Hermes Iris Ukiyoe Perfume Review (SOTD)

Being a huge fan of Jean Claude Elena and Hermes, I was excited when they announced the launch of the new Hermessence Iris Ukiyoe—but I'm on a budget, so it’s taken me a few months to obtain a bottle. A few weeks ago, I ordered a travel bottle (15ml), which arrived in the mail on Thursday afternoon. I had a big road trip planned for the weekend, and I wondered what to do… It’s dangerous to spray yourself liberally with a new perfume and jump into a confined space: you can end up with a headache or nausea or just a plain scrubber. But Jean Claude Elena’s scents tend to be transparent, so I decided to give it a full spray before jumping in the car. I’ve worn it for a few days since then, so I can give you more than just a brief impression, but it still deserves a few more wears before I can do a more serious perfume review.

If you’re a big Hermes perfume fan, chances are that you’ve already read reviews of Iris Ukiyoe. It’s been labeled as a spring scent, with a focus on “iris flower” instead of the more common “iris root” note that you’d find in Ormonde Jayne Orris Noir and Serge Lutens Iris Silver Mist. JCE is quoted somewhere as saying this is more about his impression of a watercolor than about iris itself, and he also referred to being inspired by Japanese art. From what I’d read, I worried that it would be aquatic (it isn’t) or too green (it isn’t too green, but it’s definitely green) or too powdery/heavy (it isn’t). I also wondered from the descriptions if it would smell like the one Hermessence that I didn’t like at all: Hermes Vanilla Gallante (good news: it doesn't smell similar to VG at all).

It’s tough to describe. It starts off with a green mandarin note, which is better described as two notes laying on top of each other: one being “green” like fresh broken stems and the other being “mandarin”. The mandarin isn’t the hyper-colored-orange note that you’d find in the Atelier colognes. It’s there, but paired with the greenness, it’s not distinctly fruity to my nose. In a short while, flowers some into play. If I didn’t know that this was supposed to be an iris perfume, I would have guessed it was tulips at this stage. After some time, I get a strong amount of hyacinth, and then later in the base the hyacinth intensifies and takes on a slight cocoa-ish flavor. The cocoa is strange and unexpected; it’s not gourmand and it’s not sweet, and it’s just a hint. I haven’t seen it written in any of the press about Iris Ukiyoe, so I’m wondering if it’s a facet of the hyacinth. But either way, the middle-to-base of the perfume reminds my of the discontinued perfume by L’Artisan Parfumeur called Jacinthe des Bois.

Iris Ukiyoe represents a real departure from Elena’s more common fragrance design. First off, I don’t smell that sharp-challenging-tart-fruit perfume note than you find in some of his Hermes fragrances like Kelly Caleche and Rose Ikebana (I love those perfumes, so this is no insult). And while it’s green, there’s no moment where the note that Luca Turin describes as “vegetable patch” overwhelms it. It’s more girly to my nose than most of his other stuff, though a guy could also wear it.

Photos taken by my husband and myself. All rights reserved.

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Iris Ukiyoe by Hermes
SOTD Perfume Review
Perfume House: Hermes
Creator / Nose: Jean Claude Elena
Year: Late 2009
Classification: Green floral
Perfume Notes: I don't think that the marketed notes are very accurate, but they list: iris, rose, orange blossom, mandarin orange.
What you mostly smell: It starts off very green with mandarin. After a few minutes, you get a pretty floral, with iris flower (not root) and tulips. The middle notes are probably the best: tons of hyacinth with dark, unsweetened cacao notes.
Lasting Power: Not the best. But at least you'll enjoy spritzing throughout the day.
Similar Perfumes: It's pretty unique, and any JCE fanclub member will want to add it to their collection. That said, if you like this, I'd probably check out Byredo La Tulipe or Serge Lutens Bas de Soie (which has an unfortunate milky note on my skin; Iris Ukiyoe is better) and if you can find it... L'Artisan Parfumeur Jacinthe de Bois. Though Iris Ukiyoe doesn't have and scent twins or dupes out there, these others would be interesting to review in comparison.
Other Reviews at: NST Perfume

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Juste Un Reve - Parfums de Nicolai - SOTD Perfume Review

Juste un Reve by Parfums de Nicolai is the perfect perfume for any Monday morning. I dabbed some on from my decant this morning and can still smell the eau de toilette now (and that's more than 12 hours later)-- not bad for an edt!

A lot of people classify this as a "tropical floral" or "vacation perfume" because of the notes. You'll see different notes listed on different sites; some even focus on the coconut and monoi notes. I agree that those are there, but it's not nearly as fruity as Parfums de Nicolai Cococobana (a green coconut) or Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess.

