Random perfume (and other) thoughts

These are the things that don't require a post of their own but that keep going through my head lately:

• After falling in love with Chypre Palatin, I cannot but think about Denyse's book The Perfume Lover and what she mentions there of her talks with Bertrand Duchafour - that he would do so many different and strange perfumes but has no financial backing for them (I now wish Mr. Duchafour could win lottery so he can create whatever he pleases and of course make it available)
• And speaking of Mr. Duchafour and Denyse, I really want a bottle of Séville à l’Aube

• I'm looking forward to reading Alyssa Harrad's book, Coming to my Senses, I haven't read any of the reviews as to not influence mine
• Then again, I am looking forward to reading many books once my vacation starts (just 2 more weeks to go!) :)
• While I'm on the subject of books, there is way too much of them I want to read and not enough time in my life to do it

• Speaking of reviews, it's a minefield out there in the perfume community if you want to review a perfume that just came out, and you were lucky to receive a sample, but don't want to be influenced by what other reviewers wrote (especially if you're slow like me)
• I'm still amazed by the perfume synchronicity happening - a perfume seems to find its way to you at the right moment when you need something exactly like that (latest case, Mito)
• Hopefully, with my vacation nearing, I'll be able to write more perfume reviews as there are many perfumes I'd like to talk about (Chypre Palatin being on top of the list)

• I also need to read my posts before I publish them because when I get to them later, I find really stupid mistakes I made while writing them

• They might tell you (they being your trainers) that it's not easy to lose weight while running, but everyone else will think you did - you might lose a little bit but the rest gets re-arranged so everyone will think you actually lost quite a bit (I'm not going to talk about rising energy levels now which you get too)
• While I'm on the subject of running, as with everything else in my life, I am slow but I get there in the end - you just need to let me do it in my own rhythm

OK, I'm off to finish the book I'm reading at the moment (re-reading Kresley Cole's Lothaire).

Denyse Beaulieu: The Perfume Lover

So, I might be slow, but I get there in the end. :)

And here I am, finally having read The Perfume Lover and ready to talk about it. Or, at least try and talk about it.

The name of the book is certainly apt - it is about perfumes and lovers, sometimes combined, at other times trying to get to each other.

As you probably know (it's rather obvious by the sub-title, A Personal History of Scent) the book is about Denyse's memory being turned into a perfume, and the path that perfume in making takes. But it's not only that, it is a highly autobiographical and very personal narrative we dive into from the go.
And it makes you part of it. Which is something I admire in a writer. And the fact that it reads like a novel is just one more thing to like about it.

Now, I've entered the perfume world several years ago and since that time, I've been learning and sniffing and basically just acquiring more perfume knowledge each day.
That is why it came as a pleasant surprise how many more interesting information I found in this book - not only on perfume, but on many different things.

And then there were the parts I found myself nodding to - yes, I completely understand what duende is supposed to mean; yes, I am also finding it more and more difficult to be moved by a perfume (but that might be just stress in my case); I do see signs, or at least, hints as to what might be a good path to take in life (btw, is it a sign I was a witch in a previous life if burning incense makes me nauseous?); yes, other senses can evoke memories as well as the nose; the IFRA, and so on.

The book also made me long for days of the past I would never be able to live in, made me realize perfumers are everyday people with their jobs, it just so happens that the product of their jobs influences many lives, and that being French (or living as the French) means you will probably find lovers without any problems. :)

But, the most clear things that The Perfume Lover showed me were:

1) I could never be a perfumer even if I wanted to
2) My nose is nowhere near as good as I thought it might be
3) I want to live in Paris (ok, I knew that one before) ;)
4) Perfume library is a grand idea
5) I always appreciated the work of Mr. Duchafour, but now I really like him as a person
6) A perfume coming out with a book instead of a blurb makes you really get to know a perfume (and smell it better)



P.S. The cover of that book is just amazing and I was lucky to be provided with the book by Harper and Colilns (along with the sample, with review of that coming up tomorrow - hopefully).

Visiting India: Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations

Sometimes you smell something and your brain refuses to provide the notes for what you are smelling. That is what happened to me with Neela Vermeire Creations (brought to life by Bertrand Duchafour).

It took me quite some time to form words around these perfumes, and today, I'll talk about Trayee, which name harkens to the divine origin of the first 3 Vedas, the Triad.

Trayee is one of those perfumes that each time you apply it, it smells a bit differently. A shape-shifter of the most interesting order which displays its shape-shifting nature mostly on skin.

