I noticed a member tonight posted that the House refferendum of MPG was lost, along with a couple of reviews I wrote. I couldn't find them on my computer, so I decided to re-write a couple of reviews for the MPG house.
I'd love for other members to post their own reviews and opinions of the MPG house. This is my all time favorite house, and I thought I'd share some opinions.
Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier is a revolutionary house, and one of the last real fragrance houses. The classic French perfume houses are tearing apart classical creations to make them both cost effective and allergy compliant. The art of Perfumery is being killed off by a lack of culture and a fear of being noticed. Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier produces classical French fragrances with artistic nuances. Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier is my favorite fragrance house.
I will keep these reviews somewhat short, because I want to be in bed before 1am.
Eau des Iles: This is one of the most imaginative fragrances in the entire MPG line. Eau des Iles is an exotic blend of heady spices, wood, and coffee. This fragrance is a dream in a bottle; I am transported to an early far away tropical island bursting at the seams with commerce. The coffee and spices play perfectly on this theme, which are blended with heady patchouli and wood to create a fragrance that is as exotic as it is balanced. Eau des Iles is perfectly suited for a humid night.
Santal Noble: This is probably the best woody fragrance ever created. While this is not a linear pure sandalwood fragrance, it is pure brilliance. Santal Noble is a beautiful blend of Sandalwood, Cedar wood, Amber, and Coffee. Santal Noble is incredibly rich, but its richness is offset by its dry nature. This is an amazingly dynamic fragrance that evolves every second its on the skin. Santal Noble is a fragrance that plays out like a battle. At first, the Amber and Cedar wood fight with the Sandalwood for dominance, but as the fragrance dries down, the sandalwood slowly wins the battle until finally, all you smell is rich creamy sandalwood with slight and distant hints amber and cedar wood. I dont know how LaPorte created such a balanced fragrance and maintained such conflict throughout the drydown. Santal Noble is perfect.
Route du Vetiver: This fragrance is a little more difficult to describe. Route du Vetiver is off putting at first. Its a very ripe and humid blend. To me, Route du Vetiver reminds me of vetiver with a dark, earthy, fragrant cloud surrounding it. This is not a sparking or dry vetiver like most. Route du Vetiver smells like wet soil, upturned vetiver, with a slight hint of berries thrown in the mix. The most off putting and unique vetiver blend out there. This is a must try for any vetiver lover.
Parfum dHabit: I once saw a member here describe this as dark green. Dark green sums up Parfum dHabit perfectly. Parfum dHabit is a very blend of vetiver, sandalwood, and leather. This fragrance has the texture and color of rough dark green wool. Its rough, earthy and dirty. The sandalwood compliments the leather perfectly. This is a very mysterious fragrance that is reminiscent of a dark, foggy forest.
Secret Mélange: Secret Mélange is one of the easier Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier fragrances to wear, but that doesnt mean its any less unique than any of the others. This is a wonderfully elegant and artistic fragrance. Imagine a burning orange grove consumed by flames. Imagine the fire is put out by a hard spring rain, and now imagine the aroma of fresh cloves permeating the air from the recent rain. Add all these odors together and you have Secret Mélange. There is really nothing like it.
Racine: This is what Guerlains Vetiver should have been. Racine is a luxurious and dry vetiver blended skillfully with sparkling andfresh citrus notes. The beauty of Racine lies with its balance of vetiver and citrus. There is no other vetiver and citrus blend that can maintain this much balance throughout the drydown. Racine is rich, dry, elegant, and perfect year round.
Garrigue: Garrigue is a slightly herbaceous, woody, and citrus blend. Personally, I find this fragrance far from ground breaking. Its a wonderful fragrance for those hot summer days. Its well balanced, but the theme has been done far too many times. I own a bottle of this and do enjoy wearing it, but I dont think I would replace my bottle.
