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Cassia
The summer of 2008 was long and hot, at least to my memory. A stocky man with dark hair, piercing eyes, and a gold chain left us small items out of thankfulness - bracelets, scarves, necklaces, ... I came into a tester of Atkinson's Ghibli. Can I accept that? Do I really want that scent? What might it be?
According to the notes found online it should be a nice Oriental, and of course, as a "masculine" it is sold with the EdT moniker. To my nose the citrus quickly gives way to stuffy cinnamon and moss. I usually love cinnamon in all shapes and forms but this one comes over a bit too showy, too brutally masculine despite a few promising flowers and a nice amber in the background.
My then significant other associated the smell with salves for old ladies, decay, death, and funerals.
Note to self: never translate reviews with a head cold - either all scent has vanished from the bottle or I'm currently brutally torturing everyone in my vicinity with a cloud of flowery cinnamon.
According to the notes found online it should be a nice Oriental, and of course, as a "masculine" it is sold with the EdT moniker. To my nose the citrus quickly gives way to stuffy cinnamon and moss. I usually love cinnamon in all shapes and forms but this one comes over a bit too showy, too brutally masculine despite a few promising flowers and a nice amber in the background.
My then significant other associated the smell with salves for old ladies, decay, death, and funerals.
Note to self: never translate reviews with a head cold - either all scent has vanished from the bottle or I'm currently brutally torturing everyone in my vicinity with a cloud of flowery cinnamon.
Intimate, unobtrusive, but not necessarily restrained ...
In the German forum one member offered free samples including shipping to ten Parfumo members in exchange for reviews for this beautiful scent. I was among the lucky number and after browsing my translations I find I have only fulfilled that contract for the "other half" of the site so here goes:
This is the fourth member of the series "Les Parisiennes" I had the opportunity of testing and as with most Guerlain scents I am impressed how well-crafted they are while retaining lots of individuality. Nuit d'Amour is a bit quieter than Liu or Mon Precieux Nectar without a lot of surprises in the development. The name might indicate a passionate night, but the perfume doesn't play the lead, it only orchestrates the background ... it is not the smell of an opulent orgy, initially it just hints at a potentially intimate encounter.
It is a spring eve and starts off with a little liqueur, I smell somthing like lychee on the spray head, but not on my skin. Soon enough flowers start sprouting and together with an early whiff of musk make full-nosed promises of a gay night. There is pepper but its character is not stinging but almost woody, bringing out the violet all the better and making it more exciting.
The heart is sweet and heavy as befits a passionate scent, it reminds me of confectionery with nutmeg and cardamom without the stickiness. With that development it solidly leads the way from a business dinner towards an exciting date, but of course such categories are there to be transcended by perfume lovers. This is the heart that I missed in the scent of the day before I wrote this review [Zync Bombshell] despite their similarities otherwise. The scent culminates in an almost rosy impression of white musk. I cannot distinguish the sandalwood, possibly because of the iris.
This increasingly powdery quality forms the base and stays for many hours. Interestingly it also has a sweet honey/beeswax note that reminds me more of a Prada finale than the Guerlinade.
In her German review Sonjoschka muses that the powdery quality of Nuit d'Amour indicates a night of very tame, restrained, intimate passion. I agree partly: while I do not think it is the perfect olfactory representation of a fling picked up at the Disco, I can imagine it portraying lots of passion between lovers who know each other intimately. But then it seems the scent stayed longer on my skin than hers.
This is the fourth member of the series "Les Parisiennes" I had the opportunity of testing and as with most Guerlain scents I am impressed how well-crafted they are while retaining lots of individuality. Nuit d'Amour is a bit quieter than Liu or Mon Precieux Nectar without a lot of surprises in the development. The name might indicate a passionate night, but the perfume doesn't play the lead, it only orchestrates the background ... it is not the smell of an opulent orgy, initially it just hints at a potentially intimate encounter.
It is a spring eve and starts off with a little liqueur, I smell somthing like lychee on the spray head, but not on my skin. Soon enough flowers start sprouting and together with an early whiff of musk make full-nosed promises of a gay night. There is pepper but its character is not stinging but almost woody, bringing out the violet all the better and making it more exciting.
