A little girl watching her mother putting on her make up, getting ready for a night out. Nivea cream scent (with its special bouquet of aromatic essences) and violet-laced, fluffy, retro powder. Soft musky roses floating on a cream bowl. Pink satin pointes with long silken ribbons ... This could be a recipe for tisane-sipping and Fabio-jacketed novels for spinsters off to bed at eight in their pink liseuses; it ticks all the predictable "romantic roses" boxes. But it's not. Drôle de Rose by L'Artisan Parfumeur manages to bypass the staid for the cheerful and the delicate and to render old new again. You just need a bit of an edge to turn this into the playful fragrance it really is and not into something from your grandmother's vanity.
Sweet Smell of Cosmetics
Comparable to the retro nuances of Lipstick Rose (Frederic Malle), whereas in the latter the overt sweetness and lusciousness can upset a sensitive stomach ~such is the speckled rouge approach~ in Drôle de Rose everything is painted like a light stain. Plus the L'Artisan came many years before, in 1996, pre-emptying a niche trend by far. Perfumer Olivia Giacobetti was remembering the formative images of her childhood and the scent of makeup plays hugely in such scenarios. The combination of rose & violet has become a classic in recreating this effect, since most lipsticks were typically further aromatized with these essences to render the wax's smell less obtrusive.
I call these "mock makeup perfumes", fragrances evocative of cosmetics, putting me in a made-up mood before even hitting the top of the By Terry trousse de makeup, which is something one can appreciate when too bored to do one's face. Out of these scents, some go for the pancake-makeup glamour of the 1940s, thicker and lusher, Technicolor; Lipstick Rose as well as Broadway Nite (Bond No.9) opt for that effect, retro glamorous pin-up. Others go for transparency and a super-soft, kittenish hint of fluffy ivory fur with a hint of violet pastilles; to that category I put Meteorites by Guerlain, Love,Chloe (parfums Chloe) and indeed Drôle de Rose. Giacobetti's sleight of hand plays hugely into giving this L'Artisan perfume an elegantly retro air without becoming stuffy, too sweet (though it is sweet all right) or too old. She's known for her transparent, restrained approach after all. Don't expect dark, menacing secrets and deep, meaningful confessions either. This is out for fun, pure and simple.
Scent Description Drôle de Rose is L'ArtisanParfumeur's flirty, undeniably pretty, playful starlet, who's really a good and dainty girl through and through. The rather untranslatable name rather means something like "amusing rose", in the vein of "witty". The softly powdery accord of violets and geranium (which has a rosy scent) is given a greener, fluffier tinge via the magic of star anise. The classic "lipstick scent accord" forms the core of the fragrance; made up, lips stained rosy, elegantly ladylike, sweetly appealing. The real pull however is how the flowers are given a honeyed approach, with a non indolic and yet non soapy orange blossom water, as if one is sprinkling macaroons; a powdery feel with the trickery of irones (iris); and last but not least how the musky drydown sticks around more (but doesn't project too much) than what one would initially expect when given enough heat on skin and in the atmosphere. Contrasted with the camphoraceous, woody darkness of Voleur de Roses (based on the murky rose and patchouli), one can see how the latter is meant for autumn and rainy weather, while Drôle de Rose really blooms in late spring and summer.
Even though one would be tempted to reference Paris by Yves Saint Laurent in this review, I feel that the intricate and powerful, gleaming approach in that rose-violet combo is miles removed from anything else and ultimately is its own thing: Really, I wouldn't expect necessarily loving both that and the greener, lighter, less sparkling Drôle de Rose...If you want something similar, rather try Emilie by Fragonard.
Notes for L'Artisan Parfumeur Drole de Rose:
rose, star anise, orange blossom, white iris, violet, almond, honey, leather
One of the most elusive and revered orange blossom scents is the two-time wonder by L'Artisan Parfumeur called Fleur d'Oranger: the last 2007 edition was a tad different than the original from 2005, but hope died entirely when reserves even of that one dried up. But L'Artisan has had other plans it seems: Fleur d'Oranger (part of the Harvest Series, alongside the spectacular Iris Pallida and the hay-like Fleur de Narcisse) is back in 2011: This time in a normal bottle of 50ml/1.7oz instead of the big ones in the wooden crates like precious millesime wines. Information wants the re-issue a limited edition, although there is no specific mention on the actual bottle to indicate this is so. According to a sampler friend: "The composition is very similar to the previous two, maybe slightly less sweet comparing to the 2007 version". The current edition is much more sanely priced at 75€ .
