Omonde Jayne Vanille Aube fragrance review

 

Vanilla Aube by Ormonde Jayne is lovely: All the colors of the sun melding into each other, producing something soft and caressing like a feathery cloud. An atypical vanilla, non-sweet, non-foodie, though gourmand in structure, it emphasizes the woody, lightly spicy (cardamom, pepper) and musky-soft elements to project as a fluffy cashmere shawl on naked shoulders. 

borrowed via

Vanilla Aube is the smoothest, most caressing non-sweet vanilla I have worn lately. With a progression from initially lightly spiced, tinkered woody-musky fluff into a suede-like softness that embraces you like a cloud when standing atop a hill, this is an atypical vanilla that is very refined and sophisticated, following in the footsteps of excellence that the Ormonde Jayne brand has paved. 

 The thing is that Vanilla Aube is the smoothest, most caressing non-sweet vanilla I have worn lately. With a progression from initially lightly spiced, tinkered woody-musky fluff into a suede-like softness that embraces you like a cloud when standing atop a hill, this is an atypical vanilla that is very refined and sophisticated, following in the footsteps of excellence that the Ormonde Jayne brand has paved. Upon wearing it, spraying on skin, on fabric and studying its tenacity (wow, soft but there for days) it reminds me of the seminal work of Bvlgari Black by Annick Menardo (now discontinued) as well as Cuir Béluga by Guerlain. Those fragrances extrapolated coming trends with the finesse of their creators; steps clothed in silk slippers, walking under an atrium at dawn someplace warm. The success of Babycat by YSL was pre-emptied by the sleeping success of those two scents. Sleeping as in commercial terms, but not artistic. And yet Vanilla Aube goes even beyond, making it totally in sync with today's sensibilities, without resorting to the yawp of contemporary amberwood-centric fragrances, especially those directed at men. It remains resolutely unisex with a plush suede feeling of autumnal caress, the cool factor of a luxurious jacket in buttery softness, the sensuality of a wrap on bare shoulders.

 Ormonde Jayne released their new vanilla fragrance into its Four Corners Reimagined Collection on September 8, 2026 . This fragrance was previously launched in September 2025 and has since been renamed Vanille Aube. The formula and notes are unchanged, however, from the previous Vanille Mistral and it is still the same gourmand-spicy vanilla fragrance created by perfumer Elodie Bernard with collaboration by Ormonde Jayne founder, Linda Pilkington.

Santa Maria Novella Alba di Seoul- fragrance review

 

Smoky is a loaded concept, because so often it falls into one of either styles: the incense-y smoke that recalls woody and resinous scents of piety and zen like Avignon, or the dense feel of the campfire like Lonestar Memories or the fragrances by Beaufort. These both lend themselves to autumn, of course, but we aim to provide a middle-ground between seasons, for which Alba di Seoul feels exceptionally well-matched. 

via

 There is something undeniably familiar to me in Alba di Seoul and I managed to track it in the vintage version of Tsar by Van Cleef & Arpels, a wonderful fragrance in the old-school-mold of masculines, with a mossy background. I remember the days I adored it on my beloved and recall the days I borrowed it in the desire to extend those memories. In Alba di Seoul the citrusy, botanical and mossy elements manage to project light, bright and unfazed by the warmth, still lending a soupçon of darkness for the days to come, just like in Tsar, though they do not smell identical by any stretch of the imagination (if only...). It is the melding of light spice (nutmeg) with the tightly woven elements of wood, leathery tones, green violet leaves with their acrid, sharp and jolting feel, and plush patchouli with just a warm tinge of musk which bring on the ambience which I love. Despite the word Alba meaning dawn in Italian, the feel in Alba in Seoul is that of a cloudy afternoon when the sun is there but hidden behind the trees and you savour the warmth on the skin but also feel a light chill to come. 

It's a complex feeling of tactile sensations which I personally enjoy very much any time of the year, but especially in the first days of autumn when I'm feeling particularly energized. Criminally unsung, delightfully unique if you like things no one else has discovered...yet.

Etat Libre d' Orange Soul of My Soul-fragrance review

 Soul of My Soul by Etat Libre d' Orange was originally a Selfridges exclusive coming out in 2020, but I smelled it a couple of years later, after the quarantine of the pandemic, which limited my traveling severely.

It was a sampling in passing; it seemed nice enough, but in that lackluster quality that "nice things" often display. Damned with faint praise, in short. The fact that it was in "the expensive line" by Etat Libre d' Orange made me crinkle my nose (and my mind too!). Why is it that companies need to introduce a more expensive collection within their existing perfume brand? As if to alienate their older customers through snubbing, and to attract a new kind of customer that is not very knowledgeable about fragrance—the kind of customer who thinks "it's expensive, it must be very good indeed." For anyone seasoned in perfume collecting and appraising, this is surely reason to turn up one's nose and leave empty-handed. And this is exactly what I did. Though in hindsight, it wasn't too expensive. In the span of a mere six years, we have seen exorbitant prices asked.

