New samples from Les Senteurs

I haven't purchased samples for some time now, in fact not since early September. In the intervening two months, I have managed to obtain quite a number of free samples from my two local department stores, where a number of the sales staff are very generous and willing to hand these out. By way of example, I've received samples of the reissue of Houbigant's Quelques Fleurs, Pehaligon's Sartorial,...

Scent of the day - layering rose and incense

Although incense and rose are by no means an unfamiliar combination, one often thinks of this in a middle-eastern sense, or at least I do. Today I layered a rose fragrance and an incense fragrance, each of which has its roots firmly in the west. In the case of Domenico Caraceni 1913, Italy, and Incense Pure by Sonomo Scent Studio, sunny California in the USA. In reality, Domenico Caraceni...

Paradise lost, Paradise regained

Ok, a silly post folks. Some of you might remember that a few weeks ago I wrote that I had misplaced or lost my entire Amouage sample set. I thought the last I'd seen of it had been when I was in my work toilet, of all places (don't ask). Tragedy!Anyway, today I was rummaging around in one of my desk drawers at work and lo and behold, under a sheath of old, useless papers was my sample set, forlorn...

Happy Thanskgiving

To all of you out there who are American and celebrating Thanksgiving, I wish you all a blessed time together with friends and family. Wherever you are, I hope you wear a perfume that is really special and has good memories for y...

Scent of the day - things are looking rosy

Today I'm wearing two fantastic rose fragrances, one of which I've reviewed in some depth before, namely Un Rose by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. The other is Paestum Rose by Eau d'Italie. Both are wonderful, but quite different. Un Rose starts off bright and realistically rosy, but then quickly segues from the flower to a velvety, dark and heady mix of rose essence, truffles, civet and some...

Amouage Memoir Man and Woman

It's no secret to readers of my blog that I am a fan of Amouage. I think I've made that quite clear! I first had a brief sniff of Memoir Man back in September, when I visited the Amouage Boutique in Knightsbridge, and even then, I suspected that Memoir marked a stylistic departure for the line. Having now acquired and tried samples of both the men's and women's fragrance, I can indeed state that in...

Scent of the day - Divine L'Homme Sage & L'Homme de Coeur

Wearing these two masculine fragrances from Divine, the French perfume company based in Brittany, I realise how much I actually enjoy this niche line. Of the two, L'Homme Sage probably gets more press, and it is very good. However, I think I prefer L'Homme de Coeur, a fantastic iris scent for men. Iris is often thought of as a feminine note, but it is given a totally different treatment by Yann Vasnier,...

Bvlgari Man

I must admit, I generally like the Bvlgari line of perfumes. The majority are solidly crafted, dependable and smell nice. One is a standout for me, the brilliant Bvlgari Black, of which I own a bottle. Rumour has it that it is now discontinued, although I can't vouch for that. Another, Bulgari Pour Homme, not to be confused with the one pictured left, has a gorgeous opening note of petitgrain, one...

Histoires de Parfums - 1828 (Jules Verne) and 1725 (Casanova)

I obtained the full sample set of Histoires de Parfumes perfumes about eighteen months ago. This was before the more recent Tuberose additions to their line. The samples are beautifully packaged and labelled and come with a lovely pamphlet explaining all the perfumes, with full lists of the notes. However, for some reason this line has never fully grabbed my attention. For the most part it languishes...

Costamor Tabacca

Until I ordered a sample of Tabacca from Luckyscent a few months ago, I had very little concept of this fragrance line. Indeed I still don't that much about Costamor, but it is on my radar now. What I can say though, is that I have quickly grown to love this gem of a tobacco fragrance. Actually, grow is not quite correct; I literally fell in love with this at first sniff.I should say that tobacco...

Montale Aoud Lime

Of the Montale Oud fragrance samples I have, Aoud Lime has to be the strangest. I find it quite difficult to write about. Although rather compelling in a way, Aoud Lime is quite an austere fragrance, aloof and even a bit forbidding really. Notes include Pakistan oud, rose, iris, amber, patchouli, sandalwood and saffron. Reading these notes, I am left more confused than ever. Aoud lime does have oud...

Perfume and nausea

Not a subject most people would want to be touching on at the start of a weekend, but I've been suffering this week from a bout of what is sort of a cold, but seems to have flu systems as well. Aches, pains, shivers, loss of appetite, and... nausea and queasiness. If this isn't bad enough, I also find that I can't stomach wearing perfume of any sort. Even my staunch favourites have left me gagging...

Christian Dior Eau Sauvage Extreme

If ever there is proof that a flanker almost never lives up to the original, Eau Savage Extreme has to be it. Great, striking bottle - it looks as good in real life as in the picture at left. Great pedigree as well. After all, the original Eau Sauvage is a classic of men's perfumery. Short of substance I'm afraid. Dior has taken away most of what was special about the original and amped it up with...

Guerlain Bois d'Armenie

At the risk of possibly being lynched, to date I've found the L'Art et la Matiere line distinctly underwhelming. Admittedly I've only tried Bois D'Armenie and Cuir Beluga, but as with Spiriteuse Double Vanille, these all strike me as very subdued and slight on my skin. Now, I am not saying that all perfumes have to shout and stand out, but I need a bit of bang for my buck. They all smell quite similar...

Perfume grief

It's pathetic, I know, but I've recently suffered a perfume bereavement. My full sample set of Amouage perfumes has gone missing, and I haven't a clue where it is. The last time I saw the box was at my work (yes, I do horde perfumes in my desk at work, sicko that I am). It's going to seem crazy, but I think I left the box in the toilet, where I was applying one of the samples, so God only knows where...

Orange Star Haiku

Shining Orange Star,Autumn leaves now fast do fall - I am shiveri...

Scents of the day - Penhaligon's Opus 1870 and Serge Lutens Chergui

I wore two scents of the day today, starting with Penhaligon's Opus 1870. Penhaligon's, quite a traditional, ever so slightly fusty British house, is becoming quite trendy these days, using perfumers such as Bertrand Duchaufour and have released some interesting perfumes within the last year. Opus 1870 is quite understated, but has good lasting power. It's top and heart remind me for some reason of...