Fragrances -LUSH - Gorilla Perfume - Lust
zeynepd 1/3/2011 11:41:00 AM
Indolic jasmine in super-concentrated form. It has displaced L'artisan's La Haie Fleurie from its top place in my list of "Too heady, steer away" fragrances. Actually, that one feels pretty wearable after this one. If you can't handle the cat pee, poop associations of indoles, run for the hills.
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Fragrances -LUSH - Gorilla Perfume - The Smell of Freedom
zeynepd 1/3/2011 11:21:00 AM
This is a nicely priced and pleasant fragrance, especially when I compare it to more expensive colognes I have tried recently - Kurkdijan’s Acqua Universalis which is just any cologne with good lasting power and a hefty price tag and Cologne pour le matin i.e. horrendous thyme oil. In comparison to these, Lush is a light, refreshing, relaxing scent with a prominent lemongrass note. I love lemongrass, so I like this a lot. It opens up a bit like gin, reveals some saltiness that is a bit like tequila but achieves a sparkly, easy to wear lemongrass in the end. The drydown is sweeter and spicier but still energetic. My FB candidate in this category is Penghalion’s Eau de Verveine, but I can see myself buying one of those chic 9 ml sprays. Good job, Lush. 3.5
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Maison Francis Kurkdjian Cologne pour le matin
zeynepd 1/3/2011 11:10:00 AM
What a surprisingly horrible fragrance this is on my skin. Has a slightly bitter opening, like gin mixed with something nasty. Penghalion's Bluebell produces a very similar stench on me, albeit in floral fashion and this is the eau fraiche version of the same vase water. Soon after thyme oil is revealed and is pretty bad on me. Thyme was a part of the embalming process in ancient Egypt and is related to perfume (incense) but this connection does not make this fragrance unique or anything. This is the thyme oil of home remedies, the cure for joint ache and bladder problems. Good lasting power though.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Bois Oriental 
zeynepd 1/3/2011 6:48:00 AM
My weird body chemistry may turn the most pleasant fragrance into something strange, but it generally agrees with Serge Lutens fragrances. Unfortunately Bois Oriental is one of the exceptions - with the others from this house being Muscs Koublai Khan, Chene, Rose de Nuit, and to some degree Encens et Lavande. It just goes havoc on my skin with three major spikes: a warm, overwhelming cardamom note- and I use Penghalion's cardamom box Amaranthine lovingly- dusty cinnamon and super-heavy B.O. cumin that I don't get even from Fleurs d'Oranger but kills Bois Oriental for me. More for the rest of us, I guess.
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Fragrances -Miller Harris - Terre de Bois
zeynepd 1/3/2011 6:11:00 AM
Very leafy, wet forest - a helicopter may have spillt tons of men's cologne over it. It has an attractive sage note but I like my sage a bit lighter and more transparent than this. Good quality fragrance that is nevertheless not so memorable to my nose. Good sillage and lasting power.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Bois et Fruits
zeynepd 1/3/2011 6:07:00 AM
Bois et Fruits feels both very rustic and organic to me. Organic dried fruits with a dusky texture that bring to my mind a universe of ochre and clay tones, rustic textures and everything in peace with the nature that starts at the threshold of a woodlands cabin or a 600 year old cottage in France. I react to the woods in bois fragrances differently in each Serge Lutens perfume, sometimes likening it to pressed wood - un bois sepia- and sometimes quite enjoying it - bois de violette. Here, the cedar has a burnt quality that attracts me but there is also a pine note that is very prominent on my skin - maybe my nose associates something else in this woods with pine. I can smell almost the whole tree with its bark, resins and needles. Unfortunately, this paints a very very clear picture in front of my eyes, and that picture is that of a home, so I won't be wearing it. I like it a lot on others though.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Mandarine Mandarin
zeynepd 1/1/2011 3:46:00 PM
Mandarine Mandarin: a postmodern symphony in three parts moving downhill. Part I: Mandarin peels burning on a stove. So realistic that it is almost uncanny. Beautiful, real scent with darker undertones but nothing I would like to wear on myself and go out. Part II: Unexpected spice attack. To my surprise, there is something in it that my skin amplifies in a wrong wrong way. The skank people seem to be getting from Fleurs d'Oranger seems to have caught me here. Is it the nutmeg that smells like celeriac for god's sake? Part III: watercolour oranges. really light and watery. Still, it is always interesting to sniff this one, so I feel like adding a point. Also, the bottle is heavenly. Indeed, this is the only perfume that I find very empty bottle worthy.
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Fragrances -Coty - Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker
zeynepd 1/1/2011 3:34:00 PM
On pulse points, very warm, powdery and musky with a slightly bitter note. I get the frutier, silkier tones when I spray it on other places, but then it has very low sillage and staying power. I'm not impressed with it at all. It's not that cheap where I live, so there are many other options.
