Reviews by Nostalgie

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    Nostalgie
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    Showing 1 to 30 of 63.
    rating

    Womanity by Thierry Mugler

    I finally marched over to [My Favorite Department Store] and gave this a try, right on my skin. After one hour Womanity was still going strong.

    I first sampled test strips for several "new" fruity florals. This may account for my burst of laughter after the initial Womanity spritz. It was the laughter of mingled surprise and delight. I thought: Finally, something different. And then: But do I want to smell like this?

    Like the pink and metal-chained bottle, the fragrance plays with contrasts. The top layer? Figgy and buttery. It's a butter note I associate with certain white florals. It's a fig that goes melony rather than sugary or candied, but is nonetheless quite sweet.

    Caviar is supposed to be the edgy note. I would never have guessed it, having smelled quite a bit of caviar in my day. What I detect at the base is that bitter, dirty, dried-blood metallic note or accord (minus the fecal) from Sécrétions magnifiques . In comparison to that playful niche outlaw, Womanity is quite tame. But line her up with the rest of the bottles at the department store, and she's a force to be reckoned with.

    The sweet, fruity fig notes dissipate after an hour or so, but the base notes have preternatural tenacity. I clocked over 20 hours. Close to the skin, Womanity wears chilly, slightly dirty (the dried blood note), quite metallic, not pleasant.

    Not a vibe I'm going for, but well worth trying. In a "Would You Rather...?", I would select Womanity over something more generically sweet and pretty.

    2nd October, 2011.

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    Bois de Paradis by Delrae

    This line up of reviews is the best evidence of the elusive "skin chemistry" phenomenon I've seen in a long time.

    Thanks to a generous sample pack from BayKat, I've been puzzling over this one all day.

    While I get a blast of something brisk (minty? herbal?) on the first spritz, I never detect citrus. Within seconds, a jammy, fruity, spicy rose takes over, against a nice woody base, and I would swear: sandalwood. For hours, the sweet, spicy, fruity rose blend makes me think of something...it's on the tip of my scent memory...one of the fruitier Histories de Parfums? I can't place it. The pineappley 1804? No, not that sweet. The rosy 1876? Getting there.

    What distinguishes Bois de Paradis on my skin is sweet, ambery, sandalwood-infused base which, along with the fruity notes (I'm thinking plumb, but also the mix called "fruits rouges" in confitures) has too much sugar for my taste. BayKat identifies blueberries, and though I eat them nearly every morning all year round, I cannot for the life of me recognize how they smell.

    Love the opening, love the deep dry down, but I'd prefer to skip the second act, where the sandalwood (if that's indeed what it is) lends a slightly head-shoppy tone that doesn't quite work with the rest of the blend.

    All in all, a lovely scent but not quite me. For fruity amber I prefer Alahine, and for spicy rose, I reach for the smokier 1876.

    My final rating is "Birthday-Worthy." If I received Bois de Paradis as a gift I'd appreciate it and I'd even wear it; and I imagine I'd be pleased to sit next to someone else who was wearing it.

    Oct 10, 2010

    4th August, 2011.

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    Jean-Louis Scherrer by Jean-Louis Scherrer

    A green, long-lasting, seductive, original, complex. harmonious scent. I prefer Scherrer to better known chypre classics. I discovered it in the mid-80's because a very fashionable student from Romania wore it every day. It was a gift from her boyfriend in Paris. At that time you couldn't find it anywhere in the States, so I had to wait months until I was in France to buy it. It may have been more popular in Europe, but in the States it was--and still is--a unique scent. Gorgeous. Green. Glamorous. Bold. And it goes on and on. I apply it lightly, wear it with caution, and generally turn to it only in moments of olfactory nostalgia.

    2nd July, 2011.

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    Balsamo della Mecca/ Mecca Balsam by La Via del Profumo

    I think of Balsamo della Mecca as a “body and soul” fragrance. It awakens the senses, then calms the mind. The first spritz is bracing—a mixture of labdanum and something else. All body, no soul. But wait. There's more.

