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March Blind Sniff -- Orient Express: The Red Line - Page 2

post #61 of 161
4/2/12 at 9:12pm
Methinks i shall spray some B onto cloth. Report tomorrow. Buona notte, tutti!
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post #62 of 161
4/3/12 at 12:06am
Thread Starter 
Ju guesses A, which is the niche offering representing the beginning point of the journey -- the Istanbul. One of the smelly shops or market stands sold you some Turkish delight for the road -- rahat loukhoum.

So, A is Keiko Mecheri Loukhoum Parfum du Soir.

This will help y'all narrow down the guesses.

I won't reveal anything about C yet, but will proceed with B before going to bed.

I understand that B needs to be guessed by notes unless you go with location clue. But even then, notes would be helpful, even though these particular notes make me go reread the NST blog piece on "why sometimes notes have nothing to do with reality".
So fwiw, yes to rose, but no to jasmine, tuberose, and white flowers (there's one floral listed there that I generally don't consider a white floral but some people do).
No peach in B, but definitely fruit notes are there.
Not Hungary, another stop along the way, which cacio mentioned in his last post, and yes, it is a clue to -- but not pointing to Knize Ten.
BN was down when I was free and near the computer, so I am sorry for coming in late. Till tomorrow, gang!
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post #63 of 161
4/3/12 at 2:55am
Good morning, dear fellow sniffers. Congratualtions on figuring out the Japanese version of loukoum from Constantinopole, although Saripatates will not pay more than $20 for it. LOL Do not let it upset you, I will NOT either.

Will agree with W. -- B will have to be guessed by the notes, and you have been doing better than a tween crowd -- pink (or red? LOL) rose-peony-freesia territory with some citrus and a base of light woody musk-- and cacio (again!) even mentions the locale, intuitively placing the events where they should be along the Red Line. "Young skateboarders" is one of the clues, there are several more in the intro text as well. Sorry J., not Hungary.

So, what do you think: is B a designer scent or a mass-market offering? (I know, they often overlap, I have heard). Again, what is the price point?

The beginnings of each week are jobs-heavy for me, my checking in will be sporadic. I will try to answer all PMs, so your best bet will be to address them to us both if you want to hear what I think.

Best!
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post #64 of 161
4/3/12 at 4:45am
Skateboarders, you say?
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post #65 of 161
4/3/12 at 4:58am
It's probably germany then? Is it a german designer brand or something broader. Maybe it's a "cologne" But what does skateboarders have to do with it. Is it perhaps extreme

I'm quite clueless about B.
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post #66 of 161
4/3/12 at 7:17am
Thread Starter 
S., it is quite like you -- to narrow down the locale from the names introduced by cacio and then to say that you are clueless. In fact, you are not clue-less, you have just brought in another clue. "German brand", yes.

I am the same as Wolfie work-wise, so I will be checking in often but won't be able to stay for long.
In #63 Wolfie summed up many things, but in #62 I did something similar and confirmed/disconfirmed the notes.
Have a great day!
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post #67 of 161
4/3/12 at 8:14am
A quick smell to the cloth this morning before heading off to work. Usual pink. If the artificial flower is not jasmine, then it could be listed as gardenia, another of these fantasy names unrelated to the actual thing. I also detect now a slight milkiness, nothing big, but a touch.

Skateboarding and Germany leave me a little puzzled, but I am not familiar with the skateboarding aesthetic. Not that I can think of many German brands either. Adidas is (was?) German, it could be reasonably worn by skateboarders. I haven't smelled anything from it, but I'd expect their frags to be more "sporty", ie sharper and with more woody ambers. Other German brands I can think of are Jil Sander (cannot believe this is from the brand), Boss and Escada (again, unknown territory) Escada (uninspiring inferior clothes) could fit the perfume, but I doubt it has anything to do with skateboarding. And do Porsche and BMW have perfumes? Panamera Red Eau de cologne!

cacio
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post #68 of 161
4/3/12 at 9:29am
Thread Starter 
Cacio,
yay for mentioning the right brand both in your post ^^ and in your PM!

You are circling it in, sniffers! No need to know the skateboarders aesthetic -- in fact, I don't know it either. You are doing exactly what Wolfie and I were hoping you would do.