A few years passed by. This past summer, in a perfume swap with a lovely lady, she sent me a decant of Soul of My Soul, and the fragrance ended up in my lap again. Lap, almost literally, as I tend to sample fragrances not only on wrists but lower on the body, observing how they rise and flow in the air, noting down their development and sillage. It was nice but not perfect. But quite nice indeed. There was an oddly familiar tonality about it. For a couple of days, I struggled to recall what it reminded me of. Hell, that's a difficult situation for any perfume lover, when you almost have it at the tip of one's tongue, but the actual name of the scent eludes you. If you have sampled, worn, and owned too many fragrances, this is a plight you must have found yourself in more than once.

"Soul Of My Soul draws inspiration from the refined butter and milk offered in honor of the gods of Mesopotamia, the god of fire in Persia, and the gods of India. The scent is described as a creamy explosion in which the scent of musk mixes with iris butter and conveys a strong vanilla balm, followed by a combination of tonka and benzoin for a sweet but strong trail."

What can you expect from that? A lactonic fragrance, right? A warm scent, fit for wintertime.

Wrong. 

And then one day it dawned on me: Soul of My Soul had something in common with the discontinued Ginepro di Sardegna. It opened differently, with a bit of lightly smoky, masculine, woody elements, but yes, it dried down after a few minutes into the well-known dry, powdery freshness I had loved in the Acqua di Parma scent.

I scavenged my old blue bottle to compare, with remnants only remaining at the bottom. Yes, I was right. Though it's not actually as powdery as a vat of talc. Most people do tend to wax on about Mediterranean forests, which is odd, because juniper is not exactly the kind of tree one finds in Mediterranean landscapes in abundance; one would sooner find maritime pines, olive trees, fig trees, cypresses, and a vast array of bushes with dry, dusty-smelling branches that read scorched and botanical under the sun. The power of naming and imagery is eternal, I suppose.

Karmacoma by Anomalia Paris- Bittersweet Suede Embracing Vanilla Pods

 Karmacoma by Anomalia Paris: A divorce from everything you used to call “normal” — from habits, permission, and the version of you that learned to behave seems like the perfect motto for entering autumn and the new academic year with flair. Karmacoma is inspired by the aesthetic of a blank canvas, where we boldly script our dazzling and magnificent future. This is also the autumn I'm researching vanilla, it seems, and although I tried this during the warmer months, as the weather cools down, it translates as the perfect cozy fragrance to warm my way into the rainy season. 

The delightful element is its leathery top note, composed by Sidonie Lancesseur as a bittersweet element to enhance the saffron note. A Greek saffron note, no less, among the top quality ingredients in the world, small production extracted by hand. The powdery effect of vanilla and musk is further enhanced by a peppery, spicy garland that ebbs and flows. Its effect on the wearer is what the French call "troublant," which means "intriguing" in the best possible sense. Who could have thought a vanilla would be so nuanced?

Springtime Incense: Santa Maria Novella Incenso (short fragrance review)

photo borrowed via pinterest

Incense scents are a beloved genre that reads well in springtime for me. Santa Maria Novella's Incenso is one such. In Incenso, we have a great fusion of personal introspection and pleasurable outward accountability; the composition reads as both zen for a spiritual mood, but not too ecclesiastical or sombre. Beginning with a dense myrrh and rosy-spice mélange that is not very distant from the chord in Messe de Minuit, it is already ripe and airy, with juniper and patchouli, as well as woody, serene, and earthy, evoking soil and plants growing in a cloistered monastery. It feels buoyant and airy, like a pigeon's feather traveling on the wind, blowing in some secret garden, hiding beneath the walls of the Florentine city.

The scent in Santa Maria Novella's Incenso begins with a dense myrrh and rosy-spice mélange which is not very distant from the chord in Messe de Minuit. It is already ripe and airy with juniper and patchouli as well as woody, serene and earthy, evoking soil and plants growing in a cloistered monastery. Both facets are evocative of the traditional uses of incense and protective amulets for the body, the way that perfume worked as a prophylactic tool before the sanitation of Western cities. It then dries down to pure frankincense, yet still spicy, with a hint of cloves and cinnamon alongside the officially noted nagarmotha (cyperus) and cool, earthy vetiver. This furthers the attractive, deep quality of the blend, instead of the chillingly cold facet, reminiscent of the crypt, as presented in the astounding La Liturgie des Heures.

