Pistachio note takes away cheerfulness of original‘s cherry & almond. No sparkle. No zing.
Bronze Goddess from Estée Lauder (2015)*
One of the best ‘coconut/suntan lotion’ scents, because it tempers sugars with wood. No longer limited edition!
Reveal from Calvin Klein (Jean-Marc Chaillan & Bruno Jovanovic; 2014)*
Genuinely interesting savoury/salt note at start. Moves to more familiar musk territory, but still, worth checking out.
Rose Amazone from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2015)*
Typically luminous, figgy, lychee-rose. Not much evidence of original’s hyacinth. Touch too soapy but likeable enough.
Rose Privée from L’Artisan Parfumeur (Bertrand Duchaufour & Stephanie Bakouche; 2015)*
Syllabub with roses. Complex, uplifting & as enjoyable as a spring picnic beneath the branches of a willow.
Œillet Sauvage from L’Artisan Parfumeur (Anne Flipo; 2015 [re-release of 2000 original])*
More-than-competent carnation. Boozy, spicy, woody. Great longevity. Fresh rather than ‘sauvage’.
L’Eau Du Caporal from L’Artisan Parfumeur (Jacques Fraysse; 2015 [re-release of 1985 original])*
Thin, harsh herbal aromatic with very mean disposition. Not sure why public demanded this back.
True Lust from Etat Libre D’Orange (2015)*
Not especially lusty, but still rather attractive powdery, fruity violet, with bit of an edge. Biscuit base.
Iris Meadow from Aerin (2014)*
Pretty good fresh, lemony iris. Shades of tea cologne. Thin, soapy drydown. A linear, unassuming ‘lifestyle’ scent.
Rose De Grasse from Aerin (2015)*
Well-executed soliflore. Brings nothing new to genre, but happy, sunny and rosy-cheeked throughout its development.
Egypt from Eight & Bob (2014)*
Revenge of the 80s. AGAIN! Cheap citrus woods, with a dark chocolate note. I love Egypt. But I don’t love this.
1 from Nejma (2014)*
An almost-clone of Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, with injection of watery note and glue-like, plastic facet. Its heart feels hollow.
2 from Nejma (2014)*
Attractive marriage of Nahema and L’Artisan’s Rose Des Indes candle. Plush, fruity rose, but perhaps somewhat lacking in drama.
3 from Nejma (2014)*
Shades of Montale Aoud Cuir D’Arabie. Sharp, inky oud, heading to synth sandalwood via fresh rose notes. Derivatively ‘Arabian’.
4 from Nejma (2014)*
A retro tribute to the likes of Mitsouko and Opium. Carnation, rose, jasmine, clove & mosses. More-ish, but ends on a flat note.
5 from Nejma (2014)*
Fairly nondescript, musky, shampoo-like floral. The cinnamon effect recalls Noir Epices. Quiet. Restrained. Forgettable.
6 from Nejma (2014)*
More proof – if more were needed – that aquatics ought to be avoided. Jarring combo of melony fruit & marine notes. Drown-worthy.
7 from Nejma (2014)*
Sweet, chocolate-y dates and amber, with musks and dry woods. Likeable, but predictable. Apparently the brand’s bestseller.
Persolaise
* sample provided by brand
** sample obtained by the author
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