It remains the subject of hypothesis whether the use of the typical bottle hints at an abandoning of the Harvest Series by the brand entirely. At any rate, the official L'Artisan site doesn't mention the series any more...
Wheelbarrow, lay off the whip and don't rush the horses, you don't need to hurry when you've got your love so close by. When he smiles, the world smiles at me, so let the wheel run where it might, and wherever it goes, it's fine by me. ~from the song "Wheelbarrow" by Manos Hadjidakis from the 1963 Greek film Χτυποκάρδια στα θρανία/ (hence the top clip)
Any mention of Bosphorus, the strait between East and West, uniting and at the same time dividing Constantinople (Istanbul), which lays on both its banks, never fails to ignite a very palpable nostalgia laced with a smattering of pain for any Greek. We're automatically thinking of the failing grandeur of the Paleologi dynasty and lamenting for the times when Greeks and Turks co-existed in peace for centuries in this most cosmopolitan of Eastern cities. Traversée du Bosphore(Crossing the Bosphorus) by L'Artisan Parfumeur, like its namesake strait, was the straw that broke the ~proverbial~ camel's back, as anything referencing the city of Constantine will make me reminiscence yet again of my forebearers and the sweet camaraderie they had to abandond due to political turmoil. But The City, Istanbul, is in reality neither Greek, nor Turkish. It's neither christian nor muslim. It's a cultural border, a place where everything meets and unites, a cauldron of cultures and men; the place which millions of different people, of different nationalities and religions, loved madly through the centuries. A city so beautiful that there was no other way to call it than The City, η Πόλη!
Traversée du Bosphore comes now from Bertrand Duchaufour and L'Artisan Parfumeur as the symbolic strait between modern French perfumery and its oriental heritage. The unisex fragrance was fittingly inspired by a journey to Istanbul, when at the crack of dawn the cobblestone streets still retain their sleepy languor, like heavy-boned odalisques stealing gazes through the lacework wooden panel of the musharabieh, and when the many fishermen set out to catch their day's worth, packing nets, salty sardines and pita bread. You can easily lose yourself promenading unhurriedly through the small alleys towards the seraglio and Kahrié djami with its blue-peacock mosaics, gazing at the narthex's domes for hours or the many fountains where pilgrims ritualistically wash their head and hands before proceeding. It's a slow world, filled with beautiful wistfulness.
The strange thing about Traversée du Bosphore, part of the Travel series in the niche brand's subplot, is how a -by now- cliché concept (i.e.eastern exoticism) that should be a foregone conclusion (loukhoum, tanneries, saffron, milky salep drink, tobacco in hookahs, opulent roses, strange white flowers......hasn't Lutens exhausted that genre?) smells interesting and contemporary; nothing like a heavy odalisque looking through the parapets or Alladin rolled into plies and plies of plush carpets. Instead it's a gouache of a scent: a transparent suede floriental with soft musky notes, a marriage of rosewater and suede.
Indeed, the list of official notes for Traversée du Bosphore reads like a shopping list of things to find in a Turkish souk or at the very least smells encountered around a Turkish souk. The apple-laced çay (tea) is very popular and no one makes it more delicious than Piyer Loti Kahvesi at Eyup (the European side of the city), a stone's throw away from Sultan Ahmet Mosque and the Byzantine apotheosis that is the temple of Aghia Sophia. Loti is the writer of Aziyadé (see the perfume inspired by it) and knew a thing or two about sensual abandon...Tobacco is still smoked in hookahs; not only by old men in derelict coffee-shops, heavy in political talk, but from younger ones as well, when they finally sit down to have an aimless break. Men and women alike buy fresh phyllo pastry, almonds and pistachios to make baklava, and Turkish delight by the pound to bring back at home. The market is filled with golden and red heaps of spices, precious saffron and dried Turkish roses for using as pot-pourri. Tanneries do work merrily (Turkish leathers have competitive prices), although the effluvium isn't anything one would associate with perfume.
