Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Parfums MDCI - FK3 Enlevement au Serail 
BasiaS 2/6/2009 1:26:00 PM
This is an amazing, skanky white floral with hints of sweet apricot on top and a rich, earthy-woody base. Along with Invasion Barbare, this is my very favorite of the MDCI line. The frangrance has a very strong indolic jasmine note but eventually it quiets down to a rich, creamy patch-vetiver base with hints of leather. This classic composition reminds me of the glorious fragrances from the 50s; it is rich but never gets too heavy. Gorgeous! Kudos to Francis Kurkdjian for creating this beautiful scent, he's definitely going to be on my radar from now on. Notes: bergamot, mandarin, ylang-ylang, jasmine sambac, tuberose, rose, wallflower, patchouli, sandalwood, vanilla and vetiver.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Penhaligon's - elixir
BasiaS 1/23/2009 9:51:00 PM
This fragrance deserves a lot better than a 2.0 average rating!!! Elixir is quite beautiful, and I think it's great for both men and women. The rose blends beautifully with the cedary, smoky base, and the peppery/spicy middle. I also LOVE the 'eucalyptus steam' note on top, which really keeps the spicy/peppery notes in check. For those weary of any minty notes, do not let this keep you from trying Elixir! In this composition, it's like a fresh mist that drifts over the blend, without any heaviness whatsoever. Drydown is a lovely, comforting, cashmere-like base of cedar/vanilla/tonka and benzoin. Only Olivia Giacobetti can create an oriental that's so light and so well balanced. I've heard comparisons to Passage d'Enfer, but I find this much more complex and richer, without any of the soapiness that PdE has. If you love Giacobetti's work, or if you love complex, oriental blends, chances are you will love this.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Strange Invisible Perfumes - L'Invisible
BasiaS 11/22/2008 12:30:00 PM
I've been quite obsessed with some of the SIP fragrances that BH carries, and this one has become one of my favorites. L'Invisible is a beautiful, womany fragrance, complex and warm, with a touch of the old-school European elegance that I love. I know these fragrances cost a lot, but their quality justifies the price - at least for me.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Lostmarc'h - Ael-Mat
BasiaS 8/18/2008 10:51:00 PM
Yet another charmer from this wonderful French perfume company! It smells of the jasmine I used to enjoy so much on California beaches, but this jasmine is much softer, and the scent of the sea is more foreceful. Ael-Mat is not a conventionally beautiful fragrance, but it is pretty, just a bit exotic, and best of all - intriguing.
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Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Lostmarc'h - Din-Dan
BasiaS 8/18/2008 10:42:00 PM
This uncomplicated little summer scent is kind of perfect in its own way - a burst of fresh lemon is tempered by a soft, fresh mint note and delicious, sweet peach. It dries down to a lovely lemon-vanilla musk that stays close to the skin. Din-Dan is unexpectedly charming, and it makes me think of the best days of my childhood.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Balle de Match
BasiaS 5/15/2008 1:59:00 PM
Terrific, bracing lime-incense scent with a strong peppery edge. PdN has a terrific way with their citrus fragrances, as they are all unique and sometimes surprising. Nice for both men and women.
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Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - vanille tonka
BasiaS 5/15/2008 1:56:00 PM
An unusual take on vanilla, VT is a combination of rich vanilla and ambery tonka mixed in with resinous incense that is tinged with citrus. This is one vanilla you don't want to eat, and in my book, that's a good thing. There is a strong lime note in the beginning that quickly dissipates to reveal a warm, ambery middle and a lovely, bright incense note. Nice!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Eau D ete
BasiaS 5/15/2008 12:55:00 PM
Nice, light citrus-jasmine scent with a lovely orange note and a hint of cinnamon. Like all PdN fragrances it's a terrific, well-balanced blend and a must for anyone who loves light summery fragrances. Decently priced, too!
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Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Cococabana
BasiaS 5/15/2008 12:51:00 PM
What a great tropical scent for those who like their scents a bit more complex and less shrill than so many of those pikake/tuberose/jasmine perfume oils on the market today! Cococabana starts off with a bitter orange twist over a luscious coconut note, mingled with tuberose, and a rich, amber-tonka note in the base that's present in so many PdN scents. It's a bit too strong for me, but it's still lovely and fun!
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Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Maharanih
BasiaS 5/15/2008 12:47:00 PM
This scent is absolutely terrific! It's one of PdN's most aromatic scents, blended to perfection with citrus, herbal and woody notes, plus a smidge of tea with honey. A must for anyone craving a complex, earthy scent (I must get my bottle before fall comes around!).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Eau Exotique Eau Fraiche
BasiaS 5/15/2008 12:44:00 PM
Essentially, this is a really well done orange-mango musk with soft woody undertones. I'm a sucker for most musk fragrances, but I don't like fruity scents, so I was weary at first. However, this being a PdN scent, the blend is equisite and the fragrance is never too sweet. It's not the most sophisticated nor complex blend in the collection, but it's a gorgeous, subtly sweet and subtly sexy musk scent that's perfect for hot weather.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Parfums De Nicolai - Balkis
BasiaS 5/15/2008 12:42:00 PM
Wow! I'm not a fan of fruity scents, and although I love to eat raspberries I just don't care to smell like them. But the blending in this is so exquisite, so well balanced, that all of a sudden this fruity floral I was quite ready to dismiss turns out to be a sophisticated gourmand fragrance. Balkis is a soft mixture of rose and rasberries tinged with coffee and cream, lightly spiced by a wicked pepper note that really sets this apart from most other fruity-floral blends. It's not too sweet, and the spice-fruit-gourmand mixture is unique and surprising.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - biehl parfumkunstwerke - Patricia Choux - pc02
BasiaS 1/21/2008 6:12:00 PM
This is an incredible gourmand scent, it it sweet and delicious without being cloying or smelling like food. It has the best qualities of a skin scent - it's soft, warm and delicious, and it makes you wonder what smells so good when it's your own skin all along. I recommend this to anyone who loves gourmands, musks, warm skin scents, and anyone who prefers their perfume to be subtle. Notes: bergamot, white lavender, cardamom, spices, peony, freesia, precious woods, patchouli, tonka beans, honey, musk.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Hors La Monde, Shiloh
BasiaS 1/21/2008 6:07:00 PM
Shiloh is a strangely potent perfume - it does not assualt your senses when you first put it on, but the soft scent of woods, dark rose, herbs and that dark patch/moss base will linger on your skin until you wash it off. It took me a while to appreciate this scent, as at first it seemed a bit too subtle and stragely aloof (here one second, gone the next). But its soft, dusky quality won me over and now Shiloh has become a part of my regular collection. Notes: lemon, bergamot, herbs, rose damascena, Virginia cedar, precious woods, patchouli, sandalwood, incense, oakmoss, musk, vanilla.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Fragrances -Unlisted Brand - Juliette Has a Gun - Miss Charming
BasiaS 11/17/2007 5:58:00 PM
Yes, this is similar to Bryant Park and if you already have that, you don't need MC. But I think the one thing MC has going for it (besides the beautiful packaging) is the creamy, sensual musk base that BP lacks (that one is more peppery and ambery). MC definitely lacks any originality, and ultimately it's a scent commonly replicated by different fragrance houses, but let's say if I didn't own a fruity-musky rose already, I'd get this one first. That base is a lovely surprise. Notes: Moroccan rose, musk, wild fruits.
3 out of 4 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No