Profumo Samples: Quarry's Group - Second Parcel

A new batch of fragrances has arrived from La Via del Profumo. The Italian perfumeur, Abdes Salam Attar, makes all-natural perfumes, and he takes care to choose high-quality ingredients. The result is astonishing and sure to evoke strong emotions. His creative daring results in bold and innovative scents.
This thread is part three of a series.

I will be joined by Asha and Aiona, and, in addition, I will be sending samples out tomorrow to Quarry, Lilybelle, Chestnut, and Whisperingleaves.
Welcome, testers!

My box contains the following items:

Fragrances:
Philum
Rose des Bois
Aalacho
Cuba Express

Samples of the bespoke fragrances can be found here:
http://www.profumo.it/perfume/prodotti_outsiders.asp

Samples of the regular line of Scents of the Sould can be found here:
http://profumo.it/perfume/prodotti_mignon.asp

Ingredients:
Ambergris
http://profumo.it/perfume/aromathera...mbergris_1.htm

Tuberosa

Castoreum
http://profumo.it/perfume/prodotto.asp?pid=202

I will begin the discussion with the three perfume ingredients, all of which are totally fascinating. Here is the most remarkable one:

Ambergris tincture - What a rare and wonderful substance. And this time, it is available without the guilt from killing whales. Beach harvested ambergris is more useable than the stinky mess obtained from whale vomit. This ambergris had been floating on the ocean for decades, being cleaned and hardened by the sun and the brine, and then it was washed up on the beach for the lucky finder of this expensive substance.

So, so.... What does it smell like? Strange, complex, off-putting and attractive at the same time. I am going to make a comparison here, and it is a curious one, but I think I have an explanation for it if you will bear with me.

Ambergris smells a little like stomach bile. It is the bitter, medicinal aroma in one's mouth after a long illness. It is strong, very strong. After purging and no eating for many days, the body is empty, the system has reached the point where it must survive. There is nothing left. The digestion is cleansed of all outside substances and ready to resume its work. There is a taste in the mouth, and this is it.

I suppose it makes sense. Whales also get sick in their stomachs sometimes. After all, that is how ambergris is made.

Another enlightening fact about the smell of ambergris---it smells like old perfume. (Conversely, old perfume smells like ambergris.) Yes, in fact, many of you have probably smelled real ambergris in the base of vintage perfumes. I recognize this aroma from the inside of my late grandmother's purse. Most women who wore perfume at the turn of the century, in the 1900s, had access to ambergris. I never knew what it was. As a child, I wrinkled my nose and thought it was extremely odd and slightly unpleasant--an unclean, musty odor. And yet, I could not stop trying to smell it. I looked for it. I looked forward to smelling it again. I thought about it in my memory. I associated it with a generation of adventurous women who had come to America on ships from faraway lands.

And here it is again, plain and simple, not covered by orange blossom, rose, or jasmine as it often was in those days. It takes me back in my mind to the old days. You can smell it in the bottom of the dried-up bottle of ancient perfume still, after all these years. that is how pervasive--and unforgettable--an odor it is.

Castoreum - I am one of those people who likes animalic notes in her perfume. Something about the warmth and organic nature of these aromas fascinates me. Jean Patou 1000, Guerlain Jicky, Paloma Picasso, vintage Cuir de Russie--all have strong animalic notes. They fascinate me. Their "dirtiness" holds my attention. One would, therefore, assume that I like civit and castoreum. To the contrary, I was surprised to find that can barely tolerate these substances on their own.

Castoreum smells rude and aggressive. It is leather with a bitter edginess. It has a fecal topnote and rubber undertone. My cat jumped up on my desk while I was writing about castoreum, and I held out my arm to her. She sniffed, looked at me with wide, alarmed eyes, and promptly jumped down and left the room. Do you understand what I mean by "aggressive?" Even she, with no vocabulary to describe it, decided that whatever had marked my arm with its scent was big, strong, and not to angered. This is a "masculine" note, no doubt about it. It claims territory.