I am cheering you on!
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post #69 of 161
4/3/12 at 11:05am
I had already considered the brand being from germany and have looked into escada, joop and müelhens. I thought escada sexy graffiti could be appropriate, considering the clues in the intro and while the notes looked promising, the reviews and the prominence of the fruits made me think that's not it. Then I checked fragrantica for german designers. That's when I caved and thought I must be missing a subtler hint :P

Adidas is a good idea and makes sense with the clues. A certain adidas has been reviewed as "Boring. Detergent + fabric softener + undefinable flowers." which is quite similar to my experience with B. Although the fragrance doesn't have notes listed, so maybe that's not it. We'll get there in the end, one way or another.
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post #70 of 161
4/3/12 at 12:15pm
Quote:
Adidas is a good idea and makes sense with the clues. A certain adidas has been reviewed as "Boring. Detergent + fabric softener + undefinable flowers." which is quite similar to my experience with B. Although the fragrance doesn't have notes listed, so maybe that's not it. We'll get there in the end, one way or another.

LOL! I followed exactly your logic! Adidas for skateboarding: all their frags seemed to be chemical harsh things except this one. But it is not it, apparently. So back to Escada (whose stores I have never visited).

cacio
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post #71 of 161
4/3/12 at 1:14pm
Heh! I had just PMed before warum noted that cacio had mentioned the brand. I based my guess on its simplistic (to me) construction, and prior experience with a "gimmick" fragrance, the Not a Perfume from Juliette has a Gun. Also kept in mind a German company. Now that the brand has been narrowed down I must look again (can't sniff, ran clear out of this weak s♄!♈).
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post #72 of 161
4/3/12 at 2:02pm
Yeah, the brand headquarters are located in a large German city where the central skateboarding rink is right next door to the Central Rail Station --> "old kraut" smell in the air.

Please also stick to the Red Line theme.

Agree once again about Realities by Liz Claiborne similarity -- pink juice with aspiring to be a somewhat grown-up woody musk dryout, but not quite.
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post #73 of 161
4/3/12 at 2:32pm
Thread Starter 
And cacio sends me the correct guess in a PM!

I got other guesses from sniffers, and now I have another piece of advise: you have used the clues to narrow down the location and the brand. Ask me on board or in the PMs to be sure that you know these are narrowed down for you.

And once you're have that down, keep reading the piece of the journey for the clues. There are more clues to the name of the fragrance.

S., I cannot respond to you -- you have exceeded your PM quota.
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post #74 of 161
4/3/12 at 2:50pm
cacio is on a roll!
I take it I've made wrong guesses. The inbox is now emptied warum, sorry for that.
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post #75 of 161
4/3/12 at 3:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarıpatates View Post

cacio is on a roll!
I take it I've made wrong guesses. The inbox is now emptied warum, sorry for that.

Yep. PMed you back.
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post #76 of 161
4/3/12 at 3:28pm
Congratulations to cacio, he has got it.

Are there any questions for the sniffers from our spectators?
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post #77 of 161
4/3/12 at 3:47pm
let's concentrate now.
it's by escada. it doesn't have peach in it, but it does have fruit. it doesn't have jasmine in it but some flower, that can sometimes be listed as white flowers. at this point I'm practically going to check every feminine escada fragrance.
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post #78 of 161
4/3/12 at 3:50pm
Oh, sari I did that and started tearing my hair out.
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post #79 of 161
4/3/12 at 3:54pm
Thread Starter 
Saripatates, thanks for getting the clue on the name, I was afraid it was useless! And congratulations on getting the sample B! You got it, whoo hoo!

Interestingly, cacio got the name of the fragrance based on one clue, and Saripatates got the other one, the one I originally intended. Ju, look closely for those words and see if something connects with the Excada Frags names!
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post #80 of 161
4/3/12 at 4:02pm
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post #81 of 161
4/3/12 at 4:22pm
Hi, warum, considering I love word games these clues ought to be up my alley. I'm a little tired from work today, but will take another look. If you care to give me the post #s I'll be a little less crabby
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post #82 of 161
4/3/12 at 4:26pm
I'll just paste the relevant part here:

