Parfum d'Empire Azemour

Yesterday I wore Parfum d'Empire's Azemour again. My initial impressions of it, back in February can be found here.  I still think Azemour is a very decent perfume, but find that my skin seems to eat it up very quickly. The initial half an hour is wonderful, with the oily, fragrant orange oil full of zing and zest. However, after that it dies down to a very muted, lightly spiced skin scent, at least on me. I've recently read reviews commenting...

A midsummer night's nightmare

The 20th of June was the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. Forget about new-age druids dancing around Stonehenge, the bright rays of sun skimming the horizon. Forget about elfin characters and pixies gliding through verdant glades. Instead, if you live in the UK, the midsummer night's dream turns swiftly into the midsummer night's nightmare, as the wind howls across the land, threatening to tear up trees in full leaf and rain floods southern...

Scent of the day - Teo Cabanel Alahine

Teo Cabanel Alahine is a gem of a perfume, a sample of which I received kind courtesy of Cymbaline. I've read quite a few reviews of Alahine in the past and most describe it as a cozy, feminine amber-and-ylang perfume. I have to say that while it does possess warmth from the oriental-style amber, it does have a resinous 'tang' to it that is almost incense-like at times. I think it is a wonderfully balanced perfume.I don't know what it is about...

Scents of the day - DS & Durga Petitgrain and The Different Company Sel De Vetiver

Today was one of those rare days in England - a warm sunny day. I needed cheering up this morning, so sprayed Sel de Vetiver on one wrist and DS & Durga Petitgrain on the other. I've reviewed both these beauties before, so don't aim to say much here, except that I think Sel de Vetiver is an absolute modern classic. One of my all-time favourites. On a warm, slightly humid day, it sings and hums along, feeling refreshing without ever smelling...

Department store stinginess and Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire

I mentioned last weekend that while in London I popped into the House of Fraser store in Victoria, found they were having a Father's Day special and bought a bottle of Habit Rouge (very nice by the way). While paying for my purchase, I asked the lady behind the counter if she had any Guerlain samples she could throw in. She looked at me hesitantly and then said she could give me some Dior or Chanel samples instead if I liked. I replied by saying...

Layout change

I have been experimenting with some different blog layouts recently (not live) and am now trying something quite different to what I have used before.I'd appreciate it if regular users (or otherwise - always happy to have new visitors) could provide me with some feedback on how easy it is to navigate and read generally. I'm not the sort of person who tinkers much with the visuals of my blog - anyone who has followed my musings for the last couple...

Bex London

I mentioned just the other day that while at Les Senteurs in London, I picked up a couple of samples from the newly-released Bex London range, SE1 and EC2.According to Bex London's website, the founder of the line is Rebecca Goswell, and the four perfumes (SE1, EC2, N6 and W1X) were developed by Francois Robert, the nose behind Lanvin Vetiver, Mary Greenwell Plum and a number of Rosine fragrances...

A serendipitous gift

I should qualify the title of this post by stating that the 'gift' I received in the post was not serendipitous in the true sense of the word. Rather, I received a perfume parcel that I knew I could receive, but had forgotten about entirely.It's hardly the most earth-shattering story, but about a month or so ago, I 'put my name down' on Basenotes to receive samples from a perfume house called Dueto Parfums. I promptly forgot all about it, so was...

A trip to London

My family and I went to London on Saturday, which was really a spur-of-the-moment decision, mainly just to get away from home and do something a little different for a change. London, as always, was extremely busy. Perhaps more so following the recent Jubilee celebrations. It was also the Queen's birthday, so the Trooping of the Colour was taking place down the Mall, so many surrounding roads and areas were closed off for the morning. My older...

Post-Jubilee blues

Following our four-day weekend to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee (which by the way,  was great save for the depressing grey and wet weather) I feel that this working week, which was only three days long, felt more like thirty three days. It's funny how that works sometimes - perhaps its the mental idea that the week will feel short, but in reality one tends to try to squeeze five days work into three, in my experience.The good news is...

