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...

On perfume 'compliments'

I don't receive a lot of perfume compliments. Actually, on reflection, I don't receive any perfume compliments. What I can rely on though, is honesty from my good wife.Today I wore Lorenzo Villoresi's Patchouli, which I've written about briefly before. I personally think it is quite a nice patchouli perfume, but I always subject my perfumes to the acid test - the scrutiny of my wife's nose.When I got home this evening I presented my wrist to...

With Cymbaline in London - snifftastic

Cymbaline is a lovely lady who I've become friendly with as she has commented regularly on my blog and we've exchanged perfume samples. It also turns out that she is a Bob Dylan fan too, which is even better!She and her friend Tanya were in London for a week's holiday recently and we agreed to meet up in London and I'd show them around the perfume 'sites', so to speak. I suppose one does not know what to expect when meeting someone for the first...

Scents of the day - Ormonde Jayne Tolu and Orris Noir

I recently acquired the Ormonde Jayne discovery set, not by any endeavour on my part, but thanks yet again to the generosity of a good friend and perfume fanatic. Thank you so much!I have tried a few from the OJ line in the past, including Ta'if, Isfarkand, Ormonde Woman and Champaca. Having tried Orris Noir now too, I can quite easily recognise a very distinct house note. It's an elegant, slightly peppery, slightly woody, slightly floral accord....

Scent of the day - Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Iris Bleu Gris

This iris offering for men from MPG is interesting, yet I think I need to wear it a few more times to form a proper opinion. The hefty iris accord is masked somewhat by florals (jasmine), citrus, musk and a herbal/vegetal accord that could come from vetiver and oakmoss.To my nose Iris Bleu Gris does translate as a bit on the powdery side. I have it from a good source that the reason iris and violet can smell powdery in perfume is because perfumers...

Scent of the day - En Voyage Perfumes Go Ask Alice

A sample of Go Ask Alice came to me recently courtesy of my kind friend Cymbaline, whom I met last week in London (post to follow in due course).I can't say I know a lot about En Voyage Perfumes and Shelley Waddington, the creator behind the perfume. I vaguely remember following the Summer of Love patchouli project last year, but having not encountered any of the perfumes, I didn't pay much attention to it after that. However, now that I've tried...

Scent of the day - Etat Libre D'orange Rien

Like quite a few people, probably, ELDO's range of perfumes tend to be hi-or-miss with me. One thing I can state though, is that the line seldom fails to elicit some sort of reaction, irrespective of the risque names and packaging, which is a good thing.Although this is only the first time I've tried Rien, I have to say that straight off the bat it is likely to be a hit. A hard-hitting, slightly smutty leather and patchouli perfume, Rien is definitely...

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

Following on from my first post a few weeks ago, I thought I'd share a few more quotes from this excellent fragrance book. These quotes cover a slightly later period of the 20th century, up to about 1976. While I could add a few more as a subsequent installment, I think I will stop here. I think these quotes serve to illustrate amply that perfumery is an art!Guy Robert on Ernest Daltroff: "Today, when copycats make money, and perfumers are discouraged...

Farewells

Some of you may remember a post of mine a couple of months ago when I mentioned that our closest friends in the UK, Darren and Carmen, were moving back to Australia after having lived here for ten years. Today was the day we said our farewells. A sad day, made all the stranger and slightly awkward by the fact that we also got together today with other friends to celebrate the birthdays of my wife Wendy and my younger daughter Daisy. So it was...

April - a damp squib and a cold

I am on holiday for the next week and true to form, after days of glorious spring sunshine, the weather turned, reverting to a much colder, breezy and wet early April. Oh well, that's weather for you, but strange how often it snows during Monday morning rush hour, rather than on the weekend, when we can all enjoy it, or how the whole working week can be sunny and warm, with it turning cold and damp by the weekend!On the subject of cold, I have 'acquired'...