I'd list Juste un Reve as a slightly-powdery green floral. It's pretty in the same was that Givenchy Amarige was: a lush white flower with lots of gardenia and jasmine. The coconut starts off very green and non-gourmand, with an almost powdery edge. It's fresh, clean and laid on top of a musk, wood and vanilla base. Like Amarige, it's a bit white flower combo (but here, there's less tuberose).

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Juste un Reve by Parfums de Nicolai
SOTD Perfume Review
Perfume House: Parfums de Nicolai
Creator / Nose: Partricia Nicolai
Year: 1996 (just 5 years after Amarige)
Classification: Green floral
Perfume Notes: Different notes listed on different sites; are there two formulations? Has it been tweaked? Some sites list: monoi, tuberose, jasmine, rose and hyacinth. Others list jasmine, gardenia, coconut, musk, sandalwood and vanilla. My guess is that it's mostly the latter. I don't get any hyacinth at all.
What you mostly smell: I get mostly gardenia, jasmine and green, non-gourmand coconut in the beginning. The base is a nice vanilla. I don't get much woods and people afraid of musk should still give this a shot; it's very clean but not soapy.
Lasting Power: Great.
Other Reviews at: Make Up Alley

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Vintage Lauren by Ralph Lauren - SOTD Mini Review

I rarely wear my small, 15ml stash of Vintage Lauren by Ralph Lauren, but when I do I'm never disappointed. Six months after I became serious in the perfume hobby, I began to track down my favorites from when I was young, including both Lauren and Chloe by Lagerfeld.

Lauren was my first "adult" perfume, which I received as a gift when I was about 13. I had the set, which included a burgundy glass bottle with a bulbous gold cap, a small container of lotion (which was silky smooth and thin) and a small bottle of the pure parfum, around 5ml in size. I knew nothing about perfume back then and thought that the parfum was just a small, convenient-for-traveling bottle. But even back then I remember thinking that the small bottle smelled better than the larger eau de cologne and that the lotion smelled more like the extrait than the edc.

Now, as an adult, I purchased a small decant from The Perfumed Court of the current formulation and was saddened that it didn't smell as sharp, dark or mythic as I remembered. Reading up online, I realized that it had been reformulated and tracked down a bottle on ebay. I was completely scammed on the 1st botte that I purchased (darn ebay!) but was victorious on the 2nd.

Lauren doesn't smell like the typical 80s perfumes like Poison. Don't get me wrong: it's big and heavy, but the pineapple in it keeps it fresh and sharp. It's a very dark floral with rose, sandalwood, musk and lily of the valley taking center stage (with the pineapple) to my nose. Plus, it's probably one of the few perfumes in my collection that contains real oakmoss-- a delightful treat.



Photos taken by me; all rights reserved.

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SOTD Perfume Review: Vintage Lauren by RALPH LAUREN
Perfume House: Ralph Lauren
Creator / Nose: not sure
Year: 1978
Classification: Floral Chypre
Perfume Notes: Pineapple, rose, lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, oakmoss, musk
What you mostly smell: A well blended pairing of jasmine, rose, lily of the valley and pineapple at the front (pineapple and rose being a big part), with a nice woody/oakmossy base. I don't get too much musk. It does best when sprayed heavily; I think it's meant to be worn BIG.
Lasting Power: Great. Even the eau de cologne (of the vintage variety) outlasts most of my modern edp's.
Other Reviews at: Basenotes and I Smell Therefore I Am

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SOTD Review: Van Cleef & Arpels Gardenia Petale (Collection Extraordinairre)

SOTD is Van Cleef & Arpels Gardenia Petale. I'm dabbing it from a sample set that I purchased, and I can only imagine how pretty this perfume will be when sprayed. I've already used up a full sample, so clearly this is on my "to buy" list.

Here's the thing: I really like the idea of wearing floral perfumes, and this one is clearly very well designed. And it's very pretty. I imagine it is one of those perfumes that my fellow office workers would compliment me on. And if you are wearing perfumes for other people to smell, this is a great choice. It's clean, pretty, not overly sweet and without any real musk elements. It smells very natural.

While 95% of it smells like my above description (fresh flowers, gardenia, jasmine, lily of the valley), 5% of it smells slightly beach. And that's what I probably like about it the most. While it's mostly floral and formal and pretty for other people around me to smell--- There's something in it that reminds me of coming back from the beach as a child. It smells like sunshine and skin that had the early-80s-sunscreen-mostly-washed-off-from-swimming-in-the-ocean. And so, that 5% smells remarkably personal to me.