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Fragrances -Miller Harris - Feuilles de Tabac
zeynepd 1/1/2011 3:30:00 PM
The word "feuilles" should be taken seriously here because this is a leafy, herbacious fragrance that provides the antithesis for honeyed pipe tobacco fragrances that ring the bell for hookahs or rich libraries. However, Feuilles de Tabac is as potent on me in its own way and never takes a break - it smells better on my clothes but I usually do not like spraying fragrance on my clothes. Anyway, top notes are gold coloured tobacco leaves providing a raw, sharp, strangely medicinal and slightly off smell on my skin. Soon comes the sage and remains pretty prominent throughout, adding a fougere tone to Feuilles de Tabac. The perfume doesn't calm on my skin and kind of sits on top of it rather than blending with me, and it has a masculine tone which is not particularly interesting. What's interesting though is that there is something in it that's very similar to my favourite Miller Harris, Fleur Oriental. Unfortunately, what works so well there does not work here for me. This would be a very interesting and attractive fragrance for a man, say on a borrowed jumper around a camp fire but I'm not attracted to it on myself. I know that it smells different on different peoople so do not think this would be a good choice for a blind-buy adventure. 2.5.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - IL Profumo Mandarine
zeynepd 1/1/2011 8:22:00 AM
I think this may be the most realistic green mandarin fragrance I have ever smellt in my life. Usually, I associate mandarins with sweeter, sugary notes, but this one is green and realistic -with leaves, too- to the point of making all the others smell fake. Unfortunately, I can't say that I find it particularly charming as a perfume. It has a warm and slightly oily texture on my skin and it's fairly linear, like something that could be used for purposes of aromatherapy. On my skin, it layers well with Miller Harris Fleur Oriental but I don't think it's worth the price. One extra point for the surprise of such realism.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Feraud by Louis Feraud
zeynepd 1/1/2011 8:11:00 AM
This simply doesn’t work on me. It doesn’t turn sour or rancid, it's just like a broken car engine that coughs and shakes but doesn’t start. All I get is some trace of grapefruit- my imagination tells me that it is a crisp one. This grapefruit is sitting on an oily base - my imagination tells me that it is almondy. I was wondering if I was anosmic to it but noone can smell it on me. I was so hoping to like it. Well, two points for my imagination.
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Fragrances -Donna Karan - DKNY Women
zeynepd 1/1/2011 7:58:00 AM
So screechy and bright that it makes me clench my jaw. Like Aquasea2 below, it reminds me of Gucci Envy in that regard.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Sculpture by Nikos
zeynepd 1/1/2011 7:52:00 AM
I was very excited about Nikos Sculpture because of the review likening it to Nivea cream, and it does resemble Nivea indeed. Unfortunately, things happen very quickly on my skin before Sculpture dries down to a barely there slightly rosy skinscent. :The opening is very green with dried herbs -tarragon? oregano?- that add quite a bit of bitterness. Then Sculpture takes a 180 degree turn to reveal a pink, light but very warm, slightly fruity rose, and I can't say that I am fond of this warmth. After a bit of an unbalanced performance, the fragrance quickly dries down to a soft, very creamy, light base with a hint of rose. More generous application reveals more and more anice. I find the drydown very pretty and pleasant and will definitely use up my teardrop miniature. I can't see myself buying a full bottle but it could be very pleasant for those looking for a clean skin scent that won't bother them.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Maison Francis Kurkdjian - Cologne Pour Le Soir
zeynepd 12/31/2010 12:37:00 PM
This should be a lovely fragrance for incense lovers and people with the right body chemistry. However, I am neither. Maison Francis Kurkdjian fragrances including the orange blossom APOM have had this rubber smell on me and this one is no exception. I actually like synthetic notes as long as they are not floral, but this one smells downright like those old-school black snorkels or some diving gear. Apart from this, Cologne Pour le Soir opens with a heavy, vintage rose that leaves a very pleasant trail. Unfortunately, it gets more and more honeyed, also with a church incense note. Interestingly, it loses its projection very quickly on my skin and becomes a soft, smokey, lightly honeyed rubber rose. The rubber element reminds me of Serge Lutens's Boxesuses where I find it much more attractive. Good lasting power of 5-6 hours. Would smell great on the right person, but it seems that I am not that person. 2.5
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Fragrances -Creed - Fleurs de Bulgarie
zeynepd 12/31/2010 11:54:00 AM
The perfect rose perfume that starts like Sophia Loren and ends like Gina Lollobrigida. I am someone who has difficulty with rose fragrances, but this has been my favourite rose for a very long time – though I reckon that may change after I get to sample some Rosines, which I haven’t had the chance yet. When I first bought Fleurs de Bulgarie, I perceived it as an exaggerated goth rose. As I got to sample some other roses, however, my understanding of Fleurs de Bulgarie has changed as well. I now think of it as a very fine rose that has a transparent complexity and some muted sophistication. On me, it is not one bit powdery or soapy, just clear and velvety. It is a rose that gets its depth from a rose plant only. I am very happy to see no hints at the rose jams or honeyed blends of the Middle East - mostly because I live in the Middle East and probably perceive those smells culturewise differently. Fleurs de Bulgarie is just a very dark, velvety rose in full with its green stem and thorns and some dew on its meaty petals. There is a very light medicinal note that adds the perfect dose of shadowiness. The drydown is a fascinating, big red amicable rose revealing a very natural, deep sweetness, not one bit flat. It's not obstrusive and projects a wonderful red rose waft for approximately 4 hours. Very smooth and never too big.
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