It's sample time again!

This is a bit of a nonsense post I suppose, but I am quite excited as I have ordered my first batch of samples in about three months. As I'm sure most of you know, or have experienced, obtaining new perfumes can become a bit of an obsession; some would even say an addiction, whether it be full bottles, decants or samples. I can't really afford full bottles or large decants, so samples it is for me, and has been, for at least two years now. I'm sure I've mentioned it before, but my usual sources of purchased samples (I'm not above literally begging sales staff for samples by the way, and am sure I am viewed as a bit of a sicko, or pest, at my local department stores) are Luckyscent in the US, First in Fragrance in Germany, and Les Senteurs in the UK. I have also purchased from The Perfumed Court, but I do find them quite expensive, but admittedly they have an incredible stock. As the pound is currently weak against the Euro, I've also found First in Fragrance quite pricy and can often get the same stuff from Luckyscent for two thirds the price, although admittedly their sample vials tend to be smaller. My experience with The Perfumed Court was good, but a little strange, at least for me. I wasn't used to receiving little packets of perfumes from the various sellers, at different times. In a way it was quite nice because I had three lots of anticipation and deliveries.

I ordered some samples from Les Senteurs yesterday, who are based in London. Again, I've mentioned it before, but for those of you from the US, if you're ever in London, do make the effort to pop into this place in Belgravia, which is but a stone's throw away from Victoria Station. They carry a lovely range of perfumes, including Frederic Malle, Caron, Parfumerie Generale, Serge Lutens, Lorenzo Villoresi, ELDO, Parfums D'Empire, Creed, Mona Di Orio, Parfums Delrae, Byredo and Robert Piguet. Here's a link to their website. What I love about Les Senteurs is that although you pay for samples if you order online, if you visit in person they will happily decant any reasonable number of samples for you, for free.

This is a list of what I ordered: 

Parfumerie Generale - Querelle

Caron - Yatagan

Mona di Orio - Les Nombres D'or Cuir

Andy Tauer - Orange Star

Frederic Malle - Iris Poudre

Byredo Baudelaire

Yatagan was one of the first niche perfumes I ever sampled, more than three years ago, but I can hardly remember what it smelled like, so am keen to try again now that I have more experience. I haven't tried the others before, but have read fairly good things about them.

I would be interested in finding out if any of you have sampled some or all of these.

Incidentally, my scents of the day today were Chanel 28 La Pausa and Czech & Speake's No 88. I have reviewed La Pausa before. I quite like it - very refined and sophisticated. Very Chanel I suppose.  No 88 just doesn't speak to me. I've had samples of this for a year or two now and have worn it at least a dozen times, but nope, it just isn't me. I know it has some ardent fans but I can't get past that slightly sweet, geranium and rose combination, which for some reason reminds me of the smell of a chewing gum we had growing up as kids, called Pepsin. It was almost a wintergreen smell and in itself is quite nice, but for some reason I just don't like it much in a perfume. In fact, I don't like the smell of geraniums very much. Is that strange?

Image credit: www.theperfumeryuk.com

Bleu de Chanel

I'm sure some of you may be aware that Chanel was about to release a new men's fragrance, one which is not in the stable of Allure flankers. This was discussed with much anticipation over on Basenotes for some  months before its release. Initial reviews from bloggers have been disappointing, which disappointed me in turn, as I was really hoping for something good from Chanel after quite a few years since the last original mainstream release. However, I always reserve judgement until I try. Bleu de Chanel came into our stores in Tunbridge Wells this weekend and I tried it for the first time today. This is not going to be a detailed review of the fragrance, but is merely my first impression. To be honest, I'm not blown away by Bleu, but then again, I was never truly expecting to be. Honestly, I am not a perfume snob, but there is very little in current mainstream releases that is exciting me. At the same time, I hasten to add that Bleu is also not as bad as some people have made it out to be. If you are expecting the next Antaeus or Egoiste, then Bleu will probably fall short of the mark. If you are expecting the same old dross to be churned out, then Bleu might at least meet, or even exceed expectations, because despite being not very original, like most Chanel fragrances, they are at least using good quality ingredients and a decent perfumer in Jacque Polge. 