Tuberose - Here is a prime example of the type of ingredients that Profumo uses. I had ordered tuberose extract for last summer's Note Identification Project. I hated it. My sample was nasty, smelling of rotten flowers, and unsweet. I could never like tuberose. I was puzzled. I could not understand how a perfume like Fracas could be made from this hideous absolute.

Now I smell a high-quality tuberose extract from Profumo, and my mind has changed. To be sure, it still retains that slightly "meaty" quality of jungle flowers, but this tuberose is markedly sweet, strangely beautiful, a mix of fleshy and sugary notes, some green and haylike wildness, and a strong projection of a floral note. I should never say "never." Good thing I smelled this. It explains everything to me about Fracas. What a great note. I stand corrected about tuberose.

Thanks, Merbert, The perplexing thing was my cat's reaction. She took one sniff of the castoreum, and the poor little animal jumped down and ran out of the room. She was actually frightened. This same cat licked civit from my hand. So, with cats, it is "no" for beavers and "yes" for civets. It makes sense.

Today I am wearing Aalacho.
The perfume is a beautiful green color.
My first impression is that this is a man's fragrance. I think it would smell better on a man than a woman. However, anyone who read my previous posts will know that Gringo was my favorite Profumo fragrance so far, and it was a real gent's perfume.
On first application, it gives off some "barbershop" vibes, a bit soapy and fresh.
However, knowing Profumo, there is some animalic ingredient artfully hidden in here. It has a bitter edge to it, so I will guess ambergris or castoreum.
The middle phase is sweet and spicy. I think it smells like a pot of sugar-water boiling on the stove to make syrup, with cardamom added.
The ending seems reverse-engineered, with a lemony note popping up in the base that was not evident before. Lemon notes, being citrus, usually appear in the top, so perhaps this is something different like vetiver or herbs.
It is transparent, neither creamy nor ambery.
And if there are florals, they do not smell traditional, like rose or jasmine, but are something exotic.
Well? Let's see what I got right.
Profumo, if you want to delay your answer until the others have had a chance to smell Aalacho, please wait until they post.

I wish I could change the name of this thread. Profumo says this is not Team Three, but merely part of Team Two, which belongs to Quarry. Sorry for the confusion.
I look forward to reading Asha and Aiona's impressions.
My packages went out today to the rest of my group.
Tomorrow I will review... Cuba Express.

Thanks, Asha, sweetie. I just corrected the thread.

Today I tell the Tale of Two Tobaccos.
Tobacco notes occupy a love-hate position with me. I have always loved the aroma of tobacco shops but disliked the smell of burning tobacco. Last summer, when I did the Note Identification Project, I ordered some tobacco absolute, wondering if it would trigger the love or hate reaction. Hoping for the former, I discovered the latter. I opened the little glass vial to discover a tarry, almost black goo that smelled as unappealing as the inside of a bong. I couldn't make any pretty perfumes out of it. I tried and gave up.

I've had the hardest time with the smoke note, even in some of the most highly-regarded fragrances, such as Andy Tauer Lonestar Memories, Molinard Habanita, Ayala Moriel Espionage, Le Labo Patchouli 24, even L'Artisan Tea for Two. I have fared better with the unburned tobacco note, such as the booze-leather-and-cigaretts of Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe, the men's club pipe tobacco of Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque, the galbanum and wet tobacco of Bandit, the base of Cabochard, and the rich, honeyed-tobacco note in Paloma Picasso.

So, with some trepidation, I review two overtly tobacco scents. Will I like them? Which will appeal to me more?

To begin with, both of these impress me as men's fragrances--ones that I would prefer to smell on a man rather than on myself. I do not smoke. I have only loved two men in my life who have been smokers: one was my uncle, and the other was my first lover. So I possess two, distinctly different mood associations with the scent of tobacco.

Cuba Express - The opening of Cuba Express interested me more because it included some sweet food items, such as tropical fruits, spices, and rum. In short, this fragrance reminds me of vacation! It makes me think of going somewhere sunny and warm, of eating ethnic food at local restaurants--which is one of the funnest aspects of foreign travel. The restaurant is filled with people enjoying fresh fruit, steaming coffee, chocolate dessert, and spiced rum. Men are smoking cigars. (The tobacco in this perfume resembles pipe or cigar tobacco, not cigarettes.) This perfume is heavy and complex, juxtaposed with edible and non-edible aromas. As a woman, I would wear it if the food items dominated the tobacco, but it works the other way around. It would be nice on a man who is outgoing and friendly, who laughs a lot, expresses himself openly, and dresses well, in a colorful shirt and summer suit.

