Flaconesse

Yesterday I received a small sample of the fragrance highlight from the Tom Ford Private Blend Collection launched last year: Lost Cherry, which I immediately had to test. More about this later...

The search for the most beautiful cherry has accompanied me for several years. I had no exact idea how that little fruit should smell, only that the cherry should be clearly recognizable and not too synthetic. Whether sweet, sour, everyday or night cherry, I wanted to be surprised.

I have always loved cherries, they are my most sacred fruit. I'd prefer her to any bar of chocolate and that's what a self-confessed sugar junkie wants to mean. I have a wonderful childhood memory of Janosch's little tigers and little bears who one day made pancakes with cherries for lunch and had a lot of fun dangling the fresh fruit from their ears. Since then it had happened to me and with every sweet lunch, be it semolina, rice pudding or even pancakes, there had to be cherries.

Since I have rediscovered my perfume collection, I have been concerned with 3 central questions: What will my new signature fragrance be?
Where can I find the perfect rose?
Is there a beautiful and uncomplicated cherry scent?

If many perfumes are theoretically suitable for answering the first question, the circle of test candidates for the second question is further restricted. To answer the third question, only a very small selection of perfumes comes into question, since cherry is not a fragrance that is used too often or is often lost in the composition. Unfortunately.

Some years ago I tested the current Escada summer scent "Cherry in the air" at the Türkisen. The girlish, French-looking artwork of the packaging attracted me magically. Here is clearly cherry to smell, but still very sweet, very artificial, which is not surprising, because in the fragrance pyramid only cherry, Marshmellow and sandalwood are listed. I left it on the shelf for now. (For collection purposes I bought it a few years later, on the Internet). Continue to the next cherry.


Again and again "Le petit robe noir (Eau de Parfum)" crossed my path. Sometimes I liked this smoky cherry with a clear patchouli undertone more, sometimes less. I liked the idea of wearing a smoky-fruity fragrance behind it, but we never quite matched. I gave my girlfriend the sample, which she liked so much that she now wears it regularly. Continue to the next cherry.

In memory I had a further, likewise heavier cherry smell from the 90ern, which my second mummy carried at that time: "Marbert Donna 2". Here the disappointment about the acquired sample was correspondingly great: the ravages of time had done the aromas no favours, the cherry appeared pale and stale. More carefully, the procurement of a vintage fragrance, which I would like to use regularly, is too cumbersome for me in the long run. Go on, you guess it, to the next cherry.

No cherry lover can ignore Lolita Lempicka's creations, which like to use the red stone fruits in their somewhat kitschy flacons. It should be said that these fragrances are really very sweet and childish. If "So Sweet" smells like all kinds of fruit sweets, his big sister "Sweet" comes around the corner with a bag full of cherry maoam. Not bad, but you have to be in the right mood for such squeaky scents.

As euphoric as I first approached the subject of cherry fragrances, I was depressed over time, because none of the fragrances tested so far fulfilled my expectations. Until yesterday and now we finally get to Lost Cherry:

I found out about this fragrance by chance on Parfumo and wanted to give the cherry one last chance. I hadn't rated Tom Ford's perfumes as suitable for me so far, but what the hell, off on the watch list. With the intention to subject my complete lists to a spring cleaning, I stumbled across this entry and immediately found a suitable sample in the Souk, katsching, purchased. I had studied the comments carefully before and could not deny a hopeful expectation.

Arriving at my place, I immediately sniffed curiously at the spray head. I noticed a rich cherry aroma and something Mandeliges, which I had to test immediately on the skin. A timid spray later I was surrounded by the slightly sharp note of bitter almond, which lost its intensity after a few minutes and leaves behind a beautifully pleasing, fruity sweet cherry scent. On my evening errand tour I had to sniff my wrist several times and grin a little bit each time, so I was very happy about this cherry, which at first came along very beautifully. Many times I read here of the comparison with these small Kirschlollies, which tasted quite wonderfully delicious in the childhood, for an adult 20 years later they taste only artificially and oversweet. So Lost Cherry is not at all, he luckily doesn't smell like these lollipops taste in reality, the other way around the lollipops could take a good example of this great cherry scent!
Unfortunately it had almost completely evaporated after 2.5 hours, so that I dared a new wearing attempt this morning. Before starting work I sprayed myself with this time 3 sprays, which I distributed equally on skin and clothes. Again I first took the bitter almond was and a short time later a cuddly cherry, worn on a decent woody-sweet base and a nice comparison came to mind. Lost Cherry is the Amarena cup among cherry fragrances. Sweet milk ice cream covered over and over with an aromatic velvety cherry sauce, a dash of cherry liqueur and garnished with small Amarettini crumbles. The fragrance remains unchanged over a long period of time and is still perceptible after 6 hours on the clothes, but is close to the body without pronounced sillage. It fits wonderfully into the autumn/winter time and also to the momentary very cold spring days, in which I would like to carry rather warmly sweet instead of citric fresh. I am curious whether it can assert itself against my usual favourites and fight for a place in my collection.

