A visit to London and Absolue Pour Le Soir

This weekend we went to visit our good friends who live near Canary Wharf in London. I popped into Space NK to test Francis Kurkdjian's Absolue Pour Le Soir. I first tried it in the very same place about 6 months ago and nothing has changed. I still love, love, love it. So smitten am I that I am seriously considering purchasing a full bottle. Am I crazy? I rarely get the impulse to blow £120 on a perfume, but my finger is just itching to type in my credit card number online and get on with it!

I also tried Apom Pour Homme and was surprised by how much I liked it too. It's very much an orange blossom perfume, with a bit of cedar and amber. Kurkdjian is no stranger to orange blossom, with his very good Fleur De Male. 

Later on, when we were all having a coffee together, I presented my wrist to Carmen and asked her what she thought of Absolue. She wrinkled her nose and solemnly declared that it smells like piss. I was taken aback. I mean, I know there is cumin in it, and, I suspect,  civet, but still... A few minutes later I asked her husband, Darren, to have a sniff. He didn't quite wrinkle his nose, but stated that it smelled "something like daisies"! Well, I ask you. And they say opposites attract. No wonder.

Whatever Darren and Carmen think, I still love Absolue. Have you tried it, and if so, what were your impressions?

A London visit in which I discover Cologne Absolue Pour Le Soir

We visited our closest friends this weekend, who live in London. They live close to Canary Wharf, which for those of you familiar with London, will know is now one of the financial hearts of London. I say one of, because the City is still another hub, as is London Bridge, where one of London's most exciting new buildings, the Shard, is being erected. Canary Wharf, for those of you interested in a rudimentary history lesson, was not that long ago (say thirty years,) a derelict wasteland of old docks, at the northerly reach of the Isle of Dogs. Now it is a slick and buzzing hub of gleaming skyscrapers and concrete walkways set between canals, inlets and other docks. Now if this sounds like a homage, it really isn't. If it weren't for the fact that our friends live close by, we probably would never come here, unless I was a banker, accountant, investment banker or maybe one of those enforcers at the FSA, the Financial Services Authority, who regulate banks and other financial service firms in the UK. If that didn't set off the yawns across the world, then I don't know what will...

So what has any of this to do with perfume and more specifically, Francis Kurkdjian's Cologne Pour Le Soir? Well, in a roundabout sort of way there are quite a lot of shops at Canary Wharf, including Space NK Apothecary, which is a chain of stores that stock fragrances, skin care and bath products and that sort of thing. I've written about Space NK before. I must admit that until fairly recently I wasn't that excited by them, but I've discovered that they stock a fairly decent range of perfumes, including Serge Lutens, Francis Kurkdjian, Diptyque, L'Artisan, Tom Ford, Antonia's Flowers, Honore des Pres, Nasomatto, Annick Goutal and a few others. They also stock candles by Carriere Freres. 

My local Tunbridge Wells branch does not stock all of the above, and unfortunately the last time I visited, weren't getting the Kurkdjians. While I was in Canary Wharf, I walked past a Space NK store that stocked these, so I popped in quickly to try a few. I must admit that up till now I haven't been overly impressed by the Kurkdjian line, but to be fair I've only tried a couple that were so-so, but hardly earth shattering. So I tried Cologne Absolue Pour Le Soir and Pour Le Matin. Firstly, I should say that Pour Le Matin is quite good. It was surprisingly good, at least for me, which I wasn't expecting for some reason. But Pour Le Soir - damn this is stupendously good! I don't generally like to to rave about a perfume, but I can't help but do so in this case. I feel excited just typing this now...

As far as I know, the Absolue is a more concentrated version of the Cologne, like an Eau de parfum. According to Luckscent, the notes include benzoin, cumin, ylang-ylang, cedar, sandalwood, incense, honey and rose. At first application, the honeyed sweetness is most evident. It smells startlingly like actual, gloopy honey out the jar, tinged with resins and a smooth rose note. This phase is very good, but as the fragrance progresses, this honey-rose is joined by a gorgeous, smoky incense accord, supported by smoky sandalwood and cedar. There is something animalic in here, but I have to admit that for me this is secondary, although I do detect it to an extent. I'm more interested in that incense accord, because it takes me right back to my childhood, to the Easter Vigil Mass at my Catholic church in the small town where I grew up in South Africa. Easter in the Southern Hemisphere is in autumn, as the seasons are reversed, and the Vigil mass, depending on when Easter falls, can take place on some very cool autumn evenings. I don't want to make this a religious lesson, because it isn't, but for background, the Vigil Mass takes place after Good Friday, on the Saturday evening, and starts off very solemn, usually outside the church, where the Easter Candle is studded with emblems that signify the death and resurrection of Christ, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, and is then lit from the embers of a fire burning outside. The congregation stands around the fire, usually on a dark evening where the wind is sighing through the pines, the incense wafting over from where the altar boys swing censors. Now this  might not mean much to you, but the incense in Cologne Pour Le Soir smells just like this evening to me - not just incense, not just catholic incense, but the whole. The smell of pine, incense, smoke, dust, wind, cool breeze, warm woods of the polished pews once inside and also for some reason, like rosemary, although that doesn't really fit with my earlier image. In a long-winded way, this perfume smells like a part of my childhood, of the rhythms of life ancient and assured, comforting even.

