Fragrances -Amouage - Jubilation 25 by Amouage
elaborate 8/29/2011 4:18:00 PM
Tester insert says: "Jubilation 25 captures the magic of timeless eternity with rich top notes of rose and ylang ylang in which myth and reality are expressed using the finest franincense from Oman. This fragrance will appeal to the elegant, sophisticated woman - with the allure of amber, musk, vetiver, myrrh, frankincense and patchouli." It smells like Eau d'Hermes (which is similar to Diorella but with a heavier dose of cumin) combined with Magie. Both chypres... and the jamming of these two is kinda genius! While it is certainly pleasing as I like both Eau d'Hermes and Magie, I'm not sure if I have the money to spend on this! May be I can just layer the two fragrances that I already have to achieve the same effect? While the Eau d'Hermes might be a bit light, the Magie reissue (and now again discontinued) is heavy and well made so there is a good chance it might work! Having said above I will enjoy wearing the rest of the sample that I was gifted by a generous MUAer. ;-)
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Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - L'Eau Chic
elaborate 8/22/2011 6:54:00 AM
First time wearing... waited for this for so long due to hiccups with ordering on PdN's website. Blast of mint and yummy combo of lavender and geranium. I love that neither the lavender or geranium comes across as sharp or overly herby. It's juicy and has a bit of spice that PdN does so well in Maharadjah, Vanille Intense and Kiss Me Tender (for this scent adcopy says "pepper, santal, camomile, iris, cloves, white musk"). Totally unisex and is be suitable for all ages. It smells clean and friendly. PdN says it can be wore throughout the entire summer, I reckon it can be wore all year round. If I live in anywhere any warmer I can imagine draining this 30ml in no time. But will I finish using this bottle by the xmas? I think so! Then I'll brave the uncertainty of ordering from PdN's website again and go for a 250ml. Big smiles!
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Fragrances -Chanel - No.19 Poudre
elaborate 8/14/2011 6:05:00 PM
Tested at Boots. Loved the topnotes - or rather topnote as I could only smell the iris - but then the heart and basenotes are just so familiar... it kinda reminds me of something... The heart and basenote stage smells like one of the Chances. May be it's the Chance Eau Tendre? In a way I feel cheated because it is as if one of the Chances was softened up and given a iris facelift. The spray nozzle seems to have been updated. It gives out a steady spritz that spray like vintage bottles from decades ago... If you have used one of those ribbed Dior bottles with white spray caps it is exactly like that.
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Amouage - Opus IV
elaborate 7/3/2011 11:22:00 AM
First blast - big unrelenting coriander oil supported by a lot of spices. Reminds me strongly of Ambre Sultan, but the strident coriander is makes it so much brighten and it doesn't change a lot for a very long time. Then later on it morphs into a delicious MKK like animalic musk. I like both Ambre Sultan and MKK. I think there may be days that I'll want to wear them two together... so for this reason I think this is a great scent. However both Ambre Sultan and MKK are huge scents - combining them together means that I will hardly ever have opportunities to wear this! Unlike Opus I, II and V - it's not dominated by Frankincense, which makes it relatively unique amongst the five scents. Official Notes: Top: Coriander oil, Lemon, Mandarin, Grapefruit Heart: Elemi oil, Cardamon, Cumin, Rose Berries, Rose, Violet Leaves Base: Peru Balsam, Labdanum Absolute, Frankincense, Animalic, Musk
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Amouage - Opus III
elaborate 7/2/2011 9:55:00 AM
To me this is the most immediately likeable amongst the five Opus I have tested. Very strong almond (the carnation?) slowly replaced by heavy dose of violet. It definitely smells like something I have come across before although I can't quite remember. May be Apres L'Ondee? Finally the sandalwood comes out. Beautiful but somehow my heart is just not in it. Need to test it a few more times. Official notes: Top: Mimosa, Broom, Carnation, Nutmeg, Thyrme Heart: Violet, Jasmine, Ylang-ylang, Orange Blossom Base: Ambrette, Musk, Papyrus, Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Guaiacwood, Benzoin, Vanilla, Frankincense.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Etat Libre D'Orange - Archives 69
elaborate 6/6/2011 8:48:00 PM
A grown up fruity floral. Slightly bubblegummy, lots of fruits but staying dry and tart, whiff of zest whiff of marshmallows, then the incense (pine like) came through, emphasising the tartness of fruits. Reminds me of something but I can't pinpoint, may be a bit like SL's stewy fruits with the spices (cloves, cinnaamon, you name it) removed? Or is it some girly juice I'd recently wore... Dare I say Chance Eau Fraiche... But dryer? Overall I rather like this tangy fruitiness. Drydown is berries, incense and musk. Enjoyable but have been done before. Official notes are: tangerine, pink berries CO2, pepper leaf, orchid & prune JE, incense, camphor, benzoin, patchouli, musk.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - Un Jardin Sur Le Toit
elaborate 4/2/2011 2:26:00 PM
I am not too thrilled. Amongst the Jardins series Mousson is still the best IMHO. It starts with smooth fruits - apples and pears may be, but most prominently grapefruit - there is a lot of rind in there, and then it just kinda stay that way. It reminds me of two things: (1) YSL's Baby doll - Toit is smoother than Baby Doll but the vibe is similar (2) a delightful (non offensive) room spray Like earlier (earliest) reviewers (the French blogs) say there is some sort of very faint and very light "musk" base - they aren't musk in the traditional manner, not like TBS White Musk or Kiehl's Original, but more like the NR For Her EDT type of musk (I never understand why people say that is musky, to me the For Her Musc Oil is musky but the EDT and EDP aren't, may be my nose is anosmic to some musks...) Overall the impression is a high end departmental store frag. It's supposed to represent the smell one gets at the roof top garden of Hermes's mothership, but what I can smell doesn't seem to have came from plants, more like from the ventilation fan pumping out the remnants of Sur Le Nil oozing from the store. As much as I love JCE - will buy and wear this for sure - it is "departmentalstoresque" though it's definitely smoother than many other offerings. It wouldn't surprise me if you tell me that JCE has been locked up by Hermes in their dungeon and they have one of his colleagues to make this one up using JCE's notes. If you already have the Nil, you might not need this one.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Cartier - Cartier de Lune
elaborate 4/2/2011 2:18:00 PM
It's a green and light fragrance. Reminds me of the Hermes Jardins series, in particular the "Nil".
