Toppine
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Toppine
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In-between world
Floral saffron,
infused with ethereal green
Dark brown polished wood with earthy patchouli
A little sweaty, but without sweat
Woven smoke - transparency
So or so my statement could have been, if the space had been enough and I had only few sensations associated with the fragrance. But this is no ordinary fragrance. Rather, it leaves me somewhat perplexed. Singular Oud is ambivalent and so are my impressions. Not a flowing scent, but changeable nonetheless. Powerful without being really strong. Dominant, but loosened up by a delicate delicacy.
Already the prelude is full of contrasts and really very charming. The first spicy floral cloud quickly gives way to dark wood - a large table, already often treated with furniture care and beeswax. Essential green still wafts through the scents, bringing bright light reflections, but patchouli is already announcing itself. A very earthy, strong patchouli that permeates and floods the entire scent. Held in check only by the woven smoke, which provides a fine transparency.
If it weren't for that little sweaty note, I wouldn't notice oud much at all. It humanizes slightly, but remains without a nasty sweaty or even barn smell. The fragrance could also be called - more appropriately for me - "Singular Patchouli". The name wouldn't matter, though, because I can't pin this scent down anyway. It's dark, but there's a fluffy lightness hovering over the dark notes that softens the heaviness. It is present, but seems slightly dimmed and withdrawn to me. A subtle sweetness also makes it gentle and soft.
A fragrance in an intermediate world, not precise, not easy to grasp, but thereby very attractive. A butterfly cloud over a flower bed. Beauty through harmony in the interplay. I can't really grasp the fragrance, but I don't want to. Singular Oud - a very special singularity.
infused with ethereal green
Dark brown polished wood with earthy patchouli
A little sweaty, but without sweat
Woven smoke - transparency
So or so my statement could have been, if the space had been enough and I had only few sensations associated with the fragrance. But this is no ordinary fragrance. Rather, it leaves me somewhat perplexed. Singular Oud is ambivalent and so are my impressions. Not a flowing scent, but changeable nonetheless. Powerful without being really strong. Dominant, but loosened up by a delicate delicacy.
Already the prelude is full of contrasts and really very charming. The first spicy floral cloud quickly gives way to dark wood - a large table, already often treated with furniture care and beeswax. Essential green still wafts through the scents, bringing bright light reflections, but patchouli is already announcing itself. A very earthy, strong patchouli that permeates and floods the entire scent. Held in check only by the woven smoke, which provides a fine transparency.
If it weren't for that little sweaty note, I wouldn't notice oud much at all. It humanizes slightly, but remains without a nasty sweaty or even barn smell. The fragrance could also be called - more appropriately for me - "Singular Patchouli". The name wouldn't matter, though, because I can't pin this scent down anyway. It's dark, but there's a fluffy lightness hovering over the dark notes that softens the heaviness. It is present, but seems slightly dimmed and withdrawn to me. A subtle sweetness also makes it gentle and soft.
A fragrance in an intermediate world, not precise, not easy to grasp, but thereby very attractive. A butterfly cloud over a flower bed. Beauty through harmony in the interplay. I can't really grasp the fragrance, but I don't want to. Singular Oud - a very special singularity.
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Double Sense
This is not perfume. This is fragrant music. Music that goes straight to the stomach without detours. Not intellectual, not filtered and not trimmed for good manners and beauty. Instead, powerful, good-smelling rhythm. Blues rock at its best.
Lime, champagne, gin? Can be, it beads in any case. From the beginning, there is force and presence. Who has ever seen the wonderful concert film "Stop Making Sense" about the Talking Heads, knows what I'm talking about. David Byrne enters the stage and things start slow and rhythmic until the rest of the band members arrive. Same here. And then the aroma of "Burning Down the House" hits my ears and nose. What an opening... I switch to "Once in a Lifetime" as the opening calms down a bit.
Iris, violet, jasmine and other florals? I don't care, notes are not important here at all. They add only small flashes of light to the voodoo magic. Moreover, the peppery leather quickly shows up now, very sexy and spacey. Along with a fair amount of smoke. Both together only leaves room for old classics like "Stairway to Heaven" or "Another Brick in the Wall" or what have you. Also Ginger Baker's drum solo from Cream's "Toad" fits perfectly, but is hardcore....
