Notausgang

In front of me on the table is a small test tube, with one or two milliliters of transparent, inconspicuous liquid. The only label is the number "4", written on the plastic with a felt-tip pen. I don't know anything about it - don't know the manufacturer or the bottle, not the price range or the notes that await me, all the information that is communicated to us via the senses of sight and hearing, when in the case of fragrances someone else plays the main role - the nose. All right, and the brain. And both of them get a proper workout from this little sample.
So I try to approach this unknown fragrance systematically, my notebook and a pen are always within reach.


Test sniff

On the spray head of the tube, I smell... not much. The scent doesn't seem particularly potent, although it has been sprayed a few times.
"Fruity-oriental" I write down hesitantly, "rather weak".


Paper sample

Before it may be sprayed on my skin, I subject the fragrance to a test on a paper strip. Here reveals itself then also a greater radiance than emanated from the spray head itself. The star of this perfume now shows itself for the first time: Rose!
I note: "Rose. Perles de Lalique? spicy: peppery - woody - a little bit fresh. minimal plastic (aldehyde?) note. quite gentle."


Wear test

Rose immediately fills the room when sprayed on the skin. It is not heavy or stale, but fruity, transparent, dewdrop fresh. Hence my association with "Perles de Lalique | Lalique" , a fragrance that made this flower accessible to me for the first time through a light, almost futuristic treatment of the rose. I am quite thrilled by this elegant, feminine, slightly sweet and floating rose that I perceive in "number 4".
I reach for the pen: "delightfully fruity/jammy rose. spicy, a pinch of pepper. fresh! not aquatic, but dewy."
As the fragrance progresses, the rose pulls back a bit, but remains ever-present. Underneath, I perceive an equally delicate base, "possibly ISO-E? woody-transparent. Rose - rose - rose. green aspects. Resin?" My partner also senses fruity notes and keeps pulling my wrist towards his nose saying, "I like this one a lot! You're keeping it, aren't you?"


Pearl comparison

In many aspects, the unknown fragrance reminded me of "Perles de Lalique | Lalique" : the fresh rose, the woody base, PdL did not skimp on ISO-E. In direct comparison, each fragrance sprayed on a wrist, PdL is clearly more acidic and has more intense woody notes.
I can hardly believe it when I admit to myself that I like "4" even better - it's rounder and more delicate. After repeated wear, when I sniff it directly on my skin, I can detect the woody notes here as well. "Patch? Vetiver? Cashmeran?" I'm guessing the latter, as a certain resinousness is evident, though it never clearly comes to the fore. No, the foreground is someone else - her. The rose.

Elegant. Floating. Sweet and delicate and gentle. Fresh. Beautiful.


Thank you to dear First for this exciting blind comment challenge! With a choice of 4 unlabeled fragrances, I got to pick one to write a review on. And it has become "DCCLIII per La Donna | Carlo Colucci", which has immediately displaced "Perles de Lalique | Lalique" from my wish list.

The pyramid reads simply: a few ingredients weave together to create a wonderfully rounded overall impression.

From the beginning, a slightly medicinal spiciness shows through the combination of patchouli and spices. The spices do not name anything in particular, but rather the impression of opening a spice cabinet.
There are no chocolaty or liqueur aspects in this patch, it does not trigger any gourmand associations, as is the case with some other patchouli classics.
Woven through golden amber threads, there is an impression of luminosity, of inner glow.
The nuances of this glow change over the course of the day. After a few hours, a distinct earthiness emerges, which continues to be warmed by the amber.

When I signed up for a walking letter with the theme of patchouli, I did so under the assumption that I had not yet found "my" patchouli fragrance. But actually he was there already long ago with me in the drawer.... and had enchanted me so much that I wanted to go deeper into this patchouli topic.

Since Méharées is often called a cheaper alternative to the "Musc Ravageur" (MR), I wanted to compare the two. I have both worn a few times alone and also at the same time each on an arm to have a direct comparison.

Once the top notes dissipate (MR with a strong spiciness of clove and cinnamon, Méharées practically goes straight to the heart notes), both scents are very similar. Cinnamon, some vanilla, woodiness, musk. The spices in Méharées seem a bit milder and softer compared to MR. But I don't think that's too noticeable to someone who isn't looking for differences.

The biggest difference is in their longevity and projection: MR lasts for hours, I can clearly detect it 5 hours after applying a spray, while Méharées becomes a skin scent after about 3 hours. It lingers throughout the day, but is rather quiet.

All in all, MR is for me a bit more "magical" and sparkling, but also heavier and of course much more expensive.

I would say that Méharées is an excellent substitute if you're not sure you like that kind of scent, and I also suspect that I reach for it more often simply because it's a bit more unobtrusive and lighter. Very intense, loud scents are often too much for me, and I like that Méharées doesn't overwhelm me.

However, if you are very into MR, I don't see Méharées as a completely satisfying alternative.

What also bothers me about Méharées is the bottle, or more precisely the cap. The sprayer and cap are both made of a matte metal that gives a terrible "fork scrapes across bottom of pot" feeling when you take it off. Bah. Makes my skin crawl.

R.E.M. conjures up one of my first scent memories and the dream is also a theme.

At primary school age, a friend was given a small, round bottle made of frosted glass as a present. The lid was a plush rabbit head with a bow on top. Her parents had probably thought of the fragrance as a pillow spray for a peaceful sleep, because the liquid in the glass bottle had an intense lavender smell. While playing on a grey afternoon, we took the bottle and sprayed wildly all over the room until everything was literally fogged with lavender and then rolled up in warm blankets.

R.E.M. and his caramel lavender make me dream of the security and carefree nature of this day.

For me, it is a fragrance that I want to wear in grey autumn or winter weather, when I sit at home with a cup of tea and enjoy the rain outside. It accompanies me for some time, five to six hours the lavender is with me and becomes softer and softer. The lavender gives it a masculine touch, the sweetness of the caramel rounds it off in such a way that it can be worn regardless of gender.

It is soft, unobtrusive and delicate, like the pastel purple of the bottle. Very, very beautiful