Because of all that, I could wear it to work, out on a dinner date, or I could wear it on a walk in a garden or to the beach. It's formal but approachable. Very well done.

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SOTD Perfume Review: Gardenia Petale from the Collection Extraordinairre
Perfume House: Van Cleef and Arpels
Creator / Nose: Nathalie Feisthauer, who also developed Comme des Garcons Luxe Champaca, Hermes eau de Merveilles, a few of the Etat Libre d'Orange fragrances and a few other high quality niche frags
Year: 2009
Classification: Formal, Tropical Floral
Perfume Notes: "Green notes" (what's that mean?!), lily of the valley, gardenia, jasmine. Different blogs and sellers also talk about citrus and fresh notes.
What you mostly smell: You get gardenia for sure, but it's a perfumers idea of gardenia and doesn't include the heaviness or mushroom-like note that you get in the true flower. If I had to summarize it shortly: it smells like Michael Kor's original Michael perfume, but with less tuberose, more gardenia and something that smells slightly beachy circa 1982. Maybe it's in the "jasmine" or "fresh" notes that they refer to, but it reminds me slightly of the beach when I was a kid. Maybe some note that was found in my sunscreen?
Lasting Power: Very good. These are eau de parfums in this line (even Cologne Noire, which has Cologne in the title, is an edp). Gardenia Petale has very good sillage, too.
Similar to: Hm. Okay, so it's in the general genre of Michael Kors Michael but it certainly doesn't smell like Michael. Also a distant cousin of Bond's Saks for Her, which I personally find to smell sharp and agressive and chemical (where Gardenia Petale is more natural and feminine and soft).
Overall impression: Very masterfully made, with great sillage and lasting power, and it just makes you *feel* pretty and clean. An exceptional perfume when that's what you are looking for (but not especially challenging).

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SOTD: Ormonde Jayne Seraphim (for 20ltd)

Perfume-hobbyists like me often become obsessed with a house or a perfumer. In fact, we frequently become fanatical about SEVERAL and try to buy everything that they've created. I feel this sort of fanfare for only three perfumers/houses: Ormonde Jayne, Jean Claude Elena and Patricia Nicolai. So, when I heard that there was a limited edition perfume made by Ormonde Jayne for 20ltd, I had to try it. Seraphim has not let me down!

Eventually, I bought some through someone. If you are on the trail of this beauty, send me a message and I'll email you my source. At the time, she was even potentially willing to sell me the bottle, which is a huge score since 20LTD agreed to let the owners of the bottles have unlimited refills.

According to their website, only 50 of the elegant bottles were made, and each bottle sold for $730 US dollars. I sort of have a hard time believing that, since I know a handful of people who own it (do I know where 10% of the bottles are? it's possible). I don't know them all personally, of course. Nathan Branch owns a bottle of Ormonde Jayne Seraphim, for example. I don't know him personally, but I love his blog and his photography. And notice that one commenter there also owns a bottle. Two people on MUA have commented that they own one too, plus the gal that was kind enough to sell me some of her stock.

But I digress. Onto my short, SOTD assessment:

1) Purchasing a decant of this one is cheating, but... who could afford to buy an unsniffed bottle at a cost of $730? And even if you could afford it, could you find it? Even in the nicest decant container, the juice is just too beautiful to be in such a simple bottle. It really deserves to be put on a pedestal in the classic OJ parfum bottle.

2) She's an elegant floral, but she's a touch fruity. I wash shocked that my initial impression was: rose and fruit. Which is strange, because there's no fruit in the notes (does bergamot count as fruit? I digress). Looking at the notes, I realize that it's the combination of the rose and violets that are creating this impression, with an almost wine-like accord which is soft and not bitter. I think that this wine-like accord is what's creating the impression of fruit for me.

3) She sparkles like gold flakes. Paired with the rose and wine aspects, there's an effect (apparently created by the ylang ylang) that could be visually represented by flakes of gold falling through liquid and catching the light: this note is certainly 'gold' in smell and very shiny.