But the summation of the notes or the panoramic vol plané shot does not really tell the whole tale: Duchaufour was no stranger to Byzantine formulae, including everything but the kitchen sink before, and the results are diverse: from the baroque patina gold of Jubilation XXV for Amouage to the carnal tryst of Amaranthinefor Penhaligon's, all the way to the deceptively diaphanous muddy-incense of Timbuktu for L'Artisan. His compositions include many pathways that lead to a gauze of orientalia. For Traversée du Bosphore Duchaufour eschewed clichés to come up with a composition that marries on the one hand Anatolian leather (you will only smell grey suede, really, not harsh quinolines; it's comparable to the note in Sonia Rykiel Woman-Not for Men! and Barbara Bui Le Parfum) and on the other hand Turkish Delight (loukhoum), into a unique interpretation of the leather genre; velvety and whispery soft, opening upside down: After the brief apple çay top (blink and you'll miss it!), you sense the suede and only later the powdery loukhoum accord. The strangely greyish powderiness of iris dusts the notes like white copra dust enrobes the small rose-laced loukhoum cubes, while saffron with its leathery bitterish facets reinforces the impression and balances the sweeter notes, much like it kept vanilla in check in Saffran Troublant. The iris-leather accord in Traversée du Bosphore weaves a whispery path together with a hint of almond giving a light gourmand nod. The whole smells like rosewater sweets wrapped in a suede pouch, never surupy and very skin-scent like (incorporating that Havana Vanille base), although a tad more flowery feminine than most men would feel comfortable with. It's a fragrance which smells nice and simple like a nostalgic song from an old movie which dies down to a murmur, and might demand your attention to catch the smaller nuances.
As for me I know well that the past is inextricably tied to the future, and revel in thinking of Istanbul as the pathway where cultures and people will eternally meet...and part.
For our readers a draw: one sample to a lucky commenter. Draw is now closed, thank you! Tell us where you would envision the next travel series by L'Artisan should take us.
L’Artisan Parfumeur Traversée du Bosphore is available in 50 ($115) and 100 ml ($155) of Eau de Parfum wherever L'Artisan is sold (voutiques, Perfume Shoppe, Luckyscent, Aedes, First in Fragrance etc).
The bottom music clip and the film stills come from the Greek 2003 film Πολίτικη Κουζίνα/A Touch of Spice by Tasos Boulmetis, starring George Corraface and exploring the culinary philosophy that maps the course of modern Istanbul and the fateful, doomed romance between a Greek boy and a Turkish girl before the deportation of Greeks in 1964. It's uploaded in its entirety with English subtitles on Youtube: the first part is on this link and you can take it from there. Happy watching!
Tired but stimulated and with several suprises to share with you during the course of the following days. For the moment however I have to let you know that the derisive Miel de Bois by Serge Lutens, after rumours and speculation to its potential demise which we discussed on this venue, is formally taking the road into the Exclusives line, that is the bell jars at Les Salons du Palais Royal which can be purchased only in Paris. Fans of its phenylacetic acid derived honey/urine note with no access to those are therefore advised to stock up! L'Artisan Pafumeur on the other hand is issuing a second 100% natural and Ecofert approved organic fragrance after Eau de Jatamansi. Céline Ellena created Côte d'Amour which debuts in May. This time the inspiration has been the Breton coastline with its nostalgic Breton-top evocations (so Chanel, huh?) and the seascape smell with the iodine ambience of the sea air. Notes include: salty, hesperidic and woody accord, mandarin, pink grapefruit, rosemary, immortelle/everlasting flower, cypress, broom, rose, heather, gorse flowers, maritime pine.
The next post will be really meaty and provide a little controversy. Stay tuned!
Happy Halloween to all the readers of Perfume Shrine and may the benevolent ghosts of your loved ones be around you on the dia de los muertos. I like to believe that our cherished, most loved ones can escape the Night's Sultan on this special occassion and for some brief moments come to us and kiss us gently on the forehead while we are fast asleep...
Perhaps you might want to burn some scented candles for them, on this special night, like I plan to for mine, and leave some sweet treats for them on the mantelpiece to ease their journey back.