"So, free and safe from the world’s harm, the Red Line train meanders around and snakes into the noisy station with the thick smell of bratwurst and old kraut in the heavy air. We can hop off and disappear in the crowd of skateboarding youngsters at the station. Maybe…"

coincidentally one of the reviews of the fragrance in basenotes strikes a chord with our theme as well.
hope it's ok to give the extra hint =)
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post #83 of 161
4/3/12 at 4:41pm
Aha! Missed that my first go-around, and if it was a snake it would have bitten me. Count me as guessed! Thank you Sari.
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post #84 of 161
4/3/12 at 4:44pm
Onto C, apparently for chypre, but 1st i have to wash off a day of high school + Shalimar, worn as armor.
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post #85 of 161
4/3/12 at 5:05pm
Thread Starter 
Julie, Julie, Julie, YES!! Congratulations!

I reveal the B -- despite the fact that it doesn't smell like the official notes, you all guessed it and made it to Munich, the head office of Escada, the femme fragrance called S!

Just in case you wanted to know, here's the list of the official notes:
Escada S
Fragrantica
plum
blackcurrant
rose
almond blossom,
rose
muguet
red pepper (pimento)
mahogany,
sandalwood,
musks
hazelnut.


Basenotes
• Top Notes
• Plum, Blackcurrant, Eglantine Rose
•
Middle Notes
• Almond Blossom, Rose, Muguet, Red Pepper
•
Base Notes
• Mahogany, Hazelnut, Musk, Sandawood

Smells like all of that, right?

And now on to C!

Sari, can I ask you please to repost your review of C? And cacio and Julie, can I ask you to submit your reviews of C? Thanks!! You are the best sniffers and sleuths!
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post #86 of 161
4/3/12 at 5:23pm
See, Warum, it is possible to guess the fragrances without discussing their individual constituent parts, one by one. Feathers in your hats and hats off to you, dear sniffers.
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post #87 of 161
4/3/12 at 5:46pm
Just sprayed C onto some cotton,then onto me. Oh, come to mama! Smoke and leather, on top no less—OK, that was either so wrong or so right

A few minutes later, huffing the cotton ball sequestered in a Ziploc®, I get fruit, jammy fruit. Are we in Paris? Are we at a sidewalk café? And, since we are on the Red Line, will the color scheme continue?

Oh, one more question: is Escada mass market? God knows I see it at Walgreens and CVS. If so, C should be designer.

ps - "A" (Loukhoum Parfum du Soir) still zaps me when I walk in my room, and this from a nearly week old cotton ball in a closed Ziploc bag. It is take no prisoners powerful, except for having taken one captive: my attention. I want more of this scary confection!
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post #88 of 161
4/3/12 at 6:01pm
Sent a guess.
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post #89 of 161
4/3/12 at 6:05pm
Whoa, you guys are pretty fast, lol. Congraties!
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post #90 of 161
4/3/12 at 6:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kalli View Post

Whoa, you guys are pretty fast, lol. Congraties!

Nobody said I'm right! An early guess helps me narrow things down.
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post #91 of 161
4/3/12 at 6:24pm
Oh I meant with the Escada..that was sweet!

You all are mega sniffers! *high five*
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post #92 of 161
4/3/12 at 6:25pm
Thanks. I must thank cacio, Saripatates, TWolf & warum for all their hints.
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post #93 of 161
4/3/12 at 8:05pm
Great job, everyone! I didn't know Escada was a German brand! Can't wait to hear more about C.
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post #94 of 161
4/3/12 at 8:31pm
Just sprayed on arm and paper. The first spritz had something a touch stale that made me think "vintage". But then it immediately went away. As others have pointed out, this is clearly more classical in construction. Enough of sweet pink stuff.

There's something oddly familiar, but that must be simply because of the classic feel. I don't get much green. The top is a very thick, almost oily note, like oily narcissus-hyacinth, together with some citrus (perhaps orange blossom?). But the oiliness goes away soon and there's something powdery, bitter, and floral. A touch of leather, not big, but dry. Powder, and some rose. Hmm, leathery flowers? We'll see how this develops.

Meanwhile, parsing the hints. Paris, a already mentioned. Everything can happen? Unclear at this point.