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SOTD Perfume Review: Ormonde Jayne Seraphim for 20LTD
Perfume House: Ormonde Jayne
Creator / Nose: Not really given; Linda Pilkington of OJ works frequently with Geza Schoen, but I don't know if he was involved.
Year: 2008
Classification: Floral
Perfume Notes: Rose, Rosewood, Violets, Iris, Coumarin, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot, Vanilla.
What you mostly smell: Rose, Violets, a slight wine effect, Ylang Ylang, not-too-sweet vanilla, wood and coumarin (which here smells a bit like safron to me, but maybe my nose is being tricked)
Lasting Power: Very good. It's parfum strength and wears close to the skin for your own personal enjoyment. I love my perfumes this way but sillage lovers may need to spray this expensive beauty rather than dab.
Similar to: I can't really think of anything similar to this. In some ways, it's clearly a cousin of Ormonde Jayne Ta'if. Because of the rose+violets effect, it makes me appreciate Parfums de Nicolai Violette in Love even more, though clearly ViL is very fruity with the addition of lime and rasberrys. They aren't really similar, but it's the closest "cheap thrill" that I can think of. Maybe if I layered ViL with Ta'if? Hm. That's worth trying for a fun layering experiment, but I don't think that it will turn out at all the same. Seraphim is incredibly unique. I think that this is the highest quality ylang ylang I've ever smelled.
Overall impression: A unique masterpiece!

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Shopping and Smelling Atelier Colognes: Grand Neroli, Trefle Pur, and Bois Blonds

I first smelled the Atelier Colognes at Neiman Marcus on a trip out of town. If you live in a small town like I do, an out of town trip to go sniffing is a real treat-- but also a bit overwhelming. I feel incredibly intimidated by the sales people every time. I'm not sure why: I've worked in sales in the past and now RUN both a sales and a marketing dept for a very expensive product line. I'm a grown up, right? But I always feel a bit rushed and judged in these upper end stores. And I feel guilty, because I'm more of a shopper than a buyer. Often the salespeople are so pushy that I just want to leave. If there were no salespeople, I might stay all day and buy a few things. But I feel guilty if I can't make an immediate purchase.

So when a line launches 5 frags that are all in a similar cologne/citrus genre, it's really tough. I can't stand and spend the time that I want getting to know each one, calling out their differences and finding the one that fits me best.

My initial thought was that the bottles were huge. HUGE! The 6.7oz, uniform bottles were a bit... functional... for my taste. They looked pretty and clean, but more like soap than an upper end perfume line. Why did marketing choose these? Maybe because they were shooting for something that would appeal equally to men and women (these are marketed as unisex).

The saleswoman pushed Orange Sanguine. She had samples but I didn't ask for one. This one (as I'm sure you've read elsewhere) smelled mainly of orange juice to me. Sticky, realistic, warm: very good stuff, but still just orange juice.

I was most impressed with Oolang Inifi, which is the most heavy on the tea within the series, to my nose.

Strangely, the SA took back the sprayed cards after handing them to me. I told her that I was most interested in Grand Neroli, which she then sprayed and handed to me. I no longer had the original two cards to compare it with, but I was immediately hit by the green-ness, the powdered orange (the powdered orange has been seen a bit more often lately: this note sort of reminds me of one stage of the Hermes Eau Claire des Merveilles, but it's less soapy and more fresh and realistic). I also asked for a sprayed card of the Trefle Pur, which she gave me.

I was now guarded with the SA (she had taken back the cards!!), so I handed the sprayed card with the Grand Neroli to my husband, who knows that I don't like the cards to touch each other (contamination fears!!) AND that I like to keep them all, labeled and carefully organized in my Moleskin notebook or in separate pages of a book.

I took the Trefle Pur, which was less powdered-orange and more clover and greenery. I thought this was a good fit, too, and decided to walk around the mall a bit with my cards to see how they developed.

I later bought decants from the Google group of both Atelier Grand Neroli and Atelier Trefle Pur and hope to do true reviews of them soon.

I came back to these today, after not wearing either in months. We sold our house, my husband accepted a job in another state, and I am commuting back and forth. My decants are sitting in a well organized box now, and I don't see them that often.

After buying them, I thought that they were both a bit of a disappointment. They were close but not quite right: not as unusual as Hermes Jardin sur le Nil with it's green mango note, not as clean and obvious as the ripe almond and lemon notes of Dior Escale a Portofino.

I kicked myself for not spending more time on them in the store. I love citrus and knew that the right one was somewhere in this line. I bought a sample Bois Blonds, which I hadn't tried in the store. At the time, I wasn't into woods but now love them, especially at night. Testing that sample, I think I've found the one. The notes are a bit deceptive, talking about wood and incense... this is still a green classic cologne, but it's cut with more tea than the others in the line, to my nose. It's softer, warm, less sharp and less literal. But I hadn't seen a split and wasn't ready to spring for a 6.7oz bottle. The good news is that the good folk at Atelier have come out with a coffret set of the original five, along with soaps, individual 1oz bottles and candles. And they just recently released a 6th scent with vanilla notes, called Vanilla Incensee.