If you are looking for an olfactory, highly artistic and finely fragmented fragrance, this is a bad idea. However, if you are looking for a gourmand cherry scent with well-balanced fruitiness and cuddly sweetness, Lost Cherry should definitely be tested.

Anyway, I found it, the most beautiful cherry. A small drop of bitterness remains, I would have liked to have discovered it already before a grey winter time in the big city.

Today I need something sunny, I think as I step out of the lab building into the cold January wind. I feel a cold tingling sensation all over my face. Is that drizzle or industrial snow already? Either way, it's uncomfortable out there! I dream of neroli and orange blossoms.
Tonight we are going to visit the sports studio again, so the very sweet Kiehl's Orange Flower & Lychee will not be our companion. My favourite fitness fragrance from Roger & Gallet Bois d'Orange is too cool for me today. After a short consideration, I decide on the Lumière Dorée by Miller Harris, which has only been tested for a short time so far, bought between the years as a cheap trio. The three small, high-quality spray flacons, decorated with floral drawings and a shiny black lid, had attracted my attention despite the grabbed tk-maxx-typical plastic packaging and smelled without further considerations into my fragrance collection
So I scented myself generously and am looking forward to the judgement of my training partner. "Oh, that's a high grade," she judges cryptically, and we both have to laugh. But I immediately know what she means by this: the fragrance starts off citrus-fresh and slightly metallic, almost eau-de-cologne-like with a whole load of petitgrain, the essential oil of the bitter orange tree and bergamot, a small, wrinkly citrus fruit that gives Earl Grey tea its typical taste. Shortly thereafter the white-flowered Neroli, the flower oil of the Pomeranze, enters the stage and shines in all its facets from bitter to slightly chewing gum-like sweet and drives away any winter mood.
Neroli and I share a love-hate affair: as much as I like the fresh, unsweet creations, I find it air-cutting and overwhelming in a sweet combination. The ridge in between is a narrower one. Here, however, it appears balanced, sweet, sunny and creamy. A Neroli to get used to, I find cheering. From the base I don't notice much except a discreet musk background of the citrus fruit party, because the Neroli remains very present over the rest of the fragrance. I'm astonished by the moderate sillage and even with sweaty exercises I'm only occasionally blown around by a subtle touch. Maybe it's not 100% the perfect sports fragrance, as it quickly changes from fresh to sweet, but I still feel well scented. My cloudy thoughts were transformed into sunny ones and I was able to let this wet and cold day end with some happiness.
Even though I wanted to take one of my other perfume treasures out the next day, I was happy when my sun-yellow loop scarf sprayed a delicate touch of Lumière Dorée and I'm sure we'll smell each other again a few times this winter

Another perfume by Comptoir Sud Pacifique was in the January-Ebay package of my favourite perfumer: Cologne Mood. Because of the ratings and statements I was looking forward to this fragrance the most. So I took the virgin nebulizer from the packaging, lids, noses to the spray head and muttered: Iso-eeeeeeee, great! My friend, who sat next to me, once again didn't understand a word, held his wrist out to me and let himself be sprayed well. Citric-fresh it smelled towards us, then I forgot to sniff it a 2nd time until today... I want to play it bravely right away and thanks to the good January resolutions, go to the gym with my girlfriend. In winter I don't feel like anything too fresh during the day (and in the evenings actually), except for sports, where a refreshment is good and my fragrant sports club consisting of Bois d'Orange, Concentré de Pamplemousse Rose and Biotherms L'Eau has just told me that it would accept new members. Arrived at home, immediately thrown into the sports dress, courageously stepped opposite the bottle and 2 spray shots (more is not possible, because my girlfriend reacts to some fragrances with shortness of breath) aimed at the décolleté and forearm, I notice immediately that I smell like a freshly showered man. The citric has unfortunately vanished very quickly and Iso-E-Super, in the chemical tertiary structure not unlike a pheromone, sticks cheekily to me or is it really just a rather penetrating cedar? Since sport is known to be murder, the masculine may help with pumping. I try to see it from the positive side.
Arriving at the gym, I am curiously sniffed at. Unfortunately, one of the ingredients belongs to the breathtaking group, so I'm glad I didn't diesel in too much, even though it feels like most of it has evaporated again.
Back home, I have to say that I could neither train harder, nor could I bewircen my girlfriend. For Cologne Mood you have to be in the mood or a man, I'm certainly not moodig enough to use it a second time, but happy to wash the last male remnants of my bosom after the exhausting training session and from a corner in the bedroom I hear the bottles of Hermes, Roger & Gallet and Biotherm shouting in the choir: "You're not getting in here! Private club!!!"