Bleu, despite not being an Allure flanker, does in some respects, as Dimitri over on Sorcery of Scent pointed out, bear quite a few similarities to any of the Allure mens perfumes. However it is not a dead ringer and in the dry down especially, I think it is a bit more original. It is in the dry down that it nods more towards its early predecessors, in particular Pour Monsieur, but only very slightly. I'm in two minds over Bleu. On the one hand it does feel a bit generic and definitely falls squarely in the middle of mainstream and doesn't, in my opinion, add much to the genre. On the other hand, it smells fairly good and unless you are a rabid perfumista, like most of us are, I can see this selling well and making a bundle for the good folk at Chanel. I can definitely see the average man who buys a cologne once or twice a year being sold on Bleu by the sales assistants, no doubt. Perhaps this is damning with faint praise, but there you have it. I for one would love one of the big perfume houses to come out with something new, daring, and original and really push the boat out, but let's be realistic here - mainstream perfume is all about the sales and money these days (and perhaps always was, who knows?) and no one is going to be taking a major gamble when the market is currently so accepting of fairly generic output. 

Another thing is certain - the Allure formula has worked wonders for Chanel and no wonder they've churned out a good few flankers. Allure back in the nineties set the new standard for modern mens perfumery, with its combo of citrus, woods, a bit of spice and musk. Think of almost all the releases since then, with the exception of the marine trend, and you will almost certainly find a formula that includes generic, slightly synthetic citrus, sweet cola-ish musk and that iso e super, slightly buzzy cedar accord. Boom, there you have it, whether it's YSL, Chanel, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, etc, etc. No wonder that these days, when I smell Allure, I immediately think "department store mens fragrance". In a way, it shows just how influential and groundbreaking Allure was at the time.

I'm going slightly off topic now, but on the subject of originality, which I know is subjective, I can think of only a handful of mens mainstream releases over the last 4-5 years that stand out for me - Dior Homme and Terre de Hermes spring to mind, as does Narciso Rodriguez. After that I am struggling. I'm sure there are more, but still...

A last word on Chanel. If I were to rank the mens line, my favourite is probably Antaeus, followed by Egoiste, which incidentally is almost impossible to find in the UK unless you order  it online. A couple of years ago I asked a sales lady why it isn't stocked in the UK anymore and she said she was told that the UK mens market is not comfortable with spicy fragrances that feel more European in nature. That's a telling statement if there ever was one. After Egoiste would come Pour Monsieur, followed by Allure, Platinum Egoiste (which bears absolutely no resemblance to the original Egoiste at all, which itself is quite similar to Bois de Illes) and finally all the Allure flankers. I know Allure Homme Edition Blanche has its followers and I must admit it isn't bad at all.

So, a rambling post, for which I apologise, with very little actual analysis of Bleu de Chanel itself. Perhaps you should try it for yourself and see if it is any good.

Chanel Antaeus

If anyone has been reading my blog articles, one might have noticed that I have reviewed very few (if any) mainstream perfumes, concentrating mainly on niche releases. That probably says more about my current perfume journey rather than a possible perception of my snobbery. I won't lie to you, a lot of mainstream releases leave me stone cold, but I do sample a fair amount of non-niche perfume and Antaeus is a stand-out example of how in my opinion a designer/mainstream perfume ought to be. Ok, this was released in the early eighties, a long time before marine/acqua/sports fragrances hit the scene, but it still smells incredibly good. I've read that Antaeus has been reformulated, and those who owned it prior to that swear that it has changed, and not for the better, but to be honest, I doubt I've even tried the original and I still think it is amazing. I've also read that many people find Antaeus dated; very much an eighties fragrance. Again, to me it doesn't really come across as powerhouse eighties at all. Granted, it isn't a wilting flower, but it doesn't smack you across the head and say: "look at me, I'm a banker-wanker with loads of dosh who does blow and power lunches" either.

The notes for Antaeus, according to fragrantica, are lemon, lime, coriander, myrtle, clary sage, bergamot, thyme, basil, rose, jasmine, patchouli, castoreum, labdanum and oak moss. although more commonly, I've also seen beeswax absolute listed and even cedar and sandalwood. To me, Antaeus smells primarily like a lead pencil, pencil shavings and that smell you used to get at the bottom of an old-fashioned pencil case. To me therefore, this is all about cedar, and a pencil note that smells like lead or graphite. However, most sites that list the notes don't mention cedar at all, but I thought that this is possibly the best rendition of cedar (without resorting to men's cliches of cedar) in a perfume that I've encountered. So if Antaeus doesn't contain cedar, then am I clearly confused and deluded? Anyway, that is what I smell and I'd love to know if any of you who are familiar with Anteaus also think it contains cedar. 

