Kxnaiades

This is pure heaven. Its in the same vein as Kurkdjian's Lumiere Noire Pour Femme, another heartbreaking love of mine. This is the kind of rose I have decided I really like, non powdery, dark dark DARK rose and in your face oud and patchouli of amazing, headshop quality but with some ritz. Patchouli haters steer clear of this one. Those who have migraines triggered by strong scents, stay away from this one. Another super plus point of this is the fantastic sillage and longevity, it's Amouage style and more. I blind bought this to celebrate my 33rd year on this planet and this has to be the best blind buy ever.

I would have called this Oriental Mystique instead of Amber Mystique as the amber, powdery here, plays a supporting role with other equally vocal cast members. It's balmy, deep, slightly dark and mildly sweet. I am irritated that I cannot find more to say about a limited edition scent that I paid a dear price for ( it was a blind buy brought back from London for me). Yes it's well done. Yes it's Estee Lauder. This would be a great introduction to orientals and if one hasn't smelt many others. If you have a more jaded nose, this will not satisfy urges for individual or unique. Apart from that, the sillage and longevity are disappointing on me.

I'm a fan of tropical flowers done right and Thierry Wasser has done it well. It opens nice and bright with the bergamot but straight away I smell tropical flowers true to their natural scent (I pick out jasmine and fragipani which grow everywhere here). There's a creamy coconut in the background, less creamy than in CSP's Vanille Coco but more creamy than Sensuous Nude. It doesn't have a big sillage, it's more discreet but not difficult to smell it through the hot days we are having here. The vanilla is not overwhelming here, it just adds a little sweetness to the mixture and I don't get any musk actually. So this is great if you like tropical flowers and vibes without the sunscreen lotion effect. After comparing it to Annick Goutal's Songes EDT and L'Erbolario's Tiare, I would say this wins over Tiare which has a artificial saccharine note in comparison. I prefer this to Songes EDT which was a lovely concoction of white flowers but did not last long on my skin. Price point for me, Terracotta wins over Songes. So all in all, I'm very pleased.

This is how I expected Histoires de Parfums Tubereuse Animale to smell but it was more puddy cat than prowling big cat. The saffron gives off a strong, bitter, leathery accord in Daphne and holds its own against the usually overpowering tuberose. These two ingredients and an incense note, appear instantly on spraying and last throughout the lifetime of the scent, which at 6 hours of wear is still going strong on me. I can smell the patchouli and oud but they are not major players in this. Neither are the rose or jasmine. I do pick up a bittersweet note which I assume is the bitter orange, like how marmalade tastes. I adore tuberose but this is a tuberose unlike Fracas or Carnal Flower. It's the antithesis of Chasse aux Papillions. If Chasse aux Papillions was Snow White, Daphne is Snow White with tattoos (tasteful ones anyway)who doesn't wait for Prince Charming to break the spell, she does it herself. This scent suits the quirky, ever so eccentric Daphne Guinness to a T. Sillage is good and as I mentioned earlier, so is the longevity. I will warn that this scent will only endear itself to those who enjoy scents off the beaten path. This is not a girly girl scent even if it's labelled for women and would wear comfortably for a male.

No. 22 made me fall in love with aldehydes. Prior to our acquaintance, I only liked or appreciated aldehydes. I own a few, Chanel's No.5, Van Cleef's First, which are all glamorous beauties but left me cold. I got closer to Tauer's Noontide Petals and Guerlain's Liu but never contemplated a serious attachment until I met 22. The aldehydes are glorious, of the champagne fizzle type, not too soapy or powdery on me, as No. 5 and First became. I get the citrus that's bright and tart, the white florals and ylang ylang are smooth and ladylike. No. 22 is such a smooth composition with no rough edges (rough edges unfortunately brings to mind Noontide Petals which I do enjoy but find unfinished compared to Liu and 22). For me in the drydown, the aldehydes are still going strong and mixing with a woody tone, vetiver? I don't get the vanilla in this which is fine by me. Side by side comparison, Liu dries down and reveals it's Guerlainade DNA. 22 is all about Chanel. Both very French but still unique in composition. 22 for me is more affordable than Liu, which makes it easier for me to continue this relationship that is not as high maintenance but still full of class and fizz.