Acqua di Parma? It must be getting to Christmas!

I don't know what it is like in north America, Europe or anywhere else for that matter, but here in the UK the countdown to Christmas appears well underway. Marks and Spencer is already stocking mince pies and the department stores have been taken over by Christmas decorations, whisky bottles and fancy chocolates. Never mind that it isn't even Halloween yet.Something I've noticed since becoming more interested in perfume is that Acqua di Parma always...

CB I Hate Perfume Musk Reinvention

Fans of CH I Hate Perfume are probably going to hate me for saying this, but I find Musk Reinvention underwhelming. I think it is better than Burning Leaves, and has more presence, which is a good thing. As with Burning Leaves, I have the absolute, which is in oil format and is quite slow to warm up on skin and release its aroma. I still find it somewhat curiously muted and one dimensional.As far as musks go, I can't quite get my head around Musk...

CB I Hate Perfume Burning Leaves

I have one word to sum up CB I Hate Perfume's Burning Leaves - disappointing. I'm sorry, but that is honestly what I feel. I've been trying this one over the last few days and I have an analogy for it. I picture a lovely jelly, all taut and quivering as it comes out the fridge. That is the first ten to fifteen minutes of Burning Leaves, when it smells smoky, yet quite sweet. However after being left for a little while at room temperature, the jelly...

A Monday visit to London

I had to be in the City of London this morning for work. I wasn't sure how long it was going to take, but in the end I finished what I had to do and instead of heading straight back to Tunbridge Wells, I decided to call in on my previous colleagues, who are based close to Victoria Station. I haven't seen them since I left the job, more than three and a half years ago, so it was great to see them all again. I never left under strained circumstances,...

L'Artisan Nuit De Tuberose

I should start by stating that as much as I like Tuberose as a note (in a way), I find it very difficult to wear a lot of tuberose-heavy perfumes, especially those that emphasise its heady, fleshy, tropical, vamp-like qualities. I know its meant to be the age of genderlessness in perfume, but even today, for a man wearing something like that in public, particularly in an office environment, could...

Finally!

The rest of my samples have finally arrived. It's taken a day shy of a month, but at least they're here. Hoor...

L'Artisan Batucada

Fenwick in Tunbridge Wells stocks the L'Artisan line now, as I may have mentioned before. The other day I found Batucada on the shelves. What is it about this name, but I keep on wanting to call it Barracuda! Anyway, the official list of notes from L'Artisan's website is brief in the extreme: Tiare flower, Caipirinha accord and skin notes.In reality, Batucada is a very well executed citrus fragrance,...

A visit to London, running for the Stroke Association and perfume, of course

 I don't think I've mentioned this before, but about two months ago my better half took up running again and as part of the motivation to keep going, signed up for a 10km run as part of raising money for a charity. This took place about six weeks ago and she completed the race in approximately 1hr 17min. Since then she has kept up the good work and yesterday took part in another 10km race in London's Hyde Park, this time for the Stroke Foundation...

Samples frustration

As some of you might recall, I ordered a whole bunch of samples from The Perfumed Court in September. 22 September to be precise. About 10 days later I received the first lot of samples, which was great. I didn't think 10 days was necessarily unreasonable coming from the USA to the UK. Then a few days later I received an email stating that because one of my other samples still wasn't in stock they would send the rest of the samples rather than delaying...

Weekend roundup

Well, it's weekend again here in the UK, and another mostly unseasonal one its been. It still hasn't turned very cool, although the nights are drawing in very quickly now. The clocks turn back on the 30th and it is almost Halloween! I can't believe how fast this year is going. Again...Perfume-wise it has been good though. I've worked through my Serge Lutens samples and was also very pleased to encounter Tubereuse Criminelle. The only one I haven't...

Serge Lutens Rose de Nuit

I think folks might be getting a little tired of my Serge Lutens week. I'm almost finished, I promise. Rose de Nuit is the last one. I am a great fan of rose fragrances. I've tried a good few and Rose de Nuit is one that I've wanted to sample for a long time. One of my all-time favourite rose perfumes is Une Rose by Editions de Parfums Frederic Malle. It is dark, fleshy, complex, rich, sexy and...

Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle

I was in Fenwicks, one of my local department stores yesterday, when lo and behold, on the shelf I saw Serge Luten's Tubereuse Criminelle. I knew that this is the time of year when one of the good uncle's non-export perfumes is made available as a limited edition to the general public outside of Paris, but I didn't realise that this year is the turn of this wonder.Now, I should mention upfront that...

How the time has flown...

I can still remember the day clearly. My wife and I flew to the UK on 9 October 2001, about to embark on an adventure (not through time and space) and a new life in England. We had two suitcases and enough cash to last us for about a month, if that.Ten years on, we are still here, and now own a house (well, actually the bank owns it, more or less), have two children, furniture and a hell of a lot more 'stuff' than could be fit into two suitcases.Are...

Serge Lutens Encens et Lavande

I'm on a bit of a Lutens bender, as you may have gathered, as I work my way through some of the non-export samples I got from The Perfumed Court recently.Encens et Lavande was the one I was most doubtful I would like. It's a bit strange, because a few years ago I used to love the smell of lavender, and in fact I still do - the front path of our garden is lined with lavender that blooms magnificently...

Bleu de Chanel revisited

The best thing about Bleu de Chanel is its slick and sleek packaging and bottle. Millions was spent on the marketing campaign last year and by all accounts it has worked; this along with the juggernaut Chanel brand has catapulted Bleu de Chanel into the heady realm of one of the most successful and popular men's fragrances of the last twelve months.Well, frankly, I clearly am not one of those who...

Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore

It was with great glee that I recently opened one of my sample packages from The Perfumed Court and saw the little vial of Santal de Mysore. I was quite taken with the intensity of the appearance of the juice itself, which in a certain light is jewel-like and looks like it carries a punch, a bit like others in Lutens' stable, such as Fumerie Turque, Chergui, Ambre Sultan, etc. I've seen pictures...

Weekend roundup

I haven't done one of these roundups in a while, not that anyone would miss it anyway, but still...For what it's worth, a few new releases have made their way to my neck of the woods in the last month or so and while I haven't felt hugely compelled to write about these, I thought I would give a brief overview of my impressions of some the more mainstream releases of late.Elie Saab Le Parfum - I can't remember much about it. I do recall a honey note,...

Ungaro III

Following on from my recent post on Ungaro I and II, I have also been sampling Ungaro III. Released in 1993, in short succession after I and II, Ungaro III has the distinction of being the only one of the triumvirate that is still in production and relatively easy to find.Somewhat ironically, the only one still in production also happens to be, in my view, the least original of the three, and the...

Ungaro I and II

So, my samples have arrived and today I tested Ungaro I and II. I'm guessing Ungaro doesn't get much attention, especially among the ladies. Look on Basenotes and there will be plenty of discussion about both of these, each of which is discontinued and very difficult to find, but this tends to be from a very male point of view.Not surprisingly, both of these do tend to be more masculine and dating...

Hooray, some samples at last

After a crappy Monday, I got home to discover that some of my samples from the Perfumed Court have arrived. I've been waiting with bated breath, so now I can't wait to try some Uncle Serge, Ungaro and some oud from Ajmal! Hopefully I'll find the time to actually blog about these for a change...