MemoryOScent

Citta di Kyoto is one of the most recent releases (2004) of a house that claims a continuous production since 1612. Anyone who is familiar with their releases knows that they are quirky, not always easy to wear but always come through as unpretentious, clear and yet sophisticated fragrances. So how is this managing with its recent releases? In one word, perfectly.

Citta di Kyoto was released to celebrate the 40 year old affiliation of Florence and Kyoto and what better way to do that than combining notes of florentine iris and japanese lotus. I must admit I am not familiar with how lotus smells but had I read the official note listing I would have been put off: “The perfume opens with vibrant, fruity and fresh top notes of jasmine and ylang-ylang, which are punctuated by the deeper hints of bergamot and orange. These are followed by base notes of Florentine iris and lotus”. No, no, no, no! It starts with a magnificent paint diluent note (admittedly this can be attributed to ylang ylang as it sometimes has a mentholated aspect)that quickly fades into the driest, palest, softest cedar. The most opulent orris butter kicks in to smooth out the rough woody surface. The overall effect is that of velvety, dusty suede. It makes me think of smelling uncooked rice. Much to my astonishment this is listed as a feminine scent which together with the official description are doing a great job at restricting this fragrance’s target group. This is dry, woody, leathery iris at its best and Dzongkha lovers please give this a try. In another perfume world Citta di Kyoto could very well pass as a masculine version of Equistrius. It wears close to the skin, feels like it sinks into the skin and radiates from there but it has an exceptional longevity even though it is an eau de cologne.

Notes from my nose: paint diluent, cedar, butter, iris, rice, incense tears

Equistrius is a sweet but not gourmand, leathery iris. The topnotes hit you with a good dose of syrupy floral sweetness, maybe a lychee syrup. I am not a big fan of sweet fragrances but Marc-Antoine Corticchiato knows very well how to balance on the edge of the impossible, like he did with Cuir Ottoman where he coupled the powderiest of irises with the shiniest black leather. The sweetness seems overwhelming at first but why do I find myself sniffing again and again my “test site”? A hint of hazelnut starts dusting the shiny syrup adding some saltiness. In the heart a good scoop of buttery iris melts on top of the syrup making everything soft, warm, comforting. The official site lists dark chocolate in the notes and I wish I could pick this up but I can’t. What I do get though is how the iris produces a beautiful effect of soft, warn suede leather. In a way this leather note is very close to the suede of Daim Blond. In the drydown a champagne like accord brings sparkles to composition.

Equistrius is a proud fragrance. It wears loud and clear and if you are a man you better watch your finger because the spray delivers a hefty dose. I don’t know if you ever get a visual impact from the way a fragrance develops. Equistrius seems like melting on the skin. I get the feeling that it flows on the skin like melting butter, spreading further and further than where I spray it. It radiates and glows and never fails to put a smile on my face.

Notes from my nose: hot syrup, lychee, hazelnut, salted butter, suede,champagne

So what is my absolute musk stinker? This little benign romantic perfume from Les Néréides. A jewellery company that started producing hand crafted off beat, happy designs back in 1980 and at some point expanded to perfume. Their designs have become more conventional but they have created a different line, N2 jewellery, that still has some of the initial spirit of the brand. Their perfumes have remained under the radar however, selling at very reasonable prices. And they are good! Very good! Old fashioned, romantic, bohemian like the jewellery but of very good quality. This one in particular is a quirky little piece.

The name, Powdered Musk Flower, pretty much is a note list by itself. But the opening packs a fistful of animalic, dirty, urinous musk. It is bold and scary but after the initial shock for some strange reason it makes me go back and sniff my wrist again. A totally primeval urge to experience the repulsion again and again. Or just the primeval attraction to musk? Before I know it I start to like what I smell. It is a sensual and human smell that smiles like a naughty child, poking its nose: “Look how nasty I am!”. The softest and most playful flowers join the elfish musk into a combination that has the proverbial “old lady” vibe but this old lady is a cheerful Miss Havisham, dressed in a pretty white wedding dress, picking up flowers in the garden. In the last phase I can also smell the powder that she uses on her cracked face. The musk becomes less aggressive towards the drydown, shedding most of the associations with urinals but it never goes into synthetic or white musk territory.

