Briarthorn
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Delicate girl in a leather jacket
This review is for the 1992 release of the Swan Bottle.
It opens with the leathery bite of an old cracked bikers jacket. It reminds me of the leather that is used in Whips and Roses by Kerosene. The leather is touched with a bit of Frankincense. There is also a good sized dose of cassis that adds an almost phenolic green sweetness. It's not often that I find a scent that showcases cassis as well as this one does. It really gives that leathery incense combo the "something" that it needs. After a few moments a sweetness pops out with a loud "pop". It's a beautiful pineapple/peachy zing with a floral tail (ylang-ylang and rose). This new combination punches it's way over the leather brightening everything up and breathing some life and youth into the old, cracked leather. The soft floral accord is almost a whisper. It's really beautiful.
The heart is more floral than the opening and the cassis has faded. There is a sharp ylang-ylang bite with a spicy (carnation?) rose touched lily. It's a really nice, girly contrast that breathes life into the weathered and more masculine leather. There is also a touch of sweetness on the skin (benzoin perhaps?).
The dry down is mostly a sweetish amber and tonka with a clean musky zing. There are still some light florals (rose, lily, ylang-ylang) lazing around. The leather is also much softer, almost a memory. This is a really beautiful dry down. The florals blend so beautifully with the amber/musk/Tonka cpombo that it all becomes one lazy and lovely song.
Overall this is a fantastic scent. The longevity isn't the best but You'll get a good 7-9 hours out of it and it doesn't become a skin scent until well after 4-5 hours. There is something just so wonderful about the play of the very feminine florals and the heavily masculine leather. She's a tough girl that loves butterflies but takes no crap from anyone.
It opens with the leathery bite of an old cracked bikers jacket. It reminds me of the leather that is used in Whips and Roses by Kerosene. The leather is touched with a bit of Frankincense. There is also a good sized dose of cassis that adds an almost phenolic green sweetness. It's not often that I find a scent that showcases cassis as well as this one does. It really gives that leathery incense combo the "something" that it needs. After a few moments a sweetness pops out with a loud "pop". It's a beautiful pineapple/peachy zing with a floral tail (ylang-ylang and rose). This new combination punches it's way over the leather brightening everything up and breathing some life and youth into the old, cracked leather. The soft floral accord is almost a whisper. It's really beautiful.
The heart is more floral than the opening and the cassis has faded. There is a sharp ylang-ylang bite with a spicy (carnation?) rose touched lily. It's a really nice, girly contrast that breathes life into the weathered and more masculine leather. There is also a touch of sweetness on the skin (benzoin perhaps?).
The dry down is mostly a sweetish amber and tonka with a clean musky zing. There are still some light florals (rose, lily, ylang-ylang) lazing around. The leather is also much softer, almost a memory. This is a really beautiful dry down. The florals blend so beautifully with the amber/musk/Tonka cpombo that it all becomes one lazy and lovely song.
Overall this is a fantastic scent. The longevity isn't the best but You'll get a good 7-9 hours out of it and it doesn't become a skin scent until well after 4-5 hours. There is something just so wonderful about the play of the very feminine florals and the heavily masculine leather. She's a tough girl that loves butterflies but takes no crap from anyone.
Pleasently Surprised
This opens with a powdery, sweet berry accompanied by a bergamot bite that quickly fades. Under the berry there is a hint of lotus. This opening surprises me. I was expecting something much different when I looked at the bottle. The opening settles on the skin rather quickly and within fifteen minutes the opening has faded, and we are fully in the heart.
The heart is the star of this scent. There is a rich, dark wood that comes out and adds a deep mysterious element to the sweet berries. The berries are now touched by a rose and there is less powder than in the opening. The lotus isn't noticeable now. The wood here is worth noting. I think it's the main thing that makes this scent stand out. The wood is very cedar-like but it has a slightly citrusy quality to it while at the same time it's dark and even a tad broody. It balances out the bright sweetness of the rosy berries nicely
The dry down hits after about two hours. It's a soft amber touched musk. Very basic, nothing out of the box, nothing really worth noting. The scent is completely gone after about 4-5 hours.
Overall this scent is short lived, but nice to experience while it's here. The wood used in this composition is really the most interesting part of this scent, and is the one thing that saves this scent from being completely forgotten about in the halls of "eh, boring". I believe that the horrid bottle is quite deceptive and not at all a reflection of the scent inside.
