Ok I've been wanting to try this line ever since it was relaunched by Roja Dove, and finally today I have. Amazed doesn't even begin to describe my feeling towards these creations. I am also a proud owner of all three of the Grossmith creations in 50ml EDP. It is my most satisifying purchase perfume-wise in years, and that's because it shines a hopeful light towards vintage perfumery. These three fragrances smell of a different era and truly gives a feeling of true hope that perfumery is not dead. I have not gotten acquainted properly with these three because they are truly complex and mesmerizing and require proper sniffing. I'll give you an extremely brief description of each scent based on upon a very brief observation.
Hasu-no Hana: It starts off with something very indolic that begins to fade it animalic exterior to show a spicy floral heart that eventually leads to a chypre-oriental base of tonka bean and oakmoss. Very, very complex.
Phul-Nana: First observations show an aromatic-floral top that leads to a rich floral heart.
Shem-el Nessim: The most "obvious" of the bunch. This is clearly an interpreation of L'heure Bleue. Although L'heure Bleue was given a second awakeing in Pierre Guillaume's brilliant gourmand take on it in Bois de Copaiba, Shem el-Nessim takes an extremely interesting take on the Guerlain classic. When you spray SeN, you get an intensely animalic honey (read urinous not too far away from MdB), that fades into the background as the heliotrope and orris play a major part in the heart. It's the heart that is the most similiar to L'Heure Bleue, but once you get to the drydown, it couldn't be anymore different. The drydown amplifies the sharp honey and tones the heliotrope waaay down. Also a very distinct civet note creeps up. Heartwrentchingly breathtaking.
So all you vintage and Guerlain-lovin freaks, you owe yourself to try these masterpieces. And I'm terribly sorry for these short-descriptions. Because of the complexity of these fragrances, it's quite hard to "get" what they're all about unless you give them atleast a couple wearing. So I'm off to sniff and sniff again, so I can report back; and you go do the same thing. Well...what are you waiting for!!!
Hasu-no Hana: It starts off with something very indolic that begins to fade it animalic exterior to show a spicy floral heart that eventually leads to a chypre-oriental base of tonka bean and oakmoss. Very, very complex.
Phul-Nana: First observations show an aromatic-floral top that leads to a rich floral heart.
Shem-el Nessim: The most "obvious" of the bunch. This is clearly an interpreation of L'heure Bleue. Although L'heure Bleue was given a second awakeing in Pierre Guillaume's brilliant gourmand take on it in Bois de Copaiba, Shem el-Nessim takes an extremely interesting take on the Guerlain classic. When you spray SeN, you get an intensely animalic honey (read urinous not too far away from MdB), that fades into the background as the heliotrope and orris play a major part in the heart. It's the heart that is the most similiar to L'Heure Bleue, but once you get to the drydown, it couldn't be anymore different. The drydown amplifies the sharp honey and tones the heliotrope waaay down. Also a very distinct civet note creeps up. Heartwrentchingly breathtaking.
So all you vintage and Guerlain-lovin freaks, you owe yourself to try these masterpieces. And I'm terribly sorry for these short-descriptions. Because of the complexity of these fragrances, it's quite hard to "get" what they're all about unless you give them atleast a couple wearing. So I'm off to sniff and sniff again, so I can report back; and you go do the same thing. Well...what are you waiting for!!!
but the other 2 deserve every Dollar they cost! This is Perfume art as good as it gets!! Grossly underrated!! People, lovers of classical perfumery, please try these beauties! Thanks for your short review