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Feminite du Bois
elaborate 3/6/2011 4:36:00 PM
Side by side comparison between Shiseido and SL's versions of FdB. Shiseido version is the older one, and lots of folks prefer this over the SL's relaunch. Some says the SL is more costly. Other says the SL relaunch doesn't smell as great. So here we go: R wrist spritzed with sample that was given to me by a SA at a SL counter, L wrist spritzed with Shiseido bought online and a tin of grounded coffee in front. SL went on first - as I am more familiar with Shiseido - it is unmistakably FdB. Then Shiseido went on too. I try to apply the same amount of FdB to both wrists, but the Shiseido pump is much more powerful, so I add a few more miniature squirts to my L wrist. Shiseido starts with more oomph (could be due to volume used but still I think it is stronger), most apparent is the cedar. SL also has cedar but it's much more muted and it has this black pepper smell and a bit of heat which reminds me of chilli. A swift 10 minutes later the cedar in Shiseido stays strong but the basenotes have came out to play, it reminds me of Christmas (ginger, cloves, dried fruits, pinch of coriander seeds). Calling it Christmas becoz I am reminded of mulled wine. SL stays on the cedar plus a bit of heat route, cloves is also obvious, fruits are very hard to find. Half an hour later on the Shiseido the Christmas stage is still going strong, although a bit weaker. SL turns into a puff of cedre with a bit of spice, it's much weaker. I can smell Shiseido with my nose a inch away, I can only smell SL with my nose brushing my wrist. SL is smoother, quieter. Shiseido more sparkling, with a bigger presence. I often hesitate to choose one thing over another and this time is no different. Which one is better, I guess, depends on where you want to wear it. If I am planning to wear it to a uber sober workplace then SL would do well, anything else Shiseido is what I would choose. (Comparison done on 29th August 2009)
11 out of 11 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Shiseido - Feminite du Bois
elaborate 3/6/2011 4:36:00 PM
Side by side comparison between Shiseido and SL's versions of FdB. Shiseido version is the older one, and lots of folks prefer this over the SL's relaunch. Some says the SL is more costly. Other says the SL relaunch doesn't smell as great. So here we go: R wrist spritzed with sample that was given to me by a SA at a SL counter, L wrist spritzed with Shiseido bought online and a tin of grounded coffee in front. SL went on first - as I am more familiar with Shiseido - it is unmistakably FdB. Then Shiseido went on too. I try to apply the same amount of FdB to both wrists, but the Shiseido pump is much more powerful, so I add a few more miniature squirts to my L wrist. Shiseido starts with more oomph (could be due to volume used but still I think it is stronger), most apparent is the cedar. SL also has cedar but it's much more muted and it has this black pepper smell and a bit of heat which reminds me of chilli. A swift 10 minutes later the cedar in Shiseido stays strong but the basenotes have came out to play, it reminds me of Christmas (ginger, cloves, dried fruits, pinch of coriander seeds). Calling it Christmas becoz I am reminded of mulled wine. SL stays on the cedar plus a bit of heat route, cloves is also obvious, fruits are very hard to find. Half an hour later on the Shiseido the Christmas stage is still going strong, although a bit weaker. SL turns into a puff of cedre with a bit of spice, it's much weaker. I can smell Shiseido with my nose a inch away, I can only smell SL with my nose brushing my wrist. SL is smoother, quieter. Shiseido more sparkling, with a bigger presence. I often hesitate to choose one thing over another and this time is no different. Which one is better, I guess, depends on where you want to wear it. If I am planning to wear it to a uber sober workplace then SL would do well, anything else Shiseido is what I would choose. (Comparison done on 29th August 2009)
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrance -Ormonde Jayne - Ormonde for Men
elaborate 1/15/2011 9:38:00 PM
I love that it has the naunces of the OJ Woman but with a much more noticeable and hefty top notes -- the pepperiness and the woods are what make it more interesting than the Woman and it lasts better too. I sprayed almost half of the Woman tester sprayer all over my arms and down my shirt and my sniffer grow tired of it and no longer notice it after a very short while (a few minutes), but the Man just three spritzes from the bottle on wrists and again down my shirt and it lasts and lasts. How I wish I have an unlimited supply of this fragrance.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Parfum D'Empire Aziyade
elaborate 11/28/2010 3:45:00 PM