Annick Goutal Mon Parfum Cheri Par Camille

Do you ever encounter a perfume that the moment you sniff it, in whatever form, on whatever medium, be it skin or paper, you know that it is not going to be for you?Well, I experienced this with Annick Goutal's Mon Parfum Cheri. I'll be totally upfront and state that I have not given this perfume a fair chance. However, the reason for this is that I can't get past first base - one sniff and I'm gagging. I know this perfume has received some very...

A Jubilee Weekend and Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier

Well, today was the start of the Jubilee bank holiday weekend here in the UK, which means a four-day break and lots of festivities to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee, a 60-year reign as monarch. I can't say I'm complaining. Of course, this being England, the weather has now changed from gloriously sunny to much cooler and damp, which is par for the course for any holiday on the muddy isle!I've had a bit of a quiet time this week, perfume-wise....

Madonna Truth or Dare

Madonna's Truth or Dare perfume has hit my fair town at last, and I felt I had to have a sniff. If truth be told, Truth or Dare is rather good as far as celebrity fragrances are concerned. I'm not an expert in this 'genre' but while I liked Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, I think Madonna's perfume is a bit more daring and unusual, by these standards.Truth or Dare was apparently '15 or 16 years in the making'. If I'm being honest, Truth or Dare is...

Weekend musings

This is the best weekend we have had in England so far this year, at least weather-wise. Warm, sunny weather prevailed, after weeks of rain and cool weather, so it was with great joy that we spent most of the time outdoors.On Saturday Hannah, my older daughter, was invited to a friend's birthday party, held at an indoor play centre, of all places. Luckily they had an outdoor play area, with seating, which is where we spent most of the time. Afterwards...

Hermes Voyage D'Hermes Parfum

In a post of mine in March, here, I mentioned that Hermes had released a parfum version of Voyage. Well, I tried the parfum version for the first time today and I have to say that in my opinion the original perfume wins hands down. It isn't that the parfum is bad, but to my mind it deadens the notes that made the original a curious, yet compelling pastiche of the Hermes aesthetic. The original was fresher, lighter and more vibrant - usually...

Scent of the day - ELDO Rien

Whew, today was a scorcher here in the United Kingdom, which, reading between the lines, means that we got into the low twenties (celsius). On this muddy isle, a day in the twenties means shirts off, skimpiest skirts on, sandals and general bizarre behaviour. Not for nothing the old saying 'only mad dogs and Englishmen enjoy the midday sun'. Or something like that!Today I revisited Rien, a perfume that is rapidly becoming my favourite ELDO fragrance....

L'Artisan Dzing

Today I wore L'Artisan's iconic Dzing, a perfume of genius if ever there was one, in my humble opinion. I can't believe that I wrote about Dzing more than two years ago, here. It feels like just the other day. Reading my review on 13 May 2010, I don't think much has changed. Dzing still smells and wears pretty much like that. It still amazes me how Dzing manages to convey the smells of the circus. Who needs Demeter or CB I Hate Perfume? One...

Weekend - back to basics

This weekend I made a point of wearing two perfumes that I actually own. To call this post 'back to basics' is possibly an insult to Hermes Terre D'Hermes and Gucci Pour Homme, as neither is basic or simple really. They are both, to my mind, examples of what can actually be achieved in the mainstream perfume market. What makes me rage inside, sometimes, is why more of these sorts of perfumes aren't released. I think what I mean by back to basics,...

Hermes Rocabar

I was at my local Fenwicks department store today, who are celebrating their beauty week. I saw a few weeks ago that they are now stocking Rocabar, which I haven't personally come across before, but they didn't have a tester until recently. I've tried Equipage numerous times but Rocabar has eluded me (I'm still on the lookout for Bel Ami, but I am not convinced I will find it here in the UK - if anyone...