To me it seems that the fragrance has not benefited from much positivity in the perfume sphere because it is a strange, unusual beast; a pleasant incense which is not indicative of haute tastes. But there is no reason to snub one's nose on something that marries centuries-old traditions with contemporaneity. One can enjoy things our milieu enjoys as well. I will take my book and gallivant the caliginous gardens of the Medicis next time I travel, wearing Santa Maria Novella's Incenso. Sounds like a plan.

Incenso by Italian niche brand Santa Maria Novella from Florence was launched in 2024. Top notes are Cardamom and Pink Pepper; middle notes are Frankincense and Cypriol; base note is Vetiver.

Estee Lauder Cinnabar: fragrance review & notes on inspiration

 

Cinnabar by Estée Lauder needs no introduction, really. It's well known at least by name to most perfume collectors. Its magical name accounts for much of its mystique, but the scent, bold, spicy, dense, plush is also cause for its reputation. 

photo borrowed via pinterest

 This is a perfume inspired by the natural pigment made from high-purity cinnabar mineral (HgS, Mercuric Sulfide) originating from China, which is characterized by its intense red hue. Cinnabar was mentioned by Theophrastus in the 4th century BC, and known in Greece as early as the 6th century BC as a natural red pigment. It was widely used in Greco-Roman and later painting, as well as in frescoes, portable icons, and Renaissance manuscripts. But the orientalized use is what stuck to the collective unconscious, and hence the name and references were perfect for an Far East fantasy of fragrant spices and all the rich tales of the Silk Road.

photo borrowed via pinterest

  Cinnabar was Lauder's stake at the end of the 1970s into the spicy oriental race which also gave us the legendary Opium. Developed however without direct influence from the YSL fragrances, although the packaging does indicate references to YSL's idea of the inro with the tassel, but rather from the progenitor of it all, Youth Dew by Lauder again.

With its intense cloves and spicy lily heart, Cinnabar therefore harkens back to Youth Dew and its mellis accord, but lightens the balsamic base notes by focusing on the incense-y tonality and the patchouli which nicely sidekicks the spices. The recent repackaging into the Classics collection, in the oblong bottles, is supreme, retaining the essence of the original and projecting like an amulet of spicy delight. A legend unto its own.

Annick Goutal Nuit et Confidences: fragrance review

Nuit et Confidences is the most typically sensual, sweet, and stereotypically "evening" of the series originally named Oiseaux de Nuit and later renamed Les Parfums de Géraldine, after the moniker Annick Goutal took in her 1970s modelling years. Nevertheless it is not the darkest one -that is rightfully Tenue de Soirée which I reviewed here.

via pinterest

Drunk (as in intoxicating, for lovers) vanilla forms the heart of the fragrance, soaked in rum and with a slightly almondy marzipan texture at the edges of this fragrance's spectrum. It is set with white jasmine, more innocent than carnal. I'd call Goutal's Nuit et Confidences a cross between rich, multifaceted vanillas like Spiritueuse Double Vanille (Guerlain) and the darkness of Eau Duelle (Diptyque). It is intended for occasions when a lack of imagination is required. This trait almost promises a best seller, and yet it was not meant to be. However, it is like a topaz in gold-bronze tones, suggesting the diamond qualities of a diamond in cognac tones: even if it does not approach the mentioned examples in strength of character, it exerts its own attraction. 

 Like the moniker "nightwear" in the series, the fragrances do not betray the quality of Goutal perfumes, even if the perfumer-stamp of the first and middle releases, which established the "small brand for exquisite perfume lovers," has since changed from Isabelle Doyen to Mathieu Nardin of Robertet.

 

 Les Parfums de Géraldine, of which Nuit et Confidences is part, are available in 30ml (1 fl.oz), 50ml (1.7 fl.oz.), and 100 ml (3.3 fl.oz.) bottles of Eau de Parfum concentration at select stockists

Annick Goutal Etoile d' une nuit: fragrance review

 Étoile d'Une Nuit is the delicate "boudoir fragrance" that the viewer of period TV series fantasizes about - fragile, nostalgic, sometimes stuffy. However, Goutal does not plan to join the banality and convenience of ready-made "cosmetic powder" perfume bases, which are precisely the ones that risk anesthetizing the noses of the unfortunate males who will come into contact with them. Instead, the brand looks back to her older lacy fragrance La Violette, creating the most delicate of the "night birds" quartet. Here, she retransmits that ethereal atmosphere of La Violette together with the frambinone molecule to "cut" the excessive old-fashionedness. Light musk, of superior aesthetics, subtle, clear, not at all like harsh detergent, fills the composition, imparting cleanliness and a clear powdery and light skin scent sensation. It is closely related to Kenzo Flower and its powdery-violet aura.

pic via pinterest

Goutal perfumes possess that je ne sais quoi that we admire about femininity in older paintings, movies, poems, literature... and this is no exception. It is subtle, but discernible, and in an era when the gender borders have expanded, it is rather retro, but not in an obsolete way. It is pearlescent and ethereal. It has its own charm. And charm has always been at the very heart of the Annick Goutal brand. Dainty, delicate, beautiful, and with the innocent love of a budding young woman opening her wings to the world. 