Everyone's been talking about the new one, and I thought about Bois Blonds again yesterday. I posted on one of the blogs that I really wish I had bought this one, and one of the lovely MUA'ers wrote to offer a split, which I quickly agreed to. I can't wait!

So, inspired by the idea of a new addition to my seem-splitting perfume collection, I spritzed two full sprays of Atelier's Grand Neroli on this morning. Two sprays! I never do this, because despite everything that I have, I am a hoarder. So I dab or do half sprays mostly.

Today, I had a completely different impression of Grand Neroli. Other bloggers have spoken about the magic of "spraying themselves wet". Some perfumes are an experience that is meant to be big, and I think that Atelier must have meant them to be worn this way. I had one spray on my hand and one on my neck. It's a cool mid-60s day outside, sunny and breezy. My mother commented that the top notes had wintergreen; I think that she is referring to that crisp green-ness, like when you take the stem of green plant and break it. It's green, herbal and crisp (but I don't get any wintergreen myself). In the middle notes, it had the orange-powdered-candy note that I mentioned earlier. Today it reminded me more of Francis Kurkdjian's APOM pour femme , but where that one is more girly and somehow pinktified, this is more refreshing and realistic. The Atelier line just doesn't smell man-made. It's smells like nature in a bottle.

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La Chase Aux Papillons (L'Artisan)

As part of my Christmas list, I requested samples from Aedes and L'Artisan Parfumeur. Among the list was La Chase Aux Papillons, which I am quick sampling this morning...

First thoughts: It's very light and seems very familiar. Within a few moments, I realized that the Marc Jacobs (black cap) perfume is very similar to this... though this might be slightly less sweet and sharp. La Chase smells less like a perfume and more like a floral scent, which is a big compliment. This would be more likely to elicit the comment "You smell good" rather than "What perfume are you wearing?"

Sillage is light, and it's pretty and innocent smelling in the top notes. Very nice. Since I already have Marc Jacobs from my pre-niche perfume days, I'm not sure that I need this too, but I am very glad to have the sample. It makes me feel differently about Marc Jacobs, actually.

Standout note: Tuberose
Other notes: lime blossom or lemon blossom (but not pure citrus) and very very light spicing.

Image from the L'Artisan Parfumeur website.

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Casmir Chopard - Quick Review

In a recent swap with an MUA'er, I received a sample of Chopard Casmir, which I've been thinking might be a good wintertime comfort perfume. I'm wearing just a dab this morning, but I really like it, particularly after the first 15 minutes. The top notes are similar to the late 1980s perfumes, though it was launched in 1990; there's something synthetic and "perfumy" about the top notes, which thankfully fades pretty quick.

Fragrantica classifies it as a "vanilla oriental", but I would classify it as a woody, vanilla, smoky scent. From the list of perfume notes (which vary according to which source you use), you would expect something far more fruity. So I'd say: ignore the notes in this case. The main discernable notes are:

• vanilla (slightly sweet but not foody)
• sandalwood
• amber
  
• incense or smoke
• a touch of spice (patchouli? cinamon? it's hard to say)

Though I'm a huge fan of slightly spicy woody fragrances, and I love smoke, I wish that there was less spice in this one (even though the spice is very slight in this one). I think my issue with the spice in this, as opposed to the spice you smell in L'Artisan Tea For Two, for example, is that the spice note in Chopard Casmir is slightly bitter and not sweet. Though that might have been a purposeful move, meant to tame the sweetness of the vanilla and amber, it doesn't blend well with the rest of the composition.

That said, it's still a comforting creamy scent.

(Image from Fragrantica)

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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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Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne Perfume Review

What a disappointment!

As a big fan of Yves Saint Laurent's earlier fruity floral In Love Again, I had big hopes for the new Parisienne perfume launch. I read earlier reviews that noted that it was mostly cranberry, rose and sandalwood with a vinyl accord -- and the vinyl perfume note sounded interesting and innovative, so I had high hopes.

I liked the bottle, though I didn't love it. Pink and crystalline, it's feminine and elegant-- far more refined than most of their perfume bottles (I don't really care for the In Love Again, Opium, or Elle bottles; Paris is okay but does not seem practical to me).

So what does it smell like? I mostly smell cranberry on a base of soft white musk. It's a tart cranberry, less sweet than you'd find in an Escada scent. More red/burgandy than pink. Since I already was expecting rose, I can pick that note out as well, but if I hadn't been told it was there I don't think I would have found it. I don't smell "vinyl" like the ad campaign states, but I do smell acetone. And sure, acetone is an interesting note. It manages to steer clear of smelling like nail polish remover. The sandalwood blends well with this note, and the acetone is my favorite part.

