Spring Monday

Finally I can say it arrived. :) Last week was horrible, the weather was awful, everyone was depressed (including me) and now it's over. I mean even if the cold returns for a while, at least we got a preview of spring. And that is enough for now.
Now that spring has arrived, I thought I might give a short overview of some of the samples that came from Lucky scent's Early spring sample pack. I love the fact that they create these sample packs and send them all over the world. Thanks!
I'll focus on the four Teo Cabanel samples I got. I must admit, until the pack arrived, I never even heard of Teo Cabanel, but now, I have to say, it was nice getting to know the line. It contains 4 fragrances, Julia, Oha, Alahine and Meloe.

Julia: Mandarin, rhubarb leaves, black currant, jasmine, violet, hyacinth, sandalwood, incense, citruses, raspberry and musk.
This one surprised me because I'm not into floral feminine scents and I liked it from the go. It starts very fresh and floral and it lightens the mood instantly, giving the feeling of summer and light. The floral note is almost too much for me and I keep waiting for it to start irritating my nose, but it is perfectly balanced with a fresh current which my guess are those citruses in the notes. It reminds me of romance setting from the 19th century - walking with a parasol, in a white dress during a beautiful warm and sunny spring day with a romantic partner. I think that the barest trace of jasmine I get is waht gives it such a romantic connotation in my mind.

Oha: Bergamot, Tea accord, Bulgarian and Damascus rose, jasmine, cardamom, tonka bean, vanilla, white musk, Exotic woods
This one was terribly frustrating because I cannot recognize a single note. It smells classic and bitter green at the beginning (guess that's the tea accord) and after the initial 15 minutes, what I get is an idea of a garden/home of an English spinster - I suppose the rose/tea combination is what brings that about. I think it is well done, although not something I would wear.

Alahine: Bergamot, ylang-ylang, jasmine, Moroccan rose, iris, cistus, patchouli, benjoin, vanilla, sandalwood, musk
Well, you can't miss this one being an oriental. :) It starts with a sweet oriental blast with hints of smoke and patchouli. Initially it is a bit too sweet for my taste, but it gets better (not so sweet). What it reminded me of is a warm oriental room full of rugs with loukhum and pipe on a low table. Lucky scent mentioned honey rose, I guess that's the loukhum for me (the one I tried had the taste of rose). The drydown though is complete vanilla on me.

Meloe: Calabrian Bergamot, Mandarin and Lemon from Sicily, Lavander, Basil, Neroli from Tunisia, Orange blossom, Jasmine, Nutmeg, Crystal Moss, Musk, Amber
This one is an eau legere, and smells, well, like one. :) That is fresh and citrusy and great. I absolutely love it. I kept smelling my wrist waiting for this perfect citrusy/green freshness to dissapear and leave me dissapointed, but I wasn't. It smells of a Mediterranean summer the way I imagine it, sunny, citrusy and of beach. This is what I hoped Eau Turquiose of Parfums de Nicolai was going to smell like (that one was a definite disappointment for me).
My favorites are Julia and Meloe and I'm happy to say, the line can be bought in Zagreb at Institut Parfumeur Flores.
This was my welcome spring post. Hopefully now that the weather is turning warm, I'll write more often.

Notes by Lucky scent.
Image: isabellelorelai.files.wordpress.com