Chilum - Intially, I appreciated this fragrance less, but in the end, I preferred Chilum over Cuba Express. At first application it was lighter, less sweet, and, I thought, weaker. The tobacco was less heavy, which makes it more wearable for me. There was a little sweetness in the ginger, but nothing very sugary. And then, my favorite part began: Sandalwood. Real sandalwood added its woody, powdery charm which grew and grew as I wore it. Chilum always stays rather dry, but it is pleasing and airy due to the superior sandalwood base. It makes me want to breathe inward. Hey, that's a little like smoking, isn't it? This tobacco perfume would be more wearable by different kinds of people, tending toward light, adaptability.

The last perfume in this package is:
Rose de Bois - I already reviewed this in a different thread, but I think it deserves another mention because it is so lovely. This one, I would recommend to anyone who has never worn an all-natural perfume because it epitomizes that genre. It goes on fresh and turns into a lovely skin-scent. The rose is delicately green and spicy, sweet and softly woody. Again, the sandalwood base is exquisite. Personally, I think it would make a fabulous summer scent because the real sandalwood is gorgeous and long-lasting when it becomes warmed on the skin. Most women would like this, so it's a good place to start when exploring natural perfumes.

Thanks for posting, Asha.
It is true, the "mothball" aspect of ambergris. It's musty.
Aalacho was mystifying, wasn't it? In the middle notes, did it sweeten up for you? I'm curious to find out the notes. And I'm still puzzling over the lemony quality in the end. Since it waited until the base to come out, I'm wondering if it is verbena, lemongrass, or a particularly citrusy frankincense.

Persona and Aalacho?
Okay, my guess for commonalities based on everyone's impressions would be frankincense and vetiver.

Good descriptons, Asha. In enjoyed reading them.
You know, I am going to change the heading on my thread to "Quarry's Group, Second Parcel." That should clear everything up.
Now the next person can name his or her thread accordingly--team leader, then parcel number.

I got two new ones today, Amber Chocolate (listed as Chocolate Amber in the Directory) and Don Corleone. Both are beautiful, but they are quite different.

Amber Chocolate - Gourmand lovers, if you're looking for a delicious, edible chocolate perfume, this one is fabulous. It is pure chocolate absolute and creamy vanilla combined to create a melt-in-your-mouth confectionery that manages to steer clear of too much sweetness. How does it accomplish that? By smelling just boozy enough to elicit images of a snifter full of Creme de Cacao. Maybe there's even a touch of Amaretto in there. It's mouthwatering. And, with the characteristics of an all-natural perfume, it is never overpowering--rather it smells clean and clear, even though it is decadent. This is a gorgeous chocolate fragrance, and an easy one to wear.

Don Corleone - I put this perfume on, and the image of a handsome man in an expensive suit came to me. It is classy, stylish, and understated, rich and, "Oh! So Italian!" Right down to the polished shoes and the light scent of tobacco. It surprised me to find that tuberose and vanilla are also listed as notes. You would never suspect them. This is a man's perfume but really, it is unisex. If you haven't read my earlier posts, I was more than pleasantly surprised by Profumo's tuberose absolute. Wipe all images of Poison or Fracas from your minds, this tuberose is natural, fresh, and not very sweet. And it surpasses the tuberose absolute that I smelled last summer in the Note Identification Project, which smelled carnal and like rotten flowers. The tuberose in Don Corleone is of prime quality and highly enjoyable, but it is not a classic "floral" scent in the least. Nor does the vanilla dominate this fragrance, as it would in an Oriental. In fact, I don't know what olfactory group to include this fragrance in. It smells of the outdoors and of tobacco and of well-dressed men. I am impressed by Profumo's fragrances for men. They are original and a welcome change from the "fresh citrus and lavender" or the "sweet leather and wood" based department store colognes that smell so similar to one another. I like Don Corleone a lot.