    Next, I notice a good deal of benzoin or tonka or both which lasts through the drydown. The dosage is just right: a hint—only a hint—of lulling sweetness.I also picked up on a gentle but tenacious cinnamon note. Just enough to add brightness, not candy.

    The big surprise for me was the dry down. I used the computer a lot the first time I sampled Mecca, and throughout the day I would notice a lovely, ambery sillage wafting from the keyboard. Aunique, gentle, slightly floral, woody amber.

    For overall mood, Mecca reminds me very much of Tauer's L'Air du desert maroccain. I do not mean that they are note-for-note siblings. But both l'Air and Mecca satisfy the same perfume craving for me, or complement the same mood: not traditionally feminine, nor traditionally masculine; gently dry; somehow consoling and nurturing without being big, warm or blanketing; a nod to a 60s or 70s alternative aesthetic without smelling like a head shop.

    When juxtaposed, arm to arm, with Hindu Kush (my current Profumo favorite), the distinctive character of each one shines: Mecca's subtle damask rose note blooms against the fresh-cut wood note of Hindu Kush. The overall effect of Mecca is fuzzier, richer, larger, more sumptuous. In different ways, they share a quality I can’t quite describe: I think of them as “animated.”

    23rd August, 2010. (Last Edited: 31st August, 2010.)

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    Kenneth Cole New York Women by Kenneth Cole

    Despite the black current and orange notes, I would call this a delicate, spicy, woody floral scent. It has the sweetness of all its white flowers, but no sugar. The first spray is quite strong and heady, so go lightly, but it softens over time and lasts forever. I especially like the way fruits are blended to add spice instead of syrup.If you do not like jasmine, don't go near it. But if you do, give it a try. A very pretty, blossomy, somewhat fragile, even melancholy scent that seems to be, and always to have been, under the radar.

    27th July, 2010.

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    Eau de Paradis by Biotherm

    Never say never.
    Fruity and fruity floral fragrances don' work for me.
    Freesia, red fruits and berries are on the the top of my short list of no-no notes.
    As a result, I did not seek this one out. But when I restocked my supply of Biotherm skin products, I selected Eau de Paradis as my free sample.

    I am surprisingly drawn to this fresh, juicy, slightly (just slightly) sweet fragrance.--the way I'm drawn to crispy, dry French rosés in the summer. Maybe it is the weather (95 degrees F and humid ); I've been splashing from my sample bottle each morning and my FB is in the mail.

    Not at all heavy, the EDT wears more like a body spray.

    If you like refreshing , fruity blends (and even if you don't) give it a try. The sample bottle is generous, and the FB price is right.

    22nd June, 2010.

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    Iris Noir Secrets d'Essences by Yves Rocher

    Sweet and fruity with very little iris that I can detect.
    A nice alternative to more expensive versions of this ubiquitous genre: purple fruit with a soft, powdery, sweet tonka and soft patchouli base.
    There is nothing wrong with this scent exactly--but nothing exciting about it either.

    21st April, 2010.

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    Parfum d'Été by Kenzo

    The original is gently fresh, green, and floral--and as generic as that sounds--it smelled unique and elegant due to a somewhat masculine, understated bottom note that I cannot identify. Perhaps tobacco? A treasure, whatever it is, despite that clunky frosted glass leaf bottle.

    The new formulation, in the sleek, horizontal leaf flacon, smells like cheap, synthetic air freshener.

    Wish they would switch bottles and keep the good stuff on the market.

    My thumbs up is for the original formulation, which can still be found with a bit of detective work.

    Big thumbs down for the new one.

    2nd April, 2010.

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    Tabu by Dana

    The first spritz: toxic.
    Drydown: reminds of Bal à Versailles.
    But while BAV makes me feel like an insouciant naughty girl lolling in a tangle of rumpled sheets, Tabu transforms me into a preoccupied, sleep-deprived woman, dressed for work, unaware of the lipstick on her teeth.