Does this all seem a bit strange? Writing this now, it does, but honestly, that is what Cologne Pour Le Soir does to me, and represents for me. On paper, one could easily reduce this to a description that says this is a rose, incense and honeyed woods perfume. Simple. But it is so much more, masterfully crafted in my opinion. It has everything, and very well balanced at that. Yes it is slightly feral, but this is counterbalanced by all the other subtle facets, not competing and jostling for room, but in perfect harmony, with just enough off-kilter to keep it interesting and compelling. Lasting power is very good too - it lasted for about 10 to 12 hours on my skin and I can still smell it on a paper strip two days later. My only complaint is that Space NK in my town doesn't stock it, and Luckscent aren't selling samples. Damn, I'll have to visit Canary Wharf again!

Image credit - http://www.luckyscent.com/

Another visit to Liberty

I have been away for a few days again seeing a client down in Bournemouth. For those of you not familiar with the UK, Bournemouth is a previously genteel seaside resort in Dorset, which is a county sandwiched between Hampshire to the east and Devon to the west. Probably not the information you were anxious to read, but there you have it. I usually travel there by train, which necessitates a change in London. It's a long journey from where I live, but it does mean I can, if I wish, stop in London on the return trip and visit some perfume haunts. You may recall a post last month where I visited Liberty, the department store just off Oxford Circus, and pictured above left. It's a lovely building, but don't be fooled: as quaint as it looks, it isn't a period Tudor building at all, but was actually built in 1924 using the timber of ships. Nevertheless, it is a quirky store full of little rooms and antiquated chambers, a gorgeous wooden staircase and a lovely gallery at the top. It's worth a visit just for the architecture and curiously old-fashioned feel of it. One thing that is certain is that its merchandise is not out of date or old-fashioned; and the perfume selection is excellent. What I also like about Liberty is that its sales staff do not hassle you. They are quite content to leave you to browse, but if you require assistance they are more than willing to help. I can't say that it is very easy to come by samples though; I've only ever had success at the Diptyque counter. 

I tried quite a few perfumes this past Friday, almost all on paper, so any opinion I've formed is very much a first impression. I'll list them briefly.

Diptyque Vetyverio - this is ok, but has that typically light and understated feel that I find very common in the line. There is vetiver in this, but it is quite subdued and a little nutty/sweet. If you are looking for hard-core vetiver I would suggest moving on to the Frederic Malle counter to try Vetiver Extraordinaire.

L'Artisan Dzhongha - I tried this one on skin. Many of the line have less-than-impressive longevity, but Dzhongha lasted through two showers on my skin and was rather tenacious. It is an incense and tea fragrance, a little smoky and even floral. I was surprised by how sweet it wore on my skin too. In a way I kind of prefer it to Timbuktu but that sweetness does leave me feeling a little unsure.

Escentric 01 by Escentric Molecules - I'm sorry, I can't believe this is actually a perfume. Are they really selling water instead? I don't often say this, but this is a waste of shelf space. I think I have a relatively decent nose but I could not smell this one at all. It was literally fresh air on my skin. Honestly. If any of you have tried this, I'd love to get your take on it. Astounding, not in a good way.

Etro Shaal Nur - I quite liked this. A fairly approachable incense fragrance, perhaps a little sweeter than I would have liked but much easy to cope with than the gothic rising-damp monster that is Messe de Minuit, by the same line.

Comme de Garcon Ouarzazate - another incense, which I'm sure is no stranger to some of you, being one of the five in the incense series. It's not as severe and churchy as Avignon, and again, I quite liked this. It wasn't too sweet, and had a bit of a spice and tea accord which with the incense is contemplative and calming.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Cologne Pour le Soir - I haven't been a huge fan of Kurkdjian in the past, even though I do acknowledge his brilliance, but this is the second in this line that I've tried and it is good. It's a sort of rose-and-light-spice-with-amber/vanilla cologne, not too light but at the same time not at all heavy. It's been composed with a deft touch and is quite interesting for a cologne.

Parfums D'Empire Iskander - it's been quite a while since I tried one from this line, having sampled Ambre Russe and Cuit Ottoman in the past. Iskander is pretty much a slightly aromatic fougere, with predominantly citrus and moss and musk. It's very much in the style of De Nicolai's New York, I think, without the lavender. 

Parfumes D'Empire Equistrius - this is apparently an iris-based fragrance, which it may well be, but iris wasn't particularly evident on a scent strip. The opening was very similar to Ambre Russe I thought, with an alcoholic vodka-like note. Later on it smelled quite ambery to me. It is different and I wouldn't mind trying this on skin next time.