Time has stopped? Does this refer to the fact that the perfume is old or there's more to it, some reference to name or marketing? We shall see.

cacio
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post #95 of 161
4/3/12 at 10:20pm
cacio, ah! You notice "the time has stopped", which is preceded by "life goes on", a phrase that just might confirm my guess. We shall see...
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post #96 of 161
4/4/12 at 4:52am
I'm reposting my previous first impression per warum's request:

Now this one I like! While this is probably also marketed towards women, I already have several similar fragrances in my wardrobe marketed towards both genders. Speaking about genders, this one would very probably be considered as an old man's fragrance here in Turkey. I like it.

Opens bitter green but not as cold or as sharp as chanel 19 and silences, both fragrances that share the family of green floral chypres. This is gentler, a la Balmain. This one has to be Paris. I'm guessing this is quite an old fragrance. Not many people tend to go for this style nowadays, consumer and producer alike.

The notes I took on paper during testing it are as follows, without revising them:

bitter green, galbanum, moss, bergamot, aldehydes? some soap, rubbery leather possibly isobutyl quinoline, maybe some patchouli, lily otv, possibly hyacinth, rose. possibly eugenol/carnation. castoreum?

No mistaking the moss in this one. I really like this type of fragrances, and it's a welcome scent to celebrate the coming spring.

---

It seems we all got the clue for the last one. In fact a spectator had too, and sent ME a guess about the fragrance
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post #97 of 161
4/4/12 at 5:06am
This is the best part, when the spectators jump in and share their thoughts about scents with the sniffers, I have had it happening with me on a few occasions.

OK, we are talking about Paris now. Are there any French classic fragrances that C reminds you of? (Say, like Chamade but without ________, or Vent Vert (S.'s Balmain connotation) without ________?) What would you say, if pressed, it smells more like: Chanel or Guerlain?

Earlier Jujy and Saripatates both mentioned oakmoss -- is C a chypre? (should be bergamot and labdanum with oakmoss in the base). Does C manifest any Oriental tendencies or stays pretty floral with chypre overtones?

How pronounced is the rose?

Too many questions?

LOL

There are more clues in the intro text -- the part you have never thought to connect with C.
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post #98 of 161
4/4/12 at 6:37am
I've reapplied C, and will test further.
I think there is also indole in this. Probably jasmine then. The rose is not very pronounced to me but it's there. There is probably an accompanying citrus note to the bergamot.

I haven't smelled chamade but it is similar to vent vert. It definitely is a chypre. The labdanum might be noted as amber. I don't think it's overly oriental though. Not sweet, spicy or heavy enough for my perception of an oriental

Never too many questions.
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post #99 of 161
4/4/12 at 7:06am
I woke up with a stuffed nose, so at the moment I cannot really smell much. As I recall, I didn't get much greenness - Chamade definitely has a very green floral opening, and also a different drydown, more sandalwoody (though it must have gone through so many formulation). I have not smelled Vent Vert, but again, I would have imagine a very green and crisp opening, which we don't have here, it's more citrusy-oily. Somehow, En Avion came to mind, it is also dry with some leather, but then I applied my sample and of course it's different, En Avion has a lot more orange blossom and some anice.

I cannot smell the drydown, so I'm not sure if there are oriental tendency. But I didn't note too much resins, nor vanilla or balsams.

So there are clues also in the detour on the murder on the orient express. Pipes, knives, handkerchief, grease... Nothing really clicks at this point.

cacio
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post #100 of 161
4/4/12 at 8:47am
Thread Starter 
Alright, I woke up to several PMs and all this good discussion on the board. I will respond to these to give you sniffers directions to move further.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twolf View Post

See, Warum, it is possible to guess the fragrances without discussing their individual constituent parts, one by one. Feathers in your hats and hats off to you, dear sniffers.

Our sniffers are indeed phenomenal, and yes, you are so right, it is possible. Right now it is not yet time to discuss what did two of us to to enable that, but I think I do want to talk about it later - when the sniff is done and I say my thanks.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jujy54 View Post

Are we in Paris? Are we at a sidewalk café? And, since we are on the Red Line, will the color scheme continue?

Oh, one more question: is Escada mass market?

ps - "A" (Loukhoum Parfum du Soir) still zaps me when I walk in my room, and this from a nearly week old cotton ball in a closed Ziploc bag. It is take no prisoners powerful, except for having taken one captive: my attention. I want more of this scary confection!