    Sometimes I get a kick out of the kitschy name, other times it just annoys me the way made-tp-sound-fancy nonsense car names annoy me.

    13rd March, 2010.

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    Opal by Sonoma Scent Studio

    A charming skin scent, soft and comforting.

    As promised, there are no plasticy musks here. Two other potentially heavy-hitters--bergamot and sandalwood--stay on best behavior from first spritz to drydown. For the first ten minutes the vanilla stands out, but never in a high-pitched, gourmand way.

    Smooth, silky , balanced, lovely, long-lasting. And what makes Opal the Holy Grail of soft, slightly feminine musks is that it never goes powdery.

    An example of how harmony and restraint can enhance the beauty of a fragrance.

    10th March, 2010. (Last Edited: 25th July, 2011.)

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    Winter Woods by Sonoma Scent Studio

    Like many others here, I am impressed with everything about Sonoma Scent Studio, from the quality and selection of fragrances to the thoughtful customer service.

    Working my way through my sample box, I find myself today cocooned in Winter Woods.

    The gorgeous opening is alive with woodsy spice. I do not detect oakmoss, but there is plenty of vetiver, guaiac and cedar in the greeting. Sandalwood becomes more prominent after the first 20 minutes and gives the ambery drydown a nostalgic, 70's vibe. What makes the drydown special is castoreum--a gentle dose, that never pushes Winter Woods into the dirty-amber realm of Bal à Versailles, but that made me reach for a BAV bottle just to be sure.

    Another winner from Sonoma Scent Studio.

    10th March, 2010.

    rating

    Enjoy by Jean Patou

    To me, Enjoy is just another fruity floral, with an opening like a bunch of flowers soaking in fruit punch. Eventually it calms down, and the patchouli more or less saves it from becoming an umbrella drink.

    Note to self: stop trying fruity florals; they're just not that into you.

    It is difficult to avoid the white elephant in the room, "Joy." The names say it all: an expansive, breathtaking,state of being --vs. the perky imperative offered with the delivery of cocktail: "Enjoy!"

    9th March, 2010.

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    Rose Poivrée by Different Company

    I think of this as Lyric Woman's evil twin. A skimpy, almost imperceptible layer of rose, sandwiched between heavy civet and heavier coriander. Absolutely unwearable on me.

    Amouage, take me away!

    EDIT:
    Holy Reformulation!
    I'm trying a new sample: no civet, very little spice,cool, a bit citrusy fresh...? It smells like the perfume Vibert describes. This wasn't the one I tried earlier by a long shot.

    The thumbs down is for the first one. I'm still too surprised to focuson the second one.

    8th March, 2010. (Last Edited: 12nd March, 2010.)

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    Après L'ondée by Guerlain

    There is something uncanny about this breathtaking masterpiece. Uncanny (Unheimlich) in the Freudian sense: familiar but foreign; paradoxical; seductively troubling.

    What I find most disarming about Après l’Ondée, is its balance of sweetness and solemnity. The name signals a degree of separation between the fragrance and the rain. But for me the distance feels spatial rather than temporal, like watching the rain from the warmth of a sumptuous room. Subtle lemon and more prominent heliotrope keep it joyful. A gentle dose of violet and and the predominant cool, iris root add a sense of longing and nostalgia. Vetiver and benzoin balance bitter and sweet. The overall composition is rich but lilting, grounded but uplifting, distant but welcoming. Like a pastel painting displayed on a stone gray wall.

    I mourn the parfum version which is no longer produced, but I am confident its ghost haunts the exquisite EDT.

    High quality, long-lasting, and remarkably different from the Guerlains built on a vanilla base.
    25 Feb.2010

    25th February, 2010. (Last Edited: 20th September, 2011.)