Overall, it smells like a beauty store to me. I'm disappointed. This is a great perfume house, but this will be a short lived fragrance. Unlike Opium, Elle and Paris, I don't see Parisienne becoming a staple in their line.

Image from Sephora, where I smelled the YSL Parisienne for the first time.

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Dior Escale a Portofino Review

Wow - I can't believe that I waited until the end of summer to try out last year's new release from Dior: Escale a Portofino.

I know. This is not a new release. I'm quite late to the party on this one in two regards: first, it debuted over a year ago and had to be one of the best perfume releases in 2008, and secondly: it's a summer scent! And it's September! But I can't help it. I live in Florida, and I am new to the hobby. Thankfully, it's almost always summer here, so I can enjoy this citrus scent even though it's already fall in the rest of the country.

Escale a Portofino launched in limited release in 2008, so it's new to me. This year's release in the same triology (Escale a Pondichery) seems equally limited edition, since it wasn't in Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue or Nordstroms when I last went sniffing a few weeks ago. It's the first installment in a travel triology. The notes include Bergamot, petitgrain, almond, orange blossom, juniper berry, cypress, cedar, white musk, caraway and galbanum. It's a feminine take on the classic eau du cologne / citrus splash.

I first sniffed it in Saks, straight from the sparkling, textured bottle. From that sniff (not even sprayed), it seemed to be a shape shifter focusing on lemon, lime and grapefruit, with a floral undertone. I was overwhelmed with all the things to try on paper and skin and decided not to even test spray it. Just from smelling it in the bottle, I was convinced that it was decant-worthy. And truly- what can you really tell when sniffing a fragrance on paper or skin in a department store? That's really unfair to a good perfume-- you need time for it to develop on skin, with far less commotion. So, once I determine that it's decant-worthy, the name goes on my list and I don't need to test further in the store. However, I should add that I loved the bottle (photo from Fragrantica's website).

Through a lovely MUA'er, I managed to swap a decant of my full bottle of Eau d'Hermes for a decant of Escale a Portfino, which arrived earlier today, in time for my trip to North Carolina. I ripped open the package in the car ride home and eagerly dabbed from the bottle onto my wrist and... was a bit disappointed. This was not the high pitched lime/lemon/grapefruit that I sniffed in the store. This was far softer, slightly soapy, with a focus on orange blossom and something... soft. Later, I realized it was the almond, which creates a milky, creamy underbelly.

It reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on, but I'll report back. On the perfume itself, let me say that the lasting time is quite disappointing, but the quality of the juice itself is excellent. It's sophisticated, feminine, soft and citrusy, with a very pleasant dry down (which I can only still detect by putting my nose to my wrist). I'm a bit dissapointed in the sillage... but I wear the perfume for me, and not others, so I don't care if it doesn't fill the room. Unlike Hermes Pamplemousse Rose, which I wore in a state of ecstacy all weekend, Escale a Portofino is not tart and there's no grapefruit (I have no idea where I got the idea that there was grapefruit). It's much softer, with rounded edges. I worried that I'd only need one and not the other... now I worry that I will of course need both.

If I had to describe it to someone who had never smelled it, I'd say that it smells like 60% Lemon Pledge, 20% Dove Soap and 10% white musk, and 10% magic. To me, it smells like spring. But I think it could be worn anytime. It's not risky, but the melding of bitter almond and orange blossoms and lemon is lovely and well done.

Buy a big decant. You'll be reapplying often, but enjoying every moment.
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Perfume Review: Escale a Portofino
Perfume House: Dior
Creator / Nose: Fracois Demachy
Year: 2008
Classification: Citrus Aromatic
Perfume Notes: Lemon, Orange Blossom, Bitter Almond, White Musk, Cedar, Cypruss, Galbanum, Bergamot, Juniper Berries and Caraway
What you mostly smell: Orange Blossom, Petit Grain, Almond (slight presence of white musk in the dry down)
Lasting Power: Shockingly short. It has a great presence in the first hour, but is gone in two hours on my skin.
Similar to: Lemon pledge + classic Dove hard soap (though this makes it sound less lovely that it smells on skin)
Overall impression: A soft, feminine citrus cologne.