Moving on, that smell of pencil case and pencil shavings is an incredibly evocative and nostalgic trip down memory lane. It takes me right back to early primary school (not sure what you call it in the US) and memories of being handed out our quota of pencils for the school term, and the smell of sharpening pencils in those big old rotary sharpeners that used to be fastened to the desks (at least in my school they were - if this dates me, so be it!). I loved those early school days, the thrill of learning to write and draw, before it all got too serious. The beeswax smell is very noticeable to me too and it blends beautifully with the warm woods smell. I do detect patchouli (which I think may be that lead/graphite accord I get) and I think a touch of sandalwood, which adds to the woody vibe. I must admit, looking at the list of notes above, I don't detect half of these, and I do test Antaeus quite often. I don't detect even a sniff of jasmine, rose or basil, but there is a slight herbal powderiness to Antaeus that I think is the oak moss. A question to you all - how well do you know labdanum? Because again, I don't know if I can detect it, although perhaps it is so well blended that it is a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. There is a distinct leatheriness to Antaeus as well, particularly later in the dry down, but it is not overwhelmingly leathery.

I don't know if this post does Antaeus any justice. Perhaps my confusion about its notes detracts from how good it actually is. I think if I was to buy any of the mainstream Chanel Men's fragrances, Antaeus would top the list. I know there are some others of note, particularly     Pour Monsieur and Egoiste (actually I own Egoiste, but anyway) but I think what I like most about Antaeus is that for me certainly, it smells like nothing else on the market. It is distinct and compelling.

Chanel Cuir de Russie

I've arrived at my final Les Exclusif sample, Cuir de Russie. I know there are more in the series, but I did not order them. I've wanted to try Cuir de Russie for quite some time, having read quite a lot about it over the years. I had a notion that it would wear a bit like Caron's Tabac Blonde, which I adore, and in the dry down I can detect similarities, if not in notes, certainly in spirit. However, Cuir de Russie if anything reminds me of Bandit, but without any green or chypre notes. It has that same feline snarl to it, albeit toned down a touch, in true-to-style chic Chanel fashion, but with the masterful presence of civet, it definitely has a rich, animalic edge to it. I actually find Tabac Blonde less feminine than Cuir de Russie, particularly with its smoky tobacco and hay notes, but having said that, Cuir de Russie is not overbearingly feminine, and I did not feel uncomfortable wearing it. The notes for Cuir de Russie are orange blossom, bergamot, mandarine, clary sage, iris, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, cedar, vetiver, styrax, leather, amber and vanilla. For such a complicated set of notes, I find that it opens on my skin with quite an aldehydic haze and a soft, almost velvety leather note. I don't detect any citrus, but again, dabbing rather than spraying might mute these notes. There is a significant floral undertone, but the only distinct notes on my skin are iris and ylang-ylang, which Chanel loves to use. I find that at this stage the fragrance is ever so slightly soapy, but in a good way and even buttery. There is a voluptuousness to Cuir de Russie, which I didn't think I would find in a Chanel perfume and I suspect this richness is a result of the deft use of civet, augmenting the other notes. At this stage, once the leather intensifies, I feel that spirit of Bandit emerging, but as I said, with no greenness to it at all. There is a vague skankiness to Cuir de Russie, but it is subtle and just bubbling under the surface. The leather is identifiably in the Russian Leather style, but not aggressively so and I find it quite smooth. Into the dry down Cuir de Russie wears like a skin scent and to my nose even smells like skin to an extent, sexy female flesh just slightly blushed with the heat of passion. It does become slightly smoky too. Longevity is good, although it has very muted sillage for me. I really like Cuir de Russie, but I can't help feeling that it would be so much more devastatingly sexy worn by a woman. 

At the end of my Les Exclusifs sojourn, I find that overall I am probably pleasantly surprised by the quality of the fragrances I have sampled; for some reason I was expecting to feel let down. As I mentioned in a previous post, I loved Coromandel and Bois des Iles, and Cuir de Russie is a hit for me as well, although I don't feel my skin does it as much justice to it as the former two do. 28 La Pausa is good but the only one that disappointed me was 31 Rue Cambon. I know this is just my opinion and I'm sure many others would disagree with my rankings.