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    Eau du Soir by Sisley

    I love Iris, but unfortunately I think this note is to blame for the harsh, cold, soapiness of Eau de soir. Old fashioned, pushy stand-offish, expensive. And it gives me a headache. Other than that--what's not to like?

    25th February, 2010.

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    Kingdom by Alexander McQueen

    A bright, complex spectrum of top notes briefly overlaps with, then shifts to, a strange and wonderful celery and carrot stage (mostly celery--lots of celery), which briefly overlaps with, then shifts to, an all-cumin drydown.

    I love the part when all the notes hum together at once with the cool vegetables at top volume--but the cumin stage takes over too quickly for me. People who describe Kingdom as smelling like sweat--male sweat to be exact-- might be reacting to the cumin. I've often noticed this "note" in body odor of some men. For me the cumin here is a too foody.

    Kingdom cleverly uses all components of a classic oriental notes; I even detect tonka or vanilla in the base (not listed in the notes)--and yet it resembles no classic oriental I've ever smelled.

    A strange, post-modern, animated, multi-phased fragrance which I absolutely cannot wear, but which I find absolutely brilliant.

    25th February, 2010.

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    Indu Kush / Hindu Kush by AbdesSalaam Attar Profumo

    This is the sort of fragrance that makes me think: "Ah! There you are." It revives memories of a time hen I wore patchoulis, musks, and sandalwoods, and when everyone burned incense. Yet it does not have that thick, earnest, linear, "head-shop" character.

    The beauty of Hindu Kush for me is how it manages to be rich but dry, dry but cozy, cozy but airy, airy but assertive, assertive but graceful. As a result, it warms in the winter and cools in the summer.

    The weather is very hot and humid now. A dry scent is just the ticket. Often the fragrances associated with summer (green and aquatic scents, especially) can be actually quite syrupy, and a bit clumsy. Not Hindu Kush. It defies gravity.

    19th August, 2009.

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    Iris Ganache by Guerlain

    Iris is one of my favorite perfume materials, although I find it is often interpreted too literally. Just when I thought here was not much left to do with it Guerlain came up with this brilliant blend.

    A good ganache provides chocolate a rich texture without adding sweetness: slowly blend a warm, heavy cream mix to dark chocolate, and deepen the flavor with cognac. Can you smell it?

    Iris Ganache delivers the scent promised by its name: cool, dry iris root tempered by a lush but not cloying gourmand blend that will make you drunk with olfactory pleasure.

    Playful, yet sophisticated. Unique. My only complaint is the eventual dry down to Guerlain vanilla. Enough already. But this did not prevent me from buying a full bottle. No regrets.

    10th July, 2009. (Last Edited: 20th September, 2011.)

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    Vapor by Neil Morris Fragrances

    A strange, wearable scent, with lots of development phases.

    I was wondering how heliotrope and tonka could contribute to anything that smelled like "vapor"--but they do.

    The opening is a bit prickly --sharp aldeydes create an almost citrusy feel--but hold on, once it clams down, "Vapor" is like a blast of fresh air blowing into a room where pastries (the southern French specialty "Frangipane" comes to mind) languish in a basket on the table.

    A somewhat plasticy musk rises up in the dry down, and the "vapor" note becomes more industrial than earthy--but not in a bad way. Kind of like a layer of clean warehouse air over bread crust. A bit like Bois Farine minus the honey and warmth: Bois Farine left the farm for a job in the city.

    Becomes a close-to-the-skin scent within an hour. I'd love to know how the sillage smells on someone else. Perhaps because I only used a bit from a sample vial. I don't think I'm radiating "Vapor." In the deep dry down it makes my skin smell fresh and tasty, but not in a foody way.

    Not too feminine, not too masculine--but leaning more toward masculine in the dry down.

    10th July, 2009.

    rating

    City Rain by Neil Morris Fragrances

    First, the husband test: "Nice. Fresh. Water"

    Since I am in fact at the beach , and having just spend the whole morning swimming, running, and breathing sea air, I can say without hesitation that this is nice, fresh _city_ water. No suntan oil, no salt. Likewise, no wet leaves or dewy buds.