The heart is the star of this scent. There is a rich, dark wood that comes out and adds a deep mysterious element to the sweet berries. The berries are now touched by a rose and there is less powder than in the opening. The lotus isn't noticeable now. The wood here is worth noting. I think it's the main thing that makes this scent stand out. The wood is very cedar-like but it has a slightly citrusy quality to it while at the same time it's dark and even a tad broody. It balances out the bright sweetness of the rosy berries nicely
The dry down hits after about two hours. It's a soft amber touched musk. Very basic, nothing out of the box, nothing really worth noting. The scent is completely gone after about 4-5 hours.
Overall this scent is short lived, but nice to experience while it's here. The wood used in this composition is really the most interesting part of this scent, and is the one thing that saves this scent from being completely forgotten about in the halls of "eh, boring". I believe that the horrid bottle is quite deceptive and not at all a reflection of the scent inside.
My Beloved
This if for the Original formula in the oval bottle.
We all have that scent that strikes something deep inside of us and is our most beloved. It takes us places we want to go and for the time we wear it, makes us feel like the person we want to be. For me this is Black Cashmere by Donna Karan. I have a 30ml mouse bottle that I stash away in my perfume cupboard, like a dragon protecting it's most precious treasures. Definitely one of my most prized perfumes. The mouse bottle used to be rather affordable but the prices have spiked in the past year to ridiculous amounts. I really regret not getting a larger bottle when prices were better. I would love to wear this scent much more than I do, but I also know I will be heartbroken the day I spray it's last drop. I'm not sure about getting the re-released bottle. It's such an emotionally loaded scent for me I am not sure I want to risk the disappointment of a reformulation.
Now, how she wears:
It opens with a heady and heavy veil of charred wood. Peeking shyly from behind the veil are spices (clove, nutmeg). I believe this charred wood smell comes from the perfect blending of a deep, rich wood with a luxurious frankincense. For the first twenty or thirty minutes this scent is intensely heavy. It masterfully walks a fine line between being divinely heavy and cloying.
After the scent settles the saffron, and to a smaller extent, nutmeg come into their own. They are supported by a nice base of cloves that blend magically with the charred wood note. There is also a hint of a sweetish floral (rose perhaps?). The real star of this composition is still that wood and frankincense blend. It really sings with the saffron, and it's a completely wonderful song.
The dry down is the sweetest stage and the floral is strongest here (saffron touched by rose). There is also the interplay of spices (still mainly clove and nutmeg). Perhaps the Amber and Vanilla offer this sweetness we see here, though these do not show up as notes on their own but add a beautiful sweet edge to the notes that are more discernible. The charred wood / frankincense are now just snatches of memories that play around the outside of the composition. Just enough to remind you of their presence but not enough to draw attention away from the spiced and sweetened florals.
This scent is one of the most unique scents I own. I have never found anything else like it. It always takes me places I want to be whenever I wear it. The longevity is about 7-10 hours, becoming a skin scent at around 5-7 hours. This silage and projection are rather large and heavy in the beginning but settle down to more reasonable and personal levels in the heart and dry down.
She is special and I adore her.
We all have that scent that strikes something deep inside of us and is our most beloved. It takes us places we want to go and for the time we wear it, makes us feel like the person we want to be. For me this is Black Cashmere by Donna Karan. I have a 30ml mouse bottle that I stash away in my perfume cupboard, like a dragon protecting it's most precious treasures. Definitely one of my most prized perfumes. The mouse bottle used to be rather affordable but the prices have spiked in the past year to ridiculous amounts. I really regret not getting a larger bottle when prices were better. I would love to wear this scent much more than I do, but I also know I will be heartbroken the day I spray it's last drop. I'm not sure about getting the re-released bottle. It's such an emotionally loaded scent for me I am not sure I want to risk the disappointment of a reformulation.
Now, how she wears:
It opens with a heady and heavy veil of charred wood. Peeking shyly from behind the veil are spices (clove, nutmeg). I believe this charred wood smell comes from the perfect blending of a deep, rich wood with a luxurious frankincense. For the first twenty or thirty minutes this scent is intensely heavy. It masterfully walks a fine line between being divinely heavy and cloying.
After the scent settles the saffron, and to a smaller extent, nutmeg come into their own. They are supported by a nice base of cloves that blend magically with the charred wood note. There is also a hint of a sweetish floral (rose perhaps?). The real star of this composition is still that wood and frankincense blend. It really sings with the saffron, and it's a completely wonderful song.
The dry down is the sweetest stage and the floral is strongest here (saffron touched by rose). There is also the interplay of spices (still mainly clove and nutmeg). Perhaps the Amber and Vanilla offer this sweetness we see here, though these do not show up as notes on their own but add a beautiful sweet edge to the notes that are more discernible. The charred wood / frankincense are now just snatches of memories that play around the outside of the composition. Just enough to remind you of their presence but not enough to draw attention away from the spiced and sweetened florals.