Julie, great questions. Yes, Escada we decided to count as mass market. Sometimes the lines between mass market/low end designer are blurred, but we went with the quality of the frag itself and felt we did OK in this classification so yes, it is established that we are now in Paris and the sample C is designer.

And I have your address and I will be glad to send you more of A.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

Just sprayed on arm and paper. The first spritz had something a touch stale that made me think "vintage". But then it immediately went away. As others have pointed out, this is clearly more classical in construction. Enough of sweet pink stuff.

There's something oddly familiar, but that must be simply because of the classic feel. I don't get much green. The top is a very thick, almost oily note, like oily narcissus-hyacinth, together with some citrus (perhaps orange blossom?). But the oiliness goes away soon and there's something powdery, bitter, and floral. A touch of leather, not big, but dry. Powder, and some rose. Hmm, leathery flowers? We'll see how this develops.

Meanwhile, parsing the hints. Paris, a already mentioned. Everything can happen? Unclear at this point.

Time has stopped? Does this refer to the fact that the perfume is old or there's more to it, some reference to name or marketing? We shall see.

cacio

Cacio, you are on the right track with "time has stopped" clue, you named several ways this clue can be interpreted one of which was exactly what I thought about when I planted that clue in. Interestingly, even without the clue there (so, based on your own nose) you would've said the word I was pointing to. I am basing it on your review.
EDIT: Sari has mentioned that one as well.

I was also very impressed that Sari smelled green -- when he posted the review, TWolfie said that he smelled pretty much a half of the notes from the official description. And in particular, he guessed the half of the green notes as well. I was relieved that I was not the only one who experienced the beginning of C as not green but a little oily, like cacio, and _____________ (I will skip the word from my expression here). But not green. So I was surprised to find out that those green notes are listed among the top notes, whether we all smell them or not.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

So there are clues also in the detour on the murder on the orient express. Pipes, knives, handkerchief, grease... Nothing really clicks at this point.

Unlike Munich clues, these clues are connected to the story of the murder of the Orient express. I shall say more should the need arise.
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post #101 of 161
4/4/12 at 8:53am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarıpatates View Post


It seems we all got the clue for the last one. In fact a spectator had too, and sent ME a guess about the fragrance

Oh gracious! May I ask you to share this guess with other sniffers? so this guess is "on the board", so to speak?
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post #102 of 161
4/4/12 at 9:03am
Sure, it was by RingER and here's the full message:

I'm loving your description of "C" and love that sort of perfume. I think it sounds like Le Temps d'une Fete by Parfums de Nicolai. I'm new to this though, but it is fun to watch and guess.

The name and the reviews -based on my perception- were very appropriate too. I think I should invite her to the next blind sniff
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post #103 of 161
4/4/12 at 9:37am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarıpatates View Post

Sure, it was by RingER and here's the full message:

I'm loving your description of "C" and love that sort of perfume. I think it sounds like Le Temps d'une Fete by Parfums de Nicolai. I'm new to this though, but it is fun to watch and guess.

The name and the reviews -based on my perception- were very appropriate too. I think I should invite her to the next blind sniff

Absolutely! Please do! Especially since you host -- and since we need sniffers! Yay! She will be right at home with such nice guesses!
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post #104 of 161
4/4/12 at 11:12am
Still with a cold, so unable to smell well. Interesting about the green - but then perhaps it's just that I'm coming from a green floral phase. For a couple of days I had been wearing Tiare, a classic green chypre a la Cristalle, and in recent weeks I've variously worn Silences, Metal, Insense, Futur and Bandit, where the green is much stronger and in your face.

Temps d'une fete would have been a good guess from the description, but the feel is very different. I perceive Temps d'une fete as greener (ok), much heavier, mossier, darker. C has more citrus and that oily feel (whether thick bergamot oil or hyacinth) up top, and then it's floral dry.

cacio
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post #105 of 161
4/4/12 at 11:33am
OH! Should I have posted my guess to the group rather than just one sniffer? I wasn't confident enough with my guess to make it public, but now it's out there. I just got back from lunch to see how this played out.