Image credit - taken from Grain de Musc blog

Chanel 28 La Pausa and 31 Rue Cambon

Following on from my recent foray into the world that is the Chanel Exclusifs, today I am sampling 28 La Pausa and 31 Rue Cambon. La Pausa opens very dry, with a rooty, carroty accord of iris. I don't smell much else for the first few minutes; I do perhaps detect a slight fizz of aldehydes, but it is muted. I haven't found any firm list of notes, but some have listed iris, violet, white musk, vetiver and even pink pepper. I must admit, I struggled to categorise La Pausa. The iris is the dominant note, but once the opening passes, it is neither particularly woody, rooty nor powdery. If anything it is a hybrid of all of this. In the heart La Pausa continues fairly dry and I do find this a very subtle and muted perfume. It has that Chanel "edge' of sophistication and elegance, but I find it almost too light and restrained. I wish it had more 'oomph'. The dry down continues as a fairly light and now woody iris. If anything it takes on a more fruity accord at this point. Someone referred to La Pausa as smelling a bit like Estee Lauder Pleasures, with a fruity white musk component, and I definitely do feel a slight Lauder vibe going on here!

31 Rue Cambon opens very green, even creamy to my nose. It has a much more forceful aldehydic fizz in the opening and is a bit sweeter. To me the green smells like galbanum, although I can't see this listed anywhere. It reminds me a bit of no. 19, albeit a lot smoother and restrained. I found it quite feminine at this stage. In the heart there is still quite a lot of greenness to Rue Cambon, but it also becomes mossy and loses the sweetness. It does wear like a chypre, but to me it smells nothing like Mitsouko, to which it has been compared. I'm not sure what to make of Rue Cambon. I have read a lot of favourable reviews of it, and it seems like it is the favourite Les Exclusif of many, but frankly, I don't get it.

Of the two, I prefer La Pausa. I especially like iris as a note, and if I'm honest, green perfumes are not my favourite genre. That's not to say that Rue Cambon is not good, but it isn't me. Having said that, so far neither of these two is really up my alley. I much prefer Bois des Iles and Coromandel, both of which made an immediate impact on me, whereas I'm feeling almost guilty about being lukewarm about La Pausa and Rue Cambon. It just goes to show how different everyone's taste is. I will give both of these another chance, as I do with most fragrances, because you never know - it could all be so different on another occasion. For the time being, Rue Cambon goes into my purgatory basket, while La Pausa is just on the right side of the fence.

Image credit: www.fashion-forum.org

Chanel Coromandel

As some of you may know, I am working my way through the Chanel Exclusifs samples I recently received. Today I am wearing Coromandel, a fragrance that is apparently inspired by the Coromandel Laquer screens that Coco Chanel had in one of her Paris apartments. I've read differing views, but it seems like Coromandel was created by Jacque Polge with some input by Christopher Sheldrake. The theme of Coromandel, certainly to my nose, is patchouli and amber, with a smidgen of incense, and I could be wrong here, but just a hint of lily and tobacco. The reason I say this is, about half an hour in, I notice an accord that bears more than a passing resemblance to Versace Dreamer, albeit toned down dramatically. I could be speaking total rot here, but to my nose, that is what I smell. I think if I were to introduce a friend to patchouli, this is the perfume I would get him or her to try first. Coromandel is a wonderfully well executed patchouli fragrance, but it is not overbearing, which patchouli can be sometimes, and I think this frightens some people off it as a note. I actually like patchouli, but then, some of my staples are fragrances like Mazzolari Lui and Intrigant Patchouli by Parfumerie General, both of which are in my opinion hard-core patch fests.  What I love about Coromandel is that has that inimitable Chanel feel of understated luxuriance. The patchouli is most definitely there, and it smells like proper patchouli, unlike some of the dross that is churned out these days in the name of patch. But, and this is a big but, the patchouli in Coromandel smells polished and refined, like if you were to attribute an alcoholic term to perfume, this is triple-distilled and then aged in mellow casks. When I say polished, I find the patchouli, in combination with the amber, takes on an almost woody, waxed-and-polished feel. Some people have compared Coromandel to Borneo 1834 by Lutens, and I can see where they are coming from, although I think Borneo carries a much edgier feel with its camphor and coco notes, and overall, it has a far greater oriental feel to it. But perhaps there is no coincidence in this comparison when one considers that Sheldrake has worked with both Lutens and Chanel.

When all is said and done, I find Coromandel to be a compelling fragrance. I wouldn't say that it is uber original, but it is incredibly well-crafted, and like I said earlier, it carries that Chanel hallmark of understated elegance and chic, which is a hard thing to pull off with such a dominant note as patchouli is. So far, the Exclusifs impress me, although more will be revealed as I move on to some of the others. As with Bois des Iles, I can't recommend Coromandel highly enough.