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Hermes Rose Ikebana (Perfume Review) - compared to YSL In Love Again

Hermes Rose Ikebana was instantly one of my favorite perfumes. I still recall when I first tried it: it was a sunny Sunday in the spring, and I was standing in my bathroom when I first sprayed it on my arm. In the first 10 seconds, it was incredibly strong, with three main notes punching out and struggling forward as if they were each racing to monopolize the scent. I immediately smelled the sharpness of grapefruit, the warmth of rose petals (sans the powder you find in fragrances by designers other than Jean Claude Ellena), and the damp tug of black tea to tie the two together. And then, perhaps the most critical addition, the rhubarb is there. It was not a singular, detectable note in that first sniff—because truly, how many among us can recognize the scent of rhubarb? In the beginning, I believed it to be an odd lemon, combined with the grapefruit, which was sharp and neither sweet nor sour, and remaining incredibly tart throughout the drydown. Only later would I discover that it was rhubarb with the tea that made this Hermessence so unique. Rose Ikebana was, in those top note moments, a powerful scent.

Then, as I recall, it seemed to fade for a moment. I wondered if the fragrance would be that fleeting… but later in the day, I continually sniffed my arm and caught whiffs of Rose Ikebana on the air around me. It has excellent sillage, in fact, so it’s a fragrance that you can smell in the room, even when you are the wearer.

I also found myself yearning for more of it. It was an odd sensation—I wanted to drink the perfume, wanted to cup it in my hands and keep it pressed to my face and my nose. Because somehow, that fading feeling never leaves the scent for me. It always feels just slightly out of my grasp (though do not take this as criticism in any way). I’ve often wondered if I am anosmic to one of the notes, and if maybe that anosmia is the cause of the feeling of Rose Ikebana rushing away from me. It’s a feeling I have not yet had with any other perfume. It’s even harder to understand when paired with how strong and sharp the notes are: grapefruit, rose and tea are not delicate in this perfume’s composition. And yet, the feeling remains after multiple wearings: it’s a perfume that plays and flirts and dances slightly out of reach, refusing to be owned and fully known by the wearer. It’s a lovely characteristic that I haven’t again experienced.

Haven’t smelled Rose Ikebana yourself? You can get a slight inkling of what it’s like by comparing and contrasting it with other fragrances that you might already know. It has the rose of Hermes Kelly Caleche edp, but is missing the leather entirely, and has the addition of grapefruit and tea. Therefore, you might find them somewhat slightly similar, but they remain drastically different. For your collection, you’ll definitely need both.

I find Rose Ikebana most similar to the now-discontinued Yves Saint Laurent’s In Love Again. Jean Claude Ellena was commissioned in 1998 to create In Love Again as a limited edition perfume to celebrate Yves’s 40 full years as a fashion designer. Remember, this is several years before Ellena was hired to be the exclusive perfumer for Hermes—long before Kelly Caleche, Rose Ikebana or Un Jardin sur le Nil were born. In Love Again is deserving of it’s own full review, which I will post in the coming weeks, but in short summary, I can say that it is one of the best fruity florals that I have found. The main top notes are rose and grapefruit, but several other notes play a critical role, since grapefruit itself can smell too much like cat pee when done wrong, and rose can be so powdery and dull. JCE added black currant to the top, to create that slightly-sweet fruity quality, and sandalwood and musk to the base. If worn in heat, the drydown begins sooner and lasts much longer, with the musk developing larger. I’m not a huge fan of musk, but in the drydown of In Love Again, it remains clean and woody. In fact, the drydown reminds me of the last few moments of the later-created Un Jardin sur le Nil, if both are compared on skin and in the heat. Listed on Fragrantica, Tomato Stem is also listed in the perfume base for In Love Again--- though I admit that I don’t detect it in that perfume at all. Instead, I sometimes think I find it in the middle notes of Rose Ikebana, and it is all the better if true (though I’ve never seen tomato stem listed as a note for Rose Ikebana anywhere).

So, how do Rose Ikebana and Yves Saint Laurent In Love Again compare? Quite simply, In Love Again is the younger version of the same composition. If they were women, I would say that Rose Ikebana is In Love Again all grown up, after she went to Harvard, hired a stylist, and had a nose job. Rose Ikebana is incredibly similar, though lacking the musk in the base, and with the addition of rhubarb instead of berry/currants, and the damp addition of tea. The critical exchange is rhubarb for berry/currants, making it far less fruity. In fact, I don’t think you could classify Rose Ikebana as a fruity floral at all. Rose Ikebana is more formal, and she loves you less. She doesn’t quite trust you and she’s not very intimate. You’ll always love her from arm’s length.

Update: 3 hours in: no tea detectable at this point: mostly pink grapefruit, a tad bit of rhubarb, and rose. Remarkably similar (though less musky by a few hairs) to ILA.