Antonio Banderas - Antonio

I received a bottle of Antonio Banderas Antonio as a gift a few years ago. During that time, I have worn it a little, but to be honest, I can't say that I find it very good. It isn't terrible, and to be fair, doesn't smell like a hundred other humdrum masculine perfumes out there, but it translates as quite synthetic on my skin, in the sense of smelling of chemicals. Every time I wear it, I do a search on the internet to try find reviews of...

Serge Lutens Arabie

Could this be one of the good Uncle's most polarising fragrances (let's not even talk about Miel de Bois)? Arabie was the first Lutens perfume I ever tried, way back in the 'misty times' of 2007. It set the tone for what I initially thought applied to all the Lutens perfumes - that oft-talked about syrupy, stewed fruit accord. Arabie has it in spades, but over time, as I've got to know and love the Lutens line, I realise that in actual fact not that...

Serge Lutens Chergui

Oh dear, I wasn't expecting this. I used to like Chergui. A lot. I haven't worn it for some time now, but trying it again today, it came across cloying, over-sweet and just a bit nauseating. It's always been a strong perfume on me, like most Lutens, which aren't known for their light, fleeting sheerness. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that today was quite overcast, humid and rainy at times, which just seemed to amplify all...

Scent of the weekend - 10 Corso Como

This weekend I wore 10 Corso Como, consecutive days. It isn't often that I do this, but it is testament to how good a fragrance 10CC really is. I had a look back over my blog, and see that I've mentioned 10CC in passing on at least six occasions, perhaps more, yet have never written about it in any depth.Named after the address of a Milanese fashion house, 10CC used to be the rage on the perfume...

SOTD - Parfumerie Generale Hyperessence Matale

There is something about Hyeressence Matale that has me intrigued. I have written about it fairly recently, here, and I still stand by my opinion that it is a fairly straightforward fragrance, but smells amazing. It is green and citrusy to start, even mossy, and feels perfect for spring. While that is nice, it is the phase when the smoky tea accord emerges that most seduces me. The tea accord smells a bit like incense to me, which makes me think...

Scent of the day - Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille

Is it just my skin, or is Spiritueuse Double Vanille frustratingly shy? Perhaps I have developed the nasty olfactory habit of wanting all my perfumes to be strong, but SDV is positively (negatively?) a wilting flower on me. I love the ingredients, I love the idea, and I love the smell, when I can smell it.It takes some serious close-up wrist-sniffing to detect it and when I do - yum, yum, yummy! Certainly a skin scent on me, unless my sample was...

Amouage Library Collection Opus VI

As I have mentioned a couple of times recently on this blog, Amouage's latest in the Library Collection, Opus VI, has really struck a chord with me, making it by far my favourite of the Opus range and certainly one of the best recent releases from Amouage, in my opinion. It is no secret here that I am a fan of Amouage, so I should state that my opinion is possibly biased, but in any event, a perfume...

Scent of the day - Prada Amber Pour Homme

I wore Prada's Amber Pour Homme today. I've tried it a few times before, but I have to admit that despite the enticing notes, Prada's perfumes haven't done very much for me. There is a note that all their perfumes seem to have, mainly in the dry down, that just doesn't appeal to me.Anyway, Amber Pour Homme has notes of mandarin, bergamot, cardamom, patchouli, tonka, vanilla, saffron, suede, vetiver and orange blossom. In theory, this combination...

Sunday Star - Orange Star

Apparently the earth is extremely close to the moon at present and it looks up to 30% bigger than usual. The 'supermoon' as it is being called, is actually a full moon known as a perigree full moon and is about 356,400 kilometers from earth, rather than the usual 384,000 kilometers and causes higher than usual tides.That's all good and well, but is only exciting if one can actually see it, which here in the UK, with our present weather, is remote,...