Well, that's about it, I think. Not proper reviews I suppose, and like I said, most of these were only sprayed on paper, so perhaps development on skin would be quite different. I think one thing this blog post hopefully shows is how good a range of perfumes Liberty stocks. I have listed the main players in my previous Liberty post, which can be read here.

   

Testing frenzy at Liberty, London

I had the pleasure of spending a morning in London yesterday, attending a thrilling course entitled "How to extract profits from owner-managed businesses". London is one of those cities that for me is hateful in the summer. I find it overcrowded, thronging with tourists wandering aimlessly around getting in the way, hot to the point of stifling on the public transport systems and most of all, smelly. Not smelly in a good way, but one is overwhelmed by the smells of unwashed sweaty bodies, sewers and drains that are putrid and faecal and then the assault of fumes; of exhausts, tar, building rubble and hot food. Perhaps this is a bit unfair, and I'm sure thousands of people adore summery London, but I'm glad I don't work or live there anymore. Rant over, but staying with smells, I was able to visit Liberty, the department store near Oxford Circus, which has a fantastic selection of niche and other perfumes. Just to give you a flavour for what is there, they stock Frederic Malle, Le Labo, Diptyque, Rosinne, Comme de Garcon, Serge Lutens, Caron, L'Artisan, Nasamotto, Francis Kurkdjian, Etro, Essentric Molecules, Keiko Mecheri, Annick Goutal, Miller Harris, Byredo,  Costume National, Ineke, and um, I can't remember the rest, but there is more. For those of you who haven't been to London before, or perhaps have visited the usual haunts, like Harrods or Selfridges, I can heartily recommend popping into Liberty if you are in the West End.

I was like a kid in a sweet shop yesterday, spraying crazily onto scent strips and I got to the point where I reached sensory overload, but it was brilliant! I'm setting out below a brief note on what I tried, all on scent strips with the exception of Nuit de Tuberose, so these are only initial impressions and could quite easily develop differently on skin.

Le Labo Labdanum 18 - I was pleasantly surprised. I've read a lot of mixed reviews but it is very interesting. True, it is sweet and for a good time it smells uncannily like Johnsons Baby Powder to me, but it veers into some interesting territory. I can understand the comparisons with Shalimar and even Musk Ravageur.

Le Labo Neroli 36 - again pleasantly surprised. This is about as true a Neroli scent I think you can get. It's quite dry and restrained, but I think would wear brilliantly in summer.

Serge Lutens Bois et Violette - it was immediately obvious the connection with and progression from the original bois progenitor, Feminite du Bois. Tasteful and elegant. My wife liked it, so it must be a winner....

Francis Kurkdjian Lumenier Noir Pour Homme - better than I thought it would be. Quite musky, with little nods to Le Male here and there, but thankfully far less synthetic. I quite liked the little ginger fizz that mingled with the laundry-like musk. Another hit with my wife, hooray!

Nasamotto Black Afgano - quite pungent and to my nose mainly a vetiver fragrance. I actually loved this on paper. My wife recoiled in horror. Tick.

Byredo Baudelaire - another vetiver, quite smoky. Again, I liked this. Byredo has been hit or miss with me, but this one is nice. Would like to get my hands on a sample.

L'Artisan Tea for Two - a typical L'Artisan scent, slightly exotic but a bit too restrained. It is interesting though, with a nice spiced chai mingling with a subtle milky accord. A smidgen of incense to perk it up.

L'Artisan Passage D'enfer - not quite sure about this. It is even lighter than Tea for Two, and reminds me a little of the style used in Timbuktu.

Marrakesh Musc Le Orientalist - starts off intensely sweet but luckily turns to more familiar musk territory. A decent musk, I'd like to test this on skin. I wouldn't call it skanky, but it did wander into territory that was quite sexy.

L'Artisan Nuit de tuberose - this was the only one I tested on skin and I was quite impressed. This is another one that has either received rave reviews (Grain de Musc) or disdain (Peredepierre). I was expecting more tuberose but it was very subtle. Definitely could be worn by a man. I liked the spicy and peppery opening and again, I'd love to get a sample to test properly. On paper the tuberose was more evident and there was a slighly strange, almost 'off' or rotting note that emerged, which I never detected on skin. Worth a try I reckon.

Robert Piguet Fracas - I've read a lot about Fracas in the past. It's nice, but honestly I think Frederic Malle's Carnal Flower was far more interesting. Fracas is tuberose straight up, slightly fleshy, a bit coconutty, but that's it, in my opinion of course! My wife recoiled - I don't think she likes white florals...

So that was it. I really enjoyed this visit and I'd love to get back to Liberty as soon as possible. Next time I'm in London I need to get over to Selfridges to try the new Amouage Library fragrances. Have a good weekend everyone.