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 more musk. The strange thing about this perfume is that it is so light that you really do have to hold your nose right up to your skin to detect it, yet it genuinely does last all day.

In a way, it is perfect for spring, capturing that most fleeting of seasons.

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 to pull it off in a work environment, having read that it is a chypre in the grand old style.

I needn't have worried. Like other classic chypres (and Diaghilev obviously isn't, in the sense that it was only created in the last couple of years) it can be worn by a man, in my opinion. I wear Mitsouko quite often, although I must admit that it is easiest to wear the current eau de toilette, which I think is the most man-friendly, for want of a better expression. Anyway, I digress.

Diaghilev surprised me in the sense that it was full-on chypre goodness, with plenty of florals and oakmoss, yet had a sensuousness (perhaps an almost oriental feel) later on in the base, no doubt as a result of the vanilla, and patchouli possibly. Like Carol mentions in her review, there is a definite  animalic-ness to it, which makes it feel quite classic and vintage in feel, despite its recent heritage. This is possibly no surprise, considering Roja Dove's love for a lot of the classic perfumes.

I was wearing Caron's Nuit de Noel a few nights ago and was struck by the similarity between the two, at least to me. While the Caron perhaps differs slightly by having that distinctive Caron base (by the way, I can find a definite correlation between Nuit de Noel and Tabac Blonde, ignoring the smoke and leather aspects, but that's another story) they are both essentially excellent old-school-in-feel chypres, which can't be a bad thing.


Sorry to be so vulgar as to not only keep tabs on my post count, but also to have the temerity to draw attention to it, but today is my 400th post. I'm not obsessed with post counts, but having reached the 400 milestone I was struck by how quickly time flies - it really does seem sometimes like it was just the other day that I posted for the first time on From Top To Bottom!

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 that I do really enjoy both are by the same house, Serge Lutens, namely Gris Clair and Encens et Lavande. I also quite enjoy Caron's Pour Un Homme and Jicky.

Anyway, Antihero smells very lavender-y straight from the vial. The opening is also very much dominated by lavender, to the point that the perfume smells nose-searingly of the essential oil. After that, it smells a bit synthetic. I gave the perfume time to settle down, then when I smelled it again, I was struck by a smell that quite frankly smells like halitosis. I kid you not, and it is the first time I have smelled such an accord in a perfume; not a welcome one, mind you. I thought this would be a deal-breaker, unsurprisingly, yet this bad breath phase only lasts a few minutes, following which Antihero softens to a musk-and-lavender base that is not a million miles removed from Pour Un Homme actually, without ever smelling exactly like it.

I have to say that Antihero is a strange fragrance. I need to try it a few more times to see if that bad breath note comes back...

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 that, if you aren't a fan of a strong, distinctive patchouli note, then I'd be surprised if you will like Lui. 

Lui is animalic, fur-like, musty, earthy and dry. Then in the dry down it becomes warmer, slightly sweeter, almost polished in feel, without losing its sexy, distinctive character. Lui means 'him' if I'm not mistaken, but to me Lui is not necessarily that masculine. Personally I often find that patchouli has a more masculine character about it anyway, particularly the stronger ones, though that isn't to say that I think a woman can't wear patchouli. On the contrary  I would positively encourage anyone to try Mazzolari Lui. It is that good.

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 not be excited by my product. Not everyone is like that of course - walk through any department store in a big bustling city and you will encounter just as many people who couldn't give a monkeys about it. I'm not judging, but just saying...

Anyway, Fenwick has got in some interesting perfumes recently. I think it must be difficult sometimes to cater to varying tastes. Fenwick stock a lot of very mainstream perfumes and there is nothing wrong with that at all and they also try to get in some of the more interesting lines out there which I reckon must involve  a fair amount of judgement  in trying not to stock something that is so niche that it doesn't sell, particularly in a smallish town, albeit a fairly affluent one.

It is nice to see that they are stocking Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino, which I personally think smells great. It is a citrus cologne, but has good lasting power. Also new are two Creeds, Bois de Cedrat and Zeste Mandarine Pamplemousse, both perfect for spring weather, speaking of which, has deserted the UK, quite sadly. Also in is Boucheron Jaipur and Jaipur Homme, which I haven't seen a lot of in recent years. Jaipur Homme is an oriental, and used to be talked about quite a lot on the Basenotes boards a few years ago, but doesn't seem to garner as much attention these days. Another fairly recent addition is Uncle Serge's L'eau Froide, which I prefer to the original, with a more interesting twist of icy incense.

So, to my friends at Fenwick's perfume department - keep up the good work, and enjoy the samples!

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 her in the usual fashion, saying: "smell this, I'm sure you'll like it."(I'm forever an optimist)

My wife's brief but eloquent response was: "Ew, you smell like rat poison!"

Thinking about it, patchouli, with its musty, mothball-like odour, could smell like some sort of pesticide.

For the record, I still like Lorenzo Villoresi's Patchouli. Lorenzo, if you're reading this post, no offence mate, my wife is just like that sometimes...

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 time, which is particularly strange when a friendship has developed over the internet. It was a first for me, but I can honestly say that Cym is as nice in the flesh as she is in cyber-world, and it turned out that Tanya was too.

