Diptyque L'eau de Neroli and L'eau de L'eau

Diptyque is a line I enjoy and appreciate, although it must be said that a lot of their compositions these days seem rather simple and short-lived. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. I think a lot of Diptyque's fragrances are perfect for spring and summer, and seeing that today is the last day of August, and autumn is just round the corner, I thought I would end the month with a couple of quick reviews of two good, yet relatively simple citrus scents.

L'eau de Neroli does pretty much what it says on the tin. This is a brisk, greenish Neroli from the outset. It is quite dry and fragrant, drying down to citrus-and-light-woods, perfect as a pick me up for  a warm spring or hot summer day. It is simple and fairly fleeting, typical of a cologne type of perfume and nice while it lasts. It has what I call that 'typical Diptyque' feel - fresh, zippy, fairly transparent, simple and understated. The top notes are the best phase for me, with that gorgeous and realistic neroli note. The dry down is ok, but nothing to write home about, but then again, I don't usually wear citrus fragrances for their complex development.

L'eau de L'eau is a bit more complex and quirkier than L'eau de Neroli. To my nose it starts sweeter, with far more lemon in it. If I'm being honest, as much as I quite like the opening, it does have a bit of a Lemon Pledge smell to it, which might put some people off. It also has a richer and slightly more polished feel to it. it's not exactly strong, but it has more presence than L'eau de Neroli. I'm thinking there might be some verbena in here too. There's not much more to say about L'eau de L'eau really. It lasts a bit longer, has perhaps a slight herbalness to it and as I said earlier, is a tad quirky in that it doesn't quite smell like anything else I know of.

I'm not sure which of these I prefer or would recommend. I love the opening of L'eau de Neroli, but then it fades away to nothing quite fast. L'eau de L'eau has less of an enticing opening, but does develop in a slightly more interesting fashion. I think both are worth sampling, but unless you are obsessive about citrus perfumes, I can't personally see why anyone would invest in a full bottle of either, particularly if you already have one or two citrus fragrances in your wardrobe.

Sampling fever continues

As I mentioned not long ago, after a hiatus of over three months, I have taken the plunge again and purchased a number of samples, this time from Luckyscent. It is expensive, and I know there are more important things I could spend my money on, but then again, perfume is my hobby. So why shouldn't I indulge every now and then? I don't know about you, but in a way, the actual process of ordering samples can sometimes be more exciting that the sampling itself. There is something about that process of browsing a site like Luckyscent for example that is addictive, looking at the various lines, making a shortlist of what you think you want, reading a few reviews, tweaking the list, then with an intake of breath, clicking that order button, for better or for worse. Then there's the anticipation and waiting. Checking the post each day, searching for that padded tell-tale parcel. I could go on, but I think you get my drift. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like this, am I (said in a plaintive, slightly desperate voice)? 

Anyway, below is a list of my most recent order and once it arrives, I look forward to writing some more reviews as I try them:

Amouage Opus II

Nasomatto China White

Costamor Tabacca

Eau d'Italia Paestum Rose

Eau d'Italia Sienne l'Hiver

Mazzolari Mazzolari

Parfums MDCI Enlivement au Serail

Atelier Orange Sanguine

Atelier Bois Blonds

The Different Company Bois d'Iris

Odin Nomad

Heeley Sel Marin

Domenico Caraceni 1913

Mark Buxton Black Angel

Here's wishing you all a great final day of August 2010.

Divine L'Homme de Coeur

Iris is very often thought of as quite a feminine note in perfume, although I personally love its use and generally don't struggle to pull off most iris-based perfumes. I have sampled quite a few iris perfumes over the last few months, including ones by Le Labo, Van Cleef & Arpels and Chanel. I've never tried Iris Silver Mist but would love to get my mitts on it at some point. Thinking of masculine iris perfumes, the two that spring to mind are Dior Homme and Divine's L'Homme de Coeur. I won't go into much detail on Dior Homme, suffice to say that I love it, but it is not as forwardly masculine as Divine's - there are notes of cocoa and makeup and perhaps lipstick, which seem to divide opinion. Just visit Basenotes to find out how polarising Dior Homme can be. However, I digress. This is a review of L"Homme de Coeur. The notes listed include angelica, juniper berries, cyprus, iris, vetiver, ambergris and wild vanilla. The opening is quite sweet, possibly from the angelica, and quite aromatic. Not surprising considering the juniper and cyprus notes. I thought I detected some citrus, which is not listed. Iris does pop up after a while and the effect of dry, almost dusty iris with fragrant fir notes is a surprisingly good combination, and slightly unusual. I'm not sure if any of you have tried any perfumes by Divine, but all the ones I've tried have quite an aromatic, almost spicy earthiness. The heart is where iris is most prevalent. This is not a powdery iris note, nor floral, nor rooty. It is hard to really say what it is, but probably woody and miles apart in feel from Dior Homme. I would say that if you can get a proper masculine iris note, this would be the one. However, overall I would not say that L'Homme de Coeur is an iris-dominant fragrance; there is a lot else happening here. The vanilla and ambergris combine wonderfully with the iris and vetiver to create a spicy, earthy, yet ever so sweet accord that frankly, is rather compelling. It's not a combination I've encountered before, but it works very well. The longer the fragrance wears, the less obvious the iris is, I think. It's there if you sniff closely enough, but it doesn't progress in the way iris perfumes often do - slightly aloof, cold, sophisticated and ethereal almost. L'Homme de Coeur is sweetish, warm, woody herbal and spicy. For you ladies out there, I would say that this is quite a masculine perfume, but if you can get past that, you might find an iris perfume unlike any other you have smelled before and I would certainly recommend at least trying this. Incidentally, Divine has (or used to when I ordered about 18 months ago) a great sample programme, where you can order samples of the entire line from their website, for very little actually. 

