Parfums De Nicolai New York

New York is one of those perfumes that has a huge following on Basenotes in particular. I hate to be negative in a review, but I'm going to be honest, front up, and admit from the start that I have really struggled to appreciate New York, despite sampling it a number of times. The notes include bergamot, sicilian lemon, cloves, thyme, cinnamon, black pepper, pimento, oakmoss, vetiver and amber. On...

L'Artisan Timbuktu

Timbuktu is one of my favourites in L'Artisan's lineup. Created by Bertand Duchaufour, it is meant to be inspired by a trip to Mali in West Africa and contains notes of green mango, pink pepper berries, cardamon, karo karounde flower, smoky incense of papyrus wood, patchouli, myrrh and vetiver. For some reason, Timbuktu reminds me not of West Africa, but of some high, cold and desolate plateau such...

It's the journey that matters

I mentioned quite recently that I had purchased two full bottles of Guerlain L'instant and Gucci Pour Homme. This is something that I seldom do. I don't own a lot of full bottles, concentrating mostly on samples, as my almost unquenchable thirst for learning about, and experiencing, perfume continues. However, I must say that having worn these two almost constantly for about two weeks (not simultaneously)...

Too tired to wear perfume

I've been extremely busy at work recently, working long hours to meet deadlines and the stress is making me tired. I'm not expecting sympathy - most of us go through periods like this from time to time and it's a consequence in part of modern day life. What often surprises me though is how seldom I am inclined to wear perfume when I am tired, stressed and overworked. It's not a time issue. After...

Musk I ask what she is wearing?

This might strike some as a slightly strange post. I'm going to confess that a lady at work has been driving me crazy and that I'm attracted to her scent. Now, before you wonder what naughty stuff I might be contemplating, let me say unequivocally that I am not a letch. I don't fancy her at all, although she is by no means unattractive and she is a perfectly nice person. Rather, she wears a perfume...

Dolce & Gabbana The One Gentleman

I've known of The One Gentleman for some time now, but some reason it only reached my local department stores fairly recently. I remember trying the original The One and thinking that it was ok, but not particularly remarkable. In a bland selection of mainstream offerings, it stood up quite well. For some reason I had a preconceived idea that this flanker would be  rubbish. I don't know why,...

Parfums MDCI - Enlevement au Serail

Enlevement au Serail was created by Francis Kurkdjian, originally called FK3. The notes include bergamot, mandarin, ylang-ylang, jasmine sambac, tuberose, rose, wallflower, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and vetiver. This is a perfume that got me thinking. It is cerebral and hard to describe. Even as I write this I can't quite get my head around it. Styled as a chypre, not my favourite genre,...

Serge Lutens - Cuir Mauresque

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that Cuir Mauresque would be making its merry way to our shores (the UK that is; I assume it will reach the US as well) towards the end of this year. Well, the good news is that it is here already, and I've been sampling it on and off over the last week. Cuir Mauresque is usually a Paris-exclusive, available only if you visit the Salon in Paris, or if you order from...

Anniversary treat

Some of you may recall that my wife and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary last month, and part of the 'pact' was that we'd each treat ourselves to something that is dear to us. In my wife's case, it was another set of knitting needles. She is an avid (one might even say compulsive) knitter. Well, no shame in that. After all, what am I if not at least as compulsive a 'fumehead? Anyway, I've...

Parfumerie Generale - Corps et Ames

Although I quite admire chypre-style perfumes, I am not an out-and-out fan. I know and appreciate the history of chypres, but for some reason they just aren't really me. Having said that, I love Mitsouko, and Chanel No 19 is a crackerjack of a fragrance. Corps et Ames is styled as a more masculine chypre and to me opens quite aldehydic and strong, with a definite green, sappy kick. I'd say it was...

Amouage Lyric Woman and Man

Seeing that I'm in an Amouage frame of mind, I thought I'd put together some thoughts on Lyric Woman and Lyric Man, two excellent fragrances from Amouage. I find the whole Man and Woman thing quite interesting. In the case of Lyric and Epic, both the masculine and feminine versions do have some similarities. For example, Lyric is mostly about rose, while Epic is about tea and oud. Earlier fragrances...

Amouage Opus II Library Collection

As quite a few people have pointed out recently, Amouage seems to be churning out fragrances. Certainly in the last nine months they've released about seven new ones, including the recent Memoir Man and Woman. It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Amouage and any review of their products leaves me feeling slightly apprehensive, in case I am blinded by bias and not impartial. The Library Collection...

The penny drops

Don't you find it is weird sometimes how you can test a fragrance for some time and be so not in love, then come back to it a few weeks later, or in a different season, and find your perception of it has totally changed? This has happened to me recently with two perfumes, Papyrus de Ciane by Parfumerie Generale and Fat Electrician by ELDO. When I first tried these in the summer I sort of liked them,...

Calling Cymbaline!

Cymbaline, wherefore art thou Cymbaline? I'm still waiting (and hoping) for you to email me with your details so I can send you the samples you won in my 100th post draw! Please get hold of me!Sorry if you are away or something like that and haven't been checking messag...

Nasomatto China White

Besides the obvious slang association with a drug, heroin, that China White brings to mind, I didn't really know much about this perfume prior to ordering a sample. I was expecting something quite severe, chalky perhaps, that would end up being a chypre or leather. Instead, China White strikes me as more oriental in nature, particularly in the first half of its development. It opens surprisingly warm...

Taking stock and an autumn roundup

So, autumn has truly arrived in the muddy isle (aka the United Kingdom), true to form as October 1st dawned, blustery with near-torrential rain. Autumn can be a lovely time, as we all know. Who isn't moved by a bright, crystalline-fresh morning, leaves turning golden, the smell of woodsmoke redolent in the air? Unfortunately, the other side of the coin is the aforementioned weather, and grey, dull...