    I'm reminded of a paint color I love called "Wet Pavement:" cool and gray; damp but not dank; misty, not musty; watery, not wan. Like Caillebotte's oddly clean and pressed rendition of Paris in the rain.

    10th July, 2009.

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    Drifiting by Neil Morris Fragrances

    Drifting is sweeeeeeeeeeeet and fruity. I swear I smell Pina Colada, but coconut and pineapple are not listed as notes.

    Must be a fruity mirage.

    Starts of like Gilligan's Island: sugary, light and goofy.

    Dries down like Lost: more complicated and mysterious, but ultimately light and entertaining .

    10th July, 2009.

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    Escentric 02 by Escentric Molecules

    Strong and chilly. A pleasant, peppery, woody scent, giving the overall impression of traditional masculine (but non-citrus) colognes.

    As I catch a whiff now and then, I forget it is my own sillage and half expect to bump into a guy in a too-tight button-down shirt who likes my smile and wants to buy me drink.

    10th July, 2009.

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    Coral by Neil Morris Fragrances

    The fragrant equivalent of bright coral nail polish. An interesting fruity blend, with pomegranate and sweet fig in the foreground. I found it too fruity sweet and had to scrub it off. The tenacious remains are pleasant. A must try if you like very sweet fruity scents and want something a bit different.

    10th July, 2009.

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    Salt Air by Demeter Fragrance Library

    before going to the beach, I sprayed one arm with Salt Air, and left the other unscented. Devious, no? Or maybe just tragically or simply redundant.

    Hours later, subjected to heat, sweat, the ocean breeze and a long dip in the Atlantic, the Salt Air arm smelled just the way I *think* my skin smells after a day on the beach. My right arm, exposed to a day on the beach
    un-Demetered, seemed unscented by comparison.

    This one should win an award for tenacity. It also gets points for not having that buttery note that makes some beach scents sticky (M. Hulot's Holiday, for example). Long-lasting, too. My favorite beachy scent so far.

    10th July, 2009.

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    J'Adore by Christian Dior

    This is a fruity floral, with the peach and rose standing out most for me. If it were color it would be the peachy pink of some excellent dry French rosés. A very fresh, almost (but not quite) sophisticated non-bold floral. It starts out a bit too fruity but calms down some. A little more bright than I like my perfumes, but very nice and wearable.
    The dry down is soft and cheerful. I can't say I adore it. But it's nice. Just nice. Attractive bottle design.

    10th July, 2009.

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    Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker

    I have so often read that Lovely resembles Narciso Rodriguez for Her, that I finally compared them, one on each arm.

    On first spritz, Lovely has a synthetic , plasticy note that puts me off, while the initial NR waft has a sweeter, denser, fruitier smell.

    On the dry down, NR is lovlier than Lovely. The problem is that synthetic, hardware-store note (which I also detect in Covet by SJP). It lingers in Lovely, and even gets stronger. I was unable to identify this smell until I read the review from indigo.smile on another site: yes, that's it--New Barbie Doll!

    It is odd, because I love all of the the notes in Lovely, but can only stand them sometimes. It certainly lasts a long time, longer than Narciso Rodriguez, unfortunately.

    I don’t get the amount of musk in either one that I would have expected.

    I do see why the two scents are often compared, but Narciso Rodriguez is much smoother and less synthetic. Still, I find myself now and then, in a Lovely state of mind.

    2nd May, 2009. (Last Edited: 6th March, 2011.)

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    Jubilation 25 by Amouage

    Jubilation opens with a fizzy, almost lightly peppered rose chord, and dries down to the smoke and shimmer of perfectly balanced flowers, incense and myrrh. The overall impression is one of sweetness: not floral sweetness, not vanillic sweetness, and not even a pinch of sugar. No, it is the sweetness of seemingly weightless resins, woods, and balsams that give Jubilation its distinctive allure. Its confident, but never pushy sillage never fails to attract compliments.