This scent is one of the most unique scents I own. I have never found anything else like it. It always takes me places I want to be whenever I wear it. The longevity is about 7-10 hours, becoming a skin scent at around 5-7 hours. This silage and projection are rather large and heavy in the beginning but settle down to more reasonable and personal levels in the heart and dry down.
She is special and I adore her.
No words to convey it's magic and beauty
This review is from an old vintage bottle of EDP, probably from the late 1960s, but I'm not completely sure on the age.
In the opening rose is dominant with a strong almost unpleasant herbal note that is equally as strong (the aloe maybe?) I also get some geranium and mint. It's not a fresh and bright mint but a mint that's bruised and old, forgotten in the back of the refrigerator. This opening did not work for me.
As the scent warms up the aloe vera becomes more distinct while, thankfully, the geranium and minty funk fades. The rose is incredible lovely, as Caron roses usually are. It does not have the heavenly creaminess of N'Aimiez Que Moi or Acociosa, but there is a really great powdery quality that I adore almost as much. I love this scent now that the opening has faded. The artistry of the composition (like all the vintage Carons) completely blows me away.
The dry down has less geranium and aloe vera and even more of the powdery rose that just engulfs me. It is divine. The geranium has been replaced by a smokiness against the skin. I can't find a better way to describe it and I have no idea what is giving me this smoky feel but it is insanely beautiful.
This scent lasted forever and has a rather large projection. It's so beautiful at times I am almost overcome by it all. There are just not words to convey the magic of this.
In the opening rose is dominant with a strong almost unpleasant herbal note that is equally as strong (the aloe maybe?) I also get some geranium and mint. It's not a fresh and bright mint but a mint that's bruised and old, forgotten in the back of the refrigerator. This opening did not work for me.
As the scent warms up the aloe vera becomes more distinct while, thankfully, the geranium and minty funk fades. The rose is incredible lovely, as Caron roses usually are. It does not have the heavenly creaminess of N'Aimiez Que Moi or Acociosa, but there is a really great powdery quality that I adore almost as much. I love this scent now that the opening has faded. The artistry of the composition (like all the vintage Carons) completely blows me away.
The dry down has less geranium and aloe vera and even more of the powdery rose that just engulfs me. It is divine. The geranium has been replaced by a smokiness against the skin. I can't find a better way to describe it and I have no idea what is giving me this smoky feel but it is insanely beautiful.
This scent lasted forever and has a rather large projection. It's so beautiful at times I am almost overcome by it all. There are just not words to convey the magic of this.
Briarthorn 9 years ago
It starts magically and then goes "eh"
This opens with the loveliest Taif Rose. It's freshly opened and still covered in dew. There's no powder or cream to this rose. There is a beautiful base of Incense and sandalwood with just a touch of saffron playing in the background. The rose is the main event here. After about 30 min. I get more of the saffron, and it's amazing.
A couple of hours in the heart is in full swing. The composition is much softer now, laying closer to the skin. It's not a skin scent but it's definitely personal, perfect in my opinion. The rose is still front and center and still completely lovely. I haven't found any coffee. Not a hint, which is a bummer because I love how coffee plays in a scent. The saffron however, is gorgeous and exciting. The incense is soft and in the background. This is a really beautiful incense. To my nose it's not frankincense or myrrh, but an exotic and less sharp or biting note. It's soft and smoky.
I didn't really notice any big difference between the heart and the dry down, except that the dry down was a very quiet skin scent with really just a faint rose being detectable. Basically, the scent became linear after the opening ran it's course. My enthusiasm for this scent waned after about 3 hours. It just started to feel a bit "eh, taif rose and incense". It's a shame because it opened so magically.
A couple of hours in the heart is in full swing. The composition is much softer now, laying closer to the skin. It's not a skin scent but it's definitely personal, perfect in my opinion. The rose is still front and center and still completely lovely. I haven't found any coffee. Not a hint, which is a bummer because I love how coffee plays in a scent. The saffron however, is gorgeous and exciting. The incense is soft and in the background. This is a really beautiful incense. To my nose it's not frankincense or myrrh, but an exotic and less sharp or biting note. It's soft and smoky.
I didn't really notice any big difference between the heart and the dry down, except that the dry down was a very quiet skin scent with really just a faint rose being detectable. Basically, the scent became linear after the opening ran it's course. My enthusiasm for this scent waned after about 3 hours. It just started to feel a bit "eh, taif rose and incense". It's a shame because it opened so magically.