 Like the moniker "nightwear" in the series, the fragrance does not betray the quality of Goutal perfumes, even if the perfumer-stamp of the first and middle releases, which established the "small brand for exquisite perfume lovers," has since changed from Isabelle Doyen to Mathieu Nardin of Robertet. Les Parfums de Géraldine Etoile d' une Nuit is available in 30ml (1 fl.oz), 50ml (1.7 fl.oz.), and 100 ml (3.3 fl.oz.) bottles of Eau de Parfum concentration at select stockists. More info on the official Goutal Paris website.

Annick Goutal Tenue de Soiree: fragrance review

 Goutal Paris has been through a few changes in the last few years, which we have been following with the rapt attention of someone journaling a favorite artist's track. From changing hands to redirecting their aesthetics, the Goutal brand has surprised fans with its rebranding, but also disappointed some of the acolytes of its distinct style. A quartet of their fragrances, of which Tenue de Soirée is the object of this review, deserves more attention, as it didn't get the interest it merits when they first launched. 

via pinterest

The series under Amore Pacific was initially called Oiseaux de Nuit (Night Birds), a name with inescapable and erotically-charged Anais Nin overtones, and was later renamed Les Parfums de Géraldine, following the heritage of the deceased founder of the house, Annick Goutal, who made a career under that name in the 1970s. 

 Tenue de Soirée is the most suggestive, flirtatious, and subversive of this series. The hint of blackcurrant liqueur wraps the chocolate patchouli of the composition in the pleasure of night romance, revealing it in a silky garment (with leather straps) full of promises. The sensuality is close to that of Bottega Veneta's eponymous and sadly discontinued fragrance, with hints of eroticism rather than overt displays of flesh. Notes of powder, vanilla, and the freshness of bergamot (which unexpectedly emerges AFTER the scent of edibles has subsided, like dewdrops of the first dawn) make Tenue de Soirée fragile, sensitive, truly lacy. It is feminine without clichés. The sweetness and bitterness are distributed in equal amounts in Tenue de Soirée and do not betray the quality expected of Goutal perfumes.

The perfumer is Mathieu Nardin and the concentration is Eau de Parfum, available in 30, 50, 100 ml sizes.

CLEAN Soft Laundry: fragrance review

 

Perhaps philosophically speaking, clean sheets and laundry scents bring on a sense of control, and maybe this is what lured me into CLEAN Soft Laundry. We yearn for control in so many areas of our lives that it seems tidying up the house and doing laundry is an occasion where that control can be exerted without much resistance. Visiting a spa is another association: fresh warm towels, fluffy and soft, and comforting. Elation. 

 The problem, however, with many of those fragrances in the "clean" genre is that they might project as sharp, piercing, too detergent-like. They are, after all, directly inspired by the scent of laundry detergents, and aim to replicate that moment of happiness—the moment one opens the washing machine and is overwhelmed by the sheer cleanliness of the freshly washed load. And the iconography of them all is associated with blue skies, starched white (that almost blinding white that never hints at cream), and poised ladies who enjoy their own existence rather too much. 

It might all get back to White Linen by perfumer Sophia Grojsman, though that aldehydic composition highlighted soapy notes in a somewhat different retro way. Aldehydic scents, those built on the sequence of so-called fatty aldehydes (C10, C11, and C12) as demonstrated in Chanel No. 5 Eau de Toilette and a group of other classics, from Chanel N°22 and White Linen (Estée Lauder) to Calèche by Hermès, are usually mentioned when the topic is "soapy." 

There is also something about the dryness and clarity of muguet notes (lily of the valley) that enhances the feeling of clean starchiness in a contemporary formula. Pure cuddly soapiness and freshly showered skin also lure in innocent by-standers into making one appearing more sympathetic. They project friendly vibes and bring tokens of peace. Perfect for when out on the prowl wanting to appear totally innocent like a baby, but also magnificently presentable. CLEAN Soft Laundry interestingly is not like the usual sharp detergent-like olfactory profile, though it's certainly a specimen of that genre. It is rather close to Pure Grace by Philosophy, the brand that made ripples in the pond (no pun intended) in the mid-2000s with their light, airy, soft, and unintrusive fragrances before the advent of the gourmands. Perfumer Steven Claise is officially mentioned as the nose behind CLEAN Soft Laundry, and his portfolio shows a penchant for making this sort of scent: Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 and Charlie White Musk (1997) are both credited to him. 

