Went on a sniffing expedition today at Nordstrom and Neiman's.
At Neiman's I came across three "bitter" juices: Serge Lutens Douce Amère (French for "bittersweet"
, L'Artisan's Fou d'Absinthe ("absinthe crazy", and The Different Company Sel de Vétiver ("vetiver salt". I arrange them here from sweetest of the bitters to bitterest of them.
Lutens, rich and creamy as always, an enveloping Eau de Parfum, with slight hints of anise and unknown smoky aromas, was elegant as always, and luxurious to boot.
L'Artisan was more upbeat, but more frankly bitter with absinthe and angelica, sweet and pungent spices; definitely drier than the Lutens, however.
And the bitterest, the quirkiest, was the Different Company Sel de Vétiver. A persistent pungent note under the vetiver (cardamom, patchouli, iris resinoid or lovage, or the combination?) make it mysterious, bitter, and seriously dry, even dark. Could even be somber.
The upshot is that I opted for the Fou d'Absinthe. I wasn't in the mood for the relative sweetness and lushness of the Lutens; I opted instead for the drier, more upbeat L'Artisan. What I really wanted was the Sel de Vétiver, but it's still only available in 100 ml, and the price point was more than I could justify right now. I hope it'll be out in 50 ml. soon, or my discretionary income will rise. We'll see which happens first.
Anyway, if you guys haven't smelled these three yet, run on out and sniff 'em! All three are pretty special, IMO.
Cheers!
At Neiman's I came across three "bitter" juices: Serge Lutens Douce Amère (French for "bittersweet"
, L'Artisan's Fou d'Absinthe ("absinthe crazy", and The Different Company Sel de Vétiver ("vetiver salt". I arrange them here from sweetest of the bitters to bitterest of them.Lutens, rich and creamy as always, an enveloping Eau de Parfum, with slight hints of anise and unknown smoky aromas, was elegant as always, and luxurious to boot.
L'Artisan was more upbeat, but more frankly bitter with absinthe and angelica, sweet and pungent spices; definitely drier than the Lutens, however.
And the bitterest, the quirkiest, was the Different Company Sel de Vétiver. A persistent pungent note under the vetiver (cardamom, patchouli, iris resinoid or lovage, or the combination?) make it mysterious, bitter, and seriously dry, even dark. Could even be somber.
The upshot is that I opted for the Fou d'Absinthe. I wasn't in the mood for the relative sweetness and lushness of the Lutens; I opted instead for the drier, more upbeat L'Artisan. What I really wanted was the Sel de Vétiver, but it's still only available in 100 ml, and the price point was more than I could justify right now. I hope it'll be out in 50 ml. soon, or my discretionary income will rise. We'll see which happens first.
Anyway, if you guys haven't smelled these three yet, run on out and sniff 'em! All three are pretty special, IMO.
Cheers!
. Â*Foetidus already has a sample of this waiting for him when he gets home. Is it in July when you are getting back Foetidus ?