The smoky leather slowly greens and calms down. What remains has soft tones and puts me in a gentle, calm mood. I think of "Rough God Goes Riding" by Van Morrison with its wonderful sax solos. Thus, the fragrance sounds out, beautiful....
For all its psychedelic rockiness, Voodoo Flower is dominant and present, but in fact never loud or intrusive. A very physical fragrance for nose and ears, which immediately sets head cinema in motion. At the same time completely portable.
My two pre-commentators also noticed the music in this fragrance. Marilyn Manson is nothing for me, but the world is colorful. Floyd has been inspired by Jimi Hendrix. I'd like to follow that, but it doesn't work. The yelping, screeching, winding in endless loops Fender I do not hear here, unfortunately.
The perfume has a wonderfully appropriate name.
Lime, champagne, gin? Can be, it beads in any case. From the beginning, there is force and presence. Who has ever seen the wonderful concert film "Stop Making Sense" about the Talking Heads, knows what I'm talking about. David Byrne enters the stage and things start slow and rhythmic until the rest of the band members arrive. Same here. And then the aroma of "Burning Down the House" hits my ears and nose. What an opening... I switch to "Once in a Lifetime" as the opening calms down a bit.
Iris, violet, jasmine and other florals? I don't care, notes are not important here at all. They add only small flashes of light to the voodoo magic. Moreover, the peppery leather quickly shows up now, very sexy and spacey. Along with a fair amount of smoke. Both together only leaves room for old classics like "Stairway to Heaven" or "Another Brick in the Wall" or what have you. Also Ginger Baker's drum solo from Cream's "Toad" fits perfectly, but is hardcore....
The smoky leather slowly greens and calms down. What remains has soft tones and puts me in a gentle, calm mood. I think of "Rough God Goes Riding" by Van Morrison with its wonderful sax solos. Thus, the fragrance sounds out, beautiful....
For all its psychedelic rockiness, Voodoo Flower is dominant and present, but in fact never loud or intrusive. A very physical fragrance for nose and ears, which immediately sets head cinema in motion. At the same time completely portable.
My two pre-commentators also noticed the music in this fragrance. Marilyn Manson is nothing for me, but the world is colorful. Floyd has been inspired by Jimi Hendrix. I'd like to follow that, but it doesn't work. The yelping, screeching, winding in endless loops Fender I do not hear here, unfortunately.
The perfume has a wonderfully appropriate name.
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Short trip with a scent....
When the engine started behind her, she began to run. Last night she had dreamed that something special was going to happen today, but an exact memory was missing. Kind of creepy. She should be careful.
She walked faster when suddenly she was enveloped by a delicious cloud of scent, beguilingly strong. She stopped and took a deep breath. Lilacs, what a feeling, a real flash! She looked at the large, fully bloomed lilac bush that stood at the edge of a small park. Lilac - her favourite spring scent - today it was particularly intense. She could hardly tear herself away and tried to take the scent all in. It was going to stay with her.....
There was a weekly market in the square next door and she decided to let herself drift in the throng of visitors.
The sweetness of the purple lilac blossoms still enveloped her, but now other smells joined in. Other flowers, but they blended into the lilac. She passed a bread stall and enjoyed the scent of a freshly baked wheat loaf that rose to her nostrils. Breakfast again, that would be the thing to do now! Her steps became more hurried, leading her past the fruit and vegetable stalls that gave off delicate orangy aromas. Added to that now was a faint scent of cucumber with a juicy watery aura, almost like after a rainstorm when the smells of rain mingle with those of the street. The lilacs wrapped everything in a soft, fresh, transparent cloud. She felt good and laughed at her morning fears.
A man tapped her on the shoulder:
"I was going to follow you earlier and give you your card, which you left in our perfume search. And I have another sample for you of a really great lilac scent. It's from a famous perfumer who makes such beautiful spring scents. Maybe you'll like it."
She nodded and smiled.