The picture of the perfumed old lady that I am drawing might look pitiful in your eyes but there is a very intelligent decision in the composition of this perfume: nothing is done in great seriousness. Everything floats in the air lightly and light-heartedly. The volume is exactly at the right level. It develops into a delicate floral skinscent with the most realistic musk note I have ever smelled in a perfume. It doesn’t claim breaking new ground but rather it digs up in the old attic for forgotten treasures. In a way, Fleur Poudrée de Musc reminds me of Amouage Gold pour Homme. I know this comparison can make me turn into a pillar of salt but given that I can still type, let me explain myself. Both fragrances use pissy musk, white florals and powder to make a statement. But where the cheap Fleur Poudrée de Musc creates a playful, light romantic feminine aura, the uber-expensive Gold pour Homme uses these old fashioned notes attempting to create something relevant in a bombastic “look at me” way that made me run to the sink. Unfortunately Fleur Poudrée de Musc is now discontinued as well as Impérial Opoponax, my second Les Néréides bottle, but I suspect their remaining releases are equally good.

Fleur Poudrée de Musc is a very feminine scent with a very dirty musk. I never wear it when I am going to meet unsuspecting noses but it holds a place in my heart because it is daring and delicate at the same time. It offers me the chance to enjoy musk at its wildest but it knows when to stop. It smells like a fairy tale and I know exactly which one: the Snow-white. The only difference is that this version of the tale showcases a very naughty Snow-white and all seven dwarfs!

This ones opens with a very mysterious accord. It combines the cold, bitter camphor with warm, sweet clove. Although it is clearly medicinal it feels very familiar and comforting. Perfectly balanced. These top notes are angular and feel like polar opposites. Ice and fire. I have an intense vision of a red ball floating in the air, covered in a thick layer of resin. Moving to he heart there is a fruity sweetness. But the use of fruit is almost ironic here. It is not sweet or cheerful. It serves to give substance to angular, volatile top notes. The base has nuances of patchouli and incense. Overall if I had to use one word to explain this it would be "ceremonial". Not something for everyday use but extremely comforting. It has body and substance. Very tactile.

What is truly remarkable about Pomegranate Noir is that it is the right perfume in the wrong line. Jo Malone colognes are light, simple, bright, even thin maybe. Definitely not ground-breaking. Pleasant but not remarkable. They are made explicitly to encourage layering with each other so they have to be simple. Longevity and sillage are not their strong suit. Pomegranate Noir is a masterpiece. Unique and memorable in every way. Adult, brash, moody, dark, mysterious but at the same time familiar, comforting and introverted. People who frequent the Jo Malone displays are probably shocked by this one and potential lovers will never go near the Jo Malone stands. If you read the official note listing you would think that this is another “everything but the kitchen sink” fragrance but nothing can prepare you for the unbelievable balance and depth of this composition. All I want to say here is “close your eyes and smell”! Everything smells better when labels are out of the way. Both literally and mentally. I was given the opportunity to experience this blind for a fellow bloggers blind sniffing annual post (La Gardenia nell'Occhiello) so this is my chinese portrait of this (as per the blind sniffing rules):


if it would be a colour? Red with depth and variation, like a glazed ornament.
if it'd be an animal? A cat: it moves slowly but powerfully. It imposes with its presence even when it is outside your view field!
if it'd be music? Dave Brubeck - Take Five: playfull but you know where it's going from the start.
if it'd be a place? It would be a jazz club: it is warm, but not quite comforting, you need to be on your toes.
if it'd be a cloth? A velvet coat: feels comfortable and soft but it is strictly "dress to impress".
if it'd be a movie/book? A Single Man: introspective but victorious.
if it'd be a personality (storical, pubblic,...)? It would be Charlotte Rampling: tiptoeing on the thin line between intellectuality and sinicism.

Notes from my nose: camphor, clove, pomegranate, patchouli, incense, cedar

Blue Agava and Cacao is one of the most feminine in the Jo Malone line, not only because it is intensely floral but also because it is big and bold. I admit I have no idea what agave smells like but I have a vague memory of the smell of a cactus flower that was incredibly floral and delicate and this is quite close. Only this one is big and explosive. A pink floral explosion laced with soft powdery musk and the unexpected dusty cocoa note. This isn’t sweet chocolate, it is unsweetened cocoa powder. It is more prominent in the opening but complements the floral body of the fragrance throughout the development. I have smelled a similar combination of flowers and cocoa in MP&G Fleur des Comores although no one else seems to get it there, so don’t take my word for it. Blue Agava and Cacao seems quite linear to my nose but no one can complain about its projection and longevity. Although it is very floral and powdery it maintains a skin-like quality that makes it very sensual and slightly dangerous. More femme fatale than girly.

Notes from Fragrantica: Birgaradia citrus, lime oil, grapefruit, cardamom, red berry, blue Agava flower, sea salt, orchid, geranium, white lily, cocoa, vetiver, cinnamon, musk and vanilla.

Notes from my nose: cactus flower, musk, vanilla, cocoa, powder