The composition benefits from aqueous notes, which had been long associated with marine fragrances from the 1990s, and yet there is a different ambience here. Urban and yet radiant, bright and yet soft, like an Eric Satie composition. The scent is lightly floral and airy, like that of the ingredients Numpheal and Florazone. It translates as dewdrops on a freshly washed line of linens in the wind and is ever so slightly sweetish and calm. It's the familiarity that beckons. The fruity note du jour of pear adds a juicy component but never veers into fruity territory. It almost feels like fruit from a terrestrial tree where sparkles of soap and light garland the produce, and where the scented air feels ripe with oncoming rain and electrical forces. And yet... softness. Calm. And zen-serenity. In many ways, CLEAN Soft Laundry is true to its name, and this is precious indeed, especially in the turmoil of international events we're witnessing right now.

Guerlain Vetiver Parfum: short fragrance review

 

Vetiver Parfum by the historical house of Guerlain is another success by perfumer Delphine Jelk, after Habit Rouge Parfum. She managed to bring something new in a classic by the venerable French house.

 Their older classic version of Guerlain Vetiver has been the reliable fall-back-upon fragrance in summer of many generations of men and discerning women. Women? Yes, besides this humble writer hereby, we can cite the supermodel Elle McPherson as someone who has graced her glorious form with Vetiver by Guerlain as her signature scent for many, many summers. 

 The newest Vetiver Parfum version came in 2024 to spice up the proceedings (literally, it smells spicy up top, piquant and quick-witted) and to amplify the smoky facets that were lurking in Chanel Sycomore's previous attempt to do a similar thing (I am referring the Eau de Toilette edition in Les Exclusifs collection). Now that the Eau de Parfum version of the latter seems so oddly diluted in comparison and so inexplicably expensive, the Guerlain edition will fill in the gap. I'm grateful.

Lancome Poeme: fragrance review & musings

 

Even after thirty years since the launch of Lancome's Poême ads in glossy magazines, those images with poetic lines and the expressive face of actress Juliette Binoche (well known from The Lovers on the Bridge, Three Colors: Blue, The English Patient and the adaptation of Wuthering Heights), as shot by Richard Avedon, are etched into memory and continue to produce sighs of elation from perfume lovers around the world.

 According to the official launch, "Poême is a scent of contrasts: the icy transparent notes of Blue Himalayan Poppy embrace the intoxicating Desert Datura Flower and warm Vanilla, creating something vibrant, sensual, and long-lasting." At the time, no one had any solid information to doubt perfume blurbs coming from sales assistants. Nowadays the information is so vast and nuanced that it might even kill information. No one would be so trusting now. Instead of blue, the deep crocus-hued yellow of the carton box tells the story. The fragrance smells yellow, sweet, dense — it is mellifluous. The reality is that Poême is a scent choke-full of orange blossoms, honeyed and rich and plush. 

Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud took a well-known ingredient and skyrocketed its effects with the touch of a true illusionist. Mimosa is also a component that contributes to its plush yet non-carnal effects. 

   "Parfois les mots ne disent pas tout…" — "Sometimes words don't say it all..." 

 Sunny like a warm afternoon spent in the glow of a happy encounter with a loved one. Lyrical like a musical piece floating in the air from a nearby impromptu street orchestra. Delicious the way floral fragrances can be, Lancome's Poême is dense without veering into the saccharine territory of modern fragrances. It's honeyed, dripping with sweetness, yet not the edible kind, rather the nectar hidden under the pollen and the stamen, ripe for harvesting by thick bumblebees, the kind we don't readily see anymore. 

Poême is wildly optimistic and makes me deliriously happy when I can taste it in small quantities, preferably when someone else is wearing it. The inclusion of lactone/ketone notes in a fruity-floral context adds a hint of peach smell to the scent pyramid, while velvety vanilla softens the explosive floral heart and lingers for hours or days on clothes. The hour of the golden encounter is perched in -seeming- eternity. A hint of narcissus and of miniscule spice adds to the fascination.

Guerlain Habit Rouge Parfum: short fragrance review

 

Making a successful flanker — or rather, a more concentrated form of Guerlain's classic for men — is a Herculean feat. Still Delphine Jelk made it possible in Habit Rouge Parfum. I might be excused for including it here in the summer, since it launched in late 2024, but it arrived on our shores after New Year's day, so it had to be mentioned sometime afterwards. 

