I found an ideal replacement for this beloved 2015 release. Flankers are the name of the game in today's perfume world. Too often, though, they're not up to snuff, falling way short of the quality of the original fragrance. However, bucking the trend (as they often do), Guerlain delivers the goods with two new flankers … Continue reading First Impressions – Guerlain – Habit Rouge – Rouge Privé & L’Homme Idéal – Platine Privé
First Impressions – Maison Christian Dior, Tobacolor & Eden-Roc
Ambre Nuit is the only bottle I own from the line. I'm in no particular rush to keep up with the new releases from Dior. Quite frankly, the brand has slipped markedly in my designer pecking order. And I've not been impressed by a new perfume from the brand in quite some years. That includes … Continue reading First Impressions – Maison Christian Dior, Tobacolor & Eden-Roc
Gardenia Flowers and Perfumes
Last week I posted about a creamy white floral perfume comprising tuberose and jasmine notes. I can think of many favourite scents featuring/starring both of those white florals. But it's another heady white floral that I struggle with mightily. I've never found one gardenia-dominant perfume I would wish for. Perhaps, subconsciously in a narrow-minded way, … Continue reading Gardenia Flowers and Perfumes
First Impressions – Liquides Imaginaires, Blanche Bête
Carrying on from yesterday's gourmand theme, I recently sampled Blanche Bête, another scent with edible notes from the French niche house Liquides Imaginaires. Cacao, milk, and vanilla form part of the note pyramid. Interestingly, the brand does not mention coconut, but I pick up something distinctly toasty and coconut-like, undoubtedly due to the white floral … Continue reading First Impressions – Liquides Imaginaires, Blanche Bête
First Impressions – Imaginary Authors – A Whiff of Waffle Cone
Hey, there's no ice cream in those waffle cones. First Impressions - Imaginary Authors - A Whiff of Waffle Cone - As a child, one of my favourite summer weekend rituals was to line up with many of the other kids from the neighbourhood for the ice cream truck. The distinctive jingle of Greensleeves in the … Continue reading First Impressions – Imaginary Authors – A Whiff of Waffle Cone
First Impressions – L’Artisan Parfumeur – À Fleur de Pêche
Peach photo from Unsplash.com First Impressions - L'Artisan Parfumeur - À Fleur de Pêche - L'Artisan Parfumeur is a house that has seemingly disappeared off the radar. Not helping matters has been their recent sketchy output. And here in Australia, they're particularly challenging to track down—possibly the result of commercial distribution deals. Still, as one of the original … Continue reading First Impressions – L’Artisan Parfumeur – À Fleur de Pêche
Rest In Peace, Olivier Pescheux
Olivier Pescheux, givaudan.com I was saddened this morning to read that Givaudan master perfumer Olivier Pescheux passed away after a long illness aged 57. In tribute, I will wear Diptyque's 34 Boulevard Saint Germain Diptyque. For mine, some of his best work was for Diptyque. And this spicy, woody perfume, with its kaleidoscope of notes, … Continue reading Rest In Peace, Olivier Pescheux
First Impressions – BORNTOSTANDOUT Part 2
Six of the twelve scents I tested from BTSO feature rose. In this lot, Indecent Cherry and Mud contain the note. It's not prominent in either perfume, but at least it gives me an excuse to post a picture of my rose again. So now, for part 2 of my overview of the new Korean … Continue reading First Impressions – BORNTOSTANDOUT Part 2
First Impressions – BORNTOSTANDOUT Part 1
Rose features in no fewer than 4 of these first 6 perfumes from the Korean brand BORNTOSTANDOUT. I always set about smelling new perfumes/brands with an open mind. But, the suggestive in-your-face style provocative marketing from the new Korean brand BORNTOSTANDOUT (yes, their name is in all CAPS) rubbed me a bit the wrong way. … Continue reading First Impressions – BORNTOSTANDOUT Part 1
First Impressions – Diptyque -L’Eau Papier
L'Eau Papier, the scent of white, just like my blossoming snowflake tree. First Impressions - Diptyque - L'Eau Papier - I've been out of the loop and offline recently, as I've been on jury duty for the past weeks. And sure enough, just my luck, this time, my name was drawn from the barrel, and … Continue reading First Impressions – Diptyque -L’Eau Papier