Usually it starts for me with a sweetish, strangely earthy, cardamomy smell, soon to be enveloped in spices. Several times I thought it had a really natural start to it (as similar to what I'm used to with natural perfumers).
Sometimes, it smells like the resins from an evergreen tree are mixed with meadow flowers, but those flowers barely peek  through the spices mixed with cardamom.
Last time though, the cardamom got in line by the blackcurrant dancing on the fumes of sandalwood, cedre and vetiver.  It had that lovely dark fruitiness that blackcurrant can provide.
Eventually, the fruitiness dissipates and the smoothness of the base notes comes to the fore, interspersed with vetiver and other relatively raspy notes so the smoothness wouldn't be boring (I'd be lying if I said I could smell exactly which).
Sometimes the smoothness takes on a leathery tinge.

On paper though, the fruitiness completely bypassed me and instead smelled more like a combination of cardamom and cedre, lightly cinnamony and lightly sweet, but spicey (clove and saffron do their thing). Also, it was only on paper that I caught whiffs of ambery background.

But then again, who knows, maybe next time I wear it, amber and oud come out to play as well... :)

Notes: Blue Ginger from Madagascar, Elemi Oil, Cinnamon Bark, Ganja Effects, Blackcurrant Absolute, Basil, Sambac Jasmine Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Cardamom Absolute, Clove, Saffron, Sandalwood, Javanese Vetiver, Haitian Vetiver, Incense, Mysore Sandalwood Oil, Patchouli, Myrhh, Vanilla, Cedar, Amber Note, Oudh Palao from Laos and Oak Moss

Samples of all 3 were provided by Neela Vermeire.

Notes and pics taken from: http://www.neelavermeire.com/

SOTD: Penhaligon's Orange Blossom

I think someone broke my sample. Or more clearly the juice inside. This was made by Mr. Duchafour and as I said the other day, there is almost nothing of his I don't like - and I was already starting to worry I put my foot in my mouth. Luckily for me, that wasn't true but it was a bumpy ride for a while (almost an hour!).

Notes: neroli, violet leaves, bergamot, cedrat, cardamom, pink pepper, orange, jasmine, tuberose, rose peach blossoms, orchid, sandalwood, cedar, white musk, vanilla.

It seems there is never a shortage of notes in Mr. Duchafour's creation. :)

It started great, like a bitter jasmine (or possibly some other white flower, orange blossom included) and then, not 5 minutes into it, it morphed into a powdery violet. And remained like that. What?! I'm not a violet fan (especially in this talc manner) and this is the part where it got scary for me. I mean, everyone was singing praises for this and I'm getting a violet thingy?! A nice violet thingy (actually made me wonder if I might find this violet wearable) but still - a violet?!

That's why I thought someone broke my sample juice.

It helps though when you know that really good perfumes are going to change, so I waited. For almost an hour but was it worth it!

After the passing of violet, things started happening and I was beginning to enjoy the ride for real. None of the notes seemed especially prominent but they all seemed to be there at some point in time. I was waiting for an orange blossom tropical seductiveness and I got it. Not the orange blossom or tropical but seductiveness made by rose, jasmine, juicy orange, probably orchid as well but I cannot say for sure since I'm not positive yet on the orchid smell.

The drydown on this smells like an opening on something, it's that good and strong. Reminded me a bit of Ninfeo Mio due to sweetness and floral juiciness. And each time I smell my arm, I'm seduced more and more.

Turns out, I can live with violets on me. :)

Pic by: www.penhaligons.com

SOTD: Eau d'Italie, Paestum Rose

OK, I realized today I will have to give Havana Vanille another go. Because it's obvious to me that whatever Mr. Duchafour creates, I'm going to love it. :) There must have been a mistake in my nose when smelling HV because it just can't be. :)

As you probably know by now, I'm not a huge florals fan, rose especially, but there are always exceptions, and this is one of them. Oh, I really like this one (I think that the boozy opening helps). :)

Notes: davana, cinammon,, black pepper, pink pepper, black pepper, coriander, black currant buds, Turkish rose, peony, incense, osmanthus, elemi, tea, papyrus, benzoin, myrhh, opopponax, vetiver, patchouli, cedar, wenge wood, amber, white musk.

As you can see, there is a wealth of notes which I do not plan on getting entangled in. I love the beginning and I didn't miss the rose this time (probably because it's there in the title). It smells boozy (having this rum, thick quality to it) and slightly sweet. Of the notes in the beginning, I can smell the particular juiciness of black currants and the pink pepper - which I believe I am smelling due to the process of elimination. I've been finding this around a lot and learned to recognize the particular scent it brings with itself so I think I know it now (it gives the rose in Very Irresistible the same type of freshness). Anyway, I get a healthy dose of tea (I tend to lean toward black but that may be caused by black currant buds).

It smells like an idea of a wet rose, not aquatic but more like a rose inundated in fresh water. Quite lovely really. And totally wearable for me (I'll try and locate a decant on MUA).

I lose the black currant and most of the rose in the drydown but I'm left with a drydown that is quite nice but doesn't come close to the opening. I mean, it's easy on the nose and smells warm and dry (all that wood, incense and benzoin which I love) but is only a drydown.

Pic and notes by: www.luckyscent.com