Ambre Precieux: Ambre Precieux is not just another Ambre blend. Laporte managed to create an Ambre based fragrance that was spicy, but not spicy enough to take the center stage off the Ambre. Ambre alone can be cloying, but Ambre with too much conflict can be off putting and difficult to wear for many (Ambre Sultan), but Ambre Precieux maintains enough conflict to keep it interesting throughout the entire drydown, and is also sweet enough to be warm and comforting. This is a great Ambre fragrance, and should serve as an example for anyone looking for ambre.
Centaure: Centaure is very odd. From what I can tell, its mostly a blend of Lavender, Mint, and wood. Its a very unique fragrance that is slightly sour and green. Its very energizing, and to me, equally off putting. This is not creamy lavender, but rather a screaming lavender that is encouraged by mint and woody notes. There is nothing sweet in this fragrance.
Jardin du Nil: Jardin du Nil is one of the most beautiful floral fragrances I have ever smelled. Its mostly floral, but incredibly masculine. Jardin du Nil was made when LaPorte was at a delta in the nile; he observed the odor of geraniums in the hot sun. Jardin du Nil has a depth that most other floral fragrances dont. You can smell the subtle nuances in the geranium, all while its offset by a lush and ripe mint. Jardin du Nil smells like nothing else on the market. Multifaceted floral notes contrasted by mint create Jardin du Nil.
Iris Bleu Gris: Iris Bleu Gris is a rich, edgy, and sweet iris interpretation. Its got a very woody and slightly sweet base. This does not smell like a fragrance dominated by floral notes. Rather, Iris Bleu Gris comes off as a very woody fragrance with Iris nuances throughout. Very true to the MPG style; well balanced, and very elegant.
Fraiche Badiane: I actually just got this one. Throughout the entire life of the fragrance, Lemon plays a very large role. I must say, this is NOT what I expected. The anise never really shows itself, and it smells a lot like Aqua de Parma mixed with Kouros. Not my cup of tea, but a very elegant and understated citrus fragrance.
Soie Rouge: Soie Rouge is from the womens line. It deserves mention here, because it is unique. Soie Rouge is an audacious blend of Carnation, fruit, and pepper. This goes on smelling very floral, but soon the fruit and pepper accords come out and create one of the most unusual fragrances. It is very true to its name in that it smells very red. Soie Rouge is a very red. This could easily be worn by both genders.
Soir d'Orient: Soir dOrient is amazing. Mind blowing. It starts out with an almost off-putting strong agarwood (Oud) note. Very earthy, warm, and dark. At this point you can tell it comes from Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier; you can smell the rich and elegant style. After a few minutes with the fragrance, the strong opening note of Agarwood starts to segue into warm amber and agarwood blend. This is where Soir dOrient stands out from other amber fragrances; Soir dOrient maintains a flawless balance between the earthy and woody notes and the Amber. Ambre Precieux, for example, could be described as cloying, simply because there is nothing that really tames and tempers the Amber. The agarwood and other woody notes in Soir dOrient give it a very mysterious and exotic feel, while the warm amber gives Soir dOrient amazing amounts of richness and a very sensual and seductive nature. This has the richness of Ambre Precieux, the earthiness of Route du Vetiver, and an amazing agarwood accord. This is a perfectly blended fragrance.
Perle Rose: I wasnt sure what to expect with this one. I love rose based fragrances. Sa Majeste la Rose by Serge Lutens is one of my most used fragrances. I wasnt at all disappointed with Perle Rose. This is a VERY rose dominant fragrance with a very luxurious and a very French feel. Perle Rose smells like a very fresh rose, maybe even a rose that hasnt fully matured yet. Its the smell of a very soft and supple rose that hasnt been adulterated. It isnt powdery at all, or even very sweet; its a slightly tart and untouched rose on a cool spring morning. What I like most about Perle Rose is its lack of sweetness; Sa Majeste la Rose has a noticeable honey note that makes it a bit heavier. Perle Rose is just pure rose that can be worn in even the warmest weather. 5 stars.