Personally I am very partial to the very cool look of L'Artisan Parfumeur candles that were specially made for the leather-goods (and recently fashion too!) brand Bottega Veneta. Their Intreccio one (click here) with its herbal notes and touches of pine and cypress seems autumnal to me. And isn't it a pretty sight?
Or you might want to go more traditional and focus on the pumpkin quest! This Colonial Candle in Pumkin Pie would make a great room fragrance, scenting the place with the spicy smells of the traditional dish; while this Pumkin Strudel from Claire Burke is unusual and yummy. If you want to go the way of the burner, then The Body Shop has a seasonal offering in their range of room fragrance oils, called Pumpkin Nectarine, with fruity notes on a bed of spice and vanilla. For an inexpensive easy treat Bath and Body Works has a device called Fragrance Bulbs in the seasonal scent Pumpkin Pie Paradise that includes the aroma of rich pumkin with the addition of cinnamon and caramel. Sounds terribly fattening, but without the calories. Of course you would have to be the type who goes for those bulby things in the first place. Myself I usually prefer the tradition of the candle.
Snow White Dove has a whole list of fragrance oils which could be used in a myriad of ways and for this occassion Pumkin Spice is a great bouquet garni of cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom. I am eyeing their Mulberry, with hints of pine needles, as well as their Vanilla Treasures with cranberry, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and roasted nuts for the upcoming winter months meanwhile... At Specially Made by LLC, you can find a long list of fragrance oil as well, of which Eggnog, Gingerbread, Harvest Spice and of course Pumpkin Pie caught my attention. Country Light Candles offer another wide selection, out of which yet another Pumpkin Pie raises its head.
Last but not least, if you have kids at the appropriate age for indulging in crafts, you might even consider making your own pumkin soap. You will find a lovely little recipe clicking here. Or just wash yourself with the handmade Soaps by Sarah in Pumpkin Cornbread. A Jack-o-lantern experience is guaranteed!
Pic of retro postcard from allposters.com. Pic of L'artisan candle from sybarites.org
After a hopefully in depth exploration of richer and heavier jasmine fragrances, it's time to concentrate on some that are airier and more transparent, fit for those days when fragrancing oneself should seem like a breeze and not a serious seduction mission. They also lend themselves well to hot climates and soaring temperatures, if you happen to live in those conditions take note. Very often hedione or cis-jasmone (which has an almost anise or liquorice smell by itself) is used to render the illusion of smelling a live jasmine vine.
In this exploration Blush by Marc Jacobs is the first to come in mind, like a gauze of light salmon/peach , reflecting the skin like tones of the opalescent bottle and evoking a similar mood. The reality of the flower is synthesized in a lab, but the result is akin to smelling the vine from a distance on a warm evening with a citrusy top note like that from a nearby citrus tree. It has a dewiness (frankly much better than that in Jacob's eponymous scent centered on gardenia) and a translucence that usually lends itself to an instant likeability by lots of people and it can be worn on many occassions effortlessly. Of course the development is not the mercurial beast one would hope for, rather it progresses linearly, as we say in perfume-speak; meaning it does not change much on its stay on the skin ending on the predictable white musks of most commercial perfumery offerings. In the Intense version the flower elements have been amplified and the sillage/trail left behind is more intense, however I find that some of the loveliness of the original is lost, like watercolours of a painting of a flower bouquet that is copied in pastels; somehow the airiness is forever gone.
Another fresh soliflore jasmine is Annick Goutal Le Jasmin. The Goutal line of scents has a rich lineage in fragrances that smell fresh, true, crystalline and transparent in the best possible sense. They project a youthful approach even when they are more mature smelling and they are based on good ingredients that are steeped in the natural cornucopia of aromas. In that vein, the brand under the proficient baguette of Isabelle Doyen has produced a range of limited edition soliflores, based on the most precious and loveliest blossoms imaginable: Des Lys (lilies), La Violette, Le Cheuvrefeuille (honeysuckle), Le Jasmin, Le Muguet(lily of the valley) and the latest - this year's Néroli. They all merit their own space and we will return to them on subsequent series, however Le Jasmin is highlighted today because of its green tonality and sheer prettiness that makes for a very worthy acquisition in the pantheon of soliflore jasmines. The addition of waxy magnolia petals is an inspired choice along with a slightly spicy note that official info tells us it's ginger. I do not have an affinity for strong ginger notes in perfumes, so this is rather subdued to my nose, because I do like the effect quite a bit. The main drawback is that it being an eau de toilette and a light fragrance by nature, it somehow falls a little flat pretty soon and the lasting power is not the greatest. Since it is so lovable however I could imagine it being refreshed all day long with no problems.