The heart is sweet and heavy as befits a passionate scent, it reminds me of confectionery with nutmeg and cardamom without the stickiness. With that development it solidly leads the way from a business dinner towards an exciting date, but of course such categories are there to be transcended by perfume lovers. This is the heart that I missed in the scent of the day before I wrote this review [Zync Bombshell] despite their similarities otherwise. The scent culminates in an almost rosy impression of white musk. I cannot distinguish the sandalwood, possibly because of the iris.
This increasingly powdery quality forms the base and stays for many hours. Interestingly it also has a sweet honey/beeswax note that reminds me more of a Prada finale than the Guerlinade.
In her German review Sonjoschka muses that the powdery quality of Nuit d'Amour indicates a night of very tame, restrained, intimate passion. I agree partly: while I do not think it is the perfect olfactory representation of a fling picked up at the Disco, I can imagine it portraying lots of passion between lovers who know each other intimately. But then it seems the scent stayed longer on my skin than hers.
Lemons and Laurel Drown Out the Beach
The first impression is an Eau de Parfum version of 4711 or one of the other Eaux de Cologne, but the citrusy notes diffuse with record speed. I can relate to the citrus lovers' laments on the scent's lack of longevity, although I believe they are mistaken, but see below. After trying Pell Wall's hilariously hesperidic "Fruit Wood" earlier today the contrast appears all the starker.
Since I don't belong to the citrus faction I don't care much about the temporary loss of lemony lusciousness and bask in the strong contrast between the laurel-and-lime head notes and the dirty animalic heart instead.
This is the part that really does it for me: with the last whiff of lemon gone musk and ambergris unite over bay leaves to form the perfect scent image of sunscreen on hot skin, bathing attire and parasols, sand and the sea ... a motif I would sooner have expected in Heeley's "Sel Marin", which however is much cleaner if memory serves me right.
After a short while the bathing season is over once, and in the wake of a small storm I'm astonished to detect citrus notes again. I wouldn't call it Earl Grey though, both because I'm not sure its bergamot and because I can't really detect any tea leaves worth their name. Bay leaves are gatherin in strength proportionally and beginning to get on my nerves (ostensibly there is no right translation for Heinrich Boell's prose collection "Der Lorbeer ist immer noch bitter", which loosely translates as "bay leaves will be bitter").
I can't completely fit in all the notes - there is something akin to a grain or rice note and more spices.
In the heart of the perfume I'm tempted to cry out "stay, thou art -"... or at least demand more marine goodness. However, altogether laurel is too prominent for me.
I'm quite thankful to Rose1976 for this refreshing sample (among others)!
Since I don't belong to the citrus faction I don't care much about the temporary loss of lemony lusciousness and bask in the strong contrast between the laurel-and-lime head notes and the dirty animalic heart instead.
This is the part that really does it for me: with the last whiff of lemon gone musk and ambergris unite over bay leaves to form the perfect scent image of sunscreen on hot skin, bathing attire and parasols, sand and the sea ... a motif I would sooner have expected in Heeley's "Sel Marin", which however is much cleaner if memory serves me right.
After a short while the bathing season is over once, and in the wake of a small storm I'm astonished to detect citrus notes again. I wouldn't call it Earl Grey though, both because I'm not sure its bergamot and because I can't really detect any tea leaves worth their name. Bay leaves are gatherin in strength proportionally and beginning to get on my nerves (ostensibly there is no right translation for Heinrich Boell's prose collection "Der Lorbeer ist immer noch bitter", which loosely translates as "bay leaves will be bitter").
I can't completely fit in all the notes - there is something akin to a grain or rice note and more spices.
In the heart of the perfume I'm tempted to cry out "stay, thou art -"... or at least demand more marine goodness. However, altogether laurel is too prominent for me.
I'm quite thankful to Rose1976 for this refreshing sample (among others)!
Very Whale?
Mogador has a pompous demeanor, showing off its spices and carrying a name reminiscent of Arabian history. The ambergris in the pyramid fits the image, raises expectations of exclusivity ... but will it keep the promises?
To put things in order, the first impression derives from ginger, soon nutmeg and cardamom chime in and I think there might be a hint of cinnamon in the background.
The backhand greenish thuja (arbor vitae) is lovely, I must admit I would not have detected it without the cheat sheet but it is there indubitably reminding me of the many thuja needles (leaves?) I ground up between my fingernails as a child and never could get enough of.
