O Tannenbaum! (part 2)

Welcome to my part of the O Tannebaum! blog project. :)

I'm running a bit late after my co-bloggers but that's because I tried to put my thoughts on my 3 choices in order, only to discover I can't.

I find all 3 beguiling, extremely interesting, strange and therefore meant for me. :)

In a random manner (not as to how much I like them) here they are.

Parfumerie Generale - Un Crime Exotique

My readers probably remember that I was on a hunt for a Christmas perfume. This one fits the bill only partly. The cinnamon and ginger are here, as is the black tea, but Christmas here doesn't smell like this perfume.

But I surely wouldn't mind spending it where it does smell like UCE. :)

With this perfume I keep going through what of the notes I can smell and then trying to guess how in the world do they combine into what I smell.

Notes: Chinese osmanthus, gingerbread, tea, cinnamon, star anise, mate absolute, vanilla sugar, South Sea Island sandalwood

It starts sweetly gingery-cinnamony (I don't know how gingerbread smells like so gingery it is) and now that I know what to look for, I can smell the tea underneath (of the black variety). My notes made me look for a bit of raspberry-ish fruit but I guess the osmanthus-anise-tea combination could make me feel the fruity aspect in this.

I keep having problems describing this but I blame it all on the anise. It gets more barky-cinnamon and there is the underlying smell I cannot describe that I'm guessing is made refreshing by mate, anise, vanilla and sandalwood.

The good thing about this perfume is that it doesn't lose the cinnamon tinge, even though it lessens, it is still there. And the wonder lasts.

La Via del Profumo - Oud Caravan no1.

I was lucky to win a sample of this from Suzanne and it came in time to be included in my O Tannenbaum choices.

If there are notes for this listed somewhere, someone please let me know as I had to smell this blindly (so all manner of strange associations might crop up). :)

First of all, I need to say it doesn't smell as oudy as I keep thinking oud perfumes should (having the previous Montale experience). Then again, it does smell oudy, in that good, smoky, serious, lightly leathery and incensey way. The way that makes you a bit scared of the aura it is projecting.

At the same time, it makes you come closer to try and define what is it that makes it enticing.

As I don't know the notes, it makes it easier for me to describe what I'm smelling without wondering why am I not smelling something (or smelling something that isn't there). :)

Sometimes I smell it and think there is a light herbal tinge to it - the kind that makes your nose clear but in this case it's not very apparent.

Anyway, a bit later, light balsamic feel emerges (as in the woody-resiny kind) giving this just a hint of sweetness so as to not make it too dry to smell. But it still smells dry with a light woody creaminess in the background. And all the time preciously oudy.

Burren Perfumery - Winter Woods

It seems Burren Perfumery is this very well hidden little perfumery in Ireland because so far I've never seen a single perfume review of any of their scents (including myself who is aware of their existence).

Winter Woods is their latest release and I was lucky to receive a sample when the release was announced (along with all other of their perfumes).

Notes: rosemary, bergamot, lemon, iris, lavender, cedar, pine and vetiver.

I see they are calling this a quietly masculine fragrance - I can't really judge, I like it and I have a tendeny to fall into the "masculine" part of the perfume world.

It starts with a refreshingly bitter - powdery feel. Considering the fact that both bergamot and lemon are listed, it is remarkably subdued in the citrusy department. I mean you can smell the light citrusness, combined with a bitterness and what I tend to call shampoo freshness (which always reminds me of nettle but that's not listed as a note).  Before I lose your interest, the clean freshness doesn't last that long. I'm pretty sure iris is exorting its effect on this whole composition, making it bitter and powdery.

At the same time, the idea of winter woods is becoming more and more true. But these winter woods are covered in snow (the wihiteness of the perfume comes very clearly out) and you can smell the crisp air, the wood bark and the powdery feel of the snow.

I'm not one to fall for powdery (at least I never did before) but the bitterness and powderiness of this are getting under my skin.

(actually they already got there)

I could go into details of the notes but unless you really pay attention to what you're smelling, they won't reveal themselves (they will if you really want to know them).

But I find that I don't want to deconstruct them - I want to walk in those woods.

Please visit other participating blogs for some more Tannenbaum perfumes. :)

Another Perfume Blog
Beauty, Bacon, Bunnies
Beauty on the Outside
EauMG
Eyeliner on a cat
Fragrant Reviews
Muse in Wooden Shoes
Olfactoria's Travels
Parfumieren
Redolent of Spices
Scent of the Day
Suzanne's Perfume Journal
The Candy Perfume Boy

Undina's Looking Glass