Another crowd pleaser seems to be Pink Jasmine by Fresh. Well, Fresh their brand name is and "fresh" aromas is what they usually produce. To be totally honest I haven't been too impressed with their line in the past, apart from the very likable apothecary bottles with the cute "handwritten" style labels and the long necks with the matte silver sprayer. From their lineup I had liked the watery ambiance of Cucumber Baie (an unlikely combination that nevertheless managed to smell nice), Violet Moss with its earthy dusty smell and their Patchouli Pure which was cuddly and deep. Their Sugar versions (Sugar, Lemon Sugar, Sugar Blossom, Lychee Sugar) were too sweet and lamentably artificial to my nose; so my exploration of the line pretty much ended with last year's rather unique Memoirs of a Geisha which was nice but not enough attention-grabbing for me. Pink Jasmine is quite new and it takes a soft approach that is not too sweet managing to inject a clean and shower fresh element with peony and magnolia bowls of petals; despite the initial impression upon first spray ~which might fool you into a false sense of an intense citrusy sharp floral. It lasts well with an aqueous impression similar to En Passant, but perhaps it is a little pricey for what you ultimately get.
For Sylvia Chantecaille, there are two roads she could go by and she chose the less travelled by...or perhaps not. Actually she chose both in a way. The heavier, more tropical one with her Frangipane and the lighter, airier with Le Jasmin by Chantecaille. Since today we're concentrating on the more crystal-like florals centered on jasmine, it seems a propos to discuss the latter's merits and shortcomings. To its advantage it has a refreshing lightness and greenery freshness aplenty which can never be blamed for producing a headache; the inclusion of other floral notes, notably a little bit of tuberose are subdued enough to not project over the jasmine solo. However there is a touch of lily-like artificiality (which regrettably seems inherent in the lighter end of the jasmine spectrum, due to the very nature of the production methods) and the lasting power as it exits on a slight oakmoss and amber note is not tremendously satisfying either, which is a pity for the price.
In the noble stable of Bulgari only thoroughbreds are kept, so it made an impression on me that one of the versions of their venerable Bulgari pour femme, namely Voile de Jasmin fell short of my expectations that had been raised by their other version Rose Essentielle ; which has been excellent. Alas, Voile de Jasmin does not make any ripples in the pond of jasmine scents and it doesn't particularly smell of jasmine petals either. It just makes the initial composition of Pour Femme a little more soapy clean and lighter which is not really what I call progress. Stick to their Rose essentielle version if you really want your Bulgari fragrance floral.
Miller Harris came out with Jasmine Vert for her private exclusive line in her London boutique and I have to say that her translucent compositions usually use good ingredients that smell true. This is no exception and although there has to be some chemical tampering with the notes, the result is not at all artificial. The freshness is real, tangible and quite alluring like in her Fleur du Matin fragrance which marries honeysuckle to champagne-like citrusy notes for a refreshing day fragrance similar to the feeling of Cristalle. In the fragrance at hand, Jasmin Vert , if we are to continue the Chanel parable, it is greener in the vein of Chanel no.19 or Gardenia (constructed around jasmine despite the name), albeit very short on the complexity and depth, especially compared to those of the former. However for a warm summer day when you want to let your hair down and just revel in the brightness of it all it is appropriately fitting.
L'artisan Parfumeur is famous for the limpid, light, diaphanous composition of their scents and alongside their heavier, intense La Haie Fleuri they have also produced the lovelingly ethereal Thé pour un été (=tea for summer). As its name suggests it's based on jasmine tea more than jasmine petals themselves the way florals are and along with lemony overtones it forms a decaffeinated sipping brew that can be likened to Bulgari's Eau Parfumée or a fresh Eau Sauvage that can also be worn by both sexes. Light, fleeting and not so ephemeral any more -as the brand decided to include it in their mainstay line after a stint as a limited summer edition following its success at the counter- it is meant to be used with abandon, chilled in the fridge for the hot days of summer ahead. Indulge!