Image credit - www.fragrantica.com

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier - Grain de Plaisir

Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier (MPG) is one of those truly niche lines that seems seldom to attract much attention or reviews. It has its fans, to be sure, but generally it seems to stay beneath the radar somewhat. Grain de Plaisir is one of those perfumes in the line which seems even more obscure and there are very few reviews of it. It's a very masculine perfume, and I'm aware that recently I've been reviewing quite a few masculine perfumes, so I apologise for that; it's not intentional, just that this is how I've been wearing stuff recently. And who knows, perhaps there are some ladies out there who might appreciate some of these. Grain de Plaisir (I have no idea what the name means) opens with a healthy dose of citrus, what I perceive as neroli and petitgrain. There is also quite a lemon-y-ness to it, possibly verbena, and a bit of lavender as well. It has a cologne-like feel, what with the lavender and citrus, but then I detect a strong celery seed/leaf smell, which immediately lends more of a foody smell to it. However, this is not a gourmand by any means, but quite herbal and piquant. If you like celery in cooking, and enjoy its fragrance, then I think you might well like Grain de Plaisir; if not, then you might be struggling. I personally love the smell and taste of celery in every form and for some reason it is almost therapeutic to me, whets my appetite and just makes me feel good. It is no exception with this fragrance - I'm left wanting to sniff my wrist repeatedly to capture that green, herby, aromatic, almost meditative quality that celery brings. As the fragrance progresses, I detect an almost incense-like quality to it, without being really incense-y at all, if that makes any sense. There is also a strong presence of vetiver and amber, and possibly even juniper. The underlying woodiness is patchouli enhanced. I think Grain de Plaisir is actually a very good fragrance, and criminally overlooked. It won't please everyone, that's for sure, and it is quite masculine, but I could certainly recommend it to those of you who are perhaps looked for a citrus-herbal-green scent that can be worn in summer, with some substance, but could also be worn perhaps in the transitional seasons as well.

Perfume notes include celery seed, mastic, myrtle, lavender and exotic woods.

Editions De Parfums Frederic Malle Geranium pour Monsieur

I should start this review by saying that generally I am not a fan of either geranium or mint in perfume. Which begs the question why I would sample a perfume based predominantly on these two notes. I don't mind the smell of mint in itself - in the garden for example, or in a cup of tea, or even as an after-dinner sweet. I'm less of a fan of mint in shower gels or toothpaste, although I don't think I would use a toothpaste that doesn't have a peppermint feel and flavour, I think. And that's where the problem lies, because in every perfume I have tried that uses mint, I have immediately made that association with toothpaste and dental hygiene, both good things, but not a smell I wish to smell on myself or project to others, as if I am a dentist. I am even less of a fan of geranium. There's something about the intense herbal and almost weedy smell of geranium that just doesn't appeal to me. I know there are a lot of people who enjoy the smell of geranium, and there are many gardeners who collect scented geraniums for just this purpose. Ok, now that I've got that out the way, how do I approach Geranium pour Monsieur, developed by a great nose, Dominic Ropion? The fragrance opens with quite an intense, minty sweetness, with mentholated geranium. The geranium is strong and to the fore, but so is the mint. As the sweetness fades, there is a smell of something quite herbal, with a piquancy almost like basil leaf. I think my slightly jaundiced association with dental hygiene begins to rear its head because I then detect a note that is almost rubbery, like latex, just beneath the surface! I must be almost certainly wrong. This opening and early heart phase are quite disconcerting for me and at this stage I don't like Geranium pour Monsieur at all, to the extent that it is verging on being a scrubber. 