She walked faster when suddenly she was enveloped by a delicious cloud of scent, beguilingly strong. She stopped and took a deep breath. Lilacs, what a feeling, a real flash! She looked at the large, fully bloomed lilac bush that stood at the edge of a small park. Lilac - her favourite spring scent - today it was particularly intense. She could hardly tear herself away and tried to take the scent all in. It was going to stay with her.....
There was a weekly market in the square next door and she decided to let herself drift in the throng of visitors.
The sweetness of the purple lilac blossoms still enveloped her, but now other smells joined in. Other flowers, but they blended into the lilac. She passed a bread stall and enjoyed the scent of a freshly baked wheat loaf that rose to her nostrils. Breakfast again, that would be the thing to do now! Her steps became more hurried, leading her past the fruit and vegetable stalls that gave off delicate orangy aromas. Added to that now was a faint scent of cucumber with a juicy watery aura, almost like after a rainstorm when the smells of rain mingle with those of the street. The lilacs wrapped everything in a soft, fresh, transparent cloud. She felt good and laughed at her morning fears.
A man tapped her on the shoulder:
"I was going to follow you earlier and give you your card, which you left in our perfume search. And I have another sample for you of a really great lilac scent. It's from a famous perfumer who makes such beautiful spring scents. Maybe you'll like it."
She nodded and smiled.
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An apology
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to test Kyoto again. Known to me for years, as I'm sure most of you are too. In my 5 year old statement, I only gave the fragrance a mediocre rating because I obviously didn't find the sillage, etc. sufficient. At the time, however, I at least conceded to Kyoto that it was meditative. Oh well! Such a statement is of course not fair to this exceptional fragrance.
Because an exception fragrance he is in any case. An incense fragrance and also not again. Kyoto is reminiscent of the ancient tradition of the Buddhist Kodo incense ceremony, which is still maintained today, in which various fragrant woods are burned, and the scent of the smoke is mixed with that of the wood. Not an opulent Arabic or darkly sacred tree resin incense, but a light, gentle, slightly cool smoke that gives the scent of the cedar and cypress wood room to develop. The special feature of Kyoto is that the smoke does not cover the smell of the woods and other ingredients, but allows a delicate interplay of smells.
In the base, the woods dominate with the support of patchouli and amber. Vetiver sets a clear green accent. A wonderful, green woody and grounded base.
Kyoto is not only very meditative, it is a clear, bright, extraordinary fragrance that conveys peaceful calm and serenity. With its interplay of smoke and wood, Kyoto never gets boring. Despite its particularity, it is perfectly wearable and, to my mind, elegant as well.
In my search for fragrances with bright incense, Sancti also ran across me at the time. Again, bright smoke, cedar and cypress. Sancti is for me to this day the fragrance that is most similar to Kyoto. Still, its citrusy freshness makes it seem completely different. I would love to wear Sancti on a summer evening, whereas with Kyoto I don't think about seasons at all. Kyoto doesn't know time and space and winter and summer.......
If I had to name a fragrance that evokes a similar mood in me as Kyoto, it would be 'Citta di Kyoto'. Both scents to exhale.....
So nothing to complain about at all? Yes, one tiny thing: I can't detect the coffee, but I can live with that. And before we get completely lost in meditation, here's a tangible little tree poem from one of my favorite authors:
"Cypress trees are by no means
only the tourists on the biscuit.
If the tourist is missing, the cypress
sometimes falls on its own face." (Robert Gernhardt)
I think the old Buddhists would have liked that too!
Because an exception fragrance he is in any case. An incense fragrance and also not again. Kyoto is reminiscent of the ancient tradition of the Buddhist Kodo incense ceremony, which is still maintained today, in which various fragrant woods are burned, and the scent of the smoke is mixed with that of the wood. Not an opulent Arabic or darkly sacred tree resin incense, but a light, gentle, slightly cool smoke that gives the scent of the cedar and cypress wood room to develop. The special feature of Kyoto is that the smoke does not cover the smell of the woods and other ingredients, but allows a delicate interplay of smells.
In the base, the woods dominate with the support of patchouli and amber. Vetiver sets a clear green accent. A wonderful, green woody and grounded base.