As the base approaches the scent becomes more peaceful, the oriental notes seem to be unusually concentrated in the heart, so I'm highly expectant of the promised Ambra, which (I believe) I love in such scents as L'Air de Rien (why does the pyramid list amber when in my opinion there's so clear an abundance of ambergris?)m Fetish, Baldessarini EdC, the old Alyssa Ashley Ambergris Oil for Houbigant (not to be confused with the new Alyssa Ashley Ambre Gris, which is not bad at all but smells like the one from Perris Monte Carlo) or pure Ambergris Tincture ... so if any Ambergris is present the amount is certainly smaller.
To me the basis consists of a beautiful pure white musk like the one in White Linen (wasn't the previous J'Ai Osé incarnation similar? I believe I smelt it once but am not sure I got the name right). Stunningly beautiful, but more of a deer than a whale.
To put things in order, the first impression derives from ginger, soon nutmeg and cardamom chime in and I think there might be a hint of cinnamon in the background.
The backhand greenish thuja (arbor vitae) is lovely, I must admit I would not have detected it without the cheat sheet but it is there indubitably reminding me of the many thuja needles (leaves?) I ground up between my fingernails as a child and never could get enough of.
As the base approaches the scent becomes more peaceful, the oriental notes seem to be unusually concentrated in the heart, so I'm highly expectant of the promised Ambra, which (I believe) I love in such scents as L'Air de Rien (why does the pyramid list amber when in my opinion there's so clear an abundance of ambergris?)m Fetish, Baldessarini EdC, the old Alyssa Ashley Ambergris Oil for Houbigant (not to be confused with the new Alyssa Ashley Ambre Gris, which is not bad at all but smells like the one from Perris Monte Carlo) or pure Ambergris Tincture ... so if any Ambergris is present the amount is certainly smaller.
To me the basis consists of a beautiful pure white musk like the one in White Linen (wasn't the previous J'Ai Osé incarnation similar? I believe I smelt it once but am not sure I got the name right). Stunningly beautiful, but more of a deer than a whale.
Solvent, Rubber, Heavy Machinery, and Spices ...
I have an art historian in my not too extended family which can have its perks: in 2013 I got this interesting perfume from the MAK shop for Christmas.
The scent opens with a benzaldehydic almond accompanied by an acetone like solvent note that quickly fades into a soothing pear without a trace and leaves a fruity river. It reminds me a lot of the practice to dry tubes and flasks with acetone common ages ago ;-)
The next part of the pyramid presents itself to me in a powdery form with a hint of caramel, only to make way for a huge tuberose - a difficult smell for me, one that I don't want to be caught with often, but it is only logical to use a substance frequently associated with rubber and heavy machinery with a conceptual perfume representing rivers used for transport, shipping, probably waste water disposal.
Changing into the base the tuberose stays on while losing some power. I seem to perceive cinnamon, carnations, possibly a hint of cloves.
I'd list cinnamon and a light musk as basenotes, it takes the perfume an estimated 10 hours to fade out completely.
I didn't catch Ines Lechleitner's presentation, but there's some material about the project on her homepage, the MAK shop has rudimentary information on the perfumes and artist's editions available and more material can be found at the "Freie Flusszone Elbe" website and in various newspapers, most of it seems to be in German though.
The scent opens with a benzaldehydic almond accompanied by an acetone like solvent note that quickly fades into a soothing pear without a trace and leaves a fruity river. It reminds me a lot of the practice to dry tubes and flasks with acetone common ages ago ;-)
The next part of the pyramid presents itself to me in a powdery form with a hint of caramel, only to make way for a huge tuberose - a difficult smell for me, one that I don't want to be caught with often, but it is only logical to use a substance frequently associated with rubber and heavy machinery with a conceptual perfume representing rivers used for transport, shipping, probably waste water disposal.
Changing into the base the tuberose stays on while losing some power. I seem to perceive cinnamon, carnations, possibly a hint of cloves.
I'd list cinnamon and a light musk as basenotes, it takes the perfume an estimated 10 hours to fade out completely.
I didn't catch Ines Lechleitner's presentation, but there's some material about the project on her homepage, the MAK shop has rudimentary information on the perfumes and artist's editions available and more material can be found at the "Freie Flusszone Elbe" website and in various newspapers, most of it seems to be in German though.