Despite it being in the orientalized direction of boozy alcohol (rum, in this instance) and with a touch of patchouli that might have seemed incongruent in the proceedings of this silky soft robe de chambre of a fragrance, it is not at all heavy. Habit Rouge Parfum might therefore suit a summer's night spent fine dining al fresco under the stars. Dreamy. 

For comparison's sake, please refer to my detailed fragrance review of the original classic Habit Rouge by Guerlain on this link and consult for historical details. 

 More reading on PerfumeShrine: 

Habit Rouge Sport fragrance review 

Habit Rouge advertising 

Habit Rouge L' Eau launch 

Habit Rouge Armoiries edition

Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Gardenia: fragrance review

 

The now discontinued Yves Rocher Pur Desir de Gardenia (i.e. pure desire for gardenia) is perhaps the most lamented true gardenia discontinuation in perfumery, barring the one by Estee Lauder (Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia). 

                               via pinterest 

Tom Ford's Velvet Gardenia comes up a close second or third maybe, representing the browned ripe gardenia that is just starting to deteriorate beyond salvation. It has been discontinued and brought back in the Reserve Collection. "Lushest, wettest, freshest, creamiest jungle gardenia. White petals and thick green leaves. That's it and it's all there. This is the most realistic gardenia fragrance." Thus writes about Pur Desir de Gardenia a reader and I can totally back this up. 

  Pur Desir de Gardenia is the essence of gardenia, built on jasmolactones and with a touch of styrallyl acetate maybe for the green part, in a sort of old-school-technique that perfumers used to do so well and then abandoned. The creamy and the lush elements are freshened up with the intensity of the green in Pur Desir de Gardenia, giving me the illusion of a budding gardenia, one which unfurls its petals in continuous orgasmic fervour. A marvel and at the same time a romantic elegy. The folly of not stocking up when one could... 

It's a puzzle why Yves Rocher stopped making this, as their Pur Desir line of soliflores was excellent to begin with, and this one was the jewel of the crown. The perfect embodiment of a single flower, that of the gardenia, is this vintage fragrance which those who recall it love with the unbridled passion reserved for true gems.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Aegea: fragrance review

 

Estée Lauder just launched a new limited edition flanker to its popular 2008 fragrance Bronze Goddess named Bronze Goddess Aegea. The name suggests inspiration from the feeling of an island escape on an island in the Aegean Sea. Following last year's Bronze Goddess Flora Verde, the new version differs from the tropical suntan lotion of coconut and ylang that most summer flankers of that sort of genre have to offer.

The allusion of the Aegean with its rich history and specific references is hard to do justice in a perfume, nevertheless. And yet Bronze Goddess Aegea is not amiss. It has a dry feeling of dried hay that perfectly recalls one feeling that is prevalent in Greece: the dust from the ground, the soil, which sits on everything till the gust of wild winds of the Aegean redistributes it anew.

Lauder has again invested in the tourist interest for Greek island-hopping, launching Aegean Blossom for the Aerin brand. The images were breathtaking, the minimalist luxury of a veranda over the sea and pottery with big, fragrant flowers flanking the easy living of summer. A dreamlike sequence.

The coconut is discreet in Bronze Goddess Aegea, more of an idea of suntan oil than of actual suntan formula, or tropical fruity, and the so-called bougainvillea note manages to give that dusty feeling to the proceedings. It's as if one lays down on a stack of dry hay to rest when the sun rises to its apex and tourists are advised to lay low, wear their hats, and take little to no action apart from taking a swim. It's a silent hour, the hour of siesta, of the moment when the upcoming transport is almost liquified at the end of the horizon. Then rises the fig — inviting, green, and very delectable — a very characteristic note of Greek summer, beloved in perfumery ever since Premier Figuier (L' Artisan Parfumeur) and Philosykos (Diptyque), whose Hellenic-inspired background makes my heart warm. It's a lovely fig note, delicate, smooth and mouth-watering, which elevates Bronze Goddess Aegea beyond the usual summer concoction. 

The clean musk at the base makes it last and become skin-scent-like after several hours, melting with the green-milky-soft ambiance. It makes this limited edition a must-add to any Lauder collector, but more importantly, a must-have for anyone dreaming of catching a whiff of the glorious Greek summer while cooped up in an office somewhere urban and stifled. Enjoy wisely as Bronze Goddess Aegea is a limited edition! 