OTHER HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Due to lack of space or inability to categorise them in a specific pigeon-hole the following scents are simply mentioned as noteworthy along a jasminophile's expedition in the pursuit of jasmine-rich fragrances. Those include the clear cut Jasmal by Creed, the simultaneously fresh and animalic paradox Night blooming Jasmine by Floris, the misnomer that is Chanel Gardenia, the happiness of youth that is represented in the tuberosy La chasse aux papillons(=chassing butterflies) by L'artisan (in the Eau de toilette concentration), the worthy limited edition of Givenchy Millesime Harvest Jasmine of India 2005 and the new exclusive by Armani éclat de Jasmin. Perhaps a subsequent visit to all of those is in order, of which you will be notified in due course. For the time being our jasmine pilgrimage ends here. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
Artwork: Top "Girl" by greek painter Nicolaos Gyzis courtesy of Wikipedia and bottom "Reflecting" by Steve Hanks courtesy of allposters.com
After examining the properties and usage of jasmine in perfumery it was about time to concentrate on specific perfumes that feature it in its multiple capacities. To this end, it was decided that a triplet of divisions would be opted for: rich essences with depth and oomph, mellow compositions that stand on the golden medium between extremes and fresh nuances that are welcome even on the hottest of days and would never overwhelm. Today we are focusing on the first category.
On the same rich and abundant jasmine kick, L'artisan Parfumeur makes the surprise and offers us a heady bouquet in La Haie Fleuri de Hameau. It is big, opulent, operatic and orgasmic even, full of the concentrated essence of jasmine, much like A la nuit is. Created as a haunting interpretation of Marie Antoinette's garden of white flowers at Versailles by Jean La Porte, founder of L'artisan house and subsequently creator of the Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier line, it is reminiscent of A la nuit's opulence minus the heavy indolic rot. However La haie fleuri is encompassing other floral notes as well, such as pronounced hyacinth in the drydown as well as lily of the valley and honeysuckle at the opening with a smidgeon of tuberose (subdued) that account for a multi-floral impression that like an impressionistic painting stuns you with its brutal exploitation of the light and its effects on objects. The different nuances with a little green and a little soap interjected peek through at intervals and make their presence known all the while under the baguette of the efficient maestro that jasmine undoubtedly is. Very potent and surprisingly extremely lasting (and I am saying this for those who complain on L'artisan's offerings' lasting power), it is to be used with restraint. Although created some time ago, it still is available at the Boutique L'artisan and at select places where the brand is available in the big 100ml bottle only. Check here for prices and availability.
Jardin Blanc by Maitre Parfumer et Gantier was the next logical step in our itinerary through rich hedonistic jasmines, and not only for reasons of symmetry after La Haie Fleuri. The inclusion of tuberose shifts this one in the fecal, animalic direction when the opening slaps you across the face with its audacity and insolence, with what smells to my nose as sweet heady honeysuckle and with a nod to Fracas with its rubbery heart. The official notes are, according to Aedes: Top: Mandarin, myrtle, leafy green; Middle: Ylang-ylang, clove, jasmine; Base: Sandalwood, tolu, vetiver. It doesn't come off as green or leafy, although there is the weird "freshness" that white florals sometimes possess at the initial stage, as if you have cut the stems from the vine just now, yet it is deeply earthy, sweet and potent, drying down softer, soapier and more muted which accounts for higher wearability than initially expected.
The Different Company under the direction of Jean Claude Ellena's daughter, Celine Ellena, came out with Jasmin de Nuit, an offering that could not leave Perfume Shrine and its love of all things jasmine uninterested. The official notes include bergamot, black currant, egyptian jasmine, star anise, cinnamon, cardamom, sandalwood, musk and amber. According to the house, it has unusually high concentrations of Egyptian jasmine absolute, which is a variety that supposedly has a fruitier undertone than others more commonly used. My personal impression is that it is more spicy than intensly floral on the whole and as such it cannot but be a very intriguing addition to the sampling package of any discerning perfume afficionado in the search for jasmine perfumes. In fact many spice lovers would find the cardamom opening delectable (which is a favourite spice for the Ellena family, if I go by Jean Claude's magnificent pilgrimage to it in Declaration by Cartier). It then mellows and leaves the jasmine notes to marry with ambery undertones that linger seductively and warmly on the skin for a long time, much more than other creations of The Different Company if you're familiar with the line.
