Friggin' Friday

So, its the last day of March and boy, am I glad it is Le Weekend. Yesterday, I had to go down to Dorset to see a client, just for the day. Now, for those of you not familiar with England, it takes about three hours to get to Dorset by train, if you only include the actual train time. Factor in getting to and from stations, waiting in stations for changes and so forth, and its closer to four hours, perhaps even five if you are unlucky and experience...

2nd year Blogoversary

It's gone by very quickly. I can scarcely believe it, but today my blog is two years old. I'll keep this short and sweet. I've enjoyed these two years of blogging immensely and believe that during this time I have learned a lot about perfume. More importantly, I have discovered a lot of exceptional other blogs, written by wonderful people and along the way, I have also met some wonderful people, albeit it in a virtual world. Perhaps one day...

A sports cologne showdown

Those who read my blog will most likely be aware of my general disdain for flankers, sports cologne flankers in particular. Now, I am not claiming to be unbiased or unprejudiced here. Truth be told, there could well be some decent sports perfumes out there. Indeed, there must be, seeing as they seemingly fly off the shelves and are released with monotonous regularity. Whatever, I don't dig them, so tough shit.In this year of the Olympics, there seems...

A bit of this, a bit of that

As we near the end of March (honestly, how could three months, a whole quarter of 2012, disappear just like that?) here in the UK we've experienced some glorious weather. A slightly nippy breeze aside, we've had days of sunshine and this weekend we got stuck into some gardening for the first time this year. When we moved to our house here in Tunbridge Wells, one of the first things we did during our first winter was to plant a cherry tree in...

Parfumerie Generale Hyperessence Matale

I acquired a sample of  Parfumerie Generale's Hyperessence Matale from Les Senteurs a couple of weeks ago and have been enjoying it a lot.There are a lot of Parfumerie Generale fragrances I enjoy, but must state that it was incredibly refreshing to encounter a fragrance of theirs that is not gourmand in any way. Having said that, the fragrance is not that far removed from food in the sense that...

Aftelier Perfumes Shiso

I've had a sample of Shiso for a couple of months now, courtesy of Cymbaline (thanks!). I'm not really sure what to make of it. It's a curious fragrance, to be sure.Fragrantica describes it as 'an aromatic green fragrance for women and men. Top notes are clove and pepper; middle notes are shiso, pandanus and geranium; basnotes are sandalwood, patchouli and agarwood (oud) Mandy Aftel states that Shiso is based on an old Geisha formula.To me Shiso...

A selection of quotes from Michael Edwards French Feminine Fragrances, part one

Anyone who has followed my blog over the last few weeks will probably have realised that I've been enjoying Michael Edward's wonderful book, French Feminine Fragrances. While I've enjoyed reading about the perfumes and their history, I've possibly enjoyed even more some of the insights and comments by the legendary perfumers behind the fragrances.I am hardly an expert, but for me, the true essence of art is conveyed through emotions, both of the...

Weekend roundup

Well, to be honest, this is not much of a weekend roundup, as I only went to a perfume counter once this weekend, but I did discover that the Roberto Cavalli perfume and Viktor & Rolf's Spicebomb are both available here.I didn't try either of these on skin, so a bit early to give a proper view. Initial impression for the Cavalli is that it is a fairly standard fruity floral. Having said that, it smelled ok to me, but not something that I want...

Lorenzo Villoresi Patchouli

Some of you who might have followed my blog for a couple of years could be aware that I am quite a patchouli fan. I am often on the lookout for patch fragrances and have encountered a number that I love, including, to name but a few, Lutens Borneo 1834, Histoires de Parfum Noir Patchouli, Intrigant Patchouli by Parfumerie Generale and Mazzolari Lui. I don't know why, but for some reason I wasn't...

A visit to Les Senteurs, and some samples

I was in London for work today, and being not too far from Elizabeth Street, where Les Senteurs is located (their original store; the new one is located not far from Marble Arch near Oxford Street), I decided to pay a quick visit. As is always the case, in my experience, the service was impeccable and I was assisted by a lovely young lady, who spent a good twenty minutes running through some of their...

A desire for more citrus

It isn't often that you will see me write these words in the heading of a post. Those who follow my blog will probably know that while I am not averse to citrus fragrances, it is not a family that I gravitate to naturally.Having said that, when the weather warms up just a little, teasing us in March of the good things to come, even I can't resist getting out the citrus samples and spraying with abandon.Today was one such day here in Kent, England,...

Dolce and Gabbana The One Sport

I don't know about you, but generally speaking, when I see the word 'sport' in a fragrance, I run a mile. Dolce and Gabbana have got in on the act now too and are in good company, with the likes of Dior and even Chanel having released sports fragrances.I can't say that any D&G fragrances have blown me away, but I didn't think The One was a bad fragrance. It was ok. As for The One Sport, I...

Scent of the day - Dior Leather Oud

Leather Oud is one of those perfumes that never fails to stir my emotions. It's a delight every time. How often does that happen with perfume? In my experience, quite seldom.I've reviewed Leather Oud in detail before, here, but suffice to say that it is a wonderful fragrance. It still strikes me as being ever so slightly naughty, with a hint of skank that reminds me a little of Absolue Poir Le Soir....

Thierry Mugler A*men Pure Malt

Do yourself a favour one day and go to the Basenotes website and visit the male fragrance discussion under Forum. I can guarantee you that some of the most popular threads will usually involve Amen, particularly Pure Malt and Pure Coffee. Together with anything to do with Creed, you'd be forgiven thinking that the average male fume head was obsessed with these houses.Granted, A*men is very distinctive and successful, and not miles away from its feminine...

Guerlain Tonka Imperiale

Thanks again to the generosity of Cymbaline, I have been trying a sample of Tonka Imperiale on and off for a few weeks now. When I first spray it on, I am immediately reminded of Spiriteuse Double Vanille, without the booze and less smoky. My sample of SDV does not last on my skin. I don't know why, but thankfully Tonka Imperiale has more presence for me.I'm no expert, but if I'm correct, Guerlain has historically used vanilla and tonka a lot in...

Saturday SOTD - Cartier Declaration

Cartier Declaration is another perfume that I've written about before. I want to mention it again, partly because I wore it yesterday and also because I think it is an excellent perfume that is seldom mentioned these days. Created by Jean-Claude Ellena and released in 1998, Declaration has (according to Basenotes) notes of birchwood, bitter orange, bergamot, juniper, artemisia, cardamom, cedar,...

Friday scent of the day - Voyage D'Hermes

I've written about Voyage d'Hermes before, not long after it was first released just under two years ago. I wore it again on Friday and almost two years later, I still feel the same about it as I did then. To me, Voyage is a perfectly nice-smelling and decent perfume. It has that typical understated 'Hermes-ness' and chic sophistication, but ultimately it leaves me wondering why Hermes had to release...

Hermes Eau D'Orange Verte

Depending on one's point of view, 1 March could be seen as the start of spring. I know that strictly speaking spring starts at the spring equinox, I think, or somewhere around 21 March, but I am impatient for spring, so I will choose 1 March, so there!Anyway, what perfume could be more appropriate for spring than Hermes Eau D'Orange Verte? Released many years ago (1979 according to Basenotes),...