As for being a sniffer, I would be honored. I am still training my novice nose by sampling tons and reading what other smell to see if I can detect the same. My breadth of data is still so comparitively small, and I don't have the same references that many of you do. I will now read through old blind sniff threads to get a better idea of how it's done.
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post #106 of 161
4/4/12 at 12:37pm
Ringer I'd be happy to have you on board for April, if T-boss is ok with that of course.

Cacio, I've made another guess that I feel good about. If it's a hit, it's all thanks to you
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post #107 of 161
4/4/12 at 1:25pm
I stepped down, I am not a boss any longer, dear S. W. is! LOL Please feel free to put me where I belong if I start opening up my mouth too much and too often, I am human.

So, we are stumped by the identity of C? Grrrrrrrrreat.

All of you, guys, think C is quite green, somewhat oily and quite chypre-esque. What if I told you that the oily part comes NOT from the florals only, but from something else? It does, too, judging by the notes.

Some of you think that C might be vintage -- let me disappoint you, it is NOT that old, although I agree 100 per cent that it is done in the best classical tradition. I have never heard the answer to my teasing question -- Chanel or Guerlain? -- but if I were to answer it myself, I would say one of Amouages. (Here I shut up). But it is the matter of opinion/skin.

RingER -- I love you already. Mwah on both cheeks.

I have had two guesses submitted -- both are incorrect -- Guerlain Samsara and Molinard Chypre Orient. At this point I can echo what Warum has pointed out -- C was chosen as a designer fragrance, but very often it is a very thin line between the designer and the niche and the rest, the distribution might or might not be limited, the fragrances might or might not be tweaked, etc (Chanel is the best example -- yes to a designer and yes to a niche).

There were more questions in #97, I suppose they might get us closer to our final destination on the Red Line of Orient Express. I did not mean to get you all confused and hot and bothered.

I will be home in about 5 hours, OK?
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post #108 of 161
4/4/12 at 1:49pm
human? I would not believe that for a second wolfie let's put her name on the recipient list for april then.

by that post I take it it's not cabochard by gres either. damn, I thought I got it for sure this time! I think it actually smells similar to bandit in style but much smoother.

I'd say it's closer to chanel, no guerlinade or prominent vanilla. Only slight animalic quality. But then it's not as stark as most chanels either. Although the first fragrance ever that popped up in my head when I read "time-stopping" was "la pausa", which I haven't tested yet. Just thought I'd mention, I don't think that's it.

What smells oily? Now, I may be reading a lot into it but seeing as you mention amouage and your previous question about oriental genre I guess it might be a spice/resin. I'll be checking the thread for more clues, I'm spent :P
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post #109 of 161
4/4/12 at 2:19pm
Indeed, no vanilla or guerlinade, so by default one would say more a Chanel, though I don't get any Chanel iris or aldehydes.

I love the tantalizingly named La Pausa, but it is a straightforward fresh and clean iris, which C is not.

So there seems to be hints pointing to one of the exclusive collections of a designer brands, something which came out obviously not too long ago, and perhaps a re-elaboration or an older frag. These continuing strange hints to oriental and Amouage (which now is a sort of Creed, but let's not get there) do indeed point to some resin ingredient. Amouage is known for frankincense, not much of which I perceived yesterday. Oud is often compared to oil, though again none can be perceived here - but we know listed notes are pure fantasy.

cacio
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post #110 of 161
4/4/12 at 2:37pm
Thinking about everything you all are saying about C. Could the oily element be saffron?
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post #111 of 161
4/4/12 at 3:12pm
Thread Starter 
Oh! Oh! Oh! So much good stuff here, let me answer.
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post #112 of 161
4/4/12 at 3:28pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by RingER View Post

OH! Should I have posted my guess to the group rather than just one sniffer? I wasn't confident enough with my guess to make it public, but now it's out there. I just got back from lunch to see how this played out.

As for being a sniffer, I would be honored. I am still training my novice nose by sampling tons and reading what other smell to see if I can detect the same. My breadth of data is still so comparitively small, and I don't have the same references that many of you do. I will now read through old blind sniff threads to get a better idea of how it's done.

RingER, as a spectator the best thing to do is to PM your guess to me and TWolf, that is, to the hosts. Then we can post it on the board for all sniffers to see.
For instance, dear Haunani is a spectator as well, and she sent a guess concerning Caron Secret Oud -- and that's not it.
You're on for April, and please PM me if you have any questions. Sometimes it is good to have many references, but when I started out sniffing blind, notes were my friends.