I'd love for other members to post their own reviews and opinions of the MPG house. This is my all time favorite house, and I thought I'd share some opinions.
Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier is a revolutionary house, and one of the last real fragrance houses. The classic French perfume houses are tearing apart classical creations to make them both cost effective and allergy compliant. The art of Perfumery is being killed off by a lack of culture and a fear of being noticed. Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier produces classical French fragrances with artistic nuances. Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier is my favorite fragrance house.
I will keep these reviews somewhat short, because I want to be in bed before 1am.
Eau des Iles: This is one of the most imaginative fragrances in the entire MPG line. Eau des Iles is an exotic blend of heady spices, wood, and coffee. This fragrance is a dream in a bottle; I am transported to an early far away tropical island bursting at the seams with commerce. The coffee and spices play perfectly on this theme, which are blended with heady patchouli and wood to create a fragrance that is as exotic as it is balanced. Eau des Iles is perfectly suited for a humid night.
Santal Noble: This is probably the best woody fragrance ever created. While this is not a linear pure sandalwood fragrance, it is pure brilliance. Santal Noble is a beautiful blend of Sandalwood, Cedar wood, Amber, and Coffee. Santal Noble is incredibly rich, but its richness is offset by its dry nature. This is an amazingly dynamic fragrance that evolves every second its on the skin. Santal Noble is a fragrance that plays out like a battle. At first, the Amber and Cedar wood fight with the Sandalwood for dominance, but as the fragrance dries down, the sandalwood slowly wins the battle until finally, all you smell is rich creamy sandalwood with slight and distant hints amber and cedar wood. I dont know how LaPorte created such a balanced fragrance and maintained such conflict throughout the drydown. Santal Noble is perfect.
Route du Vetiver: This fragrance is a little more difficult to describe. Route du Vetiver is off putting at first. Its a very ripe and humid blend. To me, Route du Vetiver reminds me of vetiver with a dark, earthy, fragrant cloud surrounding it. This is not a sparking or dry vetiver like most. Route du Vetiver smells like wet soil, upturned vetiver, with a slight hint of berries thrown in the mix. The most off putting and unique vetiver blend out there. This is a must try for any vetiver lover.
Parfum dHabit: I once saw a member here describe this as dark green. Dark green sums up Parfum dHabit perfectly. Parfum dHabit is a very blend of vetiver, sandalwood, and leather. This fragrance has the texture and color of rough dark green wool. Its rough, earthy and dirty. The sandalwood compliments the leather perfectly. This is a very mysterious fragrance that is reminiscent of a dark, foggy forest.
Secret Mélange: Secret Mélange is one of the easier Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier fragrances to wear, but that doesnt mean its any less unique than any of the others. This is a wonderfully elegant and artistic fragrance. Imagine a burning orange grove consumed by flames. Imagine the fire is put out by a hard spring rain, and now imagine the aroma of fresh cloves permeating the air from the recent rain. Add all these odors together and you have Secret Mélange. There is really nothing like it.
Racine: This is what Guerlains Vetiver should have been. Racine is a luxurious and dry vetiver blended skillfully with sparkling andfresh citrus notes. The beauty of Racine lies with its balance of vetiver and citrus. There is no other vetiver and citrus blend that can maintain this much balance throughout the drydown. Racine is rich, dry, elegant, and perfect year round.
Garrigue: Garrigue is a slightly herbaceous, woody, and citrus blend. Personally, I find this fragrance far from ground breaking. Its a wonderful fragrance for those hot summer days. Its well balanced, but the theme has been done far too many times. I own a bottle of this and do enjoy wearing it, but I dont think I would replace my bottle.
