Coutureguru

I'm at Abu Dhabi International Airport between flights and the new DFS shop carries a small range of Bond no. 9 frags … including this one!

I get BIG Tuberose and Gardenia here … not listed in the pyramid, but I could be smelling a combination of Freesia, Rose and Orange Blossom. It's very nice!!! The Iris is strong after a few hours … in fact I am toying with buying this fragrance.

Gonna put the brakes on … if it lasts all the way to my destination (a 7 hour flight) I will buy it on the way back.

Will update.

I have a friend who graciously mules bottles of Lorenzo Villoresi for me from Italy when we see each other quite regularly at our jobs on a tropical island. My most recent acquisition is this one which I requested blind, going on the strength of the note pyramid. Dilmun is a fantastic fragrance! I'm really glad to have it!!

As with the other Villoresi fragrances I own, there seems to be a huge number of components to make up something that in the end smells rather simple. I own Alamut (which is wonderful) and Teint de Neige (which is not) but Dilmun is by far my favorite acquisition from House Villoresi. This fragrance makes no pretenses about what it is … an honest rendition of glorious Orange Blossom, Neroli and Petigrain with a woody sweetness and hints of resin.
The Citrus notes here are present, but fleeting as they should be and don't overpower. Gorgeous Neroli takes pole position and is well supported by Petigrain and Orange Blossom, the sweetness of the latter a constant hum throughout the skin lifespan of Dilmun.
Having had the opportunity of wearing this in the tropics and also in the colder early Winter weather of home, I find that Dilmun appreciates heat and humidity more, where it blossoms for 6 or 7 hours. Its lifespan is roughly half of that in the cold. Fair enough then … I'll wear it just in the tropics :).

The more I delve into this House the more I start to enjoy its wares. I can recommend this fragrance to all who love Neroli and its Cologne like attributes on the proviso to save it for hot weather where it truly shines.

Aldehydes and violet pastilles are the "out of the gate' starters in this fragrance … punchy and immediately calling "notice me, notice me!". As one who doesn't quite care for strong Violet this should be rather repellent … strangely it is not!

The saving grace here is that the Violet is rather green, however still quite sweet! A very floral heart undoubtedly has something to do with this, especially the Honeysuckle which is evident early on in Broadway Nite's development. Ten minutes in, this fragrance becomes smooth and sweet, rather than shrill and sweet.
I'm really not sure what all of this has to do with Broadway, but I guess a throng of theatre-goers filling an auditorium may very well smell like this … who knows? The Bond No.9 aesthetic has never really appealed to me … it's always seemed rather random, but coated in a veneer of nouveau riche exclusion. That being as it may (and simply an observation on my part) I am slowly making inroads into this titanic collection (which seems to grow at a rate of knots!) and finding the occasional fragrance that I would consider wearing (now I sound exclusionary!). I find the transitions in this fragrance effortless and pleasing, while the longevity is good and the sillage excellent! The base here is my favorite part … but the journey getting there is rather fun. Many men would shun wearing something that would be considered so overly feminine but therein lies the allure for me … this would bamboozle on a guy!
I'm not sure that Broadway Nite is something that would make it into my regular rotation of fragrances … but it certainly is interesting. There is a peculiar similarity here to Stephen Jones' Millinery … but immensely more wearable.

I'm testing from a sample, but this fragrance is creeping its way towards a spot on my wish list. Curious … curious indeed!

As those of you who follow my meagre scribblings can attest, Roses are my favorite flowers and Rose fragrances form a huge sub category of my collection. I love Rose in all its incarnations, from deep velvety red to crystalline white!

Now, the reason I am confused is that the only notes listed on this page are Damascus Rose … not that one can take it as written in stone! My nose definitely get's Taif Rose here along with some Sandalwood and a little Spice. The dustiness of true Rosa Damascena is not evident in this fragrance. Elsewhere on the web I found the following shpiel:

"Rose Taifi by Al Haramain Perfumes is a Floral fragrance for women and men. The fragrance features taif rose, lily-of-the-valley, heliotrope, tea rose, vanilla, sandalwood and spicy notes."

Roses can be confusing anyway. Their origins shrouded in enough mystery, the general sense seems to be that they originally come from the East, imported West by marauding Ottomans and the like. I generally feel difference in fragrance intensity is probably due to where the flowers are grown … as the Bard succinctly said … " What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;".
Well then … out of Juliet's mouth and on to my skin!! Perhaps I should stop being so concerned as to where the Roses come from and rather revel in the unrivaled beauty of their scent!

Al Haramain's Rose Taifi is (imho) an undiscovered jewel in the world of perfumery. This is a stupendous Rose fragrance with above average sillage and longevity which can be had for a song! I think my 100ml bottle cost a measly £19 or some such silly figure, proving that fragrances don't have to cost the earth to be incredible. I own a bottle of Glistening by Boadicea, which is pretty much the exact same fragrance but put a mighty dent in my fragrance budget!

This Al Haramain offering is a fresh, lush, dewy Rose with a touch of vanillin creaminess and a faithful woody base … further enhanced by the brightness of a little Muguet and a hint of Spice. In no way at all is the loveliness of Rose compromised here … anything else here is simply cast in a supporting role to enhance the Rose … not overpower it.

I know I'm raving, but if one is a true Rose lover then Al Haramain's Rose Taifi is an absolute 'MUST HAVE' … period!

I should probably get over the fact that Oud is Oud is Oud … but I couldn't help thinking that something different would come out of the bottle I tested today. Alas, more of the same from Boss as everything else out there, albeit presented beautifully in a packaging similar to what I have come to expect from outfits like Amouage and Arabian Oud.

One cannot argue that Boss: The Collection - Damask Oud is a very nice Oud fragrance … a good dose of Saffron up top, a touch of Rose, synthetic/non-medicinal Oud and a pleasing woody dry down that is all said and done in about 4 hours, when it becomes a skin scent.
The silly price point is what galls me with this fragrance. At $125 per 50ml (in this country), I find that the money would be better spent on another 30ml bottle of Ex Idolo Thirty Three, which has become my 'go-to' Oud of late. No doubt, a hefty portion of the money that this Boss offering costs resides in the beautiful, fabric padded box that it comes in … inner bag et al. All very nice I suppose … but my overflowing collection can do without another massive box, as the fragrance inside is only passably good in a world were magnificent Oud fragrances abound.

With its average longevity and acceptable sillage, I cannot recommend this fragrance to any but the serious Oud collector. Desoleé ...