In our perusal of rich jasmine fragrances, Creed with its Jasmine Emperatrice Eugenie, a fragrance created for a real historical figure, is next on our list. Based on an original formula of the 19th century for the wife of Napoleon III, it is a triumph for the house of Creed. With its rich, suave sandalwood base and its effluvium of jasmine it is at once feminine and emancipated enough to command attention. The lightly vanillic base accounts for augmenting the warmth and cuddliness of the scent. Its character lies somewhere between Bois des Iles by Chanel, Samsara by Guerlain and Organza by Givenchy, accounting for a woody floral that is elegant yet potent at the same time.
Samsara by Guerlain is another stonking beat of jasmine with the rich support of sandalwood, amplified to the max. If your olfactory nerve does not numb with the potent smell I don't know what will produce such an effect. Still, it is a modern classic that merits testing. For a lovely detailed review of it, you can browse Ayala's review here
And for the grand finale, Jasmin Full by Montale is a lethal Venus flytrap that is certainly going to entangle you into a deathly grip. Very strong, yet not indolic or animalic the way A la nuit is, it lasts extremely well and lets its other floral notes like orange blossom peek a boo for the merest whiff. It has been commented to smell a little like ammonia, which could be attributed to the nature of jasmine molecular structure and emition as discussed before, still I do not perceive it as unpleasant, which is something I cannot say for some of the oudhs on the Montale line which compete for foulest sniff on my personal fragrance path. A must try for serious jasmine fans.
Next post will focus on mellow, balanced jasmine renditions.
Artwork Flaming June by Frederick Leighton courtesy of artcom.
Orange blossom is one of the most usual floral notes used in perfumery and its glorious slightly fruity, sweet and pervasing yet fresh scent has been brandishing its charms in traditional colognes and eaux de toilette for centuries. Although an unmistakably floral in tone aroma it does hint of the fruit to come in a very elegant way that aromachemicals cannot mimic satisfactorily.
The word "orange" comes from Sanskrit "narang" or Tamil "naraththai". Another theory pertains that it is tied to a Dravidian root meaning "fragrant". Oranges originated in southeast Asia in fact which is not unrelated to etymology (in India, Vietnam or southern China). The fruit of Citrus sinensis is called sweet orange to distinguish it from Citrus aurantium, the bitter orange. Some languages have different words for the bitter and the sweet orange, and one of them is indeed Modern Greek which differentiates bettween bitter (nerantzi) and sweet (portokali which derives from Portuguese). The reason for these differences is that the sweet orange was brought from China to Europe during the 14th century for the first time by the Portuguese. For the same reason, some languages refer to it by "Applesin" meaning "Apple from China". It is common to come across mentions of "arancia" or "arancio" ~deriving from latin~ on perfume bottles in italian as well as "zagara", "naranja" in spanish while in hebrew the name is "Zohar", also reflected in the portugeuse language.
Bitter orange is trully the pig of perfumery as it gives us so many aromatics for perfumes: the essential oil of the blossom, the heady and viscous absolute from the flowers that is rendered through a solvent extraction, cool neroli from a different method of manipulation of the flowers (distillation) that gives an aroma that is tangier, slightly more bitter and thus a little more atsringent and fresher, bitter orange oil from the rind of the fruit with its sweet-bitter scent, and the more masculine in tone, greener petit-grain from the distillation of twigs and leaves.
