Ellie Nuit Parfum Review

Let me start by saying that I would NOT pay $180 for 1/2 an ounce (15ml) of this perfume. However, since it's a parfum concentration, the sample would last you quite some time, and I'd recommend Ellie Nuit to anyone seeking a sweet, dense fig fragrance on a bed of wood.

Having obtained a sample of this just a few days ago (and not having very high hopes for it), I put a tiny bit on before my morning run. It was cold outside, and the scent is warm and comforting. Gourmand and slightly sweet, but not overly so, and not candied at all. I would definitely put this in the fig family, and say that it is a distant, denser cousin to Un Jardin en Mediterranee by Hermes. It is more "perfumery" than UJeM, and sweeter and more feminine as well. I liked it quite a bit, though I won't be running for the nearest online vendor. There's a slightly plasticy note that many of the fig fragrances develop. It isn't as green as Diptyque's Philosykos or as floral and soft as L'Artisan Parfumeur Premier Figuier.

Perfume Review: Ellie Nuit
Perfume House: Ellie D
Creator / Nose: Michel Roudnitska
Year: unknown
Classification: Woody Fig (classic style)
Perfume Notes: (From Luckyscent) Sandalwood, cashmere wood, coriander seeds, violet, rose, fig, musk, blackcurrant, oak moss
What you mostly smell: Sweet fig, on a pleasantly feminine woody base. This smells like a classic, without smelling "old lady like"
Lasting Power: Very good, as would be expected from a pure parfum
Similar to: Hermes Un Jardin en Mediteranee, without as much wood, and with a denser, more feminine base.
Overall impression: A dense fig fragrance, sweet and feminine.

Image from Luckyscent, where you can buy Ellie Nuit and other Ellie D fragrances.

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Serge Lutens: An introduction

I have just recently climbed aboard the bandwagon of Serge Lutens followers.

I first tried Serge Lutens in my first batch of samples from Aedes, and this was a mistake. I tried A La Nuit which was far too sweet on me. Since then, I've discovered that Serge Lutens has a very high ratio of misses to hits, because his fragrances are risky. In fact, they may be more "smells" and "scents" than traditional perfumes.

Since then, I have tried a few others, and am now planning on writing to his boutique in France for the famous wax samples, so that I can try more (his samples, even on Ebay, are notoriously expensive). I like Serge Lutens Five O'Clock Au Gingembre the best of his line thus far. Though listed as a unisex fragrance, it's very masculine to my nose, particularly in the deep drydown which reminds me of a classic, 50s style aftershave. But the top notes are divine, with tea and clove and cinnamon blending for a perfect comforting winter scent. I would put it in the same category as L'Artisan Tea for Two.

I specifically wanted to share a Serge Lutens video that I found on youtube, which I believe is for Chergui (it's hard to read the label). Serge Lutens latest fragrance called L'eau Serge Lutens (described affectionately as a anti-fragrance and a huge departure from his standard design) also had a very interesting advertising commercial, which can also be found on youtube.

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Niche Sample Reviews: Rose Opulente by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier

Rose Opulente is a pure and simple rose solifore scent. There seems to be no other notes--- just a classic rose. It reminds me in some ways of the rose perfume that I used to wear in my teens from Victoria's Secret, except slightly less sweet. I've tried several other fragrances by Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier, which were all more complex. Not my favorite.

Image from FourSeasons, where you can buy this and other Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier fragrances.

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Lys Carmin by Van Cleef & Arpels - Perfume Reivew

I was lucky enough to score a sample pack of the new Van Cleef and Arpels Collection Extraordinaire which was released in September, and I split the samples to send to a friend yesterday. In doing so, a tiny bit of the Lys Carmin got on my fingers, and I realized that though I've had the sample set for about a month, I hadn't actually tested this one yet.

The marketing materials say that Lys Carmin is a blend of Lily, Pink Peppercorn, Ylang Ylang, Vanilla and Sandalwood. In the top notes, I was struck by a slightly soapy quality. In the first minutes, I thought of flowers and a really expensive shampoo. Since there was so little on my fingers, I didn't get the opportuntity to really test it out. I decided to wear it today.

So, I reapplied to skin this morning. This is a slightly soapy, powdery perfume and the only one in the Van Cleef and Arpels Collection Extraordinaire that reminds me of another perfume. Specifically, it is VERY similar to Parfums de Nicolai's Juste un Reve. Looking at Luckyscent's list of notes for Juste Un Reve, I am puzzled at why they smell so similar; it's listed as jasmine, rose, iris, hyacinth, and monoi.

I plan on testing side by side in the near future, with what's left of the sample. What's really puzzling is that in this moment, I think I might like the Van Cleef Lys Carmin version more than the Patricia Nicolai version-- and I'm a huge fan of hers. This version has more complexity, with moments where there is a slightly minty/herbaceous note in the background.

Image from Fragrantica, one of my favorite perfume sites. However, I don't think that this image really does the packaging justice. The bottle is small (75ml) but is hefty and very well designed.

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