I caught the train up to London and made my way over to Pimlico, meeting Cym and Tanya at their little hotel on Belgrave Road. I know the Pimlico/Victoria/Belgravia areas of London very well, having first stayed in a hostel in Victoria when my wife and I arrived for the first time in London way back in 2001. Later on, the company I worked for relocated to Victoria from Piccadilly, so I spent many a lunch hour traipsing the local streets, which coincided with the time when I first got 'into' perfume. It was just a matter of time before I discovered Les Senteurs in Elizabeth Street, not far away.

Anyway, we all walked the short distance from the hotel to Les Senteurs and spent a very enjoyable hour just sniffing and looking at what they stock. I think Cym and Tanya really enjoyed this little niche gem of a store. I know I certainly do and go back time and again. They've opened a new outlet near Marble Arch and I haven't been there yet, but I love the Belgravia branch. We sniffed so much stuff that it is hard to recall everything we tried. Tanya is a fan of leather, so I know she sampled quite a few leather fragrances, including Mona Di Orio's Cuir. Cym and Tanya must have sprayed perfume on almost every conceivable area of exposed flesh! Although my sense of smell was still not quite right on the day (still recovering from a cold) I did smell a lot too and ended up getting samples of ELDO's Rien and Antihero, MPG Iris Bleu Gris and Lorenzo Villoresi's Incensi. Cym and I also smelled the new ELDO Bijou Romantique and Fils De Dieu and Heeley's Agarwood. I have to say that none of the last three impressed me much on an initial sniff. The Agarwood in particular was very slight and to be honest, I am so over oud already, that it takes a very special oud perfume indeed to wow me.

We left Les Senteurs almost in a daze and moved on to the Amouage Boutique on Lowndes Street, not far from Harrods. Cym was very keen to visit the boutique and I must say that it is very elegant and well presented. Needless to say, it smells heavenly too. Cym ended up purchasing a solid perfume of what I think is Epic and also a cream. We also smelled the new Library Collection Opus VI. I think it is safe to say that all three of us loved it. Having tried Opus VI a few times now, I can reliably confirm that it is by far my favourite in the Library Collection and the best I have smelled from Amouage in quite some time. Its combination of dry smoky amber is potent and gorgeous. If you haven't tried it already, get your hands on a sample, I urge you!

It was lunchtime by now so we meandered over to a sandwich shop across the road from Harrods and had a quick bite to eat. Cym and Tanya found it very amusing that here in the UK most exit signs say 'Way Out' rather than 'Exit' and we also chuckled over some other British peculiarities and turns of phrase. We had a good chat about where they come from in Washington State. One thing we definitely seem to have in common is the weather!

After lunch we went into that curious temple of kitsch and style that is Harrods. After climbing about six flights of stairs we eventually made our way into Roja Dove's Haute Perfumerie. Again, I think I can safely say that we were in awe - so much good and rare stuff is on display here that it felt like a pilgrimage to me. A revelation to me was when Cym asked me to dab on Onda Parfum Extrait by Vero Profumo. Wowza! What a bomb of a fragrance and strong too. So strong that I still had it on my skin 24 hours later, but what a stunning perfume, so animalic and complex. Cym also steered me to trying Invasion Barbare by Parfums MDCI. Again, I liked it very much. I haven't tried much by MDCI but this is great. By this point we had tried so many perfumes that I honestly can't recall what else we looked at, but it was a fabulous experience.

We were so 'perfumed out' by now that we decided our last stop would be Ormonde Jayne's boutique in Mayfair, so we caught a tube to Green Park and on to the Royal Arcade. When we walked into OJ, it was empty downstairs and silent, save for the tinkling bell as we entered. We stood there and were immediately met with the distinctive OJ house note, coming no doubt from the many products on display. We heard a voice shout out from upstairs that she was coming down and soon were met by an exuberant and excitable short lady, who very charmingly started to explain the perfumes to us. Although I am sure that between us we had no space to spray, the lady began to spray us with Orris Noir, Zizan and Isfarkand and explained a bit more about her perfumes. It was only at that point that we all clicked that this was no sales assistant, but Linda Pilkington herself, the owner and creator of OJ! I am not someone who has met any perfumers, so it was a real treat to meet Linda. The thing that struck us most was how humble and gracious she was and she spent close on half an hour talking to us about where we come from, her perfumes and how they are made and sourced (only briefly of course - I doubt she would give away too many house secrets). All I can say is thank you Linda for your time and treating us like we were the most important people in your life for that short time. Charmingly, Linda had to dash, as she was about to receive a parking ticket!

And so ended our perfume extravaganza. I took Cym and Tanya through the streets of Soho to a pub, where we had a pint of good English Beer, while the rain pelted down outside as evening approached. Over a beer we chatted about lots of different things, including music and Bob Dylan, of course!

We headed back to Charing Cross Station, where I was to catch my train home. I was sad to say goodbye to Cym and Tanya, even though we had only just met really. I could have spent a few days with them. As I made my way home that evening, I ruminated on the day's events and couldn't help feeling that perfume fanatics are some of the nicest people out there.

Cym and Tanya, it was lovely meeting you in person and I sincerely hope we will get the opportunity to meet again in the not too distant future.