Ambre Precieux: Ambre Precieux is not just another Ambre blend. Laporte managed to create an Ambre based fragrance that was spicy, but not spicy enough to take the center stage off the Ambre. Ambre alone can be cloying, but Ambre with too much conflict can be off putting and difficult to wear for many (Ambre Sultan), but Ambre Precieux maintains enough conflict to keep it interesting throughout the entire drydown, and is also sweet enough to be warm and comforting. This is a great Ambre fragrance, and should serve as an example for anyone looking for ambre.
Centaure: Centaure is very odd. From what I can tell, its mostly a blend of Lavender, Mint, and wood. Its a very unique fragrance that is slightly sour and green. Its very energizing, and to me, equally off putting. This is not creamy lavender, but rather a screaming lavender that is encouraged by mint and woody notes. There is nothing sweet in this fragrance.
Jardin du Nil: Jardin du Nil is one of the most beautiful floral fragrances I have ever smelled. Its mostly floral, but incredibly masculine. Jardin du Nil was made when LaPorte was at a delta in the nile; he observed the odor of geraniums in the hot sun. Jardin du Nil has a depth that most other floral fragrances dont. You can smell the subtle nuances in the geranium, all while its offset by a lush and ripe mint. Jardin du Nil smells like nothing else on the market. Multifaceted floral notes contrasted by mint create Jardin du Nil.
Iris Bleu Gris: Iris Bleu Gris is a rich, edgy, and sweet iris interpretation. Its got a very woody and slightly sweet base. This does not smell like a fragrance dominated by floral notes. Rather, Iris Bleu Gris comes off as a very woody fragrance with Iris nuances throughout. Very true to the MPG style; well balanced, and very elegant.
Fraiche Badiane: I actually just got this one. Throughout the entire life of the fragrance, Lemon plays a very large role. I must say, this is NOT what I expected. The anise never really shows itself, and it smells a lot like Aqua de Parma mixed with Kouros. Not my cup of tea, but a very elegant and understated citrus fragrance.
Soie Rouge: Soie Rouge is from the womens line. It deserves mention here, because it is unique. Soie Rouge is an audacious blend of Carnation, fruit, and pepper. This goes on smelling very floral, but soon the fruit and pepper accords come out and create one of the most unusual fragrances. It is very true to its name in that it smells very red. Soie Rouge is a very red. This could easily be worn by both genders.
Soir d'Orient: Soir dOrient is amazing. Mind blowing. It starts out with an almost off-putting strong agarwood (Oud) note. Very earthy, warm, and dark. At this point you can tell it comes from Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier; you can smell the rich and elegant style. After a few minutes with the fragrance, the strong opening note of Agarwood starts to segue into warm amber and agarwood blend. This is where Soir dOrient stands out from other amber fragrances; Soir dOrient maintains a flawless balance between the earthy and woody notes and the Amber. Ambre Precieux, for example, could be described as cloying, simply because there is nothing that really tames and tempers the Amber. The agarwood and other woody notes in Soir dOrient give it a very mysterious and exotic feel, while the warm amber gives Soir dOrient amazing amounts of richness and a very sensual and seductive nature. This has the richness of Ambre Precieux, the earthiness of Route du Vetiver, and an amazing agarwood accord. This is a perfectly blended fragrance.
Perle Rose: I wasnt sure what to expect with this one. I love rose based fragrances. Sa Majeste la Rose by Serge Lutens is one of my most used fragrances. I wasnt at all disappointed with Perle Rose. This is a VERY rose dominant fragrance with a very luxurious and a very French feel. Perle Rose smells like a very fresh rose, maybe even a rose that hasnt fully matured yet. Its the smell of a very soft and supple rose that hasnt been adulterated. It isnt powdery at all, or even very sweet; its a slightly tart and untouched rose on a cool spring morning. What I like most about Perle Rose is its lack of sweetness; Sa Majeste la Rose has a noticeable honey note that makes it a bit heavier. Perle Rose is just pure rose that can be worn in even the warmest weather. 5 stars.
, but IMO most are wearable on a number of occasions/settings.
Montale Blue Amber reminds me of Soir d'Orient a little bit.