    When I tried Jubilation from a carded sample, it had no staying power. However, I liked it so much that I decided to buy a small bottle. I am pleased to report that I applied it yesterday afternoon and can still smell it the next morning before my shower.

    A lovely, must-try fragrance, Jubiliation sometimes serves for me as the ideal, sophisticated, light main course. On other days, it is the delicate appetizer that sends me to Tauer's less elegant but equally delicious L'air du désert marocain or Le Maroc pour elle for the main course.

    2nd May, 2009.

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    Honey & Lemon by L'Occitane

    [Comparing the two versions of the fragrance, Miel & Citron and Miel & Citron EDT Pailletée]

    If you love the original (now called "Classic") Miel & Citron, be sure to test the new Pailletee Shimmering version before buying. The original is a smooth, creamy, caramely citrus blend, sweet but not syrupy thanks to the patchouli and vanilla base.

    The the new Miel et Citron Pailletee Shimmering is true to its name: I smell two primarily notes: citrus and honey. As a result, this fragrance is at once sharper and waxier than the original: kind of like lemons in a bowl next to bees' wax candles. As it dries down, I detect less citrus and more green floral, but that bees' wax candle note never goes away, and I find the fruitiness a little sour.

    Be sure to shake up the bottle before spraying to get the maximum shimmer, which is quite pretty. There's not so much sparkle that you'll look like disco queen, but just enough golden star dust to twinkle in the evening light.

    In my own private paradise, Occitane would add shimmer to the original and exchange the two names.

    2nd May, 2009.

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    Bois d'Arménie by Guerlain

    Nibble-me delicious benzoin creates the overall effect of a creamy, light gourmand. Too sweet and tasty to be a traditional male scent, I would call it unisex, even feminine.

    I wish the vanilla note were tuned down just a notch so that the orris, pepper and incense--all present for the first few breathtaking minutes-- would last longer. But as the SA on the Champs Elysées told me: "Vanilla? But that's Guerlain!"

    I usually avoid vanilla (and its friends and family), but after said SA generously perfumed my hair and clothing for a test drive, I had to go back the next day for a full bottle.

    2nd May, 2009. (Last Edited: 10th July, 2009.)

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    1000 Kisses Deep by B Never Too Busy To Be Beautiful

    I love orange notes in perfumes, but have had trouble finding one with just the right dose: most either smell like a basket of fresh oranges (very nice on the table but not on my clothes), or hide the orange behind stronger notes. Not so in 1000 Kisses Deep.

    1000 Kisses Deep, Eau des merveilles, and Elixir des Merveilles share a slightly bitter but very fresh, unsweetened orange note that I find scrumptious.

    In Eau des Merveilles the wood notes, especially cedar, take over on my skin. Too dry!

    In Elixir des Merveilles gooey vanilla and caramel end up candying the orange. Too sticky!

    In 1000 Kisses deep, labdanum, myrrh and osmanthus give the blend all the depth promised in the name: Juuuuuuuuust right!

    The orange is there, from beginning to end, but the wise selection of elegant complementary notes steers it in a warm, sophisticated, grown-up direction that takes 1000 Kisses Deep from daytime to evening. Modest sillage. Lasts at least 5 hours on my skin.

    The homage to a Leonard Cohen song is for me a huge plus, as are the thoughtful attention to detail in the packaging.

    Since I wear many different scents, I am disappointed that so many come in only 100 ml bottles. Again, B Never too Busy to Be Beautiful is the exception. The company seems to understand the financial, aesthetic, and practical needs of its many perfumista clients. You can choose a mini body spray for under 10 pounds, small atomizer, a small bottle, a large bottle, a pomander, or even a scented fan.

    I am smitten with 1000 kisses deep, and am quickly falling in love with B Never too Busy.

    2nd May, 2009.

    Showing 1 to 30 of 63.

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