Tuesday 26 November 2013

SOTD - Le Labo Labdanum 18

Brief thoughts? Its a cozy little fragrance, well suited to this time of year in the chill. Lots of labdanum, quite sweet and powdery. To me it smells a bit like a cross between Johnson's Baby Powder and a toned down Musc Ravageur.

I don't mind Labdanum 18, but would take the Malle any day.

Friday 22 November 2013

Brief thoughts on Mona di Orio perfumes

Today I worn Mona di Orio's beautiful Oud. It is one of those perfumes that is bold, yet oddly comforting at the same time. Sweetish, yet quite aromatic. Smooth, but definitely not boring. 

I'm not going to lie and say that I love every Mona di Orio perfume I've tried, but I can honestly say that none has failed to move me in some way. 

What interests me most perhaps is that these perfumes, to my mind anyway, are executed with bold strokes, almost simplistic, but then very often resolve into much softer, subtle creations. I like that.

I can't wait to try the new perfume in the line, Violette Fumee. If you've tried it, I'd be interested to know what you think.

Thursday 14 November 2013

Numero 600

I know it is slightly unbecoming to issue self-congratulatory posts, but I did notice that I reached 600 posts today, and thought I would mention it here, if only to put a marker down that in some ways I am surprised I am still here, blogging away, albeit somewhat infrequently.

I had a look at my Numero 500 post and noticed that I posted that on 14 December 2012, so just under a year ago. Not that quantity equates to quality necessarily, but a hundred posts in a year is quite a lot less than I used to do. In all honesty, I still have the desire to write about perfume, but finding the time in a busy schedule is an increasingly difficult thing to do.

As I said a year ago, it is still a pleasure to follow the blogs of many great perfume fans, and also meet like-minded people from time to time. Long may it last!

Tobacco perfumes - Sonoma Scent Studio Tabac Aurea

The final detailed review in my tobacco perfumes series is Tabac Aurea by the excellent Sonoma Scent Studio. 

Of all the tobacco perfumes I've written about, Tabac Aurea is the most dry and in some ways the most austere, despite (or perhaps because of) a hard-hitting list of notes that include cedar, sandalwood, tobacco, leather, vetiver, patchouli, clove, labdanum, tonka bean, amber, vanilla and musk.

It is not sweet at all on my skin, even though I thought the tonka, amber and vanilla might turn it that way. Musk and labdanum are very evident, and I've noticed that labdanum is a very well-used note by Sonoma Scent Studio.

While tobacco is very definitely a feature note, it isn't a cozy, comforting tobacco. It is a bit of a shape shifter and reminds me a little of what I think it feels like to walk through a very old study, where once gentlemen smoked, read, drank, and time passed. A bit of dust, some wood, a hint of mustiness, a bit of leather chair.

Image credit - http://fimgs.net/ (Fragrantica)

Monday 4 November 2013

Laura Marling - Suite - Take The Night Off/I Was An Eagle/You Know/Breathe

Where're the perfume posts, you ask? Well, sometimes music is too good not to share, so another Youtube link folks.

This time its the first four songs from Laura Marling's most recent album, Once I Was An Eagle. Check it out, it is definitely worth the listen.


Sunday 3 November 2013

Ellie Makes Music - a gorgeous cover of Joni Mitchell's A Case of You

I stumbled across this stunning cover of one of my favourite Joni Mitchell songs, A Case of You. Hope you like it, and check out this talented musician's website, www.elliemakesmusic.com


Saturday 2 November 2013

Tobacco Fragrances - Serge Lutens Chergui

Serge Lutens Chergui is a big, bold spicy tobacco fragrance in classic Lutens oriental style. The fragrance features tobacco leaf, honey, iris, sandalwood, amber, musk, incense, rose and hay, according to Fragrantica.

While I generally enjoy Chergui, I do find that I need to be in a certain mood to enjoy it, and preferably in cooler weather please. As with quite a few other tobacco fragrances, particularly the sweeter ones, it can become very cloying in warmer weather, I find.

Whilst tobacco is very prominent in Chergui, what I do enjoy is the use of a hay note, which goes very well with tobacco and sandalwood. Chergui is a sweet fragrance, but as with most Lutens perfumes, I find it is balanced enough by other notes, such as iris and incense, and given a bit of a lift with the rose. Chergui smells quite thick and syrupy, and is quite spicy to my nose, although I can't find anything in the list of notes to suggest what spice I am smelling. I know that one cannot always use the colour of a perfume as a guide, but in this case what I smell really looks like what I see in the bottle, with that dark brown, fragrant looking juice.

Chergui is a very popular perfume, judging by the many reviews out there. However I suspect that it can be a bit of a love-it-or-hate-it fragrance, but try it for yourself, and see.

Image credit - www.luckyscent.com

Friday 1 November 2013

Tobacco Fragances - Tom Ford Tobacco Oud

When I started this series on tobacco perfumes, Tom Ford's Tobacco Oud wasn't even on my radar. The only reason I have included it (other than the fact I really like it) is because it is fresh in my memory and immediate.

The interesting thing for me is that to my nose Tobacco Oud is not really very much about tobacco or oud. Persolaise alluded to it in a recent post, and he was spot on in saying that it is has a lot in common with the also fairly recent Sahara Noir (I am paraphrasing).

Therefore, I think Tobacco Oud is more about incense and labdanum, at least in the opening, heart and into the early dry down. Mixed in with these notes are hints of tobacco, amber, a light smokiness and woods. It smells fantastic.

Where's the oud, you ask? Well, a more sophisticated or trained nose might detect this clearly, for all I know, but in my opinion it is evident for all of two minutes or so, when it manifests itself in a glorious, skanky barnyard smell, suffused with a slightly sweet wood accord, before the incense seeps in and it changes direction. I really loved this opening on first application. On subsequent wearing I didn't pick it up as much, so perhaps it is dependent on skin chemistry, weather, mood and who knows what else.

It was only in the late dry down that tobacco became more of a feature note, albeit fairly subtle.

In summary, I think Tobacco Oud is a fantastic fragrance and well worth sampling, particularly if you like incense. In case you're wondering, I didn't think it is anything like the original Oud Wood.

Image credit - http://fimgs.net/ (Fragrantica)   

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