A Serge Saturday

Following on from Borneo 1834 on Friday, today I thought I'd remain in a Lutens mood and wear Amber Sultan by Serge Lutens.I don't have much to say about Ambre Sultan that I haven't said before. It is still my favourite amber perfume, what I call my gold standard. Having said that, the recent Opus VI by Amouage is quickly moving up the rankings! What I especially like about Ambre Sultan is that it is not a sweet and powdery amber, my least favourite....

Scent of the day - Serge Lutens Borneo 1834

Today was chilly and drizzly in England, or at least where I am. I don't know what it is about weather and perfume, but for some reason cooler, damp days often make me want to wear patchouli perfumes. I wouldn't say that patchouli is necessarily a comforting, cozy note. In fact, patchouli can often be quite a challenging note. However, Borneo 1834 from Serge Lutens manages to make patchouli cozy in my opinion, without sacrificing any of the 'integrity'...

Attar Bazaar Mysore Sandalwood

I received a sample of Attar Bazaar's Mysore Sandalwood oil courtesy of Cymbaline, who I met recently in London.I had never heard of Attar Bazaar and was interested to find out after visiting their website that they are based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. They have a host of interesting oils, ranging from rose  to sandalwood to musk, and a lot in between.The Mysore Sandalwood oil, according to their...

Diptyque Boulevard 34 Saint Germain

I only recently encountered Diptyque's Boulevard 34 Saint Germain, which is stocked at my local Space NK store. I vaguely remember seeing some reviews of this fragrance about a year ago, then it all went quiet. The '34' range (I can't be bothered to write out the full name again) was released to celebrate Diptyque's 50th birthday and is meant to 'recreate' the smell of the Diptyque shop, in the...

Happy May Day

Happy May Day to everybody. If you're wearing Lily of the Valley today, then I hope you are enjoying it.I'm not, because I don't have any Lily of the Valley perfumes in my possession, funnily enough, or not.May Day started grey, dank and miserable here in the UK, but thankfully it brightened up considerably to the extent that by evening time, it was glorious. Now I am hoping (praying?) for a good...

Scent of the day - Angeliques sous la Pluie

After days of seemingly endless rain today we finally had a day that verged on glorious, a fitting end to April, with the darling buds of May beckoning.Feeling in a light-hearted mood, I decided to wear Angeliques sous la Pluie. Just saying that name makes me feel good. I've reviewed the fragrance before, see here. What I said then still holds true, except that today it was even more of a skin scent than previously. This time I also detected a lot...

Roja Dove Diaghilev and 400th post

I've had a teeny bit of Roja Dove's Diaghilev for close on six months now, possibly even longer, yet I have never tried it. Courtesy of Carol from waftbycarol refer to this link for her great review. I'm not sure why I hadn't tried it until yesterday. Possibly it is a case of increasing numbers of samples, with the inevitability that some get missed. I had it in a drawer at work, but every time I looked at it, I thought that I would struggle...

Scent of the Day - ELDO Antihero

I am seldom left without an opinion (or a strong one) when it comes to ELDO's perfumes. There are some I like and some that, quite frankly, I don't.Trying Antihero today, I should state from the outset that a lavender-dominant perfume has to have something different to attract me - if I want the true smell of lavender, unadulterated, I would prefer during the summer to stand next to my path lined with lavender bushes in full bloom.Two lavender perfumes...

Scent of the day - Mazzolari Lui

Today I revisited a patchouli fragrance that I have often referenced to, yet for some reason have seldom worn over the last year, namely Mazzolari Lui. You can find a review of mine from a couple of years ago here. I'm not sure what more I can add to this, considering that since that review I have probably tried a dozen excellent patchouli-dominant perfumes, probably more. To be honest, Lui still strikes me as one of the best. Having said...

Fenwick fumeheads

I've mentioned a few times on this blog that I regularly visit the two department stores in my hometown, Tunbridge Wells. Over the last few weeks I've got to know a little better three of the lovely ladies who work in the perfume section of Fenwick. It's always refreshing when I meet people who actually enjoy and appreciate the products they sell. I am not cut out to be in any retail business, but if I were, I think I would struggle if I could...