NOTES for Bronze Goddess Aegea
Top: Italian bergamot, ylang-ylang, violet leaf
Heart: fig nectar, pink bougainvillea, jasmine sambac absolute
Base: sandalwood, coconut milk, musk

More PerfumeShrine articles to read: Beauty and the Beach, beachy scents for summer

Annick Goutal Paris Folie d'un Soir: fragrance review & photography

 

If Halfeti (Penhaligon's) and Encens Mythique (Guerlain) were to have a hypothetical child, it would inherit facets apparent in Folie d'un Soir by Goutal Paris. It is the bittersweet myrrh, the hidden but omnipresent rose oil with its most oriental notes, and a patchouli aftertaste like that of Coromandel by Chanel. 

photo by Elena Vosnaki

 In short, a fragrance that pleases, attracts, and easily creates shivers. A cool or even cold evening brings out the tender fluffy boa that accompanies Folie d'un Soir like a cat's tail wrapped around you ready for caresses. 

photo by Elena Vosnaki

 

There is something very feminine and ladylike about Annick Goutal perfumes, however, in the classic French tradition, the lady in question can also forget about her prim manners in the bedroom. 

 Folie d'un Soir is now part of the collection Les Parfums de Geraldine (formely Les Oiseaux de Nuit)

Histoires de Parfums 1826: fragrance review

 Spicy stuff is usually reserved for wintertime because it so often appears in heavier compositions such as spicy oriental fragrances, a genre many of us love but that people around us find a bit retro and therefore not always pleasant. Rejoice then for a spicy citrus and oriental musk blend from a very worthwhile niche company that has retained its integrity and pedigree in an era of easy cash grab. 1826 by Histoires de Parfums is inspired by Eugénie de Montijo, the last French empress who was born in Granada, the jewel of Andalusia. 

photo Deborah Turbeville - Models in Valentino, VOGUE Italia borrowed via Pinterest

A sparkling beauty, her seductive nature and temperamental elegance delighted Napoleon the Third. It was for her that Guerlain made to measure his famous Eau de Cologne Imperiale Guerlain. It was those famous historical people, like her, as well as characters from novels, that inspired the first collection by venerable French niche brand Histoires de Parfums, the brainchild of Gerarl Ghislain. 

 Powdery violet is allied to spicy cinnamon and piquant ginger notes in the heart of 1826, but not before this is first refreshed with a rush of hesperidia—happy and aromatic, almost aggressive citrus notes that tumble out of the bottle in song. A honeyed ambience like a ripe orchard is present, they're never sour or sharp. Then the synergy with the prolonged musky drydown makes it appear woody, orientalised, dry, yet restrained. There is the elegance of sipping earl grey tea while reading an old book with violets dried inside its pages by the window overlooking a beautiful citrus grove...

Beautifully balanced, 1826  by Histoires de Parfums always welcome in any season, but especially when the weather warms up. 

Launch date: 2001

The older bottles have a retro label with a crest and a chiseled bronze-gold cap. The newer bottles are sparse with a rectangle shaped bottle that is visually cut in half, thus making the cap seem off, and they fit into their boxes like in a cardboard drawer, as if meant to display unto the shelves of a library. Very cute idea! 

The perfumer behind 1826 by Histoires de Parfums is Sylvie Jourdet. 

Top notes are Tangerine and Bergamot;
middle notes are Violet, White Flowers, Cinnamon and Ginger;
base notes are Patchouli, Amber, Woody Notes, Incense, Musk and Vanilla.

Ex Nihilo Iris Porcelana: fragrance review

 

In January 2022, Ex Nihilo introduced a new women's fragrance, Iris Porcelana. The inspiration for its creation was fine porcelain that came to Europe from the East, as well as a perfume material called Pallida iris. The perfumer is Dalia Izem (of Givaudan), a young perfumer from Dubai. The fragrance joined the main collection of the brand named Initiale, which already includes bestsellers such as Fleur Narcotique and Lust in Paradise and is therefore a useful gauge of how brands perceive materials and concepts. 

photo borrowed from Pinterest

The iris one is very popular, having become almost synonymous with a delicate feminity that is so sought after by many, many women nowadays. Alongside violet, it's often at the core of "powdery fragrances." Notes like milk, vanilla, iris, ambrette seeds, cashmere woods, musk, "cotton," and soap also define a genre of fragrances that create a sense of comfort and serenity, very sought after during and since the pandemic. Truth is, iris "notes" are routinely produced through less expensive methods. But this is neither here nor there; their magic happens not because of the cost itself, but of the perceived value.It's all a game of smoke-and-mirrors! But it works. It definitely works. 

 In Iris Porcelana by Ex Nihilo, the iris is rendered lightly metallic, with an eau de vie touch, and then fanned on something totally unexpected: Hazelnuts! The star ingredient appears thanks to a potent aromachemical in several creations in recent years. Being safe for even food use (GRAS), it is exploited with gay abandon in perfumery, exactly because it is not going to be on the chopping block of potential allergens in the near future. 