Thankfully it is at this point that the fragrance turns quite dry, with a gradual intensifying of musk, a laundry musk to be precise. Although mint and geranium are by no means usurped, they don't dominate as much, and in fact, the mint probably fades away altogether, leaving a coolish and dry geranium, musk and gentle woods accord. I think once I reach this phase, I actually start to enjoy the fragrance, although I can't say it ever gets to the point where I feel I could go and out and purchase a full bottle. In keeping with the style of Frederic Malle, this is quite a cerebral take on geranium and mint, very innovative, and I'm sure people who like these two notes more than I do would appreciate this very much. Having said that, the Frederic Malle line can be a bit polarising, so this could divide opinion. I think I prefer this to another mint fragrance, Cartier Roadster, released at a similar time, but I'm still not convinced that I like geranium or mint in perfume much more than I did before. Although this is quite a masculine fragrance, I don't think a woman couldn't wear or appreciate this, although I suspect it would have more male fans overall. 

Perfume notes: mint, peppermint, geranium, clove, white musk, ambroxan, sandalwood, incense and benzoin.

Image credit - http://scentedgeraniumsofne.com

By Kilian Cruel Intentions

Regular readers of my blog might have gathered by now that I quite enjoy oud-based perfumes. Of course, with my limited experience, I haven't been fortunate enough to try the real thing yet (I think) and so my interpretation of oud is based very much on a Western oud-accord, which, some say, is nothing like the real thing. This in turn is a real simplification, as oud has many different facets and comes from different countries, each of which can differ remarkably, I've read. Anyway, having sampled Pure Oud, I thought I'd try an oud in the By Kilian line, Cruel Intentions. The listed notes include bergamot, orange blossom, violet accord, rose absolute, agarwood (oud) papyrus oil, gaiacwood, vetiver, sandalwood, styrax, castoreum, vanilla and musk. This is a serious list of notes, with some real powerhouse ingredients in there. Which begs the question why on my skin Cruel Intentions seems so tame, murky and indistinct. In fact, in a nutshell, Cruel Intentions smells like M7, by YSL. Don't get me wrong - I actually like M7 a lot. But why would I splash out an insane amount of cash for the Kilian when I can get M7 for probably a third or quarter of the price. Well, not for much longer - I think M7 is on the way out because it doesn't seem to be stocked much in the UK now. Cruel Intentions opens bright and citrusy, without any oud in sight. When I was writing notes for this, I wrote that I could detect cardamom, coriander and lavender, none of which is listed in the notes, so I must have been totally wrong. As the top fades I can detect a slightly muddy or murky oud note emerge that to my nose smells remarkably like M7. In fact, at this point I don't think I would be able to tell one from the other were I to wear them on each wrist. As the fragrance develops, it does become slightly more refined than M7 perhaps, quite woody, a bit smoky, but if I'm being honest, the host of notes listed above fail to make much impact to my nose. I'm obviously no expert, but styrax, castoreum, vetiver and musk were lost on my skin. It does become quite sweet later on, which I would think is the influence of the vanilla, gaiacwood and sandalwood, but this perfume is neither skanky nor particularly edgy to me, despite the name.

I'm sorry if this review seems slightly negative, but Cruel Intentions was a big let down for me, particularly as I enjoyed Back to Black and Pure Oud very much. I'm not sure I would recommend this. I would rather recommend you try M7, a groundbreaking mainstream perfume, very much ahead of its time in my opinion, and now, unfortunately, seemingly on the verge of being discontinued.

Image credit - Luckscent.com

Narciso Rodriguez Musc

I think I mentioned in a post a couple of weeks ago that I found Narciso Rodriguez for him quite a distinctive and interesting perfume. At least it is for me. It is a musky fougere, with violet leaves. I like it, although it is not something I could wear every day. I also like 'for her', which in a way reminds me a little bit of SJP Lovely (or is that the other way round)? Anyway, this is not a review of the perfumes per se, but I was in a department store today, just browsing and generally making a pain in the arse of myself as usual, when I noticed just how many versions of this perfume there are, both for men and women. And they all look, sound and smell fairly similar to each other. For instance, the men's version comes in an EDT and EDP, but I think they have slightly different names and bottle colours. Then you get the musk oil, which is actually subtle, but very nice. Then the ladies seem to get a similar range. Today I noticed that there is an EDP intense out for both men and women, and then lo and behold, even the Essence range has an intense version on the shelves. To my knowledge, none of these releases has been met with much advertising or fanfare, but then again, I might just be oblivious to all this. The point I am trying to make (actually, am I trying to make a point? I'm not even sure) is I'm not quite sure why there are so many different strengths and versions, and I'm not even sure if they are all flankers or meant to be slightly different. One thing I do know is that they are all variations on a musk theme, not a skanky musk, but neither totally laundry clean. As I said, I like the range, but I can't see why there has to be so many riffs on the same theme - couldn't they try something different?

Anyway, apologies for a somewhat pointless post, but I'd be interested if any of you can shed some light on the 'muskery' that is Narciso Rodriguez!

Image credit - www.trungtamnuochoa.com