Boozy loveliness, come from a long line of lineage that is Dior's Dolce Vita and Serge Lutens's Cedre. Love the combo of cinnamon, spices, dried fruits and dates. Plumier than plums. It gives me flashbacks of biting onto a plum that is ripen to the point that is just before decay, and the juices flowing down the corners of my mouth. A wearable mulled wine &/or apple pie. I would love to wear this to a Christmas Fair!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Mary Greenwell - Plum
elaborate 11/22/2010 10:51:00 AM
I have only worn it twice from a sampler... may be I'll change my views. Anyway here is what I feel so far. First things hit the nose are blackcurrants - but that was only for brief seconds. Then it's onto a peach - not exactly peach as in a fruit, more like a peach fizz, supported by a chorus of lily of the valley (the ad copy says gardenia and jasmine), and rose. This stage lasts and lasts. There is a bit of an aquatic feel in the background too but it is very very mute. Description says that: "It is an incredibly feminine fragrance with top notes of peach, blackcurrant, plum, bergamot and lemon. Heart notes of gardenia, tuberose absolute, orange flower absolute, rose absolute and jasmine absolute. End notes of precious woods, sandalwood, oakmoss, patchouli, amber and white musk." Some reviewers (on the web) had mentioned the word "chypre" but I can't see how this can be classified as a chypre. The keywords are all in there in the descritipon - bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli, musk, but they are in miniscule amount that are overwhelmed by the very heavy handed floral notes. It is perhaps the chypre for the floral only wearer. The amber musk dominanted chypre element only appears when all the middle notes are gone whereas I wish it had been there throughout. Great longevity on skin - I guess that's because the creator wanted it big and loud. But calling it "plum" - is a part misnomer - as I can find no plum here. If the creator is referring to the voluptuous meaning of the word "plum" then she most definitely on the mark. I'd say it is great value at £90/100ml compared to the other recently launched fragrances given the intensity of the smell - it's best worn dabbed - but the thing came with a spray so skillful spray is needed if not to get everyone around you overwhelmed. Compared to all fragrances ever launched the it isn't great value as there is little innovativity in the scent - the overall feeling of it reminds me of Amariage, certain aspects esp the topnotes and middle notes remind me of Diorrismo and J'adore, then there are the Guerlain Aqua Allegorias like Figue-Iris, Laurier-Réglisse, Lilia Bella, Pivoine Magnifica. All of these are sold cheaper than Plum even at RRP.
8 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Guerlain - Shalimar Ode a la Vanille
elaborate 11/7/2010 10:18:00 PM
The Shalimar OalV is recognisably Shalimar. In fact the first time I had it on I would have thought that it is the original if I hadn't seen the bottle! 2nd time I notice that it is a bit more fougere than Shalimar but was in a rush to go to work... So now the 3rd time. Doing a side by side comparison with EDP. The top note is noticeably different - less bergamot, in place of it was mint - OK not your typical toothpaste mint but it is mint stripped down to the dirty skunky note you get when you brush your hands through fresh mint. It some how feels furrier, denser, mossier. Weird but nice. Perhaps that is what made me think it more fougere than EDP. The vanilla -- SA told me it's Madagascar vanillla -- I am no vanilla expert so the only thing I can report is that it is a woodier, chewier vanilla than EDP, giving a bit more heft to the perfume, keeping the opponanox (?) grounded whereas the EDP feels fluffier, lighter, more powder. Both lovelies. Currently leaning over towards OalV ever so lightly LOL!!
6 out of 8 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Hermes - Iris Ukiyoé (Hermessence series)
elaborate 11/7/2010 5:11:00 PM
Two spritzes on back of hand. My first impression is that it is grapefruit and floral, with a drizzle of iris root. As JCE said what he wanted to present in this perfume is the perfume of the iris flower rather than the root, so the lack of iris root is expected. It has great staying power but the grapefruit floral top notes go away pretty quickly, leaving behind the ghost of fresh flowers. It probably have nothing similar but my first thought upon smelling it is YSL Babydoll as the grapefruit is so v strong. But Babydoll goes a bit sharper and Iris Ukiyoe dries down to a fresh flower note that are often found inside a florist. To me it isn't hugely interesting because the structure is basically grapefruit floral. Lovely fresh cut flowers. No urge to buy though. If I am going to get a bottle it will be for collection rather than for wearing. Thanks for listening.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No