Quote:
Originally Posted by Twolf View Post

I stepped down, I am not a boss any longer, dear S. W. is! LOL Please feel free to put me where I belong if I start opening up my mouth too much and too often, I am human.

Mwah, Wolfie. The kind of boss I am is a not too much of a hand-on boss, a collaborator, a person who loves to let others do the thing they want to do. So if you want to be bossy, you always can. You have a lot of knowledge and ideas on how things are to be done, so it would be hard to keep them all in, I am guessing. We love you for who you are.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Twolf View Post

All of you, guys, think C is quite green, somewhat oily and quite chypre-esque. What if I told you that the oily part comes NOT from the florals only, but from something else? It does, too, judging by the notes.

To be fair to cacio, I'd like to add that that does not mean that a note from "oily combo" he mentioned is not listed among the notes!

Quote:
Originally Posted by sarıpatates View Post

by that post I take it it's not cabochard by gres either. damn, I thought I got it for sure this time! I think it actually smells similar to bandit in style but much smoother.

What smells oily? Now, I may be reading a lot into it but seeing as you mention amouage and your previous question about oriental genre I guess it might be a spice/resin. I'll be checking the thread for more clues, I'm spent :P

Not La Pausa, not Gres Cabochard and not similar to Bandit on me and for me.

Quote:
Originally Posted by cacio View Post

So there seems to be hints pointing to one of the exclusive collections of a designer brands, something which came out obviously not too long ago, and perhaps a re-elaboration or an older frag. These continuing strange hints to oriental and Amouage (which now is a sort of Creed, but let's not get there) do indeed point to some resin ingredient. Amouage is known for frankincense, not much of which I perceived yesterday. Oud is often compared to oil, though again none can be perceived here - but we know listed notes are pure fantasy

Cacio, you are masterfully interpreting the clues. A designer brand, yes. Exclusive in some way, yes. "perhaps a re-elaboration or an older frag" -- ooohh, how did you get that? Perhaps not, but do not forget this thought -- there is a very important clue in here if you take this thought and subject it to twists and turns. I don't know if I am qualified to answer TWolf's question about Chanel VS Guerlain, but I would not say Chanel nor would I say Amouage

You will get some notes if you elaborate on resins.
I'd like Julie to get more notes to start confirming or disconfirming the notes.

Please take your time and enjoy yourselves, dear sniffers!
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post #113 of 161
4/4/12 at 4:33pm
ok, concentrate on resins potatohead.

Frankincense - unlikely
Galbanum - very likely
Labdanum - likely. perhaps listed as amber.
Mastic - while it's green and within the frag profile, it's a rare note. unlikely
Myrrh - possible, but would it be used in such a chypre? can't smell it anyway.
Opoponax - unlikely. it has a semi-gourmand balsamic quality that is nonexistant in C. not to my nose.
Styrax - it is also leathery but while the leather mostly animalic hints, isobutyl quinoline and moss, it is possible and likely.
Benzoin - it's not that balsamic nor vanillic. unlikely.
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post #114 of 161
4/4/12 at 5:09pm
How about concentrating on the Murder on the Orient Express connection? I PMed Warum with a couple of guesses, and while they were incorrect, she was encouraging about following that line of thinking. Sharing the conversation here in case anyone else can use the info (I have permission to share):

H: The sniffers' descriptions also made me think of Guerlain Derby, and Hercule Poirot wore a derby. ???

W: Nope, not it, but good call -- I think it is really important to think close about those Orient Express clues. Do you know the story?

H: I do, but it's been a while. I was reading the Wikipedia entry on it. I also thought of Habit Rouge, since there's a red kimono in the story, but no one has suggested that the fragrance is powdery. ??? There is also something about a time zone issue that changes the time of the dirty deed. ???

So it's neither Derby or Habit Rouge, and I don't even know if it's a Guerlain. They didn't say it wasn't a Guerlain, though, so it was worth a try!
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post #115 of 161
4/4/12 at 5:33pm
Thread Starter 
H., many thanks, friend!

