Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Miel de Bois
MelissaM 1/7/2007 6:55:00 PM
I can't believe that the illustrious House of Serge would put out anything this disgusting. Yes, it smells like honey; in fact, it smells like someone put a lot of time and effort into making a very, very expensive honey scent, complete with all of the teensy bells and whistles, such as the wax and woodiness that arises when you first pull the combs from the hives. Unfortunately, unpasturized honey does have a very unique "latrine" note picked up by so many, and in Miel de Bois, this note not only dominates, it sings from the rooftops. It's not a bad scent as long as you don't apply it to the skin - I've come to the conclusion that human beings just aren't meant to smell like certain condiments, and honey is one of them. Miel de Bois: Just say no.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Datura Noir
MelissaM 1/7/2007 6:42:00 PM
I samples Datura Noir a long time ago and found it nothing special. Well, recently, I got a hold of a generous spray sample of DN, and whoa! I find myself doing a total 180: the stuff is pure magic. My nose picks out a concoction of creamy white florals, coconut, and almonds. Sounds like your average tropical scent, right? Well, but there's something in this brew, some note, that takes the Datura to the next dimension. If CSP Tiare is a whole bunch of college girls squealing on a beach somewhere in the Carribean, Datura Noir is a sullen heiress sunning herself on the deck of a mansion somewhere in Biarritz. DN has glamour, good taste, elegance. Oh, and it lasts and lasts and lasts. Full bottle-worthy indeed.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - LesNez Let Me Play the Lion
MelissaM 12/30/2006 12:09:00 PM
I tested Lion on myself first, intrigued by the reviews here - alas, I loved it! And alas, it was, to my nose, very distinctly a man's fragrance. So I got some for my beloved for Christmas, and the results were completely different. I first detect the scent of heat - hot coals, hot burning wood, the scent of flames, not necessarily a peppery kind of heat, although that word could be used as well. There's a spicy, gingery note as well, along with a note that reminds me of the papyrus shops in Cairo. Very distinctive and different. The overall effect is quite elusive, and much akin to the feeling brough about by wearing Miller et Bertaux's Spiritus (the two fragrances are markedly similar in timbre). I love the smell of this on a man's skin - it's quite sexy indeed. ;)
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Miller et Bertaux : #4 Close Your Eyes and...
MelissaM 12/13/2006 8:18:00 PM
I gotta admit, I'm a sucker for anything Miller et Bertaux. This is one of those lines that either works for you or it doesn't. The impression Close Your Eyes and ... gives me is more emotive. Spiritus is elusive and gorgeous in a touch-me-not sort of way; Green, etc. is flighty and uncentered (and still gorgeous). CYEA is, quite simply, the warmest, most familiar scent of the lot. It has that woody spicy base, ala Spiritus; then toss in a hefty dose of hearty wheaty goodness (think Bois Farine) and a tad bit of softness (Jour de Fete), and that's what this fragrance reminds me of. It's the warm, solid moment when you fall into the arms of the man you love ... and finally feel that wonderful sense of familiarity, that sense that you're there for the long run. The memory that makes you smile when you're at your desk at work. I can't express how much I adore this scent. To me, this is the smell of long, enduring love.
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Fragrance -Ormonde Jayne - Ormonde for Men
MelissaM 9/13/2006 10:52:00 PM
Extremely similar to Ormonde Woman - the general essence is the same, and honestly, on first application, I could scarcely tell the difference. But in the drydown, the Ormonde Man is far more masculine, perhaps a bit less layered than the Woman. This scent is drama, but drama in a good sense - in that it gets itself noticed in all the right ways. Very sexy and cuddly, too, even moreso than the Ormonde Woman. I really want to smell my man in this!
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Fragrance -Ormonde Jayne - Isfarkand Pour Homme
MelissaM 9/11/2006 11:04:00 PM
I have to agree with the reviewer who pointed out the similarities to Hadrien. But I also detect in Isfarkand some exotic note that renders it far more intriguing than Hadrien. It is the male counterpoint to Champaca, to my nose, citrusy, yet with a certain warmth to it. The vetiver gives this scent a distinctly male cast; on my skin, it does not smell unisex at all. I plan on getting my significant other some of this very soon! :)
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Miller et Bertaux - #2 Spiritus / land
MelissaM 1/31/2006 11:47:00 AM
I think that of all the reviews of Spiritus, debrab's pretty much nails it, from my own perspective. But to add a personal note here, I wore this to a party a few nights ago. When I entered the room, I had total strangers come up to me and ask me what I was wearing. The predominant comment was, "I've never smelled a perfume quite like that before." (Compliments came from both men and women, and rarely do men ever notice what I'm wearing.) On my skin, Spiritus is equal parts dry, dry ginger, black soil, and hot incense. I cannot emphasize the descriptor "dry" quite enough; there is no lingering sweetness, no yielding, to this scent. I'm even wary to describe it as unisex, because it evokes neither male nor female, but a certain feeling or atmosphere far removed from the corporeal being. Definitely a fragrance to meditate to. It is short-lived, but this is easily remedied by spritzing on clothing and hair. Would definitely repurchase again and again.
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Concealers -Yves Saint Laurent - Touche Eclat No 2
MelissaM 1/23/2006 1:48:00 PM
I recently purchased Touche Eclat No. 2 for the dark circles produced by "allergy eyes." I'm quite pleased with the result. The product goes on quite easily and blends easily. It doesn't dry all clumpy, or give the skin a "fake" texture, like many concealers do. One could easily get away using this as one's only make-up item for the day. I particularly liked the ease with which the Touche Eclat went on; most of the concealers/highlighters I've purchased previously were dense and "smudgy." I particularly hated the way my mascara would accumulate on said concealer. No problem with smudging with the Touch Eclat. Would definitely purchase this again.
