First Impressions – Lavender Fields Forever – Hermetica & Hiram Green

I've been craving lavender scents recently. The soothing and relaxing nature of the aroma works so well at any time of year, helping to relieve the stress of everyday life. Some of my favourite perfumes which feature the note include the lavender "standard" Caron Pour Un Homme, and for a more modern rendering of the … Continue reading First Impressions – Lavender Fields Forever – Hermetica & Hiram Green →

First Impressions – ånd fragrances

I jumped at the chance to purchase a discovery set from ånd fragrances when they arrived in Australia at a local perfumery. I've long been a fan of their founder Simon Constantine's work. For those unfamiliar with the name, he was the in-house perfumer for many years at his father's brand, Gorilla Perfumes/Lush. I'm an … Continue reading First Impressions – ånd fragrances →

First Impressions – MFK – 724

Maison Francis Kurkdjian - 724 - The award for most unimaginative and uninspiring release for 2022 goes to Francis Kurkdjian for his 724 from his eponymous line. The other day I was walking through a local perfume boutique and stumbled across 724. I was somewhat taken aback as I'd just seen the online promotional material advertising … Continue reading First Impressions – MFK – 724 →

First Impressions – More Maison Crivelli – Hibiscus & Patchouli.

I was ready to write off the French house based on my samplings of their earlier scents. You'll find my first impressions of some of their line in a separate post a couple of months back. Most were pretty ordinary, especially the iris. I was still writing them off after I tried their hibiscus scent, … Continue reading First Impressions – More Maison Crivelli – Hibiscus & Patchouli. →

First Impressions – Masque Milano – White Whale

Masque Milano - White Whale - As promised, below are my first impressions of the last scent from Masque Milano's "Opera" collection, White Whale. The story behind the creation of the fragrance is interesting in itself. Using the Herman Melville classic Moby Dick as his inspiration, Brazilian perfumer Christian Alori attempted to interpret the epic quest … Continue reading First Impressions – Masque Milano – White Whale →

First Impressions – Masque Milano – Sleight of Fern

I've got a lot of time for the Italian brand, Masque Milano. Their scents are always well thought out and executed. I like most of their perfumes, some more than others. My favourite is the animalic tobacco of Montecristo. Montecristo forms one scent of sixteen from the brand's "Opera" series. Up until recently, the collection … Continue reading First Impressions – Masque Milano – Sleight of Fern →

First Impressions – Maison Crivelli

It's fair to say that the French house Maison Crivelli has generated a lot of attention and enthusiasm on social media. Virtually always positive. That's usually a red flag for me. So to see what all the fuss was about, I purchased a discovery set some time back, tried most of their line, and must … Continue reading First Impressions – Maison Crivelli →

First Impressions – Eris Parfums

Eris Parfums. Image from erisparfums.com. Barbara Herman has many strings to her bow, a blogger, author of the book Scent and Subversion, lover of vintage perfume, and now founder of the brand Eris Parfums. The house was established in 2016 with an initial release of three fragrances. Since then, four other perfumes have followed. Antoine … Continue reading First Impressions – Eris Parfums →

First Impressions – Fleeting Freshness – Tauer Perfumes & Heeley Paris

Tauer Perfumes - Cologne du Maghreb - This isn't a new release. Instead, it's a 2021 reissue of a 2011 perfume. However, I'd never tried it before. The citrus/herbal opening combination of clementine, lemon, lavender, and petitgrain is refreshing and fizzy. The overriding impression is of a cooling glass of lemonade on a warm sunny day. … Continue reading First Impressions – Fleeting Freshness – Tauer Perfumes & Heeley Paris →

First Impressions – Spicy Scents – Penhaligon’s, Miller et Bertaux

Penhaligon's - Babylon & Constantinople - I've been quite vocal in my disdain for a couple of scents in this "Trade Routes" line. In particular, Halfeti Leather, the variation on Halfeti that none of us needed. Well, me especially. However, two recent additions to the line that have surprised me are Babylon & Constantinople. Below … Continue reading First Impressions – Spicy Scents – Penhaligon’s, Miller et Bertaux →