S., working toward notes and the story will propel you to the Orient Express destination with the speed of light! Your list of resins is impressive, and we will need cacio and Ju to comment on them, you have identified many of the notes. Taken together what cacio identified correctly, you will have almost entire top and heart taken care of!

But there's also a story to think about. I did not mention the red kimono (but adored Habit Rouge connection!), but I did mention the handkerchief and the greasy stain on the passport (the passport was likely to belong to the owner of the red kimono).
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post #116 of 161
4/4/12 at 6:09pm
Hey y'all! I'm just stoppin' by to tell you what a fascinating and fun sniff this has been - hostess, togogirl and sniffers are all doing such an incredible and impressive job! And it's lots of fun as a spectator to have a few clues other than the notes ...you really did a great job with the theme, so brava Warum! Bravas and bravos all around!
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post #117 of 161
4/4/12 at 6:13pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Evangeline View Post

Hey y'all! I'm just stoppin' by to tell you what a fascinating and fun sniff this has been - hostess, togogirl and sniffers are all doing such an incredible and impressive job! And it's lots of fun as a spectator to have a few clues other than the notes ...you really did a great job with the theme, so brava Warum! Bravas and bravos all around!

Oh, Evangeline, thank you so very much, but the credit is shared between me and TWolf who is so much more than togogirl! She had helped me with the theme (I wanted an Agatha Christie theme, but it was nowhere near as good as the joint result of our collaboration). We collaborated very closely on everything! Clues, theme, pictures, ideas, fragrances -- credit is shared!
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post #118 of 161
4/4/12 at 6:34pm
E., I have to put the date down somewhere and start celebrating it annually -- the Blind Bug bit you. You probably know what my question to you is going to sound like, and I admit -- yes, I know the answer, moi.

Here, we have not heard from Ju yet, but -- and Warum is probably going to kill me for that next -- a handkerchief from Agatha Christie's book comes to play at some point.

Honestly, I found out about C's existence right here on BN, some 5 years ago, from a BNer out of Boston MA. C is somewhat generic to me -- as it is hard to classify -- in the best sense of the word, with the nod to the older times when people did not care about the family or the group of fragrances, but when they were just good smells. Neither a chypre, nor an oriental, it bears qualities of the both. Besides, it uses quality ingredients, I think. If pressed, I would say between Chanel and Guerlain. The Amouage I was referring to is Dia, believe it or not -- speaking of drydown in particular.

Saripatates, in the set of notes I have got here I read both labdanum and amber listed.
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post #119 of 161
4/4/12 at 7:25pm
Just checking back. Nose still closed, despite vigorous cleaning, so I still cannot smell well. But from yesterday I agree with the assessment that it is pleasant, good ingredients, but somewhat generic, sort of in the middle of a cloud of floral, rosy chypres and non-sweet semiorientals (where the oriental labels is not because of vanilla or rich ambers, but more because of a all-included feel).

In any case, back to the clues, I had seen the movie years ago and forgot the details, so a quick browsing seems to indicate that the handkerchief has the letter H for Helena Goldberg, now countess Andrenyi, which explains why she smudged the H from her passport - so as to appear as her name was Elena. I remembered something having to do with Russian and the letter N, but I must be mixing up movies.

cacio
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post #120 of 161
4/4/12 at 7:39pm
Hi, everybody. Long day here, teaching then off to ceramics class.

I agree with Sari's notes, and I agree really not Guerlain; Samsara was truly a wild guess based more on clues than notes.
So, what keeps this from being a chypre? I did a side by side with vintage Chypre de Coty and feel they are at least cousins. My SotD today was Miss Balmain—it's how I keep ornery high-schoolers at bay—and there is a match on leather notes. Miss B is not a chypre, I think its classified as woody fragrance. I agree on the quinoline, galbanum, and I detect rose at the outset. I'm sniffing right now, about 15 minutes in and get something anisic or herbal, some resin, and some incense. It is not as austere as Chanel_in my most limited experience. Now that oily thing—rosewood?

As either cacio or sari mentioned, this is up my alley. After a week of unfamiliar, I feel more at home here.

I don't know the Agath Christie story one bit, sorry to say. I'm a bit swamped and tomorrow I go from work to a ballgame, so be patient if you don't hear from me for before tomorrow night.
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