 From the intense praline in Angel Muse by Mugler to Amouage Guidance (a fragrance which I reviewed here and which takes Filbertone to the next level by overdosing), this trend shows no signs of abating: Devotion Intense, Patchouli Noisette, Valentino Uomo, English Oak & Hazelnut (Jo Malone), Aimez moi comme je suis (Caron), Joop! Homme Eau de Parfum, several boutique fragrances in the Trussardi line, Vetiver Gris, and even La Vie est Belle L'eau de parfum Intense. The precursor in the combination of Iris Porcelana is probably Praliné de Santal by innovative niche creator Pierre Guillaume. He coupled the sandalwood milkiness with the hazelnut savory facets and created an atypical fragrance that fascinates. And of course the pioneer was Mechant Loup by L'artisan Parfumeur as far back (in relative terms of contemporary perfumery) in 1997!

Balmain Carbone 2024: fragrance review

 

Les Éternels de Balmain perfume collection, which the new Carbone is part of, is the house’s first offering since officially launching Balmain Beauty in September. Several classics by Balmain are re-introduced, such as Vent Vert (a modernisation of the couturier's first legendary green fragrance from the 1940s and the favourite fragrance of the then young Brigitte Bardot), Ivoire (1979), Ébène (1983), and Carbone (2010), albeit all with a changed formula, equating to a different scent. 

 The latest edition of Carbone (2024), part of the Musk family, is described as Balmain's new creative director Olivier Rousteing's "baby," and when such pronouncements are made you know there is something that has definitely changed in an older fragrance being re-issued. The new Carbone from 2024 is therefore described as "the heady mix of tobacco, suede, cumin and rose and is already beloved by Beyoncé, Dove Cameron and Olivier's mother." Dove Cameron has been video-scoped sporting the 1945 Balmain clutch bag containing the Carbone fragrance to let this seep in. 

 Carbone 2024 by Balmain is a fragrance that drives the quest for identity. "Housed in a lacquered signature black bottle, it reflects all facets of individuality with an assertive duality of maximalist musk and minimalist rose. The fragrance features white musk, rose neoabsolute [sic], suede, patchouli, sandalwood, and cumin, creating a complex scent where pure and carnal elements unite," states the brand. It's not easy to come up with a novel rose these days, when roses have been typified into two main camps. On the one hand the rose-patchouli-oud mélange of the Arabian tradition meant for westerners who want some bang for their buck and the promise of 1001 Nights enfolding in their evening life, as begat by the commercial and critical success of Portrait of a Lady. To me the new Balmain feels like an effort to bridge both categories above; it's soft, but also retains a more shady tonality. It's not entirely masculine, but it's not froufrou feminine either. Although one might consider it dangerous because of the cumin mentioned in the pyramid, it is not dirty, really, it just has a sensuous quality to its rosiness; it's not the screechy kind. It is not ground-breaking either. 

Balmain's Carbone 2024 is intended to appeal to a very wide demographic, case in point being promoted via celebrities that people want to emulate. And this is maybe its major flaw: When trying to please everyone, one doesn't excite anyone enough.

Balmain Carbone 2024 Fragrance Notes: White Musk, rose, suede, sandalwood, cumin, patchouli

Le Jardin Retrouvé Jasmin Majorelle: fragrance review

Is it him? you ask yourself, looking at the graceful figure that seems to float on the pool, beyond the fountains, in the blue of the renovated building. Your imagination, helped by the heat of the sun at its zenith, thinks it perceives the man who once created here his inspired worlds. But only a rare scent of jasmine, ylang-ylang, lemon of Italy, coriander and iris answers you and proceeds to disturb your senses. Jasmin Majorelle. Pure joy illuminates you. 

The name comes from Jardin Majorelle, restored by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé at Marrakech, in Morocco. 

photo of Jardin Majorelle in Morocco borrowed from Pinterest

 The formula was originally created by Yuri Gutsatz, the founder of the brand decades ago and one of the founders of the Osmotheque, who worked for Roure-Dupont-Givaudan and the first to formulate the principles of a middle ground between luxury perfumes and mass perfumery back in the 1960s. 

 As one of my colleagues wrote, "Jasmin Majorelle the fragrance was created in 1981 and introduced in 2018 in a limited edition after being chosen by hundreds of fragrance connoiseurs — it garnered 23% of the votes. However, further sales have shown that this perfect jasmine fragrance has proven to be a real bestseller!" 

A dense jasmine-ylang cloud, lively, fresh and sweet, embellished with citrus accents, transparent greenery, light spices and a subtle mothball hint of indole. A romantic perfume to offer as a love token, or to love yourself. Just like the founders of the original garden did.