A little sceptical yesterday I took the pack of Comptoir Sud Pacifique's Vanilla Extrem from the huge Ebay package of my favourite perfumer. Had I really "only" bought a 30mL bottle for 20€? I shook my head over such an overpriced price and the faux pas on my part, checked my purchase overview and had to find out that the seller had actually delivered the right bottle. (As you can read from my last blog entry, after a year of intensive perfume research, I am now an internet professional and would certainly not have placed 26.75€ as the highest bid.) Anyway, I've been playing too high and the bottle is with me now, let's make the best of it.
I took the silver-coloured, heavy glass from the packaging, opened the lid and sniffed at the spray head. "Well great, again such an over-sugared vanilla scented candle" it shot through my head and the judgement of my friend with "Just stay away from me with the stuff" was not exactly more positive. So I cheerfully tested the other sweethearts from the wonder box and put the extreme vanilla aside. At an advanced hour that evening, we had just decided to make popcorn, the other perfume we tested had already gone, my eyes fell on the bright turquoise cardboard. Spraying once can't hurt, I thought, especially since I just felt an almost insatiable hunger for sweets anyway, thanks to the holidays. Whoa, what's that? My nose was filled with rapture, tender vanilla led by a storm troop of marzipan-like heliotrope and warm milk. Blessed was I sitting the rest of the night out of the sofa, chocolate popcorn in one hand, vanilla milk on the other hand, crunching and sniffing alternately, the annoyance about the avoidable mistake of buying vanilla was completely gone, because vanilla extreme is indeed the most beautiful fragrance from this month's test package and even now the next morning I still take a subtle vanilla breath was. The olfactory rescue and a true comforter for uncomfortable cold January days. All's well, all's well!

For a very long time I was afraid to write my first perfume review. Concerned that I had not sufficiently illuminated the fragrance in all its facets and had captured it in its entirety, I made notes about the tested and worn perfumes again and again, but I shied away from a complete description. But when I sprayed Flowerparty by Night on again after some time this morning, I knew that this fragrance was worth to be illuminated and appreciated with my first comment:

"I'm standing on the platform, waiting for the train to take me to the city, which is already glittering with promise on one side. On the other side the last orange-red remains of the sunset are visible. Slowly the night lies over it protective, almost comforting. She puts on her deep blue velvet cape, inviting everyone to wrap themselves in it," I wrote into my cell phone yesterday on the way home. The last days of September have begun, during which the thermometer climbs to a pleasant 20 degrees during the day, but drops rapidly in the evening, so that also today's morning, outside the heating period, is so cold that even in the bedroom under the blanket, in the cuddly suit I slightly freeze and do not want to get up at all. Since my alarm clock chirps for the 10th time and my friend's mobile phone joins in with a Chinese gong game, I dare to step into the coolness. Undecided about which fragrance best reflects my mood today.

I stood in front of my perfume cupboard, looking for the right fragrance for today, as I had been doing the mornings, and my eyes grazed the dark blue flower bottle of Flowerparty by Night. I had the picture of yesterday's evening scenery right in front of my eyes, because that's exactly what this madly flattering fragrance feels like: dark blue and velvety. Deep red, almost purple coloured berries stream towards me (not quite as squeaky and bright as the original version of Flowerparty), followed by a liquorice sweetness, rounded off by velvety almonds. In the course of time the berries are increasingly dimmed and a creamy vanilla enters the field. However, it is not a fragrance with a strong development, the warm, velvety-sweet fragrance character remains from beginning to end, with a good shelf life and sillage. During the working day I can perceive it until the end of the day. Contrary to the name I hardly smell any flowers.

Whenever I put it on, I think back to a beautiful time at the beginning of October 2014, when I attended a seminar in the South of France, on the Cote d'Azur. Golden light meets an earth warmed by midsummer and an equally warmed, calm Mediterranean. A holiday village built in the style of an old French village, painted in sunflower yellow and juicy orange, with small houses, alleys and bridges, souvenir shops and an extremely delicate 3-course menu at lunchtime as well as in the evening. Yes, the Frenchman knows how to live.
At this time of year Flowerparty by Night blossoms most beautifully when the summer is slowly cooling down and the afternoons are still warm enough to enjoy life outside. In the evening he cuts a particularly good figure when something more sumptuous than Eau de Colognes is announced. Even seductive qualities I would award him, because this soft gourmand lets you smell to bite on without putting on too much or being sticky sweet.

And it was only at the second glance that I learned to appreciate its beauty: I ordered it out of a sheer desire to buy: I had just ordered the original summer party via the Internet after a previous test in the shop, got the well-known advertising leaflets into the mailbox every month and studied them well. One contained a scratch field for the by Night version, which I tested directly and ordered 2 minutes later. However, as we perfumers know, these dry tests are not exactly representative. All the tangyness of the top note goes flute, not to mention good shelf life and fragrance progression.
When I arrived, the little blue flower bottle eked out a rather unspectacular existence in a locked wardrobe before I decided a few months later to take it with me on this business trip.

In short, Yves Rocher hides a treasure worth discovering, even if it is not available in all shops, it is available online, highly affordable and should not be missing in any collection of a gourmet and liquorice lover. I hold my flacon in honour, will dig it out every 9th month of the year and disappear into some late summer nights in its velvety blue cape.