Toppine

Cuba, the largest of all the Caribbean islands, still triggers head cinema in me. Sun, beach, joie de vivre, warm people, salsa and son, American oldtimers and the magic of the capital Havana with its wonderful old architecture. Plus the best rum in the world and a landscape that has not yet been completely destroyed by the blessings of Western culture. That's how I imagine it - I am a master in fading out a possibly not so perfect and romantic reality!

Without a doubt, Cuba still provides us with the best tobacco products in the world. The reputation of a Cohiba cigar (Coronas Especiales = Fidel Castro) is still legendary, as are Romeo y Julieta and Montecristo and a few other manufacturers. No one is easier to give a gift than a cigar-smoking Cuba connoisseur, there is no need to think twice before birthdays....

But the choice of gifts can easily be increased, because the wonderful scent of Acqua di Cuba is pure seduction, even for non-aficionados. It begins with a soft citric opening, but soon gentle spices are added. Then everything mixes with a perfect tobacco smell, not sharp or scratchy, but rather full-bodied but reserved. The same is true of honey, which from now on blends harmoniously with tobacco. I find the honey to be sweet, but this is not the sweetness of normal sugar, but - due to the light smoke - rather of icing sugar, good honey just....The scent is warm and deep, but still has the lightness of a fresh scent, a paradox!

The ingredients make a high-quality, almost expensive impression (matching the above-mentioned cigars). This scent accompanies me for hours and gives me a very soft, muggy feeling. During the first test I probably sprayed a little too much, because it was still present after 24 hours! In any case a phenomenal durability! The radiation is also perfect, I don't have to stick my nose to my arm to notice it.

A beauty I never expected, a big shot! It will be perfect when I watch the "Buena Vista Social Club" movie and enjoy the slide-guitar game by Ry Cooder. Acqua di Cuba is clearly unisex, but I imagine him to be even more great on a man.
So: Men with this scent: Zuuuu me! If not, I wear it alone..

Guerlain and I, it doesn't seem right
But there's Mitsouko..............

The scents from more recent times are all much too sweet for me (except Bois D'Armenie)
But there is Mitsouko................

Unfortunately, the guerlinade in Shalimar and Samsara makes me nauseous. I console myself:
There is Mitsouko...................

I don't even dare to touch the other classics. It doesn't matter, because:
Mitsouko...............

Mitsouko, Mitsouko, Mitsouko - a magic word

Many fragrance lovers describe the fragrance as "sad". Hmm, there is nothing sad, at least not in the eau de toilette. A sparkling, citrusy opening. The opening is not sharp or tart, but sparkling, almost like a glass of champagne. Creamy peach and the lilac alternate with the flowers, the peach shines through again and again and combines with cinnamon and other spices.
The chypre base is balsamic softened, so that the otherwise often strict character of the oak moss does not dominate everything. Vetiver gives a little kick

The most beautiful thing about Mitsouko is its transparency. It is not a cloudy fragrance that suffocates me, it is clear, pure and flowing. Nevertheless, it remains mysterious and difficult to see through with its delicacy. And Mitsouko is already a little bitchy.......

And yes, there's a Japanese flavor to it. The gentle flow of the blossoms and the peach, the harmony of the defused oakmoss make me think of a silk kimono, peach-coloured of course.

Guerlain and I, it'll be difficult. But Mitsouko was and remains my support, forever and ever!

The old Rive Gauche used to be my first perfume and has managed to keep me away from all further fragrance attempts for years. To this day I still can't get along with older perfumes and classics. The first spraying experience overwhelmed me with sharp, pungent and vile poisonous aromas and the absence of any fragrance.
Nevertheless the bottle was bought - youthful exuberance. At the same time I talked my later ex-husband into 'Kouros', which he kindly regarded as a test of courage that he passed bravely. Of course the fragrances were not worn, not even when stoned or on a trip. My first perfume life was over...

Many years later - at the side of another man - I started to be interested in fragrances. The new Rive Gauche is now in my collection. Everything is different and my nose is more trained. Thanks to Mrs Andrier the aldehydes are still there, but detoxified.
A delicate green tone mixes with clear peach and bergamot. Powder covers the flowers gently without suffocating them (or me). And the base is a dream, softly caressing chypré with beautiful vetiver. The fragrance exudes class, style and elegance. It remains cool and transparent, which is what I always like best.

Now he's all French YSL, whose fashion and style I used to love so much. I put on a black sweater, smoke a cigarette and listen to 'Fly like an Eagle' by Tom Petty. Rive Gauche has come back to the future and I think of my ex-husband who died too soon after a long illness...