Kyoto is not only very meditative, it is a clear, bright, extraordinary fragrance that conveys peaceful calm and serenity. With its interplay of smoke and wood, Kyoto never gets boring. Despite its particularity, it is perfectly wearable and, to my mind, elegant as well.
In my search for fragrances with bright incense, Sancti also ran across me at the time. Again, bright smoke, cedar and cypress. Sancti is for me to this day the fragrance that is most similar to Kyoto. Still, its citrusy freshness makes it seem completely different. I would love to wear Sancti on a summer evening, whereas with Kyoto I don't think about seasons at all. Kyoto doesn't know time and space and winter and summer.......
If I had to name a fragrance that evokes a similar mood in me as Kyoto, it would be 'Citta di Kyoto'. Both scents to exhale.....
So nothing to complain about at all? Yes, one tiny thing: I can't detect the coffee, but I can live with that. And before we get completely lost in meditation, here's a tangible little tree poem from one of my favorite authors:
"Cypress trees are by no means
only the tourists on the biscuit.
If the tourist is missing, the cypress
sometimes falls on its own face." (Robert Gernhardt)
I think the old Buddhists would have liked that too!
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Both
At the urgent suggestion of a highly esteemed perfume, I am chasing my comment on 'Acqua di Cuba' after another one on 'Citta di Kyoto'. Both fragrances have made a big impression on me, although they couldn't be more different.
First of all, a few words about the Santa Maria Novella brand as a whole: all fragrances - whether light or dark, delicate or strong, loud or soft - captivate with their amazing quality and flawless composition. Some have a clear flow, others are quite linear. The impression of synthetics does not arise at all, rather they leave a completely natural basic mood. How something like this is done is beyond my knowledge. But they always smell expensive, never cheap. Considering the price/performance ratio, profit cannot be the driving force behind the manufacturers. An extremely likeable brand, even if not everything is to my taste.
Citta di Kyoto is a filigree, finely woven web of scent, which for me paints a picture of old, past Japan. An ink drawing that could not be more delicate. White flowers with yellow and orange speckles are flooded with smoky light. The smoke is as light as a feather, but present and intensifies the magical aura of airy lightness. Nothing is too much here, neither the white flowers nor the lavender nor the fine sweetness that flows through the fragrance like clear water. A feeling of peace and harmony overcomes me, which is strengthened and grounded by the fine wooden construction of the fragrance.
This fragrance means purity to me. A quiet purity of spirit, which can hardly be achieved in this form today. Maybe I should take a closer look at Zen......:-)
In any case, the honouring of the town twinning with Kyoto with this fragrance is a complete success.
A decision between the warm, deep Acqua di Cuba and the feathery and disembodied Citta di Kyoto is of course not possible. It will therefore come down to both. So both!!
With thanks to the above mentioned perfume colleagues...
First of all, a few words about the Santa Maria Novella brand as a whole: all fragrances - whether light or dark, delicate or strong, loud or soft - captivate with their amazing quality and flawless composition. Some have a clear flow, others are quite linear. The impression of synthetics does not arise at all, rather they leave a completely natural basic mood. How something like this is done is beyond my knowledge. But they always smell expensive, never cheap. Considering the price/performance ratio, profit cannot be the driving force behind the manufacturers. An extremely likeable brand, even if not everything is to my taste.
Citta di Kyoto is a filigree, finely woven web of scent, which for me paints a picture of old, past Japan. An ink drawing that could not be more delicate. White flowers with yellow and orange speckles are flooded with smoky light. The smoke is as light as a feather, but present and intensifies the magical aura of airy lightness. Nothing is too much here, neither the white flowers nor the lavender nor the fine sweetness that flows through the fragrance like clear water. A feeling of peace and harmony overcomes me, which is strengthened and grounded by the fine wooden construction of the fragrance.
This fragrance means purity to me. A quiet purity of spirit, which can hardly be achieved in this form today. Maybe I should take a closer look at Zen......:-)
In any case, the honouring of the town twinning with Kyoto with this fragrance is a complete success.
A decision between the warm, deep Acqua di Cuba and the feathery and disembodied Citta di Kyoto is of course not possible. It will therefore come down to both. So both!!
With thanks to the above mentioned perfume colleagues...
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