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Fragrances -Serge Lutens - Daim Blond
MelissaM 1/23/2006 12:52:00 PM
This is one of those fragrances that I had to debate long and hard when it came to making a full purchase. After crusing on samples and decants, I finally decided to take the plunge and haven't regretted a penny. Like the infuriatingly distant Mitsouko, Daim Blond is one of those Ubersophisticated scents I wasn't sure that I could personally carry off; on first sniff, I was immediately transported back to the Chanel wallet counter in Zurich. Daim Blond is an expensive leather scent, softened by the fruity overnotes of round, fuzzy apricots. But for all its elitist qualities, Daim Blond is still quite approachable, much like the established society woman whose grace is evident by her down-to-earth friendliness. This Serge Lutens is a class act!
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Fragrances -Diptyque - Tam Dao
MelissaM 11/8/2005 3:17:00 PM
Sampled from teensy vials numerous times before purchase, Tam Dao is yet another fragrance to add to my list of When Full Bottles Go Bad. I can't hazard to guess what might have gone wrong, but this is a disappointing day, as I've lemminged this fragrance for almost a year. Tam Dao goes on lovely, a concoction of sandalwood and cedar to my nose, only warmer and spicier. Then the drydown comes and I my nose picks up a whiff of the dreaded hamster cage note last sniffed in CdC's Jaisalmer. Tam Dao isn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination; but as another reviewer pointed out, it is very thin and somewhat lackluster. Sandalwood and cedar should bring to mind a fragrance that's bold and exotic; sadly, Tam Dao smells rather frail and domestic.
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Fragrances -J. Lo - Glow
MelissaM 11/2/2005 12:48:00 PM
Okay, so what if the bottle is dreadfully tacky? Or that this is purportedly created and marketed by J.Lo - a public figure who I've always despised? Forget about the stigma attached to Glow, and give it an honest break. It's a decent fragrance. Honestly. I can say this, despite being a self-admitted fragrance snob. Glow has a light, soapy-musky appeal that is impossible to offend, as well as a freshness not found in most department store brands. After a convoy of Ubersticky-sweet fragrances a la Jessica Simpson and Britney Spears, Glow is a breath of fresh air by comparison - it's fresh, innocuous, and softly appealing, giving you that "something extra" when you want a perfume that doesn't smell like perfume. Very aptly named.
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Fragrances -Montale - Sweet Oriental Dream
MelissaM 11/2/2005 9:14:00 AM
This has gotta be one of the weirdest orientals I've ever come across. It has the exotic old Persian carpet mustiness meets Middle Eastern bazaar flair, and yet it's sweet. Candy confection tooth-achingly sugarly sweet! I can't say that I would ever wear this out in public. This fragrance is so toxically cloying, it seems to envelop everything in its wake with a cloud of sweetness. The sweet notes overtake the oddball combination of bazaar scents, leaving one with the impression of something that is sugar-coated and then swathed in cotton candy. Blah! Not for me, thanks.
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Fragrances -Annick Goutal - Les Nuits d'Hadrien
MelissaM 11/1/2005 10:13:00 AM
In my quest for the Holy Grail of fragrance, Annick Goutal fell by the wayside; while this house turns out some very pretty fragrances, I never had that "oomph!" feeling that I had when I sampled a truly unique blend of notes. However, Les Nuits d'Hadrien has turned my head, or rather my nose. This is the rich smell of blossoming orange trees at night, accompanied by a rich candied note and hints of amber. I'm amazed that more perfumiers haven't picked up on mixing amber and citrus, for this is one of the most perfect blends, the acidic citrus tempering the inherent powderiness of the amber. Nuits is one of those fragrances that's very European in nature, evokative of a night at Tivoli gardens spent dancing underneath a waterfall with one's lover. Truly sensuous and romantic - truly unique. A mega-big winner for Annick Goutal!
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Fragrances -Norma Kamali - Baby
MelissaM 10/27/2005 12:14:00 PM
I must be honest - nothing about this fragrance evokes a baby, child, infant, or similar. NK's Baby goes on fresh and green, with milky/sappy undertones. Imagine if Fresh made an EDT version of its Ivy-Milk bath line: that is the essence of NK's Baby. I find this a very innocuous but unusual scent; while it's not particularly sexy, it is what I would label a "comfort scent." Like a childhood friend, it is honest, genuine, predictable and an "always there when you need it" kind of scent. It also has a strange 70's retro appeal - I'm not sure what it is, perhaps the musk? For some reason, when I wear this, the little naked boy and girl figures in the "Love is ..." cartoon pop into my head - weird, right? All in all, I still love this fragrance. It's a keeper. :)
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Fragrances -Antica Farmacista - Mediterraneo Le Parfum
MelissaM 10/26/2005 10:47:00 AM
estesmcc nailed it. This fragrance smells like barbecued lemons, with a dash of cheap leather. Perhaps I got too much of it on my clothing rather than on my skin, and this affected the outcome. However, it was a huge disappointment. I had actually tried a sample of Mediterraneo prior to purchasing, and at the time I loved it - it seemed to me that I wasn't getting that Ubersmokiness that pervades the fragrance. However, with a full purchase, I was sorely disappointed. It's not awful, it's just not something I want to smell like.
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