Orange blossom absolute is a miracle to behold both in terms of cost and its elusiveness. Some can even smell rank if not of the proper quality and only the real, quality thing can be the heady touch that turns heads and makes you weak in the knees as if catching a whiff of it passing a sunny orange grove in April. The includion of orange blossom is de riguer in many oriental mixes, although its role is not limited to those: it features as a protagomist in many eau de colognes along with its sidekick neroli as well as in chypres and elegant florals. Termed a white floral for its small white, slightly waxy petals, it is one of the loveliest blossoms to adorn a homemade bouquet and it has long been the state flower of Florida. The blossom is also emblematic of Riverside in California, famous for its Navel or Washington variety of oranges. It is traditionally associated with good fortune and for that reason it was popular in bridal bouquets and head wreaths for weddings for some time. Even now in Greece and the Mediterranean it is customary for wedding taking place in villages or by the sea to adorn the head of the bride with simple small blossoms, which is very becoming especially on the naturally darker hair of those women. Folk songs have been composed drawing parallels between the bushy, fragrant head of a bitter orange tree with the head of a lovely lady. The petals of orange blossom can also be made into a delicately citrus-scented version of rosewater, called "anthonero" (flower water). Orange blossom water is a common part of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine and it features in both sauces and in pastries. One such is the famous kourambiedes, an Easter and Christmas cookie that is made with rich butter and crushed almonds, rolled into dust sugar and gloriously eaten with coffee after meals. You can see a recipe for them here. Orange blossom honey is a variation of honey that is not unusual in those areas of the world either: it is produced by putting beehives in the citrus groves during bloom, useful for agriulture as well as it pollinates seeded citrus varieties. Orange Blossom honey is highly prized for its peculiar, delicate like orange taste that differentiates it from aromatic honeys from thyme blossoms or pines. Orange blossom even gives its touristic nickname to the Costa del Azahar ("Orange-blossom coast") in Valencia, a place that provides lots of orange fruit throughout Europe.
Starting our exploration of orange blossom, we focus on the more realistic interpretations of this heady and fresh note as attested by the following fragrances: Fleur d'oranger by L'artisan Perfumer, Jo Malone Orange blossom Côté Bastide Fleurs d'oranger and I profumi di Firenze Zagara. All of them explore the fresher, tarter aspect of the note, in various degrees and nuances.
The golden standard is indeed Fleur d'oranger by L'artisan parfumeur, based on a single harvest of Nabel in Tunisia, in 2004 and basing its exclusive and unfortunately very ephemeral success on the quality of that exceptional crops that yielded its sweet and light aromas into the embrace of a master perfumer such as Anne Flipo (who was responsible for Verte Violette and La Chasse aux papillons in the L'artisan stable of thoroughbreds). It launched in 2005 for a very limited number of bottles for a very costly price, encased in a wooden box like a vintage of precious wine. And it is indeed precious in its single-minded loveliness that wraps you in cool cotton sheets of luminosity and joy. Its crystalline appearence shimmers in the light like a precious Baccarat ornament and it enslaves you upon testing as the truest soliflore on orange blossom created. Although light in tone it has good tenacity which adds to its charms. It is a pity that when the distribution ends there will be no more...
Jo Malone's Orange Blossom is a sweeter rendition which lacks the crystalline aspect of L'artisan, however it is quite close to the actual blossom and is very realistic, denoting a high percentage of natural essences used. The opening is a but fruiter and has a hint of the zest but it soon develops into the white floral that is so beloved by people of the South. The marriage of clementine leaves (a comparable species) and water lilies gives a limpidity and airiness that transports this into sunny climates and white clothing paired with silver jewels worn on a casual walk. It is unaffected, elegant and very popular in Greece, proving to be the bestseller of Jo Malone's line during the warmer months according to my sources in the company.
Zagara by I Profumi di Firenze is a citrusy gregarious thing based on the tart and cool elegance of bergamot that segues into notes of the white flower restraining the sweetness and injecting happiness and joy. It is deliriously happy and cheerful and it can be relied upon to lift spirits and rejuvenate on hot days.
Côté Bastide's Fleurs d'oranger rendition is also exceptionally true and light with a hint of citrus and green tonalities that lend a slight bitter edge that is again reminsicent of the living tree and the surrounding air. It is its greatest strength and its stamp of approval. Eminently wearable in summer and highly recommended for stuffy offices and homes.
Next post will tackle a different interpretation of the orange blossom note.
Painting "Man in Hat" by greek painter Nicolaos Lytras courtesy of allposters.com.
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