Here’s a surprise: Fragrantica classifies Rose Ikebana as a Woody/Spicy perfume. Perhaps the person performing this classification was only reading the notes, because indeed, it does list Pink Pepper (but it also lists magnolia, which I don’t detect). But it’s hardly a woody/spicy perfume (this calls to mind something more like Poivre Sacremande). I am not sure how I would personally classify this perfume. Tart floral? Citrus floral? It’s a unique niche perfume, defying easy classification.

Rose Ikebana has decent lasting power. I’ve read that others were unhappy with how long it lasts, but maybe it’s because they expect the top notes to last all day, which of course they don’t. On skin, the perfume develops. It looses the tea, develops a very, very slight wood in the base, and mainly keeps the sparkly effervescent grapefruit/rose/citrus/rhubarb qualities. If you would like to extend the top notes, I’d suggest spraying it on fabric. On fabric, Rose Ikebana perfume wafts all day and remains all top. You can still smell the tea two days later. Plus, you can wear a different perfume and keep this gem tucked into your desk all day, or by your bedside, when you get a longing for something beautiful.

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Perfume Review: Rose Ikebana
Perfume House: Hermes
Creator / Nose: Jean Claude Ellena
Year: 2004
Classification: Woody/Spicy, according to Fragrantica.
Perfume Notes: Rose petals, peony, magnolia, pink peppercorns, grapefruit zest, green rhubarb, vanilla, honey, and black tea.
What you mostly smell: Rhubarb, rose at a distance, balanced with tart grapefruit, and black tea
Lasting Power: Moderate
Similar to: Very similar to Yves Saint Laurent In Love Again
Overall impression: A tart floral perfume: formal, beautiful, and brilliant. A must-smell for any fan of Jean Claude Ellena and perhaps the most remarkable out of all the Hermessence line.

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Hermes Pamplemousse Rose: More than just another rose & grapefruit perfume

It's September now, and I am trying Hermes Pamplemousse Rose again after several months of it laying forgotten (but organized) in my large perfume sample stash. I received a spray sample of it as a birthday gift from my mother, and I liked it enough when I tried it initially, but it paled in comparison to Rose Ikebana (which had inspired me to seek out the other rose and grapefruit fragrances created by Jean Claude Ellena).

But now, after several months of letting it sit idle, I am sampling it once again. Why? Because Pamplemousse Rose just hit the discounters, just 4 mere months after it's initial launch, and I wanted to see how that could happen. Plus, there's an additional 20% off sale through Labor Day, meaning that I could score a 3.4oz bottle for just $50. That's roughly half what it initially sold for at Hermes boutiques.

It's an eau de cologne which comes in a large splash bottle, and according to JCE, is meant to be splashed and not sprayed. Rather than a true rose and grapefruit scent, on me, Pamplemousse Rose is a tart sparkling pink grapefruit scent, with hints of orangle, grapefruit pulp, orange rind, and a slightly sweet floral touch. It's labeled unisex, and I would agree-- much more so than the other Hermes which I enjoy. However, like other Hermes fragrances, I find that "unisex" means something different than with other houses: on a woman, I would find this feminine. On a man, I would find it crisp and clean. And the smell of it reminds me of my grandfather, who ate a pink grapefruit nearly every morning of his life, along with a large cup of tea.

Grapefruit is a tough note. On many people, and in many compositions, you'll get the dreaded "cat pee" smell. Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune did this on me. I found it completely unwearable.

But the Hermes Eau de Pamplemousse Rose is quite different. It never veers towards cat pee. It reminds me slightly of the Frederick Malle Bigarade Concentree. There's something slightly... sexualized... in this perfume. I would estimate that comes from the ingredients creating the "orange" accords. But it's cleaner and less softer than Bigarade Concentree, and more feminine.

Where before, I felt I could live without it, I've spent the entire day today with my nose glued to my wrist, sniffing and reapplying.

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Perfume Review: Eau de Pamplemousse Rose
Perfume House: Hermes
Creator / Nose: Jean Claude Ellena
Year: 2009
Classification: Citrus Aromatic
Perfume Notes: Grapefruit pulp, orange rind, lemon, pink grapefruit and rhubofix
What you mostly smell: Mouth water, tart grapefruit (with a hint of not-yet melted sugar dusting the top)
Lasting Power: Sadly Short (it's an eau de cologne) but a joy to reaply
Similar to: Distant cousin of Bigarade Concentree, with a cleaner and more metrosexual happy tartness
Overall impression: A refreshing, tart fragrance that would work equally well on either gender. True pink grapefruit.

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